LA Candy - Lauren Conrad (2009)

This novel by reality TV starlet Lauren Conrad chronicles the lives of Jane Roberts and her best friend Scarlett Harp as they move to LA and become the stars of a reality TV show. The book, which is based loosely on Conrad's own life, is a little slow in the beginning but picks up a little once Jane and Scarlett are discovered at a club by a TV producer. From that point on the two, though a little hesitant at first, decide to audition for the show and their lives change drastically. While Jane takes to the cameras being around easily, Scarlett is not so excited and wonders what she got herself into. Throw into the mix two other cast members, Gaby, a total ditz, and Madison, a total bitch with a nice girl facade, and things get even more complicated. When Jane starts dating Jesse, who happens to be the best friend of her friend-slash-major crush, Braden, things spiral out of control quickly and the jealousy of someone Jane thought she could trust ruins her life in an instant. With lots of run-of-the-mill Hollywood cliches (blondes, drugs, cosmetic surgery etc), LA Candy almost fails to deliver an original storyline. In addition, in pretty much every single chapter Jane and her friends are drinking (usually vodka soda for Jane) making it seem to the unknowing person who has never been to LA, that you can't have any fun in Tinseltown without being drunk. It is a quick and light read that would be great for the beach or a day when you don't need any actual depth in what you're reading. But the ending is a cliff-hanger and leaves you wanting to know what happens to Jane next. (AS)

Back to top

Ladies Who Lunch - Linda Francis Lee (2006)

Also known as The Devil in the Junior League

There's a rebel in the ranks of the twinsets and pearls of the Willow Creek Junior League. This elite Texas organisation only accepts new recruits who are nominated by six members who have been known them for five years. When Junior League stalwart Fredericka Hildebrand Ware's husband goes on the run, with all her money and a mistress, she turns to the socially inferior lawyer next door for help. But he'll only help if she gets his trashy wife Nikki into the Junior League.

Back to top

Lakeshore Christmas - Susan Wiggs (2009)

In the latest novel in the Lakeshore Chronicles series, Maureen Davenport is a quiet librarian in the small town of Avalon. This year she is directing the annual Christmas pageant. Maureen's co-director is Eddie Haven, the famous former child star turned bad boy. Maureen and Eddie appear to be complete opposites, however, they both have had their hearts broken by others in the past. As the two spend more time together, they find themselves falling in love. The storyline is completely predictable but the characters are so heartwarming and sincere that you can't help smiling throughout the book. (AO)

Back to top

Last Chance Saloon - Marian Keyes (1999)

Three Irish friends, Tara, Katherine and Fintan who now live in London, are out celebrating Tara's 30th birthday. Tara feels she's in the Last Chance Saloon because even though she is living with boyfriend Thomas, he is reluctant to commit. Having been burnt by another man she thought was her future, Tara is willing to put up with Thomas' cheapskate ways and criticisms about her weight - at least it's better than not having a relationship at all. Meanwhile, Katherine doesn't want a man to mess up her neatly ordered life and tries to ignore her attraction to colleague Joe. When Fintan is diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, he makes the girls promise to do something for him - that'll change their lives forever.

Back to top

Last Night at Chateau Marmont - Lauren Weisberger (2010)

Brooke Alter has been working two jobs to support herself and her husband, Julian, while he pursues a music career. It's been years and her friends and family have repeatedly told her to give up on him, but Brooke doesn't because she knows that Julian has what it takes to be a hit musician. And she's right. Julian gets a record deal with Sony and within days their lives change. Julian is whisked off to Los Angeles for meetings and Brooke gets to tag along and stay at the famed Chateau Marmont. They're soon having dinner with celebrities, attending glamorous parties and having a blast when Julian goes on tour with Maroon 5. Life has changed for the once-upon-a-time happy couple though. Their marriage is strained through Julian's constant absence and the perils of fame are getting to Brooke. Torn between her real life, which includes her responsibilities as a nutritionist, and her husband's budding music career proves difficult. But it's what she's been working for her since the beginning and it only seems right to support him now that he's attained his dream. This novel has just enough real life drama mixed with celebrity to make it interesting and fun. It takes you through the trials and tribulations of fame, while also adding in behind-the-scenes information. It's a perfect novel for the modern girl who is interested in fame and fortune but also wants to stay grounded. (AS)

Back to top

Late Night Shopping - Carmen Reid (2008)

In this sequel to The Personal Shopper, mother of two Annie Valentine is still working as a personal shopper and image consultant at London's upmarket The Store. She also is building a thriving eBay company. But with a big tax bill looming, she still has higher ambitions - and when she discovers some fantastic shoes made by Timi Woo from Hong Kong, she decides to import them. Only problem is she hasn't told boyfriend Ed, a music teacher at her kids' school, about her plans - or that she's planning to refinance their house. Even a relaxing family getaway to Italy sees her occupied buying up handbags at factory stores. The story ends in a way that makes another follow-up book very likely.

Back to top

Late Night Talking - Leslie Schnur (2007)

Jeannie Sterling is a late-night New York radio show host, whose show Sterling Behavior targets everyday rude behaviour. She is trying to make the world a better place, one annoying person at a time. Everything from iPods at full volume, litterers, cutting in line or poor gym etiquette gets her talking turkey. In fact, she even calls a guy in a Hummer a 'turkey' when he splashes water on her while she's waiting for a cab. After she disses him on air, the Hummer driver, mogul Nicholas Moss, takes over her radio station. Pushed to increase ratings, Jeannie starts acting in ways that take her ranting much too far. With a best friend keeping a secret, a boyfriend keeping library books and a misbehaving dog keeping her panties, Jeannie looks like losing everything that's important to her.

Back to top

Learning Curves: A Novel of Sex, Suits and Business Affairs
- Gemma Townley (2006)

Recently separated from her eco-warrior boyfriend, environmental activist Jennifer Bell gets caught up in a feud between her divorced parents who are rival business consultants. Her mother Harriet, convinced her ex-husband George's firm is involved in shonky construction deals in post-tsunami Indonesia, talks Jennifer into infiltrating his firm by doing her MBA at Bell Consulting. Thinking she'll hate the corporate world, Jennifer is surprised to discover she has an aptitude for the business course and also falls for guest lecturer, Daniel Peterson. She begins to realise there's two sides to every story - in this case which side should she believe?

Back to top

Leopard Rock - Tarras Wilding (2009)

New Zealand magazine staffer Oriana "Roo" Beckett gets the chance of a lifetime when she wins a month-long trip to make a wildlife documentary in South Africa. She will be mentored by world-famous film-maker Wynand Kruger at Leopard Rock. Only problem is first she has to help her demanding boss Felice shoot a safari fashion spread on location. Despite dealing with storms, snakes and the Zulu dialect, Roo soon falls in love with much more than the mesmerising African landscape. The author obviously has a real affinity with Africa - this romance is one for nature lovers.

Back to top

Lessons in Heartbreak - Cathy Kelly (2008)

Three generations of an Irish family are affected by infidelity in different ways. Izzie Silver, who works for a modelling agency in New York, meets wealthy businessman Joe at a charity lunch. He tells her his marriage is over but he's still living in his family home for his children's sake. Back in her Irish hometown Tamarin, Izzie's aunt Anneliese discovers that her husband is moving in with her best friend. But before she is able to break the news to the family matriarch Lily, the elderly woman has a stroke and slips into a coma. It is Lily's slowly revealed story, about life as a nurse in London during World War II and a secret love affair, that makes up the most interesting chapters.

Back to top

Letters to a Love Rat - Niamh Greene (2009)

This is about three women who have all had their hearts stomped on by the same man, Charlie. Magazine writer Molly should be a radiant newly wed. But the honeymoon is certainly over when she finds Charlie's note saying he's left her - and reminding her to sort out the recycling. And now she's supposed to be writing a gushing feature on why she got married. Julie is writing a blog about the affair she's having with her newly married boss but she never expected him to leave his wife for her. And Eve still hasn't got over her break-up with Charlie a few years ago so her therapist is making her write him letters that she'll never send. A highlight was the amusing and varied ways the minor characters were linked to one another throughout the story.

Back to top

Let Them Eat Cake - Sandra Byrd (2007)

Francophile college graduate Lexi Stuart has just lost another office job and is back home living with her parents. So when she lands a job at a French cafe, run by flirty Frenchman Luc, she hopes to transform her low-paying counter job into the assistant manager's position. She begins enthusiastically learning all facets of the business, but things don't get off to a great start when she leaves a fridge open and messes up a big order placed by good-looking lawyer Dan. From the Christian lit stable, there's also a sub-plot about Lexi trying to find a home church.

Back to top

Life After Yes - Aidan Donnelley Rowley (2010)

This debut novel starts off with a dream. A dream in which Quinn O'Malley is a bride with too many grooms. One of the grooms is Quinn's boyfriend who has just recently proposed to her in Paris. Quinn now finds herself not only questioning her relationship with her fiance but also reconsidering her law career. On top of all that, Quinn is still mourning the loss of her father who tragically died on 9/11. Written in an honest and witty way, the reader is swept into Quinn's world, feeling her pain, frustration and moral dilemmas. (MY)

Back to top

Life As I Know It - Melanie Rose (2010)

aka Love Struck/Could It Be Magic?/Being Lauren (first published 2007)

Jessica Taylor has just met her dream man. It's too bad that just as she's getting a chance to know him, she is struck by lightning. Waking up in a hospital room, Jessica vaguely remembers what happened to her but can't understand why there is a strange man saying he is her husband standing near her bed. Soon, Jessica learns that she has woken up as Lauren Richardson, a married mother of four, who was also struck by lightning. In Jessica's real life, her only responsibility is her dog Frankie, which makes things difficult as people swarm around, asking her questions that she can't answer. Assuming at first that the doctors have simply mistaken her for someone else, Jessica later realises something strange is going on when the children are so relieved to see her alive. Deciding to go along with it, since she doesn't want to be admitted to the ward for crazy people, Jessica acts as if she is Lauren even though she knows nothing at all about her. The really odd thing is that whenever she goes to sleep as Lauren, she wakes up as Jessica and goes about her normal life as it was before the fateful lightning strike. As she realises that Lauren has died from her injuries and her own soul has somehow been split into two bodies, Jessica takes on Lauren's life with a newfound strength and passion. But past indiscretions that Lauren had made come back to haunt the family and threaten to tear them all apart. Written so smoothly as Jessica transitions from herself to Lauren and back again, this book is an absolute delight with a lot of heart and soul - and ultimately leads to a tragic ending that no one could have expected. (AS)

Back to top

Life Begins - Amanda Brookfield (2008)

If life begins at 40, then 39-year-old Charlotte is so ready to start again. She has recently divorced her husband who has moved in with his new girlfriend. She is unsuccessfully trying to sell her house to move closer to her son Sam's school and she may well be out of a job when the bookshop she works in changes hands. Plus Amanda's attracting attention from all the wrong men, including her real estate agent and her close friend's husband. Although it jumps around a bit confusingly between characters' viewpoints, many will not need to walk in Charlotte's shoes to totally empathise with her.

Back to top

Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo - Heather Wardell (2009)

Ever since the accident, Candice and her husband, Ian, have both been living under extreme states of emotional stresses, carrying the burden of guilt and also the pain of losing the ones they love so dearly. Two years of marriage suddenly becomes a fragile state - where they can no longer find themselves talking about the simplest things, or even looking each other in the eyes. When Ian leaves for a one-month stay in Bangladesh for volunteer work, Candice tries to get her life back in order but yet another unexpected surprise awaits her. A fantastic story of love and second chances; one that got me hooked right from the beginning to the very end! (XT)

Back to top

Life on the Refrigerator Door - Alice Kuipers (2007)

Claire is a 15-year-old student and her mother is a single mum who works as an obstetrician. They rarely find themselves in the same room at the same time, so they leave each other notes on the refrigerator door. What they don't realise at first is they are literally running out of time. When the mother is diagnosed with breast cancer, the notes become more poignant, especially when they realise they are wasting time arguing about Claire's boyfriend and who hasn't cleaned the rabbit's cage. It is such a short book (took me less than half an hour to read), that you feel as if you never really had the chance to get to know the characters properly. But maybe that was entirely the message the author wanted to convey.

Back to top

Life Swap - Jane Green (2005)

Vicky Townsley, features director of Poise magazine, is single, 35, lives in London and has fallen for a womanising TV star. She wants to try out a different life so in a competition she picks out Amber Winslow to swap lives with her. Amber is a married mother of two who lives in Connecticut and leads a competitive social life in the Women's League. Each will live in the other's shoes (including wearing their clothes) for a month. Is the grass really greener on the other side?

Back to top

Life's Too Short to Frost a Cupcake - Rosie Wilde (2008)

Alice met boyfriend Stephen at a group for anxiety sufferers and since then they have settled into a very routine home life with a tightly controlled budget. When Alice's boss at Carmichael Music is replaced by some Americans, she is offered the chance to leave London to work out of their New York office. Only problem is her first job is convincing country musician Wyatt Brown, a reformed alcoholic, to record a new album - and that means she's headed not for the bright lights of the Big Apple but a rural town in Ohio instead. Well that is if she can force herself to face her fear of flying first. As Alice starts settling into life in Barnsley - caring for a sick cow, speaking as an English child expert to the local mothers group, dating local businessman Gerry, even entering a cupcake competition against Heidi, the glamorous rival for Wyatt's affection - she wonders whether she really wants to return home - and to Stephen. With lots of quirky characters, this is one sweet book that may prove quite addictive. And it wins extra ratings points for being that bit different.

Back to top

Lipstick Jungle - Candace Bushnell (2005)

It's a jungle out there but for three New York businesswomen - magazine editor-in-chief Nico O'Neilly, movie executive Wendy Healy and fashion designer Victory Ford - they have risen to the top of their fields. Nico has a stellar career but the passion has gone out of her marriage. Will her attraction to a younger man (underwear model Kirby) derail her ambition to become the first female CEO of Splatch-Verner? Wendy, the president of Parador Pictures and mother of three, heads to Romania to sort out set problems on a potential Oscar-winning movie, as her marriage to Shane dissolves. And Victory's Fashion Week collection doesn't go down too well so she is forced into looking at partnership deals to keep her company afloat. As she starts dating cosmetic entrepreneur Lyne Bennett, she also learns lessons about what she wants from love.

Back to top

Lisa Maria's Guide for the Perplexed - Susan Hubbard (2004)

After being burnt by yet another work love affair, 29-year-old Lisa Marie Marino leaves her New York advertising job and moves back into her parents' home. Wanting to work only for women, she becomes a household assistant, aka maid. Sometimes blurring the line between who's the boss, Lisa Maria's slack approach to cleaning soon improves as she helps her clients to have better-run homes and lives. But then she takes on her first male client, author Robert McAllister, and falls for him. But being his cleaner means he can't keep any secrets, including the presence of another woman in his home. Meanwhile, Lisa Maria becomes a newspaper advice columnist, consulting musty old etiquette books to give her own brand of witty, down-to-earth advice.

Back to top

Little Black Everything - Alex Coleman (2009)

Holly Christmas is a no-nonsense 28-year-old teacher with a name that's entirely unsuited to her personality. She's also an obsessive wearer of black and has a track record of disastrous relationships. When her latest boyfriend dumps her for being too sarky, spiky and smart-arsey, she feels a terrible sense of deja vu. She's heard his complaints several times from other men. And while she tries to pretend she doesn't care, she can't ignore the shambles her love life is in. When a new teacher named James Bond joins Holly's school, Holly is faced with her antithesis. James is upbeat, affable and likeable. A conversation about their shared syndrome of attention-grabbing names is the beginning of an unlikely friendship, and as she gets to know James better, Holly can't help but be fascinated by his incessant cheeriness. But when fascination mutates into attraction, things start to get very messy. The male author presented a hugely convincing female narrative voice in The Bright Side, so I had high hopes for Little Black Everything. It didn't disappoint. I was pulled straight into the book by its easy-reading style and quick-fire dialogue. There's plenty of subtle, sophisticated humour too which is expertly embedded in each chapter. Holly's prickly nature doesn't make her an easy character to empathise with, but I found myself rooting for her nonetheless - something that I felt was a good achievement on the part of the author. If you're looking for an entertaining read with a quirky main character, this is one to keep an eye out for. (SBB)

Back to top

Little Earthquakes - Jennifer Weiner (2004)

One of my favourite all-time books, this is the story of three women who meet up at a prenatal yoga class. There's Becky, a plump chef who's at war with her mother-in-law; Kelly, an overachieving event planner who has to return to work after her husband loses his job; and Ayinde, who's married to basketball star Richard. Ayinde goes into labour after the class, so Kelly and Becky take her to hospital. Richard arrives just in time for the birth of Julian - smelling like perfume (. . . the things that make you go hmmm!)

Back to top

Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle (2007)

One-time wonder author Rebekah Kettle is neurotically obsessed. Not with her latest squeeze Isaac Myman who is a paparazzo or the quirky and annoying gossip columnist Ivy Vohles who wants to be her best bud. She is obsessed with cult filmmaker Arthur Weeman, whom funnily enough her boyfriend resembles. For more than two decades, Rebekah has religiously watched the release of Arthur's films each fall and tracked ever so carefully his movements around New York. While working part-time in her father's medical clinic, Rebekah comes across an elderly patient named Mrs Williams who lives in an Upper East Side apartment across from Arthur's and this offers her a voyeuristic glimpse into her idol's life. Rebekah creates a 13-year-old alter-ego Thalia who writes letters to Arthur detailing her days, thoughts and ideas. As Rebekah starts to discover a new side to her life, she decides to use the letter writing as a basis for her new book. This book has a mixture of sad and funny parts from her annoying and semi-stalking gossip columnist Ivy to her 35-year-old boyfriend wetting the bed. This book will keep you guessing the outcome and hooked to the very last page - and even then you will be surprised. (PP)

Back to top

Living La Vida Loca - Belinda Jones (2010)

Best friends Carmen and Beth are at a crossroads in their lives. The gorgeous Beth has been trying to get the lead in dance shows but always gets passed over and can only manage to get dodgy jobs in places she'd rather not be. The under-confident Carmen has a comfortable career as a costume designer but has just broken up with her abusive boyfriend Lee (again!) and really needs to break free of this unhealthy pattern. So, when the opportunity arises to try out for a reality TV show in which the leading lady (or ladies in this case) will dance their way through the troublesome tango in Argentina, the frisky flamenco in Spain and the scorching hot salsa in Cuba, the girls decide to try out. Making a few adjustments in order to land the role, the two girls find themselves whisked off on the adventure of a lifetime. Dancing their way through love, heartbreak and loads of gorgeous men, both Beth and Carmen find themselves being changed in ways they never expected. With an oppressive producer, a shy, lovelorn sound guy and a deceitful camera guy, the girls will return to London as changed women. Beth might finally lose some of her cynical attitude towards love and Carmen just may find that the true cure for heartbreak is closer than she ever thought. An essential read for those days when you need some inspiration or just want to enjoy a heart-warming story. (AS)

Back to top

Living Next Door to Alice - Marisa Mackle (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.

Back to top

Living Next Door to Alice - Marisa Mackle (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.

Back to top

London Is The Best City In America - Laura Dave (2006)

Three years ago, on the night before Independence Day, Emmy Everett made a decision to leave her fiance Matt and New York City. Now living on Rhode Island, she works as an assistant manager at a bait and tackle shop and is shooting a documentary about fishermen's wives awaiting the return of their husbands. With the July 4th weekend around the corner, she braces herself to return home for her brother's wedding. When Josh suddenly confesses to her that he has doubts about getting married to his long-time girlfriend Meryl because he might be in love with another woman, Emmy goes with her brother to see the mystery woman Elizabeth to help him make the right choice. It's an engaging read, with a very strong and realistic plot. Reese Witherspoon's production company has optioned the film rights, with Witherspoon slated to play Emmy. (XT)

Back to top

Looking for Andrew McCarthy - Jenny Colgan (2001)

Ellie is throwing herself an 80s-themed party for her 30th birthday and she wants to know why her life hasn't turned out to be like a John Hughes movie. She has just caught Billy, her saxophone-playing boyfriend, cheating on her (but he isn't as charismatic as Rob Lowe), she lives in a dingy flat with an appalling flatmate she calls Big Bastard (it looks nothing like Demi Moore's loft in St Elmo's Fire) and to top it all off she hates her job. Deciding that she really needs some answers from her Brat Pack crush Andrew McCarthy (remember Pretty in Pink, Mannequin and Weekend at Bernie's), Ellie pleads with her friends to join her on a quest across the Atlantic to find the low-key actor. A madcap adventure ensues, which begins with her telling her boss Mr Rooney (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, anyone, anyone?) to stick it, and sees her ringing all the A. McCarthys in the LA phone book. A must-read for Gen Xs who will love all the cultural references, from the Footloose-like highway near-miss to the Lost Boys-inspired policemen.

Back to top

Looking for Mr Goodbunny - Kathleen O'Reilly (2006)

Elle Sheffield may have survived redundancy, recreating herself as a life coach but her life's still far from perfect. She's in financial strife, her father's ending a 20-year jail term - and her trusty vibrator has died. But an embarrassing reunion with an old school friend outside a sex shop may just be the jumpstart her business needs.

Back to top

Losing It - Lindsay Faith Rech (2003)

Everyone thinks Diana Christopher is losing it. Especially considering she's just driven her car into the front window of a cafe. Since the death of her father in a car crash two decades before, Diana has literally become a HUGE disappointment to her mother. She is overweight, works night shift in a cafe and has never had a boyfriend. But a friendship with her elderly neighbour helps her start to shed weight and find a reason to live.

Back to top

Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst (2006)

Seven teams have come together to play a new reality TV game, Lost and Found, which is strikingly similar to The Amazing Race, where they have to fly to different cities in search of clues and find the objects so as to stay in the game. The contestants include Laura and Cassie, who are trying to improve their estranged mother-daughter relationship after Cassie's pregnancy. Carl and Jeff are divorced brothers, one serious and the other more of a goofball, and each has joined the game for different reasons. Justin and Abby, a married couple, are both trying to convince themselves of their newly found sexual identity. And for Juliet and Dallas, both child stars, they are getting in the game for more media exposure. It's a refreshing read, very different from what I usually read, as it explores how these different characters interact and deal with their own personal problems. (XT)

Back to top

Lost & Found - Jane Sigaloff (2003)

High-flying lawyer Sam Washington is on a flight back to London when she realises she's left her diary in a New York hotel room. As she fends off the unwanted advances of her firm's senior partner, she worries that not only could someone read her inner thoughts but there's a secret in there about her best friend EJ that the tabloids would love. When TV producer Ben Fisher turns up on her doorstep with her diary, she's suspicious that he's read it - after all he seems to know a lot about her. Does he want to get close to her because he's become smitten or does he want to reveal her embarrassing secrets?

Back to top

Lost and Found - Lucy Cavendish (2009)

The sequel to Samantha Smythe's Modern Family Journal, this book fleshes out the characters in the mother-of-three's life even more and proves to be a much stronger book. After Bennie nearly drowns while on holiday, Samantha decides that she wants to try for another baby - armed with a How to Get a Girl kit. But husband John is away building theatre sets and the schoolgate gossips believe she is having an affair with Ferrari-driving ex-footballer Gary. Meanwhile her Australian nanny Wendy seems to be shirking her responsibilities and her childhood friend Naomi turns up unexpectedly with her 10-year-old daughter Lexie in tow.

Back to top

Lost for Words - Lorelei Mathias (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.

Back to top

Love: A User's Guide - Clare Naylor (1997)

Vogue fashion assistant Amy often gets caught up in daydreams about the romantic heroes of literature. Then she meets film star Orlando Rock, who has played lots of these heroes on stage and screen. While she swoons, he decides she's just the non-celebrity kind of girl he's after. But Amy soon begins to get seduced by fame. Will stepping into the limelight, and into the pages of Hello, lose Amy her dream man?

Back to top

Love Bug - Zoe Barnes (2002)

Laurel Page has swapped cyberspace for managing an old-fashioned dating agency. And she's got an uphill battle ahead of her; because the agency owner refuses to change anything, Laurel can't introduce computers or even an orange filing cabinet. With a bad relationship behind her (boyfriend Jason slept with best friend Steph), Lauren has sworn off dating herself. But she soon finds herself attracted to client Gabriel. But then Steph turns up on the agency's books and gets set up with Gabriel.

Back to top

Love in Mid Air - Kim Wright (2010)

Elyse realises that her marriage has failed - it's just she needs to let her perfectly nice husband Phil know. She meets Gerry on a flight and after he leaves her with a passionate kiss and his business card, they embark on an intense affair. But as Elyse's friends tell her: "In novels women run off with their lovers. In real life women stay." As Elyse contemplates ending her marriage - she only earns a bit of money from her pottery; she's got their daughter Tory to consider - the couple end up in counselling. This is one sharp debut about a wife in a stale marriage trying to let some fresh air into her life.

Back to top

Love in the Making - Roisin Meaney (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.

Back to top

Love In Translation - Wendy Nelson Tokunaga (2009)

Meet Celeste Duncan, she has no family, a dead-end career and a boyfriend who won't do anything due to a perfection complex. Out of the blue, Celeste receives a phone call telling her that an aunt has passed away, which Celeste thinks is odd since she has been in foster care since the age of 10 when the system couldn't find any living relatives. Over the next few days, she receives a box of heirlooms that might just lead her to the question she's been asking all her life - who is my father? On an impulse, Celeste catches a plane to Japan where she meets a mixture of characters including the Kubotas, her homestay family; Mariko, her crazy Japanese language instructor; and Sakuri Santora, the host of a TV show and the ex-girlfriend of Takuya (the guy Celeste accidentally asked to marry). (PP)

Back to top

Love Lies - Adele Parks (2009)

Fern is turning 30 and feels her life is going nowhere - stuck in a dead-end relationship and a tiny apartment, she dreams of getting so much more from life. Once upon a time her relationship with Adam was amazing but Fern wants the fairytale, the ring, and all that comes with it. Then along comes Scottie Taylor, England's sexiest pop star, who whisks her into a life with glitz, glamour and envy and includes a big ring to go with it! Will Fern fall in love with her new-found charmed life or will she discover that her happily ever after was more close to home than she originally thought? Although at times a bit slow to get to the point, this is a witty and clever chick lit novel with a twist that you'll never expect. (GF)

Back to top

Love, Life and Linguine - Melissa Jacobs (2006)

Mimi Louis is a restaurant consultant who has opened several restaurants in Philadelphia and recently turned her nobody chef boyfriend into a celebrity chef. However, when she finds out that her beloved boyfriend, Nick, is not the man she thought he was, she returns home to Jersey to stay with her mum and throw herself into rescuing her late father's cafe. Two men emerge as love interests, as her diva (err libido) talks to her about which man is worth "boinking". Mimi's diva is not the only thing speaking to her throughout the story, as she has constant conversations with Olga, her suitcase, and Sally, her father's Mustang that she now drives. While Mimi seems to have a lot of chatter going on in her head, the book lacks some excitement and strong connection with the characters. There is also a lack of food chatter overall, making the title a bit misleading. It should be called, Love, Life and Listening to Your Diva. (CC)

Back to top

Love Nest - Julia Llewellyn (2010)

Grace is heartbroken at the thought of having to sell her childhood home Chadlicote Manor but after nursing her dearly departed mother for the last few years and having the house fall into disrepair, how can she possibly afford to keep it? Karen's husband falls in love with the manor house and starts making plans to move to the country but is Karen's heart really in it? Gemma and Alex are hoping to start a family and move out of their swanky pad into a more family-orientated home but will their dream of having a baby ever come true? Meanwhile, rock star Nick is on the search for a bachelor pad and sets his sights firmly on both his real estate agent Lucinda and the gorgeous apartment she shows him but what exactly are they both hiding? Although this book has a number of main characters, the story flows effortlessly between them and makes it the perfect book for snuggling up on the sofa with. (KC)

Back to top

Love Or Something Like It - Deirdre Shaw (2009)

"When I get to my thirties, I'll know what I'm doing." Lacey Brennan has been questioning her impulsive decision to give up her job and life in New York to move to Hollywood with her talented comedian boyfriend, Toby. But this uncertainty recedes when Toby proposes on her 30th birthday - suddenly everything seems to fall in place. However, her happiness is short-lived when Toby can't get a job and their marriage starts to crack. Lacey also struggles with the negative atmosphere in her new TV job and her own family dramas, including her brother suddenly taking off. Lacey starts to wonder if being 30 will really make her mature enough to make the right decisions in life. This is an edgy, bittersweet story about growing up and learning that sometimes letting go is perhaps the best way. (XT)

Back to top

Love Potions - Christina Jones (2006)

Things start going amiss in Bagley-cum-Russet when beauty therapist Sukie Ambrose finds a naked man in her bed and discovers her aromatherapy oils are jetting off on someone else's honeymoon. So she ignores the warnings of a village old-timer and uses the plants in her cottage garden to supply her massage oils. Suddenly her clients start falling in love with the most unlikely characters. But should Sukie use the potions in her own love spell or should she leave her flatmate's boyfriend well alone?

Back to top

Love the One You're With - Emily Giffin (2008)

Ellen is still in her first year of marriage to lawyer Andy when she bumps into her ex-boyfriend Leo on a busy New York street. It's the first time she's seen him since he left her heartbroken without explanation. And despite her best intentions that it's safer to keep Leo out of her life, he sets her up with a photographer's assignment of a lifetime - shooting a magazine cover of superstar Drake Watters in LA. As Ellen becomes increasingly preoccupied with the one that got away, she wonders whether she is meant to settle for a privileged yet suburban life in Atlanta with Andy, her best friend's brother.

Back to top

Love Walked In - Marisa de los Santos (2005)

From the moment I started reading this book, I was hooked. Thinking this was going to be your typical fun, light chick lit read where a "30-something girl meets the man of her dreams," I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was so much more than I expected. Cornelia Brown is a romantic. Her idea of the perfect man is Cary Grant. When he walks into her cafe in the form of Martin Grace, she feels her life is about to change. What she doesn't realise is just how much your life can change once you open your heart to love. But Cornelia's romance with Martin doesn't last. However, her relationship with his estranged daughter, Clare, goes above and beyond her expectations. Through life's ups and downs, beautifully written in alternating chapters, Cornelia and Clare discover they have a special bond and try to figure out how their love can exist in today's highly categorised world. I finished the book wanting more; to know what happens with these wonderful characters after our brief glance into their lives. A must-read for anyone who likes a well-written story and characters you can't stop thinking about long after you've finished the book. (LEK)

Back to top

Lucky Chica - Berta Platas (2009)

For anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to win that big lottery prize, here's your chance to live vicariously through the story of Rosie Caballero. Cuban-American Rosie is having an awful time. She barely has enough money to buy dog food for her poodle, Tootsie, and within the next few days her utilities will be shut off. Sick and tired of being poor, Rosie uses part of a $5 bill that was blown under her foot to buy a lottery ticket for the biggest jackpot in Georgia's history - $600 million. The following day, late for work as always, Rosie takes an extra few minutes to return to the store to check the winning numbers. To her shock, Rosie has all six numbers. She's just become one of the richest people on the planet! Rosie shares her good fortune with her charming cousin Cheeto and her grandmother, deciding to split the prize with them. After taxes they will all receive a little over $100 million. The first thing they do is go shopping. Rosie gets a makeover, transforming from her drab self into a glamorous woman she doesn't recognise. While her grandmother is off on a series of cruises with her card-playing friends, and Cheeto is buying a huge house dubbed the Lotto Palace by the tabloids, Rosie is lonely and slightly sad that she has no one to share her life with. That all changes when she starts making donations to celebrity foundations and attending parties that are filled with the hottest stars. She even gets to meet her favourite movie star and the most handsome guy on earth, Brad Merritt. Rosie and Brad soon begin a whirlwind romance and everything seems so different from her old life of poverty and dateless nights. But when a predatory lawyer changes everything for the Caballeros, Rosie has to come to terms with the fact that her new life just may be over. Purely escapist and filled with every woman's fantasies, you won't want to put this book down until you reach the very last page - not even to duck out and buy your own lottery ticket. (AS)

Back to top

Lucy Blue, Where Are You? - Louise Harwood (2005)

Lucy Blue is not the sort of girl to pick up a handsome stranger at a snow-bound airport and she's certainly not the sort to leap into bed with him at a motorway motel . . . but this is a special day and in any case they'll never meet again. But after Lucy and Jude part after the long road trip from Scotland to London, she sees signs at her local tube station, asking Lucy Blue, where are you? There was something charming about Lucy Blue and her story.

Back to top

Lucy Springer Gets Even - Lisa Heidke (2009)

When Lucy Springer's husband Max tells her he's had enough, she thinks he's talking about his Thai takeaway. But then he walks out, with his surfboard under his arm, and the next thing she hears from him is a postcard from Bali. And it soon becomes apparent that he has not taken off alone. Nor could Max have picked a worse time to walk out, with their house resembling a dustbowl during major renovations and Lucy, a former soap actress, trying to get a role - any role - with the help of her overly pushy agent Gloria. Lucy decides to take matters into her own hands, and follows Max to Bali with their two children. Join Lucy on her two-month journey from disbelief and despair - to so much more.

Back to top

Lucy in the Sky - Paige Toon (2007)

Lucy is heading back to Sydney for the wedding of her best friend Molly and Sam, a guy Lucy has always had a crush on. As Lucy gets on a flight from Heathrow, she's gets a text message, supposedly from another woman claiming she's slept with Lucy's boyfriend James. After an excruciatingly long flight, James' excuses just don't add up - after all he's a lawyer who has a habit of stretching the truth. Enjoying herself back in her hometown, Lucy finds herself drawn to Sam's younger brother, Nathan, a laidback surfer. A first-class read with lots of humour.

Back to top

Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married - Marian Keyes (1997)

Lucy and some of her friends visit a fortune teller and the tarot cards tell her that she is getting married. Without an eligible man in sight, Lucy writes it off until other predictions made about her friends start coming true.

Back to top

Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him - Danielle Ganek (2007)

Mia McMurray is one of the gallery girls in the New York City art scene. From her post behind her desk at the Simon Pryce Gallery, she watches as the world goes by and as everyone realises their dreams but her, or so it seems. Mia is an aspiring painter and by taking this job she expected for her life to change. And it does, just not the way she expected. She is in the gallery for one of the new showings when the artist of the hour is suddenly killed by a taxi right outside the gallery. Soon the artist's works are an absolute necessity for any serious collector. And in the competitive art world, there are no rules. In a novel which sparkles with wit, humour, love and lust, Danielle Ganek masterfully explores the inner workings of the art world and what some people will do to be included in it. (SN)

Back to top

Lush - Vanessa Johnson (2010)

As the cliche goes, Lydia Kyriacos has it all - the gorgeous, stylish flat situated in Notting Hill Gate (like the movie), a long-term banker boyfriend called Marcus, a great job as an account director at an advertising firm and awesome friends who really know how to party. But her perfect life is about to start crumbling. On the night of their fifth anniversary, Lydia arrives home to find a note from Marcus saying he's leaving her. Also her company is making people redundant due to the recession and if Lydia doesn't pull up her socks then she's top on their list. If that wasn't stressful enough, she has bouquets of flowers coming out of ears, her friend is in love with a Swedish children's entertainer whose band is the equivalent to The Wiggles and her competition is trying to stop her from succeeding on the account that could save her career and boost her rep. To top it off Lydia realises that "yes, I'm an alcoholic". Can she stop drinking and turn her life around for the better or is it too late? This shows readers that no matter how hard or terrible life can become, there is always an open window of opportunity where you can see the light and come out of the experience for the better. An excellent read of love, holiday flings and those surprises round every corner. (PP)

Back to top