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CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Unexpecting by Lori Verni-Fogarsi
Chick Lit Review

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Unexpecting by Lori Verni-Fogarsi

Lori Verni-Fogarsi is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Unexpecting!
Summary:
Shelley and David are a couple of almost-empty-nesters preparing to embark on the next stage of their life. They’ve just ordered white furniture and are planning the vacation they’ve waited their entire lives to take.

Their lives are catapulted in a completely different direction when Alexandra, seventeen and pregnant, shows up on their doorstep and announces that she’s the daughter they never knew they had! Their life becomes filled with dilemmas as they add not only another child, but also a baby to a household that was just about to become serene.

Shelley feels like she no longer fits in anywhere and to top it off, having two teenaged girls suddenly plunged into being sisters and school mates is not exactly warm and fuzzy. When Alexandra’s behavior becomes erratic, the couple is faced with even tougher decisions to make.

Hold on for an emotional yet witty ride as you join this family of characters in a story of love, loyalty, heartbreak, and humor that will stay with you long after you turn the last page!
Review:
Wow, what a read. I adore books where I have pretty much zero in common with the main character but can wind up being best friends with her. I have also read Momnesia, which introduces us to Shelly, and I highly recommend both these novels. I actually ended up enjoying Unexpecting even more, not always a common occurrence with sequels, but this was just so hard to put down. I got emotional a few times throughout, I was surprised at times, shocked, dismayed, happy, confused…whew! But I loved every minute of it, and this is definitely worthy of a 5 star review!
5 stars

May 13, 2013
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On Tour: After Math by Denise Grover Swank
CLP Blog Tours

On Tour: After Math by Denise Grover Swank

Denise will be on tour May 13-June 3 with her novel After Math Scarlett Goodwin’s world is divided into Before and After. Before she agreed…

May 12, 2013
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In My Mailbox: Week of May 12
Chick Lit Plus

In My Mailbox: Week of May 12

Title: Tales from the Laundry Pile

Author: Kathleen Kole

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: Claire Jamieson has moved back home to Boxwood Hills… And, she’s not alone. Trailing behind her overworked laundry basket is her husband and their energetic twin boys. Claire had always thought that once she’d left the nest, she’d never return. Now that she has, she’s wondering what type of bird that makes her… Cuckoo? When she has a moment to pause and catch her breath, she’ll let you know.

girlfriendsTitle: When Girlfriends Chase Dreams

Author: Savannah Page

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: A novel about chasing dreams, for better or worse, and living your love story.

Claire Linley is finally a bride! After nearly ten years with her college freshman sweetheart, Claire is going to become Mrs. Conner Whitley. She’s got her bridal magazines, is the biggest Martha Stewart fan, and subscribes to all the major wedding blogs. She’s been dreaming of this moment for years! How could planning her dream wedding be anything but perfect?

The easy-going and bubbly type, Claire will obviously have a blast planning, and with her fantastic group of girlfriends-made-bridesmaids she just can’t go wrong. Whether it’s wedding gown shopping, makeup trials, or cake-tasting, Claire’s friends are there in a pinch.

But how big does the pinch get? All Claire wants to do is get married, but at every turn something seems to go awry and she’s starting to lose it. How is a girl supposed to remain cool and collected when the pricy dream wedding planner isn’t turning out to be so dreamy? When DIY projects and the perfect venue are going up in smoke? How is Claire supposed to marry Conner when the special day that’s supposed to join them together, forever, is slowly tearing them apart?

This is the charming story about how sometimes the biggest events in life are defined by the smallest acts of kindness and love. It’s a love story about dreaming large, loving deeply, and, in the end, truly having the happiest day of your life, no matter what happens (or doesn’t). About what happens when girlfriends chase dreams.

Title: Love Rehab

Author: Jo Piazza

Received: From Jo Piazza

Synopsis: For anyone who has ever overdosed on love—or planned the wedding before the second date—Jo Piazza’s dazzling debut novel is a must-read

Cyber-stalking, drive-bys, drunken text messaging, creating fake email accounts—you’re gonna have to face it, you’re addicted to love.

Sophie isn’t dealing with her breakup well. Dumped by her boyfriend, Eric, for his sexting, D-cupped, young Floozy McSecretary, Sophie leaves Manhattan and lands back in her hometown, crushed and pajama-clad, blaming herself and begging her ex for a second chance.

But when her best friend, Annie, gets in trouble for driving drunk and is forced to go to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, something clicks in Sophie’s strung-out mind. Women need love rehab, she realizes, to help fix the craziness that comes along with falling for someone.

If you start it, they will come. When she opens up her home to the obsessed and lovelorn, Sophie finds a way to help women out there who have overdosed on the wrong men—and she saves herself in the process.

Love is a drug and the only things that can save us are the steps, rules, and one another. Step one: Admit you have a problem, and keep the hell away from Facebook.

May 12, 2013
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Future Tour: Looming Murder by Carol Ann Martin
CLP Blog Tours

Future Tour: Looming Murder by Carol Ann Martin

Carol Ann Martin will be on tour July 8-29 with her cozy mystery novel Looming Murder Della Wright has come to peaceful and picturesque Briar…

May 11, 2013
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Book Review: Eloves me, Eloves me not by L. A. Johannesson
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Eloves me, Eloves me not by L. A. …

I received a copy of Eloves me, Eloves me not by L. A. Johannesson in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

Still single at 39, Kayte Wexford has everything but Mr. Right. She has a fabulous career and interesting friends, but there’s still no one waiting at home for her but the dog.

With keyboard at the ready, she turns to technology for help, hoping online dating will finally deliver the man of her dreams.

eloves me, eloves me not is a contemporary romantic comedy that follows Kayte’s online dating adventures while focusing on the relationships of four main characters, each with their unique views on love: Kayte is the ever-hopeful romantic, Roman the consummate bachelor, Thomas is newly and skeptically single and Chloe is already living happily ever after.

Join Kayte as she meets a series of cyber-suitors and learns what she will and won’t do in the name of love. See if you can you predict where Kayte will end up and with whom.

Review:

This book was really a lot of fun and a nice spin on a romantic comedy. I thought L.A. did a really great job at creating very likeable characters and creating a world for Kayte that is a hoot with tons of laughs. While reading this book I constantly visualized what I thought it would look like on the big screen, and this one is a winner! If you are looking for a really great book that has a romantic interest in online dating and so called cyber-suitors, then this book is for you. I think you will really enjoy it!
Rating: 4 stars

May 10, 2013
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Book Review: The Week Before the Wedding by Beth Kendrick
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Week Before the Wedding by Beth Kendrick

I received a copy of The Week Before the Wedding by Beth Kendrick in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
After enduring a chaotic childhood, Emily McKellips yearns for a drama-free life, complete with a white picket fence. Her dreams are about to come true: She has a stellar career, a gorgeous house, and a fiancé any woman would die for. But as friends and family arrive in picturesque Valentine, Vermont, for her wedding, an uninvited guest shows up.

Ryan is Emily’s first husband from a disastrous starter marriage. They wed on a whim, only to discover that combustible chemistry couldn’t ensure a happily ever after. But Ryan is no longer the headstrong boy she left behind. He’s now a successful film producer who just happens to be scouting a resort in Valentine with his adorable retriever in tow.

As the bridesmaids revolt and the mothers of the bride and groom do battle, Emily is surprised to discover new sides of both her ex and her fiancé. She thought she had life and love all figured out, but the next seven days might change her mind—and her heart.
Review:
There were many details that made me fall in love with The Week Before the Wedding. I highly enjoyed that Emily had a bit of a wild-child past, how crazy her mom was, and of course – that I was reading a wedding book! (Mine is now LESS than four months away!) What I liked the most is that throughout the book, I had no idea how Emily was going to end up – or who she would end up with. On one hand, I truly thought she would stay with Grant, her fiancé, because she did seem to love him and their wedding was, well, a week away. They had chemistry, stability, and a happy life together. On the other hand, I thought for sure Emily was going to throw caution to the wind and wind up with Ryan. I mean, his name was tattooed on her ring finger! But they also had chemistry, a past, and an odd respect for one another. So who did she end up with? I can’t tell you that! But I can tell you this book has a lot of heart, some seriously comical moments with the mothers, and is a very enjoyable read!
4 stars

May 10, 2013
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Blog Tour Sign Up: Masterpiece of Murder by Evelyn Cullet
CLP Blog Tours

Blog Tour Sign Up: Masterpiece of Murder by Evelyn Cullet

Heartbroken American art student Charlotte Ross is so intent on locating her errant fiancé that she submits someone else’s painting as her own in order to gain access to a Master art class being held in the resort city of Bariloche, Argentina—the place her lost love was last seen. When the painting gets her accepted into the class given by a world-famous artist and womanizer, being a novice makes keeping up with the others nearly impossible as she struggles to fake her way though, while trying to win back the man she loves. But her fiancé has his own reasons for being in Bariloche that complicate Charlotte’s life and threaten her very existence as she stumbles into a downward spiral of deceit, art forgery, and murder. When circumstantial evidence begins to pile up against her, the local police think she is the killer. Now, with the help of a couple of fellow art students, she must prove herself innocent of a crime she didn’t commit. Not an easy task with a military police officer dogging her every step.

May 9, 2013
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Book Review: The Last Telegram by Liz Trenow
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Last Telegram by Liz Trenow

I received a copy of THE LAST TELEGRAM by Liz Trenow in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis:

Decades ago, as Nazi planes dominated the sky, Lily Verner made a terrible choice. She’s tried to forget, but now an unexpected event pulls her back to the 1940s British countryside. She finds herself remembering the brilliant colors of the silk she helped to weave at her family’s mill, the relentless pressure of the worsening war, and the kind of heartbreaking loss that stops time.

In this evocative novel of love and consequences, Lily finally confronts the disastrous decision that has haunted her all these years. The Last Telegram uncovers the surprising truth about how the stories we weave about our lives are threaded with truth, guilt, and forgiveness.
Review:

I am a really, really big fan of historical fiction (especially those that take place during WWII) and absolutely devoured this book. The book opens up with quite the backdrop, and since it is told in first person, you really feel present and in the moment. I was really touched by Liz’s writing and thought she did such an amazing job at transplanting the reader and creating such remarkable moments between the characters. I really loved Lily as the main character and my heart broke a few times throughout the novel. Such an amazing novel, but let me warn you, keep a box of tissues handy for this one during the last few chapters because you will definitely need them.
Rating: 5 stars

May 9, 2013
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Book Review: Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell

I received a copy of Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Having grown up on the quiet island of Guernsey, Betty Dean can’t wait to start her new life in London. On a mission to find Clara Pickle – the mysterious beneficiary in her grandmother’s will – she arrives in grungy, 1990s Soho, ready for whatever life has to throw at her. Or so she thinks…

In 1920s bohemian London, Arlette – Betty’s grandmother – is starting her new life in a time of post-war change. Beautiful and charismatic, Arlette is soon drawn into the hedonistic world of the Bright Young People. But less than two years later, tragedy strikes and she flees back to Guernsey for the rest of her life.

As Betty searches for Clara, she is taken on a journey through Arlette’s extraordinary time in London, uncovering a tale of love, loss and heartbreak. Will the secrets of Arlette’s past help Betty on her path to happiness?
Review:
There was a lot I liked about this book, and just little that I didn’t so much love. The mystery aspect – who is this Clara Pickle, how does she tie in with Arlette, will Betty be able to find her? – was a lot of fun to read about. I’m also a sucker for books that flip back and forth between past and present, and my favorite era happens to be the ‘20’s, so I of course was quite happy with that! Betty also has some interesting characters enter her life while she is on the search for Clara, and they made a nice (and sometimes comical) addition to the story. I became entranced near the end of the book when you realized all the answers were going to be revealed, but I was also a little let-down towards the end. We follow Betty through her quest, but then when a huge chunk of the Arlette’s past is found out, we don’t get to see it through Betty’s eye. Someone else tells her and the chapter cuts away and we miss Betty’s reaction, which is something I was really looking forward to. It was almost anti-climatic in a way. But overall, I thought this book was really charming, and I would recommend.
4 stars

May 9, 2013
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