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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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Chasing Fools by Aida Brassington
Chick Lit Review

Chasing Fools by Aida Brassington

Chasing Fools by Aida Brassington follow Varda, an illegal foods smuggler who scours the world for one-of-a-kind finds. She finally saves up enough money to quit but Anthony, the boss of an elusive underground food club threatens to kill her if she stops working. That is where the story really kicks off in my opinion, causing Varda to do some outrageous, hilarious, scary, and sometimes touching things to ensure that she stays alive. The death threat ironically brings her closer to her boyfriend and his world, which helps out because Gino has been begging Varda to marry him.

When I received a request for this book, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The first thing that popped into my head was something along the lines of a food mob and in reality, I wasn’t that far off. There is an interesting cast of characters but they each bring something really unique to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic between Gino’s family and I loved how in the end, all the chaos brought Varda and Gino together. Often times, this story is quite amusing and proved to be a wild ride and the ending is definitely unexpected (no spoilers here). I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun time.

[Rating: 4/5]

September 20, 2012
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A Promise of Safekeeping by Lisa Dale
Chick Lit Review

A Promise of Safekeeping by Lisa Dale

A Promise of Safekeeping by Lisa Dale is an eye-opening tale of redemption, a beautiful story filled with hope that will tug at heartstrings. Lauren Matthews was a fresh-paced young woman just starting her career when she got thrown on the case of a lifetime. Using her skill of “people-reading” to help lock up the case, she was the victor – and an innocent man went to jail because of her error. Arlen is now released from prison after nine years behind bars for a murder he did not commit, and Lauren seeks him out, hoping for forgiveness. She runs into his friend Will, about the only friend Arlen has left upon his release. In her quest for Arlen’s forgiveness, an unexpected friendship is formed between the person who helped Arlen go to his prison and his childhood friend.
I thought A Promise of Safekeeping was a fascinating story, and one that I could not put down. It’s impossible not to feel incredibly sad for Arlen, a man who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a legal case that got hurried along to be “solved.” It was interesting to watch how Lauren felt and how she tried to take action to make up for a past mistake. Will’s character was loyal to Arlen yet struggled with his feelings for Lauren, and he also had a secret that he was keeping hidden from everyone – family included. The story moved at a quick-enough pace for me, not real fast but it didn’t drag along, and the ending – oh the ending. No spoilers, but the ending bumped this up from a 4 to a 5 star review. One to read!

September 19, 2012
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The Not So Secret Emails of Coco Pinchard by Robert Bryndza
Chick Lit Review

The Not So Secret Emails of Coco Pinchard by Robert …

The Not So Secret Life of Coco Pinchard by Robert Bryndza is an absolute hoot. This book was sold to me as being “where Bridget Jones left off” but it is so much more than that. Coco never lived up her single days. She got married young, had a son and put her dreams on hold to raise a family. But years later, with a novel under her belt, a graying husband and a grown son, she feels like her time to really “live” is now. But, that all changes wen she catches her husband in bed with a younger woman. Armed with her iPhone as a confessional of sorts, Coco takes on the world and meets hunky Adam and begins to see forty as the new twenty. In emails to her friend Chris, she documents her hilarious transformation as she picks up the pieces from her old life and moves on.

I found this book hilarious and I also enjoyed the angle seeing as how it was written by a man. I loved watching Coco transform into a strong woman and I loved it even more that she did it when she was forty. The narrative and use of the emails was unlike anything that I’ve ever seen before and I think it really helped pace the story and give us a timeline as to what was going on. Robert did an amazing job at creating a very likeable character in a not so great situation. Although one might expect this story to be sad considering the subject matter, it really is inspiring in a “new hope” kind of way. Overall, a really fun read. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Rating: 4.5/5]

September 18, 2012
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The Undiscovered Novelist by Sarah Bridgeton
Chick Lit Review

The Undiscovered Novelist by Sarah Bridgeton

Sarah Bridgeton is on tour with CLP Blog Tours and The Undiscovered Novelist. This is considered a novella at 36,000 words, but while the book read quickly for me, I didn’t think it rushed by like most novellas. I get hesitant to read a novella because I feel there is never enough time to get to know the characters or the plot, but I didn’t feel that with this story. I easily related to Jordyn Simmons, a twenty-seven year old aspiring writing. She moves from New York to Tampa with her boyfriend and the father of her son, much to the dismay of her mother, Debra. Their relationship becomes estranged, but a chance writing contest brings the two women together once again.
I thought this was a sweet read about a mother and daughter with a strained relationship, and I enjoyed the writing aspects as well. Since it is shorter the plot lines didn’t run too deep (why won’t Jordyn get married? What happened with her father?) but there was just enough to go on to get me invested in the story. I didn’t feel rushed at all either, which was nice, and I enjoyed the ending. A few times the present tense writing tripped me up, because sometimes with present tense I feel like the sentences can be choppy, but overall, a sweet story that I think writers would especially enjoy!
[Rating: 4]

September 17, 2012
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What the Heart Remembers by Debra Ginsberg
Chick Lit Review

What the Heart Remembers by Debra Ginsberg

Deeply engaging and haunting, What the Heart Remembers by Debra Ginsberg follows young Eden Harrison fresh off receiving a heart transplant from an unknown donor. At first things are fine, but things begin to change when Eden begins to have dreams of people and places that she doesn’t recognize. Convinced that her new heart has a memory of its own, she leaves her old life behind and moves to San Diego, where she meets and befriends Darcy, a recent widow. Adding more mystery to the story, Darcy was having an affair with a young musician named Adam, who has also suddenly vanished out of her life. Eden begins to suspect that there is more to the story than what meets the eye and tension escalates between the two girls. Will Eden be able to get to the bottom of the mystery? And will we ever find out how the two of them are linked? You must read the story to find out….

I have had this book scheduled for review but wasn’t sure if I would have it read in time in order to post a review due to a mailing mix-up … but I started reading What the Heart Remembers last night and couldn’t put it down. This book is amazing. Debra does such a fantastic job at creating a seamless mystery surrounding a donated heart that leaves you fully engaged and mesmerized. I loved the tension between the two gals and was absolutely blown away by the ending. Wow! I may be a little sleep deprived today but it was well worth it. It’s been a while since I’ve had my pulse quicken while reading, but this book was that good. Overall, a great read with a suspenseful plot!

[Rating: 5-5]

September 14, 2012
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To Catch a Bad Guy by Marie Astor
Chick Lit Review

To Catch a Bad Guy by Marie Astor

I received a copy of To Catch a Bad Guy in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:
Janet Maple’s stellar career ended with a layoff and her boyfriend of almost five years told her that he wants to be just friends. When she lands a job at one of New York’s premier boutique investment firms, Janet begins to hope that her luck is finally turning for the better. Not only is she happy with her new paycheck, but things also seem to be looking up on the personal front, as the company’s handsome attorney expresses keen interest in Janet. However, her euphoria is short-lived, as Janet soon discovers alarming facts about her new employer’s business tactics. When her boss dismisses her suspicions as groundless, Janet finds herself confiding to a cute IT engineer, Dean Snider. The closer she gets to Dean, the more Janet is tempted to break her rule of not dating co-workers, but what she doesn’t realize is that everything she knows about Dean, including his occupation and even his name, is a lie.

Dennis Walker is a top-notch white collar crime investigator who will stop at nothing to put culprits away. When an opportunity for an undercover assignment at one of New York’s premier boutique broker dealers comes up, Dennis jumps at the chance, adopting a persona of geeky IT engineer, Dean Snider. While he may be an ace at his job, years of experience fail him when Dennis meets Janet Maple and finds himself torn between his professional obligations and his personal desires. Will he have to choose between his feelings and duty, or will he find a way to satisfy both?

My Review:
If it’s one thing I love, it’s a good mystery novel. I thought To Catch a Bad Guy had all the elements of intrigue, and it was hard for me to put this down! I loved Janet Maple. Sometimes she could seem to be a bit of a pushover, especially when it came to Lisa, but she was smart and determined, and made for a great MC. I liked that readers got an insight on multiple characters, but there weren’t too many and too much of their inner thoughts to become overwhelming, a major kudo to Marie Astor. There was a lot of jargon with Janet’s work, like stocks and trades at that sort of thing, which sometimes I got puzzled on, but most of the time I just felt like I was in the story with the characters and it barely tripped me up. A very solid mystery yet romance novel, and I can’t wait for the second one in the series!
[Rating: 4.5]

September 14, 2012
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The Brenda Diaries by Margo Candela
Chick Lit Review

The Brenda Diaries by Margo Candela

I received a copy of The Brenda Diaries in exchange for an honest review.  Summary: Meet Brenda…A temp with a bad attitude, but an excellent…

September 13, 2012
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Arcadia’s Gift by Jesi Lea Ryan
Chick Lit Review

Arcadia’s Gift by Jesi Lea Ryan

I received a copy of Arcadia’s Gift in exchange for an honest review. I have read Jesi Lea Ryan’s debut novel, Four Thousand Miles and was looking forward to her next offering. When she emailed me about reviewing it, I got even more excited because the book was taking place in my hometown of Dubuque, Iowa – and the characters even attend my high school of Dubuque Senior. When I first got to know Jesi, we both discovered we lived in Dubuque at one time, though she is now in Wisconsin and I am in Des Moines. Having that little personal connection made me eager to read the book, especially since there is a bit of a paranormal-type twist, which I love.
Arcadia “Cady” Day wakes up in the hospital with the memory of being hit by a train. But it wasn’t her that was in the accident,–– though the ache in her body and her days-long coma would beg to differ–– it was her twin sister, Lony who had lost in life in the Mines of Spain. Cady can’t believe how real it felt to her, and she also can’t believe her twin and best friend has been ripped away from her far too soon. Her family life has also been destroyed – her father is not living at home, her brother Aaron is suffering in silence, and her mom has taken to drinking and overmedicating to deal with her pain. The one bright spot is a new guy to Senior – Bryan Sullivan. Bryan helps Cady through her grief, and with the support of her close friends, Cady wonders if life is starting to head back to normal. But normal doesn’t seem to be in the cards for Cady, who starts to have more and more psychic episodes. Could she really have some sort of gift?
I loved every minute of this YA novel, and highly recommend Arcadia’s Gift! Not only was it touching and poignant with the loss of Cady, of new love, of a family dynamic through a tragedy, but Cady’s gift really made this story soar. I am very excited that this will be the first in a series, and cannot wait for book number two to come out. One to get on your must-read list!
[Rating: 5]

September 12, 2012
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