Summer Book Review: Career Game by Louise Mensch

Purchase |Goodreads

MY SYNOPSIS 

Imagine This: You have everything you already dream of accomplishing by forty. You run a chain of magazines, you have a successful husband, not-quite-successful kids but their trust-fund would cater for that when the time is right.

Except off late you've realized circulation figures for your magazine is sinking. People aren't buying magazines like they used to. Information is everywhere these days. And blogs are killing your market. 

It doesn't end there. Your husband is being an arse. He's suggesting your kids should be transferred to—shivers—public school! And things are getting bad at home with arguments after arguments.

You can't take all that's going with your family now. It's work you run to. Work in a few hours the board of your company are preparing to fire you from.

There's no one to turn to. Someone out there wants to bring you down, you are aware of this—you are in New York after all, and you stepped on many toes to get successful. You've only got your bestfriend who's also a top-dog in the music industry...

Only she's too wrapped up in salvaging her own record company before it goes down the drain.

Topaz and Rowena's turbulent lives summed up for your delight.

My Review. 

I liked this book.

Great storyline. I love titles featuring women with high-powered jobs dominating men's only environments. They usually set my temperature boiling as they are fast-paced and such a turn-on! This title is no different. A star.──★

The main characters are not hard to fall in love with. As I said above, both Rowena and Tapaz were a turn-on for me with their lives every New Yorker would be envious of... unless you delve into their familial lives and realize they are not as perfect as they put across. Very relatable to women who are trying hard to strike the appropriate work-family balance. A star.──★★ 

Some other characters are winning too. There's Maria, the actress who's trying hard to break-in to the world of Hampton-Hausfrau and New-York socialite by hooking a multi-millionaire husband. There's also Joe Goldstein, the husband of Tapaz you ladies would love because it happens he isn't only successful at work he's... good in other areas too. Stars to all these characters.──★★★ 

Suspense is a big thing in this book. You'd be sitting on the edge of your seat for most part of your reading. The sex is also amazing too—lots of squirming moments in your seat.──★★★★

My only problem is I wish other characters could have been fleshed more. There were lots of characters who weren't well-developed and most of them seemed... not so three-dimensional. Otherwise it would have been a five-star read.

So my rating:  Four/Five stars (4/5 stars).

Louise Mensch's latest is available on amazon.

I recommend this to anyone who wants a fast-paced bonkbuster this summer that they can lose themselves into and make lots of book boyfriends or—if they are not in for a relationship—these boys can equally serve as Good book fuck-buddies. If you also want to read a title set between enchanting L.A, and New York and some glamorous locations all over the world, go pick this. Want to read a book of about women who have it all and are about to lose it all, run for this. 

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

Blog Tour + Review: Ally Hughes Has Sex Sometimes by Jules Moulin

Purchase|Goodreads

My Synopsis 

Imagine This: You are a mother pushing through forties. Your only daughter is twenty. And here's a secret you do not tell anyone:

You do not have sex all times, any time.
But ten years ago, something remarkable happened in your life. One of your students in your Fem Economics class, stepped too far with you. He's young, you are older. He was leaving college the next day. But somehow you two managed to have sex—make-love all over your appartment. So many times.

Ten years later, he's back into your life. He needs your help. He might be still in love with you. You might enjoy more of him than you want to. But he brings your daughter home for dinner...

And that's when your life implodes: your daughter needs a nose job. She's getting it no matter how much you tell her she's perfect. And she's getting into porn to prove that she can make it (her nose) in life without your help.

Ally Hughes' life summarized for your delight.

My Review  

I liked this book.

Storyline is amazing. A feminist professor with her daughter and her lover go through lots of shenanigans to prove sex represents power for all females, and support the neo-feminist stand but agree that women need men for a whole lot of things: sweeping them off their feet, giving them some good loving. It trashes the porn industry and Hollywood/society for the image they confine on all women. A star to the storyline!.──★

It's fun when you pick up a chick-lit title which is a staunch-educator on women affairs. It crosses the thin line between commercial and literary fiction and appeals to audience of both genres. A star..──★★

The characters are great. Ally Hughes, the main character represents all (middle-aged) women who believe celibacy is underrated, but sometimes getting a break and having sex is also good. There's Lizzie, the daughter who's deeper than she likes to portray with a pool of knowledge on women affairs (post-feminism) she picked up from her mum. There's Noah, the actor who has a thing for older women and has never forgotten Ally since he sat in the back row of all her classes, listening attentively. There's also Anna, the super-funny friend of Ally who I loved (more than the lead). There's the super-fishy Fishman and Ted who run a porn business. A star..──★★★

Humor in this title is also a plus. And the SEX!.──★★★★

I liked this book. But I wish I could have loved, loved it. I wanted more. More suspense, more plot twists, less predictability. 

My rating: Four/Five stars.

Jules Moulin's debut available on amazon 

I recommend this book to anyone who wants a funny chick-lit title that also touches on issues that affect women. Anyone who wants something romantic (—because it is very) to cosy up to this summer.


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

Summer Book Review: Double Mint (Davis Way Crime Caper #4) by Gretchen Archer

PURCHASE | GOODREADS 

My Synopsis 

Double Mint (#4) takes reins from Double Strike (#3) to tell the story of Davis Way’s mysterious/romantic/hilarious/ undercover life.

If you were Davis Way, here are a few pointers to begin with your (very chaotic) life:

1. You are on the security force of a
casino, sort of a spy on the team.

2. You are not easily ruffled by theft, murder, shooting because that’s what you headbutt on a daily basis.

3. You are the spitting image of your boss’ wife (if you coat an additional heavy layer of foundation, pull on some contacts and spray-dye your hair) and that—unfortunately—makes her your boss too.

4.  Your relationship with your newly-wedded husband is sheer bliss...  if only you could move out from the haunted house causing a few disagreements between you two.

So now that we are settled on your character, let's brief you on your mission for this instalment. One, it's summer get some rest while you can. Two, while you are getting that rest, find out why the casino's Special Events Coordinator has quit her job and is nowhere to be found. Three—you are still supposed to be resting—take on the role as the hotel's Special Events Coordinator organising weddings with guests who can't see eye to eye and have different bands for the different set of families. Four, find out why platinum from the casino's vault has been stolen. While at that, you just stumbled on some incriminating evidence in you and your husband's new home that might lead you both to jail--get rid of it. Last but not least, break it to your boss' wife that she has menopause... and try surviving after that.

My Review. 

I loved this book! You cannot go through summer without a Women Sleuths novel. In this review I'd be like a magazine recommending you go get this book to prevent excessive summer boredom (and accelerate your aging process by acquiring a few laughter lines!).──★

Gretchen Archer doesn't disappoint with another amazing storyline in her Davis Way Crime Caper series. So there's evidence of minting fake platinum coins in your favourite casino/hotel and Davis Way has to get to the bottom of this before she finds herself and a lot others behind bars, and though no one believes her prime suspect for the crime—an old woman who is known to have poor sight (really, there must be an accomplice who has good enough eyes to mint coins)—she has to find a way to convince everyone they are really on to a devious woman who knows (or sees) more than she's letting on. A star!──★★

It's not hard to love Davis Way, really. Besides being funny, and dead-good with a gun, she's your relatable lead who's not sure her maternal instincts has kicked in yet and can even take care of a cat! The Same Davis I fell in love with starting this series, the same Davis I continue to love with every instalment. A star!──★★★

One thing you'd love about series novels is to get to see old characters you got smitten with since instalment one. Bradley, the amazing fiance now turned husband now turned boss who would love it if Davis Way makes dinner more than she makes trouble. You'd love Bianca, the boss's wife who is always getting under the knife as much as she gets under Davis' skin. Fantasy, the partner who always has her shit together, her husband's and children's ... although not anymore. Eddie, Davis' ex-ex-husband who is annoying and the man no woman wants to get married to—twice! This series saw new characters such as Magnolia, the sneaky old lady with presumed poor sight who constantly busts into Davis' old home—which was her previous home—and leaves behind a trail of heavy perfume. And a cat that's so irritating readers would wonder why they love cats anyway (—not me. Hate them).──★★★★

Lots of humor in this title (although not as much as the previous instalments)! Lots of suspense and twists and so many unexpected moments. The ending has massive OMG moments that would make you gasp.──★★★★★

Another five-star read from Gretchen Archer. I'm waiting for the day when I'll fall out of love with Davis Way, but this day isn't happening so I'm giving up.

The only thing I hated about this novel should be, blink and you'd miss something. So fast-paced if you do not keep up you'd easily be Left behind. I worried for my avid-reader friend who blinks a lot and can't help it. This book was not made for Blepharospasm.

Gretchen Archer's Double Mint is available on amazon. If you want to buy the whole series—I recommend this, click here.

I recommend this for anyone who wants a Women Sleuth title this summer. If you want something gasp-out-loud funny, just get this book. No one wants to sit on the edge of their sun lounger, but if you want to, I recommend this!

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

Summer Book Review: Two Fridays in April by Roisin Meaney

Purchase|Goodreads

MY SYNOPSIS

Imagine This: Your husband died on his daughters’ birthday. He was getting back from his way to pick up a present for her. And well, he died.

Now a exactly a year later, you all are not looking forward to celebrating a birthday. Because that would mean celebrating his one-year anniversary. You are not meant to celebrate his anniversary. You are still mourning. He wasn’t meant to die, how can fate be so cruel?

Apparently, you are not the only one not looking to celebrate a birthday. The daughter cannot, will not get over the fact that, her father died on his way to pick-up a present for her. He was supposed to return on her seventeenth. He wasn’t supposed to die and leave her lost and alone in this world, how the hell does anyone get over survivor’s guilt?

But guess who seems pretty upbeat and is ready to throw up a dinner, get a cake and sing happy birthday? Your unbearable mother-in-law. Well, at least, there’s someone looking up to eating your cake. But all this doesn’t feel right. Why doesn’t that woman own a sympathetic bone in her? Why can she not understand if she’s fecking fantastic and so over her son’s death, you lot are not over his death too? Why does she have to suggest a minor-gathering on a day you’d rather spend staring aimlessly at a headstone and bawling your eyes out?

Unfortunately, you have no idea today, would lead to a chain of events that would teach you to move on, celebrate, and get a fucking life even if your fate has said good riddance to your husband.

Daphne Darling’s life summed up for your delight.

MY REVIEW

I loved, loved this book! So, it’s so obvious I’d be yelling at you to go buy it!

First of all, terrific storyline. I love the whole dark themes this book explores in a very engaging way. A book about loss and dying and mourning could be boring. But not this title. In a day, Woman has rather been flitting through routines without performing them with zest since her husband’s death. And why the hell did he have to be buried in the same grave as his first wife? Why did he have to leave her with a teenager she’s finding hard to connect with? And a mother-in-law who’s as cold, and heartless as, um, a serial killer? Anyway, amazing storyline!── ★

The main characters are fantastic. It’s told in the point of view of four women who need to pick up the pieces after the death of a son, a husband, a father, and a son-in-law. You’d love Daphne for being so… dull (but really, who isn’t after losing their husband), you’d find her relatable if you’ve had to lose someone you love! (Like how I lost my dog and my life would never be the same again!) You’d love Mo, the mother-in-law who’s harsh on the outside, but on the interior she’s warm and does everything with a good thought, but really, who loves an old woman over eighty finding it hard to show remorse and complaining every darn time? You’d also love Una, the daughter who’s grieving her dad’s death, and in my opinion, the boldest of all three women. Isobel is the mother of Daphne who left her when she was only six, she’s worried she’s turning sixty and wondering why she spends her life with the most emotionless man on earth. A star to all these main characters.── ★★

Other main characters are just a delight. There’s Finn, the dead husband who’s ever present in past accounts. There’s Theo, the son of the man who took away Una’s father. There’s the whole bunch related to the man who took away Una’s father you’d absolutely adore. You’d also love Dolly, the dog who someone has to hold on to when another is leaving the house because she’d jump on them and begin licking. There’s Alex,  Isobel’s second husband who probably doesn’t have the right signals that send emotions to the brain, hence is bare. There’s George, Daphne’s stepbrother who’s considerate and sweet with kids. You’d also love Jack, Daphne’s father who backs out of an argument even before it starts whose wife left him for his predictability. A star to all these characters. None redundant, all enjoyable!── ★★★

This is excellent literary piece. It’s hard to find a title that demonstrates literary prowess and experience of the author and still be appealing. This book was all stretched out in a day, yet not boring! You’d love how Roisin connects the dots in each characters’ account explaining your whys and hows to give more depth and understanding to the story. You’d love how Roisin is such a tease, cutting off information, witholding it and supplying it at a later time (in that same chapter, mind you), when she feels it’s most paramount to bring up! Only a writer could admire these attributes of Roisin Meaney. Surprisingly, no backstory is left out, engaging as the present day account.── ★★★★

So this book is not big on OMG-moments, yet it’s hard to put down. You’d find the story engaging, moving and delightful. A star.── ★★★★★

So my rating is definitely a five out of five stars (5/5 stars)!

Roisin Meaney’s amazing latest is available on amazon.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn a few tricks on how to be an amazing storyteller as well as good writer. Anyone who wants something that explores dense themes yet ends on a satisfying note should get this book. 

Anyone who wants a title to steal away their summer hours without noticing (because it all happens in a day!) should go pick this title. 

My work not done here! Off to post my review on amazon as well as goodreads.

Sumner Book Review: My Mother's Secret by Sheila O'Flanagan

Purchase|Goodreads 

My Synopsis 

Imagine This: You are happy for your parents! Forty years! That’s a big deal! Forty years of love, forty years of setting the best example for you to follow. Though, really, let’s face it, they set the bar really high when all you’ve been able to handle is some non-serious friends-with-benefits uncomplicated relationships. A few months of orgasmic fun, that is!

Anyway, you are very much sure your parents would love to have a quiet time together. But your older unbearable sis is having none of it. She wants to throw a surprise party for them, inviting friends, family and neighbours. And you’d rather help than have a rolling pin whacked against your head, really. Besides things look like they’d turn up just alright because nobody seems to be complaining. (But perhaps, maybe they are not teetering around town with three tiers of cake or climbing skyscraper ladders to fix up banners).

Except your mum has decided to release a long-kept secret(s). So things are not exactly going to be booze, cutting cake and making speeches.

Roll out your tissues! It’s going to be one heck of a stormy summer party.

Steffie’s life summed up for your delight.

My Review 

I liked this book!

Great storyline. A family book you could get cosy with this summer. So Woman decides on her fortieth anniversary, she can no more live a lie she’s kept for years, and decides she cannot wait another day (why? Why?) to reveal it to everyone during the time her children want to throw her the biggest surprise. During the same time her son is bringing in a girlfriend from Denmark to coax her into marrying him seeing just how happy his parents are. A star!──

★

A fun multiple character-read! As with all other family books, you’d find yourself scrutinizing, turning over each character finding who you best relate with. You would find your inner, dreamy, lovechild in Steffie. You would find your inner bossiness and unbearable nature in Roisin. You might also find your inner-unsettled and fussy nature in Jenny, the mother. A star.── ★★

Other characters make this book great as well. There’s Summer the cocktail-mixer who’s a bit of a hit amongst the older men of the family. There’s Colette, the cousin who’s dumped three men at the altar. There’s Dave, the brother who’s searching for a right moment to propose. You’d also love the meddling aunts who can’t stand how happy Jenny and Pascal are.── ★★★

OMG Moments would make this a great read for you. OMG Moments you’d really find yourself giggling at. A star.── ★★★★

I liked this book. But I really, really wished I could have loved, loved it. I wanted less predictability, more surprise. On a general note, it a good book. So my rating…

My rating: Four/five stars.

Sheila O’ Flanagan’s latest is available on amazon.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants a family read to enjoy this summer. Anyone who wants a multiple-character read which doesn’t make all the characters look the same, sound the same, be the same. Anyone who wants a title with lots of heart, warmth and love should look no further than this.

My work not done here. Off to post my review on amazon, as well as goodreads.