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Anyone For Seconds? by Fiona Cassidy
Chick Lit Review

Anyone For Seconds? by Fiona Cassidy

Frankie McCormick decides to swear off men after her husband, Tony, leaves her and takes off to the States with his new younger girlfriend. Left behind to raise their two children, Ben and Carly, Frankie can’t help but to be wary of any man. But when Owen Byrne enters the picture, the strong façade quickly weakens. Taken by his good looks and charming personality, Frankie can only find one fault with Owen- his despicable teenage daughter Angelica. Angelica hates Frankie and does not want to lose her father to a new family, and does everything in her power to break the couple up. When tragedy hits the families and visitors from the past re-enter, Frankie and Owen’s relationship is put to the test. They must decide if the love they feel for one another is strong enough to endure the hardships and obstacles.
I found Anyone For Seconds? by Fiona Cassidy a heartwarming story about love and families. The relationship between the main characters has a very real feeling to it, not just all mushy and filled with scandal. The issues that are being dealt with I feel are not written about enough, and I commend Cassidy for tackling not only the issue of broken homes, but giving the children of those homes a voice. There were a few areas that seemed a little slow-going, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this read. I would definitely recommend this book, and anxiously await to read Fiona Cassidy’s second novel, Anyone For Me?

August 4, 2010
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Eyeleash: A Blog Novel by Jess C. Scott
Chick Lit Review

Eyeleash: A Blog Novel by Jess C. Scott

I wasn’t sure what to expect from a “blog novel.” EyeLeash by Jess C. Scott sure opened my eyes to a new style of writing, but I’m not sure if that is a good or bad thing. The novel is written in blog style, a young girl keeping a diary online and discussing private topics. Jade Ashton is a 17 year old virgin, who meets Novan, a friend from the past. Novan was once the geeky friend who crushed on Jade, but has grown into a hot songwriter/musician. Jade writes diligently in her private blog over the course of the year, and readers watch the relationship between her and Novan grow deeper and deeper. But when Novan unexpectedly drops Jade, she is left to turn to her friends for comfort and understanding. The deeply personal writing almost feels like trespassing at times, but helps understand the main character and how she is feeling. Since the novel picks up right as she begins her blog and her friendship with Novan, there is really no background story to get acquainted with. I found myself overly confused when a 17 year old girl seems to be living without parents and spends hundreds of dollars shopping but doesn’t have a job. I think if there had been some background at first or even throughout the story I could have a deeper connection with Jade’s character, but I just never got there. I think Scott’s efforts and talents do shine through at times, because there were two sections that I could not seem to stop reading. But overall, the characters and plot lines were too confusing for me to grasp. An interesting read if someone wants to check out blog novels, but not something I’ll be quick to recommend. Also, if reading sex scenes make you uncomfortable, pass on this one. The sexual language is quite strong and common throughout.
Rating: 2/5

August 3, 2010
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Jessica Z by Shawn Klomparens
Chick Lit Review

Jessica Z by Shawn Klomparens

Jessica Z by Shawn Klomparens will be a good read for those who like chick lit with a bit of edge to the story. Jessica Zorich is a twenty-eight year old living in San Francisco, and the plot follows the chick lit pattern for a few chapters. She is trying to find love with her upstairs neighbor, trying to be happy with her job as a copy-writer, and trying to please her family, especially her mother and sister. But the plot takes a thrilling twist when terrorism is introduced, and the intensity is heightened.
When downstairs neighbor Patrick announces he has a girlfriend, Jessica finds herself a new potential suitor. Josh is a dark character, a lithographer with a passion for art, and the relationship between Jessica and Josh is fast-paced and borderline confusing. Hints are sprinkled along the way that Josh may actually be involved with the terrorism that is sweeping the US, and the conclusion is unsettling. There were times during the reading that I couldn’t take my eyes away from the pages, I had to keep reading to see what happened next. But there were also times where I didn’t even want to pick up the book, the plot was too confusing and spotty that I began to lose interest. I appreciate the edgy chick lit, and that a male author could write about the heroine with seemingly ease. An engaging plot, but not enough consistency to keep my attention throughout.
Rating: 3.5/5

July 29, 2010
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The Cougar Club by Susan McBride
Chick Lit Review

The Cougar Club by Susan McBride

The Cougar Club by Susan McBride isn’t to be passed just because you aren’t a cougar! A cougar, a term coined popular by celebrities such as Demi Moore, is when an older woman hooks a young man, such as Ashton Kutcher. The three characters in this novel are high school friends that drifted apart but are now coming back together, all in their 40’s and at a crucial point in their lives. Kat has just been fired from her cushy job and broke off her relationship with her younger man, and ran from New York to her hometown of St. Louis in need of the comfort from her family and friends. Carla is the top anchorwoman that is determined not to let a much younger bimbo steal her job and spotlight, and Elise is watching her marriage fall apart, convinced her husband is having an affair. The three friends tighten their bond and help one another through their separate journeys.
I found The Cougar Club to be a smart, witty, and thought-provoking novel. The characters are all extremely likeable and down to earth, making it easy to feel their problems and search for the solutions along with them. I am not in the “cougar” age yet, but that didn’t hinder my reading experience at all. The life lessons, love lessons, and overall meaning of what true friendships are all about makes this book a must read for chick lit fans.

July 26, 2010
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Muffins and Mayhem by Suzanne Beecher
Chick Lit Review

Muffins and Mayhem by Suzanne Beecher

Muffins and Mayhem: Recipes For a Happy (if Disorderly) Life by Suzanne Beecher is a part memoir, part cookbook of Suzanne’s truly disorderly life. With absent parents, a teenage pregnancy, drug addictions, and a physical impairment, Suzanne’s story of how to overcome so many obstacles makes her novel an inspiring and emotional read. While she highlights the many pitfalls in her life, along with the glory days of opening her own restaurant and finding her husband, readers can see her compassion for baking and cooking, and how her love for the kitchen helped her along the way. Suzanne is a beautiful writer, even comedic at times, but I thought the plot jumped around a little too much for my taste. There are so many events and people that she wants to touch on, that at times the characters got all jumbled around. I did like the many recipes she shares with readers (I hope to try a few out myself) and the wisdom Suzanne evokes. I would recommend Muffins and Mayhem on that alone, but it also is an entertaining, quick read that I think chick lit fans could enjoy.

July 25, 2010
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Two Years, No Rain by Shawn Klomparens
Chick Lit Review

Two Years, No Rain by Shawn Klomparens

Andy Dunne is feeling the drought. The San Diego weatherman has been reporting no rain for the past two years, and been feeling increasingly irrelevant in his personal life. His wife left him, the death of his twin brother still haunts him, and he is in love with a married woman. Hillary Hsing, the object of Andy’s affection, urges Andy to try out for a job working on a children entertainment TV show, and before Andy can blink he is upgraded to the host and entering the realm of a media darling. As Andy’s life changes from being a nobody to a somebody, he is faced with many difficult decisions on his life, his family, and his relationships.
Two Years, No Rain by Shawn Klomparens is a refreshing change from my usual chick lit books. It was interesting to get a males perspective about so many issues I normally read about women: love, relationships, careers, and families. The humor was there in patches, but it wasn’t so much laugh out loud funny but more of a dark humor. The supporting cast really added to the story, especially the relationship between Andy and his young niece. Klomparens writing is stylish and fresh, and I would recommend Two Years, No Rain to chick lit fans that enjoy the males take on common adult issues.

July 19, 2010
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Fabulously Fashionable by Holly McQueen
Chick Lit Review

Fabulously Fashionable by Holly McQueen

I once again stumbled upon a book whose main character mirrored closely to Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic. Isabel Bookbinder has decided that she wants to be a fashion designer. The only trouble is, she has absolutely no talent for designing and creating clothes. Not letting that little fact keep her from her goals, Isabel gives her all to the fashion world. After lying her way into a job interview, Isabel manages to dupe her future boss into hiring her as a PA.
Fabulously Fashionable by Holly McQueen was a funny story, but at times a bit too farfetched for me. Fans of the Shopaholic series will appreciate the humorous situations the heroine constantly finds herself in, but it just wasn’t enough to pull me along. I thought the story between Isabel and her possibly cheating boyfriend and then the following relationship with an odd character that I couldn’t quite figure out until the end interested me more than Isabel trying to be a fashion designer. I thought this was a mediocre novel at best.

July 15, 2010
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The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch
Chick Lit Review

The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch

Tilly Farmer believes she has a great life. At 32 years old, she is still living in her hometown of Westlake, is employed as the guidance counselor at the high school, and married to her high school sweetheart. Her mother may have passed away at a young age, and her father is a recovering alcoholic, but Tilly still firmly believes she possess a fantastic life. The only thing she needs now is a baby. Her and her husband, Tyler, have been having trouble conceiving a child of their own, and now their marriage seems a bit rocky. But Tilly is convinced if they could just have a child, everything would be better.
When Tilly runs into an old childhood friend at a fair, things begin to change. Ashley, now a psychic, gives Tilly the gift of “clarity” regarding her future. Tilly begins having flashes of the future, showing her father having a relapse, her husband leaving her for a better job, and her little sister trying to take her own life. These visions frighten her at first, but after some time, Tilly begins to appreciate her new gift, and realizes the major life changes she is now facing.
The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch is a beautifully written story about woman whose perfect life begins to unravel faster than she can control. I thought the visions the heroine started receiving actually heightened the story instead of hindering the plot. The “hocus pocus” part makes the story a little less relatable to a real life story, but I enjoy the way the author went about it. As I was reading, I found myself asking a lot of the same questions Tilly was asking herself, and in that sense I think I took away a lot from this story, making The One That I Want be added to my Favorites list.
Rating: 4/5

July 14, 2010
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Handbags and Homicide by Dorothy Howell
Chick Lit Review

Handbags and Homicide by Dorothy Howell

I was looking forward to reading back to back chick lit mysteries. After finishing up the Lacy Fields novels from Janice Kaplan, I moved on to the Haley Randolph series from Dorothy Howell. The first, Handbags and Homicide, sounded like it could provide enough entertainment, but it definitely fell flat with me. The heroine Haley reminded me of Sophie Kinsella’s shopaholic, Rebecca Bloomwood, but without the likeability. She’s in massive debt, has an addiction to designer handbags, and working at a minimum wage position in a low scale retail store. Instead of finding some sort of work ethic and paying off debts, she continues to slouch through life, racking up extreme credit card purchases and showing no sign of changing. That alone put me off, but then comes the mystery part. When Haley finds the retail store’s assistant manager dead in the stockroom, she becomes a suspect in the crime. She sets off her own half-assed investigation, which I found to be pointless and overly long-winded, and eventually the real killer was uncovered and I could finally stop reading this book. I knew right away I wasn’t going to like this story when Haley finds her deceased boss, then walks away from him and decides she needs to buy another purse. What?? The supporting characters were not well written, most times I couldn’t decipher between characters or couldn’t remember who they were and why they were being talked about. I couldn’t finish this novel fast enough, and have zero interest looking into any of the other Haley Randolph books.

July 12, 2010
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