Chick Lit Plus by Samantha March – Page 462

Empire of Light by Gregory Earls

Review written by Sara Palacios Empire of Light by Gregory Earls is an endearing tale of a young, black cinematography student. The story begins with…

January 25, 2012

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Chick Lit Review

5 Stages of Grief by Bethany Ramos

Bethany Ramos is on tour with CLP Blog Tours and 5 Stages of Grief. This book really intrigued me. I thought it was different from a lot of books I have read lately, and I thought the timing in the main character’s life was really interesting. Danielle Starkey gets a disturbing phone call regarding a vacation that her husband booked – with his mistress. Danielle is furious that her husband was cheating on her – past tense because her husband died in a tragic car accident. Danielle doesn’t know what to think about Cherry James (such a mistress name) and why her husband was cheating. How do you get resolution when the cheating party is six feet under? Danielle comes up with a scheme to confront Cherry James about the affair, but in the process, manages to almost lose her cushy job as a magazine beauty editor. Will Danielle be able to keep it all together, or will this latest twist be too much to handle?
I thought Ramos gave readers a whole new angle to work with during Danielle’s journey. Her husband is already deceased, she’s already allowed herself to break down about it, and now we watch as this new piece of information gets brought to life. While the story is sad, it’s also humorous, charming and realistic. Danielle relies on her best friend to help get through, and she also gives her shot at online dating. The beginning went kind of fast for me, I was trying to figure out what the heck was all going on, but once I was a few pages in I started to get a handle on Danielle and her friends and what she was going through. I also loved that Danielle was a beauty editor, and watching her on the job was a lot of fun – something I think chick lit fans will enjoy. Overall, I’m really impressed at the story and characters Ramos created and think this is a book to get on your to-read lists!
[Rating: 4]

January 24, 2012

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Chick Lit Review

Aftertaste by Meredith Mileti

First off, let me give five stars to the cover alone. I could stare at this beauty all day. I’m a big fan of foodie books, and I just knew this book was going to speak to me. Aftertaste, the debut novel from Meredith Mileti, follows Mira Rinaldi as she tries to pick up the pieces of her life after finding her husband cheating on her. Mira and husband Jake are co-owners to the wildly successful Manhattan Italian restaurant, Grappa, the same location where Mira finds Jake with Grappa’s newest waitress. Mira is shocked at Jake’s infidelity, especially since they welcomed their first baby just two months prior. Mira packs up baby Chloe and flees to Pittsburgh to be near her family. She struggles to fight for Grappa, stay sane for Chloe’s sake, and work through her divorce. Along the way, Mira must find what fulfills her life, what makes her happy and content.
Aftertaste makes it on my Favorites List, as this was such a satisfying novel. I found Mira so easy to relate to. Unlike a lot of novels where the woman finds her man cheating and slinks away to rebuild her life, Mira fought back. She attacked the mistress, got arrested, and was ordered to anger management classes. Those scenes made the story really come to life for me. Is it the best thing to turn to physical violence? Of course not. But it really put a human aspect to Mira’s character, and I was with her from the first page. Aftertaste has a ton of drama – I shed tears, I was furious with Jake, and I was rooting on Mira in every scene – and I didn’t want the story to end. Mira’s journey also gave me a sense of empowerment, and I love books that show a strong heroine never giving up. A must read in my opinion!
[Rating: 5]

January 23, 2012

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Chick Lit Plus

Heidi Klum, Seal Seperate

No! No! No! Well, I’m just devastated. Weekend reports were saying that super couple Heidi Klum and Seal were heading for divorce, but I didn’t want to believe it. Now, I guess I have to. They released this joint statement Monday morning: “While we have enjoyed seven very loving, loyal and happy years of marriage, after much soul-searching we have decided to separate. We have had the deepest respect for one another throughout our relationship and continue to love each other very much, but we have grown apart. This is an amicable process and protecting the well-being of our children remains our top priority, especially during this time of transition. We thank our family, friends, and fans for their kind words of support. And for our children’s sake, we appreciate you respecting our privacy.”

Gosh darn it. Klum, 38, and Seal, 48, were married in Mexico in 2005, and held vow renewal ceremonies each year. I loved watching them on Halloween because they always showed up in crazy costumes. When he sang to her on the Victoria Secret fashion show while she strutted in her underwear was beautiful. This was a Hollywood couple that I really held out hope for. What could have gone wrong from them to “grow apart?”

The couple has three biological children – Henry, 6, Johan, 5, and Lou, 2. Klum also has seven-year old daughter Leni from a previous relationship, whom Seal adopted in 2009.

January 23, 2012

Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler Expecting

Gonna be a football player? Reality star Kristin Cavallari and NFL quarterback Jay Cutler are expecting! The couple, who called off their engagement in July only to reconcile and announce they were back on in November, broke their baby news to PEOPLE: “We are thrilled to announce we are expecting our first child together. It’s an amazing time in our life and we can’t wait to meet the new addition to our growing family.” This will be the first child for Cavallari, 25, and Cutler, 28.

January 23, 2012