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In My Mailbox: Week of August 26
Chick Lit Plus

In My Mailbox: Week of August 26

In Samantha’s Mailbox:

Title: The Good Woman
Author: Jane Porter
Received: Erin @ Penguin Group
Synopsis: Is it possible to leave it all behind?

The firstborn of a large Irish-American family, Meg Brennan Roberts is a successful publicist, faithful wife, and doting mother who prides herself on always making the right decisions. But years of being “the good woman” have taken a toll and though her winery career thrives, Meg feels burned out and empty, and more disconnected than ever from her increasingly distant husband. Lonely and disheartened, she attends the London Wine Fair with her boss, ruggedly handsome vintner, Chad Hallahan. It’s here, alone together in an exotic city, far from “real” life, that Chad confesses his long-standing desire for Meg.

Overwhelmed, flattered, and desperately confused, Meg returns home, only to suddenly question every choice she’s ever made, especially that of her marriage. For Meg, something’s got to give, and for once in her life she flees her responsibilities—but with consequences as reckless and irreversible as they are liberating. Now she must decide whether being the person everyone needs is worth losing the woman she was meant to be.

Title: Mary Indiana
Author: Anneke Campbell
Received: via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: She’s eighteen and pregnant, but with a twist–the new kid in town’s barely been kissed! Could she really be a virgin? The town doc swears it’s true. There’s just GOTTA be an explanation.

But it’s not coming from Mary, as she’s quickly dubbed. She seems to have taken a vow of silence. So it’s up to the citizens of Bellingham to make their own miracles—or at least their own myths. The new celeb is instantly surrounded by hangers-on, miracle-seekers, paparazzi, preachers, and promoters—to hilarious effect.

But are they dealing with an angel here, or someone playing an angle? Con, in a word, or icon? And by the way, what’s up with that strange light in the sky? Could be she came off a spaceship.

Neither sacred nor profane, nor even paranormal, Campbell’s beautifully written book is at once funny and wise, a savvy story of how myths are made, how minds twist and turn around the extraordinary, how the human organism just can’t help grabbing for the supernatural, whether out of the spiritual need for a miracle or a mundane desire for cash.

Think Barbara Kingsolver, Margaret Atwood, Anne Tyler, only really really funny.

August 26, 2012
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Summer Nights by Allie Spencer
Chick Lit Review

Summer Nights by Allie Spencer

Summer Nights by Allie Spencer follows Flora Fielding, who has been dumped on the one day of the year that should be safe territory, her…

August 23, 2012
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Breaking The Rules by Cat Lavoie
Chick Lit Review

Breaking The Rules by Cat Lavoie

Breaking The Rules by Cat Lavoie follows twenty-seven year old Roxy Rule. When her best friend and roommate, Ollie, accepts an exciting new job overseas designing green architecture, she expects their relationship to continue as it’s always been, but that all changes when they share a heart-stopping kiss moments before his departure. Overcome with mixed emotions, she fights the urge to over analyze the situation and resumes back to her normal life in New York City, working a dead end job, and creeping further and further away from her own dreams of becoming a professional chef. Whilst things are definitely more complicated between her and Ollie (and her fiancé) since their shared kiss, Roxy is determined to forget all about it … although it is ALL she can think about. But, that isn’t the only drama that Roxy is in for as she hosts an unexpected family reunion at her tiny two-bedroom apartment and is surprised when her baby sister turns up pregnant. An unexpected twist and a surprising revelation lead to Roxy finally recognizing that she is in love with her best friend and that their kiss was more than just a kiss. Does he feel the same way? Or is she too late? Only time will tell.

Truly one of a kind…Lavoie masters the classic tale of love between the oldest of friends. Endearingly heartfelt and charming, Breaking the Rules is an absolute delight. I haven’t had this much fun reading a book in quite sometime and was completely blown away by the complexity of the tale of Roxy Rule. The cast of characters are charming and surprisingly honest and I loved the dynamic between Roxy and Ollie and found myself rooting for them to be together since the kiss. This book kept me on my toes and I wondered the whole time what was going to end up happening … and Cat ties up all the ends nicely in a way that truly defines happily ever after. Overall, a fantastic book that I recommend to anyone looking for a great time, a fun adventure, and a hilarious cast of characters that are truly heartwarming. I guarantee that this one will not disappoint. A beautiful tale of love and friendship from a debut author. I can’t wait to see what Cat Lavoie comes out with next.

August 22, 2012
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Fashioning A Romance by Libby Mercer
Chick Lit Review

Fashioning A Romance by Libby Mercer

Fashioning A Romance by Libby Mercer follows Caitlyn Taylor, fashionista who can’t stand players. Having successfully dodged them her entire life, she finally meets up with John Harrington, British CEO. At first she thinks that he is fun loving and not like the men that she has avoided like the plague, but he turns out to be exactly like them, and worse. And to make things even more interesting, he is exactly her type, to a T. Confused as to why she hasn’t fallen victim to his advances, he turns up the charm. Then it becomes a tug-of-war between the two of them to see what will happen next, because the more she resists, the more he turns on the charm.

I really enjoyed Fashioning A Romance and thought that Libby did a tremendous job at writing very fluidly and creating an interesting dynamic between Caitlyn and fashion. John is a wild character with great charisma and I really enjoyed being stuck in the middle between the two main characters. Overall, a very fun and light summer read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a light summer read.

August 21, 2012
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In My Mailbox: Week of August 19
Chick Lit Plus

In My Mailbox: Week of August 19

In Samantha’s Mailbox:

Title: Arcadia’s Gift

Author: Jesi Lea Ryan

Received: From Jesi Lea Ryan

Synopsis: Most people who experience death don’t live to tell about it.

When sixteen year old Arcadia “Cady” Day wakes in a hospital after experiencing what can only be called a psychic episode, she finds her family in tatters. With her twin sister gone, her dad moved out, her mom’s spiraling depression and her sister’s boyfriend, Cane, barely able to look at her, the only bright spot in her life is Bryan Sullivan, the new guy in school. When Bryan’s around, Cady can almost pretend she’s a regular girl, living a regular life; when he’s not, she’s wracked with wild, inexplicable mood swings. As her home life crumbles and her emotional control slips away, Cady begins to suspect that her first psychic episode was just the beginning…

Title: To Catch a Bad Guy

Author: Marie Astor

Received: From Marie Astor

Synopsis: Janet Maple is convinced that her life could not get any worse: her stellar career at the DA’s office ended with a lay off and her boyfriend of five years told her that he wants to be just friends. When she lands a job at one of New York’s premier boutique investment firms, Janet begins to hope that her luck is finally turning for the better. Not only is she happy with her new paycheck, but things also seem to be looking up on the personal front, as the company’s handsome attorney expresses keen interest in Janet. However, her euphoria is short-lived, as Janet soon discovers alarming facts about her new employer’s business tactics. When her boss dismisses her suspicions as groundless, Janet finds herself confiding to a cute IT engineer, Dean Snider. The closer she gets to Dean, the more Janet is tempted to break her rule of not dating co-workers, but what she doesn’t realize is that everything she knows about Dean, including his occupation and even his name, is a lie.

August 19, 2012
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What The Dog Ate by Jackie Bouchard
Chick Lit Review

What The Dog Ate by Jackie Bouchard

What The Dog Ate by Jackie Bouchard starts off at the vet’s office, where after hours of bewilderment as to what could have possibly gone wrong with her dog, Maggie Baxter is handed a tiny pair of lavender thong panties that Kona, her dog, accidentally digested. The only problem is, the panties aren’t hers. Much to her surprise, they belong to a “friend” of her husband of the last seventeen years, and this is how she finds out that he has been cheating on her. When he leaves her, Maggie and Kona must learn to fend for themselves and piece their life back together. She takes on a new strategy for living her life and stops analyzing everything and just goes for it, similar to the way her dog Kona thinks. Will this new strategy help her solve her woes and move on from a broken heart?

I absolutely adored What The Dog Ate! Being a dog lover, I found the relationship between Maggie and Kona to be authentic and heartwarming, and it made me think about my two boys and how much I adore them. What The Dog Ate is tender story about following your heart (or your nose) and how sometimes, the perfect companion is mans best friend. Overall, a truly heartwarming story that I would highly recommend to any dog lovers or to anyone looking for a heartwarming story.

[Rating: 4.5/5]

August 16, 2012
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Emmerson Grace Guest Post On Ungrateful Bliss
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Emmerson Grace Guest Post On Ungrateful Bliss

Ungrateful Bliss
is a fiction blog-book, recently unveiled to the reader through posts that are written by a handful of friends. This blog has been likened to a band, but instead of each person having an instrument to play, each person has a character to write.

It didn’t’ start out that way though. The Ungrateful Bliss journey/adventure began only a few weeks ago with my desire to give the main character, Odette, a voice. It was my experiment in literature to figure out how to present a sympathetic female character who but for one enormous, unforgiving flaw, is otherwise a moral person. I was curious to see what the feedback would be. I have since realized that people don’t often post comments that can only be answered by a fictional character! Even so, viewership has more than doubled this second month, which is exciting for us.

Over the first few days of posting I found that the most liberating part about writing Ungrateful Bliss is that Odette doesn’t get to just tell her story through words. Blogging gives her character the freedom to post her photographs, drawings and her poetry. This gives the reader a totally unique insight in to the character. My husband and I are currently writing a song by “one of the characters” in the blog. We have another talented musician friend lined up to make a dance remix of the song. Because of the “electronic freedom” of blogging, we wil be able to eventually, simply link the finished song to the relevant post.

A little further along into publishing Ungrateful Bliss, and after drawing, what have been described as,”quirky” iPad pictures of my characters, I realized that I could introduce each main character to the world by giving them their own voice. The best way to do this would be (like starting a band) to ask my uber-talented writer friends to contribute to Ungrateful Bliss by choosing a character to write posts for. When considering if this was the right direction for my blog, I thought about how TV shows have a team of writers. So I figured that their contribution would be a good way to add incredible dimension to the story. It was the right decision. “My” blog is now, “our” blog.

Ungrateful Bliss posts are unveiled to the reader mostly in “real time”. For example, one day Odette can write about how she thinks her little daughter might have autism, and the next day she may not mention her daughter. She may instead post raw details about the cute neighbor down the street…just like talking to a close friend on the phone. But if the posts need to be tied together to become more lucid, I can simply add links to refer to past relevant posts. Sometimes though, if an important event happens on say, a Saturday, it may take a few days of posting to describe the events of that one day. If the reader wants to start Ungrateful Bliss from the beginning, there is a “read from the beginning” tab at the top of the blog.

On July 21st, Odette’s younger sister, Astrid debuted her first post…by whispering to the reader, a dreamy secret. Look out for posts by “Chris” coming over the next few days.

Ungrateful Bliss is definitely a Chick Lit Blog. The writers even get the added bonus of posting pics and links of super-cute outfits that our characters “wore out to the club” and cool items we love, like a Darth Vadar alarm clock (something that Odette notices in a bedroom she shouldn’t be in). The creative freedom of this blog is staggering, may I say, blissfully staggering. But since Ungrateful Bliss is based on a book, it will have pre-designed and planned twists, turns, major drama, and an ending…with a cliffhanger.

-Emmerson Grace has a BA in English Literature with a minor in Creative Writing. She lives with her amazing husband and 3 beautiful children and owns her own small business. She also writes daily posts for her fiction blog, Ungrateful Bliss.

August 15, 2012
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Play Him Again by Jeffrey Stone
Chick Lit Review

Play Him Again by Jeffrey Stone

Play Him Again by Jeffrey Stone takes us back to the Roaring Twenties, a time when the world is growing by leaps and bounds, yet the film industry keeps things quiet and without sound. Movie moguls say that it is too expensive and only two studios have sound equipment, and up until now, there has only been one picture with sound. But, that all changes when Matt Hudson, a movie industry bootlegger, decides that he wants to produce a talking picture. He has the will and the desire, but does he have what it really takes to get it done? Things go wrong quickly when he brings in his long time pal and regular mob gangster, Danny, who ends up mysteriously dead. Without any leads, Hudson is on the verge to find out who the killer was, but will he find himself in trouble too?

I was a little hesitant to agree to read this book when I first received the request because I thought it would be crowded with gangsters and blood and shootings. But, I was pleasantly surprised with what the story held. I loved the back story and history regarding the film industry and bootlegging and found that it added a very nice touch of appeal to the overall story. I found all of the characters very well developed and authentic and I loved the “lingo” that they all seem to use so well. I absolutely loved the narrative and all of the suspense. I read this book in a day … and that is saying a lot considering I was apprehensive about reading it in the first place.

[Rating: 4.5/5]

August 14, 2012
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In My Mailbox: Week of August 12
Chick Lit Plus

In My Mailbox: Week of August 12

In Samantha’s Mailbox:

Title: Lost in the Light

Author: Mary Castillo

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: DETECTIVE DORI ORIHUELA is on the verge of losing everything: her badge and now her sanity. Under investigation for a fatal shooting and recuperating from a bullet wound, she concentrates on restoring up her dream home – a 120 year-old Edwardian mansion. Expecting a few creaky stairs and drafty rooms, all of Dori’s beliefs on life and death are challenged when she not only sees a ghost, but he asks her to find a woman named, Anna.

The ghost and former bootlegger, Vicente Sorolla is trapped in the house where he was brutally murdered in the fall of 1932. By discovering what happened to the woman he loved and died to protect, both Vicente and Dori learn the undying power of love.

Dori and Vicente’s unlikely friendship takes us back to the waning days of Prohibition in San Diego and the dusty barrio of National City. Mary Castillo’s new novel, featuring the wild Orihuela family that first delighted readers in Names I Call My Sister, weaves romance, history and mystery into a humorous, touching and unforgettable story.

Title: November Surprise

Author: Laurel Osterkamp

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: • Twenty years
• Six presidential elections
• One consuming love affair

For Lucy Jones, the distinction between love and politics is hazy at best. Both can be all-consuming, and either can lead to a heart-breaking loss or an exhilarating win. Whatever the case, if you’re seen as a loser, you probably are one. Lucy first learns this lesson in 1988, when she’s a shy girl, battling a high school bully and rooting for Dukakis. Through the years Lucy will experience stunning victories and agonizing defeats as she makes the choices that define her. Meanwhile, she also struggles to define her relationship with Monty, who comes in and out of her life like the changes in public opinion. Is Monty simply a one-night stand, a kindred spirit, or the love of her life? And by 2008, can he offer her a change to believe in?

Over the course of twenty years and six presidential elections, Lucy grows and adjusts with the times. Filled with snarky political and pop-culture references, November Surprise is about the journey we take to believe in a candidate, in love, and in ourselves.

November Surprise is a companion piece to Campaign Promises, which is free on Amazon. They can be read in either order. Both have a liberal slant.

Title: Falling For You

Author: Heather Thurmeier

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: Newly single Cassidy Quinn is thrilled to be a contestant on the new reality dating show The One. But her excitement turns to horror when the gorgeous bachelor turns out to be her ex-boyfriend. Seeing Brad again makes Cassidy realize she might not be as “over him” as she thought—and then she meets hunky cameraman Evan Burke.

After watching his brother lose his wife in a tragic accident, Evan vows never to fall in love. But following Cassidy around as her personal cameraman makes him question his decision, and resisting her gets harder with every sunbathing, bikini-wearing day.

Cassidy and Evan begin a forbidden affair while her ex-boyfriend tries to win her heart back one groping, awkward moment at a time. If Cassidy can manage to stop falling off horses (literally), stop falling onto her ex-boyfriend, the bachelor (yes, literally), and stop falling in love with backstage playboy Evan, she might still make it through the show without becoming a tabloid sensation.

But soon Cassidy must choose between the ex who broke her heart and the cameraman who might never love her back. For Cassidy, this reality show just got real.

In Sara’s Mailbox:

Title: What Lies Behind

Author: Cynthia Hill

Received: Cynthia Hill

Synopsis: What Lies Behind is quite different from Idol Hands, and is more of a historical fiction-style book. It actually takes place both in the present, and in the early-to-mid 20th century. It is told from the perspective of a grandmother, Lillian, and granddaughter, Lisa, in alternating perspectives. Lillian’s story begins with her childhood in 1920s Toronto, moving through her life as a young society bride during WWII and through the scandal and tragedy of her adult years. Lisa, from the present, struggles with her own romantic life while also trying to understand the grandmother with whom she never felt close, even as Lillian is now in the final stages of Alzheimer’s. After a shakeup in her own life, Lisa makes a discovery that may finally bring Lillian’s secretive past to light.

August 12, 2012
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