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CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Secrets of a Spiritual Guru by Tamara Lee Dorris
Chick Lit Review

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Secrets of a Spiritual Guru …

Tamara Lee Dorris is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Secrets of a Spiritual Guru
Summary:
Meet Melissa Murphy: wine-drinking real estate agent who finds herself “accidentally” assuming the role of a spiritual blogger when her boyfriend leaves her for his yoga teacher. Can she keep her role secret while trying to win her man back? If the lying doesn’t kill her, the poses might!
Review:
What a cute little book! I feel like Melissa and I were kindred spirits – we do yoga, we love wine, and Doritos is our guilty pleasure. I thought it was fun to watch Melissa’s journey into yoga, and how she really developed a knack for it – and a need for it. As a big yoga advocate, I loved seeing she went from dissing it to doing warrior poses when she was stressed out. The romance aspects kept me on my toes – from Ron to Tac. Sometimes I thought Melissa would take Ron back, other times I thought for sure sparks were going to fly between her and her co-worker. This is a fast read and there is definitely a cliff-hanger ending, leaving me excited to read the next!
4.5 stars

October 7, 2013
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Book Review: Little Island by Katharine Britton
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Little Island by Katharine Britton

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Grace
Flowers
By the water
Have fun!

These are Joy’s grandmother’s last words—left behind on a note. A note that Joy’s mother, Grace, has interpreted as instructions for her memorial service. And so, the far-flung clan will gather at their inn on Little Island, Maine, to honor her.

Joy can’t help dreading the weekend. Twenty years ago, a tragedy nearly destroyed the family—and still defines them. Joy, Grace, her father Gar, and twins Roger and Tamar all have their parts to play. And now Joy, facing an empty nest and a nebulous future, feels more vulnerable than ever to the dangerous currents running through her family.

But this time, Joy will discover that there is more than pain and heartbreak that binds them together, when a few simple words lift the fog and reveal what truly matters…
Review:

I felt that the beginning of this book was a bit confusing and full of emotions. Joy is dealing with her empty nest syndrome, the family preparing for a memorial service, and there are lots of unresolved issues from the past. I wanted to put the book down and stop reading but I couldn’t. I had to know how this was going to be played out.

The book switches points of view as well as going from past to present. A few times I felt like my head was spinning and I was tense from the drama – and there was a lot of it.
The characters were real. Joy was a cutter, Roger an addict, and Tamar an unemotional mother with no connection to her daughters. I didn’t connect with any of the characters but as I said, I continued to read because I was intrigued by all the events of the past and curious to know how it would end.
As more and more was revealed about the accident, things start making sense. In the end, I was hopeful
that everyone would heal from the pain and hurt of 20 years ago.
I know I’ve said this before, I’m not a fan of drama but I did enjoy this book. I loved the setting; the description of the Maine coast sounded beautiful.

4 stars

October 4, 2013
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Book Review: The Youth Corridor by Gerald Imber MD
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Youth Corridor by Gerald Imber MD

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Dr. Imber shows women and men how to keep the signs of aging at bay with a prescriptive, common sense plan of skin care, exercise, vitamins & diet, stalling & often eliminating the need for surgery. By following the earliest & most basic treatment for skin care & maintenance, you can maintain a youthful appearance for a lifetime. You can return your skin to the exuberance of the youth corridor — the years between 30 & 55 during which the most drastic physical changes occur. Imber’s easy-to-follow regimes & helpful illustrations make timeless beauty a reality. This book also catalogs beauty products that give women the best results & describes successful procedures in plastic surgery.
Review:
I was a bit disappointed by this book. I started reading it with a notebook next to me, ready to jot down notes and get to shopping. Unfortunately, it seems the book is just filled with big words and not a lot of substance. What did I write down? “Alpha Hydroxy Acids.” Bummer. Only one section really interested me, at the end where he broke down skin care routines by ages. But what was said I already know, either from online, or what my best friend (a clinical esthetician) tells me. It also tells us not to run, never to have a second portion at dinner, and to cut out desserts entirely. Ouch. I was hoping for a book to help me better myself, not just turn to Botox, surgery, and be miserable and hungry.
2 stars

October 4, 2013
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Book Review: What Happens to Men When They Move to Manhattan by Jill Knapp
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: What Happens to Men When They Move to …

Reviewer: Samantha I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Summary: The question that 23-year old Amalia Hastings desperately wants…

October 3, 2013
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Book Review: The Bump List by Miriam Brady and Amber Best
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Bump List by Miriam Brady and Amber …

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review……
To start I have to say that seldom do I read a series and like every book in the series…there is often one I prefer over the others…I cannot claim that with this series as I am in love with all 3 so far!
Book one was Maddy’s story and 2 was Kinley’s. Book 3 was a combined story with just as many surprises as well as tears and strong emotions!
This one is the story of the two couples being ousted by a reporter that felt she needed to drag their very private and painful story out in the wide open and expose them much like pouring salt on an open wound. I was angry with the reporter when she showed private video’s taking shortly before Maddy’s family…. I actually wanted to shake her and make her see how utterly painful it would be for a mom to see those moments…not last moments but nearly on public television….The authors help me have such sympathy with these ladies, as well as Cal and Rory over the loss of their band members that I wanted to shelter them for all they went through.
I loved that Kinley and Maddy ended up pregnant together and even more of their fun quirky relationship comes out with that. I am madly in love with Kevin and I believe I have met him…no matter how much it is claimed that all characters in these stories are fictitious. 
I loved Annabelle! She is a refreshing character and seems to be very genuine, and fits in very well friendship wise with the Maddy and Kinley! I was heart broke over the friendship issues that surfaced in this book…although I do feel that I saw it coming in book 2. I think friendships sometimes run their course like this and while that is the way life is and it’s best to mourn it and move on it is never easy to see the other side of it and just simply learn and grow from it.
As for Maddy’s mother, I have no sympathy and applauded her keeping that nasty woman as far from the ones she loves as she can…
The authors did an amazing job with this book! I dreaded the end and I am now sitting on my hands nervous for how they will surprise me with the next book…I have no doubt of a next book as you just can’t leave me hanging like that ladies!
As always so much of what they write, I relate to…to the point where these books are an active topic of conversation with my very best friend, who has read and loved them just as much as I have. I love the relationship between Maddy and Kinley and believe that everyone should have a lifetime friend like Maddy and Kinley have.

October 2, 2013
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Book Review: Arcadia’s Curse by Jesi Lea Ryan
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Arcadia’s Curse by Jesi Lea Ryan

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Think high school sucks? Try being an empath who has to experience everyone else’s suckage on top of your own. (Literally.)

In the months since her family life imploded and her psychic gifts began to arise, Cady has struggled to figure out how she can fit into her normal life without going crazy from the constant presence of emotional energy. Her grades have tanked. Her best friend is afraid of her. And she begins to have doubts about why her boyfriend, Bryan, is really keeping her around. But a chance meeting with another gifted girl online opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Unfortunately, this new world comes at an awful price.
Review:
I was super excited to get my hands on this book, as I read the first in this series and absolutely loved it! Arcadia’s Gift welcomed us into the life of Arcadia (Cady) Day, who loses her twin sister Lony in a horrific and tragic train accident. As if the accident wasn’t difficult enough, immediately afterwards she receives psychic gifts. Arcadia’s Curse picks up where the first left off, joining Cady and her cast of high school friends. Cady is struggling with her gifts, and the empathy makes school nearly impossible for her to get through. When an opportunity to be surrounded by others with similar gifts arises, Cady packs up and moves to an institute in Chicago. There the story really heightens, as Cady finds herself in a situation that is downright horrifying. The book as a whole is really terrific, but the second half is near impossible to put down. I’m really curious to see where the third book will take us. Please don’t miss this series!
5 stars

October 2, 2013
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Book Review: For the Love of Cupcakes by Anita Kushwaha
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: For the Love of Cupcakes by Anita Kushwaha

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Priya Patel has wanted to become a baker since the first time she saw the light of her Easy Bake Oven. However, working as an assistant baker at Sugarplum Fairy Cakes isn’t the glamorous life she dreamed about. Priya tries to impress her boss, Helen Bouffant, with creative twists on traditional recipes but her culinary skills are completely ignored as she is forced to scrub toilets and clean up everyone else’s mess. After Priya is blamed for a major screw up at Sugarplum Fairy Cakes, she decides to throw in her apron. With the support of her husband, Arj, and a kick in the pants from her best friend, Mae, she decides to start her own cupcakery.

Just when Priya thinks she’s washed her hands of Helen once and for all, they both enter a charity bake off with a grand prize of $10,000. Priya will have to cook the most creative, delicious cupcakes of her life and defend herself against Helen, who will stop at nothing to see Priya and her cupcakery fail. The competition gets heated but there is one thing that will keep Priya going- the love of cupcakes. Does she have what it takes to win the bake-off? Whose talent will prevail?

For the Love of Cupcakes will leave your mouth watering for cupcakes and your cheeks sore from smiling.
Review:
What a cute read! I loved the style Kushwaha wrote in: fast, breezy, yet personal. Watching Priya come up with her cupcake recipes was fun to watch, and following her on her journey of finding her backbone and entrepreneurial spirit was fabulous. This was a spot-on chick lit book, and I hope other fans of the genre enjoy it as much as me. There were just a few issues that made me not rate it five stars. One was that I didn’t quite understand how Priya’s ex-boss could get away with stealing her recipes when they were so unique to Priya’s store and her vision, and Helen’s had never been that way. It seemed really obvious to me, yet apparently no one in the community could get it. Another is so small, but I actually have experience with this so it stuck out to me. Priya teams up with Victoria Secret to help with her marketing, and big chain stores like that would never typically do what they did. I wished she would have used a fictitious store instead, because it distracted me. Those are two smaller critiques I have, and I really did enjoy the book from beginning to end!
4 stars

October 1, 2013
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Book Review: The Runaway Actress by Victoria Connelly
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Runaway Actress by Victoria Connelly

I received a copy of The Runaway Actress by Victoria Connelly in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
When the stresses of being an A-list actress get too much for her, Connie Gordon decides to escape to a tiny Scottish village. But little does she realise that whilst Lochnabrae might be quiet, it’s far from sleepy…
Connie kisses goodbye to her ex-boyfriends, stalkers and double-crossing agents, and prepares herself for complete relaxation.
But swapping the Hollywood Hills for the Highlands of Scotland doesn’t make for the easiest of transitions, and when she meets local playwright Alastair McInnes, who’s sworn he’ll never become involved with another actress again, sparks fly. The quiet little village of Lochnabrae will never be the same again…
Get your running shoes on to catch the latest hilarious, charming and utterly engaging novel from Victoria Connelly.
Review:
Sometimes British chick lit books can be hard for me to get into. They seem longer and sometimes more drawn out, so I started reading this book a bit apprehensively. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one! It was easy to slip into the charming village of Lochnabrae and enjoy the slow pace and friendly – and some eclectic – inhabitants. Connie is a fabulous MC to follow, and her life swap was interesting and intriguing to watch unfold. And we have to romance dabbled in there as well, and the cute little tale between her and Alastair was a lot of fun to read about. I love that this novel captured my attention right off the bat and left me engaged throughout. One I highly recommend!
4.5 stars

September 30, 2013
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Book Review : A Bargain Struck by Liz Harris
Chick Lit Review

Book Review : A Bargain Struck by Liz Harris

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
This is a fun romantic read set in the early 1800’s in Wyoming during the late homesteader days. The main character meets her husband through mail, they literally decide through mail written correspondence only that they both have something to offer the other and she travels from back east to marry him. He is seeking a mother for his little girl, someone to run his house and give him a male heir for whom he can pass the homestead farm onto. Quickly he finds out that she didn’t include vital information about herself…her disfigured face. But true to his word he marries her anyways and takes her home to his daughter. This is where the real fun begins as the daughter proves to be very angry with this new mother. The story continues on to tell of how these 3 people learn to heal from their losses and become a family, while that’s not to say they don’t have their troubles. It was a sweet read about love, friendship, healing and that looks aren’t what makes a person good. I loved that this story was so raw and real when it came to the cruel and sweet sides of life. It was a great read and I would recommend for anyone that loves an old fashioned love story.

September 27, 2013
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