Book Review: Kindred Spirits by Whitney Dineen

Title: Kindred Spirits
Author: Whitney Dineen
Genre: Chicklit / Romance
Rating: 4,5 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Dashing and successful, Richard Bingham has been voted one of the top ten bachelors in New York City. After unwittingly offending a reporter from Manhattan Life magazine, he finds himself on the receiving end of an article that makes his quest of finding the perfect mate nearly impossible.

After one dating disaster too many, Richard decides it’s time to seek professional help, so he signs up for the matchmaking services of the East Side Yenta.

Philippa Fielding is single and searching for love in London, but her accidental profession of “Message Deliverer from the Great Beyond” puts most men right off.

Will Pip’s new “Spirit Helper,” Bertram, be able to set her on the course for true love with a message for Richard?

Matchmaking, misunderstandings, and mayhem abound in this fast-paced romantic comedy about love, life, and the afterlife!

Kindred Spirits is my first book by author Whitney Dineen, but I can see why it has 4.9 out of 5 stars total spread over 23 reviews on Amazon. The author definitely knows her craft and genre. In terms of chicklit/ women’s fiction, you don’t get much better books than this one.

Richard Bingham is one of the top ten bachelors in New York City. However, dating proves to be rather disastrous for him… Fed up, he decides to enlist for matchmaking services. What he never expected was that he would meet someone as quirky and different as Philippa Fielding. Philippa can talk to the dearly departed, but that’s not the only unique part about her and soon, Richard finds himself falling for her.

The book is filled with memorable, entertaining characters like Bertram, Spencer, Elliot… It has quirky humor, a solid plot, and a romantic couple you can’t help but root for.

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Book Tours: Starter Day Party Kindred Spirits

I’m hosting the starter day party today for the book tour for chicklit / women’s fiction / romance “Kindred Spirits”. The tour runs from November 20 to December 20. Stay tuned for my review during the tour!

Tour Schedule

November 20th: Starter Day Party @ I Heart Reading

November 21st: Promo Post @ Mello & June, It’s A Book Thing

November 23rd: Book Excerpt @ Indy Book Fairy

November 25th: Promo Post and Giveaway @ Nesie’s Place

November 28th: Character Interview @ Viviana MacKade’s Blog

November 30th: Book Excerpt @ I’m an Eclectic Reader

December 1st: Promo Post @ Editor Charlene’s Blog

December 2nd: Author Interview and Giveaway @ Bright Street Books

December 4th: Book Excerpt @ Bookish Madness

December 5th: Book Review @ Laura’s Interests

December 6th: Author Interview @ Reading A Page Turner

December 7th: Book Excerpt @ The Resistance

December 9th: Book Excerpt @ Books, Dreams, Life

December 11th: Book Excerpt @ Lisa Queen of Random

December 13th: Author Interview @ The Single Librarian

December 15th: Book Review and Giveaway @ I Heart Reading

December 17th: Promo Post @ Bedazzled Reading

December 19th: Book Excerpt and Giveaway @ Nesie’s Place

About the Book

Title: Kindred Spirits

Author: Whitney Dineen

Genre: Chicklit / Romance

Dashing and successful, Richard Bingham has been voted one of the top ten bachelors in New York City. After unwittingly offending a reporter from Manhattan Life magazine, he finds himself on the receiving end of an article that makes his quest of finding the perfect mate nearly impossible.

After one dating disaster too many, Richard decides it’s time to seek professional help, so he signs up for the matchmaking services of the East Side Yenta.

Philippa Fielding is single and searching for love in London, but her accidental profession of “Message Deliverer from the Great Beyond” puts most men right off.

Will Pip’s new “Spirit Helper,” Bertram, be able to set her on the course for true love with a message for Richard?

Matchmaking, misunderstandings, and mayhem abound in this fast-paced romantic comedy about love, life, and the afterlife!

Author Bio

Whitney Dineen is a multi-award-winning author of romantic comedies, non-fiction humor and middle reader fiction. When she’s not spinning stories, Whitney’s raising her young daughters, wrangling chicken, or eating french fries, not necessarily in that order.

Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Amazon

Goodreads

Book Review: Cherry Lips by Lacey Dearie

Cherry Lips coverTitle: Cherry Lips
Author: Lacey Dearie
Genre: Chicklit/Fairytale
Age Group: Adult
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Cerise is not a witch. She’s an apprentice herbalist whose father is a wannabe warlock and fairy godmother is a madame. But Cerise has a closely guarded secret – the cherry lip-stain she manufactures and sells to the richest and most powerful women in the land is a potent aphrodisiac that makes the wearer irresistible. Of course, with such power comes responsibility, something Cerise did not consider while she was testing each batch of the product on the men of her home town.

Soon, word of the magical make-up reaches the childless Queen Merewald, and she becomes determined to uncover the secrets of the lip-stain herself and use them to seduce her ageing, impotent husband, King Palen. Her best chance is to send her feline brother-in-law, Blaxton, to befriend Cerise and spy on her. What the Queen didn’t count on was her nephew falling for Cerise without the use of magic or her niece using their jester as bait to uncover the secrets before she did.

Cherry Lips is a chick-lit fairytale about a medieval amateur cosmetologist, a nymphomaniac witch, a kinky jester, an unconventionally handsome prince, a wizard with magical healing powers, a castle made of sand and crystals, magical lip-stain that makes the wearer irresistible and cats. Lots and lots of cats.

Cherry Lips is a whimsical, romantic, hilarious fairytale with the strangest bunch of characters you could’ve ever imagined. Our main character, Cerise, is an apprentice herbalist who happens to be the manufacturer of a cherry lip-stain that is anything but ordinary: it’s an aphrodisiac that makes the wearer irresistible. When the queen finds out about this magic lip-stain, she wants it for herself, and to use it to seduce her husband so they can have a child.

In order to retrieve the lip-stain, she sends her brother-in-law to befriend Cerise and spy on her. But that decision might backfire when Blaxton falls head over heels for Cerise…And what ensues is a hilarious tale of cats, magic and fairy godmothers who aren’t at all like how you’d expect a fairy godmother to be like.

The characters are amazing, especially Cerise. The world-building is solid and fun, without being too complicated, and it allows the reader to easily dive into the story. If you like stories with a whimsical side, you’ll love Cherry Lips.

Book Tours: Starter Day Party Cherry Lips

cherrylipsbanner

I’m hosting the starter day party today for the book tour for chicklit / fairytale “Cherry Lips”. The tour runs from August 18 to September 18.

The book is FREE on Amazon  until August 20. If you want a copy of the book, now is your chance.

We also have a giveaway during the tour for a paperback copy and swag. Scroll down to participate.

Tour Schedule

August 18th: Starter Day Party @ I Heart Reading

August 18th: Book Review and Character Interview @ Laura’s Interests

August 19th: Book Excerpt @ Books on Fire

August 20th: Book Excerpt @ Indy Book Fairy

August 21st: Book Excerpt @ Cinderella Stories

August 24th: Author Interview @ BooksChatter

August 26th: Book Review @ Books are Forever

August 28th: Book Excerpt @ Bedazzled Reading

August 30th: Character Interview @ The Book Daily

September 1st: Book Review @ Boundless Book Reviews

September 3rd: Book Excerpt @ Bookish Madness

September 5th: Author Interview @ Teatime and Books

September 7th: Book Excerpt @ Book About

September 10th: Guest Post @ Editor Charlene’s Blog

September 12th: Book Excerpt @ I’m an Eclectic Reader

September 14th: Book Review @ I Heart Reading

September 17th: Book Excerpt @ Crystal’s Chaotic Confessions

September 18th: Book Excerpt @ The Single Librarian

About the Book

Cherry Lips coverTitle: Cherry Lips

Author: Lacey Dearie

Genre: Chicklit/Fairytale

Cerise is not a witch. She’s an apprentice herbalist whose father is a wannabe warlock and fairy godmother is a madame. But Cerise has a closely guarded secret – the cherry lip-stain she manufactures and sells to the richest and most powerful women in the land is a potent aphrodisiac that makes the wearer irresistible. Of course, with such power comes responsibility, something Cerise did not consider while she was testing each batch of the product on the men of her home town.

Soon, word of the magical make-up reaches the childless Queen Merewald, and she becomes determined to uncover the secrets of the lip-stain herself and use them to seduce her ageing, impotent husband, King Palen. Her best chance is to send her feline brother-in-law, Blaxton, to befriend Cerise and spy on her. What the Queen didn’t count on was her nephew falling for Cerise without the use of magic or her niece using their jester as bait to uncover the secrets before she did.

Cherry Lips is a chick-lit fairytale about a medieval amateur cosmetologist, a nymphomaniac witch, a kinky jester, an unconventionally handsome prince, a wizard with magical healing powers, a castle made of sand and crystals, magical lip-stain that makes the wearer irresistible and cats. Lots and lots of cats.

Author Bio

Lacey Dearie is the creator of the best-selling Leger – Cat Sleuth Mysteries Series about a talking Glaswegian cat detective. She loves observing cats and their idiosyncrasies and has a particular fondness for black cats with amber eyes or pretty calicos. She would own a house full of pets if her allergies allowed it.

She is also the author of chick-lit novel and Amazon UK Top 100 best-seller, The Tangled Web (currently available only on Createspace), chick-lit fairytale Cherry Lips, two nonsensical short stories about amorous foods and the soon to be released Candlelight Lane Mysteries which blend culinary cozies and magical realism.

In her spare time she loves to travel and is a regular visitor to Cyprus – a place that has influenced almost every story she writes as much as her home country, Scotland. She has a personal blog dedicated to lingerie and fragrances, studies perfumery and is a tiny bit obsessed with cute stationery and ska.

Lacey loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted on Twitter as @laceydearie (please be aware of adult content) or on her Facebook page www.facebook.com/laceydearie (family friendly).

Links

Amazon US: Amazon US

Amazon UK: Amazon UK

Amazon CA: Amazon CA

Amazon AU: AMAZON AU

Createspace: Createspace

E-Store where you can purchase a signed copy with author swag included in the price: laceydearie.storenvy.com

Author Facebook page: www.facebook.com/laceydearie

Sign up form for the author’s mailing list

Giveaway

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Book Review: My Journey to the Ocean by Lena Mikado

MyJourneyToTheOcean-FJM_High_Res_1800x2700Title: My Journey to the Ocean
Author: Lena Mikado
Genre: Romance / Chicklit
Age Group: Adult
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is a memoir. Memoir gone chick lit (a bit twisted, perhaps at times too philosophical chick lit), yet still a memoir. It is a story about coming out of age, about what is happening on one’s mind when they are falling out of love and about trying to live in the present moment. All wrapped up in the sugar cone of that elusive humor of our everyday lives.

Elena knows what she wants from life. Her whole picture-perfect existence is planned out and allows for no deviation. She is engaged to be married and intends to be happy. Along with three of her girlfriends, she takes a summer trip across the ocean, to St. Simons Island, Georgia, United States. Pool parties, vodka watermelons and the eternal question – to shag or not to shag. Her whole world is about to be rock-n-rolled, and she will have to face a pretty hard choice. It all sounds like a setup for a summer-fling novel, but is it really like that in actuality, or does Miss Real Life have something more conniving under her sleeve? Are there happy endings in real life?

In My Journey to the Ocean, Elena loves travelling, and she also loves her Russian fiance. But when a journey to the other end of the world brings her to St. Simons Island, Georgia, she falls in love with pretty much everything around her – and maybe another guy too. While Elena discovers a new part of the world, a part filled with pool parties and vodka watermelons and some of the hottest guys she’s ever seen ) she also discovers a new part of herself, a part that wants more, that craves more. And it turns out her picture perfect life back in Russia may not have been so perfect after all, and that the guy who seems wrong in just about every way, may turn out to be the right guy for her.

I loved the sense of humor the author brings to the table. Right from the start, the book is caked in a layer of humor, and the protagonist doesn’t hesitate from making fun of herself too, often laughing at her own expense. All characters have realistic personalities, and most of them have some background story too, making them feel real, and easy to relate to, especially the protagonist and the love interest.

Although mostly light-hearted, the book offers some more philisophical insights too, without straying too far though. A fun summer read with a bit more to it.

Book Tours: Starter Day Party for My Journey to the Ocean

journeyoceanbanner

I’m hosting the starter day party today for the book tour for chicklit / women’s fiction “My Journey to the Ocean”. Tour runs from March 19 to April 19. I’ll review the book on April 9 – stay tuned for the review, and while you’re at it, visit the other tour stops.

Tour Schedule

March 19th: Starter Day Party @ I Heart Reading

March 21st: Book Excerpt @ The Book Daily

March 22nd: Promo Post @ Nat’s Book Nook

March 25th: Book Excerpt @ I’m an Eclectic Reader

March 27th: Author Interview @ The Single Librarian

March 30th: Book Excerpt @ Indy Book Fairy

April 1st: Promo Post @ Hollow Readers

April 4th: Book Review @ Bedazzled Reading

April 5th: Book Excerpt @ Bookish Madness

April 7th: Promo Post @ 365 Days of Reading

April 9th: Book Review @ I Heart Reading

April 10th: Promo Post @ Undercover Book Reviews

April 11th: Book Excerpt @ The Book Gazette

April 13th: Author Interview @ Cassidy Crimson’s Blog

April 15th: Promo Post @ Editor Charlene’s Blog

April 17th: Book Review @ Books are Forever

April 18th: Promo Post @ Majanka’s Blog

April 19th: Book Excerpt @ Books Direct

About the Book

MyJourneyToTheOcean-FJM_High_Res_1800x2700Title: My Journey to the Ocean

Author: Lena Mikado

Genre: Romance / Chicklit

This novel is a memoir. Memoir gone chick lit (a bit twisted, perhaps at times too philosophical chick lit), yet still a memoir. It is a story about coming out of age, about what is happening on one’s mind when they are falling out of love and about trying to live in the present moment. All wrapped up in the sugar cone of that elusive humor of our everyday lives.

Elena knows what she wants from life. Her whole picture-perfect existence is planned out and allows for no deviation. She is engaged to be married and intends to be happy. Along with three of her girlfriends, she takes a summer trip across the ocean, to St. Simons Island, Georgia, United States. Pool parties, vodka watermelons and the eternal question – to shag or not to shag. Her whole world is about to be rock-n-rolled, and she will have to face a pretty hard choice. It all sounds like a setup for a summer-fling novel, but is it really like that in actuality, or does Miss Real Life have something more conniving under her sleeve? Are there happy endings in real life?

Author Bio

IMG_0155Lena Mikado was born in Voronezh, Russia, and moved to St. Simons Island, Georgia, USA at the age of 22. Lena received her MA degree in Linguistics, Translation and Intercultural Communication in 2005. She is the owner of a translation and localization company, writer, mummy, wife, blogger and belly dancer. And not always in this order. Lena writes tongue-in-cheek chick lit novels that are full of reflections on the matters that bother all of us every minute of our lives: love and hate, life and death, motherhood and trying to live in the present moment. My Journey to the Ocean is the first novel of the All Colors of the Rainbow series.

Links

www.lenamikado.com
https://twitter.com/Lena_Mikado
https://www.facebook.com/lenamikado?ref=hl
Buy on Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00QI89NW4
Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10439778.Lena_Mikado

Release Day Party Valentine’s Day is Murder

releasevalentine

Today is the release for cozy mystery “Valentine’s Day is Murder”. Happy release day!

Book Excerpt

Under the Jamaican Moonlight

For a man who had given up on love, dining under the Ocho Rios’ moon reaffirmed that all things are possible. Jimmy Voigt sat across from Meredith, a woman who, just a couple months back, had been a stranger. She carried the black evening dress she wore elegantly, its straps loose and dangling over her shoulders. In the candlelight and a beautiful setting such as this, it was hard to resist her. A portion of him didn’t even want to try.

“Thank you for taking me with you, Jimmy.” She smiled at him, wistfully, as she lifted her wine glass for a toast. “To us.”

His lips twitched but he wasn’t sure if the full expression showed—he was terrified of falling in love. He went through with the expected response though. He clinked his glass to hers and watched as softness blanketed her features.

It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

They were both up with the sun and had met by the pool. They had spent the early morning strolling along the shore. With toes in the sand, they had shared whispered jokes and silly stories while the sea air cleared out any stench of the city and melted away stress. Tropical breezes also carried wafts of plant life and flowers.

“The Dunns River Falls was quite the experience.”

“You’re telling me.” He left out the fact that his knees had barked most of the way up. He found himself caring what she thought about him, which was a first since Clara.

While he had tried to put Clara from his mind, his ex-wife had a way of entering his thoughts at random intervals and at the most inappropriate times. He had loved her with his soul, but that hadn’t been enough. Maybe it was why he held back now. He feared that if loving someone with his entire being hadn’t been enough before, why would it be now? Yet, he had to shake the self-flagellation.

“The best part though, I must say, was snorkeling. The colors of those fish. Absolutely stunning.” Meredith took a sip of her wine.

Jimmy’s eyes fell to her slim fingers. When they held hands, they intertwined perfectly with his.

He needed to put the past behind him and leave it there. Sara had told him to open his heart, but he was starting to think it was secured behind reinforced steel doors. Still, he appreciated how far he had come—and not simply in literal mileage, but also in the emotional distance he had traveled to ask Meredith to accompany him to Jamaica. Really though, what fun was an island without a companion? Still, he wasn’t going to rush things and had ensured they had separate rooms.

Taking a long draw on his wine, he appreciated its flavor. He pursed his lips.

“You look mighty deep in thought.” Meredith laughed.

“Truth be told, I was.” If he allowed his mind to swallow him whole, it would. Enough of the scrutiny and inward reflection. He was determined to enjoy this moment in time—another wise piece of advice from Sara.

He reached across the table for Meredith’s hand. As hers molded to his, he had to admit that he felt better than he had in a long time. On some level, he felt more complete. If he had listened to his initial excuses, he wouldn’t be here with her. It was with that thought he realized she no longer wore the ring. He pinched his fingers around where it used to be.

She withdrew her hand and placed it in her lap. “You just noticed? I haven’t worn it since just before Christmas, but it was time for me to move on. I have a feeling it is for you too.”

Meredith’s husband had cheated on her after twenty years of marriage. She couldn’t forgive him. It was an offense Jimmy wasn’t sure he could have pardoned either.

Again, the internal talk would have him believe his situation hadn’t been the same. That somehow he’d suffered less the way his marriage had ended. All Clara wanted was more of him, yet it was a sacrifice he wasn’t able to make. He had continued to put the job first, and in the end, that’s all he had. Still, it had resulted in the same outcome as it had for Meredith—two hearts that had once been bound were ripped apart.

“I know you’re probably right.” Jimmy tried to smile. He hoped at least a glimmer of it came through. “I’ve been happy here with you. It’s been nice having a friend.” He knew it came out all wrong by the way her face fell and her eyes pinched.

“Yes, it is.” She cleared her throat as she took the napkin from her lap and put it on the table. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment.”

As she walked away, he felt like a schmuck, with a capital S. Why couldn’t he just put his reservations aside? What did he have to lose? His pride? He was certain his heart hung back, despite periodic suspicions to the contrary. All he had to do was breathe in, and breathe out.

His hand went to his neck and he stretched it side to side. It was then he felt a pinch and everything went black.

About The Book

Valentine Final FrontTitle: Valentine’s Day is Murder

Author: Carolyn Arnold

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Jimmy finally takes a vacation–and a chance on love–only to be abducted. His female companion originally thinks he had cold feet about their relationship, but Sean and Sara know there’s more to it. Jimmy isn’t the type to just up and disappear, let alone leave a lady stranded.

Setting out on their private jet, Sean and Sara reach the tropical paradise of Ocho Rios, Jamaica with sightseeing as the last thing on their minds.

With a gold coin being their initial tie to Jimmy’s kidnapper, Sean and Sara even speculate about the involvement of pirates. Yet as the hours pass, and there’s no word from Jimmy’s captors, Sean and Sara will need to figure out the real motive before it’s too late.

With help from their friend, Adam, back in Albany, the pieces come together and not a moment too soon.

Strap in for an adventure that will take you to the beautiful island of Jamaica and have you wanting a piña colada.

Author Bio

Carolyn Author Photo 2013 ColorCAROLYN ARNOLD is the bestselling author of the Madison Knight series, the Brandon Fisher series, and the McKinley Mysteries. Her love for writing dates back to her teen years, but her passion was reignited in 2006 when a fellow employee said “tell me a story.” Since then Carolyn has never looked back.

Her writing has since been compared to New York Times Bestsellers such as JD Robb, Mary Higgins Clark, Sue Grafton, Michael Connelly, Tess Gerritsen, and more.

Carolyn was born in 1976 in a rural town of Ontario, Canada, and she currently lives with her husband and two beagles in a city near Toronto.

For more information on the author visit https://carolynarnold.net/

Links

Amazon – http://ow.ly/G4Yl6

Amazon UK – http://ow.ly/G4Ynv

Barnes & Noble – http://ow.ly/G4Ype

iTunes – http://ow.ly/G4Yqv

Kobo – http://ow.ly/G4YrU

Book Review: Accessories & Alibis by Laina Turner

Accessories-and-Alibis-book-cover_FINALTitle: Accessories & Alibis
Author: Laina Turner
Genre: Cozy Mystery / Chick Lit
Age Group: Adult
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

In the 10th book of the chick lit series, Presley buys failing retail boutique, Silk, and on the first day of business ownership the store manager Roxanne is arrested for murdering her boyfriend. Roxanne insists she’s innocent and asks for Presley’s help.

Presley believes her and tries to help while getting the boutique up and running just to find out someone has been paying themselves from company funds? Who is stealing from Silk and is there more to Rod and Roxanne’s relationship than meets the eye?

I previously reviewed Romance & Revenge, another book in the series. I enjoyed that one, so I looked forward to getting started on this book. Again, the book is cozy mystery / chick lit with a good dose of humor and some romance.

In Accessories & Alibis, Presley buys a failing retail boutique named Silk, determined to turn it into a succesful business again. But on her first day as brand new business owner, the store manager gets arrested for murdering her boyfriend. Even though Roxanne, aforementioned store manager, insists she’s innocent, the police is convinced she’s the one behind the murder. And who better to help prove Roxanne’s innocence than Presley? But Presley sure has her work cut out for her this time, with someone stealking from Silk, solving the murder, and running her new business.

I liked this book more than its predecessor, in terms of plot. Overall, the plot is more original, and it stands out more. Again, the characters are enjoyable and engaging, and as a reader it’s easy to see the progress Presley has made as a character so far.

If I had to have one complaint, it would be the editing. There are some errors here and there throughout the book that can be a bit confusing, but overall they don’t bring down the general reading experience.

Recommended to all fans of cozy mysteries.

Book Review Romance & Revenge by Laina Turner

23437652Title: Romance & Revenge
Author: Laina Turner
Genre: Cozy Mystery / Chick Lit
Age Group: Adult
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

The bookkeeper at Jared’s company has been murdered and if that wasn’t bad enough someone is trying to sabotage the company by leaking company documents to other firms who are then upstaging their presentations. Jared asks for her help to find out who is trying to take Sleeping Bear Designs down and while Presley is always willing to help a friend, she is also hoping it will take her mind off obsessing over Cooper.

Presley and Cooper are on a break or are they broken up? It was never really clarified and she just found out he’s in town and he hasn’t called. Is he avoiding her? What does that mean?

In Romance and Revenge, Presley has to solve a murder. The bookkeeper her friend Jard’s company has been murdered, and on top of that, someone is trying to sabotage the company. Jared asks Presley for help, and of course Presley agrees to help. There’s also a romantic storyline, but the book focuses  the most on solving the case.

Presley is an intriguing character, engaging and intelligent. I often read cozy mysteries where the truth stares into the heroine’s face for a while before she realizes it, and that makes the heroine come across as rather stupid, but Presley isn’t anything like that at all.

The story and plot were great, and I enjoyed the book from start to end. It’s a fast but fun read.

Book Review and Giveaway for I Am Ella. Buy Me. by Joan Ellis

cover-4-1Title: I am Ella. Buy me.

Author: Joan Ellis

Genre: Humor / Chick lit / Romance

Rating: 4 stars

Purchase: Amazon

Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

I AM ELLA. BUY ME

‘I am a ginger tom. I am a boy racer. I am a housewife. I am a pain in the arse.’

Ella David is Bridget Jones meets Peggy from Mad Men.

Working in Soho’s mad, bad Adland in the sexist 80s, Ella is a rare beast – a woman in a man’s world, dodging her sleazy boss, Peter.

Based on Joan’s experiences in Soho’s mad, bad Adland, this fast-paced, funny tale is set against a backdrop of Thatcher’s Britain when money trumps morals
and lust is a must. Thankfully, Ella knows love is more powerful but can two unlikely friendships help her go from a girl in the firing line to a woman calling the shots?

I Am Ella. Buy Me. is the story of Ella, a woman who struggles to find out what she wants in life. She works as a copywriter, but gets anything but fulfillment from her job. Her boss is constantly harrassing her, trying to get her into his bed, and Ella has trouble continuing to deny his advances when he gets more and more persistent. Ella’s world ranges from frustrating to hilarious. The 80s form an interesting setting, with sexism, the power of money, and lack of morality. This is one of the first books I’ve read set in that time period, and it’s a real eye-opener.

The writing is down-to-earth, not too fancy, but this style makes it easier to relate to the characters, in particular Ella, and her two unlikely friends, who each add a different layer to the story. Ella also has some love troubles – she’s in love with Tom, an up-and-coming rock star, but the rock lifestyle might make his morals more questionable than she’d like to believe.

Yet despite all the drama and frustration, Ella is still just the girl-next-door. She could be anyone, which makes it so easy to connect with her as a reader. She’s just an ordinary person.

This is a hilarious chick lit novel that I would highly recommend if you want to have a laugh, or if you want to find a character you can easily connect with.

Giveaway

I’m giving away one .Pdf copy of “I Am Ella. Buy Me.” The contest ends on December 8. Please leave a comment below to participate.