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Her Latest Supporting Role by Cynthia Ashworth
Chick Lit Review

Her Latest Supporting Role by Cynthia Ashworth

When you can’t make it as an actress in New York, what’s the next best thing? Work in advertising! Jill Barber takes on a job at a large ad agency while working to finish her degree at New York University. After failing her final exam and then refusing to sleep with her professor in order to pass, she is forced to attend summer school. Jill doesn’t think it’s so bad once she finds out her instructor is the gorgeous young novelist Jonathan Wunder. The drama begins once Jill enters a possible relationship with Wunder, all while studying to pass her class, keep her job when layoffs threaten the ad company, and fight off advances from another co-worker.
I’m sad to say I really didn’t enjoy Her Latest Supporting Role, the debut novel from Cynthia Ashworth. I had a hard time developing any sort of a connection with the main character, and felt at times the story was moving along too fast for me to understand why certain scenes were happening. The supporting characters didn’t motivate me at all, and I sometimes wondered what the point of the best friend was. One thing that really displeased me was about halfway through, the story turned to all emails. Pages and pages of emails between the characters, and once that happened, I was totally out of it. Some important realizations were happening to the main character, but instead of feeling any of it or realizing those same points alongside Jill, I was just being told about them in a short email. I was disappointed with this rom com debut, and I hope Ashworth’s future writing will be more inspiring.
Rating: 2/5

November 16, 2010
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Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Chick Lit Review

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

Well this is a first. I always have a lot to say about the books I read, my opinions on the writing (good or bad) and if I would recommend the book. But I have found a novel that left me…speechless. Not sure what to say, whether good or bad. Not even sure if I should recommend it to others.
I was looking forward to reading Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger, her sophomore novel after The Time Traveler’s Wife. I hadn’t read or seen the movie, but heard many good things and eagerly anticipated opening her latest. I was left feeling confused, unsettled, and plain unsure about what I just read. I always jot down my rating as soon as I finish a book, but I just stared blankly at my notebook, not sure what to write. Kind of like I am doing now for this review, except I’m at a computer.
The story begins with the untimely death of Elspeth, twin sister to Edie and lover to Robert. Aunt to young girls, Julia and Valentina, also twins. Elspeth requests in her will that the twin girls move from the States to London to live in her flat for a year. During their stay, the twins meet Elspeth’s ghost, befriend some odd characters, become fascinated with the neighboring cemetery, and start to grow apart as sisters. Valentina begins to feel she will never be her own person with her twin constantly in the picture, and she and Elspeth devise a morbid plan to change that. The ending had me shout aloud, a strangled noise actually escaped from lips, I was so shocked by the events taking place.
Niffenegger obviously has a talent for telling stories and creating so many unique characters throughout one novel. The plot is interesting, though I don’t have much interest for the supernatural topics. I thought about giving Her Fearful Symmetry a three rating, but decided to up it to a four. My reasoning behind that is, I simply couldn’t stop talking about the story! I called my mom, I told my boyfriend and his mom, I told co-workers…it really got me thinking and talking to many people I don’t normally discuss my readings with. I also looked on Amazon to see what other readers thought, and they were over 400 reviews! Seems everyone wanted to give their opinions, and the ratings were anywhere from a 1-5. If you have read Her Fearful Symmetry, I would love to get your feedback on the story, and if you haven’t, give it a try. You might love it, you might hate it, but I can guarantee most will be left wanting to talk about it!
Rating: 4/5

November 11, 2010
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Sammi Ever After by Soma Helmi
Chick Lit Review

Sammi Ever After by Soma Helmi

I read books not only because I love to read about new characters and their adventures, but also because I want to write. I am currently hard at work on the fourth rewrite of my manuscript, and some of the best places I look to for inspiration are other books. Seeing how the author flows the action, how they make the characters come alive, how they draw me in, gives me fresh ideas on how to make my own writing better. So when I read and review novels, I am not just reviewing as a reader, but also as a writer. I just wanted to add that little disclaimer before I get into my next review.
Sammi Ever After, the debut novel from Soma Helmi has a great plot. Sammi, a young girl in her twenties, finds a friend from childhood and instantly falls in love, preparing to move across the world just to be with him. It’s her fairy tale come true. Until she arrives at the airport only to find out she has been dumped- over an email. Fairy tale broken. When Sammi finally forces herself off her friend’s couch and secures a job and new friends, she decides to take a little journey to try to search for that fairy tale ending. From London to Bali to Greece, Sammi gets tangled in sticky situations and personal revelations, and realizes that her Prince Charming may have been by her side the entire time.
Like I said, I think the plot is fantastic. A great story about self-discovery and love, and I am a huge travel geek, so reading about all these destinations I hope to visit had me amped to read this story. But once I started, the writing fell flat to me. Helmi relied on flashbacks and back story when introducing characters, much that was simply not needed and unnecessary to the story. For each flashback, I felt myself became less engaged in the action. Another problem I had was the dialogue didn’t seem very realistic. I don’t know anyone who would actually describe someone’s look aloud by saying “His sandy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes and the way his muscles ripple…” That could be the thoughts of someone, but for a person (especially a young girl) to describe someone else that way? It just wasn’t believable for me. So as much as I would have liked this plot and the characters that came along for the ride, I do not feel the writing did the story justice.
Rating: 2/5

November 10, 2010
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Little Miss Straight Lace by Maria Romana
Chick Lit Review

Little Miss Straight Lace by Maria Romana

Little Miss Straight Lace is the debut suspense-romance novel from Maria Romana. The focus is on Josie Natale, a beyond-brilliant biostatistician who uncovers too much while doing pharmaceutical research for one of her clients. Josie’s journey will lead readers into a web of lies, deceit, murder, sex, and drugs. The plot is suspenseful, and there are enough twists in the game to make your head spin, but Romana clearly knows her way around the pharmaceutical world and her knowledge can keep readers interested. I enjoyed the love story between Josie and Nic, the security expert from South America, and the fierce friendships between the core group of characters. I have said before that I love mysteries that leave me guessing until the end, and this book definitely had me thinking until the very last page.
I did have a few issues with Little Miss Straight Lace. First, the amount of characters was a little intimidating. With so many different characters and their stories and them each having a voice, I got confused trying to keep track of everyone. And I found a few contradictions along the way in reference to the characters and their attitudes and beliefs that would throw me off. The consistency seemed to get jumbled as the story progressed. I think my biggest upset with the story is that it seemed to never end. I felt the story could have been a lot shorter and still just as suspenseful, without the plot dragging along and bringing more and more characters into each scene. By the time I was ready for the novel to be wrapped up, I still had another five chapters to read!
Though Little Miss Straight Lace will not be reaching my Favorites List, I still think Maria Romana is a talented writer, and I think the mystery will interest many readers. I will warn that there are some uncomfortable subjects discussed in this novel, including rape and religious cults, so if you are not a fan of those subjects, I would suggest passing this one by.
Rating: 3/5

November 3, 2010
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Slim to None by Jenny Gardiner
Chick Lit Review

Slim to None by Jenny Gardiner

Abbie Jennings loves her job as Manhattan’s top food critic- until her identity is revealed and her unflattering picture with ever-expanding waistline is splashed across the newspapers. She becomes the joke of the town as the overweight food lover, and promptly loses her job at the New York Post since she can no longer go incognito to restaurants. Abbie takes this opportunity to finally go on that diet and shed some pounds, but struggles with motivation and the reasoning behind her relationship with food. To add to Abbie’s problems, she is going through a difficult time with her husband, who is trying to persuade her to leave the city and finally start a family. It takes the guidance of an unusual friend to finally help Abbie see what she really wants out of life.
Slim to None by Jenny Gardiner is a good story. I didn’t get real invested in the main character, and some off the story lines seemed just a bit off for me. I did like the plot, and the descriptions of some of the delectable dishes made me start eating while reading, but it just wasn’t enough. Sometimes, Abbie’s character came off as incredibly selfish, never really listening to her husband and continually doing things the way she wanted. There is also a best friend in the story, who I never could quite figure out what she was doing there. She popped up at random times, and during most of the meat of the story, she wasn’t mentioned at all, only to return once again at the end. I found myself confused throughout the duration, as the writing was a bit all over the place and jumping from scene to scene without any real fluidity. Like I said earlier, I did like the story, I thought it was interesting though not necessarily unique, and I believe some good life lessons can be taken away from the main character’s troubles. Slim to None won’t be on my Favorites List, but I think some other chick lit lovers will be able to appreciate this story.
Rating: 3/5

October 29, 2010
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Chronicles of a Midlife Crisis by Robyn Harding
Chick Lit Review

Chronicles of a Midlife Crisis by Robyn Harding

Lucy is shocked when her husband of 16 years, Trent, announces he is leaving her. She knows that their relationship hasn’t been the best for a few years, but with careers and their fifteen-year old daughter Sam entering the teenage angst years, she never thought she would actually be heading for a divorce. Trent is tired of his boring marriage and wants his freedom- and the ability to get one his co-workers into bed. Trent has been eyeing the voluptuous Annika while on the job, but she wouldn’t give him the time of day unless he was separated from his wife. Finally on his own, Trent gets his singledom and Annika- but suddenly wonders if that is the life he truly wants. Lucy tries to pick up the pieces of her broken marriage, but when her job throws her together with a teen heartthrob actor (also her daughter’s biggest crush) Lucy’s life begins to spiral downwards.
Chronicles of a Midlife Crisis by Robyn Harding is heartfelt novel that draws readers into the lives of the characters by giving both Lucy and Trent a voice. The chapters are written in alternating point of views from both husband and wife, giving us a chance to really understand both sides and why this marriage failed. Deep emotions are revealed, self-doubt and guilt among others, and be prepared for this story to really make you think and feel for all the characters, not just Lucy and Trent. I really appreciated the ending of the novel as well, which is a rarity for me. I am usually left feeling unsatisfied in these types of relationship conflict stories, or feeling that the ending is too cliché, but I thought Harding did a fantastic job at tying all the loose ends together and giving the characters the ending they deserved. A definite recommendation from me!
Rating: 4.5/5

October 28, 2010
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John Belushi is Dead by Kathy Charles
Chick Lit Review

John Belushi is Dead by Kathy Charles

Seventeen year old Hilda is not a typical teenager. She and her best friend, Benji, are fascinated with death, specifically dead celebrities. They visit the areas of some of LA’s most notorious crime scenes and cemeteries, collecting mementos of death. When Hilda and Benji meet Hank, a reclusive old man living in an apartment where an actor stabbed himself to death, Hilda and Hank form an odd bond. Soon, Hilda is visiting Hank by herself, becoming fascinated in his world and the secrets he keeps. When Hilda meets Jake, Hank’s downstairs neighbor who just happens to be a good looking screenwriter, Hilda begins to questions her fascination in death. Is she missing out on life because of it? When Benji goes too far one night while trying to emulate John Belushi, Hilda finally gets another perspective on living life.
John Belushi is Dead, the debut novel by Kathy Charles, is an interesting YA contemporary novel. The characters are strong, and Charles writing is clearly fantastic. This is more of a dark and edgy novel, not supernatural at all, just digs into the unhappy cases of some real Hollywood murders (the OJ Simpson case, Charles Manson murders, etc). I liked the mystery that surrounds Hank’s character, and a possible love connection between Hilda and Jake adds another layer to the story. I didn’t hate this book, but didn’t quite love it either. I didn’t get as drawn into the plot as I would have liked, as interesting and different as it was. And a little forewarning: this book does contain multiple graphic scenes of murders and death, so if you don’t mesh well with those types of scenes, I wouldn’t recommend this specific title for you. But if you are looking for something on the opposite spectrum of chick lit, I would say check out John Belushi is Dead. There is a good life lesson to be learned from the young heroine.
Rating: 3.5.5

October 19, 2010
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She’s Gone Country by Jane Porter
Chick Lit Review

She’s Gone Country by Jane Porter

Shey Darcy is having a hard time adjusting being back home in Texas. After living in New York City, working as a supermodel with her photographer husband and three sons, Shey is shocked to learn that her husband is leaving her- for another man. Unsure of where else to recover from her heartache, Shey flees to Texas, back to her country roots. Life doesn’t get easier for Shey after the move though. Her teenage sons have trouble adjusting to their new lives as well, Shey’s Southern Baptist mom won’t stop hounding her about her broken life, and Shey’s love from her teenage years enters back into her life- and Shey realizes she may not have stopped loving him.
When I read that She’s Gone Country by Jane Porter focused on a mother struggling with issues within her family, I worried I wouldn’t be able to relate well to the main character- as I am without a husband or children. But Shey’s story wrapped me in and commanded my attention throughout. The love story may have been a bit too overpowering between Shey and her ex-crush, Dane, but I really enjoyed the ending for these characters. As for the motherhood aspect, even though I am not a mom, it was so easy for me to understand the struggles Shey was feeling and coping with. Porter’s writing feels straight from the heart, like Shey opened up her diary for all to read. It is because that emotion, that vulnerability from the main characters, that makes this story so fantastic. A definite recommendation from me for She’s Gone Country!
Rating: 4.5/5

October 15, 2010
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Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many by Heather Wardell
Chick Lit Review

Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many by Heather Wardell

Madeleine-Cora Spencer, or MC, gets a little too drunk one night and decides to sign up for a reality dating show. Her love life is nothing to boast about, so why not? When she is chosen for the show, reality isn’t what it seems. Instead of a Bachelor-esque type dating show, MC is forced into the jungle with seven of her exes! Just when MC didn’t think having her personal life displayed on public TV was bad enough, another ex enters the picture- the one she may still be in love with.
Seven Exes are Eight too Many by Heather Wardell paints a realistic picture of reality TV. Lies, schemes, backstabbing, and not just among teammates, but the production crew as well! The behind the scene look of a craze that has swept society is an interesting concept for a novel, and with Wardell’s excellently placed humor and knack for bringing characters to life, it works. The main character may be slightly (mostly) neurotic, but her flaws only make her that much more relatable for readers. The seven exes each have distinct personalities, and I could easily love them or hate them. A few areas left me a little unsettled though: the concept of the reality show and the producer lying about what the contestants signed up for, and the ending. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but the finale episode didn’t do the story justice, in my opinion. Still an excellent novel from the always clever Heather Wardell, and I would recommend you check out Seven Exes are Eight too Many.
Rating: 4/5

October 13, 2010
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