Archive for June, 2011

Just last week we showcased all of Alexandra Potter’s beautiful covers together in one post and I was rather pleased to receive an email from Alexandra herself showing us the cover for Going La La. I absolutely love it, it’s easily my favourite of all Alex’s covers and although I have a very old, very battered copy on my shelves somewhere, I’ll certainly be getting this updated version which is out February next year. Behold the beautiful! Here’s the synopsis:

Of course Frankie is happy. Happy with her estate agent boyfriend Hugh, happy that her career is finally going somewhere. Happy with her flat and her two cats, Fred and Ginger. Until Hugh tells her that he’s not. Happy that is. He needs space. Space that apparently Frankie is not allowed to fill. Of course Frankie is unhappy. So unhappy that when she’s fired from her job, it seems to fit in with the rest of her life falling apart. So unhappy that she decides to quit her life in London and go to L.A.. To the land where her best friend Rita is trying to make it as an actress, and Dorian is living upstairs and is free to amuse her whenever she needs a friend. And finally there even seems to be space in her thoughts for Reilly, a contemporary version of the classic marlboro man. Who might, just might, be the one to make her happy again.

Sally Islip has been having an affair with Clive, a friend of the family for over 5 years now, and is well and truly in love with him. So when Clive suddenly decides that their affair has to end, and that he is now going to be the perfect husband to long-suffering wife Susan. Sally isn’t unhappy, and quickly her life begins to unravel as she struggles to adjust to life without Clive. So Sally decides to start keeping an eye on Clive and his family… walking past their family home to popping in the cafe where she knows his son Liam works. Then she starts following Susan and her daughter Emily on Facebook, all because she’s a family friend of course, nothing sinister. But when Clive starts to turn on Sally, threatening her and telling her to back off and leave his family alone, Sally decides that she has to up her action and doesn’t take heed to what Clive is saying, she’s convinced revenge is the only way to get over Clive. Will the mistress get her revenge, or will it all end in tears?

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As we head into the second half of the year, I figured that since we don’t have many posts, I’d do a feature on the books I’d consider to be my books of the year so far. I’ve read quite a few books so far this year, but here are the ones so far that I’d crown my book of the year:

Of the 23, my top five would be: Heaven Scent, It Happened In Paris, A Girl Like You, The Summer We Came To Life and Best Kept Secret.

This is the book I’d crown my book of the year, if I had to choose now:

I’d love to know what book(s) you’d pick as your absolute favourites so far that were released in 2011!

I love Lucy Dawson and her “darker” chick lit, her previous novel ‘The One That Got Away‘ was absolutely brilliant. Luckily for me, Lucy is back this autumn with her new book Little Sisters which is due out on October 13th through Sphere. It sounds like another brilliant read and I can’t wait to read this one!

“It’s the phone call that every sister dreads …In the dead of night Kate learns that her sister, Anya, has gone missing in Brazil. As terror seeps into her, she is catapulted back to the tragedy of their youngest sister’s death, when they were teenagers. Frantic communication reveals Anya went missing while cave-diving illegally, with her handsome Brazilian instructor. Anya’s luggage is found stowed in his car. To Kate’s horror, everyone begins to accept Anya is gone. But Kate simply won’t. She turns to Anya’s best friend Will, secretly in love with Anya for years, as he boards a flight to Mexico to dig out the truth, whatever the consequences.”

Today I’m delighted to welcome Emilie Richards to Chick Lit Reviews! Her most recently published novel series, the Happiness Key Novels had it’s third book in the series titled Sunset Bridge release this week. I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to interview such a successful writer and wonderful person as Emilie. So without further hesitation on my part, my interview with Emilie Richards…

1. Can you tell Chick Lit Reviews readers a little about yourself and/or your books in a short two to three sentence synopsis?
I’m the author of 60 something novels, most recently women’s fiction and mystery. As a former family therapist I love writing about relationships of all kinds and do.

2. You’ve written and published numerous books, what about writing keeps you coming back?
There are so many elements of the human condition I’ve yet to explore, and so many characters who still need to tell their stories.

3. Your most recently published book, Sunset Beach is a perfect summer beach read, but also has a bit of marvelous food incorporated into the storyline. Why pies?
Nothing says Florida to me like lemon meringue or Key lime.

4. Do you have a favorite pie yourself?
My all-time favorite pie is from a small Amish restaurant in Charm, OH, a German chocolate pie I dream about still.

5. What is it about women and their relationships that you enjoy writing about so much?
Relationships are key in the lives of women, and there are so many different kinds to explore. I began with romances, and while all my novels still have romantic relationships in them, I branched out to all the others, parent-child, sisters, friends, because they, too, are important and worth exploration.

6. You’ve not only written quite a few books, but also in quite a few genres. If you had to pick one to stay with which would you choose and why?
I think women’s fiction probably has the most room for what I love to do, and I could incorporate pieces of everything else within it and do.

7. You are obviously a very talented writer, but you’re also a fabulous quilter. Do you have a favorite you’ve made over the years?
Well, I’m a fabulous procrastinator, and have many quilts started. Probably my favorite is the one (whatever it is) that I just finished. In that case it would be the one I just made for my new granddaughter out of Minkee with animals in each corner complete with three dimensional ears, etc. Great fun and so cuddly.

8. When can we expect to see your next novel? And can you give our readers any hint of what it might be about?
I’m hard at work on a new series set in Asheville, NC, about women who reach out to each other in unique and important ways. I’m in Asheville right now doing the research, and it will be hard to leave.

Thank you so much Emilie! It was a pleasure to have you visit Chick Lit Reviews and I know our readers had a wonderful time getting to know you a bit better. Best wishes on your current project as well as your current release, Sunset Bridge!

US/Canadian readers, make sure to enter our giveaway for your chance to win a copy of Sunset Bridge by Emilie Richards!

thxthxthx: Thank Goodness for Everything by Leah Dieterich
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Release Date: 21st June 2011
Rating: 4/5
Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley for review. Thank you!
Publishers Summary:

With accolades from New York Times best-selling author Gretchen Rubin and DailyCandy, Leah Dieterich’s thxthxthx.com website inspires an aptly named giftbook, thxthxthx: Thank Goodness for Everything.

After years of being encouraged (okay, nagged) by her Mother to write thank-you notes, Dieterich began writing one thank-you note a day to whatever thing, no matter how small or odd, she was thankful for. From important gestures, like a Partner’s Understanding, to simple, soulful, and quirky things like Songs You’re Embarrassed to Like, thxthxthx features 200 of Dieterich’s original, handwritten thank-you notes that collectively convey the look and feel of handwritten notes from a close friend.

Surprisingly simple and refreshingly moving, thxthxthx is a thought provoking and emotionally rewarding daily exercise in gratitude for all of life’s blessings.

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Hope McNeill has worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for years, but this is the first time she’s been able to bring along her pug, Max (without sneaking him in in her tote bag). The occasion is a party for an Animals in 19th-Century Art exhibit, but the evening ends badly when a small but important painting seems to be missing. The Met needs Hope’s-and Max’s-help. And Hope has to keep it all a secret from her beloved, Manhattan DA Ben Brown.

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For Hope McNeill, pugs are love, unconditional friendship, happiness, and freedom. She doesn’t have one of her own (busy life, tiny apartment), but she does have Pug Hill in Central Park, where pugs (and their owners) from all over New York convene.

She also has a crush on one of her co-workers, a flailing romantic relationship, and an unspeakable fear of public speaking. Then Hope’s father calls with an assignment: to make a speech at her parents’ anniversary party. Frantic, she signs up for a public speaking class, but can’t help wondering-will it transform her into an eloquent orator? Maybe some fears are so big that even all the pugs in the world might not be enough to assuage them.

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