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Rita Hayworth’s Shoes by Francine LaSala
Chick Lit Review

Rita Hayworth’s Shoes by Francine LaSala

Witty and charming, Rita Hayworth’s Shoes by Francine LaSala follows Amy Miller who has just been dumped on her wedding day. Apparently it’s for the best … or that is how everyone feels except for Amy. Sad and alone, Amy’s best friend Jane tries to cheer her up, and it seems like nothing will do the trick, that is until she convinces Amy to buy a pair of overly priced heels that supposedly belonged to Rita Hayworth during her hay day. As if like magic, the shoes instantly give Amy the extra va-va-voom that she has been missing and begins to turn her life around.

Rita Hayworth’s Shoes is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. The characters are quirky and charming, yet utterly realistic. I absolutely fell in love with Jane and eventually with Deck and found myself ripping through the pages toward the end to find out what happened between the two of them. This book is heart felt and I absolutely loved the idea of purchasing a pair of Rita’s shoes (who wouldn’t?) and having them turn Amy’s life around. At first the book seems to be stereotypical chick-lit, but then it knocks you on your toes and you realize that it is part comedy and part mystery. Overall, a delicious page turner that will leave you wanting more.

[Rating: 4.5/5]

September 11, 2012
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Free Gift With Purchase by Jackie Pilossoph
Chick Lit Review

Free Gift With Purchase by Jackie Pilossoph

In a clever twist in regards to a free gift with purchase, Jackie Pilossoph tells the story of two sisters, who happen to be polar opposites. Emma is the stereotypical party girl and Laura is the hardworking doctor. Although they couldn’t be more different in most references, they do have one BIG thing in common- dating post marriage. Emma is a widow and single mother and Laura was dumped by her cheating husband. A financial dispute between Laura and her ex leaves her homeless and on the doorstep of Emma’s house….and that is when the fun truly begins.

I really enjoyed reading Free Gift With Purchase by Jackie Pilossoph. The two sisters are cleverly told and hilarious in my opinion. I loved watching the gals scouring the city for men and a hopeful chance at love. The slew of men that come into the picture leaves one cringing yet hopeful at the same time. This book is captivating and realistic and I know that several of my single gal friends could definitely relate to the bad apples that come crashing into the scene. Overall, a really fun read that will make you think twice about the way you view your sister/mother/girlfriend and the lives you think they may lead.

[Rating: 4/5]

September 11, 2012
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Too Much Trouble in Paradise by Michelle Betham
Chick Lit Review

Too Much Trouble in Paradise by Michelle Betham

I received a copy of Too Much Trouble in Paradise in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:
Molly Parker is a DWAG – a darts wife and girlfriend. Or rather, she’s an ex-DWAG after divorcing Paul “Bad Lad” Parker, a professional darts player and the self-pronounced Geordie pantomime villain of the sport, after catching him aiming more than his arrows in the direction of more than a few very willing glamour models.
So, leaving her life – and her ex-husband – behind in their native North East of England, she moves to the Canarian island of Tenerife with her best friend Fran, putting the past behind her, determined to start a whole new life abroad.
Within months of arriving on the island she finds herself engaged to her Spanish boyfriend Antonio – a handsome Canarian bar owner – and with their whirlwind wedding just weeks away she’s the happiest she’s been in a long time with a great job at a Timeshare complex, fantastic friends, and a lovely little home in a country she’s fallen completely in love with.
But what Molly didn’t bank on was her ex-husband turning up out of the blue declaring his undying love for her and begging her to come back to him – and not just because his darts were suffering! His unannounced arrival turns Molly’s new and seemingly perfect life upside down as she suddenly has to face up to feelings she’d thought were long gone, and make decisions she never thought she’d have to make as her whole world is thrown into total confusion. Does she stay in Tenerife and marry her wonderful, romantic, drop-dead-gorgeous Spanish fiancé? Or does she give the man she’d once loved but who’d treated her so badly another chance? Days in the sun or darts – it’s the choice she has to make. Throw in a Bolton-born lounge singer and a Take That tribute act, a famous TV actor with a reputation as a shameless flirt, and a major darts tournament that throws up more than its fair share of surprises, and all of a sudden Molly Parker’s life really is ‘Too Much Trouble in Paradise’ – a romantic comedy; a story of new beginnings, second chances, sun, sea – and darts!
My Review:
I thought this was super cute and breezy read. I’m not sure if it was the dart-playing ex-husband or the island of Tenerife thing that was going on, but I thought this was a different read than a typical romance, and in an enjoyable way. Fun characters, some hilarious situations, but still a lot of heart mixed in with the storyline. Molly is a fun heroine with a struggle, and I have to admit that I was rooting for her ex a lot, even though Antonio sounded delicious! If you enjoy chick lit with romance, I would recommend this book for you!
[Rating: 4]

September 10, 2012
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The Good Woman by Jane Porter
Chick Lit Review

The Good Woman by Jane Porter

I received a copy of The Good Woman in exchange for an honest review. Jane Porter is a fabulous author, and I could not wait to pick this one up. Disappointment? Not here! I loved every second of this book, and my only regret was that I was reading it over a holiday weekend and couldn’t dive into it as often as I could. What makes me even happier is that it appears to be the first in a series about the Brennan family, and I can’t wait for the next book!
While the plot touches on each of the Brennan sisters – Meg, Kit, Sarah and Brianna, the main focus in on Meg. Mother of three, a doting wife, and a career woman, Meg has suddenly found herself unfilled with life. Her lacking passion in her marriage and the feel that she is always the one keeping the family together may have something to do with that feeling. When offered to attend a work conference in London with one her bosses, Meg accepts – and it changes everything.
Like I said, I just wish I had more time so I didn’t need to keep putting this down! I loved the family dynamic, the relationships between the sisters, and getting to know Meg. It is easy to see how conflicted she becomes, and it’s interesting to watch her make decisions and get to know her inner thoughts. Porter writes with a trait that makes her characters very genuine and very realistic, and that goes not just for Meg, but her three sisters as well. I absolutely cannot wait to read the rest in this series, and suggest you pick this one up!
[Rating: 5]

September 7, 2012
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Finding Out by Sheryn MacMunn
Chick Lit Review

Finding Out by Sheryn MacMunn

Finding Out by Sheryn MacMunn follows Sheila Davenport who in the beginning of the book, believes that her life is on track. Then … she gets dumped by her boyfriend of seven years and shortly afterward, realizes that he nearly emptied their joint savings account. Weighed down by reality, the financial woes of the bills that she can no longer afford to pay, and a psychotic boss, Sheila loses grip and realizes that life is no longer what she once imagined it to be. Stuck with no immediate solutions to her problems, her friends urge her to date but she realizes that dating only causes more woes but she wonders what to do next. An unexpected twist brings in an elderly neighbor who shares some insight on love, loss, and most importantly, a solid perspective on living life. What will happen to Sheila? Will she be able to move on and forward with her life? Or will she continue to dwell on all that has gone wrong? You must turn the pages to find out.

Finding Out is a true eye opener and I loved every second of it. Early on in the novel, Sheila loses everything and is so lost that she doesn’t know which way is up and which is down. But, that all changes once she meets Ruth and gets a fresh perspective on life. This is a story of second chances, love found and lost, and the strength of redemption. A page-turner until the very last second, I enjoyed this debut from Sheryn immensely. Overall, a fantastic read.

[Rating: 5/5]

September 6, 2012
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Growing Up Beautiful by Lori Jones
Chick Lit Review

Growing Up Beautiful by Lori Jones

Summary:

In the summer of 1986, three young American women are chosen to join a modeling agency in Europe’s fashion capitol of Milan.

United as roommates by chance, Star, Joanne and Casey soon find their dreamed-of careers as models taking paths as different as their personalities.

Star, who leaves behind her waitress job along with a handful of crumpled up dollar tips, sees her beauty as a way move to the top of Milan’s social strata.

Joanne, raised in a privileged lifestyle, is expected to continue an Ivy League education, which doesn’t interest her as much as a young photographer she meets on a casting.

Casey is a naïve seventeen year old who is ready for adventure, even the dangerous kind.

Together, these three learn the funny, unexpected and sometimes ugly truths about growing up beautiful.

My Review:

As someone who thought for sure she was destined for the runway as a little girl, I still love all things modeling, even though my height screeched to a halt at a mere 5’5. That didn’t stop me from entering pageants, modeling competitions, going on casting calls, and even though I’m sure my fantasy days about being a model are well over, I still enjoy shows such as America’s Next Top Model and learning about the industry. I was really excited to pick up Growing up Beautiful and get an idea of what life was like in the ‘80’s for fashion models. A great behind the scenes peek, and the pages are filled with insight, drama, betrayal and unlikely friendships, and I had such a fun time with this book. I think anyone with an interest for modeling will highly enjoy this book, and it’s an overall fun women’s read as well.

[Rating: 4]

September 5, 2012
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Completing the Puzzle by Amanda Egan
Chick Lit Review

Completing the Puzzle by Amanda Egan

I received a copy of Completing the Puzzle in exchange for an honest review. I have read Amanda Egan’s two previous novels, Diary of a Mummy Misfit and The Darker Side of Mummy Misfit, and enjoyed them both. This book is not in the Mummy Misfit series, but introduces a new cast of characters. Fee Crawford, a middle-aged mom to twin boys and a faltering marriage, starts to feel her life is incomplete. When her husband Hugh finally confesses why he has been distant lately, Fee’s life is shaken up, and heading for change. When she meets the vet in town, things start to look up. But with her twin boys, her father living under roof and chasing the housecleaner, and an overly-dramatic best friend constantly popping in, Fee isn’t sure her puzzle will find that missing piece.
I enjoyed the quirky humor that Egan brought to her first two books, and though I might not always understand the dialect being a US reader, it still gives me a chuckle as I Google terms. I thought the first half of the book was very solid, and enjoyed getting to know Fee and her family. I thought her twin boys were charming each in their own way, and the twist with Hugh was an interesting one. Through the second half of the book, I actually felt like I was reading a different novel. There are lot of big storylines and plot twists written in, and sometimes I felt like I was being led in all different directions, and it got to be a bit much. There also started to be a lot of foreshadowing in the second half of the book that I didn’t find in the first, so that really made it seem like I was reading two different novels. Overall I still enjoyed the story and thought Fee was a fun MC, but I think the plot could have been a bit tighter.
[Rating: 3.5]

September 5, 2012
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All The Truth by Laura Brodie
Chick Lit Review

All The Truth by Laura Brodie

All The Truth by Laura Brodie follows Emma and Maggie Greene. The story starts off with Maggie away on break from teaching, living in rural solitude with her husband and Maggie, who is then only five years old. Late one night, an intruder trespasses and Maggie witnesses her mother do something that changes her life forever. The story then resumes nine years later, finding Maggie living with her now divorced father in the same rural town, entering her first year of high school and some things make her confront that lone night in her past once she has an odd encounter with a math teacher.

When I first started reading All The Truth by Laura Brodie, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. The book starts off slow … but boy does it pick up about 30-40 pages in. Laura does a wonderful job at capturing every emotion that the characters feel and she describes things in vivid detail so that it feels like you are experiencing everything first hand with the characters. My only complaint is that the big moment that I was waiting for toward the end of the book kind of left me hanging. Maybe I was expecting more of a confrontation? Either way, this book is incredibly sad but a great read. It was difficult reading about Maggie and her struggles but I couldn’t put the book down. Overall, a very memorable and captivating book.

[Rating: 4/5-5]

September 4, 2012
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Don’t Let Me Go by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Chick Lit Review

Don’t Let Me Go by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Catherine Ryan Hyde is currently on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Don’t Let Me Go. I was fascinated by this novel. The diverse group of characters, the range of Hyde’s writing skills, and a tightly wound plot equaled for a five-star review. The book switches back and forth between Grace and Billy, two completely opposite people. Grace is a nine year old girl with an addict mother, and Billy is a former Broadway dancer who is now an agoraphobic and has not stepped outside his apartment in years. When he keeps seeing Grace sitting alone outside the apartment building – day after day after day – he sums up the courage to at least make it to his porch and question the young girl. Her answer? “If I sit inside, then nobody will know I’m in trouble. And then nobody will help me.”
An eclectic group living in the apartment building bands together to help Grace. There is Billy, Rayleen the manicurist, older and quite lonely Ms. Hinman, bigoted Mr. Lafferty, and the kind Felipe. They take turns walking her to school, picking her up, caring for her in the evenings. At nine years old, Grace has an uncanny ability to understand that her mother is not doing the best job, especially when she is “loaded.” She clings to the stability and love her generous neighbors give her – but the situation takes a turn when the county is tipped off on what is happening, and comes poking around for answers.
Don’t Let Me Go was a heartwarming novel, and I loved every minute of it. The pages were filled with drama and love, and Grace just melted my heart. The unique relationship she formed with Billy was so beautiful, and I got tears in my eyes plenty of times while reading. This is a must-read!
[Rating: 5]

September 3, 2012
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