Leah and I would like to send our biggest congratulations to our lovely guest blogger, author Fiona Cassidy aka. Fionnuala McGoldrick on her latest creation! Her baby boy Oran was born yesterday, and we want to send our warmest wishes to Fionnuala, her husband Philip and the rest of their family on their lovely new arrival!
Congratulations Fionnuala!
Leah, Chloe and I are extremely excited to announce the expansion of our very popular “American Saturdays” feature! With more and more readers expressing interest in Chick Lit in the US as well as a steadily increasing supply of Chick Lit authors here in the US we thought this would be the perfect time to change things up. So, from Friday through Sunday you can expect the following and more…
We hope you will continue to enjoy the fantastic reviews and news coming from British Chick Lit (and others around the world) during the week, but will also fall in love with what is happening in the US as well. Please feel free to let us know if you have any favorite American Chick Lit authors you’d love seeing featured and we’ll see what we can do to get them on Chick Lit Reviews!
Again, thank you so much for your continued support, comments and love! It is all so very much appreciated!
Leah shared her Top 10 Most Anticipated releases of 2011 on the site last week, so I thought it was about time that I shared mine too!
1. Something From Tiffany’s by Melissa Hill
I have read nearly everything that Melissa Hill has ever written, and I am always so excited to read her books every year, she is an author who just seems to get better. Having been to Tiffany’s in New York myself to buy a special necklace, I am really looking forward to reading this one!
2. Here Comes The Girls by Milly Johnson
I absolutely adore Milly’s books, they make you laugh, they make you cry and best of all I never want to put them once I start them! This one isn’t out until May but I really can’t wait, I know it’s going to be another treat!
3. Baby Be Mine by Paige Toon
I will have to copy Leah with this one, but as a massive fan of Paige Toon, I can’t have a list of most anticipated reads of the year and not have Paige’s new book on it, especially as it’s the eagerly awaited follow up to Johnny Be Good!
4. The Single Girls To-Do List by Lindsey Kelk
I am a big fan of Lindsey’s “I Heart…” series so when I heard she was going to be doing a stand alone novel, I was instantly intrigued, and I am looking forward to seeing how Kelk is going to entertain with a whole new character to enjoy.
5. The Secret Shopper Affair by Kate Harrison
I love when I can get stuck into a series of books because it’s always nice to dive back into the story with those familiar characters, so I am looking forward to the latest instalment with the ladies from the “Secret Shopper” series from Kate Harrison!
6. California Dreaming by Belinda Jones
I love Belinda Jones’ books which always take me on an adventure to wonderfully hot climes with the characters, and California Dreaming sounds like another fab holiday book. Belinda always injects a lot of fun into her books so I’m looking forward to enjoying this one too.
7. Fame by Tilly Bagshawe
I do love a bit of escapist Chick Lit and I can always rely on a blockbuster of a book from Tilly Bagshawe to deliver that for me! Fame is due out in June, and looks to be another fabulous read.
8. The Secrets Between Us by Louise Douglas
Louise Douglas has only written 2 books, but they are 2 such good books that she is most definitely deserving of a place on my Most Anticipated Books of 2011. Her emotional and heart-wrenching novels are always a superb read, and I hope this one lives up to my expectations.
9. Little Sisters by Lucy Dawson
I have a feeling Lucy Dawson is one of those authors who gets better with every book she writes because I seem to enjoy each of her books a little bit more as they come out! Little Sisters is bound to be another captivating read with one of Dawson’s intriguing twists to it, well I hope so anyway!
10. Sweet Valley Confidential by Francine Pascal
I couldn’t resist adding this one onto the end of my Most Anticipated reads simply because it is such a surprise that the Sweet Valley series are making a comeback after all these years! I loved the books as a child, and often used to take out a huge pile of them at the library, so I’m looking forward to jumping back a good few years in my head with Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield again!
Since it’s humble beginnings in 2009, Chick Lit Reviews has had a couple of design changes. And after a year and a half with our wonderful three-column design, we’ve decided to update the site again. We’re keeping our header and the general layout but we think it now looks a lot more professional and we hope you love it as much as we do.
So please, let us know what you think and please also feel free to suggest any changes or additions we can make to the site. We rely on our readers to keep on reading the site and we want to make Chick Lit Reviews the best it can be!
Leah, Chloe & Danielle
On behalf of Leah, Chloe and myself I’d like to take the opportunity to say Happy Thanksgiving to those of our readers celebrating today!
Also, thank you so much to all our readers! We’re so thankful to have you! It’s been a fabulous year so far and we cannot wait for more to come!
Personally, I’d like to say I’m thankful for the wonderful opportunity to be a part of Chick Lit Reviews. Thank you so much Leah and Chloe for taking me under your wings and making me a part of such an incredible site. I can’t wait for the next year and I’m grateful to have your friendship! - Danielle
The lovely Kate Harrison contacted us to let us know about a charity auction she is taking part in along with some other great authors, and we wanted to share it with you because it’s for a great cause, and a pretty great thing to win as well!
Melissa Hill, Kate Harrison, Jane Green and more are auctioning off the chance to win a character name in their new novels for the charity Autism Research. All you have to do is place a bid on Ebay on the correct auction, hope you win and then you win your part! It really is for a great cause, so if you want to enter, just go to the Ebay page here. Auctions begin today from 12.30pm, but all details can be found on the Ebay site.
Win a character name in Melissa Hill, Jane Green or Kate Harrison’s next novels.
I find that there is nothing nicer in the month of December than snuggling down with a good book, especially one with a bit of a Christmassy theme about it! I love a book with a gorgeous Christmas cover as well - I’m a sucker for anything with a bit of snow and a Christmas tree on it if truth be told! I’ve compiled a list of some of my favourite festive reads, old and new, so you can enjoy a Christmas read yourself!
Please do let us know of any you want added to our festive list, and enjoy!
Amy Silver - All I Want for Christmas
“Twelve days and counting… It’s Bea’s first Christmas with her baby son, and this year she’s determined to do everything right. But there is still so much to do: the Christmas menu needs refining; her café, The Honey Pot, needs decorating; and she’s invited the whole neighbourhood to a party on Christmas Day. She really doesn’t have time to get involved in two new people’s lives, let alone fall in love… When Olivia gets knocked over in the street, however, Bea can’t help bringing her into The Honey Pot and getting to know her. Olivia’s life is even more hectic than her own, and with her fiancé’s entire family over from Ireland for Christmas, she shouldn’t be lingering in the cosy warmth of Bea’s café. Chloe, on the other hand, has nowhere else to go. Her affair with a married man has alienated her friends, and left her lonelier than ever. But Christmas is a magical time, and in the fragrant atmosphere of The Honey Pot, anything can happen: new friends can be made, hearts can heal, and romance can finally blossom…”
Annie Sanders - The Xmas Factor
“Meet two women with two totally different approaches to the festive season. Beth: it’s only September and already she has performance anxiety. Not surprising when she has agreed to lay on the annual Christmas Eve village bash - the piece de resistance of her husband’s former wife - not to mention having to host Christmas for his difficult offspring. New to this frenzied build-up to the festivities, Beth begins to lose sight of what it all means. To her the Christmas lights are looking more like the headlamps of an oncoming train. Carol: glamorous magazine editor, who put her aspirational Christmas issue to bed sometime in July and is so involved in finding a scoop to save her ailing magazine that she fails to notice the impending festive rush. Panicked and wracked with guilt, she is determined to make it a picture perfect time for her little boy and, opting for convenience, books a lovely-sounding cottage in a quaint village. Even the best laid plans have a habit of unravelling - and no plan at all is a recipe for disaster. So when these two Christmases collide, it looks like it’s going to be anything but goodwill towards men…”
Kate Harrison - The Secret Shopper Unwrapped
“Christmas is coming, and while the bells are ringing, the tills aren’t. But Sandie - the rising star of the retail spying world - is busier than ever, rooting out the best and worst in festive customer care through her company. The former Charlie’s Shopping Angels are helping out, too. Glamorous widow Grazia is going undercover under the duvet at boutique hotels, in between dating a succession of toyboys and trying to remember which lie she’s told about her age. Meanwhile, not-quite-yummy mummy Emily investigates the child-friendliness of the high street with the help of three-year-old Freddie, when she’s not working flat out with her partner to save their fledging village shop from the un-festive credit crunch. The shoppers are back, but is the happiness they’ve worked so hard for, about to disappear faster than a Louis Vuitton handbag in the Harrod’s sale?”
Ann Pearlman - The Christmas Cookie Club
“What would we do without one another? It was a statement, not a question. Each of us knew the answer for herself. Every year on the first Monday of December, Marnie and her twelve closest girlfriends gather with batches of beautifully wrapped homemade cookies. Everyone has to bring a dish and a bottle of wine and, as they eat, they take turns telling the story of the cookies they have baked. Stories that, somehow, are always emblematic of the year that has just passed. This year, the stories are especially important. Marnie’s oldest daughter has a risky pregnancy. Will she find out tonight how that story will end? Jeannie’s father is having an affair with her best friend. Who else knew about the betrayal? Rosie’s husband doesn’t want children, but can she live with his decision? Each woman, each friend has a story to tell. The Cookie Club is about the passion and hopefulness of a new romance, the betrayal and disillusionment some relationships bring, the joys and fears of motherhood, and above all, it’s a celebration of the friendships between women.”
Trisha Ashley - The Twelve Days of Christmas
“Christmas has always been a sad time for young widow Holly Brown, so when she’s asked to look after a remote house on the Lancashire moors, the opportunity to hide herself away is irresistible – the perfect excuse to forget about the festivities. Sculptor, Jude Martland, is determined that this year there will be no Christmas after his brother runs off with his fiancée and he is keen to avoid the family home. However, he will have to return by the twelfth night of the festivities, when the hamlet of Little Mumming hold their historic festivities and all of his family are required to attend. Meanwhile, Holly is finding that if she wants to avoid Christmas, she has come to the wrong place. When Jude unexpectedly returns on Christmas Eve he is far from delighted to discover that Holly seems to be holding the very family party he had hoped to avoid. Suddenly, the blizzards come out of nowhere and the whole village is snowed in. With no escape, Holly and Jude get much more than they bargained for – it looks like the twelve days of Christmas are going to be very interesting indeed!”
Julia Williams - Last Christmas
“It’s the most wonderful time of year. Isn’t it? Discover the true spirit of Christmas with this seasonal treat for fans of Love, Actually and The Holiday. Discover the true spirit of Christmas…Catherine Tinsall is dreading Christmas. As the ‘Happy Homemaker’ she is an online sensation, but the reality couldn’t be more different. With Catherine’s marriage in tatters, her children running wild and her mother increasingly forgetful, seasonal cheer is running low. Husband Noel also hides a secret: he’s facing the axe at work. Until he chances upon the village of Hope Christmas, deep in the Shropshire countryside, which could be the second chance he’s searching for. If he can save it from the developers! In Hope Christmas itself, schoolteacher Marianne Moore is trying to heal her battered heart. But Christmas is a time for families, and memories of what she’s lost haunt her at every turn. Meanwhile, Gabriel North faces a lonely Christmas but hides his sadness for the sake of his son. Will his wife ever come home? Or does love lie elsewhere? All four need a Christmas miracle. And it might just happen - courtesy of a mysterious guardian angel ! Forced to reassess their lives, will Catherine, Noel, Marianne and Gabriel discover what the meaning of Christmas really is? An irresistible gift of a tale that will warm the hearts of Christmas-lovers and Scrooges alike!”
Patricia Scanlan - Coming Home
“Two sisters…two very different lives. Alison’s American dream is in tatters. Her highflying career is on the skids in the financial meltdown. Her Upper East Side apartment is now way beyond her means . But pride prevents her from telling her family back home just how bad things are. Olivia is fraught trying to juggle family, career, preparations for Christmas and organize a surprise party for their mother’s seventieth birthday. How she envies, and sometimes resents, her sister Alison and her life of excitement and affluence in New York. Coming home is the last thing Alison wants to do, especially now that she’s met a rather attractive, sexy, down to earth neighbour who doesn’t believe in ‘non exclusive dating’ unlike her wealthy boyfriend, Jonathan. But family ties are strong. Alison and Olivia sort their differences, the party throws up a few surprises and Christmas brings changes for Alison that she could never have imagined before coming home”
Sheila O’Flanagan - A Season to Remember
In this wonderful collection of interlinked short stories Sheila O’Flanagan brings her own trademark sparkle to Christmas – a time when friends, families and lovers traditionally come together and when every person is hoping their wishes will come true…
Sharon Owens - A Winter’s Wedding
Love in the bleak mid-winter . . . Emily loves Dylan.And Dylan loves Emily.Their relationship is rock solid.Everyone says they are meant to be together, it’s just a matter of when – not if – Dylan’s going to pop the Big Question. There’s just one tiny fly in the ointment: Emily hates weddings. Which is fair enough seeing as she was jilted at the altar years ago by Alex, her supposed soulmate.Still, Dylan isn’t Alex.He’s gorgeous and sexy and scruffy and kind – and more than worth taking a chance on … But what happens when the ghost of Emily’s Christmas past threatens to ruin everything? Can Dylan convince the love of his life he’s different and that their wedding day will be remembered for the right reasons? After all, with a sprinkling of snow and a touch of magic in the air, there’s nothing quite like a winter’s wedding to warm the soul …
The Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards shortlist has been announced, and quite a few chick lit titles are up for various awards! In the Easons Irish Popular Fiction Book of the Year award category, Sheila O’Flanagan, Sinead Moriarty, Amy Huberman and Cathy Kelly are all vying for the award, and any of them could be in with a chance of winning! Amy Huberman’s book Hello’ Heartbreak is also up for the Best Irish Newcomer of the Year Award, so good luck to her in both categories. Cecelia Ahern is up for The John Murray Show Listeners Choice Award with her latest book The Book of Tomorrow.
The Easons award is the one we’ll be looking out for though, here are the 6 shortlisted titles:
Pieces of My Heart by Sinead Moriarty
Coming Home by Cathy Kelly
Stand By Me by Sheila O’Flanagan
Hello, Heartbreak by Amy Huberman
At Home With The Templetons by Monica McInerney
The Oh My God Delusion by Ross O’Carroll Kelly
You can see all the other categories at the awards website here.
