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