Book Review: What She Left Us by Stephanie Elliot
Reviewer: Kate I received a copy of What She Left Us by Stephanie Elliot in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Jenna and Courtney are…
Book Review: The Candidate by Josie Brown
Ben Brinker has made his career being a Democratic campaign strategist. His history has been that of bad luck – he is usually aligned with candidates who have some sort of dirty laundry that is aired publicly while campaigning. That is, until what appears to be squeaky clean Replubican Senator Andy Mansfield declares his bid to be the next US President. After Ben’s candidate’s laundry is aired to Katie Couric on national TV, Ben is offered the opportunity to jump the democratic ship and befriends Mansfield and his wife, Abby. The Candidate is the story of what happens on the campaign trail, filled with lies, deceit, politics, scandal, love and murder, just to name a few. Ben falls for Abby’s twin sister – who happens to be the black sheep of the family. The Mansfield’s have the perfect marriage from the outside, but secrets come to light as the voting draws nearer. How will these secrets affect the campaign, and how will it affect Ben’s life, both personally & professionally?
Josie captured my attention with this story from the very beginning. I got mad at myself because I had to put this book down to sleep at night. I wanted to finish it all – without taking a break! I am not a political person, and I was afraid that this would be more political jargon and less of a good story…but I was SO wrong. I enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to reading more Josie Brown in the future!!
Book Review: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Reviewer: Sandy It’s raw, twisted, disturbing. Its life; the bleakness behind the doors, behind the layers of clothes that hides the individuals we all thought…
Book Review: The Karmic Connection by Libby Mercer
I received a copy of The Karmic Connection by Libby Mercer in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Guilty of nothing more than working too much – or so they say – Adam Stowe is dumped at a “wellness center” in the middle of nowhere by a couple of concerned colleagues. When he meets Lorraine, the beautiful and bewitching yoga instructor, his spirits start to lift, but once he discovers what a flighty fruitcake she is, they drop back down to subterranean levels.
For Lorraine Jameson, Luna Wellness Center was a beacon of solace when her life was falling apart, and she can’t stand the way Adam’s toxic energy is poisoning the peace. He embodies everything negative about the life she discarded eighteen months ago. Despite being fiercely attracted to the arrogant man, she’s determined not to let Adam Stowe anywhere near her heart.
Adam and Lorraine couldn’t be more unsuitable as a potential couple… so why is the universe so dead set on uniting these two?
Review:
Once again, Libby has written another fun and wonderful read. This book is full of really likeable characters that I really enjoyed getting to know Lorraine and Adam. Ironically, this book is very relateable, especially to people who are big believers in what the universe is up to. For two people who seem so wrong together, why is the universe so dead set on putting them together? Sometimes things just work out like that, you know. And, against all odds, things work out. I was so pleased to read the ending of this book and really liked the tone and the pace of the overall read. Overall, this book is enjoyable and really fun. I would highly recommend it.
Rating: 4.5 stars
Book Review: By Design by Jayne Denker
I received a copy of By Design by Jayne Denker in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
She’s got loads of talent, a massive crush–and no confidence. Now she just needs a plan…
Interior designer Emmie Brewster is having one of those…decades. Her overbearing boss believes she’s only qualified to make coffee. Her boyfriend treats her like a booty call. And her widowed father is dating again–more successfully than she is. Then Emmie lands a client who happens to be the hottest man she’s ever encountered. Too bad Graham Cooper is already involved with the kind of woman Emmie longs to be. If only she had the courage…
Emmie’s always been content to dream–about having her own business, her own Mr. Right–but something about Graham makes her want to take action. Maybe it’s time she used her talent for creating beauty and order on herself. She has Graham’s admiration–does she dare go for more? With a little encouragement from her friends, and a lot of newfound motivation, Emmie’s ready to try…
Review:
I must say that I really enjoyed this book. It is a fun contemporary romance with a cast of really likeable and fun characters that have lead really interesting lives. I really enjoyed Emmie and loved watching her grow throughout the book. I loved the relationship between Emmie and her friend, Trish, and enjoyed their crazy banter. Graham is a really solid guy and I enjoyed him as well. Overall, Jayne does a really great job at creating a quick paced story that reads very easily. Very light for the summer time and this book would make a great read lounging pool side.
Rating: 4 stars
Book Review: Kept by Elle Field
I received a copy of Kept by Elle Field in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
‘Did she really just say that? I am fifteen again, except the reality is I am experiencing full parental horror, aged twenty-five. I want to die.’
Life hasn’t quite worked out how Arielle Lockley imagined it would. Becoming the next Coco Chanel was always her childhood dream, but she’s spent the past four years living a dizzying whirl of glitzy parties, luxurious holidays and daily shopping sprees – all paid for by boyfriend Piers – and not doing anything to make her Coco dreams happen.
When the recession hits, it’s not just the economy that takes a tumble and Arielle finds herself living back with her parents, on bad terms with Piers, and having a CV that’s as welcome as a pair of knock-off Jimmy Choos. And maybe it’s the location, but she’s also finding unwelcome thoughts of her childhood sweetheart are popping into her head…
What’s a girl to do? Can Arielle figure out what it is she now wants to do with her life and move on, or will she be doomed to spend the rest of her life dwelling over her worst mistakes, stuck listening to her parents’ embarrassing dinner table talk each night?
Review:
This might be a bit of a strange review, because I was kind of all over the place with this book. There were moments I loved, parts I disliked, areas where I was scratching my head, and then scenarios that made me laugh out loud. The bottom line – I enjoyed this book. Arielle was a funny character, someone who I thought of as unique and spirited. It was a little hard to really stand behind her when she did nothing but seemingly mooch off her boyfriend for four years, but I could see how Piers wasn’t doing much to help that situation. Sometimes the romance between her childhood sweetheart tripped me up. I don’t like to give anything away in my reviews, but the ending was where I was scratching my head. Sometimes I disliked too that everything was quite easy for her. I know we see her penniless and homeless for a few pages, but really, she was quite fine throughout the book. And even in the end when she wanted to do something on her own, an opportunity just fell into her lap. I liked that she ran with the opportunity and really worked hard at it, but still – she didn’t have to do much to make it happen in the first place. With that being said, like I stated earlier, I enjoyed this book. I was sucked into Arielle’s strange little world and I thought the writing was quite snappy and fast-paced. So even though I think I had a love/confusion relationship with Arielle, she still thoroughly entertained me.
4 stars
Book Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Reviewer: Andrea Summary: The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation…
Book Review: He’s the One by Katie Price
I received a copy of He’s the One by Katie Price in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
A passionate story of lost love and second chances, from the bestselling Katie Price.
Twenty-year-old Liberty is beautiful, ambitious and dreams of making it as an actress. She is also a single mother and has a three-year old daughter, Brooke. Living with her mother, she supports her daughter by modelling and working as a waitress.
Then, over one perfect summer, Liberty meets and falls in love with Cory, a young American taking time off from university. But Liberty never feels good enough for him, and when she meets his university friends, she feels it’s only fair to let him go. Heartbroken, Cory leaves to go back to the States.
Liberty, meanwhile, suddenly gets the break she’s been praying for. Zac, a TV director has seen her picture and wants her to audition for a role in LA. And so, Liberty and Brooke begin a new phase of their lives. Suddenly, she is successful, but she can’t forget Cory. Until news of his engagement reaches her, and she finally agrees to marry Zac.
Years later, everything has changed. Liberty has fled LA, taking a reluctant teenage Brooke with her. But returning to her home town of Brighton reawakens painful memories. Especially as she meets Cory again. She still loves him, but he seems to hate her. Can she ever convince him to trust her again?
Review:
The first thing I thought when I started reading this book was this is a thick book. Due to all my crazy wedding plans I haven’t been reading as fast as I usually can, so I worried about getting my review in on time. But, I’m happy to say that the book flew by for me! The first section in the book is from 1999, and is told from Liberty’s POV. We see her as a struggling waitress, a single mom who has dreams of becoming an actress and making a good life for her daughter Brooke. She falls in love with Cory, but their summer romance doesn’t last. Then we are fast-forwarded to 2013, and start getting POV’s from both Liberty and her daughter Brooke. Now Liberty is a celebrity living in LA, and while her life might seem glamorous from the outside, she is really in a horrible marriage and still pining after her first true love – Cory. After finally leaving her husband and fleeing back home to Brighton, readers get the final piece of Liberty and Brooke’s story. Away from LA, mother and daughter finally seem to forge a real relationship, love is found (for both women), and I loved the happy ending. The story is fast-paced, fun to get immersed in, and I highly enjoyed He’s the One!
4 stars
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Meltdown by Tara Thompson
Tara Thompson is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Meltdown
Summary:
NYSSA, internationally renown supermodel, is accustomed to turning heads. As a young girl, her flawless face attracted the wrong kind of attention. She escaped an abusive father and successfully navigated life’s seedy underbelly to become a runway renegade, although not without leaving her share of enemies behind. Lately she’s caught the eye of….
STEVE, handsome hometown hero and soon-to-be Governor of Texas. Unfortunately he’s already married. As Steve publicly dumps his perfect, former Miss Texas wife for Hollywood’s latest ‘It’ girl, his state faces the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression. Will he be able to turn things around, or is he too embroiled in his political sex scandal? His good friend and business partner….
DEMETRI, sexy hedge fund manager, is at the top of his professional game and tries to save his friend from near financial ruin. Yet he’s distracted by Steve’s new girlfriend, who just happens to be Demetri’s old flame. Years ago, Nyssa ran from him and he’s never forgotten her. But why is he still interested? Demetri’s dating….
AISLINN, a woman as brilliant as she is beautiful. Enjoying all the perks of having a billionaire boyfriend, she’s falling fast for Demetri and has no idea that she might be the one getting played. Although she bets big on Wall Street, the largest casino in the world, nothing is more risky than giving her heart away.
In this fun, juicy, glamorous novel, no one is exactly who they appear to be…
And all of them are heading for a MELTDOWN.
Who will rise from the ashes?
Review:
Smart chick lit is a favorite of mine, and I feel that Meltdown can be put into that category. While of course there is talk about romance and betrayal and fashion and love, there is also political situations and some deep discussions on the financial crisis that are weaved in throughout the pages. It was interesting to get into the lives of all the characters highlighted, as they are quite diverse and their worlds are unique and interesting. Sometimes it was a tad overwhelming how many people we get to know and keeping up with all of their storylines, but it still made for an interesting read. I hope there is more coming from Tara Thompson.
3.5 stars
