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Book Review: Let It Go by Brooklyn James
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Let It Go by Brooklyn James

I received a copy of Let It Go by Brooklyn James in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Savannah Bondurant, a marriage and relationship columnist for the Savannah Sun Times, just signed her divorce papers. Brody McAlister, the elusive and smoking hot gym boy, has finally recovered from his divorce three years ago. Be it spurred by loneliness or sheer attraction, the two slip into the sheets for a memorable one-night stand. Savannah’s pesky ex-husband continues to try and worm his way back into her life, insisting they remain friends, even though he is living with his jealous new girlfriend. An up-and-coming woodworker artist, Brody has every socialite cougar in town promising him success and riches, for a price, of course. With two advice-giving older sisters, one fiercely single and one seemingly happily married, Savannah learns her parents’ long and successful relationship does not come without its own secrets. Why should she believe in happily ever after? Her constant overanalyzing and skepticism bodes well in her profession as a journalist, but proves counterproductive in her personal life. Divorce, guilt, suspicion, holding on to the past—can Savannah trust in Brody to help her Let It Go…

My Thoughts:

I was eager when Brooklyn contacted me to review her latest book, Let It Go, seeing as how I adored her debut novel. And let me tell you, she does not disappoint. This book is refreshing real and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not only are the characters realistic, you can feel their genuine emotion and feelings jump off the page. Now-a-days, everyone has either been through a divorce or been close enough to one to know that they are quite tricky to navigate, and Brooklyn does this with ease. Overall, this story flows with ease and is a quick read and very entertaining. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 4 stars

June 20, 2013
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In My Mailbox: Week of June 16
Chick Lit Plus

In My Mailbox: Week of June 16

Title: Thirty-Two Going on Spinster

Author: Becky Monson

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: Julia Dorning is a spinster, or at least on the road to becoming one. She has no social life, hates her job, and lives in her parent’s basement with her cat, Charlie.

With the arrival of Jared Moody, the new hire at work, Julia’s mundane life is suddenly turned upside down. Her instant (and totally ridiculous) crush on the new guy causes Julia to finally make some long-overdue changes, in hopes to find a life that includes more than baking and hanging out with Charlie.

But when the biggest and most unexpected change comes, will the new and improved Julia be able to overcome it? Or will she go back to her spinster ways?

Title: Lake Como

Author: Anita Hughes

Received: From Anita Hughes

Synopsis: Hallie Elliot has a perfect life. She is an up-and-coming interior designer in one of San Francisco’s most sought after firms, and has just recently become engaged to Peter, a brilliant young journalist. But when she stumbles upon Peter and her boss in what seems to be a compromising position, her trust in her perfect life is shaken.

So Hallie escapes to Lake Como, Italy to spend time with her half-sister, Portia Tesoro, an Italian blueblood dealing with the scandal of a public estrangement from her cheating husband. While staying in the Tesoro villa, Hallie falls in love with the splendor and beauty of Lake Como, and finds work designing the lakeside estate of a reclusive American tech mogul. The caretaker of this beautiful estate is a handsome man named Angus, and Hallie finds herself drawn to his charm and kindness, despite hints of a dark secret in his past.

But just as Hallie is beginning to find her footing on Italian soil, she uncovers a family secret that upends all the truths she’s believed about herself, and calls into question the new life she’s built in Lake Como.

Sisterhood, family, career, and sumptuous descriptions of Italian life fill the pages of this newest offering by Anita Hughes. Lake Como is a heartbreaking and heartwarming story of love, self-discovery, and the quest for truth.

Title: Being Me

Author: Lisa Renee Jones

Received: BrookTrib

Synopsis: Fascinated by the dark fantasies in the journals she’s discovered, and the two men who have now found a place in her life, Sara McMillan finds herself torn between her new life and her past. Now, more than ever, Sara identifies with the lost journal writer, Rebecca, and is certain that something sinister has happened.

In the arms of the sexy, tormented artist Chris Merit, Sara seeks answers about Rebecca and ends up discovering things about herself she never knew existed. Chris forces Sara to reconsider who she is and what she truly wants from life, but not before his dark desires threaten to tear them apart. Her boss, Mark Compton, offers her the shelter to understand just what those needs mean to her, and what they might have meant to Rebecca, but can she trust him to lead her to a final conclusion to Rebecca’s story?

Title: Undeclared

Author: Jen Frederick

Received: From Jen Frederick

Synopsis: For four years, Grace Sullivan wrote to a Marine she never met, and fell in love. But when his deployment ended, so did the letters. Ever since that day, Grace has been coasting, academically and emotionally. The one thing she’s decided? No way is Noah Jackson — or any man — ever going to break her heart again.

Noah has always known exactly what he wants out of life. Success. Stability. Control. That’s why he joined the Marines and that’s why he’s fighting his way — literally — through college. Now that he’s got the rest of his life on track, he has one last conquest: Grace Sullivan. But since he was the one who stopped writing, he knows that winning her back will be his biggest battle yet.

June 16, 2013
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Book Review: Walking with Elephants by Karen S. Bell
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Walking with Elephants by Karen S. Bell

I received a copy of Walking With Elephants by Karen S. Bell in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Suze Hall is at a crossroads. Her nemesis at work, Wanda, has been promoted and now will be her boss. Her husband, Bob, is leaving her and the three kids for a six-month sabbatical down under. To top it off, her best friend, Marcia, is missing in action—playing footsie with some new boyfriend!

Adding to this disaster stew, David, the gorgeous hunk who broke her young-girl’s heart has coincidentally popped back into her life and has something she desperately needs to keep her job.

Walking with Elephants, a lighthearted slice-of- life story, brings to the table the serious work/family issues facing women today. It explores the modern dichotomy of a workplace that is filled with homemakers who still must cook, clean, carpool on nights and weekends, shop for prom dresses, and “create” the holidays—such as Suze. But it also is filled with women who have the same drive as men, have no family responsibilities, and will do what ever it takes to get ahead.

So step into the shoes of Suze Hall and commiserate over workplace politics, titillate your sexual fantasies, ride the wave of a working mother, and fall-down laughing.

My Thoughts:

I really, really enjoyed this book and found the story very relatable and thought it was literally just like something that would happen to one of my girlfriends. Suze is a really great literary character that I was instantly drawn to and I really enjoyed watching her tackle every day tasks. Karen speaks from the heart and it is easy to see why so many people enjoy this book and why it is so highly rated on Amazon. If you are looking for a quick, light and enjoyable read, then this one is for you.
Rating: 4 stars

June 14, 2013
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Book Review: Tattered Innocence by Ann Lee Miller
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Tattered Innocence by Ann Lee Miller

I received a copy of Tattered Innocence by Ann Lee Miller in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

A tale of passions indulged, denied, and ultimately forgiven:

On the verge of bagging the two things he wants most—a sailing charter business and marrying old money—Jake Murray’s fiancée/sole crew member dumps him. Salvation comes in the form of dyslexic, basketball toting Rachel Martin, the only one to apply for the first mate position he slapped on craigslist.

On a dead run from an affair with a married man, Rachel’s salvation is shoving ocean between her and temptation.

Rapid fire dialogue and romantic tension sail Jake’s biker-chick of a boat through hurricanes, real and figurative. A cast of wannabe sailors, Rachel’s ex, Jake’s, a baby—go along for the ride.

The many-layered story weaves together disparate strands into a seamless cord. Mother and daughter look eerily alike—down to their lusts. Their symbiotic bond, forged in the blood of childbirth on the kitchen floor and cemented by their secrets, must be cracked open. A son must go home. Sin must be expunged.

Tattered Innocence is for anyone who’s ever woken up sealed in a fifty-gallon drum of their guilt.

My Thoughts:

Over the past year, I have become a big fan of Miller and her writing, and this book is no exception. In short, this book is about forgiveness and I absolutely loved the way the story conveyed such a powerful message to the reader. Jake is a torn character and I really enjoyed watching him grow and come to. This story is layered and complex and definitely isn’t as simple as you might imagine while reading the synopsis. I thoroughly enjoyed it and really appreciated the value of forgiveness that it conveys, especially because it is not only an aspect applied to others but to ourselves as well. Overall, very well done! I can’t wait to see what Ann Lee Miller comes out with next!
Rating: 4 stars

June 13, 2013
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In My Mailbox: Week of June 9
Chick Lit Plus

In My Mailbox: Week of June 9

Title: Is This All There Is?

Author: Patricia Mann

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: “Is this all there is?” It’s a question every wife and mother eventually finds herself asking and thirty-five year old Beth Thomas is no exception. On the surface, her life is perfect. She’s married to her college sweetheart, has two beautiful little boys, and enjoys her part-time teaching appointment at the local university. But when a friend persuades Beth to go dancing on a rare night out, a chance meeting with twenty-one year old Dave, one of her former students, changes the course of her life. Loud music, too much to drink, and the thrill of feeling young again lead to an unforgettable kiss that was never supposed to happen. Beth tries to leave the memory behind, but Dave convinces her that he fell in love with her while he was in her class. As he continues to pursue her, he forces her to look at everything in her life through a different lens and the temptation of what he’s offering becomes too strong.

Patricia Mann’s “Is This All There Is?” introduces readers to the seemingly perfect world of Beth Thomas, a 35-year-old mother and wife who takes a risqué detour from diapers and duty to chart a course into erotica, deception and deceit. As the part-time college professor yields to the overpowering push and pull that follow a magnetic encounter with a former student, Beth is held captive in the seductive space that lingers between desire and reason. Honest and moving, Mann’s work is a touching snapshot of middle-America today, a compelling story about one woman’s struggle to keep up appearances while coming undone.

Down and Out in Bugtussle by Stephanie McAfeeTitle: Down and Out in Bugtussle

Author: Stephanie McAfee

Received: Penguin

Synopsis: With her fiancé now her ex-fiancé, Ace has hightailed it back to Bugtussle, Mississippi, and back to her Gramma Jones’s house. Her best friends, Lilly and Chloe, are delighted she’s back, but Ace still has some challenges ahead of her.

For one thing, her replacement as Bugtussle High School’s art teacher, Cameron Becker, refuses to vacate the position. So Ace is stuck working as a substitute teacher while harboring fantasies of running Miss Becker out of town. On top of that, Lilly and Chloe are obsessed with setting her up on less-than-romantic blind dates—even though all she wants is a break from her pitiful love life.

To ease her troubled mind, Ace resolves to restore her grandmother’s gardens to their former glory. But in the well-worn gardening book she’s dug out of her grandmother’s attic there are a series of suspicious notes that indicate her grandmother may have had a special someone in her past. Now, with her faithful chiweenie, Buster Loo, by her side, Ace is determined to get to the bottom of her grandmother’s secret life, all the while hoping her own life isn’t about to implode….

Save the Date by Allie SpencerTitle: Save the Date!

Author: Allie Spencer

Received: Random House UK

Synopsis: The only thing worse than the family holiday from hell, is the family wedding from hell. So, when faced with being marooned in a Tuscan castle with her thoroughly dysfunctional family for the 1930s-themed wedding of her rich, over-spoilt cousin Jessica, who could blame Ailsa Stuart for being less than enthusiastic?

As her family’s exhausted peacemaker she will have her work cut out. Not only is there her own nearest and dearest to deal with, but the sudden appearance of her ex-husband, desperate to reconcile with her almost sends her over the edge. But Ailsa needs to pull herself together, because without her calm presence, the wedding could end badly for all of them.

He’s The One by Katie PriceTitle: He’s the One

Author: Katie Price

Received: Colbert Macalister PR

Synopsis: A passionate story of lost love and second chances, from the bestselling Katie Price.
Twenty-year-old Liberty is beautiful, ambitious and dreams of making it as an actress. She is also a single mother and has a three-year old daughter, Brooke. Living with her mother, she supports her daughter by modelling and working as a waitress.

Then, over one perfect summer, Liberty meets and falls in love with Cory, a young American taking time off from university. But Liberty never feels good enough for him, and when she meets his university friends, she feels it’s only fair to let him go. Heartbroken, Cory leaves to go back to the States.

Liberty, meanwhile, suddenly gets the break she’s been praying for. Zac, a TV director has seen her picture and wants her to audition for a role in LA. And so, Liberty and Brooke begin a new phase of their lives. Suddenly, she is successful, but she can’t forget Cory. Until news of his engagement reaches her, and she finally agrees to marry Zac.

Years later, everything has changed. Liberty has fled LA, taking a reluctant teenage Brooke with her. But returning to her home town of Brighton reawakens painful memories. Especially as she meets Cory again. She still loves him, but he seems to hate her. Can she ever convince him to trust her again?

June 9, 2013
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Book Review: Seven Night Stand by Nicole Helm
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Seven Night Stand by Nicole Helm

Disclaimer: I received a copy of Seven Night stand by Nicole Helm in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

Reality TV scout Vivvy Marsh loves her job, but she’ll lose it if she doesn’t find a hit. When she’s sent to Demo, Kansas to scout a show, it looks like a bust. It’s flat, boring, and she’s not inspired…until she meets sexy pilot, Nate Harrington.

Nate can’t deny his feelings for Vivvy. She’s beautiful, and doesn’t blink an eye at his crazy family. He could get used to her…but her Hollywood lifestyle doesn’t fly in his small town.

Their feelings deepen, but they’re going to have to part ways at the end of seven days, or one of them is going to have to make a sacrifice that’ll change their lives forever.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. The story is quick and easy to read and flowed very well. I am not a fan of reality TV but this book doesn’t really rub it in your face and I think Nicole did a really good job at tying it into the overall story. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Vivvy and Nate and thought that they were really cute together. There are a couple of characters that came and went throughout the story that I didn’t really care very much for but I think Vivvy and Nate really made up for that. Overall, this a quick read and fairly entertaining.
Rating: 4 stars

June 7, 2013
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Book Review: I’ll Take What She Has by Samantha Wilde
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: I’ll Take What She Has by Samantha …

Disclaimer: I received a copy of I’ll Take What She Has by Samantha Wilde in exchange for an honest review. Summary: Nora and Annie have…

June 6, 2013
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Book Review: Rock My World by Sharisse Coulter
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Rock My World by Sharisse Coulter

Disclaimer: I received a copy of ROCK MY WORLD by Sharisse Coulter in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

Jenna Jax-Anders hit rock bottom in high school. Or so she thought. From rock star heiress to knocked-up has been, she turned it all around, marrying the punk rock baby daddy love of her life. The perfect Hollywood fairytale. Until the day she walked in on him kissing her best friend. As she struggles to find herself and redefine the world around her, she faces the challenges of raising her over-achieving teenage daughter, the heartbreak of losing her best friend (backstabbing aside), and emerging from the shadows of two famous last names to find her own identity. Oh, there’s also the tiny issue of her husband’s record label, backed by an anonymous mogul whose morally ambiguous creative direction may ruin them all. But she doesn’t know about that yet.

Review:

This book is so good!! I instantly fell in love with the writing and think that Sharisse did such an amazing job at crafting such wonderful characters. Jenna felt like a drink of cool water. She is real, authentic and loads of fun and throughout the book I felt like she and I were best buds. This is chick lit at its finest and there is so much heartfelt emotion going on but also a ton of wit and humorous parts. Overall, this book is loads of fun and such a great, quick read. I highly recommend it.

May 31, 2013
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Book Review: Playing the Maestro by Aubrie Dionne
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Playing the Maestro by Aubrie Dionne

Disclaimer: I received a copy of Playing the Maestro by Aubrie Dionne in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Melody Mires who has sworn off dating musicians. But, she is tempted when sexy European conductor Wolf Braun takes over her struggling symphony. He is very easy on the eyes, but not so much on the ears. Wolf is arrogant and stubborn and seems to be out to get Melody. And, to make things more complicated, he is her boss. But, with her job on the line, she needs to impress him whilst keeping her undeniable attraction on the sidelines. Turns out though that Wolf is attracted to Melody as well, but he has quite a few skeletons in the closet and is dealing with many issues of his own. Will they be able to turn off the spark? Or will they risk their careers at a chance of love?

This book is very, very sweet. I thought Aubrie did an amazing job at crafting such believable characters and I really loved the chemistry between the two main characters. Melody is sweet and charismatic and Wolf is … kind of a jerk. But, throughout the book we begin to see the facade crumble and realize that it is all mostly an act, and that deep down, he is a kinder, more gentile person. Overall, this book is really enjoyable and is such a quick read. If you have ever played a musical instrument or have a flare for that sort of thing, this is up your alley.
Rating: 4/5 stars

May 30, 2013
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