Blog Tour Sign Up: Breaking the Rules by Cat Lavoie

Cat will be on tour in August/September with her debut chick lit novel Breaking the Rules. Please use the sign up form below if you would like to be included. ARC eBooks will be provided, and Cat will also be available for a guest post or interview. Book excerpts can be requested. I will contact everyone chosen to participate. Thank you!

When twenty-seven year old Roxy Rule’s best friend and roommate accepts a glamorous new job overseas, she expects their relationship to continue as it’s always been—carefree and easy—until they share a heart-stopping kiss.

While Ollie escapes to jolly ole England to live out his dream and save the planet with green architecture, Roxy is stuck in New York City working for a boss who makes her want to stab herself with a letter opener. She can’t bear to think about her own big-city dream of being a chef anymore. Over the years, her passion for food has only resulted in extra pounds and a staggering credit card balance for fancy kitchen equipment that she barely has time to use. Still, Roxy’s sure that nothing can come between two lifelong best friends—not even mild jealousy over a thriving career or a silly little kiss that meant nothing. In fact, it was such a meaningless and forgettable kiss that it’s not worth mentioning to her fiancé, not that he would even listen—all they do these days is argue about their upcoming wedding.

Roxy is faced with an unexpected family reunion when her younger sister Steffi arrives on her doorstep, six months into a pregnancy she refuses to discuss. When older sister Izzie—in the throes of a premature midlife crisis—joins them, she’s determined to crack the case of Steffi’s impending motherhood. With the Rule sisters living under the same roof again, Roxy’s quiet little apartment in the city is about to be anything but peaceful.

Roxy soon discovers that her seemingly idyllic relationship with Ollie started getting complicated way before he left for London. She must come to terms with her feelings for him, learn to stand up for herself and go after what she really wants.

Breaking the Rules is the story of what happens when you have to redefine the rules of love, friendship and family in order to find yourself.

Prince Charming, Inc by Jamie Brazil

Prince Charming, Inc. by Jamie Brazil is a hilarious, enchanting tale that follows Elyse Tobin, matchmaker extraordinaire. Unable to fix her own love life after disastrously falling for Nick Salvatore, Elyse creates a manual for the perfect man and begins refurbishing them … then marketing them to the wealthy socialite women who are desperate for the perfect man, and tired of looking on their own. After numerous successful re-makeovers of men, Elyse creates quite the niche market for her product and soon enough becomes the talk amongst the single women. Then one day, she gets an unfortunate call from the IRS, and they’re looking to audit her. She is at risk of losing her house and her sanity … and the one man that she least expected, is the one that comes through and saves the day.

I absolutely adored Prince Charming, Inc. I found Elyse witty and became enamored with Nick not long after his introduction. Sure, at first you are supposed to loathe him, but I was able to tell pretty quickly what was really going on and couldn’t help but to root for him. This was a really fun read and I thought Jamie Brazil did a fabulous job at creating an enchanting tale about love and the heart. Plus … how can you go wrong with all of the mentions and descriptions of cheesecake?!?

Overall, a sweet and charming love story.

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We have one copy of Prince Charming, Inc. to giveaway. Please leave a comment below to be entered. Chick Lit Plus will choose a winner at random at 6:00 AM Friday morning.

 

Author Profile: Ella Slayne

Author Name: Ella Slayne

Website: http://www.highheelsandslippers.com

Author Bio: Ella Slayne is originally from the North of England, where she studied Drama at Manchester University. She went on to study acting at the Webber Douglas Academy before moving to live in Brussels with her family. Ella currently lives in the US where she juggles the joys of motherhood with her passion for writing.

Title: High Heels and Slippers

See my 4 star review of High Heel and Slippers!

 

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Point Click Love by Molly Shapiro

A new one for the Favorites list! I adored Point, Click, Love, the debut from Molly Shapiro. I started this book one night while curled up in my chair, and after what felt like ten minutes I decided it was time for bed – and realized I was 61% finished with the book! This is an absolute gem, and one for your must-read list.

The story follows four friends as they deal with some tough issues. Katie is a divorced mother of two who uses the internet to get back in the dating game. She has decided she is over relationships and love, she just want some casual sex and companionship.  But it Kate really ready for the world of online dating – and does she really in heart want to stay single? Annie has come to Kansas City from New York to get away and do something different from all her classmates – who are now all crazy successful – and has decided she is going to have a baby on her own.  But when the sperm donor she wants isn’t giving the goods anymore, she takes matters in her own hands. Maxine has the perfect marriage – or so everyone on the outside thinks. She hasn’t even shared with her best friends that she and her husband have stopped having sex and she thinks he is having an affair. She turns to gossip sites and immerses herself in the celebrity world – until a wakeup call outside of Jennifer Aniston’s house brings her back to her own reality. And Claudia has become over-the-top angry with her husband, who has seemed to lose any motivation to try to find a job and is obsessed with sharing too many details of his life on Facebook. When a relationship with a co-worker goes too far, Claudia has to decide what she really wants from her marriage.

I thought this debut was fabulous. I loved each character and reading about how they went through their troubles, how they thought they could fix them, and what their end results were. I will say I didn’t think of them as friends so much, there was very little interaction between them, but I enjoyed their stories none the less. It was refreshing to have a novel set somewhere else than New York or LA, and this was set in Kansas City, which I loved. Annie’s story turned just a bit unbelievable with the sperm donor, but I still can’t give this any less than 5 stars. A great read that showcases powerful women, and a very modern tale about the times we live in now.

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Stiletto Safari by Kate Metz

Stiletto Safari by Kate Metz follows glamorous and gorgeous, Zara Hamilton. Zara has it all: a sexy boyfriend, a gorgeous apartment, two fabulous girlfriends, and a job with a prestigious law firm in New York city. But one day, that all comes crashing to a stop when she gets a call in to see her boss, where he informs her that she must take a leave of absence because Nick (the love of her life) is being accused of insider trading. Lost and confused, she turns to the aid of her girlfriends, and somewhere along the way, they convince her to take advantage and do some “good” with her situation and suggest she volunteer in Africa. Soon enough, she finds herself in Namibia, which couldn’t be further from home. Tempted to flee and return home, Zara decides to give it a real shot and try her hand as a volunteer. Soon enough, she makes friends and meets the British Hunk Hamish and begins to fall for him.

I found Stiletto Safari absolutely delightful. Kate Metz creates an endearing character in Zara and you can’t help but to root for her as the book goes along. I was a little disappointed that things didn’t work out with Nick in the beginning (he actually sounded like he really loved her and just got caught in a bad situation), but I was glad to watch her grow and give into her heart again with Hamish. Overall, this book was so much fun that I had a hard time putting it down. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, light read with a sassy, quick-witted main character.

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I Couldn’t Love You More by Jillian Medoff

Honest and smart, I Couldn’t Love You More by Jillian Medoff, follows Eliot Gordon and her life as a 38-year old working mother of three (two of whom are from her husband’s previous marriage). Married to Grant Delaney, her life is simple yet fulfilling at the same time. The only hiccups she faces are everyday life kind of problems…that is until Finn Montgomery, Eliot’s first love from years before resurfaces and threatens the calm world that she has created for herself. A shocking chain of events happens and Eliot is left making split second decisions that will effect her life in ways she never imagined.

This story is truly one of a kind. I Couldn’t Love You More has it all …. an honest marriage, a family composed of non-traditional members, the resurfacing of a long lost love, truthful interactions amongst siblings, and heart-wrenching decisions.  There are some major twists and turns that keep the reader enthralled in the material and often times, you will find yourself on the brink of tears. Yet, Jillian does a brilliant job of balancing her work and also incorporates hilarious and witty characters who are realistic in every sense of the word. Overall, this book is fantastic. I Couldn’t Love You More makes you think about the choices that you have made in your life, and whether or not you would make the same choices that Eliot must make. The book also makes you dive into the depths of your hearts as you examine Eliot’s portrayal as a step-mother and what all that means to her, and what it means to you. Overall, an absolute must read.

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The Stork Reality by Malena Lott

The Stork Reality by Malena Lott is the perfect cross between traditional chick lit and mom lit. Taylor Montgomery has the perfect life- she is happily married and a thriving creative director for an advertising firm. She seems to have it all figured out … that is, until she finds out that she is unexpectedly pregnant. Oops! Taylor and her husband never wanted to start a family together, but now she must figure out what to do. The Stork Reality follows Taylor as she navigates through the new world of pregnancy and motherhood, and the effects it has on her marriage, friendships, work and sanity. She must also face her best friend Hilarie, who has always wanted to be a mother, yet can’t conceive.

I found this book to be smart, humorous, and heartfelt. The journey that Taylor goes through is nothing short of heroic and it really makes you appreciate what all a pregnant woman (especially one who finds herself in that position unexpectedly) goes through. I laughed, I cried … but mostly, I cheered for Taylor as she tackled her fears and fought for what she wanted. I found the descriptions of her pregnancy journey to be spot on and often times hilarious.

Malena Lott is a phenomenal writer and she really shines with this one! I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a witty page turner, pregnant or not. Overall, I give it 5/5 stars. Such a wonderful read. Finally a funny and heartfelt book about pregnancy!

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Cappuccino is the Answer for Job Dissatisfaction by Hillary E. Peak

Cappuccino is the Answer for Job Dissatisfaction by Hillary Peak follows main character Jessica on her path to finding job satisfaction. Like many people, Jessica is unsure of her next steps in her path to career success. Upon graduation, she wanted a job that would allow her to change the world, but, many years later, she finds that her employment has gone stagnant and she wants something that will truly make a difference in her overall happiness and life. She takes job quizzes and does some soul searching …. but will she ever find the “one”? Only time will tell, and Jessica hopes that her answer lies in her next cappuccino.

Overall, I found Cappuccino is the Answer for Job Dissatisfaction to be a little stale. There were brief glimpses of greatness throughout the book, and I can tell that Hillary most definitely has the potential … but the book just never really reached that point for me. I wanted something a little more meaty, something with a little more pizazz- and this book just didn’t have it. Unfortunately, I am going to have to give this book a 3 stars. I wanted to like it so bad, but I just never could really get into it.

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The Singles by Meredith Goldstein

Debut novel, The Singles by Meredith Goldstein, follows an all to common fear for most single people – attending a wedding solo. Despite the bride, Beth “Bee” Evans, generous and thoughtful offer of a plus one for all of the guests at her wedding, five attendees decline and are consequently dubbed “The Singles”. The story follows the adventures of the five “Singles”, Hannah, Vicki, Rob, Joe, and Nancy. Hannah is the single bridesmaid pining over her ex with wishful thinking and hopes that the wedding will bring them closer together; Vicki is in love … with the characters in romance novels; Rob is single yet hopelessly in love with his dog; Phil can’t seem to find anyone that is better than Mom; and Joe is single yet hopeful for a chance (and romantic) encounter at the wedding.  Author Meredith Goldstein weaves together each of their stories as they prepare and attend the upcoming wedding.

I found The Singles to be charming and heartfelt. I laughed and cried during a few scenes and felt as though the characters were developed very realistically. Although their lives are often sad, I felt that each of the five “Singles” had a very unique and interesting perspective that added to the overall feel of the novel.  Their escapades really shine as they are woven together, each having a significant impact on the story as a whole. I absolutely adored the ending and was quite pleased with the way that everything turned out. Overall, a fun and often humorous tale that I think will be a big hit this summer.

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The Way by Kristen Wolf

The strikingly thought provoking and powerful debut novel, The Way by Kristen Wolf, follows young Anna, a fiery tomboy with a curious appearance. Her father uses this and sells Anna disguised as a boy to a band of shepherds when tragedy strikes her family. Once in their company, she is then captured by a mystical and secret group of women hiding in the desert- and it is there that she learns “The Way”, an ancient philosophy that unleashes an unknown power within her. She uses the power to heal, but mainly for other purposes once the sisters cave becomes threatened. Left with no choice, Anna leaves the caves on a mission and shares her new found knowledge and wisdom of “The Way” with everyone she meets along the way.

This book is absolutely unforgettable. Inside, author Kristen Wolf, uses her imaginative and beautifully descriptive story telling to weave a tale so engrossing that it leaves you breathless and wanting more. Anna is faced with many trials throughout the book, some more shocking than others, but through it all, you witness one of literature’s noblest transformations and a shocking revelation that will leave you thinking well after you’ve finished the book. I absolutely loved the suspense, as well as the enchanting mix of history and fantasy that are weaved throughout the tale. Overall, a fantastic read. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good piece of literature. I don’t think I could rave anymore about this book … truly one of a kind.

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