August 2013 New Releases
Contributor: Allie Sadly, summer is almost over, but we still have a handful of chick lit books to look forward to before the leaves begin…
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Contributor: Allie Sadly, summer is almost over, but we still have a handful of chick lit books to look forward to before the leaves begin…
Title: What Would Kate Do? Author: Fiona O’Malley Received: Fiona O’Malley Synopsis: What Would Kate Do? follows Cathy Dover who idolizes The Duchess of Cambridge…
Title: Adela Arthur and the Creator’s Clock
Author: Judyann McCole
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: To Whom Ever This May Concern;
I wish I could tell you the contents of this book were purely fictional. That I, Adela Arthur, was just a normal sixteen year old from Portland and that dragons, giants, elves and mermaids were just myths. I wish these were legends shared from crazy old grandparents to crazy old grandparents around campfires. After all, that is what I used to believe.
I never would have thought they lived on the other side of our mirrors in a world called Cielieu. But they do…
I never would have thought there were humans, better known as Volsin that lived among them with the ability to create light from a single thought. But there are…
I never would have thought I was one of them… But I am…
I am the last Arthur and I was brought to the human world after a Volsin, filled with greed, began to strip the light from our kind.
The human world was supposed to be a safe haven… but he’s found us and the only way to stop him is to go back to Cielieu and begin training as a student in the Elpida Castle of Light.
Like I said I wish the contents of this book were purely fictional and not my life…
ADELA ARTHUR
Title: Blogger Girl
Author: Meredith Schorr
Received: Meredith Schorr
Synopsis: What happens when your high school nemesis becomes the shining star in a universe you pretty much saved? Book blogger Kimberly Long is about to find out.
A chick lit enthusiast since the first time she read Bridget Jones’s Diary, Kim, with her blog, “Pastel is the New Black,” has worked tirelessly by night to keep the genre alive, and help squash the claim that “chick lit is dead” once and for all. Not bad for a woman who by day ekes out a meager living as a pretty, and pretty-much-nameless, legal secretary in a Manhattan law firm.
While Kim’s day job holds no passion for her, the handsome (and shaving challenged) associate down the hall is another story. Yet another story is that Hannah Marshak, one of her most hated high school classmates, has now popped onto the chick lit scene with a hot new book that’s turning heads–and pages–across the land. And it’s also popped into Kim’s inbox–for review. With their ten-year high school reunion drawing near, Kim’s coming close to combustion over all the hype about Hannah’s book. And as everyone around her seems to be moving on and up, she begins to question whether being a “blogger girl” makes the grade in her off-line life.
Title: Frisky Business
Author: Clodagh Murphy
Received: Clodagh Murphy
Synopsis: Romy Fitzgerald’s life is firmly on track. She runs a successful business, has great friends and knows what she wants. That was until her father died. Suddenly she’s not sure about anything anymore. So when she has a one-night stand at a party with a stranger dressed as Darth Vadar, she tells him things she’s never told anyone before about herself and her father’s death. They’ll never see each other again so her secrets are safe, right? Until Romy realises that she’s pregnant with Darth Vadar’s baby and now she has to face some awkward questions about what really happened the night of Luke’s conception. Romy’s going to have to come clean, but when her ex-boyfriend Kit Masterson returns from New York and seems happy to go along with the charade of playing the part of Luke’s father, it seems like the answer to her prayers. Kit was the love her life, and maybe her secrets, and the true identity of Darth Vadar, can stay hidden forever. But Kit has his own reasons for coming home and buying into the ready-made family. And as masks slip and true identities show, Romy and Kit quickly discover that in real life secrets never stay hidden, especially when it comes to love.
Title: While We Were Watching Dowton Abbey
Author: Wendy Wax
Received: Orion Books
Synopsis: A warm and witty novel about four friends, and a shared passion that will change their lives.
When Edward, the concierge of a historic Atlanta apartment building, invites his fellow residents to join him for weekly screenings of Downton Abbey, four very different people find themselves connecting with the addictive drama, and – even more unexpectedly – with each other . . .
Join Samantha, Claire, Brooke and Edward for a season full of surprises.
Title: Rome For Beginners
Author: Fiona Coughlin
Received: Fiona Coughlin
Synopsis: The girls had read all about living in Rome. The way it worked in all those pink, glossy novels was: woman comes to Rome. Woman buys farmhouse in Tuscany. Woman’s toilet overflows. Woman has a good cry. Woman achieves self-realization.
Living in Italy was no vacation, as Lilian would say. As a fifty-something academic living in Rome, she didn’t feel any closer to self-realization, and she had bigger problems than plumbing. Her professor ex-husband had just started dating her boss (the Chair of the department), and if that weren’t enough she’s just found herself in an Italian Emergency Room, where the people around her seem “to be speaking some dialect of squirrel”. Language problems won’t hold her back, as she’s got her friends Brennan (an athlete constantly risking deportation), and Suzanne (a newly divorced, single mother) to translate.
This story follows these three unlikely friends in different stages of life over the course of a year: broken bones, dates in the Catacombs, multiple boyfriends named Massimo, spelunking into cavernous Roman ruins, killing one’s own turkey in a country that doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, explaining to a nun how adorable one’s own child is after he is expelled, learning how to get some sleep when you’ve rented a room in a church directly under the church bells.
As things get ever more messy these women will discover if they can get it all sorted, with or without all the “ciao bellas”.
Rome for Beginners is skosh heavier than an average Chick Lit book, yet a smidgen lighter than normal Women’s Fiction. Readers who love quirky reading or summer fare, who like satire, who like a biting sense of humor, and who are curious about Italian life should love this book. Lovers of Rome should also love the book, as the city is a character unto itself.
Title: Two of a Kind
Author: Yona Zeldis McDonough
Received: Penguin Group
Synopsis: Christina Connelly lost her husband to a devastating fire ten years ago but has managed to work through the grief and build a lovely life for her teenage daughter and a small yet successful interior design business in Brooklyn. While attending a wedding, she is introduced to Dr. Andy Stern, a handsome widower with a troubled son. Andy’s egotistic demeanor is irritating to Christina, but she’s willing to work with him when he hires her to decorate his Upper East Side apartment. It comes as a shock to everyone when the two fall in love and decide to marry. Combining their families is certainly not without obstacles. Will they be able to overcome the difficulties and achieve their happily ever after?
Have I said before the countdown to the wedding is on? It’s REALLY on now! With just about 40 days left until I say I Do, it seems the amount that was being put into the wedding plans is now doubled. A day doesn’t go by where I’m not confirming with vendors (let’s not get me started on that sore subject!), putting together a DIY project like our cardbox, or one of the other many preparations that goes into pulling a wedding off. I’ve had my first dress fitting, complete with shoes, veil, and jewelry, and my second fitting will be in just three weeks. My maids learned how to lace up my corset at the first fitting, and the next will be all about the bustle My bachelorette party will be August 10 so the final plans are getting in place for that. I’ve had meetings this last week with our florist to see her designs for our bouquet, and with the officiate to go over the final ceremony outline. My family who lives out of state has booked their flights and the bridesmaid dresses are all in. It might seem like what could possibly be left on my list – but there is a lot! Pocket squares need to be ordered for the guys, gifts for our wedding party needs to be ordered, we need a final count on who gets a flower (who is a VIP), we need to secure our marriage license, decide on reception songs to be played, and make our rehearsal dinner invites. And that’s just stuff that should have ALREADY been done, I’m just behind on. Whew! That honeymoon is looking better and better as the day get closer and my stress levels rise. But I’m trying my hardest to keep the end goal in sight – that in almost less than a month I get to marry my best friend…and steal his last name!
Title: Lowcountry Bombshell Author: Susan Boyer Received: CLP Blog Tours Synopsis: Private Investigator Liz Talbot thinks she’s seen another ghost when she meets Calista McQueen.…
He’s here! I’m one of the many that loves everything about the Royal Family and have been waiting anxiously for Kate to give birth. The wait is now over, as the baby boy was born at 4:24pm London time. Yes, a boy! So many reports were speculating girl and I was thinking pink all the way. While the baby is still unnamed (and could be for up to days) we did get a few more details on the royal birth. Here is the Twitter announcement from the Palace: “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 4.24pm. The baby weighs 8lbs 6oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry & families have been told and are delighted. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well and will remain in hospital overnight.”
Congrats to Will and Kate, and I’ll be looking forward to seeing the baby and finding out his name!
Title: Lowcountry Bombshell
Author: Susan Boyer
Received: CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: Private Investigator Liz Talbot thinks she’s seen another ghost when she meets Calista McQueen. She’s the spitting image of Marilyn Monroe. Born precisely fifty years after the ill-fated star, Calista’s life has eerily mirrored the late starlet’s—and she fears the looming anniversary of Marilyn’s death will also be hers.
Before Liz can open a case file, Calista’s life coach is executed. Suspicious characters swarm around Calista like mosquitoes on a sultry lowcountry evening: her certifiable mother, a fake aunt, her control-freak psychoanalyst, a private yoga instructor, her peculiar housekeeper, and an obsessed ex-husband. Liz digs in to find a motive for murder, but she’s besieged with distractions. Her ex has marriage and babies on his mind. Her too-sexy partner engages in a campaign of repeat seduction. Mamma needs help with Daddy’s devotion to bad habits. And a gang of wild hogs is running loose on Stella Maris.
With the heat index approaching triple digits, Liz races to uncover a diabolical murder plot in time to save not only Calista’s life, but also her own.
Moonpennies by Alanna BrownTitle: Moonpennies
Author: Alanna Brown
Received: Alanna Brown
Synopsis: Lina Daniels was eleven years old when her mother divulged that true love doesn’t exist and heartbreak is inevitable. Now a late-twenties struggling writer, Lina is terrified of opening her heart to anyone. She fumbles through life, battling bouts of depression and avoiding real relationships at all costs…until one too many glasses of wine at a New Year’s Eve party undermines her resolve.
She ends up in the arms of an irresistible prospect and decides to give love a chance.
The better judgment of her best friends tells her he’s not the right guy. But finding the courage to fall in love is only the beginning of Lina’s journey. Uncharted risks and bold mistakes open her eyes to a life-changing realization. She may learn her mother was right about the certainty of heartbreak. Yet she may also find that true love does exist, and it makes the heartbreak worthwhile.
Lions, Tigers and Sexy Bears Oh My by Candace HavensTitle: Lions, Tigers and Sexy Bears Oh My
Author: Candace Havens
Received: Entangled Publishing
Synopsis: A Montana town where no one is who they seem….
Everything about runaway heiress Ainsley McLeon screamed trouble—from her luscious midnight locks to her Louboutin-clad toes. Yet sexy, stoic bar owner Luc couldn’t deny the instant connection he felt to the tempting stranger…or the long-dead feelings she evoked. She could work in his pub until her truck was fixed but after that she had to leave town for good. Ainsley traveled with her own emotional baggage and there was no way she’d fall for the bear-tempered Luc…no matter how many passionate nights she spent in his bed or how safe she felt in his muscular arms. Can these two opposites find love in the middle of a blizzard, or will Luc’s darker side and Ainsley’s past catch up with them?
Winter at Death’s Hotel by Kenneth CameronTitle: Winter at Death’s Hotel
Author: Kenneth Cameron
Received: Sourcebooks
Synopsis: In January 1896, Conan Doyle arrives at the Britannic Hotel in New York with Louisa, ready to begin his first American tour. When a woman’s brutally butchered corpse is found in a Bowery alley, Louisa is convinced from the artist’s sketch in the paper that she’d seen the victim at the hotel.
When Louisa sprains her ankle and is forced to remain at the hotel while her husband goes on tour, she cannot resist pursuing her intuitions. And when more bodies start appearing, she’s convinced that she holds the key to solving the killings.
Don’t call me a bridezilla. This is the sentence that I say in my head over and over as my wedding date gets closer. I don’t like yelling at people and I am very non-confrontational, but this wedding has brought out a whole new side of me. Why am I yelling at people? The latest fiasco (in the line of many) is that our jewelry store forgot to order our wedding bands. Yes, we went to the jewelry store in May, looked at bands for two hours, had three people including a manager help us, yet no one went ahead and pushed the order through. So when I thought to myself, where is our phone call about the bands being in, and decide to stop off at the store, imagine my extreme pleasure in being told, “I’m sorry, it looks like the order didn’t get put through.” Cue yelling. We’ve also had salespeople “forget” to order the bridesmaid dresses so now my maids barely have time for alterations, and even a hotel simply decided our contract and deposit to block off rooms for our guests wasn’t good enough and gave it to a different wedding party. So please, don’t call me a bridezilla when I yell. I wouldn’t have to be yelling if these errors weren’t being made. The wedding planning would still be stressful, don’t get me wrong, but now I have zero confidence in any of my vendors. I have now becoming the paranoid bride that is calling all of her vendors – from the officiant, cake lady, florist, reception hall manager, etc – to check, double check, confirm and re-confirm everything is set and I will get no more surprises along the way. Is stuff still going to go wrong? Yes, I have no doubt. That happens. But I have to say the amount of human error that has happened so far has me quite displeased, stressed, and not sleeping well at night. But that’s why I have this blog – so I can vent – right? I’ve been putting a few charming tidbits of what’s going wrong on Facebook and Twitter, and I love the email messages I am receiving from other past brides regaling me with their horror stories. They are helping me calm down, see the light at the end of the tunnel, and show me that one day I will look back and laugh and hopefully tell another woman all my sad stories so she can feel relief. I accept that no wedding is perfect and that the planning process will put stress on any bride-to-be.
Well, that was quite the rant! Can you tell this latest miscue just happened and is fresh on my mind? Let’s talk about something more uplifting…like my invitations! I haven’t shared them with the virtual world yet, so I’m happy to use this post to show them off. My first dress fitting is next week, and I finally purchased my shoes as well, so I’m all set for that appointment. Some items we are working on now: our wedding slideshow, buying gifts for our wedding party, and finalizing our ceremony timeline and vows. Less than two months to go and no matter how stressful this has become, I’m still so excited to become a wife and marry my best friend. Just don’t call me a bridezilla.
Title: On Grace Author: Susie Orman Schnall Received: Via CLP Blog Tours Synopsis: Grace May is truly excited about turning 40 in a few months.…