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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]

Click: An Online Love Story by Lisa Becker

Lisa Becker is on tour with CLP Blog Tours and her novel Click: An Online Love Story. This book is written through a series of emails among Renee Greene and friends, as Renee tries to find love through the online world. Approaching thirty, not happy that she isn’t married or doesn’t even have a fling, Renee decides to try her luck on dating sites. Renee CC’s and BCC’s her friends on during each message she gets from the guys, and responses range since her two closest pals are Ashley- too judgmental over Renee’s relationships yet is in a dysfunctional one of her own, and Shelley- who always seems to have a new one-night stand story to share with Renee. But through the dating mishaps, hilarious emails, and shocking revelations with some of the men, Renee finally clicks with Ethan- but can the relationship make it past emails when an unexpected road block jumps in the way?
I absolutely loved Click. Once I started reading, it was too hard to put down. The email format made the book fly by, and some of the dating stories from Renee were hysterical. I really enjoyed Ashley and Shelley and hearing about their lives, which sometimes can be a difficult feat when readers are learning about them only through email. But I thought Becker did an excellent job at bringing in their lives and troubles, and it really added more to the story, especially with the twist to the ending. I have to say, I’m usually pretty good at sniffing out where the troubles will lie with the characters, but this one shocked me! Once the trouble with Renee and Ethan was brought to life, I had to keep reading to know how it all ended. Get this on your to-read lists, you will not be disappointed!
[Rating: 5]

Author Profile: Jennifer Coburn

Author Name: Jennifer Coburn

Website: http://www.jennifercoburn.com/

Bio: Jennifer Coburn is an award-winning journalist who has written for magazines and newspapers in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
She is a native New Yorker and a graduate of the University of Michigan.
She currently lives in San Diego with her husband, William, and their daughter, Katie.
Recent Titles: The Wife of Reilly, Tales From the Crib, Reinventing Mona, The Queen Gene
See my reviews of Tales From the Crib, Reinventing Mona
Bio Retrieved from jennifercoburn.com

On Tour: With Just One Click by Amanda Strong

Amanda is on tour July 11-25 with her novel With Just One Click “Reluctance was matched with a pit in my stomach; once I joined,…

In My Mailbox: Week of July 10

In My Mailbox: Week of July 10, 2011

Title: Pushover
Author: Laurel Mayer
Received: From Laurel Mayer
Synopsis: Dani Wilder is a rising star on the Hollywood culinary scene, and she thinks she has finally found the perfect locale for the launch of her first restaurant. The prime spot sits on Sunset Boulevard, highlighted with rich wood beams, a vaulted ceiling, private booths and a stunning loft so high that the fall could kill someone. In fact, it did.

As this mild-mannered chef prepares to open L.A.’s “it” restaurant, she stumbles upon the sordid, dark secrets of her otherwise perfect boyfriend’s past. Impossibly handsome and pediatrician to celebrity kids, Jack has it all – including a former fiancée he never mentioned, or got over. Accused of pushing a woman to her death in the space on Sunset, Rebecca Sterling shares more than history with the restaurant, she was engaged to Jack and now she’s back in town.

Yes, Rebecca returns to do what she does best: spin a web of lies and get her way. And her deceptive methods work as usual with Jack. It’s certainly awkward for Dani, but is it dangerous? Dani suspects Rebecca got away with murder, lied to Jack, and is sabotaging the restaurant. Dani’s love, life, and livelihood are entangled in Rebecca’s scheme, and at what cost? After all, the only thing Rebecca loves more than making an entrance is making an exit.

Title: The What If Guy
Author: Brooke Moss
Received: From Danielle @ Entangled Publishing
Synopsis: What would you do if you’re “what if” guy showed up at the lowest point of your life?

(Autumn Cole clocked hers with an encyclopedia.)

After losing her job at a swanky Seattle art gallery and finding out her father has been hospitalized, single mother Autumn Cole reluctantly returns to her tiny hometown of Fairfield, Washington to put the pieces of her life back together.

Her disgruntled twelve-year old son isn’t thrilled about going from hip to hick, but Autumn’s got it worse. She resumes her role as the daughter of the town drunk, promptly facing a crisis with her father that’s been decades in the making.

Running into Henry Tobler, and nearly breaking his nose, is almost more than she can handle, but can rediscovering love–and herself–with her “what if” guy teach Autumn to forgive before it’s too late?

Title: Luck of the Devil
Author: Patricia Eimer
Received: From Cathy @ Entangled Publishing
Synopsis: Being the youngest daughter of the Devil isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The days of teenage rebellion and vows of chastity made just to tick off her father are over, and now all Faith Bettincourt wants is a nice, quiet life. Unfortunately, thanks to the unexpected arrival of her demonically-downsized sister, a ditzy succubus roommate, and dear old Dad himself, Faith’s plans for a relaxing vacation spent watching reruns go up in flames.
Now it’s all Faith can do to keep the family reunion from Hell (literally) under wraps, and the angelically-inclined hottie across the hall from realizing there’s something weird about his neighbor. And, thankfully, it’s working. Until an angelic stalker shows up in a bid to steal her powers and take over the world.
Forget watching reruns. With the way things are going, Faith will need the luck of the Devil just to survive until Monday.

The First Husband by Laura Dave

Annie Adams is almost thirty-two and quite happy with her life. She writes a successful travel column that takes her all over the world, has enough money to enjoy life, and lives with her boyfriend, movie director Nick, in Los Angeles. But Annie’s seemingly happy life is put on hold when Nick announces one night that he needs a break from Annie- to pursue another woman. Annie is rightly shaken, and stumbles through her haze into a neighborhood bar- where everything changes. She meets Griffin, a chef who is visiting town and immediately charms Annie. He is everything she was looking for in a man- and she promptly marries him and within three months is packing her bags to restart life in rural Massachusetts. But when she doesn’t take immediately to the cold weather and Griffin starts to become obsessed with opening his new restaurant and she meets Griffin’s former girlfriend who Griffin’s mother still clearly adores, Annie wonders if she made a mistake with her first husband.
The third novel by Laura Dave, The First Husband, was a very real and down to earth read. The struggles Annie goes through with both Nick, Griffin, and her new life had no blinders on them. Readers can feel Annie’s pain and confusion throughout the pages, and it really sucked me into the story. I thought Dave’s writing was fantastic, with wonderful pictures of life in rural Massachusetts, and the fabulous sprinklings of Annie’s travels. I am a major travel junkie, so this aspect of the story was quite thrilling for me. There is just enough talk about Annie’s travel column and experiences to entice readers but not overload them on her work. I really enjoyed this novel, but sometimes I felt it was almost too fast-paced. There was more than one instance where I became confused because the story line wasn’t adding up, and one where I thought the name Nick was used where Griffin should have been, which threw me off. But overall, the lesson about love and acceptance is very clear, and I thought the story was very sweet yet real at the same time. I would definitely recommend Laura Dave’s latest novel.
[Rating: 4]

Future Tour: Do Not Lick the Phones by Britney Bronte

Britney will be on tour August 8-22 with her novel Do Not Lick the Phones The True Confessions of a TV Psychic! A sparkling romcom…

Author Profile: Linda Francis Lee

Author Name: Linda Francis Lee

Website: http://lindafrancislee.com/content/index.asp
Bio: Linda Francis Lee is a native Texan now calling New York City home. Linda’s writing career began when her article “There Is No Finish Line” was published in her university’s quarterly magazine. But she got sidetracked from writing when she started teaching probability and statistics. Later she found her way back to writing, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution called her breakout novel, Blue Waltz, “absolutely stunning.”
Now Linda is the author of twenty books that are published in sixteen countries around the world, in languages as diverse as Japanese and Russian. Two of her most recent novels are in development for feature films, and she is in the process of co-developing a television series set in her beloved Texas.
When Linda isn’t writing, she loves to run in Central Park and spend time with her husband, family, and friends.

Recent Titles: The Devil in the Junior League, The Ex-Debutante, and Emily and Einstein
See my review of Emily and Einstein
Visit Linda’s Blog!
Bio Retrieved from lindafrancislee.com

On Tour: Click an Online Love Story by Lisa Becker

Lisa is on tour July 4-17 with her novel Click: An Online Love Story Fast approaching her 30th birthday and finding herself not married, not…