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November Surprise by Laurel Osterkamp

I am reviewing November Surprise by Laurel Osterkamp for CLP Blog Tours. Clearly, this blog tour comes at the perfect time – election fever! The story talks a lot of presidential elections over the course of twenty years, each section given its own headline from that time on which election is happening. I was just a touched worried that the book was simply going to focus on politics, because while I follow the elections every four years, I don’t have a lot of knowledge in politics, and I know that it’s not always polite to talk politics (or post 8 million Facebook status on the subject!). But I quickly realized I had no need to worry – I was so focused on the love story/triangle that MC Lucy Jones has found herself in. I loved the angle between brothers Jack and Monty, one that Lucy dated back in the day, and one that Lucy thinks she could fall in love with in present time. There is also a companion book to November Surprise which is Campaign Promises, which is free on Amazon and can be read in any order.
I thought the concept and execution of this novel was spot-on. I loved the headlines of each section and how it moved from this year to that year to this year flawlessly. I think it had the danger of feeling jumpy since it was skipping four years at a time, but I have to give major kudos to Osterkamp for making me barley blink from section to section. The last few chapters had me a bit miffed with Lucy and her indecisiveness and almost self-inflicted pain, but she redeemed herself for me! I would say even if you aren’t into politics don’t be afraid to grab this book, as it’s a lovely romance read. Lucy is a democrat and her views are clearly shown, but I didn’t feel at any point I was trying to be swayed any which way politic-wise. Fab book!

Novel Spotlight: Dewitched by EL Sarnoff

After serving time for Snow White’s attempted murder, the Evil Queen is about to get a makeover. Just not the kind she expected. Thinking she’s…

Perfect Is Overrated by Karen Bergreen

Perfect Is Overrated by Karen Bergreen follows Kate Alger. After a few years of suffering with post-partum depression, Kate believes that she finally has found the cure – a few gruesome homicides. When someone starts offing the uppity moms at her daughters preschool, she dusts off her old Assistant DA skills and puts them to the test. Will she be able to find out who is behind all of the recent killings? Only time will tell, but in the mean time, we catch a glimpse into Kate’s hilarious and slightly twisted life and see what her life as a mom is really like. We also catch a glimpse into the wickedly insane and over-the-top parents at the Hawthorne Preschool.

I was a really big fan of Karen’s first book, so when she contacted me to read/review her second, I jumped at the opportunity. She strikes gold again! Karen writes a mystery that should be considered a comedy. I stayed up way past my bed time (which is quite early these days- thank you very much) to finish this one because I couldn’t put it down. The characters are hilarious cleverly crafted. The story is believable, especially since I am new into the world of extreme moms and daycares. If you don’t have experience in that arena, consider yourself lucky. The story has great flow and moves along very quickly. There are quite a few twists and turns throughout, so make sure that you pay attention. Overall, a really fun read! I would highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a fun time!

On Tour: To Catch a Bad Guy by Marie Astor

Marie will be on tour November 5-19 with her novel To Catch a Bad Guy Janet Maple’s stellar career ended with a layoff and her…

October Author of the Month: Emily Shaffer

Chick Lit Plus is pleased to announce the Author of the Month for October is Emily Shaffer, author of That Time of the Month! What…

The Saint’s Devilish Deal by Kristina Knight

I am kicking off Kristina Knight’s tour with CLP Blog Tours and her contemporary romance novel The Saint’s Devilish Deal. This book follows Esmerelda Quinn and Santiago Cruz, two stubborn individuals who continue to fight against their love. Esme and Santiago (or Saint) find themselves sharing ownership of her Aunt Constance’s villa in Puerto Vallarta, while Constance takes extended leave. Being forced to work together brings out the tension, even though both Esme and Santiago are fighting their true feelings for one another. But is Saint the man that Esme thinks he finally is, someone she can be with, or is she about to get played?
I really enjoyed this book. I’m a big travel lover, and so I always find books set in the non-usual places interesting. I liked hearing about the villa and the plans to try to make it a booming establishment. The connection between Esme and Santiago was just plain hot. They’ve know each other for years, had a relationship in the past, but Saint has the issue of picking up and leaving at less than a moment’s notice, and Esme isn’t sure she wants to take a risk with him again. I liked watching their new relationship develop along the chapters. The Saint’s Devilish Deal is a fairly quick read, and even though some plot points could have been expanded on to bring more depth to the story, I didn’t think it was truly necessary. I just caught myself sometimes thinking I would have liked to know more about a certain situation, but it didn’t take away from my reading. This book is about romance, and those areas are a-plenty! This is a book I would recommend!
[Rating: 4]

Living in Glass Houses by Zoe McNight

I am happy to be closing Zoe McNight’s tour for Living in Glass Houses because I loved this book! What a page turner, and one that really kept me thinking. The story follows three main plot points. There is Jonathan, a college basketball coach who is dating somewhat of a Park Avenue princess. After he meets the new hire at his college, he starts to see what life could be like if he was dating someone with similar interests and background. But he has a choice to make – his princess who makes a bombshell announcement, or the woman who truly thinks he can’t live without. Blair fell in love with her now-husband in college, but his somewhat celebrity status boosted his ego and his wandering eye has turned her jaded. When Blair finally thinks her marriage is in a good place, her past decisions and own indiscretions come back to haunt her. And finally there is Elle, an NYC editor who is in a happy relationship with the man that everyone thinks is her Mr. Right. But Elle can’t seem to move on from a past relationship that ended suddenly and without closure.
I was really fascinated with each character’s story. I will say that I didn’t like Jonathan very much, but his story kept me interested and thinking, and I truly had no idea what his final decision would be. I liked that there was no clear cut ending for everyone. Each character had big decisions to make, and I was truly invested in each journey and how the book would come to an end. The title definitely works; the three friends all seem to judge each other when they need to step back and examine their own lives, and this is a really fabulous contemporary read. I couldn’t put this down, and I give it 5 stars and a spot on my Favorite’s List!

Blog Tour Sign Up: Love At 11 by Mari Mancusi

When Maddy graduated from Columbia University, she was ready to change the world. She’d get a job at Newsline, meet a nice guy, and live happily ever after with a real designer handbag on her arm. Five years later, she’s stuck producing puff pieces for the local News 9 San Diego–where “if it bleeds, it leads.” She’s still single, her family’s falling apart, and so is her knock-off Kate Spade.

Even a promotion–complete with hot camera guy–can’t seem to turn her luck around. After all, the promotion means working with the most narcissistic anchor on the planet and hot camera guy Jamie? Well, he’d be perfect…except for that pesky model/actress fiancee of his.

But just as Maddy’s ready to give up on her dreams, a secret scoop from her favorite knock-off purse guy has her suddenly chasing a huge lead. And Jamie is right by her side–in all the right ways. Can she bag the bad guy in an exclusive expose, put her family back together again, and win Jamie’s heart? Stay tuned…it’s the story of a lifetime.

In My Mailbox: Week of October 28

In Samantha’s Mailbox:

Title: Baby! Baby? Baby?!

Author: Holly Kerr

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: Thirty-five-year old kindergarten teacher Casey Samms has always dreamed about having her own baby. With her copy of A Young Woman’s Guide to the Joy of Impending Motherhood on her bedside
table, Casey has been steadily wading through the pool of eligible bachelors for years—with absolutely no luck. Now as she bids farewell to a cheating boyfriend and to dating in general, Casey just needs to figure out how to get pregnant without having a man in her life.

Casey immediately discounts her male friends as potential fathers and decides to pursue having a baby the artificial way, even though her sister and friends do their best to try to talk her out of it. But Casey is determined to see her dream come to fruition and begins looking at every male as a potential donor. Just when she is beginning to give the word desperate an entirely new meaning, an old ex-boyfriend, David Mason, saunters back into her life. All Casey has to do now is try to convince him that he is the one who can help her become a mother.

As Casey prepares to realize her lifelong dream, she is about to get the surprise of her life—a surprise that changes everything.

Title: Market Street

Author: Anita Hughes

Received: From St. Martins

Synopsis: Set in San Francisco this book is about the young wife of a UC Berkeley Ethics professor who must choose between her crumbling marriage and the opportunity to open a fabulous food emporium in her mother’s Union Square department store.

Title: Love, Lust & Faking It

Author: Jenny McCarthy

Received: BookSparks PR, Giveaway

Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Jenny McCarthy gave you the unfiltered ups and downs of pregnancy, motherhood, and marriage in Belly Laughs, Baby Laughs, and Life Laughs. Now the inveterate truth teller gets to the down-and-(sometimes) dirty essence of every man/woman relationship: love and sex.

Meet Tony, Jenny’s first love, the boy of her teenage dreams, and Tubby, her dirty, sexy stuffed teddy bear. Follow Jenny on a whirlwind tour of the world of aphrodisiacs and fetishes, as she explains the importance of playing doctor and other nice and naughty fantasies. Jenny is at her hilarious, no-holds-barred best in Love, Lust & Faking It, sharing stories of her outrageous true exploits—from Playboy centerfold to nightmarish bargain boob job to meeting Brad Pitt—all the while reminding us to always aim higher, be kind to ourselves, believe in true love…and to have lots of fun and sex, without faking it.

In Sara’s Mailbox:

Title: I Kill Me: Tales of A Jilted Hypochondriac

Author: Tracy Tucker

Received: Tracy Tucker

Synopsis: Christine Bacon has a fatal attraction. To all things fatal. A veteran hypochondriac, her near-death experiences are exacerbated when her husband proposes they have a menage a trois with Eleanor, his busty British massage therapist, to “shake things up.” Christine reluctantly agrees (although she is more wholesome than threesome), never expecting just how much she’d be rattled. As her marriage to Richard, a/k/a “Dick,” falls apart, so, too, does Christine, whose fear of her own demise causes her to research every freckle, blemish, cough, bump, lump, tingle and hiccup. She isn’t a doctor, but she plays one on the internet.

There is solace for Christine: in raising daughters Lily and Carli, leaning on her friends, and wearing out the shower massager. In order to heal, she struggles to become her own person and to view her symptoms (and ex-husband) as less malignant, while searching for that special someone who will love her–despite her grave condition.