Review & Giveaway: "Julia's Child" by Sarah Pinneo

Julia Bailey is the mom to two beautiful little boys- and a mompreneur. After having her boys she realized that she didn't want to stuff them full of over-processed foods and preservatives and she started cooking organic for her children. Rather than hiding their vegetables she encourages them to embrace them, but she does try to make them palatable for little taste buds. While cooking for her own children she realizes that she's not the only mom who wants to provide her children with nutritious and organic food and her business Julia's Child is born.

Having invested her and her husband's savings into the business, Julia is determined not to let it fail. What she didn't predict is that she knows next to nothing about business and packaging, and that failure is more of an option than she ever thought possible. When Julia lands a TV appearance as well as a potentially huge client she suddenly finds that she needs to be set up on a much larger scale. But when her faithful assistant, Marta, threatens to quit because it all becomes too much, and when her boys start spending more time with the sitter than with her, Julia must decide if she willing to let her dream, and her savings, go.

I really enjoyed Julia's Child, despite the fact that I'm not quite as earth-hugging as Julia Bailey is. I mean, I do understand the whole organic movement and I do enjoy finding healthy recipes to cook for my family, but I will throw the odd preservative-laden meal on the table. The reality can be that, unless you have a bulging bank account (and who of us does?), feeding your family only organic foods can become very expensive, very quickly.

Luckily there's a lot to love about Julia's Child. It's not just about organic vs. preservatives, it's about motherhood in general and the choices that we make every day. It's about striving for a certain standard and trying to be everything to everyone, until you realize that it is just not possible. Julia struggles with leaving her children home in the care of her sitter, despite the fact that she is a good one. She misses her boys, and her family misses her. Her dilemma- does she choose to spend more time at home and allow her business to potentially fail, or does she work all of the time and sacrifice it all?- had threads of truth woven in there that any mother can relate to in some way. I work part-time, and am home more than I'm working, and I often feel guilty that I am not bringing more money home. However, I'm sure that when I return to work full-time I will feel guilty that I'm not there with my boys.

My only issue with this book is that things seemed to come together too neatly. I could tell that the author was trying not to allow that to happen, but I still found that parts of the ending were too perfect.

This is a great read for any mother who has ever wondered if she's doing the right thing for herself and for her family. It's an easily readable book that examines common issues about motherhood that I'm sure many women will be able to relate to it.

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I have one copy of Julia's Child to give away to a lucky US reader! To enter:

1. *Mandatory Entry* Leave me a comment letting me know that you would like to be entered to win this book. Please leave me an e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win!

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This contest will run until February 14th 2012 at midnight. The winner will be drawn after this time and will be e-mailed. Once e-mailed they will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Due to publisher's shipping restrictions this contest is open to US residents only. All entries may be combined into one comment. Good luck!

Review: "The Very Picture of You" by Isabel Wolff

Ella Graham is a portrait painter whose career is just starting to take off. When she donates a portrait, to be painted by her, to a charity auction she is appalled to learn that her sister has won and that her sister would like the portrait to be painted of her fiance, whom Ella can't stand.

Ella reluctantly begins to paint Nate, her sister's fiance, and is horrified to find out that once she gets over her initial dislike of him, she finds herself falling for him. Ella also finds herself becoming involved with the lives of the people who she is painting, including an elderly woman, a woman having a hard time with the fact that she is turning 40, and a local political figure with a secret to hide.

As Ella finds herself falling deeper for Nate she is torn about what she should do. Remaining silent will ensure that her family remains intact, but will it destroy her instead?

The Very Picture of You was just okay for me. I found that I had a hard time connecting with Ella, our main character, on any kind of a personal level and that usually dooms a book for me. Ella seemed one-dimensional and I found the fact that she becomes involved personally with almost every one of her subjects irritating. It made the plot jump around quite a bit, and although it wasn't confusing, I did wish that there could have been more focus.

That being said, this was not a horrible read. I read the whole thing through and found some enjoyment in reading it, but at the end I discovered that this book is not one that will continue to resonate with me.

My thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for providing me with this review copy.

Review: "Blank Slate Kate" by Heather Wardell + Free Book for Kindle!!!!

Kate wakes up one morning in a strange bed with a strange half-naked man. That in itself is scary, but as she realizes that she's lost her memories of the past 15 years of her life her fear elevates to terror. Kate has no idea who she is and absolutely no clue what has happened in the past years. She remembers being 17 and then she wakes up the next day and she's suddenly 32 with no idea of what brought her to where she is. With the help of the handsome man that Kate woke up next to, Jake, Kate is able to piece together a bit of the previous night but her other memories remain elusive. As Kate starts to fall for Jake she begins to wonder if she lost those 15 years for a reason, and if perhaps some memories are better left forgotten.

Blank Slate Kate quickly became one of my favourite Heather Wardell novels. The mystery contained within the pages was tantalizing. As the reader we have only the information that Kate has, so we have no idea about her past and what brought her to be where she is today. As Kate manages to piece together a few things about her past we find out a little more about her and I loved the slow reveal. I especially enjoyed waiting to find out the mystery behind "Bubbly Words". Kate has an iPhone and the locked area in her "Bubbly Words" game remains stubbornly closed to her as she can't remember how she set up the security in the first place. As Kate comes closer and closer to being able to unlock that area I was at the edge of my seat in anticipation. I couldn't wait to see what information the locked area contained!

The ending was fabulous as well, especially as it didn't end in the way that I thought that it would. Wardell kept me wondering how things would end, and I was happy and pleasantly surprised with the direction that she chose.

I can't think of anything that bothered me about Blank Slate Kate. It was interesting and the plot flowed smoothly, the mystery surrounding Kate was fun to uncover and the ending was a pleasant surprise. I can highly recommend this to fans of women's fiction, and it's a steal at only $0.99. My thanks to the author for providing me with this copy for review.

For a limited time Heather's book Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many is available for free for the Kindle! This will only be free until January 27th, so hurry!

Review: "The Bro-Magnet" by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Johnny Smith has been the best man in eight (count 'em) weddings. Since childhood he's been known as a real man's man. He loves sports, wears a backwards ball cap every day, and drives a big truck. Men love him, and women don't want to be with him. And that's the problem. When Johnny finds himself giving the best man speech at his best buddy's wedding, and his best buddy just happens to be marrying Johnny's childhood crush, Johnny knows that it's time for him to put himself out there and find that special person to share the rest of his life with.

That's when Helen walks into Johnny's life. She's gorgeous, she's a DA, she loves wine and the opera, and she hates sports. Johnny enlists the help of his married friends, his father, his BFF (who happens to be a lesbian who lives next door) and even his ex-crush to help him to win the heart of the woman that Johnny is quickly falling for. But what parts of himself will Johnny have to give up in order to win the heart of the woman that he loves?

The Bro-Magnet is fantastic, funny, light-hearted chick lit at its best. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing and can't recommend it highly enough. It's a light read, but perfect for these winter months when the lack of sunshine is getting you down.

Johnny is absolutely lovable. Having always been a man's man he appears to have no clue about women. When  he meets Helen, a sassy DA, he knows that he will have to pull out all of the stops to win her over. He finds himself buying throw pillows and a cat, he changes his wardrobe and pretends that he hates sports, even though he really lives for them. He is willing to do absolutely anything to win the girl. The other characters are fantastic as well. Helen is the perfect woman for Johnny and she certainly isn't a demure wallflower. Sam, Johnny's best friend is a lot of fun as well. As the female sidekick she was perfect.

I have a very minor critique for The Bro-Magnet. It is written from the point of view of a man, and for the most part Baratz-Logsted does an excellent job of finding his voice. There were a few parts, though, where he sounded more like a woman than a man, primarily when he was trying to figure out what side of himself to present to Helen as they start dating.

The Bro-Magnet literally had me laughing out loud at parts. Before you say "so what?" keep in mind that I was completely alone in the house at the time and probably sounded like an idiot. The book is funny and heartwarming and wholly enjoyable, and I would absolutely love it if Baratz-Logsted decided to write a sequel. I would be first in line to read it! The Bro-Magnet is available in eFormat for a variety of readers for only $4.99 and my thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this copy for review.

Review: "Aefle and Gisela" by Libby Malin

Medieval History professor Tom returns to his hometown to attend the wedding of his cousin but he ends up getting more than he bargained for. After attending an alcohol-fueled bachelor party he remembers that he agreed to stop his cousin's wedding on a dare. Hoping to get rid of his childhood nickname, "Timid Tommy", Tom actually goes through with the dare, but realizes too late that he's stopping the wrong wedding.

DeeDee McGowan is surprised when someone at her wedding voices their disapproval of her pending union. She is even more surprised when she sees that the person stopping her wedding is none other than Tom Charlemange, someone that she dated briefly more than ten years ago. Having been having second thoughts about her wedding for some time now DeeDee eagerly flees the altar- and she takes Tom with her.

Despite the fact that the whole situation is really just a big mix-up, Tom and DeeDee find sparks flying between them once again. The fact that their personalities are completely opposite doesn't seem to phase them, but the fact that DeeDee's jilted groom is suing both of them certainly does. Tom is concerned about how his new legal issues will affect his quest for tenure, and DeeDee is focused on saving her failing car dealership, the legacy that she received from her late father. Will opposites really attract in this case, or will the barriers be too great for Tom and DeeDee to cross on their way to happily ever after?

Aefle and Gisela is a sweet and sassy romantic comedy. Libby Malin delivers again and again as an innocent dare ends up turning into a small-town debacle. Malin's comedic timing is spot-on throughout the book, as is her character development. You can't help but feel for the bumbling Tom, who simply intended to shed himself of his nickname and carry on his way, and instead ends up with a runaway bride on his arm. I enjoyed his transformation from someone who is lost in his own world and quite content to stay there to someone who is able to speak his own mind. DeeDee is something else. She's a strong female character determined to save the business that she loves and I appreciated that she did not take a backseat to Tom in the book. She was brash, but there was something inherently lovable about her.

At only $0.99 for both Kindle and other platforms, Aefle and Gisela is a steal. Sweet, funny, interesting and satirical this book is sure to keep you entertained from the beginning to the end. My thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for review.

Review: "Momfriends" by Ariella Papa

After suffering through infertility, Ruth finally has the baby that she always wanted. Unfortunately things now are not at all like the baby fantasies that she had while trying to get pregnant. She is overwhelmed by the new little creature that she is completely responsible for and she is at the end of her rope when a knock on the door changes everything.

Kirsten is an artist, a mom of three, and a dreamer. She and her boyfriend, fellow artist David, have always been very happy, but when she stumbles across something late one night, her whole world changes.

Claudia has always been focused and driven in her personal life and being a parent hasn't changed her personality at all. She is determined to get her twins into the right preschool and eventually Harvard, and everything is going according to plan. However a flirtation with a colleague changes everything, and Claudia finds herself acting in a way that is most certainly not fitting in with her master plan.

These three women come together thanks to the mysterious bond of motherhood and find out more about one another than they ever thought possible.

I found reading Momfriends to be an enjoyable experience. The book is about the strange bonds that we form when we become parents, and how these experiences can lead us to become friends with people who couldn't be more different than ourselves. I'm lucky enough to have "momfriends" of my own, women who I have bonded with over the years about parenting and marriage and motherhood so I found myself relating to a lot of the story. In fact, that's one of the things that will make this book appeal to a wide variety of female readers. No matter what kind of parent you are, and despite your individual parenting style, you will be able to relate to one of these characters because they are so different from one another.

The story and dialogue flow well, the characters are likable, and the plot is easy to relate to, making Momfriends easy for me to recommend to mothers who enjoy women's fiction. My thanks to the author for providing me with this copy for review.

Review: "Unscripted" by Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz

Abby Edwards has her friends, her contacts in the industry, and her job as a producer on a reality television program, so she has no need for romance, right? Wrong. When her ex writes a movie loosely based on their relationship Abby realizes that she is not where she had been hoping to be in her life by now, both romantically and career-wise. When her best friend Zoe starts growing and moving on with her life, Abby becomes even more clueless as to what she should do to progress in her own life, and her crush on her director, Will, is certainly making things more complicated than she would like.

Abby's about to realize that despite her best efforts, life won't always follow the master plan.

There was a lot about Unscripted that I enjoyed. Abby is a fantastic character. She makes mistakes, she's genuine, and you really want to see her succeed by the end of the book. In order for me to truly enjoy a book I need to feel something for the main character, and Abby was both endearing and likable.

The authors of this book both work in reality television, and that made the reality tv portion of the book ring true for me. It felt really authentic, and I felt like I was getting a behind-the-scenes look at what is actually involved in producing reality tv, yet it never went over my head. I've read books before that have tried to use a similar setting and some have fallen flat for me, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well this worked in Unscripted.

Aaron and Schwartz have created a multitude of colorful characters that appear in this book, and most were either people that you loved, or people you hated. There wasn't a ton of middle ground. The supporting cast added a lot to the book but I have to be honest and say that I wasn't in love with Abby's best friend, Zoe. She was shallow and inconsiderate for the most part, with an emphasis on shallow. I believe that this is how she was intended to come across, as I'm sure that there are lots of people in Hollywood who are really like that, but I finished the book and was basically glad that I don't have to deal with people like her on a regular basis.

Unscripted is the fun and fast-paced story of Abby trying to find her own reality in a very fake world. I can happily recommend it to anyone looking for a story with a lovable main character looking for love herself, or for anyone who would enjoy a closer look at the world of Hollywood reality television. You can connect with authors Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz by visiting their website, liking them on Facebook or by following them on Twitter. My thanks to Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours for inviting me to participate in this tour!

Leave a comment on this post for chance to win a $10.00 Amazon gift card! Purchase Unscripted before January 30 and e-mail your receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com and you'll receive five bonus entries (comments left on this page will unfortunately not count towards the contest. You must click the link above and leave a comment in order to enter the giveaway).