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Charming Tuesday: A Beauty Favorite

Just recently I started really getting into perfume. I was never a big in past years, I just would spray some body spray and call it good. I’m not sure how it changed, but now I have seven perfume bottles lining my vanity! My favorite lately has been Bombshell from Victoria Secret. I love the bottle, and the smell is delicious. I always pick this one for a good night out scent – it’s sexy, feminine, and even a bit glamorous.

A runner up is a new favorite I received in a Birchbox – Harvey Prince Yogini. The description says it is supposed to keep you calm, like you’re in a yoga class, and I’ll be – I really am call immediately after I put this on! I love the scent, and I use this on days when I am relaxing at home. It’s not one for a night out, but for a chill night at home, this is my new go-to.

Sara’s Must-Have:

I used to be a perfume person, but I’ve noticed that I can’t handle the strong smells as easily now as I used to when I was much younger. So now, I usually reach for a body spray of some type because they still get the job done, yet not to where they overpower my senses. My favorite by far is Japanese Cherry Blossom from Bath and Body Works. This scent has it all: it is slightly seductive with its floral scent, yet there are touches of fruit and other types of petals mixed in. This has been my go-to fragrance for a few years now.

Cappuccino is the Answer for Job Dissatisfaction by Hillary E. …

Cappuccino is the Answer for Job Dissatisfaction by Hillary Peak follows main character Jessica on her path to finding job satisfaction. Like many people, Jessica is unsure of her next steps in her path to career success. Upon graduation, she wanted a job that would allow her to change the world, but, many years later, she finds that her employment has gone stagnant and she wants something that will truly make a difference in her overall happiness and life. She takes job quizzes and does some soul searching …. but will she ever find the “one”? Only time will tell, and Jessica hopes that her answer lies in her next cappuccino.

Overall, I found Cappuccino is the Answer for Job Dissatisfaction to be a little stale. There were brief glimpses of greatness throughout the book, and I can tell that Hillary most definitely has the potential … but the book just never really reached that point for me. I wanted something a little more meaty, something with a little more pizazz- and this book just didn’t have it. Unfortunately, I am going to have to give this book a 3 stars. I wanted to like it so bad, but I just never could really get into it.

[Rating 3/5]

Devilishly Hot by Kathy Love

Annie Lou Riddle just wanted to move to New York and break into the fashion industry. When she got the job as personal assistant to Finola White, she thought she struck gold – but she ended up selling her soul to the devil. Her latest job for Finola is to hook her up with Nick Rossi, the hot detective that is investigating the magazine for suspicious disappearances of past employees. While Annie knows the consequences that can come with not following her bosses orders, she can’t help but be attracted to Nick. But what will happen if she crosses the she-devil diva herself?
I had a difficult time getting into Devilishly Hot by Kathy Love. It started off strong, but after a few chapters I just lost interest. I didn’t really understand the paranormal twist with the devils and all that. Clearly, that’s the plot, but nothing was really explained about the merging of mortals and devils, so I was confused most of the time along those lines. It got a bit steamy with the romance scenes which I don’t mind at all, but overall it was more of a fizzle for me.
[Rating: 2.5]

Blog Tour Sign Up: Showbiz by Ruby Preston

“Set amid the twinkling marquees of modern day Times Square, Showbiz, is a juicy behind the scenes glimpse into the delicious and malicious world of Broadway.”

After four years in Manhattan, slaving away as the under-appreciated apprentice to the brilliant but ruthless “King of Broadway,” Scarlett Savoy is finally on her way to becoming a Broadway producer in her own right. But then, a shocking suicide turns Broadway on its head. Scarlett finds herself at the center of the storm as everything she thought she knew about the business of Broadway begins to unravel. A chance meeting with an influential gossip columnist sparks romance – but can he be trusted? Scarlett is forced to decide to what lengths she’ll go, who she’s willing to become, and what she’ll sacrifice, to achieve her Broadway dreams.

“This page-turner is packed with Broadway gossip, opening night intrigue, backstage romance, and the colorful characters that inhabit American musical theater.”

Ruby Preston is a young Broadway producer currently working on several new musicals on the Great White Way. She couldn’t be more thrilled to be living her dreams in the Times Square trenches of Manhattan.

Love By Design by Liz Matis

While romance isn’t my most-read genre, every once in a while I like to open a steamy book. And Liz Matis sure gave that to me with her novel Love By Design when she signed up for CLP Blog Tours. I really liked this book because it seemed like a mixture of chick lit and romance – with reality TV, male strippers, and lots of hot and heavy scenes. The main characters are Victoria and Russ, who get thrown together when Victoria’s co-host on the reality show Design Intervention must take a leave of absence. Russ, the heartthrob aussie, takes his place, and sexual tension at work is at an all time high. Victoria and Russ try for some time to ignore their feelings for each other, but after falling into bed together, they know they can’t keep ignoring the chemistry. This was a fast read that kept me entertained from the first page to the last, and definitely one for romance lovers.
[Rating: 4]

In My Mailbox: Week of May 6

Title: The Cowboy Singer
Author: Paula Tiberius
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: April Connors figured her love life was on hold indefinitely now that she was about to have a baby while temporarily staying at her grandmother’s house (what a turn-on!). Meeting infamous country singer Jimmy Wick may have made her giant belly flip, but she was filing him under a big “as if.” No man in his right mind would fall for a gal this pregnant, and besides, she needed to focus on herself and the baby. James Warwick (a.k.a. Jimmy Wick) was not in his right mind. His ex-wife was petitioning for full custody of the only thing that made him happy besides playing music, his four-year-old princess, Summer, and the thought of losing her had him crazier than an outhouse rat. His saving grace was his new ‘friend’ April who he was falling head over heels for. The only problem was, April had just been knocked up, dumped and stranded by the last guy she was with and was in no mood to go down that road again. She was hellbent on getting her life back on track just as James was watching his fall apart, leaving them both caught off guard by the unstoppable romance that would sweep them off their feet.

Title: Brownie Fix
Author: Ellen Cardona
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: 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 is normally one of life’s most fulfilling experiences, the birth of her son, leads her straight into a dark state of postpartum depression. Wandering in her own postpartum hell, Persey meets people that are absurd, like the swinging neighbors who want a little more than a cup of sugar and a group of mothers who become whipped up in worship to a climactic furor. On top of the madness, she keeps seeing a yellow-toothed old man who acts like he wants to breastfeed from her. Or is it her imagination? Add the voices in her head that become louder and louder, and it’s little wonder that Persey reaches for brownie mix to soothe her insanity. Buckling under the pressure and lack of sleep from motherhood, Persey experiences the five stages of grief that lead her to uncover a buried secret, and gradually she begins to heal with the help of her family, friends, and, of course, brownies.

Title: Then Came You
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Received: Via SheKnows Book Lounge
Synopsis: Jules Strauss is a Princeton senior with a full scholarship, acquaintances instead of friends, and a family she’s ashamed to invite to Parents’ Weekend. With the income she’ll receive from donating her “pedigree” eggs, she believes she can save her father from addiction.
Annie Barrow married her high school sweetheart and became the mother to two boys. After years of staying at home and struggling to support four people on her husband’s salary, she thinks she’s found a way to recover a sense of purpose and bring in some extra cash.
India Bishop, thirty-eight (really forty-three), has changed everything about herself: her name, her face, her past. In New York City, she falls for a wealthy older man, Marcus Croft, and decides a baby will ensure a happy ending. When her attempts at pregnancy fail, she turns to technology, and Annie and Jules, to help make her dreams come true.
But each of their plans is thrown into disarray when Marcus’ daughter Bettina, intent on protecting her father, becomes convinced that his new wife is not what she seems…
With startling tenderness and laugh-out-loud humor, Jennifer Weiner once again takes readers into the heart of women’s lives in an unforgettable, timely tale that interweaves themes of class and entitlement, surrogacy and donorship, the rights of a parent and the measure of motherhood.
Title: In the Bag
Author: Kate Klise
Received: Unsolicited, HarperCollins
Synopsis: A European vacation. A luggage mix-up. A note from a secret admirer.
Meet two single parents who think they’re too busy to date.
And two teenagers who can’t stop writing flirty emails.
This is a tale of connections—missed and made—in a universe that seems to have its heart set on reuniting Ms. 6B and Mr. 13C.
Webb
I can’t believe I picked up the wrong bag at the airport. My dad is never going to let me hear the end of it.
Coco
I don’t understand why Mom told me to pack my worst underwear. And now I’ve lost my bag? Ack!
Andrew
I cannot stop thinking about that woman in seat 6B on the flight to Paris.
Daisy
I don’t have time to worry about the creep sitting in 13C who slipped a note in my purse. I have to find my daughter’s missing bag before this ruins our vacation.
In the Bag is a smart and stylish story that explores the old-fashioned art of romance in a modern world, where falling in love can be as risky as checking a bag on an international flight. Buckle your seat belt—it’s going to be a bumpy vacation!
Title: The Making of Us
Author: Lisa Jewell
Received: Najma @Cornerstone Publicity
Synopsis: Lydia, Robyn and Dean don’t know each other – yet. They live very different lives but each of them, independently, has always felt that something is missing. What they don’t know is that a letter is about to arrive that will turn their lives upside down. It is a letter containing a secret – one that will bind them together, and shows them what love and familyand friendship really mean…
Title: Wishful Thinking
Author: Gabi Stevens
Received:
Synopsis: Free-spirited artist Stormy Jones-Smythe was raised by two talented Wizard fathers but never showed the slightest hint of magical abilities. Which is why she’s totally surprised when three famous fairy godmothers show up at her door to tell her she’s one of them. Surprised, and none too happy. The godmothers are fugitives, framed for treason, and the last thing the magical Council wants is another fairy godmother going rogue. Hence Stormy’s new full-time Guard, Hunter Merrick. Stormy quickly realizes she’s not going to escape Hunter’s watch…and before long, she’s not sure she wants to. But her freedom depends on her ability to expose the plot against the godmothers, and that means getting control of her magic. Despite the growing chemistry between them, Hunter is fiercely loyal to the Council—and duty-bound to keep Stormy from doing either of those things. But he didn’t count on Stormy’s irrepressible exuberance and passion for life. Before long, even Hunter isn’t sure which side he’s on, and he can’t contain Stormy either way.

Title: The Lovers of Pound Hill
Author: Mavis Cheek
Received: Unsolicited
Synopsis: When city girl Molly Bonner arrives in the village of Lufferton Boney, she creates quite a stir. With her non-country-style boots, determined manner and alluring looks, she sets off a wave of intrigue that ripples through the lives of everyone there, from Julie the barmaid at the Holly Bush to antiques dealer Dryden Fellows and Montmorency the cat. Nobody knows exactly what she’s up to, but one thing seems certain: her presence will alter the lives and loves of the village and its people for good.

For Molly is a girl on a mission: to discover the truth behind Lufferton Boney’s sinister and most notorious resident, the giant (and slightly obscene) Gnome, a fertility symbol etched into the face of Pound Hill. As she works her way into the villagers’ hearts and lives, Molly needs to keep one step ahead. She has a few demons of her own to settle, as she pursues the wonderful secret that only the Gnome can reveal.

GIVEAWAY: Prosper in Love by Deborah Michel

A good marriage lasts forever…until it doesn’t.

From the start, Lynn and Jamie Prosper were one of those couples who seem meant to be—so content with each other that they barely notice the rest of the world nodding approvingly at their wedded bliss. But sometimes, even in the very best of marriages, all it takes is a mischievous outsider to bring the perfect couple toppling off the top of the wedding cake…
True, Jamie has been working so hard and traveling so much as a young lawyer that he hardly has enough energy to show his devotion. Not that Lynn, a junior museum curator, has any reason to question it. But when Lynn’s old college friend turns up at a cocktail party, chinks in their marriage’s previously unassailable armor start to show.
Suddenly, without meaning to, Lynn and Jamie have both acquired divorce lawyers. And those benevolent onlookers—meddling in-laws and competitive friends alike—eagerly bear witness to each new misstep. Is love really enough to make a marriage last?

I have one print copy of Prosper in Love by Deborah Michel up for grabs! To enter, please leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen on Wednesday May 9. Thank you to Erin @ Penguin Group for sponsoring this giveaway!

Beauty Review: Lip Plumping Shop

When I was asked by the Lip Plumping Shop to review their product for the beauty section on CLP, I jumped at the chance. I use many different lip plumping lip glosses, so I definitely wanted to give this a try. I guess I didn’t quite read the concept behind the Lip Plumping Shop when I said yes, because I was surprised a few weeks later when a pink pump arrived in my mail. A bit taken aback, I was wary to try out the device. Putting something over my lips and suctioning them seemed a bit off to me. But because I had agreed to review the product, I gave it shot. Using the lip glosses provided as well as the device, I used the products as directed for one week. And? Well, I actually did notice results! I was surprised, I’ll admit, but it seems the products do work as they say. I stopped using the products after that one week of use though. I’m not sure how comfortable I feel with the suction on my lips and since I have a fairly full pout anyway, I really don’t need something extreme. I will say I let a girlfriend try it out as well and she loves it, so I guess it probably just depends on your comfort level. If you do try out this unique product, I just recommend really reading the instructions first before you use it.

Yesterday’s News by Kajsa Ingemarsson

Yesterday’s News by Kajsa Ingemarsson follows main character Agnes who appears to have it all: a boyfriend who adores her, a fabulous best friend, a loving and supportive family, and a good job. But, as the novel moves along, her life begins to unravel and we watch as Agnes tries her best to cope and move past it all. At a crossroads, she makes some quick decisions that could impact her life in a very heavy way. Will things work out for Agnes? Is it possible to have your dreams come true? You will have to read Yesterday’s News to find out!

Yesterday’s News is a very smooth-flowing, easy read. I had a wonderful time getting to know the characters (especially Pablo) and I thought Ingemarsson did a fantastic job with character development- they were all very real, honest, and easy to relate to. My only real complaint is that parts of the story could of been built up a little more. There were a few notable times while reading when I felt like Kajsa cut things short and it was hard for me to elicit any kind of emotional response. Overall though, this book is solid chick-lit and a fun read- I am thinking that Kajsa has an international hit on her hands.

[Rating: 4/5]