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A Taste of Magic by Tracy Madison
Chick Lit Review

A Taste of Magic by Tracy Madison

Elizabeth Stevens is turning thirty-five alone and single. If that wasn’t bad enough, she also has to bake the wedding cake for her ex-husband and the woman he left her for. Her partner at their bakery A Taste of Magic booked the event without knowing, and the bakery is in serious need for cash and clients, so the Liz refused to turn them down. Then, her grandmother, kooky Grandma Verda, reveals to Liz that she has inherited magical powers on her birthday. Turns out, Liz is from a line of gypsies, and now the magic has been passed down to her. But she needs to find a way to control her gifts, because simple mistakes can lead to drastic changes for her family and friends. On top of that, Liz is trying to balance between the hunky cop neighbor and her perfect boyfriend material trainer, while juggling her overly nosy family and damn ex husband.
A Taste of Magic by Tracy Madison is cute and quite funny at times. Liz is very relatable, well, besides the whole gypsy magic part, but other than that, she is very down to earth and women would be able to connect with her. I liked the humor in some of the scenes, but the writing didn’t sit well with me. Madison tends to jump forward then back in the timeline of events, often confusing me. And there were a few plot points that I thought were simply unnecessary and could have been cut out. I thought Liz’s character was well built, but some of the supporting characters needed more development. Overall, it was a light read, not my favorite, and the writing needed to be sharper. I know A Taste of Magic is the first in this series, and I hope the others are more engaging.
[Rating: 3.5]

February 21, 2011
1 Comment
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Chick Lit Review

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

I never got into the whole Twilight phenomenon, choosing whether to buy Team Jacob or Team Edward underwear. I didn’t read the books or watch the movies (though I could get never get away from talk of Robert Pattison’s hair). But when a friend offered to loan me the first three books, I decided to give them a try. Why not, right? Maybe then I could go buy Team Jacob underwear.
So I cracked open book Uno, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I tried my best to put out all thoughts of the movie clips I had seen, and concentrate just on the writing and the characters in the book. Which didn’t really work out for me. I wasn’t all that impressed. Before you Twihards start boycotting my blog, let me explain why.
The writing really wasn’t as good as I thought it would be. The same words were used over and over again (Edward was perfect, Bella was clumsy, Edward was perfect…) and there was a lot of telling vs. showing going on. I never really connected with Bella, she seemed a little off, and not like the fierce female I think Meyer was trying to make her be. And the love connection between Bella and Edward? I’ve been seventeen, and I never fell head over heels, would turn myself into a vampire, for a guy that I met a handful of times. It just didn’t seem believable- then again, I’m reading a story about vampires, so hey. Also, I was really bored through the first ¾ of the book. Nothing was happening. I didn’t care about kids going to school. I wanted some action, or drama, or…anything.
I tried my best to like the book, but it wasn’t until the last chapters that I started to get invested in the characters. And with a book as thick as that, it was a challenge to keep reading. If it hadn’t been for me writing a review, I probably would have stopped before the half way mark. But the ending did help me like the book a bit, and convinced to the give the second novel a try. Let’s hope New Moon has a bit more action than Twilight.
[Rating: 2]

February 19, 2011
16 Comments
Snake Skin by CJ Lyons
Chick Lit Review

Snake Skin by CJ Lyons

Even though I love chick lit and all things girly, I am also a fan of mysteries and thrillers. When I reviewed my first book from CJ Lyons, Blind Faith, I was blown away by the creative story lines, the intense drama, and breathtaking speed at which I flew the story. When CJ approached me and offered to send me a copy of Snake Skin, of course I said yes!
Snake Skin follows Lucy Guardino, or Supervisory Special Agent Guardino when she is on the job. Lucy is an average mom, in love with her husband, and trying to find a common bond with her teenage daughter. But she also carries a forty-caliber Glock and goes undercover to find criminals for the FBI’s Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement squad. Lucy works to take down criminals who abduct and abuse children, and often puts her life on the line to save the innocent. But when her current case starts hitting too close to home and may be at the hands of an insider, Lucy must work quickly to save a young girl- and possibly her own daughter.
Lyons uses her own experiences from working as a pediatric ER doctor to help the scenarios and characters come to life. Again, I flew through this novel, trying to connect the dots and find the killer along with Lucy. Snake Skin isn’t just from Lucy’s point of view, readers will be able to get into the minds of other FBI workers, as well as the abducted girl and her abductor. This is another great read from CJ Lyons, and I think women will enjoy that kick ass hero portrayed by Lucy.
[Rating: 4.5]

February 18, 2011
2 Comments
The Scent of Jade by Dee DeTarsio
Chick Lit Review

The Scent of Jade by Dee DeTarsio

Julie Fraser is unadventurous, happy and content in her mundane day to day activities in San Diego. But when all signs point to surprising her husband on his business trip in Costa Rica, Julie decides she must follow them. The trip turns out disastrous, leaving Julie fighting to stay alive Survivor-style in the Costa Rican jungle after accidently stealing an ancient artifact. Julie must figure out if she is leaving her husband, how to get rescued and return to the stone, and if she’s losing her mind because her only friend in the jungle is a monkey. But once a handsome blonde Juan comes to rescue, Julie’s outlook is suddenly looking brighter- until she finds out Juan has been using her to get to the stone. Alone again and in desperate need for help, Julie sets out a path that will lead her to many truths about her husband, her marriage, and herself.
The Scent of Jade by Dee DeTarsio is a unique story about one woman trying to find her way in the world. The story was very creative and quite clever, and I found myself laughing many times. But it wasn’t all humorous, there was a underlying of serious notes also throughout the story, and danger lurking for many of the characters. I thought DeTarsio put together an excellent blend of romance, international mystery, and loveable quirky characters that chick lit fans will love. All that being said, I truly did like this book, but when I finished the last chapter and gathered my thoughts on it, I wasn’t really moved. It was a good story, relatable characters, and an exotic location, but there were times when I failed to see the point, the message the story was bringing to me. But I did enjoy reading it and I think DeTarsio has a fresh take on writing for women, and I will definitely read more of her novels.
[Rating: 4]

February 17, 2011
7 Comments
Debut Authors & Novels- February/March 2011
Chick Lit Review

Debut Authors & Novels- February/March 2011

Debut Authors & Novels February/March 2011

Title: Faking It
Author: Lotte Daley
Available: February 17th
Synopsis: It’s not you, it’s me. That’s the cowardly text message that Katie receives from Jack, her actor boyfriend of three years, when he dumps her. And things go from bad to worse when photos of Jack canoodling with a famous size-zero actress are splashed across every gossip magazine and tabloid soon after. Just how much humiliation can a girl take? With the paparazzi camped out on her doorstep, Katie decides to preserve what’s left of her dignity. So she agrees to become her PR colleagues’ next project. They will make her over (hair, teeth, clothes, Botox, boobs – the works) and turn her into an instant celebrity in order to win back her ex and show the world that an ordinary girl can rival a beautiful bimbo. But will a new life in the limelight be everything Katie dreamt of? Can she make it in the cut-throat world of the beautiful, rich and famous? Is Jack worth all the hassle or is there someone else out there who might love Katie just the way she is?

Title: What You Don’t Know
Author: Lizzie Enfield
Available: February 2011
Synopsis: You’ve been together for fifteen years. You’ve got two gorgeous kids and a great career. All the boxes are ticked. You wouldn’t be tempted by a plain, slightly balding man called Graham…Would you? When Graham Parks walks into Helen Collins’ life, the last thing she expects is to fall for him. He’s nothing like her handsome, successful husband, Alex. But fifteen years is a long time and Helen can’t help wondering what it would be like to sleep with someone else. Has Alex secretly been thinking the same thing? As harmless flirtation develops into something far more complicated, Helen’s perfect world begins to look shaky. It’s exciting, alluring, all-consuming. But is it worth the risk?

Title: Born Under A Lucky Moon
Author: Dana Precious
Available: February 8th
Synopsis: Born Under a Lucky Moon is the tale of two very important (but distant) years in the lives of Jeannie Thompson and her (embarrassing, crazy) colorful family members to whom “things” just seem to happen. From the Great Lakes of Michigan to Los Angeles and back again, it is a story of surprise marriages, a renegade granny, a sprinkler system cursed by the gods, and myriad other factors Jeannie blames for her full-tilt, out-of-control existence. But it’s also about good surprises—like an unexpected proposal that might just open Jeannie’s eyes to her real place among the people she loves most in the world . . . the same ones she ran far away from to begin with.

Title: Save As Draft
Author: Cavanaugh Lee
Available: February 1st
Synopsis: Sent: Monday, February 14, 2011
From: Izabell
To: Reader
Subject: Save as Draft
Are we Facebook friends yet? I’m the wactress (waitress/actress) turned lawyer who lives her life online. (Don’t we all these days?)
Anyway, I’ve got this problem. . . . There’s this guy. His name’s Peter. He’s my best friend and co-worker, and we just started dating, which is potentially a huge mistake. But, that’s not all. There’s this other guy, Marty. I met him on eHarm, and he ran with the bulls in Spain. I can’t get him off my mind. What a mess. I’d love your advice if you can take a second out of your crazy, high-tech life. Shoot me an e-mail. Or text me. Or BB messenger me.
And friend me if you haven’t already! You can find me on Facebook under Save as Draft.
Izabell

Title: Cougars
Author: Claire Irvin
Available: March 2011
Synopsis: Caroline Walker has it all. At 42, her immaculate looks and toned body are of a woman half her age. She’s a successful entrepreneur, and juggles her career with domestic bliss: wife of City trading sensation Les Walker, and mother to their teenage daughter Rachel. But when Caroline learns that Les has been having an affair, her perfect world falls apart. Caroline is suddenly single – something she hasn’t been in a very long time. With the help of Maryanne, her outgoing and ex-Hollywood starlet friend, Caroline’s life is transformed into a glamorous social whirl as she discovers her missing 20s. And the young men she should have been dating then, too … But is Caroline ready to put the past behind her? And can true love really strike twice.

Title: The Hating Game
Author: Talli Roland
Available: March 2011
Synopsis: When man-eater Mattie Johns agrees to star on a dating game show to save her ailing recruitment business, she’s confident she’ll sail through to the end without letting down the perma-guard she’s perfected from years of her love ’em and leave ’em dating strategy.
After all, what can go wrong with dating a few losers and hanging out long enough to pick up a juicy £200,000 prize? Plenty, Mattie discovers, when it’s revealed that the contestants are four of her very unhappy exes.
Can Mattie confront her past to get the prize money she so desperately needs, or will her exes finally wreak their long-awaited revenge? And what about the ambitious TV producer whose career depends on stopping her from making it to the end.

February 13, 2011
7 Comments
The Other Boyfriend by Sylvia Massara
Chick Lit Review

The Other Boyfriend by Sylvia Massara

Sarah Jamison is done being patient. She has waited long enough for her lover to finally break up with his girlfriend. Jeffrey has been promising to break up with Moira for ages, but keeps citing business reasons to wait, as Jeffrey and Moira are partners in their network marketing business. Sarah decides to get proactive, enlisting best friend Monica to help devise a plan to break up Jeffrey and Moira for good. Monica thinks adding the dashing Mike Connor to the mix is the right idea. But instead of breaking up Jeffrey and Moira, the plan begins to backfire on Sarah. Along with the help of Sarah’s internet hacker mother, Rosepurple, Sarah finds the true identity of Jeffrey, and realizes her relationship with him was never meant to be.
I wanted to like The Other Boyfriend by Sylvia Massara. But it was hard to. While I thought the plot could have gone a lot of different ways, it turned out to be exhaustingly predicable and one-dimensional. The business that Sarah, Jeffrey, and Moira are in is a big part of the story, but it was never explained. I had no idea what they were doing, and each time business was talked about, I just became confused. And the book should have been run through an editor. I got tired of reading about Mike’s “sea-green eyes” for every description. It was a fast read, but too predictable for me to recommend.
Rating: 2

February 7, 2011
9 Comments
These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf
Chick Lit Review

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf gave me chills throughout the entire story. It begins with Allison Glenn, a 21 year old Iowa native who is serving time in prison for a crime that is not immediately known. Allison is about to be released, and will finish out her sentence at a halfway house in her hometown. Once the golden girl of her family, excellent grades, good at sports, a college future in mind, Allison’s family has now shunned her very existence. But the one person Allison is desperate to talk to is her little sister Brynn. Brynn was there that night, she is the only other person who knows what really happened. And when Allison unexpectedly finds a missing puzzle piece from that horrendous night, she needs Brynn more than ever.
This story is deliciously thrilling, covering Allison’s point of view, Brynn’s, and even more characters that add to the mystery. The characters haunted me when I had to stop reading, making this book absolutely impossible to put down for long periods of time. Halfway through the story I thought I had it all figured out, and then another twist would be thrown in, completely catching me off guard. It wasn’t until the very last chapter that the entire mystery is laid out for you, and Gudenkauf did a magnificent job at weaving in so many plot points and keeping the suspense at a high level throughout. These Things Hidden is a mystery, a thriller, but also a beautifully touching story on family, innocence, and the bond of sisters.
[Rating: 5]

February 1, 2011
5 Comments
The Christmas Journey by Donna VanLiere
Chick Lit Review

The Christmas Journey by Donna VanLiere

The Christmas Journey by Donna VanLiere relieves the story of Mary and Joseph and their journey to Bethlehem. It is a very thin book, with water colorings by Michael Storrings. It took me about an hour to read, and I found it interesting to find a story that made Mary and Joseph seem very real. The emotions were evident, the journey was heartwarming, and I think readers can enjoy the story, even not around the holiday times. VanLiere makes Mary and Joseph very human in the modern world, and lets us remember what the Christmas spirit is all about.

January 30, 2011
2 Comments