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The Dumpster by Becky Due
Chick Lit Review

The Dumpster by Becky Due

This story had me baffled from the first few pages. The story starts where main character Nicole is getting ready for a Valentine’s party and a romantic evening with her boyfriend. He will finally meet her best friends, I’m thinking he might propose¬¬––until I find out he is merely Nicole’s sex-buddy of two weeks. Um, what? And that’s when I knew I was going to be in for a ride––a very unpleasant ride. This book desperately needed an editor, there were scenes that were crammed in for reasons I couldn’t figure out, the characters were immature (think peeing on sidewalks) and Nicole just came off as a big slut. I think Becky Due was trying to show an insecure woman, but I didn’t make the connection. The writing was crass (too many bathroom trips and bodily functions for me to handle) and I was basically bewildered throughout the book. And slightly horrified. I did some research on Due and her website says her books are “inspiring novels” for women, and that she is “the new voice of women’s fiction.” I’m a little scared. The reviews and ratings are scattered from a 1-5, but this truly is not a book or genre for me. Though I’m not exactly what genre it should fall under. I can’t recommend The Dumpster in good faith. It left me depressed, and I think it portrayed women badly. The main character wants a man so badly (hello, do we need a man to complete us?) that she would jump in bed with anyone. I’m not sure how that is supposed to be inspiring or leave me with confidence. I actually felt a little dirty reading the book. I will not be trying any further novels from Becky Due.
[Rating: 1.5]

November 18, 2011
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Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher Heading for Divorce
Chick Lit Plus

Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher Heading for Divorce

Ah, yes, another Hollywood divorce. This one possibly more shocking that Kim Kardashian’s made for TV divorce, but not really giving all the allegations. After six years of marriage, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher are going their separate ways. Moore, 49, says in a statement, “It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have decided to end my six-year marriage to Ashton. As a woman, a mother and a wife there are certain values and vows that I hold sacred, and it is in this spirit that I have chosen to move forward with my life. This is a trying time for me and my family, and so I would ask for the same compassion and privacy that you would give to anyone going through a similar situation.”
Kutcher, 33, put his two cents in: “I will forever cherish the time I spent with Demi. Marriage is one of the most difficult things in the world and unfortunately sometimes they fail.”
Now, from Demi’s statement, I’m clearly thinking she is saying Ashton did indeed cheat. Back in September of 2010, Brittney Jones, 22, came forward saying she had sex with Ashton. More recently, 22-year-old Sara Leal splashed herself on tabloid covers claiming to have slept with Ashton––on the 6th wedding anniversary of him and Demi, no less.
Were you surprised by the news?

November 18, 2011
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Future Tour: Year of the Chick by Romi Moondi
CLP Blog Tours

Future Tour: Year of the Chick by Romi Moondi

Romi will be on tour January 16-February 6 with her novel Year of the Chick An awkward family homecoming at Christmas. A humiliating public weigh-in,…

November 17, 2011
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Mid-Week Mailbox- November 16
Chick Lit Plus

Mid-Week Mailbox- November 16

In My Mailbox: Mid-Week of November 13

Title: Year of the Chick
Author: Romi Moondi
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: An awkward family homecoming at Christmas.

A humiliating public weigh-in, with two judging parents as the audience.

The announcement of a deadline for arranged marriage doom.

And that’s just the first two chapters.

In “Year of the Chick,” Romi Narindra must find love before her parents find her a husband. This is a difficult task in a world where self-consciousness is at an-all-time high, and dating experience at an all-time low.

Severely lacking in seductive skills and uninspired by her corporate job, Romi turns to what she loves, by writing about her quest to find love on her brand new blog.

From whiskey-breath scum bags to uni-browed creeps and everything in between, Romi and her wingmen come up empty time after time. But hope floats again when she meets a fellow writer unexpectedly.

On the Internet.

So will it be arranged marriage doom, or an Internet affair that’s not as creepy as “To Catch a Predator?”

Time will tell in the “year of the chick,” a twelve-month quest to find love.

Tick-tock.

Title: Here
Author: Denise Grover Swank
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: Sixteen year old Julia Phillips buries herself in guilt after killing her best friend Monica in a car accident. Julia awoke in the hospital with a broken leg, a new talent for drawing and false memories of the accident, in which she dies and Monica lives. The doctors attribute this to her head injury, but no one can explain how a bracelet engraved with her name ended up at the scene of the accident. A bracelet no one has ever seen before.

Classmate Evan Whittaker paid Julia no attention before the accident, let alone after. Now suddenly he’s volunteering to tutor her and offering to drive her home. She can’t ignore that his new obsession started after his two-day disappearance last week and that he wears a pendant she’s been drawing for months. When the police show up one night looking for Evan, he begs Julia to run with him, convincing her that Monica is still alive. Julia agrees to go, never guessing where he’s really from.

Title: Build a Man
Author: Talli Roland
Received: From Talli Roland
Synopsis: How far would you go to create the perfect partner?

Slave to the rich, rude and deluded, cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland longs for the day she’s a high-flying tabloid reporter. Unfortunately, every pitch she sends out disappears like her clients’ liposuctioned fat, never to be seen again. Then she meets Jeremy Ritchie — the hang-dog man determined to be Britain’s Most Eligible Bachelor by making himself over from head to toe and everything in between — giving Serenity a story no editor could resist.

With London’s biggest tabloid on board and her very own column tracking Jeremy’s progress from dud to dude, Serenity is determined to be a success, even going undercover to gain intimate access to Jeremy’s life. But when Jeremy’s surgery goes drastically wrong and Serenity is ordered to cover all the car-crash goriness, she must decide how far she really will go for her dream job.

Title: Stay Tuned
Author: Lauren Clark
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: What happens when a #1 news team becomes the top story instead of reporting it? For TV producer Melissa Moore, crisis management comes with the job. From employee disputes to her high-maintenance boss, there’s not much she hasn’t seen or can’t handle. But no one—including Melissa—expects a fistfight during the ten o’clock news. When sexy-but-crazy Alyssa Andrews lands a punch on her co-anchor’s face, Melissa jumps on set to help. She’s determined that WSGA’s reputation won’t be destroyed on her watch. Both anchors are fired and Melissa agrees to fill in—but not before polishing her look from haircut to heels. While the new Melissa wows WSGA viewers, her personal life starts fraying at the edges. Melissa’s husband is away more than he’s home, leaving cryptic Post-it notes in his wake. Her mother’s antics spiral out of control at the nursing home and a stalker decides Melissa is her next target. What happens next? Stay Tuned to find out…

Title: Blue Straggler
Author: Kathy Lynn Harris
Received: By Laura Pepper Wu
Synopsis: A blue straggler is a star that has an anomalous blue color and appears to be disconnected from those stars that surround it.

But this is not a story about astronomy.

Bailey Miller is “disconnected” from the cluster of her rural south Texas family. She has never quite fit in and now in her early 30s, she finds herself struggling with inner turmoil and a series of bad choices in her life.

November 17, 2011
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The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore
Chick Lit Review

The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore

The Arrivals is the debut novel from Meg Mitchell Moore, and I was truly impressed by her writing style. The story follows Ginny and William Moore, whose grown children suddenly start appearing at their Vermont home with all their troubles. Oldest child Lillian comes with her two young children after finding out her husband was unfaithful. Stephen comes with his pregnant wife Jane, whose pregnancy complications put her on bed rest at the Moore’s home. The youngest, twenty-nine year old Rachel, flees from New York after a painful breakup and even more devastating miscarriage. Ginny and William are suddenly overwhelmed with their children and their problems, and must figure out how to help each individual through their issues. The story, which is told through multiple points of views along the way, teaches lessons of love and family, of strength and forgiveness, and that the job of a parent is never over.
I really enjoyed The Arrivals. Like I stated earlier, I was impressed with the writing style Meg brings to the book. There are scenes where she abruptly stops one story, switches to another, then goes back to the original. I found these mini-cliffhangers delectable and they kept me on edge. I couldn’t help but think of my own mother when I read this book. Not too long ago she told me how much she still worries about each of her kids’ happiness, even though we all are grown now. It made me think about how much goes into being a mom or dad, and the unconditional love some are so lucky to receive. The only real issue I had is that I kept feeling that Ginny was so put out with Lillian, but would give her right arm for Rachel. I didn’t fully understand why it seemed to come off that way, and was the only thing holding me back from really getting immersed in the full story and all the characters. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book, I would recommend it, and I’m grateful for the SheKnows Book Club that has provided me so many great reads throughout the year.
**Please join us on Thursday, November 17th from 5-8pm PST at the SheKnows Book Club to chat live with Meg Mitchell Moore!**
[Rating: 4]

November 16, 2011
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Interview with Kathleen Kole
Chick Lit Authors

Interview with Kathleen Kole

First I’d like to say “thank you!” to Samantha for hosting my blog tour and having me here as a guest on Chick Lit Plus. …

November 15, 2011
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Future Tour: Stay Tuned by Lauren Clark
CLP Blog Tours

Future Tour: Stay Tuned by Lauren Clark

Lauren will be on tour January 2-20 with her novel Stay Tuned What happens when a #1 news team becomes the top story instead of…

November 15, 2011
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Blog Tour Sign Up: The Eco-Chain of Dating by Courtney Hamilton
CLP Blog Tours

Blog Tour Sign Up: The Eco-Chain of Dating by Courtney …

The Eco-Chain of Dating: Life in LA”, is a novel about four female “Civilian” friends (non-celebrities) who attempt to enter ‘A Level” Los Angeles Society, the Royalty Level, by climbing their way up the LA Eco-Chain of Dating. However, to enter A-Level Los Angeles Royalty, the four friends– Courtney, Marcie, Bettina, and Jennifer- will first need to shape, revise, and erase themselves and their pasts to “fit” into A Level LA. And once that’s accomplished they’ will need to use every bit of their urban-warrior skills to gain admission to the private schools, book groups, therapist’s offices, hair salons and restaurants of the feral Royalty of Los Angeles: the Celebrities

November 15, 2011
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A Slot Machine Ate My Midlife Crisis by Irene Woodbury
Chick Lit Review

A Slot Machine Ate My Midlife Crisis by Irene Woodbury

Irene Woodbury is on tour with CLP Blog Tours and A Slot Machine Ate My Midlife Crisis. This book is described as a “darkly funny novel” and I could definitely see that. The humor is there, right from the get go. The main character is Wendy Sinclair, a forty-five year old newly-wed who starts to suffer from a mid-life crisis. She moves from LA to Houston for her husband’s job, loses her own job, and starts to feel the strains way too quickly in her new house. She heads off to Vegas for an extended weekend with her self-absorbed gal pal Paula––and doesn’t come back. The draw of Sin City makes Wendy wonder if she made a mistake with marrying Roger. Can she handle the stuck up wives of his colleagues? Does she want to go back to no job and sleeping in a separate bedroom from her new husband? How will Wendy’s Las Vegas adventure end?
I enjoyed the humor, the descriptions of Las Vegas (almost like reading a tourist guide!) and the positive attitude Wendy brings to making the life she wants to live. Her friendship with Paula reminds me of a typical LA friendship/frenemy type, but made me laugh many times. I did think the book was a bit too long though. My editor nose was sniffing out scenes that could have been deleted to help keep the book at a quicker pace. And I sometimes wondered why it was taking so long for Wendy or Roger to stick a fork in their marriage. Over a two year time span, you could almost count the number of times they saw each other on one hand. That part had me a little perplexed. Overall though, A Slot Machine Ate My Midlife Crisis gave me plenty of laughs, and really spoke to my travel-loving self, and let me see Vegas through different eyes.
[Rating: 3.5]

November 14, 2011
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