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Meredith Schorr

Chick Lit Goddess’s Five Favorite Reads of 2018!

December 29, 2018 2 Comments

I can’t believe that 2019 will be here in only a couple of days! Being that I was quite busy writing, I was picky about the books I read this year, and I’m happy to say that a lot of them will stick with me.

In no particular order, here are my top reads of 2018:

“Little Gray Dress” by Aimee Brown

“Bridal Girl” by Meredith Schorr

“Go On, Girl,” by Hilary Grossman

“Tequila Tequila” by Emma Hart

“Taking Her Turn” by “Alexa Riley

What were your favorite reads of the year? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Until next year, my friends, this is Isabella Louise Anderson, and I wish you all the best in 2019!

Filed Under: Book Review Tagged With: Aimee Brown, Alexa Riley, Books, Bridal Girl, Emma Hart, Go On Girl, Hilary Grossman, Little Gray Dress, Meredith Schorr, Reviews, Romance, Taking Her Turn, Tequila Tequila, Top 5 Chick Lit Goddess Reads of 2018

BOOK REVIEW: “Bridal Girl”

March 20, 2018 3 Comments

“Bridal Girl (The Blogger Girl Series Book 3)” by Meredith Schorr

Blurb: Sassy book blogger-turned-author, Kim Long, thought her life couldn’t get any pinker when she received a two-book publishing deal and a marriage proposal in the same night.

If only she could drown out the conflicting opinions of her overzealous bridal party.

If only everyone would adore her first book—or she’d take Nicholas’s advice and stop reading reviews.

If only Nicholas’s past would remain there rather than threaten their future.

The pressure is on and the clock is ticking. Will Kim ever write “The End” on her sophomore novel? And, will she and Nicholas make it down the aisle to say those two precious words: “I do?”

Put on your reading glasses, fill your champagne flute and prepare to laugh with (and sometimes at) Kim as she rewrites her happy ending until it’s worthy of five pink champagne flutes.

Review: Let it be known I’m a huge Meredith Schorr fan–she’s my go-to author for when I want an escape. After reading BLOGGER GIRL and NOVELISTA GIRL, I, of course, had to read BRIDAL GIRL, the third book in the Blogger Girl Series. Words cannot begin to express how much I enjoyed this book, (though, I think the description could be stepped up a bit to give it all the credit it deserves). I often shook my head at Kim’s anxious behavior, which, most of the time, was brought on by things she just couldn’t control, (wedding planning, writing her next book, and family obstacles), but she wasn’t going to let anything stop her.

While Kim and Nicholas (my all-time favorite book boyfriend) struggle up to their wedding day, it’s obvious they are soulmates, and that nobody or anything could ever come between them. In this book, it’s obvious that Kim and Nicholas have matured–independently and together. I will not give spoilers, but there were times I laughed and cried, and then sometimes did both at the same time.

Meredith Shorr has done it again and can say that you will not be disappointed. If you’re looking for a feel-good, fun, and fast-paced page-turner, then I recommend “Bridal Girl,” and highly recommend you start with the first two book in the series.

I give this book 5 stars!

**Click HERE to preorder your copy now!

Filed Under: Book Review, Bridal Girl Tagged With: Books, Bridal Girl, Chick Lit, Meredith Schorr, Romance, The Blogger Girl Series Book 3, Upcoming Release, Weddings

Holly Jolly Chick Lit Hop

December 5, 2017 Leave a Comment


If you thought hopping was only done by bunnies at Easter, you haven’t experienced Chick Lit Chat HQ’s annual Holly Jolly Chick Lit Hop! 62 bestselling and award-winning authors in the Chick Lit and Rom Com genres are participating in this year’s fun-filled event and each one is doing a fabulous giveaway. Books, swag, and assorted holiday treats are all up for grabs! In addition, you can enter to win one of three Grand Prizes ($100 Amazon gift cards) on the hop’s group page.

The celebration runs from Monday, Dec. 4th thru Friday, Dec. 15th, so strap on that mistletoe and fa-la-la-ollow along on Facebook. This hop is guaranteed to fill you with the Christmas spirit!

Join the party at the Holly Jolly Chick Lit Hop Facebook group where you’ll get to interact with readers, as well as the authors themselves. You’ll find each day’s featured authors, along with the links to their pages/giveaways, in the pinned post at the top of the group. Can’t wait to see you there!


Monday, Dec. 4th

Tracie Banister https://www.facebook.com/tracie.banister

Beth Carter https://www.facebook.com/authorbethcarter

Whitney Dineen

https://www.facebook.com/Whitney-Dineen-11687019412/

Karin Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/karingillespieauthor/

Kate O’Keeffe https://www.facebook.com/kateokeeffeauthor/

 

Tuesday, Dec. 5th

Annabelle Costa

https://www.facebook.com/Annabelle-Costa-894496980704700/

Susan Hatler https://www.facebook.com/authorsusanhatler/

Kate Kisset
https://www.facebook.com/KateKisset/

Kirsty McManus https://www.facebook.com/kirstymcmanusauthor

Robyn Neeley

https://www.facebook.com/RobynNeeleyAuthor/

 

Wednesday, Dec. 6th

Sylvia Ashby https://www.facebook.com/sylviaashbywriter/

Hannah Ellis https://www.facebook.com/novelisthannahellis

Cat Lavoie https://www.facebook.com/CatLavoieBooks

Becky Monson https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBeckyMonson/

Jennifer Peel https://www.facebook.com/jenniferpeelauthor/

 

Thursday, Dec. 7th

Michele Brouder https://www.facebook.com/MicheleBrouder/

Melinda Curtis
https://www.facebook.com/MelindaCurtisAuthor/

Liz Durano https://www.facebook.com/Lizduranobooks/

Diane Michaels https://www.facebook.com/dianemichaelsauthor/

Holly Tierney-Bedord https://www.facebook.com/HollyRecommends/

 

Friday, Dec. 8th

Hilary Grossman https://www.facebook.com/HilaryGrossmanAuthor/

Beth Labonte https://www.facebook.com/bethlabontebooks/

Nikki LeClair https://www.facebook.com/NikkiLeClairBooks/

Heidi Renee Mason https://www.facebook.com/HeidiReneeMason/

Susan Murphy https://www.facebook.com/susanmurphyauthor/

Natalina Reis https://www.facebook.com/authornatalinareis/

Saturday, Dec. 9th

Amy Avanzino https://www.facebook.com/AmyAvanzino/

Susannah Nix https://www.facebook.com/susannahnix

Cassandra O’Leary https://www.facebook.com/cassandraolearyauthor

Michelle Jo Quinn https://www.facebook.com/MichelleJoQuinnAuthor/

Nicole Waggoner https://www.facebook.com/NicoleWaggonerAuthorCircusofWomen/

Sunday, Dec. 10th

Mary Frame https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMaryFrame/

Sarah-Jane Fraser

https://www.facebook.com/sjfraserauthor/

Amy Gettinger

https://www.facebook.com/Amy-Gettinger-Author-1412625005719904/

Lizzie Lamb https://www.facebook.com/LizzieLambwriter/

Joslyn Westbrook https://www.facebook.com/JoslynWestbrookOfficial

 

Monday, Dec. 11th

Jayne Denker https://www.facebook.com/JayneDenkerAuthor/

Angie Ellington https://www.facebook.com/angienellingtonbooks

Ciara Knight https://www.facebook.com/Ciaraknightwrites/

C.L. Ogilvie https://www.facebook.com/CLOgilvie/

Meredith Schorr https://www.facebook.com/MeredithSchorrAuthor/

Stacey Wiedower https://www.facebook.com/StaceyWiedower.author/

Tuesday, Dec. 12th

Glynis Astie https://www.facebook.com/glynisastieauthor

Renee Conoulty

https://www.facebook.com/ReneeConoultyAuthor/

Jenny Gardiner https://www.facebook.com/jennygardinerbooks

Stacy Juba https://www.facebook.com/Stacy-Juba-100155471301/

Tracy Krimmer https://www.facebook.com/krimmerauthor/

 

Wednesday, Dec. 13th

Traci Andrighetti https://www.facebook.com/traciandrighettiauthor/

Kathryn Biel https://www.facebook.com/kathrynrbiel

Monique McDonell https://www.facebook.com/MoniqueMcDonellAuthor

Denise Stout https://www.facebook.com/DeniseStoutAuthor/

Melanie Summers https://www.facebook.com/MJSummersAuthorPage

 

Thursday, Dec. 14th

Anne John-Ligali https://www.facebook.com/annejohnligali/

Colette Kebell

https://www.facebook.com/ColetteKebellAuthor/

Jennie Marts https://www.facebook.com/JennieMartsBooks/

Clodagh Murphy https://www.facebook.com/clodaghmurphyauthor

Tess Thompson https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTessThompson/

 

Friday, Dec. 15th

Melissa Baldwin https://www.facebook.com/authormelissabaldwin/

Aimee Brown https://www.facebook.com/authoraimeebrown

Karen M. Cox https://www.facebook.com/karenmcox1932/

Lindsay Detwiler https://www.facebook.com/lindsayanndetwiler

Barbara Valentin https://www.facebook.com/Platespinner/

Filed Under: Isabella Tagged With: Aimee Brown, Amy Avanzino, Amy Gettinger, Angie Ellington, Annabelle Costa, Anne John-Ligali, Authors, Barbara Valentin, Becky Monson, Beth Carter, Beth Labonte, Books, C.L. Ogilvie, Cassandra O’Leary, Cat Lavoie, Chick-Lit, Ciara Knight, Clodagh Murphy, Colette Kebell, Contemporary Romance, Denise Stout, Diane Michaels, Glynis Astie, Hannah Ellis, Heidi Renee Mason, Hilary Grossman, Holiday reads, Holly Jolly Chick Lit Hop, Holly Tierney-Bedord, Jayne Denker, Jennie Marts, Jennifer Peel, Jenny Gardiner, Joslyn Westbrook, Karen M. Cox, Karin Gillespie, Kate Kisset, Kate O'Keefe, Kathryn Biel, Krist McManus, Lindsay Detwiler, Liz Durano, Lizzie Lamb, Mary Frame, Melanie Summers, Melinda Curtis, Melissa Baldwin, Meredith Schorr, Michele Brouder, Michelle Jo Quinn, Monique McDonell, Natalina Reis, Nicole Waggoner, Nikki LeClair, Renee Conoulty, Robyn Neeley, Sarah-Jane Fraser, Stacey Wiedower, Stacy Juba, Susan Hatler, Susan Murphy, Susannah Nix, Sylvia Ashby, Tess Thompson, Traci Andrighetti, Tracie Banister, Tracy Krimmer, Whitney Dineen, Women's Fiction

BOOK REVIEW: “The Boyfriend Swap”

November 26, 2017 4 Comments

“The Boyfriend Swap” by Meredith Schorr

Blurb: If you love Christmas movies, as in you check the Hallmark Channel guide starting in July, then hang on to your stockings, because here comes the merriest of indulgences in print. It’s “The Proposal” meets “The Holiday”.

First meet Robyn Lane. She’s always dated struggling creative types, including her current squeeze (Perry, an actor). For this year’s Chrismukkah celebration, her parents would love her to bring someone stable, reliable, steadily employed. You know, with health insurance and a 401(k).

Now let’s meet Sidney Bellows. Her parents already plan her professional life (she’s an attorney at her father’s law firm). If she brings her current boyfriend (Will, an attorney) to the family Christmas extravaganza, her parents will have their wedding planned by New Year’s Eve.

Leave it to a mutual friend (and copious amounts of wine) to find a playful solution: Swap those boyfriends, fool the parents, and enjoy the holidays. It’s perfect! Robyn can show off a successful attorney boyfriend, and Sidney’s high-society family won’t ring those wedding bells when they meet a flaky actor beau.

The fun isn’t in the theory, it’s in the practice.

Will turns out to be the boy-next-door Robyn crushed on hard throughout her teenage years. Sidney’s family fawns all over Perry like he’s an Oscar-winner rather than a D-list wannabe.

Fool the parents? Enjoy the holidays? Swapping boyfriends never sounded so good or went so bad. Take time to read this one. It’s like Christmas in July.

My Review: From the first sentence to the last, this book had me hooked, and I was disappointed when it ended.

Robyn and Sidney are quite the opposite women, yet I found it funny how they picked men who belonged to the other.

As far as Robyn, she seemed to be a dedicated music teacher who just wanted someone to love and who would love her. I liked her with Perry but didn’t ever sense any real chemistry. However, there were definite sparks between her and Will. Robyn and Will made a beautiful couple.

Sidney is a straightforward woman who knows exactly what she wants, allowing herself for little fun. While I did like her and Will, who seemed like a power-couple, when Perry is brought into her world, I loved the sexual tension and could see them together. They made for a few laugh-out-loud moments.

I do not like to give spoilers in my review, so you’ll just have to read the book and find out how it ends. Though, I must say…W.O.W.!

I’ve been a big fan of Meredith Schorr’s for years, and have often referred to her as my go-to author for when I’m looking for something to read. Whichever book she’s released, I guarantee you will love it! I’m not one who usually reads holiday books, but this one is by far an exception.

“The Boyfriend Swap” will stay with me for a long time, and I’m already wishing for a sequel! If you’re looking for a book that will make you laugh and cry, and will fill your heart with joy, then I recommend this romantic read.

I give “The Boyfriend Swap” 5 stars!

**Grab your copy of “The Boyfriend Swap” now!: Amazon

Filed Under: Book Review, The Boyfriend Swap Tagged With: Book review, Books, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Holiday reads, Meredith Schorr, Romance, The Boyfriend Swap, Women's Fiction

BEACH READ GIVEAWAY!!

June 11, 2017 Leave a Comment

I’m thrilled to share the following post with you. As summer is approaching, why not find your next beach read with this amazing giveaway?! Thanks to the author, Hilary Grossman, who set this all up! As a book reader and lover, I’ve read most of these and love them, so I hope you do, too! ~~Isabella Louise Anderson

Now, take away, Hilary!:

I don’t know about you, but my favorite time to read is during the summer. Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge reader and I love to escape real life with an amazing novel. But to me, there is just something special and magical about reading while being outdoors. I especially love lounging on the beach or by a pool with a great read. Hopefully, I am not the only one!

logo

It’s been a very long time since I organized a massive book giveaway. So just in time for summer, I have an amazing one for you!!! To help fill your Kindle and beach bags this summer with amazing read my author friends and I have fifty-four awesome books up for grabs. AND it gets better….

We are also giving away $150 worth of Amazon gift cards in increments of $25.

And here are the books…. Good luck and happy reading

XOXO,

Hilary

BUNDLE 1

Beach read bundle #1 – print copies of PLAN CEE by Hilary Grossman, WEDDING GIRL by Stacey Ballis, SEE YOU LATER BROADWAY by Melissa Baldwin, and THE WEDDING HOAX by Heather Thurmeier (US only)

PLAN CEE – Hilary Grossman – 1 autographed print

Would you abandon your present for a second chance at your past?

Cecelia Reynolds has spent most of her life trying to forget the commitment-phobic man who broke her heart. It wasn’t easy, but eventually she did it, or so she thought…

As Cecelia and her husband gather for a friend’s wedding, her perfect world is thrown into complete turmoil. Even though it’s been twenty years since she last laid eyes on Keith Emerson, all it takes is one glance for her to feel emotions she thought were long gone. When Keith ends up officiating the ceremony, she quickly realizes his message of love is directed at her, not the happy couple. But can she believe him?

We live our entire lives thinking we know ourselves. But do we ever really?

As secrets and lies cause Cecelia’s world to spin completely out of control, she is forced to seek advice from the most unlikely ally. In the process, she must confront the demons of her past and the events that shaped her into the woman she is now. Will she finally learn the real meaning of love, friendship, and family?

While this book is a sequel to Plan Bea, it also reads as a standalone.

WEDDING GIRL – Stacey Ballis – print

You’ve Got Mail meets Julie & Julia in the new foodie fiction from the author of Recipe for Disaster.

Top pastry chef Sophie Bernstein and her sommelier fiancé were set to have Chicago’s culinary wedding of the year…until the groom eloped with someone else in a very public debacle, leaving Sophie splashed across the tabloids—fifty grand in debt on her dream wedding and one-hundred percent screwed on her dream life. The icing on the cake was when she lost her job and her home…

Laying low, Sophie moves in with her grandmother, Bubbles. That way, she can keep Bubbles and her sweater-wearing pug company and nurse her broken heart. But when Sophie gets a part-time job at the old-fashioned neighborhood bakery, she finds herself up to her elbows in dough and reluctantly giving a wedding cake customer advice on everything from gift bags to guest accommodations. Before she knows it, she’s an online wedding planner. It’s not mousse and macarons, but it pays the bills. But with the arrival of unexpected personal and professional twists, Sophie wonders if she’s really moving forward—or starting over from scratch…

Includes Recipes

SEE YOU LATER BROADWAY – Melissa Baldwin – 1 autographed print

Decisions, decisions, decisions . . .

Maris Forrester’s exciting new life is not everything she was hoping it would be. Although she’s happy in her new career, she’s plagued with the feeling that something is still missing. Imagine her surprise when an old friend presents her with an unbelievable opportunity that could change everything. This new career sounds almost too good to be true, including the upcoming trip to London. She quickly learns that even the most perfect scenarios have their drawbacks, and when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is . . .

In addition to making a life-changing career choice, Maris realizes she has other decisions to make—whom to love and where to find happiness. What if neither is what she thought they should be?

THE WEDDING HOAX – Heather Thurmeier – 1 autographed print


Meet the bride…

Wedding dress designer Daisy Willows always imagined marrying the man of her dreams. The fantasy did not include a fake engagement or a fake wedding. Or that her ex, Cole Benton, would be the groom. But as her mom’s medical bills pile up, Daisy can’t refuse the help of a well-known bridal show expo owner…or his plan for the fake wedding of the century.

Meet the groom…

Cole Benton’s bridal magazine is on the verge of capsizing, taking Cole’s dream of an outdoor lifestyle magazine with it. So Cole agrees to the publicity stunt and becomes “engaged” to Daisy. But despite their searing-hot chemistry—both in public and in private—not everyone is buying the charade. And now the only way to save their skins and prove that their big white wedding isn’t a big white lie is to say “I do…”

a Rafflecopter giveaway
BUNDLE 2

Beach read bundle #2 – eBooks of PLAN BEA by Hilary Grossman, TWIN PIQUES by Tracie Banister, BLOGGER GIRL by Meredith Schorr, and ONE LAST FIRST DATE by Kate O’Keefe

PLAN BEA– Hilary Grossman – 1 eBook

We live our entire lives thinking we know those closest to us. But do we ever really?

On the outside, Annabel O’Conner has it all – the perfect husband, two adorable children, an amazing job, and a mother from hell! Just when she gives up trying to regain her overbearing mother’s love, an unexpected call turns her world around and makes Annabel question everything she believes about her life.

Could falling in love give a cold, stubborn, and selfish woman a second chance to open her heart back up to her family?

Beatrice Buchanan has spent more years than she can remember distancing herself from everyone close to her. She barely has a relationship with her grandchildren. The only time she manages to have a one way conversation with her daughter is during her weekly fifteen-minute commute to the nail salon. When Bea meets Walter on a cruise she realizes there may be more to life than designer clothes, killer handbags, and impressing the ladies at her posh country club.

As the mother and daughter duo team up to plan “Long Island’s wedding of the year” they confront the secrets and lies that have defined them. This humorous emotionally honest women’s contemporary fiction novel will tug at your heartstrings and the twist ending will shock you!

TWIN PIQUES– Tracie Banister – 1 ebook

Forensic accountant Sloane Tobin and kooky pet psychic Willa may have the same face, but that’s the only thing these identical twins have in common.

How she can read the hearts and minds of animals has always been a mystery to Willa, and her rotten luck with men is equally baffling. Although she’s been looking for “The One” for what feels like forever (A teenage marriage to a French mime and dating a guy named Spider seemed like good ideas at the time!), optimistic Willa refuses to give up on love. When she meets Brody, the handsome rose expert hired to save her grandmother’s garden, she’s instantly smitten, but why does he keep sending her mixed signals? Does he return her feelings, or is their attraction all in her fanciful head?

Unlike her twin, Sloane has zero interest in romance. Her passion is her job, where she uses her gift for numbers to take down slimy embezzlers and asset-hiding spouses. When she’s assigned two high profile cases, Sloane feels confident the promotion she’s been angling for is within her grasp. But will her plan to climb the corporate ladder be thwarted by difficult clients, her co-worker-with-benefits, or – most surprisingly of all – her own sister? And how’s she supposed to stay focused on the drama at work when her childhood friend, Gav, moves in next door and the spark between them becomes impossible to ignore?

To get what they both want, can Willa and Sloane band together and rely on each other’s strengths? Or will their differences drive them apart once and for all?

BLOGGER GIRL– Meredith Schorr – 1 eBook

A chick lit enthusiast since the first time she read Bridget Jones’s Diary, book blogger Kim Long has worked tirelessly to squash the claim that “chick lit is dead” once and for all. Not bad for a woman who by day ekes out a meager living as a pretty, and pretty-much-nameless, legal secretary in Manhattan. But while she finds no passion in the day job, she finds plenty in the handsome associate down the hall. At least until her high school nemesis, mean girl Hannah Marshak, bursts back into town. Not only does she flash onto the chick lit scene with a hot new book that’s turning heads (and pages), but Kim’s afraid she’s turning the head of her handsome colleague as well.

Adding salt to her wounded heart, Hannah’s book has popped into Kim’s inbox, along with a request for review. With a mere click of her mouse, Kim can deliver a nasty one-star review to thousands of followers. She would rather toss her favorite designer shoes in a trash heap than help promote Hannah’s career. But does she become a mean girl herself or put on her big-girl panties and be professional in spite of the past?

With everyone around her moving on and up, Kim begins to question whether being a “blogger girl” makes the grade in her offline life. But is Hannah really the problem, or will her success be the push Kim needs to unearth a dream she’s kept hidden for years?

ONE LAST FIRST DATE– Kate O’Keefe – 1 eBook

Cassie Dunhill is sick of dating. It’s been ten years and it’s time, time to find The One. It’s either that or buy a fetching habit and veil and abandon the whole thing. But Cassie believes in love, and she’s not ready to give up yet.

Cassie and her best friends make a pact that the next date they go on will be their One Last First Date. The pressure is on to find Mr. Right, and Cassie’s the first to find him: Parker Hamilton. He’s good-looking, smart, cultured—and a doctor. Despite his obvious credentials, Cassie’s not taking any chances. She’s vetted Parker so thoroughly she could offer some pointers to the CIA. Needless to say, he passes with flying colors.

Things get complicated when Will Jordan, her irritating work colleague, muscles in on her dream job and her love life. Will is a typical guy, complete with nicknames for everyone, even Cassie. His good looks and relaxed, easy nature can be distracting. But Cassie can do without that kind of distraction right now, no matter how good Will looks with his shirt off.

In the end, is there only One Last First Date?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BUNDLE 3

Beach read bundle #3 – eBooks of DANGLED CARAT by Hilary Grossman, KIM VS THE MEAN GIRL by Meredith Schorr, MIXING IT UP by Tracie Banister, and DON’T MEAN A THING by Renee Conoulty

DANGLED CARAT– Hilary Grossman – 1 ebook

Diamonds are a girl’s best friends unless the carat is dangled…

When twenty-seven year old, Hilary, meets perfect on paper, Marc, she thinks she has finally found the man of her dreams. He’s everything she is looking for – handsome, successful, funny, and has a gorgeous home on the beach. Marc immediately sweeps Hilary off her feet. She is positive her single days of dating duds are over and her happy ever after is right around the corner….

Well, when something seems too good to be true it usually is!

Hilary quickly finds out Marc has one big problem – he is beyond afraid of commitment! She is willing to take things slow, but after four long years, some days their relationship seems to be going in reverse…

Tired of waiting for Marc to come to his senses, while on vacation, the couple’s friends decide to take matters into their own hands and throw a surprise “engagement” party. Will this be the kick Marc needs to pop the question or will their meddling destroy the couple?

In this chick-lit memoir, Hilary Grossman digs deep as she explores the good, the bad, and the frustrating of dating and relationships. Dangled Carat is the perfect light-hearted, laugh-out-loud, relatable book for every girl who wondered if she should love him or dump him.

KIM VS THE MEAN GIRL– Meredith Schorr – 1 eBook

High school sophomore, Kim Long, is no stranger to the “mean girl” antics of Queen Bee Hannah Marshak. When Hannah steals Kim’s diary and in front of the entire class reads personal (not to mention humiliating) entries Kim wrote about her crush, Jonathan, Kim vows to enact revenge.

Kim and her loyal best friend, Bridget, come up with the perfect plan to put the evil Hannah in her place once and for all. But will their scheming have the desired effect of getting even, or will Hannah emerge more celebrated by her peers than ever?

Kim vs. the Mean Girl can be read as a young adult standalone novel, set in 2000, but is also a prequel to the popular Blogger Girl adult romantic comedy series. Told in the dual perspectives of teenage Kim and Hannah, fans of the series will get an inside look into Kim’s early passion for reading, writing (and Jonathan), and find out why Hannah is so darn mean.

MIXING IT UP– Tracie Banister – 1 ebook

Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Manhattan upper-cruster Cecily Sinclair now uses that pricey utensil to dish up fancy French fare on her cooking show, Serving Romance. When there’s an executive shake-up at the network, she’s not worried. Not much anyway. Her show’s a hit after all. Why would the new CEO want to mess with success?

The driving force behind several buzzed-about networks, Devlin Hayes is considered to be a wunderkind in the television industry. Although his plans to rebrand CuisineTV and make Serving Romance more Millennial-friendly don’t thrill Cecily, her charming, blue-eyed boss is a hard man to say “no” to and she really wants to keep her job—even if that means sharing screen time with a loathsome blast from her past.

Mercurial Italian chef Dante Marchetti a.k.a. “Il Duce” was once Cecily’s boss, and she has the PTSD to prove it. Now the owner of one of the hottest restaurants in town, Dante’s egomania knows no bounds and his constant attempts to provoke and upstage Cecily make her want to conk him on the head with a sauté pan. She thinks they’re toxic together, but viewers love their chemistry and clamor for more.

As Cecily battles to maintain the integrity of her show, she finds herself scheming and manipulating right along with Dante and Devlin. Is she fighting a lost cause? Does she really belong on TV, or would her culinary talent be better served elsewhere? And could one of the men who makes Cecily’s blood boil ignite a passion in her for something other than food?

DON’T MEAN A THING – Renee Conoulty – 1 eBook

What if you finally took the lead, but life refused to follow?

Thirty-year-old introvert, Macie Harman, has finally found a career she is passionate about, and after months of training, she’s begun her new job in the Royal Australian Air Force. Leaving behind her family, friends, and the life she knew, Macie has travelled to the other side of the country where the only person she knows is Rachael, the extroverted girl she went through basic training with. Everywhere Macie goes, Rachael is there too.

While looking for a way to widen her circle of friends in her new town, Macie discovers a local swing dancing class. The jazz music captures her heart, and Matt, the sexy swing dancer, sweeps her off her feet. Matt has claimed the tropical Northern Territory as home and has no plans to leave. He loves his teaching career with its predictable routine and has a great bunch of friends. All he wants now is the right girl to make his house a home.

Military life is tougher than Macie expected, and not everyone can deal with the inevitable separations and last minute changes. Is this exciting but unpredictable life something Macie wants to fight for, or could she give it up and put down roots with Matt?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bundle 4

Beach read bundle #4 – Autographed copies of the SPINSTER SERIES by Becky Monson (US only)

THIRTY-TWO GOING ON SPINSTER

Julia Dorning is a spinster, or at least on the road to becoming one. She has no social life, hates her career, and lives in her parent’s basement with her cat, Charlie.

With the arrival of Jared Moody, the new hire at work, Julia’s mundane life is suddenly turned upside down. Her instant (and totally ridiculous) crush on the new guy causes Julia to finally make some long-overdue changes, in hopes to find a life that includes more than baking and hanging out with Charlie.

But when the biggest and most unexpected change comes, will the new and improved Julia be able to overcome it? Or will she go back to her spinster ways?

THIRTY-THREE GOING ON GIRLFRIEND

Julia Dorning thought she would die a lonely spinster. That was until nine months ago, when her world was turned upside down. Now she’s got a dream career as a bakery owner, and a relationship with handsome Jared Moody—a life she never thought possible.

Just as she’s starting to feel comfortable in her new life, Julia is invited to battle it out on national television making cupcakes. An amazing opportunity, if she can muster up the confidence to do it, that is. Then, out of the blue, Jared goes and throws a rather large wrench in their relationship causing Julia to have to make some big decisions. With her two trusted confidants off in wedding la la land, Julia is on her own to figure everything out.

Left to her own devices, will Julia be able to work things out for herself? Or will she make a disaster of it all?

THIRTY-FOUR GOING ON BRIDE

Julia Dorning is about to lose it. Between her over-the-top wedding that her sister, Anna, took upon herself to create, and the under-staffed popular bakery that she runs, she can barely find time to breathe.

All Julia ever wanted was a quaint wedding on the beach with family and friends. But now Julia has to contend with not only her sister’s plans, but those of her future mother-in-law, as well. Not wanting to step on anyone’s toes, especially her mother-in-law’s, Julia just goes along with it.

She can only take so much, though, and when her newest employee, Kate, makes things harder at the bakery, Julia has to find a way to simplify her life.

Can she do it or will she end up a basket case?

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Bundle 5

Beach read bundle #5 – TWO CHANCES TO WIN print copies of HIDING OUT IN HOLLYWOOD by Jennifer Farwell, SECRETS OF THE SUBURBS by Alisa Schindler, SEVEN WEEKS TO FOREVER by Jennifer Farwell, and MURDER ACROSS THE STREET by Alisa Schindler (US only)

HIDING OUT IN HOLLYWOOD– Jennifer Farwell – 2 autographed prints

After her very public romance with superstar singer Cory Sampson nearly cost Emily Watts her career, she’s determined to never make tabloid headlines again. So when her new yoga classmate, Raine Kingston, wants to see Emily outside of class, she isn’t sure what to do. Raine is funny, madly attractive, and he’s one of the most charming men Emily has ever met. He’s also a sought-after actor who tops Hollywood’s A-list, and Emily knows being seen with him will destroy the privacy she’s worked so hard to get back.

She can’t deny their connection, though, and Raine is willing to spend time together in places they won’t be seen. Just when Emily is on top of the world with her new romance, her past finds its way back into the tabloids, thanks to a music partnership between Cory and indie band guitarist Jesse Cinder, someone Emily counts among her enemies. With all eyes back on her, it gets harder to keep her dates with Raine a secret, and Emily is forced to choose: stay with Raine, who makes her the happiest she’s ever been, and have her life back in the headlines, or give up the best relationship she’s ever had to keep the privacy and normal life she craves.

SECRETS OF THE SUBURBS – Alisa Schindler – 2 autographed prints

Secrets of the Suburbs is the story of Lindsey, a 42 year-old suburban mom who seems to have it all – doctor husband, two great kids, satisfying part-time work; all the spin classes, shopping and lunches she can fit into her busy schedule.

But when a drunken moment with her friend’s husband opens up a well of desire, excitement and emotion that she didn’t even know existed, it throws her perfectly perfect life into turmoil. Because as Lindsey opens her heart and body to this forbidden passion; her eyes open as well, and she is forced to take a closer look at her life, her marriage and herself.

Already her friends are starting to whisper, her husband is growing suspicious and there is a Secrets of the Shore Facebook page that just may be talking about her.

Will Lindsey stay in her safe, pretty world with her seemingly perfect husband who just might have secrets of his own, or will she break every rule and follow her heart?

Whatever she decides, she’d better figure it out fast because in small town suburbia nothing stays secret for very long.

SEVEN WEEKS TO FOREVER – Jennifer Farwell – 2 autographed prints

Cassidy Jordan won’t open her heart to anyone, and with good reason. She’s a second-timer, returned from the afterlife after a devastating romance caused her death. On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, all that stands between her and eternity is finding Riley Davis and helping him get his life on track. But nobody told her helping Riley would mean dating him.

When Cassidy realizes she’s falling for Riley, she’s faced with a choice: give him the life he’s meant for and leave this life when it’s time, or give up eternity for the true love she’s never had, knowing Riley will die the same way she did in her first life and that her entire existence could end at any time.

MURDER ACROSS THE STREET– Alisa Schindler – 2 autographed prints

Could a murderer be living across the street from Molly Davis? Could her neighbor, the same civilized, middle-aged man wearing peach Izods and waving amicably while getting his mail have actually killed his wife? Or could, as her husband and friends seem to think, she be dreaming up the whole sordid affair? Could she once again be creating some drama in her tedious, suburban mom life?

But she wasn’t imagining the sketchy phone call she overheard and she wasn’t imagining the blood she saw staining the sidewalk. So maybe she shouldn’t have taken her baby and followed him, and maybe she shouldn’t be snooping around his house, but once Molly’s nose gets a scent it goes straight to her head. And her nose smelled murder.

With her three kids in tow, a mean batch of cookies in her arsenal and her husband pulling out the last hairs on his head, Molly embarks on a fact-finding adventure to find out if there’s a crazy man loose in the suburbs or if she’s just the crazy one.

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Bundle 6Beach read bundle #6 – TWO CHANCES TO WIN eBooks of BLUE MIDNIGHT by Tess Thompson, KNOWING AMELIA by Jen Atkinson HAUNTING ME by Nikki LeClair, and PROSECCO & PAPARAZZI by Celia Kennedy

BLUE MIDNIGHT– Tess Thompson – 2 ebooks

What if the road not taken was actually the path meant to be?

Finn Lanigan kissed a young Blythe Heywood one last time under a star-scattered Idaho sky. “If you change your mind, here’s this.”

It was the last kiss that ever weakened her knees, the last sky she noticed for over a dozen years. Then she left, returning to her fiancé, the wedding she’d committed to, and the secure life she’d yearned for since she was a little girl.

Thirteen years later, her husband leaves Blythe for his young associate. Devastated, she’s unable to imagine the next chapter of her life as she packs her family’s belongings. With only the name of the small town where he once lived and the memory of their last kiss, Blythe heads across the Pacific Northwest in search of Finn.

What she finds in the foothills of Blue Mountain challenges everything she thought she knew. She never expected the changes that face her, but it is her destiny…and destinies cannot be denied.

The first book of the Blue Mountain Series, laced with Thompson’s lovable but complex characters, “Blue Midnight” is a mature love story about second chances, family, and the complexities of trust and vulnerability after betrayal.

KNOWING AMELIA– Jen Atkinson – 2 eBooks

 

OLIVIA BENSON’S life was on target, great boyfriend, respectable major, loving parents. She didn’t have time for the unknown, but when Olivia’s estranged grandmother dies, leaving her an unexpected inheritance- the unknown is all she can think about. Olivia will never forget the last time she saw Grandma Amelia-all those years ago, crying next to the open floorboards for someone Olivia had never heard of before. Olivia never did tattle on her-but now it would seem as if Amelia wanted her secrets found, and she knew exactly who could find them. Living in her grandmother’s tiny town and old house, Olivia begins her search. Rendezvous’ residents can’t keep their eyes off her, the new girl. And living next door to Logan-her alluring neighbor, is making her forget everything and everyone she left behind.

HAUNTING ME – Nikki LeClair – 2 eBooks

Phoebe Mercer has what most people envy; a wonderful boyfriend, fantastic friends and a job in the city’s top law firm. Getting engaged is just the honey in her tea! Then she gets run over by a hot dog cart, wakes up with a concussion and the ability to see ghosts. Well, one ghost. A loud, obnoxious woman who claims to have been murdered for her vast fortune.

Soon, Phoebe is solving a mystery that not only threatens her relationships, but her career as well. As she begins to battle feelings for the ghost’s handsome nephew, she realizes quite a few people in her life are not as they seem. Slowly, Phoebe uncovers the secrets and lies around her, learning that in order to solve this mystery and be free of the ghost, she must lie herself. The only catch? The secrets Phoebe has kept from the people in her life could ruin everything for her, and her ghostly companion, in the end.

PROSECCO & PAPARAZZI– Celia Kennedy – 1 ebook

Charlotte and her four closest friends ring in the New Year on a ski vacation in the swanky, celebrity-packed French Alps. Seeing celebrities and actually hanging out with them are two very different things, as Charlotte quickly discovers.

One night of innocent drinking, gambling, and chatting with mega movie star Des Bannerman leaves Charlotte with a checkbox on her bucket list…and a restraining order.

Reality returns with a vengeance back in New York, and Charlotte’s friends must help her deal with the fallout from tabloids, Bond Girls, and a ruthlessly demanding bosses.

Somewhere along the way, Charlotte finds that the answers to life’s biggest questions have nothing to do with headlines and everything to do with the heart.

Prosecco and Paparazzi is the first book in The Passport Series and will charm readers who are fans of romantic comedies (both on and off the screen).

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Bundle 7

Beach read bundle #7 – autographed copy of THE FRENCH TWIST SERIES by Glynis Astie (4 books)

FRENCH TWIST
Sydney Bennett had spent her life in pursuit of perfection. She planned, weighed her options and made careful choices based on calculated outcomes. Through all of her efforts, she had come pretty close to perfection, if she didn’t say so herself. She had fled the cold winters in New York for sunny California, found a job that she loved and lived in the same town as her sister, and best friend, Kate. The one area of perfection that had always eluded her was her love life. No matter how hard she tried, she always ended up with a broken heart. After a particularly traumatic breakup, Sydney vowed that she was done with love.

Just as Sydney threw herself into her new plan to forget about men, a handsome Frenchman tossed all of her intentions out the window as he swept her off of her feet. Louis Durand had lived a life filled with excitement and adventure. He was impetuous, intelligent and incredibly charming. So naturally, he scared Sydney half to death. From the moment they met, Louis and Sydney’s romance progressed at warp speed. Sydney did her best not to run, but her deep rooted relationship anxiety threatened to provide an easy exit. When Louis mentioned marriage before Sydney even knew his favorite color, she was more than tempted to reach for her running shoes. Will she be able to put her fears aside to follow her heart? The one thing that Sydney will learn is that sometimes perfection comes with a twist…

FRENCH TOAST
Sydney Bennett is back! And her pursuit of perfection is alive and well. Naïve to the core, Sydney believed that when she finally married the man of her dreams, the hard part was over. Following a civil ceremony as a means to keep Louis from being deported, Sydney continues to plan the fairytale wedding that she had dreamed of since the age of five. Much to her chagrin, she discovers that her mother-in-law is planning what seems to be a rival wedding in France that SHE has been dreaming about for her only child since before he was born. How will poor Sydney be able to ensure two perfect weddings in the midst of Louis’ fruitless job search? Especially when her mother-in-law’s idea of perfection appears to be having Sydney embarrass herself in front of hundreds of French people that she has never met?
As if she didn’t have enough on her mind already, Sydney finds herself faced with the trials and tribulations of being a wife. Sydney had always heard that marriage was hard, but she thought that this was just a ruse that married couples portrayed in a bid to make single girls feel less desperate. But as the bills pile up and emotions run high, she realizes that there may just be some truth to this statement. And as she watches Louis’ perfection fade away before her very eyes, she begins to wonder if she made a rash decision in marrying a man that she had known for a mere six months.

With all of the obstacles that Sydney and Louis will encounter, will they be raising their glasses in celebration or watching their impulsive marriage crash and burn? One thing is for certain, Sydney and Louis Durand are headed for one hell of a toast…

FRENCH FRY

Sydney Durand had finally achieved the perfect life she had always wanted. After a whirlwind romance with a charming Frenchman, she endured the three weddings it required to satisfy the members of the newly formed Bennett-Durand clan. All she had left to do was stroll into the sunset with Louis to enjoy their long-awaited happily ever after.

But everything changed when the stick turned blue. Suddenly, Sydney finds herself facing the daunting task of becoming a mother before she has even returned home from her honeymoon. Keeping a tenacious hold on her hard-won happiness, Sydney is determined not to give up without a fight – no matter what or who is thrown in her path…and that includes an overbearing mother-in-law, a know-it-all father and her own anxiety about having a baby.

Will she finally be able to tame her neuroses for the sake of her unborn child? Or will her hormone-induced panic cause a meltdown of epic proportions? One thing is clear: Sydney and Louis’ nerves are going to fry…

FRENCH ROAST

Sydney Durand, the quirky yet lovable heroine of the French Twist series, is back for one final installment in a very special novella.

As the wife of a gorgeous and romantic Frenchman and the mother of the most angelic boy ever, Sydney is living a life of sheer perfection. She’s gone through quite a bit to achieve this charmed life, and now nothing is going to bring her down. Or so she thinks.

Just when Sydney’s happiness is at its height, an unexpected event throws her life into chaos, threatening her happily ever after. With her tight-knit family in danger of falling apart, she suddenly finds herself longing for the days of dating disasters and unsolicited (and embarrassing!) advice from her wise-cracking father. At least those humiliations would be easier to take than the devastation now enveloping her heart.

Will she be able to find the strength her parents have always fought to instill in her, or will she spiral into the void of her always-lurking anxiety? Sydney’s challenge is to survive…or roast…

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Beach read bundle #8 – TWO CHANCES TO WIN eBooks BATTER UP by Robin Neely, BROKEN PLACES by Rachel Thompson, ELLEN THE HARPIST by Dianne Michaels, and BAD REDHEAD MEDIA 30 DAY BOOK MARKETING CHALLENGE by Rachel Thompson

BATTER UP– Robin Neeley – 2 eBooks

Bakeshop owner Emma Stevens has a secret. A delicious premonition she shares every Monday evening with the bachelors of Buttermilk Falls as they gather at the Sugar Spoon bakery for Batter Up night.

Investigative reporter Jason Levine just found himself as the man candy for a bachelorette party in Las Vegas. Roped into attending the Vegas nuptials, was he hearing things when the groom shares that the only reason he’s getting married is because a small town baker conjured up the name of his soul mate in her cake batter?

Sparks fly when Jason tries to expose Emma as a fraud, but reality and logic go out the window as he begins to fall under her spell.

BROKEN PLACES – Rachel Thompson – 2 eBooks

Award-winning author Rachel Thompson courageously confronts the topics of sexual abuse and suicide, love and healing, in her second nonfiction book of prose: Broken Places.

The sequel to Rachel’s first nonfiction book, Broken Pieces, Rachel bares her soul in essays, poems and prose, addressing life’s most difficult topics with honesty. As you follow one woman’s journey through the dark and into the light, you will find yourself forever changed.

 

ELLEN THE HARPIST – by Dianne Michaels – 2 ebooks


Single. Inept at flirting. But at least she has talent and a sense of humor. The problem is, she’s often the punchline.

Ellen Blum is pretty good at convincing herself she is an adult. Despite her difficulties, she’s proud of the cred she has earned serenading brides down the aisle with her harp. Doesn’t being 27 and paying her rent on time prove she’s a grown-up?

Not so much, according to her personal chorus of critics. And as she dodges the barbs and petty crimes of her bosses and copes with a family crisis, she feels more like a child than ever. She has her heart set on silencing her critics and teaching them — and maybe herself — a new tune. But becoming more than the person described on her business card is even trickier than moving her harp.

BAD REDHEAD MEDIA 30 DAY BOOK MARKETING CHALLENGE – by Rachel Thompson – 2 ebooks

This book is THE SINGLE BEST TOOL every writer needs NOW to build, boost, and grow their author platform.
Are you unsure how to market your book? Do you feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of author platform options out there (or not even sure what the term means)? Do you wish someone could break it down for you in simple steps?

Then this is the book for you!

Over the course of one month, Rachel provides you daily challenges containing a wealth of information, and easy to follow assignments to help energize your book sales. If you haven’t released your book yet, this book will help you set the stage necessary to build the strongest foundation possible for success.

This book is a must-read and must-DO for any aspiring, new, or veteran author! Bloggers and small businesses can also benefit from this guide as well

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bundle9

Beach read bundle #9 – print copies of THEN COMES LOVE by Lindsay Detwiler, THE OLD CAPE HOLLYWOOD SECRET by Barbara Eppich, BACK TO THE BEACH by Denise Stout, and SEE YOU SOON BROADWAY by Melissa Baldwin (US only)

THEN COMES LOVE– Lindsay Detwiler – 1 autographed print

Three generations of women,

Three second loves,

All with a dose of chaos mixed in.

Sometimes in life, changes can be good…

After losing her husband, her five cats, and her home, Charlotte Noel hates feeling dependent. As Charlotte tries to find her identity in this

new stage of life, she comes to realize that drama never ends, dance aerobics can be a war zone, and love is always a possibility.

You never know when a midlife crisis is going to strike…

Charlotte’s daughter, Annie, is going through struggles of her own. Recently divorced, she is feeling frumpy and worn-out. Run ragged, Annie mourns her youth and wonders where her life is headed, all while hoping she can help her daughter Amelia get it together.

Settling down can be overrated, especially when you’re falling for a rock star look-alike…

THE OLD CAPE HOLLYWOOD SECRET– Barbara Eppich – 1 autographed print

In 1947, Maggie Foster and her cousin, Gertie, leave Cape Cod for Hollywoodland in search of glamour and fame. One girl returns home and the other disappears. Present-day Nancy Caldwell travels to Hollywood, where she discovers the paths of Maggie and Gertie.

In “The Old Cape Hollywood Secret,” a novel of historical suspense, Nancy’s curiosity gets her into trouble again. Along the way, a missing ring and a pearl-studded pouch are mixed in with the search. Using alternating chapters, across seventy years, the tragic stories of two young girls unfold and a murderous secret is uncovered.

 

BACK TO THE BEACH (From Anthology THOSE SUMMER NIGHTS)– Denise Stout – 1 autographed print

Darby McKinnon, preschool teacher, escapes to a beach rental to refresh her life. Running into a former boyfriend creates the distraction she needs. Alex Markham, workaholic owner of a cyber security firm, takes his job too seriously until an unexpected stay at the beach makes him pause. Their chance encounter begins with nostalgia, but kisses ignite into possibilities of the heart.

Summer fling or a second chance at forever? Almost losing each other when the past and present collide, both realize love requires determination to stay together when obstacles seemingly get in the way.

SEE YOU SOON BROADWAY– Melissa Baldwin – 1 autographed print

Maris Forrester has a wonderful life with an amazing boyfriend and a fulfilling job. She’s happy and content . . . or so she thinks. Maris has always had huge dreams of being on Broadway. Ever since her very first performance as a child, she has envisioned herself on the stage under the shining lights. Now she has to decide whether she should to give up her wonderful life to chase those dreams.

When her parents announce they are moving, she comes across a long-lost family treasure. She doesn’t realize that this treasure may hold the key to her future and to all her dreams coming true.

And if that wasn’t sign enough, a mysterious stranger throws another wrench in the mix at a dazzling rooftop party benefiting the Arts. These could be signs of things to come.

But will she remain content in her perfect world, or will she step into the unknown world she has always dreamed of?

Amelia is the wild child of the family. Working three jobs, because she just hasn’t figured out what she wants in life, she realizes happiness isn’t always settling down with a steady, dependable man; sometimes it’s about following your true passion and living on the edge.

No matter what age you are, life and love can be crazy…

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bundle 10

Beach read bundle #10 – autographed copies of THE GOLDEN AGE OF CHARLI SERIES by Jena C. Henry (3 book set – US only)

GOLDEN AGE OF CHARLI – RSVP
Charlotte McAntic spent her thirties, forties, and even fifties in peace and harmony aligning her marriage, mortgage, careers and children. As she stumbles into a new phase of life—also known as the Golden Years—Charli cannot help but wonder where the gold and her husband, Pud, are hiding.

Pud is happily cruising down the retirement path that, for him, leads straight to the golf course. While Charli spends her days at home cleaning out closets and the basement, she yearns to gaze deeply into Pud’s blue eyes and remember all the reasons why she fell in love with him 30 years ago. Unfortunately, the only thing Pud is eying is the next fairway. Knowing there is more to savor in retirement than silver-hair shampoos, senior discounts, and hernia surgery, Charli embarks on a quest to do whatever it takes to spend retirement in the embrace of the man she loves. But is it too late for happily ever after?

In this humorous novel, a high-energy wife and her solid guy must learn to adjust to a new chapter in their lives and find their way back into each other’s hearts after their retirement begins with a jolt.

GOLDEN AGE OF CHARLI – BMI

When Charli and her husband, Pud, enter retirement, Charli mistakenly believes that paradise is just around the corner. Unfortunately, instead of spending their days soaking in matching hot tubs and admiring each other’s wrinkles, Pud lives on the links and Charli cleans out the basement. Still, they press on, eventually becoming closer while bonding with young relatives through a love of fine dining. Now the couple faces new and weighty challenges.

Charli and Pud’s days are filled with more excitement than AARP discounts and Lawrence Welk reruns—and more calories than they ever imagined. Realizing they are out of shape and slipping mentally, Charli and Pud check their BMIs and immediately decide they need to change their ways.

With a goal of becoming healthy sooner than later, the couple embarks on a roller-coaster ride through calorie counting, label reading, and laborious exercising. But when Pud begins making mysterious phone calls and acting strangely, Charli cannot help but wonder if more problems are lurking around the corner.The Golden Age of Charli continues the delightful tale of the energetic, friendly, and positive McAntics as they cruise through their retirement years and discover the consequences of too much of a good thing.

GOLDEN AGE OF CHARLI – GPS

Empty nesters Charli McAnctic and her husband, Pud, have settled into their golden years. Although their early days of retirement were filled with disillusion and despair, they are now ready to relax and swing upon a star. Put continues to golf most days and Charli still organizes her closets and rearranges her collectibles, but now they are a solid team? Or are they?

Charli and Pud are no strangers to the art of creating fun. These days they spend their time sharing gourmet meals with the nieces and nephew, attending Cleveland Cavalier basketball games, and rekindling their romance. But when a series of calamities suddenly rock their world, they each meet a new friend, leading Charli to work if she and Pud are heading in the right direction.

In the third book of this delightful series, an empty nester is left to recalculate her path to happiness after she and her husband discover that their golden years are full of more surprises.

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Beach read bundle #11 – print copies of WITHOUT YOU by Lindsay Detwiler, CHARMED BY CHARLIE by Amanda Uhl, and IMPERFECT CHEMISTRY by Mary Frame (US only)

WITHOUT YOU– Lindsay Detwiler – 1 autographed print

On the surface, Jenna Landsen has it all…

She’s smart, beautiful, confident, and married to Camden Landsen, who happens to be drop dead sexy and just as successful. But after five long years, all the success in the world hasn’t brought the romantic spark back into her marriage. Jenna fears it never will.

When life gives you lemons, open a bakery and name it Vi’s…

Violet Streiff made the exact mistake her mother warned against—she fell in love with Liam Coffman, a charming finance major. When he left her heartbroken to further his career, Violet drowned her sorrows by opening a bakery, and now relies on Bob, her eighteen-pound cat, for warmth at night instead of a sexy man.

To find love, sometimes you first have to discover yourself…

When Jenna’s job offers an extended trip to New York, she packs her bags and takes a two-month vacation from life. The chance of her marriage surviving looks grim, until the surprise of a lifetime throws a wrench in her plans to stay in the Big Apple for good.

You can bend the rules—but sooner or later they’ll break…

When Violet meets a gloomy but totally drool-worthy guy named Camden in her shop, she’s sure her luck has changed. There’s no denying the chemistry, but he’s married, and that’s a major problem. Violet isn’t a homewrecker. Still, staying away from Camden proves nearly impossible. That is, until his wife comes home.

Two women.

Two men.

Double the chance to find love in the most unexpected places—or double the chance for disaster.

CHARMED BY CHARLIE – Amanda Uhl – 1 autographed print

Everybody loves marketing whiz Charlie Solanger…except the woman he really wants.

PAINT, PROMOTIONS & PERFECTION

Creative genius Charlie Solanger has it all: good looks, money, intelligence, charm. And when he swoops in to save Reynolds Paint Company with a brilliant marketing campaign, he has all the ladies in the office vying for his attention. Everyone except math whiz Valerie Wilson.

Val’s not happy Charlie stole her promotion. Worse, his brand of flirtatious charm is reminiscent of her cheating ex-fiancé. So, how come she can’t get him out of her head? The more she challenges him, the more interested—and interesting—he becomes. What secrets is Charlie hiding, and who or what is behind the sudden mysterious drain on their company’s funds? The only way to find out is to join forces. Then it will be a battle of wills…and a triumph of hearts.

IMPERFECT CHEMISTRY – Mary Frame – 1 print

Lucy London puts the word genius to shame. Having obtained her PhD in microbiology by the age of twenty, she’s amassed a wealth of knowledge, but one subject still eludes her—people. The pendulum of passions experienced by those around her confuses and intrigues her, so when she’s offered a grant to study emotion as a pathogen, she jumps on the opportunity.

Enter Jensen Walker, Lucy’s neighbor and the one person she finds appealing. Jensen’s life is the stuff of campus legend, messy, emotional, and complicated. Basically, the perfect starting point for Lucy’s study. When her tenaciousness wears him down and he consents to help her, sparks fly. To her surprise, Lucy finds herself battling with her own emotions, as foreign as they are intense. With the clock ticking on her deadline, Lucy must decide what’s more important: analyzing her passions…or giving in to them?

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bundle 12

Beach read bundle #12 – 5 CHANCES TO WIN eBooks of CARDS FROM KHLOE’S FLOWER SHOP by Isabella Louise Anderson, THE SINKING CHEF by Sylvia Ashby, and VISITING LILLY by Toni Allen

CARDS FROM KHLOE’S FLOWER SHOP – Isabella Louise Anderson – 5 ebooks

As the owner of a successful florist shop, Khloe Harper trusts her instincts. She has a strong bond with her family and friends, but after being betrayed by her last love, she’s kept herself at arms’ length from romance. When dashing entertainment attorney Derek Thomas walks into her store, Khloe’s interest is piqued. What at first seems like a business relationship quickly turns into romance, and Derek slowly plucks away the petals she’s been hiding behind. Just as Khloe lets down her guard, she discovers that Derek may not be worthy of her love after all.

Frumpy Connie Albright has a faux fascination with an imaginary man named Walt, thinking that by sending herself flowers from him she’ll feel less out-of-place with the “mean girls” she works with. When she comes face to face with her possible prince charming and thinking she might have a happy ending, when a truth is revealed, she wonders if she’ll ever have a Cinderella story.

A recently widowed senior, Gabby Lewis, isn’t ready to give up on love—which means releasing herself from survivor’s guilt and taking a chance on finding happiness and companionship again. After signing up for an online dating site for senior citizens, much to her surprise, she’s matched with Harry, an energetic and loving man, who quickly eases himself into her heart. Will Gabby take the leap of falling in love again, knowing it’s possible to have two loves of her life?

As each woman’s story develops through flowers and cards sent from Khloe’s shop during the Fall months, they begin to learn that love can only truly blossom when you trust your heart.

THE SINKING CHEF – Sylvia Ashby – 5 eBooks

8 - the sinking chefBridget Jones meets Burnt in this delightful comedy novel about a talented YouTuber and the guy who keeps trying to bring her down.

In Belsize Park, London, Ashley works hard on her daily YouTube channel “The Sinking Chef”. It’s filmed right in her kitchen, so she doesn’t go out much.

James is a gruff British TV director, turned publisher, who Ashley had a crush on ages ago. She has moved on but when he calls with an offer to take her out to lunch she doesn’t say no. It’s only lunch – what can go wrong?

The day Ashley meets James for lunch and he promises her a book deal, she makes the worse decision in her life – to hide the book deal from her boyfriend, Giacomo. As things progress Ashley’s secrets mount up and other things in her life unravel. Is there a connection? And how is she going to get out of this without losing Giacomo and the life she loves?

Set in the heart of fast-paced London, The Sinking Chef is a charming story of love, recipes, secrets, and the determination to do thinks right by those you love most in your life.

VISITING LILLY – Toni Allen – 5 eBooks

Why should a man at a Surrey police station go ballistic because someone tries to visit Lilly, his elderly grandmother?

Detective Inspector Jake Talbot is intrigued, and this little puzzle might serve to distract him from sorrows of a Christmas past. Soon he is entangled with Frankie, an odd young man who claims to have met Lilly in her youth. Talbot dismisses the notion of time travel, but then discovers the Ministry of Defense has been monitoring Frankie since his friend disappeared ten years previously. Forced to work with the MOD, Talbot unearths family secrets and betrayals. The families act ruthlessly to prevent him from discovering the facts, colluding to ruin him.

If Frankie is innocent, Talbot won’t let him be victimized. An uneasy understanding grows between them as they follow the evidence, for only the truth will allow Frankie to visit Lilly.

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bundle 13

Beach read bundle #13 – eBooks of DEFINING HER by Samantha March, VENUS RISING by Celia Kennedy, MARGARITAS & MURDER by CeCe Osgood, and FALLING FOR YOU by Heather Thurmeier

DEFINING HER – Samantha March – 2 ebooks

Nellie Hawthorne is a woman who has it all. A devoted husband, her own business, a wealthy lifestyle. But the Nellie she is now is much different from her past. A past filled with abuse, addiction, and men. Nellie’s carefully constructed new life is suddenly in jeopardy when a blast from the past emerges in her small town and her overbearing mother-in-law starts pushing for grandchildren and questions start being asked. A budding new friendship presents itself at an opportune time, and a once friendless Nellie finds herself growing closer to Prue Doherty.

Prue Doherty is the quintessential good girl. Always making the right decisions, always playing it safe. Until she meets a man that could change all of that. Still reeling from a devastating breakup and betrayal that had her fleeing from Chicago and settling into suburb life with her mom close by, Prue finds herself in a damaging funk. But everything changes when she befriends Nellie Hawthorne.

Nellie is trying to escape her past. Prue wants that perfect future. While both women strive to change their lives, they continue to cling to the past. But what defines us? Who we were then . . . or who we are trying to be now? Lies, manipulation, and deceit are woven throughout the pages of this edgy women’s fiction novel, with an ending you won’t see coming.

VENUS RISING – Celia Kennedy – 1 ebook

Between Boston and Bangalore, blossoming love reveals long-buried truth.

When Dr. Jared Harrison, an extremely handsome, world-renowned Middle East journalist, accepts a teaching position at an elite Massachusetts college, he wonders if he can settle down and rebuild his family after all the horrors he has seen. When he meets the dazzling, brilliant art history professor Akshaya Bertrand, an exotic and highly private beauty, the challenge seems worth undertaking. While many have tried and failed to capture Akshaya’s attention, Jared is determined to slip past her armor and into her life.

When Jared finds himself once again traumatized by the tragedies imprinted on his psyche, an exciting joint book project he has landed for him and Akshaya is put in jeopardy. Can he release his demons and help her release her own, so they can take advantage of the unique opportunity to travel through India for research, combining Akshaya’s passion for art with Jared’s war correspondent resources in order to, together, create a dynamic, loving future?

MARGARITAS & MURDER – CeCe Osgood – 1 ebook

LOVE A FUN, TWISTY COZY MYSTERY? An old friend is found dangling in a tree with a dead man in her apartment. Did she kill him? That’s the question bedeviling apprentice P.I. Sunny Truly. Witty, earnest and stubborn, Sunny goes undercover as a glam-girl to ferret out suspects at the Texas nightclub where her friend worked. With the aid of her wisecracking boss and a handsome police detective, she uncovers a terrible secret with deadly consequences. Now Sunny might the next victim.

Fans of Janet Evanovich, Stephanie Bond, Julie Smith will be tickled by this feisty sleuth and fast-paced mystery in this twisty whodunit.

FALLING FOR YOUHeather Thurmeier – 1 eBook

Newly single Cassidy Quinn is thrilled to be a contestant on the new reality dating show The One. But her excitement turns to horror when the gorgeous bachelor turns out to be her ex-boyfriend. Seeing Brad again makes Cassidy realize she might not be as “over him” as she thought–and then she meets hunky cameraman Evan Burke.

After watching his brother lose his wife in a tragic accident, Evan vows never to fall in love. But following Cassidy around as her personal cameraman makes him question his decision, and resisting her gets harder with every sunbathing, bikini-wearing day.

Cassidy and Evan begin a forbidden affair while her ex-boyfriend tries to win her heart back one groping, awkward moment at a time. If Cassidy can manage to stop falling off horses (literally); stop falling onto her ex-boyfriend, the bachelor (yes, literally); and stop falling in love with backstage playboy Evan; she might still make it through the show without becoming a tabloid sensation.

But soon Cassidy must choose between the ex who broke her heart and the cameraman who might never love her back. For Cassidy, this reality show just got real.

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bundle 14

Beach read bundle #14 – TWO CHANCES TO WIN a print or eBook bundle of UNDECEIVED by Karen Cox, BESIDE THE MUSIC by BJ Knapp, RADICAL NEW ME by PK Herozo, and COMING HOME by Holly Kerr (print US only)

UNDECEIVED – Karen Cox – 1 print 1 ebook

Pride and Prejudice in the Spy Game

…if I endeavor to undeceive people as to the rest of his conduct, who will believe me? —Pride and Prejudice (Chapter 40)

During the last gasp of the Cold War, Elizabeth Bennet, a young, forthright counterintelligence officer, embarks on an exciting assignment that would make her late father, a fallen CIA operative, proud. She transfers to Europe to investigate the legendary and elusive William Darcy, an officer in line for the coveted Soviet station chief position who’s suspected of being a double agent.

William Darcy appears to lead a charmed existence, but now he finds himself fighting for his career and against his growing feelings for the young woman he doesn’t know is watching his every move.

Elizabeth wants to throw the book at him, but the facts don’t match her preconceptions. Is Darcy being set up?

Are there darker forces at work? Or is William Darcy a skilled double agent after all? Nothing is as it seems, however, and the closer Elizabeth gets to the truth about Darcy, the more she spirals into danger. Undeceived, the new novel by award-winning author

Karen M. Cox is part romance, part spy game suspense— a compelling variation on Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen’s classic tale.

BESIDE THE MUSIC – BJ Knapp – 1 ebook, 1 print

Can mailing a fan letter change a life? Brenda Dunkirk didn’t think so. She also didn’t think 80s metal star Keith Kutter would have actually read her letter. Watching him stand in the rain on her patio and compose a new song is something she never imagined.

Brenda thinks she’s the luckiest woman in the world when Keith’s band, Hydra, and their entourage declares her home as their base camp while recording their comeback album. She fantasizes about late night lyric writing sessions at her kitchen table and being the first one to hear all the new songs. She is confident that with her help the band will get back on top where they belong. Swept up in the glamour of being the rock and roll muse, Brenda risks her already faltering marriage. Tim, her husband, walks out on her and Hydra’s chaos, and to make matters worse her boss is threatening to fire her if she doesn’t get her act together at work. The band will not leave until the album is done–it could be another month or it could be another year.

Ultimately Brenda must choose between the secure contentment of her marriage or the allure of rock and roll. She must decide: is it possible to be one man’s wife and another man’s muse?

RADICAL NEW ME– PK Herezo – 1 print 1 ebook

CALLIE COW: WHERE IS SHE NOW?

That’s what Calliope Crown’s old high school classmates want to know–thanks to the notoriously unflattering snapshot from gym class that went viral her junior year.

Now it’s five years later and Calliope’s gone from fat to fit in a year-long transformation with a world-renowned self-help guru. She’s on her way to forgetting the past and becoming the self-confident, successful woman she’s always wanted. Until that snapshot emerges again–just in time for her Five Year Reunion–and Calliope questions whether she’s learned anything at all. Her credit card bills say beg to differ with the cost of her guru’s bills, which leaves Calliope stuck working at her snooty aunt’s (AKA Cruella Cupcakes) upscale bakery all summer. There Calliope will put herself to the transformation test while sharing the challenge of her high-calorie abstinence online as an anonymous masked avenger, in comical, but truthful vlog snippets.

With her new friends and followers cheering her, Calliope will need to decide if delivering a dramatic comeback online is worth the risk of making a fool of herself all over again.

What would you do?

COMING HOME – Holly Kerr – 1 autographed print /also ebook)

Loving your sisters is easy. Liking them is the hard part.

After her cheating husband destroys her career, Brenna has nowhere to go but home.

Home means her four sisters in the tiny Northern Ontario town with no Starbucks and well-meaning townsfolk who know her every move. Every mistake.

And Brenna is making more than a few mistakes. From falling asleep at the local bar to hooking up with her niece’s boyfriend, Brenna’s life is giving the town a lot to talk about.

Her sister Cat wants nothing to do with her. Content living in the family home with the ghost of their mother, Cat’s left a trail of broken hearts and failed marriages on the road to Brenna’s ex, Seamus Todd. Brenna’s return brings back old insecurities and unanswered questions for Cat.

Sibling rivalries, old grudges and a least one knock-out, drag-down kitchen fight ensue as Brenna and Cat are forced to live under the same roof.

And to make it worse, Brenna’s not the only one coming home.

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bundle 15

Beach read bundle #15 – 5 CHANCES TO WIN eBooks of SAVED BY THE CELEBUTANTE by Kirsty McManus, LOVE AND PIZZA.IT by Daniela Pesconi-Arthur, and JEEP TOUR by Gail Olmsted

SAVED BY THE CELEBUTANTE– Kirsty McManus – 5 eBooks

When Chrissie Lambert discovers an earth-shattering secret about her husband Corey, she wonders if life will ever be the same again. At thirty-five, Chrissie had been ready to start a family, but now she must put her dreams on hold.

In order to cope, Chrissie throws herself into her job as publicist to Kahlua, a celebutante famous for having triplets with a volatile actor. Yet with Corey acting increasingly erratic, Chrissie’s personal life starts to interfere with her career.

After a potentially fatal mistake involving a movie audition, Chrissie heads off to track down director Peter Carson at a festival in the middle of the Nevada desert.

There, she must battle the elements, navigate through a minefield of colorful characters and avoid falling for the mysterious Matt, who seems to have issues of his own.

Will Chrissie be able to save Kahlua’s career – and find her own happily ever after?

LOVE AND PIZZA.IT – Daniela Pesconi-Arthur – 5 eBooks

Carolina had only one thing in mind: to show everyone that she wasn’t a little girl anymore. That she could do well on her own. That she was a person with her own dreams and opinions and who knew what she wanted to do with her life.

Well, at least she was willing to find out.

An unexpected job interview via Skype and a job offer in Napoli help just graduated Dr Carolina decide to embark on the craziest adventure of her life.

In Brazil, her parents can’t understand what they’ve done wrong.

In Napoli, there is her English teaching job… and one of the most handsome (and richest) men she’s ever met ~ one of her students.

In Napoli, there is also Margherita pizza… and the sweetest man she’s ever met ~ her local pizzaiolo.

Carolina will find out that choosing a pizza topping isn’t the most difficult thing to do, after all…

JEEP TOUR – Gail Olmsted – 5 ebooks

To move forward, you need to let go of the past…

Jackie Sullivan decides it’s time for a fresh start, after her marriage falls apart and she loses her job. Meeting a sexy tour guide inspires her to build a new life for herself among the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona. But Jackie is looking for more than just romance. Fueled by an unflagging sense of humor and lots of caffeine, she sets out on a journey of self-discovery and she plans to get it right this time. Jackie’s had her happy, now she wants her ever after!

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WIN $150 IN GIFT CARDS**Click HERE for your chance to win a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card!

Filed Under: Isabella Tagged With: #MassiveBeachRead, 54 Book Giveaway, Alisa Schindler, Amanda Uhl, Amazon Gift Card, Authors, Barbara Eppich, Beach Read Giveaway, Becky Monson, BJ Knapp, Books, CeCe Osgood, Celia Kennedy, Chick Lit, Daniela Pesconi-Arthur, Denise Stout, Dianne Michaels, Gail Olmsted, Glynis Astie, Heather Thurmeier, Hilary Grossman, Holly Kerr, Jen Atkinson, Jena C. Henry, Jennifer Farwell, Karen Cox, Kate O'Keefe, Kirsty McManus, Lindsay Detwiler, Mary Frame, Melissa Baldwin, Meredith Schorr, Nikki LeClair, PK Herozo, Rachel Thompson, Renee Conoulty, Robin Neely, Romance, Samantha March, Stacey Ballis, Summer reads, Sylvia Ashby, Tess Thompson, Toni Allen, Tracie Banister, Women's Fiction

BOOK REVIEW: “Kim vs. the Mean Girl”

April 27, 2017 1 Comment

“Kim vs. the Mean Girl” by Meredith Schorr

Blurb: High school sophomore, Kim Long, is no stranger to the “mean girl” antics of Queen Bee Hannah Marshak. When Hannah steals Kim’s diary and in front of the entire class reads personal (not to mention humiliating) entries Kim wrote about her crush, Jonathan, Kim vows to enact revenge.

Kim and her loyal best friend, Bridget, come up with the perfect plan to put the evil Hannah in her place once and for all. But will their scheming have the desired effect of getting even, or will Hannah emerge more celebrated by her peers than ever?
Kim vs. the Mean Girl can be read as a young adult standalone novel, set in 2000, but is also a prequel to the popular Blogger Girl adult romantic comedy series. Told in the dual perspectives of teenage Kim and Hannah, fans of the series will get an inside look into Kim’s early passion for reading, writing (and Jonathan), and find out why Hannah is so darn mean.

In Blogger Girl we meet the irrepressible Kim Long and her nemesis Hannah Marshak. Kim vs. the Mean Girl takes us back 
to high school with Kim and Hannah 101 in this delightful prequel. I gobbled it up in one byte…er, I mean bite (this is the era before a cell phone was in every backpack). When Kim declares war on Hannah, it takes some unexpected, and at times amusing, turns, and though the enemies don’t emerge as friends, or even frenemies, they each come away the better for it. A fun read for all ages. — Eileen Goudge, New York Times bestselling author.

My Review: I loved “Blogger Girl,” so when I heard that it was getting a prequel, I was thrilled and couldn’t wait to read it. Well, “Kim vs. the Mean Girl” was everything I hoped it would be…and more!

From the beginning, I was so excited to be reacquainted with Kim and Bridget–and even Hannah (I loved how we got to her younger self’s POV, and, oddly enough, at times, I felt sorry for her). While I don’t read the YA genre, this one didn’t like one but rather more like a prologue. As I mentioned my love for “Blogger Girl,” it makes me want to read it again, especially now that I know more about their teenage years. Whether or not you read “Kim vs. the Mean Girl” before or after “Blogger Girl,” you will not be disappointed.

I give “Kim vs. the Mean Girl” 5 stars!

**Get your copy of “Kim vs. the Mean Girl” now!: Amazon   Nook

Filed Under: Book Review, Kim vs. the Mean Girl Tagged With: Blogger Girl Prequel, Book review, Kim vs. the New Girl, Meredith Schorr, Young Adult

BOOK REVIEW: “Novelista Girl” by Meredith Schorr

January 12, 2016 1 Comment

NovelistaGirlCoverPic

“Novelista Girl” by Meredith Schorr

Blurb: Readers first met sassy Kimberly Long in “Blogger Girl,” and now the feisty New Yorker is back in a standalone sequel packed with quick wit, friendship, heartache, and, of course, romance.

Kim runs the most popular chick lit book blog on the web, loves playing house with her sexy lawyer boyfriend, Nicholas, and is finally pursuing her life-long dream to become a published author. At first glance, her life is five-pink-champagne-flutes worthy.

But is there more to the story than meets the eye?

After hearing the phrase “chick lit is dead” more times than she’s read Bridget Jones’s Diary, Kim is driven to desperate measures, seeking advice from up-and-coming chick lit author, Hannah Marshak, her high school nemesis and resident “mean girl.” As if Kim doesn’t have enough on her plate balancing her secretarial duties with her blog Pastel is the New Black, shrugging off the growing pile of agent rejections, and keeping her best friend from turning green over Kim’s budding friendship with Hannah, Nicholas is so blinded by his career ambitions, he doesn’t see that their home sweet home could use more than a dash of sugar.

This is the year when all of Kim’s dreams—professional and romantic—are supposed to come true, but will the story have a happily ever after or will Kim end up unpublished and all alone?

This novel can be read as a sequel or as a standalone and is best accompanied by a cocktail, preferably a pink one.

My Review: Having read “Blogger Girl,” I was more than eager to read “Novelista Girl,” (click HERE to see my review of “Blogger Girl”)!

From the beginning, the first thing that drew me in was that I felt that I was back in Kim’s world, along with her supportive boss, awesome BFF, and of course, her sexy boyfriend, Nicholas, who always seems to have her back. One of best things about this book was that the characters seemed no different from the previous book, which was a major plus, making it easy to jump into.

It’s hard to say what I enjoyed most about it, because I loved it all, especially Kim’s determination to never give up on her dream of becoming an author. With all the twists and turns in this book, I never knew what was going to happen, especially when Kim started up a friendship with Hannah, (this made me really nervous for Kim). This made for great conflict, and I appreciated the direction the author went with these two. Also, I think it shows that one never knows where life can take you, no matter how many years later, or what happened in the past.

Meredith Schorr’s writing is impeccable, creative, and she has a true gift of writing books that readers fall in love with. “Novelista Girl” was a really quick, fun, and delightful read, and I was cheering for Kim, the entire time–whether it be book world or relationship related, (no, sorry, I won’t give any spoilers)! Will there be a third installment of Kim’s life, titled “Author, Baby”??? Maybe so, but I’m pretty sure that’s just me wishing and wanting more…

I recommend this book to anyone who loves and believes in the Chick Lit genre, and who might consider writing a book one day, and, while it’s not biographical, it “Novelista Girl” shows the work and effort it takes to be an author, and Meredith Shorr has certainly proven that.

I give “Novelista Girl” 5 stars!

**Click HERE to get your copy of “Novelista Girl” now!


Filed Under: Book Review, Novelista Girl - Book Review Tagged With: Authors, Book review, Books, Chick Lit Goddess, Chick-Lit, Contemporary Fiction, Meredith Schorr, Novelista Girl, Romance, Women's Fiction

COVER REVEAL: “Novelista Girl” by Meredith Schorr

November 30, 2015 3 Comments

Every now and then, a book comes your way and you fall in love it, but then you have wait for the next book in its series. Yes, there might be other books that you enjoy, too, but that one book is still on your mind. Well, that’s how it was with me when I read BLOGGER GIRL. That being said, today I am joyfully sharing you with you its sequel (which can be a standalone, if you wish), NOVELISTA GIRL, by one of my favorite authors, Meredith Schorr.


 

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“Novelista Girl” by Meredith Schorr

**Release date: Coming soon!

Blurb: Readers first met sassy Kimberly Long in Blogger Girl, and now the feisty New Yorker is back in a sequel packed with quick wit, friendship, heartache, and, of course, romance.

Kim runs the most popular chick lit book blog on the web, loves playing house with her sexy lawyer boyfriend, Nicholas, and is finally pursuing her lifelong dream to become a published author. At first glance, her life is five-pink-champagne-flutes worthy.

But is there more to the story than meets the eye?

After hearing the phrase “chick lit is dead” more times than she’s read Bridget Jones’s Diary, Kim is driven to desperate measures, seeking advice from up-and-coming chick lit author, Hannah Marshak, her high school nemesis and resident “mean girl.” As if Kim doesn’t have enough on her plate balancing her secretarial duties with her blog Pastel Is the New Black, shrugging off the growing pile of agent rejections, and keeping her best friend from turning green over Kim’s budding friendship with Hannah, Nicholas is so blinded by his career ambitions, he doesn’t see that their home sweet home could use more than a dash of sugar.

This is the year when all of Kim’s dreams—professional and romantic—are supposed to come true, but will the story have a happily ever after, or will Kim end up unpublished and all alone?

This novel can be read as a sequel or as a standalone and is best accompanied by a cocktail, preferably a pink one.


EXCERPT

To: KimMLong@gmail.com

From: Libby_Knox@Knoxliterary.com

Subject: Re: Query—A Blogger’s Life

Dear Ms. Long,

Thank you for your interest in Knox Literary. While I found the premise of A Blogger’s Life interesting, I’m afraid I wasn’t sufficiently intrigued to ask for more at this time. Because this business is so subjective, and opinions vary widely, we encourage you to query other agents.

After all, it only takes one.

Best of luck on your journey to publication.

Libby Knox

Knox Literary

I let out a deflated sigh before resting my head on my boyfriend Nicholas’s shoulder. It was a Sunday afternoon, and after a late lunch, we had come back to my place to watch television. Well, I was watching television—a romantic movie on the Hallmark Channel. Nicholas was doing work. As the in-house attorney for a cosmetics company, he often took work home with him.

Nicholas stopped typing furiously on his laptop. “What’s the matter, Kimmie?”

With my eyes closed, I responded, “I got another rejection from an agent.” Making it fourteen rejections in total for my chick lit novel, A Blogger’s Life. When I finally gathered the courage to write a novel—a complete manuscript with a beginning, middle, and an end, as opposed to a partial story that I shoved in the back of my closet unfinished—I knew the journey to publication would be difficult. Now, I was thinking “impossible” was a more befitting adjective.

Giving my hand a gentle squeeze, Nicholas said, “I’m sorry.”

I opened my eyes and sat up. “Me, too.”

“It’s just one agent. Did you know Kathryn Stockett received sixty rejections of The Help before she got an agent?”

I jerked my head back in surprise. “I did know that. How did you know that?”

Nicholas smiled. “I did some research after your last rejection.”

I kissed his cheek and ran my palm up against his ever-present five o’clock shadow. “How nice of you.”

“I’m a nice guy.” Nicholas paused for a beat. “For a player, that is.”

When I first met Nicholas a little over a year ago, he was an attorney at the New York City firm where I worked (and still work) as a legal secretary. He was single, successful, hot, and flirtatious. Naturally, I assumed he was a player when we first hooked up. Either that, or out of my league. What would someone with his credentials want with me—a measly legal secretary with a nice rack? When Nicholas gently suggested my dreams might extend beyond book blogging to book writing, I worried maybe he was the one who wanted me to be a writer so I would be “good enough” to hang with all of his successful friends. I was blinded by my insecurity, but after some soul-searching, I concluded he was right, and I was wrong—something he enjoyed reminding me of on a regular basis. It had been almost six months since our reconciliation, and sometimes I still had to pinch myself to confirm that the guy I adored—the one who not only caused my knees to go weak and the butterflies to dance in my belly whenever he touched me, but also made me laugh and encouraged my dream to be a published author—was equally crazy about me. I was in love big time but too chicken to be the first to say the words.

I playfully punched his arm. “Are you ever gonna let that go?”

Nicholas flashed me a sexy grin. “Not likely.”

I shook my head in mock annoyance. Inching closer to him on my love seat, I draped one of my legs over his and sighed. “Maybe I should have tried to publish Read My Mind first.” A Blogger’s Life was technically my second novel. I had given up writing Read My Mind in high school only to pick it up and finally finish it ten years later. Although Read My Mind was the novel that qualified me as a “finisher,” I ultimately decided to shelve it and pursue A Blogger’s Life instead.

Crinkling his brow, Nicholas asked, “I thought you said this one was much better.”

Rubbing the opal pendant on my necklace, I said, “Do you not think so?”

Nicholas shook his head. “I can’t say. I haven’t started reading it yet.” Probably noticing my face drop, he added, “I promise I will soon.”

“It is better, but apparently, chick lit is dead among traditional publishers unless you’re an established author in the genre. Young adult paranormal, on the other hand, is hot.”

“Considering how many fans Pastel Is the New Black has, I’d say chick lit is pretty hot, too.” Patting my knee, he added, “Almost as hot as its founder.”

Nicholas was correct that my book blog, Pastel Is the New Black, had thousands of followers. Unfortunately for me, none of those fans were literary agents as far as I knew. “Why couldn’t I have written A Blogger’s Life ten years ago when chick lit was on fire?” I whined. Considering I didn’t even know what a blog was when I was nineteen, it was a rhetorical question.

“It is what it is, Kimmie.” Nicholas ran one hand along my thigh and then slowly up to the zipper on my black skinny jeans. “Anything I can do to make you feel better?” he asked.

“You can try, but it will be hard.”

Placing my hand over his crotch, he said, “It’s very hard, but you’re worth it.”

There was nothing I wanted more—besides an offer for agent representation—than to get down and dirty with Nicholas right then and there, but I was so behind on book reviews for my blog. I also wanted to make some revisions to my agent query letter based on suggestions from one of my author friends. And I knew Nicholas was swamped, too. I decided a compromise was in order. “How about we do it in an hour?”

Nicholas frowned and tugged at my zipper. “But I want to do it now,” he said, adopting the bratty entitled voice of Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

Sliding away from him, I said, “It’s called delayed gratification. You should try it.”

Nicholas got up from the couch and stood in front of me. Extending his hand, he said, “You don’t want to make my brown eyes blue? Do you, Kimmie?” He frowned, drawing my eyes to his full and completely bitable lower lip.

I couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” had become “our” song the night we got back together. I sang it to him at karaoke in a grand gesture when my two best friends, Bridget and Caroline, dared me to stop moping about and write my own happy ending.

I reached for Nicholas’s hand and allowed him to pull me to a standing position. “I don’t want anything of yours to be blue,” I said as my eyes dropped down to his groin.

Leading me to my bedroom, he said, “That makes two of us.”

As promised, Nicholas made me feel better. He had mad skills. But even as I writhed in ecstasy beneath him, I wondered if my fifteenth rejection letter had already landed in my in-box.


 

Filed Under: Novelista Girl - Cover Reveal Tagged With: Authors, Blogger Girl Sequel, Blurb, Chick-Lit, Cover Reveal, Excerpt, Meredith Schorr, Novelista Girl, Women's Fiction

How Do You Know?

December 2, 2014 2 Comments

HowDoYouKnow?CoverPic

“How Do You Know?” by Meredith Schorr

Description:

What if you were approaching the end of your thirties and all of the life milestones you took for granted in your youth suddenly seemed out of reach? On the eve of her 39th birthday, Maggie Piper doesn’t look, act, or feel much different than she did at 29, but with her 40th birthday speeding towards her like a freight train, she wonders if she should. The fear of a slowing metabolism, wrinkling of her skin, and the ticking of her biological clock leaves Maggie torn between a desire to settle down like most of her similarly-aged peers and concern that all is not perfect in her existing relationship. When a spontaneous request for a temporary “break” from her live-in boyfriend results in a “break-up”, Maggie finds herself single once again and only twelve months from the big 4.0. In the profound yet bumpy year that follows, Maggie will learn, sometimes painfully, that life doesn’t always happen on a schedule, there are no deadlines in love, and age really is just a number.

Meredith Schorr, best-selling author of light women’s fiction digs deep in her newest novel and raises the age old issue of the ‘proverbial clock’ that haunts many women in a way that is refreshing and sassy no matter your age or relationship status.

My Review:

After reading “Blogger Girl” I became an instant fan of Meredith Schorr. So, when I was asked to read and review “How Do You Know?” I happily and eagerly accepted.

Where do I begin on how to express how much I enjoyed this book? From the first sentence to the last, the storyline and Maggie’s adventure on finding herself, captured my full attention. Though I don’t relate to Maggie (I can’t wait until I’m the big 4-0,), I really liked her character. Her struggle with aging and relationships (I couldn’t decide who I liked her with the best, but in the end, Maggie ended up with the right one) were quite humorous, and at times, had me laughing out loud. With a great support system of friends and family, I was cheering for Maggie the whole time, as she meandered her way through one eventful year, which taught her a lot about herself. “How Do You Know?” will easily be on my top five reads of 2014!

Though this is only the second book by Meredith Schorr, I am already waiting for another to come out. She’s a brilliant writer who creates stories you want to be part of, along with characters you want to be friends with. If you’re a fan of Emily Giffin, I highly recommend you pick up anything by Meredith Schorr!

I give “How Do You Know?” 5 stars!

**Buy Links: Amazon – US   Amazon – UK

Filed Under: Book Review, How do you Know? Tagged With: Book review, Books, Chick-Lit, Fiction, How Do You Know, Meredith Schorr, Release Day, Women's Fiction

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