Book Review: Horse Play by Jo Carnegie
I received a copy of Horse Play by Jo Carnegie in exchange for an honest review. Summary: Churchminster village – picturesque, quaint, sleepy – or…
Star Struck by Jane Lovering
Skye Threppel was in a horrific car accident that took the lives of her fiancé and best friend, and left Skye without all her memory. Skye has more than physical scars to remind her of the accident – she has the internal ones that haunt her as well. The memories that have been lost, the confidence that was stolen, and a new life that she is trying to adjust to. Felix, her best friend’s brother who is also still trying to deal with the accident and death of his sister, suggest the two of them head to Nevada where a TV convention is being held. Skye has the chance to meet her favorite actor, and possibly the trip could help the both of them move on. But once there, Skye meets sci-fi writer Jack Whitaker, and a possible romance blooms. But will Skye be able to overcome Jack’s past? And when Skye is suddenly filled in on her own past and the way she was before the accident, everything changes.
As I was reading Star Struck by Jane Lovering, I didn’t quite know what to think. I really liked Skye as a main character, I thought she was nice girl that went through something terrible and I thought she was brave and relatable on some level. Felix I wasn’t quite sure what to make of. A raging sexpot ready to jump in bed with either man or woman, and sometimes I wasn’t sure how good of a friend he was to Skye. The romance between Skye and Jack was pretty hot, but when the big plot twist came, I again just didn’t know what to think. When Felix confronts Skye about her past, it’s actually very dark and downright depressing. I was a little put off with Felix and the whole revelation, not sure which direction I was about to be taken in. But in the end, Lovering did a great job at pulling me back in, keeping the suspense up, and giving a proper resolution to all the characters. This book was a bit of a roller-coaster to me, but overall the story stuck with me and I would recommend.
[Rating: 4]
Diary of a Mummy Misfit by Amanda Egan
Libby Marchant and husband Ned are bound and determined to give their only child, son Max, a prestigious education. They work diligently to be able to get him accepted by Manor House Prep School––whether they truly can afford it or not. Once accepted, Libby realizes that maybe prep school isn’t the best place for her. The other moms are first class snobs, she immediately feels out of place, and the competition between the other mothers is chart-topping. Libby befriends Fenella Hunter-Barnes, a rich mother but who is down to earth at the same time. Libby and Fenella easily become fast friends, and team up against the other parents while trying to survive prep school together.
I had a lot of fun reading Diary of a Mummy Misfit by Amanda Egan. I will say that the British slang sometimes left me baffled. I even tried googling a few of the sentences so I could get the full humor, but eventually had to quit because it happened so often. Other than that, I loved Libby’s character––always slightly off-balanced but a loving wife and mother who is just trying to do the best for her son. The friendship she has with Fenella is hysterical. Egan’s writing it quick and witty, filled with humorous tales and quirky scenarios. A really fun chick lit read that I would recommend!
[Rating: 4]
Guest Post by Michele Gorman
Chick Lit Plus
Why self-publishing in the US
I thought long and hard before deciding to self-publish Single in the City in the US as an eBook. After all, the book was published by Penguin in the UK and many other countries in 2010. Penguin’s team helped make it a best-seller. Surely it’s better to go with a big publisher than to go it alone? If I’m not doing so, does it mean that I’m rejecting the big publishers, as many writers have recently done?
Not really. At least, not all of them. I loved working with Penguin UK. My editor Lydia Newhouse quickly became a friend (still is), listening to my suggestions and making sure the publication went smoothly. The sales team got the book into the major retailers and my PR Helen was superb, getting us widespread publicity.
I’m self-publishing because sometimes publishers have less faith in the books, and the readers, than we, the writers, do.
You see, when Caroline and I sold book rights to Penguin (UK), we held back the US rights. We did this because I wanted a US-based publisher for Single in the City’s American launch. After all the main character, Hannah, is American. There’s a strong theme about seeing London through rather baffled American eyes. Caroline and I thought that surely it was a great fit for the US market.
The US publishers we approached had a different point of view. They were all very nice about it but said that the book isn’t right for the American chick lit market. It’s set in London. Readers won’t identify with it, they concluded.
I disagree. Isn’t it a bit dismissive, and wrong, to suggest that American women can only be interested in books that literally reflect their own lives? If that were true then only mothers of homicidal children would buy We Need To Talk About Kevin, and nobody living outside the 19th Century would bother with Jane Eyre. These books gain wide readership because they deal with universal themes (nature versus nurture, the effects of parenting, family, belonging, love). Single in the City is about taking a chance and establishing a new life. More than 5 million young American women do that every year when they move cities. It’s a fish-out-of-water story. And it’s about finding your feet in life and love. These, too, are universal themes. Those US publishers sold chick lit fans short.
And that’s why I’m self-publishing. I believe it’s the right decision for this book in this market. Like Hannah, I’m taking a leap of faith.
Watching Willow Watts by Talli Roland
Willow Watts was just starting to make something of herself when everything changed. She was living in London, working to become a well-known florist, happy with her boyfriend and her life, when her mother passed away. Willow felt she didn’t have any other choice but to move home to the village she grew up in to watch after her father and his failing antique shop. She lost her wonderful boyfriend, her budding career, and a little piece of herself after moving back home. Her once thriving life had become mundane, even with her best friend Paula to keep her company. But Willow’s life gets turned upside down after a video of her dressed as Marilyn Monroe hits YouTube. She becomes an instant sensation, and even has a hot shot agent from the big city knocking on her door. Will Willow be able to handle the pressure that comes with fame?
I had a lot of fun and many laughs while reading Watching Willow Watts by Talli Roland. With so much of our society now focused on celebrities- and people becoming famous for no real reason- I thought this book really showcased how that can happen, and what a person feels like when the fame and attention is unwanted. Willow is such a shy girl, who really just wants to help her father, his business, and make an honorable dollar. But the lure of money and being able to pay off the business debts is one that she simply can’t ignore. I think that is something many would be able to relate to. I did enjoy that while most of the book is from Willow’s perspective, readers will also get to dive into Willow’s agents mind as well- the slimy Jay. Watching Willow Watts is made up of a bevy of fun and interesting characters, which made this book interesting to read throughout. Light-hearted, humorous, and a sweet happy ending made me a happy reader!
[Rating: 4]
Love and Freedom by Sue Moorcroft
Honor Sontag has always done the right thing. Plays by the rules, is fair, does what is expected of her. But when she is pushed too far, she flees her home in Connecticut and heads to England in search of her birth mother, and some much needed clarity. While there, she befriends her landlord’s family, especially the only male among the bunch, Martyn Mayfair. While sparks fly between Honor and Martyn, both hold back for different reasons. Martyn has been hurt in the past before, and Honor, well she is still legally married. Their romance is thrown other hurdles- Martyn’s stalker that happens to be Honor’s new boss, Martyn’s career as a hottie underwear model, and Honor’s secrets that she is keeping hidden from Martyn. Can Honor finally find her love and freedom in England? Or will always doing the right thing keep her from Martyn and a chance at true happiness?
Love and Freedom is a really sweet romance from Sue Moorcroft. I had a lot of fun reading the British terms and getting to know both Honor and Martyn. Honor is the perfect heroine- a good person with a big heart but riddled with flaws and confusion, not sure which way to turn. I thought the beginning was just a touch too slow, and I was a little hesitant about where the story would lead me. But after just a few chapters I was hooked, and there are some stunning bombshells that are dropped along the way that made my mouth drop open. This was a great romance with a lot of drama built in, and I think chick lit readers will appreciate the plot and the characters that are along for the ride.
[Rating: 4]
Author Profile: Victoria Connelly
Author Name: Victoria Connelly
Website: http://victoriaconnelly.com/
Bio: Victoria Connelly grew up in Norfolk before attending Worcester University where she studied English Literature. After graduating, she worked her way through a number of jobs before becoming a teacher in North Yorkshire. In 2000, she got married in a medieval castle in the Yorkshire Dales and moved to London.
Although having had articles and short stories published, it was only when Flights of Angels was published that Victoria was able to realise the dream of becoming a professional writer. Bought in a bidding war between five publishers and released as Unter deinem Stern in Germany, the novel was made into a film for television by award-winning Ziegler Film. Her second novel, The Unmasking of Elena Montella (Wenn es dich gibt), was published in 2007 and her third, Three Graces (Wohin mit der Liebe), was published in 2009.
Her first novel to be published in the UK – Molly’s Millions – came out in 2009. She is currently working on a trilogy about Jane Austen addicts. The first, A Weekend with Mr Darcy, was published in the UK by Avon, HarperCollins, and was published in the US by Sourcebooks in July 2011. The second in the trilogy, The Perfect Hero, was published in the UK in April 2011 and will be published in the US as Dreaming of Mr Darcy. The third book, Mr Darcy Forever, will be published in the US in April 2012.
Her next book to be published in the UK will be The Runaway Actress – a romantic comedy about a movie star who swaps Hollywood for the Highlands.
Victoria’s three fantasy rom coms, previously published in Germany, are now available in English on Kindle and other ebook formats.
She lives in London with her artist husband, a springer spaniel and four ex-battery hens.
See my review of The Perfect Hero
Bio Retrieved from victoriaconnelly.com
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by Claudia Carroll
Annie and Dan have been the perfect couple for so long. But what happens when the honeymoon is over, the romance starts to wear off, and your husband seems to be married to his job more than you? That’s the way Annie is feeling, and is increasingly unhappy as the lonely days go by. Dan seems to put everyone and everything in front of his wife, so when Annie gets a huge opportunity, she wants, no needs, to take it. Annie is offered a spot on a Broadway show, a huge break for her, but it would mean leaving Dan behind for a whole year in their Irish village of Stickens, and living alone in the Big Apple. When the final straw pushes Annie over the edge, she flees Stickens and lands in New York, ready for a break from her marriage. But will a year apart be good for Annie and Dan? Or will it only lead to the demise of their union?
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by Claudia Carroll is an enjoyable chick lit read. I really felt Annie’s pain in how often she was put on the back burner by her husband, and was rooting for her to get to New York and be her own person. I liked reading about someone struggling to find their independence, because I can relate to that pretty easily. Annie meets a great cast of characters when she gets to New York, and there is quite the subplot going with a cast mate who has a drug problem. I really didn’t know how this story was going to end. I couldn’t decide if I thought Annie and Dan would get back together, or if Annie would find a new man in New York. That made me more on edge to finish the book quickly and see how everything played out. Overall, I really liked this story, a bit slow at times, but a fun chick lit read that I think will inspire readers to never rely too heavily on a man. I would recommend!
[Rating: 4]
The Perfect Hero by Victoria Connelly
Kay Ashton, a die-hard romantic waiting for her Mr. Darcy to come along, receives an inheritance after her friend Peggy passes away. Kay decides to buy a property on Lyme Regis and turn it into a cozy Bed and Breakfast. The first guests? Why only the cast members of `Persuasion’ and Kay gets to rub elbows with some famous actors- including the gorgeous Oli Wade Owen. Kay is sure she has met her Mr. Right- after all, Oli is playing the lead in the movie. But Adam, the writer and producer, has fallen for Kay. But Kay thinks Adam has taken a liking to Gemma, the shy lead actress. Kay makes it her mission to bring together Adam and Gemma, while Adam tries to confess his true feelings, while Kay tries to make herself irresistible to Oli.
The Perfect Hero by Victoria Connelly is a sweet romance story filled with wrong turns and too many assumptions. I did like this story, but it was a bit too slow for me to really get into. Kay was a nice heroine, a lonesome girl who is just looking for her happy ending, but she spent most of her time daydreaming and in her own little bubble than with reality. I didn’t get the attraction to Oli Wade Owen, it was very clear that he was a player and had some secrets going on. On that note, I liked the surprise at the end regarding his character. Adam was a doll and Gemma was very sweet, though painfully shy. I didn’t really understand why she was acting when she clearly didn’t enjoy it and didn’t like the attention. That was confusing. This was still a cute romance, and there are some great scenic descriptions in there, but it missed the mark for me by just a bit. I think fans of light romances will enjoy it though.
[Rating: 3]
