Chick Lit Plus by Samantha March

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Q&A (and giveaway) with Polly Williams – Author of Afterwife
Chick Lit Authors

Q&A (and giveaway) with Polly Williams – Author of Afterwife

Chick Lit Plus is so excited to feature a Q&A with author, Polly Williams. She wrote AFTERWIFE, which got a 5 star review last week. Leave a comment below to be entered to win a copy of AFTERWIFE. One winner will be chosen at random on Friday, Feb 1st at 7AM.

When did you know writing was for you?

As far back as I can remember. I wrote stories and poetry from an early age – I still have the books now – which seems very industrious. But I grew up with three noisy brothers and I think writing and reading were what I did to escape into my own quieter girlie world. I studied English literature at university and went on to work as a journalist before writing my first novel. Writing has always been a major part of my life.
How would you describe your book?

I think Afterwife is a love story about a love that just won’t die.
What was the hardest part of the writing process for you?

I always get about a third of the way into a book and have a crisis. It’s rubbish! The characters don’t work! I have no idea what’s going to happen next! But I make myself work through it. So far, all my books have come together in the end. But often it’s not until the very end, so I have to keep the faith.
What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you as an author?

That I make a very good apple pie. I love to cook. I love to eat. I feel like cooking is the opposite of writing, it uses a different part of the brain. That’s why it’s relaxing to me.
What does your daily schedule look like?

Kids jump on head in morning. (I have three, aged four, five and nine.) Mad breakfast rush. Dash to school. Strong coffee. Pootle through the papers online. Write until three. Pick up kids. Put Mom hat on again.
What would be your advice to aspiring writers?


Write.
What is your favorite book?

It changes all the time. My recent favourite book is Jeanette Winterson’s brilliant memoir, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?

Favorite movie?



A Room With a View starring Helena Bonham Carter.
Who is your favorite literary character?



Elizabeth Bennett from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
Who is your writing inspiration?



Anne Frank.
What is your must have beauty product?

Sleep.
What advice would you give yourself ten years ago?

Stop doubting yourself, get on with it.

Any words of wisdom?

You can’t write a book when you’re dead!

January 29, 2013
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In My Mailbox: Week of January 27
Chick Lit Plus

In My Mailbox: Week of January 27

In Samantha’s Mailbox:

girlfriendsTitle: When Girlfriends Make Choices

Author: Savannah Page

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: A novel about love and support, and learning that with enduring friendships, no woman is ever alone.

Robin Sinclair is young, determined, and has a promising career at a small publishing house in Seattle. Even though she considers herself unlucky in love, Robin still dreams of eventually meeting Mr. Right and having a happily-ever-after kind of life. And at twenty-five, the world of opportunity is wide. But it’s been a difficult year filled with trials…and it’s only just begun.

While long-time friendships are finally on the mend, and things are starting to look up again, Robin is faced with her biggest challenge yet. She’s single and pregnant.

Uncertain now of her future and scared of being alone, Robin must re-examine her life and choices, and summon the courage to step up.

With the love and support of her best girlfriends from college, especially her best friend and roommate, Lara, Robin will learn that when the going gets tough, the best of friends become family. And, perhaps, with their encouragement, Robin can mature and gain the confidence needed to become a single mother. And, who knows about being unlucky in love. Things are suddenly getting interesting with Robin’s attractive co-worker, Bobby.

This is an endearing story about maturity and perseverance. It’s a story about friends coming together as family, about finding the strength within and around, and about writing your own happily-ever-after. About what happens when girlfriends step up.

internal useTitle: For Internal Use Only

Author: Cari Kamm

Received: From Cari Kamm

Synopsis: Chloe Kassidy has just been accepted into one of Manhattan’s most exclusive art exhibits, Love Through Light. However, with her singular dedication to her career, she soon realizes that in sacrificing her personal life, she has never been in love. A hopeless romantic who is terrified of heartbreak, Chloe begins to enlist the help of her circle of friends to learn about love through their very different stories and experiences.

In Chloe’s emotional rollercoaster to having the greatest love story ever told, she’ll learn that like her photography she must use the negatives in life to develop and prove that she’s a strong woman who found her way to love through light.

A humorous love story with an edgy and dramatic twist, For Internal Use Only is a vastly entertaining novel that gives each of us a new fairy tale to look forward too: our own.

truthTitle: The Truth About Love and Lightning

Author: Susan McBride

Received: From William Morrow

Synopsis: As far as Gretchen Brink is concerned, the tornado that just ripped through her land has nothing on the storms of a different sort happening all around her. Her grown daughter, Abby, has returned home with news that she’s pregnant, and no, she’s not sure whether she’s going to marry the father. A man with no memory has been dropped practically on her doorstep. And the not-so-little white lie she’s been telling for years is about to catch up with her.

Abby is sure that the mysterious man is her long-lost father, Sam, who has finally returned just when she needs him most. As Abby, Gretchen, and the Man Who Might Be Sam get closer, the lie Gretchen told all those years ago begins to haunt her. When her secrets come out, and Sam’s past is finally revealed, will it tear down this fragile life they’ve built—or will the truth bring them all closer together?

IngredientsTitle: The Ingredients of Love

Author: Nicolas Barreau

Received: From St. Martin’s Press

Synopsis: A charming restaurant

A book and its mysterious author

A little secret

A romantic meeting

Paris and all its magic . . .

Cyrano de Bergerac meets Chocolat and Amélie in this intelligent, charming, and entertaining publishing sensation from Europe.

While in the midst of a breakup-induced depression, Aurélie Bredin, a beautiful Parisian restaurateur, discovers an astonishing novel in a quaint bookshop on the Ile Saint-Louis. Inexplicably, her restaurant and Aurélie herself are featured in its pages. After reading the whole book in one night, she realizes it has saved her life—and she wishes more than anything to meet its author. Aurélie’s attempts to contact the attractive but shy English author through his French publishers are blocked by the company’s gruff chief editor, André, who only with great reluctance forwards Aurélie’s enthusiastic letter. But Aurélie refuses to give up. One day, a response from the reclusive author actually lands in her mailbox, but the encounter that eventually takes place is completely different from what she had ever imagined. . . . Filled with books, recipes, and characters that leap off the page, The Ingredients of Love by Nicolas Barreau is a tribute to the City of Light.

In Sara’s Mailbox:

skinnytinisTitle: Skinnytinis

Author: Teresa Marie Howes

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: More than 70 ways to enjoy cocktail hour–without worrying about the calories

For people watching their weight, enjoying the occasional cocktail can be a problem, since the average mixed drink contains over 300 calories. Now Teresa Howes comes to the rescue with scores of cocktail recipes that average only 142 calories each–but have the same great flavor and alcohol content as their full-calorie counterparts. From a Skinny Appletini and a Skinny Cosmopolitan to a Skinny Mojito and a Skinny Margarita, these guilt-free drinks feature low-sugar or sugar-free mixers, fresh fruit, and other clever ways to cut the calories. With 39 beautiful color photographs plus a section on diet-friendly drinks people can order at a bar or restaurant, SkinnyTinis is a must-have guide for weight-conscious social drinkers everywhere.

bakeryTitle: The Union Street Bakery

Author: Mary Ellen Taylor

Received: Penguin Group

Synopsis: Life can turn on a dime. It’s a common cliché, and I’d heard it often enough. People die or move away. Investments go south. Affairs end. Loved ones betray us…Stuff happens.

Daisy McCrae’s life is in tatters. She’s lost her job, broken up with her boyfriend, and has been reduced to living in the attic above her family’s store, the Union Street Bakery, while learning the business. Unfortunately, the bakery is in serious hardship. Making things worse is the constant feeling of not being a “real” McCrae since she was adopted as a child and has a less-than-perfect relationship with her two sisters.

Then a long-standing elderly customer passes away, and for some reason bequeaths Daisy a journal dating back to the 1850s, written by a slave girl named Susie. As she reads, Daisy learns more about her family—and her own heritage—than she ever dreamed. Haunted by dreams of the young Susie, who beckons Daisy to “find her,” she is compelled to look further into the past of the town and her family.

What she finds are the answers she has longed for her entire life, and a chance to begin again with the courage and desire she thought she lost for good.

Faith Bass DarlingTitle: Faith Bass Darling’s Last Garage Sale

Author: Lynda Rutledge

Received: Jessica @ Penguin Group

Synopsis: On the last day of the millennium, sassy Faith Bass Darling, the richest old lady in Bass, Texas, decides to have a garage sale. With help from a couple of neighborhood boys, Faith lugs her priceless Louis XV elephant clock, countless Tiffany lamps, and everything else from her nineteenth-century mansion out onto her long, sloping lawn. Why is a recluse of twenty years suddenly selling off her dearest possessions? Because God told her to.
As the townspeople grab up five generations of heirlooms, everyone drawn to the sale–including Faith’s lon-lost daughter–finds that the antiques not only hold family secrets but also inspire some of life’s most imponderable questions: Do our possessions possess us? What are we without our memories? Is there life after death or second chances here on earth? And is Faith really selling that Tiffany lamp for $1?

January 27, 2013
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Baby Talk: 8 Months Old
Chick Lit Plus

Baby Talk: 8 Months Old

My little baby has officially become a little boy. It is crazy to think about all of the things that Ethan now does that he couldn’t do months, weeks or even days before. Every day brings something brand new and I have got to say that this has been such an exciting time for us. His personality is really coming through and he Ethan is going to be one silly boy and I cannot wait to see it!

My husband and I are constantly trying to snap pictures and videos of him because he is growing and learning at lightning speed and I am so scared that we might miss something. But, I think Ethan is on to us because as soon as he sees our phones come out, he stops doing whatever he is doing completely. What a stinker, right?

Food: My boy is an EATER! And just like his momma, he loves his veggies! By far his favorite is sweet potato but he has a soft spot for bananas and also for strawberries. Oh, and he loves those little cereal puffs too. I spread them out on his feeding tray so he doesn’t grab too many at once, but he has become a very good self-feeder. I also still nurse him exclusively, so I am glad to say that I have made it this far. Honestly, I am so glad!

Favorite Toys: Goodness, this boy loves everything! He struck gold big time at Christmas this year and our house is over flowing with toys right now. But, a few of his favorites are his Radio Flyer bike (that me and his dad take him for walks in), his standing table, his monkey and elephant rattle, a ball and his stacking cups.

Things we’ve left behind: Pretty much any and all props. He still uses his swings …. sometimes.

Teeth: Still none.

Favorite activities: Crawling, standing, playing, eating, story time, walks, having conversations with his dad (that involve some weird noises) and ANYTHING outdoors.

Daycare: Still loves it.

Height/Weight: Oh goodness. Not entirely sure but he is big!

January 26, 2013
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In My Mailbox: Week of January 20
Chick Lit Plus

In My Mailbox: Week of January 20

In Samantha’s Mailbox:

Title: Schoolgirl Cinderella

Author: Priya Narendran

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: Ten year old Briony Duke and her parents own a prestigious girls’ school in the country. This is in contrast to Mrs. Eyres, a middle-aged woman who has just been sacked by Briony’s father for embezzling funds.When Briony’s parents are killed in a car crash, Mrs. Eyres and daughter Lucy take over the school and Mrs. Eyres now becomes Briony’s guardian. Mrs. Eyres makes Briony sleep in the kitchen, cook, clean and tend to her and her daughter’s every whim.

Seven years pass and one day Briony meets 19 year old Tom Logan, the sixth richest man in the country. She slowly starts to fall in love with the intelligent, charismatic teenager, the only question is; can she win his heart before her evil stepsister does?

Title: Elly in Bloom

Author: Colleen Oakes

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: Surrounded by lush flowers and neurotic brides, chubby 32-year old Elly Jordan has carved out a sweet little life for herself as the owner of Posies, a boutique wedding florist in St. Louis. It’s not bad for a woman who drove away from her entire life just two years ago when she found her husband entwined with a red-headed artist.

Sure, Elly has an embarrassingly beautiful best friend, a terribly behaved sheepdog and a sarcastic assistant who she simply calls “Snarky Teenager”, but overall her days are pleasantly uneventful. As a bonus, her new next door neighbor just happens to be an unnervingly handsome musician who has an eye for curvy Elly. Just when she feels that she is finally moving on from her past, she discovers that an extravagant wedding contract, one that could change her financial future, is more than she bargained for.

With the help of her friends, staff and the occasional well-made sandwich, Elly bravely agrees to take on the event that threatens to merge her painful history with her bright new life, and finds herself blooming in a direction she never imagined.

Elly’s voice, both charming and hilarious, will appeal to those readers who have been looking for a new voice in chick-lit, and will give women of all sizes the realistic heroine they’ve been waiting for.

Title: Don’t Tell the Groom

Author: Anna Bell

Received: From Anna Bell

Synopsis: Bride-to-be Penny discovers that she’s lost £10,000 of wedding savings playing online bingo. So that she doesn’t have to reveal her gambling secret, she convinces her fiancé Mark that they should have a Don’t Tell the Groom themed wedding. Penny then has to plan a wedding fit for a princess on a shoestring budget. But, by the time she discovers that the true meaning of marriage isn’t a Vera Wang wedding dress or Jimmy Choos, will she still have a groom to marry?

Title: The Union Street Bakery

Author: Mary Ellen Taylor

Received: Penguin Group

Synopsis: Life can turn on a dime. It’s a common cliché, and I’d heard it often enough. People die or move away. Investments go south. Affairs end. Loved ones betray us…Stuff happens.

Daisy McCrae’s life is in tatters. She’s lost her job, broken up with her boyfriend, and has been reduced to living in the attic above her family’s store, the Union Street Bakery, while learning the business. Unfortunately, the bakery is in serious hardship. Making things worse is the constant feeling of not being a “real” McCrae since she was adopted as a child and has a less-than-perfect relationship with her two sisters.

Then a long-standing elderly customer passes away, and for some reason bequeaths Daisy a journal dating back to the 1850s, written by a slave girl named Susie. As she reads, Daisy learns more about her family—and her own heritage—than she ever dreamed. Haunted by dreams of the young Susie, who beckons Daisy to “find her,” she is compelled to look further into the past of the town and her family.

What she finds are the answers she has longed for her entire life, and a chance to begin again with the courage and desire she thought she lost for good.

Title: Sophie’s Run

Author: Nicky Wells

Received: From Nicky Wells

Synopsis: Her famous star remains her rock while life takes her on a little detour…

Who says that the road towards true love is straight and even? Sophie is certainly discovering that it is anything but.

So she has finally found the man of her dreams! Well… she knows who he is, even though she hasn’t actually quite met him yet. But she misses her opportunity, and then her life goes crazy. Rock star and ex-fiancé, Dan, keeps getting in the way of her new romance—even if he is just trying to be helpful. A fire, an impromptu mini-trip with Dan, and a dreaded wedding later, Sophie is still struggling to meet the love of her life. Then, just as she is getting it together with her perfect man, best friend Rachel commits an act of unspeakable betrayal.

Sophie has had enough. Confused and distraught, she decides that it is time for radical change. Surprising herself and shocking her friends, she embarks on a secret journey eventually gets her life back on track.

Title: The School Gates

Author: Nicola May

Received: From Nicola May

Synopsis: At 3.10pm every weekday, parents gather at Featherstone Primary in Denbury to collect their children.

For a special few, the friendships forged at the school gates will see them through lives filled with drama, secrets and sorrows. When Yummy Mummy Alana reveals the identity of her love-child’s father, she doesn’t expect the consequences to be quite so extreme. Ex Czech au-pair Earth Mummy Dana finds happiness in her secret sideline, but really all she longs for is another child. Slummy Mummy Mo’s wife-beating husband leads her down a path she never thought possible, and Supper Mummy Joan has to cope when life deals her a devastating blow.

And what of Gay Daddy Gordon? Will he be able to juggle parenthood and cope with his broken heart at the same time?

Four very different mothers. One adorable dad. And the intertwining trials and tribulations that a year at the primary school gates brings.

In Sara’s Mailbox:

Title: 12 Lessons

Author: Kate Spencer

Received: Kate Spencer

Synopsis: Move over Bridget Jones, Stephanie Slater is in town and she doesn’t believe in psychics…yet!
No one knows that beneath her groomed and successful persona Stephanie Slater is struggling to keep up the act.
When an accidental psychic reading breaks open the cracks in her perfect life, it starts to unravel for all to see.
Stephanie then starts the transformational journey to rebuild and reclaim her life lesson by lesson, month by month in a year like no other.
Each of the 12 Lessons helps her to learn more about herself and gives this entertaining story a deeper and more profound meaning, as she works towards creating the life that she has always wanted… but will she make it in time?
Can you really change your Destiny in one year?

Title: The Boy Next Door

Author: Annabelle Costa

Received: Ruth Madison

Synopsis: Through middle school, high school, bad dates, and an ill-advised punk phase, Tasha has always been able to count on Jason. Since the day he moved in next door, he’s gone from the weird kid in a wheelchair to Tasha’s most trusted friend. But lives change and the friends are going in different directions. When Jason and Tasha rekindle their friendship, sparks fly. After years of being a wild soul, now the ex-lead of a band turned music teacher is just looking for a relationship to last.

When none other than Jason introduces her to a man who can give her what she wants, Tasha is on the verge of throwing passion and love away just so she can forget her troubled past and settle down. But Jason isn’t ready to give her up just yet.

Title: The Bad Girls’ Club

Author: Kathryn O’Halloran

Received: Kathryn O’Halloran

Synopsis: Three girls are united in their realisation that keeping themselves nice has got them nowhere. It’s time to take action. It’s time to rebel. It’s time to become Bad Girls. Imogen wants to get laid but how can she be a bad girl until she loses a few kilos? Beth is happy to be a bad girl – so long as no one else finds out and so long as she is in control. Juliette’s not really sure what she’s doing, but it sure beats another Saturday night gaming with her geek boyfriend. They band together to form the Bad Girls Club, a support group for recovering nice girls, and through a series of brazen dares, push the limits of their sexuality. But are the girls ready to finally take the final leap that will have them branded as bad girls for real? To save the club, and each other, they each have to publicly acknowledge their darkest secrets. Join the bad girls in this raunchy, snort-laughingly funny chick lit adventure. The Bad Girls’ Club about sex, it’s about dares but most of all, it’s about friendship.

January 20, 2013
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Author Profile: Mary Castillo
Chick Lit Authors

Author Profile: Mary Castillo

Author Name: Mary Castillo
Website: http://www.marycastillo.com/index.html
Bio: Mary Castillo can remember the exact moment when her destiny to write smart, sexy stories for women began. (And no, it was not the day this photo was taken!) Her Grandma Margie gave her a copy of Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor (banned in 14 states and then when it was made into a movie starring Linda Darnell, condemned by the Hays Office, which controlled decency in movies) and said, “If you have any questions about what they’re doing in that book, just ask me!”

While Forever Amber is hardly a book for a high school freshman (frankly the heroine makes Scarlett a model of propriety and modesty in comparison), Mary was fascinated by a character that seized life with no apologies … and looked doing it.

After a few minor distractions (poor dating choices and pre-med studies), Mary committed herself to writing on February 10, 1994 and then sold her debut to Harper Collins Avon A in 2004. Hot Tamara was selected by Cosmopolitan magazine as the Red Hot Read of April 2005. The book wasn’t banned but Grandma was proud!

A lifelong professional writer, including a stint as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times Community News (second best job in the world), Mary is the proud author of three novels (Switchcraft, In Between Men and Hot Tamara) and three novellas featured in the anthologies, Orange County Noir, Names I Call My Sister and Friday Night Chicas. Her latest book, a paranormal that goes back and forth between modern day and Prohibition, Lost in the Light is now available.

Latina magazine called Mary “an author to look out for” and selected In Between Men and Names I Call My Sister for the Top 10 Summers Reads in July 2009. OC Metro magazine named Mary one of the hottest 25 people in the O.C. (the first but certainly not the last time her hotness has been publicly confirmed). She has also been profiled in Orange County Register, Coast, The Arizona Republic and San Diego Union Tribune.

Mary grew up in a haunted house in National City, CA. She cries every time she sees the movies, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and Casablanca, and feels that Joan Collins is by far the preeminent TV villain (which is why Joan plays such an pivotal role in the novel, In Between Men).

A graduate of USC, Mary lives in The O.C. with her family.

Also, she may have a mild addiction to Pinterest.

See my 4.5 star review for Lost in the Light!

Visit Mary’s tour page!

Connect with Mary!
Website: http://www.marycastillo.com/index.html
Twitter : https://twitter.com/MCastilloWrites

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marycastillo
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/47331.Mary_Castillo

January 19, 2013
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Beauty Review: Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup Foundation
Chick Lit Plus

Beauty Review: Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup Foundation

I recently finished up my Bare Minerals face powder, and set off to the makeup store (my trusty Ulta) on the hunt. I started a chat with a salesgirl and explained my needs for a new powder. She led me to Pur Minerals, a brand I had not yet heard of. I took a look at the 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup Foundation, and decided to give it a chance. I really have the salesgirl to thank- as she was pretty convincing- and I’m glad. I love this stuff! The foundation is lightweight, makes my skin look instantly better, and even has a SPF-15, which I really try to look for in my face makeup. I also did a shade darker so it gives me a little color when I’m pale in the winter – no tanning beds here! The coverage stays on all day, and I never have to worry about sticking it in my bag when I go out at night. I found a winner!
5 stars

January 15, 2013
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In My Mailbox: Week of January 13
Chick Lit Plus

In My Mailbox: Week of January 13

In Samantha’s Mailbox:

fashion victimTitle: Fashion Victim

Author: GT Herren

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: To hear her buddy Chanse McLeod tell it, Paige Tourneur is rotund, cute as a button, a truly bad driver, and the best friend a gay P.I. could possibly have.

Now Paige gets a chance to tell it herself in her own witty and worldly-wise way. Please! Is that really her name? Seems like she has quite a past and in FASHION VICTIM, it’s starting to haunt her.

Since his first novel, Greg Herren’s fans have been begging him to spin off their favorite character, the hard-drinking, hard-bitten, smart-mouthed red-headed reporter with the heart of gold and the unlikely name.

In her first solo outing, she’s long since left the Times-Picayune, played out a stint on television, and has now landed a job at Crescent City Magazine, which sends her out to do a personality piece on bitchy fashion designer Marigny Mercereau. Only Marigny ends up dead fifteen minutes before her fifteen minutes of fame.

Twisting through Marigny’s creepy past, Paige is accompanied, as always, by best friend Chanse, her cop buddies Venus Casanova and Blaine Tujague, and ( finally!) by the perfect man: her new boy friend, Blaine’s brother Ryan. So what happens when a woman meets the perfect man and her past comes calling?

FASHION VICTIM is the first in a series of interconnected novellas in Paige’s MISSING HUSBAND SERIES. This spring: watch for THE DEAD HOUSEWIVES OF NEW ORLEANS.

wedlockedTitle: Wedlocked

Author: Bonnie Trachtenberg

Received: From Bonnie Trachtenberg

Synopsis: On what should be the happiest day of her life, Rebecca Ross is panic Stricken. Rebecca has just wed Craig Jacobs, but she realizes she put more thought into choosing her florist than she did in choosing the man she’s just pledged to love for the rest of her life.

Before Craig, Rebecca, a talented Long Island girl, dreamed of following in her grandmother’s footsteps with an acting career. Unfortunately, she was cut down to size by years of disappointment, and by her first love, a Hollywood director. She returned to Long Island a lost and broken woman, and ended up in the last place she ever wanted: her old bedroom at her parents’ house.

But Rebecca’s mother, an overzealous convert to Judaism, has a long held dream too: marry off her three daughters to Jewish men. So no one is more thrilled than her when Rebecca meets and marries bon vivant Craig Jacobs, the man who has won over the whole family. Too bad they’re all about to discover that underneath his charismatic shell, this Prince Charming is anything but!

This unputdownable romantic comedy will amuse and enthrall you from angst-ridden start to glorious finish.

Neurotically yoursTitle: Neurotically Yours

Author: Bonnie Trachtenberg

Received: From Bonnie Trachtenberg

Synopsis: Smart, attractive, and ambitious, thirty-seven-year-old Dara Harrison is, nonetheless, still single, and on sabbatical from dating. Ironically Los Angeles’ most renowned relationship advice columnist, Dara has become a Southland sensation with her “tell-it-like-it-is” approach to the mating game.

Parlaying her success into a new business, Dara launches a revolutionary dating service geared for the perennially single and romantically challenged. Its no-holds-barred theme soon makes the company a roaring success, even catapulting Dara onto the national talk show scene, until, of course, it all backfires.

With her company under threat and a publicity stunt gone haywire, Dara is forced to join the ranks of her lonely heart clientele, and suddenly realizes that saving the business she cherishes, means facing her lifelong fears, and maybe even falling in love again.

Witty, poignant, and immensely engaging, this romantic comedy from the bestselling author of Wedlocked: A Novel features sparkling dialogue, colorful characters, and a story that pulls you in and never lets you go.

amy and zachTitle: Amy & Zach

Author: Sarah Louise Smith

Received: From Sarah Louise Smith

Synopsis: Meet Amy & Zach

Flying home to the UK from the US for her sister Libby’s wedding, Amy has some major issues with her homecoming.

She is furious with Zach, who should have been travelling with her, but after he dropped a bombshell the day before she left, she hid his passport and flew alone.

Now, can she act normal when she meets Libby’s fiance Tim?

After he finds his passport, Zach heads for the UK to surprise Amy. He wants to apologise to her and finally meet her family. He has kept his secret for way too long and knows he has a lot of explaining to do.

So, how did Amy and Zach get to this point? What is Zach hiding anyway? And what’s going on between Amy and Tim?

How well do Amy and Zach really know each other?

why can’t i be youTitle: Why Can’t I Be You?

Author: Allie Larkin

Received: From Penguin Group

Synopsis: At one time or another, everyone has wished they could be someone else. Exploring this universal longing, Allie Larkin follows up the success of her debut novel, Stay, with a moving portrait of friendship and identity.

When Jenny Shaw hears someone shout “Jessie!” across a hotel lobby, she impulsively answers. All her life, Jenny has toed the line, but something propels her to seize the opportunity to become Jessie Morgan, a woman to whom she bears an uncanny resemblance. Lonely in her own life, Jenny is embraced by Jessie’s warm circle of friends—and finds unexpected romance. But when she delves into Jessie’s past, Jenny discovers a secret that spurs her to take another leap into the unknown.

In Sara’s Mailbox:

lustTitle: Three Stages of Love: Lust

Author: T.C. Anthony

Received: unsolicted

Synopsis: Evangeline Chase is standing at the edge of a crossroad. After choosing to be blissfully ignorant for far too long and willfully ignoring what her life has been lacking, fate is about to intervene. When Alexander Mason, a striking and powerful venture capitalist, is introduced as her new boss, Eva is overwhelmed by an intoxicating cocktail of hormones and lust that leaves her struggling to maintain her composure and more importantly, control of her life. With an undeniable urge to dominate her new boss, her own lust-filled fantasies lead to a transformation that shakes her to her core. But when Alexander challenges Eva to satisfy her carnal urges, she is forced to choose between her career, her desires, and an unconventional and lustful relationship. Consumed by fear and forced to maintain control at all costs, Eva must decide if having it all is worth risking her career, her world, and possibly, love. Three Stages of Love: Lust is the first book in a suspenseful new erotic romance series that explores the questions that young women have while embarking on their journey through life and love. Eva’s transformation from prim and proper to fun and dominating proves to be one of the most erotically intriguing personal makeovers around. Her passion for her career and life goals ultimately gives way to uninhibited encounters that leave her intoxicated and yearning for more. Eva’s emotional battle between her heart and mind leave her juggling with a desire to have it all and a profound fear of losing everything. Written to illustrate the average, driven woman’s point of view, Three Stages of Love: Lust tackles the everyday fears and desires that young women have in an intoxicatingly erotic way. A gripping, palpitation-inducing romance full of underlying themes that are extraordinarily relevant to modern women, this enthralling erotic novel by T. C. Anthony is a must-read for women of all backgrounds.

January 13, 2013
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Beauty Review: Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream
Chick Lit Plus

Beauty Review: Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream

It was the lovely Sara Palacios that first turned my eye on BB Cream, something I actually had not heard of yet at the time. While on a makeup run, I saw Maybelline was having a buy one/get one half off sale, so I grabbed my trusty eyeliner pencil and then saw this nice looking BB Cream next to it. I thought why not – and have not looked back since! This has become a new staple in my makeup bag. Maybelline is one of my favorite cosmetic carries, from their lip gloss to mascara, so I was more than willing to give a new product a try on their line. The BB cream is an “8-in-1 skin perfector” including evening your skin tone, brightening your skin, and hiding imperfections. It did all that for me and I instantly noticed a difference once I applied it. I also like that it is super light weight. I have another moisturizer/cream that feels heavy and I have all but thrown that one away after buying this. I also bought a shade darker so I use it as a bit of a self-tanner as well and I love the results. A new favorite!
Rating: 5

January 12, 2013
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New Wedding Video: Eight Month Countdown!
Chick Lit Plus

New Wedding Video: Eight Month Countdown!

Another wedding video is here! I’m sharing more plans for my September 7 wedding…eight months to go! Wedding Video 4

January 10, 2013
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