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A Parfait Murder by Wendy Lyn Watson
Chick Lit Review

A Parfait Murder by Wendy Lyn Watson

When Wendy Watson asked on Facebook who wanted to review her latest mystery, A Parfait Murder, I signed myself right up. After reading the first, I Scream, You Scream, and thoroughly enjoying the delectable mystery, I knew I wanted to follow the series. I did miss the second book, Scoop To Kill, but I have that on my list to read. For the third book in the Mystery A La Mode series, Tally’s cousin Bree gets an unexpected visit when her ex-husband appears back in town. Sonny shot off seventeen years prior, after Bree got pregnant with her daughter Alice. After never making child support payments, Sonny shows up with a flashy business proposition for the town- and a stunning female on his arm. Sonny hires Kristen Ver Steeg as his lawyer, but she winds up dead- and Bree is holding the gum. Tally knows her cousin is innocent, but with all the evidence and motives pointing straight at Bree, Tally knows she doesn’t have long to clear her cousins name. Meanwhile, Tally is trying to successfully date Finn Harper, a childhood friend and sweetheart who got away, but when a complicated family secret gets revealed, Tally and Finn’s relationship is forever changed.
Once again, I had a great time diving in to this fun mystery series. And seriously- who doesn’t love these covers? They grab my attention right away. Watson brings back heartfelt characters with a lot of personality, and I really enjoyed getting to know Alice. The ending with the family secret simply shocked me, I really can’t say I saw that one coming. There were a few other plot twists that caught me off guard as well, which I love. The suspense was up there, and I think readers will have a great time reading A Parfait Murder. Be sure to check out the rest in the series as well!
[Rating: 4]

October 14, 2011
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Hotel No Tell by Daphne Uviller
Chick Lit Review

Hotel No Tell by Daphne Uviller

Hotel No Tell is the second book from Daphne Uviller that features Zephyr Zuckerman, after Super in the City. I always worry when I don’t read the first book, as in this case, but it was fairly easy to pick up on the story. Zephyr is working as a junior detective with the New York City Special Investigations Commission, and finally has a great case handed to her- where she gets to go undercover. Working as a hotel concierge at the Greenwich Village Hotel, trying to crack a money laundering investigation, Zephyr finds herself a mystery inside the mystery- why was the guest in room 502 found near death? Was it suicide, or an attempted murder? What does the sweet older guest have to do with it, and could her friend Lucy be involved? Zephyr sets out to solve all the mysteries, but the toughest mystery of all is her love life. Though she is madly in love with her boyfriend, she doesn’t want kids-ever- and he does. Should she compromise for love? And how will she solve her work mysteries and finally be taken seriously as a detective?
Like I said, it was easy to fall into the character’s lives. I really enjoyed Zephyr’s friends and their problems. I thought Lucy was hilarious with her suburban mom crisis, and though Macy was a bit out there, her stories were intriguing to read about. This book is very fast-paced, almost a bit too fast for me in the beginning. I couldn’t really keep up with who was who and where they came into the story and where this plot point was taking me, etc. Maybe that has a bit to do with me not reading the first book? It through me off for awhile, but as I kept at it, I thought the book slowed to a pace that could keep my interest. Uviller has some great comedic moments throughout the story, and the descriptions of New York were a lot of fun to read about. Once the actual mystery stuff got underway, I was really into the story and trying to figure out who did what and how everyone was connected. Overall, funny and interesting read that I would recommend to chick lit fans, but not a favorite of mine.
[Rating: 3.5]

July 15, 2011
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When You Dare by Lori Foster
Chick Lit Review

When You Dare by Lori Foster

I don’t usually go for the romance novels, but something about When You Dare by Lori Foster made me say yes to reviewing it. Maybe it was the hunkalicious piece of man meat on the cover- who knows. But I decided to take a chance, and I am glad I did. I really enjoyed this suspenseful romance that has just that filling the pages- a whole lot of suspense and a whole lot of steamy romance. The main characters are Dare Macintosh and Molly Alexander, and the story begins with professional mercenary Dare rescuing Molly from Tijuana and a human trafficking setup. Molly, a best-selling author of scandalous romance novels, fears she was no ordinary kidnapping. Someone planned to take her- and that someone could possibly be her father. Or her ex-boyfriend. Or a disgruntled fan that was not happy with the way she redeemed a character in her latest book. With her life in danger, Dare decides to become Molly’s bodyguard, protecting her until they can figure out who would want Molly dead. But in the process of trying to keep herself alive, Molly starts to see Dare in a very different light. A very sexy light. And Dare is trying to keep his feelings for Molly shoved below the surface so he can keep her protected. But the more they try to ignore their feelings, the more the want builds between the two.
I thought When You Dare was excellent! Molly’s character was strong, a fairly independent chick who was ready to track down her kidnappers. And Dare was scorching the pages! You could sense his sex appeal from miles away. I thought the suspense was great, I really wasn’t positive who the culprit was until closer to the end. There were a few oddities about the story that caught my attention, like in the beginning where Molly didn’t seem at all frightened when it came to Dare, nor didn’t ask him many questions about why or how he rescued her. There were a few instances like that which I picked up on, but I still really got into the story and the characters. There were a lot times where I didn’t want to put this book down! The plot was fast paced with enough twists to keep my attention firmly on the story. Even if you aren’t usually a romance/suspense reader, I would give Lori Foster a chance. She won me over!
[Rating: 4.5]

April 29, 2011
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Snake Skin by CJ Lyons
Chick Lit Review

Snake Skin by CJ Lyons

Even though I love chick lit and all things girly, I am also a fan of mysteries and thrillers. When I reviewed my first book from CJ Lyons, Blind Faith, I was blown away by the creative story lines, the intense drama, and breathtaking speed at which I flew the story. When CJ approached me and offered to send me a copy of Snake Skin, of course I said yes!
Snake Skin follows Lucy Guardino, or Supervisory Special Agent Guardino when she is on the job. Lucy is an average mom, in love with her husband, and trying to find a common bond with her teenage daughter. But she also carries a forty-caliber Glock and goes undercover to find criminals for the FBI’s Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement squad. Lucy works to take down criminals who abduct and abuse children, and often puts her life on the line to save the innocent. But when her current case starts hitting too close to home and may be at the hands of an insider, Lucy must work quickly to save a young girl- and possibly her own daughter.
Lyons uses her own experiences from working as a pediatric ER doctor to help the scenarios and characters come to life. Again, I flew through this novel, trying to connect the dots and find the killer along with Lucy. Snake Skin isn’t just from Lucy’s point of view, readers will be able to get into the minds of other FBI workers, as well as the abducted girl and her abductor. This is another great read from CJ Lyons, and I think women will enjoy that kick ass hero portrayed by Lucy.
[Rating: 4.5]

February 18, 2011
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Author Profile: Heather Gudenkauf
Chick Lit Authors

Author Profile: Heather Gudenkauf

Author Name: Heather Gudenkauf

Website: http://www.heathergudenkauf.com/index.html

Bio: Heather was born in Wagner, South Dakota, the youngest of six children. At one month of age, her family returned to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota where her father was employed as a guidance counselor and her mother as a school nurse. At the age of three, her family moved to Iowa, where she grew up. Having been born with a profound unilateral hearing impairment (there were many evenings when Heather and her father made a trip to the bus barn to look around the school bus for her hearing aids that she often conveniently would forget on the seat beside her), Heather tended to use books as a retreat, would climb into the toy box that her father’s students from Rosebud made for the family with a pillow, blanket, and flashlight, close the lid, and escape the world around her. Heather became a voracious reader and the seed of becoming a writer was planted.
Heather Gudenkauf graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in elementary education, has spent her career working with students of all ages and is currently a Literacy Coach, an educator who provides curricular and professional development support to teachers.
Currently: Heather lives in Dubuque, Iowa with her husband, three children, and a very spoiled German Shorthaired Pointer named Maxine. In her free time Heather enjoys spending time with her family, reading, hiking, and running. She is currently working on her third novel.

Christmas Titles: The Weight of Silence and These Things Hidden
See my review of These Things Hidden
Bio Retrieved from heathergudenkauf.com

February 2, 2011
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These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf
Chick Lit Review

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf gave me chills throughout the entire story. It begins with Allison Glenn, a 21 year old Iowa native who is serving time in prison for a crime that is not immediately known. Allison is about to be released, and will finish out her sentence at a halfway house in her hometown. Once the golden girl of her family, excellent grades, good at sports, a college future in mind, Allison’s family has now shunned her very existence. But the one person Allison is desperate to talk to is her little sister Brynn. Brynn was there that night, she is the only other person who knows what really happened. And when Allison unexpectedly finds a missing puzzle piece from that horrendous night, she needs Brynn more than ever.
This story is deliciously thrilling, covering Allison’s point of view, Brynn’s, and even more characters that add to the mystery. The characters haunted me when I had to stop reading, making this book absolutely impossible to put down for long periods of time. Halfway through the story I thought I had it all figured out, and then another twist would be thrown in, completely catching me off guard. It wasn’t until the very last chapter that the entire mystery is laid out for you, and Gudenkauf did a magnificent job at weaving in so many plot points and keeping the suspense at a high level throughout. These Things Hidden is a mystery, a thriller, but also a beautifully touching story on family, innocence, and the bond of sisters.
[Rating: 5]

February 1, 2011
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Blind Faith by CJ Lyons
Chick Lit Review

Blind Faith by CJ Lyons

Sarah Durandt is still living a nightmare. Two years ago, her husband and young son were murdered, but their bodies were never recovered. Now, as the man who confessed to killing her family awaits his execution, Sarah begs to know where the bodies were buried. She just wants her closure, but the killer won’t give that to her. She returns home with her lawyer and special friend, Alan, but the memories of Josh and Sam continue to haunt her. She is determined to find her husband and son, but never imagines what the search could lead her to. A tangle of deceit, multiple identities, and surprising foes await to be unearthed as Sarah begins the complicated unraveling of her families murders.
Oh boy. Blind Faith by CJ Lyons had five stars written all over it from the moment I started reading. Lyons has an obvious talent for creating her “thrillers of the heart” and wastes no times hooking the readers to Sarah, the main character. The complicated twists and turns in the story didn’t deter me or frustrate me at all, instead they pulled me in further, keeping up with the characters and action as it all unfolded. This is a fantastic mystery, and the writing flows along so smoothly that I often times felt I was the detective trying to piece all the clues together. There were even a few scenes where I felt my heart beating faster, as I was anxious to where the plot would take me. Not a lot of mysteries can cause that intense reaction from me! This is a great novel, and I would definitely recommend CJ Lyons and her thrillers to readers.
Rating: 5/5

December 10, 2010
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Well Read and Dead by Catherine O’Connell
Chick Lit Review

Well Read and Dead by Catherine O’Connell

One of my favorite heroines Pauline Cook is back and better than ever in Well Read and Dead, the second novel in the high society mysteries by Catherine O’Connell. This time, Pauline returns to America after an extended European vacation, only to come back after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Her once exceptional stock portfolio has now crumbled, leaving her without much money to go of off- again. To make it worse, her beautiful Chicago penthouse that was highly damaged in a fire still isn’t in a livable condition yet, one of her closest friends Whitney has gone missing, and Whitney took Pauline’s precious cat, Fleur, with her! Pauline becomes determined to find Whitney, so she can get her cat back and score a cool multimillion dollar reward promised to her by Whitney’s husband if Pauline can find her. What Pauline doesn’t know is that Whitney has stumbled upon a very disturbing secret regarding her husband’s lingerie business, and Pauline finding Whitney and discovering the truth could cost the woman both their lives.
Again, I was highly entertained by the antics of Pauline. Losing 20 million dollars when her Enron stock collapsed? A missing best friend and no place to live? Pauline doesn’t let these obstacles bring her down, she continues her shopping, luncheons, and staying in the best room at one of Chicago’s finest hotels. There was something different about Pauline in this novel compared to the first, Well Bred and Dead, and those occurrences happen when two very devastating occurrences happen. I won’t say what they are because I don’t want to ruin it for anyone, but I was shocked more than once in this book. I thought O’Connell’s writing was once again exceptional for the character and her story, and I highly look forward to the third novel, Well Wed and Dead.
Rating: 5/5

December 1, 2010
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A Job to Kill For by Janice Kaplan
Chick Lit Review

A Job to Kill For by Janice Kaplan

Lacy Fields is back in Janice Kaplan’s follow-up, A Job to Kill For. Lacy finds herself thrust in the middle of a murder once again when she is with trophy wife Cassie Crawford as she mysteriously dies. When police begin their investigation, Lacy is devastated to learn that her own best friend, Molly Archer, has been cast as the lead suspect. Molly’s prints are all over the bottle of tea that contained the poison killing Cassie, and Molly has been recently canoodling with Cassie’s uber-rich husband. Lacy knows that Molly couldn’t have possibly committed the crime, and sets out to clear her friend’s name. But while trying to track down the real killer, Lacy finds herself suddenly being the prime suspect. Now it’s not just about clearing Molly’s name- but also her own.
A Job to Kill For was as excellent as the first Lacy Fields mystery, Looks to Die For. The mystery tied in with the glamorous lives the heroine and her friends lead makes this a fun read for chick lit fans. Kaplan, a veteran in the entertainment industry, enjoys name dropping and showcasing designer brands along the way. Her writing is fast and witty, and each supporting character has a well constructed back story that makes them as memorable as the heroine. Once I hit just over the halfway mark and the mystery started to intensify, I had to keep reading to find out just who committed the crime.

July 10, 2010
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