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Salaam, Paris - Kavita Daswani (2006)
Tanaya Shah has always been captivated by Paris - ever since watching Audrey Hepburn in the movie Sabrina. So when her grandfather decrees she will marry the grandson of one of his friends - a man living in Paris - Tanaya seizes the opportunity to leave her traditional Muslim family and head to France. But when she meets her intended, Tariq, she makes it clear that she does not want an arranged marriage. After refusing to return to India, she is disowned by her family. Tanaya soon finds her way in her new world, becoming a successful model. But when she meets up with Tariq again, Tanaya begins to wonder about the life she walked away from.
5/10
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Sammy's Hill - Kristin Gore (2004)
As the daughter of former US vice-president Al Gore, the author has used her insider's view of political life in Washington to create a book that the critics have likened to a blend of The West Wing meets Sex and the City. Samantha Joyce is making her mark in Washington as a health care advisor for an up-and-coming senator, Robert Gray of Ohio. But she still has time to be prepared for anything, like refining her defence tactics for wild animal attacks or practising dressing for work with only one arm, just in case. And when her BlackBerry isn't reminding her of significant events, like the 29th anniversary of The Partridge Family TV series finale, she's encouraging her favourite telemarketers to call more often or trying to stop her Japanese fighting fish from committing hara-kiri. Then Sammy falls for Aaron Driver, a hot-shot speechwriter for another not-so-nice senator John Bramen. She mistakenly sends a risqué email message for Aaron to 200 of Washington's power players and her humiliation is compounded when the story makes The Washington Post. But Sammy bounces back when Gray gets selected as the running mate of a presidential contender.
8/10
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Sari & Sins - Nisha Minhas (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.
4/10
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Scot on the Rocks - Brenda Janowitz (2007)
Manhattan attorney Brooke Miller has no qualms about attending her ex-boyfriend's wedding to a Hollywood actress. After all she'll be with her Scottish boyfriend Douglas, who'll probably have put a ring on her own finger by then. But when Douglas breaks up with her, she desperately needs someone else to fill his kilt on the day. With best friend Vanessa and colleague Jack in tow, Brooke heads off to LA, determined to survive the wedding with her dignity ever-so-slightly intact. After all, they've crammed up on Scottish facts, her bikini line is waxed and she's got a shiny (but fake) sparkler on her ring finger. But will lost luggage, a high school nemesis and a rogue Australian accent be her undoing? Brooke is an engaging character who'll keep you smiling as she lurches from mishap to mishap.
8/10
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Second Chance - Jane Green (2007)
When Tom is killed in a terrorist attack on a train, his death brings together a group of friends that haven't seen each other for 20 years. Holly is now not-so-happily married to pompous lawyer Marcus and has two young children. Saffron is a small-time actress still waiting for her big break - and for her secret boyfriend, actor superstar Pearce, to leave his wife. Freelance journalist Paul is married to successful businesswoman Anna, but they are desperately trying to have children. Olivia works at an animal shelter and is still getting used to being single after her long-time lover left her. It seems even in death, Tom's influence over his friends is far from over. Holly finds herself drawn to his younger brother Will; Olivia goes on a blind date with one of his American colleagues; and Saffron has to face up to her addiction. Will Tom's tragic death help them find the strength to make a fresh start - and rediscover the power of friendship?
7/10
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Secret Celebrity - Carol Wolper (2002)
Christine Chase, a divorced 35-year-old filmmaker, decides to do a documentary on elusive actor and musician Richard Gault, who went underground in the 1970s.
4/10
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Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA - Ellen Meister (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.
7/10
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Secrets of the Hollywood Girls Club - Maggie Marr (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.
6/10
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Seeing Me Naked - Liza Palmer (2008)
Elisabeth Page is having a hard time living up to her wealthy family's expectations. The daughter of a legendary novelist and well-bred socialite and the sister of a literary wunderkid, she's just a pastry chef - even though she works in the hottest French restaurant in LA. Her five-year plan to open her own patisserie hasn't eventuated after 11 years and she is still dating (if you can call it that) her family-approved childhood sweetheart Will, a globe-trotting journalist who's rarely home. Elisabeth's life is going nowhere - her routine takes her from the food markets, to the restaurant and back home to catch up on TiVoed shows. But then she meets basketball coach Daniel Sullivan, who bids on a cooking lesson with her, and he's everything that her family and Will are not. Her career also looks like taking on a different direction when she gets approached to host a Food Network TV show. Can she find success - and love - on her own terms? A fully flavoured book about food, family dynamics and finding your way.
7/10
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See Jane Date - Melissa Senate (2001)
Assistant editor Jane Gregg thinks her life will be perfect once she gets a promotion and finds a man. And she enlists her friends' help in setting her up with blind dates. But first she has to make it through her cousin Dana's wedding as a bridesmaid in peach; and edit her childhood nemesis Natasha Nutley's memoirs about her affair with a famous actor.
7/10
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Serendipity - Melanie La'Brooy (2007)
When Australian magazine sub-editor Hero Hathway meets Oscar Martin bar-tending on her last night in New York, she is masquerading as trapeze artist Lola. Sparks fly but the next day when Hero panics and runs away, it's the end of the affair. Two years later, they bump into each other in Sydney and he is determined to show her that they are in love with one another - except Hero is about to get engaged to another man.
7/10
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Sex as a Second Language - Alisa Kwitney (2006)
Katherine Miner is a teacher of English as a second language but it's just her day job until she can score another acting gig. As her divorce to actor Logan progresses, Kat is asked to audition for her former daytime soap role. Then her estranged father makes contact with her and an Icelandic student moves in as her boarder. Suddenly Kat is questioning herself about who she can trust.
4/10
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She's Got Issues - Stephanie Lessing (2005)
Despite stepping off on the wrong floor and walking into the wrong interview, Chloe Rose lands a job on Issues magazine. Although she is only an assistant to the assistant in the promotions department, clueless Chloe dreams of one day rising to be shoe editor (not that the magazine has such a position). Even though she falls foul of the editors, who write a bitchy column about an overly ambitious, manipulative assistant, life is still good because she's got access to the shoe closet. Then she meets Stan, who might just be able to help her put her right foot forward.
6/10
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Since I Don't Have You - Louise Candlish (2007)
At the birth of their daughters, best friends Rachel, Mariel and Jenny vow to care for each other's girls if disaster strikes. And in a mother's worst nightmare, disaster does strike when the girls are six - Rachel's daughter Emma dies and she flees her home and husband and heads to Oia, on the Greek island of Santorini, where her mother was brought up. As Rachel slowly tries to deal with her grief, she realises she owes the girls left behind - and hires a private detective, Johnny Palmer, to send updates on their progress. A moving tale of a heartbroken woman finding the will to live after her greatest loss.
8/10
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Single White E-mail - Jessica Adams (1998)
Take yourself back to the world of the 1990s, when the internet was still a strange world understood only by computer boffins and it was rare to have an email address. Touted as the Down Under version of Bridget Jones's Diary, this book is based in Sydney, so there's lots of local flavour for Australian readers but it is still written in a way to have universal appeal. Dumped on her 30th birthday by Dan, the man she thought she was going to marry, Victoria Shepworth is feeling so desperate she cuts her hair (you know the rule: new haircut = new life), has a fling with an advertising colleague and spends a fortune of fortune tellers - one of which tells her that she'll meet her soulmate through computers. With the help of neighbour Bill the Boffin, Victoria goes online where she meets Pierre Dubrois, an Englishman in Paris. But things start going awry one night when she finds out her mystery man isn't all that he first appeared.
8/10
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Shoe Addicts Anonymous - Beth Harbison (2007)
Helene discovers in a shoe shop that her politician husband has cancelled her credit cards; waitress Lorna is deep in debt but can't resist checking out eBay bargains on designer shoes; Sandra is agoraphobic so pays her shoe bills by working as a sex-phone operator; and Joss is an overworked nanny who is just desperate to get out of the house. These four women come together each Tuesday night for a meeting of Shoe Addicts Anonymous - to swap shoes and life stories.
7/10
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Shopaholic Abroad - Sophie Kinsella (2001)
Also known as Shopaholic Takes Manhattan
In the second instalment of the series, Rebecca Bloomwood is now a financial adviser on a morning TV show and having settled her debts, her new motto is Buy Only What You Need. But then the Big Apple's luxury department stores and designer sales beckon when she moves with boyfriend Luke Brandon to New York. But will Becky's extravagant spending habits return to ruin their Manhattan life?
7/10
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Shopaholic & Baby - Sophie Kinsella (2007)
Rebecca Brandon is back with a bump . . . and is househunting for the perfect home with a Shoe Room in time for the arrival of their first child. After discovering that shopping cures morning sickness, she embarks on getting everything ready for the baby - from five prams, two nurseries and a celebrity obstetrician. But as she shops for two, she fears there are three in her marriage - her glamorous doctor is Luke's former college girlfriend, Venetia. Could Becky's marriage crumble before her baby is born?
7/10
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Shopaholic & Sister - Sophie Kinsella (2004)
Rebecca Brandon (nee Bloomwood) returns to London after a 10-month honeymoon travelling the world with Luke. As two lorries deliver her honeymoon purchases, her long-lost half-sister Jess turns up to meet her father. Rebecca, who had thought she was an only child, embraces her new sister but is disturbed to find she's a skinflint who hates shopping. But is Rebecca willing to learn some frugal ways in a bid to strengthen sibling ties?
6/10
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Shopaholic Ties the Knot - Sophie Kinsella (2002)
Rebecca Bloomwood is now a personal shopper at Barney's in New York when boyfriend Luke Brandon proposes. Rebecca gets stuck into planning her wedding but the trouble is her mum wants a backyard wedding at home while Luke's frosty society mother books The Plaza in New York. How is Becky going to pull off two weddings on either side of the Atlantic?
7/10
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Sleeping Over - Stacey Ballis (2005)
Spending the night together does not always mean romance is on the cards for these five friends. Fresh from a stint in the Peace Corps, Jess is staying with a family friend, Harrison, a sexy doctor, until she can find a place of her own. Chef Robin has a crush on restaurant owner Michael, while Lilith is carrying a torch for an actor. Anne meets her dream guy, while her sister Beth reconnects with a former classmate.
5/10
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Sleeping Partners - Lou Wakefield (2004)
Pauline Watkins decides her routine life needs some excitement - her sex life with husband Mick certainly does. She hopes a change of scenery will do the trick, so puts her council estate semi in Leicester, England, into a house swap scheme on the internet. In Australia, Lorna Mackenzie wants to get her cheating spouse Greg away from his lover. Her mum wanting to attend a family wedding in Leicester offers the perfect excuse. Soon the Watkins and their rebellious teenager Gemma move into their palatial Melbourne abode, with use of the BMW and yacht thrown in. And Lorna, Greg and June move into the Watkins' crowded house.
5/10
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Sleeping with Ward Cleaver - Jenny Gardiner (2008)
Claire Doolittle is not-so-happily married to Jack, who has morphed from dream man into a modern version of bossy, dull Ward Cleaver of 50s sitcom fame. Sex has been relegated to a Sunday night chore, her body is showing signs of her five pregnancies and with little help around the house she tells Jack, that unlike Jerry Maguire's famous line of “you complete me”, he diminishes her. But while their marriage needs resuscitation, it seems both partners can still attract the opposite sex. An old boyfriend gets back in touch with Claire while one of Jack's sexy, young colleagues turns on the charm. Will they both be tempted or can they ignite their passion for each other? This debut novel, winner of the American Title III competition, is an engaging, thought-provoking and humorous insight into what happens when harried meets surly. You won't be sleeping til you've finished it.
8/10
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Smart vs. Pretty - Valerie Frankel (2001)
The Greenfield sisters - Frank the smart one and Amanda the pretty one - are going to have to put their differences aside to save their family coffee shop. When marketing student Clarissa walks through their door, brimming with ideas such as running a Mr Coffee of the Week competition and renaming the shop Romancing the Bean, it seems their worries are over. Or is more trouble brewing? With a dead body, grudges galore, a revolving cast of characters that are hard to keep track of, and dialogue that's weaker than a skinny decaf latte - this book was nothing like I expected. Look elsewhere if you want a good chick lit read about sibling rivalry.
4/10
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Someday My Prince Will Come - Jerramy Fine (2008)
Jerramy Fine was raised by hippie parents in Colorado, all the time believing that she was switched at birth and actually came from an aristocratic background. Fascinated by royalty, at six she spies the Queen's first grandson Peter Phillips' name on the Windsor family tree and decides then and there that he's her future husband. She even sends a few letters to him c/o Buckingham Palace. As a young adult, she heads to a faraway kingdom (England) to study and circulate in noble circles. Most of the men she meets are appalling (I actually think she'd have done better with the likes of the Mitchell brothers from Eastenders) but Jerramy just couldn't keep away from any guy with a posh accent and floppy Hugh Grant hair. Having taught herself etiquette courtesy of Debrett's and styled herself along the lines of Grace Kelly, she is soon receiving invites to ring in the new millennium in an Indian royal palace and proposals to marry a gay aspiring politician. Along the way, she rubs shoulders with royals including Princess Anne (Peter's mother), Diana's brother Earl Spencer and Fergie. But just as it looks like Jerramy's time in England has come to a miserable end, her prince appears. It may sound a crazy thing to do but Fine's tale about searching for her Prince Charming and believing in the power of dreams is truly enchanting.
7/10
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So 5 Minutes Ago - Hilary De Vries (2004)
Being a celebrity publicist at a Los Angeles PR firm isn't the glamour job Alex Davidson thought it would be. When her firm is bought out by a rival agency wanting to chase bigger clients, it looks like her boss and many of the staff will be forced out. But Alex can't seem to fall out of favour with the new boss, Doug Graydon, known as G. Something just doesn't add up. As Alex handles an actor just out of rehab and romantic interest from a New York-based colleague, can she keep her wits about her and find out what G is up to.
4/10
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Some Like It Haute - Julie K.L Dam (2006)
Style writer Alex Simons, a woman who keeps track of her designer label outfits by spreadsheet, is in Paris to report on Fashion Week. But she herself is catapulted into the tabloids after a humiliating tangle with a model on the Chanel catwalk. Cornered by the paparazzi, she is then thrown together with another person making trouble at the shows - American Nick Snow. Can Alex resurrect her reputation with a story about a reclusive designer amid some romance?
7/10
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Some Nerve - Jane Heller (2006)
Celebrity journalist Ann Roth is under pressure to get the big interview with media-averse actor Malcolm Goddard. After seducing him with his favourite cheesecake, he grants the interview but only if it happens while he's piloting his Cessna. But Ann has a huge fear of flying - and Malcolm knows this. When she bottles out of the interview, a furious boss fires her from Famous magazine. Heading home to Missouri, she learns that Malcolm is headed for the local hospital - under an alias - for heart treatment. Seeing her chance for payback and a ticket back to Famous, Ann becomes a hospital volunteer with the intention of befriending Malcolm and then worming out of him his life story. But is she willing to risk everything for the big story?
6/10
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Something Blue - Emily Giffin (2005)
In the sequel to Something Borrowed, Darcy Rhone's charmed life is shattered after she loses her fiancé, Dex, to her ex-best friend. Unwilling to be alone, she moves in with Dex's best friend Marcus but they soon break up. Darcy, who then discovers she's pregnant, heads to London to stay with a school friend, Ethan, while she tries to put her life back together.
8/10
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Something Borrowed - Emily Giffin (2004)
Attorney Rachel White has always been the consummate good girl - until her 30th birthday. After too many drinks, she ends up in bed with her best friend's fiancé, Dex. They then continue their secret relationship as his wedding to Darcy approaches. What best friend would ever do that? But there's always two sides to every story: Rachel has always lived in the shadow of her often selfish best friend. Darcy has effortlessly breezed through life getting exactly what she wants, while Rachel's just had to watch from the sidelines. Rachel needs to decide what is more important - friendship or true love. Giffin writes from both friends' perspectives - Rachel then Darcy's - in a book that tops the favourites list for many chicklit readers.
9/10
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Special Delivery - Zoe Barnes (2007)
Ally Bennett is happily married to social worker Luke, with two young children. But for years she's been living in the shadow of her older sister, Miranda, a former model who is now a successful interior designer and married to wealthy property developer Gavin. But what Ally didn't realise is Miranda is missing something from her perfect life - and all the IVF attempts in the world have failed to give her a much-wanted baby. When Miranda turns to Ally to be a surrogate and carry her husband's baby, Ally isn't sure how to respond. Could she ever hand over a baby to someone else, especially Miranda? With an increasingly absent husband and an overly attentive brother-in-law, the implications of Ally's decision will be felt for much longer than nine months.
7/10
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Spinning Around - Catherine Jinks (2004)
Mother-of-two Helen's life is sent into a spin when a friend tells her she saw her husband, Matt, looking too cosy at a lunch with The Girl with Purple Hair. Rather than confront Matt directly, Helen starts checking their phone accounts, rifling through his drawers and employing a private detective.
6/10
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Straight Talking - Jane Green (1997)
TV producer Tasha is still in therapy after her boyfriend, Simon, broke up with her. Three years later, he rings her morning chat show for a Love Betrayals segment, where he reveals that he did in fact cheat on her. Tasha's latest love affair has also just ended, after she moved her toothbrush into the guy's house. And her next lover makes it quite clear he isn't looking for a relationship. The only man she can depend on is friend Adam, until he admits he wants more than just friendship. With lots of advice from her three girlfriends, Tasha investigates whether lust or love is more important.
6/10
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Strange Bedfellows - Jennifer Crusie (2003)
Tess Newhart knows her former boyfriend Nick isn't right for her - he's an uptight Republican trying to make partner; she was brought up in a commune and works as a teacher. Still he talks her into going away for a weekend for a meeting with a prospective client that could make or break his career. The outspoken Tess takes an immediate dislike to the client, author Norbert Welch, and also finds herself fighting her attraction to her ex again.
5/10
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Sushi for Beginners - Marian Keyes (2000)
Magazine editor Lisa Edwards is sent to Dublin to launch Colleen magazine. But despite her demotion in the professional world, Irish MD Jack Devine could turn out to be the consolation prize. And then there's her over-anxious, always-prepared deputy, Ashling Kennedy, ready to help her succeed. Will Ashling learn to stand up for herself, particularly to her often devious best friend, Clodagh Kelly, who is trying to get back into the workforce after having two kids.
7/10
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Sushi for One? - Camy Tang (2007)
Lex Sakai is about to become the OSFC (Oldest Single Female Cousin) of the family. This makes her a target of her infuriating grandma, who decrees that she will pull funding from the volleyball team Lex coaches unless she brings a boyfriend to the next family wedding. And grandma is quite willing to keep sending men Lex's way until one sticks. As a Christian, Lex is inspired by Ephesians to compile her own list of traits for the perfect man. But the one man she keeps running into, physical therapist Aidan, doesn't seem to fit the requirements on her list. As Lex battles to find another team sponsor, a serious injury brings Aidan into her life even more. A very promising, witty debut from Tang.
7/10
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Swimming Upstream Slowly - Melissa Clark (2006)
Sarah Salter is on the fast track to success, as executive producer of a hit children's TV show. She's even being profiled as one of LA's “20 Under 30s - Ones to Watch”. But during a routine pap smear, Sarah is astounded to discover she's pregnant - she hasn't had sex for more than two years! A specialist reveals that she's experienced a medical anomaly and unwittingly hosted a lazy sperm that has taken its time to reach her egg. Now Sarah has to track down her past lovers to test which one is the father. And a reporter may well be on the trail of medicine's quirkiest story of the year.
6/10
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Switchcraft - Lowri Turner (2004)
Emma and Gill may be identical twins but their lives are very different. Emma works in the fashion industry, is married to Max and has a teenage step-daughter. Gill works in a pub, shares with flatmates and doesn’t even have a boyfriend. Fed up with their own lives, they decide to swap.
6/10