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

Chick Lit Reviews: Jill Mansell's Don't Want to Miss a Thing and The Unpredictable Consequences of Love

  

My Thoughts

Ok, to begin with I guess I should state that Jill Mansell is amazing! She is one of my favorite authors – I love her books so much that I order them from Amazon UK and have them shipped over so I can read them – like I said: amazing!

Anyway, with that out of the way…I have recently read to of her amazing books and will be reviewing them today. On a sad note, this means I am all caught up on her books – even the titles that were not released in the US and I special ordered…which means I will have to wait for a new one. This kind of makes me want to cry because like I said – I love her books!

If you are a fan of chick lit, story lines that revolve around multiple characters, contemporary adult, and/or UK authors – then these are definitely books for you. Go now – run, don’t walk and try out a book by Jill Mansell!

As with all Jill Mansell books, we are introduced to an assorted cast of intriguing and engaging characters, each of different ages and experiences.The settings, as to be expected, are charming English ones that just pull at you and makes you wish you were there. Each story feels real to me, has pieces and characters that feel real to life – and I often find myself wanting to be friends with the characters. Each story is filled with moments of love, laughter and tears – these books are perfect. They are the books I look forward to after a long, stressful day – I just want to sit with a warm blanket, my pups, and warm beverage and one of these books to relax with.

Don’t Want To Miss A Thing 

by Jill Mansell

Dexter Yates loves his fun, care-free London life; he has money, looks and girlfriends galore. But everything changes overnight when his sister dies, leaving him in charge of her eight-month-old daughter Delphi. How is he ever going to cope?

Comic-strip artist Molly Hayes lives in the beautiful Cotswold village of Briarwood. When it comes to relationships, she has a history of choosing all the wrong men. Leaving the city behind, Dex moves to Briarwood - a much better place to work on his parenting skills - and he and Molly become neighbours. There's an undeniable connection between them. But if Dexter's going to adapt, he first has a lot to learn about Molly, about other people's secrets...and about himself. (Goodreads)

Highlights:

First, I once again loved the characters, and I loved the sub-plots. I adored the village and the neighbors – I wanted to go live there while reading! I found Molly (one of the main characters) to be very relatable, and warm – I just really enjoyed her: bad decision making and all.

I really enjoyed that the story was made up of both serious and light moments. I found myself absorbed in the story from start to finish and was very sad when it came to an end. The writing flows, and really draws you in.

I really enjoyed the Molly and Dex story line; I also really adored the Dex and Delphi storyline. I loved that the story was about a love that grows, that starts as friendship and just progresses over time – I’d like to see more stories like that.

Wishes:

I know many people would state the predictability of the story and wish it was less so…however I just can’t do that. You see, I actually expect and enjoy some predictability in my Chick Lit. I want the couple to get together in the end, I want a happy ending that cheers me up and gives me hope. For me, the enjoyment of the story is in the journey the how and why of reaching the happy ending, and yeah a bit in the ending itself and it’s resolution – each one is a little different.

So I can’t really complain or have any wishes with this book. At times I found myself frustrated with characters like Dex and Frankie’s husband, but ultimately it was part of the journey and growth of the characters. I also really liked these characters and found them relatable because of their flaws and frustrating bits.

Overall, I would definitely give it a thumbs up and recommend it - so go ahead and grab yourself a copy and a cozy spot to read and relax! :)

**For Recommendations see below second review**

Rating:

 4 out of 5 Doxies –  Liked it a lot, definitely worth a read!

              The Unpredictable Consequences of Love 

                                        by Jill Mansell

When Josh Strachan, newly returned to his home in north Cornwall from sunny California, first meets Sophie Wells, he's immediately smitten. Sophie's pretty, she's funny, she has lots of friends and she clearly loves her job as a photographer, despite the sometimes tricky clients. There's just one problem: Sophie has very firmly turned her back on love. It's nothing personal, she tells Josh, but she just doesn't do dates. And no one - even Sophie's scatty best friend Tula - will tell him why. Josh is sure Sophie likes him, though, and he's just got to find out what's put her off romance. And then put things right... (Goodreads)

Highlights:

Ok, to begin with I LOVED this book. I mean, I truly love all of Jill Mansell’s books, but with any favorite author you have your favorites – this one was definitely one of mine. For me, it hit all the right notes and feels, and I just really enjoyed myself while reading it.

I adored the characters (as I so often do with Ms. Mansell’s books) but in this one I was just really attached to all of them. I really loved feeling like I was experiencing it all with them – the characters were spunky and fun. I wanted to be friends with them and hang out and I definitely wanted them all to get their happy endings – though I really didn’t want it to end!

I thought the back-stories were great in this, and particularly enjoyed Sophie’s. I really felt for her, and I was invested and interested in seeing how things would pan out for her. And I really thought the flashbacks were great, and appreciated them as a means of experiencing some of the back-story. I also really liked watching her growth throughout the book, and her getting some closure.

I appreciated once again, the delicate balance that was made between the more serious and light moments of the novel. These more serious explorations always make it feel real, but the lightness makes it enjoyable and hopeful. I also delighted in the fact that once again, various ages and generations were accounted for in the story. That is something that has always appealed to me about Ms. Mansell’s books – it isn’t all teens, or twenty-somethings, or even thirty-somethings. She strives to provide a varied cast of relatable and likeable characters with their own storylines in each book. Life isn’t all about one age group, and I enjoy seeing different points of views, and experiences across a span of people.

Wishes:

Although I enjoyed the book immensely, and would definitely recommend it (in fact I lent it to a friend already), like any great book you still usually walk away with a wish or two. In this case, I might have liked a bit more of a build up to Josh’s feelings/infatuation with Sophie. Although at the same time, the author did only make him infatuated with her – not in love – which is totally believable.

My biggest wish however would have to be with Laurence, I liked him but I also hated him. It wasn’t his personality that bothered me, in fact, based on that alone I really enjoyed and liked him. It was part of his story line/actions – I’m not a big fan of love triangles or falling in love with someone while in love with someone else. Personally I do believe in true love, I don’t believe there is more than one person out there for each of us – I believe in true love and working on a relationship over time. So, this was really just a matter of personal preference – and it wasn’t an active part of the story, it was part of his back-story. But it still irritated me throughout – mostly because I liked him and I wanted to despise and dismiss him out of hand based on the back-story.

Anyway, overall this book was an amazing read that I would definitely recommend and/or lend (or force) on others. J As my friend Lizzy can attest too. Once again, Jill Mansell has done it – left me with another book to love, a book hangover and a prevailing sadness as I realize I now have to wait for her next book to come out. Luckily I have all the others to reread in the meantime.

Recommendations:

If you enjoyed this book and are looking for more romantic, Chick Lit type reads:

I’ve Got Your Number – Sophie Kinsella

Lucky Dog Matchmaking Service – Beth Kendrick

Do or Di– Eileen Cook

The Little Lady Agency – Hester Browne

Faking It – Jennifer Crusie

Rating:

 5 out of 5 Doxies –  Loved it! A must read, reread, and own it book!

Jenn

 Tale of Two Doxies

www.taleoftwodoxies.blogspot.com

Stacking the Shelves - the BDay edition (March 15)

Stacking the Shelves
- Hosted by: Tynga’s Reviews


Description: Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Kindle Buys:

    

 

 

 My Kindle grabs for this week consisted of two YA authors and one adult author. My first grab was Shannon Hale’s new book Dangerous – one that I have been eagerly awaiting the release of. I pre-ordered this way back when it first was announced, so I was very excited to see it on my Kindle this week. J

My other YA author grab was a new to me author – Jessica Brody. The book is titled Unremebered and was a $2.99 Kindle Deal on Amazon, so of course I grabbed it. It seemed to have good reviews, so I’m excited to try it out. My other Kindle grab was The Theory of Opposites by Allison Winn Scotch – another new to me author. This one is an Adult Contemporary, the book was on sale of $.99 in the Kindle store and the blurb sounded interesting – so of course I grabbed it.

Book Buys:

 

My Book grab for this week was the highly anticipated arrival of one of my auto-buy authors new books: Year of Mistaken Discoveries by Eileen Cook!! I’ve been awaiting this one pretty anxiously, so I was so happy to come home and see the box for this one on my doorstep!

Birthday Gifts:

    

     

Finally, it was my birthday this past week and my amazing husband was kind enough to indulge, spoil, and completely pamper me. I took the day off work, so his gifts included: a 90 minute Swedish massage, chocolate dipped fruit, a surprise lunch, and then he took me to Barnes and Noble to get books! (Have I mentioned I have the best husband in the entire world?!)

My book gifts from my wonderful husband included: two amazing YA books by Elizabeth Eulberg, two romances with adorable pups on the cover by Kristan Higgins, a physical copy of one of my favorite Sophie Kinsella reads, and a fun writing prompts journal that I saw and really wanted. Like I said most amazing, spectacular, I-don't-deserve-him-he-pampers-me-so-much husband in the entire world. <3

What were your finds this week? 

Please feel free to comment and share a link to your new reads below. 

Jenn

 Tale of Two Doxies

www.taleoftwodoxies.blogspot.com

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: I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinesella

Title:                    I’ve Got Your Number

Author:                    Sophie Kinsella

Release Date:         February 14, 2012

Publisher:                The Dial Press

Genre:                      Fiction, Adult, Chick Lit

Pages:                      466

My Thoughts

Imagine losing your heirloom engagement ring during a “let me try the ring on” shuffle amongst friends, and then having your phone snatched by a thief…. Welcome to Poppy’s world.

Poppy can’t risk her fiancé and his family finding out, the only option is to contact everyone and find the ring –fast. Unfortunately she is without a phone, but luckily enough she happens to find an abandoned cell phone in a trashcan. Well it’s her only option currently and finders, keepers, right? Unfortunately the owner of the phone, does not agree – and she is now receiving calls and texts meant for him...

This was a fun, light and quick read. Perfect for fans of Kinsella’s previous work, fans of other British Chick Lit authors, and Contemporary Romantic Comedies. Personally, I enjoyed this very much – I found myself laughing out loud and very much enjoyed the interactions between Poppy and Sam. I found the story to be charming and fun – a definite breath of fresh air and a great pick me up read!

I liked Poppy, and though I found myself cringing in embarrassment on her behalf at times, I still found her to be a fun main character and very relatable. There were many other charming characters, but I enjoyed Poppy and Sam the most.  Although I did find the initial idea behind the set up a bit unlikely, Kinsella plays it off as a fun romantic-comedy romp that feels if not plausible than believable, and fun very, very fun.

 I definitely enjoyed myself while reading this one and will be hanging on to it to read again at a later date. Overall, I would recommend this book as a perfect Chick Lit read – it was cheerful, fast-paced, and thoroughly enjoyable. I can’t wait for Kinsella’s next stand-alone novel!

I will make one note regarding format – I bought this book on Kindle and was not able to enjoy it as fully as I would have liked. Much of the story and humor in this book is included in footnotes at the bottom of the page (which is not accessible on Kindle, and are all stored at the back). So it is doable to read either way, I would have preferred an actual copy so I could easily enjoy this part. Something to think about when choosing your format!

Recommendations:  

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

The Little Lady Agency – Hester Browne

Don’t Want to Miss A Thing - Jill Mansell

Boy Meets Girl – Meg Cabot

She Went All – Meg Cabot

Queen of Babble – Meg Cabot

Holly’s Inbox – Holly Denham

           

Rating:

 5 out of 5 Doxies –  Loved it! A must read, reread, and own it book!

Jenn

 Tale of Two Doxies

www.taleoftwodoxies.blogspot.com