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One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf
Chick Lit Review

One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf

Heather Gudenkauf leaped onto my list of Favorite Authors when I read These Things Hidden. I was thrilled when I was offered an ARC of her latest novel, One Breath Away, and was not disappointed. Once I started reading there was no stopping. A fast-moving, gripping tale that literally had me holding my breath, this is worthy of five full stars.
The novel follows the perspectives from five key players – Meg Barrett, Will Thwaite, Evelyn Oliver, Holly and her daughter Augie. Meg is on the police force in the small town of Broken Branch, Iowa, and is shocked when reports go out that a gunman is in the only school in town – housing essentially all of Broken Branch’s youth. Will Thwaite receives word of the gunmen and instantly worries about his two grandchildren who are in the school – Augie and her little brother P.J. Mrs. Oliver, a long-standing teacher, is trying to keep calm for her students with the gunman in her room. Can she – and her students- make it alive? And Holly, mother to Augie and P.J. lies in a hospital room miles away in Revelation, Arizona, recovering from a serious burn accident. Her mother, Will’s wife, is by her side, and the women are terrified when the national news shows their small town of Broken Branch being paralyzed by a man with a gun. Who is the crazed gunman – and how many will escape his murderous plan?
Loved this book! It was so fascinating to watch all the characters come together, and I seriously had no clue until the very end who was in the school with a gun. I could feel my eyes get wide when the identity was revealed. I also really enjoy that Gudenkauf is actually from my hometown – Dubuque, Iowa – and the book mentions a few towns that I know. Broken Branch is fictional, but there’s just something about reading the towns of Des Moines, Cedar Falls, Waterloo, that I find really intriguing. Also bits and pieces of landmarks that make me thing – yeah, I know that! – are interesting too. But back to the book – there was always just enough information to keep the plot moving and keep me wondering how it would all come together. A fabulous read, and one not to miss!
[Rating: 5]

July 11, 2012
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The Last Resort by Malena Lott
Chick Lit Review

The Last Resort by Malena Lott

The Last Resort by Malena Lott brings together the cast of characters from her previous novels. Ramona and Rachel (Dating da Vinci), Taylor (The Stork Reality), Macy (Fixer Upper), Georgia (Life’s a Beach) and get introduced to Kelly (Something New- Fall 2012) to a beautiful beach side paradise in Maui. At a mojo conference, we catch up with all of the women and see what has happened since we last saw them in their previousbooks. Rachel’s is now famous with a New York Times bestseller with her her fitness books, TV show and as a host of these “mojo” conferences. Ramona finally gets a break from her two boys and hopes to get spend some time with her sister, but really is secretly working out the kinks of her heart and wondering if she is ready to make the commitment to her boyfriend. Taylor’s ad agency in Texas is flourishing, and with a two year old and a booming business, she can’t seem to catch a moment for herself, so she is in dire need of a break whilst secretly hoping to learn from the other attendees the secret to managing it all and not going crazy. Kelly feels like her biological clock is closing in on her since her boyfriend John moved out, crushing her hopes for a marriage and a baby. Macy’s life is a lot slower since her days in the middle of a political scandal back in Atlanta, now living in Oklahoma and owner of a remodeling businesses, she is on the brink of national attention and is hesitant to be in the spotlight again. And finally, Georgia still dealing with her broken heart and hoping to be able to pick up the pieces. With all six women on the verge of a personal or professional crossroads, things get interesting and they get honest and real. But the real question is, will they all be able to find their “mojo” before heading back to their respective lives?

Heartfelt and moving, the quick paced novella by Malena Lott, is exactly what one hopes for in a beach read. I absolutely adored catching up with all of the previous characters from Lott’s previous novels and although I had only read one book by her before, you are quickly caught up on what you may have previously missed. All of the women are each dealing with a crisis of their own, and with each of them being so varied, I think all women will find that they can relate to at least one … if not all of their problems. I read The Last Resort in one sitting and was moved at the end of the book. Lott uses her signature writing style to make you feel right at with all of the ladies. I highly recommend this book for any gals looking for a quick, fun time. I was sad to see it come and go so quickly.

[Rating: 5/5]

July 11, 2012
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Future Tour: Rum Punch Regrets by Anne Kemp
CLP Blog Tours

Future Tour: Rum Punch Regrets by Anne Kemp

Anne will be on tour August 13- September 3 with her chick lit novel Rum Punch Regrets In just a few short weeks, thirty something…

July 10, 2012
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Interview with Sophie King
Chick Lit Authors

Interview with Sophie King

Thank you to Sophie King for stopping by CLP with an interview! Be sure to check out her latest – the short story collection titled…

July 10, 2012
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Samantha’s July Favorites
Chick Lit Plus

Samantha’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 Samantha’s:

1. Books – The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner and Construct a Couple by Talli Roland. Highly recommend both these books!

2. Beauty – I recently bought Secret’s Clinical Strength deodorant, and don’t have to worry anymore in the hot summer days. If I am going out and want to slip something in my clutch, I grab a small bottle of Victoria Secret’s Very Sexy perfume. Love the way this smells!

3. Hair – With the hot and humid summer days, frizz can be a real problem. I just purchased Bed Head Hard Head Hairspray, and it works wonders. It seems to literally freeze my hair in place, and the frizz gets cut down dramatically. Sometimes it can make my strands stiff, but I’ll take that over the frizz!

4. Clothes – Dresses are all the rage for me in the summer. I will rarely be seen in much else, and I’m not much of a shorts-type gal. I love the long flowing maxi dresses, and a great website to check out awesome deals is Hautelook.com. http://www.hautelook.com/short/3Fbc7

5. Shoes – Wedges still seem to be very in this season, and I stocked up earlier in the year with a few cute pairs. These also can be more comfortable on a night than stiletto’s, but you don’t lose any fashion points either!

July 10, 2012
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Chances by Jackie Collins
Chick Lit Review

Chances by Jackie Collins

Oh, Jackie Collins. I have read countless titles from her, the majority from the Santangelo series, with good ole Gino and Lucky. I was excited when I was offered a review copy of Chances, where readers will see how it all began. This is the first Lucky book to be released as an eBook, and if you haven’t gotten a chance to read it yet – do it! I’ve never quite figured out how to describe a Jackie Collins book, but while I was reading through her bio I saw that she has been called a “raunchy moralist” by Vanity Fair, and I feel like that’s pretty fair. I was trying to describe this particular book to a girlfriend who just got done with the Fifty Shades of Grey series, and the word “filthy” kept being brought up. For sure – if you do not like very explicit sex scenes, foul language, murder, etc., I would keep away.
For those who don’t – wow, this is quite a book! I loved learning the beginning of the Santangelo’s, and I mean the very beginning. The book starts off in the 1920’s and switches quickly between characters and time. We learn how Gino got started in the streets, his family life, how he made “business acquaintances,” to when he fell in love with Maria and had his two children – Lucky and Dario. They both get to tell their POV’s as well, and I had blast reading about Lucky getting kicked out of boarding school and learning where her Santangelo smarts (and balls) came from. The story also follows Carrie and her son Steven. Carrie was forced into prostitution at the age of thirteen by her own grandmother and uncle, and then sold off to a whorehouse where she fell heavily into drugs. It was fascinating to know that Carrie in the present had money, prestige, even fame, and to see glimpses into the past of how she was able to overcome all the horrors of her life. I never minded the switching back and forth so many times, it’s the Jackie Collins style that I have learned to love, and I feel it almost made this (fairly lengthy) novel go by even quicker. The ending was so crazy! I was frantically pressing the “next page” button on my Kindle to see how the story would end, how the lives of all these characters were intertwine – and who would make it out alive. If you can handle these types of book, I would recommend not only Chances but many others from the intriguing Santangelo series.
[Rating: 4.5]
More Jackie Collin’s reviews!
Goddess of Vengeance
Drop Dead Beautiful
Poor Little Bitch Girl
Read my interview with Jackie Collins!

July 10, 2012
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Novel Spotlight and Giveaway: Brownie Fix by Ellen Cardona
Updates

Novel Spotlight and Giveaway: Brownie Fix by Ellen Cardona

Chocolate. Love. Sex. Really, what else could a woman want in life? For Persey, the heroine of Brownie Fix, her days are fun-filled until what…

July 9, 2012
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Sign of the Times by Susan Buchanan
Chick Lit Review

Sign of the Times by Susan Buchanan

Unique in a very creative way, Sign of the Times by Susan Buchanan, brings twelve people together, all of them different signs of the zodiac, each with their own personalities and differing opinions. Holly, a Sagittarius, is a travel writer who begins our book with a journey to Italy to do research for her new book. During her trip she finds a love interest … but that makes things complicated considering she has Tom, her fiance, back home. Tom, a Capricorn, isn’t so innocent either while she is away, and embarks into the world of internet chatrooms. Lucy, a Gemini, is Holly’s sister and she has her own relationship woes to deal with once she finally meets her match and risks losing her job. Her uncle Jack, a Libra, has issues taking managing his son and his high profile career as a prosecutor. We also meet Maggie, an Aquarius, and Jennifer, a Pisces, who are two best friends. Maggie is learning to live life post divorce and Jennifer is taking care of an ill family member. Obviously with one character per each zodiac sign, we end up with quite a slew of interesting stories being interwoven together. I found some characters more interesting than others, but most importantly, they were all unique in their own right. Some of them were cheaters, some faithful, some liars, some honest, some good, some bad, and a few sprinkled in between those lines … but overall completely unique. Ultimately they are all just searching for their own happiness, but while reading, I wondered how relevant their zodiac signs were, and how all of the characters would end up connected.

Overall, this story was quite fun. I found the ending interesting but honestly was expecting more of a bang than what I got. Other than that, I really enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the places visited as well as the personal interactions that each of the characters faced. The writing was well done and the flow was steady throughout, overall the author did a good job of creating a very realistic story and found a unique way to tie in the zodiac signs to the story.

[Rating: 4/5]

July 9, 2012
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Blog Tour Sign Up: Sugarfiend by Caroline Burau
CLP Blog Tours

Blog Tour Sign Up: Sugarfiend by Caroline Burau

Caroline will be on tour in September/October with her chick lit/humorous novel Sugarfiend. Print copies or eBooks will be available worldwide, and Caroline will also…

July 8, 2012
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