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Perfect Is Overrated by Karen Bergreen
Chick Lit Review

Perfect Is Overrated by Karen Bergreen

Perfect Is Overrated by Karen Bergreen follows Kate Alger. After a few years of suffering with post-partum depression, Kate believes that she finally has found the cure – a few gruesome homicides. When someone starts offing the uppity moms at her daughters preschool, she dusts off her old Assistant DA skills and puts them to the test. Will she be able to find out who is behind all of the recent killings? Only time will tell, but in the mean time, we catch a glimpse into Kate’s hilarious and slightly twisted life and see what her life as a mom is really like. We also catch a glimpse into the wickedly insane and over-the-top parents at the Hawthorne Preschool.

I was a really big fan of Karen’s first book, so when she contacted me to read/review her second, I jumped at the opportunity. She strikes gold again! Karen writes a mystery that should be considered a comedy. I stayed up way past my bed time (which is quite early these days- thank you very much) to finish this one because I couldn’t put it down. The characters are hilarious cleverly crafted. The story is believable, especially since I am new into the world of extreme moms and daycares. If you don’t have experience in that arena, consider yourself lucky. The story has great flow and moves along very quickly. There are quite a few twists and turns throughout, so make sure that you pay attention. Overall, a really fun read! I would highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a fun time!

October 30, 2012
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The Saint’s Devilish Deal by Kristina Knight
Chick Lit Review

The Saint’s Devilish Deal by Kristina Knight

I am kicking off Kristina Knight’s tour with CLP Blog Tours and her contemporary romance novel The Saint’s Devilish Deal. This book follows Esmerelda Quinn and Santiago Cruz, two stubborn individuals who continue to fight against their love. Esme and Santiago (or Saint) find themselves sharing ownership of her Aunt Constance’s villa in Puerto Vallarta, while Constance takes extended leave. Being forced to work together brings out the tension, even though both Esme and Santiago are fighting their true feelings for one another. But is Saint the man that Esme thinks he finally is, someone she can be with, or is she about to get played?
I really enjoyed this book. I’m a big travel lover, and so I always find books set in the non-usual places interesting. I liked hearing about the villa and the plans to try to make it a booming establishment. The connection between Esme and Santiago was just plain hot. They’ve know each other for years, had a relationship in the past, but Saint has the issue of picking up and leaving at less than a moment’s notice, and Esme isn’t sure she wants to take a risk with him again. I liked watching their new relationship develop along the chapters. The Saint’s Devilish Deal is a fairly quick read, and even though some plot points could have been expanded on to bring more depth to the story, I didn’t think it was truly necessary. I just caught myself sometimes thinking I would have liked to know more about a certain situation, but it didn’t take away from my reading. This book is about romance, and those areas are a-plenty! This is a book I would recommend!
[Rating: 4]

October 29, 2012
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Living in Glass Houses by Zoe McNight
Chick Lit Review

Living in Glass Houses by Zoe McNight

I am happy to be closing Zoe McNight’s tour for Living in Glass Houses because I loved this book! What a page turner, and one that really kept me thinking. The story follows three main plot points. There is Jonathan, a college basketball coach who is dating somewhat of a Park Avenue princess. After he meets the new hire at his college, he starts to see what life could be like if he was dating someone with similar interests and background. But he has a choice to make – his princess who makes a bombshell announcement, or the woman who truly thinks he can’t live without. Blair fell in love with her now-husband in college, but his somewhat celebrity status boosted his ego and his wandering eye has turned her jaded. When Blair finally thinks her marriage is in a good place, her past decisions and own indiscretions come back to haunt her. And finally there is Elle, an NYC editor who is in a happy relationship with the man that everyone thinks is her Mr. Right. But Elle can’t seem to move on from a past relationship that ended suddenly and without closure.
I was really fascinated with each character’s story. I will say that I didn’t like Jonathan very much, but his story kept me interested and thinking, and I truly had no idea what his final decision would be. I liked that there was no clear cut ending for everyone. Each character had big decisions to make, and I was truly invested in each journey and how the book would come to an end. The title definitely works; the three friends all seem to judge each other when they need to step back and examine their own lives, and this is a really fabulous contemporary read. I couldn’t put this down, and I give it 5 stars and a spot on my Favorite’s List!

October 29, 2012
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White Jacket Required: A Culinary Coming-of-Age Story by Jenna Weber
Chick Lit Review

White Jacket Required: A Culinary Coming-of-Age Story by Jenna Weber

White Jacket Required follows the uber-popular food blogger Jenna Weber, who writes daily on Eat, Live, Run. We follow Jenna as she graduates from college and wonders what to do next. She decides to pursue one of her passions and enrolls in culinary school – but to become a food writer, not a chef of any type. She conquers the rigorous program, gets her first job waking up in the wee hours of the morning to bake bread, is hit head on with an unexpected family member passing and finds love.

This type of book is definitely a first here on Chick Lit Plus but I have been such a fan of Jenna and her blog that I definitely wanted to write about my experience whilst reading her book. Now, let me be up front first and foremost, I have been reading Jenna’s blog for at least two to three years now and already knew most of these things about her, so the book didn’t have too many secrets for me. But, I absolutely loved her honesty and her story telling. I loved watching her pursue her dreams in culinary school and I loved when she recounts her early mornings at her first job. I was also heart broken when she spoke about her brother and his passing. Like I said, I already knew this about her from her blog, but this was told in such a different light and with such intimate honesty that I felt like I was right there with her. While reading, I often wished that we had been friends so that I could have held her hand during those hard times, or smiled right along with her during many of the positive moments in her life. Overall, this coming-of-age story is a really great read – especially if you are into food, because lucky for you, there are recipes found at the end of every chapter, many of which are delicious! A really fantastic read filled with real charm. I highly recommend it.

[Rating: 4.5/5]

October 26, 2012
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The Paternity Test by Michael Lowenthal
Chick Lit Review

The Paternity Test by Michael Lowenthal

I received a copy of The Paternity Test in exchange for an honest review. This book was an eye-opener, definitely something I have not yet read. The main characters are Pat and Stu, a gay couple who has decided they want to try for a baby. They really want to find a surrogate mother and use Stu’s sperm, and find luck upon them when the meet Debora, who seems to be a great fit. But over time, Pat finds himself drawn to Debora and has some difficult decisions to make – and questions to answer.
I found myself with raised brows throughout my reading – especially at the end. The ending was really nothing that I thought it might be, and I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed, but it did bum me out a little. I’m being cryptic, huh? Trying not to give away so much information! I do think that Michael Lowenthal wrote a very honest and emotional read that lets people discover a different lifestyle in the literary world, I found that fascinating. I really enjoyed this book, as I walk away from it entertained, educated, and still thinking about Pat and Stu’s journey.
[Rating: 4]

October 26, 2012
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Out of the Blue by Lisa Maliga
Chick Lit Review

Out of the Blue by Lisa Maliga

Out of the Blue by Lisa Maliga follows Sylvia Gardner, a naive cashier who lives with her mother in Illinois. After she is dumped by her first boyfriend, she falls in love with an English actor who stars in a popular TV show. She spends the next two years researching him and then finally makes the leap and heads to Cotswolds village where she hopes to magically run into him. With little money to her name, she finds room and board in exchange for working at the hotel. Harry, the drunken proprietor causes quite a ruckus and definitely makes things a little more complicated for Sylvia.

I really enjoyed Out of the Blue and found the characters cute and quirky. I thought it was really cute to see Sylvia fall in love with the grand Alexander but a little unlikely … I guess we can all hope, huh? I enjoyed watching her spend her time working in Cotswolds village and I thought Harry was an absolute hoot. Overall, a fun story with a few unexpected twists and turns. My only complaint is that the story can get a little slow at times, but it doesn’t take long to pick back up, so it isn’t anything major.

[Rating: 3.5/5]

October 25, 2012
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Eat, Drink, and Be Married by Rebecca Bloom
Chick Lit Review

Eat, Drink, and Be Married by Rebecca Bloom

I received a copy of Eat, Drink, and Be Married in exchange for an honest review. I’ve been having a lot of fun reading books that focus on weddings, as I am in the midst of planning my own. I definitely related with Hannah, the bride, who has become a bit of a bridezilla as her wedding day draws closer. I get the stress! Hannah is also dealing with not having her mother, who has passed away, there for the biggest day of her life. She does have her girlfriends rallying around her, but each woman is dealing with her own issue. There is Nina, who is pregnant and while her husband is ecstatic over the baby news, Nina is struggling with her own motherly issues. Zoe is refusing to admit she is in love with best friend Graham, and Kate is trying to find who she was before an abusive relationship sucked her soul. Through all their own issues and the stress of Hannah’s wedding, the friends come together in an ending fit for chick lit!
I liked this book and each of the girls. I thought their stories were touched on enough but didn’t feel like anyone got the shaft, and I got to know each character equally. I enjoy books that focus on great friendships between woman, and this book did just that. Why I am not giving the book four stars is because I didn’t understand some of the writing. It was almost like this was written as a screenplay. For example, instead of saying something like “Zoe was angry again with what he was saying,” it was written as “Angry again.” I didn’t quite get the clipped descriptions in a novel, and that was a bit distracting for me throughout. But other than that, a fun chick lit novel that I enjoyed reading.
[Rating: 3.5]

October 24, 2012
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Mary Indiana by Anneke Campbell
Chick Lit Review

Mary Indiana by Anneke Campbell

I am happy to be kicking of Anneke Campbell’s CLP Blog Tour for Mary Indiana! I found a lot of humor in this book, and kept thinking what a genius Campbell was for this plot concept. I wondered if it would be kind of a cheesy read, trying to teach the story of Mary and the virgin birth of Jesus, but it wasn’t that way at all. It was a very modern tale of young girl who gets pregnant somehow even though she is a virgin, and the people who decide to help her. Some wonder if this is the new Mary, if the second coming is truly on the brink of happening. Others wonder if it’s a sign that 2012 will bring the end of the world as we know it. Others simply call it a miracle. But what is the true story behind the girl dubbed Mary and her stunning situation – a true miracle – or something else?
Again, I found this book to be very funny, nothing real religious or cheesy that I thought it could be, and a very interesting plot that had me thinking (and laughing) after I closed the book. I compared it to how the media seems to run our world – how they can take a story and just run with it (cough, A-Rod not playing in the playoffs, this Honey Boo Boo phenom, cough). News of Mary spread fast and everyone had their own take on it. Parents came forward trying to claim Mary as their child, the possibility of aliens in the midst was there, and the use of blogs and social media heightened this “miracle.” I think this is a book to check out so you can form your own opinion on Mary’s story, and hopefully get a few chuckles!
[Rating: 4]

October 22, 2012
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Sex, Lies & Hot Tubs by Elissa Ambrose
Chick Lit Review

Sex, Lies & Hot Tubs by Elissa Ambrose

Elissa Ambrose is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Sex, Lies & Hot Tubs. What a book! You know you are engrossed in a story when you have your Kindle balanced on your laptop so you can sneak in sentences while working! I think that is the definition of “not being able to put a book down.” I had a great time with this book and the characters that filled the pages. Ellen Dunwell is our MC, a mother, a wife, a friend, and a high school teacher. She stumbled upon her husband’s – a dermatology doctor- affair in the past with his receptionist, and now she has a suspicion that he is back to his usual ways. When he goes missing, the mystery is amped. Did her really take off with a new girlfriend? What about his shady new side business Ellen thinks he got involved in – could something have taken a wrong turn in that aspect? Ellen is also dealing with a hormone-charged, angst-ridden teenage daughter calling for attention, as well as her students, her friends, and a Peeping Tom neighbor.
There is a lot going on in this book, but I never felt confused or unable to get into a sub-plot. Ambrose gives readers mystery, humor, suspense, sex, and a quick-pace that made me finish this within two days. I really don’t want to give anything away because there is plenty of shock-able moments, but I can’t recommend this book more. A big 5 star review for me, and another to add to my Favorites List!
[Rating: 5]

October 22, 2012
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