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In My Mailbox: Week of September 26th
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In My Mailbox: Week of September 26th

In My Mailbox: Week of September 26th

Title: Haunted Honeymoon
Author: Marta Acosta
Received: From Marta Acosta
Synopsis: THERE’S MORE THAN HER HEART AT STAKE. . . .As the only human to survive vampire infection, Milagro de Los Santos has become quite a celebrity among the blood-drinking elite. Too bad the perks of her condition—increased strength, super-fast healing—don’t pay her condo fees. There are other complications too. She’s feeling guilty about her fling with enigmatic Vampire Council member Ian Ducharme, and pining for her ex-fiancé, Dr. Oswald Grant . . . the fabulous man whose kiss changed her life. It’s when Milagro—irked by Ian’s attentions to his neighbor—travels to London and enjoys a sexy flirtation of her own, that the blood really hits the fan. Suddenly, those around her are dying gruesome deaths and Milagro’s being interrogated. Who would kill to set her up as a murder suspect? Milagro just wants to turn back the clock and have another chance to make things right, but no sooner has she escaped to Oswald’s ranch than an accident obliterates her memory. Will the murderer come after her now? And will amnesia spark a romantic do-over with Oswald—or will she make all the same mistakes before she ever gets to say “I do”?

Title: Anyone for Me?
Author: Fiona Cassidy
Received: From Fiona Cassidy
Synopsis: Meet feisty fun-loving Ruby Ross – thirty four, mad red hair, mad (in general) adopted and searching for answers (most pressingly being precisely whose genes are responsible for the most unmanageable bonce in the country?). She’s impulsive, compulsive and unaware of what she’s about to unleash in her quest for the truth. Her journey will take her from the Tyrone village of Swiftstown to Belfast to the rolling hills of Donegal (where the scenery is lovely but the roads are bad and burst tyres are plenty.)

Isobel Ross is larger than life, living in a picturesque cottage in Donegal in the grounds of an old manor house which has been turned into a hotel – but why are the new owners so keen to get rid of her? She’s harbouring secrets from the past and fiercely protective of her adopted daughter. Can she stop the wilful Ruby from opening a nasty can of worms or will the hand of fate intervene and give Ruby the answers she doesn’t expect or might not want.

Throw in Ruby’s forthcoming nuptials to the lovely Luke, Frankie, her best friend and bling loving bridesmaid, a wedding planner called Gabriel who wears more make-up than the bride-to-be and a dusty box found in an attic which leaves many questions unanswered and you have a bewildered and rather ferocious Ruby asking is there….Anyone For Me?

Title: The Tapestry of Love
Author: Rosy Thornton
Received: From Rosy Thornton
Synopsis: A rural idyll: that’s what Catherine is seeking when she sells her house in England and moves to a tiny hamlet in the Cévennes mountains. With her divorce in the past and her children grown, she is free to make a new start, and her dream is to set up in business as a seamstress. But this is a harsh and lonely place when you’re no longer just here on holiday. There is French bureaucracy to contend with, not to mention the mountain weather, and the reserve of her neighbors, including the intriguing Patrick Castagnol. And that’s before the arrival of Catherine’s sister, Bryony.

Title: Blind Faith
Author: CJ Lyons
Received: From CJ Lyons
Synopsis: When her husband and son are murdered, she thought she’d lost it all. But for Sarah Durandt the nightmare is just beginning… Her search for truth leads her to a trail of lies and unearths a killer. In a race to save everything she holds dear, Sarah is forced to place her faith in the man who betrayed her…her husband.

Title: The Kiss Test
Author: Shannon McKelden
Received: From Shannon McKelden
Synopsis: Margo Gentry’s life is perfect. She loves her job as a country music DJ, and she has a great boyfriend who accepts her need to avoid marriage and tolerates her Elvis obsession – even the velvet Elvis painting in their bedroom. But then it all falls apart. The radio station changes formats and fires all the DJs. Margo’s boyfriend decides he wants kids and a house in the suburbs and kicks her to the curb. And to top it all off, her Mom is getting married — for the 11th time! — and expects Margo to be there as maid of honor. With no job and no place to live, Margo has to bunk on the couch of her best friend Chris, whose revolving bedroom door has played host to half the women in New York – at least, the ones that pass his “kiss test.” Worse, he’s insisting she attend her mother’s wedding, and is personally driving her cross-country to ensure she shows up. Forget about surviving the road trip – can their friendship survive The Kiss Test?

Title: Planning to Live
Author: Heather Wardell
Received: From Heather Wardell
Synopsis: Thirty-something Rhiannon is an obsessive planner and goal-setter, but somehow nothing she achieves ever seems good enough to her. Determined to lose forty pounds for her best friend’s August wedding, Rhiannon flees her parents’ house in a Christmas-day blizzard to avoid the temptation of all her favorite foods, but her car skids off the deserted road into a tree.
Unable to escape the car, with her leg trapped and bleeding and her cell phone out of reach, Rhiannon is at first certain she’ll be rescued and writes notes to her friends and family to pass the time. As the weather cools and her condition deteriorates, though, she recognizes the possibility that her life might be over. Interspersed with increasingly desperate escape attempts, her letters become deeper and more heart-felt as she comes to see what really matters in life.

September 27, 2010
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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Her Brother’s Shotgun Wedding by Noreen Riley
Chick Lit Review

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Her Brother’…

Evelyn Dunleavy is shocked when her older brother Michael calls to tell her he is getting married. With Evie and her family living in the States while Michael lives in London, the family doesn’t even know his bride to be- who also happens to be pregnant. Michael convinces Evie to fly to London and stay there until the wedding, helping with the wedding plans and to be a supportive base for himself. Evie is forced to room with Michael’s friend Nate, but quickly gets over her dislike for rooming with a stranger when she lays eyes on the gorgeous entrepreneurial Nate. But can she really engage in a relationship with him when they live on different sides of the Pond, not to mention the fact that Michael has an extreme dislike for any of his friends dating his little sister?
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Her Brother’s Shotgun Wedding, the debut novel by Noreen Riley, is a classic contemporary blend of romance and comedy. The main character is extremely likeable and relatable, with some hilarious character flaws about her. The supporting cast, including both families involved in the wedding plus a slew of Evie’s best friends, fill up the rest of the pages with drama, attitudes, and enough wit to keep readers satisfied until the end. A Funny Thing follows the chick lit standards, but the characters, setting, and plot keep this novel unique and fast-paced. Riley showcases an excellent debut, and I wouldn’t mind if a sequel about Evie was in the works-but maybe one with a shorter title!
Rating: 4/5

September 26, 2010
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Waxed by Robert Rave
Chick Lit Review

Waxed by Robert Rave

I don’t usually get many chick lit books sent my way by male authors, but the few I have, I really enjoyed them. When I read the synopsis for Waxed by Robert Rave and saw that a male author was taking on three sisters who run their own waxing salon and specialize in waxing “lady bits” I couldn’t help but be surprised. A male discussing failed relationships, cheating scandals- and bikini waxes?
From just a few pages in, I was sold. Carolina Impresario, the oldest of the three sisters and owner of Impresarios, seems to have everything under control. But her no nonsense attitude and how she unapologetically runs her salon and personal life is only a façade. When she has to choose between her boyfriend and previous lover, readers can connect with Carolina on a more personal journey, beyond money, success, and glamour. The middle sister, Anna, is the domestic one, trying to raise her three children by herself after her husband left the family. Anna struggles to get back to work at Impresarios, and takes on a job with an older client who teaches Anna more about experiencing life that she ever knew was possible. With one of her children choosing to lead an unconventional lifestyle, Anna finds in increasingly difficult to be a single parent to her three children, but doesn’t know how to act when her ex appears back in her life. And Sophia is the youngest, recently married and faithfully in love with her husband. When a gay client befriends Sophia, she learns more about love, marriage, and commitment than she bargained for.
The three sisters struggle through their personal issues, and I sped quickly through the pages trying to soak it all in. Rave does an excellent job at giving each sister her own unique voice, and though their situations are definitely out there, I felt I could relate in some way to each sister. I was invested in each one and wanted to see them succeed, and I just love novels that can make me feel a personal connection with the characters. Rave managed to do this with not only one heroine, but three. I can’t sing enough praises about Waxed, the characters were flawless, the writing smooth, and the setting of an upscale New York waxing salon brought in the comedy. Five stars!
Rating: 5/5

September 24, 2010
2 Comments
Fragile by Lisa Unger
Chick Lit Review

Fragile by Lisa Unger

The Hollows, a small, secluded town just outside of New York, is a charming town where everyone knows one another and all their family business. A relatively safe and quiet area, the Hollows only holds one dreadful secret, rarely mentioned by the town’s community. When Maggie and Jones Cooper were in high school, Sarah Meyers, another high school student with a bright future, was found dead in the woods. Her body had been badly mutilated, and the town was disturbed that a callous killer could be living among them. Though someone eventually admitted to the murder of Sarah and died in prison, people were still uneasy and dissatisfied with the horrific situation.
Twenty years after Sarah’s death, another high school girl suddenly vanishes after a fight with her mother. Maggie and Jones Cooper’s son, Rick, is astonished when his girlfriend, Charlene Murray, is the one who disappears. No one knows if she ran off to New York to follow her dream of being in band, or if something terrible has happened- something like what happened to Sarah Meyers. The town bands together to try to solve the disappearance of Charlene, and while doing so, opens up all the unanswered questions of Sarah’s murder. Was the man who admitted to killing her actually not have committed the crime? Is the murderer of Sarah still in the town, and could he be responsible for Charlene?
Fragile, the contemporary thriller from Lisa Unger, is an excellent mystery that left me guessing until the end. The secrets the town holds pulls a dark cloud over everyone as they fear another murder case will come to light. The point of view switches between key players in the story, and readers will enjoy getting a small taste of different characters thoughts and ideas. Slowly and methodically, pieces of the puzzle can be put together, but my favorite part of this story was that there was no obvious killer. I don’t like when I read a mystery and the guilty is so obvious to figure out, so that aspect made me really enjoy Fragile. The way that outside characters and events are woven into the heart of the story brings this thriller full circle, and I highly recommend this latest from best-selling author Lisa Unger.
Rating: 4/5

September 23, 2010
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A Desirable Residence by Madeleine Wickham
Chick Lit Review

A Desirable Residence by Madeleine Wickham

I am a huge fan of all Sophie Kinsella’s novels, Shopaholic and non-Shopaholic, so I couldn’t wait to read one under her real name- Madeleine Wickham. My first novel read was her latest, A Desirable Residence, and I loved it! I’m just a bit saddened that I can’t give it a five star rating, but I definitely recommend this to all chick lit fans.
This story has many characters jostling for the spotlight, a handful of sub plots, and an abundance of juicy drama. Liz Chambers, who seems quite likeable at first glance, turns out to be a self-centered wife and mother who becomes bored with her mundane husband and living life in debt. When wealthy realtor Marcus Witherstone takes a drunken pass at her, she eagerly delves into the affair, convinced her life would be better as Marcus’s wife where she would be out of debt and constantly going to exciting events on his arm. Marcus convinces Liz and husband Jonathan to rent out their unsold house to Ginny and Piers Prentice. Piers is a struggling actor hoping to secure a lead part on one of the hottest soap operas on television, and Ginny is beside herself thinking her husband is about to become famous and their lives will be changed for the better. Liz and Jonathan’s teenage daughter, Alice, strikes up a peculiar friendship with Ginny and Piers, partly because she has a crush on Piers and partly because she thinks Ginny is a million times cooler than her own mom. All these lives intersect in the most engaging ways, and all the drama comes to a head when Ginny throws a party for Piers the night of his final audition. Chaos ensues, friendships are broken, and some unexpected endings are in store for readers.
Like I stated previously, I highly enjoyed A Desirable Residence. Lessons were learned from the characters that readers can take note of, there was enough drama to last for days, and the cliff hanger at the end kept me wondering. The reason why I don’t want to give it five stars is because multiple times I felt completely overwhelmed by the amount of characters and the situations they were in. More than once I found myself confused on who was with who and why they were acting that way and what that meant and so on and so on. I do like when books have all these different tales to tell, but when too many characters get in the way, my dislike shines through. Other than that, I thought Wickham’s writing was excellent and her expertise in the field of chick lit is clearly evident.
Rating: 4/5

September 21, 2010
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Author Profile: Lisa Unger
Chick Lit Authors

Author Profile: Lisa Unger

Author Name: Lisa Unger

Website: http://www.lisaunger.com/index.htm
Bio: Lisa Unger is an award winning New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author. Her novels have been published in over 26 countries around the world.

She was born in New Haven, Connecticut (1970) but grew up in the Netherlands, England and New Jersey. A graduate of the New School for Social Research, Lisa spent many years living and working in New York City. She then left a career in publicity to pursue her dream of becoming a full-time author
Currently: Lisa currently lives in Florida with her husband and daughter.
Titles: Beautiful Lies, Sliver of Truth, Black Out, Die For You, and Fragile.

Bio Retrieved from www.lisaunger.com

September 20, 2010
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Dating Mr. December by Phillipa Ashley
Chick Lit Review

Dating Mr. December by Phillipa Ashley

Emma Tremayne lost her boyfriend and snazzy PR job all in one day, and flees to the Lake District in need of finding herself and forgetting bad memories. She takes up another PR job, and her first assignment is helping a local mountain rescue group raise money for their base. Her idea is to have the twelve male members pose for a “tasteful nude calendar” in hopes of selling enough to raise the funds. The idea is met with some doubts at first, but eventually all the men agree to pose- except one. Will Tennant is the most gorgeous and spearheaded man Emma has ever laid eyes on, but she does not want to feel attracted to him after learning he left another woman at the alter. As her time at the Lake District stretches on, Emma and Will’s feelings slowly begin to show for another, and a near tragic accident leads them to finally admit how they truly feel about each another.
Dating Mr. December by British author Phillipa Ashley is a typical romantic story, telling the tale of a boy and girl who so clearly belong together yet get twisted and tangled along the way before admitting they’re in love. What made this more than the typical romance story was Ashley’s comedic tone that she brought to help make the characters come alive. I especially enjoyed that she not only wrote from Emma’s point of view, but also Will’s, giving readers more of an insight on these two characters. Somewhere in the middle of the story the plot began to fall flat for me, but near the end the pace really picked up. I loved the beautiful ending to the story, and it made want to hear more about these characters and their new lives together.
Rating: 4/5

September 18, 2010
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Author Profile: Phillipa Ashley
Chick Lit Authors

Author Profile: Phillipa Ashley

http://phillipa-ashley.com/

September 18, 2010
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A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff
Chick Lit Review

A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff

Phoebe Swift is willing to make desperate changes in her life. After the death of her best friend and calling off her engagement, Phoebe abruptly quits her posh job at Sotheby’s and opens her own vintage shop. Her passion for previously worn clothes and the stories they once told is Phoebe’s hook for running her own business, and she quickly befriends a Mrs. Bell and begins to learn her stories. Mrs. Bell is a widow dying of cancer, and asks Phoebe to sell her clothes to new owners. While looking through Mrs. Bell’s closet, Phoebe stumbles upon a child’s blue jacket, and the story behind it fills the pages with mystery and sadness, but a happy ending.
A Vintage Affair by best-selling author Isabel Wolff is a beautifully written story about the essence of friendship, forgiving oneself, and finding love in unexpected places. There are many subject matters that will pull heartstrings, and I found myself wide-eyed in many places due to the emotional intensity of the characters and their situations. Wolff did an excellent job when it came to research for this novel, and it showed when I became quickly immersed in the storyline and could not put this book down. I did think there were a bit too many sub-plots for my liking, but other than that, an excellent read and a definite recommendation from me!
Rating: 4/5

September 17, 2010
3 Comments