Book Review: One Night On Italy by Lucy Diamond

 

Blurb: If journalist Anna had to write up the story of her own life, it wouldn’t make for a great headline: Dull Journo Has Dull Boyfriend! The only mystery in Anna’s life is that she’s never known who her dad is but with her mum refusing to tell her more she’s at a dead end. When she accidentally comes across a clue that her father is Italian, it opens up a burning curiosity in Anna. Soon she’s cooking Italian food, signing up for an Italian class and even considering dusting off her passport to go and find her dad in person… Sophie is serving gelato to tourists in Italy when she gets the call that her father has had a serious heart attack. In a rush, she grabs her well-worn backpack and heads back to the one place she’s been avoiding for so long – home. Living with her mum again while her dad recuperates, and taking a job teaching Italian to make ends meet, Sophie has to face up to the secrets she’s kept buried in the past. Catherine has no idea what the future holds. Her children have left for university, her husband has left her for another woman and her bank account is left empty after dedicating her life to raising her family. She needs a job and an identity all of a sudden. At an Italian evening class she makes a start in finding new friends Anna and Sophie. And she’s going to need good friends when she discovers her husband’s lies run even deeper than his infidelity… As Anna embarks on the trip to Italy that could answer all of her questions, will the truth live up to her dreams?

MY REVIEW

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

To start of this review, yes, I love chick-lit about taking vacations. Yes, I love chick-lit set in exotic places. Yes, I love chick-lit about Rome, Florence, Tuscany. So you could tell how elated I was to pick this book. Very el—ong—ated.

I adored the storyline. Three different women with dissimilar lives, sharing one passion for Rome. One cheated on by her husband on her matrimonial sheets. One on a quest to look for her long-lost Italian father.  One jetting back home from her wanderlust bliss to look after an ailing father. It’s all magnificent. I liked how Lucy Diamond choreographed all these women to coincide, stemming away from the best-friend characters from start-to-finish norm. ── ★

Secondly, the three main characters were brilliant. It’s hard to pull off the multiple-main-character thing and still have all the voices of the leads standout. You would simply adore Catherine for being the somewhat shy, damaged self-esteem wife stemmed from constantly being emotionally abused by a jerk of a husband, the mum who would want a little acknowledgement from her family so she wouldn’t haul the cooked turkey at the wall during Thanksgiving, the woman with the tendency to blush like a schoolgirl when put on any spot. Anna would also be the journalist you love, for her enthusiasm to experiment, for being the girlfriend who snoops into her boyfriend’s computer to view his accounts of their every lovemaking and his closing remarks (‘gained too much weight over Christmas’) in spreadsheet(!), the colleague who brings to work loads of treats from her cooking exploits. Sophie must be remembered for being the wanderlust travel blogger who is constantly in time to update a Facebook status, put on her Good Teacher outfit to offer lessons in Italian, and constantly contemplate if she should chase after a long-lost dream and a long-lost man.

You would be cheering these characters on, on their journey to self-discovery, reconnecting with their newly-found heritage and wondering where on earth to jet next! A star to these main characters.── ★★

Also, the supporting cast were as fabulous. Marla, the office bitch who wouldn’t lay off Anna’s weight. Joe, the charming office colleague rumoured to slip his hands under skirts during Christmas parties. Imogen, Anna’s Editor who bestows on her the most ridiculous columns which are far out of reach of her skills. Pete, Anna’s boyfriend who constantly keeps record of every sex encounter (with any woman) on spreadsheet. Tracey, Anna’s mum dreading her daughter’s ‘impending’ pregnancy and lacking warmth as a result of being a successful struggling single-mum. Emily and Matthew, Catherine’s children who are eager to get rid of her and move on with their college lives. Rebecca, Cath’s rival who incurs the wrath of hairdressers by being demanding and leaving no tip. Jim, Sophie’s dad whose humour poured in radiance into her dull Sheffield life. The students’ of Sophie’s Italian class were spot-on well-developed and hilarious too. A characterization party in this book. ── ★★★

It’s amazing when a chick-lit title has all the elements to keep you glued. Humor, check. Suspense, check. Lucy Diamond is so witty her writing keeps a smile glued to your lips impending the moment when she’d drop in a line that makes you laugh-out-loud. I loved that this book was so unpredictable, you never once could I guess the outcome of this book.── ★★★★★

My rating: Five out of Five Stars (obviously).

Lucy Diamond’s amazing latest can be got on Amazon.

I recommend this book to any fan of chick-lit. I recommend this book anyone who loves summer-tastic chick-lit based in far-flung exotic places. Anyone who loves chick-lit with leads they would be cheering on. And anyone who loves Lucy Diamond as she doesn’t disappoint in this title.

My only question to Lucy  Diamond is, Why didn’t Mike ever notice Cath’s (hair)do-over.

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

Book Review: Three's A Crowd by Edwina Darke

My Synopsis

Imagine this: You are the junior of a pain-in-the-ass editor of a publishing firm who secretly covets your hot boyfriend. Your life is perfect with Girl’s Nights Outs with your network of friends, even though occasionally you get stood up on dinner nights by your perfect boyfriend who’s slaving hours at work. Your relationship with your family is hardly ever-noticeable in the life of a thirty-year old New Yorker, except if you consider your mum, but wait, which chick-lit character doesn’t hate their mum (when the feeling is also mutual with her too?). Luke your old time best pal, who you are unsure if you love him more than you do your boyfriend, has moved in. Crisis.

Suddenly your perfect life doesn’t seem so perfect anymore when a reputable Hollywood Bad Boy is introduced into your life. You are to help him write his memoir which could be the making of your career, but only if he ever submits any pages. While you are fighting tooth to nail with him, putting your career on the line, your relationship with your boyfriend on the line, your relationship with your boyfriend’s mother on the line (if ever there was one), your clean slate with New York paparazzi on the line, there’s got to be a way to handle your problems and come out with your relationships unscathed and successful but Luke your flatmate isn’t helping when he’s being such a darling (as well as a serialist letting girls sleepover—this you don’t mind because you have a boyfriend).

Well, in all, you’ve got your friends. Until they’ve also got problems of their own.

Enjoy Elan’s life as she navigates the rough waters of her career, friendship, love, and being attracted to a lot more than two men in this sizzling and delightful tale set in the racy, fabulous, sleep-depriving New York City.

MY REVIEW

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

Beautiful storyline. It’s fun reading about girls with jobs-to-die-for. Kind of reminds you of The Devil Wears Prada age where chick-lit was about girls with dream-careers that excited its audience, and the challenges these careers held that only made them seem more crave-worthy. So Girl has a boyfriend who hardly spends time with her but is generous with the gifts and the occasional dinners at exotic restaurants, Girl is undergoing days in Hell with her boss and a client who just won’t cooperate, Girl goes home to find her childhood best friend and crush bedding other women in her apartment, Girl has friends who have problems of their own which she must see to despite the handful of problems she has with her chaotic life and the press. Amazing storyline. The fact that it was set in New York City, revealing all the hotspots, made the whole reading experience surreal and entertaining..── ★

A star to the main character Elan. You’d love this Aussie taking a bite of the Big Apple. Witty with wisecracks that get you chuckling, a beautiful voice that makes reading this novel a breeze. You’d relate to her a lot when she channels your inner girly Carrie Bradshaw with enough spunk and attitude strutting the streets of New York meeting friends, going on dinner dates with Mr. Big and indulging in a love triangle with a flatmate (if Carrie Bradshaw ever had one). Cosmopolitans, kitten heels, eye-dropping outfits tackling work dilemmas, relationship dilemmas, as well as dealing with paparazzi who want to get her on front pages of tabloids instead of the side of a bus—Elan is lovable that way!.── ★★

The other characters were also as fantastic. From Lily, the best friend having relationship issues with her boyfriend Marcus who doesn’t really understand why she’s  keeping him away from her family. To Vassilissa, another hot super-model friend who’s got lots of ears to lend and lots of Vodka to knock your sorrow down with. Rox Wriothesley the Hollywood Bad Boy always in time to show up in fashion’s most disastrous creations enough to make our lead recoil in repugnance. Luke the super-charming flatmate who values Elan more than the numerous girls he shares his bed with. Polly, the office bitch from hell who reminded me a lot like Bitchy Barbara from Carrie Diaries. You would also adore and hate GeGe, our lead’s mother always in time to engage in a dissing battle with her daughter. I loved all the characters in this book. They made this book crowded, and exciting just like New York is with friends and the random people you love..── ★★★

I loved that this book was deep, and emotional. This side to the story was very unexpected. And I loved how Edwina Darke portrayed it even though this dark side wasn’t really our lead’s predicament..── ★★★★

The humor, was on point. The suspense was on point. Predictable at a time, but just when you think you’ve figured the whole story out, the carpet is yanked from beneath your feet..── ★★★★★

In all, it was a fantastic debut. I was going through the low-kindle tolerance phase till I decided to give this book a try. And I was very disappointed… because it surpassed all my expectations.

And my rating is definitely: Five out of five stars (and it’s always hard to find debut authors that get such high-ratings from me).

Three's A Crowd is available on Amazon.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves their chick-lit set in the fab New York City. Anyone who loves chick-lit which gives them a reminiscence of the amazing The Devil Wears Prada/Sex And The City age. Anyone who just wants to Keep Calm and Read Chick-lit That Entertains (them), should definitely get this title.

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

Book Review: No One Ever Has Sex On A Tuesday by Tracy Bloom

MY SYNOPSIS

Imagine this: You have a not-so-great PE instructor boyfriend, eight years younger, who just won’t pop the BIG question.  But you are content, really. It’s not like you want to get married and live a dull life and become part of a couple who after two years do not even have sex and care about B.S. You want to live life like the fun Katy you’ve always known yourself to be.

But then you get knocked up.

Now your priorities shouldn’t change even if there’s a baby involved. Until you notice the baby bump and realize, oh shucks, I am really having a baby. But that’s not your biggest fright. Your biggest fright of all time is walking into an antenatal class with your boyfriend and meeting face-to-face with the guy who might have knocked you up after your high-school reunion. With his wife. Who’s also giving birth. To twins.

But that’s not your most awkward moment.

His bossy wife wants you as a friend, since you happen to be the coolest girl in an antenatal class full of knocked-up teenagers discussing ways to tie the football captains who knocked them up down with marriage and fatherhood responsibilities. Now you have to sit at a dinner table, with the guy who could have been The One You Let Go Away (BECAUSE HE CHEATED ON YOU), his manic wife who’s way into discussing college choices before the contractions even begin at twenty-four hours apart and also your boyfriend who won’t quit making immature jokes (because he isn’t really that mature). But it’s all fine, you would pull through. You always do.

Until sauce pours on The One You Let Go Away’s shirt, and his wife takes off the soiled shirt right in front of your eyes. You notice his amazing body which can always stand up against his teenage version’s and win. But your boyfriend notices the tattoo on his shoulder. The exact tattoo you also have on the same spot…

Now, if you want an awkward moment… there’s more to come.

Katy and Matt’s fucked-up dilemma summed up for your delight.

MY REVIEW.

I liked this book.

The storyline was amazing. Old sweethearts now turned sore-eyed towards each other meet at school reunion, have sex, suffer the consequences of having affairs behind the backs of their current partners, yet again wondering if they were meant to be or not meant to happen at all. Brilliant. A star to the storyline.── ★

A star to the main characters, Katy and Matt. Told in third-person perspectives of each, you would find yourself taking a liking to Katy for being fun, fearless and funky (factors that are so hard to find in pregnant women these days). I think the story really made it because of Katy’s sense of humour and personality. Matt was good, but too boring and uptight in a way that would get readers creasing their brows to his perspective. A good thing considering that was what Tracy Bloom wanted to achieve for the marvellous ending she was plotting.── ★★

The other characters in this book also made it worth reading. I loved Ben, Katy’s boyfriend for making it clear why no one should really have sex on a Tuesday and also for pissing me off sometimes and making me laugh as well. I loved Alison, Matt’s wife for being such a pain in the ass to our leads talking about college and college application for her twins even before she wasn’t sure she’d have a successful delivery. I loved Braindead, one of Ben’s close mates for being well, brain dead.  And lots of other characters that made it a hit, like Charlene the teenager from the antenatal class who wanted to tie down her boyfriend with marriage. Daniel, the creative director extraodinaire (said in the way a gay guy would like you to pronounce), and Katy’s workplace confidant who always seems to be the single woman’s best plus-one for weddings. A star to the supporting cast.── ★★★

Now this book was mind-blowing because of its ending and the suspense that grips you towards reaching there. I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat and chewing on my lower lip enough to leave bite marks as I read on. A star to the perfect rom-com-ic ending and the great suspense.── ★★★★

Now, I liked this book. But I wished I could love, love it. It really did have a funky title, blurb and storyline I wished the author could have made the story itself funkier, bringing in very humorous moments (and not ones that only make you chuckle).

So my rating, four stars.

Tracy Bloom’s No One Ever Has Sex On A Tuesday is available on Amazon. You can also pre-order her latest, I Will Marry George ClooneyBefore Christmas, another funky title with a funky blurb I can’t wait to devour.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves their chick-lit very rom-com-antic. Anyone who loves their chick-lit led by humorous female leads should get this. And anyone who just wants a good time should also get this title.

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

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.