Looking For Leon by Shirley Benton: A Review

Looking For Leon by Shirley Benton

When Was It Released?:  26th January 2011
Where Did I Get It From?: From the author in exchange for a review. Thankyou Shirley 
Who Published It?: Poolbeg
Number Of Pages: 374 pages

Looking For Leon is Shirley Benton's debut novel, which I have been excited about reading ever since I first heard about the novel. After reading a large amount of paranormal and horror novels over Halloween, I was more than ready to delve into a chick lit book and Looking For Leon was the one calling to me the most. The premise of going across the world to find someone you have feelings for really had me intrigued and the first line "There I was on the front page, flashing my knickers" had me instantly hooked.

Andie hadn’t gambled on meeting the love of her life on a holiday in Las Vegas but when she meets Leon, love suddenly seems like a bet she can win. That is, until the wheel of fortune steps in and separates them during a fire drill. With next to no info on Leon, Andie finds it impossible to track him down despite staging a series of publicity stunts to get the media in on the act. Back in Ireland, journalist Andie begins to write a regular newspaper column about her search. Readers . But does Leon want to be found?

When I first read the synopsis of Looking For Leon I was instantly drawn in and once I started reading the idea of the novel was just as good as I thought it would be. I really love when a chick lit book is able to have some element that is unique and Shirely Benton pulled this off perfectly. After all who of us hasnt daydreamed about running off halfway around the world to find someone we love, even if only hypothetically? I find this to be such a romantic and at the same time fun notion. The pace in the beginning and end are fast and I was completly swept away in the plot. While the middle does slow down a little I still enjoyed it. I liked how as the pace slowed we were able to see Andie's character grow as well as her relationship with another character develop.  My absolute favourite element of Looking For Leon was the humour that Shirley Benton injected into the novel as well as into the character of Andie. I found myself laughing on more than one occasion, which I think left a few of my fellow travellers on the bus wondering if I was perhaps slightly crazy but I was so involved in the novel that I didn't even care.

I fell in love with the character of Andie, even though she is flawed. I found her to be likeable, funny, confident and able to make fun of herself. Her flaws really bring her to life, after all who doesn't have flaws, no matter how well we may keep them hidden? I like my characters to have some roughness to them rather than being seemingly perfect. I also really liked Colm, the camera man, especially his quirky penchant for biscuits and his love of the 70's, which really made him unique. There are lots of minor characters within Looking For Leon whom I also really enjoyed reading about, including Philppe and Isolde. Every character no matter how small a role they played still made an impact on me as a reader.

What I loved most about Looking For Leon though, was the twist and the events that played out towards the end of the novel. While I don't want to give too much away, I will say that I definatly did not see the twist coming. It completly engulfed me with emotions and I could not read the last few pages fast enough in order to find out what happens. Overall, I loved Looking For Leon and would definatly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fun, exciting chick lit book. I cannot wait to read more from Shirley in the future

Goddess Of Vengence by Jackie Collins: A Review

Jackie Collins -  Goddess Of Vengence

When Was It Released?: 13th September 2011
Where Did I Get It From?: Ann- Marie Neives was kind enough to send a copy for review
Who Published It?:    St Martins Press
Number Of Pages:  528 pages

Goddess of Vengeance is the seventh book in the Lucky Santangelo series. Now before I carry on I want to say two things; the first that even though this novel is part of a series you do not need to have read the other novels in order to enjoy this one. And second, the list of novels in the series is listed at the bottom of this review in the order of newest to oldest. Now I have those two pieces of information out of the way, I was really excited when I heard that Jackie Collins would be writing another novel in the Lucky Santangelo series. Drop Dead Beautiful, is one of my favourite Jackie Collins novels and so I was waiting on bated breath to discover exactly what happens next and to delve even further into the life of Lucky and her family. Jackie Collins is the reigning queen of chick lit and has been for many years with her signature look into the glamorous, rich and famous lives of the Hollywood elite. Jackie Collins has written twenty seven novels and sold over 400 million copies of her novels!

Lucky is a succesfull business woman running her high profile hotel and casino, The Keys in Las Vegas. The rest of her family are also in high points in their lives, with husband Lennie directing movies, her daughter Max about to turn eighteen and her son Bobby owning a number of hot nightclubs. It seems as though everything in her life couldn’t be better. That is until Armand Jordan arrives on the scene, determined to take it all away from her. A prince in his native Middle Eastern country, Armand is now one of the most successful real estate titans in America. He has no respect for women, treating them as play things, and everyone else with a lack of respect. Armand sets his sighs on buying The Keys and when Lucky point black refuses to sell Armand is stunned. That any women would say no to him is incomprehensible. Armand decides that The Keys will be his, no matter how he has to make this happen. The word is that “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” and what happens in Goddess of Vengeance will blow your mind!

When I heard that Jackie Collins latest novel would be part of the Lucky Santangelo series, I have to admit I was excited. As many readers will agree, Lucky is one of my favourite Jackie Collins characters. With her strength, independence and the power she exudes she is an iconic heroine for all women. I have always loved the character of Lucky, and her character in Goddess of Vengeance is no exception. Lucky is empowering to all women around the world with her strong character. There is a quote in Goddess of Vengeance which I believe sums up my love for her character and exactly why she is so relatable, “I’m a woman who took chances every inch of the way. I had to fight for my independence. Believe me, it wasn’t easy.” I hated the character of Armand, he is absolutely vile and does some really horrible acts within the novels, which may shock some readers. Of course the reader is supposed to hate Armand, and Jackie Collins always creates such believable characters for the reader to hate. I also really enjoy the way, that even though this novel is part of a series Jackie Collins manages to mention any important details from previous novels which you need to know about. Do not worry, therefore, if you have not read any or all of the Lucky series as you will understand the storyline without feeling lost. Of course I would recommend you read them all, as the entire series is enjoyable. The storyline is exciting, with twists and turns on every page, which make the novel easy to read while leaving you not wanting to put the book down. Jackie Collins raunchy and glamorous look into the LA and Las Vegas highlife is so exciting and I just adore the way Jackie gives her readers this glimpse into a life we would never normally see. I also adore the US cover of Goddess of Vengence, I think that with it being glossy it exudes the lifestyle of the characters within.

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed that Lucky seemed to be in the background, rather than the forefront of Goddess of Vengeance. Lucky’s daughter Max was featured much more in this novel than in any of the previous novels in the series. I found that I did not like the character of Max anywhere near as much as I love Lucky. Max is immature and seems to make decisions that make her appear fickle. I understand that she is young, however I do not think that Jackie Collin’s readers will warm to her as much as they do to Lucky. I have also heard that Jackie is planning to put Lucky in a backseat for the next novel in the series and focus more on Max. I hope that if this is the case she manages to make Max a little more likeable and more of a powerful character. I also found a few elements of the storyline a little too similar to Jackie Collin’s previous novel Drop Dead Beautiful and would perhaps have liked to see something a little more original.

Overall, I have to say that Jackie Collins has created another novel that will leave you wondering exactly how much of her novel is based on reality. Jackie has succeeded yet again in what she does best, which is creating truly escapist novels. Goddess Of Vengeance is a novel I could not put down and is filled with family drama, passion, revenge and strong women. I cannot wait to read what else Jackie Collins has in store in the future, whether it is another Lucky novel or not. In fact just so I don’t have to wait quite so long, I may have to go back and read some of her previous novels just to fill the void.

Review: Watching Willow Watts by Talli Roland

Talli Roland   - Watching Willow Watts  

When Was It Released?: 14th September 2011 (e book) and 30th November 2011 (paperback)
 Where Did I Get It From?: Talli Roland was kind enough to send me a copy for review
Who Published It?: Prospera
Number Of Pages:  352 pages


“No one could make you fulfilled and happy except yourself”, is the premise and message behind Talli Roland’s latest novel Watching Willow Watts. In today’s society so many people are desperate to become famous in anyway they can, especially with the introduction of You Tube. Fame, is not all that it is hyped up to be and it is great to see a novel that shows some of the pitfalls and what really happens once the fame takes hold. As soon as I read the synopsis of this novel I knew that I would be hooked and once I received this novel I was excited to get started.

Willow Watts, is a normal girl living in a predictably dull routine. She spends her days working in her dads antique shop and her nights staying in watching TV. Willow lives in a boring village filled with old aged pensioners with the title of Britain’s Ugliest Village. Willow’s life is suddenly turned upside down when a You Tube video of Willow impersonating Marilyn Monroe becomes an overnight sensation after the viewers spot Marilyn’s ghostly image in the video. Willows life and the small town she lives in are thrown into chaos with fans flocking from all over the world to see ‘the new Marilyn. Willow embraces her new identity, gaining weight to achieve Marilyn’s curves and changing her entire look. When Willow’s former love Alex returns to the village she must decide if she wants to focus on fame or revert back to her old self in order to find happiness.

Talli Roland has come up with a individual, unique storyline, which I have not seen done before. I really enjoyed the way she took this quirky idea of someone becoming a You tube sensation and what happens afterwards. I felt that with this storyline Talli was also able to create characters that were relatable and fell into pace with the story. I loved the characters of Dickie, Willow’s father and Bett’s, the Marilyn Monroe fan from America. I especially enjoyed when these two characters were interacting together. I found them extremely likeable and also very funny at times. I hated the character of Jay, he is absolutely vile, doing everything for his own gain and not caring in any way about anyone else. You are expected to hate Jay from the beginning, right through and you will be hoping along the way that someone manages to put him in his place. Willow is also an interesting character who you will feel for throughout the novel. Willow is also very family oriented, which I loved.

My only issue with the novel was that I felt at times as though Willow was a little too naïve. All of us make mistakes in life and make decisions without having all the facts, however I felt as though Willow went into a lot of situations with her eyes closed. I would have liked to see Willow as a little bit of a stronger character. For example Willow falls out with her best friend over Jay and decides to believe what Jay has to say over her best friend, Paula. Willow and Jay have only known each other for a few days, therefore I don’t believe it is realistic for a woman to believe a guy she has just met over her best friend.

Watching Willow Watts is a funny, heart-warming, unique story, that will have leave you unable to put the novel down. I finished Watching Willow Watts is one weekend and did not want it to end. I will now be running to the store to purchase The Hating Game, Talli Roland’s previous novel, in order to read more of her delectable writing. I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a fun unique take on chick lit.

New Movie: I Don't Know How She Does It

I enjoy when chick lit books are turned into movies. I enjoy seeing how everyone else views the characters and storyline. I also like to see whether the book has been portrayed in a smiliar way to how I thought it would be. Many times the novel is better than the film version, however occasionally a great film version that comes along that I really enjoy.

The latest chick lit novel to be turned into a movie is I Don't Know How She Does It, based on the novel by Alison Pearson. Starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Pierce Brosnan I Don't Know How She Does It is a comedy centering around Kate Reddy who has to balance her day job working at a finacial management firm with homelife of her husband and two children. Kate is constantly trying to figure out this never ending balancing act, which her best friend and working mother Alison manages on a daily basis and her child phobic junior assitant Morno plans to avoid. Kate wins a new account at work which means she must travel to New York and her husband, Richard, also wins a new job, which means that they are both spreading themselves even thinner than before. Kate's charming new business associate, Jack, doesn't exactly help matters, as he increasingly becomes a source of temptation. Will Kate's marriage survive or will she burn out?

I Dont Know How She Does It is released today (16th September 2011) and I plan on seeing this movie and letting you guys know what I think.

Has anyone been to see the movie yet? Are you excited about it? Leave me a comment and let me know!

From Barcelona With Love: A Review

Elizabeth Adler - From Barcelona With Love

When Was It Released?: 21st June 2011
Where Did I Get It From?: The library
Who Published It?:   St Martins Press

Do you ever just want to be transported away to a foreign destination, with summer breezes, sandy beaches, expensive champagne and decadent foods? Well don’t we all! Not all of us, though can afford to hop onto a plane and visit these countries ourselves. Well now to get that same feeling you don’t have to, because From Barcelona With Love will transport you to the historic streets and luscious vine yards of Barcelona without even leaving the comfort of your own home.

Bibi Fortuna, singer/model/actress, was one of the most recognised and loved celebrities in Hollywood until her best friend and lover are killed and Bibi is arrested on suspicion of murdering them both.. Bibi was all over the front page, however the police were never able to prove that she had commited the crimes. Bibi was set free but with the cloud of suspicion still over her Bibi decided to run away to Barcelona and simply disappear. All is not so simple however, as Bibi has a daughter, Paloma, who she has to leave behind. When Paloma comes to private investigator Mac Reilley and his girlfriend Sunny Alvarez for help finding her mom, they cannot resist trying to solve this mystery and reunite a mother and her daughter. Did Bibi really commit the murders? Is Bibi even still alive? And if so where is she hiding?

From Barcelona With Love is the fourth novel in the Mac Reilley series, following on From One Of Those Malibu Nights, There’s Something About St Tropez and It All Began In Monte Carlo. Mac Reilley and Sunny Alvarez have shared their romance and travelled to many luxurious destinations. Unlike many other series though, do not worry if you have never read any of the other novels, as you can read these as stand along novels. Anything you need to know from the previous novels is already mentioned, therefore you will not feel as though you are missing information.

From first glance From Barcelona With Love may sound like a mystery, and in some senses it is. Don’t let that put it off, the novel is still filled with Elizabeth Adler’s trademark lush descriptions of both Barcelona and the foods experienced along the way. I love the way Elizabeth is able to transport you away to the countries she is describing, so that you feel as they you are right there along with the characters. Foodies like myself will also love the descriptions of the wine and food that her characters stumble upon on their journey through Barcelona. Make sure you read this novel after you have eaten as you will be craving everything Elizabeth mentions throughout the novel.

From Barcelona With Love, however, is one of my least favourites of Elizabeth Adler’s novels. I felt that the mystery element of this novel fell a little short with many details of the murder being brushed over. The story and the ending was also a little predictable with none of Elizabeth’s trademark twists and turns she usually splashes her novels with. If you have never read any of the Mac Reilley series of books you may find that you do not get to know the characters very well either. Elizabeth may have written the characters this way as if you have read the previous novels you will feel you know them extremely well but as a stand alone novel I feel readers would want to know more about the characters.

Overall, From Barcelona With Love light, fun beach read that you will want to throw into a straw bag and lay out in the sun reading. And if you are nowhere near a beach and the weather outside makes you want to curl up on the sofa then with this novel you will be transported to these far off destinations, making you forget about the cold weather outside, creating climatic scenes full of promise. Grab a glass of wine and you won’t feel as jealous of the characters sipping their expensive champagnes and decadent Bordeaux’s. If you love a good beach read this beach chic novel is defiantly worth a read, and if this is the type of book you enjoy you may want to check out her previous novels too.

What I Am Reading This Week

Each week I will be reading and reviewing books for this blog. These will be mostly new releases with a few chick lit classics thrown in. This week I'm reading:

Jennifer Close - Girls In White Dresses



Darlene Fredette - Keeping Secrets - Darlene kindly sent this to me to review



Ellen Sussman - French Lessons



Reviews will follow shortly

Fly Away Home: A Review

Jennifer Weiner - Fly Away Home

When Was It Released?:July 2010
Where Did I Get It From?: The Library
Who Published It?: Atria Books

Jennifer Weiner creates her magic again, with Fly Away Home, another chick lit novel you just want to dive straight into. Fly Away home is poignant without sending you into a downward spiral of depression and blends Jennifer's wit with her sensitivity to create a timeless novel.

Fly Away home centre's around the story of Sylvie a politician's wife involved in a scandal and her two daughter's; Diana and Lizzie. What's the scandal Sylvie's involved in? Well her husband, Richard,  has been caught by the press having an extramarital affair with a lawyer young enough to be his daughter. Sylvie is devastated, after all she thought that her marriage was pretty perfect. Sylvie had reinvented herself since meeting Richard, in order to be the ideal politician's wife. Her main jobs being that she stays twenty pounds less than she was in her twenties, has a wardrobe full of tailored suits and she tends to her husbands every need. After the shock of the affair will Sylvie stand by her husband or will she choose a different path? After all there are Sylvie's two daughters; Lizzie and Diana, to think about. The scandal has affected both of them in different ways. Lizzie, is a recovering addict trying desperatly to keep her life under control. Will the scandal send her spiralling back down the path to drugs? Diana appears to have everything that Lizzie does'nt. As an ER nurse, with a husband and son (in that order) she seems to have everything she ever wanted. Except her marriage is a loveless one and she's looking for more. Could that more come in the form of an intern doctor? The scandal forces all three women to re-evaluate their lives and discover what they all really want.

Fly Away home is told from the viewpoint of all three women, meaning that we get to really learn about how they are all affected differently. I do not usually enjoy novels where the narration is told from many different viewpoints as this can sometimes become confusing. I thought, however that in Fly Away having the three different narrations was a welcome change and we learnt more about Lizzie, Diana and Sylvie than we would have done otherwise. I also enjoyed the way that Jennifer threw in many enticing and detailed descriptions of food and scenery. I love the way she described meals which instantly made me hungry and want to eat exactly what the characters were. The sense of humour of Selma, Sylvie's mother, was a welcome relief in the otherwise sombre mood of the novel, which I felt was much needed.

I do feel that Jennifer could have expanded on the characters of Sylvie, Diana and Lizzie more, so as to make us really care about them and what happens to them more. The novel also fell a little flat in some parts, redeeming itself towards the end of the novel where all the characters are reunited together. I really did not enjoy the way that Sylvie had not spoken to her husband, Richard, for most of the novel but then at the end suddenly begins talking to him again, and is able to move on. I felt that Sylvie changed her mind too quickly without any real deliberation.

Fly Away Home has an ending which is left pretty open, perhaps leaving options for Jennifer to write a sequel in the future. Even though this is not one of Jennifer's best novels, overall I still enjoyed reading this book. In the time of politicians, sports people and other celebrities wives being thrown into similar situations, this is a very current yet still timeless novel, that women of all ages will enjoy and be able to relate to. With Jennifer Weiner you can't really go wrong, after all she always manges to create chick lit masterpieces and though this novel may not be up to her usual standard its still a book worth reading.

Have you read this novel? Let me know what you thought.







Stay tuned for a review of Jennifer Weiner's most recent novel With You in the very near future.

Review: Sophie's Turn by Nicky Well's

Nicky Well's - Sophie's Turn
When Was This Released?: July 9th 2011
Where Did I Get It From? The lovely Nicky Well's sent this copy to me. Thankyou Nicky :-D
Who Published It? Nicky worked long and hard to publish this novel herself

Nicky Well’s is debut author, originally from Germany, now living in Bristol in England, with her husband and two sons. She has self published her first e- book Sophie’s Turn a classic chick lit novel. Nicky kindly sent me an e-book copy of her novel . Normally I don’t enjoy reading e-books, I’m pretty old fashioned and love the feel and smell of a reading a new book. After reading about Sophie’s Turn, however, I was excited to get started. I always enjoy reading novel’s by new and upcoming author’s and Sophie’s Turn was no exception.

Have you ever dreamed of being engaged to a man you have lusted after for many years who is also the lead singer of your all time favourite band? Well for Sophie Penhalligan, this isn’t just her dream its her reality. Dan the lead singer of Tusk has just proposed to her and she is over the moon. There’s just one issue she’s already engaged to her long term boyfriend Tim. You’re probably wondering how one girl can become engaged to two men at once, right? Well so was I when I read the prologue of Sophie’s Turn, after all its not the predicament you find yourself in every day. You’re also probably coming to many presumptions about Sophie already but wait, you have to read her story before you judge her. Once you start devouring the pages you will come to realise how Sophie has managed to land herself in this unlikely situation and along the way you will begin to not only fall in love with her but also perhaps envy her just a little bit. Not only do we come to realise that she has a conscience she also has many elements to her that we can all relate to.

Sophie’s Turn is split into three sections; Flashbacks, Playing With Fire and Showtime. The first looks at how Sophie managed to become engaged to two men at one time; reliable dependable Tim and roguish handsome Dan. The second looks at the progression of both of her relationships with both men, with the third leading us to how Sophie manages to get herself out of her predicament and the decisions she comes to make. I usually don’t enjoy flashbacks as a way of telling back stories, however in Sophie’s Turn Nicky Well’s manages to fit these flashbacks perfectly into the narration so that the novel does not become stilted but continues to flow. I loved the humour injected into this novel with the moment of Tim de-slugging his garden having me laughing out loud, leaving me receiving many strange looks from people around me. I also was thrilled to notice some British elements thrown in, resulting in much nostalgia for me with the mention of scotch eggs and sausage rolls, as I am originally from England and miss many of these elements about Britain. Many UK novelists tend to stay away from too many mentions of words and items only associated with England, fearing that they will isolate the American market, so I was delighted to see that Nicky Well’s had not shied away from this.

Will Sophie choose Tim or Dan? Well you’ll have to read the book to find that answer but let me tell you the ending might just surprise you.

In Sophie’s Turn Nicky Well’s mixes a style reminiscent of Lauren Weinberger’s ‘Last Night in Château Marmont’ with her unique British charm resulting in a honest, charming and slightly bitter sweet, romantic take on modern chick lit. Reading this novel feels as though you are hearing it directly from you’re best friend. I was able to devour this novel almost as fast as I tend to wolf down a chocolate bar when I‘m in need a sugar rush, even having to be literally dragged away from the novel at one point. Anyone who likes chick lit will love Sophie’s Turn just as much as I did.

Have you read this novel? Let me know what you thought.

Dancing Her Dreams Away: A Review

Alretha Thomas - Dancing Her Dreams Away

When Was It Released?: 30th March 2011
Where Did I Get It From?: I won this from Chick Lit Club.
Who Published It?: Diverse Arts Collective

http://www.dancingherdreamsaway.com/

I finally received Dancing Her Dreams Away by Alretha Thomas after I won it from one of my favourite website's Chick Lit Club. Alretha Thomas is an emerging author residing in California who’s previous novel Daughter Denied was a great success. While I have never read any of Alretha Thomas’s previous work I thought this book sounded intriguing. While not being you’re typical chick lit book, it had remnants of being an interesting and diverse novel with remnants of a chick lit book. When Dancing Her Dreams Away arrived I was excited to get started and let me tell you it did not disappoint.

Sheila King is an aspiring actress who wants to 'be someone' but with the auditions surmounting to nothing and eviction in the not too near future she needs things to start looking up. Sheila thinks that she may have found her big break when movie producer Greg Livingston offers her the lead role in his new movie. Only one problem she has to go topless, and Sheila just is not comfortable with that. Sheila soon becomes enthralled into Greg's world and the movie, however it may just be that neither are is all that they initially seem to be.

Alretha Thomas does an excellent job of weaving a plot that is filled with excitement and mystery. From start to finish you will want to know exactly why Greg’s character seems so shady and you will wonder exactly what happened in Sheila’s past to make her want to “be someone” just so badly as well as many other questions along the way. Even though the character of Sheila King may annoy you at times with her naivety and the decisions throughout the novel she makes, Ms Thomas narration and style will have you rooting for Sheila throughout.

Ms Thoma’s narrations throws lots of twists and turns into the plot, keeping you on your toes. There are times where you will believe you have the ending figured out, then new information will be thrown in and you will be scrambling to try and figure it out all over again . I loved the way Ms Thomas keeps you on your toes throughout the entire novel, meaning you will never get bored.

The descriptions of the acting business and castings, definatly go a long way to enhancing the novel, showing that Hollywood may not be as glam as many people peceive it to be. The steamy romance also ensures that the plot is heated up.

Dancing Her Dreams Away is fast pased, leaving you with a put that you are unable to put down from start to finish.

You may think that this is not a book for you after reading the blurb and viewing the cover. Trust me, however the saying 'don't judge a book' by it's cover is really true with this one.

Have you read this novel? Let me know what you thought.

Take It Like A Mom: A Review

Stephanie Stiles - Take It Like A Mom

When Was It Released?: July 5th 2011
Where Did I Get It From?: I won this from the lovely ladies at Chick Lit Central.
Who Published It?:  New American Library

http://stephaniestiles.com/

I received this book from the lovely ladies at Chick Lit Central. Stephanie Stiles' debut chick lit novel Take It Like A Mom, looks at the hard job mother's face raising a baby and the validation that they don't always receieve for their hard work. Even though from the outset this looks like a self help book, do not be fooled. It is a humorous take on motherhood and the perils that come with it.

Annie Fingart Foster is a stay at home mom to three year old toddler Robby, after giving up her job as a high flying professional lawyer. Being at home with Robby means she has given up the luxuries not only of fashionable dry clean only clothes but even of washing her hair on a regular basis. This novel takes us throw the rapid of motherhood, including to Annie's surpise and perhaps horror, of finding out that she is expecting baby number two. Annie thinks she knows what to expect, after all she has been through it all before, except this time her husband Alex has lost his job. As if that is not enough to deal with Annie also has to contend with are plenty of preschool politics, over zealous parents in the playground and an ever expanding waistline, leading her to believe she must be having a 40 pound baby. Annie thinks that her life of stay at home motherhood is turning into a tv sitcom, if only she had the magic powers of her beloved characters in Bewitched. Alas she does not, so it seems that Annie will just have to suck it up and take it like a mom.

Even though I am not a mother, I know that many mom's will be able to relate to this book due to Ms Stile's witty and scathingly real description of motherhood. There is no glossing over of the demands that motherhood places on a woman and I liked the realness of this. I loved the character of Annie, not only was she laugh out loud funny with her mishaps, jokes and general humour but she also has a good heart, which leads her to taking care of people whom in some cases she does not even know, including believe it or not her cable guy. Even though this is a story of motherhood the narration always stays upbeat, with the character of Annie sucking up the situation and just getting on with life.

There are many characters you will hate in this book, including Lippie the Hippie and Cathy Crew Cut and many you will also grow to love along the way, especially Annie's two best friends, Jenn and Jen.

I loved the humour in Ms Stiles narration, with her many references to pop culture and tv sitcoms, which had me literally laughing out loud more times than I can remember. The references, however did get a bit too much towards the end of the book, where I began to wish they were not used quite so much. Some readers may find it takes a little while to get into the humour of this book but it is definatly worth sticking around for.

Overall I loved this book. It is hilarious, entertaining, and a page turning look at mom lit. Take It Like Mom is a great beach read for the last of our summer months being light enough to get through in one sitting alone. Even though this book is focused on motherhood, you do not need to be a mom to enjoy this. A book I would recommend to anyone.

Have you read this novel? Let me know what you thought.