Review: Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella

Can You Keep a Secret? By Sophie Kinsella
Release Date: December 31st, 1999
Details: 400 pages, paperback
Genre: Fiction > Contemporary > Chick Lit
Source: eLibrary
Find it: Amazon || Goodreads
Summary:

Meet Emma Corrigan, a young woman with a huge heart, an irrepressible spirit, and a few little secrets: Secrets from her boyfriend: I’ve always thought Connor looks a bit like Ken. As in Barbie and Ken. Secrets from her mother: I lost my virginity in the spare bedroom with Danny Nussbaum while Mum and Dad were downstairs watching Ben-Hur. Secrets she wouldn’t share with anyone in the world: I have no idea what NATO stands for. Or even what it is. Until she spills them all to a handsome stranger on a plane. At least, she thought he was a stranger.…Until Emma comes face-to-face with Jack Harper, the company’s elusive CEO, a man who knows every single humiliating detail about her...

After finishing I've Got Your Number I was completely smitten with British Chick Lit but not smitten enough to pay $8 for an ebook of Can You Keep a Secret so when I saw it pop up at my elibrary I quickly added myself to the wait list.

Emma has a lot of fears. And a lot of secrets. Not big ones, just little itty bitty harmless ones (mostly). Whatever, they're her business and no one elses! She doesn't know what she's doing with her life considering she's changed her career like three times and she feels like she's always in competition with her cousin whom she grew up with and I mean how could you not feel like you're in competition with her when she landed herself a business, a steady relationship and her parents act like she's more their daughter than you? So I completely relate to Emma well, with everything.

On her way back from a meeting for her current career the plane she's on (fear #16, planes) hits turbulence and she freaks out (I'm not afraid of planes or flying but I do hate turbulence with a passion) and spills all her secrets/life story to the stranger next to her. Emphasis on stranger. Turns out, the stranger isn't a stranger but the founder of the company she works for. Talk about awkward.

Jack is a pretty secretive person. You don't really learn much about him until he decides to open up to Emma in the end, "before it's too late". And for someone like him... someone who built a company with a good friend who has passed it's not strange that he would keep his distance from people. I don't have much of an opinion of Jack besides that he can be fiercely loyal and very attentive. I think Emma put him on high horse herself and instead of observing that Jack was just a normal person who would appreciate hanging out and having pizza, she instead freaked out.

Emma's boyfriend Connor? Total tool. I couldn't stand him. Why should Emma owe you honesty after she breaks up with you? Was that a spoiler? Sorry, it's chick lit people, what do you expect? lol also considering he started dating someone right after they broke up? Why shouldn't Emma be allowed to go on a date too? Why do people do that?! She owes you nothing Connor! Grow up!

I couldn't stand Emma's roommate Jemima. She was annoying. Annoying in that I'm-always-right stuck up rich girl way. She swore like she knew all of life's freakin answers when she really didn't. She had no respect for Emma's space and privacy and she was so fixated on getting revenge on someone she hardly even knew to "teach them a lesson". Hasn't this girl ever heard of karma? Or messing with the wrong person? I personally could not stand living with someone like that!

While Can You Keep a Secret didn't captivate me like I've Got Your Number did it was still entertaining. I enjoyed trailing behind these characters to see what path's they would choose and it fulfilled my chick lit expectations!

"I'm... someone who tries to be there for Jack," he says.
"You'd take a bullet for him?" I say flippantly.
"I meant... emotionally."

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Review: Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton
Release Date: November 27th, 2012 by Omnific Publishing
Details: 300 pages, paperback
Genre: Contemporary > Chick Lit
Source: Bought for Kindle
Find it: Amazon || Goodreads
Summary:

Caroline Reynolds has a fantastic new apartment in San Francisco, a KitchenAid mixer, and no O (and we’re not talking Oprah here, folks). She has a flourishing design career, an office overlooking the bay, a killer zucchini bread recipe, and no O. She has Clive (the best cat ever), great friends, a great rack, and no O.

Adding insult to O-less, since her move, she has an oversexed neighbor with the loudest late-night wallbanging she’s ever heard. Each moan, spank, and–was that a meow?–punctuates the fact that not only is she losing sleep, she still has, yep, you guessed it, no O.

Enter Simon Parker. (No, really, Simon, please enter.) When the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie, confronts her heard-but-never-seen neighbor. Their late-night hallway encounter has, well, mixed results. Ahem. With walls this thin, the tension’s gonna be thick…

In her third novel, Alice Clayton returns to dish her trademark mix of silly and steamy. Banter, barbs, and strutting pussycats, plus the sexiest apple pie ever made, are dunked in a hot tub and set against the gorgeous San Francisco skyline in this hot and hilarious tale of exasperation at first sight.

I honestly don't know how to start this review lol. I totally bought this read on a whim and I'm so glad I did!  Wallbanger was such a great read. It was funny, the romance went from neighbors, to truce, to friends, to nooking (guys, I wanna nook with someone!) to dating. It was slow paced and I have to agree with Caroline Wallbanger Simon does make good woo. The woo-ing guys, the woo-ing! I was swooning along with the woo-ing!! The text messages, the banter, the trip to Lake Tahoe! Omgosh, this read was just amazing. I can't form coherent thoughts right now, I seriously can't.

The thing I liked about Caroline was that she wasn't your typical clueless protagonist. She loves her job, she loves her cat, she loves baking, she has friends and co-workers that love her but she's a little lacking in the romance and orgasm department. It's cool, it's normal. It happens from time to time. And the way she lost her "O" is totally relate-able. Just saying. And depressing. She kept Simon on his toes and I loved that! I loved how their friendship blossomed and how comfortable she got around Simon. Sure the little incident at Tahoe was a minor set back but I mean, who wouldn't react the way she did? As much as I wanted to shake her and scream THINK ABOUT IT the reaction was pretty justified so I couldn't be mad at her! 

Simon. Ohhh Simon. Where is there to not love about Simon? Seriously. The guy is a photographer, he's loaded (no, seriously), he's a sucker for baked goods (where can I find one of these men?), he collects sand from every beach he's traveled to, he can cook (cook ladies, the man rocks beds, woo's AND cooks?!) he apparently can make his bed rock but he's also lacking in the romance department but for a whole different type of reason. He's not great at doing the whole commitment thing (especially with the whole traveling for work thing) but for someone who isn't, he seems to know what he's doing even if he doesn't know what he's doing. He's a big softie for someone who can be infuriating (but aren't they all like that?!). The way he handled the "faking" situation was amazing. Just amazing! I was swooning the whole time even though I wanted to smack Caroline and force her to listen to him. And every time he called her "sweet Caroline" and the way he looked at her.... *swooooooooooon*

Like I mentioned, the romance was slow building and really really sweet. Utterly swoon-worthy! 

If you're looking for a mellow contemporary that'll make you laugh and swoon I highly, highly, highly suggest giving Wallbanger a try!

"And for the record, I'd rather staple my head to the wall than make magic with you again. You and me and your five-percent discount? Not going to happen. Bye-bye now," I said through clenched teeth and stalked out of the store.

"Too Short? Interesting selection. Not many women would have chosen this," he mused.

"What can I say? I'm feeling very Bay area tonight and I should tell you now, i am not like most women," I added, feeling another smile sneak across my face. [ props to both Caroline and the author and I guess Simon too for knowing who Too Short is! ]

"Peeling apples, just peeling apples. Didn't feel your boobs. No, no, not me," he chanted as I openly laughed at him.

Was there even a harem left?

What did this mean?

Would I only think in questions now?

And if so, who is Eric Cartman's father?

----------------------

I seriously marked about 10 pages worth of quotes on this book LOL I'm sure you guys don't want to see them all so I'll just stop now :P

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Review: No Mistletoe Required by Jeanette Murray

No Mistletoe Required by Jeanette Murray
Release Date: November 5th, 2012 by Carina Press
Details: ebook
Genre: Contemporary > Chick Lit
Source: NetGalley (Thank you NetGalley & Carina Press!)
Summary:

Dan Beckins isn't sure how he let his best friend con him into volunteering to build Santa's Winter Wonderland at the local hospital. He's got no problems with charity work, but anything Christmas-related is off-limits ever since he lost his parents on Christmas Day years ago. The only bright spot is working with smoking-hot Anna Smith.

Anna Smith loves Christmas and volunteering at the hospital is one of her yearly highlights. She had leukemia as a teen and then a breast cancer scare in her mid-twenties, and is now operating under a self-imposed rule that she can't have a relationship until the doctors give her a clean bill of health.

A little fling might be permissible, though, and sexy lawyer-turned-carpenter Dan seems like the perfect candidate. But when chemistry flares and the two start forming a real connection, will Anna run away before like turns to love?

Amazon || Goodreads || B&N

No Mistletoe Required is a relativity short read. It's almost about as long as a novella. 

It follows Dan who's all bah humbug about the holidays which is pretty justified when you learn why. I'd be pretty torn up about it too but I don't know if I would go as far as ignoring Christmas! It also follows Anna who basks in the holiday spirit. But she's bah humbug about relationships when it comes to her "deadline" for also a pretty justified reason when you learn why.

(I think the blurb is a bit spolier-y, when I read it I had no idea what it was about really so everything was a surprise)

Both Dan and Anna have their secrets and their baggage and they both seem to be pretty determined to get the other person to let it go (except for the part where Anna won't tell Dan her secret which was pretty unfair... if you ask me) and move on with their lives.

Unfortunately there isn't much more I can say about this read. It was a nice holiday read to get you in the spirit!

And okay, I read it awhile ago so I besides the basics, I don't remember much else :P but hey, at least I'm being honest! 

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Review: Naturally, Charlie by S.L. Scott

Naturally, Charlie by S.L. Scott
Release Date: November 1st, 2012 by The Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing
Details: 249 pages, paperback
Genre: Fiction > Chick Lit > Contemporary
Source: NetGalley (Thank you NG & Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing!)
Summary (Goodreads):
Twenty-five year old Charlotte “Charlie” Barrow is caught between her old life and the one she is beginning to build when she crosses paths with a handsome stranger on the subway. Not looking for romance, she closes her heart off to the possibilities of love. With a knack for mishaps, Charlie maintains her sense of humor while befriending the kind stranger who seems to be there at all the right times.

New York freelance writer, Charlie Adams, is forging his own path beyond the expectations of the society circles of his childhood. Rejecting family money, and fast-lane friends, he is snubbed by his family as he follows his own compass to a life more extraordinary. 

Through a coincidence of events, they come to rely on each other for comfort. This is the tale of two Charlies learning to trust again while fighting their fates to create their own destiny.

Amazon* || Goodreads

Charlotte (Charlie) stumbles on Charles (Charlie) on the subway one day and ironically bump into each other again at a club and although Charlie is interested in Charlie he loses his cool and ends up seeing her friend instead. They end up parting ways in mutual agreement that it won’t work out between them (very adult-like. I loved it!).

Charlie (g) is getting over the death of someone important to her even though they weren't together at the time of his death, it still affected her greatly since she hadn't seemed to fully move on. She didn't really give herself time to mourn. While Charlie (b) is working on building his life away from his high profile parents. Both Charlie’s have people in their lives that resent them and I think the fact that author introduced these issues in the beginning really helped to bring out how flawed both Charlie’s were. 

 Overall, this was a story about two people who needed someone during their time in need and decided to take a chance on a stranger. A very realistic look at what dating as an adult is like and the complications that come along with it. I loved how slowly the romance between Charlie and Charlie developed even if they were attracted to each other, they spent a lot of time being there for each other as platonic friends and as complicated as it got at times, I totally loved it! Okay maybe they crossed the fine line of platonic considering they had nap dates and such... but it was still pretty darn cute!

If you're in the mood for a relaxing chick lit with flawed characters that happen to share the same name (how strange is that, really?) and develop a really cute friendlationship then I would highly suggest this read!

Also, if you come back on the 16th, I'll have S.L. Scott on the blog for an interview and a giveaway!

"What kind of guy do you take me for? You think I'd nap with one woman then have dinner with another? What a low opinion you must have of me."

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Review: I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
Release Date: Feb 14th, 2012 by The Dial Press
Details: 433 pages, hardcover
Genre: Fiction > Chick Lit > Contemporary
Source: eLibrary
Summary (Goodreads):

Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry her ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her “happily ever after” begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a hotel fire drill but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen. As she paces shakily around the lobby, she spots an abandoned phone in a trash can. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!

 

Well, perfect except that the phone’s owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn’t agree. He wants his phone back and doesn’t appreciate Poppy reading his messages and wading into his personal life.

 

What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other’s lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls, and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents . . . she soon realizes that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life.

Amazon* || Goodreads || BookDepo*

I stumbled on I’ve Got Your Number in Target awhile back and was intrigued by the cover. Not to mention the blurb sounded interesting. The price however was not. So it remained on my Amazon wishlist up until now. It was available in my eLibrary so why not pick it up? And join the 43 other people on the wait list (I guess I wasn’t the only one not interested in the price lol)?

I’ve Got Your Number is about a really cheerful and mostly optimistic girl named Poppy (isn’t that a cute name or what?!) she’s about to marry the man of her dreams (whom she just met 6 months prior) in a few weeks.  While having an outing with her girls at a hotel, she loses her engagement ring during a fire drill and to top it off, someone steals her phone. BUT! She manages to find one in a nearby bin. That phone belongs to a businessman named Sam and he is not in the least bit amused at Poppy’s “finders keepers” theory.

I’ve Got Your Number takes us on a rollercoaster of a journey in which Poppy has to juggle not only hiding the fact that the engagement ring is lost from both her fiance and his parents but staying on top of forwarding Sam’s messages to him, trying not to butt into his personal life, take over wedding planning for her incompetent wedding planner and trying to fix the wrongs she’s done in Sam’s life by responding to his emails on behalf of him.

I really liked Poppy. While she seemed blinded and dense most of the time she was a very likeable character. Like a puppy if you will. Where you just want to coo it and tell it everything will be okay. If you just stop shitting everywhere. She trusted everyone a little too easily but seeing her break out of that was fantastic.

I also really liked Sam. He was a bit of a jerk at first but if you had the job he had, I suppose you would be too. He’s got to keep everything professional and orderly. He’s very private which made him very interesting and he lets a lot of things roll off his shoulders. Watching him unravel and be human did this thing where my eyes would soften and all I could think was aww! I just wish he would had been more clear and professional to Poppy!

Like with most chick-lit titles, I’ve Got Your Number is a predictable read. But that doesn’t take away from the journey you go on with Poppy. Watching everything unravel was nerve wrecking! Poor Poppy! The trouble she gets herself into with Sam is both embarrassing and hilarious. And the ending? The ending was just too cute for words!

Highly recommend this book if you’re in the mood for something entertaining, witty and funny!

-- She would have been great at public executions, Annalise. She would have been the one at the front, jostling for a good view of the ax, already sketching the gory bits to put up on the village notice board, in case anyone missed it.
Or, you know, whatever they did before Facebook.
-- As Sam continues, I knead my eyes briefly with my fists. I get why Vicks does this now. To block the word, for just a second.

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Review: Yours Truly by Kirsty Greenwood

Yours Truly by Kirsty Greenwood

Release Date: July 4th, 2012 by Novelicious Books

Details: eBook 

Genre: Fiction > Romance & Chick Lit

Source: Bought for Kindle

Summary (Goodreads):

Your bum does not look big in that dress.

Mmm, it tastes delicious!

Of course you’re better looking than Jon Hamm.

Newly engaged Natalie Butterworth is an easy-going girl. She’ll do anything for a quiet life and if telling a few teensy white lies keeps her friends and family happy, then so what? It’s not like they’ll ever discover what she’s really thinking… 

Until one night, thanks to a pub hypnotist, Natalie’s most private thoughts begin to bubble up and pop out of her mouth. Things get very messy indeed. Especially when some sticky home truths offend her fiancé.

Natalie must track down the hypnotist before the wedding is officially cancelled. So along with bad influence bestie Meg, Natalie finds herself in the Yorkshire Parish of Little Trooley - a small village bursting with big secrets, nosy old folk and intriguing Wellington-wearing men.

When the girls get stranded in the village with no means of escape and no way to break the hypnotist's spell, Natalie is forced to face the truths she has been avoiding her whole life...

Amazon* || Goodreads 

Yours Truly is one of the most frustrating, entertaining and snarky reads I've read all year. I don't read much Chick-Lit (though I always tell myself I should!) but I couldn't resist this novel with it's adorbs cover and light, fluffy blurb. 

Natalie is a people pleaser. She's about to marry a man who makes no sense and she lets people walk all over her since she can't stand to hurt peoples feelings. But while doing this, she's preventing herself from being happy. From living her life, from having the wedding of her dreams! It was SO frustrating to see Natalie just go with it and for everyone around her to tell her to "stop being selfish" when she was hardly being selfish or rude. If I was Natalie, I would be punching people in the face left and right.

Olly was probably just as frustrating. The guy would require you to shower before sleeping with him and had a weird obsession with asking you if it was good. If you need to ask ME if YOU were good, I would be convinced you have some self esteem issues you need to take care of before sleeping with me again. But you know, that's just me. But really, the guy was ridiculous.

After the hypnotist show I know Natalie hated that she couldn't lie to people anymore  and that her life was "spinning out of control" but I think this was good for her. She finally got to tell people what was on her mind and finally tell people to back off when they needed to! She saved herself from marrying someone who wasn't meant for her and went on this remarkable and embarrassing adventure that would change her life.

I absolutely enjoyed Yours Truly. The pacing was perfect; it was entertaining and it had enough going on to keep me turning the pages. Natalie was snarky and I really really liked the British slang that was going on! I will definitely be looking forward to more of Kirsty's novels!

"Well I think I like it," she eventually declares. "You look exactly like Tracy. May she rest in peace."

Tracy was our childhood Tabby Cat.

How dare he? How dare he jump on my mother's pain, on my past and label me like that. It's one thing to critise me, but another to make a comment about my family. Only I'm allowed to do that.

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