Tag Archives: Chick Lit

The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns by Elizabeth Leiknes

American Literature

Synopsis: Lucy only wanted to save her sister after a accident, but a lifetime escorting souls to hell wasn’t quite the price she had in mind, and now she wants out. Review: The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns was a quick, breezy read. Elizabeth Leikness has imagination to spare when it comes to her plotting, and I never quite guessed what was coming next. She has a wonderfully satirical wit, but her book isn’t superficial at all. Lucy’s job is to wrangle the truly wicked…

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Sister and Husbands by Connie Briscoe

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: On the eve of her wedding, Beverly calls things off, in turmoil over the marriage troubles her sisters have been going through. Review: Sisters and Husbands is a good soapy read, with lots of drama and romance, though not so much that it goes over the top. Connie Briscoe’s characters are dealing with very real issues, and she doesn’t shy away from painting them in an unflattering light. I tend to like my chick lit either more satirical or way further out there (a…

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The Accidental Bestseller by Wendy Wax

American Literature

Synopsis: When novelist Kendall Ames is dropped by her publisher and her husband, she faces a case of writer’s block so severe that her best friends–also novelists–decide to help her writer her next novel and let her take all the credit. Review: I’m a sucker for novels about writers, because they always get me off my butt and working on my own stuff. And of course I like good chick lit, so I was primed to enjoy The Accidental Bestseller. The plot was a strange…

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Mating Rituals of the North American WASP by Lauren Lipton

American Literature

Synopsis: Upon waking up married after a whirlwind night in Vegas, Peggy discovers that her uptight WASP “husband” might be the answer to her prayers–if only they can put up with each other for just one year. Review: The setup of Mating Rituals of the North American WASP couldn’t be more contrived. You’ve got a fake marriage, an aging dowager with capricious will-rewriting tendencies, and an odd couple that are so wrong for each other that they’re meant to be. The story unfolds along a…

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Crossed Wires by Rosy Thornton

British Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: It started out as just another car insurance problem, but for call center worker Mina, the conversation with Peter just might turn wonderfully personal. Review: Crossed Wires is a sweet, gentle, tender book. The sole bit of edge is provided by Mina’s wayward teenage sister, but she spends most of her time offscreen (so to speak) where she can’t wreak too much havoc. The romance between Mina and Peter unfolds quietly and organically. Author Rosy Thornton doesn’t try to make things too cutesy, which…

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B As In Beauty by Alberto Ferraras

American Literature 2 Comments

Synopsis: Overweight B hates her life, but when she’s adopted by a fairy godmother running a most unorthodox service, she gets in touch with her outer beauty but runs the risk of losing the inner beauty she’s had all along. Review: I really enjoyed B as in Beauty, despite the rather tawdry story elements. Alberto Ferraras has created a winning heroine and set her against some well-imagined set pieces that are titillating but never sleazy–or, at least, B never comes off as sleazy. I really…

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The Girl She Used To Be by David Cristofano

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: Hidden in the witness protection program since she was a child, Melody wishes for the chance to be herself, and unwisely starts to fall for one of the gangster’s she’s hiding from. Review: The Girl She Used To Be by David Cristofano is a straightforward, enjoyable, affecting story about a young woman in an awful predicament. I really found myself trusting Jonathan, the young mafioso who recognizes Melody, and believing she’d be safe with him, despite all evidence to the contrary. The female voice…

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Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Patillo

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: Jane Austen scholar Emma hunts Austen’s lost love letters in the hopes of restoring her besmirched academic name and to prove to the world that Austen was wrong about happy endings. Review: I came to Jane Austen relatively late in life. We were assigned Pride and Prejudice as summer reading in ninth grade. Honestly? It bored me to tears. For this sole reason I eschewed majoring in English in college in favor of a theater/American Studies combo just so that I could avoid British…

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Blue Bloods and Masquerade by Melissa De La Cruz

American Literature 5 Comments

I recently reviewed Revelations, Book 3 in Melissa De La Cruz’s Blue Bloods trilogy. I finally got a chance to check out books 1 and 2 in the series and would recommend them to anyone who wishes Gossip Girl had vampires. There’s scads of name-dropping and swanky NYC night clubs along with a really well thought out mythology that goes back to Puritan New England. I’m glad I got a chance to check these books out!

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