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Book Review: The Guest House by Erika Marks
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Guest House by Erika Marks

I received a copy of The Guest House by Erika Marks in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
For generations, the natives of Harrisport have watched wealthy summer families descend on their Cape Cod town, inhabiting the massive cottages along the town’s best stretches of beachfront. But when rich Southerner Tucker Moss breaks the heart of local girl Edie Wright in the summer of 1966, an enduring war starts between the two families that lasts for generations….

Edie’s youngest child, Lexi, should know better than to fall in love with a Moss, but at eighteen, she falls hard for Tucker’s son, Hudson—only to find herself jilted when Hudson breaks off their engagement.

Eleven years later, Lexi returns home after two years away studying architectural photography, just in time for yet another summer on the Cape. When Hudson’s younger brother, Cooper, arrives unexpectedly to sell the seaside estate after the death of his father and hires Lexi to photograph it, an unlikely attraction forms, and Lexi finds herself torn once again between passion and family loyalty.

Then renovations at the Moss guest house reveal a forty-six-year-old declaration of love carved into a piece of framing—and a startling truth that will force two women and the men who love them to confront the treacherous waters of their pasts.
Review:
As I’ve been known to favor books that go between past and present, it should come to no surprise how much I enjoyed this book. While usually the past is meaning the late 1800’s or early 1900’s, this book features the time period of 1966, when Edie gets her heart broken from Tucker Moss. It was great to read the entwined stories of how mother and daughter both suffered at the hands of a Moss man, and the other similarities their stories tell. The ending was so intriguing when secrets were revealed – and I enjoyed the nice little twist that came with that! The setting of the Cape Cod town was enchanting to read about, and the strong writing quickly enticed me to fall deeper into the story. Simply a wonderful book to read!
4.5 stars

June 7, 2013
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Book Review: I’ll Take What She Has by Samantha Wilde
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: I’ll Take What She Has by Samantha …

Disclaimer: I received a copy of I’ll Take What She Has by Samantha Wilde in exchange for an honest review. Summary: Nora and Annie have…

June 6, 2013
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Book Review: What Tears Us Apart by Deborah Cloyed
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: What Tears Us Apart by Deborah Cloyed

I received a copy of What Tears Us Apart by Deborah Cloyed in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Love lives in the most dangerous places of the heart
The real world. That’s what Leda desperately seeks when she flees her life of privilege to travel to Kenya. She finds it at a boys’orphanage in the slums of Nairobi. What she doesn’t expect is to fall for Ita, the charismatic and thoughtful man who gave up his dreams to offer children a haven in the midst of turmoil.
Their love should be enough for one another-it embodies the soul-deep connection both have always craved. But it is threatened by Ita’s troubled childhood friend, Chege, a gang leader with whom he shares a complex history. As political unrest reaches a boiling point and the slum erupts in violence, Leda is attacked…and forced to put her trust in Chege, the one person who otherwise inspires anything but.
In the aftermath of Leda’s rescue, disturbing secrets are exposed, and Leda, Ita and Chege are each left grappling with their own regret and confusion. Their worlds upturned, they must now face the reality that sometimes the most treacherous threat is not the world outside, but the demons within.
Review:
When I read the synopsis for this book, I thought whoa. Deep subjects and plenty of food for thought with this story. I was able to get into the reading and start to connect with the characters, but at times it was almost a bit too heavy for me. I will say that this book will give you a lot to talk about though, which I think is great. I brought up some discussion points with my fiancé and friends, and I always think that is important in a book. I saw one reviewer describe this novel as “ambitious” and do I agree with that term. A lot of research and heart went into the writing of What Tears Us Apart, and while not totally my style of reading, still a good book.
3.5 stars

June 6, 2013
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Book Review: The Repeat Year by Andrea Lochen
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Repeat Year by Andrea Lochen

I received a copy of The Repeat Years by Andrea Lochen in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Everyone has days, weeks, even months they wish they could do over—but what about an entire year? After living through the worst twelve months of her life, intensive care nurse Olive Watson is given a second chance to relive her past and attempt to discover where she went wrong…

After a year of hardships, including a messy breakup with her longtime boyfriend Phil, the prospect of her mother’s remarriage, and heartbreaking patient losses at the hospital, Olive is ready to start fresh. But when she wakes up in her ex-boyfriend’s bed on New Year’s Day 2011—a day she has already lived—Olive’s world is turned upside down.

Shouldering a year of memories that no one else can recall, even Olive begins to question herself—until she discovers that she is not alone. Upon crossing paths with Sherry Witan, an experienced “repeater,” Olive learns that she has the chance to rewrite her future. Given the opportunity of a lifetime, Olive has to decide what she really wants. Should she make different choices, or accept her life as she knows it, flaws and all?
Review:
I’m always up for a book with a bit of complex, almost magic-like quality, and The Repeat Years fit just into that. I love to question myself along with the characters, wondering what I would do if I were in their situation. Olive was great to take this journey with, as she was ready to start afresh in the New Year only to be forced to relive it – and try to decide if she should make different decisions along the way. What would we do if we got that chance? A very intriguing concept, a well-written story with well-developed characters, and I think The Repeat Years should make it on your to-read list!
4 stars

June 5, 2013
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Book Review: The Way Back to Happiness by Elizabeth Bass
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Way Back to Happiness by Elizabeth Bass

I received a copy of The Way Back to Happiness by Elizabeth Bass in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
From the acclaimed author of Miss You Most of All comes a heartfelt, wonderfully affirming novel of sisterhood, healing, and new beginnings.
No one could blame Bev Putterman for becoming estranged from her sister. No one but Bev, anyway. Growing up, Diana was difficult and selfish yet always their mother’s favorite. And then came the betrayal that took away the future Bev dreamed of.
Yet if Diana caused problems while alive, her death leaves Bev in a maelstrom of remorse. She longs to provide a stable home for Diana’s fourteen-year-old daughter, Alabama. But between her commitment-phobic boyfriend and her precarious teaching position, Bev’s life is already in upheaval without an unruly teenager around.
All Alabama knows about Aunt Bev is what her mother told her–and none of it was good. They clash about money, clothes, boys, and especially about Diana. In desperation, Alabama sets out to find her late father’s family. Instead she learns of the complicated history between her mother and aunt, how guilt can shut down a life–and most important, how love and forgiveness can open a door and make us whole again. . .
Review:
I have also reviewed Wherever Grace is Needed from Elizabeth Bass and absolutely adored the book, so it was no surprise that it took me just about a day to get The Way Back to Happiness read. The characters she creates easily transports readers to their world, and won’t let you back out until well after you’ve turned the last page. The relationships felt very realistic, especially the one between Bev and Alabama. There are a lot of tough situations in this story and I shed a few tears, but it was a wonderful read and one I recommend. I hope to read more from this author.

June 4, 2013
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Book Review: Rock My World by Sharisse Coulter
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Rock My World by Sharisse Coulter

Disclaimer: I received a copy of ROCK MY WORLD by Sharisse Coulter in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

Jenna Jax-Anders hit rock bottom in high school. Or so she thought. From rock star heiress to knocked-up has been, she turned it all around, marrying the punk rock baby daddy love of her life. The perfect Hollywood fairytale. Until the day she walked in on him kissing her best friend. As she struggles to find herself and redefine the world around her, she faces the challenges of raising her over-achieving teenage daughter, the heartbreak of losing her best friend (backstabbing aside), and emerging from the shadows of two famous last names to find her own identity. Oh, there’s also the tiny issue of her husband’s record label, backed by an anonymous mogul whose morally ambiguous creative direction may ruin them all. But she doesn’t know about that yet.

Review:

This book is so good!! I instantly fell in love with the writing and think that Sharisse did such an amazing job at crafting such wonderful characters. Jenna felt like a drink of cool water. She is real, authentic and loads of fun and throughout the book I felt like she and I were best buds. This is chick lit at its finest and there is so much heartfelt emotion going on but also a ton of wit and humorous parts. Overall, this book is loads of fun and such a great, quick read. I highly recommend it.

May 31, 2013
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Book Review: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

I received a copy of Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Orphan Train is a gripping story of friendship and second chances from Christina Baker Kline, author of Bird in Hand and The Way Life Should Be.
Penobscot Indian Molly Ayer is close to “aging out” out of the foster care system. A community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping Molly out of juvie and worse…
As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly learns that she and Vivian aren’t as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance.
Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life – answers that will ultimately free them both.
Rich in detail and epic in scope, Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are.
Review:
I have been finding myself really enjoying stories that switch from past to present tense, and I’m glad my shelves are filling with them! I loved going back and learning about Vivian’s life in the early 1900’s, though of course I was also quite sad. She didn’t have a lucky situation when she was on the orphan train, and was bounced through a handful of families until she finally landed somewhere where she felt safe. While I still enjoyed Molly’s story and was entertained at how her life was similar to Vivian’s, it was really the older woman that took the cake for me. It was breathtaking at times to read how she survived not only the journey to America, becoming an orphan, traveling in the train with dozens of other orphaned children, but then finally the struggles she had with the families who took her in. The ending was so wonderful because readers get so much closure, not just for Vivian, but for other supporting characters as well. This is such a touching read, and a new favorite of mine for the year.
5 stars

May 31, 2013
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Book Review: Domestic Affairs by Bridget Siegel
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Domestic Affairs by Bridget Siegel

I received a copy of Domestic Affairs by Bridget Siegel in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
When twenty-something political fundraiser Olivia Greenley is recruited by her close friend Jacob Harriston to join the Presidential campaign of Georgia Governor Landon Taylor, she is intoxicated by optimism and opportunity. Taylor’s commitment to social equality and economic responsibility in the post-housing-bubble era is palpable. Sacrificing her sleep, comfort and income are certain to help make the world a better place. Right?
Domestic Affairs: A Campaign Novel vividly captures the fervor and idealism of campaign life—as well as the disillusionment staffers feel when told to make the inevitable compromises. Leaving a meeting with foreclosure victims to hop onto a private jet is one thing, but how to justify dining at a $2,000-a-plate dinner knowing how many lunches the money could buy for at-risk kids? How far does one go when the ends appear to justify the means? And what’s a girl to do when the most charming, erudite, capable and ostensibly honorable man in the free world wants to take her to bed (but he’s married and her boss)? How does it feel to keep the biggest secret of her life from her best friend and coworker, even as the three of them spend every waking hour together? The tension between characters, right and wrong, and between success and implosion are taut.
Review:
This is the second political-based book I’ve read in the past month, and I have to say I’m really enjoying them! It’s interesting to learn about a world that I don’t know much about (politics confuse me, I’ll admit it) and then to also get a behind-the-scenes glance at all the key players. I like learning from my reading, and it was great fun to be able to chat with my fiancé over dinner and tell him about the “body guy” of a campaign and what fundraisers are like to plan. I wanted to shake my head more than once at Olivia for getting pulled into an affair with her boss that we could all see was a bad idea, but I liked the way the ending worked out. A very intriguing novel, and one I recommend!
4 stars

May 29, 2013
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Book Review: Love Octagon by Felicia Rogers
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Love Octagon by Felicia Rogers

Disclaimer: I received a copy of LOVE OCTAGON by Felicia Rogers in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

Kevin Smith is an ordinary guy. He works a plain job. Owns a normal, but disorganized home. And plays like every single man. In short, he is the average male. Until one day on vacation, he takes a run in the park and rescues a bag lady from mugging, after which his life is never the same.

The mysterious lady grants him one wish. Assuming the woman’s offer is false, Kevin returns home with thoughts of a past conversation in his mind. Later when he steps from the shower everything has changed. The disorderly home is no more. All his vacation chores have been completed. And most surprising of all he has seven wives.

Will this unexpected twist turn out to be the blessing he hoped for, or a curse he wished he’d never asked for?

Review:

Love Octagon is a really good and hilarious read. I thought Felicia did a really great job at writing a unique story that was filled with heartfelt humor and interesting situations. And as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for, just as Kevin learns. The whole book played out just like a movie and I thought that the dynamic between Kevin and all of his wives was quite hilarious. I mean, what guy wouldn’t wish for more than one woman? It is nice to see that he learns out just how complicated it would actually turn out. Overall though, this book is really great and quite an enjoyable read and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for something light and fun this summer!
Rating: 4/5 stars

May 29, 2013
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