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Blog Tour Sign Up: Dangled Carat by Hilary Grossman

Hilary had gotten used to dating the commitment-phobic Marc, thirteen years her senior. They had a great relationship—why rush into things? She saw no need to pressure him for marriage, believing that when the time was right, he would propose. But after they had been together for four years, their friends decided to take matters into their own hands, pushing Marc to propose and making Hilary realize how much she really did want to marry the man that she loved. Unfortunately, Marc still wasn’t ready—and their friends’ meddling in the form of a faux engagement party led to a disastrous New Year’s Eve that brought their relationship to an inevitable turning point.

In this relatable, lighthearted, and playful memoir, Hilary reminisces about her life before Marc—from the insecure and awkward teenage years she spent in a back brace and dealing with the loss of her father, to her early relationships and, finally, to the day she met Marc and realized that she really wanted to see him again. Through their first date—even though Hilary was technically seeing someone else at the time—and the ease of their early time together until Marc first decided that they were moving too quickly, up until that fateful New Year’s Eve, Hilary shares the details of their relationship and how Marc’s inability to commit led her to find an inner strength and confidence she didn’t know she possessed.

For anyone who has ever dated a commitment-phobe, who has found their patience wearing thin with the one they love, or who has sat around wondering if he is ever going to pop the question while trying to remain the very picture of patience and grace, Hilary’s humorous and honest story will hit home.

“Dangled Carat sparkles with humor and shines with wisdom. It is a gem of a book.” – Christina Baker Kline – New York Times Best Selling Author of Orphan Train.

“Fans of Sex and the City—Grossman makes a reference to Carrie Bradshaw and Mr. Big—will enjoy the story, but its real-girl charm should draw an even wider crowd.” – Kirkus Reviews

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Something Yellow by Laura Templeton

Laura Templeton is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Something Yellow
Summary:
It has been thirteen years since Holly’s nine-year-old sister, Rachel, disappeared without a trace.
It has been thirteen years since Holly left her hometown.
It has been thirteen years since Holly’s first love and high school boyfriend, Houston, was the only suspect.
Now another nine-year-old girl has disappeared.
Holly is back, and so is Houston—never charged and still proclaiming his innocence.
Can she trust him . . . should she trust him?
Review:
Um, wow. What a read. This book is so emotional, so gripping, that is was nearly impossible for me to put down. When I wasn’t reading I was thinking about the story, wondering about the missing little girls and Holly’s family life and the little town that has seen so much sadness. The writing is beautiful and poignant, and builds up the scenes in your mind as you frantically flip through the pages trying to find the resolution. I honestly had no idea who was behind Holly’s sister disappearance, and when the true story finally came to life, I got goosebumps all up and down my arms. A truly wonderful read, and five stars in my eyes!
5 stars

Future Tour: Tea and Primroses by Tess Thompson

Tess will be on tour February 24-March 3 with her novel Tea and Primroses Nothing is as it seemed in calm, quaint Legley Bay. Famous novelist…

Book Review: Sex in the Title by Zack Love

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
New York City, May 2000. The Internet bubble has burst, and Evan’s boss fires him with an email. The next day, his girlfriend dumps him, also via email. Afraid to check any more emails, Evan desperately seeks a rebound romance but the catastrophes that ensue go from bad to hilariously worse. Fortunately, Evan meets someone whose legendary disasters with females eclipse even his own.

To reverse their fortunes, they recruit their friends into a group of five guys who take on Manhattan in pursuit of dates, sex, and adventure. With musings about life, relationships, and human psychology, this quintessential New York story about the search for happiness follows five men on their comical paths to trouble, self-discovery, and love.
Review:
I was interested in reading this book because it’s nice to read from the male perspective every once in a while, since the books I tend to go for are all female POV. It sounds like standard chick lit – losing a job and significant other – but lad lit, if you will. There were parts that I enjoyed and others I didn’t so much. The book was funny at times, had me laughing out loud a few times, and again – I like reading from the male POV for a change of pace. But the book got quite long and I wasn’t really sure where it was going in the end – there didn’t seem to be the standard intro, peak, conflict, resolution, etc. type of storyline, and that threw me off a bit. It was an okay book, just ended up not being my taste.
3.5 stars

Future Tour: Bloodgifted by Tima Maria Lacoba

Tima will be on tour March 3-24 with her paranormal romance novel Bloodgifted What’s a girl to do when she learns she’s descended from a vampire?…

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Mounting the Whale by Colleen …

Colleen McCarty is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Mounting the Whale
Summary:
“Cartel got me, tell mom”

The siblings, drowning in their own problems, are forced to focus on the task at hand: a half-cocked rescue mission that involves a borrowed yacht, a favor from a notorious drug kingpin, and a shocking reunion none of them expected.

When the family decides to sneak into Mexico, mother Cybil is forced to deal with a rival CEO whom she’s developed feelings for in secret. Her only son, Tom, is willing to risk bodily harm to save Janine while his other sisters, Carlyle and Valerie, suspect that the kidnapping is less than legitimate.

The long sea voyage tests the limits of the family’s already frail bonds. Dark secrets of infertility, drugs, gambling and extreme taxidermy begin to float to the surface. But nothing compares to what they begin to learn about their missing sister.

If they’re going to make it out alive, they have to recognize they’re fighting the same battles and facing life’s greatest challenges: love, loneliness, and the struggle to find a place in the world.

Amidst all the chaos, the Pierce family is brought face-to-face with the ugliness of Janine’s addictions, the truth about their mother’s fortune and the most terrifying question of all: Can you really save someone who doesn’t want to be saved?
Review:
When I first read the synopsis, I’ll be honest – I was a little hesitant about this one. It seemed pretty far-fetched, and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to connect to the story at all. Well those fears were put to rest pretty quickly after reading just the first few chapters. The writing is terrific and the storyline just sucks you in. What I ended up liking most about this book is actually what I feared I would dislike – the crazy plot. Whenever I was reading I was completely absorbed in the book because it took me out of whatever it was I was doing and made me fall into the world of these characters. I saw another review saying this book read like a movie in your mind, and I absolutely agree with that. Terrific fiction read!
4.5 stars

Blog Tour Sign Up: Becoming Mrs. Walsh by Jessica Gordon

Shoshana Thompson is 26 years old, miles from home, and engaged to Andrew Walsh, the last single Walsh brother of one of Washington, D.C.’s wealthiest families. Throughout her engagement she becomes enamored with the Walsh lifestyle.

Life in the fast lane comes to a screeching halt when Shoshana develops feelings for another man. When she discovers the feelings may not be one-sided, things are about to get a lot more complicated. This man is not only part of her fancy new world, he is also completely off-limits.

Guest Blog: How to Plan Your Writing by Alicia de …

Thanks to The Chick Lit Cookbook author Alicia de los Reyes for guest blogging today on planning your writing. You can also read my 4 star review…

Book Review: The Chick Lit Cookbook by Alicia de los …

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
You’ve said it a dozen times before: If only you had the chance, you would write a chick lit novel. But between job, boyfriend, kids, school — life — you just can’t find the time.

The Chick Lit Cookbook: A Guide to Writing Your Novel in 30 Minutes a Day is the solution. This fun, cupcake-themed guide will take you from start to finish of your first draft. In 13 chapters, each with a short exercise that will get you writing now, you will learn how to create the perfect main character, her ideal love interest, a world for her to live in and an adventure that will draw in readers. You will outline your entire first draft — and then you will write it.

The Chick Lit Cookbook is a beginner’s guide to writing funny, snappy, sucks-you-into-the-story prose about modern women, life and love. It is full of tips and techniques, prompts and pep talks that will spark your imagination and inspire you to put pen to paper. The exercises can be done while sitting on the bus, waiting at the doctor’s office, or talking on the phone with your mother-in-law. This book will show you that you can and will write a chick lit novel.

Whether you’ve been wishing for years that you could write chick lit or are a brand-new fan of Bridget Jones and Becky Bloomwood, you owe it to yourself to pick up this guide. The Chick Lit Cookbook will prove to you that writing a novel can be fun and easy — it’s just like baking cupcakes!
Review:
This is a great and quick read for someone wanting to write chick lit books. There are exercises to help you get the most out of your reading, and if you are a first time writer, I really suggest doing these and helping create your story for when you start writing. I thought the format she wrote in – comparing writing to baking cupcakes – was a great spin and made it easy to read, easy to follow, yet also fun. A great guide that I recommend!
4 stars