Fresh lift on the chick lit genre
341784
Lily have all of her life suffered with her mom's tendency to follow her new fly by the moment ideas - which she gets a lot of. The newest one is internet dating. Her mom meets a cute australian man, and within short time they are moving from England to Australia. It say itself that 16 year old Lily is no fan of this, and before they even have arrived to Australia, she is already planning on moving back when she is 18.

Despite how much Lily wants to hate it in Australia, she ends up loving it. Her mom's boyfriend works in a Conservation park, where she fall in love with all of the animals. All the cute kangaroos and coalas.

And it's here she meets Ben, 12 years older than her, and they become really good friends. Ben is the first person to listen to her, and encourage her to follow her passion for photography.
She didn't plan it, but she falls in love with him, but there is so many things wrong with this situation. One is; he is much too old, and an another is; he is about to be married.

When she hear Ben telling a friend that he think he have developed feelings for an another girl, she decides to fight for him. But how can a 16 old girl convince him, when the friend already convinced him it's just wedding nerves. Nothing for him to worry about, and it's normal.

Ben moves to London to get married, and like Lily's heart my heart broke too.

We follow Lily ten years after, right from the moment her boyfriend ask her to marry him. She panics a bit about the whole marriage thing, and it doesn't help when she suddenly one day runs into Ben again.

I love how the story repeats itself, only this time Lily is the one to be married, and Ben is single.
I love how all the thoughts Ben have been going through that time ten years ago, Lily is going through too. It helps one to understand why it's not that simple. That there are more to the situation than their age difference. I felt sorry for how torn Lily was between Ben and her boyfriend, Richard. She have to make a tough decision that's not that straight forward.

I was captivated from the first page, and I loved being in Australia with Lily. Paige Toon have always had a way with words. She really made me want to go to Australia one day.

A really cute summer romance with lots of surprices, and a fresh lift on the chick lit genre.

Pictures of Lily is my favorite Paige Toon book.
3021904
There's nothing unexpected in this book, but it manages to be charming and funny at the same time.  Chick lit as a genre has a tendency to run into simplistic dead ends, and at this point what really matters to me is a smart author who understands that a new entry has to be more than a re-run of Bridget Jones.  While Forget About It has a number of the characters you'd expect from the genre in their normal, one-note iterations, the main character is clever and funny and flawed, and the plot is, while predictable, different.  The story drags at times, which is the only reason I'm giving it four stars instead of five, but I read it in a day and greatly enjoyed it.  I'm looking forward to Caprice Crane's third book.
4241625
I once joined a neighborhood book club and found I was the only male with seventeen women. I enjoyed that but found all our selections were chic lit. Never would have read those books and I'd have missed a lot of good reading. Denise Liebig could have been an author of one of those books. Dear Maude is chic lit, well written, and smooth, and it kept me smiling the whole way. It is cute, funny, and enjoyable while mind altering. This enjoyable read draws in science fiction, romance, time travel mixed with a touch of Grisham's The Firm. I recommend it for a light hearted trip. Thanks  you Denise
955999
Meredith's Wish, by new romance author Karen Lee, did something many books by seasoned authors have failed to do in recent months: entertain me. In a genre currently over saturated with interchangeable suspense laden plots and annoying or boring characters Meredith's Wish was a welcome breath of fresh air.
Meredith is a hard working young woman hell-bent on attaining a vice presidency position. She figures she has the promotion nailed but her boss has other ideas and decides to have a little fun by turning the job opportunity into a contest. Now she has to play beat-the-clock with her rival and secure a contract from an eccentric client who will only deal with married woman. The trouble is, Meredith is as single as they come with no prospects in sight. Frustrated beyond belief she weeps into her cell phone and, handily, out pops a hunky genie to answer all of her prayers.
Okay, so I never said this was a realistic story, did I?
Jim has been a naughty genie and has only thirty days to prove to the Chairmen of the Genie Board that he is a useful addition to genie society. Meredith is his final task and if he fails to grant her heart's desire he will cease to exist. Her wish to find true love is, unfortunately, one of two that he is unable to grant so he is forced to improvise. And his improvisation results in some very hilarious situations and blind dates.
Personally, I'm bone tired of grumpy, bossy, brooding heroes. I can't stand `em in real life and am finding them terribly difficult to stomach in my pleasure reading. Jim, much to my relief, turned out to be quite the opposite of the typical romance hero. He's fun-loving, lives to create mischief and has a terrific sense of humor. He never takes himself seriously and perfectly complements practical and workaholic Meredith.
Meredith's Wish is cute but never cloying and single-handedly pulled me out of a depressingly long "bad book" slump. It's not a perfect book though. The conflict is as light as they come and, as a result, the story loses momentum at the midway mark. Still, this weakness is easy to overlook because of the good humored hero and the sense of fun that permeates the story.
I can easily recommend this to any romance reader tired of the same old stale story-lines overcrowding most bookstores. Karen Lee is an author with a fresh new voice who clearly knows that romance can be sexy and fun. Ahhh, if only all debuts were this charming!
2666810
The Cute Girl Network looks like a modern romance novel, but theres more to it than just a love story. Jane and Jack meet when she wipes out in front of him in a hipster-stocked town. Jack is something of a clumsy loser, selling soup from a food cart. Jane has recently moved to town, working at a skateboard shop and putting up with stupid guys who think she cant skate because shes a girl.

The two slowly grow on each other and start dating (with a great list of cheap things to do, including a visit to a vending machine graveyard). As written by Greg Means and MK Reed, they live in a world of roommates, shared meals, crafts, crazy public art, and energy without enough outlet.

While Jack gets bad advice from his clueless Neanderthal roommate, Jane is taken under the wing of the Network, a group of women who want to prevent awesome girls from going out with total losers. Harriet introduces Jane to some of Jacks former dates, all of whom have horrible (but funny to the reader) stories about how much of a dork he was.

Joe Floods art is full of background detail, setting up a strong sense of place and lifestyle. His characters are likable in their expressiveness. Jack looks like Shaggy, with an exaggerated nose and chin that reinforces his inadvertent clownishness.

The Network is a neat idea, until you start thinking about it. Even with the best intentions, the women wind up perpetuating the idea that guys cant improve, when they just need to find the right girl to match and appreciate them. I understand why friends would want to prevent intelligent girls from settling for less than she deserves, but the fact is, no one else can determine that for you. Theres a subtle air of jealousy  why does she see something in him I didnt?  and a feeling of dating as an achievement activity, with resentment over time wasted if it doesnt work out.

Good dating stories at some point give me the feeling wow, Im glad Im happily married, because for all of the exhilaration of new romance, theres also a lot of uncertainty and discouragement. This book fits that description, although with plenty of imagination and friendship to get through the rough spots. Theres an air of aimlessness underlying the story, evocative of life today as a young adult until one figures out what matters. (The publisher provided a review copy; review originally posted at ComicsWorthReading.com.)
2092863
I originally thought this might be more of a contemporary romance, but it reads more like 'women's fiction'. Not a genre I usually read or enjoy, but it's well done and upbeat. The protagonist spends time baking cookies, dealing with her mom, and being completely oblivious to the romantic relationships around her. The heroine is appealing, the writing is solid, and the trick of prefacing every chapter with a different baked good kept my attention. In the back, the author has listed the recipes of the cookies she lovingly described in the text. . There's some sensuality, but nothing particularly explicit. For readers of ChickLit who like to bake--it would be perfect.
301957
This historical, mystery/romance is a fun read. We are not talking great literature here, but it has a well constructed plot and interesting characters.  It is a step above the normal chick-lit. I will try this author, again.
1221862
I've touched on this in other reviews, but for a long time I thought the chick lit genre was kind of dead, or at least it was dead for me. But recently I've made some discoveries, like Over the Edge, Why Can't I Be You, and this book, that are making me rethink my earlier assessment.

The book starts off with graduate student Lizzie heading to London with a friend to study for nine months. Lizzie's never been to London or even out of the country. As a bit of a bibliophile Lizzie is really excited to go to a country with such a rich literary history. She's also excited to get away from her large, controlling family (more on them later) and to break out of her quiet, shy shell. Her first night out in London she meets Thomas, a not so much struggling actor, but an actor on the verge of his big break, and there's an immediate connection.

The main thing this book had working for me was the relationships between the characters. I thought overall that character development was somewhat lacking, but thankfully the relationships were really strong. I loved reading about the beginning of Lizzie and Thomas' romance. They were incredibly cute together, but they're also real in their expectations of their relationship and very respectful of each other. I also liked how they have similar, very compatible personalities, but were also able to complement each other where they were lacking. The relationship between Lizzie and her friend who accompanied her to London was also strong. So often best friends drive me nuts, but this was a good one.

Part of me wants to fault this book for having Lizzie fall so in love with Thomas that he becomes her whole life, but in this situation it doesn't bother me as much as it normally would. After a quick reality check Lizzie realizes that she needs to still devote a big chunk of herself to school and really, besides the friend she came with, Lizzie doesn't have any other friends in London. Maybe she missed out on an opportunity to make more friends in London, but she did become friends with Thomas' group of friends and I think that counts for something.

This is a book that features celebrity culture pretty heavily. Lizzie and Thomas meet at a play where a famous now grown up child actor is appearing nude, Thomas is currently one of the co-stars in a Twilight-esque francise, and as Thomas becomes more and more well known Lizzie is forced to deal with paparazzi and unflattering press coverage. I don't want to say that this is a large part of the book, Thomas' extreme fame only comes towards the end, but it's something to be aware of. I'm not someone who follows celebrity culture, but I (think I) got all the references here and it was believable to me.

Let's talk about the people I hated. Lizzie's family. God they drove me nuts! I'm not saying this as a negative against the book, I actually think the author did a great job of portraying an overbearing family, I just hated the family. They pushed Lizzie into a job she doesn't want, they discourage her from going out into the world and experiencing new things, and they constantly make her feel guilty for pretty much existing. These types of families drive me nuts in real life and that annoyance definitely translated here. My family has its faults, but thank god they ultimately just want me to be happy, no matter what.

Bottom Line: I'm happy to say that this is another strong entry in the category formally known as "chick lit." It's a fun, enjoyable book that strikes a good balance between a sweet romance and serious issues around forming a connection with someone who lives far away and also controlling families. I want to say it would be a great beach read, but it takes place mostly over the winter in rainy London so it feels a little weird to recommend it for the beach! But it has that type of feeling.
4728370
You could call this a romance. You could call it chick lit. It's a little of both, I guess. But Instead of a twenty-something heroine, we have a woman in her 40's. After her husband trades her in for a younger model, she manages to bounce back and enjoy a dating (and sex) life. - all while juggling a career and three spunky teen daughters. Oh, and then there's the host of quirky characters that come in and out of her house/life in a constant comical stream. This book is fun, fast-paced, uplifting and hilarious!
1589147
My mom passed me this book, and I almost passed it right back because the title screamed chick-lit (which I know can be fantastic but overall isn't my favorite genre). But do not be fooled: Good in Bed is not chick-lit. Or maybe it is - it does, after all, chronicle the relationships of a modern, young protagonist - but it doesn't matter because this book is funny, thought-provoking, and an absolute joy to read. As heroine Cannie Shapiro struggles to come to terms with her plus-size body, her feelings for her ex, and the balance between her past and her future, you'll feel as though you're sharing the adventures of a new best friend. Her sharp wit and kind heart are both honest and endearing, and by the end you'll be cursing her misfortunes and cheering her well-deserved triumphs.
328310
Contemporary romance or chick-lit as I like to call it,isnt my go-to genre by any means. Personally, I find that chick-lit lacks depth and substance that I crave from my books. I am by no means bashing chick-lit, its just notmy particularcup of tea. HOWEVER every once in a while I will visit this genre as a nice little break from the heavy books Itend to read. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with The Coincidence of Coconut Cake. I found it to be a well written and charming read.

This book has beendescribed as the foodie version ofYouve Got Mail, which is a spot on comparison. If you consider yourself a foodie, than you should give this book a shot for the sole reason that Amy is on point with her cuisine game. I had never read a book that centered around food and cooking before and I must say, it was refreshing. I am not even particularly interested in the culinary arts, but I found myself engrossed. Reicherts descriptions about food and cooking were so well done, I could feel my senses coming alivewhile reading. I could smell, hear, feel, and taste all the great foods. Above all, this book made me hungry. There should be a disclaimer at the beginning: Do not read on an empty stomach.

I also enjoyed the Milwaukee culture woven throughout the book. I personally have never visited Milwaukee, HOWEVER I feel as if I would fit right in being the Green Bay Packers fan that I am (#GoPackGo). Reichert wrote about Milwaukee with such detail and enthusiasm, it actually made me want to go for a visit.

What did I love most about The Coincidence of Coconut Cake? I don't think it is a spoiler to say that my favorite part about this book is the fact that our heroine saves herself, and doesnt need rescued by a knight in shinning armor. It was invigorating to read a contemporary novel where the female lead is independent and can fix her own problems and not rely on a man to bail her out. I also appreciated that Lous main problem in the book is not miraculously fixed either. More often than not, I find that the problem or conflict the character(s) face in chick-lit is unrealistically resolved.

I also love books that include little extras that are relevant to the book, in this case, the recipe for the coconut cake. I adore little personal touches like this! I WOULD have attempted the recipe and taken pictures for this blog post, however 1) I suck at cooking/baking and 2) I would have proceeded to eat the entire cake since I love coconut.

((Insert picture of coconut cake that I did NOT make here))

As much as I enjoyed this book, there were a few drawbacks for me, particularlywith the romance portion of the book. Iappreciated that this was NOT instalove, but rather a friendship that slowly blossomed into more, HOWEVER I cringed at the lies and omissionsthat their relationship was based upon. I really cant say too much without spoiling it, but I think a few slight changes in this part of the storyline could have rectified my minor complaints.

Overall, I found this to be a delectable read. Still on the fence?

Read this book if
you have any interest in cooking and cuisine
 you enjoy learning about local culture and customs
 you enjoy the man with chip on his shoulder is softened by love trope
444975
Blackston splashed onto the scene last year with his highly entertaining "Flabbergasted."  He introduced lad lit to a readership inundated with the chick lit counterpart.  I welcomed the fresh touch and witty insights of the story.
Just in time for summer, Blackston serves up a second helping of relational gumbo.  The novel may appear to be Christian dating ala mode, but it aims to be much more.  This time, Jay remains in the jungles of Ecuador, while his friend and teacher, Neil, accepts a challenge to spend his own furlough in the tangled web of S. Carolina's singles scene.  Along the way, he meets new friends, potential flames, and fresh insight into God's working in every aspect of his life.
Fans of the first book will enjoy visiting again with Darcy and Alexis.  They'll enjoy the brief moments on a fishing boat, and the more stretching experiences of jungle work.  Although the narrative seems to try too hard in some places, it's always fun and warm.  Don't be surprised if you laugh out loud in spots.  Don't be shocked if it lifts your spirits along the way.
580107
Kitchen Avenue is the home of strong women with different life situations: Trudy Marino is facing a crossroads in her life prompted when she discovers her husband is having an extramarital affair; Roberta becomes a widow; Robert's granddaughter, Jade, is coming to terms with her broken marriage; and Shanelle is chasing her dream to become a writer. I like to think of this book as Chick-lit for the over their 20's crowd and really enjoyed how the author was able to share a range of emotions in a very realistic manner. From the book, I like this exchange between 2 of the characters, "Knowing everything you know now...would you do it again?"..."How could I be where I am if not for that?"
Thanks to the Inner Circle for the copy of this book.
1687058
This is an enjoyable Chick - lit/ family drama about a young Mother of 2 boys who suddenly finds herself a widow and in a precarious situation. In a scenario I hope never to experience, Rosys husband drops dead on the morning train right in front of her and her cosy well-heeled enviable life crumbles to pieces.

Her 2 boys are hard to handle youngsters and make life even more difficult  in particular the younger lad James is just a nightmare! I found Rosys attitude toward dealing with him a little bit namby-pamby, he really needed a firm hand and the way he spoke to her was appalling.

Not only does Rosy find herself unexpectedly a single Mum, she is horrified to discover that the beautiful family home with all its lovely memories has been mortgaged to the hilt to fund her husbands completely secret and unlikely purchase of a run-down Alpaca farm in the wilds of Dorset.

Being townies Rosy and her sons are reluctant to move there but their situation forces them to sell their urban nest and relocate, learning about Alpaca farming and country life as they go. I found the idea of Alpaca farming which is the main storyline in this lovely book, really appealing and I wish my husband would secretly buy an alpaca farm behind my back!

Settling in to their new life Rosy finds the chance of romance but baulks at getting into a new relationship so soon after her husbands sudden death although she seems remarkably open to giving it a try, especially as her husbands double life reveals itself and her relationship with him turns out to have been built on sand.

This is a light hearted way of weaving a story around quite awful situations and making it fun and easy to read chick-lit. A great romantic beach read for the summer and definitely one for fans of Erica James and Katie Fforde and highly recommended for all die hard chick lit lovers.

I received a free ebook from the authors publicists Hello Chick-lit for reviewing.
2354945
I really enjoyed Banister's latest book even more than "Blame It on the Fame" which I loved! Maybe I could relate more to Pilar and her tribulations than the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Loved her quirky family and the trio of hot guys she could/did/should/shouldn't get involved with. This book will carry you along with peeps into her therapy sessions (she's a psychologist) and her own need for analysis. The ending felt rushed to me, but then, the story had been told so there was no need to draw it out. A really well-written chick lit book well-worth more than you'll pay for it!
4852430
Although Only Yours has a very modern-looking cover, I'd probably say Susan Mallery is more a contemporary romance author than a Chick Lit author. It's a fine line between the two, and for the most part they're very similar, but I figured I'd get that out there. I wasn't sure what to expect from the novel, but the first chapter managed to make me laugh so I figured I'd made a good spot picking up the novel. The opening of the novel introduces us to Montana as she's training up a dog named Fluffy to become a therapy dog when Fluffy runs away and ends up in a hospital. Trust me, although my description probably doesn't sound funny, it was a funny scenario and it was a lovely way to start the book. I was immediately drawn in. To Montana, to her work with the therapy dogs, to Dr Simon and his love for his job, and to all the people in Fool's Gold.

Only Yours isn't the first novel set in the beautiful-sounding Fool's Gold, in fact it's book five. The books seem to revolve around one person living in Fool's Gold and the three "Only" books (Only Mine, Only Yours, Only His) for example are all about the Hendrix triplets: Dakota, Montana and Nevada. But the books are about all the other characters in Fool's Gold, too. Even the previous Fool's Gold characters - Pia, Charity, Liz - re-appear although their plots are explained so we get fully up to date. The one thing that stood out for me was how wonderful and how community-like Fool's Gold was. I love novels that are set around a small community and Fool's Gold is the kind of community you want to be a part of. Montana finds herself being the center of attention as the Mayor, Marsha, tells Montana to try and get Dr. Simon to stay in Fool's Gold, despite the fact he doesn't like to stay in any place too long.

I really loved the characters in Only Yours. I loved Montana. When we meet her she's only just managed to find a job she loves, and I loved how dedicated she was to her therapy dogs. I totally fell for all the sweet dogs we meet. I also totally fell for Dr Simon Bradley. The chemistry between himself and Montana was something else. It's so rare for the two characters in a novel to be kissing each other so early on in a novel, but it seemed perfect when they kissed each other for the first time. I totally fell for them both and enjoyed their interaction with each other. I also loved Montana's sisters and mother and brothers. All their friends. I found the entire community to be enchanting and once I was in Fool's Gold, I never wanted to leave. A particular character who struck a chord with me was Kalinda. She's a little girl who Dr Bradley is tending to after she was burned in an accident and I was really hoping she would pull through and I loved how brave she was.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Only Yours. It wasn't what I usually read and it very much reminded me of the Susan Wiggs novel I read a few months ago. Both are such good contemporary romance authors and I really liked reading about Montana. I loved becoming a part of Fool's Gold, if only for a few days and I'll definitely be looking into reading the rest of the Fool's Gold series. I can't wait to read Pia's story, along with Nevada and Dakota's stories. It was such a well-written story, too, and I couldn't wait to get back to it each night. It had all the ingredients I love in a novel. Great characters, a lovely plot, some beautiful dogs (I loved the dogs!), a brilliant setting... It all added up to a read I loved. I'm so glad I finally decided to read my first Susan Mallery novel, I can see why she's so well-loved and I can't wait to go back to Fool's Gold as soon as I can!
4436666
Finding Out ended up being so much more than the standard "chick lit" I initially expected it to be. With vivid recounts of Nazi Germany, and characters that could very well exist in the real world, Sheryn created a story that made you want to invest your time in her words.

Following a humiliating public break-up with her boyfriend of the past 7 years (ouch, I know), Sheila Davenport is immediately thrown into a slump. She yearns for closure, but finds out the hard way that the only thing she actually needs is something that her ex-boyfriend, Joe, can't, and hasn't ever given her: a true sense of knowing herself, and solid, independent, happiness.

As with the majority of break-up situations in chick lit, the female character tends to set out on a self-destructing journey of wallowing, self-pity and incessant whining. Sheila dabbled in this phase, but I found that it was with good reason. Her ex refused contact with her, and I found myself getting just as agitated with him, the poor woman only wanted the answers she so rightly deserved. My fondness grew for Sheila the second she started meeting with Ruth, the elderly neighbour who eventually plays a huge role in Sheila's mental makeover. We don't get the chance to read much dialogue between the two, the author simply implies that the pair are together, which was indicated by Ruth's account of her experience in Nazi Germany. The chapters alternate between Sheila's personal life, and Ruth's memories, with a few present day chapters of Ruth's life thrown in. Finding Out didn't focus on the romance, which was SO refreshing. I am at a phase in my own life where I just want to skip the dramatics, and read about something real and meaningful-I got definitely got that with this book.

The alternating chapters really worked for me, we got a chance to not only see Sheila grow and strengthen, but it was as though she was doing it right along with Ruth's younger self, as she made her own discoveries all those years ago. There was a large bunch of side characters in Finding Out, some who played an important role in Sheila's life and her growth, and others I could have probably done without. The author wrote in third-person perspective, and I found myself getting slightly confused at times at who was thinking/doing what. Also, I wish we got to delve a little deeper into some of their personal lives, namely Alessandra, Sheila's boss. I was disturbingly fascinated with Alessandra's character, and I found myself hoping I'd turn a page, and find her entire past written there. Maybe..in the sequel!? =)

Overall, this Finding Out was a book of self-discovery and overcoming obstacles that only seem large on the outside. I got a chance to not only root for Sheila's success, but Ruth's as well, it was a feel good experience. This book is labeled chick-lit, but it did more for me than just pass the time, it was deep, and a little bit dark, and helped open my eyes to moments and issues that will always be so much bigger than my little mundane life and complaints. A very good debut for Sheryn, I am looking forward to the sequel of this book, and her other works in progress!