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Viewer Discretion Advised by Cindy Roesel
Chick Lit Review

Viewer Discretion Advised by Cindy Roesel

Cindy Roesel is currently on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Viewer Discretion Advised. This might be a strange reading taste – but I absolutely love books that talk about TV shows, journalism, broadcasting, etc. Just an odd little niche, but I cannot pass up books with those topics being mentioned in the plot. This novel didn’t disappoint on that end – a lot of juicy stories being covered, a behind the scenes peek at the hustle and bustle of a newsroom – and of course – gossip, romance and plenty of cocktails!
Charley Thomas doesn’t mind being fired from her job in LA – that just means she is officially in the biz now. Quickly seizing a Miami opportunity, Charley soon finds herself in the Sunshine State, finally in the same city as her bff, and working for one of the toughest men in the industry – Jonathan Lefton. Between catty news anchors, firing staff left and right, an alcoholic best friend and a stalker cop after her, Charley has enough going on in her life – but she has ratings and possible Emmys to think about!
This book was fast-paced and very interesting. Roesel is an Emmy Award-Winning anchor, reporter and producer, so you know what she is dishing out is based on the real thing. I find these types of books fascinating. I liked Charley’s character a lot, how she really wanted to stay true to herself and not buy into all the ratings hype – even though she did slip now and again! There were a few editing errors that kept popping up, and I’m not sure I quite understood Charley’s relationship with Oz – they are super casual yet he visits her in Miami from LA? Those were two things that stuck out to me, but overall I thought this was a fun chick lit read!
[Rating: 4]

July 30, 2012
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Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell
Chick Lit Review

Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell

Enchanting and mysterious, Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell, follows young Betty, freshly out of university as she embarks on following her dreams and landing a great job, meeting new friends …. and possibly falling in love. Calm, cool, and collected, young Betty is ready for anything that life throws her direction, well that is until she stumbles upon a mysterious love letter after her grandmother’s death from a man that she has never heard of. Although she tries to move past the contents of the letter, it becomes difficult for her because she is completely captivated by the letter and wonders if it will help her find her own happiness.

This is only the second book that I have read from Lisa Jewell but she has quickly emerged as one of my favorite authors. Featuring a historical perspective, I loved this novel because of the strong, believable characters and their relationships, as well as the prose and intrigue that the novel presented. I loved the dynamic between Arlette and Betty and the dual writing that Jewell did fabulously well. I also thought Jewell created a very beautiful world for the reader … starting first in the 20’s with the stereotypical flapper dresses, transporting the reader through the early 90’s with all of it’s pop references as well. Overall, a truly heartwarming read and a great new addition to my book shelf. I think this book is for any reader who loves a little bit of mystery and intrigue in a read.

[Rating: 4.5/5]

July 30, 2012
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Haole Wood by Dee DeTarsio
Chick Lit Review

Haole Wood by Dee DeTarsio

I have highly enjoyed Dee DeTarsio’s novels, and was excited when she asked me to review her latest, Haole Wood. A Hawaii setting – yes please! The main character is Jaswinder Park (killer name!) and she is sent to Hawaii to help bail her grandmother out of jail. While there, she loses her job as a San Diego weathercaster (pre-taping a segment calling for sunshine turned out not be the best call) but she has bigger fish to fry in the Aloha State. Mainly, her grandmother now being on trial for the murder of the cute guy she did a shot with the night he was murdered. Add to that stress she is trying to find a job or some source of income, possibly seeing the sexy derm doc, and has a guardian angel who was scraped from the bottom of the barrel. Jaswinder has her hands full and Haole Wood whips up a tale of murder and mayhem, and makes for a fun summer read.
I have reviewed The Scent of Jade, Ros, and The Kitchen Shrink from DeTarsio, and all have been great reads. If you have yet to read anything from her – get on it! I loved the intrigue in the book – and the fact that I was really wondering who the true murderer was up until the end. Jaswinder is a fun character, and her grandmother seemed super sweet – even though she only ever said two different phrases to her granddaughter. There was a lot of humor, romance, and I loved the guardian angel element, which is classic DeTarsio. One to check out!
[Rating: 4]

July 27, 2012
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Nursing Second Chances by Maggie Greene
Chick Lit Review

Nursing Second Chances by Maggie Greene

Nursing Second Chances by Maggie Greene follows two main characters, Kiersten and Charles and their interwoven story lines. Kiersten Hart vowed never to return to her hometown after a bad experience during high school, but is forced to put those feelings aside when her sister is widowed and left alone to raise two kiddos alone. Reluctantly, Kiersten leaves her big city job and returns to her old stomping grounds to help her sister out … although she insists that it is only temporary. She takes a job as a school nurse, and it is there that she meets diabetic child Jason, the son of Charles Webber. The two share an instant attraction but they both have their own hang ups about falling in love. It eventually takes something drastic to bring the characters to a point where they are able to finally go with what is in their hearts.

I found Nursing Second Chances to be a sweet romance and found the characters to be honest and real. I absolutely fell in love with Jason … although I do wish that the trio of characters had more “family” time together as a cohesive unit, and that we could see more interaction between Kiersten and him. The other major complaint that I had was Kiersten’s constant reminder to Charles about only staying in town temporarily. I felt like she was pretty much the sole reason for keeping the two of them apart for so long, but I guess that it wouldn’t be a love story if there wasn’t an obstacle. Overall, the story was sweet, just wish it was a little more in depth and provided a little more interaction.

[Rating: 4/5]

July 27, 2012
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What a Texas Girl Wants by Kristina Knight
Chick Lit Review

What a Texas Girl Wants by Kristina Knight

Kristina Knight is currently on tour with CLP Blog Tours and What a Texas Girl Wants. I found this to be a short and sweet romance novel, filled with dramatic decisions and suspenseful moments. Kathleen and Jackson are recently married – yet neither of them can remember the night of their wedding. While the two were in Mexico for different reasons- Kathleen to clear her head, Jackson for work – the two past classmates run into each other, and a drunken night leads to their nuptials. The two come from very different backgrounds – Kathleen’s family runs a prominent ranch in Texas and comes from a line of wealth and power, while Jackson was abandoned by his birth mother and grew up much poorer. But when the two decide to stay married for the sake of Kathleen’s family – she can’t afford to put her grandfather through the distress such as a quickie wedding and quicker divorce when she is supposed to be proving she can be the lady in charge of their family business. Jackson goes along with the plan reluctantly as first – but it doesn’t take him long to realize he loves Kathleen. Kathleen loves Jackson back – but are the both too stubborn to tell the other?
I liked the fast pace of this novel, and it was a very quick read. While I thought there was enough back story on Kathleen and Jackson and how they knew each other, I would have appreciated just a bit more insight on their time together in Mexico. How did they find each other? Who made the first move? I know that neither character could remember this due to the drinking, but as a reader I would have appreciated that info. I loved the plot overall, and waiting to see who would come to their senses first and admit their feelings. The other plot points such as the ranch business, Jackson searching for his birth mother, and Kathleen’s sister and her divorce kept my interest as well. One thing that I didn’t quite understand was Kathleen’s father and his drinking habits. I felt like I had missed something to why he lead his family to believe he was an alcoholic. But overall, a fun story that I would recommend, especially if you enjoy romance.
[Rating: 4]

July 27, 2012
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South Hills Sidekicks: Uninvited by Megan Summers and Leah Spiegel
Chick Lit Review

South Hills Sidekicks: Uninvited by Megan Summers and Leah Spiegel

South Hills Sidekicks by writing duo Megan Summers and Leah Spiegel follows a group of teenagers on the brink of starting their senior year of school. Alley suspects that this year will be the same as the rest, and dreads going to school and hanging out with a bunch of girls who are wealthier than she is … but that all changes with Kirsten, a girl in her “friendly” clique, goes missing. Names are thrown out as suspects, but the leading man in the polls is Shane, typical cool-guy-on-campus, who is cocky and full of himself. But is he really the man responsible? The cops seem uninterested so she and the rest of her gang start doing a little sleuthing of their own, but that makes things worse for their cause because now the police are starting to pay attention, but not in the way that they imagined. Will they ever find out what happened to Kirsten? Or will they end up just like her if they don’t stop digging around?

I found South Hills Sidekicks to be quite fun. I honestly didn’t expect much from this book in the beginning because I just felt like it was definitely out of my age range and that it wouldn’t necessarily apply to me, and yes, whilst that is true since it takes place in high school, I still found it entertaining. Not only is it full of mystery and intrigue … but this book is actually funny (which is something that I didn’t expect). I would definitely recommend this book to a younger crowd and I feel like the authors have a solid book on their hands.

[Rating: 4/5]

July 26, 2012
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Brownie Fix by Ellen Cardona
Chick Lit Review

Brownie Fix by Ellen Cardona

Ellen Cardona is currently on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Brownie Fix. I think this novel has a very specific audience. The main character, Persey, is dealing with pregnancy, giving birth to her son, and then severe postpartum depression. While I do not have children yet, I do hope to be a mother in the future, and so I was intrigued by the fictional take on postpartum and motherhood as a whole. Persey struggles right away with her issues of impending motherhood, and Cardona takes readers to a very dark place with Persey, where she even has thoughts of harming her new son. The book has a ton of raw emotion and feels very real, I didn’t feel like anything was hidden or glossed over when it came to the characters or storyline. There are even some much need comic-relief moments when it comes to the supporting cast, such at Persey’s mother and neighbors. One character I really enjoyed was Persey’s husband, who was a huge rock for her during her struggles. While this wasn’t a typical read for me, I was able to learn from the book and have a better understanding on postpartum depression. I also liked that the author wrote this book and suffered through postpartum herself (not that I wish that on someone!) but I think that is a big reason while the writing felt so real to me. I knew that the person behind the words had been there and done that, and I find it commendable she was able to produce Brownie Fix.
[Rating: 3.5]

July 26, 2012
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Kat Fight by Dina Silver
Chick Lit Review

Kat Fight by Dina Silver

Dina Silver is currently on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Kat Fight. I absolutely loved Dina’s debut, One Pink Line, and have been eagerly awaiting her sophomore novel. I was not disappointed in the slightest with Kat Fight. Dina once again brings her powerful writing skills, likeable and relatable characters, and a tender story-line that makes this novel land on my Favorites List.
The story opens with Kat fighting once again with her long-term boyfriend, Marc. She hasn’t been feeling the love lately in their relationship, and when she offers Marc an ultimatum, she is met only with silence. For weeks. Now single for the first time in years, Kat is forced to head back to the drawing board so she can find her happy ending. She firmly believes in love, marriage, the whole works…but now who will be her Prince Charming? When her best friend Julie sets up Kat on a blind date, it happens to work – just not with who Julie set up Kat with. Instead, Kat starts to wonder if she is falling for Julie’s date, Ryan. As the story continues, Kat hides her blossoming friendship with Ryan from Julie, which ends up backfiring on her. Marc also comes back in the picture ready to give Kat everything she asked for – but is that what she really wants? With two men, a pissed off BFF, a catty co-worker trying to give her advice and a bi-polar boss making Kat jump through hoops, this story has it all, and makes for an excellent chick lit read.
I felt like I was immediately friends with Kat, and the supporting cast was truly outstanding. Adam, the co-worker, was to die for, and even Brooke kept up her storyline very well. The idea behind the plot was also intriguing, in part because who falls for the friend’s date on their own blind date, but also because Silver has said that it is loosely based on how she met her husband. I loved the ten facts after the book that were included, a fab touch! Kat Fight was engaging and read on a personal level, one for your must-read list and another 5 star novel from Dina Silver.
[Rating: 5]

July 25, 2012
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I Have Iraq In My Shoe by Gretchen Berg
Chick Lit Review

I Have Iraq In My Shoe by Gretchen Berg

I Have Iraq In My Shoe follows Gretchen Berg (author) as she gets hit head on by the recession. We watch as she hilariously goes about what used to be her life (gym membership, shopping addictions, Diet Coke lover) as she comes face to face with unemployment. What will she do? Well, what she decides will completely take you by surprise (and I know it took her by surprise as well). Gretchen decides to uproot her life as she knows it as she moves to the Middle East to teach English to conservative Muslin Iraqis. She expects to make a little money to pay off some debt back in the states, but she most definitely doesn’t expect to ever come to enjoy her new life in the desert. But, surprisingly, in the end she ends up loving it.

I am usually not a fan of memoir type books- I find that they either appeal to me completely, or not at all, and typically, they are in the later category. But, for some reason, this book really resonated with me. I absolutely loved how Gretchen found herself in uncharted territory and found herself in love and finally at home. This book is absolutely hilarious and I loved all of the fashion references and the mentioning of all of the things that she deeply missed from back home. Overall, a fantastic read and a really fun time! I would highly recommend this book to pretty much any woman who is in need of a good laugh and a heartfelt book.

[Rating: 5/5]

July 24, 2012
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