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Georgia’s Kitchen by Jenny Nelson
Chick Lit Review

Georgia’s Kitchen by Jenny Nelson

Georgia Gray is set- employed as head chef at one of Manhattan’s best restaurants, fabulous rock on her left finger from Glenn, and the best friends a girl could hope for. But when a less than stellar review is published about her restaurant, Georgia’s outlook is suddenly looks bleak. Jobless with a black mark next to her name in the food industry, though the review came from the extracurricular activities between her boss and the reviewer’s young daughter, Georgia thinks she can at least rely on Glenn, her entertainment lawyer fiancée, to turn to. But when she finds out Glenn has been dabbling in with cocaine while out with “clients” the engagement is broken off. Not knowing where else to turn, Georgia calls up an old friend in Italy and begs for a chef job.
Claudia comes through for Georgia, and soon enough Georgia is happily settling into her Italian countryside trattoria. But when she learns she is not the head chef of the new kitchen, along with feelings of jealousy for Claudia for having the life she so badly covets, Georgia begins to doubt her spontaneous move to Italy. But when she meets Gianni- the perfect Italian man who is ready to sweep her off her feet and offers her a career too delectable Georgia couldn’t possibly pass it up- she just can’t say yes. But can she find the courage to follow her own dreams back in New York?
Georgia’s Kitchen, the debut novel from Jenny Nelson, is five stars! One page was all it took me to be completely hooked on Georgia and her story. One page. I may not know my way around the kitchen, but reading about Georgia and her career as a chef made me feel I was right beside her chopping and dicing and mincing. Then the travel aspect comes in. I love traveling and learning about different countries and cultures, so once Georgia is in Italy, I couldn’t put this book down. I loved that the ending was a bit different than what I expected. There is a happy ending, don’t get me wrong, but I enjoy that Nelson gives Georgia the power to control her life, and not have her crying and pining over her failed relationship at all times. What an exceptional debut from Jenny Nelson, and I look forward to many more from her.
Rating: 5/5

October 9, 2010
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Go Small or Go Home by Heather Wardell
Chick Lit Review

Go Small or Go Home by Heather Wardell

Tess is a struggling artist, working as a therapeutic massage therapist to keep the bills paid. When the massage clinic she works at suddenly closes and she is nowhere near getting paid for her art pieces, Tess goes on an interview for the Toronto Hogs- the professional hockey team. She didn’t know that she would only be working for one of the players instead of the entire team, and quickly runs into a mess of problems with Forrest. Forrest, once a star hockey player who has a multi-million dollar contract with the Hogs after being traded, suffered through a devastating car accident earlier and a groin injury on top of that, and his hockey game isn’t up to par. Tess didn’t realize when she signed on that she would not only being massaging Forrest, but also helping him overcome his inner demons that keep him distracted from hockey. Or that she would fall in love with him. But can Forrest move on from his past so he and Tess can attempt a future together?
Go Small or Go Home by Heather Wardell kept me tearing through the pages, marveling at the love story being played out. There are some deep circumstances surrounding Forrest and Tess, and the emotions are quite intense and heavy throughout. Both characters are highly damaged, but instead of that quality dragging them down, it made it that much better reading about how they could make each other better. Not only is Go Small or Go Home a fantastic love story, but there is another layer about self-discovery. When Tess finally gets her dream career of being an artist to come true, she realizes that maybe working for a gallery owner isn’t all she thought it would be. She is forced to examine her career and future goals to figure out what path she really needs to take to be satisfied in both her personal and professional life. Another gem from Heather Wardell!
Rating: 4.5/5

October 5, 2010
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Vivian Rising by Daniella Brodsky
Chick Lit Review

Vivian Rising by Daniella Brodsky

Vivian Sklar is devastated when she loses her grandmother. Since Vivian’s mother left her years ago, her grandmother became her mother and best friend. Once she passes, Vivian feels utterly alone and terrified of the world, unsure which way to turn, where to go for help. When she finds herself staring at a sign for an astrologer, reader of the stars, she goes for it. What could it hurt?
After talking with Kavia, Vivian thinks she made a silly choice. She’s nothing but a cooky lady wearing odd clothes and warning of the future. But when Kavia urges Vivian not to take the train home, Vivian decides to give her a chance. After learning the same train she would have boarded crashed, Vivian hands the reigns of her life over to Kavia. Following each piece of advice her astrologer dishes out, Vivian bases her life choices on what her readings tell her. When they lead her to Len, the handsome yet guarded grandson of her neighbors, she accepts his attention. When they tell her to ignore her mother for once in her life, Vivian refuses to answer the phone. But can Vivian rely only on the astrologer’s advice her whole life? Will she ever find the strength to write her own future without her grandmother by her side?
Vivian Rising by Daniella Brodsky is an intricate story laced with love, perseverance, and a lot of self doubt. The main character is easy to relate to, a lost soul, scared little girl, afraid to face the future, wanting to know the answers now. The conflict between Vivian and her mother frustrated me at times, and I found myself wishing I could be there to yell at Vivian. I loved how Brodsky’s writing could make me feel like I could just jump into the story alongside the characters. The scenes were vivid, the characters relatable, and the emotions raw. Vivian Rising has many layers to peel back, and readers will be left thinking about their own futures and how self-perseverance will get them there. Seeing the transformation between Vivian at the beginning of the story to where she is at the end is very empowering, adding this novel to my Favorites List.
Rating: 4.5/5

October 1, 2010
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Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo by Heather Wardell
Chick Lit Review

Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo by Heather Wardell

Candice and Ian’s marriage has been strained for the last eight months, ever since Ian’s parents were killed in a car accident. When Ian decides to leave for a month to do overseas work, Candice is relived she has some time alone to reflect on her marriage and whether she should stay with her husband. But when a blast from the past enters the picture, Candice can’t fight the feelings and emotions that come with her ex, Keagan. As the four weeks away from Ian stretches on, Candice gets swept away in the comfort, familiarity, and excitement that Keagan brings to her life. But is she letting Keagan distract her so she doesn’t need to address the painful reason her and Ian have grown apart? Is leaving her husband the right decision, or is there more to life and love that Candice will discover?
Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo, the debut novel from Heather Wardell, was so beautifully written, so touching and relatable that I could feel the characters jump out of the pages while reading, and skyrocketed Wardell to the top of my Favorite Authors list. Her writing flowed so effortlessly between scenes, and the emotions and vulnerability the heroine projected left me reading for hours at a time, unable to tear myself away from the characters. There is no question Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo deserves five stars, and I look forward to many more from Heather Wardell.
Rating: 5/5

September 29, 2010
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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Her Brother’s Shotgun Wedding by Noreen Riley
Chick Lit Review

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Her Brother’…

Evelyn Dunleavy is shocked when her older brother Michael calls to tell her he is getting married. With Evie and her family living in the States while Michael lives in London, the family doesn’t even know his bride to be- who also happens to be pregnant. Michael convinces Evie to fly to London and stay there until the wedding, helping with the wedding plans and to be a supportive base for himself. Evie is forced to room with Michael’s friend Nate, but quickly gets over her dislike for rooming with a stranger when she lays eyes on the gorgeous entrepreneurial Nate. But can she really engage in a relationship with him when they live on different sides of the Pond, not to mention the fact that Michael has an extreme dislike for any of his friends dating his little sister?
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Her Brother’s Shotgun Wedding, the debut novel by Noreen Riley, is a classic contemporary blend of romance and comedy. The main character is extremely likeable and relatable, with some hilarious character flaws about her. The supporting cast, including both families involved in the wedding plus a slew of Evie’s best friends, fill up the rest of the pages with drama, attitudes, and enough wit to keep readers satisfied until the end. A Funny Thing follows the chick lit standards, but the characters, setting, and plot keep this novel unique and fast-paced. Riley showcases an excellent debut, and I wouldn’t mind if a sequel about Evie was in the works-but maybe one with a shorter title!
Rating: 4/5

September 26, 2010
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Waxed by Robert Rave
Chick Lit Review

Waxed by Robert Rave

I don’t usually get many chick lit books sent my way by male authors, but the few I have, I really enjoyed them. When I read the synopsis for Waxed by Robert Rave and saw that a male author was taking on three sisters who run their own waxing salon and specialize in waxing “lady bits” I couldn’t help but be surprised. A male discussing failed relationships, cheating scandals- and bikini waxes?
From just a few pages in, I was sold. Carolina Impresario, the oldest of the three sisters and owner of Impresarios, seems to have everything under control. But her no nonsense attitude and how she unapologetically runs her salon and personal life is only a façade. When she has to choose between her boyfriend and previous lover, readers can connect with Carolina on a more personal journey, beyond money, success, and glamour. The middle sister, Anna, is the domestic one, trying to raise her three children by herself after her husband left the family. Anna struggles to get back to work at Impresarios, and takes on a job with an older client who teaches Anna more about experiencing life that she ever knew was possible. With one of her children choosing to lead an unconventional lifestyle, Anna finds in increasingly difficult to be a single parent to her three children, but doesn’t know how to act when her ex appears back in her life. And Sophia is the youngest, recently married and faithfully in love with her husband. When a gay client befriends Sophia, she learns more about love, marriage, and commitment than she bargained for.
The three sisters struggle through their personal issues, and I sped quickly through the pages trying to soak it all in. Rave does an excellent job at giving each sister her own unique voice, and though their situations are definitely out there, I felt I could relate in some way to each sister. I was invested in each one and wanted to see them succeed, and I just love novels that can make me feel a personal connection with the characters. Rave managed to do this with not only one heroine, but three. I can’t sing enough praises about Waxed, the characters were flawless, the writing smooth, and the setting of an upscale New York waxing salon brought in the comedy. Five stars!
Rating: 5/5

September 24, 2010
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Fragile by Lisa Unger
Chick Lit Review

Fragile by Lisa Unger

The Hollows, a small, secluded town just outside of New York, is a charming town where everyone knows one another and all their family business. A relatively safe and quiet area, the Hollows only holds one dreadful secret, rarely mentioned by the town’s community. When Maggie and Jones Cooper were in high school, Sarah Meyers, another high school student with a bright future, was found dead in the woods. Her body had been badly mutilated, and the town was disturbed that a callous killer could be living among them. Though someone eventually admitted to the murder of Sarah and died in prison, people were still uneasy and dissatisfied with the horrific situation.
Twenty years after Sarah’s death, another high school girl suddenly vanishes after a fight with her mother. Maggie and Jones Cooper’s son, Rick, is astonished when his girlfriend, Charlene Murray, is the one who disappears. No one knows if she ran off to New York to follow her dream of being in band, or if something terrible has happened- something like what happened to Sarah Meyers. The town bands together to try to solve the disappearance of Charlene, and while doing so, opens up all the unanswered questions of Sarah’s murder. Was the man who admitted to killing her actually not have committed the crime? Is the murderer of Sarah still in the town, and could he be responsible for Charlene?
Fragile, the contemporary thriller from Lisa Unger, is an excellent mystery that left me guessing until the end. The secrets the town holds pulls a dark cloud over everyone as they fear another murder case will come to light. The point of view switches between key players in the story, and readers will enjoy getting a small taste of different characters thoughts and ideas. Slowly and methodically, pieces of the puzzle can be put together, but my favorite part of this story was that there was no obvious killer. I don’t like when I read a mystery and the guilty is so obvious to figure out, so that aspect made me really enjoy Fragile. The way that outside characters and events are woven into the heart of the story brings this thriller full circle, and I highly recommend this latest from best-selling author Lisa Unger.
Rating: 4/5

September 23, 2010
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A Desirable Residence by Madeleine Wickham
Chick Lit Review

A Desirable Residence by Madeleine Wickham

I am a huge fan of all Sophie Kinsella’s novels, Shopaholic and non-Shopaholic, so I couldn’t wait to read one under her real name- Madeleine Wickham. My first novel read was her latest, A Desirable Residence, and I loved it! I’m just a bit saddened that I can’t give it a five star rating, but I definitely recommend this to all chick lit fans.
This story has many characters jostling for the spotlight, a handful of sub plots, and an abundance of juicy drama. Liz Chambers, who seems quite likeable at first glance, turns out to be a self-centered wife and mother who becomes bored with her mundane husband and living life in debt. When wealthy realtor Marcus Witherstone takes a drunken pass at her, she eagerly delves into the affair, convinced her life would be better as Marcus’s wife where she would be out of debt and constantly going to exciting events on his arm. Marcus convinces Liz and husband Jonathan to rent out their unsold house to Ginny and Piers Prentice. Piers is a struggling actor hoping to secure a lead part on one of the hottest soap operas on television, and Ginny is beside herself thinking her husband is about to become famous and their lives will be changed for the better. Liz and Jonathan’s teenage daughter, Alice, strikes up a peculiar friendship with Ginny and Piers, partly because she has a crush on Piers and partly because she thinks Ginny is a million times cooler than her own mom. All these lives intersect in the most engaging ways, and all the drama comes to a head when Ginny throws a party for Piers the night of his final audition. Chaos ensues, friendships are broken, and some unexpected endings are in store for readers.
Like I stated previously, I highly enjoyed A Desirable Residence. Lessons were learned from the characters that readers can take note of, there was enough drama to last for days, and the cliff hanger at the end kept me wondering. The reason why I don’t want to give it five stars is because multiple times I felt completely overwhelmed by the amount of characters and the situations they were in. More than once I found myself confused on who was with who and why they were acting that way and what that meant and so on and so on. I do like when books have all these different tales to tell, but when too many characters get in the way, my dislike shines through. Other than that, I thought Wickham’s writing was excellent and her expertise in the field of chick lit is clearly evident.
Rating: 4/5

September 21, 2010
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Dating Mr. December by Phillipa Ashley
Chick Lit Review

Dating Mr. December by Phillipa Ashley

Emma Tremayne lost her boyfriend and snazzy PR job all in one day, and flees to the Lake District in need of finding herself and forgetting bad memories. She takes up another PR job, and her first assignment is helping a local mountain rescue group raise money for their base. Her idea is to have the twelve male members pose for a “tasteful nude calendar” in hopes of selling enough to raise the funds. The idea is met with some doubts at first, but eventually all the men agree to pose- except one. Will Tennant is the most gorgeous and spearheaded man Emma has ever laid eyes on, but she does not want to feel attracted to him after learning he left another woman at the alter. As her time at the Lake District stretches on, Emma and Will’s feelings slowly begin to show for another, and a near tragic accident leads them to finally admit how they truly feel about each another.
Dating Mr. December by British author Phillipa Ashley is a typical romantic story, telling the tale of a boy and girl who so clearly belong together yet get twisted and tangled along the way before admitting they’re in love. What made this more than the typical romance story was Ashley’s comedic tone that she brought to help make the characters come alive. I especially enjoyed that she not only wrote from Emma’s point of view, but also Will’s, giving readers more of an insight on these two characters. Somewhere in the middle of the story the plot began to fall flat for me, but near the end the pace really picked up. I loved the beautiful ending to the story, and it made want to hear more about these characters and their new lives together.
Rating: 4/5

September 18, 2010
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