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Wherever Grace is Needed by Elizabeth Bass
Chick Lit Review

Wherever Grace is Needed by Elizabeth Bass

Wherever Grace is Needed by Elizabeth Bass isn’t a chick lit novel, but this story definitely won me over and deserves a five star review. The story centers around two very different families, neighbors living in Austin, Texas. Grace Oliver leaves behind her house, boyfriend, and business in Portland for a few weeks to help her father recuperate from a car accident. Grace loved her life in Texas, her father and her older half-brothers, but moved to Portland with her mother after the divorce. Feeling unsettled with her life, she jumps at the chance to go back to Austin. But while there, doctors discover that Lou, Grace’s father and usually a sharp as a tack retired college professor, is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. The family is devastated by the news, and the diagnosis opens up a lot more questions on caring for Lou, his house, and his possessions.
The family next door to the Oliver’s are suffering from their own tragedy. Ray West and his three young children are trying to cope with the loss of a mother and young daughter. While Ray moves around like a zombie, not sure how to get past grieving for his dead wife, his children suffer from being left on there own. Especially Jordan, who feels guilty for the accident that left her mother and twin sister dead. Grace realizes that the family needs help, and the children need their father back. She becomes a support system for the children, and eventually Ray as well, and tries to help the healing process after such a loss.
I thought Wherever Grace is Needed was an incredibly touching story. Even though most of the book is filled with sad topics, I thought it was more uplifting and inspirational than making me want to cry throughout. Grace’s character is one who wants to help everyone, but at the same time she is trying to bury her own problems beneath the surface. That made her very real while reading the story, and all the supporting characters were phenomenal. Even though there were quite a few, Grace’s family, the West family, the other neighbors in Austin, etc., I never felt overwhelmed by all the lives I was keeping track of, which can happen with large casts. The writing flowed smoothly along, pushing me deeper into their lives instead of making me pull away in frustration. There are great lessons about family, loss, friendships, and love, and I wish I could find more words to praise this beautiful story. Five stars from me and advice to put this on your to-read list.
[Rating: 5]

May 30, 2011
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Future Tour: Phone Kitten by Marika Christian
CLP Blog Tours

Future Tour: Phone Kitten by Marika Christian

Shy, slightly overweight Emily would die if she had to talk dirty face-to-face—especially to her hot cop boy friend. She sure didn’t set out to do phone sex—she wanted to be a writer. But when her BFF framed her for plagiarism, she got in a tiny financial hole and saw this ad for “phone actresses”… Hey, it’s not nearly as bad as it sounds. No pantyhose or pantsuits, no regular hours, you’re your own boss, and lots of people to talk to. Guys, that is. But here’s the odd thing—lots of them want to talk about more than Emily’s imagined attributes; they start to think of her as the best friend they’ll never have to meet. Next thing you know, one of her customers gets killed and Emily knows a lot more about it than she should. But she can’t tell the nearest cop, who’s also her own true love, because then he’ll find out about her secret life. What’s a phone kitten to do? Solve the murder herself, of course—because wouldn’t it be a great story for the newspaper that wrongly fired her? It’s her ticket back to her real life—if it doesn’t get her killed.

PHONE KITTEN is your ticket to hours of giggles—so long as you’re not looking for raunch. Because this is so not it. Somehow, first-time author Christian manages to handle a potentially smokin’ subject with such sly wit, authentic detail, and clever writing that you’ll wonder why this subject was ever considered taboo.

May 29, 2011
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In My Mailbox: Week of May 30
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In My Mailbox: Week of May 30

In My Mailbox: Week of May 30

Title: The Kitchen Shrink
Author: Dee DeTarsio
Received: From Dee DeTarsio
Synopsis: When did Lisby Shaw’s life turn into a country music song? Probably when her best friend signed her up for the debut of the new reality TV show, The Kitchen Shrink, for the ultimate life and home makeover! Unable to squirm out of this “it will be fun” opportunity, Lisby tries to juggle her upstairs-behind-the-scenes-life with her downstairs-in-front-of-the-camera persona, where everything she says and does can and will be used against her.

Hopefully, the show doesn’t find out about her fling with that hunky carpenter. Or that she and her friend smoked hootch she found in her daughter’s room. Lisby cannot believe what a freak show her life has become. At least no one knows about her crush on Sam, Sam, the Cameraman…

Lisby tries to find her way as the TV cameras capture her every move, zooming in on drama with her kids, her ex, her mom and her best friend. Stay tuned for Lisby’s extreme close-up as she becomes a jilted laughingstock on national TV. All is lost…or is it?

Title: The First Day of the Rest of My Life
Author: Cathy Lamb
Received: From Kensington Books
Synopsis: Madeline O’Shea tells people what to do with their lives. A renowned life coach, she inspires thousands of women through her thriving practice – exuding enviable confidence along with her stylish suits and sleek hair. But her confidence, just like her fashionable demeanour, is all a front. For decades, Madeline has lived in fear of her traumatic past becoming public. Now a reporter is reinvestigating the notorious crime that put Madeline’s mother behind bars, threatening to destroy her elaborate facade. Only Madeline’s sister, Annie, and their frail grandparents know about her childhood – but lately Madeline has reason to wonder if her grandparents also have a history they’ve been keeping from her. As the demons of the past swirl around her, a tough, handsome judge with a gentle heart is urging Madeline to have faith in him – and in herself. And as she allows her resistance to thaw, the pain she expects pales in comparison to the surprises headed straight to her door. With one bold, unprecedented move, Madeline O’Shea may just wake up out of the sadness and guilt that have kept her sleepwalking through life for so long – and discover that the worst thing that can happen is sometimes the very thing we desperately need.

Title: Trace of Fever
Author: Lori Foster
Received: From Tricia Carr @ Media Muscle
Synopsis: Undercover mercenary Trace Rivers loves the adrenaline rush of a well-planned mission. First he’ll earn the trust of corrupt businessman Murray Coburn, then gather the proof he needs to shut down the man’s dirty smuggling operation. It’s a perfect scheme—until Coburn’s long-lost daughter saunters in with her own deadly plan for revenge.
With a smile like an angel and fire in her eyes, Priscilla Patterson isn’t who she seems to be. But neither is the gorgeous bodyguard who ignites all her senses. Joining forces to plot Coburn’s downfall, Priss and Trace must fight the undeniable heat between them. For one wrong move, one lingering embrace, will expose them to the wrath of a merciless opponent….

May 29, 2011
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The UnTied Kingdom by Kate Johnson
Chick Lit Review

The UnTied Kingdom by Kate Johnson

Eve Carpenter has a tarnished reputation in the public eye, a mother that ran off with all her money, debts to the tax man the she could never pay, and is working a dead end job. She didn’t think things could get much worse- until she falls through a hole that leads her into a parallel universe- where England is definitely not the England she knows. Practically no landline telephones- forget cell phones. No one knows what a computer is. Princess Diana is still alive. Eve doesn’t know what happened to her, but she needs to figure out a story, and quick. People think Eve is a spy, and they aren’t afraid to get rid of her- by killing her. She finds out that there is a civil war taking place, and she has luckily fallen in with the good guys- including Major Harker. Harker is dealing with his own set of baggage- including a divorce- and doesn’t take to Eve right away. But when a mission involving a mysterious technological gadget- a computer- is called for, Eve must go along for the ride. From there, Harker and Eve develop an awkward type of romance, since these two people are from very different worlds. But is Eve destined to stay in her new world? Or go back to her real life and leave Harker forever?
The UnTied Kingdom by Kate Johnson is a very unique and complex story. The synopsis was hard to decipher, and even harder to write one of my own for the above paragraph. If it confuses you, I say still go for it. I’m glad I did. I was first confused when reading the story, because I thought Eve actually went back in time. She was comparing the hospital and all the scenes to a war zone, so I figured she had stumbled back in the past, but that is not correct. This is where the title comes into play- it is the “untied kingdom” instead of the United Kingdom, nice play on words there. Though the year is still the same as the one Eve came from, she landed in a world that was without the British Empire, only had one World War, and more events that left England in a very different state that what we know now. It was thrilling to think about what the world would be like if certain events in the past never happened, or if the outcomes were different. Johnson clearly has a wild imagination, and to be able to capture such an interesting take on what the world could have been takes talent. Besides the plot being highly engaging and quite thrilling, the characters are also gems in their own ways. Besides Eve and Harker, readers will meet more soldiers in depth when the group goes on their mission, and each will shine. I had a lot of fun reading this novel, but I will warn you to read carefully. If you skip over a paragraph, you could become confused. There is a lot going on, a lot of characters, and an intricate plot. I would have given this book five stars, but the ending was a little disappointing. I won’t give any spoilers, but I just didn’t feel the ending was very believable- it seemed just a bit too easy for the situation that was happening. I know the whole book has a time traveler/unbelievable feel to it, but to wrap everything up so neatly and quickly was a little bit of a downfall for me. Other than that, great book and a definite recommendation.
[Rating: 4]

May 27, 2011
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Reinventing Mona by Jennifer Coburn
Chick Lit Review

Reinventing Mona by Jennifer Coburn

Mona Warren is 31, has a great job and lots of money, but no family and no husband. She is tired of who she has become, someone just fading into the light, going from her day to day activities with no enthusiasm and no spark. She needs to change. She needs to be reinvented. She decides she needs a makeover, and that is easy enough. She exercises, whitens her teeth, straightens her hair and buys a new wardrobe. But she needs more. She needs…a man. Specifically, Adam Ziegler, her accountant and dream man. But since her last real boyfriend had been when she was in her teens and died tragically, she needs help. So she hires male chauvinist/magazine writer Mike “The Dog” Dougherty to help her become irresistible to Adam. His outrageous and female degrading ways actually seem to be working…but somehow, Mona stars to develop feeling for Mike! How could this level headed woman fall for such a man?
Reinventing Mona is the second novel I read from Jennifer Coburn. The first book I read, Tales From the Crib, had me looking forward to another go-around with this comedic author. Unfortunately for me though, I didn’t think this one lived up to what I imagined it would be. Something was just off all the way through. Mona was a nice enough character, but she was someone who supposedly didn’t have a life and didn’t have any idea on how to dress nice or have a real care about her appearance. But pretty quickly, she was dropping designer names and it just didn’t feel real to me. And the background she has was a little strange. Mona lived in commune for the first part of her life, with hippie parents and a terrible tragedy that took away her family. Interesting…but I really didn’t feel that it meshed with the other half of the story- trying to get a man. I think those aspects, combined with a really flat Adam character and way too over-the-top chauvinist turned good boy Mike, just didn’t interest me. The comedic chops that I felt were so on point in Tales weren’t happening in this book either. I think maybe Coburn was trying to fit too many points into one story, and they just didn’t flow well together. I will still keep reading from this author, just because I loved Tales so darn much. I thought the writing was still good in this book, just not the comedy so much, and overall I could recommend Reinventing Mona because the main character was likeable and nice lesson is learned in the end. And there are cute moments along the way, and I didn’t get bored while reading. It just sometimes was a little too unbelievable. While I will say this isn’t her best work, Jennifer Coburn is still an obviously talented writer, and I will read The Queen Gene, which picks up where Tales left off.
[Rating: 3]

May 25, 2011
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Future Tour: Confessions of a PTA Mafia Mom by Elsie Love
CLP Blog Tours

Future Tour: Confessions of a PTA Mafia Mom by Elsie …

Elsie Love is going on tour July 25-August 8 with her novel Confessions of a PTA Mafia Mom Elaine Jackerson is in quite a predicament.…

May 25, 2011
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Here Home Hope by Kaira Rouda
Chick Lit Review

Here Home Hope by Kaira Rouda

Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda is a five star worthy read! I was in love with this novel, from the first page and the hilarious dentist office scene, to the last page where I felt I was left with life lessons, and all the scenes in between. The story centers around Kelly Mills Johnson, a suburban wife who has become bored as her fortieth birthday nears. Her husband, a successful and supportive attorney, has a thriving career and love for golf, and her two young sons are active and away at camp for the summer. This leaves Kelly drumming her fingers, trying to figure out how to overcome her midlife crisis. Her two best friends appear perfect to an outsider- wealthy husbands, interesting careers, and Kelly decides to try to be more like them. She decides to act on her passion for decorating, but before she can even get started, life intervenes with the appearance of her friend’s anorexic daughter. And an affair that shakes the neighborhood. And a friendship that is on the rocks. Kelly tries to tackle many subjects- her start up business, her family, her friends and their problems, and by doing so, realizes what the important things in life are.
I absolutely adored Here, Home, Hope. What I found interesting is that I completely connected with Kelly, even though I am nothing like her being in my twenties, not married and have no children. But I think that shows the strength of a great writer and character that they create- anyone can relate to them, no matter how far off they are from your real life. And I loved that Kelly’s husband was one of the good guys. I will admit that I was almost waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for him to be having an affair because that is often how the story goes these days, but he was faithful and supportive through it all. The Things to Change List that Kelly makes along the way was also really inspiring. I thought of a few changes that I could make myself, and I think readers will take a lot away from that. But what really got me with this novel is how empowering it was to read as a women. Kaira Rouda says on her website that she has a particular interest in empowering women and children, it showed through her writing. I closed her first novel feeling like I could do anything, and that is special. Here, Home, Hope is only the first in a series that center around Grandville, the fictional town where Kelly Mills Johnson and friends reside, and I know the others will all be must reads for me.
[Rating: 5]

May 24, 2011
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Tales From the Crib by Jennifer Coburn
Chick Lit Review

Tales From the Crib by Jennifer Coburn

Lucy Klein is a suburban wife, leaving in the, well, suburbs, with her lovely husband Jack. She is getting ready to make a big announcement at the dinner table- she is pregnant. Jack is getting ready to make his own big announcement- he wants a divorce. Jack goes first. Lucy is stunned. Though she knew her marriage wasn’t exactly rock solid, she still is surprised at the D-word, and the timing couldn’t be worse. But Jack devises a plan, a co-parenting plan. They would live under the same roof and raise the baby as friends. Yes, friends. Friends who would also bring their girlfriends home while Lucy lay alone in bed at night. Friends who let their girlfriends take her adorable little son to the park. Lucy is still determined to be a great mom, and give her son everything he should have- including time with his father. But can she balance the stress of motherhood and the delicate situation with Jack? Or will it prove too tough to handle?
I absolutely adored Tales From the Crib by Jennifer Coburn. And I will say that knowing I was about to read a book that covered mostly talk about babies, birth, and breast-feeding, I really wasn’t looking forward to it. I am not a mom myself, so I wasn’t sure I would be able to relate to Lucy’s character, but I was proved very wrong. Even though we didn’t have much in common, Lucy’s slightly off-kilter personality kept my attention and more importantly- kept me laughing. This book is super funny! I was reading it in my break room at work one day and burst into laughter at one particular point, causing everyone to look at me like I was crazy. The supporting characters, especially Lucy’s mom, bring their own comedy to the story. Overall, I thought this was a funny book, but also very eye-opening on motherhood and the trials new moms go through. I know I will remember some of the lessons Lucy learns along the way if my time should ever come to start a family. I will definitely be looking forward to reading more from the very funny Jennifer Coburn.
[Rating: 4]

May 23, 2011
3 Comments
In My Mailbox: Week of May 22
Updates

In My Mailbox: Week of May 22

In My Mailbox: Week of May 22, 2011

Title: Love and Freedom
Author: Sue Moorcroft
Received: From Choc Lit
Synopsis: New start, new love. That’s what Honor Sontag needs after her life falls apart, leaving her reputation in tatters and her head all over the place. So she flees her native America and heads for Brighton, England. Honor’s hoping for a much-deserved break and the chance to find the mother who abandoned her as a baby. What she gets is an entanglement with a mysterious male whose family seems to have a finger in every pot in town. Martyn Mayfair has sworn off women with strings attached, but is irresistibly drawn to Honor, the American who keeps popping up in his life. All he wants is an uncomplicated relationship built on honesty, but Honor’s past threatens to undermine everything. When secrets about her mother start to spill out …Honor has to make an agonising choice. Will she live up to her dutiful name and please others? Or will she choose freedom? From the best selling author of Starting Over, this novel has great charm and a cast of unforgettable characters.

Title: Confessions of a Call Center Girl
Author: Lisa Lim
Received: From Lisa Lim
Synopsis: Madison Lee is a fresh college grad, ready to take on the world of print media. But she has zero luck landing a job. Unemployment is at ten percent and on the rise. Desperate and left with no other options, she accepts a position as a service rep at a call center in Pocatello, Idaho. At the Lightning Speed call center in Spudsville, Maddy plunges into the wild and dysfunctional world of customer service where Sales is prided over Service and an eight hour shift is equivalent to eight hours of callers bashing her over the phone. Oh sure, the calls are bad. But Maddy manages to find humor on the phone and off the phone. And with all the salacious drama behind the calls, there is never a dull moment at the Lightning Speed call center.
Lately . . . Maddy has been pining for her smolderingly gorgeous co-worker Mika Harket. Now things are heating up on the phone–and elsewhere. Don’t hang up on this novel. Working at a call center has never been this garish . . . or this delightful.

Title: The Summer We Came to Life
Author: Deborah Cloyed
Received: From Eric @ Planned Television Arts
Synopsis: Every summer, Samantha Wheland joins her childhood friends – Isabel, Kendra and Mina – on a vacation somewhere exotic and fabulous. This year, it’s a beach house in Honduras, but for the first time, their clan is not complete. Mina lost her battle against cancer six months prior, and the friends she left behind are still struggling to find a way to move on without her. Before the trip ends, the bonds of friendship with her living friends, the older generation’s stories of love and loss, and Samantha’s glimpse into a world far removed from the one in which she belongs will convince her to trust her heart.

Title: One Bird’s Choice
Author: Iain Reid
Received: From a friend
Synopsis: Meet Iain Reid: an overeducated, underemployed twenty-something, living in the big city in a bug-filled basement apartment and struggling to make ends meet. When Iain lands a job at a radio station near his childhood home, he decides to take it. But the work is only part time, so he is forced to move back in with his lovable but eccentric parents on their hobby farm. What starts out as a temporary arrangement turns into a year-long extended stay, in which Iain finds himself fighting with the farm fowl, taking fashion advice from the elderly, fattening up on a gluttonous fare of home-cooked food, and ultimately easing (perhaps a little too comfortably) into the semi-retired, rural lifestyle. A hilarious and heartwarming comic memoir about food, family, and finally growing up, One Bird’s Choice marks the arrival of a funny, original, and fresh new voice.

May 22, 2011
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