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In My Mailbox: Week of December 11
Chick Lit Plus

In My Mailbox: Week of December 11

In My Mailbox: Week of December 11

Title: Chasing China
Author: Kay Bratt
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: After an episode of prejudice rocks her usually secure world, Mia hops a plane back to the country of her birth to search for details about her birth parents, and confront the feelings of abandonment she has kept buried throughout her life. What begins as a simple tour of the Chinese orphanage where she spent her first few years quickly becomes complicated as Mia fights to untangle the web of lies that is her finding details. As she follows the red thread back through her motherland, she is enamored by the history and culture of her heritage—strengthening her resolve to find the truth, even as Chinese officials struggle to keep it buried. With her unwavering spirit of determination, Mia battles the forces stacked against her and faces mystery, danger, a dash of romance, and finally a conclusion that will change her life.

Title: Liar’s Guide to True Love
Author: Wendy Chen
Received: From Wendy Chen
Synopsis: Wedding planner Cassandra Hanley is in the business of making other people’s dreams come true. But for some reason, whenever she meets a potential mate of her own, she finds herself telling little (and not so little) white lies. She’s not trying to sabotage her relationships on purpose: as a people pleaser, she just naturally tells men what she thinks they want to hear.
When Cassandra meets Nick, she’s determined to be herself this time—until she learns he abhors weddings. So she recasts herself as an advertising exec, and now she’s scrambling to cover up the lie…with more lies.
Into the tangled web wanders Cassandra’s college sweetheart, Kevin. Kevin, the one man who knows the real Cassandra, and loves her anyway. Could he have been The One all along?
Torn between the past and the present, Cassandra is about to learn that you can’t plan the perfect life the way you can plan the perfect wedding.
Title: So Damn Lucky
Author: Deborah Coonts
Received: From Leyane/FSB Associates
Synopsis: Lucky O’Toole—Head of Customer Relations at The Babylon, premier mega-resort on the Vegas Strip—thinks it’s just another night in Las Vegas. But then a magician pulls a disappearing act, right under Lucky’s nose. Is it a stunt? Or something worse?
While Lucky chases leads, someone is trying to put her off the scent. As if this wasn’t enough to ruin her day, Lucky’s relationship with The Big Boss is coming to a head—past hurts can no longer be denied. Of course, she is already on shaky emotional ground: Teddie, her live-in, has been touring with a young and lovely pop star. Paxton Dane, former coworker and would-be suitor, is still circling, hoping to find a chink in the armor of Lucky’s resolve. And then, there’s this French chef, who is proving to be too hot to handle….
Las Vegas expert Deborah Coonts thrills again with this third installment in her dazzling series focused on casino “fixer” Lucky O’Toole.

December 12, 2011
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Future Tour: Mad About the Boy by Suzan Battah
CLP Blog Tours

Future Tour: Mad About the Boy by Suzan Battah

Suzan will be on tour February 13- March 5 with her novel Mad About the Boy Julia Mendoza is driven by the success of her…

December 8, 2011
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High-Heels and Slippers by Ella Slayne
Chick Lit Review

High-Heels and Slippers by Ella Slayne

Ella Slayne is on tour with CLP Blog Tours. Protagonist Josie Jenkins is in a bit of a rough spell. A Brit living in Texas, she is starting to feel homesick from her family, and she and her boyfriend just broke up. To make it worse, she has to work with the ex-boyfriend, who also happens to be her boss. Oh, and married. After being the mistress for two years, Josie is alone and trying to not only move on from Bob, but also keep her job as manager. When Callum Doherty, office hottie, shows an interest in Josie, she is shocked. Could he really be interested in her? Suddenly, her once man-devoid world is overpopulated, with Bob trying to get back in her good graces, Callum asking her on dates, and a high school sweetheart making contact with Josie through Facebook. How will Josie choose the right man? And is she only setting herself up for heartbreak?
I thought High-Heels and Slippers by Ella Slayne was a fun and entertaining read. Even though Josie was “the other women” for so long, I couldn’t really get mad at her. It was easy to see that she thought she loved Bob, and that she believed him when he said he was going to leave his wife. The plot points surrounding the high school sweetheart are unbelievably sad, but Slayne wrote the scene with a careful hand and made sure to put hope and inspiration between the lines as well. Something that could have dragged down this light-hearted read just made it better. I did enjoy Callum and the mystery surrounding him––sort of a ‘player, not a player’ question, but I think parts needed to be expanded on a bit. I won’t lie, I honestly thought for awhile there that he was married too, and his frequent “Mom needs me” excuses were so he could run home to his family. But it did keep me interested in him and the story, and that is never a bad thing. Overall, a solid debut from Slayne, and one to get on your list!
[Rating: 4]

December 7, 2011
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Build a Man by Talli Roland
Chick Lit Review

Build a Man by Talli Roland

Talli Roland is rapidly running up my ladder of favorite authors. I couldn’t wait to read the latest from her, Build a Man, and am grateful she keeps sending copies my way! This story follows Serenity Holland, an American living across the Pond and working as receptionist at her boyfriend’s cosmetic surgery clinic. She really has dreams of being a tabloid reporter, and she is trying desperately to get noticed from a magazine. It is at the clinic that she meets Jeremy Ritchie, a man determined to have a complete transformation. Jeremy wants plastic surgery from head to toe to make over who he has become, and Serenity’s boyfriend Peter is just the man for the job. Serenity catches of the eye of a tabloid with her story about Jeremy––a man so obsessed with plastic surgery––and finally lands a chance to become a real writer! But will going undercover work in Serenity’s favor, or will she watch everything fall apart?
I am happy to put Build a Man on my Favorites List and give it a whopping five stars! Roland has everything right in this story––a sweet but confused heroine, a gripping plot, and lots of laugh along the way. I was invested from the beginning, and had to see how Serenity and Jeremy’s story played out. The only gripe I was about to have was that it ended too quickly––I felt that Serenity and Jeremy were only just beginning when the story came to an end, but then I saw there is a sequel––hurray! If you haven’t read anything yet from Roland, get her on your list!
[Rating: 5]

December 7, 2011
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Future Tour: Blank Slate Kate by Heather Wardell
CLP Blog Tours

Future Tour: Blank Slate Kate by Heather Wardell

Waking up with a strange man is scary. Realizing you lost fifteen years of your life overnight? That’s terrifying. With her memories from seventeen to thirty-two gone, Kate has no idea who she is and where she belongs. As she begins to fall for the man who found her, she wonders if she forgot those years for a reason. Should she keep trying to retrieve her original self, or start a new life?

December 5, 2011
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The Full Moon Bride by Shobhan Bantwal
Chick Lit Review

The Full Moon Bride by Shobhan Bantwal

Full Moon Bride by Shobhan Bantwal was the first Indian-culture book I have read, and I was fascinated by it. The heroine is Soorya Giri, a thirty-year old environmental lawyer who lives in New Jersey with her parents and grandmother––who desperately want her to be married. Arranged marriages are the norm in the Indian culture, but Soorya is appalled by them. Living in America, she has seen how other couples marry for love and not just tradition, and she wants the same for herself. When Soorya is introduced to Roger Vadepalli, she doesn’t want to like him. He is arrogant and egotistical, but at the same time quite charming and intelligent, with dreams outside his tradition as well. But there is also Lou, a colleague who her family will not approve of, but who seems to enjoy Soorya’s company as well. As Soorya faces these decisions, she realizes what it means to be independent from her family and how to finally find what is right for her.
First off, I think the cover is exquisite. Second, like I mentioned above, this was my first time trying out a book with an Indian heroine, and I would like to think I learned a lot from it. From the culture, traditions, food, roles of men and women, etc., there is a lot to take in. I thought Soorya was a fine heroine, someone who has obviously been very sheltered along her life by her family. Even though she was somewhat hesitant about certain topics, she was still a strong and smart character, and I enjoyed reading her story. Sometimes things did seem a bit old-school to me: Soorya being a thirty-year old virgin who absolutely cringes at the thought of sex, and the fact that she thought she couldn’t flirt with Lou because he was black––but those were smaller details to me. The story as a whole was a welcome one, and I would recommend this book, especially if you have an interest in the Indian culture.
[Rating: 4]

December 5, 2011
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On Tour: Recession Proof by Kimberly Lin
CLP Blog Tours

On Tour: Recession Proof by Kimberly Lin

Kimberly will be on tour December 5- 26 with her novel Recession Proof Sometimes going after what you want is the hardest thing you will…

December 4, 2011
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Challenge:Post Reviews:December
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Challenge:Post Reviews:December

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Sign up for 2012 Chick Lit Reading Challenge!
Prize for November: Three (3) winners will win an eBook copy of Rock Star’s Girl by JF Kristin. You must post the link to your review in the Mister Linky below. This can be to your blog, GoodReads page, or other sources such as Amazon.

December 3, 2011
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Blog Tour Sign Up: Binding Arbitration by Elizabeth Marx
CLP Blog Tours

Blog Tour Sign Up: Binding Arbitration by Elizabeth Marx

Elizabeth will be on tour in March with her her novel Binding Arbitration, which took third place in the 19th Annual Duel on the Delta…

December 2, 2011
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