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Table Manners by Mia King
Chick Lit Review

Table Manners by Mia King

Table Manners, the follow up novel from Mia King’s Good Things, introduces Deidre McIntosh back into reader’s lives. Everything seems to be going so smoothly for our heroine: she has her own line of pastries with a fabulous company and secured the perfect boyfriend, Kevin Johnson, one of the most eligible bachelors in all of Seattle. Deidre’s perfect world suddenly comes to a halt though when everything falls apart at once. The company she is working for isn’t letting her run with her creative ideas for her pastries, Kevin’s snarky sister Marsha seems out to get Deidre, and worse- Kevin’s sexy seductive ex-fiancé suddenly enters into the picture- with her eyes on Deidre’s man.
Mia King brings another fabulous and delectable novel to readers, who follow Deidre and her friends along their difficult journeys. Deidre’s best (gay) friend is soon to get married to his partner, but what they envision for their special day is difficult to achieve. And Deidre’s friend Lindsey from Jacob’s Pointe is thinking about selling the beloved Wishbone diner after suffering a heart attack and losing any positive outlook on life. During her time of crisis, Deidre finds that she has no one she can turn to. But like all good chick lit stories, readers will get that happy ending albeit a few unexpected bumps along the way. Table Manners left me hoping for a third novel from the truly gifted Mia King.

January 15, 2010
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Good Things by Mia King
Chick Lit Review

Good Things by Mia King

It doesn’t take long for the cookie to crumble. Forty year old Deidre McIntosh has found that out the hard way. After a successful five year run as the host of Seattle’s television show Live Simple, Deidre has found herself with no job, no income after her investments go bad, no roommate and now no place to live. Her best (and gay) friend of twenty plus years has moved on and moved out with his boyfriend, leaving her alone and broke.
Enter the gorgeous Kevin Johnson. After a couple of chance meetings leading to a one-night stand, Kevin offers Deidre his vacation house in the desolate country side of Jacob’s Point. Not having many other options, Deidre sells off her designer labels and packs up her few belongings to begin roughing it far from the city. After her horrendous first night in the rustic cabin, Deidre just doesn’t think Jacob’s Point is the best place for her. A visit to the local diner and making some unlikely friends and possible business opportunities changes her mind, and slowly Deidre begins to build her life back up.
Good Things, the debut novel from Mia King is a must read for all chick lit fans. Each chapter left me wondering what was next from the head-strong and stubborn heroine, which way the plot was going to twist next with interesting character relationships, and the delicious recipes at the end of the book were an added bonus. A fresh and engaging take on a chick lit storyline.

January 4, 2010
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With or Without You by Carole Matthews
Chick Lit Review

With or Without You by Carole Matthews

Lyssa Allen cannot believe it when her boyfriend, Jake, announces he is moving out. The two have been trying (unsuccessfully) to conceive a child with multiple IVF attempts, but Lyssa’s growing obsession with motherhood drives Jake into the bed of a colleague, the younger, athletic, more independent Neve. With her job going downhill, Lyssa decides she needs a major change in her life- and she is going to find it by trekking through the Himalayas. If ‘the other women’ Neve can do it, there is no reason Lyssa can’t. What does it matter that she hates the outdoors and can’t live without her blow-dryer?
Turns out, Lyssa takes to the Himalayas better than anyone could have expected. It doesn’t hurt that she quickly falls for the tour guide, the sexy American Dean. Dean was once a California man, but left the easy life behind to live permanently in Nepal. As the days go by, Lyssa realizes she is falling in love with this man, and the ways of her ‘old’ life seem so silly and mundane now. But can she really leave her family behind? Leave behind her career and all her friends?
With or Without You is one of my favorite novels from Carole Matthews. Following Lyssa’s story will make readers think, and all the curves that get thrown in along the way will keep you on your toes until the end. The supporting cast brings so much to the novel; with Lyssa’s sister (known as the “Rabbitt”) juggling six kids under the age of 30 and a mutual friend of Lyssa and Jake’s confessing his crush on Lyssa will keep the plot interesting throughout the way. A heartfelt ending to this compelling story is a definite winner.

December 21, 2009
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The Men I Didn’t Marry by Janice Kaplan & Lynn Schnurnberger
Chick Lit Review

The Men I Didn’t Marry by Janice Kaplan & Lynn …

Hallie has been dumped. And not just dumped. Her husband of 21 years has left her- for the younger, perkier, cellulite free Ashlee. With her husband gone and children off to college, Hallie wallows her pain away in massive amounts of Oreo’s at her empty house. But she needs to snap out of it and move on. She is a successful lawyer living in New York City with a fabulous best friend and a handful of kooky neighbors, and moving on is exactly what she is going to do. By visiting her past.
Hallie gets the idea to go looking for her ex-boyfriends; the men she didn’t marry. Maybe that can help her figure out how she chose Bill, her soon to be ex-husband who doesn’t seem to realize that you can’t just have a ‘second act’ with a younger woman when you are married. First up is Eric, a college boyfriend who has now become an extremely rich investment broker, but he seems more interested in himself, his money, and his Blackberry. Next is Barry, who Hallie met while backpacking across Europe. His experience turned out to be on the …quiet side, and a whole lot different than Hallie could have imagined. And finally, Kevin. Hallie travels to the beautiful island of Virgin Gorda to find her high school boyfriend, and thinks she may have found love again.
The Men I Didn’t Marry by Janice Kaplan and Lynn Schnurnberger is ferociously funny, a fabulous and witty tale that will keep your interest until the end. The main character’s motivation to keep her head up and not give up on happiness is inspiring and thought provoking for readers. And the flair of mystery- what exactly did happen to Hallie’s sister and who is the mysterious fourth ex-boyfriend- will keep you wrapped up until you can happily mark this must read novel as finished.

December 12, 2009
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I Did (But I Wouldn’t Now) by Cara Lockwood
Chick Lit Review

I Did (But I Wouldn’t Now) by Cara Lockwood

Why should you never marry a rock star? Lily Crandell can count the ways. After her marriage of 16 months to Ted Dayton fizzles as fast his stardom skyrockets, Lily finds herself doing the only reasonable thing she can think off- skip across the pond to visit an old flame, Carter, in London. While using her sister’s passport because she had to turn hers in to the bail bondsman to keep her out of jail after assaulting her ex-husband. And skipping the country just weeks before her scheduled court date. So Lily has never been the most responsible or sensible. That belonged to her older sister Lauren, whom you might remember from I Do (But I Don’t). Lauren is happily married to her firefighter Nick, with one adorable son already and another baby on the way. Lily is the opposite- no job holding her down, no husband to speak of anymore, and her tear stained picture showing up in tabloids after her husband was found to be having an affair with the beautiful and silicone enhanced actress Melanie Slate. Oh yea- and she has no money and is facing thousands of dollars of debt.
I Did (But I Wouldn’t Now) is the hilarious follow-up from Cara Lockwood, with little sister Lily taking over the reins. While trying to decide if she loves Carter, her commitment-phobe ex-boyfriend, he falls for his overly psychotic girlfriend, who has it out for poor Lily. The situation gets even stickier after Lily is photographed making out with one of the hottest soccer stars in London- who is getting married in a few short weeks and has a baby on the way. Lily is now plastered across the London tabloids, and inadvertently got Carter fired from his prestigious doctor position. With her trial date looming close by, our heroine has limited time to get Carter his job back, get him to see his girlfriend is crazy, win his heart, and oh yea- help big sister. Lauren makes a hilarious cameo by flying to London weeks before her due date after being convinced her perfect husband is cheating on her. Throw her situation into the mess, add in paparazzi and a rock star ex ending up in London, and I Did (But I Wouldn’t Now) is a must read for all chick lit fans.

November 7, 2009
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Baby Proof by Emily Giffin
Chick Lit Review

Baby Proof by Emily Giffin

I was surprised at the next event- a divorce. I thought no way would Claudia divorce someone she loved so much. Wouldn’t she just have a baby? No way. Claudia was firm about not changing her mind, as was Ben, and quickly a divorce was under way. Emily Giffin gives readers a thoughtful, heart-warming, irresistible to put down third novel with Baby Proof and the challenges that the heroine faces after leaving the love of her life. Even if you have never been married or thought about having children (like myself) I was immediately drawn into the plot. The writing is personal, the narration is to the point, and the characters are wholly believable.

October 26, 2009
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Killer Heels by Sheryl J. Anderson
Chick Lit Review

Killer Heels by Sheryl J. Anderson

Are you a Sex in the City fan? Of course I am, and the moment I began reading Killer Heels by Sheryl J. Anderson I felt that I was transported right onto the set. Our heroine, Molly Forrester, is a replica of Carrie Bradshaw, a sassy Manhattan journalist with an ambition to move up from her so-so advice columnist position (“You Can Tell Me”), two girlfriends with night and day personalities, and of course: a love of expensive designer shoes. The cover alone was enough to lure me to pick up this book, with nothing but legs and pink stilettos resting above the New York skyline.

October 21, 2009
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Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
Chick Lit Review

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin is an incredibly relatable chick lit novel. Rachel, our lovable main gal pal, is an attorney living in Manhattan, enjoying…

October 21, 2009
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