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In My Mailbox: Week of May 19
Chick Lit Plus

In My Mailbox: Week of May 19

Title: Adventure to Love

adventure to loveAuthor: Bethany Ramos

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: In a “Bachelor” meets “Survivor”-style reality TV show, twelve women are flown to an undisclosed location to meet the eligible bachelor Ky, a former boy band member and the privileged son of an LA plastic surgeon. After arriving at a beautiful resort in Bali, the women compete for a chance at love as they fight to win Ky’s affection.

Morgan, the blunt, down-to-earth, girl next door; Harper, a wannabe Hollywood starlet who is competing not only for her fifteen minutes of fame but to win enough money for breast implants; and Brinkley, the innocent, Jesus-loving Midwesterner who believes that she and Ky are a match made in heaven, must go head-to-head with nine other women on group dates and in challenges to stay in the competition.

What happens behind the scenes when a dating reality show goes awry?

unexpected listTitle: The Unexpected List

Author: Chrissy Anderson

Received: From Chrissy Anderson

Synopsis: Chrissy Anderson’s The Unexpected List delivers another charismatic combination of romance and anguish, peppered with large doses of wit. In this second novel from THE LIST TRILOGY, Chrissy, who is now divorced from her husband, Kurt, is finally free to pursue a “truly, madly, deeply” relationship with the man of her dreams, Leo.

And it looks like Chrissy is finally going to be able to have her wedding cake and eat it too as Leo valiantly tries to make all of her dreams come true. But once again, Chrissy’s world, and her relationships, are turned upside-down as someone else close to her dies. And, an unexpected gift forces her to grow up– fast. For a second time, Chrissy is pushed to make a choice between love and obligation. What will she choose this time?

Your favorite characters from The Life List are back. Dr. Maria, Slutty Co-worker, and Chrissy’s best friends from high school, Courtney and Nicole, continue to laugh and cry with Chrissy as she learns how to pick herself up and move on to achieve the life she’s always wanted, and now knows she deserves.

As in The Life List, not everyone will agree with Chrissy Anderson’s decisions, but all will pause as they follow along on her journey to ask, “What would I do if I were her?”

keptTitle: Kept

Author: Elle Field

Received: From Elle Field

Synopsis: ‘Did she really just say that? I am fifteen again, except the reality is I am experiencing full parental horror, aged twenty-five. I want to die.’

Life hasn’t quite worked out how Arielle Lockley imagined it would. Becoming the next Coco Chanel was always her childhood dream, but she’s spent the past four years living a dizzying whirl of glitzy parties, luxurious holidays and daily shopping sprees – all paid for by boyfriend Piers – and not doing anything to make her Coco dreams happen.

When the recession hits, it’s not just the economy that takes a tumble and Arielle finds herself living back with her parents, on bad terms with Piers, and having a CV that’s as welcome as a pair of knock-off Jimmy Choos. And maybe it’s the location, but she’s also finding unwelcome thoughts of her childhood sweetheart are popping into her head…

What’s a girl to do? Can Arielle figure out what it is she now wants to do with her life and move on, or will she be doomed to spend the rest of her life dwelling over her worst mistakes, stuck listening to her parents’ embarrassing dinner table talk each night?

Unfinished businessTitle: Unfinished Business

Author: Carolyn Aspenson

Received: From Carolyn Ridder Aspenson

Synopsis: When 40-year-old Angela Panther’s mother Fran dies and comes back as a ghost, the ordinary, somewhat boring life Angela once knew quickly turns into a carnival show, starring both Angela and her nosy, dead mother.

It seems Fran’s got some unfinished business here on earth and she’s determined to get it done, no matter what.

That no matter what, however, ends up being a lot of something.

Fran was a feisty Italian woman who, even in death, is still fiercely protective of her family, so when her granddaughter is feeling the pressures of being a teenager, she can’t help but stick her transparent nose where it doesn’t belong.

And that just makes Angela’s life even crazier.

But Fran’s family meddling isn’t the only problem Angela has with her mother.

It seems when Fran came back from the dead, she reignited her daughter’s long suppressed psychic gift, one she knew about, but neglected to mention to Angela, and now Angela sees ghosts everywhere.

And they won’t leave her alone.

While Angela struggles to accept this newfound gift and help the dead, she’s also trying to find a way to keep her old life in tact.

All while trying to keep her dead mother out of trouble.

May 19, 2013
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Book Review: Somewhere Between Black and White by Shelly Hickman
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Somewhere Between Black and White by Shelly Hickman

I received a copy of Somewhere Between Black and White by Shelly Hickman in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Romance, humor, family drama, with a touch of Buddhism. Sound interesting?
When approaching life’s problems, Sophie sees in black and white. That is, when they’re someone else’s problems. So when it comes to her sister, Sophie is sure she has all the answers, and offers them without hesitation. If only her sister would listen. When, through a series of chance encounters, she meets Sam, who is witty, kind, and downright unflappable. Sophie has the overwhelming sense that she’s known him before, and as a relationship builds between them, odd visions invade her mind. Though she tries to dismiss them, their persistence will not allow it. As someone who is quick to judge others, she is intrigued by Sam’s ability to accept people as they are. She begins to see him as a role model, but try as she may, his accepting nature is difficult to emulate. Will Sophie ever be able to put her hasty judgments aside and realize not every problem has a simple solution?

Review:

This book is a very easy read that I enjoyed. The author does a really good job at crafting realistic characters who are very likeable and easy to relate to. The book is also really funny and I found myself laughing out loud at a few parts. Like I said previously, the characters are very relateable, as is the situation. Like most things in life, it is easy to look and judge a situation from the outside when you aren’t personally invested in what is going on, nor do you know the ins or the outs. And that is Sophie’s problem here. She is quick to judge and doesn’t see that sometimes there is a gray area. Well, after she meets Sam, she is intrigued by his accepting personality. Things aren’t as simple as she once thought and things only get complicated from there. Overall, this book is a really solid read and I thought it read and flowed very easily.
Rating: 4 stars

May 17, 2013
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Book Review: The Blasphemy Box by Mandy Behbehani
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Blasphemy Box by Mandy Behbehani

I received a copy of The Blasphemy Box by Mandy Behbehani in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
“You know that nightmare you’ve always had? The one where you wake up one day to find yourself fat, frumpy, fifty and alone? I’m living it.”
Maddy Nelson has an idyllic existence: a handsome husband, great kids, a comfortable lifestyle. One morning soon after she turns fifty, however, she wakes up in her San Francisco home to find her husband Steven announcing that he’s leaving her for a woman half her age. And a third of her size.
Ouch!
Feeling totally unmoored and grieving for her married life and husband, Maddy finds herself thrust into an unfamiliar and uncomfortable world of middle-aged singledom. There, she must come to terms with her situation and embark on her new life: divorce proceedings, single parenting, internet dating, and trying to earn a living. It’s enough to drive her over the brink.
To help her cope, she shares her struggles in a smart, wry blog named The Blasphemy Box, after her ex-husband’s obnoxious habit of having her drop a quarter into a wooden box every time she said something off color. Her madcap middle-aged adventures find her devoted readers who identify with her challenges.
In time, Maddy creates herself and finds happiness in the arms of a good man, and a fulfilling new career as a novelist.
Review:
When I saw this book involved blogging, I knew it was one for me to read. Sometimes blogs can get a bad rep, but I fully believe in them – but I have blogging now for 4 years! It’s great to create a new community, a new group of “virtual” friends, especially because they more than likely will have the same interests in you – because that’s why they found your blog in the first place! But the book isn’t just about a blog, no, it’s about why Maddy started her blog in the first place. Divorce. Ah, the ugly D-word. Maddy is fifty and has just been left by her husband of twenty years for a twenty-five year old. Ouch. With three kids, a lawsuit battle, and a bank account running dry, Maddy needs an outlet for all her anger, sadness, betrayal and rage. The Blasphemy Box (also the name of her blog) helps fulfill some needs for Maddy, and the comments she receives helps her continue to move on. I thought this was a very entertaining read, even though I didn’t have much in common with Maddy. She was easy to relate to, the blogging kept me hooked, and I think this is a great women’s read!
4 stars

May 17, 2013
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On Tour: Breathe by Kate Bishop
CLP Blog Tours

On Tour: Breathe by Kate Bishop

Kate will be on tour May 20-June 10 with the novel Breathe Alex thought she had married the man of her dreams: successful, gorgeous, and…

May 16, 2013
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Blog Tour Sign Up: Is This All There Is? by Patricia Mann
CLP Blog Tours

Blog Tour Sign Up: Is This All There Is? by …

Beth Thomas has the perfect life. At thirty five, she’s married to her college sweetheart, has two adorable kids, and teaches part time at the local university. But when a friend persuades Beth to go dancing on a rare night out, a chance meeting with twenty one year old Dave, one of her former students, changes the course of her life. Loud music, too much to drink, and the thrill of feeling young again lead to an unforgettable kiss that was never supposed to happen. As she tries to put the memory behind her, Dave’s pursuit leaves Beth torn between what her mind says is right and what her heart and body crave.

May 16, 2013
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On Tour: Still Life in Brunswick Stew by Larissa Reinhart
CLP Blog Tours

On Tour: Still Life in Brunswick Stew by Larissa Reinhart

Larissa will be on tour May 20-June 10 with her novel Still Life in Brunswick Stew Cherry Tucker’s in a stew. Art commissions dried up…

May 16, 2013
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Book Review: What A Mother Knows by Leslie Lehr
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: What A Mother Knows by Leslie Lehr

I received a copy of What A Mother Knows by Leslie Lehr in exchange for an honest review. Summary: Michelle Mason can’t remember that day,…

May 16, 2013
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Book Review: Double Click by Lisa Becker
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Double Click by Lisa Becker

I received a copy of Double Click by Lisa Becker in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Fans of the romantic hit Click: An Online Love Story will enjoy another voyeuristic dive into the lives of Renee, Shelley, Ashley, Mark and Ethan, as Double Click picks up with their lives six months later. Are Renee and Ethan soul mates? Does Mark ever go on a date? Has Shelley run out of sexual conquests in Los Angeles? Will Ashley’s judgmental nature sabotage her budding relationship? Through a marriage proposal, wedding, new baby and unexpected love twist, Double Click answers these questions and more. Readers will continue to cheer, laugh, cry and cringe following the email exploits of Renee and friends.
Review:
I was very excited once Becker got a hold of me to review Double Click, the sequel to the super-cute and enjoyable Click: An Online Love Story. I of course jumped at the chance – and not only because I knew a character was named after me thanks to a Facebook post while the story was being written. Side note – the Samantha character is a huge gossip with mismatched socks – me to a T 😉 Back to my review …I loved it! I’m actually not sure which book I loved more, but since I’m given them each a 5 star review, we’ll just call it even! It was great fun catching back up with the gang, seeing how they have changed and grown and matured (cough, Shelley!) and I whipped through this book in a day. The story is written entirely in emails, but I never felt cheated out of a “real” story or felt that anything was missing. I don’t think this style of writing can be easy, so that I love these books that much makes me enjoy them even more. I hope you can read these!
5 stars

May 16, 2013
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Author Erica Dean Guest Post on How to be a Respected Writer
For Writers

Author Erica Dean Guest Post on How to be a …

How to be a respected writer in three easy lessons

Someone (who shall remain nameless to avoid any confrontation in the bedroom) once told me love was a figment of the imagination, nothing more than a chemical reaction… an electric impulse. Maybe that’s why I strive so hard to create that moment within the pages of a book. I want a romance so epic the non-believers are converted before the final page is turned. But my very own significant other scoffs at the idea, making gagging sounds as I read the pages of my book aloud. Is that any way to act in the presence of a professional writer? An esteemed author of fluffy romance? I think not.

Being a writer is hard work! I’ve followed the basic rules: 1) Spend the entire day lounging in pajamas, while 2) Conferring with the voices in my head, and 3) Living vicariously through the main character as I fall madly in love with my imaginary hero. And according to most of the literary greats, you should attempt this while half-sloshed.

So in a moment of defiance during this childish argument, I told him I’d decided to become a heavy drinker. Drinking is practically in the writer’s manual, right? Think Fitzgerald, Kerouac, Poe, Faulkner… even Dorothy Parker had a taste for the drink. Oh sure, they were probably into the heavy stuff, but since I write romantic chick-lit, I figured I should drink cosmopolitans. They seem to be the drink of choice in all the best girly literature. Then, I read that Hemingway drank daiquiris, and having had those before—they are pretty tasty—I decided I could take up drinking daiquiris… strawberry being my flavor of choice.

Of course, my husband just shook his head and rolled his eyes, mumbling “Good luck with that,” as he wandered off to do whatever husbands do. You see, he knows my ability to hold my liquor is on par with that of a sixth grader. Well, if sixth graders were allowed to drink alcohol, which of course, they’re not. And as it turns out, I shouldn’t be allowed either. Apparently, I giggle a lot when I drink. And I can barely get through one martini glass filled with the potent pink concoction before my giggles become obnoxious… or entertaining, depending on who you ask.

Basically, I’m a lot like my character, Katie James, in To Katie With Love. She’s not a drinker. She can’t hold her liquor. But somehow, fate (just call me Fate) decides she needs to drink far too much at her 29th birthday party, and she wakes up in her dream guy’s bed. Not a bad way to start the year, if you ask me. The guy is seriously hot… and maybe a little bit dangerous. Then again, having an assassin for a boyfriend just might be the least of her worries.

May 15, 2013
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