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Book Review: Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

I received a copy of Sarah’s Key in exchange for an honest review. Summary: Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested…

Diners, Dives & Dead Ends by Terri L. Austin

I am very excited to be kicking off Terri’s tour for CLP Blog Tours with the first mystery novel in the Rose Strickland series, Diners, Dives & Dead Ends. I love mystery, and adding mystery to a fun chick lit novel makes me one happy reader. The MC is Rose Strickland, a struggling waitress and part-time college student, who gets tangled up in a mystery when her best friend Axton goes missing. Rose puts herself on the case, and the next thing she knows she is being watched by one sexy bad guy and finding out a lot of secrets on her once boring town.
I loved this book! I was having a great time with Rose and her friends (loved Roxy’s outfits!) but the ending really put it over the top for me. I was wide-eyed while reading a plot twist that really through me (in a good way) and I was frantically flipping the pages. What an ending – seriously! Now I’m just going to have to be anxious while awaiting the next book! Rose was a fabulous heroine – independent and a bit quirky, but full of love for those who were close to her. I was very intrigued by the obvious attraction between her and the bad guy, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes in the sequel. If you enjoy a bit of mystery in your reading, I highly recommend Diners, Dives & Dead Ends!
[Rating: 5]

Happily Ever Madder by Stephanie McAfee

I recently reviewed Diary of a Mad Fat Girl by Stephanie McAfee and shared my excitement about reading the sequel. These are some seriously funny books, and chick lit fans need to snap these up! Happily Ever Madder picks up in Ace’s new town of Pelican Cove, Florida. She has left behind her native Bugtussle, Mississippi to start a new life with fiancé Mason and a new career – opening her own art gallery. She also had made a deal with herself – to get a new attitude. She is going to chuck away the straight-talking, sassy woman she once was and be a kinder, gentler version of Ace Jones. But with all the obstacles thrown her way in Pelican Cove, will the old Ace come to the surface – and can she really find true happiness at last?
I have to start with the ending – the cliffhanger literally made me shout out loud, loud enough for my fiancé to chuck his earbuds out and stare at me in shock. I am so excited to read the third book and figure out what happens to Ace. I really enjoyed the new cast of characters in this book, and how well the ones from the first book seamlessly slipped in. Ace is clearly struggling with a lot in Pelican Cove – getting on with Mason, her art gallery possibly being a bust, and a strange connection with the town player all being up there. But it’s the collision with Mrs. Lenore Kennashaw that really had me in stitches. I loved when Ace decided to chuck her nice-girl plan and finally get back at the wretched Lenore – the plan was genius! This book is written with humor but still a lot of feeling, and I have to give this sequel a big 5 stars!
[Rating: 5]

Diary of a Mad Fat Girl by Stephanie McAfee

I received a copy of Diary of a Mad Fat Girl in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Graciela “Ace” Jones is mad-mad at her best friend Lilly who cancels their annual trip to Panama City for mysterious reasons; at her boss Catherine for “riding her ass like a fat lady on a Rascal scooter;” at her friend Chloe’s abusive husband; and especially at Mason McKenzie, the love of her life, who has shown up with a marriage proposal one year too late. Ace is never mad, though, at her near-constant companion, an adorable chiweenie dog named Buster Loo.
Ace’s anger begins to dissipate as she takes matters into her own hands to take down Chloe’s philandering husband-and to get to the bottom of a multitude of other scandals plaguing Bugtussle, Mississippi. Then, she starts to realize that maybe Mason deserves a second chance after all.
With a sharp and distinctive voice, Stephanie McAfee delivers a hilarious and fast-paced tale about Ace Jones and her two best friends-thick as thieves and tough as nails-navigating Southern small-town politics and prejudices, finding love, and standing up for each other all the way.
My Review:
What a hoot! The concept reeled me in, the execution was flawless, and I loved all the Southern talk. I swear, I think in a past life I was a southern belle, because I am just addicted to these types of books! Ace was a hysterical main character, and I enjoyed every minute of going on an adventure with her. I loved Bugtussle, Mississippi and the characters that filled the town. And Buster Loo? I am seriously trying to persuade my fiancé to let me name our future pup after this chiweenie. (Would probably work better if we didn’t live in Iowa.) This is a must-read, and I am just as ecstatic to currently be reading the sequel, Happily Ever Madder!
[Rating: 5]

Happily Ever Before by Aimee Pitta and Melissa Peterman

I received a copy of Happily Ever Before in exchange for an honest review. I had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs…

Living in Glass Houses by Zoe McNight

I am happy to be closing Zoe McNight’s tour for Living in Glass Houses because I loved this book! What a page turner, and one that really kept me thinking. The story follows three main plot points. There is Jonathan, a college basketball coach who is dating somewhat of a Park Avenue princess. After he meets the new hire at his college, he starts to see what life could be like if he was dating someone with similar interests and background. But he has a choice to make – his princess who makes a bombshell announcement, or the woman who truly thinks he can’t live without. Blair fell in love with her now-husband in college, but his somewhat celebrity status boosted his ego and his wandering eye has turned her jaded. When Blair finally thinks her marriage is in a good place, her past decisions and own indiscretions come back to haunt her. And finally there is Elle, an NYC editor who is in a happy relationship with the man that everyone thinks is her Mr. Right. But Elle can’t seem to move on from a past relationship that ended suddenly and without closure.
I was really fascinated with each character’s story. I will say that I didn’t like Jonathan very much, but his story kept me interested and thinking, and I truly had no idea what his final decision would be. I liked that there was no clear cut ending for everyone. Each character had big decisions to make, and I was truly invested in each journey and how the book would come to an end. The title definitely works; the three friends all seem to judge each other when they need to step back and examine their own lives, and this is a really fabulous contemporary read. I couldn’t put this down, and I give it 5 stars and a spot on my Favorite’s List!

Sex, Lies & Hot Tubs by Elissa Ambrose

Elissa Ambrose is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Sex, Lies & Hot Tubs. What a book! You know you are engrossed in a story when you have your Kindle balanced on your laptop so you can sneak in sentences while working! I think that is the definition of “not being able to put a book down.” I had a great time with this book and the characters that filled the pages. Ellen Dunwell is our MC, a mother, a wife, a friend, and a high school teacher. She stumbled upon her husband’s – a dermatology doctor- affair in the past with his receptionist, and now she has a suspicion that he is back to his usual ways. When he goes missing, the mystery is amped. Did her really take off with a new girlfriend? What about his shady new side business Ellen thinks he got involved in – could something have taken a wrong turn in that aspect? Ellen is also dealing with a hormone-charged, angst-ridden teenage daughter calling for attention, as well as her students, her friends, and a Peeping Tom neighbor.
There is a lot going on in this book, but I never felt confused or unable to get into a sub-plot. Ambrose gives readers mystery, humor, suspense, sex, and a quick-pace that made me finish this within two days. I really don’t want to give anything away because there is plenty of shock-able moments, but I can’t recommend this book more. A big 5 star review for me, and another to add to my Favorites List!
[Rating: 5]

Picture Perfect by Lucie Simone

Lucie Simone is someone who I consider myself lucky to have met when I entered this crazy book-blogging world. Not only is she someone I look up to, but she is a virtual friend and a truly talented author – as showcased in her latest novel Picture Perfect. Ooh, this is a good one, and chick lit fans should not pass this up! Set in LA, the story revolves around Lauren Tate, a TV producer who wakes up early due to being served divorce papers. Awkward when she has to go to her job where her soon to be ex-husband also works. Even worse – it seems someone is out to get Lauren booted from her position. Is it her snarky former assistant? Her ex? Lauren’s life gets more complicated with the arrival of an up-and-coming Hollywood heartthrob and a murder rocking Tinsel Town…
I loved this book! Sometimes (especially with eBooks) I forget to read the blurb first, so I had no idea Simone was throwing in the mystery/murder aspect, and that catapulted this chick lit book to new depths. So much intrigue, scandal, a behind-the-scenes look into an interesting LA career choice, and a MC that rocked the pages. A 5 star book that you should read!
[Rating: 5]

Lost in the Light by Mary Castillo

I am kicking off Mary Castillo’s tour on CLP Blog Tours for Lost in the Light. This book captivated me. The story brings in some of my favorite elements – mainly being mystery and the past. Detective Dori Orihuela buys a 120 year-old Edwardian mansion to restore while she waits to get back on duty after she was shot. She has no idea when she moved in that she was going to be visited by the ghost of Vicente Sorolla, who is seeking Dori’s help to find a woman named Anna. Dori begins to worry about her sanity, but through time and proof that Vicente and his story is real, an unlikely friendship forms between the two.
The story shifts back and forth from present day and 1932, and readers understand Vicente’s story more and more as the book whips along. There is a lot of history in this book which I loved. The mystery aspect really drew me in, and I liked that readers could get into Dori and Vicente’s head both. The ending might have been my favorite. No spoilers, but it wasn’t drawn out, too quick or anything cheesy, which I’ve seen happen with mystery novels like this. One of my favorite mystery reads of the year, and one to get your to-read list!
[Rating: 4.5]