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Fake Perfect Me by Cari Kamm
Chick Lit Review

Fake Perfect Me by Cari Kamm

I received a copy of Fake Perfect Me in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Isabella Reynolds has the perfect life … or does she? Maybe there is a grand illusion behind all the glamour.
Isabella Reynolds seems to have it all–the former Southern belle with big dreams is the head of her own skin care company and is the self-proclaimed queen of all things beautiful in New York City. Then her world comes crashing down, and she is stripped of everything she loves–her man, the Italian litigator ”Saint” Santo; her company, and even her beloved dog, Potato. With her penchant for bingeing and purging, how can she turn her life around when she still feels the need to maintain her ”perfect” facade?
Fake Perfect Me, author Cari Kamm’s heart-warming–and often heartwrenching–tale of a successful New Yorker and her inner circle, offers an inside look at a world of excess. Isabella Reynolds may seem unlike anyone you’ve ever known, but at her core, she’s instantly recognizable. Her trials and tribulations, her ups and downs, are much the same as anyone’s. Her world may have a high price tag, but its true value comes from its losses and lesson… to love one’s self.
Review:
I had a fabulous time reading this book. Isabella and I might not be anything alike, but she didn’t turn me off at all. I thought it was fascinating to read about her lifestyle choices. She was clearly a little lost, and even though from the outside it could seem she has it all, behind closed doors it’s a different story. She battles heavily with binging and purging, and it seemed so normal for her that it took me second to realize that she actually had a serious disorder. The synopsis says that at the core Isabella is a normal person, and I definitely saw that. She was dealing with a lot of personal issues – a break up, a bust business, and who could forget her puppy Potato – awesome name by the way. I was hooked by her story and found the plot to be quite compelling. I would recommend to chick lit fans!
[Rating: 4]

November 2, 2012
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Touchable Love by Becky Due
Chick Lit Review

Touchable Love by Becky Due

I received a copy of Touchable Love in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:
Christy has dreams of becoming a successful photographer, but she has lived fast and wild, and fears she has contracted HIV. In an attempt to get her life back on track, she starts working for Paul, a successful, gay photographer who is dying of AIDS. He wants her to photograph his journey to death for a book to help others avoid his mistakes and encourage them to get tested.

And so begins the untraditional love story of Christy and Paul. Experiencing real love for the first time in her life, she secretly fights to keep him alive against his unflinching decision to refuse treatment for his condition. As Paul’s health deteriorates, Brian, Paul’s nurse, enters their lives—and falls in love with Christy.

Christy becomes deeply depressed and isolates herself from everyone, including Brian. The months pass until one day she sees Paul’s publisher and lawyer on TV promoting Paul’s book. She realizes that she wants to make a difference—she wants to finish what Paul and she started.

So Christy begins the work of taking her life back. She reconnects with Brian, connects with other women, and searches for the courage to face her past and get tested. HIV positive or not, she wants to begin her new life.
My Review:
I have previously reviewed another novel by Becky Due, The Dumpster, and it was not for me. I did really appreciate the author emailing me thanking me for giving her a try, and she did offer to send me another title for my thoughts. I thought this was great, because I have been blasted by authors for more favorable reviews, which is really disheartening as a book blogger. So I did appreciate Due and even though I was a bit apprehensive, I gave Touchable Love a go. I again just couldn’t get into the book. It took me almost to the end to connect with the characters, and even though there was a nice little twist ending that I caught, it was hard for me to really get into it because I struggled throughout the majority of the book. I’m bummed that it didn’t work out for me, but again, I commend Becky Due for her professionalism in this industry.

November 1, 2012
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The Paternity Test by Michael Lowenthal
Chick Lit Review

The Paternity Test by Michael Lowenthal

I received a copy of The Paternity Test in exchange for an honest review. This book was an eye-opener, definitely something I have not yet read. The main characters are Pat and Stu, a gay couple who has decided they want to try for a baby. They really want to find a surrogate mother and use Stu’s sperm, and find luck upon them when the meet Debora, who seems to be a great fit. But over time, Pat finds himself drawn to Debora and has some difficult decisions to make – and questions to answer.
I found myself with raised brows throughout my reading – especially at the end. The ending was really nothing that I thought it might be, and I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed, but it did bum me out a little. I’m being cryptic, huh? Trying not to give away so much information! I do think that Michael Lowenthal wrote a very honest and emotional read that lets people discover a different lifestyle in the literary world, I found that fascinating. I really enjoyed this book, as I walk away from it entertained, educated, and still thinking about Pat and Stu’s journey.
[Rating: 4]

October 26, 2012
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Eat, Drink, and Be Married by Rebecca Bloom
Chick Lit Review

Eat, Drink, and Be Married by Rebecca Bloom

I received a copy of Eat, Drink, and Be Married in exchange for an honest review. I’ve been having a lot of fun reading books that focus on weddings, as I am in the midst of planning my own. I definitely related with Hannah, the bride, who has become a bit of a bridezilla as her wedding day draws closer. I get the stress! Hannah is also dealing with not having her mother, who has passed away, there for the biggest day of her life. She does have her girlfriends rallying around her, but each woman is dealing with her own issue. There is Nina, who is pregnant and while her husband is ecstatic over the baby news, Nina is struggling with her own motherly issues. Zoe is refusing to admit she is in love with best friend Graham, and Kate is trying to find who she was before an abusive relationship sucked her soul. Through all their own issues and the stress of Hannah’s wedding, the friends come together in an ending fit for chick lit!
I liked this book and each of the girls. I thought their stories were touched on enough but didn’t feel like anyone got the shaft, and I got to know each character equally. I enjoy books that focus on great friendships between woman, and this book did just that. Why I am not giving the book four stars is because I didn’t understand some of the writing. It was almost like this was written as a screenplay. For example, instead of saying something like “Zoe was angry again with what he was saying,” it was written as “Angry again.” I didn’t quite get the clipped descriptions in a novel, and that was a bit distracting for me throughout. But other than that, a fun chick lit novel that I enjoyed reading.
[Rating: 3.5]

October 24, 2012
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Future Tour: Bouquet Toss by Melissa Brown
CLP Blog Tours

Future Tour: Bouquet Toss by Melissa Brown

Melissa will be on tour January 14-21 with her novel Bouquet Toss Ever since Daphne Harper graduated from college, all of her friends have fallen…

October 22, 2012
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Mary Indiana by Anneke Campbell
Chick Lit Review

Mary Indiana by Anneke Campbell

I am happy to be kicking of Anneke Campbell’s CLP Blog Tour for Mary Indiana! I found a lot of humor in this book, and kept thinking what a genius Campbell was for this plot concept. I wondered if it would be kind of a cheesy read, trying to teach the story of Mary and the virgin birth of Jesus, but it wasn’t that way at all. It was a very modern tale of young girl who gets pregnant somehow even though she is a virgin, and the people who decide to help her. Some wonder if this is the new Mary, if the second coming is truly on the brink of happening. Others wonder if it’s a sign that 2012 will bring the end of the world as we know it. Others simply call it a miracle. But what is the true story behind the girl dubbed Mary and her stunning situation – a true miracle – or something else?
Again, I found this book to be very funny, nothing real religious or cheesy that I thought it could be, and a very interesting plot that had me thinking (and laughing) after I closed the book. I compared it to how the media seems to run our world – how they can take a story and just run with it (cough, A-Rod not playing in the playoffs, this Honey Boo Boo phenom, cough). News of Mary spread fast and everyone had their own take on it. Parents came forward trying to claim Mary as their child, the possibility of aliens in the midst was there, and the use of blogs and social media heightened this “miracle.” I think this is a book to check out so you can form your own opinion on Mary’s story, and hopefully get a few chuckles!
[Rating: 4]

October 22, 2012
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The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose
Chick Lit Review

The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose

The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose is a suspenseful novel that will keep you on your toes. Jac L’Etoile has always been haunted by her past and her mother’s suicide. She moves to America to escape and move on, only to find out fourteen years later that she (and her brother Robbie) have inherited the infamous House of L’Etoile, home of one-of-a-kind perfumes and scents. Hesitant at first, Jac leaves most of the responsibility to Robbie, which results in his disappearance when he stumbles upon an ancient secret that the House of L’Etoile has been researching since 1799. Jac goes on the hunt for Robbie, a quest that takes her places she never imagined … and to answers about her troubled past that she never thought existed.

I found The Book of Lost Fragrances hauntingly beautiful and suspenseful. The book travels through many places and a great deal of time, and I found that M.J. Rose did a fantastic job getting all of the details right. In doing so, she created a complex tale with twists and turns at every page and wonderfully believable characters who you find yourself rooting for until the very end. Will Jac ever find Robbie? Will she find the answers she is looking for? Or will she learn more than she bargained for? Only time will tell … and you have to read the book to find out. I for one, stayed up all night searching for the answers right along with Jac, deeply engrossed in the mystery of The Book of Lost Fragrances.

[Rating: 4.5/5]

March 26, 2012
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