Star Book Review: Once Upon Stilettos by Shanna Swendson (2006)

     What would you do if you were on your way to work and all of a sudden you saw a Gargoyle changing posts with an Owl to watch out from atop a clock tower or building nearby? Then, you hopped on the bus to get away from the madness on your walking route and across the way from you sat two fairies and the ugliest ogre you’d ever seen? Did I mention that every woman in a five-mile radius was acting like they were so attracted to this ogre that none of them could help themselves but to fawn all over him, sit in his lap and otherwise make goo-goo eyes at him? I think at that point, the running thought in my head would be, “you’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy!” While this may not be the scenario of my daily travels to my 9 to 5, it is the reality of leading heroine and magical immune, Katie Chandler, who we meet once again in the magical/paranormal/witchcraft chick lit novel, Once Upon Stilettos by Shanna Swendson.

     Once again, Shanna Swendson hits a magical double play with her second book in the Enchanted Series. In Once Upon Stilettos, Katie Chandler, a Native Texan turned New Yorker, is called upon to use her "powers" of non-magic in a scandal of corporate espionage. Magic, Spells & Illusions (MSI) appears to have an insider causing all kinds of chaos and disturbances in office and amongst employees. By the time Katie is able to make any kind of deductions, the office is in disarray, no one seems to trust anyone and Katie, herself, appears to have lost her magical immunity! Without her “normal” vision and a spy on the loose, Katie’s not sure who to trust and it seems that a new pair of sparkling red stilettos are causing a whole new kind of havoc in her life. Find out if Katie can save MSI from evil once again with or without her magical immunity.






     This is another spell-binding chick lit novel from Shanna Swendson full of romance, fashion, corporate espionage, intellect and of course magic and it does not disappoint.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Star Book Review: Last Night At Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger (Audio); Narrated by Merritt Wever

     I know this is probably going to sound a little bit backwards to a lot of Lauren Weisberger fans out there but the very first book I read by LW was Everyone Worth Knowing. When I first picked it up, I wasn’t sure if I could get into it – it talked about nightclubs and the drug scene and I wasn’t sure this was going to be an author for me, but by the book’s end, something about the way Ms. Weisberger depicted her characters and scenes had me hooked. Later, I saw the Hollywood movie version of her first novel, The Devil Wears Prada. With a stunning A-List cast, the movie entertained and became a favorite of mine in the chick lit genre of movie pictures and films. Finally this past fall, I listened to the unabridged audio version of The Devil Wears Prada and I must say – I was blown away by its originality. From its fairy tale plot, to its invigorating writing and its articulate narration, I gave this production a 5 Star Review.

     Now, to no surprise of mine, I found Lauren Weisberger has done it again with her latest release, Last Night at Chateau Marmont. Her newest novel can be described as nothing less than “Fabulous!” Brooke and Julian Alter appear to be the perfect down-to-Earth couple that you’d love to go out to dinner with or live next door to. Young and in love, they were quickly swept away by each other in a fairy-tale type of romance and married shortly thereafter. Aside from each other, Brooke and Julian also share a love for their careers, both working extremely hard in their respective professions, Brooke as a nutritionist at a local hospital and young girls’ Private school and Julian as a musician. Barely a year into their marriage, it seems nothing can come between the two young lovers until one night, after an invitation to perform on The Tonight Show, everything that seems right and sane in their world is turned upside down. Julian’s status quickly changes from a struggling musician to a successful artist with a household name who’s known worldwide. Now Julian’s schedule demands his presence from coast to coast and the paparazzi are there for every beat. Brooke can’t escape the scrutiny; she’s either criticized for being there too much or too little for her husband. Torn between two worlds, Julian and Brooke’s marriage begins to look like anything but a perfect relationship. Has the instant celebrity and stardom brought their relationship to a point of no return? Will fame and money affect Julian’s faith and devotion to his wife? Has the constant traveling along with an otherwise MIA husband changed Brooke’s vision of their future? Listen to hear if Brooke and Julian survive the turbulent roller coaster ride that Julian’s sudden rise to stardom has taken them on.

     Newcomer, Merritt Wever, narrated in a believable, expressive fashion that sounded consistent and appropriate with what I imagined the characters might sound like. The varied emotions emanating from her tone and speech in various characters and scenes, made for the perfect dramatic effect. She really made me feel a part of every scene. I found myself imagining what my life would be like if it were suddenly taken over by the paparazzi and had taken my husband (or boyfriend) with them. Would I leave my life behind to attend every show, every performance and every media taping to be at his side? Would are love life slip further and further away as our lives made different turns and angles with each passing day? Would I be set up and decimated by the media as they so easily seem to do to people once they are surrounded by all the money and flashing lights? I’d like to think that I could balance our life out but I think Lauren Weisberger and Merit Wever captured the impossibility of it all in this audio edition of Last Night at Chateau Marmont. I look forward to hearing more from the talented duo of voice and writer.

     Based on its plot, narration and writing style, I would definitely recommend this audio book to music lovers, celebrity aficionados, chick lit fans and audio listeners alike.

STAR RATING: 4 STARS

Star Book Review: Getting Rid of Matthew by Jane Fallon (Audio); Narrated by Rosalyn Landor

     Jane Fallon’s debut novel, Getting Rid of Matthew came out in 2007, joining the ranks of many other successful chick lit books on the subject of extramarital affairs, friendship and how one defines one’s self in the midst of such relationship chaos. takes a unique stance on the topic. Reminiscent of books like 1996’s How Stella Got Her Groove Back by Terry McMillan and 2004’s Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin and Marian Keyes’ Angels of the same year, Getting Rid of Matthew tackles a tough topic but adds its own unique perspective to the subject matter. When Stella catches her man cheating in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, she takes her pride back by throwing him and all his clothes out on the street, burns all his clothes, including his most prized possession: a hip, roadster sports car, to bits, symbolizing the love and relationship that he threw away like yesterday’s trash. In an alternate viewpoint, we get a glimpse at the lives of those doing the cheating in Emily Giffin’s Something Borrowed, which chronicles the saga of an affair from its inception when Rachel sleeps with her best friend’s fiancé the night of her 30th birthday. Later we find out, that it’s not just one fiancé having an affair. Darcy also commits the ultimate, adulterous pre-wedding crime and sleeps with her fiancé’s best man. Finally, in Marian Keyes’ Angels Maggie Walsh finds solace across the Atlantic as she makes a daring move from Ireland to the U.S. to start her life anew without her no-good cheating husband and finds happiness and herself in the City of Angels in Los Angeles, CA.

     Unlike its predecessors, Ms. Fallon’s story does not end with a cheating husband caught in bed with his mistress and thrown out on his rear. It does not indulge in the nuances of an illicit love affair and it does not take an entire ocean to separate the cheater from the cheatee to move on with their lives. Instead, Getting Rid of Matthew focuses on the women in Matthew’s life, and we get to see an affair from the vantage point of both the mistress and the wife of Matthew. In fact, at one point in the story, the two women form unsuspecting bond (although one of the women is entirely unaware of the other’s true identity). Nevertheless, I was surprised when this tale began when cheating husband, Matthew, showed up on the doorstep of his mistress, Helen, with all his possessions in tow. Ironically, in the tradition of the infamous saying “we all want what we can’t have”, Helen almost simultaneously decides she is “over” Matthew and no longer wants to be with him. However, feeling guilty, thanks to the constant reminder from Matthew about how he has just uprooted his entire family - wife, Sophie and two daughters - for her, Helen feels obligated to let him stay at her apartment. Nonetheless, as the label, an affair, often implies, Helen quickly realized nothing was about to be settled easily or amicably and as it became clearer to Helen that their living situation was anything less than temporary, she proceeded to orchestrate various “plans” to be rid of Matthew once and for all. Shortly into her master plan, Helen found herself in the midst of a predicament on the brink of disaster. Listen to the entire unabridged audio version to hear the hilarious recount of all the antics Helen pulls off in her attempt to break free form her married lover. This was a unique, fun, and unusual tale from British chick lit author Jane Fallon, made even more fun by seasoned narrator Rosalyn Landor. Ms. Landor excels at making emotion an audible expression such that listeners feel like they are part of all the narrative action.

Star Rating: 5 Stars

Star Book Review: The Big Love by Sarah Dunn (Audio); Narrated by Eliza Foss

     As many of you already know, one of my major aspirations in life is to become a published chick lit author. On my journey I have read two very influential books on “how to” become a successful chick lit writer; one, Will Write for Shoes: How to Write a Chick Lit Novel by Cathy Yardley; and two, See Jane Write: A Girls Guide to Writing Chick Lit by Sarah Mlynowski and Farrin Jacobs. Mlynowski and Jacobs (2006) book mentioned Sarah Dunn’s The Big Love over and over, citing her writing process and quoting some of the more efficient and notable lines from the novel. It has been on my “to-be-read” (or listened to) list ever since.

     Published in 2004, I considered this to be one of the earlier books of the chick lit genre, keeping this in mind as I heard the very much traditional and formulaic chick lit plot with which this book centered itself around. In such a “classic” style, the female heroine is catapulted on a search for self after losing the thing nearest and dearest to her heart (usually a boyfriend). To (very) briefly sum up this type of plot (or at least my interpretation of such a plot): girl loses boy; in turn, girl loses sense of self; girl forced to search for self; just when things seem to be going well, boy (or another boy) comes back; girl either decides she wants boy or that she doesn’t need him to survive; girl solidifies sense of self and accepts life and self for the better; and usually she lives happily ever after (with or without boy). Of course, most novels are much more complex than my (very) brief interpretation, and often throw in a few unique and unpredictable curve balls, but basically, I believe this was the formula most often followed in early, “classic” chick lit novels.

     Many things made The Big Love stand out for me apart from other ‘classic” chick lit books. I especially enjoyed the creativity of the opening premise in which the author chose to set the scene for main character, Alison, to lose the “love of her life”; Alison’s boyfriend leaves in the middle of a dinner party, with the excuse that he is just running to the store to get a bottle of mustard, only he never comes back. Not only does he not come home, but he calls to tell her that he’s been having an affair with his ex-girlfriend and is madly in love with her again – all the while, Alison’s dinner guests are still at their house. As the story continues, Alison is set up on various dates; contemplates the saga of her relationship and what led up to its demise and above all, begins a search for self as “Alison” rather than as “so-and-so’s girlfriend”. She finds herself wondering, was her ex “the big love”? Is there such a thing as “the big love”?

     I’m so glad I listened to the unabridged audio version, read by Eliza Foss. With its combination of a classic story line, winning female heroine, and fantastic narration, The Big Love had me at from its inception. Eliza Foss did a good job portraying each character, namely Alison, as she made her way on a journey in search of self in this comical and heartfelt story. Listen to the full audio to find out what she concludes in her quest for The Big Love.

Star Rating: 3 stars

Star Book Review: The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch (Audio); Narrated by Allyson Ryan

     Allison Winn Scotch had a contest when her 2010 novel, The One That I Want, came out earlier this year. Readers who purchased a copy of her latest book would receive a bookplate with her signature. Not one to miss out on anything from a prominent chick lit author – especially a “personalized” gift – I jumped at the opportunity to buy my first novel by Allison Winn Scotch. Of course, as I so often do, I ended up listening to the audio version instead of reading the hardcover copy sent to me through Amazon. The way I look at is, however, is that I now have the satisfaction of having completed my first story by AWS and I still have a brand new hardcover copy intact as well as a beautiful, personalized bookplate on the inside cover.

     I was really attracted to The One That I Want’s enigmatic and poignant story line. There was an aura of mystery, fantasy and spirituality that carried through from beginning to end (without seeming fake or contrived in any way). I was also impressed with Allison Winn Scotch’s well-defined characters, which were only made better by narrator, Allyson Ryan’s vocal effects.

     At age 32, Tilly Farmer has her whole life exactly as she wants it. She knows where it’s going, including the when and how of it all. In a succinct word, her life is “perfect”. She and high school sweetheart, Tyler, have been married and living in their hometown, where Tilly is now a guidance counselor at the local school. When the book begins, we find Tilly reminiscing about days of Proms past while making plans for the upcoming school year. From directing the school’s annual play – this year’s production of Grease - to starting a family with Tyler, it seems that nothing can bring Tilly down this year. Little does she know, however, all of her perfectly laid plans are about to be shaken up. One sweltering summer night, just before the new school year is set to begin, Tilly goes to the Town Fair. Just for fun, she decides to visit the fortune teller’s tent, only to find a long-lost best friend of hers from elementary school predicting the destiny of interested fair-attendees. It is on this night that Tilly gets more than just a surprise visit from her old bff as she’s given a gift that opens her eyes to more than she ever wanted to see – more than she ever could have even imagined. All of a sudden, Tilly finds herself unsure if the reality she had planned for herself is the one that she really wants anymore.

     Listen in to find out what the future has in store for Tilly and how she copes when her best laid plans are turned upside down. Does she have any control over her new destiny? Did she ever have control over her life – or was it all a façade? Listen to the full, unabridged audio to find out if “The One That I Want” is the one that Tilly had planned all along. You won’t be disappointed.

     Not only was this my first AWS book but it was also the first audio book I’d heard read by Allyson Ryan. I credit her with a fabulous interpretation of Allison Winn Scotch’s novel. She brought each character to life and left me wanting to turn it on every chance I could get. I know the Allison Winn Scotch and Allyson Ryan team is “one” of the chick lit pairs “that I want” to read and listen to again.

Star Rating 4 Stars

Star Book Review: Hollywood Car Wash by Lori Culwell

My first impression upon reading the short summary on the back of Lori Culwell’s Hollywood Car Wash was that it was going to be one of your typical chick lit, formulaic reads about a Midwestern woman who moves from the University of Michigan to Hollywood to follow her dreams of pursuing a career as an actress. However, Amy Spencer’s ideas about how she’s going to “get there” vary differently from those of the plans that the people of Tinsel Town have in store for her once she arrives on set. Before she even gets her chance to “make it” on the small screen of independent movies, Amy/Star must learn to circumvent her way around a hit-tv-drama studio and deal with all the drama that comes with it. In Hollywood Car Wash, Amy "Star" Spencer auditions for an upcoming teen TV series; think: Beverly Hills 90210 back in its glory days. Throughout her catapulting rise to fame, readers get an inside peek at the cutthroat business behind a hit Hollywood drama. Criticized for everything from her weight to her clothes, her food and exercise regime (or lack thereof), this book revealed how one girl-next-door type character survives in a world full of airbrushed photos, designer clothing (only worn once, of course!) and diet pills. This is a coming-of-age tale in Hollywood that satisfyingly proved my assumptions wrong about the world of Top Ten TV shows and the actors, actresses, producers and everyone else who makes them (and keeps them) so successful.

I really enjoyed this book and funny because I almost didn't buy it (even though it was on sale at a local discount store in town for $1.99!). I know they say don't judge a book by its cover, but I did - I was less then enthralled by its cover photos and title but when I read some of the rave reviews here on Goodreads, I raced back to the store and purchased it. As Chick Lit so often does, author Lori Culwell surprised me with her skillful writing and entertaining storyline with every page I turned. I am so glad I did because it turned out to be such a fabulous chick lit read. I would definitely recommend this book to all chick lit fans or anyone just looking for a good book to read this summer (or any time of year for that matter). Rating: 4 Stars

Star Book Review: My Fair Lazy: One Reality Television Addict’s Attempt to Discover If Not Being A Dumb Ass Is the New Black; Or, A Culture-Up Manifesto by Jen Lancaster, Narrated by Jaime Heinlein

The fifth installment of a set of memoirs written by and about Jen Lancaster does not disappoint! In fact, partners, Jen Lancaster and narrator Jaime Heinlen hit a proverbial home run in the publishing department for audio listeners of Penguin Audio. I only found out about the works of Jen Lancaster earlier this very same year when I got back into reading Chick Lit and joined several online book groups to discuss similar fictional and non-fictional novels. Since January, I have sped-read through all of Jen Lancaster's novels in anticipation of her latest release, My Fair Lazy (featured here). Between her first book, Bitter is the New Black and My Fair Lazy, there is a tight race vying for my favorite. I know one thing's for sure though, I already CAN'T WAIT for my next fix of comedienne, Jen Lancaster. Luckily enough for me, I recently found out (through her hilarious blog, http://www.jennsylvania.com/) that she is part of a weekly column feature, the Humor Hotel, which features her and three other funny authors writing about what she writes about best: making notable observations on pop-culture (Read: Making fun of the latest and greatest); talking about the roller coaster ride that is every relationship; gossip at the water cooler (or what happens at work), her unique, oh so very personal, take on life and finally, any other random nuance that enters her mind and lands on the published page. Basically, in a nutshell, her column, is a mini-version of one of her full-length books and something I plan to read up on as soon as I go into Jen-Lancaster-humor-withdrawal.

So, back to My Fair Lazy (notice how I'm trying hard to hang on to the very last shred of whatever I can get of her latest book to tide me over until the next release - there will be another release, right?!?!? Right???!) Okay, anyways, if you haven't guessed already, I LOVED My Fair Lazy. Once again, Jen Lancaster takes  a creative spin on a satirical memoir, this time pondering the modern quest of whether or not there Reality TV has taken the place of America's "cultural" warfare? Jen Lancaster determines that, surely, there must be life out there beyond that offered by the programming of Bunim and Murray, but what? And, so she sets off on her "cultural manifesto".

In classic Jennsylvania style, Jen Lancaster begins to include adding all sorts of "cultural" activities to her daily routine - from getting her nails done at a Vietnamese nail salon, to visiting museums in various cities, eating every kind of ethnic cuisine possible, going to the opera, listening to jazz and learning poetry for the first time and anything else that might provide a more enlightening cultural experience than Season 15 of MTV’s The Real World. With hilarious vignette after hilarious vignette, readers get to indulge further into the uniquely, insightful mind and outrageous events that make up Jen Lancaster's life. I love how she manages to take so many excerpts from her life and turn it into an entire collection of related moments, by integrating her latest book tour, visits with old friends, taking care of her (multiplying) pets (and Fletch) and of course, in this novel the purpose of it all: "culturing up". I always love listening to these books so much more than reading them myself because Jaime Heinlein does the BEST job of narrating how I imagine each story to be told - she maintains all the sarcasm, humor, slight arrogance and naiveté (if you can have both at once) throughout every word. This may just be the pair's best release yet!! I can't wait to find out what the next saga will bring. To be read anytime you need a laugh or a smile, or just a break from reality.   

Four Stars:

Star Book Review: I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk

     Part Two of a 25 Point Task for Red Dress Ink's Sizzling Summer Reading Challenge: City, State and Country; I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk read and reviewed July 17, 2010:
     An excellent debut novel from British author and self-proclaimed lover of New York, Lindsey Kelk. The pages literally kept flying by as I entered the life of British girl, Angela Clark and her "runaway" trip to the Big Apple in I Heart New York. Having just caught her boyfriend, Mark, with his pants around his ankles at her best friend's wedding and realizing that all her friends knew about his affair, Angela is distraught. Quicker than a flash, Angela storms out of the wedding (not wihtout telling off best friend, Louisa and her new hubby) and hops the first plane to New York City. Not sure of where she is going, what she is going to do or how long she is going to stay, Angela takes up residency at an Upscale hotel, The Union, and literally shops 'til she drops. Along the way, she meets some really good people and it's not long before she's living in an apartment with newest bff, Jenny, working as a blog writer for The Look and "shagging" two hot boys at once. Has Angela found a new home and new life in NYC? Find out what happens when Angela must finally confront who she really is and answer some life long questions she's been avoiding. An excellent novel about love, life and the relationships we have with others and most importantly, ourselves. I found myself thinking as I read this book, that similar to the style of Emily Giffin, there is really not a whole lot of action that goes on in this novel - but it is more a saga of relationships, with friends and one's self. It amazed me how entertaining it is and fulfilling a book can be when it's spent really getting to know the characters. I can't wait to find out what's in store for Angela in Lindsey Kelk's sequel, I Heart Hollywood. Definitely recommended to all Chick Lit Fans! A-Plus.       

                                            4 STARS:  

Star Book Review: Obsession, Deceit and Really Dark Chocolate by Kyra Davis

     Break Out of the Box - at least that was the first part to the demands made of me for Red Dress Ink Reading Challenge Task #9 in the 5 point Category: Read a Chick Lit Mystery.

     Once again, I turned to Kyra Davis and her Sophie Katz series for murder, mystique and a litttle sex and candy. Hey, what could possibly NOT be entertaining about that combo?? Well, I know for me, mysteries are my second favorite genre to that of Chick Lit, so any book that combines the two probably doesn't have to try to hard to please my interests. Also, Kyra Davis is one of those authors who (at least to me) gets better and better at her craft the more she writes. The story becomes more involved, more intricate and more entertaining as the series continues. I also love how she maintains the core group of characters. In fact the only person not in all of them (that i can think of) is sister, Leah, who isn't introduced until book two. She does an excellent job of maintaining consistency in that core group of characters, making the reader feel like they really know this San Franciscan group (not to be called Frsico under ANY circumstances:))

However, now that I'm on my third novel in this murderous and fashionable series, it is somewhat easier to reminisce about its good moments. For instance, I have listened to all the unabridged audio books in the Sophie Katz series so far and I wasn't always so enthusiastic about them. The first book (not my favorite) was a new experience for me (to say the least). First, I had never read (or listened to) a chick lit mystery before Sex, Murder and a Double Latte so I eally didn't know what to expect from the genre. Second, the narrator, although varied in her vocal talent, was also dissimilar from many of the narrators I had listened to thus far. I guess I was used to the sweet, soft, very feminine (and often British) sounding voices of women, like Katherine Kellgren, Rosalyn Landor and Kathleen McIneney. For the Sophie Katz' anthology, Kyra Davis teams up with Gabra Zackman, who has a more alto (than soprano) sounding voice. It can get somehat gruff, even for the female characters. I think, more than anything, it caught me by surprise in the first audio book and by the third book, I didn't even think twice about her tone of voice. Perhaps Ms. Zackman's talents also grew over the years, the more she got to know the collection of interesting and diverse characters in Sophie Katz' life but maybe also I just became more open to different voices. As I listened to Obsession, Deceit and Really Dark Chocolate, I credited Ms. Zackman for her efforts in portraying such a wide range of characters - this third installment seemed to have more characters than the first or second book required of its narrator - and I can't imagine how difficult it must be to constantly (and believably) change one's voice so that your audience can differentiate between them. Well done, I say. Overall, Gabra Zackman, and Kyra Davis once again offer listeners a thrilling, murderous, scandalous and sexy mystery with Sophie Katz and on-again off-again boyfriend, Anatoly Darinksky, on the hunt for their killer. As always tensions are high (and not just between Anatoly and Sophie) and listeners are kept guessing "whodunit" until the very end. Definitely recommended to Chick Lit and Mystery readers alike.

 

                                                                                         4 STARS: