Blogcritics Category: Books: Chick-Lit

Book Review: The Richest Season by Maryann McFadden

Debbie Friend — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 05:01:05 EDT

After twenty-five years of marriage, Joanna Harrison couldn't take it anymore. She ran away and found more than she ever could have imagined.
I love a good romantic story. And boy am I a sucker for a happy ending. This passion began early for me. When I was a little girl, I became hooked for life the very first time my mom read Cinderella to me. While I still enjoy a good “fairy tale,” now that I’m older and wiser, I prefer more complex, mature characters involved in...

Book Review: This Charming Man by Marian Keyes

Tracy Kokemuller — Tue, 8 Jul 2008 15:44:43 EDT

I was expecting a breezy summer chick lit novel. What I got was so much more and I was not disappointed.
The book cover of This Charming Man is deceiving. I was expecting a breezy summer chick lit novel. What I got was so much more and I was not disappointed. This Charming Man introduces us to three distinct women and shows us how their lives intertwine with one man, and with each other. The man is Paddy de Courney, an Ireland politician with...

The Early Word: New and Notable Fiction for the Week of July 7, 2008

Kevin Eagan — Mon, 7 Jul 2008 11:29:36 EDT

New fiction this week by Robert Crais, Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, Nora Roberts, Stephen L. Carter, and others.
After an exciting June, there's just not that much happening in the world of fiction so far this month. In many ways, that's to be expected; after all, the big blockbusters of the summer are out there making the rounds on the bestseller lists waiting for summer readers to snatch them up. By the time August rolls around, the books industry...

Book Review: Divorcing Dwayne by J. L. Miles

Debbie Friend — Fri, 4 Jul 2008 07:11:24 EDT

Francine Harper discovers much more than her husband's wandering heart. Her dealing with the situation is a madcap, hilarious adventure.
No one could have prepared Francine Harper for all of the ups and downs and twists and turns her life would take when the “honeymoon ended” during her second year of marriage. And as a result of all the turmoil, nothing would ever be the same in Pickville Springs, the sleepy rural town in northern Georgia where Francine and her husband...

Book Review: Murder, Mayhem and a Fine Man by Claudia Mair Burney

Violet Nesdoly — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:38:03 EDT

Cat-and-mouse crime plus romance, rich in psychological overtones and clever repartee.
He possessed the kind of exotic good looks that appeared to be an ambiguous blend of races - at least black, white, and Latino. He must have pulled all the fine out of that multicultural gene pool. Mr. United Nations had on a gray lightweight wool suit, tailored to perfection. His white button-down shirt had been starched to military attention. His...

Book Review: Left Bank by Kate Muir

Jill Hart — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:34:18 EDT

This book is quite different than most chick lit, primarily because it begins with a mystery.
Madison and Olivier Malin are the "it" couple in France's famous Left Bank neighborhood. Madison is an actress - not on the A-list, but good enough to get work. She's an American (a Texan no less) who moved to France and is working hard to reinvent herself as a French goddess.Olivier, a philosopher, is the pride of the city. He has fans everywhere...

Book Review: In the Driver's Seat by Helen Simpson

NancyGail — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:23:30 EDT

A wry collection of stories from everyday life.
In the Driver's Seat, by Helen Simpson, is a collection of short stories which talk about ordinary people as they travel on the highway called life. Sometimes the trip takes one down a straight path right to the desired destination. Other times, the road has bumps. These can be large or small, but they jolt the driver out of thinking 'it...

The Early Word: New and Notable Fiction for the Week of June 16, 2008

Kevin Eagan — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:52:37 EDT

New fiction this week by Marian Keyes, Jane Green, Peter David, Poppy Adams, Billie Letts, and more.
If last week's Early Word highlighted good fiction from some new writers, this week's Early Word is all about established writers. There are a decent number of new fiction books out this week (more than last week, it appears) and they run the gamut between chick lit, mystery, children's fantasy, and satire.Currently working their way up most...

Book Review: Around The World in 80 Dates by Christa Ann Banister

Jill Hart — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:01:11 EDT

You'd think that, as a travel writer, Sydney Alexander must lead a pretty exciting life. That is, until you do your second-guessing between the lines...
You would think that, as a travel writer, Sydney Alexander leads a pretty exciting life. Unfortunately, this is only partially true. While she enjoys her work, has a great relationship with her sister, a hilarious hippie for a neighbor, and a strong relationship with God, she just can't seem to find a decent date.Sydney's typical dates tend...

The Early Word: New and Notable Fiction for the Week of June 9, 2008

Kevin Eagan — Mon, 9 Jun 2008 20:51:33 EDT

New fiction by James Patterson, Uwem Akpan, Jackie Collins, David Wroblewski and others.
This promises to be an exciting week for fiction, especially for the literary world. Although 2008 has provided a steady stream of good literature from both well-established and new writers, these new fiction books have not been nearly as exciting as some of the big titles from last year. That's not to say there hasn't been anything...