Book Review: Courting Trouble by Kathy Lette

MY SYNOPSIS

Imagine this: You are a barrister in a very respectable chamber and you have made quite a name for yourself. Besides juggling a hectic job between a husband who hasn’t quite committed since the doctor beamed a congratulations at him, you have a twelve-year-old daughter who means the world to you.

All courts break into disorder when you lose a case against Jack Cassidy (your college ex who stole your virginity and  stole others’ wives too), get to work to be laid with an order to clear out of your chambers, and go home to find your husband cheating on a Piranha in Prada ex best-friend of yours who’s always made it a point to beat you in everything in your life (even slapping her cock in your husband’s face). Really, there can’t be any kind of low, lower than this.

When your husband decides to pack out and clear out all your accounts, in hopes to “find” himself in India, you are distressed, because now you have no money to afford the lifestyle you are used to, no money to take care of your teenage daughter who’s suddenly without a father (what you’ve dreaded the most), and amongst all the hell you have Jack Cassidy on your behind (quite literally) offering you a helping hand if you just decide to go on a date with him. But then you have your mum…

Your Aussie solicitor cougar sixty year-old mum whose wardrobe is the kind of jungle with the kind of leopard prints you’d like to avoid and a mouth full of wisecracks and a distaste for anything men (except sleeping with them). Until she proposes to you, you two should form a two-woman, mother-daughter, solicitor-barrister law firm that will only champion women who have been downtrodden by men.

Exactly how your troubles begin…

Now you live in the small cottage of your mum, trying to raise your coming-of-age teenager, in a house with a victim of rape willing to fight back her offenders (say hello to rocks slamming through your window embodying death threats with bad grammar), a Russian Countess friend of your mum’s ready to back the law firm if only you’d appear when she rings her bell and holds up her glass for more Vodka (say hello to constant partying, barking with raucous laughter and reminiscing old days with your mum when you are asleep), an old lady who shot the balls off sex offenders with a gun (at least you could say hello to good meals), and Jack Cassidy dropping by to laugh in your face at how unsuccessful you are turning up to be just because you refused his offer.

Clearly, with no one else to rely on, all you have to get you through is a block of your favourite Cadbury Chocolates and just sitting tight awaiting everything to palm out well. But sometimes do you just have to take the law into your own hands in order to get your way? And what about the consequences?

MY REVIEW

I freaking loved, loved this book! So you know in my review, I’d be shaking you by your shoulders and yelling in your face (forgive my spit), leaving you disorientated with nothing to do but help me walk you to a bookshop to let you get copies for yourself and anyone who borrows from your shelf.

Ha-ha! I love Kathy Lette!!!

This book is frigging amazing. WE all love our chick-lit, humorous, snappy, and delicious. But when it attacks an issue we all can relate to, haha, it’s an effing plus too. Domestic abuse, still a paramount issue in our world today, violence towards women by men, women being put down by men in every field of life. This book should have been titled A Guide To Stay Thick-Skinned And Fight For Your Rights As A Feminist and a WOMAN. Every housewife, blogger mum, corporate wife, business woman would eat this book up like it’s the main course instead of merely holding centrepiece on a brunch table. A star to the cause.── ★

Secondly, oh you would simply adore the storyline! Fab in all directions. Woman experiences a day in terrestrial hell and loses everything (fab), woman seeks comfort from her mother or rather, is jumped from behind by mother (fab), woman and mother decide to open a law firm (abso-fab!), woman and mother decide to defend a Good Granny Gone Mad (delightfully fab!). It’s new and fresh and like a John Grisham novel… only more interesting! A star to the storyline.── ★★

Matilda the main character has the loveliest bestest chick-lit voice I’ve ever read in while. She joins the Gusty Chick-lit Women Club following names such as Bubbles Yablonski (Sarah Strohmeyer), Stephanie Plum (Janet Evanovich) and Davis Way (Gretchen Archer). The exact lead you would need in a book that doesn’t fail to fight for equal gender rights. With her whiplash wits, her I Don’t Know How She Does It attitude balancing her job between her child, and falling victim one too many times to Cadbury chocolates, I’m not sure of a person who would read this book and be like, “I didn’t quite take a liking to Matilda.” (you are a freaking Barbie, that’s what you are!). It certainly goes to show you do not need an armoury besides chocolates to be a Woman Sleuth.

And you’d think the other characters are as bad as rotten-egg scented fart. IT’s one of those books that every smidgen character delivered and was developed so perfectly you’d be thinking, hell, why don’t these books come in multiple-character first-point-of-views too?! From the amazing, super-cocky Jack Cassidy who’s always in time to snatch our lead’s block of chocolates and leave her disoriented. Roxy, our lead’s mum who has a truthful and funny opinion about everything you can’t resist giving her a “Nice one there.” compliment and a fist-bang. Countess Flirtalotsky whose love for plastic surgery would make Joan Rivers give up her TV spot and go tuck that double-chin properly. Phyllis the granny who’d stop at nothing to blow up anything that has offended her grand-daughter. Portia, the adorable daughter, who’s taking after her grandmother despite her mother’s horrors. Petronella, the Piranha in Prada always a court robe away from our lead to win cases against her then go back home to fuck her husband.  Nathaniel, the super-charming(*) man always a step away to help(*) our lead emanating very-gentlemanly(*) charms. Loads of characters I can’t kill your suspense to mention because their appearance takes the reader on a whole new surprise level. But a star to fabulous characterization. I would certainly go dancing at this book’s club book launch just to meet all the characters and bang foreheads with them.── ★★★★

I know, I have gone on and on. But if I don’t give a spot to the humour and suspense in this book, I would leave out that guffawing (I mean, laughter barked out like I was a pit-bull) got me spewing my favourite shirt with my favourite wine, and that suspense got me biting my nails (a bad habit, I know). Certainly, I didn’t get the memo when I received a copy and I need a refund (in the form of a new favourite shirt, a new favourite wine and a spa treat for which I could skip the manicure part and get the much-needed massage)!── ★★★★★

So my rating is definitely a: SIX stars out of five stars!

Kathy Lette’s amazing latest, Courting Trouble is available on Amazon. And I’d take this moment to wish her happy pub day since I missed it on the 14^th of this Month and wish her all the best in her career as a deranged writer (like she so openly simply states in twitter bio).

I recommend this book to every woman who believes in cause of this book and not the courts. Every woman who’s been at the front-row or even the backseat and yelling “Atta girls” for those in the front row (because the second-in-commands are important as the firsts) championing for equal gender rights. Every woman partial to topics such as Rape, domestic abuse, and violence against women (because who isn’t?) should also grab this book. And if you just want an amazing chick-lit big enough to lead book discussions at brunches and book clubs, pick this book.

Standing ovation for Kathy Lette.

My work not done here. Off to post my review on Goodreads.

  

Book Review: The Best Thing That Never Happened To Me by Laura Tait & Jimmy Rice.

MY SYNOPSIS

ALEX

Imagine this: You are me. I certainly do not have the biggest shoe size. But do you believe in the myth?

Anyway, I grew up in a small-town called Mothston. And I live in a town called Mothston, with my dad. Not your ideal date, really, am I? So when my dad decides he’s laying me off to get a boat, I’m suddenly rethinking all the choices I have made in my life; especially the one about thinking he needed me most when mum died and never left because I didn’t want him feeling alone.

Suddenly I can’t wait to leave my small town, my annoying friend Kev, and my unfulfilling job as a teacher for the big city. London seems like a nice start. But you know who else is in London?

HOLLY

Imagine this: You are me. But you have big boobs to fill. Stash in some ice cream cones and stare yourself in the mirror.

 I so wish life was easy as it was the days in high-school. With Alex Patrick Tyler everything seemed easy until that day I walked into his room and tried to tell him my real feelings for him and… shit happened. So now I am in London, not living my dream to travel the world and see places and open my bakery house. I am a P.A. And if that isn’t shitty enough for you, I am banging my boss and fighting to keep it a secret from all my co-worker friends pretending I’ve been single for nine months so that no one views me as the slutty secretary who was secretly getting banged by her boss in hopes for a promotion.

I think my life is pretty perfect. Not how I hoped it would be, but OK. Until I receive one email from Alex stating he is moving to London.

ALEX

I want to tell Holly I love her but she looks happy in London with her secret relationship with her boss. And I am happy for her. I really am. But why do I feel it’s me supposed to be The One. And why doesn’t she always look my way for once since I am always the first person she runs to (even when she has a boyfriend). I know she hated Shakespeare back in school but I thought every woman was supposed to have read, Emily Griffin’s Love The One You Are (Most) With. So why won’t she ever consider that I could be the guy that makes her happy?

HOLLY

When I think of Alex, I think of this sweet OCD guy who overanalyzes the very simple things too much. And I know he thinks of me as just another friend who cries on his shoulder. But what if I want more that a secret affair with my boss? What if I want Alex? But why doesn’t he ever make the move? Or perhaps not saying I love you really means there’s no love at all?

Alex and Holly’s lives summed up in this romantic comedy about second chances, soulmates and loads of cluster-fuck situations concerning ‘The One That Got Away’.

MY REVIEW

I loved, loved this book. So you know in this review I’d be screaming at you to get it.

First of all, I detest gender-benders. I don’t know why this book was written this way. But I am surprised Laura and Jimmy pulled it off so well for me to love, love it. That’s saying a lot! The style of writing was just off the hook. And the sync was amazing despite two people wrote it! A star to amazing writing.── ★

Secondly, I am a sucker for storylines like this. Think of Alexandra Potter novels about soulmates and The One(s That Got Away) and add a male’s perspective to the whole shebang. Girl and guy were friends since childhood, girl leaves town for big city, guy rejoins her in her totally different life now, girl wonders if guy was the one she let go away, and guy wonders if there’s room in girl’s heart for him at greater ratio than friendship. Adore it! So star to the storyline.── ★★

Oh, you would so love Alex and Holly. Their voices very humorous and fresh, light and new. Perfectly executed to embody individual traits to make each character stand out. There’s no take-the-guy-side or take-the-woman side. Both are charming and you would definitely be cheering each of them on to go get it! You would love Alex for over-analyzing things and making very intelligible comparisons of everyday life activities to situations. You would love Holly for her strong sense of denial and her determined voice to speed-up her relationship with her boss. A star to the main characters.── ★★★

Now supporting cast doesn’t disappoint. It’s so nice having each character play a role that affects the relationship of our two mains. You would love Jemma the office co-worker for her inability to keep secrets and her funny approach towards relationships. Jemma is one of those lovely supporting characters who steal the show of the mains during red carpet events. You would also love Holly’s mum for being persistently indirect in her requests. You would adore Kev, the shithead and amazing friend of Alex who pisses you off mostly with his sexist comments and makes you think him adorable a few number of times. Richard the boss, you would not like him so much for being just too perfect. Leah and Susie, the amazing warm and cold-hearted (respectively) friends of Holly since college. Melissa the office bitch you would also hate. Harold, the female cat whose wisecracks are every spinster’s dream. So much more characters I can’t go on and on about. So I’ll just deposit a gold star here and move on.── ★★★★

Amazing, the end. Typical Rom-com. Great suspense. Predictable but leaves you with a sense of unease (that’s what most predictable books luck that make them bad, unease). You’d keep asking yourself really if what you think is going to happen. And like every amazing Romantic Comedy (except Twenty-Seven Dresses) you get that chest expansion that makes you want to do the whole book over again (like it was Sex And The City 1).── ★★★★★

So my rating, obviously a five out of five stars. (and it’s not always you can give debut authors five stars)

You can grab The best debut that ever happened to me on Amazon.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves their rom-coms. Anyone who wants something a mix of chick and chap-lit. Anyone who wants something about soulmates and The Ones That Got Away should get this too.  Oh, and if you love cats as much as Holly does, get this book too. It’s always nice to read a good chick-lit with your favourite pet in it. (I hate cats).

My work not done here. Off to post my review on Goodreads

Book Review: With A Friend Like You by Fanny Blake

REVIEW BY SANDRA, BLOGGING PARTNER

BLURB.

A wickedly funny look at a female friendship gone wrong-this is women at war!

Beth is a woman in supreme control of all aspects of her life and family, with a stellar career and her house an oasis of calm.

Her closest friend, Megan, is very different, somehow she swims through the chaos of her family with ease, the clutter on the stairs, the cat footprints on the kitchen workspace.

And while they could not be more different, Beth and Megan have a genuine friendship built on years of laughter, tears and a true understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

But when Beth’s daughter reveals a surprising secret, a wedge is driven between Beth and Megan. What begins as mild recrimination and misunderstanding develops into a full-blown row and then a simmering feud. As the two women square up to do battle in the London suburbs, there’s everything to play for.

Because when it comes down to it, all’s fair in love and war. Isn’t it?

                         REVIEW.

It’s nice that a book talks about what goes on around as so it’s easy to relate to. Interesting and funny, and it’s nice to hear the sides both sides of the story from the two leads Megan and Beth. To know what they are going through and their view on the same occurrence. Great choice for women to read, relate to, laugh and enjoy at the same time.

The two lead characters Beth and Megan, were lovely. Their view-points very distinctive from Beth’s pristine and immaculately clean household, to the way Megan exhibits grace-under-pressure in her mess of a life. Though it’s not really difficult to take sides of which woman you support since in your opinion the other’s finickiness makes her too much of a bitch. Won’t say who. A star to both.

Other  supporting characters like Jon, Beth’s caring and considerate husband and Pete Megan’s happy-go-lucky husband cannot go unmentioned. And their children: Ella the all in control model daughter and Amy the exact opposite of Ella (are Beth’s). Jake the irresponsible band guy, and Hannah his sister are Megan’s.

I love that reading this book was suspenseful. But it was a tad too predictable and I felt the storyline was stretched for no reason when it could have been cut short and still hold same significance.

On the whole, Everything is en pointe and interesting to read.

Rate: four stars/five stars.

With A Friend Like You is available on Amazon.

I recommend this book to all the women/mothers out there who are either a Beth (neater) or Megan (clutter) ‘cause you can’t be both. I recommend this book to anyone who loves Women’s Fiction that teaches and speaks on issues we all can nod our heads to.

My work not done. Handing over my review to Kobby so he can post on Goodreads.

Book Review: The Glass Kitchen by Linda Francis Lee

 REVIEW BY SANDRA, BLOGGING PARTNER

My Synopsis
 

A seven year old girl woke up tasting blue berries and peaches. And that was the beginning of what turned out to be her life? Or was it a curse? She didn't know, but it defined her. It was a mystery to everyone else but the Cuthcart family. It was called the Knowing. Knowing what? How to make delicious mouth-watering meals off head without being taught a thing? Or knowing exactly what to make before it was ordered? An extraordinary gift.

But the unfortunate happened and her Dad died, and soon after, her Mother’s broken heart failed to beat. The Cuthcart girls where devastated, orphaned at such young ages. Their grandma took them in and the ‘Knowing’ became intense with every passing day. She moved from single treats like cupcakes and pies to whole meals. Then her Grandma died her sisters moved away and continued with their lives and so did she. She married a two faced manipulating gold digger, who wanted her to be a normal woman. And so the knowing was shelved away, and she focused on playing the role of a politician’s wife. While the douche fucked her best friend and divorced her leaving her penniless.

She leaves for the Big Apple where dreams come true and slowly she lets the ‘knowing’ overwhelm her, and the magic is back in her life. But this time Portia Cuthcart enjoys the best meal of her life and this time it was not made by her, it came from love.

A twelve year old girl walks in on three sisters having a time of their life, the way her family never did after the death of her Mum. Her dysfunctional family, headed by a workaholic of a Dad, a rebellious teenage sister, an adventurous Uncle and a really strange Grandmother. A family desperately in need of fixing, and a good meal from the lady in the basement helps draw the family closer. But a family this ripped apart needs more than food to repair, some old wounds are opened, and scary skeletons pop out of the cupboard.

But the glass kitchen with its glass walls reflect the mistakes and heals a lot of wounds.



                                           Review
I loved this book, I know it sounds like a clichè, the way a lot of reviews start. I felt excited reading this book not only because I love food and I love cooking but I was amazingly drawn in.

The intensity with which the first chapter drew me in was amazing. It felt like a really nice movie from the box office. It flowed very fast almost running. And briefly telling the story of the ‘knowing’.
And then it slowed down and I began to really enjoy the book.

Portia was an amazing lead character in the glass kitchen. It would be fun to just wake up knowing what to make. Great Characterization. Ariel the extremely intelligent and witty Daughter of Gabriel Kane the weirdly handsome guy in an off-center way. And Miranda who is cute in her own extremely strange way.

To top it all of it had amazing recipes for all meal-loving people like myself.

You would love this book  by Linda Francis Lee

Rate : four stars /five stars

The Glass Kitchen is available on Amazon.

My work not done here. Handing my review over to Kobby so he puts it up on Goodreads.

Book Review: Soldiers' Wives by Fiona Field

Blurb: This page-turning soap opera interweaves the stories of three women trying to get to grips with military life.

Chrissie, orphaned young, finds solace in her career as a medic in the regiment, but will love for a married man prove her undoing?

Maddy, a brilliant Oxford graduate, is bogged down with a fretful baby and a super-ambitious officer husband. Will she be able to stand life as a regimental wife?

And Jenna - glamorous, bad girl Jenna, who doesn't believe in rules and regulations. Will she destroy her husband's career? Or will it destroy her?

MY REVIEW

 

I loved, loved this book. So you know throughout this review I’d be yelling at you to go get it.

It’s amazing when you pick chick-lit titles that focus on a group of women you’ve always been interested to read about. Hollywood Wives, Footballer Wives, Plastic Surgeon Wives, you name it. Then you read that title and you are enamored by these women you read about (except Plastic Surgeon Wives who go behind their husband’s backs because they are afraid to tell their husbands they aren’t the very best nose-job artisans). Soldiers’ Wives was no different. It’s nice reading about the backing forces behind these amazing heroes who constantly or occasionally fight for our lives when we are just waiting for that Friday night to go all crazy. What they are going through, their challenges, their high moments and even the very low moments when they can do nothing but constantly hit the bottle. Brilliant choice of topic.── ★

The execution of this book is worth-raving about, really. The storylines behind these Soldiers’ Wives. A bored mother with an Oxford degree who could have been a career woman but now spends time cleaning poop and attending club meetings listening to all the barracks gossip (Fab!). A medic who is wishing she could be more than friends with one married soldier (superb!). A bad girl turned soldier’s wife dealing with the strenuous rules in the military and trying her best to make it in life even though it means breaking a few barracks rules (spectacular!). These storylines well chosen by Fiona Field focusing on the different lives of very different women in various different positions in the army, bring an insightful and exciting variety to this book that makes it more entertaining than it would be if it had focussed on one Army-wife type. ── ★★

The three main characters were very-well developed. You’d love Chrissie for being so uptight and a fitness freak when you just want her to throw away all rules and dry-hump the married soldier she loves. You’d love Maddy for wanting more of life than being the shadow behind her husband and dealing with her baby’s colic. You’d love Jenna for wanting to be different and make it whatever way with whatever means even if it means destroying her husband’s career and cleaning out his bank account (OK, to be frank, I only loved her because she was hot).── ★★★

Supporting characters also make this worth-reading. Immi, the hilarious barracks clerk whose funny quotes and advice go a long way to help our main, Chrissie. Caro, the finicky gossip wife who’s considered the loose cannon amongst Sergeants’ Wives, helping Maddy with the latest gist and babysitting. Sonia, the mother who doesn’t approve of her son’s wife (Jenna) one bit. Phil, the medic who shares an interest in Chrissie’s taste for monochrome pictures and their soundtracks. Lee, the Zac Efron-lookalike soldier all you women would be dazzled by. All these characters made reading this title a blast.── ★★★★

Suspense on point. Humour on point. Sitting on the edge of your seat never seemed so exciting in war zones filled with cracking bullets and detonating explosives. It’s kind of the one trip to Afghan to notice the horrors of soldiers without actually visiting the place and losing a limb on the ultimate vacation. ── ★★★★★

My rating: Five out of Five stars.

You can get Fiona Field’s amazing Soldiers’ Wives on amazon.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves reading books concerning wives of certain professions. Anyone who wants to know what goes on in the lives of very different Soldier wives. Anyone who just wants their chick-lit field with real experiences of people sacrificing their lives doing the world’s shittiest jobs just to keep the food chain going.

My work not done here. Off to post my review on goodreads.