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In My Mailbox: Week of June 19
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In My Mailbox: Week of June 19

In My Mailbox: Week of June 19, 2011

Title: The Dumpster
Author: Becky Due
Received: From Becky Due
Synopsis: Nicole, a cute, chubby, twenty-something woman, is looking for love in all the wrong places. Who would have guessed that a dumpster in the back alley below her bedroom window would hold the key to finding love?

Title: Hotel No Tell
Author: Daphne Uviller
Received: From Crystal @ Book Sparks PR
Synopsis: Now working as a junior detective with the New York City Special Investigations Commission, Zephyr’s gone incognito as a concierge to find out who laundered a hundred grand off the hotel books—and why. But the discovery of a prone, flush-faced guest gasping for air in room 502 only hints at the sinister goings-on inside this funky establishment. While the rapid response of the fire department leads to a sweaty date with a smooth-talking, rock-climbing rescue worker, Zephyr finds herself even more hot and bothered by an attempted murder on her watch. Could the smart-mouthed Japanese yenta across the hall know more than she’s telling? How are cryptic phone calls from a mysterious corporation linked to the victim in 502?

Under pressure and overwhelmed, Zephyr soon finds that a concierge cover is no protection in a place where crime, like the city itself, never sleeps.

Title: Stay
Author: Allie Larkin
Received: From Crystal @ Book Sparks PR
Synopsis: Savannah “Van” Leone has loved Peter since the day they met. The problem is, Peter has loved Van’s best friend, Janie, since the moment they met. And now they’re walking down the aisle, with Van standing nearby in a Halloween orange bridesmaid dress, her smile as hollow as a jack-o-lantern. After the wedding, Van drowns her sorrows in Kool Aid-vodka cocktails and reruns of Rin-Tin-Tin, and does what any woman in her situation would do: She buys a German Shepherd over the internet.
The pocket-sized puppy Van is expecting turns out to be a clumsy, hundred-pound beast that only responds to Slovakian. Van is at the end of her rope—until she realizes that this quirky giant may be the only living being who will always be loyal to her, no matter what. And thus begins a friendship that will alter Van’s life in ways she never imagined.
Joe leads Van to Dr. Alex Brandt, a rugged vet with floppy blond hair and winning smile. But just as things are starting to heat up, the newlyweds return from their honeymoon, forcing Van to decide just how much she’s willing to sacrifice in order to have everything she ever wanted. Warm and witty, poignant and funny, Stay marks the arrival of an irresistible new voice.

Title: Faking It
Author: Elisa Lorello
Received: From a friend
Synopsis: Thirty-four-year old professor Andi Cutrone has broken up with her fiancé in Massachusetts , moved back to her native New York, and wants to be a better lover. So after meeting Devin, a handsome, charming escort, she proposes an unusual arrangement: lessons about writing in exchange for lessons about sex. When Devin accepts Andi’s proposal, he draws up a contract in which the two are forbidden to see each other socially. There’s just one problem: Andi also wants Devin.
Halfway into their arrangement, Devin and Andi break the rules of their contract and begin spending time together outside their weekly tutorials of drafting essays and dancing while stripped down. As they grow closer, Andi struggles to hide her feelings from Devin and accept herself as just another client while Devin attempts to maintain a “business as usual” attitude. Enter Sam, a New England professor with whom Andi begins a long distance relationship.
As their protective layers peel away, Andi and Devin discover each other ‘faking it’ and hiding their true selves from the world. However, once fully uncovered, both must decide how (and with whom) they will honor these truths. Will she give up her New York life for Sam? Will she hold out for Devin? Is it even possible to be in love with two men?
Faking It is a witty, sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-wrenching story about relationships, writing, and getting real.

June 20, 2011
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Breaking Even by Kathleen Kole
Chick Lit Review

Breaking Even by Kathleen Kole

Penelope Whittaker is as sensible as they come. Working as an accountant, soon to be married to another accountant, the loving Ben Miller who she has dated for years. Everything in Penelope’s life is stable and consistent. Until she meets Scott Harrison. After a chance encounter (and locking her keys in her car) Scott comes to Penelope’s rescue. And from there, her predictable life starts to spin out of control. Penelope is taken by Scott’s good looks, his devotion to his son, and his ease when chatting with her. Penelope keeps finding reasons to take her soon to be sister-in-law’s children to school, just to run into Scott. Those meetings turn into a coffee date, then lunch, then dinner. Before she realizes what is happening, Penelope is spending more time thinking about Scott than her fiancé, and fighting with Ben almost every chance she gets. Is Ben really the one for her? Or is life about to give Penelope a chance to break away from her good girl image?
Kathleen Kole is on tour with CLP Blog Tours and her latest novel Breaking Even. I was really intrigued by the story. Penelope’s character is very likeable, even though she is doing something extremely un-likeable- possibly embarking on an affair. But this is life, and that does happen. It was refreshing not to read another story about how horrible the man is and how he cheats, etc, etc. Kole really dives in her heroine’s story and why she feels the pull of another man, with a perfectly respectable fiancé waiting at home for her. I was never quite sure how the story was going to end, or which road Penelope would choose, which kept me invested throughout. And I thought there were some good smaller plot points with Ben’s brothers and their wives and how they deal with their marriages that was interesting to read about. There were times where the writing felt just a bit stiff, but overall I really enjoyed the book and thought it was a quick and interesting read. I will definitely be looking for more from Kathleen Kole.
[Rating: 4]

June 17, 2011
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A Boy for Natalie Portman!
Chick Lit Plus

A Boy for Natalie Portman!

It’s a boy for Natalie Portman! People.com revealed that the Oscar winning actress, 30, and her fiancé, Benjamin Millepied, welcomed a baby boy into their lives. No word on the name or any other details as of yet have been released. This is the first child for the couple, who met on the set of Black Swan.

June 16, 2011
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Hollywood Ending by Lucie Simone
Chick Lit Review

Hollywood Ending by Lucie Simone

Trina Stewart hates that the famous HOLLYWOOD sign mocks her from her own home. After 10 years in the land of celebrities and out $100,000 to film school debt, Trina has still not found the Hollywood job. Instead, she works as a teacher, teaching English as a Second Language- not her dream job. But she refuses to believe that she won’t reach her dreams. Not only will she conquer Hollywood, she will also find that perfect man. Somehow, someway….
Matiu Wulf, a New Zealander, finds himself in LA only to get some real scene design experience and take a class at UCLA to make his resume look good. With more movies being filmed in his homeland, he needs something to set him apart from the other film wannabees. But when he rents the apartment upstairs from Trina Stewart and begins to fall for her, he knows that is the last thing he can do. He is only in LA to take the class, get the experience and some connections, and head back home to Auckland. But when he watches Trina fall for the wrong guy, he can’t help but intervene…
Hollywood Ending by Lucie Simone is a cute romance novel with a dash of Hollywood sauciness. The story is told in both Trina and Matiu’s view points, so readers get an understanding of both main characters. I actually liked Matiu’s character more than Trina’s, which usually doesn’t happen! But he is such a manly man and delectable in both looks and personality that I really couldn’t help myself. There were times that I thought the plot could benefit from some more action, and it was a bit predictable, but overall I thought it was good story and I will definitely be checking out more of Simone’s titles.
Rating: 3.5/5

June 15, 2011
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The Gin and Chowder Club by Nan Rossiter
Chick Lit Review

The Gin and Chowder Club by Nan Rossiter

The Gin and Chowder Club by Nan Rossiter is an eloquently written story about the dangers of an affair and the deep binds of love. The story is set in Cape Cod, and showcases two very different families. Samuel and Sarah Coleman are a happily married couple with two sons, Isaac and Asa. The family is good friends with Nate Shepherd and his much younger wife, Noelle. What the families don’t know is of a secret affair between Asa and Noelle. The pair doesn’t know what to do about their love for one another. They can’t stand being apart from one another, but understand that if the affair was brought to light, the bond between the families would be forever broken. When Asa decides the best thing for him to do would be to go off to college and leave the families at peace, he and Noelle embark on a summer fling, trying to get in all the time together that they can. But the consequences of the summer play a cruel twist of fate, with an unexpected ending for all.
I really enjoyed The Gin and Chowder Club. Even though it is told from Asa’s perspective, I was able to jump right in and form a bond with all the characters. Rossiter’s writing is beautiful, and the Cape Cod scenery made me feel I was there right along with the cast. The only thing that I had a bit of trouble with was the time frame of the story. I kept thinking something seemed a bit off, but it wasn’t until Asa went to the baseball game that I realized this book is set in the 1960’s. Other than that, I really enjoyed the book, and even shed a few tears at the heart wrenching ending. This is Rossiter’s first adult novel, and I will eagerly wait for more!
[Rating: 4.5]

June 15, 2011
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Crystal Harris Splits from Hugh Hefner
Chick Lit Plus

Crystal Harris Splits from Hugh Hefner

Well who saw this one coming? Just four days before their much anticipated nuptials, the wedding between Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris has been officially…

June 15, 2011
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Summer Friends by Holly Chamberlin
Chick Lit Review

Summer Friends by Holly Chamberlin

Delphine Crandall and Maggie Weldon become instant best friends at the age of nine, when life has complications such as which flavor of ice cream to choose. Delphine is a native of Maine, while Maggie’s family visits Maine each year for a vacation. Maggie’s family is well off, and she has many opportunities in life. Delphine doesn’t have the same social status as Maggie, but the girls don’t let that get in the way of become friends. Their friendship stays strong for years, and the girls even go to college together in Boston. But during college, something changes for Delphine. While Maggie gets her degree, a great career, a husband, and eventually children, Delphine slinks back to Maine to work for her family business. She cuts off her friendship with Maggie, and Maggie is devastated over the loss of her childhood friend. But after twenty years, Maggie decides she wants answers- and hopefully her friend back. She tracks down Delphine, still living in Maine and working with her family, with no husband or children. Maggie tries reconnecting with the woman who she once shared all her secrets with…but can their friendship still last despite all that’s been thrown at them?
I was a little torn while reading Summer Friends by Holly Chamberlin. While I loved the vivid scenes that paint the quaint town of Maine and thought Maggie’s character was kind, generous, and good-hearted, I could never really get into Delphine. I was a little confused at why she dropped Maggie’s friendship so quickly. It is kind of explained towards the end, but I didn’t find it to be a real powerful motive for completely shunning someone out of your life. I did enjoy the ending, I thought Chamberlin wrapped up the story of these two women nicely, but the book didn’t really move me like I was hoping it would.
Rating: 3

June 13, 2011
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On Tour: Breaking Even by Kathleen Kole
CLP Blog Tours

On Tour: Breaking Even by Kathleen Kole

Kathleen Kole is on tour June 13-27 with her novel Breaking Even Meet Penelope Whittaker, an accountant. A sensible, do things the right way, soon-to-be-married…

June 12, 2011
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On Tour: Little Miss Teacher by Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar
CLP Blog Tours

On Tour: Little Miss Teacher by Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar

Told through the eyes of Candace Turner, a high school English teacher straight out of college, Little Miss Teacher details one woman’s struggles through the important initial stages of her career and her life as a grown-up. While teaching her students about writing and literature, Candace learns her own lessons about life. As she worries about fitting in with the faculty and conquering piles of essays to grade, Candace also pursues an old crush. Through her endless attempts to succeed in both her job and life, she has many adventures within and outside of her classroom walls. Ultimately, Candace hopes to finish the school year with a feeling of triumph at having touched the lives of her students… and having survived.

In the vein of both Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus’s The Nanny Diaries and Lauren Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada, Little Miss Teacher is a story about a young woman dealing with the ups and downs of work and life. In experiences that are sometimes amusing and sometimes sad, Candace endures everything from chaperoning the prom to helping a friend deal with a problem. In her earnest, self-conscious, conversational manner, Candace gives a voice and an all-access pass to the often embarrassing life of a young educator.

June 12, 2011
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