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Picture Perfect

Holiday Treats for Chick Lit Lovers

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In the spirit of coming together for the holidays, eight popular Chick Lit authors are “partying it up” with a shared promotion for book lovers! That means eight fun and fizzy e-books, each priced at $3.99 or less, that are packed with plenty of laughs and romance to keep you entertained on those long winter nights! And if you’d like to gift one of these books to a Chick Lit fan, we’ve got you covered with your choice of paperbacks!

Which books are featured in this festive promo?

Finding Lucas by Samantha Stroh Bailey – Daytime talk show producer Jamie Ross is beyond fed up with her toxic bad boy turned metrosexual boyfriend. Spurred on by her gang of quirky friends, she goes on a hilarious, at-times disastrous, and totally life-changing hunt to track down the “one who got away.” But are some loves best left behind? E-book and paperback available on Amazon.

In Need of Therapy by Tracie Banister – Handling the problems of hysterical hypochondriacs, lovelorn neurotics, and compulsive man whores is all in a day’s work for super-shrink Pilar Alvarez. But can she deal with her crazy Cuban family, a trio of unsuitable suitors, and a threat to her practice without ending up on the couch herself? E-book available on Amazonand Barnes & Noble; paperback available on Amazon.

What the Dog Ate by Jackie Bouchard – Discovering what her dog ate turns Maggie Baxter’s world upside down. With her chocolate Lab, Kona, as her guide, can Maggie forego her overly analytical ways to find a new life filled with tail-wagging joy? E-book available on Amazon,Barnes & Noble, and iTunes; paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Girl, the Gold Tooth, & Everything by Francine LaSala – Suburban housewife Mina, beaten-down and struggling with amnesia, starts getting her memory and her mojo back. But she soon learns everything has a price in this fast-paced, richly layered, and darkly humorous satire! E-book and paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Breaking the Rules by Cat Lavoie – When Roxy Rule shares a passionate kiss with her lifelong best friend, she must come to terms with her feelings for him while dealing with two sisters in full crisis mode, a boss who makes her want to stab herself with a letter opener and a fiancé who can’t wait to walk down the aisle. Can she keep it together–or will she break under the pressure? E-book available on Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble; paperback available on Amazon.

Fashioning a Romance by Libby Mercer – Devastatingly handsome and deliciously weird, John Harrington is the man of Caitlyn Taylor’s dreams… and her nightmares. She has no use for a womanizer like him, and dodges his advances like a pro. But when they end up in Paristogether, Caitlyn feels her resolve begin to slip. How will she ever be able to resist the irresistible in the most romantic city in the world? E-book available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

A State of Jane by Meredith Schorr – Jane Frank is newly single after nine years and looking for a second chance at love. But when she dives head first into the NYC dating scene and finds it infested with flakes who are interested today and gone tomorrow, it may be time for Jane to turn the tables! E-book available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes; paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Picture Perfect by Lucie Simone – Lauren Tate’s perfectly planned life quickly unravels at the seams when a smear campaign threatens her career as a top TV executive, but she learns just how cutthroat showbiz can truly be when the hottest scandal in Tinsel Town turns deadly and the Hollywood hunk who’s stolen her heart goes missing. E-book available on Amazon; paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Picture Perfect

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 Book review of “Picture Perfect”

“Picture Perfect” by Lucie Simone

Lauren Tate is a high-powered TV producer.  She’s a professional, but when work and personal dramas become the center of her life, her world spins out of control.  With a soon-to-be-ex-husband  and former assistant who are threatening to ruin her, Lauren claws her way up once again, which is where she belongs.  When she hooks up with her network’s “it” guy, she can’t seem to stop the attraction she feels for him.  It’s only when someone ends up dead (WOW!) will Lauren decide what’s most important to her, work or play, or can she have both?

When beginning PICTURE PERFECT, I found it to be a page-turner!  The story was easy to get interested in and it had me hooked.  While I felt sorry for Lauren, I thought that she was a little too rough and not likable in the beginning and didn’t relate to her, but she softened, only after someone ended up dead.  I understood that though, and would probably do and feel the way.

While I felt that PICTURE PERFECT was a little bit too much of a mystery-chick lit, I still enjoyed it.  There were twists and turns that I didn’t see coming at all (and neither will you), and it kept my interest from the first page to the last.  I really liked the fast-paced writing, and  never felt that the book was dragging.  As a whole, the characters were likable and delightful.  The story as a whole was enjoyable and funny at times.  Lucie’s writing was exceptional and she wrote memorable, even refreshing, characters.  If you want a wonderful, mysterious chick-lit, PICTURE PERFECT is the book for you!

I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars!

**Click HERE to read a guest post by the author!

Lucie Simone

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Author Biography:  Lucie Simone has a passion for travel, yoga, and writing. She has a degree in Journalism, a Master of Fine Arts in Television Production, and is a certified yoga teacher registered with Yoga Alliance. Her love of comedy (and living under the delusion that she might one day be an actress) resulted in a stint studying improvisation, which, ironically enough, taught her to be a better writer.

Her short story, A Taste of Italy, won the New York Book Festival competition for best ebook and is a bestseller at Amazon UK. The release of her debut novel,Hollywood Ending, a romantic comedy about life in Hollywood for the not-so-rich-and-famous, marked the launch of her small press, Simon & Fig, which publishes Chick Lit, Lad Lit and Women’s Fiction exclusively.

Lucie lives, loves and writes in the City of Angels, but considers New York City her second home and visits as often as her bank account will allow.

GUEST POST BY LUCIE

The Evolution of Chick Lit

Ever since Bridget Jones and her infamous diary first stumbled onto the literary scene in 1999, Chick Lit has captivated many a modern gal looking for humorous heroines whose tales reflect our own sometimes glamorous, sometimes gluttonous and often times glorious lives. And just like its readers, Chick Lit has evolved and “grown up” as the years have passed. No longer is the genre overflowing with books centered around dating disasters, shopping sprees and career casualties. Now, we’re seeing heroines who are married, and maybe even with children, as they undergo new life challenges such a coping with divorce, overcoming loss, and managing that delicate work/life balance.

I first noticed this trend with the appearance of Ellen Meister’s Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA in 2006. Centering around three women whose children attend the same elementary school in a Long Island suburb, this story reveals the struggles modern women face in trying to keep their marriages alive, their careers afloat, and their friendships strong. And even though I didn’t have kids, live in a suburb, or even have a husband, I could still relate to the characters and their stories because at its core, it was still about the empowerment of female bonding.

Jennifer Weiner’s long and impressive list of books, starting with Good in Bed and leading up to her current Chick Lit hit, The Next Best Thing, chronicles beautifully the evolution of Chick Lit since her debut in 2002. Her characters have matured and grown up right along with her, and her novels continue to reflect the humor and heart that keeps the genre kicking.

And recently, I found and fell in love with a fat, over-forty, fabulous Chick Lit heroine with a passion for cake and a knack for making mistakes. I absolutely loved Sue Watson’s Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes about Stella Weston, a mom, TV producer and soon-to-be-divorcee who chucks her crumby job and launches a baking business from her kitchen. It’s about reinventing yourself and learning to love who you are despite your so-called flaws. But above all, it celebrates the friendships that carry us through the tough times and see us for the fabulous women we truly are no matter what catastrophes befall us.

I love how resilient Chick Lit is. And despite the fact that the publishing industry long ago declared the genre dead and buried, it lives on with that same youthful spirit and the notion that laughter is the best medicine. Whereas Prada and Jimmy Choo used to occupy the minds and empty the wallets of Chick Lit heroines like Carrie Bradshaw and Becky Bloomwood, today’s Chick Lit chicks are concerned with deeper pursuits such as career satisfaction, meaningful relationships and how to have it all while still having fun.

And, of course, it just wouldn’t be Chick Lit without a fabulous set of friends for nattering and nurturing while our heroines keep on keeping on even in the face of dirty diapers, divorce, and the daily grind. For me, Chick Lit will always be about strong female voices, fabulous friendships, and a great sense of humor. No matter how old we get, we will always need these three things to keep us company.

Long live Chick Lit!

**Contact Lucie at the links below:

Blog: Lucie Simone

Websites: Lucie Simone   Lucie Simone (small press): Simon & Fig

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**Click HERE to read my review of Lucie’s book, “Picture Perfect!”