tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61186430748794455132024-03-13T06:39:56.443+00:00Chick LitaholicGeorginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-54377947563460432102012-05-28T12:12:00.002+01:002012-05-28T12:12:24.497+01:00It's Monday What Are You Reading (1)It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #28473c;">Book Journey</span></a>, where I show you what I have read this past week and what I plan to read in the coming week. <br />
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<a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAORhDqXAWHRlrZxs9lGoG78M1p6LwWZ2EENvADGpe2F50PvpOBZb670YKd_uZ9VNdRqA64NTHx86-3jQr8PCWsqMufOq8V1md9nk5-_pmzvD2aUvW0EdB1tt_rETQ4uvLm_iZ3KH7Tw/s200/35.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<strong><u><span style="color: magenta;">Read Last Week</span></u></strong><br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_917153841" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG77D0r9lMeR-e_u8tum0sbG-de9o0UsWRF9BCwTOFG-bQGOabOynoY7KOI_jTfn19bfCEzNc9umXoUktEN6-2zQUMma1UWBnSFevidi0GWRcmrrp2NBmO7DTK_RjInJ_V-NzKQZcLas0/s200/830686.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG77D0r9lMeR-e_u8tum0sbG-de9o0UsWRF9BCwTOFG-bQGOabOynoY7KOI_jTfn19bfCEzNc9umXoUktEN6-2zQUMma1UWBnSFevidi0GWRcmrrp2NBmO7DTK_RjInJ_V-NzKQZcLas0/s1600/830686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7174789-slummy-mummy" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3WqgJTUIV8eZvTlMQbG26bmtJOlOXKAh7BtdXMPVSaOhdajYoJ4CVAed3U_oJOwtze26pWDLRaMxwtWnSAW32NJh5kyK3FDxnsMHnRew22Qbsb2vc3NDxs8pKEsGnSYlGiR5w2IusB8/s200/slummy_mummy_cover_lg.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>
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<strong><u><span style="color: magenta;">Currently Reading</span></u></strong><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13252103-the-summer-of-secrets"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTf8rkv17KqxAQEohdsQVnGhR9VdrEjuwuauhyphenhyphenZbzFLOB-SD7Hnbc1-opvw6gP9vvy0EiTTT6s98mM3T5qVtO6W7ejy8K2setkEXhLeoQ7s5ETcpO2yAokJEfrexwYUqZ6GjYl6uxXkWw/s200/7758.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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<strong><u><span style="color: magenta;">Plan To Read This Week</span></u></strong><br />
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What are you reading this Monday?</div>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-20923116356517578172012-04-20T14:54:00.000+01:002012-04-20T14:54:03.193+01:00Dewey Readathon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HA20uprLVLtwgHfdtlKJoz2l5fXxyj58xuNPrc-9ab7WP7ldeMGcoIf9IvuVvL8e8SRSQz2U8k_lOxVEDHsOjJ6IIsdOvzSwUxloB6uq7uoHmMmZfhKtJ5csQL1FPCPgzEJYs07Zo9M/s1600/Dewey-24-hour-readathon-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HA20uprLVLtwgHfdtlKJoz2l5fXxyj58xuNPrc-9ab7WP7ldeMGcoIf9IvuVvL8e8SRSQz2U8k_lOxVEDHsOjJ6IIsdOvzSwUxloB6uq7uoHmMmZfhKtJ5csQL1FPCPgzEJYs07Zo9M/s1600/Dewey-24-hour-readathon-large.jpg" /></a></div>
So as many of you may have noticed I have been M.I.A for the past few months. Life just managed to catch up with me and I have been so busy but that doesnt mean that I havent been reading. I have still being reading with the same zeal as before and now I'm ready to get back to blogging and sharing all my thoughts with you. What better way to kick things off again than with The Dewey 24 Hour Readathon. As many of you will already know the <a href="http://www.24hourreadthon.com/?subject=SweetWords"> Dewey 24 Hour Readthon </a>is the the biggest readthon out there. This is the event that started and inspired many other readthons. Well its that time of year again where we settle down somewhere comfortable with an enormous pile of books and an equally large statsh of snacks and get our read on. <br />
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<a href="http://www.24hourreadthon.com/?subject=SweetWords">The Dewey 24 Hour Readthon </a>starts in the UK at 12pm GMT (and 8am EST) and runs through until the next morning. With all the mini challenges and bloggers who take part this is set to be a fantastic event. I can't wait to find out what books all my fellow readers will be delving into and whether we can last the full 24 hours.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">My Reading Pile</span></strong> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUnwgj9w7CnNU52muc5N_qCTde5FGuvVUyig5dwm0kOqYpgJ72IYQARdZYRDolpqq83NhoMqsVGWm6hd6emFqwsH-nu-y6ruCBdoiON9nJTcVI8GzSys6rvCKERfjtSMxkNYE6iJZxTI/s1600/IMG-20120420-00314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUnwgj9w7CnNU52muc5N_qCTde5FGuvVUyig5dwm0kOqYpgJ72IYQARdZYRDolpqq83NhoMqsVGWm6hd6emFqwsH-nu-y6ruCBdoiON9nJTcVI8GzSys6rvCKERfjtSMxkNYE6iJZxTI/s320/IMG-20120420-00314.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Bunheads by Sophie Flack<br />
Alice Brown's Guide To The Serious Art Of Dating by Elanor Prescott<br />
Switched by Amanda Hocking<br />
The Playdate by Louise Millar<br />
Partials by Dan Wells<br />
The Wedding Writer by Susan Schneider<br />
Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi<br />
Summer With My Sister by Lucy Diamond<br />
Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris<br />
The Charm Bracelet by Melissa Hill<br />
Fever by Lauren DeStefano<br />
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What are you all planning to read during the readathon?<br />Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-86382277875087534402012-01-27T00:02:00.000+00:002012-01-27T00:02:14.126+00:00YA Friday: Cinder by Marissa Meyer<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Cinder by <a href="http://marissameyer.livejournal.com/">Marissa Meyer</a> </span></strong></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: magenta;"></span></strong><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><br />
<span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>When Was It Released?:</strong> <span style="color: black;"> 3rd January 2012</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4kKCDfn_IMGe7t083j0KSidTotnK5RUBgo1hiLAibWOZcIoyLeBP7BMwT2A01dfT_zcsPqCcLp-9Jnnih3uigTh9MX8zesKhpAoJLUkaHBOu_0XpsqZusqD_r69D7WSXEJv0LwtMmqc/s1600/53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4kKCDfn_IMGe7t083j0KSidTotnK5RUBgo1hiLAibWOZcIoyLeBP7BMwT2A01dfT_zcsPqCcLp-9Jnnih3uigTh9MX8zesKhpAoJLUkaHBOu_0XpsqZusqD_r69D7WSXEJv0LwtMmqc/s320/53.jpg" width="211" /></a><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Where Did I Get It From?: </strong></span></span><span style="color: black;">From the publishers in exchange for a review. Thankyou!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong>Who Published It?: <a href="http://us.macmillan.com/FeiwelAndFriends.aspx">Feiwel And Friends</a> </strong></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong></strong></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Number Of Pages:</span></strong> 390 pages</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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Now I have a confession to make to you all, I'm an absolute sucker for fairy tales. I know, I know, I'm a grown women, I'm supposed to have realised by now that fairy tales never come true, right? I just can't help it though, there is just something about getting lost in a story so far away that from reality that really draws me in. So of course when I heard that Marissa Meyer was writing a retelling of Cinderella with cyborgs I just knew that I had to get my hands on this book. <br />
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Cinder is one of New Beijing's best mechanics, but much more than that she is also a cyborg. She is viewed as beneath everyone else and detested by her stepmother who blames her for everything that goes wrong. When Cinder encounters the Prince at the market one morning her whole world is thrown upside down and she becomes involved in a intergalatic battle and an inner struggle much larger than she could ever have dreamed.<br />
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Sometimes, in fact sadly more often that not, fairy tale retellings end up being a disappointment as too much emphasis is placed on the original story and not enough on making the story stand out on its own. Well Cinder by Marissa Meyer, was definatly not a disappointment, in fact it was such an interesting read that I was completely drawn into the story and unable to put this book down. I love that Marissa Meyer created such a unique retelling of Cinderella, which although predicatable, as we already know the story of Cinderella, had its own twists and turns. The creation of New Beijing where Cinder lives is so creatively brought to life that I was instantly swept away in this futuristic world of disease, cyborgs and Lunars. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgex8VZn0mD7uONIdhFHQ_7bP23XF8Owz8-RbdR6GWiJFie1mE71T6hnCkLc9kwqzZerrA2fc53MXsfhzNJ2C2zWbU6Z4nsyIpHS0YHTWrxb1nhQbIqcGUV5yJTL2sFMglnuUzl9-u4F_k/s1600/215348_191841977527765_191841640861132_518760_5648113_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgex8VZn0mD7uONIdhFHQ_7bP23XF8Owz8-RbdR6GWiJFie1mE71T6hnCkLc9kwqzZerrA2fc53MXsfhzNJ2C2zWbU6Z4nsyIpHS0YHTWrxb1nhQbIqcGUV5yJTL2sFMglnuUzl9-u4F_k/s320/215348_191841977527765_191841640861132_518760_5648113_n.jpg" width="213" /></a>As a heroine, and our very own cyborg Cinderella, I adored Cinder. She is such a strong, smart and totally brave character, who screams independance. She really wants to stand on her own two feet and overcome the obstacles that are placed in front of her. What a role model for any girl reading this novel! All the characters within Cinder stand out in their own right and are multi dimensional with so many different layers, you will constantly be questioning who everyone really is. <br />
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Overall, Cinder was an enticing, unique, beautifully written story of disease, heartbreak and evil queens. This is Cinderella on a more gritty level, you definatly won't find any glass slippers or fairy godmothers in this retelling. Cinder is the first novel in the Lunar Chronicles series and I cannot wait to read on with the next book to find out what happens next. I would highly recommened this book to everyone, in fact go out and buy it now, you won't be disappointed. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/pXrMAFGWyuE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
</div><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0312641893&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-58274251207586952602012-01-26T22:33:00.000+00:002012-01-26T22:33:35.433+00:00Winner: Ciara Geraghty Book BundleMy giveaway to win the fantastic prize to win a book bundle of all three of Ciara Geraghty's books ended on Tuesday. I was astounded by the number of enteries, and want to thank everyone so much for their support. I have now picked a winner a random. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Winner Is:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Helen</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Congratulations to our lucky winner Helen, who I have also emailed so that she can claim her prize. Thankyou so much to everyone who entered the giveaway for your support of Chick Litaholic. I will be bringing you lots of giveaways in the future. Please stayed tuned for the latest giveaway, that you will not want to miss, which will be announced on Monday.Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-67376422628628196942012-01-26T21:03:00.000+00:002012-01-26T21:03:28.784+00:00The Fat Chance Guide To Dieting by Claudia Pattison: A Review<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">The Fat Chance Guide To Dieting by <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=claudia+pattison&tag=googhydr-21&index=stripbooks&hvadid=6177079856&ref=pd_sl_6ottxze19f_e">Claudia Pattison</a> </span></strong></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: magenta;"></span></strong><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;"></span></strong><br />
<span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>When Was It Released?:</strong> <span style="color: black;"> 29th December 2011</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhKww25y_Q25vGY4SQbcScFZQQhzYSduvDHiJ0DKWUIRWBT1mijJddUeGbHusn2WosmBmM54axDLgzUX9n04RyFb8vf1691b_EKZqEgOMl5HRjchrb_ZJoF2qaXvLRRcu_EubLEd-Zxc/s1600/51OQaxoxYcL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhKww25y_Q25vGY4SQbcScFZQQhzYSduvDHiJ0DKWUIRWBT1mijJddUeGbHusn2WosmBmM54axDLgzUX9n04RyFb8vf1691b_EKZqEgOMl5HRjchrb_ZJoF2qaXvLRRcu_EubLEd-Zxc/s320/51OQaxoxYcL.jpg" width="208" /></a><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Where Did I Get It From?: </strong></span></span><span style="color: black;">From the publishers </span></span></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: black;">in exchange for a review. Thankyou! </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong>Who Published It?: <a href="http://www.penguin.co.uk/">Penguin</a> </strong></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong></strong></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Number Of Pages:</span></strong> 383 pages</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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What could be a more entertaining read than the perils of a group of women at a slimming club? After all, you always hear such horror stories about diet groups; they couldn't possibly all be true, right?! And what a fantastic time, around the New Year to have released a book focused around diets, even if completely fiction, it is still the time we are all trying to lose a few pounds after gorging ourselves over the Christmas period. <br />
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Holly, Naomi and Kate, all join a slimming club desperate to lose those last few pounds and get healthy. With chocolate and pizza definatly off the menu, the girls form a bond trying to reach their all important goals. With a little push from their team leader Amanda, the women are determined to win the Slimmer of the Year Awards this year. Will the temptations prove too much, with buffet table, ruthless competitiors and many other suprises lurking around the corner?<br />
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If you have ever attended a slimming club with the resolve to lose weight, be it Weight Watchers or Slimming World, you will be laughing out loud at Fat Chance Guide To Dieting. While the diet group in the novel is purely fictional, and a little extreme, with all the worst parts of slimming clubs thrown in, anyone who has ever been on a diet will be able to relate in some way. While there are some extremely funny moments within the novel, especially during boot camp, I really enjoyed the way in which Claudia Pattison also dealt with the distress that being overweight can cause to women. Holly, Naomi and Kate, are clearly unhappy in their lives, even though they may put up an affront to the outside world, and I enjoyed reading the events that led them to their weight gain, as is usually the case with women piling on the pounds.<br />
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Naomi, Holly and Kate are all three very different women, who are thrown together each trying to reach similar goals. While I liked all the characters, admittedly Holly and Kate a little more than Naomi due to her life choices, I did find all three characters a little hard to relate to. Not due to the fact that they are all trying to lose weight, which I'm sure most of us have been through at some point in our lives, but because of some of the choices that they make in life. There were, however, each very real and I really enjoyed the way the story is told from each friends point of view, therefore giving a real insight into each of their lives.<br />
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Overall, I found Fat Chance Guide To Dieting, to be a fun, light, entertaining read, that dealt with issues women face everyday in a hilarious way. I absolutly adore the cover and think it would be extremely hard to resisit picking this one up off the shelf. I would definatly recommened Fat Chance Guide to dieting if you are looking for a light hearted read. I look forward to reading more from Claudia Pattison in the future. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Xzv-qRjR3w7c-xqU2w6_KVQ0bxOv65sslt2JymlKhX76KLk7LS-9rz2ApfbVGZG_M_iQ8-kEWsNo6vip4BTA0InqFys2YUKSBitOSu530bNxeslqSMC3KAy5S0jGc5FLDqphlHbEwTk/s1600/large3.png" /></div><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0141037067&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-53872922853784230122012-01-19T00:02:00.000+00:002012-01-19T00:02:34.574+00:00Manhattan by Ronni Cooper: A Review<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Manhattan by <a href="http://www.ronnicooper.com/">Ronni Cooper</a> </span></strong></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: magenta;"></span></strong><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;"></span></strong><br />
<span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>When Was It Released?:</strong> <span style="color: black;"> 22nd December 2011</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Where Did I Get It From?:</strong> </span></span><span style="color: black;">From the publishers in exchange for a review. Thankyou</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong>Who Published It?: <a href="http://www.littlebrown.co.uk/About/Imprints/Sphere">Sphere </a> </strong></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong></strong></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Number Of Pages:</span></strong> 433 pages</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5I-hC6sTFcFGbwTrzeM1jbFO3wtFDFuIfuavsG8hyhOGNL9uCbwa9IdDWo78WvcEJdTKP1pBOU6BKmhOwIXrnvLe0z92PGs8PlPfzQ3cs-SVzsUpvfuCz2V4zDEzYcaer2jpPAZC1CVo/s1600/manhattan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5I-hC6sTFcFGbwTrzeM1jbFO3wtFDFuIfuavsG8hyhOGNL9uCbwa9IdDWo78WvcEJdTKP1pBOU6BKmhOwIXrnvLe0z92PGs8PlPfzQ3cs-SVzsUpvfuCz2V4zDEzYcaer2jpPAZC1CVo/s320/manhattan.jpg" width="203" /></a></div><br />
Sometimes, I come across a book that I am sure I will enjoy, but I'm a little reluctant to start. Theres never really any reasoning behind it, other than thinking that I am not going to enjoy it as much as I perhaps would other books in my TBR pile. Well, before I picked it up and started to read, Manhattan was one of those books. Once I started reading, I soon realised that the old saying of "you should never judge a book by its cover", could not have rung more true. (Not that I don't like the cover, I actually do!)<br />
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Manhattan centers around three women; Raine, Mei Ling and Stevie who all own the hottest nighclub Manhattan. The story centers around their lives before the nightclub and how they came to be in that position. Raine, was born in Brooklyn and clawed her way up from the bottom to become the queen of the city. Mei Lei. a high class madam, whose American dream started out as a nightmare. Lastly, Stevie, once the lead singer in one of the biggest rock bands, she has now fallen from grace with a secret that could destroy her .<span id="freeText17093549776639594719">Now all three women are about to discover that payback is the biggest bitch of all.</span><br />
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Manhattan, is a novel filled with drama, glamour and the outrageous, reminding me a little of a Jackie Collins novel. The storyline and the characters were so different from the lives of most normal girls, yet you know events like this and people like these, really do exist. I was instantly transported into the lives of Raine, Mei Ling and Stevie from the very first page. The novel is split in narrative, alternating between each of the characters, which gave a real insight into each of their lives as well as their true feelings. The story mainly focuses on each of these women's past and how that led them to where they are in the present day. I really enjoyed learning about each one of these women, and even though who the story is told from changes throughout the nove, it still flows easily and quickly. The music knowledge that Ronni Cooper has, and injects into the character of Stevie, was fascinating, making me feel as though I could have been in the 80's along with these rock bands. I felt this added another layer to the novel that perhaps would not have been there without the depth of the music knowledgeI will warn any readers that do not enjoy any explicit content within their novels, for example sex scenes, that perhaps this is not the novel for you. Ronni Cooper is very frank about exactly what each of her characters get up to, which adds another layer of gritty reality to the novel, which some readers may not enjoy. <br />
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Usually, when reading a novel that is told from the viewpoint of more than one character, I find I like some characters more than others. In the case of Manhattan, however, I found that I loved each of the characters as much as the next. Raine is such a strong, independant woman, who even though she has many difficulties and tradegies in her life, still manages to pick herself up and continue on with her life. Mei Ling, may appear vunerable at first, but once it becomes clear the extent of the horror she has been through in her life, her strength really shines through. I found Stevie to be the most relatable, even though she becomes the most well known of the three women, she still stays grounded and most like the normal girl she was in the beginning of the story. I really felt true emotion for each of these characters, while they are all strong, beautiful women, they each have their own inner demons to contend with. At times I felt like crying along with each character as they struggle through the hard times in their lives. <br />
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Manhattan was a novel that I always expected to like but never expected to love. This is why I was so pleasently suprised with how much I truely enjoyed reading this book. The storyline was so intriguing, intense and fast paced I found myself unable to put Manhattan down, telling myself I would read just one more chapter, before finishing the entire book in one sitting. . If you are apprehensive in any way about reading Manhattan than I suggest you pick this book up straight away, because trust me you will not be dissapointed, and if you already have the book then move it to the top of your reading pile. Trust me, Manhattan is going to blow you away. <br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0751542768&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=075154275X&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-33047778386577940032012-01-18T01:38:00.000+00:002012-01-18T01:38:27.143+00:00Waiting On Wednesday<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #51236c;">Breaking the Spine</span></a>, that and looks upcoming releases that we cant wait to get our hands on. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This week's pre-publication I really can't wait to read is<strong>:</strong></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Great Escape by Fiona Gibson (16th Febuary 2012)</span></strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzxiNi6Nvigy9lSEO0KUU6pFxKQzLKtIGNY9BaMvR-II10nr8IrS7jQirE1hunznWAYIAc_iozeAXH5vT-xQK1ek8httujrqS1S6TemGcYoJ6uU9TQla6egneQgbGb9m9t-ShYhdspcM/s1600/064325-FC50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzxiNi6Nvigy9lSEO0KUU6pFxKQzLKtIGNY9BaMvR-II10nr8IrS7jQirE1hunznWAYIAc_iozeAXH5vT-xQK1ek8httujrqS1S6TemGcYoJ6uU9TQla6egneQgbGb9m9t-ShYhdspcM/s320/064325-FC50.jpg" width="210" /></a><em>For one weekend only, Hannah, Sadie and Lou are determined to give it their best shot. Hannah’s getting married… and has serious pre-wedding jitters. She adores Ryan but can’t figure out how to fit into his grown-up, family-sized life. There’s that fridge, for starters. That, too, is family-sized, with a gadget on the front that spits ice in her face. More alarming still are Ryan’s children, Daisy, 10 and Josh, 13, who clearly don’t relish the prospect of Hannah, a free-spirited greetings card illustrator, becoming their step-mum.So she fires off invitations to a hen weekend – just the ticket to get her into the marrying mood.</em><em> Trouble is…New mum Sadie is leaving her twin babies for the very first time with their terrified dad…Lou is unaware that her long-term man Spike is desperate to bundle her onto that Glasgow-bound train so he can hot-foot it round to see his secret fling Miranda…And, unbeknown to the girls, Johnny, their sexy upstairs neighbour from their art college days, is still frequenting those haunts, desperately in need of a little magic to happen.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This sounds like such a fun read that is such to have anyone who reads it laughing hysterically. I cannot wait to find out what escapades the characters all get up to.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=1847562604&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-4572753609855976512012-01-11T12:33:00.000+00:002012-01-11T12:33:41.492+00:00Waiting On Wednesday: All The Single Ladies by Jane Costello<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #51236c;">Breaking the Spine</span></a>, that and looks upcoming releases that we cant wait to get our hands on. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This week's pre-publication I really can't wait to read is<strong>:</strong></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">All The Single Ladies by Jane Costello (2nd Febuary 2012)</span></strong></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNJQeplphC59CGETCTmsmN1BjUWQiKD05mkoUtsISF-ufnxqPrYcrTMuA29qN3w0ho3Rh0WdVcDb0-8RvJKrOEqWhUKOJqGeX3T7KqHBLH5n1XNEhRGesMqTOdATlGIXQqt0bAjlFD98/s1600/jane-costello-all-the-single-ladies.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNJQeplphC59CGETCTmsmN1BjUWQiKD05mkoUtsISF-ufnxqPrYcrTMuA29qN3w0ho3Rh0WdVcDb0-8RvJKrOEqWhUKOJqGeX3T7KqHBLH5n1XNEhRGesMqTOdATlGIXQqt0bAjlFD98/s320/jane-costello-all-the-single-ladies.png" width="217" /></a></div><em>Samantha Brooks' boyfriend has made a mistake. One his friends, family,and Sam herself know he will live to regret. Jamie has announced he is leaving, out of the blue. He is loving, intelligent and, while he isn't perfect, he's perfect for her - in every way except one: he's a free spirit. And after six years in one place, doing a job he despises, he is compelled to do something that will tear apart his relationship with Sam: book a one-way flight to South America. But Sam isn't giving up without a fight. With Jamie still totally in love with her, and torn about whether to stay or go, she has three months to persuade him to do the right thing. With the help of her friends Ellie and Jen, she hatches a plan to make him realise what he's giving up. A plan that involves dirty tricks, plotting and a single aim: to win him back. But by the time the tortured Jamie finally wakes up to what he's lost, a gorgeous new pretender has entered Sam's life. Which begs the question ...does she still want him back?</em><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What are you Waiting On this Wednesday?</span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0857206575&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-64108475068501974602012-01-10T19:24:00.001+00:002012-01-15T19:27:24.766+00:00Giveaway: A set of all of Ciara Geraghty's books<span style="font-size: large;">Would you would like to win a bundle of books? Well if so, thanks to the lovely Hodder & Stoughton I have a set of all three of Ciara Geraghty's novels to giveaway to one lucky winner. The bundle includes:</span> <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqpSsPpedc1eFwvuJhNQnalmJmT2LTZHalQF8VrkI0oLIATioLfWjhtJDjr3vKoIwXk6TzrKnC30FTHdqvbNjoh3j6A8jAc8owJ7YbI8BxBmpDYkYcIQy-0pd9rN68DUY6sSJDdebbLYs/s1600/n286826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqpSsPpedc1eFwvuJhNQnalmJmT2LTZHalQF8VrkI0oLIATioLfWjhtJDjr3vKoIwXk6TzrKnC30FTHdqvbNjoh3j6A8jAc8owJ7YbI8BxBmpDYkYcIQy-0pd9rN68DUY6sSJDdebbLYs/s200/n286826.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sA06-DwVJLrVWqo0K5W31c8C8ovpmmMGcIPOMgmvs5hUVOuewCofP74xHO2gu3XgCka0uQPApK6qivzD3dtb1eZbGsogyoKmpIBy0Ur9-Ra5zZE6xwSfj0mfQE9QJeyHN6d3_uh5rMY/s1600/827348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sA06-DwVJLrVWqo0K5W31c8C8ovpmmMGcIPOMgmvs5hUVOuewCofP74xHO2gu3XgCka0uQPApK6qivzD3dtb1eZbGsogyoKmpIBy0Ur9-Ra5zZE6xwSfj0mfQE9QJeyHN6d3_uh5rMY/s200/827348.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUtogh75juudAO4Bp28JGir3KRXc0FgQqbT85ONMb37kqNDEwda-n5e15ughqPmUDOfprARtn3C0iDQT5FCAsFQgk-3FViCUpOom7QyE_Hqtm8KToEpO2RPY_BzBTGV7C1R8Tlvtcru4/s1600/Finding-Mr-Flood-pb-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUtogh75juudAO4Bp28JGir3KRXc0FgQqbT85ONMb37kqNDEwda-n5e15ughqPmUDOfprARtn3C0iDQT5FCAsFQgk-3FViCUpOom7QyE_Hqtm8KToEpO2RPY_BzBTGV7C1R8Tlvtcru4/s200/Finding-Mr-Flood-pb-cover.jpg" width="130" /></a><br />
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</div><ul><li><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Saving Grace</span></div></li>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div style="text-align: left;"></div><li><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Becoming Scarlett</span></div></li>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div style="text-align: left;"></div><li><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Finding Mr Flood</span> </div></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">You can read my review of Finding Mr Flood <a href="http://chicklitaholic.blogspot.com/2011/12/finding-mr-flood-by-ciara-geraghty.html">here</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">To enter please complete the form below. The giveaway is open internationally. Winners will be contacted once the competition ends and will have 48 hours to respond, else a new winner will be chosen. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Giveaway ends 24th January 2012</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Good Luck!</span></div><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="638" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dFBDeVhnMFlNS1pVMHV0T1dCNFJ4VVE6MQ" width="760"><p>&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;</p></iframe>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-24398049603161678722012-01-10T12:08:00.000+00:002012-01-10T12:08:04.431+00:00Blog Tour - Stay Tuned by Lauren Clark<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsM1WqCBVQmC7zePId2DP0ksR8SyTBokwAg2W_VghyiQxvWy1LcKwMsp-xOrfk1Vl6pEZPdO39GqaQR305RbQqV7C2GOfWjGV6f9r6SlA7aTWi_uFtQAbLrkZN6Trd47x_fOAQ-rMB2o/s1600/stay+tuned+button.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsM1WqCBVQmC7zePId2DP0ksR8SyTBokwAg2W_VghyiQxvWy1LcKwMsp-xOrfk1Vl6pEZPdO39GqaQR305RbQqV7C2GOfWjGV6f9r6SlA7aTWi_uFtQAbLrkZN6Trd47x_fOAQ-rMB2o/s200/stay+tuned+button.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Stay Tuned by <a href="http://www.laurenclarkbooks.com/">Lauren Clark</a> </span></strong></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: magenta;"></span></strong><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;"></span></strong><br />
<span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>When Was It Released?:</strong> <span style="color: black;"> 21st November 2011</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Where Did I Get It From?:</strong> </span></span><span style="color: black;">As part of the blog tour for <a href="http://www.clpblogtours.com/2011/12/stay-tuned-by-lauren-clark.html">Chick Lit Plus</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong>Who Published It?: <a href="http://www.montereypress.com/">Monterey Press</a> </strong></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong></strong></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Number Of Pages:</span></strong> 272 pages</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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When I came across the blog tour for Stay Tuned by Lauren Clark on <a href="http://www.clpblogtours.com/2011/12/stay-tuned-by-lauren-clark.html">Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours</a> I just knew this was a book I would love reading. With a mix of the intriguing TV producing world as well as the gorgeous but simple cover, I had to sign up for the tour immediatly, so that I could get my hands on Stay Tuned. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhabyrtTam4C0hwZizvRRRrFO4OgucXM0oA0lX_Z8R0sd6sL9iBeTuX84JIChoO5IM_od7wSxP9oeoDAf4zibXJsIhJ7kiCGdlEaHYYkdaRly9M6JJep25L7s12w9niTre-lakfYDA1l0/s1600/stay-tuned.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhabyrtTam4C0hwZizvRRRrFO4OgucXM0oA0lX_Z8R0sd6sL9iBeTuX84JIChoO5IM_od7wSxP9oeoDAf4zibXJsIhJ7kiCGdlEaHYYkdaRly9M6JJep25L7s12w9niTre-lakfYDA1l0/s200/stay-tuned.jpg" width="124" /></a>Melissa Moore, a TV producer for the WSGA news, constantly has to deal with issues during her work day, but no-one expected a fist fight to happen during the ten o'clock news. When the glamourous Alyssa Andrews punches her co-anchor, Melissa is first on set to do anything to save the reputation of the show. After both anchors are fired Melissa agrees to temporaily take on the role, alone with a brand new makeover to tranform her from producer to presenter. While Melissa wows the viewers, her personal life is falling apart with a mother who is out of control, a stalker and a husband who is away from home more and more.<br />
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Stay Tuned was an enjoyable look into the crazy world of a newsroom producer. Lauren Clark has previously worked in TV and her knowledge and insider information added an extra layer to the story. While Stay Tuned is purely fiction, I found it interesting to see what really goes on behind the scenes of a news programme. And trust me, it is a lot crazier than you would ever believe. The pace of the book does start out a little slow over the first few pages, however once I got into the story my interest was piqued and kept throughout the remainder of the novel. Stay Tuned is extremely well written, with Lauren Clark setting the scene so well that I felt as though I could have reading about a real person rather than a fictional character. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6VC9BziJcud5fHiyRLcPmzSWuwgo-57WSVGeSLxXoaYU3Wvmh8hGFW9FRcOA2Chwjy5Xj8rlwfO4TnN-fihrydzzH7vwxfGCIHD7sRly7zMC7_xqQYMc3WE3YZ3xm9omGCx36MzdSvE/s1600/lauren-clark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6VC9BziJcud5fHiyRLcPmzSWuwgo-57WSVGeSLxXoaYU3Wvmh8hGFW9FRcOA2Chwjy5Xj8rlwfO4TnN-fihrydzzH7vwxfGCIHD7sRly7zMC7_xqQYMc3WE3YZ3xm9omGCx36MzdSvE/s200/lauren-clark.jpg" width="194" /></a></div>While at times I did find Melissa a little difficult to relate to, perhaps because of how different she is from how I am, I did find her extremely likeable. She came across as a very realistic character, with insecurites and flaws, which I found refreshing to read about. My favourite character, however, has to be Candace, Melissa's best friend, who always seems so positive and full of life. Her constant quoting of Dr Phil, had me laughing the whole way through. <br />
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Overall, I found Stay Tuned to be a unique and quick read, that could easily be devoured in the space of a weekend. Stay Tuned is a real feel good book that will have you smiling long after you have turned the last page. I would reccomend Stay Tuned and I am looking forward to reading more from Lauren Clark in the future.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1twZnUHaqWIkuNY6o5Kpm8r2IVBUpx9W0DhiyaorNgteQlCTJ15wHURQEUSnpCobG2wQj3SGHTpPG8QIQY7ePegSJP6nefbGOECZeyMxig5_9D_GsYFFgw997jXNhWfNmcGpgnhTjbY/s1600/large4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1twZnUHaqWIkuNY6o5Kpm8r2IVBUpx9W0DhiyaorNgteQlCTJ15wHURQEUSnpCobG2wQj3SGHTpPG8QIQY7ePegSJP6nefbGOECZeyMxig5_9D_GsYFFgw997jXNhWfNmcGpgnhTjbY/s1600/large4.png" /></a></div><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0062AHODI&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-41003202865189999242012-01-09T15:19:00.000+00:002012-01-09T15:19:24.622+00:00January TBR PileTo start off the New Year of blogging, I decided to revert back to one of the posts I used to feature on Chick Litaholic, which is my To Be Read Pile each month. In the past I have tended to deviate greatly from my intended reading pile, however with the New Year and new resolutions I plan to make a list each month of books to be read and stick to it. Of course there will be times when I won't be able to do this completly. I doubt I will read everything in my pile, I'm always overly ambitious in that respect, but on the whole I will try my best to read the books in my list each month. <br />
Books Mentioned: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtghwu_PGv9Fc_mBn1q4srdzbr1ZEdxxoIbMKjAe7ATKe2GN-Sf-9dvsdq277Oj6BlSJgDHagxx1Fzb8UYn9yIqLxBtEn1amO06ZUudrnDCVzmq24isDQxknNE3jO1NifHwV5T7nEDeww/s1600/IMG-20120109-00064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtghwu_PGv9Fc_mBn1q4srdzbr1ZEdxxoIbMKjAe7ATKe2GN-Sf-9dvsdq277Oj6BlSJgDHagxx1Fzb8UYn9yIqLxBtEn1amO06ZUudrnDCVzmq24isDQxknNE3jO1NifHwV5T7nEDeww/s320/IMG-20120109-00064.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>The Hating Game</strong> by Talli Roland</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Hallowed</strong> by Cynthia Hand</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Any Dream Will Do</strong> by Maria Duffy</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Manhattan</strong> by Ronni Cooper</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Cinder</strong> by Marissa Meyer </div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Stay Tuned</strong> by Lauren Clark</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Switched</strong> by Amanda Hocking</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>The Peach Keeper</strong> by Sarah Addison Allen</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Recession Proof</strong> by Kimberly Lin</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>The Stag And Hen Weekend</strong> by Mike Gayle</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">What are you reading this month?</div>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-63220667701164018452012-01-08T23:55:00.004+00:002012-01-09T00:00:13.423+00:00Christmas At Tiffany's by Karen Swan: A Review<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Chistmas At Tiffany's by <a href="http://www.lovereading.co.uk/author/2363/Karen-Swan.html">Karen Swan</a> </span></strong></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: magenta;"></span></strong><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;"></span></strong><br />
<span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>When Was It Released?:</strong> <span style="color: black;"> 18th November 2011</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhSGqFjPCoZZEMv6M9Ehh4m4up8dg-FaF5DQRCGJHnZZ1LsYiV55uYdAhLyO3DrWqlDXhMpXCPTlmv4V7LoZeiAn5vwMSh23V4fAcu9fDYhDYfvjRPqs7p_ECS8pf3o6jfeuLb1zHCbYU/s1600/9780330545358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhSGqFjPCoZZEMv6M9Ehh4m4up8dg-FaF5DQRCGJHnZZ1LsYiV55uYdAhLyO3DrWqlDXhMpXCPTlmv4V7LoZeiAn5vwMSh23V4fAcu9fDYhDYfvjRPqs7p_ECS8pf3o6jfeuLb1zHCbYU/s320/9780330545358.jpg" width="209" /></a><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Where Did I Get It From?: </strong></span></span><span style="color: black;">From the publishers </span></span></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: black;">in exchange for a review. Thankyou! </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong>Who Published It?: <a href="http://www.panmacmillan.com/home">Pan Macmillian</a> </strong></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong></strong></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Number Of Pages:</span></strong> 400 pages</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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Once I became aware of Karen Swan's latest novel, Christmas At Tiffany's it automatically became a must-read book. The cover is beautiful and the title really enticed me into wanting to read the book straight away. As soon as Christmas At Tiffany's arrived I curled up on the sofa with a steaming mug of hot chocolate ready to delve into Cassie's journey.<br />
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When Cassie married her teenage sweetheart she was far too young. Now ten years later her marriage is left in taters after being betrayed by her husband. With her life up in the air and no idea of who she is anymore Cassie is determined to find happiness again. Cassie begins a year long adventure with her three best friends, taking her from rural Scotland to New York, Paris and London. Cassie tries out each city in her search to track down the life she is supposed to lead and maybe even the man she is supposed to love. <br />
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While the idea for the story was nothing unique or original, I have to admit that the idea of Cassie being cheated on then spending the next year exploring exotic locations and finding herself at the same time, really appealed to me. After all, I'm sure many of us would love to be able to start anew with our lives and be able to figure out exactly what we want to do. I really enjoyed reading about Cassie's adventures in New York, Paris and London, which had me instantly wanting to be able to do the same journey myself. My favourite city to read about had to be New York, which is focuses on most throughout the book, Karen Swan's witty humour had me laughing and then the next moment the intensity of Cassie's emotion had me on the verge of tears. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMSYzW6JBtiihyphenhyphenOZbE02FhMh_9lXCeruhzsBaLnJ_0y1C5yZtjU8V9o_GO-7rg8Eb79eKLtCcT7inirY3qyJn4HVO8-nptkvVmJKtnwz6R4BbwCbL5-J7Khd0W1GdtuLwrKrYN-inx_Y/s1600/1903050810KarenSwanCAlexanderJames_177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMSYzW6JBtiihyphenhyphenOZbE02FhMh_9lXCeruhzsBaLnJ_0y1C5yZtjU8V9o_GO-7rg8Eb79eKLtCcT7inirY3qyJn4HVO8-nptkvVmJKtnwz6R4BbwCbL5-J7Khd0W1GdtuLwrKrYN-inx_Y/s320/1903050810KarenSwanCAlexanderJames_177.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>All of the characters are such fun women that I found myself instantly wishing I knew. Kelly and Anouk are such stylish, sophisticated women, who seem to have everything that they could ever want. My favourite of the friends has to be Suzy, whose life is the most realistic of the three women, being happily married with a child on the way. While Cassie was a little naive at times, with her being new to each city, I did find myself feeling compassion for her throughout. I really felt for the way in which her husband has cheated on her and the emotions that she is put through as a result. Even though I loved all three women, my favourite character in the book was Henry, Suzy's brother. He was witty, adventurous and most importantly down to earth in comparison with many of the other characters. <br />
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Christmas At Tiffany's has been marketed as a Christmas themed book, while there are a couple of Christmas elements within the story, I found the Christmas aspect to be a little lacking. I do enjoy spending the month of Decemeber reading every Christmas themed chick lit book I can get my hands on, so I have to admit I was a little disappointed. While this was a downside, it does mean that this book can be read at any time of the year. The prose was a little misleading and jumpy, at times I would turn the page expecting the chapter to continue, only to find that it had ended abruptly, without any warning. This left me feeling as though the novel did not flow quite as well as I would have liked.<br />
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While the Christmas title is a little misleading, I would still highly reccomend Christmas At Tiffany's. Karen Swan's writing is beautiful and the way in which she delves into female friendships and the depth of these bonds is unparalled in chick lit. While her the descriptive way she brought the destinations of New York, Paris and London to life were so well done I found myself transported to each location instantly. I will be looking out for more from Karen Swan in the future. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1twZnUHaqWIkuNY6o5Kpm8r2IVBUpx9W0DhiyaorNgteQlCTJ15wHURQEUSnpCobG2wQj3SGHTpPG8QIQY7ePegSJP6nefbGOECZeyMxig5_9D_GsYFFgw997jXNhWfNmcGpgnhTjbY/s1600/large4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1twZnUHaqWIkuNY6o5Kpm8r2IVBUpx9W0DhiyaorNgteQlCTJ15wHURQEUSnpCobG2wQj3SGHTpPG8QIQY7ePegSJP6nefbGOECZeyMxig5_9D_GsYFFgw997jXNhWfNmcGpgnhTjbY/s1600/large4.png" /></a></div><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0330532723&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0330509845&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0330509039&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-88540675454427653252012-01-08T15:37:00.000+00:002012-01-08T15:37:41.207+00:00It's A Vets Life by Cathy Woodman: A Review<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">It's A Vets Life by <a href="http://cathywoodman.com/">Cathy Woodman</a> </span></strong></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: magenta;"></span></strong><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><br />
<span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>When Was It Released?:</strong> <span style="color: black;"> 10th November 2011</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Where Did I Get It From?: </strong></span></span><span style="color: black;">From the publishers </span></span></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: black;">in exchange for a review. Thankyou! </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong>Who Published It?: <a href="http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/">Arrow</a> </strong></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong></strong></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Number Of Pages:</span></strong> 400 pages</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I was younger, growing up in the countryside, I always wanted to be a vet. I love animals and constantly begged my mum and dad for a pet. Sadly one never came and my dream of being a vet quickly diminished when I realised I can't handle the sight of blood. My love of animals, however has continued, and upon finding a set of books about, you guessed it, a vet living in the countryside, I just could not pass up on reading them. </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGyOtfi9IO98B7dnPvosMqHbpcV4xpdtUuTXQnqJRfBjbzjySABIW2Aqel40yORgIoqFoWuEgupNS-SESZtcefaT_Ro1g2ljhuQzh88bkoLBNri281LKA1qRQUVBjZ9ZqH2Sznz_EZeA4/s1600/vets-life-pb-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGyOtfi9IO98B7dnPvosMqHbpcV4xpdtUuTXQnqJRfBjbzjySABIW2Aqel40yORgIoqFoWuEgupNS-SESZtcefaT_Ro1g2ljhuQzh88bkoLBNri281LKA1qRQUVBjZ9ZqH2Sznz_EZeA4/s320/vets-life-pb-3.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>Maz Harwood loves her job as a vet, even if it does mean long hours and dirty conditions. She is planning to marry fellow vet, Alex, at Christmas and already had a gorgeous baby boy George. Lately though, things for Maz have been stressful with having to juggle her plans for the weddng and her family. Maz decides to try and improve the situation and take matters into her own hands, which doesn't go quite as well as she had hoped. Maz begins to think she will need to miracle in order to rekindle the love her and Alex once shared.<br />
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While It's A Vets Life is part of a series of books by Cathy Woodman, you do not need to have read any of the previous books to enjoy the latest installment. While it is always best to read all the previous books, I found it reassuring that no important parts of the story would be missed. Anything mentioned from previous novels is described in detail so you don't become lost at any point. Cathy Woodman's insight into the world of being a vet, as she herself was once a practicing vet, adds an extra layer to really bringing the clinics in the book to life. I really enjoyed that she was able to add this realism to the world that she has created in It's A Vets Life. Creating this quaint countryside village and community had me wanting to move to there immediatly. The way in which she is able to deal with writing about a rocky relationship, as well as other emotional incidents that occur while creating empathy yet not making the story too sombre with the witty humour she adds, had me hooked.<br />
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Many of the characters from the previous novels were brought back in It's A Vets Life, which added the familiarity of reading about characters you already know. Maz is a character you will begin to really care for as you get to know more about her and her life, being a really compassionate and generous character. I did find that my feelings towards the character of Alex changed during the course of It's A Vets Life. In the previous novels I found that I really liked Alex and the relationship that he has with Maz. However, through the course of this novels my feelings towards him changed, as his selfish actions towards Maz became more promient. As for Old Fox Gifford, I still found myself disliking him with a passion. He is selfish, sexist and set in his ways, unable to listen to anyone elses views or opinions. <br />
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I found the actions that Old Fox Gifford, takes about half way through the novel, to be quite disturbing. It was definatly not something that I saw coming, nor did I expect it to happen. While I knew that it was an integrial part of the storyline and a turning point for some of the characters, the incident was not something I particularly enjoyed reading about. Nor did I really fully understand why it happened as it did. The actions taken, however, did not take away from my overall enjoyment of It's A Vets Life. <br />
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It's A Vets Life has both characters you will find yourself caring about, and a storyline that will have you laughing and crying throughout. The Otter House books are a great series and I cannot wait to see if Cathy Woodman will continue on with these books. I really hope so. If you haven't picked any of these books up yet then I would highly reccomend that you do. <br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0099543567&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0099543575&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0099551632&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0099551624&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-45369675541138069352012-01-04T11:51:00.000+00:002012-01-04T11:51:30.472+00:00Waiting On Wednesday : Nine Uses For An Ex Boyfriend<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #51236c;">Breaking the Spine</span></a>, that and looks upcoming releases that we cant wait to get our hands on. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This week's pre-publication I really can't wait to read is<strong>:</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Nine Uses For An Ex-Boyfriend by Sarra Manning (2nd February 2012)</span></strong></div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n8ZN2vh4l50/TwMSIv35VFI/AAAAAAAAAd4/7DlPMGe0NOA/s1600/512NZ1blB6L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n8ZN2vh4l50/TwMSIv35VFI/AAAAAAAAAd4/7DlPMGe0NOA/s1600/512NZ1blB6L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n8ZN2vh4l50/TwMSIv35VFI/AAAAAAAAAd4/7DlPMGe0NOA/s320/512NZ1blB6L.jpg" width="205" /></a><span id="freeText4126342023106358555"><em><span style="background-color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white;">Hope Delafield hasn’t always had an easy life.</span> </span><span style="background-color: white;">She has red hair and a temper to match, as her mother is constantly reminding her. She can’t wear heels, is terrified of heights and being a primary school teacher isn’t exactly the job she dreamed of doing, especially when her class are stuck on the two times table.<br />
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At least Hope has Jack, and Jack is the God of boyfriends. He’s sweet, kind, funny, has a killer smile, a cool job on a fashion magazine and he’s pretty (but in a manly way). Hope knew that Jack was The One ever since their first kiss after the Youth Club Disco and thirteen years later, they’re still totally in love. Totally. They’re even officially pre-engaged. And then Hope catches Jack kissing her best friend Susie…</span></em></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After reading and loving You Don't Have To Say You Love Me by Sarra Manning, last year, and loving her edgy fresh take on chick lit, I am excited to read her latest novel Nine Uses For An Ex-Boyfriend. I love the synopsis and cannot wait to see Sara Mannings take on the cheating boyfriend. The cover is also gorgeous and really pops. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What books are you waiting on this Wednesday?</span></div>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-4607002213520903642012-01-03T10:50:00.000+00:002012-01-03T10:50:02.659+00:00Top Ten Books I'm Excited To Read in 2012I'm participating in <span style="color: black;">Top Ten Tuesday</span> hosted by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/"><strong><span style="color: black;">The Broke and the Bookish</span></strong></a><span style="color: black;">.</span> Every Tuesday The Broke and the Bookish post their top ten lists on various topics: <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/p/features.html"><strong><span style="color: black;">Top Ten Tuesday page</span></strong></a><span style="color: black;"> </span><br />
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</span>This weeks topic looks at the Top Ten Books I'm Excited to Read in 2012. While there are so many books I cannot wait to read released this year, narrowing this list down was an extremely difficult task:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wWaWcnXSg0s/TwIY4tvGexI/AAAAAAAAAc8/BAcqPUfNiFY/s1600/ivegotyournumber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wWaWcnXSg0s/TwIY4tvGexI/AAAAAAAAAc8/BAcqPUfNiFY/s320/ivegotyournumber.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>1.<strong>I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella - </strong>Sophie Kinsella is one of my favourite authors, therefore any novel she writes will always be highly anticipated by me. That aside, I think the storyline for I've Got Your Number is a really interesting one. Poppy loses her engagement ring and her phone all in one day, yet she finds a phone belonging to someone else. Poppy decides to keep the phone but the owner, Sam doesn't appreciate her reading his messages and wading into his personal life. I think this sounds like such a fun read and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. <br />
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2. <strong>I Heart London by Lindsey Kelk -</strong> After reading and loving the rest of Lindsey Kelk's I Heart series, I'm excited for the latest installment. I Heart London, will take readers to one of my favourite cities London and I'm looking forward to seeing what situations Angela finds herself in, in this novel. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-finxTqAr7hQ/TwIZBmiTsBI/AAAAAAAAAdI/ULrh7e3wJos/s1600/381715_10150392697760588_28942670587_8662667_1532137520_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-finxTqAr7hQ/TwIZBmiTsBI/AAAAAAAAAdI/ULrh7e3wJos/s320/381715_10150392697760588_28942670587_8662667_1532137520_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>3. <strong>The Patchwork Marriage (UK) / Another Piece of My Heart (US) by Jane Green -</strong> Ever since reading Life Swap when it was first released a few years ago, Jane Green has been my all time favourite author. I have since then read everything she has published and loved them all, meaning that now I am desperatly awaiting her latest release, The Patchwork Marriage. The only thing I don't like about Jane Green's novels is that they always have different titles across the pond. It gets me confused!<br />
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4. <strong>Construct A Couple by Talli Roland -</strong> After reading Build A Man a couple of months ago and finding it to be my favourite read of the entire year, I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am for the prequel; Construct A Couple. Serenity was such a fantastic character and I cannot wait to see how her relationship continues in this next novel. Talli Roland has also become one of my favourite authors, with her unique storylines, quirky characters and quick wit, every book she writes just gets better and better. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A2TRT6vWdmw/TwImTuKvyRI/AAAAAAAAAdU/W-NCsrbcQGk/s1600/thesegirls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A2TRT6vWdmw/TwImTuKvyRI/AAAAAAAAAdU/W-NCsrbcQGk/s320/thesegirls.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>5. <strong>These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen -</strong> Sarah Pekkanen's has such a way of capturing the characters emotions that whenever I read one of her books I am taken on an emotional journey so raw it feels as though I am someway involved in the journey too. Her stories always delve into the reality of marriage and These Girls is no exception, with the story centering around a husband wanting to rewrite the rules of his realtionship with his wife<strong>.</strong> <br />
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6. <strong>Isla And The Happy Ever After by Stephanie Perkins -</strong> After reading Anna And The French Kiss do I really need to explain my reasons for wanting to read more from Stephanie Perkins?! The story and characters Stephanie Perkins created in Anna And The French Kiss were so beautiful and romantic that I would happily read anything Stephanie Perkins writes, without even reading the synopsis. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cmNHs0qJv0I/TwIn1SpS0_I/AAAAAAAAAdg/W1pI2LZqMhM/s1600/10345927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cmNHs0qJv0I/TwIn1SpS0_I/AAAAAAAAAdg/W1pI2LZqMhM/s320/10345927.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>7.<strong> A Million Suns by Beth Revis</strong> - Usually I am not a big fan of sci-fi fiction, however Across The Universe by Beth Revis, managed to change my mind a little. I was swept away on the Godspeed in Amy's life and cannot wait to find out what happens in the next book in the series, A Million Suns. <br />
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8. <strong>Promised by Caragh M O'Brien -</strong> The first Dystopian novel I ever read was Birthmarked by Caragh M O'Brien, which was the first book in the Birthmarked series. It really opened my eyes to the Dystopian genre and made me excited to read more. Prized was the second book in the series and, in rare fashion, was just as good as the first book. Now I cannot wait to see how Gaia's journey will continue and whether the third book will be able to live up to my expectations. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kbq6EAQngLg/TwIq-4WFrbI/AAAAAAAAAds/BJdau7zmCLc/s1600/149127596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kbq6EAQngLg/TwIq-4WFrbI/AAAAAAAAAds/BJdau7zmCLc/s320/149127596.jpg" width="210" /></a>9. <strong>The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa -</strong> I think perhaps every person who has ever read any of the books in The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa is absolutly on the edge of their seats waiting for the first book in her Blood Of Eden series, The Immortal Rules. While the new series will be focused on Vampires, a slight change from the world of Fey, it is still paranormal, and therefore I am expecting big things from this book.<strong> </strong><br />
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10. <strong>Where We Belong by Emily Giffin -</strong> I adored Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed and Something Blue and so I am excited for her next novel, Where We Belong. I love how the cover continues the trend of her previous novels and I'm sure I will be devouring this one in no time at all. <br />
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After compiling this list I know cannot wait to get my hands on all these novels. I don't want to have to wait!! Which books are you excited to read in 2012?Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-68548074645414803972012-01-03T01:03:00.000+00:002012-01-03T01:03:08.888+00:00The Secret of Happy Ever After by Lucy Dillon: A Review<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">The Secret of Happy Ever After by <a href="http://www.hodder.co.uk/authors/author.aspx?AuthorID=32304">Lucy Dillon</a> </span></strong></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: magenta;"></span></strong><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><br />
<span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>When Was It Released?:</strong> <span style="color: black;"> 10th November 2011</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Where Did I Get It From?: </strong></span></span><span style="color: black;">From the publishers</span></span></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: black;"> in exchange for a review. Thankyou! </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong>Who Published It?: <a href="http://www.hodder.co.uk/">Hodder and Stoughton</a> </strong></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong></strong></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Number Of Pages:</span></strong> 480 pages</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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After hearing so many great things about Lucy Dillon's novel Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts, as soon as I was presented with the opportunity to review her latest novel The Secret Of Happily Ever After, I jumped at the chance. I have no idea why I have not previously read any of Lucy Dillon's books, however this is all set to chance after devouring and falling in love with The Secret of Happily Ever After. <br />
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Anna's dream since she was a little girl was to run a bookshop, and her dream has just come true. She loves being surrounded by the childhood classics she has always loved and it helps that it gets her away from her rowdy stepchildren. The neglected bookshop is brought to life and Anna and even her best friend Michelle, who does't believe in true love is swept along. But when secrets from Michelle's childhood threathen to come back to haunt her and disaster threatens Anna's home. They both begin to wonders if maybe their fairytale endings aren't exactly what they had dreamed of.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F2voQv6Ebxc/TwIP8iU-peI/AAAAAAAAAcw/7Vhos4smlp8/s1600/Lucy-Dillon-photo-335x480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F2voQv6Ebxc/TwIP8iU-peI/AAAAAAAAAcw/7Vhos4smlp8/s320/Lucy-Dillon-photo-335x480.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>From the first page I was captivated by the setting of the picturesque, quaint, village of Longhampton. Lucy Dillon does such a fantastic job, describing the setting that I found myself instantly wanting to pack up and move to a cottage in Longhampton with at least one or two dogs in tow. I loved the community spirit that all the inhabitants of Longhampton seemed to have, pulling together and helping each other out in difficult situations, something which would only ever happen in a village in the countryside. I especially enjoyed that Anna and Michelle work in a bookstore, and Anna's love for books was ever present throughout the novel. Very rarely in books are the main characters even seen to be reading, let alone to have the passion for them that Anna has. <br />
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Having the story told from two different viewpoints, both Anna and Michelle's, really added extra depth to the novel and meant I became extremely invested in both of their lives. Many times in novels I find myself routing for the lead characters, however it is rare for me to become as invested in a characters wellbeing as I did with Michelle and especially Anna. At times I even wanted to step into the pages and give Anna a great big hug. She is such a kind, caring character, who is always putting others, in particular her husband and step children above herself. Her only real joy came in the form of the bookstore and her dog, Pongo. The addition of dogs within the story, really added to the country lifestyle and by the end of the book I found myself wanting to have a dog of my own. Michelle, also had her hard moments, and while she may appear tough on the outset, once her layers were removed and really started to care for her too. The only character I did not like was Phil, Anna's husband. I found that he was selfish and did not care at all about Anna's feelings or needs. <br />
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The Secret Of Happy Ever After, was one of my favourite reads of 2011. The story was beautifully told, the characters ones I found difficult to forget long after I finished reading, and my emotions swept away with the pages. Many times I found myself almost on the verge of tears, which is very rare when reading a book, and then the next second laughing out loud. This is the perfect book to read on a cold winter night. I have already recommeneded this book to all my friends and family and would definatly recommend it to you too. <br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=1444727036&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0340919205&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=1444713914&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-86721975144739180422011-12-22T22:52:00.001+00:002011-12-22T22:58:54.855+00:00Home For Christmas by Cally Taylor: A Review<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Home For Christmas by <a href="http://www.callytaylor.co.uk/">Cally Taylor</a> </span></strong></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: magenta;"></span></strong><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><br />
<span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>When Was It Released?:</strong> <span style="color: black;"> 10th November 2011</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6tDmW9E-QMY/TvO0AFijY6I/AAAAAAAAAb4/P8WyaMXXvX4/s1600/home-fro-christmas_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6tDmW9E-QMY/TvO0AFijY6I/AAAAAAAAAb4/P8WyaMXXvX4/s1600/home-fro-christmas_large.jpg" /></a></div><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Where Did I Get It From?: </strong></span></span><span style="color: black;">From the publishers </span></span></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: black;">in exchange for a review. Thankyou! </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong>Who Published It?: <a href="http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/">Orion</a> </strong></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong></strong></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Number Of Pages:</span></strong> 368 pages</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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When Christmas time rolls around each year, I love to read as many Christmas chick lit novels as it is physcially possible to do so. After reading and being captivated by Cally Taylor's novel Heaven Can Wait, I knew that Cally's latest novel Home For Christmas would be on the top of my reading pile as soon as I received a copy. <br />
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Beth Prince, a twenty-four year old romantic, works in the Picturebox, a charming independant cinema. Beth has a boyfriend she believes is her dream man, theres just one problem, none of her boyfriends have ever told her they love her. Desperate to be told 'I love you' for the first time Beth decides to take matters into her own hands and then wishes she hadn't. With Beth feeling low, bad news arrives in the handsome shape of Matt Jones, the regional director of a chain cinema who is determined to get his hands on the Picturebox. <br />
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Home For Christmas is told from two different viewpoints; Beth and Matt's, with each chapter alternating between the two characters. I really enjoyed being able to gain two perspectives on events that unfolded throughtout the novel. Usually in chick lit novels, the male characters feelings and emotions are not portrayed, so this was a refreshing change that I would love to see in more novels. At many points in the novel I did find myself literally laughing out loud. I really enjoy any book that I read to be humourous, even if only in a subtle way. Home For Christmas really excelled with the humour injected into the characters, adding an extra spark to the novel. Cally Taylor's wit is one of the reasons she is such a fantastic author that I will always look out for. The characters were another contributing factor as to why I enjoyed Home For Christmas. Cally Taylor has managed to create characters that I really cared about by really bringing them to life. Beth, while at times being a little naive was caring and extremely likeable. I couldn't help hoping that she would find love and be able to keep her job at The Picture Box cinema. I also really enjoyed reading about Carl, although I detested him as a character, he definatly made certain moments within the novel very entertaining.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0YBOePXko4g/TvO0P7JN_eI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/oBmI5Jnrr-Q/s1600/callytaylor51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0YBOePXko4g/TvO0P7JN_eI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/oBmI5Jnrr-Q/s320/callytaylor51.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>I did find that unlike Cally Taylor's previous novel, Heaven Can Wait, Home For Christmas was a little cookie cutter for my tastes. While I, and most chick lit lovers, enjoy a romance story that is neatly wrapped up, I do enjoy a little originality, and in my option that is where this novel lacks. I also would have liked to see a little more of the Christmas theme within the story. While the novel ends at Christmas time, there is very little mention of Christmas for a book entitled Home For Christmas. <br />
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Home For Christmas is a very enjoyable, quick and charming read, that I managed to devour in just one sitting. I would reccomend this book to anyone looking for a cozy Christmas read over the holidays. I will be looking out for more of Cally Taylor's novels in the future. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1twZnUHaqWIkuNY6o5Kpm8r2IVBUpx9W0DhiyaorNgteQlCTJ15wHURQEUSnpCobG2wQj3SGHTpPG8QIQY7ePegSJP6nefbGOECZeyMxig5_9D_GsYFFgw997jXNhWfNmcGpgnhTjbY/s1600/large4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1twZnUHaqWIkuNY6o5Kpm8r2IVBUpx9W0DhiyaorNgteQlCTJ15wHURQEUSnpCobG2wQj3SGHTpPG8QIQY7ePegSJP6nefbGOECZeyMxig5_9D_GsYFFgw997jXNhWfNmcGpgnhTjbY/s1600/large4.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=1409121585&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=1409103234&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-65898348713570192362011-12-21T09:50:00.000+00:002011-12-21T09:50:51.113+00:00Finding Mr Flood by Ciara Geraghty: A Review<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Finding Mr Flood by <a href="http://www.hodder.co.uk/authors/author.aspx?AuthorID=53737">Ciara Geraghty</a> </span></strong></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: magenta;"></span></strong><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><br />
<span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>When Was It Released?:</strong> <span style="color: black;"> 13th October 2011 (Paperback edition)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUtogh75juudAO4Bp28JGir3KRXc0FgQqbT85ONMb37kqNDEwda-n5e15ughqPmUDOfprARtn3C0iDQT5FCAsFQgk-3FViCUpOom7QyE_Hqtm8KToEpO2RPY_BzBTGV7C1R8Tlvtcru4/s1600/Finding-Mr-Flood-pb-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUtogh75juudAO4Bp28JGir3KRXc0FgQqbT85ONMb37kqNDEwda-n5e15ughqPmUDOfprARtn3C0iDQT5FCAsFQgk-3FViCUpOom7QyE_Hqtm8KToEpO2RPY_BzBTGV7C1R8Tlvtcru4/s320/Finding-Mr-Flood-pb-cover.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Where Did I Get It From?: </strong></span></span><span style="color: black;">From the publishers in exchange for a review</span></span></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: black;">. Thankyou! </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong>Who Published It?: <a href="http://www.hodder.co.uk/">Hodder and Stoughton</a> </strong></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong></strong></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Number Of Pages:</span></strong> 550 pages</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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Finding Mr Flood is the third novel from Irish author Ciara Geraghty. After reading and devouring her two previous novels, Saving Grace and and Becoming Scarlett, to say I was excited to read Finding Mr Flood would be understatement. While the book is pretty large at 550 pages, which can sometimes be a little off-putting, I delved into the novel almost as soon as I received it. <br />
Thirteen days before Dara Flood was born, her father walked up the road and never came back. Now in her twenties Dara likes structure in her life with her days and nights m<span lang="EN">eticulously planned out. That is until her sister, Angel, gets sick and Dara's life goes into disaray. Unable to find a compatible match for the kidney Angel needs, Dara sets out on a journey to find her father who could be the last hope they have. Along the way to finding her father, Dara uncovers some suprising truths she never expected to unearth. </span><br />
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The plot of Finding Mr Flood, with Angel's illness, made the novel quite a serious one. I was able to completely emphasise with Mrs Flood and Dara's worry and distress over Angel and whether or not she would be able to find a compatible kidney. Ciara Geraghty's writing really drew me in and I became emotionally involved with these character's lives. I found myself genuinely concerned invested in the search for a kidney for Angel and also in the search for Mr Flood. Serious issues, such as illness and parents disappearing and never returning are not often subject matter in chick lit. I enjoyed this refreshing change from the norm and felt it made the novel more realistic, as not everything in life works out and people fall on hard times every day. I also enjoyed the romance aspects within Finding Mr Flood, which are more prominent later on in the book. I felt it progressed naturally, rather than two people seeing each other and automatically falling in love. While, I don't want to give too much away involving any romance, I will say that I felt the characters made an interesting and adorable couple. <br />
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Dara, as a character, was someone I found extremely interesting, as she is so different from the average woman in her twenties. She leads a very responsible and serious life, which makes her seem mature beyond her years. I did enjoy seeing her come out of her shell more as the novel progressed. I also liked Angel, Dara's sister, as a character. While she is suffering from a life threatening illness and does feel the strain from this, throughout most of the novel she is upbeat and trying to see the positive in everything. I found her to be very inspiring as a character, while still retaining the worry that anyone with a serious illness would have. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09ZPnxlEXPwJayzisHJis_dV42o7DrVAlZLX3ltyKGj6EI_PF9exouC1T1xL3Ta_-zLBh1mb7hJTAmkEF-DehFh6iCdBzCHdW53eUJrC1vzJ3-pMnDX-6uXWHQgain1at2b09xawUyrA/s1600/ImageHandler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09ZPnxlEXPwJayzisHJis_dV42o7DrVAlZLX3ltyKGj6EI_PF9exouC1T1xL3Ta_-zLBh1mb7hJTAmkEF-DehFh6iCdBzCHdW53eUJrC1vzJ3-pMnDX-6uXWHQgain1at2b09xawUyrA/s1600/ImageHandler.jpg" /></a></div>I have to admit, however, that at times I found Finding Mr Flood a little too serious. While I understand that the subject matter of an illness is a serious one, I would have liked to have seen a little humour thrown into the mix in order to stop the story becoming too sombre. Along with this, I did find that with the book being 550 pages long, the plot was a little slow. While, I enjoy getting to know characters and situations in details, there were a couple of moments that I wanted something to happen in order to move the story onwards a little more. <br />
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Finding Mr Flood is an interesting, beautifully written story, that I would definatly reccomend to anyone who enjoys their chick lit with a little something extra. While it does not compare to Ciara Geraghty's two previous novels, which had set my standards very high, I did really enjoy reading about the journey Dara and Angel take throughout the story. You won't be forgetting about Finding Mr Flood any time soon. <br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0340998091&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0340976543&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0340976578&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-24077268577404577152011-12-20T17:14:00.003+00:002011-12-20T17:42:10.045+00:00Wrapped Up In You by Carole Matthews: A Review<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Wrapped Up In You by <a href="http://www.carolematthews.com/">Carole Matthews</a> </span></strong></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: magenta;"></span></strong><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><br />
<span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>When Was It Released?:</strong> <span style="color: black;"> 27th October 2011</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-wJONyYB-4-qPi0AlM8Di0fCoMI6KM5EEWvC020QYXO8XimSZvLRKjKgfEodPLtYo0KBM5x3_6cNMzXHFpef6NeeVdAR5Xb8Peb1YkNy1WstsksMm-2SHUbYMygXyI_FzwA_eEfCkBfw/s1600/Wrapped-up-in-You-high-res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-wJONyYB-4-qPi0AlM8Di0fCoMI6KM5EEWvC020QYXO8XimSZvLRKjKgfEodPLtYo0KBM5x3_6cNMzXHFpef6NeeVdAR5Xb8Peb1YkNy1WstsksMm-2SHUbYMygXyI_FzwA_eEfCkBfw/s320/Wrapped-up-in-You-high-res.jpg" width="202" /></a></div><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Where Did I Get It From?: </strong></span></span><span style="color: black;">From publisher</span></span></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: black;"> in exchange for a review. Thankyou! </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong>Who Published It?: <a href="http://www.littlebrown.co.uk/About/Imprints/Sphere">Sphere </a> </strong></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong></strong></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Number Of Pages:</span></strong> 440 pages</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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When the winter months descend on us, the cold weather draws in and the days get darker and darker there is one thing that I look forward to, and that is curling up with a cup of hot chocolate and an inviting Christmas novel. With an abudance of Christmas related novels released each year I always have to try to be selective in which ones I read and Carole Matthews' Wrapped Up In You was one that I just could not pass up. The cover is so gorgeous with the snowflakes and sparkle that I had a hard time not reading this one back in October when it was released. <br />
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Janie Johnson, a thirty year old, hairdresser is single and happy that way. All her friends and clients, however think its high time she found herself a man. After a disastrous blind date and finding out that her ex is getting married she realises she needs a change. Janie does the most adventurous thing that she can think of and books a safari trip to Africa. Everyone thinks that she has gone crazy but then while in Africa Janie falls in love with her tour guide, a Massai Warrior named Dominic. With Dominic in exotic Africa and Janie in wintery England how will they keep their relationship alive?<br />
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I loved the premise and idea behind Wrapped Up In You. The unique way in which Carole Matthews took on a holiday romance was really enjoyable. What I loved most though was the way in which Carole Matthews took on the often overlooked subject in chick lit of interacial relationships and the issues that are faced within them. Thinking back I seem unable to recall any chick lit novels that focus around interacial relationships in this way (although I may be wrong, my memory does tend to fail me sometimes.) The prejudices and criticisms focused on where so realistic and centered around how many couples still face these problems in society. With the book being set in Africa, I also felt this added a unique element to the story, very few books are set in this destinations. The descriptions were so well done that at times I could almost feel as though I was on safari with Janie. While Carole Matthews focuses on this serious issue, Wrapped Up In You is still a lighthearted, fun read, which I really liked. The humour within Wrapped Up In You had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9C4E1LY6myZoUyJMmotGWZMyQBUbBrc04ZtRJY-OCpv5bZxNuR5OZLNfh6aUCpWbWqBITNzeX6x9s9j8ryn5Iw9WzKjv42Jjr3RSezJJCUP-lqC8MO221FDZMeiVkVznk_Jr-P7Zfkc/s1600/MatthewsCarole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9C4E1LY6myZoUyJMmotGWZMyQBUbBrc04ZtRJY-OCpv5bZxNuR5OZLNfh6aUCpWbWqBITNzeX6x9s9j8ryn5Iw9WzKjv42Jjr3RSezJJCUP-lqC8MO221FDZMeiVkVznk_Jr-P7Zfkc/s320/MatthewsCarole.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>Janie's character was extremely likeable and while she had her insecurities and flaws, she was still a fun and interesting person to read about. I enjoyed the way in which her character evolved along with the story becoming more confident and sure of herself. Even though Janie was a little vunerable and naive I was still routing for her to find love and have her happy ending throughout. I loved Janie's cat, Archie too, he was such a hilarious animal, and his interactions with Dominic were interesting to read about. My favourite character, however had to be Dominic. He was such a quirky, refreshing, addition to the story. I was enthralled with the way in which he has to adapt to life in England and the different cultures from what he was used to in Africa. While, I did not like the way in which Janie's friends treat Dominic, I did feel that it was a true representation of how there are still prejudices in today's soceity of interacial relationships. <br />
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Overall, I enjoyed Wrapped Up In You, finding it to be a unique, fun and cozy. My only issue with Wrapped Up In You, was that the ending seemed a little too much of a fairytale ending for my liking. While I enjoy a happy ending, I felt that all the issues within the story were all of sudden fixed very easily. This did not, however, effect my enjoyable of Wrapped Up In You. The romance aspects within the story were so beautifully written and enrapturing that I flew through the book. I would definatly recommened Wrapped Up In You as a must read for this time of year.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1twZnUHaqWIkuNY6o5Kpm8r2IVBUpx9W0DhiyaorNgteQlCTJ15wHURQEUSnpCobG2wQj3SGHTpPG8QIQY7ePegSJP6nefbGOECZeyMxig5_9D_GsYFFgw997jXNhWfNmcGpgnhTjbY/s1600/large4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1twZnUHaqWIkuNY6o5Kpm8r2IVBUpx9W0DhiyaorNgteQlCTJ15wHURQEUSnpCobG2wQj3SGHTpPG8QIQY7ePegSJP6nefbGOECZeyMxig5_9D_GsYFFgw997jXNhWfNmcGpgnhTjbY/s1600/large4.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/6N9H4hIRYSU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0751545090&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0755373790&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0755335872&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-77745426250406583972011-12-20T14:41:00.000+00:002011-12-20T14:41:24.275+00:00Build A Man by Talli Roland: A Review<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Build A Man by <a href="http://www.talliroland.com/">Talli Roland</a> </span></strong></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: magenta;"></span></strong><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><br />
<span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>When Was It Released?:</strong> <span style="color: black;"> 5th November 2011</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVCqn2QVUSwAnBZT_wCIF4CDFnRQpxLiFfAR-fFKnu9YqYbrr3CMrxpdBiF9sJ5XPluuRHWpApRfd7-O2vIai9kB1WCqdJELm7_AcrWj23K6CZxUDPRd2a18l6qRsVjN0Y9sIdZ49jSU/s1600/build-a-man-talli-roland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVCqn2QVUSwAnBZT_wCIF4CDFnRQpxLiFfAR-fFKnu9YqYbrr3CMrxpdBiF9sJ5XPluuRHWpApRfd7-O2vIai9kB1WCqdJELm7_AcrWj23K6CZxUDPRd2a18l6qRsVjN0Y9sIdZ49jSU/s320/build-a-man-talli-roland.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Where Did I Get It From?: </strong></span></span><span style="color: black;">From Talli</span></span></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: black;"> in exchange for a review. Thankyou! </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong>Who Published It?:</strong> <span style="color: black;">Self Published</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong></strong></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Number Of Pages:</span></strong> 352pages</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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After reading and falling in love with Watching Willow Watts and The Hating Game by Talli Roland, earlier this year, I was on tenter hooks awaiting the release of her next book. Luckily I did not have to wait long before Build A Man was published in Novemeber. As soon as I recieved my copy, I could not resisit making time especially to get started on reading it. I am still in awe as to how Talli Roland has been able to release three books this year, all at such a high standard of writing, and of all three I have to admit that Build A Man is my new favourite. <br />
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Build A Man follows the life of Serenity Holland, an American living in London, working as a receptionist to the rich and self obsessed clients at a plastic surgery clinic. Her real dream, however is to become a journalist, and she puts all her effort into pitching magazines with ideas in the hope of getting her work published. Her luck might just be changing, however, when she meets Jeremey Ritchie at the cosmetic surgery clinic, who is determined to make himself over from head to toe in order to become Britain's Most Eligable Bachelor. Serenity cannot resisit using Jeremey's story as a pitch to one of the top tabloid's, a story the editor just can't refuse. Serenity is determined to make her column a success, by going under cover to get access to every part of Jeremey's life. All goes wrong, however when her editor makes Serenity cover all the gory details of the surgery and Serenity must decide how far she is really willing to go for her dreams to come true. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_-KaARJuAX1poxMN761gpekJu_uYEPKrbYvwq4YPCn4Y5VlR8QBqmasfJxIE6HgjOfIF0WJkEEEoFNoR75VBTf_DGmaWNnSpuW0gRPrpXRQeTGjll9h8jZjKX9EyBLBGiF0XVu9xvcmA/s1600/Talli+Roland+-+Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_-KaARJuAX1poxMN761gpekJu_uYEPKrbYvwq4YPCn4Y5VlR8QBqmasfJxIE6HgjOfIF0WJkEEEoFNoR75VBTf_DGmaWNnSpuW0gRPrpXRQeTGjll9h8jZjKX9EyBLBGiF0XVu9xvcmA/s320/Talli+Roland+-+Web.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>I was enraptured by Build A Man from the very first page and could not put it down until I had finished the last page. The writing flowed so well that even if I had wanted to stop I don't think I would have been able to. The concept, as with all Talli Roland's novels, was so unique and different from the usual chick lit novels. I loved the idea of Build A Man and the quirky little elements that were added along the way. You can always count on Talli to bring a creative twist to her books. I would love to be inside her head for just one day to see how she comes up with all her ideas. I also enjoyed the message and the moral dilema behind the story in Build A Man, with Serenity using her professional position as the cosemtic surgery clinic in order to gain juicy details for her column. Then later on in the story Serenity's conscience coming into play with whether or not she should be doing that or not. <br />
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In terms of characters, I love Serenity. While I was reading Build A Man I was constantly wishing Serenity was a real person so that I could become friends with her. She was so fun, with so much life and energy, even when she was in a bad situation she still managed to pull herself out. I found her such a unique, interesting character. Even though she may have made some bad and morally wrong decisions, she still has a conscience and never set out to intentionally hurt anyone. I also liked the character of Jeremey too, enjoying the way in which his character gave a glimpse into male insecurities, which is not often present in chick lit. The way in which he has also been hurt in past relationships, made him seem genuine, if a little guarded. <br />
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Overall, I really loved Build A Man. I just did not want this novel to end. It was such a humourous, unique book that I became so personally involved in that at times I forgot the characters weren't real. I am so excited to have found out that Talli is currently writing a sequel to Build A Man, which will explore Serenity and Jeremey's relationship. The sequel, Construct A Couple is set for release next year (just hurry up and write it Talli, I don't think I can wait that long!). <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEt7t4hT96vLUx_S91dCAKz2uZ1PL1rZdPUiqjuUGl1TIiWDMjowGFJu-R7JrPXU5h5G4mjukvy1p5TlL5iFUt1LqC-ZxEm_65p-d78T4S3q0lxKOj9VpZyXhEGKuGTbdGtNokO1wM-z0/s1600/large5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEt7t4hT96vLUx_S91dCAKz2uZ1PL1rZdPUiqjuUGl1TIiWDMjowGFJu-R7JrPXU5h5G4mjukvy1p5TlL5iFUt1LqC-ZxEm_65p-d78T4S3q0lxKOj9VpZyXhEGKuGTbdGtNokO1wM-z0/s1600/large5.png" /></a></div><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00642BCX2&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B005JE2IJI&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B004CLYIO2&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-90932842581713024502011-11-23T23:56:00.001+00:002011-11-24T00:39:15.008+00:00Unscripted by Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz: A Review<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Unscripted by <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/Unscriptedbook"><span style="color: blue;">Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz</span></a> </span></strong></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><br />
<span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>When Was It Released?:</strong> <span style="color: black;"> 28th November 2011</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Where Did I Get It From?: </strong></span></span><span style="color: black;">From th</span></span></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: black;">e authors in exchange for a review. Thankyou</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong>Who Published It?: <a href="http://ebooks.carinapress.com/B7FFDCD5-CD90-4AFC-8194-FDD0A1B739CE/10/134/en/Default.htm">Carina Press</a></strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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Have you ever wanted to know what really goes on behind the scenes of your favourite reality television show? I know that I have always wanted to find out the gossip and dirt on what really goes happens and Unscripted by Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz defiantly takes you there. Add a splash of romance and some chick lit and you have a novel that you will fly through. </span><br />
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<span lang="EN"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_FExQdLT72_uzaEw7oKukhgXS_in2qnjymLymtJmrnHRSmuWZN-m4-THd_RrpX1b11ZoUyhTHB6-UKFvUV_fH3vz8xLFApYS36ZnZ0Uwbtfb7DApC-Nc4KH-pS0UdIwOGhZb0vnTa-Q/s1600/51K3cYoAmZL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_FExQdLT72_uzaEw7oKukhgXS_in2qnjymLymtJmrnHRSmuWZN-m4-THd_RrpX1b11ZoUyhTHB6-UKFvUV_fH3vz8xLFApYS36ZnZ0Uwbtfb7DApC-Nc4KH-pS0UdIwOGhZb0vnTa-Q/s320/51K3cYoAmZL.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>As a producer on a reality dating show, Abby Edwards knows that true love is a myth. When her screenwriter ex makes a hit movie based on their relationship, Abby's faults are projected on screens across the country. Suddenly the fact that her job depends on orchestrating hot tub hook-ups doesn't seem so impressive. Her friends rally to help. Zoë thinks she needs to meet a guy. Stephanie suggests an attitude adjustment. Nancy wants her to get in touch with her inner Goddess. Abby knows they mean well, but she prefers to focus on her work. Unfortunately, she's already embarrassed herself in front of her new boss, Will Harper, who she would find totally crush-worthy if he weren't so irritating. <br />
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Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz have both worked in reality television before, which really added an extra layer to Unscripted. I loved the way in which they were able to weave some extreme and hilarious goings on behind the scenes into their story. I was constantly left wondering whether these happenings were entirely made up or whether Natalie and Marla brought these in from first hand experience. With Unscripted being written by two different authors I have to admit I was a little sceptical that it would be obvious that which author had written which parts. Well my worries were sent packing, I found that the writing flowed smoothly with no interruptions. Unless you knew beforehand, there is no tell tale signs that Unscripted has been written by two different authors. While the pace of Unscripted was a little slow to begin with, once I got started on the story I found it very hard to put down. I kept flying through the pages, ready to find out what the reality stars were going to get up to next. I did, however, find the ending to be a little abrupt. I got to the last few pages and was really beginning to wonder how Natalie and Marla were going to wrap up the story in that limited amount of space. While I don’t want to give anything away, I will say that I would have liked the ending to progress a little more. <br />
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As a character, I really connected with Abbey finding her to be smart and funny, which are two qualities I enjoy a main character to have. I loved in way in which we see her at her lows and her highs, giving a full range of her character. I really enjoyed her interaction with her best friend, ,they go through some rough times in their friendship and I liked the way it was handled. I was constantly torn between thinking that they shouldn’t be friends anymore to wanting them to work through their differences. Something that anyone who has ever had an argument with a close friend can relate to. As well as liking Abbey, I also enjoyed reading about the secondary characters as well, finding almost all of them to be intriguing. My only issue, in terms of characters, was with the romance aspect between Abbey and her co-worker Will. I just felt that there was not enough of it and would have loved to see this develop more. While it is underlying throughout most of the novel, I really would have liked to see more of it. I would also have enjoyed seeing more of Will as a character as even at the end of the novel, I felt I knew very little about him. <br />
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Overall. I did enjoy Unscripted, finding it to be unique. In the romance and chick lit genre all too often some novels become predictable and similar, I really enjoyed how Unscripted took a different route into an area that has had very little exploration in this genre. Unscripted is a light, entertaining, charming read that will have you laughing out loud from beginning to end. If you are looking for a twist on a romance or chick lit novel I would defiantly recommend Unscripted. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1twZnUHaqWIkuNY6o5Kpm8r2IVBUpx9W0DhiyaorNgteQlCTJ15wHURQEUSnpCobG2wQj3SGHTpPG8QIQY7ePegSJP6nefbGOECZeyMxig5_9D_GsYFFgw997jXNhWfNmcGpgnhTjbY/s1600/large4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1twZnUHaqWIkuNY6o5Kpm8r2IVBUpx9W0DhiyaorNgteQlCTJ15wHURQEUSnpCobG2wQj3SGHTpPG8QIQY7ePegSJP6nefbGOECZeyMxig5_9D_GsYFFgw997jXNhWfNmcGpgnhTjbY/s1600/large4.png" /></a></div></span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B005UPRLM0&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-30751126471402564932011-11-23T16:20:00.001+00:002011-11-23T16:21:20.068+00:00Winner: 100 Follower Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBUg8-lQCnIYvUVWpe0b3wzn79wpxP7JpX5fo3PxAB4sar2V9N-zLxTh_uluFyLA5v5JPy_DIM-dH2fpfeTxpT-8bDjdfkxsnVBCI9njJFhc9TyTzYzFGUOprprJSY7IqhgvCkDfgg1c/s1600/Blog+giveaway001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBUg8-lQCnIYvUVWpe0b3wzn79wpxP7JpX5fo3PxAB4sar2V9N-zLxTh_uluFyLA5v5JPy_DIM-dH2fpfeTxpT-8bDjdfkxsnVBCI9njJFhc9TyTzYzFGUOprprJSY7IqhgvCkDfgg1c/s200/Blog+giveaway001.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>My 100 follower giveaway to win the fantastic prize of either a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card ended on Monday. I was astounded by the number of enteries, and want to thank everyone so much for their support. I have now picked a winner a random. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Winner Is:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tara V</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br />
Congratulations to our lucky winner Tara, who I have also emailed so that she can claim her prize. Thankyou so much to everyone who entered the giveaway for your support of Chick Litaholic. I will be bringing you lots of giveaways in the future. Please stayed tuned for the latest giveaway, that you will not want to miss, which will be announced on Monday.Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-23946662183136628702011-11-23T11:14:00.000+00:002011-11-23T11:14:27.990+00:00Waiting On Wednesday<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #51236c;">Breaking the Spine</span></a>, that and looks upcoming releases that we cant wait to get our hands on. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This week's pre-publication I really can't wait to read is<strong>:</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Bungalow by Sara Jio (27th December 2011)</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoZ4Suno28qUhZEQjZSs3-qvBCVs-66UPZzW4MSeD00SOpusBMkx8V9WFe5pyGq_VUtcnm5c9rSFUAYx4_viXk-gDUZk_OKsxLzoQjN7AylkIz98aq5t5W_Ba50-eVS4MMzzMM81CuAo/s1600/11720964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoZ4Suno28qUhZEQjZSs3-qvBCVs-66UPZzW4MSeD00SOpusBMkx8V9WFe5pyGq_VUtcnm5c9rSFUAYx4_viXk-gDUZk_OKsxLzoQjN7AylkIz98aq5t5W_Ba50-eVS4MMzzMM81CuAo/s320/11720964.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the summer of 1942, twenty-one-year-old Anne Calloway, newly engaged, sets off to serve in the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific island of Bora-Bora. More exhilarated by the adventure of a lifetime than she ever was by her predictable fiancé, she is drawn to a mysterious soldier named Westry, and their friendship soon blossoms into hues as deep as the hibiscus flowers native to the island. Under the thatched roof of an abandoned beach bungalow, the two share a private world-until they witness a gruesome crime, Westry is suddenly redeployed, and the idyll vanishes into the winds of war. </div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">How awesome does this book sound? The cover is so beautiful and the destination of Bora Bora makes me want to hop on a plane and head off to a tropical destination. On top of that this is a book by Sarah Jio, I don't think that needs any more explanation.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-84221230701172980682011-11-11T05:29:00.001+00:002011-11-11T05:35:19.314+00:00Book News: Ali McNamara and Breakfast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When Ali McNamara's debut novel From Notting Hill With Love..... Actually was released I just had to buy it and I fell in the love the story. When I heard that Ali Mcnamara had a second novel coming out entitled Breakfast With Darcy, I just could not wait to get my hands on a copy. After all how many novels do you read where the main character inherits a small island. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhX_IYHV-o_hhksookPyLjsykzvRwBXn6xtXXZp0Q1ydxWURKM2ltQ4oiCUrnKOPULgFSgcF2ev9DJ5uhxZL5Cj-AxsJkrSkutwJggF0CbhnVsBbNmT54igPu5LIEy_A4q3gnUMbDbiXQ/s1600/tumblr_lkcw9stAoK1qhlpw5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhX_IYHV-o_hhksookPyLjsykzvRwBXn6xtXXZp0Q1ydxWURKM2ltQ4oiCUrnKOPULgFSgcF2ev9DJ5uhxZL5Cj-AxsJkrSkutwJggF0CbhnVsBbNmT54igPu5LIEy_A4q3gnUMbDbiXQ/s320/tumblr_lkcw9stAoK1qhlpw5.jpg" width="202" /></a><em>When Darcy McCall loses her beloved Aunt Molly, she doesn’t expect any sort of inheritance - let alone a small island! Located off the west coast of Ireland, Tara hasn’t been lived on for years, but according to Molly’s will Darcy must stay there for twelve months in order to fully inherit. It’s a big shock. And she’s even more shocked to hear she needs to persuade a village full of people to settle there, too. Darcy must leave behind her independent city life and swap stylish heels for muddy wellies. Between sorting everything from the plumbing to the pub, she meets confident, charming Conor and sensible, stubborn Dermot - but who will make her feel really at home? </em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In the run up to the publication date of Breakfast At Darcys, which is released on 24th November 2011, Ali Mcnamara has been running an interesting and unique feature on her website. Ali was set with the task of eating 30 different breakfasts in the 30 days before the publication date. What a fantastic idea, after all I know myself I always struggle with variety at breakfast time, and afterall the task fits in nicely with the title of the book. You can check out what Ali has been eating every day on her website:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.alimcnamara.co.uk/?subject=SweetWords"> <span style="font-size: large;">Ali Mcnamara Website </span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You can also check out her journey to publication of her first novel From Notting Hill With Love......Actually below: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em></em><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/N1H8ErD3Ufw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0751547409&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0751544957&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6118643074879445513.post-48929475445523500342011-11-11T05:05:00.000+00:002011-11-11T05:05:15.378+00:00Secret Obsession by Kimberla Lawson Roby: A Review<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Secret Obsession by <a href="http://www.kimroby.com/">Kimberla Lawson Roby</a> </span></strong></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>When Was It Released?:</strong> <span style="color: black;"> 6th September 2011</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Where Did I Get It From?: </strong></span></span><span style="color: black;">From th</span></span></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: black;">e publishers in exchange for a review </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong>Who Published It?: <a href="http://faithwordsbooks.com/publishing_grand-central-publishing.aspx">Grand Central</a> </strong></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong></strong></span><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Number Of Pages:</span></strong> 175 pages</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhapeOm2wLyW7IineFk3mvT-CWsns2SW-AP3nt4QIM1CADHLAvHNL3AcktWEFuVPvIK2hu8u1JY5xAyP3T8ItUsbiTOfEgQr5hGn_RGBhweVUloTrKl9nbbMHfW3p9Vl2BW80hNQLbYEqw/s1600/41ua5prdmyL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhapeOm2wLyW7IineFk3mvT-CWsns2SW-AP3nt4QIM1CADHLAvHNL3AcktWEFuVPvIK2hu8u1JY5xAyP3T8ItUsbiTOfEgQr5hGn_RGBhweVUloTrKl9nbbMHfW3p9Vl2BW80hNQLbYEqw/s320/41ua5prdmyL.jpg" width="211" /></a><br />
<span lang="EN">Have you ever thought your best friends boyfriend was cute? I'm sure most of us have found this to be the case but we would never take things any further than that. Well, how about taking it one step further and becoming obsessed with your sisters husband. Afterall thats what happens in Secret Obsession, Paige falls for her sister, Camille's husband. </span><br />
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Paige Donahue has always lived in her sister Camille's shadow. As children, Camille had the grades, the friends, and their parents' love, while Paige was left with hand-me-downs and criticism. Now as adults, Camille lives an idyllic life with her husband, Pierce, and her two perfect children in a beautiful home, while Paige is stuck in a small condo with bills she can't afford to pay. But no more. With seeds of doubt planted in both Camille's and Pierce's minds, Paige's plan to steal her brother-in law starts to work. But when he reveals his decision to make his marriage work, a desperate Paige moves from envy to madness. What results from her dangerous scheme is something no one could have imagined.<br />
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My first thought when I heard about Secret Obsession was that it is based around such an interesting concept. I have read a lots of books where there is cheating involved but never have a read a book where one of the characters becomes so obsessed with her sisters husband that she tries to steal him for herself. I really thought this was a great premise, and looks at the 'bad' side of relationships. Secret Obsession is a short read, that is fast paced throughout. The plot moves quickly and I kept turning the pages desperate to know what extremes Paige would go to next and exactly what was going to happen. There is a scene at the beginning of the book that made me very uncomfortable reading it, however if you can past it the scene really sets the tone of just how far Paige is willing to go to get what she wants. I have to admit that I did not enjoy the epilogue. I thought that after such a real, hard hitting, emotional storyline the epilogue tied things up too perfectly. I would have liked to see things end slightly differently to keep with the overall tone of the book.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpKK0b8_7WbdAqOo6UhAOuavCEINmsiuQbcKjROtbWerq2bPDpp1iF9Ek11DROYYttMWeY_ijmG0No5BS84UVyz0IprxPysVFURY-znVLqUQ08BXi9k5Qustc-6034UQ3iysiiz7CYnQ/s1600/Roby__Kimberla_Lawson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpKK0b8_7WbdAqOo6UhAOuavCEINmsiuQbcKjROtbWerq2bPDpp1iF9Ek11DROYYttMWeY_ijmG0No5BS84UVyz0IprxPysVFURY-znVLqUQ08BXi9k5Qustc-6034UQ3iysiiz7CYnQ/s320/Roby__Kimberla_Lawson.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>In terms of characters, I really disliked Paige finding her to be extremely self centered with very few morals. Paige is a character you are expected to hate and Kimberla Lawson Roby wrote her this way for a reason. I also did not particularly like Pierce either, as he commits actions later on in the novel that are out of line. The only character I did like on the whole was Camille, who is Paige's sister. I found her to be genuine, generous and caring, always looking out for her sister and everyone around her. I was really routing for Camille throughout the book and was hoping that she would come out of the sitaution relatively unscathed. <br />
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Some of you may be put off by the idea of someone going after her sister's husband, after all it is a pretty twisted sitaution. All I can say is that, yes it is a pretty extreme idea, but cheating happens everyday, and while I would never condone that, it can make for very real and emotional reading. If you can get past the concept of Secret Obsession then I would definatly recommend this book to you. It was a really enjoyable, fast paced read that I devoured all in one go. <br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=044657242X&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000N2HCZQ&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=chicklitah-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=006144295X&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Georginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15455856188235689448noreply@blogger.com0