Those Secrets We Keep (Emily Liebert)

When you’re headed out for a day on the beach, be sure to throw Emily Liebert’s Those Secrets We Keep in your bag next to your towel and sunscreen.  It’s a quick read, making it perfect for a weekend away, and the plot is exactly as the title describes: three friends who are keeping huge, life-altering secrets from each other as well as from their own families.

Sloane, whose sister has just recently passed away from cancer, invites her pal Hillary to her aunt’s house on Lake George for a girls’ weekend.  On their way there, Sloane gets a call from her wild old friend, Georgina, who strangely invites herself along on the trip.  Also at Lake George is Sloane’s ex-flame, Luke, an ultra-rich businessman; Sloane is already feeling bored in her marriage to Eddie, so having Luke there is of course a major temptation.  Hillary and Georgina also have a few secrets of their own.  Why didn’t Georgina contact Sloane after her sister’s death?  What's going on with Hillary and her struggle to have a child?

Besides finding Georgina’s plot and the fact that most everything is wrapped up in a neat little bow slightly implausible, I found Those Secrets We Keep an enjoyable read.  I look forward to reading more from Emily Liebert.

MY RATING - 3

The Matchmaker (Hilderbrand)

Elin Hilderbrand is definitely now getting the recognition she deserves in the literary realm.  I've always said that her books are great for the beach as "chick lit", but also just as ideal for curling up with next to a fire.  I call her the "just one more chapter" author; the late-night minutes tick by but you just have to see what's going to happen to these beloved characters. The Matchmaker is no different.

Hilderbrand's novels all take place on Nantucket but are very different from each other.  In The Matchmaker, Dabney Kimball Beech is married to John Boxmiller "Box" Beech, but her heart has always been with Clendenin Hughes, a journalist who moved away from Nantucket a long time ago.  Box has been raising Dabney and Clendenin's daughter, Agnes, as his own, but now Clendenin is back in Nantucket.  Dabney, who has set up a multitude of other couples, now must make a decision between the two while dealing with her own personal tragedy.

I pretty much sobbed uncontrollably for the last few chapters, and that is purely due to Hilderbrand making you care so much about these characters.  Heartbreaking read.

MY RATING - 4

Tempting Fate (Jane Green)

I'm going to start with a full-out disclaimer: Parts of Jane Green's Tempting Fate made me so angry that I physically wanted to throw the book against the wall.  I actually found myself yelling at Gabby, the main character, and really getting way too emotionally involved.  For you see, this is the classic"throw-it-all-away" story, with Gabby becoming obsessed with a younger guy she meets in a bar and...well, this can't end well.  Or can it?

After calming myself down, I was able to continue Tempting Fate in a less angry fashion, realizing that we've all done lots of things in life that we regret. However, this being chick lit, you should know by now that major repercussions will be had; Gabby's entire life (and those of her family and friends) is in turmoil, and she must try to put the pieces back together, however hard that will be.

This is a welcome addition to Jane Green's collection of smart beach reads.  Some reviewers have written that they found it difficult to root for Gabby; however, in the end, life is filled with the mistakes people make.  It's those who pick themselves up and dust themselves off that learn the most.

MY RATING - 3

More Like Her (Liza Palmer)

We never truly know what another person is going through in their personal life. No matter how much we may envy their beauty, gorgeous house, and fancy job, everyone has secrets. This is the message of Liza Palmer’s More Like Her, a sometimes frustrating blend of banal chick lit and outright horror.

The story revolves around Frannie, a thirtysomething speech therapist, working in an elementary school with her best friends, Jill and Lisa. Frannie has just been dumped by Ryan, also a teacher at the same school. When the school year begins, Emma, the new headmistress, seems to have it all…looks, brains, a cushy job. All Frannie can do is rethink everything in her life and bemoan the fact that no one will ever love her.

The first part of More Like Her features endless monologues by Frannie, both internal in her head and external to her friends. Jill tries to set her up, throwing parties with guys Frannie would love to forget. When she meets Sam, she thinks she may have found someone different from all the other guys, but soon Sam acts just like all the others. Things take a tragic turn when a life-changing event occurs, making Frannie realize that you never truly know another person unless they let you.

This novel definitely becomes more readable when the shocking event occurs; however, Frannie’s monologues weigh More Like Her down. More action and less talking would probably make things more interesting. I was hoping in the last few pages that Palmer would not end it in the predictable way that she did. The best stories are not always wrapped up in a nice, neat package with a red bow.

MY RATING – 3

This review can also be found on www.bookloons.com.

Cocktails for Three (Madeleine Wickham)

"Cocktails for Three" is one of those books that was just made for summer.....read it by the pool while sipping a strawberry daquiri. Reading any book by Madeleine Wickham is wonderful for zoning out...mindless entertainment with a heart. You may know Wickham better by her pen name, Miss Sophie Kinsella, the queen of British chick lit.

This is the story of three best friends...each one with a secret. There is Candice, with a childlike innocence and a terrible past; Maggie, a new mother who does not feel any of the emotions that new moms are "supposed" to feel; and Roxanne, unbelievably glamorous with a secret man on the side. None are as happy inwardly as they portray to others. Their first of the month cocktail meetings are held as a release with friends. When a new girl enters the picture closely tied to Candice, will it tear the three friends apart for good or or bring them even closer together?

I have said before that Wickham (AKA...Sophie Kinsella) is a master at "intelligent" chick lit. The reader cares about her characters and wants them to succeed. This is a great book to read when you want to get away from it all. It's a great form of escapism.

MY RATING - 4

Currently reading..."The Weight of Silence" (Heather Gudenkauf)

Twenties Girl (Sophie Kinsella)

Sophie Kinsella, in my opinion, can do no wrong. As you can tell from the books I have been reviewing, "chick lit" is not normally my thing. It takes a lot for me to pick one of those up. However, Kinsella is not your normal author when it comes to that. Her books are poignant, heartwarming, laugh-out-loud funny, and just the thing you want to curl up with at night after a long day. "Twenties Girl" is no exception.

The premise is outlandish, but believe me, it works. Kinsella's latest follows Lara Lington, a Londoner starting out with her own business and desperate to get her ex-boyfriend to love her again. When her great aunt Sadie, who dies at 105 years old, begins to visit her as a ghost, things go even more haywire for Lara. Sadie cannot rest in peace until she finds a necklace given to her in the 1920s. Lara does not want to help her find it, but reluctantly agrees to get Sadie off her back. Kinsella's backstory of the necklace and ultimately how Sadie pulls Lara's life back together again is at the heart of the novel.

The author never disappoints. Be sure to actually read Kinsella (and her alternate pen name, Madeleine Wickham), and not think that movies such as "Confessions of a Shopaholic" do her any justice. Her books are great fun and will put a smile on your face.

MY RATING - 5

Time of My Life (Allison Winn Scotch)

OK….sometimes you just need to zone out in a book and not think. When I saw the cover of this book and read the description, I thought, “Oh great…chick lit.” As I quickly made my way through this however, I realized that there can be really intelligent “chick lit” out there. This is it.

The story revolves around Jillian and her, on the surface, “Good Housekeeping" life…..an executive husband, a baby girl who she adores, an exquisite home in the New York suburbs, and gourmet meals. Never has she felt so “suffocated” and finds herself terribly sad when she hears that her ex-boyfriend has recently married.

Have you ever thought about what would have happened if you had gone down the “road not taken”? Jillian gets her chance and finds herself one day 7 years in the past….no husband, no child, no house in the suburbs, and again with her ex-boyfriend. She has the chance to take this road. Will she?

A thoroughly enjoyable read which comes highly recommended.

MY RATING – 5