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Confessions of a Failed Environmentalist
Alana Matheson always tries to do the right thing for the environment, even when it means boycotting school meatball day, forgoing the use of makeup, or getting entangled in a bet with her non-chicken-loving ex-husband over which of them can be the most environmentally conscious.
So when a mining company proposes developing a mine right in the middle of the community watershed, well, of course Alana is going to be on the front lines opposing the development.
Except she isn’t. To her own shock and dismay, she finds herself taking a job… with the mining company. Worse, she finds herself drawn to her attractive and mysterious boss, Nate: a capitalist mining executive. The enemy.
Alana struggles to do right by the community, deal with her feelings for Nate, and maintain her own environmental morals. But as the conflict over the mine heats up, it gets increasingly difficult to be on the “wrong side,” and both Nate and Alana are cracking under the pressure.
Part satire, part serious, Confessions of a Failed Environmentalist is about the cast of characters who seem to pop up in all environmental disputes, and how all of us fail sometimes to do the right thing for the environment, in both big and small ways.
So when a mining company proposes developing a mine right in the middle of the community watershed, well, of course Alana is going to be on the front lines opposing the development.
Except she isn’t. To her own shock and dismay, she finds herself taking a job… with the mining company. Worse, she finds herself drawn to her attractive and mysterious boss, Nate: a capitalist mining executive. The enemy.
Alana struggles to do right by the community, deal with her feelings for Nate, and maintain her own environmental morals. But as the conflict over the mine heats up, it gets increasingly difficult to be on the “wrong side,” and both Nate and Alana are cracking under the pressure.
Part satire, part serious, Confessions of a Failed Environmentalist is about the cast of characters who seem to pop up in all environmental disputes, and how all of us fail sometimes to do the right thing for the environment, in both big and small ways.
- GenresContemporaryRomance
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 8, 2015
380 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Ellis
15 books102 followersJennifer lives in the mountains of Canada where she can be found writing, hiking, skiing, borrowing dogs, and evading bears. She also works occasionally as an environmental researcher.
Jennifer writes science fiction, romance and dystopian fiction for children and adults, including Apocalypse Weird: Reversal in Wonderment Media's Apocalypse Weird world and A Pair of Docks, which was a bestseller in children's time travel fiction. She has also contributed to several anthologies, most notably Synchronic: 13 Tales of Time Travel, which hit #16 in the Kindle Store.
She may or may not have a Ph.D. and dabble in tarot card reading and cat sitting. You can subscribe to her blog for the latest book news and industry insights at www.jenniferellis.ca. She tweets about writing, cats, and teenagers at @jenniferlellis.
Author Photo by Carmen Adams, Fresh Photo.
Jennifer writes science fiction, romance and dystopian fiction for children and adults, including Apocalypse Weird: Reversal in Wonderment Media's Apocalypse Weird world and A Pair of Docks, which was a bestseller in children's time travel fiction. She has also contributed to several anthologies, most notably Synchronic: 13 Tales of Time Travel, which hit #16 in the Kindle Store.
She may or may not have a Ph.D. and dabble in tarot card reading and cat sitting. You can subscribe to her blog for the latest book news and industry insights at www.jenniferellis.ca. She tweets about writing, cats, and teenagers at @jenniferlellis.
Author Photo by Carmen Adams, Fresh Photo.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 11, 2015
Environmentalists, the soldiers for the preservation of Earth, its resources, and our children’s future. Dedicated groups trying to be eco-friendly, working to make changes in how the world, governments and individuals see and act toward anything that is destroying the waters, the air, even the ground below us. Noble, hardworking people trying to work together, sounds pretty fantastic, right? Welcome to Alana’s world, where she takes one step forward and sometimes two steps back in her fight to be self-sustaining and leaving the world a better place for the future, all while juggling the pitfalls of life, love and being a single mom.
Welcome to the humorous, frustrating, and endearing world of Confessions of a Failed Environmentalist by Jennifer Ellis. See Alana meet the resistance of others around her, watch her battle the Big Boys, take a few hits, and fall in love, all while trying to be an example of a steward of a green planet. Ms. Ellis will have you laughing; raise your blood pressure and taking a look at what YOU do to preserve life on this planet for the future, all while telling a great story with a message for all of us! No dry statistics here, quirky characters, jerks and people with their own agenda, caught up in the same pitfalls as any organization with poor Alana being everything from a scapegoat to a lone crusader! Trust me, you WILL take a look at that plastic bottle you are throwing away, that pile of newspapers waiting to hit the curb and all those cans and bottles clinking around in the bin. Go ahead, grab the phone book, look up the closest recycling place, it won’t take long to get there, put that empty box of sugar coated cereal to good use. Remember, babysteps are good, buying eco-friendly products are good, and just maybe you’ll be ready next year for your own organic garden and being called a Tree Hugger will make you proud!
I received this copy from Jennifer Ellis in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: June 8, 2015
Publisher: Moonbird Press
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Print Length: 370 pages
Available from: Amazon
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Welcome to the humorous, frustrating, and endearing world of Confessions of a Failed Environmentalist by Jennifer Ellis. See Alana meet the resistance of others around her, watch her battle the Big Boys, take a few hits, and fall in love, all while trying to be an example of a steward of a green planet. Ms. Ellis will have you laughing; raise your blood pressure and taking a look at what YOU do to preserve life on this planet for the future, all while telling a great story with a message for all of us! No dry statistics here, quirky characters, jerks and people with their own agenda, caught up in the same pitfalls as any organization with poor Alana being everything from a scapegoat to a lone crusader! Trust me, you WILL take a look at that plastic bottle you are throwing away, that pile of newspapers waiting to hit the curb and all those cans and bottles clinking around in the bin. Go ahead, grab the phone book, look up the closest recycling place, it won’t take long to get there, put that empty box of sugar coated cereal to good use. Remember, babysteps are good, buying eco-friendly products are good, and just maybe you’ll be ready next year for your own organic garden and being called a Tree Hugger will make you proud!
I received this copy from Jennifer Ellis in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: June 8, 2015
Publisher: Moonbird Press
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Print Length: 370 pages
Available from: Amazon
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
August 13, 2015
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/book-tou...
I was in the mood for some light reading when I picked up Confessions of a Failed Environmentalist from my to be read pile, and boy, was I in for a surprise. This book made me laugh out loud a few times, and despite being a light comedy, it also made me care for the characters, in particular Alana.
Alana Matheson cares about the environment, and has always tried to stand up for what she believes in. But when a mining company develops a mine in the middle of the community watershed, Alana finds herself doing the unthinkable. Not only does she accept a job within the mining company, she’s also drawn to her boss, Nate, a mysterious, handsome man who also happens to be the enemy.
Alana’s moral compass is in serious need of help when she has to figure out a way to fall for Nate and not lose herself and her own morals, especially those related to the environment. For that, I already felt connected to her. Most of us do want to help the environment, but it’s harder than it sounds, and when Alana has to choose between love and her own morals, things become increasingly difficult. Alana is witty, smart, and an overall enjoyable character to read about.
Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. The book has a mix of romance, mystery, humor, but the balance between those is spot on. If you’re in the mood for some light reading , then I would definitely recommend this book.
I was in the mood for some light reading when I picked up Confessions of a Failed Environmentalist from my to be read pile, and boy, was I in for a surprise. This book made me laugh out loud a few times, and despite being a light comedy, it also made me care for the characters, in particular Alana.
Alana Matheson cares about the environment, and has always tried to stand up for what she believes in. But when a mining company develops a mine in the middle of the community watershed, Alana finds herself doing the unthinkable. Not only does she accept a job within the mining company, she’s also drawn to her boss, Nate, a mysterious, handsome man who also happens to be the enemy.
Alana’s moral compass is in serious need of help when she has to figure out a way to fall for Nate and not lose herself and her own morals, especially those related to the environment. For that, I already felt connected to her. Most of us do want to help the environment, but it’s harder than it sounds, and when Alana has to choose between love and her own morals, things become increasingly difficult. Alana is witty, smart, and an overall enjoyable character to read about.
Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. The book has a mix of romance, mystery, humor, but the balance between those is spot on. If you’re in the mood for some light reading , then I would definitely recommend this book.
June 11, 2015
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
This is the first book I’ve read from Ms. Ellis, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I did NOT expect a cute, sweet, funny, and a bit of a romance book! But I really liked it. Not being an environmentalist myself, I found several things in the book quite funny! This is definitely a good 4 STAR read. It may have been my first book from Jennifer Ellis, but it will not be my last. Good job!
This is the first book I’ve read from Ms. Ellis, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I did NOT expect a cute, sweet, funny, and a bit of a romance book! But I really liked it. Not being an environmentalist myself, I found several things in the book quite funny! This is definitely a good 4 STAR read. It may have been my first book from Jennifer Ellis, but it will not be my last. Good job!
August 2, 2015
I received this book for an honest review.
Alana just wants to be a good mom, take care of her farm, avoid killing her ex-husband and the woman he left him floor, and do some good to save the world for her children while she's at it. Feeling like everyone is always expecting her to be the best environmentalist around she triest do her best while feeling like she's failing and doesn't have enough time in the day. When a cute new stranger in town pulls her into a project that has her questioning if she's selling out she finds herself tangled in a web and not sure which way to turn to get out of it.
Ok so let me start with saying how much I LOVED Alana. She's witty, smart, and very relatable. I literally laughed hysterically at parts of this story which I'm sure made me look a little crazy, luckily I read most of this book in the privacy of my own home :-) Blaine (her ex-husband) made me want to grant her sainthood between the cheating and the leaving that would be enough for me to find him frustrating but the way he "watched" his kids drove me up the wall, your the father not the babysitter. I liked Nate though wished he would have found his backbone a little sooner. There was some romance in this book but it wasn't the primary and was not your steamy read more a grows on you kind of a read on that end. The cast of supporting characters were themselves entertaining and a couple of them could probably have their own books! So at this point i'm sure you're wondering why if I liked it that much I didn't give it five stars. For me it was the environmental ranting. It definitely fit in the book to a point and I wouldn't remove it all but some of it felt like the same rant over and over again instead of making new points which had me skimming paragraphs to get over the rants instead of reading it fully. Otherwise this was a fresh book that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend. It is a standalone with no cliffhanger but I would read a follow up for more Alana in a heartbeat!
Alana just wants to be a good mom, take care of her farm, avoid killing her ex-husband and the woman he left him floor, and do some good to save the world for her children while she's at it. Feeling like everyone is always expecting her to be the best environmentalist around she triest do her best while feeling like she's failing and doesn't have enough time in the day. When a cute new stranger in town pulls her into a project that has her questioning if she's selling out she finds herself tangled in a web and not sure which way to turn to get out of it.
Ok so let me start with saying how much I LOVED Alana. She's witty, smart, and very relatable. I literally laughed hysterically at parts of this story which I'm sure made me look a little crazy, luckily I read most of this book in the privacy of my own home :-) Blaine (her ex-husband) made me want to grant her sainthood between the cheating and the leaving that would be enough for me to find him frustrating but the way he "watched" his kids drove me up the wall, your the father not the babysitter. I liked Nate though wished he would have found his backbone a little sooner. There was some romance in this book but it wasn't the primary and was not your steamy read more a grows on you kind of a read on that end. The cast of supporting characters were themselves entertaining and a couple of them could probably have their own books! So at this point i'm sure you're wondering why if I liked it that much I didn't give it five stars. For me it was the environmental ranting. It definitely fit in the book to a point and I wouldn't remove it all but some of it felt like the same rant over and over again instead of making new points which had me skimming paragraphs to get over the rants instead of reading it fully. Otherwise this was a fresh book that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend. It is a standalone with no cliffhanger but I would read a follow up for more Alana in a heartbeat!
July 9, 2015
Each time I read a story by Jennifer Ellis, I am thankful for her casual style of writing. Confessions of a Failed Environmentalist is no exception. Her main character is personable and realistic. I easily connected to Alana's feelings of failures in trying to make enough environmentally based sacrifices while still longing for some of the luxuries of modern-day living. Trying to balance the challenges of raising children, handling a career and trying to restore a farm is not an easy thing to accomplish. Jennifer handles it all for her character with humor, a little self-depreciation and a deep-down sense of trying to make the world a better place for our kids and future generations. This is a fun story with a little action, a little mystery, a little romance and a pretty fair description of life. I definitely recommend reading it even you aren't an environmentalist!
June 18, 2015
This contemporary offering by accomplished author, Jennifer Ellis, tackles the complexity, hypocrisy and guilt that comes with trying to live in an environmentally conscious way. The main character, Alana, has a witty and clever view of the world. She is definitely a character that environmentalists (especially those with young children) will relate to and understand. The story itself is action packed with lots of twist and turns (including a satisfying love connection). The issues tackled by Alana through the proposed development of a mine in the watershed of her small town are real and serious but Ellis handles them in a balanced, sensitive and engaging manner. Highly recommended!
July 2, 2015
This is a fun lighthearted read. All Alana wants to set a good example as an environmentalist for her family and community... But, she's seeming thwarted when a mining company hires her. Her intentions was to watchdog them, but everyone else thinks that she has joined the darkside. Go ahead and get the book to find out what happens.
April 6, 2017
I have so many mixed feelings about this book. I really wanted to love it. Like, really. But I just couldn't. I found the main character annoying; she's too flighty and not nearly smart enough to see what was in front of her own face. I could not connect with her. I was also never convinced that she knew Nate well enough to like him... Lust after him, yes - Alana spends ample time talking about how hot he was - but I never got the sense that she knew him past a shallow superficial level. The background characters were caricatures and never felt fleshed out on their own; they served the plot and that was it.
The plot was plodding; I nearly put the book down so many times and it wasn't until close to the 60+% mark that the plot started coming together. It took me nearly two weeks to read, which is a lifetime for a voracious reader like me.
I did appreciate Ellis's commentary on environmental guilt and just trying to do the best we can, but wish it had been delivered better. The environmental one-up-manship Alana had with her ex got eye-rollingly old.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.
The plot was plodding; I nearly put the book down so many times and it wasn't until close to the 60+% mark that the plot started coming together. It took me nearly two weeks to read, which is a lifetime for a voracious reader like me.
I did appreciate Ellis's commentary on environmental guilt and just trying to do the best we can, but wish it had been delivered better. The environmental one-up-manship Alana had with her ex got eye-rollingly old.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.
April 16, 2016
... hope for the best. Isn't that all we can do? It took Alana 264 pages to find this out, and I loved every single one of them. Sure, she is scared of life and what people think of her, but so are most of us.
In the beginning I had to warm to the characters, Blain and Alana bickering at each other, but still trying to maintain a civil communication because of their children. Now, immediately after finishing this book, I can only hope for a follow up. I would love to know if there ever will be bunnies on the farm.
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book through Netgalley, thanks publisher!
In the beginning I had to warm to the characters, Blain and Alana bickering at each other, but still trying to maintain a civil communication because of their children. Now, immediately after finishing this book, I can only hope for a follow up. I would love to know if there ever will be bunnies on the farm.
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book through Netgalley, thanks publisher!
May 9, 2016
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a fun read about Alana, a single mom who is trying her best to be a good environmentalist. She feels like she comes up short at it, and does her best to fix it.
When a mining company comes to her small town proposing building a mine, she is opposed, but ends up working for them. It is there that she meets Nate, the CEO, and finds herself very attracted to him.
For my full review: Reading With Coffee Blog
This is a fun read about Alana, a single mom who is trying her best to be a good environmentalist. She feels like she comes up short at it, and does her best to fix it.
When a mining company comes to her small town proposing building a mine, she is opposed, but ends up working for them. It is there that she meets Nate, the CEO, and finds herself very attracted to him.
For my full review: Reading With Coffee Blog
April 8, 2016
Unlike any other book I've read, and I mean that in the best way. It was smart, witty, refreshing and Alana kicks ass. 100% recommend!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews