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Book Review: Moody Not Broody by Kathryn Player
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Moody Not Broody by Kathryn Player

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

On occasion I get a chance to read British Novels, I always find it fun to see the difference in the way things are portrayed from the US as well as how very different our humor is from theirs. This was no different in this particular book. There were a few small parts that I either felt where misunderstood due to these differences, that or some small grammar issues. However they did not deter from the story and it was still an enjoyable read.

This is a fun read about a newly wed couple and how they deal with combining their lives. Not to mention the complex decision of working or being a stay at home mom, or a mom at all.

I really related with the character Em, she loved her career and felt that having children was unnecessary, fought the idea really. And then with one slip ends up accidentally pregnant. My best friend could have been that character!

Even with the hard topics mentioned this was still a fun light read. I enjoyed the book and really enjoyed the characters in it. Now if I could read the story in their accent I would be complete!

August 22, 2013
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Book Review: Psycho-Mommy by Mira Harlon
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Psycho-Mommy by Mira Harlon

I received a copy of Psycho-Mommy by Mira Harlon in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:
Jessica Reed, a vibrant type-A-psychologist, is the ultimate planner:
 – Acceptance to the Ivy League school of her choice … (check!)
 – Graduating Summa Cum Laude and securing the ultimate post, as a sought after psychologist at one of the most prestigious hospitals in the world…. (check!)
 – Marrying Nolan, the man of her dreams (check!)
All is going according to the plan, UNTIL… is it possible? She’s pregnant right after her honeymoon! But, that’s not part of the plan. There are so many more things that are supposed to happen before babies. Are her dreams to start a private practice or Nolan’s dream to work for the Philadelphia Flyers crushed?
When Jess finally accepts the obvious, she starts to unravel. Hold on for a wild ride through Jess’ brilliant yet quirky mind as she obsesses about all things pregnancy – morning sickness, weight gain, proper nutrition, kegels, home baby-proofing, pure exhaustion and honing her sexiness (let’s just say it gets a bit awkward). Along the way Jess’s zany patients, friends, family members and colleagues, manage in ways, both big and small, to contribute to her pregnancy fixations. Does her obsession turn her into “psycho-mommy”?
With incredible wit and amazing perception into the human psyche, Mira Harlon keeps you coming back for more. This ironic, feel-good read will have you laughing and crying and wondering if we don’t all have a little psycho-mommy in us!
Review:
While I do not have a child of my own yet, I enjoy reading books about mothers and especially expecting moms, because we hope to start a family in the next few years. This book covers all the ups and downs pregnancy can bring – the happiness and excitement, the morning sickness and stress, and everything in between. There is a lot of humor in the book which I liked, and the supporting characters are quite cute as well – I especially enjoyed reading about Simmi and Jessica’s mom! What I didn’t like so much was the extreme use of exclamation points and the editing that really needed to be tightened up. For as much as I liked the plot, those issues were pretty distracting. I still enjoyed this book and laughed my way through it, I just wish the editing was up to par as well.
3.5 stars

August 21, 2013
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CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Adventure to Love by Bethany Ramos
Chick Lit Review

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Adventure to Love by Bethany …

Bethany Ramos is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Adventure to Love
Summary:
In a “Bachelor” meets “Survivor”-style reality TV show, twelve women are flown to an undisclosed location to meet the eligible bachelor Ky, a former boy band member and the privileged son of an LA plastic surgeon. After arriving at a beautiful resort in Bali, the women compete for a chance at love as they fight to win Ky’s affection.

Morgan, the blunt, down-to-earth, girl next door; Harper, a wannabe Hollywood starlet who is competing not only for her fifteen minutes of fame but to win enough money for breast implants; and Brinkley, the innocent, Jesus-loving Midwesterner who believes that she and Ky are a match made in heaven, must go head-to-head with nine other women on group dates and in challenges to stay in the competition.

What happens behind the scenes when a dating reality show goes awry?
Review:
I have also read 5 Stages of Grief by Ramos and highly enjoyed the way she writes chick lit, so I was looking forward to a new book from her. Adventure to Love does not disappoint! There is humor, travel, romance, back-stabbing, and more humor between the pages. At first I thought the book was only going on focus on Harper and that made me a little worried as she isn’t very likeable, but luckily we also get perspectives from Morgan and Brinkley, and they really added a lot to the story. I was curious to see who would win the competition because it seemed that while each girl brought something different to the show, I couldn’t quite picture any of them with Ky. But I enjoyed the ending and the book overall!
4 stars
Author Bio:

Bethany Ramos is a chick lit author that is passionate about the fun, witty, and clever dynamic that can be found in a good chick lit novel. Her chick lit novel 5 Stages of Grief was published by Black Opal Books in 2011. Her second chick lit novel Adventure to Love was published by Soul Mate Publishing in 2013. She has also written a children’s book called Lions Can’t Eat Spaghetti that is under contract to be published through 4RV Publishing in 2015.

Bethany works as Editor in Chief for Naturally Healthy Publications, as well as a freelance ghostwriter through Elance.com. She also co-owns her own website with her husband at The Coffee Bump. Bethany can be reached for further information about her writing services at bethany_ramos83[at]yahoo[dot]com or follow her on Twitter.

August 20, 2013
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CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Is This All There Is? by Patricia Mann
Chick Lit Review

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Is This All There Is? …

Reviewer: Christy Patricia is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Is This All There Is? 35 year old Beth works a few evenings…

August 20, 2013
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Book Review: The White Aura (Book 1 of the White Aura Series) by Felicia Tatum
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The White Aura (Book 1 of the White Aura …

Summary:
How do you live with the gut clenching truth that the one you love will die if you meet them? Twenty year old sorcerer Scott Tabors is learning how. After seeing seventeen year old Olivia Whitehead outside of a coffee shop, his heart will never be the same. He longs for her, he wants her, and he knows she will be his. They are heart mates. …but due to a curse on his family, he can’t meet her. Not yet. So for now, he visits her in her dreams. Her dreams where he can tell her everything but his name.
Olivia Whitehead is a typical junior in high school. She and her best friend are having the time of their lives, but she can’t help but notice the changes happening to her. Especially the changes in her heart after she begins dreaming about a mysterious dark haired young man. But what will happen when the school heartthrob decides he wants Olivia? Will she realize the dream man is real or will she move on?

Review:
I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review (Lover of Paranormal Group on Goodreads).
I love the concept behind this novel—boy sees girl but can’t be with her, very Romeo and Juliet, but I’m afraid the execution fell a bit short for me. I realize this is paranormal fiction, and as Samuel Coleridge said the reader must willingly suspend disbelief; however, I found some of the events and explanations unacceptable. Parts of the family heritage were explained thoroughly while other things that I thought were important were hardly touched. For instance, the council was explained in great detail though we never encounter them in this novel, but the fact that 5000-year-old Anna just now has a family though her heart mate is never mentioned is odd. Also, when Delana is mentioned, I really thought she’d be a big part of the story, but that whole thing kind of goes away. Some of the actions and the dialogue seemed awkward and stilted. At times, the characters sounded like teenagers, but other times, not so much. I needed more foreshadowing on some events, too. Olivia’s power and the whole aura thing just pop up and seem to come from nowhere. In all fairness, however, this is a series, so I have a feeling some of my issues are addressed in later volumes, but frustration may keep readers from continuing the series.
There are some positives. It’s a quick read. I finished it in a few hours, and it has some steamy dream sequences which don’t go too far (or far enough depending on your perspective), so teens will love it. Scott seems completely sweet and devoted—perhaps too sweet—if you can get past Olivia calling him “Mr. Sexy,” which, for some reason, made me cringe every time she used it.
3 Stars

August 19, 2013
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CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Bachelor’s Special by Christine Warner
Chick Lit Review

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Bachelor’s Special by Christine …

Christine Warner is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Bachelor’s Special
Summary:
Jill Adgate wants three things from life: a successful catering business, a family, and the love of an exceptional man. What she has is no job, a mounting pile of bills, and her outspoken best friend—who sets her up on a blind date with the man who inadvertently ruined Jill’s life.

Chet Castle is a businessman who has everything, except the ability to trust. Burned by a money-hungry fiancée, he refuses to get involved in any relationship that has a shelf life longer than a head of lettuce.

Intrigued by her ambition—and determined to get her in bed—Chet offers Jill the chance of a lifetime: work as his live-in chef and he’ll help her get her catering business off the ground. When sparks fly in the kitchen, Jill realizes what’s cooking is a recipe for disaster…
Review:
I might not be the biggest romance fan alive, but I still enjoy a steamy story from time to time. I knew right going into this book the romance aspect would definitely deliver, as the sparks were shooting between Jill and Chet upon first glance of each other. I really liked Jill as our heroine, a feisty young woman who was independent and wanted to succeed on her right and not just take hand outs. Chet is a little mysterious at first – a wealthy businessman with a big heart but who has trust issues with women after burned in a previous relationship. The chemistry between the two is hot, and I just wanted to beg them to get together already! I got a touch frustrated with the seemingly constant stop and go of their relationship, but if you are a romance fan I definitely recommend this one!
3.5 stars
BUY LINKS:

Barnes & Nobel: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bachelors-special-christine-warner/1115250848?ean=9781622661312

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bachelors-Special-Entangled-Indulgence-ebook/dp/B00CNTSVB6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369342052&sr=8-1&keywords=christine+warner

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Bachelors-Special/book-ymNN_qSIaUi8PBWwPe_JyA/page1.html?s=K2kMxRAOXE-3u7T7udMTew&r=2

August 19, 2013
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Book Review: Save the Date by Allie Spencer
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Save the Date by Allie Spencer

Reviewer: Christy I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Allie Spencer’s “Save the Date!: You are Invited to the…

August 16, 2013
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Book Review: Sunspots by Karen Bell
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Sunspots by Karen Bell

I received a copy of Sunspots by Karen Bell in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Sunspots follows the healing journey of a young woman thrown into the horror of losing a spouse. It is a love story of loss and redemption and the ghosts that haunt our lives and our houses. Skirting the genres of magical realism and romance, Sunspots, explores the existence of the afterlife and the paranormal. The story takes the reader on a path of high emotion as the narrator, Aurora, uncovers her husband Jake’s secret life and her own internal conflicts as she matures to self-awareness. The novel’s tone vacillates from irreverent humor to solemnity as Aurora relates her previous life with Jake and her present challenges. The title refers to the solar maximum which became the backdrop for Aurora’s conception when her hippy parents went to Canada to observe the Aurora Borealis. In name and in spirit, Aurora is connected to the observable and unobservable energy around us. With the help of friends, family, and the ghost of Viola Parker (her home’s original owner), Aurora accepts her fate and the secrets revealed about Jake’s true character. She realizes that in this life she will finally break the cycle of pain caused by her love for this man, Jake Stein, through the centuries.

Synopsis:

Sunspots by Karen Bell is beautifully written and very moving. The kind of book that is intriguing from the get go, this book will grab a hold of you from the beginning, especially if you’ve ever dealt with loss. I loved the magical realism and most especially the romance aspect of this book. The characters were written with much care and their emotions are felt on the page. I also loved the beautiful scenery and the way Karen so beautifully describes everything on the page. Overall, this book really is a great read, although sometimes sad, it is also very heartfelt and moving.
Rating: 4 stars

August 16, 2013
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Book Review: The Publicist by Christina George
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Publicist by Christina George

I received a copy of The Publicist by Christina George in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Can one woman change an age-old institution like publishing? Probably not, but Kate Mitchell sure wants to try. As a publicist with a large, respected New York publishing house, Kate finds herself at the mercy of a broken publishing system, books that don’t sell, and author egos that are often, well, as big as the island of Manhattan.

Enter the star editor, MacDermott Ellis: Tall, handsome, charismatic, married, and ready to save the day. Then there’s Allan Lavigne, once a revered author—now as forgotten as last year’s bestsellers and his nephew Nick: Tall, gorgeous, sweet, single, and ready to sweep Kate off her feet. Kate wants to do the right thing but her hormones seem to be driving her decisions.

As Kate tries to navigate the landmine of publicity, over-the-top author expectations, and the careful dance of “I’m sorry, your book isn’t on the bestseller list this week,” she also finds authors who are painfully overlooked by a publisher wanting more sex, more celebrities, and more scandal.

Welcome to the world of publishing. The ego has landed.
Review:
I’m having a bit of a struggle writing this review. I was of course looking forward to reading about the behind the scenes of a publishing house, and those parts of the story did intrigue me. There is a love triangle going on which was interesting as well, and a few sub-plots that kept the story moving along. The first half of the book I highly enjoyed but the second part…It seemed to me like someone got bored with the story and just rushed it. There were little snippets here and there and some stories ended abruptly and some characters came in that didn’t really need to be there. Getting back to the love triangle, the second romance started and possibly ended so quickly that I wasn’t entirely sure what happened. The editing also took quite a nosedive in the second half of the book. The story ends on a cliffhanger and I do have the second book coming up on my shelf so I’ll be curious to see how that pans out.
3 stars

August 15, 2013
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