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Archive for April, 2010

Book News: Heaven, Hell & Mademoiselle by Harold Carlton

Posted on Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 by Leah

The lovely Gaby at Orion has just pointed us in the direction of a new novel due out on 13th May 2010. Heaven, Hell and Mademoiselle by Harold Carlton is billed as a mix between Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada and I for one rather like the sound of it. I also really like the cover, isn’t it pretty? Here’s the synopsis:

Four young fashion hopefuls arrive in Paris, 1968, determined to claw their way to the top of the ruthless world of the haute couture. Monique, a seamstress destined to become so much more, watches Chanel’s staff spray No 5 perfume in the street outside the famous maison de couture. Can her dreams of success and love come true in this magical place? Christopher, London born and bred, a handsome new designer, determined to make it in a world where sex-appeal and success go hand in hand - and heterosexual men are rare and prized. Samantha, an ultra-spoiled Daddy’s girl who always gets her way, has the gift of selling French perfume and fashion with sex, sex and yet more sex. But can a loud, brash American ever conquer the sophisticated ladies of Paris? And hauntingly beautiful Sophie, the top model who becomes Chanel’s ‘Face’ on a million billboards and magazine covers, yet has a terrible secret in her past that refuses to stay buried. Four young lives collide and entangle in the secretive world of French fashion as Harold Carlton weaves a spellbinding tale of passionate love, ambitious rivalry and exquisite clothes.

Posted in 2010 releases, Book News | 2 Comments »

Book News & Review: You’re The One That I Don’t Want by Alexandra Potter

Posted on Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 by Leah

I am a huge Alexandra Potter fan and I absolutely can’t wait for her new book You’re The One That I Don’t Want which is due out on August 5th. It sounds fab, as always, and I love the cover. As well as posting about the book itself, we actually have a mini review from Lesley Hall who won an early copy during our birthday week and it’s safe to say that she loved it:

I’ve just finished my preview copy of Alexandra’s new book which I won from Chicklit Reviews. I enjoyed the book enormously and once I started it I couldn’t put it down. I loved the characters and laughed out loud in parts. I loved the Facebook status references. I just loved the book from start to finish and will not hesitate to recommend it to all my friends and work colleagues. Alexandra has written yet another fabulous book.

Now, here’s the synopsis:

What if you found your soulmate… and then discovered you couldn’t lose him? When Lucy meets Nate aged 18, it is love at first sight. As far as she’s concerned, he’s The One. Caught up in the whirlwind of first love, they kiss under the Bridge of Sighs in Venice at sunset and – according to the legend – are tied together indefinitely. But ten years later, they’ve almost forgotten about each other. That is, until fate starts to bring them together. Again. And again. And again. It doesn’t seem as wonderful as it had before, but if Nate’s not The One – then why on earth is it proving so hard to break up with him? A funny and magical romantic comedy about what happens when every girl’s dream of finding her dream man comes very true indeed…

Posted in 2010 releases, Book News | 2 Comments »

Chick Flick Tuesday: The Proposal

Posted on Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 by Leah

Chick Flick Tuesday highlights the best chick flicks in the movie world as well as bringing you news on upcoming chick flick releases as well as letting you all know about which chick lit books are being made into chick flick movies!

This week’s pick is the rather fantastic The Proposal. I watched it a few months ago and I fell completely in love with the film. I am a huge fan of Sandra Bullock (Miss Congeniality will be appearing soon on here, I’m sure) and I think she’s a completely outstanding actress. She really excels in romantic comedies and The Proposal is no different. I thought Ryan Reynolds was also fantastic opposite Sandra and I was really impressed with his performance. But, for me, the performance of the film was Betty White who played Andrew’s (Ryan Reynolds) Grandma, she really made me laugh!

For three years, Andrew Paxton has slaved as the assistant to Margaret Tate, hard-driving editor at a New York publisher. When Margaret, a Canadian, faces deportation for an expired visa, she hatches a scheme to marry Andrew - he agrees if she’ll promise a promotion. A skeptical INS agent vows to test the couple about each other the next Monday. Andrew had plans to fly home that weekend for his grandma’s 90th, so Margaret goes with him - to Sitka, Alaska - where mom, dad, and grams await. Family dynamics take over: tensions between dad and Andrew, an ex-girlfriend, Andrew’s dislike of Margaret, and her past color the next few days, with the INS ready to charge Andrew with fraud.

Posted in Chick Flick Tuesday | 2 Comments »

Industry Interview: Madeleine Buston

Posted on Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 by Leah

With our previous two industry interviews, they’ve actually been with those working at a publishing house, and I realised we didn’t have any book agents to ask to interview so we put the call out amongst authors and the fab Tara Hyland offered up her agent, Maddie Buston who works at the Darley Anderson Agency. She was thrilled to be part of our Industry Interview series and here are her answers!

1. Can you tell us, in as little or as much detail as you like, what it is you do in the publishing agency.

I consider my main roles as a literary agent to be talent spotting, deal making, author care and editing. I need to find talent, work on the manuscript with the writer, submit to the best possible publishers for the book and negotiate the highest advance and royalties as possible. Caring for our authors needs is a huge part of being an agent – helping with book ideas, editorial work, publicity, pitching books at all the major book fairs, drawing up contracts, doing everything to ensure that the publisher grows sales book after book, the list goes on….

I am also head of the Rights Department selling rights to our authors’ works in the US and across the world, and have recently been appointed as Deputy MD of the Children’s Book Agency.

2. How did you end up working as the head of rights & women’s fiction agent at Darley Anderson?

After graduating from St Andrews University I worked in Germany for an international exchange scheme with the European Training Services. I worked for a small independent publisher out there and spent every evening researching the world of literary agents and publishers. I have to admit I didn’t know much about literary agents – not many people can name an agency like they can a publisher. I found the world fascinating, particularly the Frankfurt book fair and applied to do some work experience with Blake Friedmann before landing my first job at A P Watt Literary, TV and Film Agency where I worked in the Rights department. Two years later I moved to the Darley Anderson Agency as the Rights Manager and was promoted the following year to Head of Rights. With a special interest in Women’s and general fiction, I started to take on my own clients that year. I am now also the Deputy MD of the Darley Anderson Children’s Book Agency so will agent exceptional work in that area – particularly YA and cross-over books.

(more…)

Posted in Industry Interviews | 2 Comments »

Book Cover: The Way To A Woman’s Heart by Christina Jones

Posted on Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 by Leah

I am a huge huge fan of Christina Jones so I was pleased when I saw that she has a new book, The Way To A Woman’s Heart, due out on 2nd September 2010. I’ve loved all of her earlier works and even after making her books slightly more magical I still loved them! I really love the cover for The Way To A Woman’s Heart and I can’t wait for it’s release! Here’s the synopsis:

Cooking the perfect menu for the perfect date always seems simple at the time…

Escaping from corporate city life into the heart of the Berkshire countryside, Ella Maloney had been expecting to find rural tranquillity and a chance to indulge in her favourite pastime - cooking. So when she meets a devastatingly delicious chef by the name of Ash Lawrence, Ella knows she’s died and gone to food heaven.

Things go from divine to celestial for Ella, however, when her favourite top-rated TV cookery programme - Midnight Feast - comes looking for a venue to film their latest show. But while Ella is pulling out all the culinary stops to become their most successful ontestant ever, Ash is busy cooking up the ultimate recipe for winning Ella’s heart - or should that be a recipe for disaster…?

Posted in 2010 releases, Book News | 2 Comments »

Book Review: A Summer Fling by Milly Johnson

Posted on Monday, April 12th, 2010 by Chloe

When Christie comes to take over the reigns at the Bakery Department in which 5 ladies work, they don’t expect to develop the friendships and bonds that they do, especially that they’ve barely spoken a work to each other in the many years they’ve already worked there! There’s young Dawn who is planning her wedding to fiancé Calum, but starting to have niggly doubts about him and his lifestyle. Anna has been dumped by her fiancé Tony for younger woman Lynette but she still doesn’t seem to be over him. She’s sure that everyone sees the dowdy, hideous woman she sees when she looks in the mirror, but mysterious Vladimir Darq is out to prove her wrong.

Grace married her husband because of his children, not through true love, and now it’s coming back to bite her in a big way. Can she get out before it takes a turn for the worse? And finally, there’s Raychel who is hiding a secret past that no one else but her husband knows about. Will the other ladies be able to coax her out of her shell? All together, these women realise how much they need each other and the friendships that come with it too, and help is what they’ll need to get them through some troubling times ahead!

(more…)

Posted in 2010 releases, Book Reviews, Rating: 5/5 | 4 Comments »

Book News: Up Close and Personal by Leonie Fox

Posted on Monday, April 12th, 2010 by Chloe

Not sure how we missed this one, but Leonie Fox’s third book is due out this summer and is to be called Up Close and Personal. I love the black and white cover, and the flashes of pink stop it being totally dull which is great. It’s out on 5th August through Penguin, and here’s the synopsis:

“Juliet, Nicole and Yasmin. Best Friends Forever. Stunning, sexy and anything but sensible. Yasmin is a straight-talking game player who’s got no-strings sex down to a T. So why is she suddenly craving commitment from the one man she can’t have? Nicole is trapped in a passionless marriage but tangled up in a passionate affair. Should she risk the safety of her happy-ever-after for something that’s oh so sexy but oh so risky? They both envy Juliet who seems to have it all. She’s bagged a gorgeous toyboy of a husband but is she still entertaining naughty thoughts about a dangerous old flame? These girls will go to the ends of the earth for one another . . . and any lengths to get their men. But when everything starts to unravel, will they chose close friendship – or sex?”

Posted in 2010 releases, Book News | 1 Comment »

Book Review: A Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans

Posted on Saturday, April 10th, 2010 by Danielle

Laura Foster is a hopeless romantic. Her friends know it, her parents know it - even Laura acknowledges she lives either with her head in the clouds or buried in a romance novel. It’s proved harmless enough, even if it hasn’t delivered her a real-life dashing hero yet. But when her latest relationship ends in a disaster that costs her friendships, her job, and nearly her sanity, Laura swears off men and hopeless romantic fantasies for good.

With her life in tatters around her, Laura agrees to go on vacation with her parents. After a few days of visiting craft shops and touring the stately homes of England, Laura is ready to tear her hair out. And then, while visiting grand Chartley Hall, she crosses paths with Nick, the sexy, rugged estate manager. She finds she shares more than a sense of humor with him - in fact, she starts to think she could fall for him. But is Nick all he seems? Or has Laura got it wrong again? Will she open her heart only to have it broken again?

(more…)

Posted in 2006 releases, Book Reviews, Rating: 4/5 | 4 Comments »

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Archive for April, 2010

Book News: Heaven, Hell & Mademoiselle by Harold Carlton

Book News & Review: You’re The One That I Don’t Want by Alexandra Potter

Chick Flick Tuesday: The Proposal

Industry Interview: Madeleine Buston

Book Cover: The Way To A Woman’s Heart by Christina Jones

Book Review: A Summer Fling by Milly Johnson

Book News: Up Close and Personal by Leonie Fox

Book Review: A Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans

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