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It is a truth universally acknowledged that a chicklit book in possession of references to Jane Austen, Mr Darcy or Pride and Prejudice will hardly be in want of readers. One of the most recent Austen-themed books, Austenland tells the tale of American Jane Hayes, who finds real men just don't measure up to Mr Darcy. A relative bequeaths her a trip to English country manor Pembrook Park, which caters for Austen-crazed women. Here guests don empire-waist gowns and bonnets and master Regency etiquette as they are romanced by actors playing gentleman. After her secret dalliances with the gardener, Jane (Miss Erstwhile) finds herself attracted to the Darcy-like Mr Nobley. Is this trip going to help Jane kick her Austen obsession forever?
7/10
Alex Dorenfield dies after being hit by a MINI Cooper while walking her dog Peaches. Arriving at the pearly gates, she is soon reunited with her beloved grandparents and uncle; moves into her dream home with a wardrobe full of designer clothes; and falls for her cute next-door neighbour Adam. But her guardian angel reveals there is a catch - in order to stay in seventh heaven (the highest level) she must prove she was living a fulfilling life by writing an essay about her 10 best days. Alex is an intriguing character who despite being an only 'miracle' child from a wealthy family had to work hard to find her place in the world. This sends the timely reminder that being surrounded by people you love is what really matters in life.
7/10
Kate and Tully were exactly what each other needed in their lives. Kate was a lonely teenager whose only friends were her books. Tully, abandoned by her hippy mother Cloud, grew up with her grandmother and anxiously awaited the day her mother would come back. One day Cloud does show up and takes Tully with her to live in Seattle. When Kate's mum makes her take over a dish to welcome the new neighbours, she and Tully instantly connect and become inseparable. Kate finds a confidante in Tully and Tully becomes a member of Kate's family. The story follows Kate and Tully through three decades - from teenagers to women who find themselves struggling with careers, family, love and each other. Kristin Hannah does an excellent job of highlighting how the political and social conditions of the times impact their decisions. Though this book is centred on the girls' friendship, there is also a beautiful side story of Kate and her daughter Marah which will have you remembering all the doors you slammed as a teenager and aching to call your mum and say sorry. This is a beautiful story with so many twists, turns and complexities that a reader cannot help but identity with. (JE)
7/10
When Stacey suddenly shows up in the driveway just before Christmas, Joy can't help but wonder if her sister is here to ask for forgiveness after destroying her five-year marriage to Thom. Instead, showing no sign of remorse, she is bearing news of her pregnancy and upcoming wedding to Thom. Unable to bear the pain of betrayal, Joy drives off to the airport, mindlessly purchasing a ticket to Hope, in British Columbia. However, her plane crashes and she finds herself alone in the woods. Struggling to find a way out she stumbles across a log building, the Comfort Fishing Lodge where she meets widower Daniel and his son, Bobby. It's a heartwarming story about the greatness of love and forgiveness. It reminds me a lot of Cecelia Ahern's If I Could See You Now. I enjoyed this book very much but it lost points because of the abrupt ending. (XT)
7/10
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Beauty expert Bella Hunter writes the most popular column in uber-chic magazine Enchante - readers just can't get enough of her beauty advice, even though she's not immune to her own styling disasters such as dying her hair orange or staining her clothes with self-tan. But Bella's lucky streak is about to end when she imbibes too much wine during a newspaper interview and reveals secrets about her bitchy industry. Snubbed by her fellow beauty colleagues, the only magazine that will touch her is Womanly World - a magazine more suited to the over-50s. And despite dating a rising model and heading off on a Paris junket, Bella just can't come up with the right ideas to impress her new publisher, James. Written by a magazine insider (who also lost her job after being exposed as a beauty blogger who revealed too much), this is classic chick lit that may just have beauty junkies rushing out to get a copy - without stopping first to apply their make-up.
7/10
Second Opinion
Allie and Olivia were inseparable all through their school years, with Allie doing makeovers on Olivia almost every night. Then one nasty rumour ruined everything. Olivia and her mother moved away without as much as a goodbye or a chance to let Allie explain that she hadn't been the one to spread it. Since that day in 12th grade, Allie and Olivia have not spoken or kept up with each other's lives. Now, on the eve of their 20-year high school reunion, the women have to decide if they want to face their past. With the help of mutual best friend, Noah, Allie and Olivia are coaxed into going to the reunion and even more surprising than seeing each other is the big bombshell that Noah drops on them: He's dating Vickie Freedman, their worst enemy and a bonafied bitch. Neither of them can figure out why sweet, sensible Noah would date someone as vile as Vickie, especially Allie, who is secretly in love with Noah. When Noah announces that he's marrying Vickie, Allie - not knowing who else to turn to - calls Olivia. Allie will take any help she can get to stop Noah from this seemingly rash and life-changing (not to mention life-ruining) decision. Allie and Olivia are brought together once again, just like it was 20 years ago. The one question that remains unanswered is if they will let their past get in the way of their future. The story deepens with flashbacks to important points in Allie and Olivia's high school days. The flashbacks are so genuinely written that they only make the story more wonderful. Allie and Olivia are two girls who both need one thing in their life - hope - which they find in their friendship with each other. (AS)
8/10
Helene discovers in a shoe shop that her politician husband has cancelled her credit cards; waitress Lorna is deep in debt but can't resist checking out eBay bargains on designer shoes; Sandra is agoraphobic so pays her shoe bills by working as a sex-phone operator; and Joss is an overworked nanny who is just desperate to get out of the house. These four women come together each Tuesday night for a meeting of Shoe Addicts Anonymous - to swap shoes and life stories.
7/10
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Paige Atwell is a bit dissatisfied with her lot - a busy husband, an increasingly hostile daughter and a son obsessed with bodily functions. As Paige tries to spice up her marriage, Aberdeen Mists is rocked by the death of her neighbour Karen, who is found in a pool of blood in her garage. With everyone else assuming it was an accident, Paige suspects foul play, as Karen had just revealed to her that she was having an affair with a Latin lover. Using sleuthing tactics from her favourite TV crime shows, Paige attempts to uncover the truth.
5/10
Advertising account manager Kerry Spence is unsuccessfully trying to break up with gorgeous boyfriend Sam, who has demoted her to late-night hook-up status. So her therapist gets her to write a journal about past encounters with men to trace her problems with relationships. Starting with a school day kissing game turned sour, through a broken engagement and French-kissing the wrong man, Kerry relives her past romances and humiliating experiences. She's still determined to find her soulmate, which tarot card reader Ramona swears is a man named D, who'll she meet through a work function. Just as long as that doesn't prove to be slimy creative director Dave.
8/10
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New York accountant Cat Connelly is used to playing things safe, always looking out for her younger sister and father ever since her mother left them. At her sister's wedding, she meets restaurant owner Michael, and he encourages her to return to Rome, where she spent her last carefree time years ago. Disappointed when she discovers Michael is married, she does take off to Rome, planning to reunite with Francesco, her lover from all those years ago. But soon Cat finds herself alone in the Eternal City and embarks on her own Roman Holiday-inspired adventure, complete with Vespa. A romantic holiday read about one woman's need to leave home to find herself.
6/10
Second Opinion
What do you do when you are dumped by your fiancé and laid off from your job in the same week? Emma decides to take up friend Poppy's offer to head to Paris to handle publicity for French rock star Guillaume Riche. Life in Paris is wonderful - if only Guillaume wasn't getting himself into trouble all the time, such as being locked overnight inside the Eiffel Tower. As Poppy convinces Emma that the best way to forget fiance Brett is to date lots of different French men, Emma finds herself drawn to journalist Gabe who is the only one not buying her excuses for Guillaume's crazy antics.
6/10
On the day that Mod magazine entertainment editor Claire Reilly interviews Hollywood heart-throb Cole Brannon and finds him to be a down-to-earth guy, she discovers her freeloading boyfriend cheating on her. She heads to a nearby bar to drown her sorrows where she bumps into Cole. Backstabbing colleague Sidra DeSimon then leaks a false story about Claire sleeping with the movie star, so Claire has to fight to protect her professional reputation. An enjoyable read from an American magazine writer with lots of celebrity mentions, it just would have been better if it hadn't followed the predictable, Hollywood fluff ending.
6/10
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Twenty years ago, Nina, Meredith and Annie were part of a feminist gospel choir. Now the trio are hitting the road again, travelling north from Melbourne to Byron Bay to attend the wedding of Meredith's daughter. Their home for the next two weeks is a motorhome, with Elvis emblazoned on the side. Nina, the overweight wife of a footy legend and mother of three sons, is desperate for some female bonding - if only she could stop acting like a mother hen. Divorced homewares shop owner Meredith is wondering if her perfectly elegant life is perhaps a bit empty; while single real estate agent Annie has been drowning her sorrows in drink. With a catty choirmate, hairy union officials and feral pigs to contend with, their unforgettable roadtrip makes for one feel-good read.
7/10
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Vanessa Clayton is an overwhelmed mother of nine-year-old twin boys. Vanessa and her husband, JT, have decided that because of their money situation, they are going to skip their annual tradition of visiting his brother and family in New England this Christmas. But JT's brother, his overbearing wife, Patience, and their rebellious daughter, Libby, decide to instead come to California to see them for Christmas. Vanessa stresses about finding the time to please her Martha Stewart-like sister-in-law, struggles with money, and deals with her flaky hippy sister, Thea, who is trying to find the real meaning of Christmas. In the midst of all her stress, Vanessa is confronted with the temptation to cheat on her reliable husband with her hot playwright colleague. This is a quick fun holiday read. (AO)
6/10
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We first met Emily, Sandie and Grazia in the first book The Secret Shopper's Revenge where they became Charlie's Shopping Angels. Now it's nearing Christmas and as usual all three women are suffering some sort of crisis. Newly married Emily is facing the prospect of her shop not taking off as she hoped; Sandie, who's dating an upper-class white boy and is pregnant with his child, gets an unwelcome blast from the past; while Grazia, after mourning the death of her husband Leon, has decided it's time to go out and play the field. However, there is still time for their secret shopping adventures. Emily and Freddie check out Santa grottos, and Grazia visits dermatologists and skin doctors. With Sandie becoming the boss of Shopping Angels, two new members join the team. Gramma (Sandra's grandma) puts burger joints to the taste-test while Kelly is their secret shoplifter-crime buster. Filled with laughs, tears and joy, this is an awesome read full of Christmas spirit. (PP)
7/10
Frumpy new mum Emily is used to being patronised or ignored in stores - and her confidence takes another hit when her husband abandons her. Ultra-organised Sandie has a passion for retail and is shattered when she loses her store manager job. The two women are recruited to the Charlie's Shopping Angels team by glamorous widow Grazia, whose artist husband left her financially bereft. Armed with hidden cameras in their handbags, the women work undercover as mystery shoppers exposing bad service, overpushy staff, uninspiring displays and other retail crimes. And in the meantime, they become close friends and help each other deal with their own personal crises. Expect a sequel.
7/10
Jo Morgan is a self-confessed scaredy-cat who as a schoolgirl used to stockpile canned food in case of a nuclear holocaust. Now she works for a council's accident prevention department, trying to protect the population from food poisoning, DIY mishaps and killer tea cosies. Fortunately her boyfriend Dennis shares her ultra-safe outlook on life. But when Jo emerges from a coma after a hit-and-run accident, she realises this scaredy-cat may have used up most of her nine lives and needs to live life differently. But first she needs to unlearn a lifetime of fears. With the help of fellow headcase patient, former World War II fighter pilot 'Frisky', and his grandson Luke, Jo tries to embrace spontaneity. She also has to work out why she's having flashbacks when she sniffs a smell from her past.
8/10
Just before Lucy Collins' mother Judith (Brown Owl) died, she got in touch with the women in her former Brownies unit, asking them to contact Lucy. Lucy, who is married to Andrew and has a daughter Sasha, will need a helping hand now that her mum is gone. She's been bossed around her whole life and is way too timid to follow her dream of becoming a singer. With the return of the Brownies into her life, Lucy is able to resolve why they all went their separate ways and ingest some of Brown Owl's invaluable life lessons. There's best friend Terri, who is trying to become ordained; obese Paula who is a struggling single mother; Chris who needs a new challenge after running a sex-aid business and Bethany the soap actress who is still as bitchy and mean.
7/10
Tess Leonard is a perfectionist whose life is in a shambles. When husband Barney leaves her for his pregnant girlfriend, Tess joins the Divorce Survival Class - a boot camp for the broken-hearted. Will the course help Tess move on?
6/10
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Ibiza is a clubbers' paradise where people escape the rat-race to enjoy the surf, sand and good times. But for Honey Ballantyne, who is responsible for running her family's hotel while her hippie parents chill out, she is beginning to think she needs to escape paradise. Especially as her old friend Edouard's return from London shows her just how trapped she's become. When her father Hughie cracks his head after diving into the shallow end of the pool to impress another woman, he confusedly calls his daughter Rachel. Honey is intrigued to uncover who this mystery woman is and begins a journey that changes everything. The story often appeared disjointed, as if you'd missed reading some pages - or perhaps overindulged in some Ibiza-style partying.
5/10
Lucy Blue is not the sort of girl to pick up a handsome stranger at a snow-bound airport and she's certainly not the sort to leap into bed with him at a motorway motel . . . but this is a special day and in any case they'll never meet again. But after Lucy and Jude part after the long road trip from Scotland to London, she sees signs at her local tube station, asking Lucy Blue, where are you? There was something charming about Lucy Blue and her story.
7/10
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Insurance agent Carmen Legg, a flame-haired 35-year-old, is sick of men trying to crack on to her, so she places a personal ad for a man with higher things on his mind - because he's impotent. Surprisingly a lot of men reply and Carmen meets them in turn. This book was originally written in German and sometimes reads a bit clunky because of the translation.
5/10
Jade Freedom Fitzgerald's life is for once looking up - she owns an antique shop called The Blue Umbrella, she has a good set of friends and she is about to get married to lawyer Max Benson. Jade wants a nice, quiet intimate wedding but her interfering mother-in-law is planning an extravagant event including expensive red-enveloped invitations. The story starts with Jade contemplating whether to send an invitation to her hippie mother, Beryl, who's still living like it's the 1960s. As the wedding nears, all Jade's secrets from her past start to surface, such as ex-fiances, her estranged father and her dysfunctional family. Armed with her two close friends whose dreams are to go on Oprah, her trusty one-eyed dog Roscoe and her quirky antique shop, can Jade move forward into married life without losing who she really is and will she fit in with her husband-to-be's socialite friends and family or will it just be too much for her to handle? This collaborative effort by country singer-songwriter Sara Evans and Christian author Rachel Hauck is an amazing read which tells a story about chasing dreams, travelling endless miles to get where you want to be and having the faith that no matter how much you focus on the future, you have to open and accept the past in order to move forward. (PP)
9/10
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On the day she buries the man who had made her life a misery, Lola discovers he was not her father. Instead she was the result of a backstage fling between her mother and Rick Wild, who has gone on to become a rock god. Despite not exactly enjoying a joyful reunion with her long-lost dad, Lola leaves behind her policing job and England to go on tour in America with his band Poleaxe. But will she survive life on the road with an overindulged rock star, a jealous wife, a crazed fan and her half-siblings, spoilt Tiffany and resentful Jay? Unlikely to be a hit.
6/10
Anna lives with restaurateur Oliver Robinson and their young son Charlie. But he still hasn't divorced his wife Eve, mother of his two teenage children, and she still continually hovers in their lives. For Eve still hasn't gotten over the love of her life. Then Oliver dies suddenly and the women are left to sort out his affairs. But they can't seem to agree on anything - Eve takes over the restaurant while Anna thinks they should sell it. Then they discover Oliver was heavily in debt and there's a lot more at stake. Can they forge a truce or be driven even further apart?
7/10
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As the spelling bee champion for three years, the youngest editor of the Ravenwood Rooster and with top colleges offering her scholarships, Emily Meredith has always excelled in almost everything to meet her parents' expectations. For Juliet Montague, her parents' divorce was the cause of her overwhelming sense of insecurity and lack of confidence. A pie recipe brings the two girls together and they soon learn to embrace their differences and form a tight friendship. The story continues with them growing into women, and how they each take different paths. (XT)
5/10
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Beth Prendergast has never had much luck in love, despite her good looks and high-flying job at Burlington Stockbrokers - that is, until Tom Maloney appears. Her boss is exactly the man Beth has wanted in her life - charming, successful, knowledgeable and proud of who she is, rather than being too concerned with their own ego like other men. However, when she discovers she's pregnant, Tom begins to avoid her, leaving her to take up the responsibility alone. For Grace Miller, ever since she agreed to marry Ethan, she decided to let go of her Irish past and embrace the American way of life. But when Ethan is asked to oversee the firm in Ireland, Grace starts to worry about being back in her hometown. Interior designer Erin Delaney is leading a happy married life with her supportive and loving husband John. All that's missing is a baby. But her desperate attempts to start a family take a toll on her work, and even her marriage. This book details the struggles each women faces in her life, especially in regards to how they deal with motherhood and the changes that accompany it. An enjoyable and light read, this serves as a great book to delight and inspire the many new mothers who are embracing pregnancy. (XT)
7/10
As Dubliners Ali, Molly, Ben and Sarah prepare to leave their 20s behind, it's time for them to move on with their lives. Solicitor Ali needs to decide whether she's ready to marry Robin; Molly has taken the plunge on the job front but as she builds her catering experience, her relationship with boyfriend Luke seems to be going off the boil. Meanwhile freelance journalist Ben needs to move out of his parents' home; while Sarah needs more time for her art and to find a partner. With very short chapters that switch from one character to another, this tale about experiencing growing-up angst when you should already be grown up is let down by its stilted dialogue.
6/10
Written by a former contestant on Britain's Next Top Model, this is a story about Brit Katrina, who is finding life tough in Paris as she tries to make it as a model. But when she is picked up in a nightclub by Hollywood heart-throb Dominic Cayley, suddenly everyone wants to book her. She is soon joining Dominic's jet-set crowd, chartering a helicopter to Monaco, cruising on luxury yachts and attending red-carpet events in LA. But it doesn't take long for her to realise that behind the perfect exterior lies a world of fakes. And while Dominic is described as "diabolically handsome", diabolical is the better description. Full of bitchy, self-absorbed people but not as good as an episode of NTM.
5/10
Dublin solicitor Elena reluctantly moves to set up an office in Ballyknock, on the promise of her boss Tyrone Power that she will be made partner. She leaves behind boyfriend Paul and moves into a cottage in the middle of nowhere. However she soon realises life in the country isn't as bad as she thought, especially when the local publican has seven handsome sons.
4/10
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Married mother-of-two Kate is realising that somewhere along the way she has put her dreams of being an acclaimed photographer on hold. So when a friend rings with a temporary job offer on a food magazine, Kate decides to plunge back into the working world. As she spends her days dealing with the temperamental creative director Graeme Grafton - a former Cleo Bachelor of the Year, she also has to contend with her 13-year-old daughter Lexi going through a rebellious stage, her sister Robyn ringing up daily claiming she's in labour and her estranged father re-entering her life with a bang. Meanwhile Kate is harbouring fantasies about her son's well-fit soccer coach. Heidke's witty sophomore effort proves she's got the depiction of the domestic battleground down to a fine art. Will be very interested to see what she does next.
7/10
When Lucy Springer's husband Max tells her he's had enough, she thinks he's talking about his Thai takeaway. But then he walks out, with his surfboard under his arm, and the next thing she hears from him is a postcard from Bali. And it soon becomes apparent that he has not taken off alone. Nor could Max have picked a worse time to walk out, with their house resembling a dustbowl during major renovations and Lucy, a former soap actress, trying to get a role - any role - with the help of her overly pushy agent Gloria. Lucy decides to take matters into her own hands, and follows Max to Bali with their two children. Join Lucy on her two-month journey from disbelief and despair - to so much more.
8/10
Lauren, a curator at the National Aboriginal Gallery in Canberra, is offered a fellowship to New York. Lauren is one of those women who's very capable on the job front but not so smart where men are concerned. She finds that the men of NY know how to appreciate women, unlike her so-called boyfriend back home, Adam, a Canberra rugby league player who is well-known for his off-field antics. But even as she begins relishing life in the city that never sleeps - from her lovely colleague Wyatt, her Koori flatmate Kirsten and the Australian pub where the drink du jour is the Ozmo - she continues to check up on Adam through his MySpace page. With the classic romantic ending up the Empire State Building (you just know it was coming), this may well get you appreciating indigenous art and dreaming of life in the Big Apple. Best line: "The flag should be flown on flagpoles, not bogans."
6/10
This focuses on one of the friends from the 2007 novel Not Meeting Mr Right. Peta Tully may have found her Mr Right in architect James but she's really not interested in the whole marriage and kids package. So when she's offered a 12-month contract in Melbourne with the art, sports and indigenous affairs department, the wannabe minister for cultural affairs jumps on a plane and heads to Sydney, leaving James behind. Soon Peta is breaking Melbourne's all-black fashion law and trying out the city's cultural smorgasbord, from art galleries and cool bars to an Aussie Rules football match. But with so many straight - and interested - men on offer, like policeman Mike, will her vow of celibacy remain intact? Peta is such a self-centred, big-chip-on-her-shoulder character that you certainly wouldn't shed a tear if she stepped under a tram. And she also had this bile-inducing habit of eating international cuisine and then astral-travelling/dreaming of getting raunchy in that country. Peta as an international spokeswoman for sharing Aboriginal activism through chick lit - just so Ms Wrong.
5/10
Alice Aigner is a confirmed single but at her 10-year high school reunion she has a change of heart, deciding she does want it all - the successful career as head of history at a Catholic school, plus marriage and kids. So she sets a goal to find the perfect man and marry him before her 30th birthday. With her best friends' help, she draws up a 10-point selection criteria such as: No.2 Must think I am the most gorgeous woman on the planet; No. 6 Must be punctual (although I am allowed to be on Koori time) and No. 8 Must love his job (don't want him whingeing every night about his day). Alice tries blind dates, dating friends' relatives, holiday romances, internet dating - but can she find Mr Right in time?
5/10
Celebrity journalist Ann Roth is under pressure to get the big interview with media-averse actor Malcolm Goddard. After seducing him with his favourite cheesecake, he grants the interview but only if it happens while he's piloting his Cessna. But Ann has a huge fear of flying - and Malcolm knows this. When she bottles out of the interview, a furious boss fires her from Famous magazine. Heading home to Missouri, she learns that Malcolm is headed for the local hospital - under an alias - for heart treatment. Seeing her chance for payback and a ticket back to Famous, Ann becomes a hospital volunteer with the intention of befriending Malcolm and then worming out of him his life story. But is she willing to risk everything for the big story?
6/10
Preschool teacher Nancy Stern discovers another woman with the same name has moved into her apartment. The other Nancy is a glamorous journalist who writes about celebrities. Nancy would love to live her life and in fact begins to, opening her mail, answering her phone calls and going out with a man who calls for a blind date. But then the other woman is found murdered and Nancy begins to wonder if maybe she was the target. I liked the concept of two very different women sharing the same name but found the mystery was solved too early and there needed to be more of a twist for this book to score higher.
4/10
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It's been months since Patrick broke up with Rebecca but she's still pining for him. Her bedroom is like a shrine to her ex-boyfriend and she thinks she sees him everywhere - even though he's moved to New York. Her best male friend Davey thinks she needs help to get over her Patrick obsession and encourages her to set up an AA-type group called Exes Anonymous. The members include her boss Finn, whose brother has just got engaged to his ex-girlfriend, and best friend Daisy who is struggling to recover from a one-night stand. The perfect tonic for the broken-hearted.
7/10
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Charlotte Briggs has busied herself with work to escape the pain of her inability to conceive. Just as she and Ed make the decision to stop all treatment, and move on with lives, Charlotte finds out that her husband has been arrested for fraud. Fearing her reputation will be tainted as well, Charlotte chooses to leave for Exmoor, taking on a job of redesigning her friend's house, and to start a new life. There she meets Sebastian, a successful yet depressed artist; Penny, a mother of two whose husband has run off with another woman; and Fitch who struggled to keep up with the demands of wife Haley. For those who enjoy realistic, character-driven novels but for me the ending was too abrupt and failed to give a satisfying conclusion to the story. (XT)
6/10
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In sixth grade, she was already dating a cute guy named Tyler, whose family owned a horse ranch. At 15, her boyfriend Jack was the son of a restaurant owner. In college, she was with romantic Frenchman Jean Phillipe. But there was one thing these guys have in common - they don't even exist! Faking a boyfriend is nothing new to Grace Emerson - she sees it as an essential survival skill. When her ex-fiance Andrew starts dating her younger, prettier sister Natalie, in order to convince her family that she's moved on and totally over him, she does what she does best - make up a boyfriend. Everyone seems to believe her - except for her new neighbour, Callahan O'Shea, who's fresh from prison. Who is he to question the existence of her boyfriend? The more Grace tries to stay away from him, the more she can't control herself from getting closer.(XT)
7/10
Thirty-one-year-old Chastity O'Neil has just moved back to her beautiful hometown in Eaton Falls, secured a job as editor of a local newspaper, and is just one single step away from her dream of getting married and settling down. Growing up in a family of four older fire-fighter brothers has made her just like one of guys - both in appearance and behaviour, which makes it a little hard for her to get back to the dating scene. All hope is not lost when Chastity catches the attention of handsome trauma surgeon Ryan Darling while attending a self-defence class with her mother. However, in spite of her new romance, her heart still longs for her first love, Trevor. This book got me laughing and crying and I was hooked until the last page. It's an extremely relaxing yet delightful read and definitely worth recommending to a friend. (XT)
7/10
All Maggie Beaumont yearns for is just a decent guy who will stand by her and be a good father to her future kids. Despite being the owner of the sole restaurant in her Maine town, accepting any sorts of blind dates and eagerly volunteering and organising fundraisers, Maggie just can't seem to find The One. When she meets gorgeous bachelor Tim O'Halloran, she unintentionally tells everyone about her new crush, later discovering he's their new priest. Will she ever find true love? Or will the seemly cold and grumpy lobsterman Malone be The One? I found this a disappointing read compared to Higgins' other books because of its lack of surprises and twists. (XT)
6/10
For 15 years, Millie Barnes has never, for a single moment, stopped thinking about her high school crush Joe Carpenter, despite trading nothing more than a few polite nods. Now 29 years old, with her medical residency finally coming to an end, Millie is moving back to the Cape and one step closer to the man of her dreams. All she has to do now is to shed some of her excess weight, get a cute dog, and have a complete makeover so as to attract the ever-perfect Joe. Will her plan work? Or will her all-too-nice former brother-in-law get in her way? This book is a light read but it gets all too predictable. (XT)
5/10
The Castaways are a group of eight close-knit friends from Nantucket. When Tess and Grey McAvoy die in mysterious circumstances while celebrating their anniversary, each person left behind must deal with myriad emotions ranging from grief and shock to guilt and regrets. Andrea, Tess' closest cousin, finds it the hardest to deal with the tragedy and begins neglecting her own family and the two children Tess left behind. Meanwhile her policeman husband Ed, also known as The Chief, is determined to uncover the truth about their deaths. Addison, who's married to Phoebe, struggles with losing his future with Tess. This story is told from the perspectives of each Castaway member and revolves around the events preceding the deaths and the aftermath. It is a compelling read as you get to understand the complex and overlapping relationships of the characters and how they struggle to move on from their pain and loss. (XT)
7/10
Claire Danner Crispin hasn't been back at work in her glassblowing studio since she collapsed from dehydration and prematurely gave birth to her youngest son, Zack. At her husband Jason's behest, she has given up her craft and instead devoted herself to their four children. But then she is asked by millionaire Lock Dixon to co-chair the annual Nantucket Children's charity gala. Her role is to secure her high school sweetheart, rock star Max West, as the performer and make a piece of art to auction. But as she fights her guilt about taking time away from her family and being responsible for Lock's unhappy home life, she is drawn into an affair. An intriguing story that keeps you turning the pages - will the secret relationship, her obsession with creating the perfect chandelier and the pressures of organising a high-society event leave her life in shatters?
7/10
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Leonie has just arrived in San Francisco, leaving behind her fiance Adam in Dublin. Apart from her best friend, Leonie doesn't want anyone to know where she is, especially Adam. In her new apartment she discovers a bundle of unopened letters, written to a Helena from Nathan begging her to forgive him. With forgiveness obviously on Leonie's mind, she sets out to uncover who the couple are so she can return the letters. She is aided on her quest by her neighbour Alex, a TV producer who seems to be hiding a secret from her past as well. Melissa Hill is chick lit's master of plot twists and I have to admit one of my life goals is to work out where her story is going before she reveals it to her readers. This was my seventh, unsuccessful attempt! With three story threads to resolve - Leonie's, Alex's and Helena/Nathan's - this is a real pageturner that will leave you guessing then reassessing the clues all the way through.
9/10
A freak accident has left Abby with a head injury that means it'll be difficult for her to retain new memories. So with the help of her family and best friend she embarks on achieving a list of experiences too memorable to forget, such as gambling in Las Vegas and seeing an opera in Italy. In fact, after having spent so long hiding herself away from life after the break-up of her relationship with Kieran, this jolt to her head may be just what she needed. Then she meets Finn in New York, and they spend a magical day together on Christmas Eve. But what will happen if she ever runs into him again? A touching story that provides yet another take on the popular chick lit theme of memory loss.
7/10
Eve and Liam have been together for nine years and have two children together - so why won't he put a ring on her finger? Her sister Sam, a London newspaper columnist and author, has just turned down Derek's wedding proposal for the third time while her friend Anna seems reluctant to walk down the aisle with her childhood sweetheart Ronan. Both Sam and Anna have their doubts about Liam's intentions. After all his frequent overseas trips as a wine importer mean he's hardly ever there for his family. Meanwhile in Australia, Brooke's boyfriend Will also spends a lot of time away on work trips but her job in a publishing company keeps her busy. Then a manuscript called The Last to Know - the story of Eve, Sam and Anna - drops on her desk. But is the author looking for more than just a book deal? As much as you try to second-guess where Hill is taking the plot, she's always one step ahead of you.
8/10
Tara has created a successful life coach business and lives with Glenn. When her spoilt younger sister Emma announces she's pregnant and refuses to name the father, suspicions are aroused. Could it be Eric, the husband of Tara's best friend Liz, who suddenly seems to be meeting up with Emma secretly? Glamorous PR agent Natalie meets Tara while on holiday in Egypt. They bond while Glenn is off learning to scuba dive, and Tara agrees to coach her in how to land the man of her dreams. And just when I thought I had all the answers sussed out, the author did the twist again - throwing in several unexpected plot turns that I never saw coming.
7/10
Three women are facing some personal trials - and somehow are connected through a fatal train crash in Dublin. Widow Rosie finds her two grown-up children are taking advantage of her. Daughter Sophie only seems to want her around to support her ridiculous mortgage, while son David's marriage has broken up so he wants to move back home. Lawyer Dara has just recently married a sweet man called Mark but knows her heart really belongs to the one that got away, Noah. And Louise is drowning in debt but is under pressure from her friends to maintain her expensive social life. She's hoping a looming court case will help her clear her debts. With Hill's trademark twists, some slowly revealed connections between the characters and the story building towards the train crash climax, it'll be wishful thinking for you to think you can put this book down before you reach the end.
7/10
A group of Irish university friends arrange to meet five years on. The book then skips to seven years later when it is clear that life has not gone according to plan . . . There's Olivia, who was married to college sweetheart Peter and has a daughter, Ellie, who he never knew. Can she ever get over her grief and find a new man? Accountant Robin lives in the US and is determined never to return home. But her publisher wants her in Ireland to publicise her book series for kids with allergies. Leah is unhappily heading towards the big 3-0, despite a successful business partnership with fellow graduate Andrew, a star rugby player who is married to the jealous Amanda. The unexpected twist (it actually made me gasp) really makes this a fantastic read.
8/10
Chloe Fallon is planning the wedding of the year. But little does she realise how a mix-up over invitations will cause trouble for herself, her fiancé Dan Hunt and a group of three friends. Laura Fanning is about to marry Neil, who is very supportive of her decision to quit her job and start her own jewellery company - even if her own family is horrified. When she is given Chloe's invitations by mistake, she realises that the groom is her friend Nicola Peters' ex. Nicola is now dating Ken, the manager of the gym where she works and the last thing she needs is having Dan come back into her life. Meanwhile, the third friend Helen Jackson has a great career but has never bonded with her young daughter Kerry. The father left her and no man has wanted to stick around since. But maybe she's about to take her friends for granted once too often. When Chloe starts delving into why Dan and Nicola broke up, all sorts of secrets start coming to the surface - and of course there's a big twist or two.
7/10
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Margaret, Beatrice, Louise and Jessie are close friends who reside in Hope Springs, North Carolina. The women, who are all members of the cookbook committee of the Hope Springs Community Church, are holding a Christmas cake recipe contest. Margaret, the heart and soul of the group, learns a few weeks before Christmas that her breast cancer has returned and has spread to other organs. Margaret tells her friends that all she wants for Christmas is to visit her deceased mother's hometown in Texas. So the best friends set off in a stolen funeral parlour van across country to fulfill Margaret's wish. Charlotte, the former pastor of Hope Springs Community Church, meets them in Texas for support. Continuing the Hope Springs series, this is a beautifully written holiday story about friendship that you will not be able to put down. (AO)
8/10
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It seems the beautiful people have more problems than most. Model agent Sam finds the most wonderful face in Covent Garden. But teenager Orlando, the son of an MP and a social-climber, isn't looking to be discovered and disappears without a trace into the crowd. Down-to-earth Emma arrives in London to work as a nanny. But since she doesn't have the right breeding and cares for the kids too well, the jealous mother conspires to get rid of her. Meanwhile American starlet Belle is desperate for a role. With her film star beau Christian ditching her, she ends up in England treading the boards with serious actor Niall. His girlfriend, Shakespearean actress Darcy, has reluctantly accepted a trip to LA to audition for a part in Hollywood blockbuster Galaxia. With the characters constantly flitting into each other's lives throughout the 600-plus pages, they then all collide in a small Italian village. An enjoyable romp where the ugly personalities get their just deserts.
7/10
Allsop's allotment project is one way for the villagers to come together - to forge community ties as they tend their vegetables and summer annuals. But eco-nazi Morag intends to run the allotment under her strict rules. Mary, who lives in a crumbling manor house, thinks the allotment will help keep her occupied while her aristocratic husband Monty is off exploring the North Pole. American yuppie Beth has finished decking out her country cottage in English florals and needs a new pursuit. The fame-seeking Alexandra, whose footballer boyfriend is getting transferred, has a huge new mansion with underground parking planned for the village - and is just happy to get her hands on more land. And headmistress Catherine and solicitor Philip are just plain lonely. But when the villagers dig up more than just carrots on the allotment, the dirt really starts flying. Has received mixed reviews but the good-for-a-laugh characters clinched it for me.
7/10
Magazine sub-editor Sophie leaves her husband Mark after he forgets her birthday then doesn't come home after a work do. With Sophie thinking he's having an affair, Mark enrols in the School for Husbands, which helps teach hopeless spouses how to mend their ways. But has he left it too late - Sophie's former boyfriend who is in need of a wife is on the prowl.
7/10
The tale of four people and an antenatal class. Lawyer Alice and recycling crusader Jake plan to have their baby at home in a birthing pool. Style writer Amanda decides to have a baby - in a private hospital, naturally - after she loses her job when the magazine's lawyer (coincidentally Alice) can't get her out of a legal mess for making up quotes. But husband Hugo is left holding the baby when the unmaternal Amanda escapes back to work. And Jake is driving Alice away when his green zeal turns into fanaticism.
6/10
Book publicist Grace Armiger can't get anyone interested in her collection of oddball authors. Her life at home with scruffy boyfriend Sion isn't much better and she's just had an inappropriate one-night stand with one of her writers. So when she is sent to Paris to liaise with film star Red Campion over his book, she thinks her life may be looking up. But ruthless tabloid reporter Belinda Black also has Red in her sights.
6/10
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When media handler Jules Vernon is knocked unconscious by a celebrity chef wielding a frying pan, Jules decides to jump career-ship again. She becomes a production coordinator for reality TV show Pop Star Live! where her job includes babysitting the contestants including a diva with a forceful father, an heir with a meddling bodyguard and a nice guy with a gang background. She also has to moddycoddle a judge with hypochondria, deal with another judge's bitchy behaviour and become the Face Behind Reality TV in a magazine series.
6/10
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When Avery loses her hedge fund job she realises she needs a change. She takes stock of her life and sees that she has done nothing but abuse her credit cards and eat everything in her sight. Her biggest obsession is watching Sex and the City and thinking she can live like Carrie Bradshaw and spend ridiculous amounts of money on shoes and clothes. When she loses her apartment she starts working for a local grocer delivering groceries to neighbours. She ends up staying at a friend's apartment and in her depression starts making soup constantly. She ends up making so much soup that she has to store it at the grocer so comes up with the idea of selling the soup. With the recession in high gear here is another way to make ends meet in this hilarious story. (CG)
7/10
'When Daneka Lawton was awakened at 6am by her radio clock and Lily Allen singing her song Smile, she was unaware that her personal nemesis had just stepped off a 747 at the Auckland airport.' Danny is an ER nurse in the North Shore with funky coloured hair and an attitude to match. After her sister's death from breast cancer six months ago, Danny is raising her niece Mia and nephew Matt on her tight budget, with no family to support her. Until, out of the blue, Danny starts to receive letters from Ross Fabello, the brother of the children's dad, who is wanting to get to know the children and introduce them to his family. Worried, that the Italian-American family will take the children away from her, she ignores his letters. Finally after a series of unfortunate events Ross ends up at the hospital where she works. For both parties, it's hate at first sight as neither wants to give up the children. Ross hires a PI to investigate Danny while she Googles him and finds out he is also the famous author RF O'Rourke. After a series of events and slanging matches including the famous apple-throwing incident at the supermarket, together they discover more about each other and in time themselves. Filled with an interesting cultural mix, this book includes New Zealanders Pakeha and Maori as well as Americans, Italians and the Irish. This is one of those books that once you start reading you won't be able to put it down. (PP)
9/10
"What do you do when your husband leaves you, not for another woman but because he wants to be a she?" Tara Whitehead has been married to husband Richard for 16 years and everything is perfect as Tara has been transformed from a Westie to a Remuera trophy wife. Until one day Richard drops a bombshell and tells her he is leaving her, to become a woman. Forced out of her home, in order for her husband to pay for his surgery, Tara and their 15-year-old daughter Jennifer move to the small town of Divine, which is as far as her designer stilettos will take her. Tara is dogged by financial worries until her new friend Sian finds her a telephone job with the pseudonym Mistress Fury. This is another hilarious and delightful read from Michelle Holman - just divine, in fact. (PP)
7/10
When New Zealand schoolteacher Lisa Jackson dies in a two-car accident, an angel-in-training decides to give her another chance at life and she returns inside the body of the other driver, a demanding American called Linda Brogan. Besides missing her own family, some things are better for the new Lisa. For one, she now has a gorgeous, model-like body and no longer has to deal with the pain of endometriosis. She also lives in a lovely home with her doctor husband, Dan. But he can't stand the sight of his wife. Can Lisa risk telling him why she's nothing like Linda? A prutty charming, lufe-affurming story (sorry, just trying out a Kiwi accent - make that a pretty charming life-affirming story.)
7/10
Aspiring actress/cafe waitress Sarah has been going through a particularly dry spell when it comes to men. But it's when she's turned down by a tubby, balding guy at the pub who instead opts to stay home and watch a Narnia DVD, that she decides to get proactive. Starting a blog called Fifty Ways to Find a Lover, she begins a quest to bag a man. Based on the author's own blog, this storyline weaves around so the ending is far from predictable. If you're after a very funny book about a noughties singleton, then this is for you. But if you are really seeking ingenuous hints on how to pick up a man, be warned that Sarah doesn't actually get very far through her list of 50 ways.
7/10
Artist Sarah Stagg's husband Andrew leaves her to be with his leading lady from the local dramatic society. Sarah finds one way to deal with the humiliations and trials of being a discarded wife is to keep busy. And so with her sons about to leave the nest on a trip to India, Sarah is roped into playing the lead in the Ambercross Players' next production. Will she fall for her leading man?
6/10
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Probably my favourite Hollywood insiders' book so far. Lola was born into Hollywood royalty on Oscar night - her father is an award-winning director. But she has two main problems - she's an Actorholic getting over a devastating break with actor SMITH (Sexiest Man in the Hemisphere) and she's got Career Deficit Disorder - or no idea what to do with her life - a disorder very common with Adult Children Of in Hollywood. Meanwhile her best friend Kate, a very ambitious agent, is still trying to leap up the ladder while her best actress friend Cricket is still striving for her big break. Then upcoming fashion designer Julian, Lola's BGF (Best Gay Forever), appoints her as his Hollywood ambassador to get someone into his gowns for the Oscar red carpet. But her rival Adrienne Hunt is out to destroy her career and she has to deal with self-centred actresses like Olivia. With lots of celebrity bad behaviour and name-dropping.
7/10
What happens when you Google yourself and find someone has created a website dedicated to you? That�s what faces PR girl Izobel and she is shaken by the idea that a secret admirer may be stalking her and have a sinister motive. She begins confronting her exes in a bid to find out which one might be responsible, while cute IT consultant Ivan examines the website�s origins. You can check out the website for real at http://www.izobelbrannigan.com.
6/10
As Alexa Hoffman is finishing her final year of college, she starts applying for a job - any job. From a deodorant sniffer, voice of Meow TV, earthworm breeder and sex phone operator, Alexa is desperate to find a position that will let her move to New York to join her boyfriend Jared. And if she doesn't find something, she's booked on a flight to the Pacific island of Majuro to teach English. But she discovers that interviewing for jobs is soul-destroying (who knew you needed aligned nipples?) And all the positive fortune cookies in the world aren't going to help now. The book is based on Horn's own job hunt experiences, including winning a national contest to become the voice of a TV show for cats (unfortunately it never went beyond its pilot). She eventually got a job as a teacher and wrote this book. A very humorous read.
7/10
After being burnt by yet another work love affair, 29-year-old Lisa Marie Marino leaves her New York advertising job and moves back into her parents' home. Wanting to work only for women, she becomes a household assistant, aka maid. Sometimes blurring the line between who's the boss, Lisa Maria's slack approach to cleaning soon improves as she helps her clients to have better-run homes and lives. But then she takes on her first male client, author Robert McAllister, and falls for him. But being his cleaner means he can't keep any secrets, including the presence of another woman in his home. Meanwhile, Lisa Maria becomes a newspaper advice columnist, consulting musty old etiquette books to give her own brand of witty, down-to-earth advice.
6/10
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When a dolled-up Izzy heads out to her two-timing ex's regular night-time haunt, she plans to saunter nonchalantly by Cian so he'll realise just what he's missing. What she actually does is scream hysterically at him and his new girlfriend Saffron - and her meltdown is captured on mobile phone and plastered all over the internet. Taking to her flat in mortification, she barely surfaces apart from going to work at a film production company. As Izzy's friends aid her recovery from heartbreak, several love interests appear - film executive Jonathan, her loyal colleague Gavin and even the love rat returns. With a loveable heroine and some laugh-out-loud comic moments, this is a promising - but alas all too predictable - start to this Irish actress' chick lit writing career.
6/10
English fashion reporter Red Harrison is sent to Sydney to launch the latest edition of top-selling fashion magazine Joy. Her two best friends, who she met in a stuck elevator after a New York fashion show, are also Joy editors - Brooke Lowell is in New York while Romily Ward helms Paris Joy. But Sydney isn't overly welcoming of Red, especially backstabbing colleague Sybilla who is after everything from her job to her husband. A very long read. British Marion Hume was fired from her post as Vogue Australia editor in the late 1990s after running foul of several Australian designers.
7/10
Lily is on a flight to Barbados for a second honeymoon with husband Richard when her horoscope reveals "you'll see the true character of someone close to you, and it's not a pretty sight". Sure enough within days she's on a flight back home alone, after discovering that Richard has been having an affair with his legal assistant. Lily heads to New York to be with her best friend Brook, a music journalist who's chasing 80s has-beens. Soon Lily's mother arrives on the scene and begins applying the principles of feng shui to their apartment. And maybe she's on to something because as soon as the wealth corner is decluttered, Brook's assignment fortunes improve from Flock of Seagulls to Bon Jovi. So now Lily is creating a love corner and sending up her wishlist for the perfect mate tied to a red balloon. The girls try out all the modern methods to meet a man, from speed and internet dating to singles camps, with hilarious results. For those who get hooked on Lily and her mission to find the right fit for Sweater Arms (much like the prince did with Cinderella's shoe), the sequel Feng Shui Love Child is coming soon.
7/10
The Melville sisters have one thing in common: they're heiresses to the exclusive Melville fashion dynasty. However, that's about all they do have in common - Elizabeth, Caitlin and Amber couldn't have been more different if they tried. Elizabeth and Amber were born with a silver spoon in their mouths and have never wanted for anything, but for middle child Caitlin, the illegitimate daughter from William's extra-marital affair with a young Irish woman, things couldn't have been more different. Thrown in at the deep end, Caitlin struggles to fit in and after being betrayed in the worst possible way during her first year at boarding school, she withdraws further and further into herself. Not wanting anything from the father she barely knows, Caitlin vows to leave the family estate and make it on her own, and although she's successful it's not long before events conspire against her and she's forced to go home where she's faced with even more heartache. Yet one event manages to bring the sisters and family back together for one last fight, however, this time it's not a fight between each other but against someone they thought they could trust. This is a thoroughly enjoyable blockbuster of a read - and an impressive debut. (KC)
8/10
Adena Halpern's debut novel The Ten Best Days of My Life takes a humorous look at the afterlife courtesy of a personal shopper cut down in her prime. She has also published a memoir called Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown. She lives in Los Angeles with her screenwriter husband and her wardrobe of six-inch heels.
Former beauty editor Nadine Haobsh released her debut novel Confessions of a Beauty Addict this year. She is also editor-in-chief of a blog (jolienadine.com) and creative director of a new skincare line. She is currently filming a beauty TV show based on her beauty advice book Beauty Confidential.
Robyn Harding is a former copywriter who lives in Vancouver with her husband and two children. She also spent a year in Chicklit Club's hometown of Perth, Australia. Her latest novel, Chronicles of a Mid-Life Crisis, is out in May.
American Kristin Harmel has written four adult novels, including her latest Italian for Beginners, and teen novel When You Wish. She has written for many magazines, including People. (Interview by Angela Smith)
Kate Harrison is the author of four novels, including her latest release The Self-Preservation Society. Based in London, she has worked as a journalist and TV reporter and is now a full-time author.
Lisa Heidke's debut novel Lucy Springer Gets Even is out this month. She lives in Sydney with her husband and three children.
