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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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The Cowboy Singer by Paula Tiberius
Chick Lit Review

The Cowboy Singer by Paula Tiberius

Paula Tiberius is currently on tour with CLP Blog Tours and The Cowboy Singer. This is a really sweet romance novel, filled with a solid plot and loveable characters. MC April Connors flees from LA to her grandmother’s house in Texas after her boyfriend leaves her for another woman – while she is over six months pregnant with his child. Alone, jobless, and living with Grandma, April figures this is just her life now. She puts the idea of ever finding a husband out of her mind – who would want to help raise a kid that wasn’t their own? James “Jimmy Wick” Warwick, an aspiring singer, finds he can’t get April Connors out of his mind since she moved to his town. Even though his life is now filled with court dates and custody battles between his ex-wife, James tries to focus on the positives – his singing career, meeting April, and his beautiful four year old daughter Summer. But when his ex moves Summer out of Texas, James isn’t sure what the next step is. Does his stay with April – a woman he’s known only for a few months – or pack up and follow Summer to Florida? April runs into troubles with her ex as well when he suddenly appears back in her life, looking to be a father. Could she possibly ever get back in a relationship with the man who left her – or will she ever get a chance with her cowboy singer?
I was riveted by the story right when I started reading. I immediately sympathized with April, and thought she was very courageous to admit she needed help and to do the best thing for her child. I actually thought the story was moving too fast at first, I kept thinking I was missing important bits, but then I grasped that this is simply a fast-moving, short and sweet novel. I appreciated the fact that everything moved the story forward, as I come across a lot of unnecessary filler scenes in novels. I loved James’ character. He was such a good guy, another rarity these days. My heart hurt when his daughter moved away from him, and for a second I wasn’t sure how the book would end. I thought him and April would get together, but sometimes it just seemed there was too many obstacles for it to be a happy ending. A very strong novel from Paula Tiberius and one I recommend!
[Rating: 4]

July 23, 2012
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Inner Circle by Evelyn Lozada
Chick Lit Review

Inner Circle by Evelyn Lozada

I’m a big fan of sports, reality shows, and novels. So when I was asked to review Inner Circle, the first novel in The Wives Association series written by Evelyn Lozada, I was obviously sold. Lozada is currently married to NFL star Chad Ochocinco, and her books (co-authored by Courtney Parker) are loosely based on her knowledge of what it is like to be an athlete’s wife. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book, but as someone who constantly says she is in love with men such Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews and Donald Driver (GB fan- can you tell?) I was curious to get the inside scoop on the ladies with these men we see on TV.
Well, I’ll say this – after reading Inner Circle, I don’t think I would ever want to date an athlete. They do not come across attractive (in the non-physical sense at least) in any way. It’s hard for me to think of men such as Drew Brees or Tom Brady treating their wives this way, but a disturbing pattern was to be found. Now to the story – the main character is Eve Inez, wife of Chase Landon, the super-star wide receiver for the Los Angeles Leopard’s. Eve is insistent on keeping her independence, which means sticking with her job as a sports agent and not letting her just be Mrs. Chase Landon. When her BFF Amber finds out her husband had an affair and knocked up their chef, Eve decides to form The Wives Association. Wives of famous athletes will band together to protect each other, should their men ever try to leave them and cut off their swanky lifestyle they have grown accustomed to. While Eve pours herself into protecting her friends, she doesn’t realize that her own best friend has been keeping a secret from her – one that will threaten Eve’s own marriage and happiness.
Overall, I really did enjoy Inner Circle. I’ve been browsing through some reviews on Amazon, and there were many that disliked the book and were pretty vocal about it. I liked the behind the scenes look, even if it did make me a bit scared of athletes now. I thought the writing was good, a little slow and repetitive at times, but I thought it was juicy enough to make me okay with those lows. There was a bit too much “beating bitch’s asses” for my like, that got old really fast to me. But the ending really had me on my toes, and I sped through the last few chapters at lightning speed. I loved the cliff-hanger ending! It made me definitely interested in reading the second book. If you are a sports fan or know Lozada from reality TV, I think this one should be on your list. I will say there is a lot of what some are calling “hood language” and a handful of extremely explicit sex scenes sprinkled throughout. Looking forward to this series!
[Rating: 4]

July 20, 2012
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Paula Takes a Risk by Randi M. Sherman
Chick Lit Review

Paula Takes a Risk by Randi M. Sherman

Randi M. Sherman is currently on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Paula Takes a Risk. MC Paula Tenenbaum is thirty-four, newly single and newly…

July 20, 2012
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Ship To Shore by Elizabeth Krall
Chick Lit Review

Ship To Shore by Elizabeth Krall

Ship to Shore by Elizabeth Krall follows main characters Sally and Dermid, who meet on a ship while sailing across the Atlantic ocean. Sally is instantly drawn to Dermid and although they have a strong connection, their romance ends badly … and very quickly. But, there may still be hope for them as Sally accepts a job assignment on remote Scottish island nearby to where Dermid lives, although she insists that he isn’t the reason. But that quickly changes. Once Sally’s assignment is over, does she plan to stay in Scotland? Or will she return home?

Ship to Shore is a witty romance set against the North Atlantic as a backdrop, where two people must learn to trust their instincts and truly go for it in terms of love. At first they are both wary of truly committing to the other, but once they learn to trust their hearts, they are finally able to give in to one another. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I believe I finished it in a few days and thought about it while I wasn’t reading, constantly wondering what would happen to Sally and Dermid and if they would ever wind up together. Thankfully, the ending doesn’t disappoint (although it literally happens at the very last minute). I loved the scenic descriptions and you can tell that the author definitely did her research. All in all, a wonderful read and a great escape during the summer time.

[Rating: 4/4]

July 19, 2012
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How To Look Like You by Rose McClelland
Chick Lit Review

How To Look Like You by Rose McClelland

How to Look Like You by Rose McClelland asks the simple question, “have you ever had a frenemy?” If you aren’t familiar with the term, it is an enemy who is also a friend … someone whom you smile and are friendly to their face, but behind their back are secretly filled with jealousy and green with envy. Most girls are familiar with the term, and it isn’t lost on Chloe and Ella either. Ella is a very talented young woman- she sings and acts amongst many other things, yet she envies Chloe’s steady relationship with Aidan and her supposed perfect body. On a fluke, Ella begins working closely with Aidan and begins to develop feelings for him although her loyalty should be to her friend. The two get close and Aidan invites her to join his band, sending Chloe on a rage. This small step triggers a “frenemy relationship” between the two girls and spirals the two girls into dangerous territory. Will they be ever be able to be friends again? Or are they destined to one day be completely enemies?

Oh my goodness, Rose McClelland nails this one (and some poisonous female relationships) right on the head. As a female, all women can relate to these kinds of friendships and I think that Rose did a fabulous job portraying both of the women and their different points of view and allowing their stories to intertwine in a way that allows the reader to really get to know the characters. As a reader, I felt like I definitely took a side (who wouldn’t), but not once did I ever feel like Rose did. I felt like both women’s stories were written very unbiasedly. Overall, a fantastic and truly unique read. You have another hit on your hands Rose! Well done!

[Rating: 4.5/5]

July 18, 2012
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Secrets, Lies & PG Tips by Leanne Rose
Chick Lit Review

Secrets, Lies & PG Tips by Leanne Rose

Secrets, Lies & PG Tips by Leanne Rose follows self confessed hopeless romantic, Nina Parker. Narrated in first person (with a British accent and slang), the book starts off with Nina moving to San Francisco to pursue a flashy and glamorous life full of money, parties, fancy shoes, a fabulous career, and a knock-out hunk of a man that she sees frequently on TV. Although her head is constantly in the clouds, Nina is knocked back down to real life, where she works for an unappreciative boss, has no style, and definitely no man. Will things change for Nina? And will she ever get her happily ever after? Or will she be forced to live her life unhappily for the rest of her days?

Secrets, Lies & PG Tips starts off rather slow but stick with it … because it gets better. I love Nina’s story telling and the way that Leanne Rose makes the characters feel very authentic, with honest hopes and dreams and quite honestly, fantasies. By far Nina is my favorite character, but a close second would have to be Marvin- very witty and funny. All in all a great, quick read filled with romantic wishes and a great twist that the reader will not expect (I know that I didn’t). Overall, a quite enjoyable read.

[Rating: 3.5/5]

July 17, 2012
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Busted in Bollywood by Nicola Marsh
Chick Lit Review

Busted in Bollywood by Nicola Marsh

I received a copy of Busted in Bollywood in exchange for an honest review. I thought this book was great! I’ve read quite a few Bollywood books, so I am aware of the cultural and how the women must deal with arranged marriage. MC Shari Jones gets roped into a crazy scheme by her BFF Amrita – who is about to become the victim of an arranged marriage. When Amrita is called upon to travel from New York to Mumbai to meet her fiancé and his family for the first time, she somehow convinces Shari to go in her place. Since Shari is Indo-American she should be able to pull it off, especially when Amrita convinces her there is no way her photo has been shown to her fiancé’s family. Shari heads to Mumbai with a plan to be the worst possible fiancée around, hoping to break up the engagement so Amrita will still have a chance at true love. But her plan is foiled when not only the fiancé but his friend and business partner know that Shari is not Amrita. Will the friends come out on top in the game of love and blackmail?
Nicola Marsh has a fabulous writing style, fun, fast-paced, and wicked sharp! The plot was hilarious and a bit over-the-top, the characters were strong and memorable, and I laughed my way through Shari’s tale. I loved all the descriptions of Mumbai as well. I really connected with Shari, who put herself in the unfortunate “other woman” category and got burned because of it. She was very real and obviously loved her friend, and I was thrilled to see her get a happy ending. There was drama, humor, and even some fab fashion that made this an all-around enjoyable chick lit read. I recommend!
[Rating: 4.5]

July 16, 2012
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The Sweet Life eSeries: Books 1 and 2
Chick Lit Review

The Sweet Life eSeries: Books 1 and 2

And Sweet Valley continues! Francine Pascal brought back the Wakefield twins with a vengeance with the release of Sweet Valley Confidential: 10 Years Later in March 2011, and now Jessica, Elizabeth and the gang is back for more! There is a brand-new eSeries being released July 15- August 12, titled The Sweet Life. This six part eSeries will let readers continue to follow the Wakefield’s through their fab 30’s – or is it so fabulous?
Book #1 starts up with Jessica and Todd separated and headed for a divorce. Quite the difference from the end of Sweet Valley Confidential where they are getting married and are blissfully happy. Oh – and they now have a son together as well! After three years of marriage things have turned sour, and it doesn’t look like a happy ending is in the pages for Jessica. At least she has her job to fall back, her beautiful son, and a renowned strength with twin Elizabeth after their massive feud. And she is ready to be there for Elizabeth when her boyfriend, the immensely wealthy Bruce Patman, is caught in a sexual harassment scandal. A cliff-hanger leads us to book # 2, titled Lies and Omissions, and keeps right on going. Jessica is working Bruce’s PR to spin the story that the female intern just wants her fifteen minutes of fame, but Elizabeth has an off-feeling about Bruce’s story. Is her boyfriend telling the truth – or is Robin, the terrified ex-intern who seems genuinely scared of Bruce telling the truth? Elizabeth uses her reporter skills to get the real scoop – but will she like the outcome? Jessica is now trying to fix her marriage with Todd, but will one costly mistake ruin everything? Another cliff-hanger ending has me eager to read the third novella in this eSeries- Too Many Doubts.
[Rating: 4]

July 16, 2012
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