Blog Tour: Waxed by Robert Rave

Amazon.com:

Waxed is the story of three relationship-challenged sisters working together at New York’s hottest waxing salon, catering to socialites, actresses, and regular folk alike.

Yank. On the surface, glamorous Carolina Impresario---big sister and owner of Impresarios---unapologetically wants it all, but secretly she is caught between her successful boyfriend and the only man she has ever truly loved.

Pluck. After a painful divorce, middle sister Anna reluctantly reenters the workforce and puts on a brave face while attempting to raise her children, one of whom is decidedly different.

Tear. Newlywed Sofia is a hybrid of her two older sisters: She loves the idea of a domestic life like Anna’s, but is entranced by New York nightlife and a new best friend, resulting in some major complications at home.

Amid the sticky confines of a perfectly manicured world, these three sisters search for love, friendship, and better versions of themselves.

Waxed is a funny and heartfelt novel that illustrates the lengths to which some women will go to present a seemingly flawless exterior, even when it involves pain. . . .

By the sound of it, Waxed looked like a fun but heartfelt chick lit story about 3 sisters. And in a way it was but I was left feeling like I didn't really know the sisters as well as I had wanted to. I wasn't really invested in their stories. But I will say that the Waxing clients did make for some hilarious moments here and there!

Don't get me wrong all three sisters are experiencing troubles in their lives which make for a really interesting book. But in the end I wasn't very invested. I felt like the sisters a lot of the time didn't even like each other. And the way that the story was told left me waiting a lot of the time to find out what I missed in the gap of time that the author doesn't share with us and I felt the ending didn't have much resolution, it just kind of ended.

Of the three sisters I found Sofia's story to be most interesting. She's a young married woman that's settled into a routine with her husband until a new friend helps her see what kind of fun she's missing, sitting at home waiting for her husband to come home.

Overall, if you are looking for something a little bit different in the Chick Lit genre that's a bit more serious this may be for you!

Waxed was released on August 3rd 2010
Genre: Chick Lit
3/5 Stars
Review copy provided by the publisher

I also have the opportunity to give away a copy of the book!

Here is how to enter!

Fill out the giveaway entry form here.

The giveaway is open to addresses within the US only.

The giveaway will end September 6th at 6:59 pm Central Time.

Entries left in the comments of this blog post will not be counted, please fill out the giveaway entry form.

**Prize provided by the publisher**

Just Like Me, Only Better by Carol Snow

Amazon.com:

From the author of Here Today, Gone to Maui, the story of a woman who finally got a life...some else's.

Ever since Veronica's husband found the love of his life-not her-she's been a walking zombie with runny mascara. It doesn't help that she keeps getting mistaken for Haley Rush-the Hollywood starlet whose dazzling life is plastered on every magazine. When Haley's manager offers Veronica a job as a celebrity double, it only takes a moment before she says yes. Veronica gets to drive Haley's car, wear her phenomenal clothes-and have fun with her hot celebrity boyfriend, Brady Ellis. Too bad the job's only part-time, and at the end of the day she has to return to her life as a cash-strapped substitute teacher and cub scout mom. But when real sparks fly with Brady, is it a fantasy come true or a disaster in disguise?

This book was FUNNY! I mean I had a feeling it would be funny because of the premise but Veronica, some of the things she said were just hilarious! I loved the idea of a regular down on her luck single-mother, going through a hard time after a divorce diving into the world of glitz and glam and pretending to be a celebrity. It never gets old, someone being thrown into a completely new situation.

And she sure meets some characters out in Hollywood from the actress she's being the body-double for to the hairdresser she swaps gossip with. The people she meets on her journey, they could easily be two-dimensional but the author writes them in such a way that they have some personality behind the cliche you would expect.

What I really liked about this book was that not only is it funny, it's rather heartfelt, watching Veronica process her divorce and seeing her ex-husband move on, she has to re-find her place in the world. Another great thing in this book is there is a bit of romance! And I thought who she ended up with was a nice surprise! I just would have wished for a bit more wrap up at the end of the book, it ended a bit too quickly for me! Overall a very fun book!

Just Like Me, Only Better was released on April 6th 2010
Genre: Chick Lit
4/5 Stars
Review copy provided by marketing firm

Blog Tour: And One Last Thing.... by Molly Harper

Amazon.com:

"If Singletree’s only florist didn’t deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger."

Lacey Terwilliger’s shock and humiliation over her husband’s philandering prompt her to add some bonus material to Mike’s company newsletter: stunning Technicolor descriptions of the special brand of "administrative support" his receptionist gives him. The detailed mass e-mail to Mike’s family, friends, and clients blows up in her face, and before one can say "instant urban legend," Lacey has become the pariah of her small Kentucky town, a media punch line, and the defendant in Mike’s defamation lawsuit.

Her seemingly perfect life up in flames, Lacey retreats to her family’s lakeside cabin, only to encounter an aggravating neighbor named Monroe. A hunky crime novelist with a low tolerance for drama, Monroe is not thrilled about a newly divorced woman moving in next door. But with time, beer, and a screen door to the nose, a cautious friendship develops into something infinitely more satisfying.

Lacey has to make a decision about her long-term living arrangements, though. Should she take a job writing caustic divorce newsletters for paying clients, or move on with her own life, pursuing more literary aspirations? Can she find happiness with a man who tells her what he thinks and not what she wants to hear? And will she ever be able to resist saying one . . . last . . . thing?

With the recent Chick Lit and Women’s Fiction I’ve been reading there has been this great balance between the humor and silliness and the heartfelt and real emotions and the book And One Last Thing... is no exception.

The always horrible issue of cheating and divorce is made a lot easier to handle when main character Lacey sends out an email detailing her horrible husband’s activities. The fallout of that is crazy! To protect herself and get away from it all she stays at a family cabin where she expects to find isolation...

But instead she finds a grumpy but attractive man that wants to be left alone. One thing I really liked about this book was the idea of these two people basically being isolated from everyone else so if they have interactions it’s going to be with each other. I don’t normally find that that happens a lot in books at least for this long of a time period.

I thought Lacey and Monroe’s relationship was sweet, they are first friends helping each other out, specifically Monroe helps Lacey decide where her life should take her next and then they become more. I found this book to be a lot of fun. Lacey was surrounded by a great cast of secondary characters including her brother, the woman that her husband is having an affair with (I love how they almost have it out in a parking lot!) It's definitely making me want to check out the authors Jane Jameson series!

And One Last Thing... was released on July 27th 2010
Genre: Chick Lit
4/5 Stars
Review copy provided by publisher

All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins

Amazon.com:

One Happily-Ever-After Rocking Chair…

and no sign of any forthcoming babies to rock in ol' Georgebury, Vermont. For Callie Grey, turning thirty means coming to grips with the fact that her boss (and five-week fling) is way overdue in his marriage proposal. And way off track because Mark has suddenly announced his engagement to the company's new Miss Perfect. If that isn't bad enough, her mom decides to throw her a three-oh birthday bash in the family funeral home.

Bad goes to worse when she stirs up a crazy relationship with the town's not so warm and fuzzy veterinarian, Ian McFarland, in order to flag Mark's attention. So Ian is more comfortable with animals…. So he's formal, orderly and just a bit tense. The ever-friendly, fun-loving and spontaneous Callie decides it's time for Ian to get a personality makeover. But dang, if he doesn't shock the heck out of her, she might actually fall for Vermont's unlikeliest eligible bachelor….

Oooh this book, this book made me burst out laughing on a regular occasion and also had me tearing up at one point. It was everything. You couldn’t ask for a funnier narrator than Callie, days later I’m still thinking about some of the things she said, what a voice!

While this book is classified as Romance it falls right into Chick Lit category for me. People tell me the difference between Chick Lit and Romance is that in Romance, the relationship between the main character and the potential love interest takes center stage and I agree with that, except for that’s not what All I Ever Wanted is like. It’s so well rounded, yes, the relationship is there but there is also a great multiple family and friends storylines, job storyline (yay advertising agency- i loved those passages) and a whole bunch of other things. That well rounded-ness is something that was missing for me in other contemporary romances, but this one hit it right on the head for me, a perfect balance.

I felt like this book was written for me, it's not everyday a book takes place in an ad agency and involves a sad and hilarious scene with a turkey. Yes, I have a turkey obsession, live turkeys that is. And the relationship between Callie and Ian is so great, at first glance they hate each other and slowly they begin to tolerate each other, become friends, lean on each other and you can see where it goes from there.

Overall this is my favorite contemporary romance of the handful I've read and I cannot wait to read more of Higgins'a work! I hear Catch of the Day is a great second stop!

All I Ever Wanted will be released on July 27th 2010
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Chick Lit
5/5 Stars
ARC picked up at BEA

Stay by Allie Larkin

Amazon.com:

Something Borrowed meets Must Love Dogs in this big- hearted debut about friendship, love, and a German Shepherd named Joe.

Savannah "Van" Leone has been in love with Peter Clarke ever since she literally fell head over heels in front of him on the first day of college. Now, six years later, instead of standing across from him at the altar, Van's standing behind her best friend Janie as maid of honor, trying to mask her heartache and guilt as Janie marries the only man Van's ever loved. Before, Van's mother died, she told Van never to let Peter go, but as the couple exchanges vows, Van wonders if her fairy tale ending will ever come true.

After the wedding, Van drowns her sorrows in Kool-Aid-vodka cocktails and reruns of Rin Tin Tin, and does what any heartbroken woman in her situation would do: She impulsively buys a German Shepherd over the Internet. The pocket-size puppy Van is expecting turns out to be a clumsy, hundred-pound beast who only responds to commands in Slovak, and Van is at the end of her rope... until she realizes that this quirky giant may be the only living being who will always be loyal to her, no matter what.

Van affectionately names her dog Joe, and together, they work to mend the pieces of Van's shattered heart. And it certainly doesn't hurt that Joe's vet is a rugged sweetheart with floppy blond hair and a winning smile. But when the newlyweds return from their honeymoon, Van is forced to decide just how much she's willing to sacrifice in order to have everything she ever wanted, proving that sometimes life needs to get more complicated before it can get better.

Warm and witty, poignant and funny, Stay is an unforgettable debut that illuminates the boundlessness of love and marks the arrival of an irresistible new voice.

From the cover you might think to yourself that Stay is a dog book. Well sorry, but no. Yes there is a dog, that is a character and he shows up as much as other characters but the book is by no means solely focused on him. I wouldn't call myself a dog person so for me this was great, but strangely enough Joe (the dog) had such a great presence and personality you can't help but love him! He helps pull Van out of her funk and for that he's completely lovable.

Van, I loved Van's story. With one foot in the world of privilege and the other not so much. She has to sit there and let her heart take a beating when her best friend marries the love of her life from college, it was so heartbreaking to read. What I really liked about this book was that this plot line comes up in a lot of books but here it was really explored to the fullest and was extremely realistically, it all hangs out. For awhile there, really until the end I wasn't sure what was going to happen and I love the author for it.

Van is such a realistic person, she makes mistakes, screams her feelings loudly but also keeps them locked up so tightly it kills her. Because of her dog Joe we are introduced to veterinarian Alex who seems like a really caring person. My only issue with the book is I wish his relationship with Van had a bit more time to develop, I feel like he's there in the beginning and end of the book but in the middle he sort of isn't present so it feels like their relationship doesn't have the full book to develop. I would have loved to have seen a bit more of him.

Overall I found this to be a wonderful book, so touching and realistic but also hilarious, it was a great mix of my favorite things!

Stay was released on June 10th
Genre: Chick Lit
4.5/5 Stars
ARC provided by Amazon Vine

BLOG TOUR: Leaving Unknown by Kerry Reichs

Amazon.com:

Sweet Lips, Tennessee . . . Toad Suck, Arkansas . . . Okay, Oklahoma . . . Truth or Consequences, New Mexico . . . Maeve Connelly's epic road trip is taking her through every colorfully named tiny town in America on her way to the far less imaginatively named Los Angeles, California. With her foulmouthed cockatiel, Oliver, her only companion, Maeve's heading way off the beaten track with little money and a load of painful baggage she wants to leave behind. But when her beloved rattletrap, "Elsie," breaks down outside Unknown, Arizona, she finds herself taking a much longer rest stop than she anticipated.

The only mechanic in the vicinity is on an indefinite walkabout, so Maeve's in for the long haul—and she'll need to find two jobs to pay for Elsie's eventual repair. But she's starting to feel strangely at home among the quirky denizens of Unknown—especially around her new bookstore owner boss—so Maeve is seriously considering saying good-bye to Hollywood for good . . . if she can keep her past troubles from coming to light.

From Kerry Reichs, author of The Best Day of Someone Else's Life, comes a poignant and very funny new novel about finding yourself after finding yourself in the middle of nowhere.

I could tell Leaving Unknown was going to be a fun and quirky book but I wasn't prepared for how spot-on it would be. Maeve is the type of person you just want to be around because she's fun, spunky and different! But what we (or at least I) didn't realize at first was that she was hiding something, something that had a big impact on her life but doesn't share with others. Other reviews talk about what it is she's hiding but I really liked reading it in the book and discovering it for myself, the hints all adding up!

I loved the little quirks about this book. Maeve's cockatiel Oliver, which had some hilarious phrases he shot out at the most horrible times and a set of little sculptures Maeve's mother made for her when she leaves on her journey. And just the way Maeve interacts with the other characters made her so endearing, she was such a caring person that tries her best but sometimes falls a little short, but definitely not for a lack of trying.

The secondary characters were fabulous, especially bookstore owner Noah, doctor Samuel and co-worker and friend Tuesday. The author cultivates this community not unlike one of my other favorites, Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls.

Every page was a pleasure to read, I laughed (a lot), worried for Maeve and wanted her to find her place in this world. I was very pleased to find out the author's first book, The Best Day of Someone Else's Life following Maeve's sister Vi, it's sure to be just as good!

Leaving Unknown was released on March 30th 2010
Genre: Chick Lit
4.5/5 Stars
Review copy provided by the publisher
Author's Website

Snapped by Pamela Klaffke

Amazon.com:

Sara B. is losing her cool.

Not just in the momentary-meltdown kind of way—though there's that, too. At the helm of must-read Snap magazine, veteran style guru Sara B. has had the job—and joy—for the past fifteen years of eviscerating the city's fashion victims in her legendary DOs and DON'Ts photo spread.

But now on the unhip edge of forty, with ambitious hipster kids reinventing the style world, Sara's being spit out like an old Polaroid picture: blurry, undeveloped and obsolete.

Fueled by alcohol, nicotine and self-loathing, Sara launches into a cringeworthy but often comic series of blowups—personal, professional and private—that culminate in an epiphany. That she, the arbiter of taste, has made her living by cutting people down…and somehow she's got to make amends.

Snapped was sort of a mixed bag for me. At first I loved the author's humorous voice and the setting and the characters and in the end I did as well but in the middle it got a little bizarre. Let me explain, Sara goes off on these tangents in her mind where she thinks of all these horrible things that can happen and some of them were a little bit revolting. I think if that was toned down a bit it wouldn't have distracted me so much from what I liked about the book.

I really admire the originality of the author's voice and how she goes places others wouldn't dare though. I'm not sure if I exactly share her sense of humor though in the end, because while the book is listed as comical (specifically Sara making a fool of herself) I didn't find very much funny in that and it kind of stressed me out at times.

While Sara was hit and miss for me (though I do love what she decides to do with herself at the end!) one character I adored was an elderly lady she befriends by the name of Esther, anytime Esther was in a scene I loved it. I loved the stories she shared about her friend Lila and the things she did for Sara. I was also fascinated by Eva who I think really represented a different generation from Sara and was interesting to see them befriend each other and then clash.

Overall there is some really good stuff here but there were some things I could have done without. I will definitely watch to see what Klaffke comes up with next though!

Snapped was released on January 1st 2010
Genre: Chick Lit (sort of)
3.5/5 Stars
ARC provided by Amazon Vine