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Debut Authors & Novels- March/April
Chick Lit Review

Debut Authors & Novels- March/April

Debut Authors & Novels- March/April 2011

Title: RSVP
Author: Helen Warner
Available: March 2011
Synopsis: Four women, one wedding and a day to remember – or rather forget . . .
Anna’s world is rocked when she receives an invitation to her ex Toby’s nuptials – Toby was The One, The Love of Her Life, The One That Got Away. Will attending his Big Day finally give her the sense of closure she so desperately craves? Or will it only re-open old wounds?

Clare is Anna’s best friend, the person who was there for her when she and Toby split all those years ago. But little does Clare know that Toby’s wedding day will also change her own life for ever.

Ella is a classic femme fatale. She loves men and leaves them without a backward glance. But the one person who’s never fallen for her charms is Toby. As he prepares to get hitched, is it too late for a last-ditch attempt to win his heart?

Finally, Rachel is the blushing bride-to-be. This should be the happiest day of her life. So how come she feels nothing but a terrible sense of foreboding?

Title: Attachments
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Available: April 2011
Synopsis: It’s 1999 and for the staff of one newspaper office, the internet is still a novelty. By day, two young women, Beth and Jennifer, spend their hours emailing each other, discussing in hilarious detail every aspect of their lives, from love troubles to family dramas. And by night, Lincoln, a shy, lonely IT guy spends his hours reading every exchange. At first their emails offer a welcome diversion, but as Lincoln unwittingly becomes drawn into their lives, the more he reads, the more he finds himself falling for one of them. By the time Lincoln realizes just how head-over-heels he really is, it’s way too late to introduce himself. What would he say to her? ‘Hi, I’m the guy who reads your e-mail – and also, I think I love you’. After a series of close encounters, Lincoln decides it’s time to muster the courage to follow his heart . . . and find out whether there really is such a thing as love before first-sight. Heartwarming, witty and unforgettable, ATTACHMENTS is an irresistible romantic comedy that has it all.

Title: Hollywood Sinners
Author: Victoria Fox
Available: April 2011
Synopsis: POWER Marriage to Hollywood heartthrob Cole Steel secured Lana Falcon a glittering place on the red carpet. But running from a wicked past she has trapped herself in a gilded cage the price of freedom…her soul? REVENGE Kate diLaurentis s career is fading as quickly as her looks… What could be worse than discovering her husband s latest mistress is Hollywood s hottest starlet? Her only option the most shocking revenge. LUST Chloe French s innocent beauty has captured a million hearts, but no one’s warned her of the dangerous, dark temptation of rock star Nate – will lust destroy her? GREED Las Vegas King, Robert St Louis s fairytale wedding to Sin City’s richest heiress is tabloid gold… But scandal circles like a vulture – dirty secrets are about to be exposed! BETRAYAL From the deepest desires come the deadliest deeds…and these four couples are about to pay for their sins…

March 17, 2011
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Mrs. Mismarriage by Noelle Chua
Chick Lit Review

Mrs. Mismarriage by Noelle Chua

Audrey Lee is one woman who could care less about marriage. She doesn’t believe in fairy tale endings and happily ever after. But when her boyfriend, Paul Chang, gets down on one knee, Audrey can’t say no. The two seem to have the perfect life- him with an MBA, working a successful career in their hometown of Singapore. She, a Harvard literature scholar who starts living the life on an expat wife- which includes never having to cook a meal or clean the house. But is that the life Audrey wanted for herself? The marriage turns rocky when Audrey gets suspicious that Paul may be having an affair. It doesn’t help that he is constantly away for business, seemingly married to his job instead of Audrey. With Audrey’s boredom, coupled with all the men that are suddenly interested in her, the marriage is on a loose thread. Can Audrey and Paul survive their first year as newlyweds?
Mrs. Mismarriage was a very entertaining and down to earth read by Noelle Chua. The main character was easily relatable, and even though I have never been married, I could understand the feelings and the fights that were happening. I especially loved the little marriage facts at the beginning of each chapter. I think Chua did a great job at showing the work two people must put into a marriage. Though what Paul and Audrey went through was extremely difficult, I didn’t feel that Chua was trying to scare readers away from ever getting married. Instead, she showed the love two people have can keep them together, and how to forgive mistakes. This was my first “Asian-lit” book, and I highly enjoyed it and would recommend to others.
[Rating: 4]

March 11, 2011
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Please Don’t Stop the Music by Jane Lovering
Chick Lit Review

Please Don’t Stop the Music by Jane Lovering

Jemima Hutton needs to keep her past a secret. She knows if it gets out, her new friends wouldn’t want anything to do with her. She is determined to build a successful life, and is having good luck with her jewelry making business, until her lucky streak ends. When she meets the reclusive Ben Davies at his guitar shop, she begs him to stock her jewelry, and he agrees. As Jemima and Ben’s friendship grows, Jemima knows Ben is hiding a secret. He used to be a rock star, front man of a popular band and touring all over the world. Why is he now hiding out in a guitar shop, using a different name and pretending to not care about his past? But Ben also knows Jemima is hiding something, and as their friendship grows, the more Jemima becomes terrified her past will come out.
Please Don’t Stop the Music by Jane Lovering was an eye-opening book. My favorite part of this novel is that the main character is so different from what I usually read. Her background is dirty, messy, heart-breaking. I love reading about strong woman, and Jemima captured my attention from the first chapter. The villain in the story plays a large part throughout, and Lovering effectively made me hate her then love her all within a very short amount of time. There was just one scenario in the book that I just could not give credit too, when the mystery father of Jemima’s friend and roommate is announced. I won’t give any spoilers here, but I couldn’t really buy into that story. Other than that, the ending had me crying over the hard lessons the characters learned and the emotional turmoil they were going through, and I could feel the passion in the writing. A definite recommendation from me.
[Rating: 4]

March 9, 2011
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The Boyfriend of the Month Club by Maria Geraci
Chick Lit Review

The Boyfriend of the Month Club by Maria Geraci

Grace O’Bryan is still single, even after dating plenty of bachelors in the Daytona Beach area. During her book club meeting with some of her best girlfriends, Grace has the idea to turn the book club into a boyfriend club. The woman can exchange stories about the men they have dated, warn each other about the bad apples, and hopefully find potential winners through their discussions. But while Grace envisioned just a close group of friends meeting, her friend Ellen takes the club a bit too seriously, and it quickly gets out of hand. Meanwhile, Grace is trying to balance her job working as a manger at the struggling family store, a possibly love interest in her dentist, another possible love interest in Daytona Beach’s own most eligible bachelor, and keeping up with her family dynamics.
The Boyfriend of the Month Club by Maria Geraci is humorous and an interesting read. I enjoyed Grace’s character; I could feel a connection with her and bonded with her story and her search for love. The friendships in the book were excellent- except I did find myself extremely frustrated with the Ellen character often. And I really enjoyed that I wasn’t sure what was going on with Grace’s love life. So often, readers know which guy the girl will end up with, and you just wait to see how it plays out and they come together. But with two characters both in Grace’s line of vision, it made the story that much more interesting and kept my attention. A lighthearted and fun read, I would definitely recommend The Boyfriend of the Month Club to chick lit fans.
Rating: 4

March 7, 2011
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Stir Until Thoroughly Confused by Heather Wardell
Chick Lit Review

Stir Until Thoroughly Confused by Heather Wardell

Author Heather Wardell made it to the top of my Favorites List with her first novel, Life, Love and Polar Bear Tattoo¸ and I have been eagerly reading her books since. Her latest, Stir Until Thoroughly Confused, did not leave me disappointed. The story centers around Mary, who is struggling to break free from difficult divorce. She moves to Toronto to put behind her controlling ex-husband and mother, but is without a job. She is determined to follow her dream of working as a chef. Enter Kegan. Yes, the Kegan from some of Wardell’s past novels, that Kegan. Kegan appears to be a somewhat changed man, and it doesn’t take long for a romance to start quietly brewing between him and Mary. But with Kegan now Mary’s boss, his controlling attitude revolving around his restaurants lead to one too many fights between the new couple. Mary is smacked with an ultimatum: choose Kegan and the relationship, or her dream career.
I love revisiting the characters from Wardell’s previous novels. It is fun to catch up with them and see which direction their lives have taken. In Stir, readers not only get plenty of Kegan to keep them happy, but a handful of other characters make cameos as well. This book is filled with interesting characters and unique plot points, even though the main subject is a well known one: should a woman choose her career or a man? Wardell keeps her story fresh and fast-paced, engaging readers in the world she creates so well. The only part I disliked was I felt there should have been more showing the downfall of Mary and Kegan’s relationship. I felt that things went really well for them, then started to fall apart almost without any warning. It seemed as though the characters were just a half step ahead of where the story was going. But overall, another fantastic read and a definite recommendation from me! If you haven’t read anything yet by Heather Wardell, a highly suggest you do!
[Rating: 4]

March 3, 2011
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Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
Chick Lit Review

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

The good news? Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer was my favorite of the first three. The bad news? I’m still not buying into the Twilight phenomenon. The story has a love triangle, which is interesting until it becomes a bit too boring and tepid. Jacob the wolf and Edward the vampire each vie for Bella’s love, but the two must learn to work together when Bella’s life is in great danger. Bella, worried about who is after her, thinks becoming a vampire herself will be the only way she can be safe again- and protect her family as well. I don’t think I’ll be spoiling this for anyone when I say that Bella chooses Edward as her soul mate, and they begin planning a wedding, to the happiness of the Cullen clan.
It took awhile (three very long books) but Bella finally begins to show some backbone in Eclipse. She stands up for herself again Jacob, and even is firm with Edward. That was nice to see. But she still lets Edward basically take her hostage during the weekend, and dismantle her truck so she can’t get away. I didn’t like that part. And honestly, there were a lot times where I was wishing she would end up with Jacob. He just seemed so much nicer than Edward, less controlling and moody. But what do I know about being seventeen and finding my “eternal love?” Not much I guess.
There were also a lot of things I did like about this book. It was much faster paced than the first two, which made me want to applaud. The action was there, making me more invested in the story and the characters. I liked the background Meyer provides on the other Cullen’s, which I do think was a bit overdue. I am not in any anticipation to read the fourth and final book. If it is offered to me, I will probably read it, but I will not buy it.
[Rating: 3.5]

February 28, 2011
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Taste and Savor Cookbook by Nancy Waldeck
Chick Lit Review

Taste and Savor Cookbook by Nancy Waldeck

Chef Nancy Waldeck offered to send me Taste and Savor, her cookbook that features fabulous healthy recipes along with wine pairings to complement the meals. If you follow my blog, you probably already know that I am no master in the kitchen- I need all the help I can get! So I have been so fortunate that people are now sending me their cookbooks. Taste and Savor is one of the most unique cookbooks that I have looked through. The recipes are healthy, and more importantly- it doesn’t take a chef to re-create them. As a beginning wino, I loved the idea that Nancy told which wines would work for certain dishes, and gave a background on different wines. Not only did I find some great recipes, but I also learned a lot from reading the pages. I think the cover is beautiful, and the cookbook is light and easy to carry around if you would want to take it to the grocery store with you. Or it looks beautiful in the kitchen, waiting to be used. Another great idea in Taste and Savor is the bonus Get Creative ideas. I would definitely recommend this cookbook to everyone, whether you are a beginner in the kitchen or more advanced.
[Rating: 4]

February 26, 2011
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Millie’s Fling by Jill Mansell
Chick Lit Review

Millie’s Fling by Jill Mansell

Millie Brady unexpectedly befriends best-selling novelist Oral Hart the afternoon that Millie gets dumped. Orla, suffering from a writing slump after a scathing review of her latest novel, decides Millie is just what she needs to get her creative juices flowing again. She proposes an idea to Millie regarding her next novel, and makes an offer Millie can’t refuse. As the heroine of Orla’s next romance novel, Millie’s needs a man- or two or three- to spice up her love life.
Millie’s Fling by Jill Mansell is light-hearted and comical. This novel follows all the chick lit guidelines, which made it a tad predictable, but there were some interesting plot twists to keep me on my toes. There was one major reason why I can’t say I love this book. For the first half, the story is told in Millie’s point of view- and only Millie’s. But then suddenly, everyone’s views were in the book! Orla, Millie’s mom, friend, and love interest, were all getting to speak their mind. I was thrown through a loop because I didn’t understand how suddenly I was out of Millie’s head, into Orla’s, then back out again. And there was nothing to break up the POV’s, not a new chapter or even a break in the story. The editor in me was screaming no, no, no!! If it wasn’t for that, I would have rated the book higher, but with conflicting POV’s I just couldn’t do it.
[Rating: 3]

February 25, 2011
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New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
Chick Lit Review

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

As everyone could see from my review of Twilight, I didn’t fall for the story and become a Twihard. But, because a friend had loaned me the first three books, I decided to give it another try and read New Moon. I will say that I liked New Moon better than Twilight, but I still didn’t find it that enjoyable of a read.
The story picks up with Bella Swan, now the girlfriend of Edward Cullen and in on the vampire family secret. The Cullen’s are helping Bella celebrate her birthday, but the festivities go terribly wrong after Bella cuts herself and draws blood. Even though the Cullen’s do not go after humans, the scent is too much for the family. Edward understands that Bella is putting her life on the line by staying with him, so he does the only thing he feels is right- and flees. Bella is heartbroken, going through life in a haze for months. While she is still mourning over the loss of her eternal love, she meets Jacob Black, who brings a ray of sunlight into her bleak world. Jacob quickly becomes her best friend, and maybe even a love interest for Bella. But can she possibly love someone other than Edward?
Again, I liked this better than the first novel, but it still wasn’t great. I just don’t feel that Bella is that relatable of a character, and at times she just seems a bit pathetic. I wanted to shake her and tell her to snap out of it throughout most of the pages. While the action was missing from Twilight, it still doesn’t seem to be found here, and the writing is much more melodramatic and a little dark. And the same descriptive words were used again and again. Better than Twilight, but only by a half star.
[Rating: 3]

February 23, 2011
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