Archive for April, 2010
Posted on Saturday, April 24th, 2010 by Danielle
Thanks to modern reproductive technology-and the gift of her friend Cora’s eggs-Ali Gutierrez is the mother of a fourteen-year-old daughter. Now, yearning for a second child, Ali asks Cora’s permission to use another of the frozen embryos that have been stored away in anticipation of this decision. But Cora has a secret that could not only change Ali’s plans for the future, but tear apart her life right now.
Who among us doesn’t know someone with infertility problems of some sort? Personally, it’s affected every female in my family, including myself. If I were bold enough, I would go as far as to say it’s an epidemic. In some cases and with the help of modern medicine, miracles can happen. People, who would otherwise go without the opportunity to have a family, if they chose to, now are able to. In Between Friends that is exactly the opportunity Cora provides to her best friend Ali and it forever changes both of their lives.
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Posted in 2010 releases, Book Reviews, Rating: 5/5 | 2 Comments »
Posted on Friday, April 23rd, 2010 by Chloe
The Churchminster residents are thrilled when a glamorous film crew descends on their quiet village. But with just four months to prepare for the final of the ‘Britain’s Best Village Competition’, the chaotic filming schedule may do more damage than good. Meanwhile Camilla grows suspicious of the attention boyfriend Jed is receiving from the film’s demanding leading lady. And younger sister Calypso has caught the penetrating eye of dashing leading man ‘Rafe Wolfe’. Brim-full with lavish garden parties, illicit affairs, sordid shenanigans and a sneaky bit of sabotage, not to mention a spot of fund-raising with ‘Churchminster’s Got Talent!
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Posted in 2010 releases, Book Reviews, Rating: 4/5 | No Comments »
Posted on Friday, April 23rd, 2010 by Leah
I was a huge fan of the Anna McPartlin book I read earlier this year, Pack Up The Moon. So much so that I set out to get all of Anna’s other books. I now have all of them sitting on my shelf, bar her latest release So What If ‘m Broken. So when I was scouting around for new book news I was thrilled to find Penguin would be releasing So What If I’m Broken (aka Alexandra, Gone in the USA) in October 2010 with the new title of The One I Love. I’m not a huge fan of the cover - I prefer the cover for No Way To Say Goodbye - but I’ll still be buying the book. Here’s the synopsis:
Once Jane and Alexandra were inseparable; sharing secrets, stolen booze and big dreams for the future. But when Jane got pregnant at seventeen, they drifted apart.
Seventeen years later, Jane discovers Alexandra has disappeared and she has no choice but to be there for her old friend one more time. With her sister, Elle, and Leslie, a reclusive computer expert, Jane sets about helping Alexandra’s broken-hearted husband to find his wife. But in searching for Alexandra these three women are about to confront themselves. Jane has to figure out how to stop trying to control the world and start caring for herself for a change. Devil-may-care Elle has to recognize the existence of limits. And Leslie must get to grips with a bewildering new desire to live life to the full. As for Alexandra’s husband, Tom, well he just has to figure out what to do if they can’t find his wife. Four fractured people come together accidentally and in one another they find strength, friendship – and even the beginnings of hope . . .
Posted in 2010 releases, Book News | 6 Comments »
Posted on Friday, April 23rd, 2010 by Leah
I wasn’t a huge fan of Amy Huberman’s debut novel Hello, Heartbreak and thought it was only OK. I also wasn’t a fan of the cover so I was pleased to come across the new paperback cover which is due out in July (right). It’s tons better, don’t you agree?
Twenty something Izzy is fed up. She has split with boyfriend Cian, the dirty love cheat, and is sick of her job as a dogsbody at film company Lights, Camera, Action. If she was paid to write the script of her so-called life (working title: “Welcome to Dumpsville”) it would definitely not include: baggy tracksuit bottoms and dread locked hair; her flatmate’s ever-present lump of a boyfriend watching everlasting football matches on the living-room TV; ill-advised booty calls; panicky pregnancy tests; and, bumping into Cian and his new squeeze, Brenda, while looking like something the cat spat up. It definitely would include: sleek hair, sleek limbs (come to think of it, more-or-less sleek everything); a Jaffa Cake-eating rabbit called Dermot; a foul-mouthed gran with a heart of gold; Jonathan-absolute-total-ride-Cunningham And, of course…; a girl’s best friend, Gavin. Since real life in Dumpsville is way weirder than anything she could make up, all Izzy can do is take a deep breath and hang in there…
Posted in 2010 releases, Book News, Cover Wars | 1 Comment »
Posted on Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 by Leah
Chick Lit Classics is a new feature on Chick Lit Reviews where we highlight the books we feel are classics of the chick lit genre. Feel free to discuss our choices in the comments section!
This week’s Chick Lit Classic probably isn’t a book many people have read and could probably be called a Hidden Chick Lit Classic! I don’t know where I managed to pick up Sarah Mason’s debut novel Playing James but I hugely enjoyed it and have now read it twice. It manages to make me laugh and I thought it was just an incredibly quick read. Shockingly you can’t even buy it on Amazon, unless it’s second hand and it’s a shame as it’s a fab fab book! It also has a sequel of sorts in High Society, which is about Holly’s sister Clemmie. They’re both fab books and come highly recommended!
Holly Colshannon is a young journalist who thinks her career is about to take a terminal nosedive when she is moved from covering ‘pet deaths’ for her local Bristol paper and made Crime Correspondent - a poisoned chalice if ever there was one. However, a brilliant idea from the new police PR officer sees Holly shadowing a detective and writing a diary column about his working life. Detective James Sabine is bit of a sour puss - although he does have very nice green eyes - and he’s furious that he has been landed with magnificently accident-prone Holly especially since her arrival comes six weeks before his wedding to faultless Fleur. Holly, however, has a career to think about and this infuriating man is not going to stand in her way. Meanwhile, her bosses at the newspaper realise that the column is proving extremely popular with the readers who are waiting for something romantic to happen between the handsome detective and the nice young reporter. With only days to go to the wedding Holly realises she’s been waiting for the same thing…
Posted in Chick Lit Classics | 1 Comment »
Posted on Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 by Leah
The lovely Zoe Miller emailed us last night asking us if we would mind posting about her new book which is due out soon and, of course, we obliged! Sinful Deceptions, Zoe’s second book, is due out on 6th May 2010 in Ireland (and Amazon) before being released to the UK on 4th November 2010. It sounds incredibly interesting and I rather adore the cover. Here’s the synopsis:
Alix Berkeley, the glamorous, Paris based make-up artist, is about to step onto the international stage with the launch of her signature brand of cosmetics. Successful beyond her dreams, it seems that nothing can stop her stellar rise to the top. Until a mistake from her past returns to haunt her. Her sister Emma Colgan lives in an affluent Dublin suburb and appears to have it all. But after years of playing the role of devoted wife and mother, she longs for her old self and a sense of excitement. Then, one night, she does something that will shake her family to its very core. As Alix’s glitzy launch night in Paris draws near, secrets the two sisters fought to hide begin to emerge and both are about to discover just how much their reckless mistakes have cost them.
Posted in 2010 releases, Book News | 3 Comments »
Posted on Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 by Chloe
Dorothy Koomson has got together some of her author friends and put together a fabulous project to help with the continuing rescue effort in Haiti which was devastated by the earthquake in January 2010. Dorothy has put together an e-book containing short stories from herself, and also Alexander McCall Smith, Nina Bell, William Peter Blatty, Nick Brownlee, Louise Candlish, Stella Duffy, Kate Furnivall, Alex Gray, Clare Jay, Shari Low, Martina Reilly and Bernadette Strachan too. These are joyful, uplifting stories, written to raise funds to help Haitian children affected by the earthquake. Just as importantly, these are stories written to raise the spirits – they are stories of hope. The e-book is called No Man and Other Stories to Help Haiti and is released today on Waterstones.com for the fantastic price of £5. Even better than this is the fact that every penny of your £5 goes to Unicef’s relief efforts in Haiti.
Head over to Waterstones.com today to get your own copy, it’s sure to be a great read and you’re helping a charity too!
Posted in 2010 releases, Book News | No Comments »
Posted on Wednesday, April 21st, 2010 by Leah
Maz Harwood has had enough of London life for a while so when her friend Emma suggests she takes over Otter House Vets for six month while Emma goes on holiday with her husband Ben, Maz jumps at the chance.
Country life is nothing like City life and soon Maz finds herself not only knee-deep in sick animals but she also in the middle of a feud with the other vets in Talyton, Talyton Manor Vets. Maz also discovers that Otter House is in serious trouble and she feels she has to not only mend that but also her broken heart. Good job there’s a man on the scene helping to distract Maz. It’s just a shame he’s the competition’s son.
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Posted in 2010 releases, Book Reviews, Rating: 4/5 | 1 Comment »
Since November 2009
