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In My Mailbox: Week of January 12
Chick Lit Plus

In My Mailbox: Week of January 12

Title: Bloodgifted
Author: Tima Maria Lacoba
Received: CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: How does a young woman live a normal life when she carries a rare genetic mutation?
Descended from a cursed Roman soldier, Laura Dantonville has inherited the ability to delay ageing, but much of her past is unknown to her. That includes knowledge of her true parentage and the fact her unique blood is coveted by the secret society of vampires who reside in the eastern suburbs of Sydney.
She later learns it’s her blood alone that provides these creatures with the ability to tolerate daylight. As such, she is the epicentre of a power struggle between two rival vampire groups who want to claim her.
The oldest and most powerful of these factions is led by Alec Munro, whose position as leader, or Princeps, gives him sole claim to Laura.
Has she any other choice but to accept her destiny?

Title: The Brim Reaper
Author: Diane Vallere
Received: CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: When an over-the-top collection of vintage Hollywood costumes comes to Samantha Kidd’s hometown, it brings a hat box full of hype. Close friend Eddie is in charge of the exhibit but when hype turns to homicide, he turns to Samantha for help. Brimming with good intentions, she loops in the cops, but after one too many cloche calls, she’s soon in over her head. If she can tear the lid off the investigation, it might mean a feather in her fedora. And if she can’t? She might get capped.

Title: Limoncello Yellow
Author: Traci Andrighetti
Received: CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: From debut author, Traci Andrighetti, comes a tale of murder, mayhem, and meddling Sicilian grandmas…

Francesca “Franki” Amato is a tough-talking rookie cop in Austin, Texas—until an unfortunate 911 call involving her boyfriend, Vince, and a German female wrestler convinces her once and for all that she just isn’t cut out for a life on the police force. So Franki makes the snap decision to move to New Orleans to work at her friend Veronica’s detective agency, Private Chicks, Inc. But Franki’s hopes for a more stable life are soon dashed when Private Chicks is hired by the prime suspect in a murder case to find out what really happened to a beautiful young boutique manager who was found strangled to death with a cheap yellow scarf. When she’s not investigating, Franki is hoping to seduce handsome bank executive Bradley Hartmann, but most of her time is spent dodging date offers from a string of “good Italian boys”—make that not-so-good aging Italian men—that her meddlesome Sicilian grandma has recruited as marriage candidates. As Mardi Gras approaches and the mystery of the murdered shop girl gets more complicated, Franki must decipher the odd ramblings of a Voodoo priestess to solve both the murder and the mystery of her own love life.

Title: The Dr. Pepper Prophecies
Author: Jennifer Gilby Roberts
Received: Jennifer Gilby Roberts
Synopsis: 25-year-old Mel Parker has a few tiny problems:
* Her job is terrible
* She’s been dumped yet again
* Her ex is now her boss
* Her parents think she’s a loser compared to her perfect younger sister
* All her efforts to improve her life seem doomed to failure
* There just isn’t enough chocolate in the world to make up for the above.

The one good thing in her life has always been her best friend Will, who has seen her through every crisis from lost toys to pregnancy scares. But his girlfriend (who’s prettier, better-dressed, more successful and secretly evil) is determined to replace Mel as the woman in his life and how is Mel supposed to compete?

So what do you do when you’ve pretty much given up on your own life? Help others, of course!

After all, what’s the worst that can happen?

Title: Souls Adrift in the Windy City
Author: JoAnn Hornak
Received: JoAnn Hornak
Synopsis: Soul mates, Zeke Nomad and Inez Paris, meet on a magical summer night at Grant Park in Chicago. They dance, share their hopes and dreams for the future, and just as Zeke is about to kiss Inez, a torrential thunderstorm breaks out. They go their separate ways, but are destined to meet again, a few years later, fall in love, and marry. But that never happens because Zeke and Inez ignore what their hearts are urging them to do. They each make choices for their lives that lead them on different paths than the ones they were meant to follow.

It is now thirteen years later, and there are just six earth days left for wise, old soul, Herodius, a matchmaker in many past lives, and young soul, Serena, a famous romance writer in her most recent life, to guide Zeke and Inez to a second meeting. The matchmakers certainly have their work cut out for them. On Saturday, Inez is set to marry her faithful fiancé, Howard, when the unexpected arrival of two people from Inez’s past, throws her life into chaos and threatens to derail her wedding plans. Zeke is focused on whether his eight years of dedicated service, at his Chicago Loop, silk-stocking law firm, will be rewarded with the brass ring of partnership—a decision to be made on Friday. But, complications arise in Zeke’s life that not only put his career in jeopardy, but also his family, his love life, and his future. Meanwhile, Serena and Herodius are doing everything they can to bring Zeke and Inez together, but these two strong-willed individuals thwart their efforts, at every turn.

Will Zeke and Inez come together, once again, before it is too late for this lifetime?

Title: Love on the Back Burner
Author: Barbara Oliverio
Received: Barbara Oliverio
Synopsis: Readers’ Favorite Award™-Winning Love on the Back Burner spins the story of sassy Alexandria D’Agostino. She is youngest in a tight-knit Italian-American family with a successful marketing career and a passion for cooking, yet her romantic life is less than 4-star. For years, she has tried cooking her way into men’s hearts by flaunting her old world culinary skills, but now, she’s changing the menu. She dishes up childhood favorites to a succession of first dates (recipes included). The book features an engaging cast of characters including a rock-star-turned- priest brother, a no-nonsense Italian immigrant grandmother, and a crew of friends who are always up for a good meal. With a dollop of persistence and a dash of laughter, will Alexandria discover the recipe for happiness — and perhaps love?

January 12, 2014
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Book Review: The Wedding Dress Club by Lisa T Snow
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Wedding Dress Club by Lisa T Snow

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. 3 stars

I will admit this book took a couple of tries to read. The beginning was complex and confusing and I felt very overwhelmed with the many characters introduced right away…

After getting past that, there seemed to be more character introductions, which has thrown me again. I finally felt as if I had a control on all parties involved almost 1/2 of the way through the story…A very frustrating issue.

The story once it began is actually a fun one. It’s about several individuals from different walks of life that find themselves bonding over a love of pretty things…and when I say pretty things I say beautiful amazing wedding dresses. Because many of us have great memories of seeking out our wedding dress and finding that perfect one. These folks just take it a bit further, almost like an obsession and form a club. All of the member’s work together in an office, so perhaps it’s how they enjoy their down time. The club eventually turns into a fund raising idea and all of these once lonely people seem to bond and find friendship through their love of pretty things.

The story, once you actually get past all the introducing of characters and it gets moving is actually a fun story. I really enjoyed it and all the characters were fun.

January 10, 2014
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Future Tour: Storm in a B Cup by Lindy Dale
CLP Blog Tours

Future Tour: Storm in a B Cup by Lindy Dale

Lindy will be on tour February 10-March 10 with her chick lit novel Storm in a B Cup “Dear Cancer, I hope you get cancer and…

January 9, 2014
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My Top Ten of 2013
Chick Lit Review

My Top Ten of 2013

And another year is in the books! 2013 was fabulous for me – bought a house, got married, got a puppy. Marching Ink published two novels, I finished my third (to be published in February), and went to BookBuzz Toronto – check out my author blog for that experience! Also on that blog are my goals for 2014. Instead of a resolution I thought of 10 goals I would like to achieve this year. I hope to be able to check them all off! I reviewed 189 novels in 2013 on Chick Lit Plus (crazy!) and while I think that number will go down this year because of the different projects I’m doing, I still hope to review around 100. I guess we’ll see…in 2015!

Here are my ten favorite reads of 2013. Enjoy my list and Happy New Year all!

Blogger Girl – Meredith Schorr
Hush Little Baby – Suzanne Redfearn
The Girl You Left Behind – JoJo Moyes
Everybody’s Got a Story – Heather Wardell
The Life List – Chrissy Anderson
How To Eat a Cupcake – Meg Donohue
Becoming Mrs. Walsh – Jessica Gordon
Zoey & The Moment of Zen – Cat Lavoie
Caramel and Magnolias – Tess Thompson
Hard Hats and Doormats – Laura Chapman

January 7, 2014
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Book Review: Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner

I received a copy of Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
An unexpected love story.

Jules Strauss is a Princeton senior with a full scholarship, acquaintances instead of friends, and a family she’s ashamed to invite to Parents’ Weekend. With the income she’ll receive from donating her “pedigree” eggs, she believes she can save her father from addiction.

Annie Barrow married her high school sweetheart and became the mother to two boys. After years of staying at home and struggling to support four people on her husband’s salary, she thinks she’s found a way to recover a sense of purpose and bring in some extra cash.

India Bishop, thirty-eight (really forty-three), has changed everything about herself: her name, her face, her past. In New York City, she falls for a wealthy older man, Marcus Croft, and decides a baby will ensure a happy ending. When her attempts at pregnancy fail, she turns to technology, and Annie and Jules, to help make her dreams come true.

But each of their plans is thrown into disarray when Marcus’ daughter Bettina, intent on protecting her father, becomes convinced that his new wife is not what she seems…

With startling tenderness and laugh-out-loud humor, Jennifer Weiner once again takes readers into the heart of women’s lives in an unforgettable, timely tale that interweaves themes of class and entitlement, surrogacy and donorship, the rights of a parent and the measure of motherhood.
Review:
Jennifer Weiner is a big favorite of mine (though that shouldn’t be a huge shock to anyone) and I always look forward to reading her books. I was especially interested in reading Then Came You, because I enjoy reading about books that deal with issues of surrogacy and parenting as of lately. This is a long book but touches on many different characters, each weaving a path that intersect with one another to create quite a compelling story. India’s character didn’t thrill me through most of the book, and I think Jules was my favorite, probably because she was the most relatable to me. This isn’t my favorite book by Weiner, but a good one that I would recommend.
4 stars

January 1, 2014
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Marching Ink Two-Day Sale!
Chick Lit Authors

Marching Ink Two-Day Sale!

Marching Ink is having a quick two-day sale on all five novels! You can get Destined to Fail, Breaking the Rules, The Green Ticket, Zoey…

December 30, 2013
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Author Profile: Margo Karasek
Chick Lit Authors

Author Profile: Margo Karasek

Author Name: Margo Karasek Bio: Margo Karasek decided to be a writer the instant she finished reading her first novel as a kid. She loved…

December 30, 2013
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In My Mailbox: Week of December 29
Chick Lit Plus

In My Mailbox: Week of December 29

Title: The Art of Letting Go
Author: Anna Bloom
Received: Anna Bloom
Synopsis: One year. One woman. One Diary. One question: Can you ever stop history from repeating itself, and if you could, what would you do to stop it?

When Lilah McCannon realises at the age of twenty-five that history is going to repeat itself and she is going to become her mother—bored, drunk and wearing a twinset—there is only one thing to do: take drastic action.

Turning her back on her old life, Lilah’s plan is to enrol at university, get a degree, and prove she is a grown-up.

As plans go, it is a good one. There are rules to follow: no alcohol, no cigarettes, no boys, and no going home. But when Lilah meets the lead singer of a local band and finds herself unexpectedly falling in love, she realises her rules are not going to be the only things hard to keep.

With the academic year slipping by too quickly, Lilah faces a barrage of new challenges: Will she ever make it up the Library stairs without having a heart attack? Can she handle a day on campus without drinking vodka?
Will she ever manage to read a history book without falling asleep? And, most importantly, can she become the grown-up that she desperately wants to be?

With her head and her heart pulling her in different directions, can Lilah learn the hardest lesson that her first year of university has to teach her: The Art of Letting Go?

Title: The Vanishing
Author: Wendy Webb
Received: Hyperion
Synopsis: When Julia Bishop is left widowed, friendless, and penniless by the suicide of her Ponzi-scheming husband, a.k.a. “the Midwestern Bernie Madoff,” she has no one to turn to. So when the mysterious Adrian Sinclair appears at her door, she takes him up on his crazy offer to employ her as a caretaker to his mother, the famous gothic author Amaris Sinclair, who the world believes to be dead. Like Amaris before her, Julia “vanishes” from her old life to Havenwood, the beautiful Scottish castle on Lake Superior that the Sinclairs call home. Her new position seems too good to be true… and Julia starts to wonder if maybe it is. Why are the doors to the library always closed? Why does Havenwood feel so familiar? And if no children live there, why does Julia keep hearing a small voice sing, “Jack and Jill went up the hill / To fetch a pail of water…”

Title: Hard Hats and Doormats
Author: Laura Chapman
Received: CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: Lexi Burke has always been a stickler for following rules and procedures. As a human resources manager for a leading Gulf Coast chemical company, it’s her job to make sure everyone else falls in line, too.

But after losing out on a big promotion–-because her boss sees her as too much of a yes-woman––Lexi adopts a new policy of following her heart instead of the fine print. And her heart knows what it wants: Jason Beaumont, a workplace crush who is off limits based on her previous protocol.

While navigating a new romance and interoffice politics, Lexi must find the confidence to stand on her own or face a lifetime of following someone else’s orders.

Who says nice girls have to finish last?

Title: The Art of Falling
Author: Kathryn Craft
Received: BookSparks PR
Synopsis: Now that her dreams are in tatters, Penny must find a way to rebuild what is broken
All Penny has ever wanted to do is dance–and when that chance is taken from her, it pushes her to the brink of despair, from which she might never return. When she wakes up after a traumatic fall, bruised and battered but miraculously alive, Penny must confront the memories that have haunted her for years, using her love of movement to pick up the pieces of her shattered life.

Kathryn Craft’s lyrical debut novel is a masterful portrayal of a young woman trying to come to terms with her body and the artistic world that has repeatedly rejected her. The Art of Falling expresses the beauty of movement, the stasis of despair, and the unlimited possibilities that come with a new beginning.

December 29, 2013
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Book Review: Shy Town Girls, Ivy by Katie Leimkuehler
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Shy Town Girls, Ivy by Katie Leimkuehler

This is the second book in the Shy Town series and it focuses on Ivy. Ivy is a twenty-something girl-about-town, who is a rising star in the advertising industry. She lives with her best friend Ella, and another girl, Bobbie. A fourth girl, Meryl, rounds out their gang. Their world is based in Chicago and filled with work drama, fashion dilemmas and romantic entanglements. Ivy seems to find trouble wherever she turns. Despite knowing she shouldn’t mix work with pleasure, Ivy starts dating one of her clients. Matters get more complicated when she develops feelings for her best friend’s brother, Shane. Add some daddy issues to the mix, and the angst of being a quarter century old, and you’ve got yourself a story.
The beginning of the book was a struggle for me, which may be because I’m not a twenty something anymore. The Shy-Town girls’ day-to-day lives, work aside, seemed trivial to me. I initially found Ivy to be self-indulgent and arrogant (and proud of it). I was turned off by all the drinking and talking about random hook-ups (although I eventually learned this didn’t mean sleeping together). Obviously, my age was getting in the way of my connection with the characters. When the story focused on Ivy’s career I was more interested. When the author dropped a literary bombshell with letter from Ivy’s long-lost father I became seriously invested. As the story progressed, I was thrilled to see Ivy growing up. The character development was authentic and believable. I came full circle, caring for Ivy and appreciating her relationship with her friends. I even became a little nostalgic about my own twenties.
I also really enjoyed the romantic storyline that takes place in the book, although it’s really not the focus of the story. Ivy’s story is about work, friendship, family, love and growing into an adult. The writing is very good, especially the dialogue. The plot is fun and there’s a great teaser at the end of the book that definitely has me intrigued to read book three.

December 27, 2013
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