Sunday, July 31, 2011

Wish you were here by Phillipa Ashley

****4 stars
This was a quick read, and I really enjoyed it. The characters were all well done and likeable. There was bit of suspense building and you could tell that there was more to the story, but couldn't pin point what that was until it came to that point in the book. Very well done!

Book Jacket Summary:
A very young Beth and Jack met, fell passionately in love and had a whirlwind engagement several years ago in Corsica. But when they got back to the reality of their everyday lives in the UK, Jack mysteriously ended their relationship and Beth was left alone and heartbroken. What a cad. Or was he? When Beth, all grown-up and newly engaged - again - ends up working for Jack by a bizarre twist of fate, they start to unravel a string of misunderstandings that drove them apart. But it's too late to try again - or is it?

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

California Dreamers by Belinda Jones

*****5 stars
Belinda Jones does it again. I loved this book and the whole idea of a make-up stylist just waiting for something to happen in her life. Next thing you know she is a stylist for a big movie production in California on a live set, elbowing with true celebrities. I found this book immediately engaging and was sad when I finished it on the same day. My only complaint with Belinda Jones is that she doesn't churn her books out fast enough for me ;) Great solid read! Don't pass this one up!


Book Jacket Summary:
Ever wished you could make-over your life?
Make-up artist Stella is an expert at helping other people change their images, but when it comes to transforming herself, she doesn't even know where to start.
So when her new friend, glamorous Hollywood actress Marina Ray, summons her a movie set in California, Stella can't resist the chance to start afresh - it is the land of sunshine and opportunity after all!
But are they really friends or does Marina have an ulterior motive? What is the secret that both women are hiding about the nautical (but nice) men in their lives? And what will it take to really make both of their California dreams come true?
In a Pacific Coast journey that takes in Los Angeles, the world's most romantic ranch and California's very own castle in the sky - this story of friendship, long-distance love, kissing (and making up) is the perfect escapist read.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Step on it Cupid by Lorelei Mathias

***3 stars
Cute story about speed dating and funny antidotes. I really liked the character Amelie's character. The story went from 3rd person to 1st person narrative through a diary. This would be a great beach read :)

Book Jacket Summary:
Amelie’s life is arranged just how she likes it. Brilliant job, great social life, and on-off love-life. So it’s a shock when she realises one day that everyone she knows seem to be happily coupled up – getting married even. Is it time she thought about settling down?
Assigned an awful project in work – writing the ad campaign for Britain’s biggest speed-dating company – she is forced against her will into plenty of market research. And with her best mate Duncan, her annoying boss Joshua and her ex-boyfriend Jack all causing havoc in her life, maybe a speed-dating romance could be her salvation…

Sunday, July 24, 2011

My one and Only by Kristan Higgins

*****5 stars
GREAT book! Literally read this in one sitting and couldn't put it down. The characters were so engaging along with great supporting actors. Loved this story line and found myself wanting to see how it all would turn out. I really liked the intensity and could feel the unfinished feelings between the two main characters Harper and Nick. This is not my first Higgins book but possibly my favorite. If you are a romance reader, you won't be disappointed.

Book Jacket Summary:
Divorce attorney Harper James can't catch a break. Bad enough that she runs into her ex-hubby, Nick, at her sister's destination wedding, but now, by a cruel twist of fate, she's being forced to make a cross-country road trip with him. And her almost-fiancé back at home is not likely to be sympathetic.
Harper can't help that Nick has come blazing back into her life in all of his frustratingly appealing, gorgeous architect glory. But in Nick's eyes, Harper's always been the one. If they can only get it right this time, forever might be waiting—just around the bend.

Friday, July 22, 2011

The Perfect Hero by Victoria Connelly

***** 5 stars
Love this author and her books. The last book I read "A weekend with Mr. Darcy" was absolutely fabulous and this one held the same appeal for me. I am a huge Austen fan and thoroughly enjoy her modern take on the loosely based Austen adaptions. Even if you are not an Austen fan you will still find this book appealing as the characters are engaging and well formed. I wouldn't let this book pass you by :)

Book Jacket Summary:
The circus has come to town…
Die-hard romantic, Kay Ashton, uses her inheritance to open a B&B in the seaside town of Lyme Regis and is dumbstruck when the cast and crew of a new production of Persuasion descend, needing a place to stay. Kay can't believe her luck – especially when she realises that heart throb actor Oli Wade Owen will be sleeping under her very own roof!
Meanwhile, co-star Gemma Reilly is worried that her acting isn't up to scratch, despite landing a plum role. She finds a sympathetic ear in shy producer, Adam Craig, who is as baffled by the film world as she is. Kay thinks the two are meant for each other and can't resist a spot of matchmaking.
Then, when Oli turns his trademark charm on Kay, it seems that she has found her real-life hero. But do heroes really exist?

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Can't Hurry Love by Christie Ridgway

****4 stars
Love this series and was anxious for it's release. It held up to my expectations and hated for it to end. This book was centered around the third and oldest Baci sister. I had been eager to see what the story was behind her and Liam after reading the tension from the previous books. This book almost seemed more in depth due to the issues dealt with along with the history of the families as well as Liam and Giuliana. Wish there were more to come in this series.

Book Jacket Summary:
Liam Bennett staked his claim to Tanti Baci after stepping in to help the Baci sisters save their family legacy. But Giuliana Baci doubts his motives. They've been at odds since the hot summer long ago that ended in heartache. With the fate of the winery on the line, the former lovers need to get a handle on their barely leashed hostilities-and the attraction that still draws them toward each other.

Finding Monsier Right by Muriel Zagha

****4 stars
This book started off slow for me but I thoroughly enjoyed it once I had gotten into it. It has the most delicious ending and I absolutely adored the characters. One of the major draws for me was that you couldn't tell where the storyline was going and found you enjoyed the adventure along with Daisy and Isabelle. I think the only flaw for me was the french sentences that were random and I couldn't quite place what they said, I was worried I was missing something but found that it didn't seem to matter. The phrases that were key were always explained in English or responded to, so that the reader understood. A definite book to get swept in :)

Book Jacket Summary:
A tale of two cities…
Two girls…
And a life-altering swap.
Daisy’s just landed the perfect job: spending a year in Paris writing about fashion. Swapping homes with French student Isabelle seems like the perfect arrangement.
Sensible Isabelle, however, finds London bewildering. But all her assumptions about crazy English guys are overturned when she meets hunky gardener Tom.
Meanwhile, fun-loving Daisy discovers that Paris is the City of Love, and more than one Monsieur Right…

Monday, July 11, 2011

Summer Loving by Allie Spencer

*****5 stars
What a great book! You begin reading and thinking it is or ordinary chick lit book with friends getting away for a vacation, but there is so much more depth to this book. You will find all the characters likeable and the storyline is quick and well done. I truly was sad to see the book end. I look forward to reading more by this author :)

Book Jacket Summary:
Sun, sea and Retsina... what could possibly go wrong?There comes a point in a girl’s life when she just needs to hang out with her girlfriends - preferably in Greece - so they can laugh, reminisce and perhaps indulge in a holiday romance or two. Beth has reached that point, and being a woman who likes to organise things, she arranges the holiday of her dreams for her and her three best friends.However, the bars, clubs and wild nights of their imaginings are a far cry from the slow, quiet pace of life on Liminaki. But if they thought that meant they were in for a peaceful time, they soon discover their mistake.For a start, Ginny drives everyone mad talking about her bleeping wedding. Anna falls hook, line and sinker for the waiter. Beth succumbs to the charms of a handsome sailor. And something is definitely Up with Kirsten. And then Beth’s boyfriend turns up at a Very Bad Moment... surely things can’t get any more complicated?

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Just say Yes by Phillipa Ashley

*** 3 stars
This was a quick paced book and a great summer read. I did feel it was a bit rushed in areas. I liked the idea of the plot and thought it had some real potential to be funny, but found that it just fell flat for me. I felt as though I knew the surroundings by description but would have liked to see more interaction between Lucy and her friends.

Book Jacket Summary:
Lucy Gibson needs to get away. When her good-looking, popular boyfriend Nick Laurentis, winner of reality TV show Hot Shots, proposes to her on air she's stunned - into silence. Every girl loves a romantic gesture, but she's just not ready for that kind of commitment. With the press hounding her as the one who callously broke Nick's heart, Lucy escapes her London flat to seek refuge in an isolated Cornwall cottage. But little does she realise that life down there will be far from uncomplicated...

Looking for Trouble by Erin Kern

***3 stars
This was a great book for the price. I uploaded this for my kindle at $.99. I liked the plot and the characters. I think the only reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 4 stars is it dragged in areas, and certain aspects of the character were brought up many times, while other areas it seemed rushed. I will definitely be looking to reading next books.

Book Jacket Summary:
When Noah McDermott, owner of McDermott Construction, walks out into the bright morning sunshine, the last thing he expects is to get run over by a careless woman in a yellow Mercedes. His anger quickly fades into curiosity when the driver turns out to have endless legs and bottomless brown eyes.
Avery Price, daughter of a publishing millionaire, should have followed her instinct and kept driving instead of stopping at a dot on the map. But Trouble, Wyoming is growing on her and she needs a job – fast.
Lately, Noah’s been going through office managers like people go through sticks of gum. He needs someone with a tough backbone to get his office organized. However, he did not want that someone to be the same woman who left her bumper imprint on his backside. As the two of them work together day after day, the sparks fly. Surely they can be professional and keep from acting on their attraction toward one another. As they spend more time together, Noah starts to get the feeling Avery isn’t who she says she is. Is she just a girl looking for a change or is there more going on than she’s telling him?
Avery quickly adapts to her new life in the picturesque town of Trouble. She has a job for the first time in her life and a boss who turns her on more than her ex-fiancé ever did. But did she make the right choice by leaving home or is she falling deeper into trouble?

Friday, July 1, 2011

Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy by Sara Angelini

****4 stars
When I first started this book, I thought I wasn't gonna like it, I WAS WRONG! I got to about the third chapter and was completely absorbed. I really liked the characters and the spin on Pride and Prejudice. It was a bit hot in certain scenes, but I loved the anticipation that built throughout. If you are a fan of romance, this will definitely be a great read. It was fun to see how the authors saw the characters of Pride and Prejudice as contemporary characters.

Book Jacket Summary:
Judge Fitzwilliam Darcy, a legal expert on both sides of the Atlantic, is ready to hang up his black robe and return to the life of a country gentleman—until he meets Elizabeth Bennet, a fresh-faced attorney with a hectic schedule and no time for the sexy but haughty judge.
Tempers and sparks fly in Judge Darcy's courtroom— and outside, in a series of chance encounters that give each of them pause—as the two match wits and try to fight their overwhelming attraction. When they meet up in England at an international law conference, they embark on a hot, heavy affair. Back in the States, though, ethical considerations intrude, and each is subjected to a torturous period of soul-searching before they can find their way back to each other...