Chick Lit Review: The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter

The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter

I am a big fan of Contemporary reads whether they are of the YA, Chick Lit, Romance, or Christian variety, sometimes you just need a nice getaway feel good story. This book is a Christian Romance novel, by author Denise Hunter - who I have read novels by before, and I always enjoy. Ms. Hunter's style is a bit different than many Christian authors I have read, her Christian elements are a lot more subtle and tend to be woven in to the story as more of an allegory than an overt message. I know that for some, this makes the story more enjoyable. When I read the summary, it definitely appealed to me, as it hits upon one of those plot-lines I'm always a bit of a sucker for: the arranged/marriage of convenience that becomes something more. I think fans of Denise Hunter's other works, of clean Romances, and of Contemporary Romance type reads will enjoy this one.

Highlights

Some things I usually find to be an appealing plot device in a romance were present in this novel: the marriage of convenience, a slow building romance, and opposites attracting. I really enjoyed Lucas and his family, especially his siblings and his relationship with them. It was also nice to read a romance that I could recommend to my mom or aunt without worrying about certain scenes.

I found the novel to be one that was easy to read and feel good. I wanted to see what would happen next and how things would work out for Lucas and Kate. It was also a nice switch to see the male character as the one who has developed feelings and is waiting for the woman to realize. The love story was definitely an uphill battle, and it was interesting to see their feelings grow and change- as well as to see how Kate changed.

One thing that I've always enjoyed about Denise Hunter's novels personally is the fact that they are sweet, clean romances. Her novels are Christian, but the message is more subtle and in the subtext instead, which I don't mind. This novel for instance, is a great clean, romance read that follows the story of Lucas and Kate - but is meant to represent the love God has for each of us. I think it's nice when the story is done with subtlety like his one, as it can be easier to recommend to a wider audience and will appeal to those who want a Christian novel and/or just a nice, clean romance read.

Wishes

Kate was a bit of a hard character to get used to, she was not always very likeable, and I often wanted to shake her. It didn't help that in contrast you have super sweet, caring, and patient Lucas. However, I think given the message of the novel - I understand that Kate's abrasiveness to start is kind of the point. It did make this Denise Hunter novel a bit harder for me to get into than others I've read though.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and though it was not my favorite of Ms. Hunter's works, I still found it a fun way to spend an afternoon. I look forward to reading more by her, and for those that enjoy these same plotlines and romances, I'd say it's definitely worth checking out.

Recommendations:  

If you enjoyed this book and are looking for more Contemporary Chick Lit reads try:

Just Breath – Susan Wiggs

Something Borrowed – Emily Giffin

There’s Cake in My Future – Kim Gruenenfelder

Unpredictable – Eileen Cook

When In Doubt Add Butter– Beth Harbison

For more Contemporary Christian Romance reads try:

The Princess by Lori Wick
Once Upon A Prince - Rachel Hauck
Secrets - Robin Jones Gunn
Seaside Letters  - Denise Hunter

           

Rating (for both of the above romances):

 3 out of 5 Doxies –   Really enjoyed it, definitely worth a read!

Jenn

 Tale of Two Doxies

www.taleoftwodoxies.blogspot.com

Review - Once Upon A Prince by Rachel Hauck

Once Upon A Prince by Rachel Hauck

Once Upon a Prince, the first novel in the Royal Wedding series by bestselling author Rachel Hauck, treats you to a modern-day fairy tale.

Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess---just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn't going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life.

The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simon's Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family's tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna's aid under the fabled Lover's Oak, he is blindsided by love.

Their lives are worlds apart. He's a royal prince. She's a ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel's coronation. It's the ultimate choice. His kingdom or her heart? God's will or their own? (Goodreads)

***

This was my first read by the author, Rachel Hauck, but I did find it an enjoyable read. This book is a Christian Romance novel, that happened to be one of the Amazon Kindle Daily Deals. Right away I loved the cover, I thought it looked romantic, modern day fairy tale-esque. When I read the summary, it definitely appealed to me, as it was essentially a modern day fairy tale reminiscent of Cinderella. I think fans of Rachel H other works, of overt Christian Romances, and of Contemporary Fairy Tale type reads will enjoy this one.

Highlights

The story was a light, fun, whimsical read - it definitely delivered in the modern day fairy tale department and of course in the happy ending. The story was well-written and engaging, although at times it could get a bit detail heavy. I found the characters to overall be realistic, flawed and relatable. I found it refreshing to find a heroine who was both strong and weak at the same time. It was nice to see a character who didn't have it all figured out, and one who had to struggle when the "plan" didn't work out. I think there are many out there who can relate to Susanna's journey: coming from a less than solid or predictable childhood and how that effects our conscious/unconscious choices and needs as an adult. Not everyone has dealt with these issues, and they can be difficult to face even as an adult.

The story itself flowed nicely and was a nice, clean, sweet romance. I enjoyed the fairy tale elements, and the modern setting. I also really loved the detail the author used in carefully crafting the kingdom of Brighton - nice touches of different European influences to create the country/culture. The story reminded me a bit of the movie The Prince and Me, which I've always enjoyed, and definitely held elements of a retelling of Cinderella as well.

Wishes

There were a few things I might have wished for this novel. One would have to be Susanna and Adam's relationship, for a couple who had been together so long - I would have preferred a little bit more of something. Of fight, or back-and-forth, not such easy acceptance I suppose since they were supposed to have been in love and together for so long. I just would have preferred the presence of more emotion around the whole issue.

Aurora was an interesting piece to the novel, I liked her and I didn't. As a "fairy godmother" type figure, it worked, but I also found so of her seemingly incoherent, "prophetic"-type moments off-putting. Overall, I probably would have found the story just as enjoyable without her presence as with. In this same vein, while I enjoyed the story overall and I do not mind Christian novels, at times it could be a bit overt and/or "preachy" which I know can be off-putting. So for those who prefer the more subtle Christian integration, might not enjoy that aspect as much.

Overall, I found the story to be a light, easy and satisfying read. I finished quickly and look forward to reading the next book in the series and finding out what becomes of Brighton.

Recommendations:

For more Christian Romance try…

The Princess by Lori Wick

The Hawk and the Jewel by Lori Wick

The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter

For more Contemporary, Fairy-Tale-esque Romance try…

The Runaway Princess by Hester Browne

Rating:

 3 out of 5 Doxies - Really enjoyed it, go give it a read now!

Mini-Reviews - Romance: Keep Calm and Carry a Big Drink - The Perfect Match

Title:                    Keep Calm and Carry a Big Drink

Author:               Kim Gruenenfelder

Release Date:   December 2013

Publisher:          St. Martin’s Griffin

Genre:       Adult, Contemporary, Chick Lit

Pages:           384

 In Keep Calm and Carry a Big Drink, Kim Gruenenfelder's delicious follow-up to There's Cake in My Future, Seema, Nic and Mel are back, adjusting to their new lives as a bride-to-be, a mother-to-be, and a recently single girl looking for love



   It's been almost a year since Mel, Nic and Seema pulled their magical charms out of the cake at Nic's bridal shower and most of their happily-ever-afters seemingly came true. Seema is about to marry Scott in an elaborate three-day affair. Nic is glowingly pregnant. And Mel... well, Mel feels as if she accidentally veered off the rails of her life at some point and isn't sure how to get back on. She recently became single again, she's been threatened with a layoff from her teaching job, and she has to find her own place now that Scott is moving in with her roommate, Seema.

Nic thinks Mel just needs a new cake charm to bring her good luck. . . and decides to rig the cake pull at Seema's bridal shower. 

Desperate for travel, Mel asks for the passport charm. But, once again, the cake proves to have a mind of its own, and she pulls a charm she doesn't want, and can not use. Rather than be bound by the charm's prophecy, Mel realizes she, and she alone, is responsible for her destiny. A spur of the moment decision takes her to Paris and then Maui, where she finds herself on an adventure that she never could have imagined, experiencing the trials and tribulations of a life suddenly and perfectly unplanned. And, along the way, she begins to learn that, however nonsensical it may seem, the cake is never wrong... (Amazon)

Highlights:

This book I felt, really captures that bitter-sweetness of maturing friendships. The ups and downs that go along with that: the feelings of pride and joy and at the same time wistfulness as your lives move forward and in many ways your friendship changes and life pulls you further apart. As friends start relationships, move in with significant others/get their own place, get married, have children, start focusing on careers. I think we all have that experience of being so happy for our friends as they hit the milestones and yet wanting those things for ourselves and also missing the way things used to be when the friendship seemed to come first.

I found the characters to be very likable and relatable, and I like that they were each experiencing/struggling with things that many of us do: newborns, weddings, trying to figure out what to do with our lives/what’s next, relationships, dating, burn-out.

Wishes:

While I really enjoyed the story, there were a few things that I would have liked to see changed. For one, the story had some plot points that seemed a bit far-fetched: the broke teacher traveling about Europe, vacationing in Hawaii for free, and other bits I can’t mention for fear of spoilers. I can’t completely fault these points as it is escapism fiction, I would have enjoyed it a bit more if these came about in a bit more of a believable way. Other than that, there were a few slow points and some minor editing issues.

Overall, this book was an enjoyable escapist Chick Lit read – fluffy, light and fun. It featured fun, sweet, relatable characters and I loved getting to revisit my “old friends” again and see where they ended up. Definitely worth a read, and definitely one that any mid to late twenties or older can relate too.

**see below for rating and recommendations**

Title:              The Perfect Match

Author:         Kristan Higgins

Release Date:            October 2013

Publisher:        Harlequin HQN

Genre:      Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Pages:                  441

What if the perfect match is a perfect surprise? 

Honor Holland has just been unceremoniously rejected by her lifelong crush. And now—a mere three weeks later—Mr. Perfect is engaged to her best friend. But resilient, reliable Honor is going to pick herself up, dust herself off and get back out there…or she would if dating in Manningsport, New York, population 715, wasn't easier said than done. 

Charming, handsome British professor Tom Barlow just wants to do right by his unofficial stepson, Charlie, but his visa is about to expire. Now Tom must either get a green card or leave the States—and leave Charlie behind. 

In a moment of impulsiveness, Honor agrees to help Tom with a marriage of convenience—and make her ex jealous in the process. But juggling a fiancé, hiding out from her former best friend and managing her job at the family vineyard isn't easy. And as sparks start to fly between Honor and Tom, they might discover that their pretend relationship is far too perfect to be anything but true love…. (Amazon)

Highlights:

Things that I found really enjoyable about this book included: the characters, the plot line, the side stories, the humor and the cute animal. I really enjoyed the interactions and dialogue between Tom and Honor, I enjoyed the romantic tension and I liked the “marriage of convenience, could it grow to be more” plotline. I found the book to be light, humorous and filled with characters I could either relate to, feel like I have experienced in real life or would like to know.

I enjoyed that each of the characters had flaws and baggage, nobody was completely good or bad and they all felt real. (Even the ones that I hated). I also really enjoyed the Charlie side-story. I felt that many of the events while obviously dramatized (this is a romance novel) were relatable to things that could and do happen in real life – and I loved that the author was able to make me feel. I laughed and cried during my time reading the book.

Wishes:

Some things I wish had been a bit different: the desperation of Honor feels, Honor’s self confidence, and the story start. In the beginning Honor is feeling really desperate to get married, to have a kid – I’m not going to nit-pick about this because I do think that a lot of people especially women start to feel this pressure at some point. I felt that this was real and understandable, I just might have wished it wasn’t so played up, I mean let us know how she feels but some of the moments made me cringe in embarrassment for her a bit. As to her self-confidence, I just felt that while again this was a believable piece, I would have liked to see her have a bit more confidence and respect for herself – I get that it was part of her growth but their were a few parts (I’m looking at you Dana) that made me want to shake her and deal with it for her.

Finally, while I ended up enjoying the story overall it had a bit of a slow start for me. So I would have liked for the pace to be a bit more brisk and really grasp me sooner.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story and it is one I would have a friend read (in fact I’ve already lent it out). I enjoyed the author and the book and actually bought a few more by her to try out. The book played to its genre nicely, and it is a quick, sweet, emotional romantic read. (Plus have you seen the adorable pups on the covers?) So if you are looking for a good beach or contemporary chick lit read with a little romance, definitely check out this author.

Recommendations (based on both of the above romances):  

If you enjoyed this book and are looking for more Contemporary Chick Lit reads try:

Just Breath – Susan Wiggs

Something Borrowed – Emily Giffin

There’s Cake in My Future – Kim Gruenenfelder

Unpredictable – Eileen Cook

When In Doubt Add Butter– Beth Harbison

           

Rating (for both of the above romances):

 3 out of 5 Doxies –   Really enjoyed it, read it now!

Jenn

 Tale of Two Doxies

www.taleoftwodoxies.blogspot.com

Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Title:                              Cruel Beauty

Author:                         Rosamund Hodge

Release Date:             January 28, 2014

Publisher:                    Balzer & Bray

Genre:                           YA, Fantasy

Pages:                           357

My Thoughts

Cruel Beauty is a dark, intricately detailed fantasy novel that makes allusions to a reinterpretation of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. The story is set in a fantasy world, and follows the tale of Nyx – a girl who has been raised to be a sacrifice. Nyx has known since she was a child that her life’s work is to be the wife of a monster, and to find a means to destroy him in order to save her world.

This book was a very conflicting and complicated read for me, and it has left me feeling truly torn and unsettled. The book was one that I have been highly anticipating – as it was marketed as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and in the same fantasy vein as Graceling. The story was intricately detailed, the descriptions were lush, and the writing was style itself was beautiful. I thought the premise was wonderful, and the books opening line was a great hook. The story itself was complex, with the unexpected and unusual, but not unwelcome, surprise of the Greek/Roman Mythology woven in.

Now, to be perfectly honest I am a huge fairy tale retelling fan – and Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales. I also really enjoyed Graceling, needless to say – I went into this one with pretty high expectations. Perhaps that is part of why I found myself a bit let down by the book. To start, I didn’t get a Beauty and the Beast feel from this story, it might have alluded to pieces but it was too far off the mark from the original fairy tale for me to accept it as a retelling. So, I’m sure this influenced some of my experience.

In terms of recommended audience, I would say fans of darker romance, fantasy and Greek/Roman Mythology themes would be most pleased with this read.

Highlights:

This story is one of the few where I feel I have a lot of likes and dislikes, but first to start with the highlights…The first thing that really should out to me as a highlight in this book would be the fact that all the characters were flawed – they were messy and complex, no one was quite what they seemed, they had different sides and there were no stock “good” and “evil” characters. For me, this is always a pretty good selling point, I like to see different sides to characters, I want to feel that they are real and complex and decide based on the whole how I feel about them. I enjoyed the layers and surprises to each character, it made them more relatable and sympathetic for me.

Another piece I enjoyed, was Ignifex – as a character he was probably my favorite. I enjoyed watching his development and learning more about him, seeing the multiple sides to him beyond the initial impressions provided by Nyx and her family. In this same vein, I really enjoyed the conversations and interactions between Ignifex and Nyx – their sarcasm and verbal battles were a big plus and something I looked forward to as I read.

The castle was definitely a highlight and point of interest to me. It reminded me a bit of Hogwarts in Harry Potter (which I love), with the changing staircases, halls and rooms. It made me want to go exploring. Finally, the Mythology twist was surprising but pleasant as well.

Wishes

While the characters had layers and were shown to all have flaws and a good and darker side I did have a few wishes in this area as well. First, let’s talk about Nyx – oh, Nyx, how you drove me a bit mad throughout the book. Nyx was a very bitter, angry, resentful and conflicted character – which given her situation was not surprising and I could definitely understand. However, Nyx was very repetitive to me with her griping– all right already we get it you hate everyone, you are dark and twisty! She was also kind of wishy-washy, and inconsistent, constantly changing her mind – it was hard to really “get into” her mind set or head and appreciate where she was coming from. Then there was Ignifex – easily my favorite character, however I would have liked to have seen a bit more to his development, it wasn’t quite there for me.

While I enjoyed the Mythology piece, it was also a bit complex and confusing. I am a fan of Greek/Roman Mythology, but not all the deities mentioned were “mainstream” ones and I felt as though to get some of the references I had to stop and look up the story – which kind of breaks you out of the book world. I want to be sucked in, not pulled back into reality while reading. This and the world the author sought to create itself, were very complex – which while they were interesting points, it also made the story hard to follow.

Another wish I had was over the romance; it just didn’t completely work for me. First, their were some definite insta-love vibes which always rub me the wrong way, I can’t elaborate without giving to much away but this was a definite issue for me. Then there was a sort of love triangle? It just felt a bit forced to me and honestly fell kind of flat. I guess it could be seen as interesting, but for me it just felt really odd and off.

Finally, I’ll end with the resolution – obviously I can’t say too much because I don’t want to give anything away. Personally though, I was not in love with the ending and how it was handled. I really did not like how things went for Ignifex, and it felt rather anti-climatic - a little too wrap it all up in a bow convenient, it really was not what I was expecting at all.

Overall, it was definitely an interesting reading experience, and though I have mixed feelings on the book it is one I would recommend. For me, it did not quite hit the mark, but it really is a very well written story with an amazing premise and I do love the cover. At times I found the book a bit tedious in the complexities, and it felt a bit long winded – but I did keep coming back to finish it. Ignifex and the castle alone were worth reading about, and I did truly enjoy the layers Ms. Hodge carefully crafted to each of her characters. Besides, I had a pretty strong reaction to this one, if nothing else it really makes you think.

If you are looking for a slightly dark, fantasy and enjoy Greek/Roman Mythology and don’t mind a hint of the fairy tale-esque, this book is definitely one you should pick up.

Recommendations:  

If you enjoyed this book and are looking for more similar dark, fantasy and/or Mythology type reads try:

Sweet Venom (Medusa Girls #1) – Tera Lynn Childs

Abandon (Abandon Trilogy #1) – Meg Cabot

Hex Hall – Rachel Hawkins

Stork – Wendi DelSol

Princess of the Midnight Ball – Jessica Day George

           

Rating:

 3 out of 5 Doxies –   Really enjoyed it, read it now!

Jenn

 Tale of Two Doxies

www.taleoftwodoxies.blogspot.com

Review: Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

 My Thoughts

Keep Holding On is a Young Adult, Contemporary Drama told from the point of view of Noelle Wexler. Noelle is a girl who lives in the suburbs with her single mother, who struggles to accept their poverty and is all but absent from her role as mother. Noelle struggles to get through her daily life, with a disconnected mother, and to get through high school, where she is bullied and doesn’t fit in primarily because of her economic background.

This story touched upon several important, relevant topics for today’s teens: bullying, fitting in, socio-economic differences, consensual relations, suicide, and abuse. It would be a good fit for fans of Susane Colasanti, those that enjoy Contemporary Teen reads, and those looking to read a book about bullying. Personally, I have enjoyed many of Susane Colasanti’s books and was looking forward to this one in particular due to the subject matter. This was a short, quick read, and as always Colasanti’s writing was great. While I wanted to love this one because of the important subject that was being tackled, it was not my favorite.

The parts that I enjoyed most about the book would be the subjects that the book was seeking to address. I also enjoyed Sherae (Noelle’s best friend) and Simon as characters, and I really loved that Colasanti tried to end on a positive note. I liked that in the story, the teen characters tried to look for ways to have a positive impact and to affect the culture surrounding them.

I wish that I could whole-heartedly endorse the story, because I do feel passionately about so many of the topics that are being addressed. I think it is so important for there to be contemporary YA reads that address the tough topics, that are relatable, and that give voice to these issues and a safe way to bring about discussions.

For me, the varieties of topics touched on were too big to contain in so short a story. It felt as though many were glossed over as a result, though I do understand that the focus was supposed to be on bullying, I wish that a bit more attention were paid to some of the other topics that arose. I think the hardest part for me was that I had trouble understanding and relating to the main character, Noelle.

Noelle didn’t ring completely true to me, and I didn’t really like her – which made it harder to relate to her and appreciate her struggles. For me, there were a variety of ways that Noelle didn’t match up to what we learn of her. Not the least of which was the fact that she was claiming to be poor, undernourished and starving but that she would rather scrounge for nothing than accept the humiliation of the school meals? This part really bothered me the most. I knew people in school that were on the free/reduced meal programs; I have also had students that are on those programs. When you are as hard up as Noelle was claiming, you don’t turn away what could be your only meal(s) of the day. I have worked with students who cried when they knew we didn’t have school because they depended on the breakfast and lunch to be a solid source of sustenance that they might not have otherwise. I could go on, but that is beside the point, so I’ll leave it at the fact that this part was very distracting and bothered me throughout the story.

Overall, I found this to be a very tough book to read and review. I think it hits on an excellent topic, and I think there were some great parts but there were some issues that I had trouble getting past. However, I do think this book is worth a read, and I appreciated that the author was trying to highlight such an important topic in a form that I feel many teens could relate to and enjoy reading. I also love that Ms. Colasanti chose to leave the book on a high note, and tried to give a hopeful outlook for those out there struggling. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Colasanti, because I have enjoyed many of her books.

Recommendations:  

If you enjoyed this book and are looking for more YA Contemporary topic  reads try:

Speak – Laurie Halse Anderson

Just Listen – Sarah Dessen

Wintergirls – Laurie Halse Anderson

Perfect You – Elizabeth Scott

Something Like Fate – Susane Colasanti

           

Rating:

 3 out of 5 Doxies –   Really enjoyed it, give it a try!

Jenn

 Tale of Two Doxies

www.taleoftwodoxies.blogspot.com