Excited for new review and book award for Drink Wine!

Excited to have a new book review and book award from Literary Titan for my new short story collection, Drink Wine and Be Beautiful.

Editorial reviews mean a lot to me, and this review for my new short story collection, and being a recipient of the Literary Titan Book Award, puts me in an excellent frame of mind for the launch of my first short story collection (next week)!

You can see the full review below.

Relationships can be almost frighteningly beautiful in their complexity. From the way we meet that one person who truly understands our innermost thoughts to the way our lives evolve beyond that moment, our friendships speak to the way we both love and live. Time and circumstances may change, but the friends who were made for us stay true through the most emotionally charged and challenging times. The love we share with our closest friends knows no boundaries, and no one knows this better than author Kimberly Sullivan. Her collection of short stories displays a wide variety of relationships and the circumstances that sometimes put them to the ultimate test.

Drink Wine and Be Beautiful: Short Stories, by Kimberly Sullivan, is a collection of striking short stories that will hit home with virtually any reader. Sullivan’s focus is women, their lives and challenges, and the friendships that get them through it all.

Taking place in Italy, Sullivan’s book of short stories contains a certain mystique that perfectly compliments the relationships wrapped within its covers. It is difficult to pinpoint one specific aspect of Sullivan’s work that stands out because each short story is unique, somehow relatable, and beautifully impactful on the reader. Sullivan is adept at colorful descriptions, heartfelt dialogue, and reaching out to readers via memorable characters. Despite some of the backgrounds of the various women, each one is fighting a battle that makes them incredibly vulnerable and relatable. Sullivan will, without a doubt, garner a sizable following from her work. The women who make up her short stories contain a bit of each of us. I was especially moved by the story titled Modern Art. This selection features two aging friends, Livia and Eleonora, who meet to explore contemporary art. Their bickering is classic. Their political differences keep them at odds, but they manage to look past that and maintain a healthy respect for one another’s opinions. The argument that seems to be the end of their lifelong friendship is painful to watch but absorbs the reader from beginning to end.

Cover to cover, the short stories in Drink Wine and Be Beautiful are engaging, full of characters, and create thought-provoking moments for readers. Readers will reflect on their own relationships, especially those they share with lifelong friends. I highly recommend Sullivan’s short stories to anyone looking for a deeply meaningful read doled out in small, manageable doses.

Review site: Drink Wine and Be Beautiful | LITERARY TITAN