Chick Lit Plus by Samantha March

Latest Youtube Videos

Chick Lit Author Maria Murnane
Chick Lit Authors

Chick Lit Author Maria Murnane

Before Maria Murnane started writing, she worked in sports PR for a few years before quitting her career and moving to Argentina for a year. During that time, she played semi-pro soccer and starting working on her manuscript, which then turned into her debut novel, Perfect on Paper.
Murnane studied at UC Berkeley, where she graduated with high honors in English and Spanish. She also received a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern University. Murnane currently lives in New York and also works as independent business writer.

May 11, 2010
Leave a comment
In My Mailbox: Week of May 9th
Updates

In My Mailbox: Week of May 9th

In My Mailbox: Week of May 9th

With the busy Mothers Day Weekend, I didn’t have much time to scope out books, but only receiving one this week didn’t bother me at all because it is the latest from my favorite author!

Title: Heart of the Matter
Author: Emily Giffin
Received: From SheKnows book club for review
Synopsis: Tessa Russo is the mother of two young children and the wife of a renowned pediatric surgeon. Despite her own mother’s warnings, Tessa has recently given up her career to focus on her family and the pursuit of domestic happiness. From the outside, she seems destined to live a charmed life.
Valerie Anderson is an attorney and single mother to six-year-old Charlie–a boy who has never known his father. After too many disappointments, she has given up on romance–and even to some degree, friendships–believing that it is always safer not to expect too much.
Although both women live in the same Boston suburb, the two have relatively little in common aside from a fierce love for their children. But one night, a tragic accident causes their lives to converge in ways no one could have imagined.
In alternating, pitch-perfect points of view, Emily Giffin creates a moving, luminous story of good people caught in untenable circumstances. Each being tested in ways they never thought possible. Each questioning everything they once believed. And each ultimately discovering what truly matters most.

May 10, 2010
1 Comment
Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines
Chick Lit Review

Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines

Nikki Lanier is in desperate need for a job, and her lone degree in linguistics is not helping her case any. When she gets an offer from Mrs. M, head of Carrie Mae Foundations (think Mary Kay or Avon) she gingerly agrees to learn about all things makeup. She quickly finds out that not only does Carrie Mae specialize in foundation and mascara, but they are also secret agents out to protect women around the world. Nikki soon finds herself attending target practice, learning which guns are used in which situations, and how to fight enemies with acid nail polish and flash grenade compacts.
After Nikki successfully completes her training test, Mrs. M sends her on to her first mission- to Taiwan. Nikki, along with veteran agent Valerie, are to rescue Lawan Chinnawat, director of a woman’s clinic and a leader in protesting the sex trades that dominate Asia. Along the way, Nikki befriends a handsome stranger who she thinks may be a government agent in on the kidnapping, and learns of a traitor within the company, almost losing her own life because of it.
Bulletproof Mascara, the hilarious spy novel from Bethany Maines, will keep readers laughing throughout as innocent Nikki goes from her awkward unemployment stage to confident secret agent, figuring out missions. Nikki’s character is immediately likeable, someone who is a little unsure about themselves but willing to take on a new challenge. The plot line is fun and engaging, with the mystery not being revealed until the very end. I was a little skeptical at first when I read the synopsis, because cosmetics gals working as secret agents didn’t sound very believable, but Maines definitely makes it work. Bulletproof goes on my favorites list, and I cannot wait for the sequel to come out! The book even has its own website, www.bulletproofmascara.com, and there is plenty of fun to be found there. A must read for chick lit fans that enjoy a little mystery and suspense in their books.

May 9, 2010
Leave a comment
Chick Lit Author Carol Snow
Chick Lit Authors

Chick Lit Author Carol Snow

Carol Snow wasn’t so sure she could cut it as a novelist. Though she knew she wanted to write fiction, she received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brown University and a master’s in teaching from Boston College. After deciding to take a leap, she first wrote nonfiction articles and essays before finishing a novel, securing an agent, and landing a publishing contract. She now has 4 books for adults published: Been There, Done That, Getting Warmer, Here Today, Gone to Maui, and Just Like Me, Only Better.
While Carol Snow grew up in Madison, New Jersey and has lived in a variety of other states (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Utah, and Arizona are just some) she now resides in Southern California with her husband and two children.

May 5, 2010
Leave a comment
In My Mailbox: Week of May 2nd
Updates

In My Mailbox: Week of May 2nd

In My Mailbox: Week of May 2nd

Title: I Scream, You Scream
Author: Wendy Lyn Watson
Received: From Wendy Lyn Watson for Review & Giveaway
Synopsis: Recently divorced Tallulah Jones is mortified when she’s stuck scooping sundaes for her two-timing ex-husband-and his bodacious new girlfriend, Brittanie-at his company luau.
But when Brittanie drops dead, Tally is suddenly the prime suspect in her murder investigation. To catch the killer, Tally will have to dip deep into her small Texan town’s darkest secrets and churn up stories some would prefer to keep in the past. But can she uncover the real culprit before a murder charge puts her dreams on ice for good?

Title: The Summer We Read Gatsby
Author: Danielle Ganek
Received: From Danielle Ganek
Synopsis: Half sisters Cassie and Peck could not be more different. Cassie is a newly divorced journalist with her feet firmly planted on the ground; Peck is a vintage-obsessed actress with her head in the clouds. In fact, the only thing they seem to have in common is their inheritance of Fool’s House, a rundown cottage left to them by their beloved Aunt Lydia. But Cassie and Peck can’t afford the house, and they can’t agree on anything, much less what to do with the place. Plus, they’ve inherited an artist in residence and self-proclaimed genius named Biggsy, who seems to bring suspiciously bad luck wherever he goes. As these two likeable sisters try to understand their aunt’s puzzling instructions to “seek a thing of utmost value” from within the house, they’re both distracted by romantic entanglements with men from their pasts. The Summer We Read Gatsby, set in the end-of-an-era summer of 2008, is filled with fabulous parties, eccentric characters, and insider society details that showcase Ganek’s pitch-perfect sense of style and wit.

May 3, 2010
Leave a comment
Book Giveaway: The Opposite of Me
Updates

Book Giveaway: The Opposite of Me

Time for another book giveaway! Lovely author Sarah Pekkanen has agreed to host a giveaway through Chick Lit Plus, and one lucky winner will receive a copy of her debut novel The Opposite of Me. To get entered, leave a message on this post, comment on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter (be sure to send me a message if you follow me on Twitter so I can enter you)! The winner will be announced on Friday, April 30th. Good luck!

April 29, 2010
5 Comments
House Rules by Jodi Picoult
Chick Lit Review

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Jacob Hunt isn’t the average teenager. Though he is seemingly quite smart- especially with forensics analysis, he is terrible at reading social cues and expressing emotions, causing him to be an outcast among his school. But Jacob suffers from Asperger’s syndrome- a form of autism. While he can function at a higher level than those with autism, it doesn’t help him make friends any easier. The only person who really seems to understand Jacob is his tutor- until she is found dead, and Jacob is the prime suspect. Suddenly, Jacob’s family- which includes his single struggling mother and younger teenage brother- are under the spotlight. Could Jacob really have committed murder?
House Rules is a gripping, suspenseful novel by best-selling author Jodi Picoult. By examining different character point of views, readers can get a deeper understanding of the murder mystery at play. The clues help lead the plot along, but are never too informative, so I kept trying to read faster to find out who was the real killer. I had tears in my eyes while reading what Jacob’s mother went through during her daily life- what she needed to do when Jacob has tantrums in public and how she was coping during the days he was in jail. The story is powerful until the end, and keeps you thinking about the characters long after you have finished.

April 29, 2010
Leave a comment
In My Mailbox: Week of April 25
Updates

In My Mailbox: Week of April 25

In My Mailbox: Week of April 25th

Title: The Journey Home
Author: Michael Baron
Received: From Michael Baron
Synopsis: Joseph, a man in his late thirties, awakens disoriented and uneasy in a place he doesn’t recognize. Several people are near him when he opens his eyes, all strangers. All of them seem perfectly friendly, but none of them can explain to him how he got there. They offer him a delicious meal and pleasant conversation in a beautifully decorated room. This would be a very nice experience if not for one thing: Joseph doesn’t know where he is and he has no way to contact his wife, who he is sure is worried sick over him. Thanking the people for their hospitality, he leaves to make his way back home. The only problem is that whatever happened to him has stripped him of most of his memories. He knows he needs to get back to his wife, but he doesn’t know how to find her. He sets out on a journey to find his home with no sense of where he’s going and only the precious, indelible vision of the woman he loves to guide him.
Antoinette is an elderly woman in an assisted living facility. She’s spent the last six years there since her husband died, and most of those years have been happy. She enjoys the company of others in her situation and her son comes to visit often. But in recent months, she’s had a tougher and tougher time leaving her room. Her friends seem different to her and the world seems increasingly confusing. She spends an escalating amount of time on a journey inside her head. There, her body and mind haven’t betrayed her. There, she’s a young newlywed with a husband who dotes on her and an entire life of dreams to live. There, she is truly home.
Warren, Antoinette’s son, is a man in his early forties going through the toughest year of his life. His marriage ended, he lost his job, and in the past few months, his mother has gone from hale to increasingly hazy. Having trouble finding work, he spends more and more time by his mother’s bedside. But her lack of lucidity both frustrates and frightens him. With far too much time on his hands, he decides to try to recreate his memories of home by attempting to cook his mother’s greatest dishes using the rudimentary appliances available in her room. He finds the challenge surprisingly rewarding, especially because the only time he feels his mother is truly with him anymore is when she is eating the meals he prepares for her.
Joseph, Antoinette, and Warren are three people on different searches for home. How they find it, and how they connect with one another at this critical stage in each of their lives, is the foundation for a profound and deeply moving story.

Title: The Look of Love
Author: Jill Egizii
Received: From Jill Egizii
Synopsis: Anna, the wife of a prominent local attorney, has decided enough is enough. After nearly twenty years of marriage, she realizes she must get free from her controlling spouse. In the process, she loses the only thing that made escaping worthwhile–her children. Despite their joint custody agreement, her ex uses his wiles, wealth, and legal experience to exile Anna from the family. Her once “normal” relationships with her son and daughter mysteriously sour. The system, the law, and her faith in herself all seem to fail her at the same time. While facing the fight of her life, Anna realizes the true meaning of friendship and love.

April 25, 2010
Leave a comment
Fat Chance by Deborah Blumenthal
Chick Lit Review

Fat Chance by Deborah Blumenthal

Maggie O’Leary is overweight and not ashamed to admit it. As a top columnist for a New York paper, her column “Fat Chance” touches on the myths of being overweight, offers support and confidence to her loyal readers, and talks about the obstacles overweight people have to endure. While Maggie is large and loving her shape, eating what she pleases, and never working out, that all changes one day when Hollywood comes calling. Heartthrob actor Mike Taylor is preparing for his next movie role as a diet doctor, and is seeking Maggie to be his consultant. Maggie, not seeing how she could possibly fit in to the LA lifestyle of perfect and plastic, decides to go on a diet to look more the part. But she does it all in secret, not wanting people at her job or her readers to know she is trying to change herself, while still writing how great big girls are. Her consulting trip to Hollywood leads Maggie to a possible love interest, and further confuses what she wants out of life. Can she possibly continue on with her column, her life, when she doesn’t truly believe those old philosophies anymore?
Fat Chance by Deborah Blumenthal is a lighthearted tale, and readers will enjoy following the heroine on her weight loss journey. At times the story seemed to fast-paced, especially with the supporting characters and their stories. I also didn’t quite feel a connection to the main character and why she was putting herself on a diet. The first chapters of the book spoke on how proud she was on not being super skinny and how she loved helping readers, but at the drop of a hat she changes her ways. If you can get past all that, Fat Chance is a fun and fast read that will give readers a lot of facts on nutrition, which was a little added bonus among the chick lit storyline.

April 25, 2010
Leave a comment