Chick Lit Goddess

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Monarch Beach

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Book review of “Monarch Beach”

“Monarch Beach,” by Anita Hughes

When a mom, Amanda Blick sees her sexy French chef husband, Andre, wrapped around his sous-chef, she’s heartbroken.  When her mother urges Amanda and her son, Max, to get a change of scenery with her at St. Regis Resort in Laguna Beach, she agrees to go to Laguna Beach.  She needed to get away from him for the summer and think about her future.  Instead of simply relaxing, doing her best to keep her mind off of Andre, Amanda meets a handsome older man who sweeps her away.  Also divorced, Edward teaches Amanda that there can be a life after Andre…until his loyalties are to be questioned.

There had been a lot of talk about “Monarch Beach,” so I put it on my to-read list.  When I was asked to review it I jumped at the chance.  From the first sentence to the last, “Monarch Beach” drew me into Amanda’s world.  Through her ups and downs with Andre and Edward, the book was very enjoyable.  With all the twists and turns — especially at the end, I literally couldn’t put this book down.  If I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about planning my own getaway to the St. Regis Resort, hoping to create my own journey.  The characters were very likable, even Andre tried to fool me, but I loved Amanda.  She was a devoted mom who just wanted to do the best for her son after her marriage failed.  I  liked Amanda’s mom and thought that she played a very enjoyable and loving role.  Like Amanda’s character, I loved how she evolved, too.  The ending will leave you aching for more, (I’m really hoping for a continuation with these characters)!

Anita Hughes is a brilliant author who has written a book I loved!  “Monarch Beach” is a funny, heartwarming and sexy read, and I recommend it to anyone who wants a delightful, addicting and fast-paced summer read.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!

**Click HERE to read my interview with Anita Hughes!

Dreaming of Him

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Book Review for “Dreaming of Him”

“Dreaming of Him,” by Wendy Ely

While awake, Amber is a very lonely woman and her life is at a dead-end.  Nothing can make her feel better, not even a makeover, but it’s different when she’s asleep.  A man from her past, Trace, enters her dreams and sweeps her off her feet.  When Amber wakes up, she realizes that it was a dream (a very hot one), because she knows that Trace is dead.  He tries to communicate with Amber through her dreams and watches over her, wanting her to know just how much she meant to him before he died.  His spirit moves her keys so she won’t be late for work and turns off the lights when she comes home drunk, closing her eyes, aching to be with him.  Only in her dreams, can they fall in love with one another, but he won’t let her go out the easy way to be with him!  That’s when he saves her from making a big mistake…

Admit it, you can’t stop staring at the cover, can you?  Neither can I!  When I won this book, I was thrilled.  Wanting to take break from my normal reads one weekend, I began reading Dreaming of Him.  Right away, I was drawn into a whole new world.  Wendy Ely’s descriptions were written so clear, that I felt as if I were Amber, wanting to dream of Trace!  The storyline was believable, especially for a woman like Amber, who has very little confidence.  I loved Trace!  He was gentle and he didn’t give up on Amber.  While I wish this book wasn’t so short, I loved it because it wasn’t the typical romance book with spirits or ghosts — it’s a true love story!  If you’re looking for a sweet, spicy book over the summer, this is the book for you!

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!

**Buy the book!:

All Romance

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Google Play

**An interview with the author, Wendy Ely, is coming soon!

For the Love of Goals…

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The past few months have been so busy and I’ve neglected my blogging friends.  For this, I apologize, but I have two exciting things to share!  Before I explain, here’s what’s coming up:

  • Friday, June 22nd, I’ll post my review of “Dreaming of Him,” by Wendy Ely, a soon-to-be guest.
  • Saturday, June 23rd, I’ll post my review of “Now You See Her,” by James Patterson
  • Friday, June 29th, I’ll post my review of “Monarch Beach,” by Anita Hughes
  • Thursday, July 12th, Paula Tiberus will be a guest
  • Thursday, July 26th, I’ll post my review of “What A Texas Girl Wants” and interview with the author, Kristina Knight
  • Saturday, August 18th, I’ll post my review of “Viewer Discretion Advised,” by Cindy Roesel
  • Saturday, August 25, I’ll post my review of “Fatty Patty,” by Kathleen Paterka
  • Wednesday, September 12th, I’ll post my review of “Breaking the Rules” and interview with the author, Cat Lavoie
Exciting stuff, huh?  Well, be sure to check back daily, because you won’t want to miss anything!

Now, for the exciting news! 

Beginning the first week in September, I will be back to blogging six days a week!  I’ve started realizing that I’m now paying as much attention to my own books as I should.  Don’t get me wrong, I love reviewing, but I want to really focus on making my dream a reality.  I want to be an author!  I will still have guests and post reviews, but not as often — at least for the rest of the year.  **Note: If you’d like me to review something, please still don’t hesitate — I’m sure we can work out something.

Now, for some really, really exciting news, Chick Lit Goddess is getting a facelift, (and I’m not just talking a little Botox here or there — I’m talking about liposuction and a breast augmentation, to go along with a new personality).  I’m very excited about this adventure and hope you like/love the changes that will be made.

In the meantime, your well wishes are appreciated…

Unlocked

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Book review of “Unlocked”

“Unlocked” by Rachael O’Bryan

This book is about a woman’s relationships with men while working as a tutor in college.  With all the ups and downs of this part in Rebecca’s life, it’s a clear view of how relationships can impact the rest of your life.

With all the intimate details of Rebecca’s life, it reminded me of reading a diary with very little dialog, which I didn’t mind.  The chapters are broken up into little stories and I thought that was a creative way to draw the reader in — I know I was!  The main character, Rebecca, has very low self-esteem, which was sad because I liked her.  With each story and relationship, it seemed to change the way she thought about men and life.  By the end, I was happy for her because she seemed to be content, but unfortunately, I didn’t buy it.  I would have really liked to see more of a change at the end, making her truly evolved in life and in love.  The writing was good and it didn’t drag, but no matter how much I tried to connect with Rebecca, I couldn’t.  Overall, I thought this book was really good.  If you’re looking for a quick read, filled with the ups and downs of relationships, you will really enjoy this book.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars!

Buy “Unlocked!”

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Lulu – Paperback

Lulu – ePub

Lulu – PDF

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

Rachael O’Bryan

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Author Bio: Rachael O’Bryan grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. She attended college at Temple University. After college she pursued her law degree, starting off at Tulane University and then graduating at American University. Rachael is a lawyer, but pursues writing in her free time. Besides writing Unlocked, she keeps a blog. Also, on June 1st she launched her own business – an online women’s magazine. The magazine is operated under Rachael Magazine LLC. The self-titled magazine is geared towards professional women in their 20s and 30s that want it all. You can subscribe HERE. When Rachael isn’t working, writing, or running her own business she enjoys reading, traveling, watching The New York Mets. and following the University of Louisville basketball team. She currently resides in New York City.

My Not So Chick Lit Life

In college I worked at a summer program in Louisville, Kentucky called Summerbridge. As I was driving to a work related event with a fellow summer teacher she told me of her desire to have a Carrie Bradshaw type of life in the future – an apartment in New York, a live in boyfriend, etc. She loved the independence and glamour of what was portrayed on HBO at the time. I had never seen Sex and the City at that point; I unfortunately didn’t get HBO in my college dorm. However, I now am the proud owner of the whole series on DVD minus the second movie.

And after watching the most notorious example of a chick lit based series, I see why the life is so appealing. Carrie was able to have an amazing apartment in New York, that prior to becoming a successful author, seemed completely unrealistic. She spent money on the best brands in fashion and took cabs everywhere. She seemed to have this endless money supply, until she really needed it to buy her apartment. Her finances didn’t match her lifestyle and as an aspiring writer and a new New Yorker, those things bother me to no end. I know life in New York doesn’t exist for most people like that and certainly not for me.

I moved here with no job, but was able to after about a week land my first contracting job (which was what I was doing in Washington, DC before I moved). And since moving here I’ve also been working on my writing career through blogging, promoting my book, starting a second book, and launching my online women’s magazine. I do all this from my tiny studio apartment in the East Village after I fit in 40+ hours of work at my day job (that sometimes turns into a night job and weekend job). Not only do all of these things fight for my time and attention, they also fight over my financial resources.

Besides my insane jealousy of the make believe financial situation she had, she also had lots of dates and relationships. Ugh the world of dating is one I can barely navigate, especially in New York. I mean I’m not longing to be broken up with on a post-it note, but if that means that someone is breaking up with me because I had a relationship for awhile than maybe I am wishing for it (I’d prefer the relationship without the break-up though of course). Besides the post-it break up Carrie definitely had lots of ups and downs with the opposite sex, but in the end she got her guy. Big rescued her from that Russian guy she dated (that I was not a fan of ) in my favorite city in the world – Paris.

But with all this said I still find myself tuning into Sex and the City and dreaming of my Carrie Bradshaw life. I don’t need Manolo Blahnik shoes, I’m perfectly happy with my shoes from DSW. I don’t need expensive bags, although a part of me does want to buy a Marc Jacobs bag, but that’s for when I make it big with my writing (hey you have to treat yourself every once in awhile). And I do love my Chanel sunglasses, but I’ve had them for years. So what’s the appeal then you may ask? It’s the same appeal of every other chick lit book – love. Every girl, every person wants love. I haven’t found that type of love yet and it’s always refreshing even if it’s in a TV show to see it happen. As much as her financial/living situation wasn’t realistic in parts of the series, her struggles with love were. The heartaches, the infatuation, the nerves, the over thinking, the happy moments – those are all relatable. However, the one difference between me and Carrie is that I don’t need someone to rescue me in the City of Lights and Love, I need someone to board the plan with me at JFK to go explore the city. I want someone to share my life, not save it, because the hero of my story has always been myself and that’s the way every woman should think. Unless my ideal Mr. Big would like to save me from my law school debt, then save away … I’m joking … mostly … law school wasn’t cheap.

I leave you with my favorite quote from the series by Carrie Bradshaw: “Some people are settling down, some people are settling, and some people refuse to settle for anything less than butterflies.”

**Contact Rachael:

Blog

Rachel Magazine

**Click HERE to read my review of “Unlocked!”

50 Shades of Grey

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As promised, here is my review of “50 Shades of Grey,” by E. L. James.

Out of curiosity and wanting to see what all the hype was about, I began this book in April.  Just this past Saturday, I finally finished it — WHEW!

Getting through the first 150 pages was so hard, which was one reason why it took so long to finish.  E.L. James has admitted that she’s not a good writer and I agree with her!  While not only is she not a good writer, neither did she have a good editor.  The editor could have done a better job, making the writing stronger, especially for such a popular book.  Isn’t that an editor’s job?

While the storyline was good, with very enjoyable characters, dominate Christian Grey and submissive, Anastasia Steele, I expected more from the so-called “mommy porn.”  In Megan Hart’s books, the sex scenes had me blushing, but as I was reading “50 Shades,” I kept rolling my eyes.  I’ve even written stuff more sexual!  The sex scenes were laughable, but I see why so many are rushing out to buy this book.  James has stated in multiple interviews that this book is written on her fantasies and I can see why; she’s a married mom of two.  This book is for moms who have traded whips and handcuffs for bottles and bibs.  As a married woman without children, I was more swept away with Christian’s dominance than with the sex.  It was Christian who had my toes curling, along with his mysterious ways…Damn, he’s a sexy Hero!

There is talk about “50 Shades” being a movie which I would be interested in, especially if they get my imagination of Christian right.  (Who do you recommend playing him?)

While I do plan on reading the other books, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, I’m really in no hurry to start them.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars, based on the characters and plot, not the writing or the sex scenes.

It’s Fun Friday

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I don’t know about you, but deciding what’s for lunch is often the most difficult part of my day.  Monday through Friday, I open my refrigerator, freezer and pantry and just stare, hoping something will catch my eye.  I have nothing to eat, I complain.  The truth is, I have a lot of food, but nothing stands out.  It’s times like this that I will reopen the freezer and pull out a Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones.  I find that’s it’s a lot easier than cooking for one since the hubby’s at work and it’s healthy, so they’re what I settle on.  While I guess the frozen meals aren’t so bad (trust me, they’ve come a long way and no longer taste like cardboard), I’ve started to get bored with them, (I can only add so much Cholula to spice it up a bit!).  My other option for lunch is to have a meal replacement shake, like Shakeology, but I prefer to have them for breakfast since I’m really not a breakfast eater.

I have tried to find a healthy cookbook for one, but it seems like there are tons of ingredients to chop, sauté, cook, leave on simmer…the list could go on for a long time!   THIS is the only recipe I’ve made for lunch, then used the leftovers for dinner with whatever we had that night, (if you like Chipotle, then you’ll like this — it tastes so good).

While I enjoy cooking, I don’t have the time.  It’s important for writer’s to stay focused, so if I’m cooking how can I concentrate on my work without slashing my finger open with a knife?  Grr!

What do you eat for lunch?  Do you have any easy, quick recipes for one?  If now, do you have any comments, solutions, or even advice?

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Cleaning & Organizing…

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Over a year ago the hubby and I moved back into our newly renovated home, and it’s beautiful.  We’ve had fun organizing and playing with (and in) the new parts of the house, but never really opened back up the old part, making it into one home — until recently.  Our front door was blue to begin with, and we wanted a change.  We sanded for a few hours, then stopped, letting it go not very pretty for a long time.  Just this past weekend, we finished…and it’s so pretty!  The paint color we ended up with is called “Stolen Kiss,” (perfect name, don’t ya’ think?).  After the door was finished, we started (cleaning out, throwing out/away and organizing) the rest of the house.  Our first task was our “reading room,” (A.K.A. “where we put everything else”).  Step-by-step through our organization, we made huge progress — and still are!  In the past four days, we’ve bought five of these bookshelves from Office Depot, each under $50 dollars!  Now, comes the fun part!  My amazing, handsome, loving and funny husband brought home a barcode scanner, (yes, like from the stores) and we’ve scanned almost every book in our house and put them on our new shelves so we can record every book we have in our house.  (I swear, he has a way to do everything!)  While it’s been quite and eye-opening experience to see all the books I have in their place, it’s mind-boggling of what to do with them.  I have so many different type of books that it seems more like a bookstore than a home, but I’m okay with that because I love bookstores — ha, ha!

How do you suggest putting the books in order?