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Single in the City by Michele Gorman
Chick Lit Review

Single in the City by Michele Gorman

I was really looking forward to reading Single in the City by Michele Gorman, but actually found myself a bit disappointed. The main character is Hannah Cumming, a 26 year old American who decides she needs an adventure, to really live life, and one drunken night buys a plane ticket to London. Heading across the Pond without a job lined up or a place to live, Hannah experiences multiple difficulties while trying to adjust. Along the way, she sleeps with her married boss, finds a roommate solution with some half-naked Aussies, almost destroys her up and coming career as a party planner, and finally falls in love. The situations Hannah finds herself in are quite funny, and the one liners did make me smile throughout. Sounds like a fun and engaging chick lit novel.
So why was I disappointed? For starters, I like fast-paced books. I like the plot moving along and characters going from point A to point L in just a few pages. But with Single in the City, I think the plot was just a tad too fast. Multiple times I had to flip back pages to understand why the characters were doing and saying what they were doing and saying. The skipping around gave me a headache. Another aspect I didn’t like was when Hannah finally finds love, she almost seems to lose her own identity, and is willing to drop her new life she has created for this guy. The sense of individuality and confidence that I saw the heroine creating throughout the story suddenly vanishes. I did appreciate the humor and the descriptions of seeing London through an American’s eyes, but this is definitely not a favorite of mine. I would still recommend Single in the City for the humor and hopefully some can take an independent can-do attitude away from the Hannah’s story.
Rating: 3.5

November 10, 2011
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Little Black Dress by Susan McBride
Chick Lit Review

Little Black Dress by Susan McBride

I love me some books with a magical twist to them. And Little Black Dress by Susan McBride delivers just that in her latest, and spectacular, novel. Even though I appreciate a good paranormal twist in books, sometimes they can be hard to achieve. But McBride manages to pull it off, all while delivering an emotional story that had me cheering and crying at the end. The main character is Antonia Ashton, a workaholic who is forced to move home to Blue Hills after her mother, Evie, suffers a stroke. While going through her childhood home, Antonia stumbles upon secret after secret. Much of the hidden past has to do with her aunt Anna, who mysteriously vanished fifty years earlier the night before her wedding. Through the help of one little black dress, the three women learn lessons about family, love, and even magic.
I just adored this book. I didn’t want to put it down, I wanted it to keep going after I finished; just an all around great read. All three characters are complex and engaging, and I was invested immediately in their stories. The book changes from past to present, and kept giving readers a little taste of what happened between Evie and Anna and why Anna ran away and how that linked to Antonia in the present. I think chick lit readers would have a great time reading this book, and it sure makes you want your own magical LBD! This makes it on my Favorites List for 2011. Get your copy!
[Rating: 5]

November 9, 2011
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Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger
Chick Lit Review

Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger

When I was asked to review Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger, I jumped at the chance. Who didn’t love The Devil Wears Prada? And I’m happy to report this book was just as great. The story follows happily married couple Julian and Brooke Alter. Brooke is working two jobs with the goal of starting her own nutrition business, and Julian is a struggling singer-songwriter hoping to hit it big. The couple’s world is rocked when Julian snags the attention of Hollywood big-wigs, and overnight becomes the “it” guy in town. Suddenly, Brooke and Julian are holding on tight while they ride the fame coaster, trying to stay grounded and sane. Brooke isn’t interested in celebrities, paparazzi, and the works of being famous. But Julian gets carried up in his new life––the money, publicity….the woman. Not only is Brooke having to deal with that train wreck, but her life, her career, everything she has worked so hard for, is slipping out of her reach thanks to her new high-profile life. Can Brooke and Julian’s marriage survive, or will the cost of fame tear them apart?
When I first started reading this book, I thought Julian was quite an ass-bag. I really thought he was just using Brooke to make ends meet and so he could keep working on getting discovered. As I kept reading, I realized that he did clearly love his wife, and she felt the same way. While their interests may have been different, the love and respect that should be in a marriage were there. It wasn’t hard to guess that something like an affair would be brought up, because come on––who in Hollywood isn’t accused of cheating? When I got to the end of the book, I was sure I was just going to hate what happened. I thought I could guess the ending, but I was wrong. While I won’t give anything away, I will say the ending made me think. It was more than just a typical fluffy let’s be happy ending. The roller coaster ride of emotions that Weisberger took me on, combined with a scandalous chick lit plot and some important lessons we learn from Brooke and Julian, earns this book a five star rating from me!
[Rating: 5]

November 7, 2011
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A Life That Fits by Heather Wardell
Chick Lit Review

A Life That Fits by Heather Wardell

When Andrea returns home from a business trip, she is sure her boyfriend of fourteen years, Alex, is about to propose. Imagine her surprise when instead of diamond ring she gets her heartbroken. Alex has found someone else, and promptly moves out of their shared home. Andrea is devastated, in shock, and can only think of ways to get Alex back. She doesn’t care that he cheated––she just wants her first love back.
A Life That Fits is another superb novel from Heather Wardell. I didn’t want to give too much away in the synopsis, so I cut myself off short. But let me tell you––there were more than a few times that I gasped while reading. I just love the plot twists that are in there! Wardell shows off her writing and character development skills yet again, especially with her heroine. It could have been easy to view Andrea as a weak, pathetic woman who will gladly take her cheating boyfriend back, but that’s wasn’t how I felt at all. I understood Andrea’s pain and confusion, and even her plan to reinvent herself to try to get Alex back. It didn’t surprise the minute I closed this book that I knew I would give it 5 stars. Keep them coming Heather!
[Rating: 5]

November 2, 2011
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Chosen by Denise Grover Swank
Chick Lit Review

Chosen by Denise Grover Swank

I am a big fan of chick lit (no, really!) but every once in awhile I like to dip into another genre. When Denise Grover Swank questioned me about CLP Blog Tours being a good fit for her second novel––the paranormal romance Chosen––I immediately jumped at the chance. Denise impressed me on a whole new level when I read her debut Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes for her first blog tour go-round. Not surprisingly, my other bloggers jumped at the chance to host her again––even those who don’t normally go for paranormal reads. So how did Denise do with Chosen?
Stellar! Another page-turner that had me biting my nails and desperately clicking the ‘next’ page on my Kindle. Emma Thompson and her five-year-old son Jake have been on the run from bad men for years. Though Emma isn’t positive what these men want with her son, she knows it has to do with Jake’s ability to see into the future. While on the run, Emma meets Will, who offers to help her escape. Little does Emma know that Will is actually on the job––he is a mercenary who has been given orders to capture Emma. Chosen is full of twists and turns and gasping and heart-breaking and blushing moments. The paranormal/fantasy aspect of Jake seeing in the future and the tattoos that mysteriously appear on Emma and Will are well written and flow with precision. I was on my seat almost the entire time reading this, and the cliff hanger ending will leave you wanting to yell at Denise to hurry up with book number two! Another five star review for a Denise Grover Swank novel, who clearly shows her writing skills and ability to work with multiple genres.
[Rating: 5]

October 31, 2011
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Our Eyes Met Over Cantaloupe by Anne McAneny
Chick Lit Review

Our Eyes Met Over Cantaloupe by Anne McAneny

Anne McAneny is on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Our Eyes Met Over Cantaloupe. The story follows Millie Morris after she endures a bad…

October 31, 2011
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Take it Like a Mom by Stephanie Stiles
Chick Lit Review

Take it Like a Mom by Stephanie Stiles

Take It Like a Mom by Stephanie Stiles offers a humorous yet very real look on motherhood, especially that of a stay at home mom. Our heroine is Annie Fingart Foster, a once flashy lawyer who has given up her business suits and power status to become….a stay at home mom. Her three-year-old son Robby is a handful, and Annie is somewhat horrified when she finds out she is expecting baby number two. After the initial shock, she feels everything will be okay- until her world starts to spin out of control. Her husband loses his job, the school Robby attends and some of the parents are nightmares, and now she has go through the hideous transformation of carrying a child once again. Annie does her best to suck it up, take it like a mom, and keep a smile on her face and her family in one piece.
I’ll point out again (like I do in every mom chick lit book) that I am not a mother, but this book is so and funny charming that you can’t help appreciate the writing and the characters. Annie is the perfect heroine- self-deprecating, witty and strong. Even though her family is going through some rough times, the love she has for her husband and son is clear to see and nice to read about. There are a lot of pop culture references scattered about that kept me entertained, and some of the supporting characters- like Lippie the Hippie- are super funny. Overall, I thought this was a really fun book and Stiles has a firm grasp on comedic writing that helps turn serious topics into lighthearted ones. I look forward for more to come!
[Rating: 4]

October 28, 2011
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The First Day of the Rest of My Life by Cathy Lamb
Chick Lit Review

The First Day of the Rest of My Life by …

Madeline O’Shea, a highly successful life coach, is a hypocrite. She tells people what to do with their lives, but doesn’t follow any of the advice she doles out. Madeline is hiding a secret- a horrible, wretched past filled with twisted abuse and heartbreak. Madeline, along with her sister and best friend, Annie, have worked hard to keep their childhood away from the public. But when a reporter starts getting too close for comfort, Madeline and Annie’s past may be revealed.
The First Day of the Rest of My Life by Cathy Lamb is not a story for the faint of heart. While I pride myself on being able to handle difficult scenes (and even write many of my own), I struggled through this book. The abuse that Madeline and Annie endure as girls is horrific and heart-breaking and evil. There were parts of this story that I couldn’t even say aloud after I was finished reading. That being said, if you can’t handle topics such as sexual abuse, please don’t try to read this book. It will tear you apart.
Besides from that, I understand the point and lesson Lamb wants readers to take away from this book, because it is one that I touch in my debut novel as well. How to move on from difficult circumstances that were beyond your control, regaining your life when at times it doesn’t seem possible, and never losing faith in yourself. And that I can appreciate. Sometimes the writing veered off track for me, and I wasn’t quite sure some scenes that just seemed like fillers were included. The grandparents were a lovely addition to Madeline and Annie, and the back story that included the mother was quite touching, even humorous at times. But overall, this is a very sad and dark novel, filled with plot twists and characters that continually brought me down. The ending really helped solidify Madeline and Annie starting their new lives, ones where they were no longer consumed in guilt and haunted from their past, and I was glad for a happy ending there. While this book gave me a lot to talk and think about, I don’t think it’s for everyone.
[Rating: 3.5]

October 26, 2011
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Whispers From the Heart by Heather Hummel
Chick Lit Review

Whispers From the Heart by Heather Hummel

Heather Hummel is on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Whispers From the Heart. I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, fast, and heart-warming. The main character is Madison Ragnar, a high school English teacher who is trying to forget her past. She left a bad boyfriend for a fresh start, but continually worries he is going to find her. When a man around town seems to be stalking her, her friends grow concerned. When he turns out to have a tie from Madison’s past, she doesn’t know how to react, or what to think of the twist of news he brings. Meanwhile, a tragic event rocks her high school class, and Madison tries her best to connect with her students while giving them an education. Along with best friend Olivia, Madison realizes the importance of living everyday to its fullest, and for letting fate works its magic.

Like I said, Whispers From the Heart is a shorter book, about 250 pages. Sometimes with shorter stories it can be easy to feel cheated out of character development or the plot, but I didn’t find this to be the case. I immediately bonded with Madison, and was pulled into her world. The plot twist shocked me- definitely not what I expected, and Hummel really knows how to keep readers on their toes. It was really touching to see how Madison connected with her students as well. Overall, a solid read that I have to recommend! I can’t wait for book number two from this author!

[Rating: 4.5]

October 24, 2011
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