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A Scottish Ferry Tale by Nancy Volkers
Chick Lit Review

A Scottish Ferry Tale by Nancy Volkers

Cassie is young and dumped. After traveling across the country to visit her boyfriend, who was studying abroad, the boyfriend promptly breaks up with her. Not feeling comfortable staying with him, Cassie decides to journey on a ferry to stay at a small bed and breakfast. While on the ferry, she meets the older Ralph, and makes an instant connection with him. During the weekend, the relationship between Cassie and Ralph grows, but then Cassie must leave to return to her job and her family. She doesn’t believe in love at first anyways…or does she?
A Scottish Ferry Tale is the debut novel from Nancy Volkers. It’s not my favorite read, but I definitely see the potential for a sequel. The beginning is a lot of back story, which could easily have been cut. The relationship between Cassie and Ralph was always a bit strained for me, and I think that is probably because I didn’t feel the age difference (a very significant one) was ever really discussed. On the upside, I do think Volkers has a talent for creating stories, and there were some witty scenes that made me happy to read in a romance novel.
[Rating: 3]

April 27, 2011
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Molly Cooper’s Dream Date by Barbara Hannay
Chick Lit Review

Molly Cooper’s Dream Date by Barbara Hannay

The second book that came in my fantastic package from Mills and Boon was Molly Cooper’s Dream Date by Barbara Hannay. Molly Cooper is living in Australia but desperate to visit London. She loves everything about London- especially the men. Molly knows she is destined to at least have one date with the perfect London gentleman. When she finds a house-swapping opportunity with Patrick Knight, a city banker that is desperate to escape and finally write a novel, it seems it was meant to be. Molly charters off to London and sets up house in Patrick’s fancy digs, while Patrick can finally get away from his job and just enjoy life and writing while staying in Molly’s cozy cottage. But while Molly seems to be having the time of her life, something feels off to Patrick. He suspects it might have to do with all the emails Molly keeps sending him. It sounds strangely like this could be the dream girl for him….
I loved Molly Cooper’s Dream Date! It was a fun read, and pretty quick to get through, and I really indentified with both Molly and Patrick. It was interesting to read their thoughts on each other’s lives and homes, and to sense over time that they should be together. Molly’s character was full of life and ready to take on any new challenges, and Patrick was a bit brooding in the beginning but quickly opened up to his new life in Australia. I also enjoyed that it was Patrick that first fell for Molly and not the other way around. I don’t think I would have enjoyed this book as much if it was the typical girl trying to snag the guy plot. This novel was so quick to get through because a lot of the writing was emails between Molly and Patrick, or excerpts from Molly’s diary. Sometimes when authors go that route it makes the story lack a strong bond to the characters, but Hannay did an excellent job at making sure that didn’t happen. I felt the emails heightened the story instead of hindering it, and I was desperate to get to the end to find out if Molly and Patrick would get together. A definite recommendation from me!
[Rating: 4.5]

April 27, 2011
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GIVEAWAY: Beneath a Starlet Sky
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GIVEAWAY: Beneath a Starlet Sky

Lola Santisi—CEO of a struggling fashion line, reformed Actorholic and daughter of Hollywood Royalty—is now not only bicoastal, she’s Bi-Lolar: That is the condition which causes…

April 26, 2011
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The Truth Behind Trainers?
Chick Lit Plus

The Truth Behind Trainers?

I heard something pretty disturbing on a radio morning show last week, and it has stuck in my mind since. I decided to make a post out of it, wondering if I could get some of you lovelies to respond. The topic was on personal trainers, and if your trainer flirts with you- or crosses any lines. Callers were phoning in with their stories- from harmless flirting all the way too affairs with their trainers at the gym. But one caller really got my attention. It was a male, who said the owners of the gym that he used to be a personal trainer at encouraged trainers to flirt with their clients. Take their clients out on dates. Even sleep with their clients- all simply to raise the client’s self-esteem. By boosting the self-esteem, clients are feeling better, which they will thank their gym/trainers, and therefore continue their business there and spread positive word of mouth comments. More calls came flooding in after that, with even more horror stories and more trainers calling and confirming that really does happen in gyms.
Say what??? I have never used a personal trainer, I really can’t afford one and I do just fine working out on my own, but say I did. So I would pay money each month, drive to a gym, get all sweaty and sore with a trainer, only to have him hit on me and try to sleep with not because he’s interested at all in me- but because he wants me to keep paying his wages. Anyone else find this disturbing? I reached out to my followers questioning this, and got a few responses. Some ladies said that they did go on dates with their trainers, but the moment they stopped working out with them, they never heard from said trainer again. This actually happened to a close friend of mine about three years back, she assumed her and her trainer were boyfriend/girlfriend, but as soon as she stopped paying her gym dues, the phone calls stopped coming in.
So I have to wonder- how many trainers participate in this type of disgusting activity? How many gym owners encourage their workers to act this way? And if you are seeing your personal trainer on a personal level- how do you know that you are the only girl for him? What’s to say his little black book isn’t filled with names of his other clients, and he’s just waiting to seduce them? Have you ever had to turn down your trainer who tries to get too personal with you? I would love to hear any thoughts on the subject!

April 26, 2011
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Surf Sea and a Sexy Stranger by Heidi Rice
Chick Lit Review

Surf Sea and a Sexy Stranger by Heidi Rice

Mills and Boon were so kind this year to send me a wonderful package with chocolates, face masks, and of course- two books! The first I read from M&B was Surf Sea and a Sexy Stranger by Heidi Rice. Maddy Westmore is on lifeguard duty when she has to rescue a man from drowning. The deliciously sexy man turns out to be millionaire entrepreneur Ryan King, though Maddy doesn’t know who he is. Rye has turned into a bit of recluse since a motorbike accident, which left him with a bad knee and inability to perform sexually. He is standoffish to Maddy after she pulls him from the water, mainly because he is embarrassed, but also because he is extremely turned on by her. Maddy insists on checking up on him after the surfing accident, which leads to a surprising night of passion. Maddy, who has a shoddy family background thanks to an affair by her father and has been used by several past boyfriends, can’t believe she gave in so easily to Rye’s charms. And Rye can’t believe he was able to get it up. The pair decide to give “just friends with benefits” a shot, but it is clearly not what they both want. But when their complicated backgrounds come to light, Maddy and Rye need to decide if they could make a relationship work, or if they are just not meant to be.
Surf Sea and a Sexy Stranger has a lot of romance and passion between the pages, but I kept finding myself a bit bored. I enjoyed Maddy’s character, she was jaded yet innocent and I was really rooting for her, but Rye didn’t connect with me so much. His womanizing and egotistical ways was a big turn off, so I didn’t quite understand the attraction to Maddy and vice versa. Trying to be just friends with no strings attached was clearly not working from the beginning, and Maddy’s outright resistance to date her boss (Rye) wasn’t too convincing, and I think that is where the story fell flat for me. And there are a lot of sex scenes, which isn’t really my cup of tea either. I did think the writing was very good though, this is my first read from Rice but it is evident she is very talented. The dialogue and description of the surroundings were both excellent, and I think I will try another by this author and see if I enjoy it more. Overall though, it was an interesting read and I would recommend this book. I would give it a try and see what you think of Maddy and Rye and their complicated romance.
[Rating: 3]

April 25, 2011
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In My Mailbox: Week of April 24
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In My Mailbox: Week of April 24

In My Mailbox: Week of April 24, 2011

Title: The Perfect Hero
Author: Victoria Connelly
Received: From Charlotte @ Avon Books
Synopsis: The circus has come to town…

Die-hard romantic, Kay Ashton, uses her inheritance to open a B&B in the seaside town of Lyme Regis and is dumbstruck when the cast and crew of a new production of Persuasion descend, needing a place to stay. Kay can’t believe her luck – especially when she realises that heart throb actor Oli Wade Owen will be sleeping under her very own roof!

Meanwhile, co-star Gemma Reilly is worried that her acting isn’t up to scratch, despite landing a plum role. She finds a sympathetic ear in shy producer, Adam Craig, who is as baffled by the film world as she is. Kay thinks the two are meant for each other and can’t resist a spot of matchmaking.

Then, when Oli turns his trademark charm on Kay, it seems that she has found her real-life hero. But do heroes really exist?

Title: Maid of Honor
Author: Jillian Conley
Received: From Jillian Conley
Synopsis: Unemployed and single Josephine Vitale felt like her life couldn’t get any worse, or so she thought. On Valentine’s night her best friend Sandra called announcing her engagement. Since Sandra had been planning her perfect wedding since she was twelve, Josephine knew she was in for one hell of a ride, especially after she was assigned the “honor” to be Sandra’s Maid of Honor. Even though Josephine struggles with her duties and the Barbie pink bridesmaid dresses, butterflies flutter in her stomach when the wedding bliss reunites her with a past love interest.
Maid of Honor is a story that shares the bond between two women and the lengths one will go for the other when they get married. Josephine takes on everything from the bride’s mental breakdowns to wearing latex gloves when handling the wedding gown to driving across half the state for the perfect vases… all for her best friend.

Title: A Parfait Murder
Author: Wendy Lyn Watson
Received: From Wendy Lyn Watson
Synopsis: When Tally’s cousin Bree spots her deadbeat ex-husband strolling the Lantana County Fair with a fat wallet and a vixen on his arm, she immediately files for back child support. But when his lawyer is found dead, things get a little sticky. Did Bree serve up a dish of cold, sweet revenge? Or is she another hapless victim of a parfait crime?

April 25, 2011
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On Tour: A Scottish Ferry Tale by Nancy Volkers
CLP Blog Tours

On Tour: A Scottish Ferry Tale by Nancy Volkers

Nancy Volkers is on tour April 25-May 9 with her debut novel A Scottish Ferry Tale. Once upon a time, a young woman had her…

April 24, 2011
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Rock Bottom by Erin Brockovich & CJ Lyons
Chick Lit Review

Rock Bottom by Erin Brockovich & CJ Lyons

One of my favorite thriller writers, CJ Lyons, teamed up with environmental and consumer activist Erin Brockovich to create the dramatic thriller Rock Bottom. The story follows heroine AJ Palladino, an environmental activist and single mom to a son with a disability, David. When AJ returns to her hometown of Scotia, West Virginia, she is thrown into the middle of a mystery. The well known lawyer who had hired her as clerk to assist in his new case has died- and it looks like he could have been a homicide. When the lawyer’s daughter, Elizabeth, determinedly takes on the challenge of finding his murderer, AJ becomes involved. The story plays out in twisty sub-plots: David’s father and his past with AJ, the mining company that could be poisoning the town, the mystery behind AJ’s parents and their refusal to speak to her, and more.
Write what you know is a big piece of advice that authors often give, and it is clear that is what Brockovich and Lyons did. While I did enjoy all the mystery/thriller aspects, some of the environmental talks left me a bit confused. I don’t know much about saving the environment and the toxins and mining machines, etc, so I felt a little drowned when the book became heavy on those subjects, simply because I couldn’t grasp what was being talked about. But I did enjoy the suspense, and trying to figure out who killed the lawyer along with AJ and Elizabeth. I loved David’s character and the positive outlook the little boy had. The ending was shocking and unexpected to me, yet I thought it summed up the message the story wants you to get from reading. This is the first in a series from Brockovich and Lyons, and I do think I would give the second novel a try.
[Rating: 3.5]

April 22, 2011
3 Comments
In My Mailbox: April 21
Updates

In My Mailbox: April 21

In My Mailbox: April 21

Title: Dancing on Glass

Author: Pamela Binnings Ewen

Received: From Pamela Binnings Ewen

Synopsis: In the steamy city of New Orleans in 1974, Amalise Catoir sees Phillip Sharp as a charming, magnetic artist, unlike any man she has known. A young lawyer herself, raised in a small town and on the brink of a career with a large firm, she is strong and successful, yet sometimes too trusting and whimsical. Ama’s rash decision to marry Phillip proves to be a mistake as he becomes overly possessive, drawing his wife away from family, friends, and her faith. His insidious, dangerous behavior becomes her dark, inescapable secret.

Title: She Makes it Look Easy

Author: Marybeth Whalen

Received: From Marybeth Whalen

Synopsis: Ariel Baxter has just moved into the neighborhood of her dreams. The chaos of domestic life and the loneliness of motherhood, however, moved with her. Then she meets her neighbor, Justine Miller. Justine ushers Ariel into a world of clutter-free houses, fresh-baked bread, homemade crafts, neighborhood playdates, and organization techniques designed to make marriage better and parenting manageable.

Soon Ariel realizes there is hope for peace, friendship, and clean kitchen counters. But when rumors start to circulate about Justine’s real home life, Ariel must choose whether to believe the best about the friend she admires or consider the possibility that “perfection” isn’t always what it seems to be.

Title: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

Author: Claudia Carroll

Received: From Charlotte @ Avon Books

Synopsis: Absence makes the heart grow fonder … doesn’t it? What happens when two people decide to give themselves the year off … from each other? Annie and Dan were the perfect couple. But now the not-so-newly weds feel more like flatmates than soul mates and wonder where all the fun and fireworks went. When Annie lands her big break in a smash-hit show that’s heading for the bright lights of Broadway, she’s over the moon. Goodbye remote Irish village of Stickens, hello fabulous Big Apple! But with their relationship already on the rocks, how will Annie and Dan survive the distance? They’re hitting the pause button on their marriage. One year off from each other – no strings attached, except a date to meet in 12 months at the Rockefeller Centre to decide their fate. Will they both turn up? Or is it too late for love?

April 21, 2011
4 Comments