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Book Review: The Power Trip by Jackie Collins
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Power Trip by Jackie Collins

I received a copy of The Power Trip by Jackie Collins in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
A luxurious yacht in the Sea of Cortez, a birthday cruise for one of the world’s most beautiful women and an invitation no one can refuse. The Power Trip—take it if you dare.
From Hollywood icon and mega-seller Jackie Collins comes a thrilling new novel, The Power Trip, set on a state of the art luxury yacht off the coast of Cabo San Lucas. A tropical getaway with a cast of global power-hungry elites turns sour when they find out maybe they don’t control as much of the world as they thought . . .

In The Power Trip you will meet Aleksandr Kasianenko, a billionaire Russian oligarch, as he sets sail on The Bianca. You’ll meet his sexy supermodel girlfriend, whom The Bianca is named after, and five dynamic, powerful, and famous couples invited on the yacht’s maiden voyage: Hammond Patterson, a driven Senator, and his lovely but unhappy wife, Sierra; Cliff Baxter, a charming, never-married movie star, and his ex-waitress girlfriend, Lori; Taye Sherwin, a famous black UK footballer and his interior designer wife, Ashley; Luca Perez, a male Latin singing sensation with his older decadent English boyfriend, Jeromy; and Flynn, a maverick journalist with his Asian renegade female friend, Xuan.

You will also meet Russian mobster, Sergei Zukov, a man with a grudge against Aleksandr. And Sergei’s Mexican beauty queen girlfriend, Ina, whose brother, Cruz, is a master pirate with orders to hold The Bianca and its illustrious rota of guests for ransom.

The Power Trip explorers the decadent playgrounds of the super-rich . . . and leaves you hungry for more.
Review:
Oh, Jackie Collins is a naughty lady. I just can’t get enough of her books! While I was initially bummed out that I wasn’t going to be visiting Lucky in The Power Trip, I soon got over that qualm. What a juicy tale! There are so many characters and we get a POV from each of them, but in signature Collins style it’s effortless to keep them apart. You never know what one of them is thinking or what the next action is going to be. This is a seriously big book, but it took me less than two days to read. It’s impossible to put down, and the writing is so smooth yet captivating that you can’t help but devour it quickly.
5 stars

March 15, 2013
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Book Review: A Place For Us by Liza Gyllenhaal
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: A Place For Us by Liza Gyllenhaal

I received a copy of A Place For Us by Liza Gyllenhaal in exchange for an honest review. This is a captivating and beautifully written novel that will draw readers in from the beginning. We meet Brook Bostock and her family – husband Michael, son Liam and daughter Tilly. Brook comes from a prominent family and is extremely wealthy, but never likes to flaunt that fact. She wants to be accepted into the community as a normal family, but her happy existence is shattered when a teenage girl is assaulted in their home. Lawsuits are brought up, the town is giving the cold shoulder to the Bostock’s, and Brooke is wondering how to keep her family – and her marriage- together.
I enjoyed this book because of how complex this situations are, yet how effortless it was to follow along and be drawn into the story. It is teenagers we are dealing with, and while sometimes I just wanted to scream for the truth to come out, I could understand with all the emotions they were feeling. I actually felt sick to my stomach when it came to one father in this book; his actions were downright horrendous. There are a lot of questions that arise, including moral questions that I asked myself along the way. This was a book that I wanted to tell people about, to get their opinion on what they would do and how they would handle a situation, and that is what makes this book a true favorite of mine.
5 stars

March 14, 2013
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CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Love in Translation by Sara Palacios
Chick Lit Review

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Love in Translation by Sara …

Sara Palacios is on tour now with CLP Blog Tours and Love in Translation. I was excited to read this novel because Sara is someone…

March 12, 2013
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Book Review: The Good Daughter by Jane Porter
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Good Daughter by Jane Porter

I received a copy of The Good Daughter by Jane Porter in exchange for an honest review. I fell in love with the first book in the Brennan Sisters series, The Good Woman, and was anxiously awaiting this book to land in my mailbox. This novel focuses on Kit Brennan, a Catholic school English teacher who has recently broken up with her boyfriend of ten years to find true happiness. With her fortieth birthday looming on the calendar and no man in sight (after some horrendous online dating attempts) Kit evaluates what she really wants in life – a child of her own. But will her close-knit family be open to Kit going it by herself? When Kit is on a girls’ weekend she meets Mr. Wrong – but for some reason can’t push him out of her head. When a situation at school thrusts him back into her life, Kit wonders if her normally safe route is about to be shattered.
Another 5 star book! Just like with the first, I hated each time I had to put this down. I found myself literally breathless from time to time while reading, wondering what was in store for the characters. The Brennan family is so fascinating to read about, but it was heartbreaking to watch the mother struggle in her fight with cancer. It looks like Sarah’s story is coming next with the release of The Good Wife in September 2013, and once again I will be on pins and needles waiting for that one!
5 stars

March 8, 2013
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Book Review: Buyer, Beware by Diane Vallere
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Buyer, Beware by Diane Vallere

I was excited to pick back up with Samantha Kidd after Designer Dirty Laundry and Buyer, Beware did not disappoint! Vallere once again brings her…

March 7, 2013
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CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Work For Hire by Margo Karasek
Chick Lit Review

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Work For Hire by Margo …

Margo Karasek is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Work For Hire. This novel is full of hard questions, tough conundrums, and I often thought to myself what would I do? Our heroine is Tekla, a law student who is getting top grades and is on the right track to having much success upon graduation. But when she needs more money to keep her up with her rent, a job offer poses a threat to her carefully-planned out life. She gets a job as a tutor for two young children of extremely wealthy – and absent – parents. But tutor is stretching it, and soon Tekla finds herself running into the ground trying to please not only the kids, but the parents as well. While her grades and perfect attendance starts to suffer, Tekla has moral dilemmas about her job – and begins to question herself.
I really enjoyed Work For Hire, and the main message is actually pretty similar to my second novel, so that probably helped me connect with the plot. Tekla has a great high-paying job, but at what cost? The situations that happen throughout the novel will frustrate you, anger you, and make you sad. Karasek did a great job building up her supporting cast, and it was easy for me to become immersed in the story. The ending left me with a bit of a question mark, which I found to be the only downside of the whole book. I was highly entertained throughout, and it was tough to put down. One I recommend!
4.5 stars

February 28, 2013
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Book Review: The Union Street Bakery by Mary Ellen Taylor
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Union Street Bakery by Mary Ellen Taylor

I received a copy of The Union Street Bakery by Mary Ellen Taylor in exchange for an honest review. I was immediately intrigued from the synopsis because I love a good mystery, have a thing for ghosts, and can’t resist history. This book has it all – and then a sweet family story, a bit of romance, and a heroine that doesn’t give up when the chips fall around her. Daisy McCrae is out of a job and back living at home and working in the bakery that has been in the McCrae family for generations. The same bakery where Daisy was abandoned by her birth mother when she was three, only to be adopted by the McCrae’s and given a chance at life. Just days back at home, Daisy is bequeathed a journal from the 1850’s from an elderly resident who passes away. Daisy – and both her sisters – are confused why Daisy got the journal. But as Daisy starts reading the story of a young slave girl named Susie, more than history is being brought to light.
I thought The Union Street Bakery was a marvelous read! If you like ghost stories and history, don’t pass this one up. I was so intrigued about Susie and her life, and fitting all the puzzle pieces together throughout the course of the book was enthralling. Daisy is a sweet character who has lost her way after getting the pink slip, and I liked that she wasn’t quick to just start anew. She struggled with her new role in the bakery, she struggled with her sisters, and she struggled in the romance department after her ex-fiancé shows up in town. The adoption story of hers really tugged at my heart, especially the rejection she feels. I loved the ending and how everything was revealed to the reader, and this is a book I highly recommend!
4 stars

February 26, 2013
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Future Tour: Reckless Abandon by Jenn Flynn-Shon
CLP Blog Tours

Future Tour: Reckless Abandon by Jenn Flynn-Shon

Jenn will be on tour April 15-29 with her romantic suspense novella Reckless Abandon How far would you go for love? Young Adult fiction Author,…

February 25, 2013
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CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Torn Together by Emlyn Chand
Chick Lit Review

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Torn Together by Emlyn Chand

Emlyn Chand is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Torn Together. This novel is a beautiful story about Daly English, a woman who doesn’t quite know her way yet. She has a difficult relationship with her mother, she still mourns the loss of her father, and she struggles with her art. Daly meets two people that have a profound effect on her life. First there is Meghann, a pregnant teenager who Daly is wary of at first. Daly is jealous of the relationship between her mom and Meghann, but quickly gets a new outlook on life from their friendship – and perhaps a second chance with her mom. She also befriends Kashi, a believer in fate who hails from India. A love affair between the two commences quickly, and Daly takes a life-changing trip to India to meet Kashi’s family for approval. Daly finally feels her life has a purpose, a direction, and she feels happier than she can remember. But is it too good to be true?
Torn Together is a heart-wrenching story that will take readers on an emotional roller-coaster of emotions. Daly is a sweet girl that can never seem to find her way, and I loved when the pieces of her puzzle started clicking into place. Without giving away too much, there is a big shakeup just past the halfway point that made me cry and wonder why life can be so unfair. I had a hard time putting down this book, and I find myself still thinking about Daly and how her story might have continued after finishing the book. I really enjoyed reading about Meghann and her situation, and thought the rest of the supporting cast was very intriguing. Daly’s trip to India and meeting with Kashi’s family is interesting, entertaining, and also educational. I’m actually a big fan of reading about Indian culture and I was entranced by the descriptions and learning about the customs. One for your to-read list!
4.5 stars

February 25, 2013
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