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Completing the Puzzle by Amanda Egan
Chick Lit Review

Completing the Puzzle by Amanda Egan

I received a copy of Completing the Puzzle in exchange for an honest review. I have read Amanda Egan’s two previous novels, Diary of a Mummy Misfit and The Darker Side of Mummy Misfit, and enjoyed them both. This book is not in the Mummy Misfit series, but introduces a new cast of characters. Fee Crawford, a middle-aged mom to twin boys and a faltering marriage, starts to feel her life is incomplete. When her husband Hugh finally confesses why he has been distant lately, Fee’s life is shaken up, and heading for change. When she meets the vet in town, things start to look up. But with her twin boys, her father living under roof and chasing the housecleaner, and an overly-dramatic best friend constantly popping in, Fee isn’t sure her puzzle will find that missing piece.
I enjoyed the quirky humor that Egan brought to her first two books, and though I might not always understand the dialect being a US reader, it still gives me a chuckle as I Google terms. I thought the first half of the book was very solid, and enjoyed getting to know Fee and her family. I thought her twin boys were charming each in their own way, and the twist with Hugh was an interesting one. Through the second half of the book, I actually felt like I was reading a different novel. There are lot of big storylines and plot twists written in, and sometimes I felt like I was being led in all different directions, and it got to be a bit much. There also started to be a lot of foreshadowing in the second half of the book that I didn’t find in the first, so that really made it seem like I was reading two different novels. Overall I still enjoyed the story and thought Fee was a fun MC, but I think the plot could have been a bit tighter.
[Rating: 3.5]

September 5, 2012
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The Darker Side of Mummy Misfit by Amanda Egan
Chick Lit Review

The Darker Side of Mummy Misfit by Amanda Egan

The Mummy Misfit is back! Amanda Egan follows up from Diary of a Mummy Misfit and brings us the continuing tale of Libby, Ned, Fenella and some very wacky yummy mummies. I really enjoyed the first book, and was looking forward to the sequel. In the first book, Libby and Ned were always scourging around for money, and they were ecstatic when they were able to get their son Max into a private school, thanks to the sponsored funding. The story ended with Libby inheriting a huge sum of money from a deceased relative, and also finding out she is pregnant.
The Darker Side of Mummy Misfit starts back up with Libby and Ned in a happy marriage, pregnant with second child and Libby being happy she is with child the same time as her bff Fenella. They now have money and can afford to put Max through private school without receiving donations, and actually donate themselves now to another family in need. All is well – until Libby miscarries the baby. The miscarriage devastates Libby, throws her friendship with Fenella through a loop, and causes strain on her once blissfully happy marriage. Libby starts testing dangerous waters with another man, pulling away from Ned without even knowing why she is so unhappy. She journals her way throughout, trying to make sense of where her life is going, and wondering if she will ever be as happy as she once was.
Again, I happily read about Libby’s journey, laughing at times when the crazy mom’s at the school went a bit berserk with all their Botox, and feeling sad about Libby’s miscarriage. This book got a lot deeper than the first, definitely showing a “darker side” to Libby, one that was full of pain, neglect, guilt and remorse. I liked that the book wasn’t a downer though, there was always enough going on that would perk me back up and keep me focused on the positives. I thought this was a very worthy sequel, and both books should be checked out!
[Rating: 4]

August 1, 2012
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Diary of a Mummy Misfit by Amanda Egan
Chick Lit Review

Diary of a Mummy Misfit by Amanda Egan

Libby Marchant and husband Ned are bound and determined to give their only child, son Max, a prestigious education. They work diligently to be able to get him accepted by Manor House Prep School––whether they truly can afford it or not. Once accepted, Libby realizes that maybe prep school isn’t the best place for her. The other moms are first class snobs, she immediately feels out of place, and the competition between the other mothers is chart-topping. Libby befriends Fenella Hunter-Barnes, a rich mother but who is down to earth at the same time. Libby and Fenella easily become fast friends, and team up against the other parents while trying to survive prep school together.
I had a lot of fun reading Diary of a Mummy Misfit by Amanda Egan. I will say that the British slang sometimes left me baffled. I even tried googling a few of the sentences so I could get the full humor, but eventually had to quit because it happened so often. Other than that, I loved Libby’s character––always slightly off-balanced but a loving wife and mother who is just trying to do the best for her son. The friendship she has with Fenella is hysterical. Egan’s writing it quick and witty, filled with humorous tales and quirky scenarios. A really fun chick lit read that I would recommend!
[Rating: 4]

November 23, 2011
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Debut Authors and Titles- Summer 2011
Chick Lit Authors

Debut Authors and Titles- Summer 2011

Debut Authors & Titles- June & July 2011

Title: Pushover
Author: 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.
Available: May 26

Title: Diary of a Mummy Misfit
Author: Amanda Egan
Synopsis: Ever felt like you don’t belong?

When Libby Marchant and husband Ned made the monumental decision to sacrifice luxuries and holidays to see their only son Max through private education, they hadn’t expected to meet so many unsavoury and dislikeable personalities along the way.

Happily, the cruel jibes of the pompous ‘Meemies’ are made more tolerable by the lasting and loyal friendship they strike up with the affluent Fenella & Josh.

Follow Libby’s journey as she discovers the chasm between the Haves and the Have-Nots in her mad new world of school committees, designer handbags, bitching and botox.

With Fenella by her side, Libby is able to maintain her sanity. But what happens when the credit crunch bites, you’re desperate for another baby and your Asian neighbour is trying to match-make you with her infatuated son?
Available: June 2011

Title: Take It Like a Mom
Author: Stephanie Stiles
Synopsis: One thing sets her apart from other modern-day superheroes: mom genes. Annie Fingardt Forster used to be a lawyer who wore dry-clean only and shaved both legs. But things have changed. Now a stay-at-home mom, she wears cargo pants and ponytails and harbours a nearly pathological hatred towards hipster parents. With a three-year-old and a baby on the way, Annie knows what to expect … at least, she thought she did. Faced with her husband’s job loss, pre-school politics, and a playground throwdown with her arch nemesis, Annie realises that even with her husband and friends by her side, what she really needs is to learn to suck it up – and take it like a mom.
Available: July 5, 2011

Title: Rock Star’s Girl
Author: Jennifer Farwell
Synopsis: Emily Watts just wants a weekend break from the workaholic hours she’s taken on to keep her business, a popular fashion-snark web site, up and running. What she gets is overnight celebrity and a career-killing media scandal.

While taking time out to attend a concert in support of friend Jesse Cinder, a struggling musician, Emily meets Cory Sampson, the lead singer of a chart-topping rock band. When she agrees to a date with Cory, making entertainment headlines is the last thing she expects. Even so, it’s a minor surprise by comparison to her discovery that in the music world, media notoriety trumps all. Tabloid allegations erupt when Cory and fame-hungry Jesse use Emily for personal gain, and her tarnished image results in steep revenue losses for her web site when its advertisers balk. Suddenly, even her backup income vanishes when editors at the publications she freelances for cut ties. To save the web site and writing career she’s made her life and dream, Emily must go from being a pawn in the Hollywood headline game, to becoming the media mastermind.

Available: July 2011

June 24, 2011
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