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Book Review: Being Me by Lisa Renee Jones
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Being Me by Lisa Renee Jones

I received a copy of Being Me in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:
I arch into him, drinking in his passion, instantly, willingly consumed by all that he is and could be to me. . . .

Sara McMillan is still searching for Rebecca, the mysterious woman whose dark,erotic journal entries both enthralled and frightened her. Tormented by a strong desire to indulge the demands of her new boss while also drawn deeper into her passionate bond with the troubled artist, Chris Merit, Sara must face a past as deeply haunting as Rebecca’s written words. In one man’s arms, Sara will find the safe haven to reveal her most intimate secrets and explore her darkest fantasies. But is safety just an illusion, when the truth about Rebecca has yet to be discovered?

Review:
I usually read historical or contemporary romance with sex scenes but I have never read anything like what I read in Being Me! From the very first page I was consumed by the story, the characters and all of the secrets they seemed to have. The sex was HOT and Chris Merit made it even hotter!
Of course, I continued to wonder about the missing Rebecca and Ella’s lack of communication while on her honeymoon. We find out about Rebecca but Ella is still missing.
At times, I felt like I was on an emotional rollercoaster with Sara and Chris because they both have secrets they have yet to share; I got a sense that both of them were holding something back.
The book has a great story line and it is more than sex and secrets. The art gallery and the staff there intrigued me as did Chris’ philanthropy. I found that all of the characters were interesting. I am looking forward to the final book in the trilogy.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery, flawed characters, passion and erotic sex.

June 21, 2013
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Book Review: Laws of Migration by Suzanne Frank
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Laws of Migration by Suzanne Frank

I received a copy of Laws of Migration by Suzanne Frank in exchange for an honest review. Summary: Birds, especially the ibis, have always fascinated…

June 21, 2013
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Book Review: Stupid by Choice by Leighton Summers
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Stupid by Choice by Leighton Summers

I received a copy of Stupid by Choice by Leighton Summers in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
A novel about the adventures and regrets of a Texas Oil Princess’s quest for finding love…

Melanie St. John is a beautiful, smart, rich Texan daddy’s girl born to a bold, high-powered lawyer in the oil business who helps Melanie grow into someone who is both worldly and capable. But once she leaves college and enters the privileged world of dating highly sought-after “men of leisure,” she is catapulted in and out of the wealthiest places on the globe while hoping to get married and start a family with one of them. But these mostly destructive love affairs soon become a dynamic exploration of wealth and love, with all the highs and lows. And to complicate matters she is surrounded by her older, free-wheeling, wildcat sister (and her sister’s exotic but destructive best friend) as well as her own two completely opposite best friends, and each of them also hopes to find their own Prince Charming—which all only adds to the competition, adventures, and scandals. But throughout each relationship Melanie explores the deeper, more prevalent themes of family, friendship, love, intimacy, freedom, betrayal, motherhood, and most of all, inner strength.
Review:
My first thought about this book is that it’s really long. I wish there were parts that were cut out to make the story move along faster, because I think if it did it could have held my attention better. Sometimes I had to wonder why certain scenes were being shared, how they added to the story, and really – what was the overall point of the book. The prologue was intriguing, but it seemed to take way to long to get through Melanie’s whole life story until we finally catch up to where the book started us off. There were interesting parts and it was fun to follow along a Texas Oil Princess in her quest for love and trying to find true happiness. Some of the characters we meet are so over the top and out of control that it’s hard not talk to other people about them, saying “Can you believe he did this?” I felt emotions while reading this book, especially when it came to Melanie’s friend Emily, and I truly liked Melanie as a main character. There were so many times where she could have just thrown in the towel and taken the easy way out, and I’m glad she didn’t do that. I still wish the story was shorter, but it was a good book
3 stars

June 20, 2013
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Book Review: Let It Go by Brooklyn James
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Let It Go by Brooklyn James

I received a copy of Let It Go by Brooklyn James in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Savannah Bondurant, a marriage and relationship columnist for the Savannah Sun Times, just signed her divorce papers. Brody McAlister, the elusive and smoking hot gym boy, has finally recovered from his divorce three years ago. Be it spurred by loneliness or sheer attraction, the two slip into the sheets for a memorable one-night stand. Savannah’s pesky ex-husband continues to try and worm his way back into her life, insisting they remain friends, even though he is living with his jealous new girlfriend. An up-and-coming woodworker artist, Brody has every socialite cougar in town promising him success and riches, for a price, of course. With two advice-giving older sisters, one fiercely single and one seemingly happily married, Savannah learns her parents’ long and successful relationship does not come without its own secrets. Why should she believe in happily ever after? Her constant overanalyzing and skepticism bodes well in her profession as a journalist, but proves counterproductive in her personal life. Divorce, guilt, suspicion, holding on to the past—can Savannah trust in Brody to help her Let It Go…

My Thoughts:

I was eager when Brooklyn contacted me to review her latest book, Let It Go, seeing as how I adored her debut novel. And let me tell you, she does not disappoint. This book is refreshing real and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not only are the characters realistic, you can feel their genuine emotion and feelings jump off the page. Now-a-days, everyone has either been through a divorce or been close enough to one to know that they are quite tricky to navigate, and Brooklyn does this with ease. Overall, this story flows with ease and is a quick read and very entertaining. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 4 stars

June 20, 2013
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Book Review: Call Me Zelda by Erika Robuck
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Call Me Zelda by Erika Robuck

I received a copy of Call Me Zelda by Erika Robuck in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Everything in the ward seemed different now, and I no longer felt its calming presence. The Fitzgeralds stirred something in me that had been dormant for a long time, and I was not prepared to face it….
From New York to Paris, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald reigned as king and queen of the Jazz Age, seeming to float on champagne bubbles above the mundane cares of the world. But to those who truly knew them, the endless parties were only a distraction from their inner turmoil, and from a love that united them with a scorching intensity.

When Zelda is committed to a Baltimore psychiatric clinic in 1932, vacillating between lucidity and madness in her struggle to forge an identity separate from her husband, the famous writer, she finds a sympathetic friend in her nurse, Anna Howard. Held captive by her own tragic past, Anna is increasingly drawn into the Fitzgeralds’ tumultuous relationship. As she becomes privy to Zelda’s most intimate confessions, written in a secret memoir meant only for her, Anna begins to wonder which Fitzgerald is the true genius. But in taking ever greater emotional risks to save Zelda, Anna may end up paying a far higher price than she intended….
Review:
I have been reading a lot lately about the Fitzgerald’s and their seemingly glamorous lives in the 1920’s, and I was looking forward to reading Call Me Zelda. I enjoyed the spin on this book in that it wasn’t just about the Fitzgerald’s, or even Zelda. We are given the viewpoint of Anna, a fictitious psychiatric nurse that finds Zelda Fitzgerald in her ward one day. Readers go on quite a journey with Anna, as she befriends the increasingly erratic Zelda throughout her hospital stay, crosses paths with the famous Scott Fitzgerald, and essentiality becomes a part of their family. The book isn’t only about the Fitzgerald’s though, as we see Anna struggle with losing her husband to the war and her daughter to illness, to her trying to find love, and then of course – to her trying to understand her relationship with the Fitzgerald’s. This book was quite intriguing, and I loved being able to open my mind to different scenarios. I liked Robuck’s writing and style, so I will be sure to check out Hemingway’s Girl as well!
4 stars

June 19, 2013
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Book Review: The Unexpected List by Chrissy Anderson
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Unexpected List by Chrissy Anderson

I received a copy of The Unexpected List by Chrissy Anderson in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Chrissy Anderson’s The Unexpected List delivers another charismatic combination of romance and anguish, peppered with large doses of wit. In this second novel from THE LIST TRILOGY, Chrissy, who is now divorced from her husband, Kurt, is finally free to pursue a “truly, madly, deeply” relationship with the man of her dreams, Leo.

And it looks like Chrissy is finally going to be able to have her wedding cake and eat it too as Leo valiantly tries to make all of her dreams come true. But once again, Chrissy’s world, and her relationships, are turned upside-down as someone else close to her dies. And, an unexpected gift forces her to grow up– fast. For a second time, Chrissy is pushed to make a choice between love and obligation. What will she choose this time?

Your favorite characters from The Life List are back. Dr. Maria, Slutty Co-worker, and Chrissy’s best friends from high school, Courtney and Nicole, continue to laugh and cry with Chrissy as she learns how to pick herself up and move on to achieve the life she’s always wanted, and now knows she deserves.

As in The Life List, not everyone will agree with Chrissy Anderson’s decisions, but all will pause as they follow along on her journey to ask, “What would I do if I were her?”
Review:
I was super excited times ten to read this book, as I just loved the first in this trilogy, The Life List. I found myself thinking about the characters and if Chrissy ended up Leo, as we are left with a cliffhanger. Now, this is going to be an interesting review. Why? Because I didn’t love all the aspects of this book. I struggled with some of the editing. For example, I don’t like sentences like this: Smiling from ear to ear, “So what?” Taking my hands, “I see very beautiful things.” My editor self was cringing when I read these types of sentences. Also, the beginning threw me off a bit. I thought the prologue was a bit too long, and too much of trying to keep an air of mystery. I just wanted the story to start all right, and stop with all the mysteriousness of it. Now, even after that being said…I’m giving this book a 5 star review. If I ever find something wrong with the editing it’s an automatic no 5 star, a 4.5 at best. So why would I have two things about the book that I dislike and still rate it 5 stars? Because I absolutely loved this story, and did not want to put it down (after I got through the prologue). The ending had me practically panting, and I actually felt crushed – crushed! – when the book ended at yet another cliffhanger. I felt even more crushed when I saw the third and final installment won’t be here until winter. These books are having a profound effect on me, and I’m talking to everyone I know about them. I think the about the characters, wonder about their lives, and find myself continuing the stories in my mind how I hope they will end. Very rarely, and I mean VERY rarely, does this happen. So yes, while I might find aspects that I didn’t totally like, in all I loved this book as a whole. I highly recommend this trilogy!
5 stars

June 18, 2013
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CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Aggravated Circumstances by Michele Shriver
Chick Lit Review

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Aggravated Circumstances by Michele Shriver

Michele Shriver is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Aggravated Circumstances
Summary:
A family can be torn apart in an instant. Putting it back together is a harder task.

A relapsed addict opens the door to find a cop with a search warrant, setting off a chain of events that will cause four lives to intersect.

Devin Lenox has already lost one child to the system and this time she vows it will be different. If she’s going to make it, though, she’ll need something she’s never had before- someone on her side.

Her battle with depression behind her, Elisa Cahill looks forward to resuming her legal career. Devin’s case seems like the perfect opportunity to do that, and bury her own past demons in the process, at least if old grudges don’t prove to be her undoing.

Child protection worker Taylor Ross struggles to balance a social life with her demanding job and has little sympathy for people like Devin, at least at first. When Taylor starts to see Devin in a new light, she finds herself at odds with her superiors. Will she be willing to go to bat for Devin, and what price will she pay if she does?

Sarah Canfield is a compassionate judge who is not afraid to make difficult decisions, but will her past link to Devin undermine her objectivity and cause her to put her own family at risk?

A look inside the child welfare system, the people who work in it and the lives it impacts, Aggravated Circumstances is a story of despair, hope and recovery.

Review:
This book was fascinating, and quite hard to put down. An emotional and deep story, I found myself talking to my friends and family about the situation of the women involved, about the system, and about the processes that come along with a parent who struggles with addiction. I loved getting a POV from all involved, and think it worked really well to have Devin’s POV in first person. She would definitely be the hardest to relate to and not the easiest character to stand behind, so I think that format worked out really well. This is a novel that will make readers become emotionally invested in the story, and I highly recommend.
4.5 stars

June 17, 2013
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CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Crime & Passion by Chantel Rhondeau
Chick Lit Review

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Crime & Passion by Chantel Rhondeau

Chantel Rhondeau is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Crime & Passion
Summary:
A decorated police officer, more intent on justice than following the letter of the law, lands in trouble when a schoolteacher finds a dead body on the beach.

Officer Donovan Andrews knows how to have a good time—ask any woman in town. But when it comes to men abusing their wives or children, Donovan takes it upon himself to make them regret it.

Madeline Scott is unlucky in love. All she wants is a quiet place to heal, away from cheating, womanizing men. However, her life is far from peaceful once she stumbles across the body and witnesses someone fleeing the scene.

Terror spreads in Pleasant View when the small community hears a killer is on the loose. All evidence points to Donovan, and he realizes someone is trying to frame him. When troubling suspicions from his past surface, even fellow officers believe he’s guilty. Madeline might be the only person who can clear his name, but first he has to win her trust.

The body count rises and no one is safe. The murderer makes it clear Madeline is next. Soon, Donovan’s whole world is focused on protecting her and keeping himself out of prison. The more time he spends with her, the harder it is to fight his growing attraction. Since she’s been burned by love, convincing Madeline he’s interested in something more than hot sex may prove harder than keeping her alive.

Review:
I don’t read a whole lot of romance books, but romantic suspense novels are ones that usually catch my eye. I enjoy a bit of mystery in my reading, and that is definitely the element that kept me invested in this story. We start out right away with Madeline discovering a body, and it wasn’t until the end that I really felt confident in figuring out who the murderer was. There is a great plot twist that really kept me on my toes and kept my mind open to all the suspects. The love story is good too, not quite as much my thing and sometimes I got a bit impatient with all the false starts, but overall an intriguing read and one that I enjoyed.
4 stars

June 17, 2013
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Book Review: Walking with Elephants by Karen S. Bell
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Walking with Elephants by Karen S. Bell

I received a copy of Walking With Elephants by Karen S. Bell in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Suze Hall is at a crossroads. Her nemesis at work, Wanda, has been promoted and now will be her boss. Her husband, Bob, is leaving her and the three kids for a six-month sabbatical down under. To top it off, her best friend, Marcia, is missing in action—playing footsie with some new boyfriend!

Adding to this disaster stew, David, the gorgeous hunk who broke her young-girl’s heart has coincidentally popped back into her life and has something she desperately needs to keep her job.

Walking with Elephants, a lighthearted slice-of- life story, brings to the table the serious work/family issues facing women today. It explores the modern dichotomy of a workplace that is filled with homemakers who still must cook, clean, carpool on nights and weekends, shop for prom dresses, and “create” the holidays—such as Suze. But it also is filled with women who have the same drive as men, have no family responsibilities, and will do what ever it takes to get ahead.

So step into the shoes of Suze Hall and commiserate over workplace politics, titillate your sexual fantasies, ride the wave of a working mother, and fall-down laughing.

My Thoughts:

I really, really enjoyed this book and found the story very relatable and thought it was literally just like something that would happen to one of my girlfriends. Suze is a really great literary character that I was instantly drawn to and I really enjoyed watching her tackle every day tasks. Karen speaks from the heart and it is easy to see why so many people enjoy this book and why it is so highly rated on Amazon. If you are looking for a quick, light and enjoyable read, then this one is for you.
Rating: 4 stars

June 14, 2013
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