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The Wedding Beat by Devan Sipher
Chick Lit Review

The Wedding Beat by Devan Sipher

Gavin Greene is a writer for a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper, but he doesn’t write a column on stocks or sports. No, he writes the wedding column, which suits this romantic at heart. Still reeling from a bad breakup, Gavin is searching for that right woman…and finds her New Years Eve night at a party. Melinda. Gavin’s One. But when she slips out early, Gavin is left to search for the woman whose last name he isn’t even privy too. Can Gavin find her before someone else sweeps her away?
I thought The Wedding Beat by Devan Sipher was a fabulous novel! I love chick lit from a guy’s perspective, and definitely think it should be on your to-read list. Gavin reminded me a bit of Ross from Friends or Ted from How I Met Your Mother, both characters that I simply adore. His journey to find Melinda kept me invested throughout the entire novel. I was thinking five stars all the way, but the ending really tripped me up. I felt a bit cheated as a reader. We go through this incredible journey of finding Melinda, and the epilogue didn’t really wrap up their love story. I don’t want to give too much away, but I was just bummed that more details weren’t given in their relationship and how it turned out. Other than that, loved the story and think you will too.
[Rating: 4.5/5]

April 11, 2012
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All the Difference by Kaira Rouda
Chick Lit Review

All the Difference by Kaira Rouda

I absolutely loved Here, Home, Hope, the debut novel from Kaira Rouda. She embodied what I hope to do with my writing – inspire other woman. When Kaira asked me to host her at CLP Blog Tours for her second novel, I was blown away. Of course I was ecstatic, and I’m happy to report I highly enjoyed All the Difference. I thought this book was very different from her first, but to me it just showed the talent that Rouda possesses. The story is set in Grandville, and follows multiple characters in this suburban town. The main focus is three women – all with different stories, different problems, different lives – but one has turned to murder to get her way. A suspenseful novel filled with hard-hitting decisions and scenarios, I was flipping frantically to the end to tie everything together.
I will say that at first the amount of characters overwhelmed me. There is a lot going on in this book, different viewpoints, stories, opinions, and in the beginning it was a lot to handle. I was able to adjust after the first few chapters, but that’s just my warning that the beginning my throw you off. Other than getting over that bump, I had a lot of fun with this story. Again, I thought it was a different direction for Rouda, and I loved the suburban mystery aspect. I will admit that I thought I knew which woman was the murderer – and I was totally wrong. I loved the little flashbacks that we got, how all the stories entwined together and I would recommend All the Difference!
[Rating: 4]

April 9, 2012
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Children of the Gods by Monica Millard
Chick Lit Review

Children of the Gods by Monica Millard

The YA/paranormal books have really been catching my eye lately, and I was so happy to host Monica Millard at CLP Blog Tours for her novel Children of the Gods. I thought this read was super unique – which might sound strange since I think that paranormal books are all pretty unique, but this one had a little something extra that kept me enticed. The book is actually classified as sci-fi, which I really enjoyed. I know sci-fi can get be confusing to some, and I will say that it took me a while to really understand what was happening. I think that maybe a more detailed synopsis could help readers when they start this book. The Halorans are an alien race that came to Earth posing as Gods, and they snatch the citizens to have them be host bodies. The story focuses around Reka, a seventeen year old who is chosen as a host, and the romance between her Jaxson. Once I got over the initial questions and trying to figure out the relationships, I was really into the book. I would definitely recommend Children of the Gods to those who enjoy sci-fi elements in their reading.
[Rating: 4]

April 9, 2012
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A Perfect Storm by Lori Foster
Chick Lit Review

A Perfect Storm by Lori Foster

A Perfect Storm is the next title in Lori Foster’s Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor series, and I was excited to read it. I was sucked into the series from the first book, When You Dare, and though book # 2- Trace of Fever – didn’t leave my raving, Savor the Danger reeled me back in to the series. During Savor the Danger we meet Spencer Lark and Arizona Storm, and these are the characters that are focused on throughout A Perfect Storm. Arizona is a twenty-one year old who was put through hell courtesy of her own father when he put her up for human slavery and sex trafficking. Jackson (Savor the Danger) saves Arizona from her captures and becomes like a brother to her, but Arizona is all about remaining independent – and intent on making sure any other human traffickers are brought to justice. Spencer has his hands full trying to keep Arizona safe, and now realizes he is starting to develop feelings for her on top of it. But with the recent death of his wife, should he be looking at another female? And Arizona is so untamed, so determined to live life her own way, that it would be near impossible for them to make it as a couple. But before they can sort out their relationship, another bad guy must be brought to justice.
I liked A Perfect Storm, not quite as much as books 1 and 3, but more than Trace’s. Arizona was a bit of a hot mess from time to time, but from her past I don’t think anyone could really blame her. I thought the plot was interesting with the bar that they were trying to expose – the bad guy in the end really surprised me and I thought it was a fabulous twist. It was great to catch up with the characters from the past books as well, and I read this fairly quickly. My only gripes are that it just seemed to be a lot of the same stuff – a petite girl with a huge rack, muscular dude that is so well-endowed the girl is a little afraid to be with him. Girl with a lot of trust issues that needs to be talked through the intimate moments. I would like to see maybe a little different scenario, but I understand the series is about guys who are professional mercenaries, so I can’t expect them to be a whole lot different. With that fact shoved aside, I really did enjoy this book and would definitely recommend this series from Lori Foster!
[Rating: 4]

April 7, 2012
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Gossip by Beth Gutcheon
Chick Lit Review

Gossip by Beth Gutcheon

Some books I just can’t connect with, and unfortunately Gossip by Beth Gutcheon was one of those. I was looking forward to this book – who doesn’t love some gossip and I thought the cover was really cute – but it just fell flat for me. The beginning started off slowly – way too slowly – and it was downhill for me from there. The story is narrated by Lovie Walker, yet the POV is divided amongst her and two other characters. There’s a lot of jumping between past and present and POV that made it hard for me to stick with what was happening. About a third of the way through the book, I gave up and started speed reading. There just wasn’t anything happening to keep my attention. I believe readers are supposed to take away that even the rich and privileged go through hardships, but I’m really not positive on that. I’ve seen other reviews that talk about a “shocking ending” so I went back and re-read it, but since I really didn’t have a clue who any of the characters were and had no attachment to them, I simply didn’t get it. Gossip wouldn’t be a recommendation from me.
[Rating: 2]

April 6, 2012
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The Break-Up Test by Rose McClelland
Chick Lit Review

The Break-Up Test by Rose McClelland

The Break-Up Test by Rose McClelland is a sweet, heartwarming story about love and its many faces. The story introduces us to the three main characters early on: Amy, Beth, and Sarah. All three are good looking, smart, kind, and intelligent women with one thing in common – rotten taste in men. They each have their own story and problem to deal with. Amy is strictly used as a booty-call. Beth is desperate. And Sarah is sleeping with a committed man – kind of. Upon hearing about their disastrous dating lives, mutual friend Jamie creates a list of items called “The Break-Up Test” that he feels will bring three girls better success with love. Will they clean up their acts? Will The Break-Up Test cure their dating woes? Only time will tell, but many dating adventures await them in the mean time.

I absolutely adored The Break-Up Test and found it endearingly heartfelt. The writing was witty and humorous and I thought that Rose McClelland created very realistic dating scenarios that many women (and some men) deal with on a daily basis- now if only we all had someone like Jamie come along and cure our dating woes. Speaking of Jamie, he was by far my favorite character. I found him sweet and charming … a modern day Romeo and I absolutely loved the way Rose handled his love interest. Overall, the story is sweet and I really enjoyed it. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a light read with some humor.

April 6, 2012
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The Cinderella Blues by Obren Bokich
Chick Lit Review

The Cinderella Blues by Obren Bokich

The Cinderella Blues by Obren Bokich tells the story of Kat, a charming yet hopeless romantic, who is imaginative in a very endearing way. The story follows her as she juggles both her miserable job and the search for her true “Prince Charming”. She ventures through the dating scene with optimism and stumbles a few times, but ultimately learns to trust herself and her heart and in doing so, she realizes that she may end up with her happy ending (in more ways than one) after all.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Cinderella Blues and found it delightfully heartfelt and witty. I think Bokich did a wonderful job at creating a character that most women can identify with, as well as life situations that many of us experience ourselves. Being single in a city like LA is a task in itself, and I think Kat does so in a very realistic and charming way. I absolutely adored the relationships that Kat has throughout the book, especially the one with Cooper- whom I think is a heart throb in his own right! Overall, this book was a joy to read and I found myself laughing out loud at several parts. A great book to share with your girlfriends!

April 5, 2012
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Skin Rules by Debra Jaliman, M.D.
Chick Lit Review

Skin Rules by Debra Jaliman, M.D.

I am all about caring for my skin. I stopped going to tan beds in college, I read product reviews, I slather on sunscreen everyday – summer or winter. So I was thrilled to read Skin Rules by Debra Jaliman, M.D. and one of the top New York dermatologists. With 77 tips filling the pages, I quickly soaked in all the advice she had to offer, and have to say I am super impressed with this book! I know it will not be leaving my bookshelf, because I’ve already gone back three times to look up a product or recommendation. I have changed the way I wash my face – from once at night to both morning and night. It might seem pretty obvious, but I never thought of all the germs that make it on to my pillowcase at night. There are so many great product recommendations – from over the counter cleansers, prescriptions for eyelash lengtheners, to laser procedures to help sculpt a body. I definitely recommend you give this book a read!
[Rating: 5]

April 4, 2012
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Letter from a Stranger by Barbara Taylor Bradford
Chick Lit Review

Letter from a Stranger by Barbara Taylor Bradford

Letter from a Stranger by Barbara Taylor Bradford is an immensely captivating read that will leave you leafing through the pages to see what happens next. The story begins when award-winning film maker Justine Nolan returns to her idyllic childhood home and stumbles upon an envelope perched on her absent mother’s desk. The envelope peaks her curiosity and she opens it, unraveling a startling secret … and sending her on a quest into an unknown past where she uncovers the truth about her life and her family history.

I thoroughly enjoyed Letter from a Stranger and found myself entranced from the very beginning. I think Barbara Taylor Bradford did an exquisite job weaving factual and fictional details together, as well as moments from the past and the present. The characters are flawless: Justine is fantastic as a strong, independent woman, and her grandmother Gabriele is a true heroine with a kind soul. My heart ached as Justine relived the ancient memories of Gabriele’s past and I couldn’t imagine how she felt reading about all of the things that she had witnessed, or been apart of, during World War II.

This one is a page turner for sure. It is a wonderful read that beautifully weaves together woman’s fiction with historical facts.

[Rating: 4.5/5]

April 3, 2012
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