Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by Claudia Carroll

Annie and Dan have been the perfect couple for so long. But what happens when the honeymoon is over, the romance starts to wear off, and your husband seems to be married to his job more than you? That’s the way Annie is feeling, and is increasingly unhappy as the lonely days go by. Dan seems to put everyone and everything in front of his wife, so when Annie gets a huge opportunity, she wants, no needs, to take it. Annie is offered a spot on a Broadway show, a huge break for her, but it would mean leaving Dan behind for a whole year in their Irish village of Stickens, and living alone in the Big Apple. When the final straw pushes Annie over the edge, she flees Stickens and lands in New York, ready for a break from her marriage. But will a year apart be good for Annie and Dan? Or will it only lead to the demise of their union?

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by Claudia Carroll is an enjoyable chick lit read. I really felt Annie’s pain in how often she was put on the back burner by her husband, and was rooting for her to get to New York and be her own person. I liked reading about someone struggling to find their independence, because I can relate to that pretty easily. Annie meets a great cast of characters when she gets to New York, and there is quite the subplot going with a cast mate who has a drug problem. I really didn’t know how this story was going to end. I couldn’t decide if I thought Annie and Dan would get back together, or if Annie would find a new man in New York. That made me more on edge to finish the book quickly and see how everything played out. Overall, I really liked this story, a bit slow at times, but a fun chick lit read that I think will inspire readers to never rely too heavily on a man. I would recommend!

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The Perfect Hero by Victoria Connelly

Kay Ashton, a die-hard romantic waiting for her Mr. Darcy to come along, receives an inheritance after her friend Peggy passes away. Kay decides to buy a property on Lyme Regis and turn it into a cozy Bed and Breakfast. The first guests? Why only the cast members of `Persuasion’ and Kay gets to rub elbows with some famous actors- including the gorgeous Oli Wade Owen. Kay is sure she has met her Mr. Right- after all, Oli is playing the lead in the movie. But Adam, the writer and producer, has fallen for Kay. But Kay thinks Adam has taken a liking to Gemma, the shy lead actress. Kay makes it her mission to bring together Adam and Gemma, while Adam tries to confess his true feelings, while Kay tries to make herself irresistible to Oli.

The Perfect Hero by Victoria Connelly is a sweet romance story filled with wrong turns and too many assumptions. I did like this story, but it was a bit too slow for me to really get into. Kay was a nice heroine, a lonesome girl who is just looking for her happy ending, but she spent most of her time daydreaming and in her own little bubble than with reality. I didn’t get the attraction to Oli Wade Owen, it was very clear that he was a player and had some secrets going on. On that note, I liked the surprise at the end regarding his character. Adam was a doll and Gemma was very sweet, though painfully shy. I didn’t really understand why she was acting when she clearly didn’t enjoy it and didn’t like the attention. That was confusing. This was still a cute romance, and there are some great scenic descriptions in there, but it missed the mark for me by just a bit. I think fans of light romances will enjoy it though.

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Voices on the Waves by Jessica Chambers

This is a review for Jessica Chamber’s blog tour with CLP Blog Tours!

Faye Wakefield runs a competition at her beautiful farmhouse in Cornwall, offering a two-week vacation for nine lucky guests. The guests don’t know they are in a competition, they think they have just won a lucky stay, but Faye has another plan up her sleeve. As the days go by and the nine guests begin to know each other, Faye keeps a sharp eye out on them. Who will she pick as the winner of her mysterious competition? Patrick O’Leary- the Irishmen who can’t seem to stop drinking whisky? Sweet mannered Leah Shaw, who is hiding behind her own pain and keeping a big secret?

Voices on the Waves by Jessica Chambers is a unique story about a large amount of people all trying to find their way. Each character has their own background and story, and it was fascinating watching them all unfold throughout the pages. I felt a bond with all ten characters, which is hard to achieve, but somehow Chamber’s makes each of them shine in their own light. The ending had me tearing me up a bit, but I found this story to be touching and inspirational. I hope there might be another book in the works so readers can meet up with some of the cast again!

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Looking For Leon by Shirley Benton

Andie Appleton goes on holiday to Las Vegas for an escape. The last thing she expected to find was the man of her dreams- the too good to be true Leon. Leon’s zest for life is what attracts Andie immediately to this stranger, but a fire drill rips the two apart. Without getting any information from him, Andie feels desperate to find Leon from Arizona. When she must head back to Ireland and get back to work as a journalist, she figures she will never see Leon again. But when she is retelling her love story gone wrong to her co-workers, her conniving boss overhears and decides to push the story. Soon, Andie is retelling her Looking for Leon tale in columns, which is a hit for readers. A TV station decides to pick up the story and send Andie back to Vegas to continue her hunt for Leon. The search garners nation-wide attention- but no Leon. During the process, Andie gets thrown together with Colm the camera-man, who she immediately despises. But as the search continues and no Leon pops up, Andie begins to wonder if she possibly found the man of her dreams anyways…

Looking For Leon is the debut novel from Shirley Benton, and I found it to be enjoyable. The beginning and the end were both fast-paced and lively, but the middle really slowed the story down. I thought a handful of scenes could have been cut from the novel, I didn’t find that they moved the story or any characters along, and I think that is part of the reason why the middle was lagging. I thought the concept was unique and Benton can definitely write humor, which gave me plenty of laughs throughout the way. The ending was very shocking and quite sad; I shed a few tears during the last chapters. I thought this was a good debut but just a little lacking in a few areas, but I would still recommend Looking For Leon.

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Crystal Balls by Amanda Brobyn

Tina Harding, a successful estate agent, doesn’t believe in psychics. She believes in hard work, ambition, and being able to bury the past. When her career as an actress didn’t work out, much to the chagrin of her overbearing mother, Tina launches herself full force into her new career. When property developer and sex on a stick Brian Steen gives Tina’s company the exact high profile and high dollar job that it needs, Tina believes her fate is sealed. But when she grudgingly accompanies friend and co-worker Chantelle to a psychic fair, the tables turn. Even though Tina firmly thinks psychic’s are a bunch of wackos, she ends up doing a crystal ball reading. And then another. And then one more. And then starts calling psychic hotlines. Soon, all her decisions are being based off what the fortune tellers are telling her. Could her obsession cause her to sink her company- and her chance with Mr. Right?

Crystal Balls is the debut novel by Amanda Brobyn, and it is a light and funny read. I laughed at some of the wacky scenes that Tina goes through, and my interest was held with the love connection between her and Brian. But I felt like there were a handful of unnecessary scenes in the book. Scenes that didn’t move the story forward at all, and I had to wonder why they were included. That made the book seem a bit long for me. And I never really understood what changed for Tina that made her so addicted to psychics. I think if that would have been explained a bit more, I would have been able to maybe relate to Tina better. Overall, I found Crystal Balls to be slightly lacking in some areas, but still entertaining and witty enough to recommend.

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Personally, I Blame My Fairy Godmother by Claudia Carroll

What girl doesn’t love the Cinderella fairy tale? A young woman coming from nothing, living with her horrible stepmother and retched step-sisters, only to fall madly in love with Prince Charming and live happily ever after. Jessie Woods believes her life rivals the one of Cinderella. She didn’t have much as a child, but with the love and support from her father, she determinedly made something of herself. Working as a daredevil TV host, living in a mansion, and dating one of the most eligible bachelors, Jessie’s life couldn’t get better.

But it could get worse. When Jessie gets offered to accept a free car after one of her daredevil shows, she greedily accepts- on live TV. She is immediately sacked from her position, and with no job and the credit card bills becoming more and more demanding, Jessie is forced to cut back on her lavish lifestyle. Way back. And then more. After losing her house, she is forced to move in with her stepmother and her two grown daughters- still living at home with no husbands or social lives to speak of. To make it all worse, Jessie’s boyfriend will no longer return her calls. Can she still find a happy ending after all?

Personally, I Blame My Fairy Godmother by Claudia Carroll is a riot! I was laughing out loud at the crazy situations Jessie finds herself in- from working fast food to breaking and entering her ex’s house. The stepsister’s are a story in themselves, and the stepmother and her start-up internet business- genius! Though the story might be seem all light and comical, there is a lesson to be learned from many of the characters. The only part that sometimes got under my skin was the constant complaining about Jessie’s failed relationship. But I loved the stereotypes and the many comparisons to fairy tales. I thought that really worked for what Carroll was trying to achieve, and I definitely recommend this Brit Chick Lit novel!

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Marrying Out of Money by Nicky Schmidt

Lou Hubbard doesn’t care about money. So what if her father runs a billion dollar coffee empire and the family can afford to lead a luxurious life? All Lou wants to do is settle down with rock star boyfriend, Hedge, and do something good for the environment. But Lou’s mother is dead set against her daughter’s non-lavish ways. The cunning Victoria sets a plan into motion, determined to have Lou marry Harry Stomeworth, simply to gain an aristocratic title. When Harry’s dreadful mother jumps on the plan, Lou and Harry don’t seem to have much of a choice. But that is where the fun begins, and Lou and Harry join forces to try to get out of marrying.

Marrying Out of Money by Nicky Schmidt, is a sort of “anti-romantic comedy.” The characters were over the top and hilarious, especially the two mothers. But I loved the story behind the Lou and Harry, how the young kids want to marry for love and not just money, stability, or titles. Some of the scenes (especially the ones with Hedge) had me laughing out loud at the absurdity. Along that line, I wished that Schmidt would have cleaned up Hedge’s dialogue just a bit. I understand that she wanted to make a point about how he spoke, but it was hard to focus on what he was saying sometimes because he was always so ridiculous sounding and hard to decipher. But overall I thought this was a really engaging, quirky, chick lit book and I definitely recommend!

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Millie’s Fling by Jill Mansell

Millie Brady unexpectedly befriends best-selling novelist Oral Hart the afternoon that Millie gets dumped. Orla, suffering from a writing slump after a scathing review of her latest novel, decides Millie is just what she needs to get her creative juices flowing again. She proposes an idea to Millie regarding her next novel, and makes an offer Millie can’t refuse. As the heroine of Orla’s next romance novel, Millie’s needs a man- or two or three- to spice up her love life.

Millie’s Fling by Jill Mansell is light-hearted and comical. This novel follows all the chick lit guidelines, which made it a tad predictable, but there were some interesting plot twists to keep me on my toes. There was one major reason why I can’t say I love this book. For the first half, the story is told in Millie’s point of view- and only Millie’s. But then suddenly, everyone’s views were in the book! Orla, Millie’s mom, friend, and love interest, were all getting to speak their mind. I was thrown through a loop because I didn’t understand how suddenly I was out of Millie’s head, into Orla’s, then back out again. And there was nothing to break up the POV’s, not a new chapter or even a break in the story. The editor in me was screaming no, no, no!! If it wasn’t for that, I would have rated the book higher, but with conflicting POV’s I just couldn’t do it.

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A Girl Like You by Gemma Burgess

The first book I read by Gemma Burgess, The Dating Detox, had me laughing until the end. I was looking forward to her second novel, A Girl Like You, and was hoping for more of the edgy chick lit, anti-romance story. And I was not disappointed. A Girl Like You opens up with a prelude, something that I know is often advised against, but completely works for this story. Why does Abigail have a black eye and is bawling on the floor of her shower- in Hong Kong? Who is the man that comes to save her? The prelude stuck with my while I read the story, and I commend Burgess on opening with a bang. As the story moves along, Abigail is newly single, coming out of a long term relationship, and in desperate need of dating advice. At 27, she is just now going to embark on her first first date. New flatmate Robert, the friend of her sister’s fiancée, is just the guy to help her. Robert teaches Abby how to date like a bastardette, going on several casual dates and thoroughly enjoying her newfound freedom. The supporting cast around Abigail is going through their own troubles, and their stories coincide perfectly with Abigail’s dilemmas.

I thought A Girl Like You deserves five big stars. Burgess writes with humor, wit, crass, and honesty about surviving singledom. I laughed my way throughout the chapters, yet connected with all the characters, not just Abigail. I didn’t find anything about the story real cliché either, which I thought was fantastic. I hate when I start a book knowing exactly what the characters are going to think, feel, and how they will act. This novel is chick lit, but very modern, very open, and very real. I think a lot of readers will be able to connect with the characters, if not Abigail’s then one of her friends. There is something for everybody with this story, and I highly encourage everyone to get a copy. A Girl Like You is my first favorite read of 2011!

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The Hating Game by Talli Roland

Mattie Johns can really only be described as a man-eater. She is no nonsense, in control, yet has a sense of vulnerability that is rarely on display. She let herself succumb to love once, and that bit her in the ass. Now she is focused solely on her business and trying not to go bankrupt. All thanks her no good cheating ex-boyfriend, who stole all her clients away from her. When Mattie is tapped to appear on a reality dating show, she thinks it could be her only chance to avoid financial disaster. The money being promised is enough to get through a few dates with some loser guys. But the tables are turned on Mattie when the contestants turn out not to be strangers, but four ex-boyfriends, all with a very different motive to being on the dating show.

The Hating Game by Talli Roland has romance and scandal, along with likeable characters and fast plot points. The reality TV spin calls for some hilarious twists as the producers of the show try to inject more drama among the contestants. I liked the main character and the fact she wasn’t whining and complaining throughout about her love life. Instead she was a tough chick, not letting her ruined romance get in the way of her business and success. My only dislike is that I just read a story similar to this one not that long ago- reality TV contestant set up with a bunch of ex-boyfriends. So it didn’t make this story real original, but it was still funny and entertaining to read.

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