Review: Friday Night Cocktails

When I had heard what this book was supposed to be about, I was intrigued. I quickly raced down to the bookstore and grabbed a copy. What better premise can you imagine – two women decide one night (after having a few drinks) to put a list of “bastards” on the internet, only to have the list become extremely popular and get out of hand? I knew it would be good. And I was right – it was really good.

Gemma and Sarah have been friends forever. Along with their friendship, a list has survived over the years – a list they fondly call “the bastard list.” This list is made up of a the names of guys that had earned the name in one way or another. One night after a few too many cocktails, they decide to put the list up on the internet. Gemma not only puts up the list, but gets the word out to the virtual world about it. Before they know it, people all over the world are viewing the list, adding their own names and stories. Gemma discovers that money could be made from it, and she decides to put the list on a new website and begin advertising. The new name she comes up with is www.allmenarebastards.com. She hires an assistant (a quiet, serious type of guy) and the revenues begin rolling in. (more…)

Review: The Go-To Girl

Louise Bagshawe has created a novel filled with vibrant characters and a suspenseful romantic plot, which I might add kept me reading far into the night.

Now, if you think YOU have a pathetic life, try out Anna’s, our main heroine: She is a self-admitted “ugly” girl, has an underpaid (albeit interesting, at times) job of reading slush movie scripts, complete with a horrible boss and a lazy, catty coworker who just got promoted over her. Anna also lives with two beautiful models (one of which is very stuck up) and who have no qualms in assuring Anna of how ugly she is. If all of that isn’t bad enough, she has just been dumped by her boyfriend Brian, who had suffered from halitosis and questionable body odor. The cherry on the pie is Anna’s personality. She is horribly acquiescent – to the point of being a complete pushover. (more…)

Review: Summer In The City

Do opposites really attract? I definitely think so – as long as people are willing to work on their relationship. Robyn Sisman, author of Summer in the City seems to think so too.

Meet Lloyd and Suze. They are total opposites – Lloyd lives in NYC, is responsible, straight and has a devoted girlfriend named Betsy. Suze on the other hand lives in London, is unpredictable, scattered, and single. The two of them work for the same company but in different countries. When the company asks them to switch places for the summer, they both agree. Lloyd, accompanied by his perfect girlfriend Betsy move into Suze’s untidy flat in London, while Suze happily moves into their pristine apartment in NYC. (more…)

Review: The Goddess Rules

It’s a plot that has been done many, many, times: sweet, caring girl has boyfriend who treats her like dirt. Girl keeps intending to leave boyfriend but is too weak. On the sidelines is an old guy friend who is cute and nice who you know girl will end up with. Girl doesn’t realize she has feelings for nice guy until nearly the end of the story. Then jerk boyfriend comes back for one more go-round. Girl realizes her mistake almost too late but ends up with nice guy in end.

Sound familiar?

The Goddess Rules by Clare Naylor features a slight variation of the above story. Meet Kate Disney. She lives in a shed, she paints animals for a living, and is unhappy with her life. Yes, the requisite gay best friend is around. But this time there is another character, the fascinating Mirri. Mirri is an old-time movie star who drinks, smokes, has sex with men any old time she pleases, and knows the ins and outs of love, men, and how to make a man fall in love with you. After a somewhat rough introduction to her (walking in on Kate and her jerk boyfriend in the middle of them… getting busy), Kate decides she doesn’t much like Mirri. Mirri seems to think Kate is dowdy, lets men run all over her, and doesn’t know anything about keeping a man interested. (more…)

Review: Adventures Of An Ice Princess

Ever been dumped by your boyfriend and decide to brave Antarctica with your two best friends? I know I haven’t, so I was intrigued by the story premise enough to pick up a copy of this book.

Clarissa Schneckberg, our main heroine, had just given her notice to her company that she was going to quit and become a homemaker. After all, she was positive that her boyfriend Kieran was about to propose. Instead, Kieran ends up giving her the old heave-ho, insisting that he wanted to see other people. Clarissa is devastated, and decides to head for Antarctica with her two best friends Kate and Delilah. (more…)

Review: Little White Lies

If you’ve ever done something wrong with good intentions, you will enjoy this novel.

Natalie has just moved to Notting Hill from a small town, leaving behind a boyfriend who treated her horribly but whom she can’t stop thinking about. She is lonely, having just been in town for a month. She has a job in a high-fashion boutique, but still hasn’t made any friends. So after a month of being lonely, she decides something must be done. The former tenant of her flat, the glamourous-sounding Cressida, keeps getting mail. Since Natalie doesn’t have a forwarding address for her, the mail continues to pile up. And one day Natalie decides to open an invitation, just out of curiosity.

As soon as she opens the letter, things begin happening. She starts making friends at work, finally meets the adorable guy upstairs who always has parties, goes on a blind date, and gets invited to all kinds of parties. Mind you, the people at the parties think she is Cressida. As does her blind date, the handsome Simon Rutherford, whom she might be falling in love with… (more…)

Review: Shopaholic And Sister

I have to admit that the novels in the Shopaholic series are some of my absolute favorite chick lit books around. So, be aware that this review is based on the UK version of this book, since I couldn’t wait for it to be released in the USA and had bought it the moment it became available in the UK.

So here we are at book four. Becky is now happily married to Luke, is traveling around the world with him on an extended honeymoon, and still has a desire for shopping. However, after about nine months of schlepping around the world, they decide to return to reality. Overnight Luke turns from the hippie-like nomad he’d been on the honeymoon into his old business-like self again. Becky meanwhile can’t wait to get home and surprise everyone and share stories about their world travel. (more…)