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How To Look Like You by Rose McClelland
Chick Lit Review

How To Look Like You by Rose McClelland

How to Look Like You by Rose McClelland asks the simple question, “have you ever had a frenemy?” If you aren’t familiar with the term, it is an enemy who is also a friend … someone whom you smile and are friendly to their face, but behind their back are secretly filled with jealousy and green with envy. Most girls are familiar with the term, and it isn’t lost on Chloe and Ella either. Ella is a very talented young woman- she sings and acts amongst many other things, yet she envies Chloe’s steady relationship with Aidan and her supposed perfect body. On a fluke, Ella begins working closely with Aidan and begins to develop feelings for him although her loyalty should be to her friend. The two get close and Aidan invites her to join his band, sending Chloe on a rage. This small step triggers a “frenemy relationship” between the two girls and spirals the two girls into dangerous territory. Will they be ever be able to be friends again? Or are they destined to one day be completely enemies?

Oh my goodness, Rose McClelland nails this one (and some poisonous female relationships) right on the head. As a female, all women can relate to these kinds of friendships and I think that Rose did a fabulous job portraying both of the women and their different points of view and allowing their stories to intertwine in a way that allows the reader to really get to know the characters. As a reader, I felt like I definitely took a side (who wouldn’t), but not once did I ever feel like Rose did. I felt like both women’s stories were written very unbiasedly. Overall, a fantastic and truly unique read. You have another hit on your hands Rose! Well done!

[Rating: 4.5/5]

July 18, 2012
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On Tour: What a Texas Girl Wants by Kristina Knight
CLP Blog Tours

On Tour: What a Texas Girl Wants by Kristina Knight

Kristina will be on tour July 23-30 with her novel What a Texas Girl Wants Kathleen Witte is a down-to-earth girl. She has to be,…

July 17, 2012
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Sara’s July Favorites:
Chick Lit Plus

Sara’s July Favorites:

In lieu of our Charming Tuesday posts, Samantha and I have decided to post our top five “favorites” for each month. This way, we can include more items instead of just sticking to our beauty essentials. So, to kick off our new segment, here are mine:

1. Books – Sorority Girls by Claudia Welch is a fabulous read and has been my favorite so far this month.

2. Beauty – Last month I discovered Garnier Nutrisse BB Cream and am absolutey addicted. It is perfectly lightweight for summer time and really works wonderfully- it covers your skin just as well as a foundation, without all the weight, and really moisturizers your skin.

3. Hair – Since having a baby, I have been pretty low maintenance with my hair (plus, who wants to really do much when it is so darn hot outside). So, instead of using a hair product, I have been sticking to a ton of hats. I am a huge fan of fedora’s and Target typically has a huge selection of cute ones to choose from.

4. Clothes – I have also been slacking it on this section as well lately as far as dressing up goes … but I have been investing in quite a bit of workout gear to get back into my pre-baby body. I am a huge fan of Champion sports bras from Target (the more neon the better in my opinion), as well as running shorts. I have purchased quite a few pairs of Nike Run Tempo shorts and they perform well in the heat and don’t ride up like so many other running shorts do.

Another recent purchase for me that I love is bright neon denim. I found a pair of Magenta skinnies at Target and absolutely love them. I am now on the lookout for a good pair of Mint colored ones, but have yet to find a pair that fit me length wise. Let me know if you have any suggestions…

5. Shoes – I don’t think I could say this enough … but I live by sandals, sandals, sandals. Wearing any type of closed toe shoe during a Texas summer is considered crazy (probably TMI, but your feet will sweat like crazy if you try it). Two weeks ago I purchased a cute pair of brown sandals with orange stones on them from Banana Republic and absolutely love them. They go with about half of my wardrobe.

Bonus: If you aren’t already aware, I live in Texas, and down here, country music is very popular. For the past two weeks I have had “Drunk on You” by Luke Bryan stuck in my head on repeat and I must say, I absolutely ADORE that song. If you haven’t heard it, please check it out. Plus, he is pretty darn easy on the eyes! 😉

July 17, 2012
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Secrets, Lies & PG Tips by Leanne Rose
Chick Lit Review

Secrets, Lies & PG Tips by Leanne Rose

Secrets, Lies & PG Tips by Leanne Rose follows self confessed hopeless romantic, Nina Parker. Narrated in first person (with a British accent and slang), the book starts off with Nina moving to San Francisco to pursue a flashy and glamorous life full of money, parties, fancy shoes, a fabulous career, and a knock-out hunk of a man that she sees frequently on TV. Although her head is constantly in the clouds, Nina is knocked back down to real life, where she works for an unappreciative boss, has no style, and definitely no man. Will things change for Nina? And will she ever get her happily ever after? Or will she be forced to live her life unhappily for the rest of her days?

Secrets, Lies & PG Tips starts off rather slow but stick with it … because it gets better. I love Nina’s story telling and the way that Leanne Rose makes the characters feel very authentic, with honest hopes and dreams and quite honestly, fantasies. By far Nina is my favorite character, but a close second would have to be Marvin- very witty and funny. All in all a great, quick read filled with romantic wishes and a great twist that the reader will not expect (I know that I didn’t). Overall, a quite enjoyable read.

[Rating: 3.5/5]

July 17, 2012
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Blog Tour Sign Up: That Time of the Month by Emily Shaffer
CLP Blog Tours

Blog Tour Sign Up: That Time of the Month by …

Emily will be on tour in October with her chick lit/romantic comedy novel That Time Of The Month. Kindle Ebook copies can be provided, or…

July 16, 2012
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Busted in Bollywood by Nicola Marsh
Chick Lit Review

Busted in Bollywood by Nicola Marsh

I received a copy of Busted in Bollywood in exchange for an honest review. I thought this book was great! I’ve read quite a few Bollywood books, so I am aware of the cultural and how the women must deal with arranged marriage. MC Shari Jones gets roped into a crazy scheme by her BFF Amrita – who is about to become the victim of an arranged marriage. When Amrita is called upon to travel from New York to Mumbai to meet her fiancé and his family for the first time, she somehow convinces Shari to go in her place. Since Shari is Indo-American she should be able to pull it off, especially when Amrita convinces her there is no way her photo has been shown to her fiancé’s family. Shari heads to Mumbai with a plan to be the worst possible fiancée around, hoping to break up the engagement so Amrita will still have a chance at true love. But her plan is foiled when not only the fiancé but his friend and business partner know that Shari is not Amrita. Will the friends come out on top in the game of love and blackmail?
Nicola Marsh has a fabulous writing style, fun, fast-paced, and wicked sharp! The plot was hilarious and a bit over-the-top, the characters were strong and memorable, and I laughed my way through Shari’s tale. I loved all the descriptions of Mumbai as well. I really connected with Shari, who put herself in the unfortunate “other woman” category and got burned because of it. She was very real and obviously loved her friend, and I was thrilled to see her get a happy ending. There was drama, humor, and even some fab fashion that made this an all-around enjoyable chick lit read. I recommend!
[Rating: 4.5]

July 16, 2012
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The Sweet Life eSeries: Books 1 and 2
Chick Lit Review

The Sweet Life eSeries: Books 1 and 2

And Sweet Valley continues! Francine Pascal brought back the Wakefield twins with a vengeance with the release of Sweet Valley Confidential: 10 Years Later in March 2011, and now Jessica, Elizabeth and the gang is back for more! There is a brand-new eSeries being released July 15- August 12, titled The Sweet Life. This six part eSeries will let readers continue to follow the Wakefield’s through their fab 30’s – or is it so fabulous?
Book #1 starts up with Jessica and Todd separated and headed for a divorce. Quite the difference from the end of Sweet Valley Confidential where they are getting married and are blissfully happy. Oh – and they now have a son together as well! After three years of marriage things have turned sour, and it doesn’t look like a happy ending is in the pages for Jessica. At least she has her job to fall back, her beautiful son, and a renowned strength with twin Elizabeth after their massive feud. And she is ready to be there for Elizabeth when her boyfriend, the immensely wealthy Bruce Patman, is caught in a sexual harassment scandal. A cliff-hanger leads us to book # 2, titled Lies and Omissions, and keeps right on going. Jessica is working Bruce’s PR to spin the story that the female intern just wants her fifteen minutes of fame, but Elizabeth has an off-feeling about Bruce’s story. Is her boyfriend telling the truth – or is Robin, the terrified ex-intern who seems genuinely scared of Bruce telling the truth? Elizabeth uses her reporter skills to get the real scoop – but will she like the outcome? Jessica is now trying to fix her marriage with Todd, but will one costly mistake ruin everything? Another cliff-hanger ending has me eager to read the third novella in this eSeries- Too Many Doubts.
[Rating: 4]

July 16, 2012
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Future Tour: This Tangled Thing Called Love by Marie Astor
CLP Blog Tours

Future Tour: This Tangled Thing Called Love by Marie Astor

Marie will be on tour August 13-27 with her romance novel This Tangled Thing Called Love Claire Chatfield has everything a girl could possibly wish…

July 15, 2012
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My First 5K: Week 5: Intervals
Chick Lit Plus

My First 5K: Week 5: Intervals

This week started a new part of my 5K training regime – interval running. When I first started the training I knew intervals would be coming up, but I was still daunted by them when the day finally arrived. Why? I have done different interval trainings in the past, and I also have read how great they can be for the body and the heart – and how difficult some can be to complete. So I was bit nervous, but actually have come to realize I enjoy them even more than just running straight through! I’m not sure if it’s because I get to catch my breath (even if it’s only just for a minute) or maybe because I like having something to look forward to – speeding up and slowing down and just breaking up the monotony. I feel like the runs actually go faster. So interval running isn’t as bad as I thought it was, I’m still getting a fabulous workout, and working on building my endurance for when October rolls around. Below is my workout schedule I did this week – bold is what I would normally complete, the non-bold is from my training schedule.
Monday: Run 4 minutes, walk 1 x3, 30 minute treadmill walk, 15 minute cardio DVD
Tuesday: Walk 15 minutes, 30 sit ups, 10 minute Shape workout, 60 minute eliptical
Wednesday: Run 4 minutes, 1 walk x 4, 60 minute treadmill walk
Thursday: Walk 15 minutes, 35 sit ups, 20 minute Pilates DVD
Friday: Day Off
Saturday: Run 4 minutes, walk 1 x 5, 10 minute Shape workout
Sunday: Day Off

July 15, 2012
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