I was delighted when Author Tracie Bannister approached me to offer me her new book to read and review. I have already read and loved quite a few of Tracie’s books, so I accepted the request immediately. I had high hopes of thoroughly enjoying her book, and my hopes became reality within the first chapter!
Description:
The party is over for bikini model Izzy Alvarez. For six years she’s made a good living by flaunting her God-given assets on runways and in front of cameras, but now as she approaches the big 3-0, the bodacious Latina is shocked to learn she’s aged out of the profession that’s kept her in mojitos, mani/pedis, and designer thongs. What’s a girl with a taste for the finer things in life and no marketable skills to do?
Getting a regular job is too boring to even consider, so Izzy decides to follow in the footsteps of her newly-engaged frenemy and become a trophy wife. Although she’s desperate and too broke to get a chipped nail fixed, Izzy still has standards for her future husband, which means no uggos, no vertically-challenged guys, and no geezers who need to pop a blue pill to perform in the bedroom. Enlisting the aid of her computer whiz nephew and her closest pals, Izzy goes on the prowl for a rich, marriage-minded man, encountering likely candidates in a lot of unlikely places.
The high life she’s dreamed of may be within reach when Izzy meets a charming, successful man who’s not only hotter than a steamy summer night in Miami, but ready to settle down. Now all Izzy has to do is make sure her loud, crazy Cuban family doesn’t scare off el hombre perfecto—oh, yeah, and squelch those pesky, romantic feelings she keeps having for the sweet, cash-strapped guy she’s known forever.
Will Izzy’s hunger for money win out, or will her fiery heart demand to be heard?
Published January 24th 2018
My Thoughts:
Izzy As Is is a total chick lit, fun, flirty read. The type of book that you can enjoy with cocktails and snacks! The Author sent me virtual cocktails and Cuban snacks while I was reading this! I have taken quite a liking to Cuban food too after reading this book!
The cover of the book is gorgeous and after I had finished the book, I went back to examine the cover and saw more in it than I had before I started. I love it when that happens.
When I read the first few pages, I wasn’t very impressed with the main character Izzy! Then by the time I got to chapter 3, I was disappointing in myself that I had judged Izzy on a few pages. By chapter 4, I loved her!! I amused myself with my character judgement! Izzy is fun, full of life and makes the most of every minute and all her assets. She is brilliant.
This is the perfect kind of escapism book that you can read and laugh over the funny situations that Izzy gets herself into. The kind of book that takes you away from whats going on in real life and gives you a trip to Miami, sun, cocktails andlots of amusing dating tales!
I was a late finder of the Tracie Bannister talent. But now that I have found her, she is my go to chick lit Author, along with Nicola May and Sophie Kinsella.If you like either of these Authors, you will love Tracie Bannister’s work too.
If you have read this or any other of Tracie Bannister’s books, let me know your thoughts. Does Izzy As Is sound like a fun read to you? Can you recommend any other fun chick lit reads? Let me know in the comment section, I love to hear from you.
When Author Nicola May asked me if I would like to read and review her new book, Love Me Tinder, I jumped at the chance. The title itself, just oozes comedy. I was sure it was going to be good. I have read only 1 of Nicola May’s books before and that was TheSW19 Club. I loved the way that this was written, and it was a book that made me both laugh and cry. I was hoping Love Me Tinder would just make me laugh…..and it did. I loved it. I am also happy to know that there are quite a few more books by this Author that I have yet to read. Always a good thing after enjoying one of a talented Author’s books.
Description:
Dull security or risky freedom – which would you choose?
With her marriage in pieces, shy Cali Summers is faced with this decision and hits the world of fast love on an internet dating app.
Using room 102 in the hotel where she works as her dating ‘lair’, she opens herself up to a world of sex, lies, deception, as well as personal discovery and passionate love.
With a charming F1 engineer, a handsome army officer and her adulterous ex all on the scene, a predictable love match is far from on the cards.
Published July 31st 2016 by Accent Press
My Thoughts:
Well, this book was a bit of a eye opener for me to the world of online dating! Cali was cheated on by her Husband and decides to put herself out there on Tinder. Before I read this I knew nothing of Tinder, after reading this I can see how it could bring love and it can bring laughter, mix ups, disappointment and fun! For Cali , it brought a novel load of laughs and a few experiences that she won t forget!
There was a brilliant side line character called Lady P, who is an African Grey Parrot. He would say the most inappropriate things at every opportunity and you can just imagine the things a fictional parrot could say when a young lady enters the world of Tinder. It’s brilliant.
Nicola May’s writing style flows easily and well. I think this Author must have a brain full of imagination as she has written quite a few books and all get amazing reviews. She writes fictionally about characters that you can empathise with, you can laugh and cry with. She writes stories that could be true, but you are glad you are not embroiled in all those mix ups and craziness.
Will Tinder work out for Cali?? You will have to read to find out. But prepare for a good read, some laughs and some cringes along the way.
Cali enjoys her Tinder fun in Room 102 . If I ever stay in a room 102 again, I will always think of Cali and Nicola May. This is definitely a book I recommend to all chick lit lovers and especially anyone who has any experience of Tinder. If like me you haven’t then I still recommend this book to you for the amusement it will give you.
A funny easy read with great characters and a lot of Love Me Tinder- ing!❤😉
Thank you to Author Laura Briggs for my copy of Boyfriend by the Book. The novel is a self-published contemporary romance novel.
Description:
Jodi Nichols isn’t the most romantic girl on the planet. She doesn’t get mushy over fictional love stories, or picture herself getting swept away by a handsome hero. She’s much too grounded in reality—and much too busy working as a concierge at the luxurious Regent hotel. Helping customers is Jodi’s passion in life, and while romance may be on the back burner for now, she is nursing a little crush on Levi, the cute and friendly deliveryman for the hotel packages. And unless she’s imagining things, Levi feels the same way about her.
But Jodi’s friends think she’s turning into a lonely workaholic. They try to fix her love life, buying her a copy of the bestselling relationship guide that claims women can find true love by channelling the wisdom of famous storybook heroines. Jodi thinks it sounds crazy—no way is she acting like Jane Eyre or Lizzie Bennet to find a man! But when Levi suddenly grows distant and Jodi’s chances with him seem to fizzle before her eyes, she wonders if her friends might have a point after all. Disheartened and lonely, she decides to give the so-called relationship guide a whirl, with unexpected consequences.
Before you can say ‘Pride and Prejudice’, Jodi is up to her neck in handsome, brooding men that seem too much like fictional heroes to be true. Her attempts to think like the greatest heroines in romance lead her to meet everything from a modern Mr. Rochester to an angsty Heathcliff, and even a Darcy-esque novelist. But when a former crush re-enters her life in the form of a modern day Romeo, Jodi wonders if there might be something to this ‘inner heroine’ thing after all. Now, if she could just stop thinking about Levi, then maybe her happy-ever-after will fall into place…or is something still missing from Jodi’s storybook romance?
Boyfriend by the Book is a perfect feel good read for curling up with on a rainy day or a summer afternoon, with lots of laughs and surprises to keep the reader turning pages!
Indie Published July 19th 2016
MyThoughts:
This book captivated my attention from the first page to the very last, I loved it. It is the cutest story I have read in a while. With the good influence of classic books mixed in with good old easy read chick lit, its perfect for an lazy day feel good read.
Jodi is single, and all her friends are happily coupled up. So when one of her friends who works in a bookshop finds a book, which all the friends agree will help Jodi find love, the fun begins. They describe her as ‘romantically challenged”. So Jodi has to find her inner Heroine in order to find her beloved Hero and happily ever after.
I liked Jodi straight off, she describes her home as:
“…a jumble of books, magazine collages……..big stuffed armchairs and my chintz sofa with its brightly coloured pillows..”.
And then later on in the book, Jodi mentions that she is reading ‘Anne of GreenGables‘!! Then I really wanted to be her BFF!
I really enjoyed reading how Laura and her friends try to encourage Jodi’s inner Jane Eyre so that she can capture the heart of her very own Mr Rochester or Mr Darcy The book is funny, sweet, cute and thoroughly enjoyable. This is easy reading chick lit at its very best.
This is the first book I have read of Laura Briggs, but I will now be looking out for more. This book was self published and is brilliant. A five pink stars read for me!
The links below show you where to find the book, the Author, and there is also a link whereby you can read the first chapter. I absolutely recommend this book to all chick lit lovers and especially those that enjoy a bit of light classical book talk.
Laura Briggs’ first stories were written in crayon about a rooster named Henry–but she was pretty young at the time, so it’s understandable. She eventually graduated to writing more complex plot lines and characters and writing her stories on a laptop. She tends to write stories with a romance theme, but as a reader she has a soft spot for mysteries, including those by Agatha Christie and Mary Roberts Rinehart. She also enjoys books by Jane Austen, Anne Tyler, Amy Tan, and too many others to name. In her free time, she likes to experiment with new recipes and tries to landscape her yard (a never-ending project).
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