Author Profile: Katherine Owen
Author Name: Katherine Owen Website: http://katherineowen.net/ Bio: Katherine Owen graduated with a journalism degree and a minor in English from the University of Washington and…
On Tour: The Champagne Diet by Cara Alwill Leyba
Cara will be on tour December 30- January 6 with her novel The Champagne Diet This book is for the woman who wants to feel good…
A New Favorite: Cuties
Recently, my husband and I have become addicted to cuties. When he first mentioned buying them, I asked, “What in the hay is a cutie?” I was hoping for chocolate or a new type of ice cream. Turns out, it’s an orange. Or a Clementine. Well, it’s a round fruit that’s orange in color and is citrusy. Got it? Yeah, I didn’t either. As someone who doesn’t like oranges, I turned my nose up at the thought of eating one. Because that’s what a cutie is, right? My husband persuaded me to give it shot, saying it’s not an orange, really, but something similar, and people who don’t like oranges are said to like cuties. So I agreed to give it a shot, and I’m happy to report I honestly like them. Love them actually. Sometimes I eat four a day, and I don’t feel guilty about it. It’s a fruit, it’s packed with Vitamin C, and it’s free of cholesterol, sodium, and trans fat. And that makes me one happy girl. The cuties are easy to peel, they’re small and a perfect snack size, and good for you – really, winners all around. My husband and I always look for the bags that have smaller cuties in them, because we think the smaller ones are easier to peel and simply taste better. These last for a long time in our fridge, and we always have them in stock. So if you’re looking good for a good-for-you snack, check out the cuties. You’ll love this mini-orange….this Clementine…this is fruit. Whatever it is, I’m just happy to eat it!
Book Review: In the Bag by Kate Klise
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Bestselling YA author Kate Klise flies high with her first novel for grown-ups. In the Bag is You’ve Got Mail meets The Parent Trap in the 21st century—an absolutely enthralling story of globe-hopping, lost luggage, found opportunities…and the old-fashioned art of flirtation in a modern world. Told from the alternating perspectives of two single parents and their two teenage children, In the Bag is warm and witty, surprising, stylish, and smart contemporary women’s fiction for fans of Jennifer Weiner, Jane Green, and Megan McCafferty. Kate Klise’s sparkling career as a novelist for adults has taken glorious flight!
Review:
I have to say that I didn’t love this book. The premise sounded good, the cover was cute, and I liked the short and quick chapters, which made for a fast read. I understand that sometimes fate does work in strange ways, but the believability started to get stretched a little thin for me as the book carried on. The ending was a little confusing as well, and I can honestly say that I would have preferred none of the “terrorist” angle be included in the story. I like reading books that are based outside of the US because I love traveling, so reading about Paris and Barcelona and Madrid sparked my interest. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t held for the duration of the book.
3 stars
On Tour: Driving Me To You by Julie Farrell
Julie will be on tour December 30- January 6 with her novel Driving Me To You When Sam meets her sister’s sexy mechanic, Verlaine, she instantly…
Book Review: Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues by Trisha Ashley
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
When Tansy Poole inherits a run-down shoe shop tucked away in the village of Sticklepond, ‘Cinderella’s Slippers’ is born – providing the footwear to make any fairytale wedding come true…
Carrying everything a bride would want to walk down the aisle in, Tansy’s shop soon expands to carry shoe-themed wedding favours, bridesmaid gifts and even delicious chocolate shoes. It’s the dream destination for any shoe-lover!
If only everything in her personal life could be as heavenly – but with a fiancé trying to make her fit into a size 8 wedding dress, not to mention the recent discovery of disturbing family revelations, Tansy takes refuge in the shop’s success.
But one man isn’t thrilled by the stream of customers hot-footing it to Cinderella’s Slippers… Actor Ivo Hawksley, resident of the cottage next to the shop, is troubled by a dark secret in his past and has come to Sticklepond to nurse his own broken heart.
However, Ivo realises that he and Tansy have a link in their past and soon, they both find out how secrets shared can make a very strong bond indeed…
Forget the Jimmy Choos, Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues is the only accessory you need for spring 2012…
Summary:
I tend to find a lot of British chick lit pretty slow, and unfortunately this one fell in that category for me. While I enjoyed the story perfectly fine, it just seemed to take forever to progress through the chapters. I found so many scenes and sub plot points that didn’t seem wholly necessary, and wished it had been shorter so my interest could have been kept easier. I liked the basic storyline – Tansy taking over Cinderella’s Slippers and the possible love interest between her and Ivo. If there had been more focus on those main points I think I would have enjoyed this story a lot more. Still cute chick lit, just not my favorite.
3 stars
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: The Bitches of Brooklyn by …
Reviewer: Samantha Rosemary Harris is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and The Bitches of Brooklyn Summary: From the author of the Anthony and…
Future Tour: The Lies That Save Us by JL Redington
JL Redington will be on tour February 17 – March 10 with her romantic suspense novel The Lies That Save Us Alexa is beautiful, smart and…
In My Mailbox: Week of December 22
Title: Be Careful, It’s My Heart
Author: Kait Nolan
Received: Kait Nolan
Synopsis: The best things happen while you’re acting…
The historic Madrigal theater, in the heart of downtown Wishful, is about to close its doors forever. A last ditch fund-raising effort, a production of White Christmas, is probably the only thing that could bring Tyler Edison out of retirement. She fell in love on that stage, but when Brody Jensen abandoned her, she lost the heart to sing and dance for the crowd. Maybe it’s time to take that back…
It seems like pure chance when Brody’s job, which has taken him all over the world, brings him back to his little hometown to oversee his boss’s latest secret project. Brody’s looking for closure, planning to sell the house his parents left him and finally put his past, and his memories of Tyler, behind him. What better way than to be a part of this last show? Even though his leading lady is surely long gone…
Put on your dancing shoes, auditions start at six o’clock.
Title: The Wedding Dress Club
Author: Lisa T. Snow
Received: Lisa T. Snow
Synopsis: Beyond the gray cubicle walls, a world of fantasy awaits. Six diverse co-workers escape the pressures of family, relationships, and office politics by finding refuge in a bridal salon, where the quirky, open-minded owner allows them to try on wedding gowns – for fun. Only Olivia is getting married – but all have access to the dreamy dresses at Antoinette’s. Through weddings, quinceañeras, and the stress of working for a billion-dollar cosmetics company, co-workers find companionship and common ground, pushing social boundaries in the most unlikely of places: a bridal salon.
Title: Mercy Snow
Author: Tiffany Baker
Received: Grand Central Publishing
Synopsis: In the tiny town of Titan Falls, New Hampshire, the paper mill dictates a quiet, steady rhythm of life. But one day a tragic bus accident sets two families on a course toward destruction, irrevocably altering the lives of everyone in their wake.
June McAllister is the wife of the local mill owner and undisputed first lady in town. But the Snow family, a group of itinerant ne’er-do-wells who live on a decrepit and cursed property, have brought her–and the town–nothing but grief.
June will do anything to cover up a dark secret she discovers after the crash, one that threatens to upend her picture-perfect life, even if it means driving the Snow family out of town. But she has never gone up against a force as fierce as the young Mercy Snow. Mercy is determined to protect her rebellious brother, whom the town blames for the accident, despite his innocence. And she has a secret of her own. When an old skeleton is discovered not far from the crash, it beckons Mercy to solve a mystery buried deep within the town’s past.
