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THIRTEEN FOR DINNER
When Averie agrees to sit in as the fourteenth guest at an exclusive dinner party to rescue the other attendees from bad luck, it’s her who needs rescuing when all hell begins to break loose. Averie Cooke has never set foot on the old Faulkner plantation. She refuses because of the macabre history surrounding it, and the fact everyone says is haunted. A hundred and fifty years ago a slave by the name of Lunar Wilson was hung there. His lifeless body dangled in the breeze along with the Spanish moss. Later that same night, the petite southern belle, Emily Faulkner wrapped a thick rope around her delicate neck and joined her lover in the afterlife. Legend says all hell broke loose after that. Unaware that their only daughter was hanging dead in the cupola, Emily’s parents continued on with their festivities, gorging themselves on prime rib, and guzzling expensive wine. They were pretty drunk by the time Lunar’s brothers burst inside the house slinging their hatchets, vindicating their brother’s murder. They decapitated James Faulkner, his socialite wife Elizabeth and dismembered all eleven-dinner guest. The massacre was the bloodiest ever recorded. So why would Averie agree to sit at the same table, on the same night, a hundred and fifty years later? She needs the money that’s why. However, she gets much more than she bargains for when she and another mysterious guest transports back to the year 1859, exactly one month before the fateful event. Things go from bad to worse when she discovers the only way back home is to stop the hanging. Can she put her fear aside long enough to change the past?Thirteen for Dinner is a page turning thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. Dealing with issues such as racism, slavery, hatred, and fear you’ll discover the only weapon that has the power to damage them all is love.
222 pages, Hardcover
First published January 23, 2013
25 people are currently reading
750 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
May 18, 2013
Anachronisims abound in this time travel/mystery/romance. The author was aiming to send her heroine back in time to 1859. Unfortunately, except for the wardrobe, she only managed to send her as far as about 1912. Antibellum southern mansions always had a kitchen that was separate from the house. Also, no gas stoves.
I don't mind time travel stories as long as there is enough explination of how it works that it at least sounds logical. This one does not. There was almost no explination of the how or the why; certainly not enough for me to be able to suspend my disbelief and enjoy the story.
Besides all this there are problems with the plot that I just couldn't live with. Thomas Jefferson may have lived with Sally Hemmings and had children with her, but genteel young southern belles DID NOT marry the help.
I was listening to this on my Kindle, otherwise I might never have finished it. Really, if you're going to write a time travel novel, at least get the history right.
I don't mind time travel stories as long as there is enough explination of how it works that it at least sounds logical. This one does not. There was almost no explination of the how or the why; certainly not enough for me to be able to suspend my disbelief and enjoy the story.
Besides all this there are problems with the plot that I just couldn't live with. Thomas Jefferson may have lived with Sally Hemmings and had children with her, but genteel young southern belles DID NOT marry the help.
I was listening to this on my Kindle, otherwise I might never have finished it. Really, if you're going to write a time travel novel, at least get the history right.
February 23, 2013
I absolutely loved this story! It's one of those books that was extremely hard to put down, but I had to put it down a few times due to too much excitement. I loved the romance; it wasn't raunchy at all, something I hate, and just subtle enough to cause a big smile to erupt. Historically accurate, it weaves a heartbreaking tale of slavery and also rejoices in the triumph of the Underground Railroad. It's also a fantasy about time travel and the question that has been raised before: if we were to go back in time, could we change the future? I think the most important part of the story is the fact that love does conquer fear. I highly recommend it!
August 13, 2013
I really wanted to rate this title higher because Ms. Daisy is a consummate storyteller. She creates believable characters with flaws and feelings and the settings come with sound and yes, even smells. This lady has the makings of a really solid writer. Waiting for the "but?" Okay, but, her word choice can be a bit inadequate and her grammar needs some work. A good editor would help tremendously for the moment, but I'd suggest the Denise follow Stephen King's sound advice which is "read, read, read." Will I read more of her offerings? You bet your backsides I will and you should too. We need folks like this in the writers' community.
September 26, 2013
So, I did what my daughter said and just went with it and I have to admit that I loved the book. This is so not my typical read but it was just what i needed. It was fun, silly and almost believable, with a little bit of action all thrown into one story. Glad I took the change and borrower this one form the kindle library.
May 18, 2013
Dumb!
October 3, 2013
I truly enjoyed the book. She lost her mother and had no family ,but went back into the past and found her a new family.
April 30, 2024
A potential buyer of a house that’s steeped in a gruesome history holds a dinner party for 14, including himself. But when a guest cries off, his superstition of 13 at dinner means Averie is drafted in as a guest. As dinner time approaches, the last guest arrives, announcing his Grandmother is unable to attend, thus the table is back to 13. In an effort to change history Averie & Quillan travel back in time to the 1800’s. It’s a beautiful story, humorous, poignant, tragic and so much more.
February 22, 2013
Just finished this book, I read it in two days, and if I hadn't had to work I'd have finished it sooner. I absolutely couldn't put it down. The book is so vivid and real I feel like I've just watched a movie. I haven't read a fiction book this great in quite a while.
The plot twists are fabulous, and just when there were a couple of points where I thought it might get overly sappy or cheesy, the plot took an unexpected turn that kept me reading just a few more pages... knowing I really should to be doing something else.
Averie is just trying to hold her life together, make enough money to stay afloat while waiting for her mother to return from caring for her grandmother. What started out as an attempt to make rent working as an extra on the catering staff at the historic Faulkner mansion quickly turned into subbing as the 14th dinner guest which inadvertently turned into being the 13th guest smack in the center of a room with sordid and macabre history. Eerie how the harder you try to change fate, the more often you're walking right into it...
The Faulkner mansion was the cite of a massacre in the late 1800s. Legend goes that Mr. Faulkner found out about an affair between his daughter and a slave on his plantation and that the family and dinner guests hung the slave right out in the front yard and went back to their festivities. Unbeknownst to the family, Faulkner's daughter, driven to despair over her lover, hung herself in the cupola of the mansion. Before the family could discover the tragedy, the brothers of the hanged slave came for vengeance and massacred the entire dinner party.
At the dinner party, originally an investment pitch to erase the house's history by converting to a boarding school, Averie finds that their host has far more in store for his guests. In the ensuing chaos, Averie and another (insanely handsome) guest, Quillan, are transported back in time to one month before the massacre.
In just a few short weeks, Averie must find the courage to do more than just try to survive. Together, Averie and Quillan must uncover the truth about the Faulkner family and try and stop the murders. Ultimately, there is more hanging in the balance than anyone ever knew.
This is an unbelievable story. It's not a sappy or raunchy romance story. It's not a Hallmark or Lifetime movie, although more than once there were some tear-jerking details in just the right places. Humor, tons of action, more than one mystery to unravel, a love story like none other, and an ending that you will never guess. A MUST READ!
The plot twists are fabulous, and just when there were a couple of points where I thought it might get overly sappy or cheesy, the plot took an unexpected turn that kept me reading just a few more pages... knowing I really should to be doing something else.
Averie is just trying to hold her life together, make enough money to stay afloat while waiting for her mother to return from caring for her grandmother. What started out as an attempt to make rent working as an extra on the catering staff at the historic Faulkner mansion quickly turned into subbing as the 14th dinner guest which inadvertently turned into being the 13th guest smack in the center of a room with sordid and macabre history. Eerie how the harder you try to change fate, the more often you're walking right into it...
The Faulkner mansion was the cite of a massacre in the late 1800s. Legend goes that Mr. Faulkner found out about an affair between his daughter and a slave on his plantation and that the family and dinner guests hung the slave right out in the front yard and went back to their festivities. Unbeknownst to the family, Faulkner's daughter, driven to despair over her lover, hung herself in the cupola of the mansion. Before the family could discover the tragedy, the brothers of the hanged slave came for vengeance and massacred the entire dinner party.
At the dinner party, originally an investment pitch to erase the house's history by converting to a boarding school, Averie finds that their host has far more in store for his guests. In the ensuing chaos, Averie and another (insanely handsome) guest, Quillan, are transported back in time to one month before the massacre.
In just a few short weeks, Averie must find the courage to do more than just try to survive. Together, Averie and Quillan must uncover the truth about the Faulkner family and try and stop the murders. Ultimately, there is more hanging in the balance than anyone ever knew.
This is an unbelievable story. It's not a sappy or raunchy romance story. It's not a Hallmark or Lifetime movie, although more than once there were some tear-jerking details in just the right places. Humor, tons of action, more than one mystery to unravel, a love story like none other, and an ending that you will never guess. A MUST READ!
March 1, 2013
Grade: A-
L/C Ratio: 40% Literary / 60% Commercial
Thematic Breakdown:
30% - History
20% - Romance
15% - Slavery
15% - Family
10% - Time travel
10% - Friendship
Addictiveness: High
Movie Potential: 1 Thumb Up (good action and interesting characters, but I’m not sure who the target audience would be as it straddles the line between young adult, historical fiction, and murder mystery)
Re-readability: Medium (plot twists are well done, so it would interesting to read the book again knowing the secrets about the characters ahead of time)
I don’t typically read historical fiction or murder mysteries, but this book grabbed me from the first chapter and I’m very glad I gave it a shot. It’s enthralling all the way through to the last page, with many intriguing plot twists and gradually revealed secrets. The character development is impressive, although at times cliché, and the author does a fantastic job of getting the reader invested in the story and the lives of the characters.
The imagery and descriptions of the setting are also great; it’s easy to lose yourself in the world of Thirteen For Dinner. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put the book down and ended up reading the entire thing in a single day!
There are a few noticeable typos/formatting issues and some weaker sections of prose, but overall it is well-written. Some plot points could be better elucidated, but they do not detract from the high entertainment value of this novel.
L/C Ratio: 40% Literary / 60% Commercial
Thematic Breakdown:
30% - History
20% - Romance
15% - Slavery
15% - Family
10% - Time travel
10% - Friendship
Addictiveness: High
Movie Potential: 1 Thumb Up (good action and interesting characters, but I’m not sure who the target audience would be as it straddles the line between young adult, historical fiction, and murder mystery)
Re-readability: Medium (plot twists are well done, so it would interesting to read the book again knowing the secrets about the characters ahead of time)
I don’t typically read historical fiction or murder mysteries, but this book grabbed me from the first chapter and I’m very glad I gave it a shot. It’s enthralling all the way through to the last page, with many intriguing plot twists and gradually revealed secrets. The character development is impressive, although at times cliché, and the author does a fantastic job of getting the reader invested in the story and the lives of the characters.
The imagery and descriptions of the setting are also great; it’s easy to lose yourself in the world of Thirteen For Dinner. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put the book down and ended up reading the entire thing in a single day!
There are a few noticeable typos/formatting issues and some weaker sections of prose, but overall it is well-written. Some plot points could be better elucidated, but they do not detract from the high entertainment value of this novel.
April 2, 2013
This was a quick read. Set in the deep south of America Averie finds herself unexpectedly becoming the 13th guest at a dinner party in a 'haunted mansion'. She travels back in time (like you do!) and becomes embroiled in race against time to prevent a massacre taking place in the mansion and falls in love with a man who's mother is due to hang herself before he can be born! Given that scenario I guess this book would fall into a fantasy/chick-lit catergory (if there was such a thing!) and isn't really the sort of book I would usually read. It also deals with the horrors of slavery and the courage it took to stand up and be counted when it really mattered.
The plot was a little predictable and had some holes in it but having said that it was a nice enough book and a pleasant way to spend a day or two reading it. I'm sure it will find fans in those who like this sort of genre especially the 14-18 age group.
The plot was a little predictable and had some holes in it but having said that it was a nice enough book and a pleasant way to spend a day or two reading it. I'm sure it will find fans in those who like this sort of genre especially the 14-18 age group.
July 5, 2013
Ebook obtained directly from the author in exchange for an HONEST review - these thoughts are my own opinion - see my blog for my full review.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this novel but I was drawn in immediately. I'm blown away . I couldn't stop & completely read the entire novel in one sitting. I felt like I had fallen down the rabbit hole along with Ave. Just.. Wow. An emotional tale of being courageous when you feel you're the biggest scaredy cat around, facing things head on because you know what is right in your heart, and letting yourself love even though its doomed for loss.
A full review is posted on my blog.
Kayla's Place
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this novel but I was drawn in immediately. I'm blown away . I couldn't stop & completely read the entire novel in one sitting. I felt like I had fallen down the rabbit hole along with Ave. Just.. Wow. An emotional tale of being courageous when you feel you're the biggest scaredy cat around, facing things head on because you know what is right in your heart, and letting yourself love even though its doomed for loss.
A full review is posted on my blog.
Kayla's Place
September 22, 2013
A fun easy read, it was easy to love. I originally downloaded it onto my kindle because it was free and I needed it for a challenge.
I'm so very glad I did. It was the perfect time for this book. The story is easy and lovely. The romance is simple and sweet. But, while the story may be light, it definitely carries a heavy topic - slavery, love between slaves and plantation owners in the south during the 1800's and....yes, a little bit of time travel.
But I suspended all disbelief and just enjoyed the story. And it was so easy to love it!
I'm so very glad I did. It was the perfect time for this book. The story is easy and lovely. The romance is simple and sweet. But, while the story may be light, it definitely carries a heavy topic - slavery, love between slaves and plantation owners in the south during the 1800's and....yes, a little bit of time travel.
But I suspended all disbelief and just enjoyed the story. And it was so easy to love it!
June 25, 2016
Riveting!
Setting in on a fancy dinner to keep the numbers even turns into a life altering experience for Avery. What starts as a party game turns into a nightmare flight as a historical massacre is happening right in the room she is trapped in. Mysterious guest Quillion rescues her and they time travel back to 1859, one month prior to the infamous massacre. Can they change history? And can they find a way to bridge a century for a once in a lifetime love? Wonderful book, very well written and edited. Beautiful ending.
Setting in on a fancy dinner to keep the numbers even turns into a life altering experience for Avery. What starts as a party game turns into a nightmare flight as a historical massacre is happening right in the room she is trapped in. Mysterious guest Quillion rescues her and they time travel back to 1859, one month prior to the infamous massacre. Can they change history? And can they find a way to bridge a century for a once in a lifetime love? Wonderful book, very well written and edited. Beautiful ending.
June 5, 2013
I really enjoyed the mystery in this book and the time travel as well as the use of history. The romance in the book was reasonably predictable, but it worked out quite well and I was (for some reason) surprised by the ending. I had expected it to go a bit differently. Over all, a thoroughly enjoyable read that I have difficulty putting down near the end because I needed to see how it turned out.
February 22, 2013
I am upset i spent my dollar on a book i believe to be a horror/thriller but turned out to be a romance(a genre i hate). I guess i misread the summary. it is a quick read, with a predictable story that lead to a predictable outcome involving predictable characters.
May 18, 2013
Very good book. I wanted to know more about how Quillan was able to be there. I know what he said he was and where he came from, but I needed more on that. Averie was a champ. I liked the quotes that Denise Daisy used in this book as well. Gonna see what else she has.
January 8, 2014
This book was really good! It was creepy with a touch of romance which is great if you don't like your spook stories extremely spooky. It was well-written and I felt the characters were well developed and were easy to relate to.
January 25, 2013
LOVE this book! Another page turner by Denise Daisy. I LOVE the history that is woven all through this story! I will definitely be reading this story again....LOVE IT!
May 21, 2013
Loved this book! It was so much better than I expected, it's one of only a handful of books I've read in one night.
February 20, 2013
Too young for me.
May 23, 2013
OK mix of history & paranormal. Pretense of title is misleading
June 1, 2013
A free download from Amazon - probably would have given it a better rating 20 years ago.
June 26, 2013
Good writing, enjoyable characters, GREAT story!
July 25, 2013
There were a lot of grammatical and spelling errors. It was hard for me to overlook them. Plus, the title didn't fit with the story. It was just not a very good story.
November 27, 2013
Fantastic book! Really enjoyed it. Lots of wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff that will do your head in if you think about it too much, but a very well written and intriguing story.
January 3, 2014
A tale that takes the reader back in time. While skeptic at first, the author managed to hook me with intriguing character development along with a story line that included many twists.
January 25, 2015
Liked this one a lot more than I thought I would. Light reading but entertaining in a teen angst romance way.
Read
February 26, 2013Good book by my amazingly talented daughter!
August 17, 2013
I had to stop reading this it is so bad...
Read
March 5, 2013Loved the story! Would have finished sooner but I have 2 small children:)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews