Catherine Middleton a Princess

Kate is a princess. Er, I mean a Duchess. I was one of the many who got up early in the morning to watch Catherine Middleton marry her own Prince Charming- Prince William. Kate’s dress had been highly kept under wraps, but it was revealed on Friday morning it is an Alexander McQueen gown designed by Sarah Burton, the label’s creative director. The train was two meters long, and Kate wore a long veil that covered her face as she walked up the aisle.  Other highlights of the wedding:

• Kate’s sister and maid of honor, Pippa, looking absolutely stunning in a sleek ivory gown- also an Alexander McQueen.
• Prince William telling Kate she looked beautiful when she finally made it to the altar- I was lip reading.
• Princesses Beatrice and Eugenia and their fashionable fascinators.
• The looks Prince William kept shooting Kate throughout the ceremony. The love was so evident.

The wedding was absolutely beautiful, full of love and romance. Kate was the perfect mixture of a traditional and modern bride, and everything seemingly went off without a hitch. The Queen announced their official titles are now Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Who else watched the royal wedding? What did you think of Kate’s dress? What was your favorite part of the wedding?

Photo Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Future Tour: Hollywood Ending by Lucie Simone

Lucie Simone is going on tour June 6-20 with her chick lit novel Hollywood Ending

Hollywood Ending is a romantic comedy about life in Hollywood for the not-so-rich-and-famous. Trina Stewart is desperate to find a proper Hollywood job and finally quit teaching ESL, but after ten years in Tinsel Town, things are looking grim. That is, until she sets her sights on sexy new neighbor, Matiu Wulf, a New Zealander of Maori origin who is only in Los Angeles to get some scene design experience to beef up his resume, and then he’s headed back home to Auckland. He manages to thwart Trina’s advances, but when she falls under the spell of toothy-grinned thespian, he’s desperate to win back her heart. But when Hollywood gets in the way, these two soon discover that life in Tinsel Town isn’t all red carpet, after parties and celebrity gossip. In fact, Hollywood can be a downright bitch

Visit CLP Blog Tours to see who is participating in Lucie’s tour and calendar of stops!

When You Dare by Lori Foster

I don’t usually go for the romance novels, but something about When You Dare by Lori Foster made me say yes to reviewing it. Maybe it was the hunkalicious piece of man meat on the cover- who knows. But I decided to take a chance, and I am glad I did. I really enjoyed this suspenseful romance that has just that filling the pages- a whole lot of suspense and a whole lot of steamy romance. The main characters are Dare Macintosh and Molly Alexander, and the story begins with professional mercenary Dare rescuing Molly from Tijuana and a human trafficking setup. Molly, a best-selling author of scandalous romance novels, fears she was no ordinary kidnapping. Someone planned to take her- and that someone could possibly be her father. Or her ex-boyfriend. Or a disgruntled fan that was not happy with the way she redeemed a character in her latest book. With her life in danger, Dare decides to become Molly’s bodyguard, protecting her until they can figure out who would want Molly dead. But in the process of trying to keep herself alive, Molly starts to see Dare in a very different light. A very sexy light. And Dare is trying to keep his feelings for Molly shoved below the surface so he can keep her protected. But the more they try to ignore their feelings, the more the want builds between the two.

I thought When You Dare was excellent! Molly’s character was strong, a fairly independent chick who was ready to track down her kidnappers. And Dare was scorching the pages! You could sense his sex appeal from miles away. I thought the suspense was great, I really wasn’t positive who the culprit was until closer to the end. There were a few oddities about the story that caught my attention, like in the beginning where Molly didn’t seem at all frightened when it came to Dare, nor didn’t ask him many questions about why or how he rescued her. There were a few instances like that which I picked up on, but I still really got into the story and the characters. There were a lot times where I didn’t want to put this book down! The plot was fast paced with enough twists to keep my attention firmly on the story. Even if you aren’t usually a romance/suspense reader, I would give Lori Foster a chance. She won me over!

[Rating: 4.5]

GIVEAWAY: When You Dare by Lori Foster

Professional mercenary Dare Macintosh lives by one hard and fast rule: business should never be personal. If a cause appeals to him and the price is right, he’ll take the mission he’s offered. But then the lovely Molly Alexander asks him to help her track down the men who’d had her kidnapped—and for the first time, Dare’s tempted to combine work with pleasure.

Fiercely independent, Molly vows to trust no one until she’s uncovered the truth. Could the enemy be her powerful, estranged father? The ex-fiancé who still holds a grudge? Or the not-so-shy fan of her bestselling novels? As the danger heats up around them, the only anchor Molly has is Dare himself. But what she feels for him just might be the most frightening thing of all…

I have one paperback copy of When You Dare to giveaway! To enter, just leave a comment below letting me know why you want to win- easy! The winner will be chosen Wednesday, May 4^th. Thank you to Tricia Carr @ Media Muscle for sponsoring this giveaway. US/Canada residents only.

Update:

The winner is Marilu Turillo! Thanks to everyone who entered!

A Scottish Ferry Tale by Nancy Volkers

Cassie is young and dumped. After traveling across the country to visit her boyfriend, who was studying abroad, the boyfriend promptly breaks up with her. Not feeling comfortable staying with him, Cassie decides to journey on a ferry to stay at a small bed and breakfast. While on the ferry, she meets the older Ralph, and makes an instant connection with him. During the weekend, the relationship between Cassie and Ralph grows, but then Cassie must leave to return to her job and her family. She doesn’t believe in love at first anyways…or does she?

A Scottish Ferry Tale is the debut novel from Nancy Volkers. It’s not my favorite read, but I definitely see the potential for a sequel. The first few chapters contain a lot of back story, which could easily have been cut. The relationship between Cassie and Ralph was always a bit strained for me, and I think that is probably because I didn’t feel the age difference (a very significant one) was ever really discussed. On the upside, I do think Volkers has a talent for creating stories, and there were some witty scenes that made me happy to read in a romance novel.

[Rating: 3]

Molly Cooper’s Dream Date by Barbara Hannay

The second book that came in my fantastic package from Mills and Boon was Molly Cooper’s Dream Date by Barbara Hannay. Molly Cooper is living in Australia but desperate to visit London. She loves everything about London- especially the men. Molly knows she is destined to at least have one date with the perfect London gentleman. When she finds a house-swapping opportunity with Patrick Knight, a city banker that is desperate to escape and finally write a novel, it seems it was meant to be. Molly charters off to London and sets up house in Patrick’s fancy digs, while Patrick can finally get away from his job and just enjoy life and writing while staying in Molly’s cozy cottage. But while Molly seems to be having the time of her life, something feels off to Patrick. He suspects it might have to do with all the emails Molly keeps sending him. It sounds strangely like this could be the dream girl for him….

I loved Molly Cooper’s Dream Date! It was a fun read, and pretty quick to get through, and I really indentified with both Molly and Patrick. It was interesting to read their thoughts on each other’s lives and homes, and to sense over time that they should be together. Molly’s character was full of life and ready to take on any new challenges, and Patrick was a bit brooding in the beginning but quickly opened up to his new life in Australia. I also enjoyed that it was Patrick that first fell for Molly and not the other way around. I don’t think I would have enjoyed this book as much if it was the typical girl trying to snag the guy plot. This novel was so quick to get through because a lot of the writing was emails between Molly and Patrick, or excerpts from Molly’s diary.  Sometimes when authors go that route it makes the story lack a strong bond to the characters, but Hannay did an excellent job at making sure that didn’t happen. I felt the emails heightened the story instead of hindering it, and I was desperate to get to the end to find out if Molly and Patrick would get together. A definite recommendation from me!

[Rating: 4.5]

GIVEAWAY: Beneath a Starlet Sky

Lola Santisi—CEO of a struggling fashion line, reformed Actorholic and daughter of Hollywood Royalty—is now not only bicoastal, she’s Bi-Lolar: That is the condition which causes her to swing like a pendulum between the opposing poles of the fashion world in New York and the real world with her Doctor Boyfriend in Los Angeles. She hardly knows which shoe fits her anymore: the Louboutin stiletto or the Croc. As Lola tries to launch Julian Tennant’s new dress line, it looks like they’re about to get their next big break: his wedding dresses have been chosen to feature in the top film at the Cannes Film Festival. And suddenly Lola is staging a full-blown couture show on a yacht – in the middle of the Med.  Think those super models had trouble walking down the catwalks at Fashion Week?  With an unexpected finale twist, this time it’s Lola who’s tumbling off the runway.

Having recently endured a disastrous break-up with Lola’s brother Christopher, Kate Woods, Lola’s BFF and CAA’s rising star agent, is newly single, and focused 24-7 on her clients. The only thing worse than thinking it was a good idea for Kate to date Lola’s brother, is thinking it was a good idea for Kate to put one of her most loose-cannon clients, Nic Knight, in Lola’s father’s movie. Among Kate’s other mega star clients is Saffron Sykes whose appearance on the cover of Vain magazine in Julian Tennant could be the difference between Julian Tennant, Inc. weathering the economy or going bust.

As Lola fights to survive the Cannes Film Festival, will she get swept into the French Riviera’s riptide of glamour and superficiality? Are real love and couture mutually exclusive?  Or can Lola have it all – the good doctor and her Louboutins. With her father and brother vying for the same prize, her mother starring in her new reality show, and one heartbroken girlfriend about to declare motherhood, it’s all on Lola to come up with the answers.  And it’s going to take more than one of her mother’s prosperity chants to save the day.

I have 2 hard copies of Beneath a Starlet Sky to giveaway! To enter, please leave a comment below answering either of the following questions:

1.       Who is your favorite or least favorite “starlet?”

2.       What type of reality show would you go on?

Get bonus entries by tweeting or spreading the word on Facebook. The winners will be chosen on Thursday April 28^th. Please note this is for US/Canada residents only. Thank you to Ann-Marie @ Get Red PR for sponsoring this giveaway!

Update:

The winners are Danah and Erin Davis. Thanks to everyone who entered!

The Truth Behind Trainers?

I heard something pretty disturbing on a radio morning show last week, and it has stuck in my mind since. I decided to make a post out of it, wondering if I could get some of you lovelies to respond. The topic was on personal trainers, and if your trainer flirts with you- or crosses any lines. Callers were phoning in with their stories- from harmless flirting all the way too affairs with their trainers at the gym. But one caller really got my attention. It was a male, who said the owners of the gym that he used to be a personal trainer at encouraged trainers to flirt with their clients. Take their clients out on dates. Even sleep with their clients- all simply to raise the client’s self-esteem. By boosting the self-esteem, clients are feeling better, which they will thank their gym/trainers, and therefore continue their business there and spread positive word of mouth comments. More calls came flooding in after that, with even more horror stories and more trainers calling and confirming that really does happen in gyms.

Say what??? I have never used a personal trainer, I really can’t afford one and I do just fine working out on my own, but say I did. So I would pay money each month, drive to a gym, get all sweaty and sore with a trainer, only to have him hit on me and try to sleep with not because he’s interested at all in me- but because he wants me to keep paying his wages. Anyone else find this disturbing? I reached out to my followers questioning this, and got a few responses. Some ladies said that they did go on dates with their trainers, but the moment they stopped working out with them, they never heard from said trainer again. This actually happened to a close friend of mine about three years back, she assumed her and her trainer were boyfriend/girlfriend, but as soon as she stopped paying her gym dues, the phone calls stopped coming in.

So I have to wonder- how many trainers participate in this type of disgusting activity? How many gym owners encourage their workers to act this way? And if you are seeing your personal trainer on a personal level- how do you know that you are the only girl for him? What’s to say his little black book isn’t filled with names of his other clients, and he’s just waiting to seduce them? Have you ever had to turn down your trainer who tries to get too personal with you? I would love to hear any thoughts on the subject!

Surf Sea and a Sexy Stranger by Heidi Rice

Mills and Boon-Riva were so kind this year to send me a wonderful package with chocolates, face masks, and of course- two books! The first I read from M&B was Surf Sea and a Sexy Stranger by Heidi Rice. Maddy Westmore is on lifeguard duty when she has to rescue a man from drowning. The deliciously sexy man turns out to be millionaire entrepreneur Ryan King, though Maddy doesn’t know who he is. Rye has turned into a bit of recluse since a motorbike accident, which left him with a bad knee and inability to perform sexually. He is standoffish to Maddy after she pulls him from the water, mainly because he is embarrassed, but also because he is extremely turned on by her. Maddy insists on checking up on him after the surfing accident, which leads to a surprising night of passion. Maddy, who has a shoddy family background thanks to an affair by her father and has been used by several past boyfriends, can’t believe she gave in so easily to Rye’s charms. And Rye can’t believe he was able to get it up. The pair decide to give “just friends with benefits” a shot, but it is clearly not what they both want. But when their complicated backgrounds come to light, Maddy and Rye need to decide if they could make a relationship work, or if they are just not meant to be.

Surf Sea and a Sexy Stranger has a lot of romance and passion between the pages, but I kept finding myself a bit bored. I enjoyed Maddy’s character, she was jaded yet innocent and I was really rooting for her, but Rye didn’t connect with me so much. His womanizing and egotistical ways was a big turn off, so I didn’t quite understand the attraction to Maddy and vice versa. Trying to be just friends with no strings attached was clearly not working from the beginning, and Maddy’s outright resistance to date her boss (Rye) wasn’t too convincing, and I think that is where the story fell flat for me. And there are a lot of sex scenes, which isn’t really my cup of tea either. I did think the writing was very good though, this is my first read from Rice but it is evident she is very talented. The dialogue and description of the surroundings were both excellent, and I think I will try another by this author and see if I enjoy it more. Overall though, it was an interesting read and I would recommend this book. I would give it a try and see what you think of Maddy and Rye and their complicated romance.

[Rating: 3]

In My Mailbox: Week of April 24

In My Mailbox: Week of April 24

Title: The Perfect Hero

Author: Victoria Connelly

Received: From Charlotte @ Avon Books

Synopsis: The circus has come to town…

Die-hard romantic, Kay Ashton, uses her inheritance to open a B&B in the seaside town of Lyme Regis and is dumbstruck when the cast and crew of a new production of Persuasion descend, needing a place to stay. Kay can’t believe her luck – especially when she realises that heart throb actor Oli Wade Owen will be sleeping under her very own roof!

Meanwhile, co-star Gemma Reilly is worried that her acting isn’t up to scratch, despite landing a plum role. She finds a sympathetic ear in shy producer, Adam Craig, who is as baffled by the film world as she is. Kay thinks the two are meant for each other and can’t resist a spot of matchmaking.

Then, when Oli turns his trademark charm on Kay, it seems that she has found her real-life hero. But do heroes really exist?

Title: Maid of Honor

Author: Jillian Conley

Received: From Jillian Conley

Synopsis: Unemployed and single Josephine Vitale felt like her life couldn’t get any worse, or so she thought. On Valentine’s night her best friend Sandra called announcing her engagement. Since Sandra had been planning her perfect wedding since she was twelve, Josephine knew she was in for one hell of a ride, especially after she was assigned the “honor” to be Sandra’s Maid of Honor. Even though Josephine struggles with her duties and the Barbie pink bridesmaid dresses, butterflies flutter in her stomach when the wedding bliss reunites her with a past love interest.

Maid of Honor is a story that shares the bond between two women and the lengths one will go for the other when they get married. Josephine takes on everything from the bride’s mental breakdowns to wearing latex gloves when handling the wedding gown to driving across half the state for the perfect vases… all for her best friend.

Title: A Parfait Murder

Author: Wendy Lyn Watson

Received: From Wendy Lyn Watson

Synopsis: When Tally’s cousin Bree spots her deadbeat ex-husband strolling the Lantana County Fair with a fat wallet and a vixen on his arm, she immediately files for back child support. But when his lawyer is found dead, things get a little sticky. Did Bree serve up a dish of cold, sweet revenge? Or is she another hapless victim of a parfait crime?

Next Page »