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Chick Lit Classics is a regular 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 I’ve chosen the 2007 release The Motherhood Walk of Fame by Shari Low. I read this book a couple of years ago, and it really is laugh out loud funny which is fab, not many books make me laugh out loud! It’s about a housewife, Carly Cooper who finds herself in Hollywood with her young family unexpectedly. It’s a great romp through Hollywood, and of a British housewife trying to fit in in a whole new world to her. Low’s writing is really quick and witty, and if you love light-hearted and funny books, make sure you pick up a copy of The Motherhood Walk of Fame!

“Carly Cooper, harassed mother and disillusioned writer, has often been tempted to head for the hills. She just never imagined they’d be the Hollywood ones! A hilarious romantic comedy for anyone who’s ever had their head in the clouds! Carly’s living the dream. Almost. She has the kids, the husband, the lethargic sex life, and who cares if her novels aren’t exactly bestsellers — pole-vaulting her ironing pile is excitement enough. Just when she’s resigned to domestic mediocrity, a phone call from Hollywood changes everything. Carly is off to Tinseltown! As she arrives in LA, Carly knows life will be transformed!but she doesn’t count on marital disaster, a career roller-coaster and an A-list movie star who wants to offer her more than just a friendly welcome. Carly Cooper is strutting along the Hollywood Walk of Fame but can she get to the end without falling flat on her face?”

Chick Lit Classics is a regular 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, after reading Martina Reilly’s latest novel A Moment Like Forever (it’s fab and we’ll be reviewing it next week), I’ve picked us one of her earlier novels for our Chick Lit Classic! Something Borrowed is the first of Martina’s books I read and I was completely absorbed by Vicky’s story! It even made me cry, and it’s a book I would happily re-read and one I recommend all Chick Lit lovers read!

Vicky McCarthy’s curiosity has finally got the better of her. Adopted as a baby, she is now determined to trace her birth mother. Her family wish she would leave the past alone, which is just as well: Vicky is in danger of uncovering some shocking secrets. But, hoping that the past will help her determine the future, she sets out to find the truth. And if that doesn’t cause friction enough, there’s trouble at work when a new face appears: Ed O’Neill, whom Vicky is convinced is being groomed for her job. The spark between them is instant - they can’t stand each other. Yet it’s a thin line between love and hate, and Vicky is learning that people aren’t always what they seem.

Chick Lit Classics is a regular 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!

When choosing the Chick Lit Classic for this week, I found it really tough. I knew I wanted to highlight an older Melissa Hill title but I simply couldn’t choose one because they are all fantastic! In the end, I’ve opted for this one because it sticks in my mind so much because of the twists along the way. The ending, usually something I can guess in a book a few chapters before the end, took my breath away because it was so out of the blue and shocking, and that is exactly what I love about Melissa Hill’s books. Her stories always have some mystery to them that you don’t see coming until it’s revealed at the end, and it’s always a shocker. This book in particular has a superb one, and I urge everyone to read it just to find out what happens!

“Eve knows what she wants.
After nine good years and two kids together, it’s about time Liam made an honest woman of her.

Eve’s sister Sam knows more than she should.
Sam’s always thought Eve was too good for Liam. Then she learns the truth about his business trips to Australia, and her suspicions are confirmed.

And Brooke, safe on the other side of the world; knows nothing.
Until a mysterious delivery arrives for her and promises to change her life forever. It seems someone doesn’t want Brooke to be the last to know . . .”

Chick Lit Classics is a regular 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 I’ve chosen one of Irish author Colette Caddle’s novels as our Classic choice. Colette had been publishing books for a while now and is definitely a Chick Lit staple. Red Letter Day was one of the earlier Chick Lit novels I read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Celine’s story isn’t a happy one and I found myself caught up with all the twists and turns that occurred and I couldn’t help hoping Celine would get a happy ending. It’s a book well worth picking up if you can as it’s Colette at her best!

Recently married to Dermot and tipped as Irelands hottest new designer, Celine Moore is relaxed, happy and looking forward to an exciting future. Why then just five years later, is she barely able to hold her head up high in her local Dublin neighbourhood, at odds with her father and sister in law and accepting a job in a second hand clothes shop. Celines life changed the night Dermot failed to return from work. The shock of Dermots violent end destroys all her happiness and ambition. Aching loneliness and anger take their place, and without thinking through the consequences, Celine embarks on a affair with a married man. Desperate to put some distance between herself and the local gossips, a new start in a new place and a new job seems like the perfect opportunity to start again. But its not long before she realizes that however much you try to run away, your past has a habit of catching up with you dramatically in the end…

Chick Lit Classics is a regular 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 book might only be 3 years old, but I think it’s a great read and one worthy of the ‘Chick Lit Classic’ position this week! It is author Jane Fallon’s debut novel, and really came to promenence because of it being featured of Richard and Judy’s Book Club in 2007, and that’s how I found out about it. It sounded perfect for me, and I quickly got a copy from the library and I loved it. It’s the story of Helen and Matthew, a couple who have been having an affair for several years, but their relationship is turning a bit stale. Helen decides to get rid of Matthew but it isn’t as easy as it seems. It’s a very different view point of an affair, and I surprised myself in feeling sorry for the mistress as well as the wife in this tale! Brilliant reading, recommended by me.

“What to do if Matthew, your secret lover of the past four years, finally decides to leave his wife Sophie and their two daughters and move into your flat, just when you’re thinking that you might not want him anymore . . . PLAN A Stop shaving your armpits. And your bikini line. Tell him you have a moustache that you wax every six weeks Stop having sex with him Pick holes in the way he dresses. Don’t brush your teeth. Or your hair. Or pluck out the stray hag-whisker that grows out of your chin. Buy incontinence pads and leave them lying around PLAN B Accidentally on purpose bump into his wife Sophie Give yourself a fake name and identity Befriend Sophie Actually begin to really like Sophie Snog Matthew’s son (who’s the same age as you by the way. You’re not a paedophile) Buy a cat and give it a fake name and identity Befriend Matthew’s children. Unsuccessfully Watch your whole plan go absolutely horribly wrong Getting Rid of Matthew isn’t as easy as it seems, but along the way Helen will forge an unlikely friendship, find real love and realize that nothing ever goes exactly to plan . . .”

Chick Lit Classics is a regular 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!

I have to say I did struggle to pick a classic this week, so I went off upstairs and had a look at my bookshelves to see if there was a book that would jump out at me. One did, and although it’s only a 2007 release, I think The Yorkshire Pudding Club by Milly Johnson is a must-read for anyone who loves brilliantly written heart-warming books. My nan actually lent me this one and told me I’d love it, and she was right. Milly’s easy to read writing style and characters that you’ll care about ensure you won’t be able to put this down, and for a debut novel, it’s just superb. I love the look of the cover though, and they are redesigning it which I wish they wouldn’t because I think it’s so different! Anyway, if you haven’t read any of Milly’s book before, pick up a copy of The Yorkshire Pudding Club. You won’t regret it.

You can read my review of The Yorkshire Pudding Club here.

“Three South Yorkshire friends, all on the cusp of 40, fall pregnant at the same time following a visit to an ancient fertility symbol. For Helen, it’s a dream come true, although her husband is not as thrilled about it as she had hoped. Not only wrestling with painful ghosts of the past, Helen has to deal with the fact that her outwardly perfect marriage is crumbling before her eyes. For Janey, it is an unmitigated disaster as she has just been offered the career break of a life-time. And she has no idea either how it could possibly have happened, seeing as she and her ecstatic husband George were always so careful over contraception. For Elizabeth, it is mind-numbing, because she knows people like her shouldn’t have children. Damaged by her dysfunctional childhood and emotionally lost, she not only has to contend with carrying a child she doubts she can ever love, but she also has to deal with the return to her life of a man whose love she must deny herself.”

Chick Lit Classics is a regular 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!“”

I first came across Dorothy Koomson a few years ago when her novel My Best Friend’s Girl was featured on the now defunct Richard and Judy book club in 2006. The novel went on to win that year, and catapulted Koomson to a huge new level in the UK and has now made her a must-read of mine every year! I loved the sound of this book when Richard, Judy and their guests spoke about it so I quickly purchased my own copy which I devoured in just a few days. I’ve since passed it on to my mum and nan who also loved it so it’s a book that will appeal across the generations. It tells the tale of a wronged friend who has to suddenly become a mother to her deceased friend’s daughter despite her betrayal. It’s a compelling read, and one you won’t want to put down. Simply brilliant and a huge must-read from me.

“What would you do for the friend who broke your heart? Best friends Kamryn Matika and Adele Brannon thought nothing could come between them - until Adele did the unthinkable and slept with Kamryn’s fiance, Nate. Worse still, she got pregnant and had his child. When Kamryn discovered the truth about their betrayal she vowed never to see any of them again. Two years later, Kamryn receives a letter from Adele asking her to visit her in hospital. Adele is dying and begs Kamryn to adopt her daughter, Tegan. With a great job and a hectic social life, the last thing Kamryn needs is a five year old to disrupt things. Especially not one who reminds her of Nate. But with no one else to take care of Tegan and Adele fading fast, does she have any other choice? So begins a difficult journey that leads Kamryn towards forgiveness, love, responsibility and, ultimately, a better understanding of herself.”

Chick Lit Classics is a regular 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!

I first came across Annie Sanders when I was leant this book by my nan back in 2004 when it came out. I certainly wasn’t aware that Annie Sanders was actually 2 people (Meg Sanders and Annie Ashworth), but the story sounded good so I was eager to read. Luckily for me, it was fabulous and certainly gave me something great to read on my lonely first few evenings when I had started University. It’s about an unlikely pair of best friends given the chance of a lifetime but then having to protect that lifestyle they’ve grown to love so much when the media realises what a great idea they have going. It’s incredibly readable with lovely characters you can relate to. The easy to read writing style makes the book all the more excellent, and if you haven’t yet read anything by Annie Sanders, I’d definitely recommend starting with Goodbye, Jimmy Choo!

“Under normal circumstances, Izzie and Maddy would never have met. Their lives are a million miles apart - Izzie is bohemian and skint, Maddy is Gucci-clad and loaded. But, thanks to their respective husbands’ careers, both have been dumped into the English countryside, fish out of water with five young children between them. Thrown together at a ghastly women’s lunch, they quickly discover a shared longing for mucky London streets and the residents’ parking permits they’ve left behind. When tragedy hits and Maddy’s world collapses, they have to make money fast. A chance discovery leads this unlikely partnership to launch a natural cosmetics company from the kitchen table, with consequences beyond their wildest imaginings. Then the media spotlight turns on them, and Maddy and Izzie have to give up all they hold dear to embrace a lifestyle they hate. But just how far are they prepared to go?”