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Book Review: A Good Kind of Knowing by Kathy Lynn Harris
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: A Good Kind of Knowing by Kathy Lynn …

I received a copy of A Good Kind of Knowing by Kathy Lynn Harris in exchange for an honest review. Sera Taylor is our main focus, and is a woman who can bring people together. She lives in the small town of Lakeville, Texas and runs a widely popular music store. She’s friends with almost everyone, and the town is hit hard when Sera is diagnosed with cancer. The book weaves Sera’s story and her battle along with the town’s reaction and how they all pitch in to help save her store – and themselves.
This book is really one to pull at heartstrings. I lost my grandmother to breast cancer just a few years ago, and watching someone with an illness is an incredibly hard thing. The book brought me back to the time while reading, and I shed quite a few tears throughout the way. I enjoyed the Texas setting, Sera’s spirit, and the supporting cast who really added a lot to the book overall. At times I felt a bit of a disconnect with the characters, practically Sera and Mack. I’m not sure if I just didn’t get enough of their story to understand their connection or what it was, but something was missing there for me. I adored Ruby D. (and the name!) even though she didn’t always make the best decisions. While Sera’s husband could seem infuriating at times, I got it. I got his way of dealing with his wife’s diagnosis, and overall I thought this novel was extremely well-written. One I recommend – as long as you have some tissues handy!
4 stars

January 23, 2013
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Blog Tour Sign Up: Reckless Abandon by Jenn Flynn-Shon
CLP Blog Tours

Blog Tour Sign Up: Reckless Abandon by Jenn Flynn-Shon

Shaw McLeary, a YA fiction Author returns from the grocery store to discover her husband, Danny, has taken off in a hurry. On his way out the door he grabbed their cash and Shaw’s wedding rings. She’s devastated and calls the cops but just when she thinks she can get some help in tracking him down for answers, she witnesses a cop’s murder in her home and has to flee. Desperate for answers, Shaw turns to the one person she knows isn’t involved, JJ Anderson. Both her ex-fiancé and Private Investigator, JJ agrees to help with the search even though he’s still bitter about how their relationship ended two decades ago.

They start in Phoenix but are chased all the way to Manhattan in somewhat tight quarters and neither of them can deny they may still feel the same as they did twenty years ago. The pursuit has Shaw spooked but her renewed feelings for JJ might scare her more than the bad guys with guns hell-bent on chasing them out of Manhattan. Will Shaw find what she’s looking for when they reach upstate New York, or will dirty cops catch her before she figures out what, or who, that even is?

January 22, 2013
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On Tour: Confessions of an Alli Cat by Courtney Cole
CLP Blog Tours

On Tour: Confessions of an Alli Cat by Courtney Cole

Courtney will be on tour January 28-February 18 with her novel Confessions of an Alli Cat “You know what they say…a happy vagina is a…

January 22, 2013
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Finding Rachel Davenport by Michael Harling
Chick Lit Review

Finding Rachel Davenport by Michael Harling

I received a copy of FINDING RACHEL DAVENPORT by Michael Harling in exchange for an honest review.

Finding Rachel Davenport by Michael Harling follows Rachel – former child prodigy, world class gymnast and Miss Teen England – who has retired from her very public life and lives in a small town where no one knows who she really is. During the day she works as a clerk for a travel agency but by night, she is a crime fighter. But, when one secret mission goes astray, Rachel finds herself being pursued by the media, the police, and criminals. She wants to move past all of this and go back to living anonymously, but first she must prove to the cops that she is a good guy. But, will she be able to save herself?

This book is a true delight. Quick paced, quirky, witty and heartwarming, this book is definitely a great read. Michael does an amazing job at getting gritty within the first few pages and he definitely reels the reader in from the get go (which I appreciated). I loved the characters and I really, really enjoyed the storyline. Overall, a great read with a lot of heart and some laughs sprinkled in between.
Rating: 4 stars

January 22, 2013
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Book Review: Love or Money? by Carrie Stone
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Love or Money? by Carrie Stone

I received a copy of Love or Money? by Carrie Stone in exchange for an honest review. Felicity Harroway is a successful and driven woman, but when her values are questioned and a wrench is thrown into her carefully thought-out life plans, she decides to give something new a try – an adventure. Felicity’s best friend and housewife is struggling with her own issues regarding her husband and his new secretive ways. Is her marriage falling apart while she is pregnant? Felicity’s mother tries to help both woman stay sane and find happiness, but she is searching for her own happily ever after, because it is never too late. And Felicity’s rediscovered friend Sylvia tries to make a relationship work with her celebrity boyfriend – but will one mistake cost her not only her relationship but her friendship with Felicity?
I enjoyed Love or Money? and each characters story. Felicity is definitely the leading lady, but the supporting characters had just as much going on and were entertaining to read about. At times I struggled with Sylvia’s story, and even thought maybe it wasn’t entirely necessary to the book, but it did add some drama. Felicity and Zara’s friendship had me scratching my head a few times when they seemed to be contradicting each other, but I enjoyed Zara’s story and was interested in how it would end. One thing that was a bit of let-down was Felicity’s new relationship that she gets into. I don’t want to give too much away, but I thought the title would really pose a question for her, and in the end it really didn’t, which was a bit of disappointment. It wrapped up too neat and tidy for me to really appreciate the journey. With that being said, I did still enjoy the book and the writing, just a few plot points weren’t for me.
3.5 stars

January 22, 2013
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CLP Blog Tours Book Review: In Search of a Love Story by Rachel Schurig
Chick Lit Review

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: In Search of a Love …

Rachel Schurig is on tour with CLP Blog Tours and In Search of a Love Story. Emily Donovan would never be called a romantic, but with a string of romances that went south, her friends try to convince her to take a new approach to love. Mainly – get into romance. For Emily – a girl who doesn’t like rom coms or romance books – this is quite the challenge. But when she meets Greg and their relationship progresses, she wonders if perhaps her friends were on to something. But does Greg love Emily for who she really is – and does Emily really love him back?
I had a great time reading this chick lit book that was full of laughs, romance, and written with a lot of heart. Emily is such a likeable heroine and I was intrigued by her relationship with Greg. I can understand her confusion she had regarding him, and I was hooked into reading wondering how it was going to end. Her friends make up a fun supporting cast, and I’m really looking forward to reading the sequel!
4 stars

January 21, 2013
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CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Death Turns a Trick by Julie Smith
Chick Lit Review

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Death Turns a Trick by …

Julie Smith is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Death Turns a Trick. Chick lit mysteries are right up there in my fave genres choices, and I’m not surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Rebecca Schwartz is our Jewish lawyer MC, who finds herself in the middle of a city scandal. This happens because A) she is playing piano at a whorehouse, B) The whorehouse is suddenly raided and she finds herself driving away the senator (half-naked) and C) because she finds a dead hooker in her living room. If that doesn’t sound like a juicy novel, I don’t know what does!
Death Turns a Trick was a seriously funny book, all while being mysterious and having romance thrown in between the pages. Smith does a fab job at building Rebecca’s character and also with her comedic timing, and I don’t normally classify something as a “hoot,” but I feel that is the only word suitable for this book – in a good way, of course! If you like chick lit and mysteries, this book needs to be on your list – or just get it on there anyway! A favorite of mine!
5 stars

January 21, 2013
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Blog Tour Sign Up: Saving Saffron Sweeting by Pauline Wiles
CLP Blog Tours

Blog Tour Sign Up: Saving Saffron Sweeting by Pauline Wiles

“Grace Palmer’s British friends all think she’s living the American Dream. But her design business is floundering and when she discovers her husband is cheating with her best client, she panics and flees home to England.
The tranquil village of Saffron Sweeting appears to be a good place for Grace to lick her wounds, but the community is battling its own changes. Reluctantly, Grace finds herself helping her new neighbours as they struggle to adjust and save their businesses. However, not everyone has the same opinion on what’s good for the village. The charismatic new man in her life may have one speculative eye on Grace, but the other is firmly on profit. How will she navigate the tricky path between her home and her happiness?
With gentle humour and generous helpings of British tea and cake, Saving Saffron Sweeting explores one woman’s need to define herself through her career and community, before she can figure out who should be by her side.”

January 20, 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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