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Looking For Leon by Shirley Benton
Chick Lit Review

Looking For Leon by Shirley Benton

Andie Appleton goes on holiday to Las Vegas for an escape. The last thing she expected to find was the man of her dreams- the too good to be true Leon. Leon’s zest for life is what attracts Andie immediately to this stranger, but a fire drill rips the two apart. Without getting any information from him, Andie feels desperate to find Leon from Arizona. When she must head back to Ireland and get back to work as a journalist, she figures she will never see Leon again. But when she is retelling her love story gone wrong to her co-workers, her conniving boss overhears and decides to push the story. Soon, Andie is retelling her Looking for Leon tale in columns, which is a hit for readers. A TV station decides to pick up the story and send Andie back to Vegas to continue her hunt for Leon. The search garners nation-wide attention- but no Leon. During the process, Andie gets thrown together with Colm the camera-man, who she immediately despises. But as the search continues and no Leon pops up, Andie begins to wonder if she possibly found the man of her dreams anyways…
Looking For Leon is the debut novel from Shirley Benton, and I found it to be enjoyable. The beginning and the end were both fast-paced and lively, but the middle really slowed the story down. I thought a handful of scenes could have been cut from the novel, I didn’t find that they moved the story or any characters along, and I think that is part of the reason why the middle was lagging. I thought the concept was unique and Benton can definitely write humor, which gave me plenty of laughs throughout the way. The ending was very shocking and quite sad; I shed a few tears during the last chapters. I thought this was a good debut but just a little lacking in a few areas, but I would still recommend Looking For Leon.
[Rating: 3.5]

May 6, 2011
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Crystal Balls by Amanda Brobyn
Chick Lit Review

Crystal Balls by Amanda Brobyn

Tina Harding, a successful estate agent, doesn’t believe in psychics. She believes in hard work, ambition, and being able to bury the past. When her career as an actress didn’t work out, much to the chagrin of her overbearing mother, Tina launches herself full force into her new career. When property developer and sex on a stick Brian Steen gives Tina’s company the exact high profile and high dollar job that it needs, Tina believes her fate is sealed. But when she grudgingly accompanies friend and co-worker Chantelle to a psychic fair, the tables turn. Even though Tina firmly thinks psychic’s are a bunch of wackos, she ends up doing a crystal ball reading. And then another. And then one more. And then starts calling psychic hotlines. Soon, all her decisions are being based off what the fortune tellers are telling her. Could her obsession cause her to sink her company- and her chance with Mr. Right?
Crystal Balls is the debut novel by Amanda Brobyn, and it is a light and funny read. I laughed at some of the wacky scenes that Tina goes through, and my interest was held with the love connection between her and Brian. But I felt like there were a handful of unnecessary scenes in the book. Scenes that didn’t move the story forward at all, and I had to wonder why they were included. That made the book seem a bit long for me. And I never really understood what changed for Tina that made her so addicted to psychics. I think if that would have been explained a bit more, I would have been able to maybe relate to Tina better. Overall, I found Crystal Balls to be slightly lacking in some areas, but still entertaining and witty enough to recommend.
[Rating: 3]

May 4, 2011
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When You Dare by Lori Foster
Chick Lit Review

When You Dare by Lori Foster

I don’t usually go for the romance novels, but something about When You Dare by Lori Foster made me say yes to reviewing it. Maybe it was the hunkalicious piece of man meat on the cover- who knows. But I decided to take a chance, and I am glad I did. I really enjoyed this suspenseful romance that has just that filling the pages- a whole lot of suspense and a whole lot of steamy romance. The main characters are Dare Macintosh and Molly Alexander, and the story begins with professional mercenary Dare rescuing Molly from Tijuana and a human trafficking setup. Molly, a best-selling author of scandalous romance novels, fears she was no ordinary kidnapping. Someone planned to take her- and that someone could possibly be her father. Or her ex-boyfriend. Or a disgruntled fan that was not happy with the way she redeemed a character in her latest book. With her life in danger, Dare decides to become Molly’s bodyguard, protecting her until they can figure out who would want Molly dead. But in the process of trying to keep herself alive, Molly starts to see Dare in a very different light. A very sexy light. And Dare is trying to keep his feelings for Molly shoved below the surface so he can keep her protected. But the more they try to ignore their feelings, the more the want builds between the two.
I thought When You Dare was excellent! Molly’s character was strong, a fairly independent chick who was ready to track down her kidnappers. And Dare was scorching the pages! You could sense his sex appeal from miles away. I thought the suspense was great, I really wasn’t positive who the culprit was until closer to the end. There were a few oddities about the story that caught my attention, like in the beginning where Molly didn’t seem at all frightened when it came to Dare, nor didn’t ask him many questions about why or how he rescued her. There were a few instances like that which I picked up on, but I still really got into the story and the characters. There were a lot times where I didn’t want to put this book down! The plot was fast paced with enough twists to keep my attention firmly on the story. Even if you aren’t usually a romance/suspense reader, I would give Lori Foster a chance. She won me over!
[Rating: 4.5]

April 29, 2011
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A Scottish Ferry Tale by Nancy Volkers
Chick Lit Review

A Scottish Ferry Tale by Nancy Volkers

Cassie is young and dumped. After traveling across the country to visit her boyfriend, who was studying abroad, the boyfriend promptly breaks up with her. Not feeling comfortable staying with him, Cassie decides to journey on a ferry to stay at a small bed and breakfast. While on the ferry, she meets the older Ralph, and makes an instant connection with him. During the weekend, the relationship between Cassie and Ralph grows, but then Cassie must leave to return to her job and her family. She doesn’t believe in love at first anyways…or does she?
A Scottish Ferry Tale is the debut novel from Nancy Volkers. It’s not my favorite read, but I definitely see the potential for a sequel. The beginning is a lot of back story, which could easily have been cut. The relationship between Cassie and Ralph was always a bit strained for me, and I think that is probably because I didn’t feel the age difference (a very significant one) was ever really discussed. On the upside, I do think Volkers has a talent for creating stories, and there were some witty scenes that made me happy to read in a romance novel.
[Rating: 3]

April 27, 2011
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Molly Cooper’s Dream Date by Barbara Hannay
Chick Lit Review

Molly Cooper’s Dream Date by Barbara Hannay

The second book that came in my fantastic package from Mills and Boon was Molly Cooper’s Dream Date by Barbara Hannay. Molly Cooper is living in Australia but desperate to visit London. She loves everything about London- especially the men. Molly knows she is destined to at least have one date with the perfect London gentleman. When she finds a house-swapping opportunity with Patrick Knight, a city banker that is desperate to escape and finally write a novel, it seems it was meant to be. Molly charters off to London and sets up house in Patrick’s fancy digs, while Patrick can finally get away from his job and just enjoy life and writing while staying in Molly’s cozy cottage. But while Molly seems to be having the time of her life, something feels off to Patrick. He suspects it might have to do with all the emails Molly keeps sending him. It sounds strangely like this could be the dream girl for him….
I loved Molly Cooper’s Dream Date! It was a fun read, and pretty quick to get through, and I really indentified with both Molly and Patrick. It was interesting to read their thoughts on each other’s lives and homes, and to sense over time that they should be together. Molly’s character was full of life and ready to take on any new challenges, and Patrick was a bit brooding in the beginning but quickly opened up to his new life in Australia. I also enjoyed that it was Patrick that first fell for Molly and not the other way around. I don’t think I would have enjoyed this book as much if it was the typical girl trying to snag the guy plot. This novel was so quick to get through because a lot of the writing was emails between Molly and Patrick, or excerpts from Molly’s diary. Sometimes when authors go that route it makes the story lack a strong bond to the characters, but Hannay did an excellent job at making sure that didn’t happen. I felt the emails heightened the story instead of hindering it, and I was desperate to get to the end to find out if Molly and Patrick would get together. A definite recommendation from me!
[Rating: 4.5]

April 27, 2011
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Surf Sea and a Sexy Stranger by Heidi Rice
Chick Lit Review

Surf Sea and a Sexy Stranger by Heidi Rice

Mills and Boon were so kind this year to send me a wonderful package with chocolates, face masks, and of course- two books! The first I read from M&B was Surf Sea and a Sexy Stranger by Heidi Rice. Maddy Westmore is on lifeguard duty when she has to rescue a man from drowning. The deliciously sexy man turns out to be millionaire entrepreneur Ryan King, though Maddy doesn’t know who he is. Rye has turned into a bit of recluse since a motorbike accident, which left him with a bad knee and inability to perform sexually. He is standoffish to Maddy after she pulls him from the water, mainly because he is embarrassed, but also because he is extremely turned on by her. Maddy insists on checking up on him after the surfing accident, which leads to a surprising night of passion. Maddy, who has a shoddy family background thanks to an affair by her father and has been used by several past boyfriends, can’t believe she gave in so easily to Rye’s charms. And Rye can’t believe he was able to get it up. The pair decide to give “just friends with benefits” a shot, but it is clearly not what they both want. But when their complicated backgrounds come to light, Maddy and Rye need to decide if they could make a relationship work, or if they are just not meant to be.
Surf Sea and a Sexy Stranger has a lot of romance and passion between the pages, but I kept finding myself a bit bored. I enjoyed Maddy’s character, she was jaded yet innocent and I was really rooting for her, but Rye didn’t connect with me so much. His womanizing and egotistical ways was a big turn off, so I didn’t quite understand the attraction to Maddy and vice versa. Trying to be just friends with no strings attached was clearly not working from the beginning, and Maddy’s outright resistance to date her boss (Rye) wasn’t too convincing, and I think that is where the story fell flat for me. And there are a lot of sex scenes, which isn’t really my cup of tea either. I did think the writing was very good though, this is my first read from Rice but it is evident she is very talented. The dialogue and description of the surroundings were both excellent, and I think I will try another by this author and see if I enjoy it more. Overall though, it was an interesting read and I would recommend this book. I would give it a try and see what you think of Maddy and Rye and their complicated romance.
[Rating: 3]

April 25, 2011
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Rock Bottom by Erin Brockovich & CJ Lyons
Chick Lit Review

Rock Bottom by Erin Brockovich & CJ Lyons

One of my favorite thriller writers, CJ Lyons, teamed up with environmental and consumer activist Erin Brockovich to create the dramatic thriller Rock Bottom. The story follows heroine AJ Palladino, an environmental activist and single mom to a son with a disability, David. When AJ returns to her hometown of Scotia, West Virginia, she is thrown into the middle of a mystery. The well known lawyer who had hired her as clerk to assist in his new case has died- and it looks like he could have been a homicide. When the lawyer’s daughter, Elizabeth, determinedly takes on the challenge of finding his murderer, AJ becomes involved. The story plays out in twisty sub-plots: David’s father and his past with AJ, the mining company that could be poisoning the town, the mystery behind AJ’s parents and their refusal to speak to her, and more.
Write what you know is a big piece of advice that authors often give, and it is clear that is what Brockovich and Lyons did. While I did enjoy all the mystery/thriller aspects, some of the environmental talks left me a bit confused. I don’t know much about saving the environment and the toxins and mining machines, etc, so I felt a little drowned when the book became heavy on those subjects, simply because I couldn’t grasp what was being talked about. But I did enjoy the suspense, and trying to figure out who killed the lawyer along with AJ and Elizabeth. I loved David’s character and the positive outlook the little boy had. The ending was shocking and unexpected to me, yet I thought it summed up the message the story wants you to get from reading. This is the first in a series from Brockovich and Lyons, and I do think I would give the second novel a try.
[Rating: 3.5]

April 22, 2011
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Everleigh in NYC by Cathleen Holst
Chick Lit Review

Everleigh in NYC by Cathleen Holst

I was so super excited to read the first book from Cathleen Holst, someone who has become a friend and mentor of mine since launching Chick Lit Plus and making the plunge into writing. And she did not disappoint! Everleigh in NYC opens with southern belle Everleigh Carlisle visiting New Orleans with bestie Christina. Since Everleigh was just dumped for the other woman- in this case, one of her friends- she knows a vacation to the Big Easy is in order. While there, Everleigh and Christina visit a voodoo priestess, and Everleigh makes a wish. The next morning, unable to remember the past night events, Everleigh doesn’t realize that she made a life altering wish with the priestess.
Two years later, everything is falling in place for Everleigh. She got hired for her dream job- a columnist at the ultra glam premiere New York magazine- Trés Magnifique. Her dream of moving to the Big Apple from Georgia and making a name for herself are finally happening. She also meets a man, the gorgeous and funny and hard working Robert Cates, but there are a few problems. For one, she can hear his inner thoughts. For two, he is her new boss, taking over the small newspaper company that Everleigh works for. Tucker Tales also happens to be started by Everleigh’s father, and is in danger of going under. Can Everleigh really leave for NYC and leave behind the family business? And why can she Robert’s thoughts?
Everleigh in NYC is a hit for Cathleen Holst! The story was fast-paced, the writing was witty, and the characters were full of charisma. I loved the voodoo/hearing thoughts aspect, that mystery gave this chick lit novel a little something extra. But the pages are also filled with to die for fashions, loving friends, boyfriend dramas, and an extremely relatable heroine that faces very real decisions. I highly enjoyed this debut novel, though there were a few odd grammar and spelling mishaps towards the end that I noticed, but overall, really fantastic read. I definitely recommend!
[Rating:4]

April 18, 2011
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Tales From the Yoga Studio by Rain Mitchell
Chick Lit Review

Tales From the Yoga Studio by Rain Mitchell

Tales From the Yoga Studio by Rain Mitchell is a charismatic novel about a group woman struggling in different aspects of their lives. Lee, the owner and instructor of a yoga studio, is having money and marriage troubles. Her husband Alan recently moved out of their home, but Lee is determined to make it worth with him. Katherine, who works as a masseuse at Lee’s studio, is a recovering addict who stumbles into what may be love, but she doesn’t feel worthy of receiving it. Graciela is a dancer who was recently injured, and is turning to yoga to try to help recover. Imani, though a successful actor and wife to an adoring husband, suffered a miscarriage and is feeling lost after her devastating experience. And Stephanie is determined to be the best screenwriter, but her namedropping and egotistical manner turns everyone away from her. The girls all meet at Lee’s studio, and form odd friendships to help each other through their journeys.
This novel seems to be getting plenty of mixed reviews, but I liked it, I really did. I love yoga, so it was fun for me to know the poses they were performing and to learn new ideas. There is a big “corporate yoga” scandal in the book, which I thought was really interesting to read about. There are essentially five main characters, and each has their own small sections to discuss their lives. I think five may be too many. Or else Mitchell needed to give more time to each character. Just when I thought I was getting to connect with one, I would be yanked into another’s world. But I thought each woman brought an interesting characteristic and authentic problem to their group, and I enjoyed watching how they would interact with one another. I really never did understand where Graciela’s injury came from though. Or why Lee was so blind to her husband’s obvious wandering eye. But overall, I thought this was a good story and I am hoping for some sort of spin-off with a few of the characters.
[Rating: 4]

April 15, 2011
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