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Lost in the Light by Mary Castillo
Chick Lit Review

Lost in the Light by Mary Castillo

I am kicking off Mary Castillo’s tour on CLP Blog Tours for Lost in the Light. This book captivated me. The story brings in some of my favorite elements – mainly being mystery and the past. Detective Dori Orihuela buys a 120 year-old Edwardian mansion to restore while she waits to get back on duty after she was shot. She has no idea when she moved in that she was going to be visited by the ghost of Vicente Sorolla, who is seeking Dori’s help to find a woman named Anna. Dori begins to worry about her sanity, but through time and proof that Vicente and his story is real, an unlikely friendship forms between the two.
The story shifts back and forth from present day and 1932, and readers understand Vicente’s story more and more as the book whips along. There is a lot of history in this book which I loved. The mystery aspect really drew me in, and I liked that readers could get into Dori and Vicente’s head both. The ending might have been my favorite. No spoilers, but it wasn’t drawn out, too quick or anything cheesy, which I’ve seen happen with mystery novels like this. One of my favorite mystery reads of the year, and one to get your to-read list!
[Rating: 4.5]

October 1, 2012
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Good-Bye To All That by Margo Candela
Chick Lit Review

Good-Bye To All That by Margo Candela

I received a copy of Good-Bye To All That in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
When her Hollywood career goes haywire, a young woman must say good-bye to all that . . . or must she?
Raquel Azorian has worked her way from temp to executive assistant and is this close to a promotion to junior marketing exec at Belmore Corporation, the media behemoth she’s devoted herself to. She’s learned to play the Hollywood game—navigate office politics, schmooze the right people, avoid the wrong ones, and maintain a sense of decorum even in the craziest of times. All she needs is for her boss to sign her promotion memo. Instead of putting pen to paper, he suffers a very public meltdown that puts not only his professional future but also Raquel’s on the line.
Getting to the next rung on the Belmore ladder will require every ounce of focus, but that’s not going to be easy. Raquel’s mom has decided to leave her husband and move into Raquel’s apartment, and her older brother seems to be sinking deeper and deeper into depression. Raquel has to keep her job, stop her parents from divorcing, and save her brother. In the chaos of juggling so much, she finally reaches a breaking point: there’s just not enough time for everything or for everyone. She’s going to have to choose—success at work or happiness at home. But then a chance encounter at a bookstore café leads Raquel to start planning her own Hollywood ending . . . on her own terms.
My Review:
I highly enjoy books that are set in LA, and Good-Bye To All That is a fun read filled with cute and quirky characters. Raquel is a smart and determined heroine, who has learned how to play the Hollywood game to get her deserved promotion. She was almost overshadowed by her mother Marlene, who moves in with her while threatening to divorce Raquel’s father, and her sister-in-law Cricket (seriously!) and her barrage of issues. Those characters and a few others bring the funny, but Candela’s writing also shows how a strong female can take control of her life. I recommend!
[Rating: 4]

September 28, 2012
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All At Sea by Heather Wardell
Chick Lit Review

All At Sea by Heather Wardell

I received a copy of All At Sea in exchange for an honest review. This is Heather Wardell’s tenth novel – what a feat! And I’ve read all ten – what a …feat? 🙂 But she is an author whose books I have highly enjoyed, and I hope she keeps them coming. All At Sea is part of the Toronto series, but these books can be read on their own, they just bring back past characters that you might get a kick out of revisiting if you’ve read the previous novels. The story focuses on Melissa and Owen, who met New Years Eve and were engaged by Valentine’s Day. The month is now March, and they are preparing to get married on a cruise ship. Melissa has her mom with her along with her best friend Wendy and Wendy’s boyfriend Mark. Not the big wedding party she once imagined, but she is fine with it. She also didn’t picture getting married in the chapel of a cruise ship, but she’s fine with it. A big thing she is not fine with – having dated both of Owen’s brothers. Melissa gets a shock when she meets Nicholas and Austin and realizes that she had a fling with Austin and something more serious with Nicolas – and then broke his heart. Owen doesn’t seem to have a problem with the awkwardness, as he’s too busy spending every waking hour in the casino. Melissa wasn’t aware of his love for gambling either, but she’s fine with it. As the cruise ship chugs along, Melissa realizes that she might be making a mistake – and that being “fine” in a marriage just might not be enough.
What a fun and unique read! Finding out you’ve dated both of your fiancé’s brothers – what a hoot! This is a book where I really liked the supporting cast- from the brothers to Wendy and Mark to Nicholas’s girlfriend and even some randoms Melissa met on the ship. The details were very spot-on throughout, and I was invested the whole way through. I have been known to be shocked at some of Wardell’s past endings, and that made me unsure what choice Melissa was going to make at the end, which I enjoyed. The suspense was killing me! All At Sea is a very cute read that also dives deep into relationships and what is takes to make a marriage work, and I highly recommend this book and more from Heather Wardell!
[Rating: 4.5]

September 28, 2012
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The Darling Girls by Emma Burstall
Chick Lit Review

The Darling Girls by Emma Burstall

The Darling Girls by Emma Burstall begins as Leo, a world famous conductor, dies and his three lovers meet for the first time at his funeral. The three women realize that they have an abdundant amount of unanswered questions and wonder about the man who was capable of juggling his brilliant career and three women all at the same time, whilst none of them ever had a clue.

Victoria, his partner of twenty years and mother of two of his children, relishes the fact that she thinks she knew Leo best, but when secrets start to come forward, she begins to question whether or not she knew him in the first place. Maddy, mother of Phoebe, is a typical career woman who creates trouble of her own when she becomes involved with someone off limits. And then there is Cat, the youngest of the trio. She is dealing with some emotional and family issues and seems to be the most wounded of the three. All three of the “Darling Girls” couldn’t be more different … but you soon realize that they couldn’t be more similar as well.

The Darling Girls is a heartbreaking story that touches on loss, heartache, love and friendship and I absolutely adored every second of it. Emma magically orchestrates the tale of the three women in a way that makes them like puppets in the grand scheme of things in Leo’s world, and you wonder if he will forever control their worlds. Luckily for us, and for the trio, everything works out for the best, but we see how connected everything in the story truly is. I found myself putting pieces of the puzzle together until the very end. Beautifully written, heartbreaking and honest – a truly magical tale.

[Review: 5/5]

September 27, 2012
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Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio
Chick Lit Review

Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio

I received a copy of Blackberry Winter in exchange for an honest review. This book is a 5 star – a must-read. That’s all I have to say……Okay, not really, of course. But wow, what a book! I actually got up out of bed one night because I couldn’t sleep without knowing what would happen. That does not happen often. The story switches back and forth between 1933 and present day, set in Seattle, and both during a blackberry winter. In 1933, Vera Ray’s three year old son Daniel disappears one night while she is working the nightshift. Vera makes it her mission to get her heart back. In present day, reporter Claire Hanson gets assigned to write a story about the blackberry winter – a late-season snow storm. Her research takes her to the story of Vera Ray and her son Daniel, and Claire soon becomes obsessed with finding how her story ended. What happened to Vera? Was Daniel ever found?
Like I said, you must read this book. I had goosebumps almost the entire way through, and the way the writing flowed with such ease yet intensity makes this a top read of 2012, hands down. The ending left me breathless, in tears, and wanting to literally jump into the book and be with the characters and this inspiring tale. I can keep raving about this book all day, but I’m too afraid I’ll give even the slightest detail away, and I would hate doing that. Read this!
[Rating: 5]

September 26, 2012
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Murder & Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction by Amy Metz
Chick Lit Review

Murder & Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction by Amy Metz

Murder & Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction by Amy Metz is a murder mystery set in a cute southern town. When Tess Tremaine moves to Goose Pimple Junction in hopes of starting a new life, she things that she has hit the jackpot. Then, she finds something that peaks her interest and soon finds herself investigating a seventy-five-year-old murder. Along the way she is thrown into the charming world of southern comfort and becomes instantly attracted to local celebrity, Jackson Wright. Will she be able to keep her wits about her as she investigates the murder further? Only time will tell, but she realizes soon enough that the closer she gets to solving the murder, the more dangerous things become. Is she ready to risk it all?

This book is probably the cutest book that I have read in quite sometime, and seeing how it is about a murder mystery, I never thought I would describe one that way. The mystery and intrigue are real, and Tess is such a hoot. I absolutely fell in love with her during the first few pages and Amy truly does capture the heart of the south and everything that it entails. It’s been a while since I’ve read a murder/mystery that I’ve enjoyed this much. I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a little intrigue without anything too dangerous or gritty.

[Rating: 4.5/5]

September 25, 2012
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Sugarfiend by Caroline Burau
Chick Lit Review

Sugarfiend by Caroline Burau

I received a copy of Sugarfiend from author Carolyn Burau in exchange for an honest review. I found this novel very interesting. This is the I think the third book I’ve read lately that has a unique format – more story-telling from the main character instead of a dialogue driven format. It worked for this book in my opinion. The heroine is Estelle Brown, a sugarfiend who just can’t say no to a box of chocolates…or syrup…or raw cookie dough. Her life starts to fall apart when her boyfriend dumps her for a bulimic model (again), her roommate and best friend leaves town suddenly, and her boss announces he is love with her. Estelle packs up everything and decides to chase after her best friend and bring her home but takes a detour, finds a hot mess duo of twin sisters who convince her to take a cruise with them, and hops aboard without looking back. While there, Estelle will learn lessons about life, love and if being skinny truly does mean being happy.
This book has a bit of everything – addiction, romance, sarcasm, love, and one woman being pretty darn confused in life. Sometimes it was a bit too all over for my taste; it was hard to keep up with everything that was happening. But Burau has a knack for story-telling, because even if I seemed a step behind Estelle, I still wanted to read fast to figure out what would happen next. If you don’t appreciate strong language or sexual scenes, this probably won’t be for you. But if you can find the lessons from the raw story that Burau gives us, I think you will enjoy this book too.
[Rating: 4]

September 24, 2012
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Memories by Deanna Lynn Sletten
Chick Lit Review

Memories by Deanna Lynn Sletten

I received a copy of Memories for Deanna Sletten’s CLP Blog Tours stop. The book starts off with
Michael DeCara’s funeral, and then backtracks to tell the love story between him and
Danielle Westerly. I thought this was an interesting way to start a book, and it immediately reeled me in. I understand the title of the book, because the entire novel is made up of the memory of their journey, and the love they shared for one another. Michael was a wounded Vietnam War vet, and raised his daughter on his own when his wife left shortly after his hero’s return. Danielle fell in love with Michael when she was just eighteen, but he broke her heart – and hardened it for others. When they meet by chance years down the road, the sparks are still there. But the beginning of their love story isn’t smooth sailing – and will it all be worth it?
This book was quite the tear-jerker for me. At times I just wanted to pull my hair and say “just be together already!” There was a lot of miscommunication and incredibly sad situations that kept Michael and Dani apart, and it literally hurt me to watch them go through it. I credit that all to Sletten’s writing skills; making me feel I was a part of their world. Even though Memories could be incredibly sad at points, I appreciated this unique love story and really loved reading this book. I highly recommend it!
[Rating: 4.5]

September 24, 2012
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Home For Christmas by Cally Taylor
Chick Lit Review

Home For Christmas by Cally Taylor

I received a copy of Home For Christmas in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Beth Prince has always loved fairytales and now, aged twenty-four, she feels like she’s finally on the verge of her own happily ever after. She lives by the seaside, works in the Picturebox – a charming but rundown independent cinema – and has a boyfriend who’s so debonair and charming she can’t believe her luck! There’s just one problem – none of her boyfriends have ever told her they love her and it doesn’t look like Aiden’s going to say it any time soon. Desperate to hear ‘I love you’ for the first time Beth takes matters into her own hands – and instantly wishes she hadn’t. Just when it seems like her luck can’t get any worse, bad news arrives in the devilishly handsome shape of Matt Jones. Matt is the regional director of a multiplex cinema and he’s determined to get his hands on the Picturebox by Christmas. Can Beth keep her job, her man and her home or is her romantic-comedy life about to turn into a disaster movie?
My Review:
This was a charming romantic read, and I loved every minute of it! Beth is a down-to-earth, realistic heroine, and I felt like we could be BFF’s. I highly enjoyed Cally Taylor’s writing style, and will definitely seek more from her. The plot lines that connect Beth and Matt were spot-on, and I didn’t want this book to end. I enjoyed the ambition Beth showed as well, that made her even more likeable to me! I was engrossed in Home For Christmas the whole way through, and this is a 5 star worthy read – and not just a seasonal one!
[Rating: 5]

September 21, 2012
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