Book Review: Chosen by Denise Grover Swank

Everything Emma Thompson owns fits in a suitcase she moves from one roach infested motel to another. She and Jake, her five year old son who can see the future, are running from the men intent on taking him. Emma will do anything to protect him even when it means accepting the help of a stranger named Will. Jake insists she needs Will, but Emma’s never needed help before. And even though she’s learned to trust her son, it doesn’t mean she trusts Will.

Mercenary Will Davenport lives in the moment. Hauling Emma to South Dakota should have been an easy job, but his employer neglected to tell him about Emma’s freaky son and the gunmen hot on her trail. Instinct tells him this job is trouble, but nothing can prepare him for Jake’s proclamation that Will is The Chosen One, who must protect Emma from the men hunting her power. A power she doesn’t know she has.

Will protects Emma and Jake on a cross-country chase from the men pursuing them, while struggling with memories from his past, his apprehension of Jake, and his growing attraction to Emma. Will’s overwhelming urge to protect Emma surprises him, especially since it has nothing to do with his paycheck and possibly everything to do with the tattoo Jake branded on his arm. Rich and powerful men are desperate to capture Emma, and Will must discover why before it’s too late.

This is another book where I am struggling to come up with a review for. Not because the book was bad. It is the complete opposite. I couldn’t stop reading once I started, finding myself staying up later than intended because I needed to read “just one more page”. When I read Denise Grover Swank’s first book, “Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes”, I noticed that she had books in other genres as well and was thrilled when Samantha with Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours asked me if I was interested in reviewing two more books for Denise. The first one up was “Chosen”.

To sum the book up in one word – Intense. I was immediately drawn into the plight of Emma and her adorable and yet troubled son, Jake. Wise beyond his years, it was often Jake that seemed to be the one steering the wheel for them. Both are strong in their own ways, Emma wanting to protect her son at all cost and Jake, in return, wanting to protect his mother. Enter Will Davenport, clearly with an agenda in “assisting” Emma and Jake, but also just as clearly conflicted. It was the character of Will that I was most fascinated with and wanted to learn more about. Will falling in love with Emma, and vice versa, happened a little too fast for me. I wasn’t sure if I could believe they were in love or if it was the trauma of the situation they were in and turning to each other for comfort. But as the explanation about Jake and his “gift” was unveiled, it made sense.

While there is a love story of sorts that unfolds, this is not a romance book. It is a roller coaster ride, up and downs and your imagination is a requirement. Denise knows how to write a character that doesn’t have to say much to draw you into the story with vivid descriptions bringing the scenario to life. My second book from Denise and I give it a thumbs up!!

If you would like to learn more about Denise and her books, please visit her at any of the following:

Denise's website
Blog
Goodreads Author Page
Facebook
Twitter

If you leave a comment on Denise's Blog Tour Page, you will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

Review: Dollars to Donuts by Kathleen Kole

Take one newspaper columnist; move her from the anonymity of her home city to a sleepy, small town; add a dollop of nosey, suspicious and just plain odd neighbors; a dash of mystery in the form of a stained garbage can and a rodent and, finally, a large pinch of unsettling attraction to a virtual stranger and you’ll find yourself with a recipe that imitates April Patterson’s life.

Sound strange? It is.

April Patterson had no idea that when she decided to follow the path of family and love, she would find herself an unwitting player in an eyebrow raising cul-de-sac mystery, grasping for her privacy as she plays “Dodge the Neighbor” and being forced to examine her relationship motives ... all before she had unpacked her last box!

Taking a deep breath, and a large bite into a comforting donut, April consoles herself with the knowledge that it will all work out. It always does ... doesn’t it?

Oh Kathleeen Kole, you have done it again...you have given me another fun filled read, an adorably charming chick-lit novel. I love the character of April Patterson. I think of all the books I have reviewed this year, this is the one that I identified with the most. Accused by her sister, Jessica, of letting her life live her instead of the other way around, April evidently has a history of bouncing from one situation to the next. I can relate, most definitely.

The big problem starts when her live-in boyfriend, Kevin, brings home a house guest: His extremely attractive friend, Gerritt, who needs somewhere to stay after a freak accident destroys part of his house. You can't always control what your heart wants, especially when your head is already feeling restless. This is where all the insanity starts to ensue - crazy stalkers and even crazier neighbors. Seeing as how I think my neighbors are insane (hippies on one side, pigeon raising paranoid kooks on the other) I was amused to read all the gossip of the neighborhood. (I wonder what MY neighbors would do if dead squirrels started to show up on their doorsteps? Ha!)

I love Kathleen's writing style. She brings to life fun characters with a lot of spunk to them. I even gifted this book to my mom, who loved it as well! Give it a whirl, you are going to thank me for recommending this lovely author to you.



Kathleen Kole was born in Edmonton AB and graduated from college with a Diploma in Radio and Television Arts. Her career path has included writing in the fields of advertising, television and newspaper - and most recently novel writing. Kathleen relocated from Edmonton to Kelowna BC and resides there with her beloved husband, adored son and their happy-go-lucky dog. Dollars to Donuts is Kathleen's second published novel and she is currently working on her third, to be published in December.

Visit Kathleen at her website and on twitter.

If you go over to Kathleen's tour page at Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours and leave a comment you will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

Review: "Our Eyes Met Over Cantaloupe" by Anne McAneny

A wedding order at The Secret Lives of Cupcakes Shop is always reason for Millie Morris to celebrate – except when the groom is her ex-boyfriend and the bride is the woman he dumped her for. Still, it’s business for her mom’s shop. Millie even makes a good-faith effort to shoo the groom away when he confides his doubts about the marriage. But when Millie's job as a crime reporter finds her covering a big court case, she must choke down her unresolved feelings like a burnt cupcake slathered in bitter frosting… because the bride is the lead lawyer on the case. Unexpectedly intertwined on multiple levels with both her ex and his fiancée, Millie must choose to either remain in her half-baked state of existence or finally rise above it.

I am a big fan of chick lit books, obviously. I particularly love when they are laugh out loud funny and this book was just that. Millie Morris finds herself in one predicament after another and has to rely on her quick wits to help her rise above the claws of her ex's new fiancee, Laura. The ex is also proving to be quite a problem as Sam has decided to unload all his doubts about his upcoming nuptials on Millie. Anne McAneny has created a cast of zany characters that will make you smile.

The side stories are entertaining, particularly co-worker at the cupcake shop, Josh, and his quest to find his "mystery angel". I had a few moments of getting uptight when Sam kept coming around and Millie was starting to question her feelings. Luckily there is a hunky truck driver and a mystery man from the grocery store to spice this story up.

I have to warn that you will end up craving cupcakes, by the way. Each chapter is named for an actual cupcake and I had to stifle the urge to run to Sprinkles a couple of times.

This is a fun read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. And Anne, I have a big bone to pick with you - I have had "Jesse" by Carly Simon on my mind since I read this!



---------------

Anne McAneny lives in Virginia with her husband, children, two ferrets and a cat who currently answers to Mythical Flarb or Food. In addition to three e-books, Anne has written several screenplays that float through Hollywood on a regular basis. Her latest chick-lit novel, OUR EYES MET OVER CANTALOUPE, features Stuffed Cupcakes and Belgian beer... she really should have called it "Personal Nirvana." Her previous chick-lit novel, CHUNNELING THROUGH FORTY, sold well enough to gain the interest of literary agent April Eberhardt, who now represents her. Not limited to one genre, Anne has also written FORETELLER, a mystery-thriller that takes readers on a heart-pounding journey into the past with a doomed archaeologist who must fight to ensure her own future. Anne loves to hear from readers and wishes everyone HAPPY READING!


Anne's blog
Facebook
Kindle Author Page
Twitter
Nook page

For something fun, if you visit Anne's page on Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours and leave a comment you will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card AND a dozen stuffed cupcakes from Stuffed Cupcakes. (Just a warning, don't be hungry when you check out that site or you are going to be drooling on your keyboard.)

Review: Whispers from the Heart by Heather Hummel

Whispers: The heart's way of speaking...

Madison Ragnar is a high school English teacher determined to connect with her students, to finish the next running race with a respectable time, and to avoid ever falling in love again.

But life has other plans for Madison. A man named Michael shows himself in the most unexpected places, raising questions from her best friend, Olivia, and issues around Madison's last relationship.

In the classroom, the death of a student prompts her grieving ninth graders to depend on her for answers. They turn to journal writing as a form of understanding the weight of what's happened in the walls of their teenage existence.

When Madison meets Phil, who throws a wrench in her declaration to not fall in love, it seems that her escape through miles of running is the only real footing she has in life.

Will fate determine Madison's life? Or will she have a say in its outcome?

I have to admit that this is a hard review for me to write up. I have started and re-started it numerous times over the last couple of days. There is so much I want to say and yet have to be very careful what I am saying so as not to spoil the book."Go read this book" doesn't do it the justice it deserves. Heather Hummel has wrote such a heartfelt and touching book. Madison Ragnar was such an intriguing character. One of those that made you want to hug her and tell her it is going to be okay.

I really loved that Madison's past was not delved too deeply into, just enough to let you know that there was a bad relationship and that Madison wasn't willing to put her heart into another situation where she could get hurt. I admit that I was very leery of Michael's presence and each time he showed up I kept waiting for a big bombshell. When it was finally revealed I have to honestly say I never expected it. And Phil...where in real life is a man like him? Because I am calling dibs on him! The swerve of the love story was handled so rationally. I don't know if I could have handled it that way, but I liked it.

The death of the student was handled delicately and it was heartbreaking. It showed so much strength in Madison to keep herself in control and not fall apart in front of the children in the classroom.

If you want a book that is going to pull at your heart in numerous directions, this is the book for you. I cried, I cheered for Madison to find herself, and I smiled as she learned to trust herself to love again. This is the first of a trilogy and I'm anxious to read the next book and find what Heather has in store for her readers.


Heather Hummel is the author of the Journals from the Heart Series. She is an award winning author and celebrity ghostwriter.
Her published works include:
Journals from the Heart Series: Whispers from the Heart (2011 eBook) and Write from the Heart (2011 eBook)
Nonfiction: GO BIKE & Other Signs from the Universe (2011 eBook) and Gracefully: Looking and Being Your Best at Any Age (McGraw Hill, 2008), - Merit Award of the 2009 Mature Media Awards,

Heather's books have appeared in newspapers such as: Publishers Weekly, USA Today and the Washington Post; and in magazines that include: Body & Soul, First, and Spry Living, a combined circulation of nearly 15 million.Visit Heather at her website
You can also find her at:
Heather on Twitter
Heather on Facebook

Leave a comment on Heather's blog tour page to be entered to win a $10 gift card to Amazon: Blog Tour Page
If you purchase your copy of Whispers from the Heart from October 7- 31 and send your receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, you will get five bonus entries!**

Interview with Author, JF Kristin

1 - Did you always aspire to be a writer?

I've been writing since very early childhood, and before I could write stories down myself, I used to tell them to my parents. So yes, definitely! Reading and creative writing were my favorite parts of elementary school. While Rock Star's Girl is my debut novel, if you asked my parents, they'd probably tell you that it was really a short novel I wrote as a kid about the adventures of four dogs named Clover, Flower, Grass, and Leaf.

2 - Who or what has been your biggest inspiration?

Writing-wise, my biggest inspiration is anyone out there who launches a book, whether they're doing so independently or through a publisher. There is so much more that goes into getting a book out there into the world than completing that first draft. In terms of being part of the arts world, my biggest inspiration is everyone out there who follows their bliss and creates because they love it. Kudos to all of you.

Life-wise, my parents have been my biggest inspiration. They've encouraged my writing for my entire life, and always taught me that there are no limitations to what I can do. Their support and love have inspired me in all parts of my life, for my entire life.

3 - The rock star girlfriend dream is one that many women have at some point in their lives. Who was your rock star crush?

Although I've dated a few musicians, I'm not sure I've ever had a rock star crush -- actually, that's not true. When I was 16, I did have a rock star crush on the keyboard player in a Canadian band that will not be named, because a friend ended up becoming part of that band years later and so I've since met him! I think it was all about his hair. I will fully admit that I used to have a thing for rock star hair.

Right now I jokingly say I have a writer crush (not rock star crush) on Mikel Jollett of The Airborne Toxic Event. By that I mean that I have the utmost respect for him as a writer. Back in April, I ended up at a show the band did at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, and before that night, knew all of two songs by them. By the time they played a song called "All For A Woman" that night, I was hooked on the band's lyrics. Not long after, I was looking up something online and came across an article Jollett had written several years before the band's existence. To say his writing blew me away is an understatement. He has an ability to paint scenes, images, and stories with words that is remarkable and very rare.

4 - Have you thought about going back and telling more of this story? What further predicaments Emily can get herself into?

Given that Emily lives in L.A., there is probably no shortage of predicaments she can get herself into. The city is a non-stop adventure. I haven't thought about revisiting Emily yet, although I have had thoughts about two other "rock star" books involving different characters and entirely different aspects of the music world.

5 - How did you celebrate the selling of your first book?

I think I let myself have a nap, and the celebration happened the next weekend after I'd caught up on sleep and more books were sold. The days leading up to launching a book are incredibly busy, or at least they were for me. Because of that, and because I'm out celebrating friends' birthdays or other events, or going to concerts or comedy shows, or just meeting up with friends all the time, I think sleep can feel like celebrating!

6 - What's your advice for writers just starting out in terms of dealing with rejection?

Don't take rejection personally, and understand that writing is a business. If someone passes on your work, that isn't an agent or editor or publisher rejecting you personally, or even necessarily your writing skill. The last few years haven't produced an easy economy to work with, which can also make the writing world more of a challenge for new writers. Just keep writing, and believing in your writing, but also listen to any feedback agents, editors, other writers, and your readers take the time to give you.

7 – If you were to make your book into a movie, who is your dream cast?

I think I need a month of catching up on recently-released movies to truly answer this! The last year and a half has been really busy, so I haven't kept up on some of the rising actors out there who might fit the bill for 'dream cast.' I think Kristen Bell could make a really fun Emily, though.

---
Thank you, Jennifer, for such a fun interview!

You should not only check out "Rock Star's Girl", which was such a great book, but check out Jennifer's bio. She lives by the mantra of "Dream Big" and I think her philosophy is fascinating.

Jennifer's website
Jennifer's Twitter

Thank you, Samantha from Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours, for including me in this tour!

**Photograph used courtesy of Jeff Ryan Photography**

Review: Rock Star's Girl by JF Kristin

Emily Watts just wants a weekend break from the workaholic hours she’s taken on to keep her business – a popular fashion-snark web site – up and running. What she gets is overnight celebrity and a career-killing media scandal.

While taking time out to attend a concert in support of friend Jesse Cinder, a struggling musician, Emily meets Cory Sampson, the lead singer of a chart-topping rock band. When she agrees to a date with Cory, making entertainment headlines is the last thing she expects. Even so, it’s a minor surprise by comparison to her discovery that in the music world, media notoriety trumps all. Tabloid allegations erupt when Cory and fame-hungry Jesse use Emily for personal gain, and her tarnished image spells disaster – personally and professionally. To save the web site and writing career she’s made her life and dream, Emily must go from being a pawn in the Hollywood headline game to becoming the media mastermind.

---

Do you remember being a young girl and having that rock star girl fantasy? I do! It was Rick Springfield and I didn’t care if he was 20+ years older than me, I wanted to marry him. When Samantha from Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours asked me if I wanted to review JF Kristin’s book “Rock Star’s Girl”, I was hooked the second I read the synopsis.

I loved this book. I found it so fascinating for the little glimpse into the life of a rock star's “girlfriend”. In what appears to be such a superficial world, I loved that Emily kept her head together the best she could. And I love that she had that best friend, Shelby, to help keep her feet planted on the ground. I’m not a big fan of the tabloids (refuse to read them) or gossip sites (TMZ gets my attention every once in a while) because of the very reason they are portrayed in this book – they are there to cause drama.

The character of Emily was absolutely charming. She is your every girl that gets herself mixed up in the spotlight of fame and has to find herself while allowing herself to fall in love as well. The ending of "Rock Star’s Girl" was not typical, which I think worked perfectly for the situation that Emily found herself in. The supporting characters were interesting and tied the story together perfectly. I went back and forth over Jesse and Cory. Both had high and low points, too bad their desire for fame interfered with them honestly being in love with Emily. (Or allowing themselves to show how in love with Emily they were without needing to capitalize on publicity, as the case may be.)

I can’t recommend this book enough. If you are a fan of the music scene or ever just wondered “what if” about a rock star, this is going to grab your attention and hold it from page one through the end. The tale that JF Kristin wove is compelling, well thought out, and just when you think you know where Emily is going, you get hit with a twist.
---

BIO:


(Picture courtesy of Jeff Ryan Photography)

J.F. Kristin (Jennifer) has been writing since the day she picked up a navy blue Crayola as a toddler and began scribbling on her parents' freshly painted white walls. When not writing novels, Jennifer writes about both writing and ecommerce, and previously spent a number of years as a freelance promotional writer and web designer for musicians. In the early days of the Web, she ran the Society for Preventing Parents from Naming Their Children Jennifer (SPPNTCJ), a tongue-in-cheek web site that welcomed millions of visitors during its run, received coverage from print, broadcast, and online media, was included in an academic textbook, and was studied on a college course. Jennifer is currently at work on her second novel.

Jennifer's website
Jennifer's Twitter

See what people are saying (and buy your copy) at the following:
Rock Star's Girl at Amazon
Apple iBooks
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Smashwords

Tune in tomorrow for a fun interview with Jennifer.

Review: Until the End of Forever by Shannon Hart

“Sarah Matthews has everything in the world a woman could wish for: a loving husband; two beautiful children; a small business which she runs together with her sister-in-law; and even her own top of the range car. Why then does she keep having recurring nightmares?

Over a friendly lunch with her ex-lady boss, seeds of doubt and discontent begin to gnaw at her, and the realization dawns that she is no longer free to live a life of her own as she would wish. When offered the opportunity, therefore, to go to work in Paris for a month she finds herself unable to resist.

As Sarah takes us along with her on her journey, we are given a privileged insight into the workings of the female mind as her thoughts and feelings tumble around in an attempt to find answers."

-----------

The premise of this book sounded so interesting that I couldn't wait to read it. The first couple pages had me slightly concerned as they dealt with a recurring nightmare that Sarah was having. That nightmare was of herself drowning and as someone with hydrophobia, I cringed as I was reading it. Voicing my thought on this on Twitter led to some reassurance from Shannon Hart that it was the only time it was talked about in depth. With that in mind I plugged on and am so glad that I did as this was just one of those books that makes you smile when it ends how you want it to.


Sarah has what seems to be the perfect life with the perfect husband, the perfect children, home, and jobs. But what about those nightmares? That is definitely not the sign of something "perfect". When her old boss offers her a chance to go to Paris for a few weeks on her own, Sarah takes the offer. Husband, Rob, doesn't take the news very well. How do you gracefully handle your wife telling you she is unhappy and needs to take a break from you? Regardless, Sarah jets off to Paris where she gets the time to do some self evaluating. A tragedy at home cuts the trip short and when she returns, she finds things aren't as perfect as they ever appeared.

I really enjoyed this book. I think that Sarah was such a charming character and despite her flaws she was genuine. She made rash decisions that weren't thought out and she made well thought out decisions. She learned a lesson and did it with all the human qualities. I didn't always enjoy her husband, Rob. A lot of times he felt very selfish but he ultimately showed the type of man he was.

The nightmares of drowning really made sense as I read this book. Sarah was "drowning" in a way because she was so unsettled with where she was in her life. As perfect as everything was on the outside, she was no fulfilled on the inside. Her journey to finding her perfection was a compelling read and I greatly enjoyed it. Shannon Hart's debut novel was such a lovely book and I hope that there will be more to come soon from such a talented lady.

You can find out more information about Shannon and her writing, or just to say hello at the following: website, blog, or twitter.

If you leave a comment on Shannon's tour page, you will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

Review: The Last Page by Lacy Camey

Norah Johnson is at a crossroads and is in desperate need to heal after a highly publicized breakup from her major league baseball player boyfriend. To escape, she moves to her summer home at the beach with her sister and best friend where she journals, attends therapy and works on her pending clothing line. When a gorgeous stranger finds her lost journal, he seeks to find the author and make her fall in love with him. But is Norah ready to love again?

Lacy Camey's debut novel is a sweet journey as Norah Johnson goes from heartbreak at the hands of her New York Yankee ex-boyfriend to healing with the help of her family, best friend, and a new man. A gorgeous setting on the beach helps bring this book to life as this novel takes shape.Norah's spiral out of control and into depression alarms those closest to her, finally resulting in her parents insisting she visit a therapist and then move into the family beach house for the summer to get over her break up. I wish all down times in life could be handled like this. The side story of her sister, Maycee, and her absentee boyfriend is a nice break in the main story. There is nothing worse than the secondary story overlapping the heroine. The hero, the gorgeous stranger, Orien, who finds her lost journal, is just a little too good to be true. But Lacy ties everything together so perfectly that it all works. As this is the first book in a trilogy, she spends enough time introducing you to the cast of characters that leaves you wondering what their story will be. This was a lovely read and a great debut novel. I'm excited to read the next book in the series.

----------------------
Lacy Camey is a fiction writer and lives in Houston, Texas with her musician/producer/songwriter husband, Joel, and has a cat who acts like a dog, named Blue. When she isn't writing, or collaborating with her husband, she enjoys being outside, running, working out, reading, cooking, is a huge movie buff and loves watching reality shows on Bravo, especially The Real Housewives franchise. She loves having fun, enjoying the life God has given her and loves to encourage others to follow their bliss. She secretly dreams of going on the Amazing Race with her husband on CBS but is still trying to convince him to audition. Every book written by Lacy Camey purchased by others, a portion goes to supporting an orphanage in Southern America. Lacy has plans to build an orphanage very soon with proceeds from her books. You can stay updated on the process at her blog at www.lacycameywrites.com.
Lacy would love to stay in contact with her readers. Feel free to visit her blog and website at www.lacycameywrites.com or follow her on twitter @lacycamey or e-mail: lacycameywrites (at) gmail (dot) com
Lacy's website
Lacy's twitter
Lacy's Facebook
Amazon Link
Barnes & Noble Link

Win a $10 Amazon Gift Card! From now until the end of Lacy's blog tour (Oct 10th), if you leave a comment on her blog tour page, you are entered to win: Lacy's CLP Blog Tour Page. That's all you have to do! If you buy the book and email a copy of the receipt to Samantha at CLP, you get a bonus entry!

Review: Twenty-Eight and a half wishes by Denise Grover Swank

For Rose Gardner, working at the DMV on a Friday afternoon is bad even before she sees a vision of herself dead. She’s had plenty of visions, usually boring ones like someone’s toilet’s overflowed, but she’s never seen one of herself before. When her overbearing momma winds up murdered on her sofa instead, two things are certain: There isn't enough hydrogen peroxide in the state of Arkansas to get that stain out, and Rose is the prime suspect.

Rose realizes she’s wasted twenty-four years of living and makes a list on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt: twenty-eight things she wants to accomplish before her vision comes true. She’s well on her way with the help of her next door neighbor Joe, who has no trouble teaching Rose the rules of drinking, but won’t help with number fifteen-- do more with a man. Joe’s new to town, but it doesn’t take a vision for Rose to realize he’s got plenty secrets of his own.

Somebody thinks Rose has something they want and they’ll do anything to get it. Her house is broken into, someone else she knows is murdered, and suddenly, dying a virgin in the Fenton County jail isn’t her biggest worry after all.

-------

As a compulsive list maker, I was immediately intrigued by the premise of Denise Grover Swank's new book. Okay, granted I don't have psychic visions or have to worry about someone out to murder me (I don't think anyway), but list making, I have down! Rose Gardner is your typical heroine. She has grown up facing hardship in the form of a mother that treats her more like an inconvenient housekeeper more than treating her like a daughter, feeling that she has to give her freedom to making sure her mother is taken care of. She has these nagging psychic visions that cause her to speak out about them without thinking most times and most people don't understand so she feels like an outcast. Her sister is married with children, having a very charmed life that Rose is not going to have. Then she envisions a customer at the DMV killing her and life takes quite the detour. When her mother ends up getting murdered instead of her, Rose finds herself under suspicion and enter sexy next door neighbor, Joe, who of course is carrying secrets.

I really enjoyed this book. As "typical" as the heroine is, there is so much charm and delight in the character of Rose that you can't help but just love her. This was one of those books that I kept telling myself one more page, then I need to put it down. Instead I found myself tearing through the book instead, needing to know the outcome. (And for the record, I was wrong on who I thought was behind it all, thankfully!) It is a definite recommendation and Denise Grover Swank is going to be entertaining for years to come with fun characters and interesting stories to tell.

You can find out about Denise and her books at the following:
Denise's website
Denise on Twitter
Denise on Facebook

Review: Just Friends with Benefits by Meredith Schorr

When a friend urges Stephanie Cohen not to put all her eggs in one bastard, the advice falls on deaf ears. Stephanie's college crush on Craig Hille has been awakened 13 years later as if soaked in a can of Red Bull and she is determined not to let the guy who got away once, get away twice. Stephanie, a 32-year-old paralegal from Washington, D.C., is a 70's and 80's television trivia buff who can recite the starting lineup of the New York Yankees and go beer for beer with the guys. And despite her failure to get married and pro-create prior to entering her thirties, she has so far managed to keep her overbearing mother from sticking her head in the oven. Just Friends with Benefits is the humorous story of Stephanie's pursuit of love, her adventures in friendship, and her journey to discover what really matters.

--------------------
Friends with Benefits is a hot topic in Hollywood these days, as debut novelist Meredith Schorr will talk about in the guest post that will follow this review. Stephanie Cohen has been carrying a crush since college on Craig Hille and when she finally gets the nerve up to make her move, he promptly puts them in the friends with benefits category. I love the premise of this book and I really liked the majority of the characters. Stephanie is smart, quirky, and bound so deeply to the friends she made in college that a lot of her life revolves around them. I think friendships define us, just as much as our family, so that was one of the most positive things about the book. However, there is one character in this book, Paul, that just grated on my nerves from start to finish. He just came off as rude and annoying, no matter the scene. Paul aside, I really enjoyed the book. Stephanie meeting cute Ryan and having to decide if she wanted to pursue a real relationship or keep on hoping that eventually Craig would move her to girlfriend status was the real story here. I found myself applauding Stephanie and then groaning at her actions in the next moment, pretty much how you would imagine such a scenario would play out in real life.

Meredith Schorr has a great novel in "Just Friends with Benefits". It's about more than recapturing a missed love with someone from your past, it is about the friends that are with you through thick and thin and learning to value yourself and your needs/wants. Thank you to both Meredith and Samantha from Chick Lit Plus for allowing me the chance to read and review this book.

You can find Meredith at the following:

Official Website.
Facebook .
GoodReads

Review: Do Not Lick The Phones by Britney Bronte

The True Confessions of a TV Psychic!

A sparkling romcom based on the true life adventures of Britney Bronte, hapless wannabe celebrity psychic.

Meet Britney, a girl with a pack of cards and almost no ambition, who finds herself jetset to stardom on psychic Television. Will she find fame? Inner meaning? True love?

Crazies and conmen, angels and aliens, predictions and porn, they're all to be found in this whistleblowing romp through the New Age. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll howl... but whatever you do, remember please, DO NOT LICK THE PHONES!

--------------

Britney Bronte finally lands a dream job, hosting a psychic bit on television. Unfortunately, the station is owned by Satan, but the cast of characters that she encounters is enough to keep things always hopping. Britney weaves a fascinating tale of her job and the people who surround her. Life at the studio is never dull, that is for sure. From the "babes" that do the adult lines to the varied psychics and mediums working in her studio, the tales are varied and amusing. There is a bit with a sheep and another that involves an exorcism of a plant that had me stuck in a laughing fit. Of course, a man enters the picture. Kumar, the hottest man alive, is his name and Britney is definitely interested. And it is complicated, naturally. I think my biggest issue was the fact the book rarely left the studio. It felt hard to get a grasp on who Britney really was because it was all work related and so much detail into the inner workings of the TV station with too many characters being added on a constant basis. Overall, a good debut novel out of Britney Bronte and hopefully more to come.

All proceeds from “DO NOT LICK THE PHONES” will go to help out communities in London recover from the horrible riots that recently happened. That, folks, deserves a lot of respect given to Ms. Bronte.


You can find Britney at the following: her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

As always, a big thank you to Samantha with Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours for inviting me to review this book.

Review: Blow Me by Lennie Ross

Blow Me is the story of three single women—each close to forty and living a life they have long outgrown. Aware that the women’s magazines of their youth sold them a false bill of goods about having it all—the amazing career, the baby, the house, the husband—each woman is desperate to achieve some sense of stability. Skylar, a hairdresser/executive assistant who lost her job and burned down her apartment after a fondue party, is living out of her car; Chloe, a struggling actress/real estate agent with a French Canadian accent who has never sold a house and doesn’t have her SAG card, struggles to get a Green Card; and Dawn, an MBA-educated dating matchmaker, is hedging her bets against the ticking clock by freezing embryos. Their lives are in chaos and their only hope is to be rescued through marriage or by a Hairy Godfather. Situated in the shallow world of Los Angeles, this provocative novel in the style of Sex and the City provides a humorous look at aging, dating, and being single in the new millennium.

---------

Let me just say, Lennie Ross, you wrote one entertaining book!! I was fascinated with the lives of Skylar, Dawn, and Chloe. Set in the glitzy setting of Los Angeles, three very different women have forged a life for themselves and a tight friendship. (At least two of them did anyway.) Skylar's journey to finding herself and her purpose in life was rocky. Losing your job to two Barbie dolls and then burning your apartment down (hey, it was in the proverbial heat of the moment) is definitely rough. Living in her car, she had to work out where she could park for a night, where to find free food, where to grab a quick shower, all the while avoiding letting anyone know that she was, in fact homeless. Enter a man that seemed very unlikely to catch Skylar's eye, but helped her grow and find her dream job. Dawn's path was filled with an overbearing mother that just wants to see her married with children and possessing a hesitance to live her life. Her mother finally takes matters into her own hands and signs up, posing as Dawn, for a dating service and arranges a date for her daughter. Enter Jake. Dawn, as much as she likes Jake, is privately going through the process to freeze her embryos to keep up with the biological clock that is ticking away. And then we have Chloe. Honestly, I didn't find her likable. She felt fake and too materialistic. As she schemed to find herself a husband to stay in the country, I couldn't get behind her character and root for her.

Lennie's debut novel is full of heart and fun characters. The supporting cast is made up of some incredible men, some downright sleazy men, a mother that makes you want to yell at her in Dawn's defense, and a couple of cute kitties. If you've been to LA, you can envision clearly a lot of the places that are described, which helps bring it to life. I have to agree that if you love "Sex and the City", you are going to enjoy "Blow Me", a great debut from Lennie Ross.

If you want to learn more about Lennie, please check out her website, you won't regret it!

Review: Scotland by Starlight by Nancy Volkers

Back in May I did a review for A Scottish Ferry Tale by Nancy Volkers and the book was just perfect. It was the right blend of romance that appealed to me and had me wanting more of the story of Cassie and Ralph. I was so excited that not only was there a sequel but the fabulous author asked if I would like to review it.



From Goodreads:

Cassie Wrentham is on her way to Scotland again... but this time it's not vacation. She's moving in with Ralph Macnair, the charismatic Scotsman who stole her heart. But Cassie wouldn't be Cassie without doubts. Will she find a job in a tight U.K. economy? Would marrying Ralph now be only for convenience's sake? Will she fit in, make friends, make a life there? Or will it all fall apart? Bursting with a lively cast of characters, all with their own stories and challenges, Scotland By Starlight follows Cassie and Ralph from the new beginnings of their intense relationship to a conclusion like no other.

First off, I have to thank Nancy Volkers for not only asking me to read and review this book, but for giving such delightful characters. Cassie continued to exasperate me here and there with her indecisiveness and her putting up roadblocks, but the character of Ralph was wrote with so much love for Cassie that even when he became unsure it was evident that they loved each other. As the issue of age came up again and again, I started to have a sense of dread fill me. But the relationship continued to grow and the inevitable wedding takes place. However, there is an epilogue to this book and while I won't spoil it for you, my heart broke and I cried through the remaining pages of the book. So much emotion in this book and one that you will not want to put down when you start reading it. Nancy has proven to be a remarkable storyteller and hopefully we get something new from her soon, carrying on in this tradition.

I highly recommend this book, but please be sure to read the first one to get the whole magical love story.

Review: Phone Kitten by Marika Christian

Shy, slightly overweight Emily would die if she had to talk dirty face-to-face—especially to her hot cop boy friend. She sure didn’t set out to do phone sex—she wanted to be a writer. But when her BFF framed her for plagiarism, she got in a tiny financial hole and saw this ad for “phone actresses”… Hey, it’s not nearly as bad as it sounds. No pantyhose or pantsuits, no regular hours, you’re your own boss, and lots of people to talk to. Guys, that is. But here’s the odd thing—lots of them want to talk about more than Emily’s imagined attributes; they start to think of her as the best friend they’ll never have to meet. Next thing you know, one of her customers gets killed and Emily knows a lot more about it than she should. But she can’t tell the nearest cop, who’s also her own true love, because then he’ll find out about her secret life. What’s a phone kitten to do? Solve the murder herself, of course—because wouldn’t it be a great story for the newspaper that wrongly fired her? It’s her ticket back to her real life—if it doesn’t get her killed.

Marika Christian's debut novel was one of the most fun reads I have had this year. Sweet Emily taking a job as a "phone actress" has to be one of the funniest things ever. And after chatting with Marika and knowing these phone calls were real, amused me all the more. Emily's circle of friends and allies were all as lovable as her and the shady characters were perfectly despicable. (And there is a hot cop, Rick, that is just yummy!)Emily's investigation into her client, Jim's, murder is full of one zany misadventure after another with a long list of suspects. Along the way, Emily finds that her life is more interesting than she thought it was. It kept me guessing all the way until the end as to who was going to be the killer, I guessed wrong the entire way. Witty dialogue, charming characters, and a suspenseful who-dun-it makes this a fabulous read and one that comes highly recommended!

Review: Family Pieces by Misa Rush

What do you do when your once charmed life falls to pieces?

Karsen Woods’ life seems charmed from her hunkalicious boyfriend to her picture-perfect midwestern roots. Away at college, even the necklace she wears serves as a constant connection home – a family tradition created when her grandfather handmade each immediate relative an interlinking charm. Each piece crafted in the shape of a puzzle piece, each one interlinking perfectly together. But when the unexpected death of her mother turns her world upside down, she discovers there is a missing piece of her treasured family tradition and her life as she once knew it may never be the same.

Addison Reynolds resides in her posh Manhattan condominium and wraps her personal identity around running Urbane, the magazine empire built by her father. In a moment of haste, Addison divulges her deepest secret to her closest friend Emily – a secret she never intended to disclose.

Could one choice, one secret, bond two unlikely women forever?

Misa Rush's debut novel was an emotional journey through the life of two women that are so different, but tied together with an unknown bond. Dealing with love, both loss and discovery of, the characters in this book tugged at my heart as they tried to piece the past together. The determination of Karsen to discover the truth and the equal determination of Addison to not acknowledge the truth was gripping. The story of emotionally distant Addison was the more fascinating of the two women. She seems to have the personal life, but the past has her hiding and willing to sacrifice love to keep from letting herself be hurt again. A couple of instances felt rushed to get to the point, but overall the book flowed smoothly and I couldn't believe how quick time flew before I was turning the last page. A big bonus to me was the fact Karsen's college life took place in Arizona. As a Phoenix girl, there were mentions of familiar places to me and that brought the book to life for me. I could easily imagine these characters at the Improv, at ASU, around town. Ms. Rush is a talented author and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Please join Misa and hostess Samantha from Chick Lit Plus for a Twitter party on Thursday, June 23rd, at 6PM CST. Use hashtag #CLPMisa and join in the fun!

You can find out more about Misa at the following:

Misa Rush's official website
Family Pieces on Facebook
Misa on Twitter

Review: Breaking Even by Kathleen Kole

"Meet Penelope Whittaker, an accountant. A sensible, do things the right way, soon-to-be-married accountant. Penelope is engaged to the wonderful, kind and caring Ben Miller ... a man she has known forever.

Enter Single Dad.

While on a school run, Penelope accidentally locks her keys in her car. A seemingly boring event, until she is offered aid by a very handsome (hubba, hubba) and personable Single Dad. Shaken by the encounter, or, more to the point, shaken by her reaction to the encounter, Penelope tries to put it where it belongs: on a shelf marked "Chance Encounters".

Life has different plans.

Just when Penelope thinks she has blown the whole encounter out of proportion, and made much out of nothing, she is thrown together by chance (or fate?) with Single Dad. Suddenly, he’s a part of her life and, even though Penelope knows it can only cause trouble, she is helpless to stop it. Besides, she doesn’t want to. At least, not until she finds out the unsettling truth about Single Dad.

Penelope is confused. Her family, friends and, most importantly, her fiance, Ben, even more so. Will she be able to find her footing and go back to where she used to be, safe in her carefully structured world? Or, will she take the path of redefining herself, possibly leaving Ben behind?"

Kathleen Kole's debut novel was such a fun, fast read. Penelope is an average woman with an average life until a chance meeting leaves her questioning when life became so routine and why she wasn't having a more spontaneous side. When future sister-in-law, Kris, innocently suggests that Penelope try some retail therapy, little did she know that she set Penelope off on a journey to change her life. I cheered Penelope on as she started to make changes, found myself sad for her when she became conflicted, and ultimately thrilled that she figured out her happiness. The supporting characters came in the form of her future sister-in-law's and their husbands, her fiance's brothers. They all had their strengths and weaknesses, but the ripple effect of Penelope changing her life brought on their own changes as well, which was handled in a believable way. Ms. Kole definitely has a knack for storytelling and knows how to captivate her readers and keep them intrigued. Anyone that has ever wondered if the grass is greener on the other side is going to love this book that not only explores that option but answers the question. Put this on your must read list!

Please join
Kathleen and Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours (Hosted by the lovely Samantha) on Wednesday, June 29th at 8PM CST for a twitter party. Use hashtag #CLPKathleen to ask your questions and participate.

Review: Confessions of a Call Center Gal

First off, thank you so much to Lisa Lim for asking me if I would be interested in reviewing her book, "Confessions of a Call Center Gal".

A fun chick lit romance that will appeal to fans of Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes. Bridget Jones meets The Office. Madison Lee is a fresh college grad, ready to take on the world of print media. But she has zero luck landing a job. Unemployment is at ten percent and on the rise. Desperate and left with no other options, she accepts a position as a service rep at a call center in Pocatello, Idaho. At the Lightning Speed call center in Spudsville, Maddy plunges into the wild and dysfunctional world of customer service where Sales is prided over Service and an eight hour shift is equivalent to eight hours of callers bashing her over the phone. Oh sure, the calls are bad. But Maddy manages to find humor on the phone and off the phone. And with all the salacious drama behind the calls, there is never a dull moment at the Lightning Speed call center.
Lately . . . Maddy has been pining for her smolderingly gorgeous co-worker Mika Harket. Now things are heating up on the phone--and elsewhere. Don't hang up on this novel. Working at a call center has never been this garish . . . or this delightful.

A book about call centers, living in Idaho, and chick lit? Sign me up!

From the opening line of "How on earth did I wind up stuck here in Pocatello, Idaho?!?" to the very last line, I was entertained. Maddy, out of work and out of options, takes a job at a call center, along with her best friend, Karsynn. As someone that spent years in the trenches at a call center, this book spoke loudly to me. Crazy drama from co-workers and callers ensues as Maddy tries to get Mika to notice her. The characters were likable and easy to relate to. The only real issue I had was the relationship between Maddy and her mother. The fact it was strained and left unresolved bothered me, but didn't change how much I enjoyed the book. At times, I felt that the author was in my head. Self diagnosing with WebMD? Yup, do it frequently. Rude thoughts about ignorant callers? That was a daily occurrence. Little pop culture references made me laugh and the co-workers at the call center were fabulous!

Definitely do yourself a favor and check out Lisa's book! You won't regret it!!

Book Nook: If you were here

There are only a small handful of authors that I anxiously await all new releases from, one of them without a doubt is Jen Lancaster, whom I find to be absolutely hysterical and brilliant. So I pre-ordered her new book, “If You Were Here” as soon as it was available on Amazon and then anxiously awaited the arrival.

Her first foray into fiction and Jen proved she is just as witty in fiction as she is with her much loved memoirs. “If You Were Here” follows Mia and Mac McNamara as they buy their first house, a fixer upper that they figure they can handle easily. The fixer upper in question? The famed house where Jake Ryan lived. If you are asking who Jake Ryan is, I am shaking my head at you. Jake is the dream guy from John Hughes’ classic film, “Sixteen Candles”. The fact it is Jake Ryan’s house is what appeals to Mia, the fact that there are plenty of do-it-yourself opportunities attracts Mac. Unfortunately, they aren’t prepared for the overwhelming money pit that they have moved in to.

Told with Jen’s familiar tone (complete with the foot notes that I adore) and filled with references to all things John Hughes, this book was a fabulous read. While it is fiction there are plenty of instances where you just know that something similar has happened to Jen and husband, Fletch, in real life.

I absolutely loved this book - from the zombie Amish teenagers in love to all the 80's references, I highly recommend this book!

(Reviewed for the Chick Lit Plus 2011 Challenge.)

Book Review: Love Struck by Chantel Simmons

Finding out your husband of three years is cheating on you is shock enough, but before you have time to react to that devastating news, you find out he has been in a freak accident. That is the way Poppy Ross finds her day going. Rushing to the hospital, while still reeling from the affair news, Poppy finds out that her husband, Parker, has not only been hit by lightening while in the company of his mistress, but he has lost his short term memory. With it unclear as to how long before Parker regains his memory, Poppy goes about reinventing herself. The model for her reinvention? Sienna Somers, who just happens to be the woman her husband was cheating on her with.

Chantel Simmon's latest book, "Love Struck" is a definitive "what would you do" as Poppy frantically tries to make herself over into what she imagines is the woman that Parker wants. Her career as an image consultant starts to suffer and her relationship with her best friend is strained as Poppy struggles with her makeover. Add ex-boyfriend, Colin, to the fray and Poppy's life is spinning out of control. As I read the book I went from feeling sympathy for Poppy to needing to see her get knocked down a few pegs to cheering for her to come out on top again. What I really enjoyed about this book was the fact that all the characters, though definitely flawed, were extremely likable. Even Sienna, knowing she was the other woman, was interesting. I loved the book and have added Chantel Simmons to my list of must reads.

I was also lucky enough, thanks to the gracious Samantha Robey of CLP Blog tours, to get to interview Chantel. I hope you enjoy it! She is a lot of fun.

Who inspired you to become a writer? And who continues to inspire you to this day?

In the first grade, I wrote a mashup story in which the Care Bears and My Little Pony meet up and save the world. I illustrated it, made a cardboard cover for it, bound the spine and even splatter-painted the endsheets inside the cover. I learned three things in the process.

A) I'm a terrible artist.

B) Writing about famous bears and ponies is probably considered plagiarism and grounds for being sued.

C) I loved to write.

So I started making up original stories, and that was that.

My parents were (and still are) hugely supportive of following my dreams. Both of them are not really that artsy at all (my mom was a pharmacist and my dad in business) so it meant even more to me that they would fully support a not-exactly-stable career.

"Love Struck" was such a fun read, was there any part of yourself in any of the characters?

I think there is always a part of me in my main characters -- what I loved about Poppy was how neurotic she is. I am always letting my imagination cause me to have insomnia, stress and anxiety, so it was nice to actual put my rather unflattering quality to good use by channeling it into creating a fun character!

Since Poppy was all about reinventing herself, if you could reinvent yourself what would you do?

It would be fun to reinvent myself as the complete opposite of who I actually am. Outgoing, sexy, super tall and skinny, with blond hair and big boobs. OK maybe just for a day.

Who would you like to see cast if "Love Struck" was made into a movie?

Poppy: Rachel McAdams
Parker: Josh Duhamel
Colin: Jim Sturgess...swoon!
Sienna: Scarlett Johansson could totally pull it off.

I found Colin to be absolutely charming, any thoughts of telling his story? Or even Sienna's?

Ooh, I love that idea! Can you get started on the synopsis? :)

Can you talk about what you are working on next?

I have a few projects in the works, but I'm too superstitious to talk about any of them...but you can keep checking my blog/website/Facebook/Twitter for updates!

Chantel's website

And a note from Samantha:
Please join me and Chantel on Tuesday, May 31st at 7 pm CST for a TwitParty! Use the hashtag #CLPChantel to ask your questions and participate!

Book Worm Time: Summer and the City

I am a huge fan of “Sex and the City” as everyone who knows me should know by now. I think that Carrie Bradshaw is probably in my top 5 favorite characters of all time. So I was ecstatic last year when Candace Bushnell dusted off the Carrie character in literary form and took us for a spin with “The Carrie Diaries”. The ending of the book left with Carrie meeting Samantha Jones and I was so impatient waiting for the second book to come out where we would have Carrie’s first bite of the Big Apple and her friendship would become defined with not only Samantha, but Miranda Hobbes as well.

Carrie and New York City are a stylish combo, but reading about how Carrie came to be the icon we fell in love with has been a fascinating journey. From falling for the wrong older guy (definitely no Mr. Big) to developing her fashion sense, this is the story of Carrie’s first summer in the city. It is supposed to only be for the summer as Carrie is planning to attend Brown in the fall, but as Carrie submerges herself in life in the city, she begins to question herself and her future. The back stories for Samantha and Miranda are fascinating and their friendship shines through.

I enjoyed “Summer and the City” a lot more than “The Carrie Diaries” and really hope that we are going to get a third in the series. I think if you are a fan of the show, you are going to enjoy this book.

(What made it all even better was I got to meet CANDACE BUSHNELL!!! More on that in the next post!)