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With Just One Click by Amanda Strong
Chick Lit Review

With Just One Click by Amanda Strong

Amanda Strong is on tour with CLP Blog Tours and her novel With Just One Click. This book is an attention grabber from the beginning, and will keep you hooked along the way. The story follows three women: Chloe, a successful movie reviewer still looking for love; Morgan, a stay at home wife who is happily married; and Brynn; a not so happily married wife, who has become bored with her workaholic husband. All three women have something in common: Facebook. The social media craze that swept us all is the main focus of the book, and will surely you get thinking- and talking- about your opinions of the media giant.
Each woman has a different journey with Facebook. Chloe friends the man that broke her heart many years ago, breaking up with her in a note because of his overprotective parents. Now, the spark is still there between them, but can they make a relationship work while leaving on different sides of the country? Morgan discovers her jealous side when she sees her husband is friends with a high school girlfriend, the class flirt who constantly writes on his wall. Her once happy marriage turns into one of paranoia and Facebook-wall stalking, until her husband eventually defriends Morgan. And Brynn also finds an old boyfriend through Facebook, but teeters dangerously close to an affair. Her stale marriage and unhappy home aren’t giving her a reason to stay faithful and keep her family together, and with the lines of communication so open and easily available now…..
I was searching my word banks to come up with a one word description of With Just One Click, and I think I got it: riveting. This was a riveting novel. I loved how each character showed a different side to what can happen when you join social media: the good, the bad and the ugly. Trust me when I say this book will get you talking. I’ve talked to my boyfriend, my mom, co-workers, and brought up the story in random conversations with friends, simply because I was so intrigued. I thought Strong’s writing and ability to master three characters was exceptional, and the ending provided a nice twist that I didn’t see coming. This is a must read, and a definite for my Favorites List!
[Rating: 5]

November 11, 2011
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Guest Post by Michele Gorman
For Writers

Guest Post by Michele Gorman

Chick Lit Plus

Why self-publishing in the US

I thought long and hard before deciding to self-publish Single in the City in the US as an eBook. After all, the book was published by Penguin in the UK and many other countries in 2010. Penguin’s team helped make it a best-seller. Surely it’s better to go with a big publisher than to go it alone? If I’m not doing so, does it mean that I’m rejecting the big publishers, as many writers have recently done?

Not really. At least, not all of them. I loved working with Penguin UK. My editor Lydia Newhouse quickly became a friend (still is), listening to my suggestions and making sure the publication went smoothly. The sales team got the book into the major retailers and my PR Helen was superb, getting us widespread publicity.

I’m self-publishing because sometimes publishers have less faith in the books, and the readers, than we, the writers, do.

You see, when Caroline and I sold book rights to Penguin (UK), we held back the US rights. We did this because I wanted a US-based publisher for Single in the City’s American launch. After all the main character, Hannah, is American. There’s a strong theme about seeing London through rather baffled American eyes. Caroline and I thought that surely it was a great fit for the US market.

The US publishers we approached had a different point of view. They were all very nice about it but said that the book isn’t right for the American chick lit market. It’s set in London. Readers won’t identify with it, they concluded.

I disagree. Isn’t it a bit dismissive, and wrong, to suggest that American women can only be interested in books that literally reflect their own lives? If that were true then only mothers of homicidal children would buy We Need To Talk About Kevin, and nobody living outside the 19th Century would bother with Jane Eyre. These books gain wide readership because they deal with universal themes (nature versus nurture, the effects of parenting, family, belonging, love). Single in the City is about taking a chance and establishing a new life. More than 5 million young American women do that every year when they move cities. It’s a fish-out-of-water story. And it’s about finding your feet in life and love. These, too, are universal themes. Those US publishers sold chick lit fans short.

And that’s why I’m self-publishing. I believe it’s the right decision for this book in this market. Like Hannah, I’m taking a leap of faith.

November 10, 2011
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Single in the City by Michele Gorman
Chick Lit Review

Single in the City by Michele Gorman

I was really looking forward to reading Single in the City by Michele Gorman, but actually found myself a bit disappointed. The main character is Hannah Cumming, a 26 year old American who decides she needs an adventure, to really live life, and one drunken night buys a plane ticket to London. Heading across the Pond without a job lined up or a place to live, Hannah experiences multiple difficulties while trying to adjust. Along the way, she sleeps with her married boss, finds a roommate solution with some half-naked Aussies, almost destroys her up and coming career as a party planner, and finally falls in love. The situations Hannah finds herself in are quite funny, and the one liners did make me smile throughout. Sounds like a fun and engaging chick lit novel.
So why was I disappointed? For starters, I like fast-paced books. I like the plot moving along and characters going from point A to point L in just a few pages. But with Single in the City, I think the plot was just a tad too fast. Multiple times I had to flip back pages to understand why the characters were doing and saying what they were doing and saying. The skipping around gave me a headache. Another aspect I didn’t like was when Hannah finally finds love, she almost seems to lose her own identity, and is willing to drop her new life she has created for this guy. The sense of individuality and confidence that I saw the heroine creating throughout the story suddenly vanishes. I did appreciate the humor and the descriptions of seeing London through an American’s eyes, but this is definitely not a favorite of mine. I would still recommend Single in the City for the humor and hopefully some can take an independent can-do attitude away from the Hannah’s story.
Rating: 3.5

November 10, 2011
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Author Profile: Tess Hardwick
Chick Lit Authors

Author Profile: Tess Hardwick

Author Name: Tess Hardwick

Website: http://tesshardwick.com/
Bio: Tess Hardwick is a novelist and playwright.S he has a BFA in Drama from the University of Southern California.
Like her main character in Riversong, Tess is from a small town in southern Oregon. She currently lives in Snoqualmie, Washington with her husband, two small daughters and a teenage stepson. She is inspired daily by the view of the Cascade Mountains from her home office window.
She was an active member of the theatre community in Seattle as an actor and director during the late nineties. In 2000 she wrote her first full-length play, My Lady’s Hand which subsequently won the 2001 first place prize for new work at the Burien Theatre.
A voracious reader, Tess’s favorite thing to do is to curl up on a rainy and read. She also enjoys movies, theatre, wine, food and spending time with friends and family.
Tess is busy working on her second novel, an historical fiction set in 1930’s Alabama inspired by a short story written by her great-grandmother.

See my review of Riversong

Bio Retrieved from tesshardwick.com

November 10, 2011
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Future Tour: A Heart in Sun and Shadow by Annie Bellet
CLP Blog Tours

Future Tour: A Heart in Sun and Shadow by Annie …

Annie will be on tour December 26- January 9 with her novel A Heart in Sun and Shadow In an ancient Wales that never was……

November 10, 2011
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Little Black Dress by Susan McBride
Chick Lit Review

Little Black Dress by Susan McBride

I love me some books with a magical twist to them. And Little Black Dress by Susan McBride delivers just that in her latest, and spectacular, novel. Even though I appreciate a good paranormal twist in books, sometimes they can be hard to achieve. But McBride manages to pull it off, all while delivering an emotional story that had me cheering and crying at the end. The main character is Antonia Ashton, a workaholic who is forced to move home to Blue Hills after her mother, Evie, suffers a stroke. While going through her childhood home, Antonia stumbles upon secret after secret. Much of the hidden past has to do with her aunt Anna, who mysteriously vanished fifty years earlier the night before her wedding. Through the help of one little black dress, the three women learn lessons about family, love, and even magic.
I just adored this book. I didn’t want to put it down, I wanted it to keep going after I finished; just an all around great read. All three characters are complex and engaging, and I was invested immediately in their stories. The book changes from past to present, and kept giving readers a little taste of what happened between Evie and Anna and why Anna ran away and how that linked to Antonia in the present. I think chick lit readers would have a great time reading this book, and it sure makes you want your own magical LBD! This makes it on my Favorites List for 2011. Get your copy!
[Rating: 5]

November 9, 2011
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In My Mailbox: Week of November 6
Chick Lit Plus

In My Mailbox: Week of November 6

In My Mailbox: Week of November 6

Title: Thank You For Flying Air Zoe

Author: Erik Atwell

Received: From Erik Atwell via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fasten Seat Belt sign has been turned on, but feel free to ignore it, because sometimes life is best lived on its dizzy edges. Your cruising altitude today will be sky high, and you will be flying at staggering speeds as you travel alongside Zoe Tisdale, former Valley Girl and rock star turned bored butter saleswoman.
On the heels of a brush with mortality, Zoe concludes that she’s been letting time pass her by. Realizing she needs to awaken her life’s tired refrains, Zoe vows to recapture the one chapter of her life that truly mattered to her – her days as drummer for The Flip-Flops, a spirited, sassy all-girl garage band that almost hit the big time back in 1987. But reuniting the band won’t be easy. The girls who were once the whiz kid guitarist, the prom queen bass player, and the hippie lead singer grew up and became women who are now a reclusive dog trainer, a wealthy socialite, and a sociopathic environmentalist. Will Zoe bring the band back together and give The Flip-Flops a second chance at stardom? Is it possible to fully reclaim the urgent energy of youth?
As you follow this wild flight path, please know that your destination could be anywhere at all, complimentary oxygen is provided upon request, and baggage flies free. We hope you enjoy the ride, and Thank You For Flying Air Zoe.

Title: The Brenda Diaries

Author: Margo Candela

Received: From Margo Candela

Synopsis: Meet Brenda…A temp with a bad attitude, but an excellent work ethic.

Working assignments all around Los Angeles, Brenda was the official purse holder for a high powered event planner, has had an employer ask about her ovulation cycle, worked as a kiosk gypsy at an upscale mall and suffered as the reluctant muse for a frustrated architect who’d rather write screenplays on company time.

Off the clock, Brenda’s boyfriend and best friend compete for her attention while she spends a little too much time with guy she met on a job. Brenda’s positive she can handle it all, but sometimes work and life get to be a bit too much even for someone as organized as Brenda.

The Brenda Diaries. All the dirty details of Brenda’s not so tidy life.

Title: Home For Christmas

Author: Cally Taylor

Received: From Cally Taylor

Synopsis: Beth Prince has always loved fairytales and now, aged twenty-four, she feels like she’s finally on the verge of her own happily ever after. She lives by the seaside, works in the Picturebox – a charming but rundown independent cinema – and has a boyfriend who’s so debonair and charming she can’t believe her luck! There’s just one problem – none of her boyfriends have ever told her they love her and it doesn’t look like Aiden’s going to say it any time soon. Desperate to hear ‘I love you’ for the first time Beth takes matters into her own hands – and instantly wishes she hadn’t.
Just when it seems like her luck can’t get any worse, bad news arrives in the devilishly handsome shape of Matt Jones. Matt is the regional director of a multiplex cinema and he’s determined to get his hands on the Picturebox by Christmas. Can Beth keep her job, her man and her home or is her romantic-comedy life about to turn into a disaster movie?

November 8, 2011
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Future Tour: Here by Denise Grover Swank
CLP Blog Tours

Future Tour: Here by Denise Grover Swank

Denise will be on tour December 12-January 2 with her novel Here. Sixteen year old Julia Phillips buries herself in guilt after killing her best…

November 8, 2011
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Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger
Chick Lit Review

Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger

When I was asked to review Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger, I jumped at the chance. Who didn’t love The Devil Wears Prada? And I’m happy to report this book was just as great. The story follows happily married couple Julian and Brooke Alter. Brooke is working two jobs with the goal of starting her own nutrition business, and Julian is a struggling singer-songwriter hoping to hit it big. The couple’s world is rocked when Julian snags the attention of Hollywood big-wigs, and overnight becomes the “it” guy in town. Suddenly, Brooke and Julian are holding on tight while they ride the fame coaster, trying to stay grounded and sane. Brooke isn’t interested in celebrities, paparazzi, and the works of being famous. But Julian gets carried up in his new life––the money, publicity….the woman. Not only is Brooke having to deal with that train wreck, but her life, her career, everything she has worked so hard for, is slipping out of her reach thanks to her new high-profile life. Can Brooke and Julian’s marriage survive, or will the cost of fame tear them apart?
When I first started reading this book, I thought Julian was quite an ass-bag. I really thought he was just using Brooke to make ends meet and so he could keep working on getting discovered. As I kept reading, I realized that he did clearly love his wife, and she felt the same way. While their interests may have been different, the love and respect that should be in a marriage were there. It wasn’t hard to guess that something like an affair would be brought up, because come on––who in Hollywood isn’t accused of cheating? When I got to the end of the book, I was sure I was just going to hate what happened. I thought I could guess the ending, but I was wrong. While I won’t give anything away, I will say the ending made me think. It was more than just a typical fluffy let’s be happy ending. The roller coaster ride of emotions that Weisberger took me on, combined with a scandalous chick lit plot and some important lessons we learn from Brooke and Julian, earns this book a five star rating from me!
[Rating: 5]

November 7, 2011
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