GIVEAWAY: The Pollyanna Plan by Talli Roland
Thirty-something Emma Beckett has always looked down on ‘the glass is half full’ optimists, believing it’s better to be realistic than delusional. But when she…
Book Review: Mistletoe in Manhattan by Talli Roland
I received a copy of Mistletoe in Manhattan by Talli Roland in exchange for an honest review.
This was a super cute novella that put me right in the holiday mood. Holly West is the daughter of Christmas party-planners, but she doesn’t seem to bring the same cheer and festive spirit as her parents. In fact, quite the opposite. When Holly gets an offer to travel across the pond and throw a British-themed party for TV star Dean Layton in Manhattan, she thinks this could be the opportunity to open doors and get away from only planning Christmas parties. But with a snooty assistant and too many over-the-top requests from a B-list celebrity, Holly wonders if this is the life she truly wants. When a blooming romance finds bumpy ground, Holly also is forced to take a look at herself and what she really wants in life.
Sometimes I can struggle with novella’s, but I really enjoyed this one. It was a quick treat that I found sweet to read and left me wishing for more. I was surprised at how much I could connect with Holly in such a short time, and I recommend this cute novella for chick lit fans. There is also a sneak peak at Roland’s next full-length novel included – and The Pollyanna Plan is coming up on my to-read list!
[Rating: 4]
The Christmas Creche
The Christmas Creche
As I’m sure you’ve all heard, some of your favourite writers including Scarlett Bailey, Abby Clements, Victoria Connelly, Miranda Dickinson, Michele Gorman, Belinda Jones, Carole Matthews, Talli Roland and Julia Williams have all given birth to festive little bundles of joy. It’s wonderful when so many friends have book babies around the same time, because that means they can grow up together and be best friends too.
To help the tots cement their friendships (and to get a bit of peace and quiet – those deadlines aren’t getting any easier!), the authors have enrolled them in the Christmas Creche*, where the ultra-capable Miss Dewey will look after them for a few hours a day until the Christmas holidays. And to keep the mothers from pestering her, she has kindly agreed to document what her charges get up to.
Poor Miss Dewey! She doesn’t know what she’s in for – these little ones already know their minds, that’s for sure.
Readers can follow the Christmas Creche short stories over the next six weeks by popping over to the creche now, where Miss Dewey has posted the first story, or by following any of the writers on twitter or Facebook.
Follow the writers to keep up with all the fun…
Scarlett Bailey Twitter: @ScarlettBailey / Facebook: ScarlettBailey
Abby Clements Twitter: @AbbyCBooks / Facebook: Abby ClementsBooks
Victoria Connelly Twitter: @VictoriaDarcy / Facebook: VictoriaConnelly
Miranda Dickinson Twitter: @wurdsmyth / Facebook: Miranda Dickinson Author
Michele Gorman Twitter: @expatdiaries / Michele Gorman Books
Belinda Jones Twitter: @vidabelinda / Facebook: BelindaJones Travel Club
Carole Matthews Twitter: @carolematthews / Facebook: CaroleMatthews
Talli Roland Twitter: @TalliRoland / Facebook: Author TalliRoland
Julia Williams Twitter: @JCCWilliams / Facebook: JuliaWilliams
*That’s nursery in North American!
Chick Lit Lovers’ Labor of Love!
Chick Lit Lovers’ Labor of Love! For four days over the US Labor Day weekend, 7 of your favorite chick lit writers are offering their…
Construct A Couple by Talli Roland
Talli Roland quickly became one of my favorite chick lit writers with her novels such as The Hating Game, Build A Man, and Watching Willow Watts that kept me thoroughly entertained and waiting impatiently for more. Her latest, Construct A Couple, follows Serenity and Jeremy from Build A Man, as the couple tries to get on solid ground after a shaky start to a romance and Jeremy suffering a stroke. Serenity is stoked about her new job at a reputable London magazine…until she finds out that fact-checker doesn’t mean “reporter-in-the-making” it means, well, fact-checker. But when she stumbles upon a lead that could get her out of Death Row (or Fact Check Row, whichever) she can just imagine herself climbing the ranks. But when Serenity discovers that the business she is about to take down is helping fund Jeremy’s charity for stroke victims, her brilliant plan is about to blow up in her face. Can she really run a story that will ruin Jeremy’s chance at running a successful charity? Maybe it would be easier if she could just talk to her boyfriend about what was happening, but after finding out that his ex-girlfriend is the CEO of the company doing the donating, Serenity starts to doubt more than just her story. Is her relationship with Jeremy as stable as she thought, or will that backfire on her as well?
Again – loved the book! It was so fun to catch back up with Serenity, who is just a blast to read about. I also really enjoyed the new character – Lizzie – who worked with Serenity as a fact checker. I thought she really added depth to the plot. It was also nice to get some more insight on Serenity’s best friend Kirsty and her family. Kirsty was having a hard time with husband Tim in the previous book, and a pregnancy shocker had her all sorts of rattled. I was really pleased with how their story turned out. And of course, Jeremy and Serenity’s relationship had me all filled with happiness when I got to the end of the book. Such a cute couple, and hopefully now they will learn to communicate! I believe there is another book in this series, and I will wait (impatiently yet again) for that to be released. If you have yet to read something from Talli Roland – quit reading my review and get on it!
[Rating: 4.5]
GIVEAWAY: Construct a Couple by Talli Roland
Is any relationship strong enough to survive a string of secrets? With a great job at a reputable magazine and a man who’s the perfect…
Favorite Books of 2011
Samantha’s Favorite Reads of 2011!
As another year comes to an end, a fun thing we book bloggers like to do is look back and crown our favorites of all favorites when it comes to books we read. Throughout 2011, I read and reviewed 143 books, a twenty-two book increase compared to 2010. Not too shabby considering I also published my own novel and started CLP Blog Tours! I can’t wait to see what 2012 has in store for me, but for now, let’s reflect on my Favorites of 2011!
GIVEAWAY: Build a Man by Talli Roland
How far would you go to create the perfect partner? Slave to the rich, rude and deluded, cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland longs for the…
Build a Man by Talli Roland
Talli Roland is rapidly running up my ladder of favorite authors. I couldn’t wait to read the latest from her, Build a Man, and am grateful she keeps sending copies my way! This story follows Serenity Holland, an American living across the Pond and working as receptionist at her boyfriend’s cosmetic surgery clinic. She really has dreams of being a tabloid reporter, and she is trying desperately to get noticed from a magazine. It is at the clinic that she meets Jeremy Ritchie, a man determined to have a complete transformation. Jeremy wants plastic surgery from head to toe to make over who he has become, and Serenity’s boyfriend Peter is just the man for the job. Serenity catches of the eye of a tabloid with her story about Jeremy––a man so obsessed with plastic surgery––and finally lands a chance to become a real writer! But will going undercover work in Serenity’s favor, or will she watch everything fall apart?
I am happy to put Build a Man on my Favorites List and give it a whopping five stars! Roland has everything right in this story––a sweet but confused heroine, a gripping plot, and lots of laugh along the way. I was invested from the beginning, and had to see how Serenity and Jeremy’s story played out. The only gripe I was about to have was that it ended too quickly––I felt that Serenity and Jeremy were only just beginning when the story came to an end, but then I saw there is a sequel––hurray! If you haven’t read anything yet from Roland, get her on your list!
[Rating: 5]
