Chick Lit Plus by Samantha March

Latest Youtube Videos

Book Review: How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue

I received a copy of How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Free-spirited Annie Quintana and sophisticated Julia St. Clair come from two different worlds. Yet, as the daughter of the St. Clairs’ housekeeper, Annie grew up in Julia’s San Francisco mansion and they forged a bond that only two little girls oblivious to class differences could—until a life-altering betrayal destroyed their friendship.
A decade later, Annie bakes to fill the void left in her heart by her mother’s death, and a painful secret jeopardizes Julia’s engagement to the man she loves. A chance reunion prompts the unlikely duo to open a cupcakery, but when a mysterious saboteur opens up old wounds, they must finally face the truth about their past or risk losing everything.
Review:
What a home run of a book! It gives me chills when I find a book that I find irresistible from page one, and this exactly what happened with How to Eat a Cupcake. The dynamic between Annie and Julia was tense, loving, troubled, and supportive –all wrapped into one. These characters really leapt off the pages and made this impossible to put down. I loved the mystery surrounding the death of Annie’s mother and also with the cupcakery break-ins. I think I could go on and on about how much I loved this novel, but I’ll just say go read it – and grab yourself a cupcake!
Rating: 5 stars

January 14, 2013
2 Comments
Book Review: The Baby Planner by Josie Brown
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Baby Planner by Josie Brown

I received a copy of The Baby Planner by Josie Brown in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
The Nanny Diaries “meets “The Wedding Planner “in this smart, dishy novel from the author of “Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives”–featuring a woman who runs San Francisco’s premier baby planning company and the mommies-to-be who seek out her services. Katie Johnson may make her living consulting with new moms on the latest greatest baby gadgets no parent should be without, or which mommy meet-ups are the most socially desirable, or whether melon truly is the new black, but the success of her marriage to her husband, Alex, depends on controlling her own urges toward motherhood.

He’s adamant that they stay childless. Sure, Katie understands that he’s upset over the fact that his out-of-town ex-wife rarely lets him see their ten-year-old son, Peter. But living vicariously through her anxious clients and her twin sisters’ precocious children only makes Katie resent his stance more deeply.

While helping a new client–Seth Harris, a high tech entrepreneur who must raise Sadie, his newborn daughter, as a single parent after the tragic death of his wife in childbirth–maneuver the bittersweet journey from mourning husband and reticent father to loving dad, Katie’s own ideals about love, marriage, and motherhood are put to the test as she learns ones very important lesson about family: “How we nurture is the true nature of love.”
Review:
Josie Brown is a hands-down a favorite author of mine. The first two books in the Totlandia series had me stitches, and I absolutely adored The Baby Planner as well. Whenever I read mom-lit I always point out in my reviews that I am not yet a mother myself, as sometimes that can cause a disconnect with the characters. Not in Brown’s books. Katie was my new BFF, and I loved reading her story. She was savvy, smart and my kind of heroine, and I devoured this book in a couple of quick days. Another 5 star review for a marvelous Josie Brown book!
[Rating: 5]

January 2, 2013
Leave a comment
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Mad World: Epidemic by Samaire Provost
Chick Lit Review

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Mad World: Epidemic by Samaire …

I am excited to kick off Samaire Provost’s tour with CLP Blog Tours for Mad World: Epidemic, because I loved this book! You know you’re in for a treat when literally the first paragraph in the book has you hooked, and that is exactly what happened to me! I didn’t actually realize when I started that the book would be basically about zombies. I haven’t bought into the zombie craze yet – unlike my fiancé – but I never once got worried because I enjoyed the opening so much.
Scientist’s at Stanford University in California have begun examining samples of bone marrow from plague-infected corpses unearthed in Europe – victims from the Black Plague. Somehow the infection gets out and people start getting infected, which leads to an epidemic. Families are evacuated, riots are occurring, and the state of California is in complete panic mode. The main character is seventeen year old Alyssa, who is returning to California from a school trip when they run into the epidemic. After their teacher is infected, the students are left to fend for themselves in a harrowing adventure to try to find their families – and a safe place.
This was a quick read for me even over the busy holidays. I was drawn into the fascinating plot and didn’t want to put the book down. I have the second in the series, Mad World: Sanctuary on my Kindle and am eager to read it and jump back into the story. There are gory parts in the story since it does revolve around zombies, but I didn’t think there was too much or that there were any unnecessary parts. I enjoyed that this was a very high-paced book, always with action going on and never a dull moment. I recommend this and look forward to more!
[Rating: 5]

December 31, 2012
2 Comments
Book Review: Totlandia: The Onesies, Book 2
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Totlandia: The Onesies, Book 2

I received a copy of Totlandia: The Onesies, Book 2 in exchange for an honest review. I gave 5 stars to the first book in this series, and was more than happy to dive into the second. The story picks right back up and finally answered the burning question of who Madame Ovary is. More secrets are uncovered along the way, as the probationary moms (and dad!) try to win their spot in the coveted Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club. Some of what is revealed had my jaw hitting the floor, and I was once again riveted by this tale of scandal, friendship, and parenthood from Josie Brown. I hope book three in the series is here soon!
[Rating: 5]

December 28, 2012
Leave a comment
2012 Favorite Reads: Samantha’s Picks
Chick Lit Review

2012 Favorite Reads: Samantha’s Picks

Sad Desk Salad Jessica Grose 5 stars Sarah’s Key Tatiana de Rosnay 5 stars  Blackberry Winter Sarah Jio 5 stars  Don’t Let Me Go Catherine…

December 25, 2012
2 Comments
Totlandia: The Onesies by Josie Brown
Chick Lit Review

Totlandia: The Onesies by Josie Brown

I received a copy of Totlandia: The Onesies in exchange for an honest review. I am a big fan of Josie Brown, so of course I was excited to break into her new novella series. I am also getting ready to start The Twosies here shortly, and can’t wait to pick back up! The Onesies introduces readers to the The Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club, which is the most exclusive children’s playgroup in San Fran. It has come time to select new members for the group, but not just everyone is considered. Only mothers are considered, no single parents will be looked at, and working moms…yeah right. But the six possible new members competing for the final four spots all hold some sort of secret that will ultimately break the rules of PHM&T…if they can survive the challenges and become a member!
Loved it! This is a short book with a lot of characters getting their own voice, but I didn’t feel rushed or confused or frustrated at any point. Brown does a slam-dunk job at writing a witty novella with a lot of heart, laughs, and WTF moments! I may not be a mother yet, but I was hooked from the beginning and I am so glad I have book # 2 ready to go in my Kindle, because the cliffhanger had me practically panting. 5 stars!
[Rating: 5]

December 20, 2012
3 Comments
CLP Blog Tours Review: Meant to Be by Karen Stivali
Chick Lit Review

CLP Blog Tours Review: Meant to Be by Karen Stivali

Karen Stivali is on tour now with CLP Blog Tours and Meant to Be. This is a true romance story, and one that I found difficult to put down. Readers follow the journey of love between neighbors Daniel Gardner and Marienne Valeti – though both are married to other people. What starts as an innocent friendship turns into a tortuous friendship as both Daniel and Marienne realize they are falling for each other. Both remain loyal in their marriages and their friendship only grows stronger throughout the years. But when will the friends get their chance at true love and happiness?
This was a beautifully written story by Stivali, and I’m thrilled to know the sequel, Holding On, is already out. I often don’t enjoy books about infidelity and marriages breaking up because of it (as I am getting married next year) and I almost thought this book would entail that. I’m so happy I was way off course with that thought, because Daniel and Marienne’s marriages did not fail because of them or their friendship. They both remained fiercely loyal to their spouses, which I could appreciate. It was slow torture being able to understand how well the two fit together and how unfit their spouses were for them. There were a lot twists in the book that kept me on my toes, and the ending had me jumping for joy. Very much looking forward to reading Holding On.
[Rating: 4.5]

December 17, 2012
1 Comment
150 Pounds by Kate Rockland
Chick Lit Review

150 Pounds by Kate Rockland

I received a copy of 150 Pounds in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
In the fast paced life of blogging, two women stand out: Alexis Allbright, of Skinny Chick, and Shoshana Weiner, who writes Fat and Fabulous. Both have over five million loyal readers. Both are hungry for success. But the similarities stop there.
With over 100 pounds on the scale separating them, weight isn’t their only difference. Alexis is a loner who is so bitchy the only person who can stand her company is her gay best friend Billy. She gives neurotic New Yorkers a run for their money with her strict daily workout routine, and weighing of food. Shoshana is Alexis’s opposite. Living in Jersey with rowdy roommates, she is someone who “collects friends,” as her mother puts it; and treasures a life of expanding circles…and waistlines.
When both appear as panelists on a popular talk show, their lives intersect in ways neither could have imagined. In turns comedic, heartwarming–and familiar to any woman who’s ever stepped on a scale–Alexis and Shoshana realize they have far more in common than either could have possibly imagined, and more importantly, something to offer.
My Review:
What a fabulous read! On first glance I fell in love with the cover, and after reading the blurb, I knew this was a must-read for me. And now I am making it a must-read for you! I love the term smart chick lit, and I feel that 150 Pounds is definitely that. Kate Rockland has a terrific voice and writing style, and as a blogger myself, I could immediately identify with her characters. I thought it was fascinating to get inside both Alexis and Shoshana’s minds and see why they think the way they do and what is behind their actions. I thought this novel brought humor, a resounding message, and a way for women to have more confidence after reading. I loved it!
[Rating: 5]

December 12, 2012
2 Comments
Sad Desk Salad by Jessica Grose
Chick Lit Review

Sad Desk Salad by Jessica Grose

I received a copy of Sad Desk Salad in exchange for an honest review. I thought I was going to love this novel from the description and the beyond-hilarious cover. I knew I was going to love this novel from the first page. But seriously – how was I not going to fall in love with a main character who blogs at a women’s lifestyle website called Chick Habit? I was immediately transplanted into the story and stayed in Alex’s world until the last page. Alex is starting to lose focus with herself as she continues blogging at Chick Habit, being encouraged to write more vindictive and scandalous articles to raise her traffic and avoid getting the sack. But when a salacious story gets put in Alex’s lap via an anonymous tipster, she struggles with morals versus traffic views and saving her job.
As someone who lives a lot of her time in the web world, I had no trouble connecting right off the bat with Alex. I loved the story Jessica Grose built and found her to be fresh, funny, and a modern new voice to fiction. Even though the book is light-hearted, there are a lot of deep issues to think about throughout. Who is granted privacy online? Why are we so obsessed with not only celebrities, but hearing about other people’s misfortunes and pitfalls? And of course, a big reason why I love this book so much is because it’s an enjoyable chick lit read that comes with a message. This is a definite favorite of mine, and one I recommend you to check out ASAP!
[Rating: 5]

December 7, 2012
1 Comment