Chick Lit Plus by Samantha March

Latest Youtube Videos

Book Review: Double Click by Lisa Becker
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Double Click by Lisa Becker

I received a copy of Double Click by Lisa Becker in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Fans of the romantic hit Click: An Online Love Story will enjoy another voyeuristic dive into the lives of Renee, Shelley, Ashley, Mark and Ethan, as Double Click picks up with their lives six months later. Are Renee and Ethan soul mates? Does Mark ever go on a date? Has Shelley run out of sexual conquests in Los Angeles? Will Ashley’s judgmental nature sabotage her budding relationship? Through a marriage proposal, wedding, new baby and unexpected love twist, Double Click answers these questions and more. Readers will continue to cheer, laugh, cry and cringe following the email exploits of Renee and friends.
Review:
I was very excited once Becker got a hold of me to review Double Click, the sequel to the super-cute and enjoyable Click: An Online Love Story. I of course jumped at the chance – and not only because I knew a character was named after me thanks to a Facebook post while the story was being written. Side note – the Samantha character is a huge gossip with mismatched socks – me to a T 😉 Back to my review …I loved it! I’m actually not sure which book I loved more, but since I’m given them each a 5 star review, we’ll just call it even! It was great fun catching back up with the gang, seeing how they have changed and grown and matured (cough, Shelley!) and I whipped through this book in a day. The story is written entirely in emails, but I never felt cheated out of a “real” story or felt that anything was missing. I don’t think this style of writing can be easy, so that I love these books that much makes me enjoy them even more. I hope you can read these!
5 stars

May 16, 2013
Leave a comment
On Tour: Chronicle of the Mound Builders by Elle Marie
CLP Blog Tours

On Tour: Chronicle of the Mound Builders by Elle Marie

Elle will be on tour May 20-27 with her novel Chronicle of the Mound Builders Archaeologist Dr. Angela Hunter discovers an ancient codex at a…

May 14, 2013
Leave a comment
Book Review: The Life List by Chrissy Anderson
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Life List by Chrissy Anderson

I received a copy of The Life List by Chrissy Anderson in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
The Life List, part I of The List Trilogy, is the ultimate chick lit novel and most of the story is true. Chrissy Anderson, a twenty-eight year old fashion executive, created a seven-point life list at the age of sixteen and she’s been steadily checking off the boxes and mocking the style and life choices of everyone around her ever since. Her life begins to run amuck when she unexpectedly meets a much younger, Leo, who makes her question her “perfect life.”

Chrissy’s lifelong friendships and her marriage are put to the test as she tries to sort out her feelings for Leo. With the help of her brassy, no-nonsense therapist, Dr. Maria, Chrissy learns more about herself than she anticipates. But, it isn’t until the untimely death of her best friend that Chrissy is catapulted into long overdue authenticity and scrambles to correct the mistakes of her past….trying to figure out if it’s Kurt, Leo or both that she has to get rid of to make everything right.

Women of all kinds–twenty-somethings, housewives and superwomen wanna-bes–will all be able to relate to the pressure of constructing the ideal life, only to fall short. Not everyone will agree with Chrissy Anderson’s decisions, but all will pause as they follow along on her journey to ask, “What would I do if I were her?”
Review:
Whew. What a book. When you read this (not if, when) be prepared to be entertained, to learn, to question, to laugh, to cry. This book was hard to put down from the first page, and even though I think it was a little on the long side, it was worth ever moment. I finished this book last week and I’m still talking to people about it. The characters are still sticking with me, and I’m even still questioning some of life choices after reading this very thought-provoking novel. I’m not sure I can really list all the reasons why I loved this book so much. There was drama and heartbreak and betrayal and friendships and …. truth. The emotions are raw, the storyline is not pretty at times, and there is some deep stuff to be uncovered throughout the chapters. I am so excited that this is a trilogy, and after begging Anderson for the second novel, I am happy to say The Unexpected List is now on my Kindle. Truly not one to miss.
5 stars

May 14, 2013
1 Comment
Blog Tour Sign Up: Between Friends by Amanda Cowen
CLP Blog Tours

Blog Tour Sign Up: Between Friends by Amanda Cowen

The only way to have a friend is to be one…especially between the sheets…

When neurotically challenged and unlucky in love Megan Daniels is propositioned by her life-long friend Ben Romano with a coin toss (heads, they sleep together, tails, they don’t) the night before they are about to attend a destination wedding, she drunkenly accepts his challenge. But when Megan wakes up the next morning with a bad hang-over and Ben in her bed, she is more than mortified. It isn’t until the tropical heat begins to ignite emotions Megan never believed or thought she could possibly have, when she starts to question if risking their friendship is the answer to finding true love.

A debut novel in the New Adult genre, BETWEEN FRIENDS faces one girl’s struggle between the fine lines of friendship and love and the risk of opening up her heart to the possibility of forever.

May 13, 2013
2 Comments
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: After Math by Denise Grover Swank
Chick Lit Review

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: After Math by Denise Grover …

Denise Grover Swank is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and After Math
Summary:
Scarlett Goodwin’s world is divided into Before and After.

Before she agreed to tutor Tucker Price, college junior Scarlett was introvert, struggling with her social anxiety disorder and determined to not end up living in a trailer park like her mother and her younger sister. A mathematics major, she goes to her classes, to her job in the tutoring lab, and then hides in the apartment she shares with her friend, Caroline.

After junior Tucker Price, Southern University’s star soccer player enters the equation, her carefully plotted life is thrown off its axis. Tucker’s failing his required College Algebra class. With his eligibility is at risk, the university chancellor dangles an expensive piece of computer software for the math department if Scarlett agrees to privately tutor him. Tucker’s bad boy, womanizer reputation makes Scarlett wary of any contact, let alone spending several hours a week in close proximity.

But from her first encounter, she realizes Tucker isn’t the person everyone else sees. He carries a mountain of secrets which she suspects hold the reason to his self-destructive behavior. But the deeper she delves into the cause of his pain, the deeper she gets sucked into his chaos. Will Scarlett find the happiness she’s looking for, or will she be caught in Tucker’s aftermath?
Review:
Denise Grover Swank became a favorite author of mine from the first book I read by her, Twenty-Eight and Half Wishes. I highly recommend all of her books, and if you haven’t read anything from her yet – you are missing out! While After Math wasn’t a favorite of mine, it was still a good book. The writing is flawless as usual, the characters have depth and keep the story interesting, and it just feels unique. I love that Scarlett was a math major, and Tucker’s back story was also interesting to read about. While it is a good girl falls for bad boy type of plot, there’s just something about her books that makes me feel like I’m reading about a subject for the first time. One to check out!
4 stars

May 13, 2013
Leave a comment
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Unexpecting by Lori Verni-Fogarsi
Chick Lit Review

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Unexpecting by Lori Verni-Fogarsi

Lori Verni-Fogarsi is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Unexpecting!
Summary:
Shelley and David are a couple of almost-empty-nesters preparing to embark on the next stage of their life. They’ve just ordered white furniture and are planning the vacation they’ve waited their entire lives to take.

Their lives are catapulted in a completely different direction when Alexandra, seventeen and pregnant, shows up on their doorstep and announces that she’s the daughter they never knew they had! Their life becomes filled with dilemmas as they add not only another child, but also a baby to a household that was just about to become serene.

Shelley feels like she no longer fits in anywhere and to top it off, having two teenaged girls suddenly plunged into being sisters and school mates is not exactly warm and fuzzy. When Alexandra’s behavior becomes erratic, the couple is faced with even tougher decisions to make.

Hold on for an emotional yet witty ride as you join this family of characters in a story of love, loyalty, heartbreak, and humor that will stay with you long after you turn the last page!
Review:
Wow, what a read. I adore books where I have pretty much zero in common with the main character but can wind up being best friends with her. I have also read Momnesia, which introduces us to Shelly, and I highly recommend both these novels. I actually ended up enjoying Unexpecting even more, not always a common occurrence with sequels, but this was just so hard to put down. I got emotional a few times throughout, I was surprised at times, shocked, dismayed, happy, confused…whew! But I loved every minute of it, and this is definitely worthy of a 5 star review!
5 stars

May 13, 2013
2 Comments
Book Review: The Week Before the Wedding by Beth Kendrick
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Week Before the Wedding by Beth Kendrick

I received a copy of The Week Before the Wedding by Beth Kendrick in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
After enduring a chaotic childhood, Emily McKellips yearns for a drama-free life, complete with a white picket fence. Her dreams are about to come true: She has a stellar career, a gorgeous house, and a fiancé any woman would die for. But as friends and family arrive in picturesque Valentine, Vermont, for her wedding, an uninvited guest shows up.

Ryan is Emily’s first husband from a disastrous starter marriage. They wed on a whim, only to discover that combustible chemistry couldn’t ensure a happily ever after. But Ryan is no longer the headstrong boy she left behind. He’s now a successful film producer who just happens to be scouting a resort in Valentine with his adorable retriever in tow.

As the bridesmaids revolt and the mothers of the bride and groom do battle, Emily is surprised to discover new sides of both her ex and her fiancé. She thought she had life and love all figured out, but the next seven days might change her mind—and her heart.
Review:
There were many details that made me fall in love with The Week Before the Wedding. I highly enjoyed that Emily had a bit of a wild-child past, how crazy her mom was, and of course – that I was reading a wedding book! (Mine is now LESS than four months away!) What I liked the most is that throughout the book, I had no idea how Emily was going to end up – or who she would end up with. On one hand, I truly thought she would stay with Grant, her fiancé, because she did seem to love him and their wedding was, well, a week away. They had chemistry, stability, and a happy life together. On the other hand, I thought for sure Emily was going to throw caution to the wind and wind up with Ryan. I mean, his name was tattooed on her ring finger! But they also had chemistry, a past, and an odd respect for one another. So who did she end up with? I can’t tell you that! But I can tell you this book has a lot of heart, some seriously comical moments with the mothers, and is a very enjoyable read!
4 stars

May 10, 2013
2 Comments
Book Review: Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell

I received a copy of Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Having grown up on the quiet island of Guernsey, Betty Dean can’t wait to start her new life in London. On a mission to find Clara Pickle – the mysterious beneficiary in her grandmother’s will – she arrives in grungy, 1990s Soho, ready for whatever life has to throw at her. Or so she thinks…

In 1920s bohemian London, Arlette – Betty’s grandmother – is starting her new life in a time of post-war change. Beautiful and charismatic, Arlette is soon drawn into the hedonistic world of the Bright Young People. But less than two years later, tragedy strikes and she flees back to Guernsey for the rest of her life.

As Betty searches for Clara, she is taken on a journey through Arlette’s extraordinary time in London, uncovering a tale of love, loss and heartbreak. Will the secrets of Arlette’s past help Betty on her path to happiness?
Review:
There was a lot I liked about this book, and just little that I didn’t so much love. The mystery aspect – who is this Clara Pickle, how does she tie in with Arlette, will Betty be able to find her? – was a lot of fun to read about. I’m also a sucker for books that flip back and forth between past and present, and my favorite era happens to be the ‘20’s, so I of course was quite happy with that! Betty also has some interesting characters enter her life while she is on the search for Clara, and they made a nice (and sometimes comical) addition to the story. I became entranced near the end of the book when you realized all the answers were going to be revealed, but I was also a little let-down towards the end. We follow Betty through her quest, but then when a huge chunk of the Arlette’s past is found out, we don’t get to see it through Betty’s eye. Someone else tells her and the chapter cuts away and we miss Betty’s reaction, which is something I was really looking forward to. It was almost anti-climatic in a way. But overall, I thought this book was really charming, and I would recommend.
4 stars

May 9, 2013
Leave a comment
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Flirting with Magick by Leigh Bennett
Chick Lit Review

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Flirting with Magick by Leigh …

Leigh Bennett is on tour now with CLP Blog Tours and Flirting with Magick.
Summary:

When a new-age remedy fixes Abby Williams’ career rut, the twenty-five year old figures a spell could heal her broken heart too…

Suddenly, she’s having hot sex with an even hotter musician, which might work as long as she doesn’t get in the way of his rock stardom. Her work colleague is flirty and fun, but could he be keeping something from her? And now, the guy who broke her heart wants to rekindle their relationship. Can she trust him enough to give it another shot?

So far, it seems Abby’s spell hasn’t worked. Or then again, perhaps it has?
Review:
This is a book that is just too hard to put down! Bennett did a fabulous job at making her characters jump right off the pages and into my world. They were so realistic and relatable, and that pull was what kept me drawn into the story from the first page to the last. I love a little magic twist in my books, and this one wasn’t quite as super-natural or voodoo-y as one might expect, but that made me like it just a tad more. A mix between chick lit and romance, I thought the two genres were blended together well and that this is a book you should check out!
4.5 stars

May 8, 2013
2 Comments