Chick Lit Plus by Samantha March

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Debut Authors & Novels- March/April
Chick Lit Review

Debut Authors & Novels- March/April

Debut Authors & Novels- March/April 2011

Title: RSVP
Author: Helen Warner
Available: March 2011
Synopsis: Four women, one wedding and a day to remember – or rather forget . . .
Anna’s world is rocked when she receives an invitation to her ex Toby’s nuptials – Toby was The One, The Love of Her Life, The One That Got Away. Will attending his Big Day finally give her the sense of closure she so desperately craves? Or will it only re-open old wounds?

Clare is Anna’s best friend, the person who was there for her when she and Toby split all those years ago. But little does Clare know that Toby’s wedding day will also change her own life for ever.

Ella is a classic femme fatale. She loves men and leaves them without a backward glance. But the one person who’s never fallen for her charms is Toby. As he prepares to get hitched, is it too late for a last-ditch attempt to win his heart?

Finally, Rachel is the blushing bride-to-be. This should be the happiest day of her life. So how come she feels nothing but a terrible sense of foreboding?

Title: Attachments
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Available: April 2011
Synopsis: It’s 1999 and for the staff of one newspaper office, the internet is still a novelty. By day, two young women, Beth and Jennifer, spend their hours emailing each other, discussing in hilarious detail every aspect of their lives, from love troubles to family dramas. And by night, Lincoln, a shy, lonely IT guy spends his hours reading every exchange. At first their emails offer a welcome diversion, but as Lincoln unwittingly becomes drawn into their lives, the more he reads, the more he finds himself falling for one of them. By the time Lincoln realizes just how head-over-heels he really is, it’s way too late to introduce himself. What would he say to her? ‘Hi, I’m the guy who reads your e-mail – and also, I think I love you’. After a series of close encounters, Lincoln decides it’s time to muster the courage to follow his heart . . . and find out whether there really is such a thing as love before first-sight. Heartwarming, witty and unforgettable, ATTACHMENTS is an irresistible romantic comedy that has it all.

Title: Hollywood Sinners
Author: Victoria Fox
Available: April 2011
Synopsis: POWER Marriage to Hollywood heartthrob Cole Steel secured Lana Falcon a glittering place on the red carpet. But running from a wicked past she has trapped herself in a gilded cage the price of freedom…her soul? REVENGE Kate diLaurentis s career is fading as quickly as her looks… What could be worse than discovering her husband s latest mistress is Hollywood s hottest starlet? Her only option the most shocking revenge. LUST Chloe French s innocent beauty has captured a million hearts, but no one’s warned her of the dangerous, dark temptation of rock star Nate – will lust destroy her? GREED Las Vegas King, Robert St Louis s fairytale wedding to Sin City’s richest heiress is tabloid gold… But scandal circles like a vulture – dirty secrets are about to be exposed! BETRAYAL From the deepest desires come the deadliest deeds…and these four couples are about to pay for their sins…

March 17, 2011
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In My Mailbox: March 16
Updates

In My Mailbox: March 16

In My Mailbox: March 16th

Title: Reinventing Mona
Author: Jennifer Coburn
Received: From Jennifer Coburn
Synopsis: What’s new? Me, for starters… It all began when my job offered me a buyout package. That’s when the realization hit: I’m young, I’m rich (thanks to a hefty inheritance), and I’m boring. Things are gonna change-starting now… Building a better man trap… First things first: Exercise. Carrot juice. Straight hair. Whiter teeth. Clothes that fit. But wait-there’s more. I’m finally ready to take a chance on love with the perfect guy. He’s handsome. He’s smart. He’s reliable. He’s my CPA. Problem is, I’m clueless about winning him over. It’s time to call in an expert. It’s time to call in The Dog. Down, boy. Mike “The Dog” Dougherty is a man’s man. A guy’s guy. Okay, he’s a chauvinist pig, and his sty is “The Dog House,” a testosterone-charged column in Maximum for Him magazine. On one hand, I abhor all he stands for. On the other hand, who better to coach me? So here I am. Learning the complex unspoken language of the American male (Talk, bad. Sex, good.); trying exciting new things (Stripping lessons are empowering. Really.); falling for Mike. Uh oh. But the Mike I’m getting to know is different from The Dog. And the Mona I’m becoming isn’t quite who I expected, either. This whole makeover scheme is getting crazier by the minute. But “crazy” beats “boring”…right?

Title: The Untied Kingdom
Author: Kate Johnson
Received: From Choc Lit
Synopsis: Major Harker is fighting on the losing side of an endless civil war in a third world country. It’s called England.
He’s a man with a lot of problems. His ex-wife has just drafted her little sister into his company. His sworn enemy is looking for a promotion. The general wants him to undertake some ridiculous mission to capture a computer, which Harker vaguely envisions running wild somewhere in West Yorkshire. And some damn idiot has just flown out of nowhere and nearly drowned herself in the Thames.
She claims to be a popstar called Eve. Harker doesn’t know what a popstar is, although he suspects it’s a fancy foreign word for “spy”. Eve knows all about computers, and electricity, and the words to many seditious songs. Eve is dangerous. There’s every possibility she’s mad. And Harker is falling in love with her.

Title: The First Husband
Author: Laura Dave
Received: From Laura Dave
Synopsis: Annie Adams is days away from her thirty-second birthday and thinks she has finally found happiness. She visits the world’s most interesting places for her syndicated travel column and she’s happily cohabitating with her movie director boyfriend Nick in Los Angeles. But when Nick comes home from a meeting with his therapist (aka “futures counselor”) and announces that he’s taking a break from their relationship so he can pursue a woman from his past, the place Annie had come to call home is shattered. Reeling, Annie stumbles into her neighborhood bar and finds Griffin–a grounded, charming chef who seems to be everything Annie didn’t know she was looking for. Within three months, Griffin is Annie’s husband and Annie finds herself trying to restart her life in rural Massachusetts.

March 16, 2011
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Dangers of a Brazilian Blowout
Chick Lit Plus

Dangers of a Brazilian Blowout

Ladies, do you want your hair to finally be smooth, straight, sleek, and most importantly- not frizzy? Let me think about that for a nano-second. Um, yes! We used to turn to our simple products, then the flat iron, then the professional blowouts at the salon. But lately, the trend has been the Brazilian Blowout. Celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon have used this treatment, which consists of creating a protective layer around the hair to eliminate frizz and keep your mane smooth. It seems to be a simple enough process: a shampoo session with a specially formulated shampoo to prep your hair, towel-drying, then your stylist combing the Brazilian Blowout Professional Treatment through your hair. A blow dry followed by flat ironing the hair, then rinsing (not shampooing) and applying the Brazilian Blowout Masque. Once that is finished, the stylist will once again rinse, towel dry, then apply the Brazilian Blowout Smoothing Serum then blow dry one more time. Ninety minutes later, you are better looking than ever!
But there has to be a catch. After salon workers in Oregon started complaining of eye irritation, nose bleeds and difficulty breathing after using Brazilian Blowout products, state officials stepped in. What was found is a high level of formaldehyde. Chemists at the Oregon Occupation Heath and Safety Administration and the Oregon Health and Science University’s Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology tested a sample from salons in the area, and determined the product contained 4.85 percent to 10.6 percent formaldehyde, even though the Brazilian Blowout products are labeled “formaldehyde free.” Manufactures are required to alert stylists if a product has over 0.1 percent of this chemical. The Oregon Health and Science University released this public health alert on September 30th, 2010 about the disturbing findings.
Why should we be concerned? ABCNews.com said that formaldehyde can be found in food and other products, being exposed to us every day. While low exposure can cause the eye irritation and other similar effects, high exposure can lead to some cancers, according to The US Centers for Disease Control. But what is formaldehyde? Cancer.gov lists this as a “colorless, flammable, strong-smelling chemical that is used in building materials and to produce many household products.” It goes on further to say that formaldehyde has been classified as a “human carcinogen.” Is that word familiar? It is often used when talking about cigarettes. Yes- it is a cancer causing substance. Innocent stylists and salon-goers are being exposed to high levels of this carcinogen when using the Brazilian Blowout products.
The makers of Brazilian Blowout products are defending themselves against the claims. ABCNews.com reports that they are arguing the high amount of formaldehyde, because the OSHA did not get samples directly from them, instead they used the samples from the salon. Brazilian Blowout is currently doing their own investigation. If you can afford to get this treatment, which can set you back up to $500, it is suggested you hold off until all investigations are complete. If you insist on getting the Brazilian Blowout, make sure the salon is equipped with masks or goggles that will protect you from breathing in the formaldehyde.
My personal advice? Stay away! Until you know for sure what you are exposing yourself to, I don’t think any beauty treatment is worth the risks. I recently posted on Herbal Essences shampoo- that helped cut down the frizz in my hair without the risk or the high price! Has anyone tried this type of hair straightening before? Would you? I would love to hear your thoughts!
Research obtained from:
ABCNews.com
CBS.state.org
Cancer.gov

March 15, 2011
4 Comments
In My Mailbox: Week of March 13
Updates

In My Mailbox: Week of March 13

In My Mailbox: Week of March 13, 2011

Title: Crystal Balls
Author: Amanda Brobyn
Received: From Amanda Brobyn
Synopsis: Tina Harding is a successful and ambitious estate agent. All is going according to plan and her painful past as a failed actress has been well and truly buried. Now she’s a down-to-earth and hard-headed businesswoman … Life, however, is full of surprises. While accompanying her more wide- eyed colleague, Chantelle, to a psychic fair, Tina herself falls victim to the lure of the Crystal Ball. She is warned that she must learn to trust her own decisions, and assured that the arrival of her soul mate is imminent. An elated Tina feels she has discovered a shortcut to fulfilment her very own life’s SatNav. Enter the gorgeous sex-on-wheels property-developer Brian Steen, who is very keen indeed to get up close and personal with Tina. But, call it fate, call it karma or just sheer bad luck, their steamy encounters are destined to fizzle out every time. But Brian is a patient man … up to a point … and, with help from Tina’s psychic guides, things are sure to pan out just fine … aren’t they? Crystal Balls … gaze into the unknown …

Title: Looking For Leon
Author: Shirley Benton
Received: From Shirley Benton
Synopsis: Andie hadn’t gambled on meeting the love of her life on a holiday in Las Vegas- but when she meets Leon, love suddenly seems like a bet she can win. That is, until the wheel of fortune steps in and separates them during a fire drill. With next to no info on Leon, Andie finds it impossible to track him down-despite staging a series of publicity stunts to get the media in on the act. Back in Ireland, journalist Andie begins to write a regular newspaper column about her search. Readers love it and a local TV station flies her back to Vegas to take up the hunt for the man she can’t forget. What starts off as a simple low-budget documentary, spirals into a frenzied national media search. With the world’s most ambitious PR agents on board, Andie becomes a heroine for those who are looking for love.

Title: Emily and Einstein
Author: Linda Francis Lee
Received: From Tricia Carr @ Media Muscle
Synopsis: He was a man who didn’t deserve a second chance. But he needed one…
Emily and her husband Sandy Portman seemed to live a gracious if busy life in an old-world, Upper West Side apartment in the famous Dakota building. But one night on the way to meet Emily, Sandy dies in a tragic accident. The funeral isn’t even over before Emily learns she is on the verge of being evicted from their apartment. But worse than the possibility of losing her home, Emily is stunned when she discovers that her marriage was made up of lies.
Suddenly Emily is forced on a journey to find out who her husband really was . . . all the while feeling that somehow he isn’t really gone. Angry, hurt, and sometimes betrayed by loving memories of the man she lost, Emily finds comfort in a scruffy dog named Einstein. But is Einstein’s seemingly odd determination that she save herself enough to make Emily confront her own past? Can he help her find a future—even after she meets a new man?

Title: Tales From the Crib
Author: Jennifer Coburn
Received: From Jennifer Coburn
Synopsis:
Talk about bad timing!

When Lucy Klein gets her positive pregnancy results, she’s overjoyed. She and her husband Jack have been trying to get pregnant for years throughout their rocky marriage. But before she can tell him the big news, Jack has something he needs to announce – he wants a divorce!
Rather than split up, Lucy and Jack decide to live together as friends. This way, they can share expenses and parenting responsibilities. Co-parenting is a fine deal for Jack who is back in the dating scene by Lucy’s third trimester of pregnancy, but is a frustrating one for Lucy who has unfulfilled sexual fantasies about every man from restaurant delivery boys to puppeteers.
Meanwhile, Lucy’s mother is taking over her life. The grand dame of Planet Earth, Anjoli frequently visits her daughter to share her own brand of maternal wisdom.

As Anjoli leaves her Drama Queen bookstore to “help” Lucy with baby Adam, the new grandmother has an affair with baby’s pediatrician, hosts two weddings (including cousin Kimmy’s wedding to herself), and constantly frets about which kind of pie to serve guests. With a cast of family and friends from Lucy’s Jewish aunts to Junior League neighbor, Candace, Tales From the Crib is the story of how one baby can bring people together – so they can drive each other nuts!

March 13, 2011
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Mrs. Mismarriage by Noelle Chua
Chick Lit Review

Mrs. Mismarriage by Noelle Chua

Audrey Lee is one woman who could care less about marriage. She doesn’t believe in fairy tale endings and happily ever after. But when her boyfriend, Paul Chang, gets down on one knee, Audrey can’t say no. The two seem to have the perfect life- him with an MBA, working a successful career in their hometown of Singapore. She, a Harvard literature scholar who starts living the life on an expat wife- which includes never having to cook a meal or clean the house. But is that the life Audrey wanted for herself? The marriage turns rocky when Audrey gets suspicious that Paul may be having an affair. It doesn’t help that he is constantly away for business, seemingly married to his job instead of Audrey. With Audrey’s boredom, coupled with all the men that are suddenly interested in her, the marriage is on a loose thread. Can Audrey and Paul survive their first year as newlyweds?
Mrs. Mismarriage was a very entertaining and down to earth read by Noelle Chua. The main character was easily relatable, and even though I have never been married, I could understand the feelings and the fights that were happening. I especially loved the little marriage facts at the beginning of each chapter. I think Chua did a great job at showing the work two people must put into a marriage. Though what Paul and Audrey went through was extremely difficult, I didn’t feel that Chua was trying to scare readers away from ever getting married. Instead, she showed the love two people have can keep them together, and how to forgive mistakes. This was my first “Asian-lit” book, and I highly enjoyed it and would recommend to others.
[Rating: 4]

March 11, 2011
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Loreal Go 360 Facial Cleanser Review
Chick Lit Plus

Loreal Go 360 Facial Cleanser Review

I have been pretty faithful the past few months to the Biore Skincare line, but I wanted to try something new. You know me- beauty junkie, always wanting to try everything. So I grabbed a bottle of L’Oreal’s new Go 360 Clean Deep Facial Cleanser (the green bottle). Why did I choose this product? Because I was intrigued by the “scrublet” that came attached to the front of the bottle. You get your face wet, pour a little of the cleanser on to the scrublet, and run over your face. Wait a few seconds and rinse. The deep facial cleanser promises to shrink pores by getting down and dirty with the pores on your face, removing makeup, oil, and dirt to keep acne away.
I will be honest here- the first time I used this product, I was horrified. Just moments after rinsing off the cleanser, my face was raw red and starting to flake. I put on a pound of moisturizer so I could go out in public, but still felt like my face was was peeling away. I threw the cleanser deep into a corner of my bathroom drawer and vowed never to use it again. A few weeks later, I was doing some research on the cleanser to write a scathing review for it, when I noticed a lot of people used words such as “gentle” “fresh” and “non-drying” when talking about the deep facial cleanser. That couldn’t be right! This evil gel made my face dry and flaky for days after one use! How could people really use this on a daily basis?
I decided to give L’Oreal one more try. Honesty again here- I think I got a little carried away the first time I used it. I blame the scrublet! I had so much fun running that little brush over my face, I couldn’t stop. The second time I tried the product, I didn’t use as much pressure, and didn’t take ten minutes to apply the gel. I lightly ran the scrublet over my face twice (taking under a minute) then promptly rinsed. Verdict- everything was fine! My face felt clean, not dry and tight, and I had no flakes. I used it again the next day, just to see if I could use this on a daily basis and again- no dryness! I have been using the scrublet almost every night now for the past week and have had no issues with dry patches. I am so glad I gave this product another try, because I now really enjoy it and would definitely recommend. Just don’t go overboard with the srcublet like I did! L’Oreal has four different kinds of this new cleanser, and they have a great tool on their website that will help you find which is best for your skin type.
[Rating: 4]

March 10, 2011
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Please Don’t Stop the Music by Jane Lovering
Chick Lit Review

Please Don’t Stop the Music by Jane Lovering

Jemima Hutton needs to keep her past a secret. She knows if it gets out, her new friends wouldn’t want anything to do with her. She is determined to build a successful life, and is having good luck with her jewelry making business, until her lucky streak ends. When she meets the reclusive Ben Davies at his guitar shop, she begs him to stock her jewelry, and he agrees. As Jemima and Ben’s friendship grows, Jemima knows Ben is hiding a secret. He used to be a rock star, front man of a popular band and touring all over the world. Why is he now hiding out in a guitar shop, using a different name and pretending to not care about his past? But Ben also knows Jemima is hiding something, and as their friendship grows, the more Jemima becomes terrified her past will come out.
Please Don’t Stop the Music by Jane Lovering was an eye-opening book. My favorite part of this novel is that the main character is so different from what I usually read. Her background is dirty, messy, heart-breaking. I love reading about strong woman, and Jemima captured my attention from the first chapter. The villain in the story plays a large part throughout, and Lovering effectively made me hate her then love her all within a very short amount of time. There was just one scenario in the book that I just could not give credit too, when the mystery father of Jemima’s friend and roommate is announced. I won’t give any spoilers here, but I couldn’t really buy into that story. Other than that, the ending had me crying over the hard lessons the characters learned and the emotional turmoil they were going through, and I could feel the passion in the writing. A definite recommendation from me.
[Rating: 4]

March 9, 2011
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Special K Cereal Bars
Chick Lit Plus

Special K Cereal Bars

I love to sleep, so getting up early in the morning to get ready for work is my enemy. After I moved this past summer, my commute to work went from 5 minutes to 25 minutes. What did that mean for me? Less sleep! I fixed this solution by skipping breakfast at home. I would usually give myself enough time for some toast and fruit or even a bowl of cereal while I fixed my hair. After the move, I started bringing breakfast to work with me, grabbing a banana or pop-tart and eating it while driving or once I started working. While I would occasionally grab fruit, sugary pop-tarts or caffeine loaded coffee drinks started to become the norm for me. Sometimes, I would even just skip breakfast all together- one of the biggest no-no’s out there. I knew I needed to rely on something small and fast that could easily be grabbed from home or stored in my desk at work.
Then one day about a month ago I was in the gift shop at my work (a hospital) when I saw a cute little pink package. The pink immediately caught my eye, along with the bold headline ONLY 90 CALORIES!! I thought, 90 calories- too good to be true! It was a Special K Strawberry Cereal Bar, and my hand wavered as I went to snatch one up. Special K? I tried the cereal once, and I thought it was flavorless and dry. But my break was almost over, I needed something for breakfast, and one bar cost fifty-five cents. I took a leap a faith.
And I am not sorry I did. I loved it! The strawberries were sweet, the drizzled icing a treat, and the rice and whole grain flakes were filling. Even for .81 ounce of food, I was happily satisfied throughout the morning. And did I mention there are only 90 calories in one bar? If you were like me and hesitant to try these cereal bars, give them a shot! They are perfect for a light breakfast, low on calories, but can be enjoyed if you have a sweet tooth like me. They also come in a variety of flavors, including blueberry, chocolate drizzle, honey nut, and raspberry cheesecake. Yum!

March 8, 2011
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The Boyfriend of the Month Club by Maria Geraci
Chick Lit Review

The Boyfriend of the Month Club by Maria Geraci

Grace O’Bryan is still single, even after dating plenty of bachelors in the Daytona Beach area. During her book club meeting with some of her best girlfriends, Grace has the idea to turn the book club into a boyfriend club. The woman can exchange stories about the men they have dated, warn each other about the bad apples, and hopefully find potential winners through their discussions. But while Grace envisioned just a close group of friends meeting, her friend Ellen takes the club a bit too seriously, and it quickly gets out of hand. Meanwhile, Grace is trying to balance her job working as a manger at the struggling family store, a possibly love interest in her dentist, another possible love interest in Daytona Beach’s own most eligible bachelor, and keeping up with her family dynamics.
The Boyfriend of the Month Club by Maria Geraci is humorous and an interesting read. I enjoyed Grace’s character; I could feel a connection with her and bonded with her story and her search for love. The friendships in the book were excellent- except I did find myself extremely frustrated with the Ellen character often. And I really enjoyed that I wasn’t sure what was going on with Grace’s love life. So often, readers know which guy the girl will end up with, and you just wait to see how it plays out and they come together. But with two characters both in Grace’s line of vision, it made the story that much more interesting and kept my attention. A lighthearted and fun read, I would definitely recommend The Boyfriend of the Month Club to chick lit fans.
Rating: 4

March 7, 2011
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