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A Year to Remember by Shelly Bell
Chick Lit Review

A Year to Remember by Shelly Bell

Shelly Bell is currently on tour with CLP Blog Tours and A Year to Remember. Sara Friedman is tired of being single, and something inside her snaps at her younger brother’s wedding. His big day also happens to be her twenty-ninth birthday, and Sara drunkenly announces to 300 wedding guests that she will be married by her thirtieth. When someone so kindly records her “speech” and puts in on YouTube, Sara goes viral. With a national morning show offering to help her one year journey of finding a husband and her best friend Missy backing her up, Sara dives in head first into the dating game. She accepts blind dates, tries her hand at internet dating, and finds the meaning of soul mate where she least expects it. Sara also happens to be a food addict, and has struggled with her weight throughout her life. She is determined to shed the pounds while she searches for her Mr. Right – but will thin equal happiness?
I loved the beginning of this book, and was immediately hooked by Sara’s story. Even though I have never struggled with weight or had an unhealthy relationship with food, I still felt like Sara was very relatable, which makes for a great MC in my eyes. The ending of the book took a different turn. While I knew Sara was struggling with food and that was clearly part of the plot, the ending seemed to only focus on that, and I found my interest waning a bit. But I still highly enjoyed this book, and I would recommend!
[Rating: 4]

August 13, 2012
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The Silent Treatment by Melanie Surani
Chick Lit Review

The Silent Treatment by Melanie Surani

I received a copy of The Silent Treatment by Melanie Surani in exchange for an honest review. Kat Shergill is trying to rebuild her life. Escaping from an abusive boyfriend, she ends up back at home thanks to her friend Bridget convincing her she needed to get away, and quickly finds herself knee deep in a mystery – from the past. While at an estate sale, Kat finds an old movie reel inside the item she purchased – showing the murder of a famous 1920’s actor by another high-profile actor. Before Kat can figure out what to do with her discovery, the word is leaked out. While trying to make the right decisions along the way, Kat still finds herself fearful of her ex, and also has trouble fitting in with her family once again. Kat learns along her journey how to find her backbone that she thought had disappeared, and when it’s time to simply leave the past alone.
I was really intrigued by the mystery of this book, especially that the core was from the past. It was super interesting piecing the puzzle together, and more than a few times I caught myself gasping from revelations. My big complaint is that I thought the book was too short. It took me just a few hours to read, and I think more depth could have really helped it. I never quite understood Kat’s past relationship or even her family dynamic. So while I think it could have benefited from more plot, I still thought the overall story was very good. It kept my attention throughout, and I think this is one to read if you like a good mystery.
[Rating: 4]

August 10, 2012
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Bond Girl by Erin Duffy
Chick Lit Review

Bond Girl by Erin Duffy

I received a copy of Bond Girl in exchange for an honest review. First off let’s talk the cover. Loved it! Are all girls wired to just adore pictures of shoes or what? Second – loved the plot. It’s not often we get a female perspective of a “Street” worker – and by that I mean Wall Street. Alex Garrett knew from quite the young age that she wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps and conquer the illustrious Wall Street. She lands a job at Cromwell Pierce, of the best brokerage firms on the Street. Alex thinks she knows what she is in for – but quickly realizes it is much, much worse than anticipated. First off – no desk. She sits in a folding chair and peeks over the shoulders of her co-workers. She also is working in a for real boys club, answering to the name Girlie, and being the all-around slave around the place. But slowly but surely Alex starts to prove her worth – upgrading to a real desk, real responsibilities, and even people calling her given name instead of Girlie. Just when she thinks she might be catching her breath and getting used to the Street, the economy tanks and all of America is looking at the corporates on Wall Street as the cause.
Bond Girl is a real page turner. I just loved how unique the story was – not to mention a true behind the scenes look at Wall Street. I was fascinated, intrigued, and I also learned a lot throughout the book. Alex is a feisty individual, and nailed it as the MC. Smart, hard-working, but just when I thought she was wired like a dude, some emotions would break through. I didn’t want to put this book down once I started reading. It was a longer book too, but took me barely two days to get it read. I highly recommend Bond Girl, and this is one of my favorites of the year!
[Rating: 5]

August 10, 2012
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Secrets and Seductions by Francine Pascal
Chick Lit Review

Secrets and Seductions by Francine Pascal

I just finished the fourth installment in The Sweet Life eSeries from Francine Pascal, Secrets and Seductions. A new development is happening with Bruce’s accuser, and Elizabeth is starting to doubt her creditability. She feels terrible that she was so quick to write Bruce off, and now she can’t even talk to him because he has fled from the States. Jessica is crushed when she finds out from TV that Todd has filed for a divorce. She had high hopes they would somehow reconcile, but she is forced to see that just won’t be happening. And Lila, who had been faking a pregnancy for the TV cameras and her Real Housewives show loses it all when someone goes to the press with her secret. But irony is about to get the best of her…
This installment was pretty short, and I liked that it just focused more on the major characters and what they were dealing with. I’m very curious to see how Bruce’s situation ends up. I can tell something is not right with the accuser, but I just can’t quite piece it all together yet. And Lila’s story! Oh boy, that is intriguing to read about. Will love to find out how it ends and if she is able to come out on top. Two more to go!
[Rating: 4]

August 9, 2012
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Permanently Temping by Lauren Milner-Howells
Chick Lit Review

Permanently Temping by Lauren Milner-Howells

Permanently Temping by Lauren Milner-Howells follows Hollie Cooper, a fresh and squeaky clean college graduate. When she walks into her first job after graduation, she realizes that the working world is going to take some getting used to, and she is going to need to make some adjustments. Not only does poor Hollie struggle in the career department, but she also struggles in matters of the heart. She searches high and low for a spark with her artsy new boyfriend while trying to stay away from her cheating ex (which she fails at … miserably). Things start to look up as she has a chance meeting with a friend of her ex, but, will he be the answer to her prayers? Who will she end up with? And will her love life and career ever become more stable?

When I was first contacted about reviewing Permanently Temping, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve read a few novels that deal with career woes, and to be honest, they never intrigue me very much. But, this was so much more than that. Yes, as the title suggests, Hollie does take on her fair share of odd jobs here and there, but her experiences with each are often humorous and witty and I found myself laughing out loud a few times right along with Hollie. I thought Lauren did a terrific job at crafting a character who is naive, yet hopeful … just like I was upon college graduation. I also kind of fell for Gavin and I found myself keeping my fingers crossed for them! Overall, a really light and fun read with an interesting plot twist.

[Rating: 4/5]

August 9, 2012
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The Dinner Party by Jenny Ladner Brenner
Chick Lit Review

The Dinner Party by Jenny Ladner Brenner

I received a copy of The Dinner Party by Jenny Ladner Brenner in exchange for an honest review. Lainie Silver has an all right life. Her parents are sometimes a bit too overbearing, she hasn’t found the love of her life quite yet at the age of twenty-eight, but she has a steady job, a nice apartment in New York City, and a best friend in Miya – her BFF since the seventh grade. But after hosting a tumultuous dinner party, Lainie throws her good judgment to the wind – and sleeps with Miya’s husband, Jake. Lainie knows she can’t confess her wrong doing to Miya, and Jake swears he won’t tell her either about their one-night stand – or the countless others he has had during their marriage. Lainie is forced to take a good, hard look at her life and her friendships. Why would she sleep with her best friend’s husband? Does she secretly harbor ill feelings to the woman who has been by her side for so many years? Through the guilt, Lainie tries to find some normalcy in her life – which includes falling in love, getting engaged, and moving on from her lapse in judgment. But will her secret come back to haunt her…or can Lainie really get away with duping her best friend?
I found The Dinner Party to be a very fascinating read. It explores self-discovery, the true meaning of friendships, and of course, love, throughout the way. While it could have been easy to write Lainie off as a horrible person after sleeping with Jake, I never really felt that way. Sure I wasn’t happy with her decision, but I was right there with her trying to figure out why she did it, how she let it happen. And I of course was dying to see how their friendship would turn out if the big event was ever revealed. I also really enjoyed reading about Lainie and her eventual fiancé Noah, who is a big part of this book even if he is only around for a short amount of time. I think this is a great read for the 20-30 age group, and I highly recommend!
[Rating: 4.5]

August 8, 2012
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The Silent Touch of Shadows by Christina Courtenay
Chick Lit Review

The Silent Touch of Shadows by Christina Courtenay

The Silent Touch of Shadows by Christina Courtenay is two stories in one. We meet Melissa Grantham first, a professional genealogist who is a single mother trying to get by. She is a history lover and once she receives an invitation to visit her family’s ancestral home, she can’t refuse. But, she starts having visions and vivid dreams upon her arrival about a medieval young woman and a forbidden love, and she is determined to solve the mystery. Jake Precy, owner of a nearby cottage, has always had similar dreams, and upon meeting Melissa, there is an instant connection and he begins to wonder why. We soon learn the real truth and that these two are already entwined … and maybe have been for the past few hundred years.

I was pleasantly surprised as I flipped through pages of The Silent Touch of Shadows. Upon reading the synopsis, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, and even more so curious upon learning that there is a ghostly presence in the story … but it isn’t at all what you think once you dive in. This book is a love story unlike any that I’ve read before and I found it fantastically written. I loved the historical pieces the most and thought they added a very authentic feel to the story. I also loved the mysterious presence that was always present around the story. Overall, a really unique read.

[Rating: 4/4]

August 7, 2012
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Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons by Denise Grover Swank
Chick Lit Review

Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons by Denise Grover Swank

I adored Denise Grover Swank’s debut novel Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes and being introduced to Rose Gardner. Fabulous book, fabulous author. I was really looking forward to the sequel, Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons, and there was no disappointment here! It was great to pick up right back into Rose’s life – her new and improved life at that! After the murder of her mom in the first book, Rose now has more independence – and a hot boyfriend in the state detective Joe. Two things are still the same – her crappy job at the DMV, and her history for getting involved in murders. Now being summoned for jury duty has put Rose front in center of the latest mystery case – one where she has a vision of who the murderer is. And it’s definitely not the man on the stand being accused of the crime. Rose knows she can’t come forward with her vision as evidence, so she takes it upon herself to clear the accuser’s name, find the real murderer, and somehow keep her relationship with Joe intact, find a way to make her happy with her relationship choices, and not get fired from her job. Figuring out her priorities is a must – and Rose knows just who tops that list.
Again – great fun catching up with Rose, and seeing how she had grown so much from the first book. She was a shy, timid girl completely under her mother’s spell, and now she was more of a woman, making decisions and living a grown-up life with Joe. I enjoyed the difficult love quandary she got involved in as well – deciding how to continue her relationship with Joe, the interactions with the assistant DA Mason Deveraux, and the blind date her sister puts her up to. I was also thrilled to see there will be a third installment, and I cannot wait for that to get here! The Rose Gardner series and Denise Grover Swank are both musts for you to check out!
[Rating: 4.5]

August 6, 2012
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