Challenge:Post Reviews:September
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Cat in a Vegas Gold Vendetta by Carole Nelson Douglas
Well, I’m never a fan of giving unfavorable reviews, nor am I a fan of not finishing books. Unfortunately, this is what has happened when I attempted to read Cat in a Vegas Gold Vendetta by Carole Nelson Douglas. I usually write a little synopsis of the story to start off my reviews, but I’m not quite sure what to type here. There is a cat that is a detective and chats with other stray cats, a PR whiz that somehow turns into a detective, an ex-fiancée with no memory, and an actress with a kooky aunt. The actress hires Temple Barr to act as the detective and track down who killed her aunt’s handyman, and the cats help out. But then Temple has issues with her ex-fiancée Max, who was in a magic accident and has no memory of her. That’s about all I can do to sum it up. I don’t want to write a scathing review, I think this book simply wasn’t for me. I agreed to review it thinking it was more of a mystery book, and not some strange ode to cats. Within about four chapters, I was completely lost and was never able to get into the story or the characters, and ended up just scanning the rest.
[Rating: 1.5]
Blog Tour Sign Up: Chosen by Denise Grover Swank
Everything Emma Thompson owns fits in a suitcase she moves from one roach infested motel to another. She and Jake, her five year old son who can see the future, are running from the men intent on taking him. Emma will do anything to protect him even when it means accepting the help of a stranger named Will. Jake insists she needs Will, but Emma’s never needed help before. And even though she’s learned to trust her son, it doesn’t mean she trusts Will.
Mercenary Will Davenport lives in the moment. Hauling Emma to South Dakota should have been an easy job, but his employer neglected to tell him about Emma’s freaky son and the gunmen hot on her trail. Instinct tells him this job is trouble, but nothing can prepare him for Jake’s proclamation that Will is The Chosen One, who must protect Emma from the men hunting her power. A power she doesn’t know she has.
Will protects Emma and Jake on a cross-country chase from the men pursuing them, while struggling with memories from his past, his apprehension of Jake, and his growing attraction to Emma. Will’s overwhelming urge to protect Emma surprises him, especially since it has nothing to do with his paycheck and possibly everything to do with the tattoo Jake branded on his arm. Rich and powerful men are desperate to capture Emma, and Will must discover why before it’s too late.
Chosen was winner of The Beacon– 2010 Unpublished Division, Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal category.
Future Tour: Scorpio Rising by Monique Domovitch
Monique will be on tour November 21- December 8 with her novel Scorpio Rising If the cost of love was the loss of success, which…
Jackpot by Jackie Pilossoph
Siblings Jamie and Danny Jacobson are not looking for love. Jamie has been burned by a cheating ex-husband, and has lost faith in the meaning of love and faithfulness. Danny is an aspiring actor who also works as a teacher, and is better at one night stands than any real relationships. But brother and sister get the shock of their life when their slightly overbearing Jewish mother, Frankie, wins the lottery. Frankie, who lost her husband when the children were both young, has wanted to be fulfilled by grandchildren for years. After her lottery winnings flow in, she devises a plan to get those grandchildren- a promise of $8 million dollars that Jamie and Danny can collect if they produce a child. The siblings are shocked- until the scent of money starts to become intoxicating. Jamie decides to use her co-worker, Drew, who has always crushed on her, to help her become pregnant. But along the way, Jamie thinks she could actually be falling in love with him- but doesn’t know how to confess the real reason she finally gave him a chance. And Danny falls head over heels with Courtney, a business owner who cares more about his teaching than acting career, but is crushed when she reveals she cannot have children. Both Jamie and Danny need to decide, do they pick love- or the cash prize?
Jackpot! is the second novel from Jackie Pilossoph, who once again will not disappoint. The story is written in alternating point of views, between the brother and sister. Pilossoph once again shows off her ability to get into a man’s head and write effectively from the male perspective. Both Jamie and Danny could seem selfish, but with snappy dialogue, loveable personality traits, and a soft spot for families, the two main characters will become your friends throughout the story. I enjoyed that not only was this novel light and funny, but there was a serious note underneath it all. What would you pick if you had to make the choice- love or money? Many of us would say love in a heartbeat, but the characters go through very real struggles along the way to make their decisions. I thought the entire novel had a very real feel to it, and I liked watching how it would all come together. Add in a heart clenching plot twist with Frankie, and plenty of scenes that will leave you laughing out loud, Jackie Pilossoph definitely hits the Jackpot! with her sophomore novel.
[Rating: 4]
A Proper Charlie by Louise Wise
Charlie Wallis is hoping to luck out and finally land her dream job as a journalist, and lucky for her, best friend Melvin secured her a position at the London Core- a British tabloid newspaper. But not as a journalist, oh no, Charlie is simply the “clerk,” running mundane tasks for others in the office. But when the Core is bought out by Donald Middleton, things around the office begin to change. For starters, Donald’s son is brought in as the corporate manager, and Charlie is immediately gob smacked by him. Handsome, charismatic, rich, but Ben is dealing with some very personal issues. He has just lost his mother, his father is ill, and his sister cannot be found after a very hard family discovery. Charlie and Ben are brought together in the oddest way- both trying to track down the “Gentleman Abductor,” a kidnapper that is targeting prostitutes. But while they don’t realize they are both on the case-Ben searching for his sister and Charlie in hopes of being able to write an article on the kidnappings- their wires get crossed. Soon, Ben thinks Charlie is a prostitute, and Charlie thinks Ben is the Gentleman Abductor! While their budding romance has taken enough hits- Ben being from a well to do family, Charlie being an orphan from the opposite end of the totem pole is the biggest issue- now this latest development causes even more strife. Can Charlie and Ben find love together?
I had a lot of fun reading A Proper Charlie by Louise Wise. It almost reminds me of Prince William/Kate Middleton, with the backgrounds being so different yet they are obviously in love. Charlie is so likeable, sometimes a little dense, especially when it comes to her boyfriend/ex-boyfriend, Andy. There is one hilarious sex scene in the book with Charlie and Andy that absolutely had me cracking up! I like that the book focused so much on Ben and his family issues- and there are a lot of them! I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the book, trying to hunt down the Gentleman Abductor and also Ben trying to locate his sister. There were times where I really didn’t like Melvin’s character, who was Charlie’s best friend and foster home comrade. He seemed really down on Charlie all the time, about her dreams of being a journalist and about falling in love with Ben. And when it came to Andy and his disgusting self-absorbed attitude, I really didn’t understand how Charlie could be so naïve to look past it all. Luckily, she gets to redeem herself in the end with that situation. Overall, I really liked this book and thought it was super funny- chick lit fans are sure to love!
[Rating: 4]
Future Tour: Our Eyes Met Over Cantaloupe by Anne McAneny
Anne will be on tour October 17- November 7 with her novel Our Eyes Met Over Cantaloupe A wedding order at The Secret Lives of…
In My Mailbox: Week of August 28
In My Mailbox: Week of August 28, 2011
Title: Until Again
Author: Lou Aronica
Received: From Lou Aronica
Synopsis: Reviewers have called Lou Aronica’s novel BLUE “compelling,” “beautifully written,” “a story to remember and cherish,” and “one of those books that everyone should find a moment to read.” Readers have said it was “a great inspiration,” “I’ve never been more moved or inspired,” and “one of the best books I’ve read.” Now comes this prequel novella, a short work that provides the essential story behind the story. UNTIL AGAIN tells of a decidedly real-world event: the final weekend in the breakup of a marriage. For Chris Astor, the divorce is not something he wants, primarily because of the distance it will put between his ten-year-old daughter Becky and himself. Juxtaposed against this is a critical event in Tamarisk, the bedtime-story fantasy world that Chris and Becky created when Becky was much younger. Miea, the university-age princess of Tamarisk fears that her world has become a terribly dangerous place…but she could not possibly have imagined where that danger will lead her and the people she loves. These parallel stories converge, in a most unusual way, in a tale of change and new tomorrows. A powerful revelation for those who have read BLUE, and an emotionally charged introduction to these deeply relatable characters for those who haven’t, UNTIL AGAIN is a warm, engaging, and bittersweet work that promises to speak to your heart.
Title: The Divorce Club
Author: Jayde Scott
Received: From Jayde Scott
Synopsis: The Divorce Club’s personalized battle plan designed to suit your individual needs:
Put on weight and don’t shave your legs, or armpits, or any part of your body for that matter.
Don’t wash his clothes and cook rotten meals, preferably ones that’ll give him constant diarrhea.
Wear a thong with a mini dress and bend over in front of his friends, but only after gaining weight.
Don’t forget: if you’re moving, we’ll help you pack and unload. If he’s the one moving, we’ll help you throw his belongings out the window.
A bitter divorce from a two-timing husband leaves Sarah with no money to fend for her daughter, but she won’t be beaten, so she opens The Divorce Club, a meeting place for women who want to divorce their cheating husbands, but don’t know how.
Soon things start to go seriously wrong. A fake client and her rising interest in him isn’t Sarah’s only worry; there’s also the moody teenager, a stalker, and the club’s personalized battle plans that start to involve more than flashing a confident smile and running a 24/7 hotline.
When Sarah’s ex-husband moves in without her permission in the hope to patch things up, chaos seems complete.
Title: J’Adore New York
Author: Isabelle LaFleche
Received: From Book Sparks PR
Synopsis: Offered the chance to transfer to her law firm’s New York City office, stylish Parisian lawyer Catherine Lambert jumps at the opportunity—a fashion devotee with her finger on the pulse of style, she sets her sights on conquering Manhattan’s high-flying worlds of glamour, law, and love tout de suite. But soon, the non-stop New York minute filled with monster bosses, lecherous clients, and vindictive secretaries begins to take its toll. That is, until one handsome and powerful client begins to change her world for the better…only to throw it all into jeopardy with one surprising request. Perfect for fans of Bridget Jones’s Diary, The Devil Wears Prada, and Sex in the City, Isabelle Lafleche’s breakout novel J’adore New York is a rollercoaster of struggle and romance from the city where dreams come true.
Merciless by Diana Palmer
I had a really difficult time getting into Merciless by Diana Palmer. The first two chapters sat well with me, but then it really went downhill from there. The two main characters, FBI agent Jon and single mom Joceline, are seemingly in love with one another but neither will admit it. When their lives are threatened and they are forced to hide out together, the two finally decide to be with one another and Joceline spills a big secret that is really pretty obvious from page one. The dialogue in the book really got me. The characters would constantly state the most obvious things, and the historical facts made it sound like they were reading out of a book. When the dialogue is discussing someone’s pregnancy and then the dialogue tag reads “she said, alluding to her pregnancy,” well, that is a little unnecessary. And maybe it’s just because I’m younger, but the old fashioned views that were constantly talked about seemed a bit overboard. In every chapter it’s mentioned that Joceline has a child out of wedlock and what a horrible person she is because of it. After the first few chapters I had trouble staying with the book, but the kicker was when (SPOILER-ISH ALERT) Joceline confides to Jon that Markie is his son. This happens right after Jon’s mother is shot and killed. What is the appropriate response? To have sex and really leave it at that. I was completely baffled. I can’t say I would recommend Merciless, but I have heard that Diana Palmer’s earlier works are said to be better.
[Rating: 2]
