KAREN MACK and JENNIFER KAUFMANN

Book Lover (2006)

Dora has two ex-husbands, a dead father, a reformed alcoholic mother and she's trying to get her job back as a reporter on the Los Angeles Times. So it's no wonder that she often retreats from the world for days at a time with book binges. Then she meets Fred, who works in her favourite bookshop, and his mixed-up family helps her realise she needs to re-enter the real world.

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SUZANNE MACPHERSON

Hysterical Blondeness (2006)

When Nordquist store assistant Patricia Stillwell takes part in an experimental weight-loss program, she expected to lose some weight. But changing her brunette hair to blonde? The change in her appearance means Patricia is suddenly getting noticed, including by store heir Brett Nordquist. With a wedding to plan and a promotion to a more prestigious department, this blonde is certainly finding she's having more fun. But what will happen when the dark roots start showing again?

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SUSAN McBRIDE

The Cougar Club (2010)

Kat decides it's time to make a change. So in a spur-of-the-moment decision she leaves her boyfriend and New York and moves back home to St Louis where she finds out it is harder to start over at 40 than she thought. Elise is in a rut - she has just watched her son leave for college and she realises, too, that her life needs a change. Her husband, Michael, barely looks at her anymore and she feels like she has no life besides her son and her job as a dermatologist. Then one day at her office she runs into an old friend who is 10 years younger than her. Carla has it all - she is a top reporter and everyone knows her name but since she is pushing past 40 she is well aware that her ex-husband may be trying to get a younger person to take over her anchor spot. This is a great tale - amid all the sex, lust and deception these three women may find out all they have is each other to get through their mid-life crisis. (CG)

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KATE McCABE

Forever Friends (2008)

This chronicles the friendship of Maddy, Rosie and Sophie. Firm friends since their schooldays, the three girls promise each other over their regular drinks in the Pink Parrot bar that they'll always remain friends, no matter what. The novel begins in the 1980s, with Maddy working as an estate agent in the competitive and male-dominated property business. She proves to be so good at her job that it's not long before she builds up her own property portfolio, and Rosie and Sophie move into one of her houses with her. Things get even better for Maddy when she falls in love with Greg Delaney. Her life appears to be perfect - but all is not as it seems. Are her friendships as strong as she thinks they are? Is her relationship with Greg the real thing? And is her success at work making her enemies who will stop at nothing to pull the rug from under her feet? As for Rosie and Sophie, they begin to despair of ever meeting a man like Greg. Can the girls' friendship survive Maddy's success? And as the years roll by and the women celebrate their 50th birthdays in a joint celebration, has the Forever Friends mantra of their youth rung true? While this was an easy book to roll along with, I found that I never felt an emotional connection with any of the characters. The author did a good job of depicting each character's personality clearly, but it wasn't enough to make me feel anything for them, or remember them when I'd finished the book. Nonetheless, it was an easy read that kept me turning the pages, even if the ending was far too predictable. (SBB)

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CATRIONA McCLOUD

Growing Up Again (2007)

Janie Lawson tells her husband Ludo that she is leaving him after 14 years of marriage. The next morning she wakes up back in her childhood room and finds it's 1981 and she's a teenager again. It may be too late to save Elvis but Janie decides to warn Princess Diana and prevent many of the world's tragedies. Janie also welcomes a second chance in her personal life. For one, maybe she can help her parents find their bliss. Oh and she could be nicer to that geeky classmate Danny, invest in some sure-thing shares and devise the odd ratings-winning TV show. But most of all Janie wants to do things differently with Ludo. Soon Janie realises that even second time around, nothing is guaranteed. The explanation of how and why Janie has time travelled is not really explained satisfactorily (but then again this isn't sci-fi), and as a teen of the 80s I'd have liked to have seen more 80s cultural references. But don't miss out on reading this - unlike Janie, you may not get a second chance.

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MARDI McCONNOCHIE

Fivestar (2005)

Five girls are picked for a girl group destined for the top of the pop charts. There's Jules, who has longed to be a star even as she is working in Japan as a hostess; Claudia, a manipulative former cover girl who dates the band manager to get ahead; Ellie, a former gymnast; Suzy, the optimist who grew up on ABBA; and Sam, a singer/songwriter who replaces another girl who dropped out. Fivestar become huge but then things start to go wrong. Shades of the Spice Girls, anyone?

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KAREN McCULLAH LUTZ

Karen McCullah Lutz is an American screenwriter, with credits including Legally Blonde, Ella Enchanted and 10 Things I Hate About You.

The Bachelorette Party (2005)

LA schoolteacher Zadie Roberts is left at the altar by soap star Jack. So she's not feeling particularly favourable towards weddings when her conservative cousin, Helen, and best friend Grey announce they are tying the knot. Helen's bachelorette party is destined to be a quiet affair, with a yoga class and herbal tonics on the agenda. Then Zadie convinces the teetotaller Helen to have some champagne. And from there, the night takes such a wild turn the wedding may well be off.

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MARTINE McCUTCHEON

The Mistress (2009)

On the night of her 30th birthday, Mandy's eyes are drawn to a man across the room. Despite finding out that Jake is married, she can't fight the attraction. As she wrestles with becoming a mistress, she faces the added moral dilemma of her sister being devastated by her own cheating husband. This employs many of the standard chick lit cliches - single girl (check); designer clothes (check); job in glamorous industry (event planning - check); gay friend (George - check). There's also lots of tears - pouring down cheeks, glistening in eyes, being blinked away - everyone was at it! In fact good old George summed it up perfectly: "Too many tears, too many tears." But by the time I reached the old standby, unexplained 'tummy bug for weeks', I couldn't stomach any more. For this debut novel of the Love Actually actress is pitiful actually. Anyone looking to argue chick lit is vacuous, here's your perfect text.

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ABBY McDONALD

The Liberation of Alice Love (2010)

Alice Love leads a life that has been painstakingly planned out. She works as a lawyer specialising in contracts and has enough money set aside to buy her own flat. Her schedule is the epitome of a perfect routine - albeit a boring one. However, that all changes one day when her bank card is declined. She thinks nothing of it, until she goes to the bank to get a loan for her flat and finds out her savings have been cleaned out. At first Alice is distraught. She's broke, homeless and her perfect credit record is in tatters. She's also tired of the collection agencies calling and harassing her for bills that she didn't make. Alice's sister, Flora, puts her in touch with a handsome fraud investigator named Nathan who offers to help track down whoever did this. But when Alice sees who it actually is on the bank security camera, she is overwhelmed. How could they do such a horrible thing to her? And how easy did she make it for them to access her important documents? This revelation leads Alice to start an investigation of her own - chasing down each clue individually, she learns more about her impostor. While Alice's investigation leads her to do things that she would have never considered, it starts to seem like she is overly obsessed with finding the answers she needs. She's lost all sense of reality and begins spinning lie after lie. Although it's a whirlwind of deception, the ending leaves a little something to be desired. Despite that, it's a pretty accurate portrayal of what a victim of identity theft goes through and that makes it a riveting story. (AS)

The Popularity Rules (2009)

Kat Elliot is a hardcore feminist, who doesn't exactly strike the right chord with the people she meets or interviews in her role as a reporter for an iconic British music magazine. She doesn't play along with the phoney Brit-rock bands she interviews and usually tears them apart in her articles, which is eventually what leads to her dismissal from the job she's loved for years. Now jobless and with little money left, she turns to her once best friend turned arch enemy as her last hope. Lauren Anderville and Kat were best friends until one day Lauren suddenly got popular in high school and left Kat in the dust. Although she is unable to completely forgive Lauren, Kat still needs her help now. Lauren promises to make Kat's life so much easier just by showing her how to live by an age-old text called the Popularity Rules. These rules supposedly make people bow down to you and allow you to get anything you want. To Kat's surprise these rules work and although it requires a complete makeover - of not only hair and wardrobe but personality too - and a lot of hard work, Kat is happy finally. She's getting all the right people to talk to her when only a few months earlier she was a social pariah. And now she is on her way to getting her dream job and forgiving Lauren. But of course, things aren't always what they seem and Kat soon finds out that she can't exactly trust Lauren anymore than she could 10 years earlier. A great book filled with a fantasy set of rules that, if real, would make life so much simpler for everyone. (AS)

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YONA ZELDIS McDONOUGH

Breaking the Bank - Yona Zeldis McDonough (2009)

Mia Saul is down on her luck. Her husband, Lloyd, left her for a woman who worked at a local nail salon, leaving Mia to raise their daughter, Eden, by herself in a Brooklyn apartment with crazy neighbours. Mia can barely even afford to pay their rent each month, working a variety of temp jobs just to stay afloat. If only she had enough money to get herself off the ground and to get Eden the things she needs and wants. Standing at an ATM one day, Mia's luck suddenly changes. Instead of giving her the correct change, the ATM gives her an extra $100. Mia is worried that eventually the bank will catch the error and ask for the money back, but in the meantime, she needs the money so she decides to use it. Returning to the same machine later, it again gives her extra money - this time she asks for $100 and gets $1000. Mia's luck gets even better when the machine gives her a very rare $10,000 bill, with a note saying to use the money wisely. Before long, Mia is taking Eden on trips to Barneys, allowing her to form a new relationship with her sometimes rebellious daughter. Eventually, people start to worry about Mia and her new-found cash flow. First her family, then the police, want to know where all this extra money is coming from. Yona McDonough creates a wonderful fantasy novel that, though sometimes gritty, shows a heartfelt and downtrodden character all rolled into one. The money gives Mia hope for her future and her daughter's, showing what a difference small monetary changes can make in a person's life. (AS)

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HEATHER McELHATTON

Pretty Little Mistakes (2007)

This novel is an adult version of the popular Choose Your Own Adventure books. The author writes one or two-page stories and then the reader chooses which path they want the character to follow next. The character is always referred to as "you" and it is inevitable that even if the reader chooses a good and reasonable path the result is depressing. Everything seems to result in rape, meth addiction, killing your husband with a beef tenderloin, tripping on your high heels and fracturing your skull, or being blown up by a bomb. This do-over novel may amuse some but to me it is just morbid, violent and very disappointing. (AO)

2/10

Jennifer Johnson is Sick of Being Single (2009)

Like the title says, Jennifer Johnson is sick of being single. At 31, she is about to be bridesmaid for her younger sister Hailey and her former boyfriend David has just sent her an invitation for his Valentine's Day wedding. So Jennifer submits her online dating profile and begins a series of dates. But she really has her eye on Bradford Keller, the heir to the Minnesota department store where she works in the marketing department. Is he the answer to her prayers? Read this dark comedy for the self-deprecating heroine but be prepared for the not-so-conclusive ending.

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MONICA McINERNEY

Those Faraday Girls (2007)

Five sisters live with their widowed father Leo in Tasmania - hardworking Juliet, dramatic Miranda, determined Eliza, anxious Sadie and calm Clementine. Then 16-year-old Clementine falls pregnant and the sisters agree to bring up her baby, Maggie, together. Just before Maggie's sixth birthday, an unforgiveable act changes everything. Twenty years later, Maggie is living in New York, when she gets a surprise visit from Leo, who needs her help. When the Faradays gather at their Irish holiday home to celebrate Christmas in July, more family secrets are revealed.

The Alphabet Sisters (2004)

Anna, Bett and Carrie Quinlan were childhood singing stars, The Alphabet Sisters. But they haven't spoken for years, not since Bett's fiancé, Matthew, left her for Carrie. Then their grandmother, Lola, calls them back to their parents' motel in South Australia's Clare Valley for her 80th birthday. Anna's marriage to Glenn is breaking up and she still hasn't got over the dog attack which has scarred her daughter Ellen's face. Bett returns from England and takes on a part-time job back at her former newspaper, while Carrie, who has been working at the hotel, finds the distance growing between her and Matthew. At her party, Lola has a surprise announcement for the sisters, but just as their rift begins to close, they face the biggest test yet.

Upside Down Inside Out (2002)

Eva Kennedy heads off to Australia to visit her friend Lainey, to decide whether she wants to take over her uncle Ambrose's delicatessen in Dublin. Successful English businessman Joseph Wheeler is in Australia for an industrial design conference, then is taking a few weeks off to travel. The pair meet but through a series of misunderstandings, Joseph thinks Eva is an Irish singer/sculpturist called Niamh, while Eva thinks he's a penniless English backpacker called Joe. What willl happen when they discover the truth about each other - and themselves?

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SHANNON McKELDEN

Venus Guy Trap (2010)

Haydee Miller has had a plan devised since she was 16 after her mother passed away and left her dad depressed - she was going to go to college, work hard, pass her MBA, get a great job and be married by the time she was 33. Her plan worked well in the education and work areas but not when it comes to pleasure. Haydee is turning 33 in six weeks, five days and eight-and-a-half hours and she hasn't had a proper date in 10 years when she thought she had met the love of her life but he up and left without even a good-bye. As always though, Haydee has a contingency plan in case of an emergency - if she doesn't meet her true love in time, she will settle for Patrick "Dr Vanilla" the Veterinarian. Venus has been sent to Earth by her dad, the mighty Zeus, to match-make couples as a punishment. And the Goddess of Love's latest project is Haydee who is in dire need of some love guidance. Going to work in Haydee's bookstore, Venus plans to reunite her with her one true love, Derek, an international photographer who has moved back to their hometown to set down roots. Can Venus get cracking on her fairy-godmother skills and match-make Derek and Haydee in six weeks or will she fail and see Haydee settle for second-best with Patrick? When it comes to true love, sometimes the parties just need that little extra push. (PP)

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CATHERINE MCKENZIE

Spin (2010)

Kate Sandford has just gotten an opportunity to land her dream job at hip magazine The Line. But on the eve of her 30th birthday, the night before her big interview, Kate goes out with some friends and gets totally drunk. The next morning, she goes to her interview terribly hungover. Her prospective employers know she's in no condition to interview - how can they not with her running out of the meeting to throw up? - and send her on her way. Crestfallen, Kate heads home. But later The Line calls her to tell her they have the perfect assignment for her - they want her to go into rehab for a story. The deal is that Kate needs to go in undercover at the $1000-a-day Oasis rehab centre to get the dirt on IT girl Amber Sheppard who has been in and out of rehab for drug and alcohol abuse. If Kate can stay 30 days without getting kicked out and deliver an inside piece on Amber, then she will score that job at The Line. Sounds easy? Well, not really. Once in rehab, Kate finds that she may actually have a drinking problem. Plus she develops a friendship with Amber and doesn't feel right spying on her. But Kate knows she's there to do a job so when mega movie star Connor Parks, Amber's on-again-off-again boyfriend, also enters Oasis things get a little touchy. Especially since he's brought along his manager, Henry, who Kate falls head over heels for. Can Kate deliver her story without hurting her friendships? And will she finally own up to her drinking problem? Surprisingly good - especially Kate's developing relationships with Amber and Henry, this is a riveting and raw story that may make you feel like you're in therapy yourself. It's certainly addictive! (AS)

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CATHERINE McKINNON

The Nearly Happy Family (2008)

Who needs enemies when you have family? Jackie Delaney and her eldest daughter Claire, 15, are still dealing with the fallout after the sudden death of Claire's father, Vince. Claire particularly doesn't want her mother moving on with her younger boyfriend, Ben. And while Jackie certainly isn't the best role model - she drinks too much, smokes, works only occasionally as a stand-up comedian and still lives in her father T.J.'s house - she's finding it hard to handle the rebellious teenager. When their family feud takes a turn for the worse, Claire moves out and becomes an apprentice in Italian chef Nino's restaurant. Told in alternating chapters from both mother and daughter's viewpoints, the book tells the tale of how a dysfunctional family makes family life work for them.

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LUANN McLANE

Redneck Cinderella (2009)

Jolie Russell and her widowed father are redneck farmers in Kentucky. Cody Dean, son of a wealthy real estate developer, buys their farm for $3.5 million. The developers turn their farm into an upscale gated community with one of the homes built for Jolie and her father. Jolie has had a crush on Cody since high school but she believes that he would never fall for her redneck ways. As Jolie and her father try to fit into their new county club lifestyle, they find themselves being looked down upon by their new neighbours. Can Jolie keep true to herself and win the heart of Cody? While the storyline is predicable, it is still a humorous and entertaining read. (AO)

He's No Prince Charming (2009)

Former pop princess Dakota Dunn has returned to the fishing retreat in Tennessee that she owns for an image makeover. Her agent has recommended that she transform herself from sweet girl next door to a sexy redneck country girl. The marina is run by Trace Coleman, a former bull-riding champion, whose career suddenly ended after an injury. Trace lives a quiet country life and is content being a loner. But his life is turned upside down when Dakota moves in. From the first chapter, the author does a great job describing the sexual tension between Dakota and Trace. The novel is written with a fun southern flair and is filled with lots of steamy scenes. (AO)

Trick My Truck but Don't Mess with My Heart (2008)

Candie Montgomery has left a good job in Chicago and headed back to her Kentucky hometown to help out in her family's used-car business. But as she rolls into town, she's surprised to discover that the small-town welcome she expected is sadly lacking. Her twin, Sarah, soon reveals why the townsfolk have been shunning her - they blame Candie for her sister's broken engagement to her close friend Nick. Somehow she's been exposed as the other woman despite being gone for two years. It's a shame she doesn't have her own boyfriend to help put a lid on the gossip. But then a good-looking guy in the pub, Tommy Tucker, puts his hand up for the job - and Candie seems all too willing to let him fill the vacancy. Then Candie comes up with a proposition for Nick that may just save the family business and help fix her sister's broken heart. Just the ticket for anyone seeking some light-hearted fun and romance from some sassy Southern characters. McLane says the storyline was inspired after she watched Trick My Truck on the Country Music Channel. It is the third in her series of Southern romantic comedies, which she pitched as GRITS Lit (Girls Raised in the South). 'I wanted to write novels that small-town girls could relate to as if the stories were written about their lives,' she said.

A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action (2008)

Macy and Jamie Lee are hairdressers in a small southern town. Macy is thrilled when Jamie Lee finally marries the perfect man. But for Macy, she's always harboured a secret crush on Jamie Lee's brother, Luke, but believes he will always be out of her reach. Luke has always dated the supermodel type and Macy is the curvy girl next door. Macy's life is turned upside down when Tammy Turner, a famous country music star, turns up at the salon with a hair emergency and Macy fixes her hair. Macy is suddenly whisked away to Nashville to be Tammy's hairdresser. Macy finally gathers the courage to tell Luke how she feels, however, it might be too late. This has just the right balance of humour and romance. (AO)

Dancing Shoes and Honky-Tonk Blues (2007)

Abby is a waitress in her mother's restaurant in a small town in Kentucky. When her younger brother nominates her as a contestant for the reality show Dancing with the Rednecks, Abby doesn't want to compete but the prize money is just too good to pass up. As Abby rehearses with dance partner Rio Martin, a sexy Mexican ballroom dancing champion, sparks fly between the two on and off the dance floor. This is a fun-filled story that would appeal to fans of Dancing with the Stars. (AO)

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EMMA McLAUGHLIN and NICOLA KRAUS

Nanny Returns (2009)

Twelve years after Nan left New York and the loathsome X family, she returns to the place that haunts her most. Back in the Upper East Side after travelling the world with her UN staffer husband Ryan (remember HH?), she finds many new dilemmas to deal with. First off, their return to the city seems to prompt HH to want to start a family, something that scares Nan as she feels she isn't ready to be a mother yet. Then while her husband is away on business, a knock on the door in the middle of the night reveals her former charge, Grayer, now an out-of-control adolescent, drunk and looking for Nan. Not wanting to turn him away, Nan lets him in and in doing so brings back a part of her past that she would much sooner forget. Meanwhile, her new consulting business brings her in contact with the trials and perils that come after nannying - private school. What makes this book even better is that it's set with the dissolving economy as the backdrop, showing what happens when the super wealthy families lose the money they so love. Humorous and witty with many of the characters returning from the first novel, this is a completely addictive page-turner. (AS)

Dedication (2007)

Kate Hollis gets a phone call from her best friend Laura that her ex-boyfriend, pop star Jake Sharpe, has come back to their Vermont hometown with a fiancée in tow. Kate immediately hops on a plane, just a few days before Christmas, with the intention of confronting him. Since Jake just up and left her 13 years ago, his recording career has laid bare some of their most private relationship moments, including his breakout hit Losing, about their first sexual encounter. With flashbacks to high school, the story takes Kate from her days of pining for a distant Jake to him standing her up at prom. Now she's back in his life, will she exact revenge and find closure?

Citizen Girl (2004)

Recent graduate Girl has had a feminist upbringing and been taught to make a difference. After being fired from her non-profit job for standing up for her rights, she meets Guy at a networking event and he hires her to work for My Company. Her role is to attract Ms magazine into the company's net site. But Girl plans to use her place in corporate America to extract a huge donation for a woman's charity. One of the most panned chicklit books, it's in our Top 10 Most Disappointing.

The Nanny Diaries (2002)

Nan is working as a nanny while studying child development at NYU. She is hired by Mrs X, a woman who neither works nor mothers her four-year-old son Grayer. The father, Mr X, is an investment banker who is so absent from G's life that he carries around his business card like a cuddly rug. As Nan's duties expand - organising a dinner party for Mr X's colleagues; heading to an office party as a Teletubby, sleeping over when G's parents are nowhere to be found - she desperately wants to quit but finds she can't abandon G.

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PAULINE McLYNN

Missing You Already (2008)

Working at the railway station in Pennick, Kitty Fulton's job is more than just basic administration; she also helps to reunite owners with their lost items. Her life is seemingly a replica to her job - as she painfully struggles to deal with her mother's forgetfulness due to Alzheimer; May can never seem to remember the things she does or the faces of the people she loves. Kitty decides to take her mother on a trip to Egypt as a way to escape the harsh realities of her illness and her feelings for Dan, a childhood friend who has become her friend's husband. When another tragedy strikes her down, Kitty is left grieving in solitude - as her mother fails to understand her loss, another man appears in her life. A heartbreaking and realistic portrayal on the effects of Alzheimer, and a touching story on family and love - I especially love the parts where the story is being told from different perspectives. (XT)

Bright Lights And Promises (2007)

Susie Vine, 36, works as an agent at London's leading theatrical agency, Arland and Shaw, rubbing shoulders with both rising stars and famous actors. But this successful career woman longs for love. Most of her spare time is spent with her 12-year-old son Milo who's constantly intimidated by his fellow classmates in school, and her aged mother Valerie, who can't seem to get over her ex-husband. When a man from her past comes back into Susie's life unexpectedly, she wonders if she made the right decision years ago. This book was a disappointing read compared to the author's other books - the plot was pretty predictable and the storyline difficult at times to follow. (XT)

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TERRY McMILLAN

The Interruption of Everything (2005)

Marilyn Grimes' three kids have left home, her husband Leon needs to escape to Costa Rica to find himself and her live-in mother-in-law has found love. At 44, maybe now she finally has time to go to art college. But a trip to the doctor's to determine if she is going through menopause reveals that she's actually pregnant. As her concerns about her foster sister's children and her own mother's health escalate, it seems Marilyn still doesn't have a life to call her own.

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MARY McNAMARA

The Starlet (2010)

When Juliette Greyson rescues starlet Mercy Talbot from jumping off a beautiful Italian fountain, much to the delight of the merciless paparazzi below, she should know that her long-awaited vacation will not go as planned. Juliette, head of public relations at the celebrity haven Pinnacle Hotel in LA (from the first book Oscar Season) knows Mercy has a drug problem and also knows that no matter where Mercy goes, drama is sure to follow. Knowing this, Juliette still decides to bring Mercy back to Cerreta, her private slice of Italian life, which she and her cousin Gabe inherited. When Mercy wakes up from her drugged stupor, she becomes somewhat attached to Juliette, but goes back to Siena where she is filming a movie - even though the lead actor Lloyd Watson is found dead under mysterious circumstances. After another near-death overdose, Mercy shows up at Cerreta once again, film crew in tow, wanting to relocate the movie from Siena to Cerreta where Mercy feels more at peace. But drama, drama and more drama ensues as Mercy's overbearing mother continues feeding her drugs; and LA's top rock star-turned-rehab guru shows up and starts pushing to buy Cerreta so he can expand his rehab business to Italy. All this while Juliette is still refusing to face up to her past. When part of her past follows her to Cerreta in the form on Michael O'Connor - the gorgeous movie star who Juliette almost had a fling with - she is forced to deal with her buried emotions and finally move on with her life. Fast paced and filled with lust, hidden agendas and cover-ups galore, this novel will keep you on your toes right until the explosive ending.

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GIL McNEIL

Divas Don't Knit (2007)

After her husband dies, Jo Mackenzie moves to a sleepy seaside town to run her grandmother's knitting shop. She struggles to adjust to her new life with her two boys, but is helped along by her Gran, her famous glamorous TV presenter best friend and her new-found Italian friend Connie. By setting up the 'stitch and bitch' knitting group and establishing an A-list actress as a customer of the shop, she makes knitting cool again and gets her life back on track. With a hint of romance, likeable characters and a lot of knitting, not only is the story a fairly good yarn, it will have you looking out your gran's old knitting needles before the end. (AB)

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ANNA McPARTLIN

Pack Up the Moon (2006)

Emma thinks she has the perfect life. She loves her teaching job and she's living with the man of her dreams until one day a tragic accident turns Emma's happy world upside down. Little by little and with the help of her friends, the grief-stricken Emma picks up the pieces of her shattered world and starts to live again. This deals with tragedy and loss in a very realistic way. You really feel the pain that the character faces throughout the book and you're wanting things to be OK for her - for her to find love again. (MY)

No Way to Say Goodbye (2006)

A new neighbour is moving in next door to Mary of the Sorrows. She is so-named because she has experienced much tragedy in her 29 years of life, including the death of her mother, boyfriend and young son. The newcomer, American music executive Sam, has moved to the Irish village where his grandmother once lived to escape his drug addiction. There's also Mary's cousin Ivan, whose wife has left and taken his kids; and her journalist friend Penny, who needs to face up to the fact that she's an alcoholic and her long-running affair with a married man is ending. This is a moving story about a group of lost characters needing to be freed from their past hurts. It is quite emotive but even tragic Mary's sense of humour is allowed to shine through.

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SUSY McPHEE

The Runaway Wife (2009)

Marion Bishop hasn't really been living since her nine-year-old daughter Hope died in a hit-and-run accident. Now her doctor husband Sam says he can't live with her anymore and leaves her alone with only their big mutt Hector for company. So Marion plans to end it all by overdosing. Heading out to the pharmacy to buy more pills, she is mugged by a youth with a knife. Suddenly Marion finds she is still willing to fight back. This book is best enjoyed when you don't know much more about the plot than that. It's well worth a spot on your reading list, with its raw depiction of a mother's grief sensitively mixed with more light-hearted moments.

Husbands and Lies (2009)

When Fran's best friend Alison - who's dying of cancer - asks her for a favour she can hardly refuse. She wants Fran to help her husband, Adam, find a new wife and mother for their young daughter Erin. But what Fran doesn't expect when she logs on to an internet dating site is to find a photo of her own husband, Max, staring back. Unable to confront him directly, she sends him a message posing as "Sassy" and they arrange to meet. But her plan quickly goes awry. A promising debut, which would have scored higher if every plot development wasn't so predictable.

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HOLLY McQUEEN

Confetti Confidential (2010)

Isabel Bookbinder is back for a third time, complete with a new career. This time Isabel has decided to be a top wedding planner. She scored a job with Pippa Everitt but Isabel is not a partner, as Pippa told her originally, but instead just a slave to Pippa's every whim. When Isabel inadvertently messes up two weddings at the same time - one of them for a huge celebrity - Pippa fires her and Isabel is forced to start out on her own. Her first client is her best friend, Lara, who is marrying Isabel's brother Matthew. It's none or all for Isabel though, so when she gets a call from an international pop star Summer Shelley (who just may think that she is still working for Pippa) to plan her wedding, Isabel can't say no. Even though Summer wants the wedding in three weeks time, Isabel takes the job, intent on showing her dad that she can do something right. How hard can it be really? Throw in a very handsome photographer named Dan who Isabel has a crush on and her boyfriend, Will, who is not too pleased with Isabel's obvious affections for Dan and you've got a sweet and heartwarming story. At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. I kept thinking : how many times can Isabel change jobs and still make a fresh story out of it? But I was pleasantly surprised as Isabel pulled me right in once again with her trouble-making ways (nothing she does is on purpose of course) and her attempts to do good by her father. It's a must-read for whenever you want something light and enjoyable. (AS)

The Fabulously Fashionable Life of Isabel Bookbinder (2009)

Having abandoned her book-writing dreams, Isabel Bookbinder is instead aspiring to be a top international fashion designer. Just as long as you don't need to actually know how to sew anything tricky - like a hem or sleeves. Still telling white lies and getting herself into all sorts of predicaments, Isabel tells her family that she's won a place at a prestigious design school. In fact she's working at a fashion magazine as personal assistant and general dogsbody to designer Lucien Black's famous muse, Nancy Tavistock. With her boss' fortunes on the decline, due to Lucien's disastrous Fashion Week collection, Isabel's busy dreaming up her signature look, deciding which celebrity will launch her perfume and wondering what her lawyer boyfriend Will is up to in the Cayman Islands. It's not all fair in love and fashion - and it seems someone is about to be stitched up. Even if you weren't impressed with Isabel Bookbinder last time, give this sequel a try, she's still as ditzy as ever but it's a much better book.

The Glamorous (Double) Life of Isabel Bookbinder (2008)

Isabel Bookbinder tells everyone she is assistant arts editor at the Saturday Mercury - even though her most responsible job is measuring how many column inches the big stories take up each week. But her real ambition in life is to be a best-selling novelist. She's got the swanky notebook, she's worked out the marketing plan for her bonkbuster, she's beginning to get her Look sorted - now all she needs is to actually sit down and write the story. When Isabel inadvertently triggers a political sex scandal, the paparazzi - and possibly MI5 operatives - are on her tail. Coming to her rescue is children's author Katriona de Montfort, who takes her on as her assistant. But it seems the plot that is Isabel's life is about to get even more twisted. A try-hard in the Shopaholic/Bridget Jones mould.

Second Opinion

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MARISA MACKLE

Living Next Door to Alice (2008)

Beautician Tanya is sure that boyfriend Eddie is about to propose - he's invited her out for a posh dinner with the view to asking her something important. So with her mum already ringing around venues and her missionary cousin booking his flight home to conduct the ceremony, it comes as a shock when Eddie actually just asks Tanya to move in with him . . . into his parents' house while they move to Spain. Meanwhile Irish model Alice finds that life and love in LA isn't all it's cracked up to be and heads home to her parents' house - next door to Eddie's. Now Alice wants to rekindle things with the guy next door and plays all sorts of dirty tricks to break up his relationship. A breezy light read - just a shame it all got wrapped up so quickly at the end.

Confessions of an Air Hostess (2007)

It's not been a good week for air hostess Annie. First her boyfriend Niall borrows £1000 then dumps her by text. Then she's suspended for a week after passengers overhear her rant about the bastard. Then she wakes up in hospital after a tangle with a Mercedes. But on the plus side, the Mercedes owner, the oh-so appealing businessman Oliver Kane, does replace her ruined Jimmy Choos. And she can spend her suspension and recovery time in the Spanish coastal town of Malaga, keeping company with gorgeous pilot Danny. A lighthearted romp with a delightful heroine, but it unfortunately hits a bit of turbulence when some too-improbable scenarios are thrown in.

Chinese Whispers (2005)

Fiona loses her flatmate when she is caught at a party half-naked with Ellie's new man, Connor. Ellie, a travel journalist, doesn't stick around long enough to find out it was all an innocent accident. So Fiona's hunt for a new flatmate brings the beautiful but vulnerable Bunny to her doorstep - she's fleeing an abusive boyfriend and has an impressive stash of cash. After stuck-in-a-work-rut Fiona goes along on a travel junket intended for Ellie, she meets magazine social diarist Angela-Jean who wants her to fill in while she goes to New Zealand to find herself. But first AJ turns Bunny into Dublin's latest It Girl.

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CHRIS MANBY

Getting Over Mr Right (2010)

Ashleigh finds out via Facebook that she's been dumped by the guy she thought was Mr Right. But unable to just walk away, she embarks on an obsessive campaign to win Michael back and is more than willing to stalk her prey - both in real life and cyberspace. As she works through all the stages of a break-up - from denial when she turns up at his office to propose, through to anger when she constructs a voodoo doll - much more than her love life starts to suffer. This is the perfect book for those wanting to move on to the laughter stage. It's a light-hearted read that provides a very funny take on being dumped.

Crazy in Love (2009)

Golf resort heiress Birdie Sederburg is used to getting whatever she wants. So when the man on her radar, soapie star Dean, doesn't reciprocate an interest in her, she rear-ends his car so she can take him out to dinner in apology. Dean's agent, Justin, convinces him to date the socialite - for publicity sakes. But when he starts romancing his co-star instead, Birdie decides to go to even more drastic lengths to gain his attention - she arranges her own kidnapping. Meanwhile, former law student Nate, now an eco-warrior, is campaigning against her grandfather's environmentally destructive developments - and takes a job as Birdie's gardener to get close to her. For those looking for an outrageous read about an infatuated socialite whose entourage includes a sex-change personal assistant, a ditzy fellow heiress as a loyal best friend, and a stylist whose fashion-forwardness places Birdie at the top of the worst dressed list.

Spa Wars (2008)

All Emily's dreams come true when she opens her own beauty salon, The Beauty Spot. And clients come flocking after she helps reality TV star Carina Lees survive a nail emergency on the way to an awards ceremony. Expanding her Essex business on the advice of the well-groomed financial adviser Matt, Emily takes on Natalie, a talented but badly groomed beautician. But then things start to go wrong. Who has got their sharpened talons out for Emily and her salon? The perfect book to while away your time at the hairdresser's, read it for its very funny take on 15-minute fame.

The Matchbreaker (2006)

Spoilt only child Lindsey Parker is well used to getting rid of her widowed father's fiancées. Potential stepmum No. 4, Karen, a personal trainer, is all set to put Lindsey into a tacky gold bridesmaid dress until Lindsey pushes her overboard a yacht during a hen's weekend in Ibiza. In the aftermath Lindsey's father basically disowns her. Having to stand on her own two feet for the first time, Lindsey tries to make things right again, including working as a honeytrapper to reunite her dad with his love.

Ready or Not (2005)

Heidi is already having doubts about her upcoming nuptials even before her fiance Ed gets his eyebrows shaved off by his rugby mates. And her pre-wedding jitters are certainly not helped by the return of her significant ex, Steven - more gorgeous and grown-up than ever. Meanwhile her best friend, Kara, has found a new man via internet dating and is increasingly leaving Heidi and Ed to hold the baby. This is a fun read about a bride who is not sure if she's ready for marriage and family - or is simply with the wrong man.

Running Away From Richard (2001)

In this sequel to Lizzie Jordan's Secret Life, the wannabe actress is dumped by her boyfriend of four years, Richard, a week before her best friend Mary's wedding. Fat Joe, her former flatmate and now a transvestite living in Los Angeles, lets Lizzie move into his Venice Beach home. Soon Lizzie is working as a waitress and pretending to be the fiancee of a hot movie director, who just happens to be gay.

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MARIANNE MANCUSI

Marianne Mancusi is the author of several timewarp and science fiction novels and has also worked as a TV news producer.

News Blues (2008)

When Maddy Madison is offered an investigative producer spot on a new News 9 San Diego show, she is hoping it will take her one step closer to her dream job on Newsline - and away from puff pieces about Killer Cosmetics and Pudgy Pets. But first she has to become accustomed to working directly with anchor Terrance Toller who can't get enough of his face on screen and needs three hours notice of a shoot to prepare his hair and make-up. Things are also looking up when she is partnered with a cute new cameraman, Jamie, but she is disappointed to learn he comes with a fianc�e. During a handbag shopping spree over the border in Tijuana, Mexico, a stallholder tells her about a drug tunnel into the US and Maddy thinks she's on to the scoop of her life. But she doesn't realise how close the story will come to her own family - and what she'll have to risk to get it broadcast.

A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court (2005)

Once upon a time there lived a fashion editor, Katherine Jones, who was nicknamed Kat. One Saturday she was sent in an Armani suit and Manolo Blahniks to the King Arthur's Faire to write a story on the emerging trend of medieval clothing in the 21st century. Entering the faire in a bad mood, she meets a gypsy who places a curse on her and she is transported back to the time of King Arthur, Queen Guenevere and the handsome knight Sir Lancelot. Things go from bad to worse as Kat has to act as a spy - though she decides to play it like a female version of James Bond with a hint of Buffy - and is captured. Can Kat use her 21st century skills in the town of Camelot or is she out of depth? An excellent modern take on the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table with 21st century influences throughout. (PP)

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SARRA MANNING

Sarra Manning is the author of teen novels, including the Diary of a Crush and Fashionistas series.

Unsticky (2009)

When Grace, a junior fashion editor on Skirt magazine, gets dumped outside Marc Jacobs on her 23rd birthday, she thought life couldn't get any worse. Then a well-dressed stranger named Vaughn whisks her away and offers her a place in the world she's always dreamed of, far from her £14,000 a year wage. Grace soon finds out there is more to her barely existing life than getting pushed around by the girls in the fashion office and her ever-growing pile of bills. But will she give up her family and friends for a shot at wealth and unexpected love? This can't-put-it-down novel is bound to make you blush on more than one occasion! Touted as Pretty Woman set in London, Manning's first attempt at adult chick lit is a definite success. (GF)

8/10
Second Opinion

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JILL MANSELL

Take a Chance on Me (2010)

Jill Mansell is one of those authors you never have to take a chance on. This, her 21st novel, proves again that she always delivers easy-to-devour stories with engaging characters. For sisters Cleo and Abbie, the men in their lives both have secrets that are going to turn everything on its head. Cleo thinks she may have found The One in her new boyfriend Will but then why does she still let her teenage tormentor, Johnny LaVenture, get to her so much? And her sister Abbie makes a shocking discovery when she delves around in husband Tom's sock drawer - one that leaves her very much on the outer in her own home. This also has a strong supporting cast of characters, including a chubby radio DJ called Ash who finds he gets incredibly tongue-tied around the girl of his dreams, and Georgia, the girl who's going to iron her way to fortunes.

Rumour Has It (2009)

Tilly Cole comes home to find her boyfriend has packed up his stuff and left. So she quits her London life for a fresh start in the small town of Roxborough where her friend Erin lives. Tilly fits right into her new role as a Girl Friday for divorced father Max and his teenage daughter Louisa. And, despite her best intentions, she finds herself drawn to Max's friend Jack who has a terrible reputation around town for bedding every woman in sight. An easy-reading story filled with engaging characters including Lou's US-based soapie actress mum Kaye, who is run out of Hollywood after an unfortunate incident with a pampered pooch, and town gossip Stella who is bitter about her husband Fergus moving on. Just a shame about the rushed ending.

An Offer You Can't Refuse (2008)

Ten years ago, 17-year-old Lola was offered 10,000 pounds by her boyfriend's snobby mother to break up with him. At first she refused as Dougie was the love of her life. But after finding out her stepfather had serious gambling debts, she accepts and takes off to Majorca, leaving behind only a break-up letter for Dougie. A decade later, a Good Samaritan act by Lola, now a bookshop manager, brings her ex back into her life. But although Lola still has strong feelings for him, he finally discovers that she was paid off to dump him. Read it for the great characters, including the feisty heroine and her neighbours Sally - an immaculately dressed but sloppy flatmate who is also Doug's sister - and Gabe, possibly the world's most useless (but kind-hearted) paparazzo. The ending doesn't surprise but if you get an offer to read this book, don't refuse it.

Thinking of You (2007)

Gina Holland's nest is empty after her daughter Jem heads off to university. At only 38, she realises she'll have to kick-start a whole new life - and find a new man. But the first man she thinks is showing interest in her actually accuses her of shoplifting. Then she advertises for a lodger and believes she'll be sharing her home with the charismatic Perry. Instead the room's for his reclusive sister, Laurel, who is still obsessed about an ex-boyfriend. Even on the work front, Ginny finds she's left a disastrous first impression with new boss Finn. And just as she is getting to know him, someone from his past turns up on the doorstep.

Millie's Fling (2001)

Millie's boyfriend, Neil, is in the process of proposing to her when she notices a woman preparing to fling herself off a cliff. Deciding to save the woman, rather than her relationship, Millie soon talks the woman - bestselling romantic novelist Orla Hart - away from the edge. Orla later asks Millie to help with her next novel, with her real life, loves and friends providing the plot and characters. As Orla sets about finding a romantic leading man for her heroine, Millie finds a wallet which leads her to Hugh, a widower. Millie, with her roller-skating gorilla suit and fake accents, is one of those characters you want to just keep reading about. If only she was around in the days of blogs!

8/10

Miranda's Big Mistake (1999)

Hairdresser Miranda is the sort of girl who is only too happy to share her sandwich with a beggar or help her wheelchair-bound landlady. So maybe all that good karma is being repaid when she meets charming Greg at a charity function. But the truth is that Greg has just walked out on his wife Chloe when she revealed she was pregnant. With an engrossing storyline and some unexpected developments, this book is well worth a read. And Miranda, with her blue and green hair, is a wonderful, feisty heroine.

Perfect Timing (1997)

Poppy Dunbar is out celebrating her hen's night when she meets Tom. Their instant connection makes her call off her wedding - even though she doesn't know if she'll ever see Tom again. Heading to London for a fresh start, Poppy moves in with artist Caspar and begins hunting for her real father and Tom.

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MERRILL MARKOE

Walking In Circles Before Lying Down (2007)

Twice divorced, with no stable job and an unconcerned family, Dawn Tarnauer's life is a series of rejections and abandonment. When she thinks that her life can no longer get any better (after her latest relationship ended), she finds herself being able to communicate with her dog, Chuck. This is a light and easy read about a woman's search for love and her journey of growing up, and reveals that a dog's instincts are sometimes more reliable. (XT)

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SUE MARGOLIS

Forget Me Knot (2009)

When Abby gets stuck in a lift in Covent Gardens with a sexy stranger her life changes forever. Her fear of lifts sees her downing the stranger's bottle of wine and blabbing some serious secrets about her fiance. Abby's engagement to Toby seems a little too good to be true and Abby uncovers a secret that could ruin their relationship. One area in her life that's not going down the drain is her successful florist shop Fabulous Flowers that has scored some serious publicity after being picked as a location in an upcoming romantic comedy. And the film director turns out to be Dan, the sexy stranger from the lift whom she blabbed her most intimate details to. This book takes you along for the rollercoaster ride that is Abby's life, with a gay best friend and loving best girlfriend at her side. It's a funny and clever book that is easy to read, with a few words to make you blush and a few unexpected and hilarious twists along the way. (GF)

Breakfast at Stephanie's (2004)

Stephanie Glassman is a single mum to her two-year-old son Jake. Her music career has hit rock bottom when she finds herself singing Christmas carols in a department store. Frank, a famous actor who she once had a crush on, suddenly re-enters her life and is interested in a relationship with her. To complicate matters, Albert, Jake's father, shows up and proposes marriage. Stephanie is torn between her feelings for Frank and her desire to give her son a traditional family. In the midst of her love-life drama, Stephanie's career starts to take an exciting and surprising turn. This is a funny story that will keep you entertained. (AO)

Apocalipstick (2003)

Rebecca Fine may be writing a beauty column but she is more interested in being an investigative reporter. So when a "Smooth Throat" reveals there may be something suspicious in the latest miracle anti-wrinkle cream, Rebecca heads to Paris to steal a sample. And her love life is looking up, no thanks to her grandmother who keeps sending Jewish men her way, when she starts dating fellow reporter Max. Meanwhile her dad reveals he's engaged to her high school nemesis Bernadette (aka Lipstick). With clever turns of phrase, this is an entertaining, light-hearted read.

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WENDY MARKHAM

This is pseudonym of Wendy Corsi Staub.

Mike, Mike and Me (2005)

Back in the 1980s, TV production assistant Beau found herself torn between two men - her high school sweetheart Mike and a wannabe actor also called Mike who she met at an airport bar. With boyfriend Mike not wanting to live in New York, she is drawn to the other guy who loves the city. One she married, the other she left behind. Now years later, with her marriage under strain and the other Mike back in contact, she is wondering if she made the right choice. Alternating between past and present, the story only reveals at the end which Mike she married.

Slightly Single (2002)

Tracey Spadolini isn't so different from other 20-something New Yorkers trying to find their place in the city. She isn't thrilled to go to work where she is a secretary for a boss who thinks her most important job is running his personal errands. Her non-air-conditioned apartment without furniture leaves much to be desired and her boyfriend of three years, Will, the self-proclaimed next great American actor, is about to leave her behind for the summer. As Tracey ponders how she will survive the summer heat, she decides to spend the time reinventing herself. Surrounded by colourful friends who add character to a somewhat run-of-the-mill story, this book may be a pleasant read but it lacks the depth and originality of a great story. (JE)

Slightly Settled (2004)

Tracey Spadolini is back and oh, how her world has changed. She is back at her job with a new boss and a new title. With her dream of becoming a copywriter actually within sight and a boss who doesn't make her run his personal errands, things are looking up for Tracey. Not to mention the dress sizes she has shed in the meantime. But there is just one thing ... Why does she keep thinking she sees her ex-boyfriend Will all over New York? Follow Tracey as she works through her feelings for Will, questions her "friendly" relationship with Buckley and cheer for her as she embarks on a new relationship - with her boss' roommate! Joined once again by Raphael and Kate as her faithful friends, this story has more character than the first book in the series. Though I, at times, found the constant second-guessing of herself a little repetitive, it does exemplify the inner trouble women go through in the search for self-acceptance and love. (JE)

Slightly Engaged (2006)

Tracey Spadolini was let in on a little secret by her boyfriend Jack's mother - Jack has asked for the family diamond ring! This can only mean one thing - Jack is going to ask Tracey to marry him. But when? On the Sweetest Day? Thanksgiving? Christmas? New Year's Eve? As each day passes without a new sparkling diamond ring to show off to her friends, Tracey starts to think Jack doesn't want to marry her at all. Is this all she is ever going to have? A small apartment on the Upper East Side with a live-in boyfriend and a job where her promised promotion is still unfulfilled? Tracey is convinced there has to be more. In this third book in the series, Tracey commits to quitting smoking (for real this time!), reaches new heights in her relationship with Jack, and once again finds the confidence and trust within herself to take charge of her life and go after what she really wants - happiness. (JE)

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MAGGIE MARR

Secrets of the Hollywood Girls Club (2008)

The girls of the Hollywood Girls Club are back. Celeste is thinking it's time for a facelift while a sex tape - the one she thought was destroyed at the time of her divorce - seems to be making the rounds. And she's desperate to keep both secrets from her new husband, Worldwide Pictures boss Ted Robinoff. Mary Anne has started seeing hot leading man Holden Humphrey - a fact that infuriates his co-star Vieve. Jessica, now happily married with a baby son, is still promoting her list of clients. And Lydia is running the studio and receiving mysterious notes threatening to expose a big secret. Meanwhile publicist Kiki seems to know everyone's secrets - and is willing to use them to her own advantage.

Hollywood Girls Club (2007)

Celeste Solange is a movie star whose film producer husband has not only taken off with a teenage actress - he's also given her the part that was meant to herald Celeste's comeback. Her powerful agent Jessica Caulfield recommends that she takes the starring role in the low-budget film being produced by their friend Lydia Albright. But although Seven Minutes Past Midnight has new writer Mary Anne Myers turning it into a killer script, the male star is in jail, the director Zymar is too busy getting high in Bali and the new studio boss is desperate for Lydia to fail.

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JILL MARSHALL

The Most Beautiful Man in the World (2010)

What could Clare, a housewife from Hampshire in England; Abby, a pole dancer from Taranaki in New Zealand; Jo, a book publisher from London; and Pam-Ellen, a soapie actress from Los Angeles, all have in common? The answer is simple - at one point in their lives they have all been dramatically affected by the man Hollywood dubbed "The Most Beautiful Man in the World". This story covers the years from 1968-2006. When the man is found dead in his Hollywood pool, the truth starts to slowly leak out. Clare, who met David at Cambridge, was his wife and mother of his two boys. Abby finds out at her mother's deathbed that David is her father while Jo becomes his mistress after spending much time in therapy. Finally Pam-Ella is a mystery woman who has a whole lot of secrets of her own. David adopts different identities throughout his life and each of the women gets caught up in his fantasy worlds. This will appeal to those who like a book full of scandal. Its web of lies and relationships will keep you intrigued right up to the last chapter. (PP)

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CAROL MASON

The Love Market (2010)

Celine Lewis is at a crossroads in her life. She is married with a daughter and loves running her matchmaking service. But she feels something is missing. With husband Mike, the spark just isn't there and they decide to end their marriage. One day Celine receives an email from her first love, Patrick, whom she met at the Love Market in Sa Pa in Vietnam and had a great four-day love affair with him. Once they start talking about their lives and their past she starts to think that maybe they could have a future together. This is an absorbing read about ending a relationship and starting a new one. (CG)

Send Me a Lover (2008)

Angela's husband once told her that if he died he'd send someone for her to love again. She just never thought she'd lose Jonathan at age 36 - the victim of a car accident. Still finding it hard to get over her grief, she leaves behind her unfulfilling advertising job in Vancouver to visit her mum back in England. Together they go on a package holiday to Greece, to the island of Zante, where she meets two men who just might have been sent for her. But is Angela ready to love again and if so which man is right for her? Read it for the antics of her mum getting her groove back and the page-turning teaser of who Angela will end up with.

The Secrets of Married Women (2007)

Jill can handle not having children. What she can't handle is how her husband Rob has withdrawn from her when he finds out it's his sperm count that's the problem. With one friend confessing to a passionate affair and another living the perfect marriage with the perfect guy, Jill feels like she's missing out. Then she meets a gorgeous lifeguard who's had his eye on her for a while. Will Jill let her fantasies become reality or discover the secrets her best friends are keeping? A tale of infertility and infidelity, with some clever twists to keep you turning the pages.

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SARAH MASON

The Party Season (2003)

Party planner Isabel Serranti is booked to do a charity ball at Pantiles, the Monkwell estate where her family lived when she was a child. Isabel is just hoping to keep far away from Simon Monkwell, now a successful entrepreneur, who had bullied her when they were in their teens. Press coverage suggests he hasn't changed a bit, but Isabel soon finds that things aren't quite as she remembers.

Playing James (2002)

Budding reporter Holly Colshannon is determined to make her mark when she�s assigned to the crime round at the Bristol Gazette. Set to write a daily column about life on the beat, she is partnered with Detective James Sabine, who is certainly not keen to be shadowed by a reporter � especially one who is no stranger to the casualty department. But at least he only has to put up with her for six weeks until he marries his society bride. As the pair investigates a series of antique thefts, the bickering soon develops into a close bond. Will the loveable reporter get her man? The scenarios may not exactly mirror real life (what regional newspaper has the resources to send one reporter off like that for a month?) but the laugh-out-loud moments are certainly real enough.

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CAROLE MATTHEWS

It's Now or Never (2010)

Annie and Lauren are twins in need of a change. On the night of their older sister Chelsea's 40th birthday they make a pact that they will change their boring lives. Annie intends to go on a Peru trip that her office is doing for a team-building charity event. But once she starts to raise money for the adventure, her husband isn't keen on the idea of her going abroad and leaving him behind. Lauren, who has been in a relationship with a married man for five years, says that this is the year he will leave his wife and be with her. This is a great read about finally changing your life when you're not happy with it. You will laugh out loud at the crazy things these sisters do in order to shake things up. (CG)

That Loving Feeling (2009)

Librarian Juliet has been married to Rick for nearly 25 years but now they seem to have drifted apart. They thought at this stage of their life they would have more time together but their two grown-up children, Tom and Chloe, are still loafing around at home and her mother, Rita, has left her husband and moved in. So when Steven, the man who left Juliet at the altar all those years ago, turns up out of the blue, she is tempted to secretly see him. This is a great story about what happens when a couple from the sandwich generation loses that loving feeling. You'll certainly be getting that giggly feeling from all the hilarious predicaments Rick inadvertently gets himself into. This is one of my favourite Carole Matthews' books to date.

The Difference a Day Makes (2009)

Amy and husband Will both work long hours for a TV company in London and their ever-reliable nanny helps raise their two children, Tom and Jessica. But one day, on the tube on the way to work, Will collapses and finds out he has a weak heart. It is enough of a near-death scare for him to pack in his job and pack off his family to the Yorkshire moors, where he buys a rundown farmhouse and starts filling the yard with unloved or past-their-prime animals, including a crazy hound called Hamish. Amy is not keen on this radical lifestyle change but is willing to stand by her husband as he follows his dream. And soon she finds herself really thrown into the deep end. Just don't leave the book lying around where Hamish could get it!

All You Need is Love (2008)

Single mum Sally Freeman lives in a rundown tower block in Liverpool with her 10-year-old son Charlie. He's never known his father, who's in prison, but he has a great relationship with Sally's ex-boyfriend Johnny, an aspiring artist. Johnny is desperate to get back together again; Sally is desperate to escape her poverty-stricken circumstances. When her computer tutor Spencer falls for her, Sally thinks she may have found her way out - in his Porsche. But after Sally gets funding to tidy up her neighbourhood, she may find it harder than she thinks to leave her life behind.

It's A Kind of Magic (2008)

When Emma's irresponsible but loveable boyfriend Leo turns up to her 30th birthday dinner very late and awfully drunk, she can't help wishing that he was different. And after realising she'll never change him, she tells him that the magic is gone and so begins the next phase of her life without him. That night Leo runs into the mysterious Isobel and falls under her spell. As this fairy girlfriend waves her wand and sprinkles her fairy dust around, Leo starts becoming more like the man Emma wished he was. Even if you don't like books with magical themes, read it for the hilarious cardboard box scene.

The Chocolate Lovers' Club (2007)

Temp worker Lucy Lombard can't live without chocolate so she forms a group with three other addicts - Autumn, Nadia and Chantal - which meets regularly at a cafe called Chocolate Heaven. Chocolate helps the four women deal with life's problems, such as a crush on a boss, a drug-dealing brother, a gambling husband and guilt about infidelities. The sequel is The Chocolate Lovers' Diet.

The Chocolate Lovers' Diet (2007)

The women of The Chocolate Lovers' Club are back. Lucy's boyfriend Aiden (aka Crush) has gone missing in Australia, and she thinks he's seeing another woman. Autumn's relationship with co-worker Addison is going well but her drug-dealing brother Richard is back from 'rehab' in the US, and is in trouble with some very unsavoury sorts. Nadia and her son are living with Chantal but thinking about giving her gambling husband, Toby, a second chance. And Chantal is trying to speak to her husband Ted - especially after she has some unexpected news - but he's avoiding her. Love the opening line: 'There are two types of women, I've found. There are those who are addicted to chocolate and there are bitches.' But even though I am a chocoholic, even I found the chocolate references too frequent - these women would even self-medicate their leg falling off with a bite of chocolate-covered peanut brittle.

Welcome to the Real World (2006)

Fern Kendal is a struggling bar singer who desperately needs a break. She takes on an extra job as personal assistant to opera star Evan David, but finds she can't let him know about her singing dream. So Fern throws away her chances on TV talent show Fame Game when she discovers Evan is one of the judges. Evan's every whim is catered for by his agent, trainer, chauffeur, chef and a cast of thousands, but memories of a childhood tragedy keep him from truly enjoying all he's achieved. Though Fern can't seem to master her assistant duties, she brings a rare smile to Evan's face so when she goes on the run, he finds he can't forget her.

A Compromising Position (2002)

Emily's entrepreneurial boyfriend, Declan, secretly posts nude photos on the internet of her as a Saucy Santa. Amid the resulting media storm, she loses her teaching job and moves in with her new age friend Cara, who works at the local newspaper. Cara has her eye on photographer Adam but one night Adam sees Emily at a nightclub and without knowing who each other is they fall for one another. This is a hilarious story that will drive you nuts with the tension of will they or won't they ever meet.

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LORELEI MATHIAS

Lost for Words (2007)

Daisy Allen is a sweet-natured assistant at a publishing house who is hoping to find a literary gem in the slush pile. She is also hoping her boyfriend, the smarmy Miles, will finally commit. After becoming friends with Elliot, who comes in to do work experience, she stumbles upon a partly finished manuscript from a mystery author, William. Will this book be her big break and why is the author being so secretive? Only other thing to say is I'm a bit lost for words as to why the plot was so damn predictable.

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ANNA MAXTED

A Tale of Two Sisters (2006)

Sisters Cassie and Lizbet are total opposites - Cassie is an ambitious lawyer, while Lizbet is a laidback magazine writer. Despite their differences, they have managed to stay friends as they head off on their different paths. But then Lizbet unexpectedly falls pregnant and Cassie, desperate to have her own baby, finds it difficult to deal with the news. Lizbet is also shocked to discover that Cassie has kept the fact she is adopted a secret.

Running in Heels (2004)

Natalie Miller's life has gone into a tailspin. She loses her PR job for a ballet company, her brother is dating the ballerina Natalie outed as an anorexic and she's exchanging drunken kisses with her best friend's husband. What Nat really needs to face is the mirror - to take a good hard look at herself.

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MARTEL MAXWELL

Scandalous (2010)

Sisters Max and Lucy Summers may be completely different in many ways but they are still best friends. Max is a top-notch showbiz reporter and Lucy works at a fabulous fashion magazine. Both lead a charmed life but neither has a lively love life. That all changes when the beautiful Lucy meets the Earl of Balmyle, Hartley. He's ranked as Britain's most eligible bachelor and once he sets his sights on Lucy, he can think of no one else. This infuriates Hartley's ex, Lady Bridget Beames, who believes Hartley should only be with a woman of the same social standing as him. It seems she will go to any length to get Hartley back. Max, on the other hand, hasn't had a serious love interest since she was 17. When she finally meets a man who makes her heart beat faster, Lucy warns her that he is the wrong man for her. Soon things spiral out of control when Lucy is accused of setting up the very private Hartley for a paparazzi shot and Max is forced to ignore her dream man for the sake of saving her relationship with her sister. Throw in a gorgeous, but sleazy male celebrity, lots of relationship drama and some sibling conflict and you've got yourself a novel that has everything a girl could want. The characters are described so well it is easy to imagine them transferred from page to film. In addition it's written with information that only an insider could have. It's fun, feisty and blooming with romance - but above anything else, it's totally scandalous. (AS)

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SARAH MAY

The Rise and Fall of a Domestic Diva (2008)

The mothers of Prendergast Road, in south London, are waiting desperately to find out if their four-year-olds have won a coveted place at St Anthony's. When Kate gets the letter saying her son Findlay hasn't been accepted, despite them attending church nearly every Sunday, she tells everyone that he is in, in the hope that she can instead buy a house within the catchment area. All the other children have got a place - or have they? So preoccupied are these parents that they often forget to pick up their children from activities and leave babies screaming in their car seats. Nor do they take much notice of weird goings-on on the street, from Lithuanian prostitutes pleading for help, to one of their own scoring from the local drug dealer or their husbands' obsessions with the neighbours. Promoted as a "black-hearted soap opera", this book has a lot of drama going on but it finishes without a conclusive or satisfactory ending.

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ROISIN MEANEY

Love in the Making (2010)

Hannah is just heading off for a celebratory dinner when boyfriend Patrick announces he's leaving her for another woman. Luckily she's kept busy opening her new shop, Cupcakes on the Corner, and getting up early to bake and ice her stock. Meanwhile a friend of her mother's, Alice, is growing increasingly concerned that her husband Tom's drinking is getting out of hand. Read it for the delightful way the characters' lives intertwine - from the way Hannah inadvertently introduces her boyfriend to his new love; to her best friend Adam's pursuit of a shy musician; and the way a taxi driver comes in and out of all their lives.

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JILLIAN MEDOFF

Good Girls Gone Bad (2002)

Actuary Janey Fabey joins group therapy with Dr Hensen because she keeps imagining how she would kill herself. There she meets Suzanna, aka The Dream Weaver, who prefers the company of her dog to men; Laura, who is a top performer in the one-night-stand Olympics; Bethany, a 40-year-old divorcee who still lives with her mother; Valentine, a fat woman who can't stop eating; Ivy, a southern belle addicted to cosmetic surgery; and Natasha, who fears germs. Together, the group help each other battle their personal problems but one day take it all too far.

Hunger Point (1996)

Twenty-six-year old Frannie Hunter juggles her life between working at temporary jobs, putting up with her mother's attempts to drive her out of their house and visiting her younger sister Shelly who is in hospital after a long struggle with anorexia. Frannie's mother, Marsha, has always been overly obsessed with her daughters' weight and dietary habits, controlling their calorie intake, and the type of food they have, pushing the message that they need to be thin. Already confused over her own relationship problems, Frannie also has to deal with her mother's possible affair, her dad showing little interest in caring for Shelly, her best friend Abby's relationship with a married man, and Shelly showing signs of depression after her recent suicide attempts. Soon Frannie finds herself on the verge of a breakdown as well. A painfully raw and realistic story revolving around the theme of anorexia, apparent in our culture in its over-emphasis on perfection and body image. (XT)

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ELLEN MEISTER

The Smart One (2008)

Bev is one of three sisters - she's the Smart One; Clare, a married mother of two, is the Pretty One; and youngest sister Joey, a former one-hit wonder pop star who became a drug addict, is the Wild One. Bev, after several career missteps and a divorce, has just finished her degree and applied to become a teacher in Las Vegas. But first she has to help her parents' next-door-neighbours, the Waxmans, sell their Long Island home since both couples are sunning it up in Florida. The Waxmans' son, comedy writer Kenny, is also back in town but Bev is still not ready to forgive him for something that happened years ago. Then they find a body stuffed in an industrial drum at the house and as the sisters endeavour to uncover the truth, even more skeletons fall out of everyone's closets. This is a smart one about sibling rivalry and living with labels - with a murder mystery on the side.

Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA (2006)

When a location scout announces that Applewood school may make the perfect setting for an upcoming George Clooney movie, the mothers of the PTA think their fantasies are about to become real. This is their chance to get up close and personal with the hunky actor - oh, and their school will finally get its much-needed stadium. But Maddie Schein, Ruth Moss and Lisa Slotnick need to band together to save the project because PTA president Suzanne Podobinski has decided that the movie threatens historic Applewood Rock. The trio also face dramas on the home front - Maddie thinks her husband is having an affair with his cousin; Ruth is looking for some loving after her husband's stroke left him impotent and Lisa has to deal with an alcoholic mother.

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LYNN MESSINA

Fashionistas (2003)

Vig Morgan, associate editor at Fashionista magazine, is drawn into a plot to get rid of tyrant editor Jane McNeill. With the help of a reclusive social editor, an overambitious assistant and a controversial artist, the plan successfully unfolds but Vig may be better off with the devil she knows.

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J.L. MILES

Divorcing Dwayne (2008)

Would anyone think Francine Harper deserves to be locked up for shooting at her husband Dwayne and his stripper ex when she caught them in her marital bed? Especially since she missed - three times. Well, apparently the politically ambitious district attorney Warren Wilson does. When Francine is bailed on home detention, she discovers that their joint bank account is $30,000 richer and is worried that Dwayne has got mixed up in a shady mob deal. And she certainly isn't about to let the ankle monitor stop her from finding out the truth. But when Dwayne goes missing, presumed dead, Francine - the town's newly crowned celebrity - becomes the No. 1 suspect. You don't need to live on the right side of the Mason-Dixie line to enjoy the side-splitting humour. Full of crazy characters such as Nanny Lou who believes her husband isn't dead but just run off with the floozy from across the street.

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ZOE MILLER

Sinful Deceptions (2010)

This tells the story of two sisters, Alix and Emma, who live under the shadow of secrets. Alix is a famous make-up artist based in Paris. Her life is a whirlwind of glamour and travel, and the launch of her signature brand of make-up is set to propel her straight to the top of the cosmetics industry. Her older sister Emma lives a life of domestic bliss with her husband and children in an affluent Dublin suburb ... or so it seems. But having a life where all the domestic boxes are ticked on the surface doesn't mean Emma feels appreciated and fulfilled. When she does something totally out of character that has the potential to destroy her family, her life becomes dominated by her deception. She's not alone - as the launch of Alix's cosmetics range approaches, a secret from her past starts to take control of her life and threatens to expose past betrayals. The sisters are about to find out how high a price a person has to pay for a mistake. This book is easy to engage with from page one. The descriptive and lyrical style of writing conjures up every scene to perfection, and despite the mistakes the characters have made, you'll be rooting for them all the way. It's escapism at its best, and is a perfect holiday read. (SBB)

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NISHA MINHAS

Sari & Sins (2003)

Indian bride Kareena thinks her parents have chosen well when she weds Samir in an arranged marriage. But she is unaware he has been seeing Cloey for six years. Cloey wants Sammy - and more importantly his house - for herself so is prepared to fight dirty. But Kareena isn't the timid bride she was expecting.

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JAISHREE MISRA

Secrets & Lies (2009)

Anita, Zeba, Bubbles and Sam have been best friends since they met in the early 90s at a Delhi private girls school called St Judes. They were the Queen Bees, the popular chicks. Everything was going great, until the headmistress' niece Lily started at the school and threatened their superiority. On the night of their prom, Lily is found dead. Now 15 years later the headmistress is retiring and decides to hold a reunion of the four girls and find out what really happened that night. Anita is now a BBC correspondent, Zeba a Bollywood actress, Bubbles is married to a billionaire and Sam is a trophy wife. Can any of them afford their secrets and lies to be revealed? An enthralling read which seems like a mix between Tilly Bagshawe and Tasmina Perry. (PP)

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SIRI L. MITCHELL

The Cubicle Next Door (2006)

Working as a computer administrator for the US Air Force Academy, Jackie Harrison has been leading a mundane life until her office is split into cubicles and new history instructor Lt Col Joseph Gallagher moves in next door. Despite Joe's friendly attempt to know more about her, Jackie finds it hard to trust him and starts to vent her frustrations and growing feelings about him on her online journal - The Cubicle Next Door. What she doesn't expect is to see her blog featured on television, which results in an increase in the number of hits and draws the attention of her cubicle mate. Will Joe realise that Jackie's the one who's writing the blog and will Jackie learn to let go of her past and let love in? (XT)

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SARAH MLYNOWSKI

Me vs Me (2006)

When Cam proposes to Gabby Wolf on the eve of her leaving for a dream job in New York, she wishes on a star that she didn't have to choose between a fiancé and her job. Suddenly Gabby is leading a double life - each morning, she either wakes up in Phoenix planning a wedding (or watching her overbearing mother-in-law Alice do it) or in New York being a TV producer. Soon she decides that New York life maybe isn't for her - her best friend has started dating Cam, her flatmate is psycho. But in Phoenix she doesn't have a job, she's comfort eating and biting her nails, and of course she has to deal with Alice. But how does she end the battle of Me vs Me?

Fishbowl (2002)

The tale of three flatmates, Allison, Jodine and Emma, who accidentally set fire to their kitchen, find themselves uninsured and have to find ways to pay off the repair bill, such as throwing theme parties and running 'how to pick up women' seminars for men.

Milkrun (2001)

Jackie Norris has a major problem. She's just been dumped by the love of her life, Jeremy, who has now headed off to Thailand to "find himself". Confused and broken-hearted, Jackie mopes around, trying to understand where she went wrong. With the help of her friends, Jackie sets out to find a new man on the Boston dating scene. Just when she's over her ex, he comes back into her life and the romance novel editor is left with a decision. Should Jackie take back the man that abandoned her or should she listen to her heart? (MY)

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SARAH MONK

Bittersweet (2010)

Nell and Ange have become friends through dating brothers Marcus and Justin. After a turbulent flight back from Prague where the boys really showed their true colours, the girls toss in their jobs and take off to stay with Nell's godmother Maud in Cornwall. Outgoing Ange scores herself a job behind the bar of the local pub. Nell - who makes a mean cupcake - buys up a neglected cafe, earning herself a spot on a reality TV program with a dishy host. But it seems her tastebuds for love are instead whetted by the guy who's always around at Maud's. This is an easily digestible read which sees two women dump their unsavoury boyfriends and start over again in a fresh environment.

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EVE MARIE MONT

Free to a Good Home (2010)

Recently divorced, Noelle Ryan is not over her ex-husband. Just like when they were married, she finds it hard to say no to him and lets him talk her into looking after his ailing mother, who has always treated her horribly, so he can move away and move on with his life. Things start to look up when she meets a musician who seems like he could be the perfect man for her if only she could let her guard down and let him into her heart. It begins to look as though her Great Dane, Zeke, and her job as a veterinary technician at an animal shelter are the only things in her life she can depend on. This is a good read for dog lovers and anyone who has ever had a hard time walking away from a past love. (MF)

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JANE MOORE

Perfect Match (2008)

Karen and Joe's young son Ben has a life-threatening illness, which requires him to have daily injections and blood transfusions. With no matches on the bone marrow donor list - and neither being compatible - their only hope is to have a designer baby through IVF and hope he or she will be Ben's perfect match. But tests reveal that Joe is not the father and ambitious Health Secretary Nick Bright, whose wife Stella has been trying for a baby for years, enters the picture. Perhaps not as moving a story as expected but still a worthy read about a marriage under strain amid political spin doctoring.

The Second Wives Club (2006)

When Alison's wedding is gatecrashed by her groom's ex-wive, she is introduced to the Second Wives Club, where they get together to vent about what happens when you marry someone else's husband. The other members include Susan who is living in the shadow of a dead wife, Fiona, who is battling with a teenage stepson, and Julia, the trophy wife of a merchant banker who remains too close to his former wife.

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TARA MOORE

RSVP (2010)

Set in the heart of Ireland, the wealthy Granville family has gathered for the engagement of Rossa Granville and Ashling Morrison. But like many powerful families, this one has many dark secrets and scandals - and the feuding is about to get even worse. There's matriarch Honoria, whose relationship with Rajesh, her Indian servant, goes a little beyond the bounds of servant-boss partnership. Jasper, Honoria's only surviving son, is the outcast, gay and living in Africa. Then there's Carrick, the oldest grandson and heir to Carrickhouse, who realises he's about to be disinherited unless he pulls out all stops to expose his brother Rossa, who is living a double life. And more scandal is threatened since Ashling and her stepmother Coppelia are more connected to the family than both realise. What happens when the truth starts to worm its way out? It becomes every man or woman for themselves as this pacy, racy story of murder, deceit, revenge and romance unfolds. (PP)

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ELEANOR MORAN

Stick or Twist (2009)

When Anna's boyfriend of 10 years proposes during a weekend away, Anna knows that although she loves him, she can't marry him. Somehow the spark has gone out of their relationship. So she moves out of their flat and on to the sofa at her friend Polly's place. While working on a major work assignment - planning a wedding promotion for her slightly uncool magazine Casual Chic - she meets super-sexy photographer Harry. Perhaps the grass really is greener . . . Although there will be no surprises about who Anna and Polly - or even the loveable German flatmate Horst - end up with, this is an enjoyable read about a 30-something woman making a painful decision not to stick with the man everyone expects her to marry.

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BROOKE MORGAN

Tainted (2009)

Englishman Jack Dane came into the life of Cape Codder Holly Barrett and her five-year-old daughter, Katy, like a breath of fresh air. He was handsome and charming and immediately took to Katy as if she were his own daughter. Holly is swept off her feet as their whirlwind romance progresses to marriage. But is Jack all that he seems? Sometimes, it seems like he is hiding something. Holly's grandfather, Henry, is suspicious enough of Jack to take matters into his own hands - a mistake everyone will regret for the rest of their lives. When Holly begins to realise what Jack really is, she must find the inner strength to save the ones she loves. Undeniably creepy, yet compelling, this novel examines the depths people will go to have everyone perceive them as someone they aren't. It is suspenseful and heartbreaking at times, and is sure to prove a story that will stick with you for years to come. (AS)

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LAURA MORIARTY

While I'm Falling (2009)

Veronica, a pre-med student at the University of Kansas, is struggling to find a balance in her disorientated life. She is juggling the stresses of her failing studies, her dorm assistant job and her parents' messy divorce. Then Veronica lands herself in a spiral of unfortunate events and bad decisions, including a terrible car accident, and her mother Natalie only adds to her problems. Realistically written from different perspectives of the family, it delves deeper into the complexity of the relationship between the characters and their hopes and fears in life, and how they resolve their conflicts and misunderstandings. However, the tone for the entire story was too melancholy and it became a little dry near the end. But overall, it was a compelling and deep read. (XT)

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LIANE MORIARTY

What Alice Forgot (2009)

Alice Love comes to after hitting her head in the gym - to discover that she's lost 10 years of memories. Instead of being 29 and pregnant with her first child, she finds she's a 39-year-old mother of three. Instead of being madly in love with her husband Nick, they are in the process of getting divorced and their do-me-up house is now all done up. And somewhere along the past decade it seems as if she's had a personality transplant - why is her relationship with her sister so strained, why is she the queen bee of school activities, and what on earth was she doing at the gym in the first place? As her memories slowly resurface, including the role a woman called Gina played in her life, Alice is wondering whether she took a wrong turn somewhere. With twists and turns that will bring out both the smiles and the tears, plus a totally satisfying ending, this is one book you won't forget in a hurry.

The Last Anniversary (2005)

HR officer Sophie Honeywell breaks up with Thomas Gordon on the day he planned to propose on a trip to Hawaii. He goes on to marry his travel agent and have a baby. He later tells Sophie that she has inherited his Aunt Connie's house on Scribbly Gum Island. The house is the site of the Munro Baby mystery where Connie and her sister, Rose, found an abandoned baby at their tenants' home. The Doughty family have made a tourism business out of the 'untouched' house and each year celebrate the anniversary when baby Engima was found.

Three Wishes (2003)

The birthday dinner of the Kettle triplets, Lyn, Cat and Gemma, comes to an abrupt halt when one of them throws a fork into the pregnant stomach of another. This book then recaps the sisters' tumultuous year of family secrets and betrayals, sibling rivalry and rekindled love that lead to the restaurant argument.

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SINEAD MORIARTY

Whose Life Is It Anyway? (2008)

aka Keeping It In The Family

Niamh (pronounced Neev) O'Flaherty grew up in a proud Irish household in London - where the garden gnomes are leprechauns, the doorbell rings out Danny Boy and Irish dancing lessons are compulsory. When she becomes the first family member to get into university, she goes to Dublin where it was hoped she'd meet a nice Irish lad. So when she falls for Pierre, she knows her family are not going to be happy. Not only is he older, French, non-Catholic - he's also black. And Pierre, a professor, knows that his own cultured parents will need a bit of time to get used to his tabloid columnist girlfriend, especially since they're going to get married immediately and head to Vancouver for his job. With hilarious flashbacks to Niamh's childhood with her larger-than-life family members, it won't be just Irish eyes that'll be smiling.

In My Sister's Shoes (2007)

Kate O'Brien has just landed her dream TV presenting job in London when her older sister, Fiona, finds out she has breast cancer. Kate owes her sister big time since Fiona selflessly brought her and brother Derek up after their mother died of the same disease. So Kate heads back to Dublin to step into her sister's shoes and look after her boisterous five-year-old twin boys.

The Baby Trail (2005)

Thirty-three-year-old make-up artist Emma Hamilton decides it's time for her and husband James to start a family. But after months of post-coital handstands, ovulation testing and fertility drugs, she's still not pregnant. With everyone from her doctor to her mother telling her to just relax, Emma finds her life is turning into a roller-coaster of emotions which is starting to alienate those closest to her.

A Perfect Match (2005)

The sequel to The Baby Trail, this finds Emma Hamilton ready to adopt after an unsuccessful IVF attempt. But she is upset to discover there are no Irish babies waiting to be rescued, so she turns her attention to Russia and immerses herself in its culture. But between trying to prove that she and James would make perfect parents and cutting through all the red tape, Emma finds out that adoption is far from an instant solution.

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KATE MORRIS

The Seven Year Itch (2009)

Ellie has been married to Jack for seven years but she's starting to resent him. Jack is quite self-centred and now that his long-running soapie character on Country Matters has been killed off, he's desperate for a new role - even auditioning for voice-overs for dog food. Ellie throws herself into opening a cafe with friend Tilda, while au pair Petra helps look after the kids, Jed and Maud. Can Ellie and Jack make it past a familiar bump in the road to long-term marital bliss? Well, it certainly doesn't help when the irresistible Mark moves in across the road. Keep reading for the ending that veers off unexpectedly.

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MIRIAM MORRISON

The Cinderella Effect (2009)

Wannabe artist Lila has just broken up with her latest fiance - there's been a few - when her family's dilapidated mansion is picked as the location for her famous godfather's next play. Hired as Julian's assistant, Lila is thrilled to hear that Hollywood heart-throb Mitch Clayton is set to star. But as rehearsals for A Midsummer Night's Dream get underway, Lila learns that Mitch is quite shallow and can't even remember her name, while his persecuted stepbrother Johnny is a far more attractive package. But anyway she's sworn off men for now as part of her life-changing Four-Point Plan. Meanwhile Johnny needs to overcome his stage fright and stop being his family's doormat. Told in alternate chapters from Lila and Johnny's viewpoints, save this for those days when you want a light read with a fairytale ending.

Recipe for Disaster (2008)

Newspaper reporter Kate Walker needs a tasty new story, so she decides to do an expose on chefs and the restaurant industry. She goes undercover as a waitress at hot-tempered Jake Goldman's new restaurant Cuisine. Jake has put everything on the line, including every cent he's got. His wealthy rival since culinary school, Harry Hunter, has also just opened up a restaurant in town and he's intent on stealing away not only Jake's staff but his model girlfriend too. Through exhausting shifts, crazy colleagues, flooding and reality cooking shows, Kate finds a lot of the heat in the cooker-pressure environment is actually being generated between her and Jake. Just ignore the fact that no regional newspaper could spare a reporter for weeks and weeks on such a story - and enjoy this insight into a chef's domain. Dare we say it - this sweet debut is a recipe for success.

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CLAIRE MOSS

Northern Soul Revival (2010)

The night before her old school mate Carl leaves for Australia, Joss heads to Leeds to see him. Having just broken up with her boyfriend of six years, Joss is thinking that a fling may be just what she needs to move on. And Carl has had unrequited feelings for Joss for years and thinks he's got nothing to lose. Months down the track, Carl is settled in Tasmania with a new girlfriend when Joss discovers she's pregnant. But she just can't bring herself to tell Carl. What will happen when he returns home for a friend's wedding and sees Joss as a heavily pregnant bridesmaid? Told from the alternate viewpoints of Carl and Joss, this is an interesting story about two friends getting more than they bargained for from a night of passion. But it had to lose marks for its sometimes forced dialogue and too-good-to-be-true ending.

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