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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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Someone Else’s Fairytale by E.M. Tippetts
Chick Lit Review

Someone Else’s Fairytale by E.M. Tippetts

I received Someone Else’s Fairytale in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Jason Vanderholt, Hollywood’s hottest actor, falls head over heels for everygirl, Chloe Winters, who hasn’t gotten around to watching most of his movies. She becomes the woman every other woman in America is dying to be, but it just isn’t her fairytale.
My Review:
I’ve always been a bit fascinated by celebrity couples where one is a celeb and one is not – Matt Damon always pop into my mind, or more recently – Kevin Jonas. What does that other person feel like when so many women would do anything to switch places with them? And can the celebrity ever feel like their partner truly loves them for them? Someone Else’s Fairytale was a really interesting read because of Jason and Chloe’s relationship. Chloe isn’t someone who buys into the whole celebrity world, which Jason is firmly rooted in. There are a lot of well-placed twists along the way that kept this already interesting story even more intriguing, and I thought all the characters¬¬–– even in the supporting cast––were well-developed and contributed nicely to the plot. I think chick lit fans would really enjoy this book!
[Rating: 4]

October 19, 2012
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That Time of the Month by Emily Shaffer
Chick Lit Review

That Time of the Month by Emily Shaffer

That Time of the Month by Emily Shaffer follows the financially unstable and unemployed Ellie. She wants to change her life for the best and decides to give herself thirty days to turn things around and pursue her dreams or end up on the floor in her niece’s toy room. At first, things seem simple but then things slowly become more and more complicated once she introduces a crazy cast of characters. As she makes her way through the thirty days, she withdraws herself from everyone and realizes that she has become a not so nice person. But, is it worth it? Will she allow everything to get in the way of what she really wants? Only time will tell.

That Time of the Month is an absolute hoot. I can’t recall a book dealing with the pursuit of one’s dreams that casts such a hilarious group of characters. Ellie is fabulous as she pursues her dreams and I loved watching her interactions with her best friend and her love interest. I feel like she and I could definitely be friends in real life and I really liked that. Another thing that made me love the book were the endless lists. I am such a die-hard list girl and I found this aspect of the story to be completely relateable. This book is an absolute must read for anyone who has ever fought to pursue their own dreams. But, be ready to smile because this book will definitely make you want to. Overall, a fantastic and fun read!

October 19, 2012
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Twelve Months by Steven Manchester
Chick Lit Review

Twelve Months by Steven Manchester

Twelve Months by Steven Manchester follows Don DiMarco who has a very good life – a loving family and an overall enjoyable life. He thought he had it all until he finds out that he has stage IV colon cancer. Faced with the life changing news, he has two options – he can throw in the towel and give up on life or he can life his last year to the fullest. He decides to go with the latter.With his loving family by his side, he embarks on living his last twelve months to the fullest. He goes on adventures both internally and externally, learns to forgive, makes up for lost time, does things he has always wanted to do, and most importantly grows.

I absolutely adored Twelve Months by Steven Manchester. It is very rare that a book can solicit so many emotions in one reading, but I truly felt them all. At some points I was devastated right along with Don, then prideful, then loving, then laughing hysterically. This book is good – real good, which is quite a feat because the market is filled with “bucket list” type books. Like those before it, this book is similar in a sense, yet so incredibly different that it will knock your socks off. As a reader, you get to watch Don grow more in a year than most do in their entire lives. Overall, a fantastic book that will make you think twice about your own life and sweating the small stuff. Definitely a MUST-READ!

[Rating: 5/5]

October 18, 2012
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Liars Guide to True Love by Wendy Chen
Chick Lit Review

Liars Guide to True Love by Wendy Chen

I received a copy of Liar’s Guide to True Love in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Wedding planner Cassandra Hanley is in the business of making other people’s dreams come true. But for some reason, whenever she meets a potential mate of her own, she finds herself telling little (and not so little) white lies. She’s not trying to sabotage her relationships on purpose: as a people pleaser, she just naturally tells men what she thinks they want to hear.
When Cassandra meets Nick, she’s determined to be herself this time—until she learns he abhors weddings. So she recasts herself as an advertising exec, and now she’s scrambling to cover up the lie…with more lies.
Into the tangled web wanders Cassandra’s college sweetheart, Kevin. Kevin, the one man who knows the real Cassandra, and loves her anyway. Could he have been The One all along?
Torn between the past and the present, Cassandra is about to learn that you can’t plan the perfect life the way you can plan the perfect wedding.
My Review:
What a fabulous book! I used to intern with a wedding planner years ago, and I find a lot fun reading books about weddings and wedding planners and what they go through. Cassandra absolutely cracked me up with all her little white lies. I didn’t think she was a pathological liar by any means, she just really wanted to fit it and please the men she went out with. The love triangle between Nick the wedding hater and Cassandra’s ex-boyfriend Kevin was very intriguing. This is a very humorous book with a lot of depth, and I think chick lit fans would enjoy this one!
[Rating: 4.5]

October 17, 2012
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The Twelve Days to Christmas by Michele Gorman
Chick Lit Review

The Twelve Days to Christmas by Michele Gorman

I received a copy of The Twelve Days to Christmas in exchange for an honest review. Michele Gorman’s novels have delighted me, so I was super excited to be reviewing her latest, and another in the Hannah series – The Twelve Days to Christmas. It was great to catch up with Hannah and company again, including Hannah’s boyfriend, Sam. The big dilemma is that Hannah believes Sam is going to propose to her – why else would he be flying from Hong Kong back to the States with her to meet her parents? This is what Hannah’s always wanted – to be Sam’s wife. Or is it? With the countdown to Christmas and flying home to see her family on, Hannah has to dig deep to figure out what she really wants.
Great read! Light, fast, fun – and I adored the ending. It was fabulous to see Hannah starting to find her footing in her relationship with Sam. She finally understood that she could show him she wasn’t as adventurous as he was, and maybe everything would still be okay. There were a lot of little sub-plots going on as well that kept things moving along and interesting, and I would definitely recommend Michele Gorman and her novels to chick lit lovers!
[Rating: 4.5]
Bonus: Would you like Michele to sign your book? Get more information for eBooks and print copies!

October 17, 2012
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The Midwife of Hope River: A Novel of an American Midwife by Patricia Harman
Chick Lit Review

The Midwife of Hope River: A Novel of an American …

The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harman follows Patience Murphy who has the gift of escorting women through the challenges of bringing children into the world. During the depression, Patience takes on a job that is risky and doesn’t yield much of a financial return … yet is one of the most difficult jobs imaginable. After her mentor dies unexpectedly, she takes the helm and although she feels completely out of her element, she takes things slow and begins to trust herself. In a little over a year, we see Patience grow in many ways and we watch as the story twists and turns, intertwining many lives.

Oh boy! Every once in a while a real gem of a book comes along, and this is THE book! I absolutely adored The Midwife of Hope River. I agreed to read this book at first because I just had a baby, but let me tell you, this book is about so much more than just women having babies! This story encompasses the great depressions better than I’ve seen in a long time. Through the course of a year, not only do we get to see Patience grow and become a strong and confident midwife, but we witness racial tension and economic woes on a whole new level. This book blew me away and I loved the way Patricia weaves the main story through such a vivid and descriptive historical backdrop. Overall, a phenomenal debut that I absolutely loved. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

[Rating: 5/5]

October 16, 2012
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A Summer in Europe by Marilyn Brant
Chick Lit Review

A Summer in Europe by Marilyn Brant

I received a copy of A Summer in Europe in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
On her thirtieth birthday, Gwendolyn Reese receives an unexpected present from her widowed Aunt Bea: a grand tour of Europe in the company of Bea’s Sudoku and Mah-jongg Club. The prospect isn’t entirely appealing. But when the gift she is expecting — an engagement ring from her boyfriend — doesn’t materialize, Gwen decides to go. At first, Gwen approaches the trip as if it’s the math homework she assigns her students, diligently checking monuments off her must-see list. But amid the bougainvillea and stunning vistas of southern Italy, something changes. Gwen begins to live in the moment: skipping down stone staircases in Capri, running her fingers over a glacier in view of the Matterhorn, racing through the Louvre, and taste-testing pastries at a Marseilles cafe. Revelling in every new experience — especially her attraction to a charismatic British physics professor — Gwen discovers that the ancient wonders around her are nothing compared to the renaissance unfolding within…
My Review:
While there were parts I enjoyed about this book, I thought the writing was a bit too slow and heavy for me to become really engaged in the plot. I was tickled that Gwen lives in Dubuque, IA, which is my hometown, and liked watching her grow throughout the story. There were some great descriptions of her travels that were probably my favorite due to my love of traveling. But I just never felt that connection to the book due to the pacing, and a lot of times I felt that Gwen’s narrations didn’t match her age; I kept viewing her as much, much older than thirty. Overall I thought it was okay, but not one of my favorites.
[Rating: 3]

October 15, 2012
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Suburban Task Force by Addison Towne
Chick Lit Review

Suburban Task Force by Addison Towne

Addison Towne is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Suburban Task Force. This book really took me out of my real life and deposited me right in with the characters. The MC is Jade Lydell, a thirty-year old suburban wife living in an identical house as her friends and enjoying game nights with other couples. A home invasion scare makes Jade want to feel better protected, so she signs up herself and two girlfriends for gun safety and all around self-defense courses. The ladies leave the weekend feeling pretty good should they ever enter a situation where they can put their knowledge to good use…but has no idea how soon – and how extreme – that situation will be.
While at a VIP party on Catalina Island filled with celebrities and politicians, the women find themselves in a surreal situation – taken hostage by a rogue terrorist group. The men and women get separated, all outside communication is cut off, and there are already homicide victims. Jade and friends band together to try to do the unthinkable – make it out alive and help free the hostages. I was holding my breath multiple times while reading all the hostage chapters. Even though if I really think about it the plot can seem a bit unbelievable, I was still highly entertained throughout. The ending was particularly my favorite, and I was speeding through the chapters to see how the situation would end. I think action-packed is a great way to describe this book, and I enjoyed it and look forward to more from Addison Towne!
[Rating: 4]

October 15, 2012
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