Book Review: Unfinished Business By Carolyn Aspenson

Blurb: First in a series by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson. This book is a chick lit novel with a paranormal element.

When Angela's mother Fran dies and comes back as a ghost, Angela's ordinary life turns into a carnival show, starring both Angela and her nosy, dead mother.

It seems Fran's got some unfinished business on earth and she's determined to get it done, no matter what.

When Fran returned, she reignited her daughter's long suppressed psychic gift, one she neglected to mention to Angela, and now Angela sees ghosts everywhere. And they won't leave her alone.

Fran can't help but stick her transparent nose where it doesn't belong, making Angela's life even crazier.

Now Angela has to find a way to keep her old life in tact and help the dead with their unfinished business, all while trying to keep her dead mother out of trouble. And it's a lot for one woman to handle.

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“Oh, shit,” I crouched down in my chair. “Crap. Crap. Crap.”

“What? He heard you, didn’t he? Is he coming over here? Oh my gawd, another ghost at Starbucks. This is so awesome.” Mel squealed.

“Yup. Crap. I’ve really got to learn to keep my freaking mouth shut, don’t I? Crap. Crap. Crap.” I turned away from the parking lot and lowered my head. “Is he looking over here?

"Seriously?”

“Oh, crap. My bad.”

———————————————

So Ghost-whisperer. So engaging. So tear-jerking. So fantastic.

Angela Panther, housewife, mother of two, lover of cupcakes, lives a mundane life. Until her mother dies. Yes, funeral planning can be thrilling (thanks to Carolyn's humor), but Angela gains supernatural abilities to see ghosts. These powers, though appealing to her because she gets a second chance with her mum—which not even a few people have, aren't putting her in a good mind frame since she's worried every ghost in town would come knocking on her door for help (which they do).

Already Angela's having major problems of her own handling a teenage daughter who could win a role in a Shakespearean play (if all female leads are that moody), a dad who might be losing his life at any second and a husband who's being hit on by grandmother prostitutes.

But with her mum doing espionage on her granddaughter's affairs and proving to Angela her ability is a gift and not a curse, would Angela be able to master her 'gift' or would she give up altogether and get back to boring housewife duties, great sex with her husband and discussing topics such as ass-bleaching with her best friend, Mel?

I must confess, I am a fan of Ghost-whisperer! I loved, loved it. So you should know my level of excitement when reading this book. If you've been on this blog for a while, you will know I am also a big fan of Jennifer Love Hewitt. Is there any reason to rate this book poorly and say how much I detested it?

No.

This book made my week. Carolyn Ridder made my week. It's official, I've been drawn to the dark side. I have stated day-in-day-out that I don't do books that are paranormal and have no basis in reality, but reading Addison Westlake and now Carolyn Ridder, I've gotten to know that paranormal could be portrayed in daylight (betcha surprised too!) and written so chick-litty you can't help but fall.

I have to give a star to the stotyline. Despite it's lack of originality, Carolyn Ridder makes this unique with the introduction of her own twists and turns and engaging characters.

I can't do justice to this review if I do not state how much I am a sucker for the themes in this number. Carolyn's portrayal of loss injecting blasts of humor and suspense awards this book with tear-jerking and laugh out loud moments. With themes that are still fresh (seriously, who hasn't dealt with loss—the loss of a parent and the problem of moving on after recovery), I'm sure this title would be just so relatable to everyone. It's no secret we all wish we could see the dead, get back with our loved ones who died, have a second chance with them, and reading about one character who just has it is both intriguing and frankly, bugging (ugh, not fair at all)— star to that.

I love the life the characters in this title had. They were just so real and fully developed sometimes I thought this book was more than fiction. From the adorable little son, Josh who was so thoughtful and understanding (despite his age) and acted quite mature to Emily, the drama queen teen. The lovely husband so like David Conrad in Ghost Whisperer, and Mel, the cupcake-obsessed friend.

This book didn't lack OMG moments. And at moments when things were going a bit low tempo Carolyn shocks you with a discovery that leaves you on tenterhooks. Even the end of this book just made me want more. A real Ghost Whisperer season finale ending.

It's obvious I am giving this book five stars.

Carolyn's memorable debut can be found on....

I recommend this title to anyone who is a sucker for Ghost Whisperer (like I am). Anyone who's in for something humorous yet carries a soulful and dense message. Any woman finding it hard raising their kids and wondering what MTV is doing to teens of today. If you also see ghosts or have always wanted to you would adore this title. Or you want to transform your boring housewife life, Angela Panther might help you with the transformation.

Can't wait for the next installment in the Angela Panther series coming out this November.

My work not done here. Off to post my review on both Goodreads as well as Amazon.

Book Review: Finding Lucas By Samantha Stroh Bailey

Blurb: Can you ever really go back to the past?

After five long years of living with Derek, her former bad-boy-turned-metrosexual boyfriend, Jamie Ross finally reaches her breaking point. She's had enough of his sneering disdain for her second hand wardrobe, unusual family and low-paying job as the associate producer of Chicago's sleaziest daytime talk show. When her new boss plans a segment on reuniting lost loves, Jamie remembers Lucas, her first love and the boy she'd lost ten years earlier. Spurred on by her gang of quirky friends, Jamie goes on a hilarious, disastrous and life changing hunt to track Lucas down. But are some loves best left behind?

He keeps squeezing my ass and sighing with pleasure.

Now he does it again, and says, "Never lose this. It is so goddamn sexy."

"Really?"

"Really." He assures me and flips me over so he can bite it.

"Ow!" I yell.

But, it feels so good.

...Oh my, Oh my, this book is very good. It's just so... quirky-sorry, queerky.

Samantha is very brazen. Draws in things that are not in your everyday chicklit. And she never ceases to dazzle as she keeps bringing in more and more of these strange things that might make you wish this book is fantasy. I wouldn't call this number light and fluffy. Quite dense and soulful, less than a mile away from Women's Fiction.

So Jamie is with her long-term boyfriend of five years who can't get her an orgasm (unless it's a price tag at Bergdorf) that she's now accustomed to spending more time in the shower (with the shower head) than she's known to. She has a job as an associate producer to a low-key talk show, lacks motivation and has a talent for staying glued to the boob-tube. I found her boring, and her lack of self-esteem annoying (despite her friends kept telling her she was gorgeous). I am hoping that's what Bailey was aiming for since she was vivid on these traits that ticked me off. It's no surprise Derek, the metrosexual and mummy's boy boyfriend wanted to transform her-into an image I wasn't fond of either (unless, being a housewife who raised kids and baked all day is a thrilling image to you).

Eventually, Jamie accepts the fact that, her then-Derek is way different from the now-Derek who would only get into the few sex positions that wouldn't muss up his hair and was so keen on her cutting the flab by undertaking extreme sports only him could endure. I was a fan of Derek wanting her to change, get-into-shape, but wasn't really crazy for the housewife image he wanted to impose on her. No wonder I was thrilled when she broke up with him.

But things get bad as Jamie isn't able to cater for herself with her measly income, being those kinds of women who allow their boyfriends who haven't spoken a word about marriage pay for everything. Ugh. Following the advice of her very, well, odd friends, she takes on the mission of finding Lucas-her high-school 'part-time friend, part-time you-know-what' (as they call a fuck buddy where I come from). It's clear to her she wants happiness, happiness only Lucas could give-No surprise there, because Derek wasn't as good as her shower head.

I think that's enough of the spoilers. Now to why, this book made my week.

I loved the cause. The whole Finding Lucas idea was very exhilarating. Yeah, everyone wants a second chance, we all wonder whether there would have even been a happy-ending if our crushes we fantasized about so much took a chance with us. And Samantha is one of the smartest writers to use this as a ploy in an attempt to get readers turning pages. Though I wasn't really a fan of Jamie, I was always on tenterhooks to find out if she ever will find Lucas. And if she ever did, would he be Mr. Right? Because following Alexandra Potter's You Are The One That I Don't Want you always know the obvious guy wouldn't be Mr. Right. I was praying, hoping this Lucas guy might just be (owing to some very enticing flashbacks Samantha brought up).

Secondly, I loved the cast of this book (excluding Jamie, of course). Leah and Katie-the mother and her equally hippy significant other were fun to read about. I was always raising brows to some of the acts Samantha was so brave to reveal. Like Lucy, the queer friend who isn't the least shy about her sexuality and contributed mostly to Jamie's quest to find Lucas. And Rachel-the sister who's teenage drama she'd relay to anyone whether or not they were interested. Hannah, the lingerie mogul-ess who's fierce personality got me wishing she'd slap some over to Jamie. To Giddy Amy and Silent Chris-the not-so-normal couple roommates who have some skeletons in their home "office". All these unusual characters made me have a blast.

Also, like any fantastic Chick-lit, this number has a lot of OMG moments, and ones that make you scream "Not HIM too!" It kept my excitement running non-stop for this book.

The introduction of one pestiferous co-worker and the final SHOWdown that led to Jamie's transformation from the Girl with Self-esteem issues to the girl with so much confidence that I was gob-smacked and kept asking myself, where was this side all along?!!

Don't blame me, I am not only a sucker for happy-endings, but I am a sucker for great/perfect endings. And this book had it.

Though I totally loved our lead girl towards the end, and instantly had a change of heart, there was one thing I couldn't overlook: Her constant dwelling on the past and failing to move on even after the breakup. I wasn't enamored with how she kept going back down memory lane to Derek wondering why he'd changed from the then-guy to the irritating dick-bag (new insult on the block) he had become. Why did she keep musing about Derek when I was expecting some action now that she was rid of him? I know being a guy, you ladies (at #ChicklitChat) might be thinking: Try getting out of a relationship you've invested five tedious years of your life, asshole. But, it just didn't sit right with me.

Overall, I compliment Samantha Stroh Bailey for going where no Chick-lit author dares-a very tricky attempt your average debut author wouldn't consider. Plus one to her ability to make her debut memorable-something not all best-selling authors now could do.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Samantha Stroh Bailey's spectacularly queerky and thrilling debut, can be found on Amazon in both kindle and paperback.

I recommend this hilarious title to anyone ready to read something out of the ordinary chicklit yet want to have a blast. Anyone who thinks their lives are full of shitty embarrassing circumstances would be appreciative of whatever they have after reading this. You should also pick up this title if you want a book rich in back story and not so light and fluffy but dense and, uh, intellectual (as Samantha puts it).

Certainly looking forward to Samantha Stroh Bailey's next.

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

Book News: Blogger Girl By Meredith Schorr.

It's finally in. Meredith Schorr's finest, Blogger Girl. Available on Amazon.

Blurb:What happens when your high school nemesis becomes the shining star in a universe you pretty much saved?

Book blogger Kimberly Long is about to find out. A chick lit enthusiast since the first time she read “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” Kim, with her blog, “Pastel is the New Black,” has worked tirelessly by night to keep the genre alive, and help squash the claim that “chick lit is dead” once and for all.

Not bad for a woman who by day ekes out a meager living as a pretty, and pretty-much-nameless, legal secretary in a Manhattan law firm. While Kim’s day job holds no passion for her, the handsome (and shaving challenged) associate down the hall is another story.

Yet another story is that Hannah Marshak, one of her most hated high school classmates, has now popped onto the chick lit scene with a hot new book that’s turning heads—and pages—across the land. It’s also popped into Kim’s inbox—for review. With their ten-year high school reunion drawing near, Kim’s coming close to combustion over the hype about Hannah’s book. And as everyone around her seems to be moving on and up, she begins to question whether being a “blogger girl” makes the grade in her off-line life.

Five reasons why you wouldn't want to miss it.

#1 It's Chick-lit (and by that, I mean very hilarious.)

#2 You will adore Kimberly Long if you love...

AND

#3 Inside and actual scoop on the life of a renowned Blogger (just in case you are enamored by their lives or you want to set up a blog of your own.)

#4 If you are good in reading between the lines you will learn how to get bloggers reply to your emails (for once).

#5 You wouldn't want to feel left out WHEN it hits the Big Screen

If all the above isn't cheapskate for purchasing it in kindle format, what is? Or, you could just get the paperback if you are not the kindle kind.

Click here to see my review on Blogger Girl if you are not convinced by my shallow list up there.

Have fun reading and drop reviews on Goodreads.

Signing off,

Kobby.

Book Review: In Need Of Therapy by Tracie Banister.

Blurb: Lending a sympathetic ear and dispensing sage words of advice is all part of the job for psychologist Pilar Alvarez, and she’s everything a good therapist should be: warm, compassionate, supportive. She listens, she cares, and she has all the answers, but how’s the woman everyone turns to in their hour of need supposed to cope when her own life starts to fall apart?

While working hard to make a success of her recently-opened practice in trendy South Beach, Pilar must also find time to cater to the demands of her boisterous Cuban family, which includes younger sister Izzy, an unemployed, navel-pierced wild child who can't stay out of trouble, and their mother, a beauty queen turned drama queen who’s equally obsessed with her fading looks and getting Pilar married before it’s “too late.” Although she’d like to oblige her mother and make a permanent love connection, Pilar’s romantic prospects look grim. Her cheating ex, who swears that he’s reformed, is stalking her. A hunky, but strictly off-limits, patient with bad-boy appeal and intimacy issues is making passes. And the sexy shrink in the suite across the hall has a gold band on his left ring finger.

When a series of personal and professional disasters lead Pilar into the arms of one of her unsuitable suitors, she's left shaken, confused, and full of self-doubt. With time running out, she must make sense of her feelings and learn to trust herself again so that she can save her business, her family, and most importantly, her heart.

....Can never go wrong with a book on therapy sessions for the therapist.

Two consecutive books, I have had to review a book about the lead undergoing some therapy. Either administering it or being on the receiving end. It's my first time of such reviewing coincidence bloggers experience not everyday. And it makes things so easier when you enjoyed the previous title.

This book was chicklit I haven't experienced before. A bit surprised the lead was Latina. So scared she might be too feisty (you know these Latinas) for this number. But I found this Pilar an interesting character to read about-and oh so easy to fall for.

I was picturing this book as Jane Sigalof's Confessions Of An Agony Aunt in the making, from the blurb. But I had to admit, I had fun reading this book than I did the former which I had to put down for over year and pick up when I landed the boring job after high-school (No kidding. And it was another book I had stolen from a friend.)

So Pilar, a psychoanalyst, who's just began her practice and is in dire need of making a name for herself, has to deal with distraction in the form of irresistible men. At least majority are irresistible. She's among three sisters with an overbearing mother who doesn't look a day past fifty (but is in fact more than 365 days past the age).

She has to deal with her mother who's frequent rants over phone are primarily to get her to ditch her career-driven attitude and get married to a man as rich as her dad. Honoring the mum, Worst Matchmaker Of The Year award, she constantly sets Pilar on the most horrible dates (once with a too short and bulky guy who spent the time chatting calories and giving away healthy-living tips complete with workout routines and a strict advice to go on a diet from anything white. A rather informative date, I have to admit.). There's also Sara, the fashion designer friend who introduces Pilar to the guy who'd turn up as her second most horrible date.

Just when Pilar is having enough problems with her ex Victor [who I found irritating and wouldn't ever disappear with his equally bugging grandiose gestures (reminding me I will never have that much to make the proposal of my dreams with a skywriter and all) and his cheating stunts with LEIGHTON MEESTER (I hate the lucky dude)!!], dealing with the spoilt brat of her sister who is a roomie and has a fascination for bad boys on either side of law (the offender and the defender), a super-hot patient with the whole ragged looks going on for him professes his undying love for her-a shocker because he is being treated for man-whoriness and commitment issues.

Meanwhile, there's the good-looking guy she shares an office hallway with being sweet and caring. And married. Or so Pilar thinks seeing the big gold band on his finger. The two have very platonic lunch dates (Yeah, Banister makes us believe there's such), and though Pilar has the hots for this guy who has a son and might have the highest rating on Cosmo's stud meter (unlike me) she's mindful of a housewife that might get scorned. Or rather, an OR nurse (from son's info) who might hand out unsterilized instruments to the surgeon.

But when Izzy goes to Jail, and her mum keeps up with her threats of cardiac arrest if she doesn't get married, and Sara is losing her creative edge, and she finds out one of her patient is a phoney, and Victor wouldn't just leave, and another teenage patient isn't quitting her request for a boob job, and she receives her rent billing that might send her practice under, and-against all her morals-shares a kiss with the daddy stud, her world crumbles as she loses control of what she formally thought she had a grip on-her personal and professional life. But the excitement doesn't end there. There's a fashion show where Pilar gets to show off her Latina curves in a swimsuit. More than sweet!

I loved that this book was set in South Beach. A very huge Fan of Vanessa Williams and the show myself, I could picture the luxurious clubs, bars and restaurants Tracie Banister took us through. My personal fav, Victor's choices of restaurants-good food with sexually inspired surroundings. The beachy, fast-paced and trendy setting made this book exciting.

I took a personal interest in the sessions of different patients with hilarious diagnoses. My all-time patient I always looked forward to her next session had to be the Lori, the patient with too-clingy issues who commences the first chapter winning a lot of laughs from me.

Drawing nearer to the (dreaded) end, you still don't know who Mr. Right might be and you keep guessing till it gets obvious at a point with you exclaiming "Gee, how come I never figured it out?"

There are lots of OMG moments in this chicklit number, most are hilarious.</p>

It was fun knowing all that happened to the patients who were making a progress in their respective treatments towards the end. Some ended up with the wrong characters in a white wedding and others did pretty well.

This book deserves a....

five-star rating.

Tracie Banister's In Need Of Therapy is available at Amazon in both paperback and kindle format.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is having a hard time packing for a beach vacation or anyone being bored staying indoors and stuck with a boring job (like mine). Or you could just pick it if you are the genre's fan.

But please, please, please. You are not to take too much of Pilar's advice. For a therapist taking her boyfriend to a wedding was a pretty unsmart move. But all fears are put aside discovering they were opting for the traditional vows themselves.

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