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Babes in Captivity - Pamela Redmond Satran (2004)
Four women from a mother's group decide to each strive towards a goal. Mother of twins Deirdre, who fantasises about former band member Nick, dreams of resurrecting her singing career. Juliette, whose son Trey has autism, wants another baby and plans to start fertility testing. Ms Organised Lisa decides to write a self-help book but must first face a health crisis. And Anne wants to open a restaurant.
7/10
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Baby Proof - Emily Giffin (2006)
What happens when he wants a baby but she doesn't . . . Claudia Parr and her husband Ben agreed to be childfree. But then Ben changes his mind and moves out. As her sisters and best friend face challenges which show how motherhood affects relationships, Claudia must decide what she wants most in life.
5/10
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Babyville - Jane Green (2001)
This is a tale of two women coping with the chimes of their biological clocks and another who is trying her best to ignore hers. TV producer Julia heads to New York for a break from her boyfriend, Mark, and their baby-making problems. For her best friend, Sam, the arrival of baby George has brought her exhaustion and marital strife. Will an affair with someone else's sexy husband be the answer? Maeve, who takes over Julia's job, gets nauseous at the thought of having children but soon is dealing with an unexpected reaction to an unexpected pregnancy.
6/10
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Back After the Break - Anita Notaro (2003)
Lindsay Davidson is heartbroken when her fiancé Paul dumps her. But she is offered the chance to go after her dream job working in television. She becomes a trainee at Channel 6 where she meets presenter Chris Keating when she accidentally walks into his on-air studio. But their budding romance is affected by her gossip-ridden friendship with one of Ireland's top actors and Paul making a play for her again.
5/10
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Backward in High Heels - Judith Kelman (2006)
Imagine how heartbroken you'd be if your husband's office building burnt down when he was at work. Now imagine how you'd feel if you then discovered that he didn't die in the fire - instead he was in bed with his young mistress at the time. For Maggie, this spells the end of her marriage to Harold. Somehow she has to move forward.
6/10
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Be Careful What You Wish For - Alexandra Potter (2006)
When wedding photographer Heather Hamilton buys some lucky heather from a gypsy, all her wishes start coming true. She finds an elusive parking spot, scores a date with her hunky neighbour - she even wins a lottery. But as time goes on, are these wishes-come-true a blessing or a curse?
4/10
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Because She Can - Bridie Clark (2007)
Touted as The Devil Wears Prada of the book publishing world, this book's boss from hell is publisher Vivian Grant - a woman who thinks nothing of turning up at a wedding to berate the bride about unfinished business. Claire Truman thinks she's made it when she lands an editor's position at Grant Books and becomes the girlfriend of her university crush, Randall Cox. And despite having to weather Vivian's abuse and working to the wee small hours, Claire is determined to stay in the job for a year - and to see the book by Luke Mayville (the nephew of her former boss and mentor) published. But Claire can't help wondering if her future will have a happy ending.
6/10
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Bed Rest - Sarah Bilston (2006)
Quinn 'Q' Boothroyd, a British lawyer living in New York, is used to life in the fast lane. After all how else would she have achieved so much off her “Modern Woman's List of Things to do Before Hitting Thirty.” So when she is diagnosed with low amniotic fluid levels in her sixth month of pregnancy, how will she survive the strict bed rest? She has to lie on her left side and not get up, even for food. When husband Tom forgets to leave her a meal, she just has to starve. Maybe helping a neighbour fight a landlord who's trying to evict his tenants will keep her occupied - trouble is her husband's firm represents the landlord.
6/10
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Bergdorf Blondes - Plum Sykes (2004)
Bergdorf Blondes are Park Avenue Princesses (PAPs) who are on the prowl for the must-have accessory, a rich fiancé. English Lit major Moi, who works as a freelance magazine writer, is friends with the perfect example, department store heiress Julie Bergdorf, who gets her blonde locks touched up every 13 days. Will Moi find her Prospective Husband (PH) in her European travels or has he been under her nose all this time?
4/10
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Bet Me - Jennifer Crusie (2004)
Minerva Dobs has just been dumped by her boyfriend when she overhears him making a bet with Cal Morrisey that he can bed her in a month. She accepts a dinner date with Cal, and at the end they agree not to see each other again. But fate intervenes and over time, they bond over donuts, chicken masala, his nephew Harry and find that there is something between them. If that bet wasn't hanging over them maybe they could take the biggest gamble of all - a shot at true love.
6/10
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Better Than Chocolate - Susan Waggoner (2005)
Food writer Annie Wilkins' life changes overnight when her research scientist husband Tom invents a fat-free, calorie-free chocolate. With his company deciding to use the couple as the product's spokespeople, Annie has to live up to the right image by losing weight and moving into a dream house. But fame always has a price - and Annie's already run up too much on her credit cards.
7/10
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Between You & Me - Kirsty Scott (2007)
Cate Wishart and Margie Holland were childhood best friends but now two decades later they live at opposite ends of the country and don't keep in touch. Cate is married to a doctor and mother to three daughters. But she's wanting more attention from her husband Dan and to just find the time to finish her interior design course. Margie is a senior news producer who's single (apart from occasional nights spent with the star correspondent) and happily child-free. When the two women get an invite to their high school reunion, they hook up again and help each other in ways that only a best friend can.
7/10
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Bitter is the New Black - Jen Lancaster (2006)
Former sorority girl Jen gets laid off as a company VP during the dotcom bust and has to move out of her flash apartment. This is a bitter pill for Jen to swallow, as she is designer labels all the way. In fact the subtitle says it all: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smart-Ass, or Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office. This memoir adapted from Jen's blog charts her search for a new job and a cheaper apartment. Should she marry depressed boyfriend Fletch to score all the gifts; will she ever escape the temp job market? Jen is so self-absorbed, obnoxious and snotty (you're glad to hear she has a weight problem), that you'd probably hate to have her as a friend but her over-the-top personality makes this story an engrossing read.
6/10
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Blind Submission - Debra Ginsberg (2006)
When the bookshop she works in closes down, Angel Robinson is forced to find a new job. Her writer boyfriend Malcolm encourages her to apply as assistant to literary agent Lucy Fiamma. Despite having to juggle her boss' prima donna demands and the authors' quirks, Angel quickly becomes indispensable. One day, a chapter from an anonymous author arrives. Set in a literary agency, Blind Submission centres on an ambitious assistant. Angel's curiosity soon turns to panic when the story unfolds with secrets from her own life. As the novel's plot turns to murder, Angel is running out of time to discover who its author is.
5/10
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Body Movers - Stephanie Bond (2006)
When Carlotta Wren's parents disappeared when she was 19, after being accused of company fraud, she took over caring for her younger brother Wesley. She had to forgo college to work in women's wear at Neiman Marcus and watch out for Wesley, who is forever in trouble over gambling debts. When he gets a job as a mover of dead bodies, Carlotta drives him to one call-out, where she discovers one of her clients, Angela, is the body and the husband - Carolotta's ex-fiance - may be chief suspect. The sequel is Two Bodies for the Price of One.
4/10
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Bombshell - Lynda Curnyn (2004)
Grace Noonan is starting to feel her age. She ends her latest relationship when her boyfriend freaks out when the condom breaks, showing how unready he is for babies. Now the cosmetics company where she works, known for targeting mature women, is looking for its new face - and it's a teenage one at that. But she hasn't outgrown her insecurities, as she goes through life dealing with family discoveries, a best friend getting married and a chance meeting with her father's charming colleague.
6/10
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Bonkers - Michelle Holman (2007)
When New Zealand schoolteacher Lisa Jackson dies in a two-car accident, an angel-in-training decides to give her another chance at life and she returns inside the body of the other driver, a demanding American called Linda Brogan. Besides missing her own family, some things are better for the new Lisa. For one, she now has a gorgeous, model-like body and no longer has to deal with the pain of endometriosis. She also lives in a lovely home with her doctor husband, Dan. But he can't stand the sight of his wife. Can Lisa risk telling him why she's nothing like Linda? A prutty charming, lufe-affurming story (sorry, just trying out a Kiwi accent - make that a pretty charming life-affirming story.)
7/10
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Book Lover - Jennifer Kaufmann and Karen Mack (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.
5/10
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Boy Meets Girl - Meg Cabot (2000)
Kate McKenzie's life isn't going according to plan - she's sleeping on her best friend's couch, she's broken up with her musician boyfriend and she works for Tyrannical Office Despot Amy Jenkins in the human resources department of the New York Journal. It may seem like things can't get any worse . . . but they can. When Kate is forced to sack Ida Lopez, one of the most popular staff members, she gets caught up in a legal fight. But maybe lawyer Mitch Hertzog will prove a bright light on the horizon. The story is told by written communication, ie letters and emails.
7/10
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Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding (1996)
One of the must-read classics of chicklit and a movie starring Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant. Singleton Bridget keeps a diary detailing her weight losses and gains, alcohol units, cigarettes and of course, her experiences with men. Her diary opens with Bridget on the way to the New Year's Day Turkey Curry Buffet, where she meets Mark Darcy, a divorced human rights lawyer. Their paths keep crossing, as she has an affair with her womanising boss Daniel Cleaver, a man Mark despises.
9/10
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Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason - Helen Fielding (2000)
In the sequel to Bridget Jones's Diary, Bridget is back and her wilderness years are over - she's been in a relationship with Mark Darcy for a month. But trouble looms ahead for the couple, particularly in the form of Rebecca, one of Bridget's acquaintances who just can't seem to leave Mark alone. With lots of help from self-help books and her best friends, Jude, Sharon and Tom, Bridget deals with a hole in her apartment wall, a Thai holiday that turns into a nightmare and one of her friends potentially becoming a Smug Married.
8/10
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Brown Owl's Guide to Life - Kate Harrison (2006)
Just before Lucy Collins' mother Judith (Brown Owl) died, she got in touch with the women in her former Brownies unit, asking them to contact Lucy. Lucy, who is married to Andrew and has a daughter Sasha, will need a helping hand now that her mum is gone. She's been bossed around her whole life and is way too timid to follow her dream of becoming a singer. With the return of the Brownies into her life, Lucy is able to resolve why they all went their separate ways and ingest some of Brown Owl's invaluable life lessons. There's best friend Terri, who is trying to become ordained; obese Paula who is a struggling single mother; Chris who needs a new challenge after running a sex-aid business and Bethany the soap actress who is still as bitchy and mean.
7/10