On Tour: When Girlfriends Step Up by Savannah Page
Savannah will be on tour March 25-April 1 with her chick lit novel When Girlfriends Step Up A novel about love and support, and learning…
Future Tour: After Math by Denise Grover Swank
Denise will be on tour May 13-June 3 with her new adult novel After Math Scarlett Goodwin’s world is divided into Before and After. Before…
Beauty Review: Ulta Eyeliner & Mascara
I have been buying my makeup lately from Ulta. It’s a giant store, they have good prices, and they have a reward program, which I love. I also get a coupon from them every month in the mail, so why not? On one of my last trips there they were having a buy one get one half off sale for Ulta beauty products. I grabbed a mascara and eyeliner, and decided to check them out.
The verdict? I like the eyeliner more, but it’s not up to par with the usual Maybelline that I try on. It wears off too quickly, and if I’m going out I have to put it in my clutch so I can reapply it after a few hours. The mascara I really wasn’t a fan of. I have since stopped using it, because I don’t notice anything. No length, no volume, nada. So I don’t think I’ll be picking up the Ulta brand anymore, even if they are having a great sale!
Book Review: Prior Engagements by Sarah Goodwin
I received a copy of PRIOR ENGAGEMENTS by Sarah Goodwin in exchange for an honest review.
Prior Engagements begins with Annie, who isn’t really enjoying her time in the twenties as much as she expected. She was left at the alter by Stephen and is currently in the process of paying down the gargantuan mountain of debt leftover from the wedding that never happened. Then one day, she meets a man who is in need of a favor – to accompany him to the wedding of his ex. She decides on a whim to accompany him and then next thing she knows, she is getting married in Vegas to Dorian. But, that makes things complicated as she returns home and realizes that her best friend, who also happens to be her boss, has been working up the courage to pop the question himself. Will is not happy at all about the new discovery and wants nothing more than to get Dorian out of the way. Like I said, things are complicated and it gets worse as we are introduced to Dorian’s sister, his ex-bride and Annie’s dear old mother. Fun times ensue as some Annie tries to figure out just how her life ended up so complicated.
I really enjoyed PRIOR ENGAGEMENTS and thought that it was a really good read. At first I wasn’t quite too sure what to think about Annie but after a little hesitation on my part, I soon fell in love with her character. Sarah does an amazing job at crafting flawed characters who are also very realistic. On numerous occasions I felt that Annie and I would make great friends. I knew instantly that Stephen was a douche bag and ironically, am glad that she got left at the alter because she was so much better off without him. I must also admit that I was quite surprised when she married Dorian in Vegas … I definitely didn’t see that one coming. Overall though, this book is a really great read from a debut author. I think that if you are looking for a hilarious book with a lot of wit and heart, then this book is for you.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Tara Reed Section 1
You’re standing in what used to be a slaughterhouse-slash-meatpacking plant. Now, it’s an elegant but modern space with hardwood floors, hand-carved banisters, heavy curtains covering…
Tara Reed Section 15
SECTION 15 Valerie’s right. As far as first meetings go, this one’s been of the highest caliber. Why put it in harm’s way? It’s decided.…
Guest Blog: Tara Reed
Thanks for reading the First Look at my novel, Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda: A Novel Approach to Dating, currently crowdfunding at Indiegogo.com. The polygamous hybrid of…
Tara Reed Section 10
SECTION 10 You open your eyes. It’s bright. Way brighter than your bedroom usually is. And your head hurts. And your sheets are blue. Wait…
Book Review: Don’t Tell the Groom by Anna Bell
I received a copy of Don’t Tell the Groom by Anna Bell in exchange for an honest review. Since my wedding is only six months away, I haven’t been able to say no to a book revolving around weddings as of late. Fortunately for me, I seem to be loving them all! In Don’t Tell the Groom, our blushing bride-to-be is Penny, who finds herself in a bit of a sticky situation. Penny and fiancé Mark have been building up their wedding fund so they could afford a fab shindig. Penny took up online bingo to help pad the account – only she lost more than she won, and now the account has been cut it half. Penny doesn’t want to admit her mistake and risk losing Mark, so she now needs to figure out how to have their lavish affair on a tight budget…and make sure Mark doesn’t find out!
What a hoot of a book! I was able to relate to Penny from the get-go, and I thought the spin on her gambling addiction was unique and really interesting. Poor Penny wasn’t trying to harm anyone by her bingo ways, she really, well naively, thought she was helping. I thought it was admirable that she got help, and what I really liked is that she wouldn’t accept help from others in order to get by. She realized she made the mistake and she really owned up to it. Of course if she would have told Mark that would have been the best for everyone, but then we wouldn’t have had a fun novel to read, right? I recommend this one!
4.5 stars
