Best Foot Forward by Bea Stevens

Best Foot Forward (The Liberty Lawrence Series Book 1) by Bea Stevens

Synopsis:

Liberty ‘Libby’ Lawrence adores designer labels – even though she can’t afford many. And she especially loves shoes. Her favorites are Christian Louboutin’s – though not those fake ones Bianca Morrison-Wright gets from the market (the red paint rubs off the soles and everything!)
She’s working as a manager (albeit junior manager) at a London hotel, when the boss announces that there has been a theft from his office. Libby couldn’t help noticing some strange marks on his carpet when she was called in for a reprimand recently (not that it was her fault, or anything) which lead her to surmise who the thief is.
Detective Sergeant James Harper, the hunky policemen who is assigned the case, seems interested in her theory – until she names her number one suspect. Libby is devastated, not only because he doesn’t believe her but – more importantly – that this guy knows NOTHING about shoes!
As Libby struggles to convince the sergeant that her hunch is right, her boss that she’s ready for promotion and herself that she’s not really falling for the gorgeous copper, she realizes that maybe she’s wrong about the theft, she’s not suited to the hotel industry and that the handsome hunk is married!

Review:

Liberty Lawrence is in love with designer labels, fabulous clothes and shoes especially. She can’t really afford them, as her income as a junior manager at a London hotel, won’t permit. But that doesn’t stop her from loving and wearing the rich looking assembles. One day her boss announces that someone broke into his office and stole from him. Libby had noticed some strange looking marks on his office floor and suspects a certain someone as being the thief. When she tells the hunky and handsome detective James Harper her theory, he seems to be interested until she tells him who she suspects. Liberty is distressed because he doesn’t believe her and more importantly because he doesn’t know anything about designer shoes, which Libby is obsessed with.

While Libby tries to convince the detective of her theory, she is also trying to convince her boss that she deserves a promotion. She is also trying to convince herself that she isn’t attracted to detective-policeman James Harper. She eventually begins to question herself by telling herself that maybe she shouldn’t be working in the hotel business, and maybe she is wrong about her theory regarding the theft and maybe detective James Harper is married. With so many doubts looming, Libby must put her Best Foot Forward.

Best Foot Forward is a laugh out loud romantic comedy. I couldn’t put it down, as it held my attention throughout the entire book. Libby is fun and a bit clumsy too. It is hilarious to read about her antics and her light hearted personality. She loves shoes above all, but is caught off guard with the handsome detective James Harper. She becomes intensely attracted to him. She is a great character that is relatable and intriguing. There is plenty of physical comedy in this story that will keep readers laughing.

The storyline and plot is engaging, interesting and uplifting. There is a lot of emotion, including sadness. For women that love fashion, this is right up their alley. Libby, although clumsy, approaches life and situations in an expensive style with her designer heels. I loved the descriptions of the shoes and clothes and other things, like the settings.

In Best Foot Forward, the characters are very fun and appealing, especially her co-workers. They are well developed and thought out and suited to the storyline. Libby, herself, is a great character and very relatable. Readers will love her funny antics and her spirit. They will also be sad for her at times, Best Foot Forward is a wonderful chick lit read. It has all the important components of a special women’s fiction book. I couldn’t put it down. It is one of the best chick lit novels I have read in a long time.

Bea Stevens has a way with words. I loved the dialog between the characters. She writes in a simplistic, yet smart manner. Readers will be delighted with Best Foot Forward. It is one amusing, entertaining and captivating chick lit read. I loved it and I am sure all women readers of chick lit and beyond will find it very appealing and satisfying. The ending was wonderful, and I am looking forward to the next installment in the Liberty Lawrence series. I want to find out what exciting job Libby finds herself in next and what antics she gets herself into.

Bea Stevens is a great writer and should be noted as so. Pick up a copy of Best Foot Forward by Bea Stevens, you will love it as I did.

Proudly Reviewed by Chick Lit Cafe

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Hazel's Home by Rosanna Rae - Book Review

Hazel’s Home by Rosanna Rae

Meeting Blake Hennessey in New York changes Hazel Munro’s life forever. He is the charismatic, sophisticated boss of the advertising company she works for. She is immediately smitten and is astonished when she realizes he feels the same way! His friend Zac thinks she is a blatant gold-digger, but when Blake proposes to her, there is a much bigger bone of contention – where the two of them will live. Hazel’s home is in Scotland and she has no intention of moving to Manhattan.

Sparks fly when Hazel realizes exactly what Blake’s “compromise” is on this issue and the future doesn’t look quite so rosy for either of them. A personal shock forces Hazel to deal with a life-changing situation, which alters her point of view. Meanwhile, however, Blake has developed a major problem of his own. He is heading alone down a long, dark tunnel. Can Hazel reach him in time to avert disaster and save him from himself?

Review:

Hazel Munro is summoned to New York for business. Afraid of flying, she boards a flight from her home country of Scotland, headed to the United States. She is unsure of why the owner of the Hennessey Company wants to have a personal meeting with her. She has worked for Hennessey advertising agency as a copywriter for five years. But when she does meet with him, he assures her that her work for the company thus far has been exemplary and he wants her to make a presentation to the cosmetic company that they are working to obtain as a client. What she doesn’t expect is to find Blake Hennessey to be a handsome, charismatic gentleman, and she feels an immediate attraction towards him. Hazel is astonished to find that Blake feels the same attraction for her. Sparks fly and after a several dates, they are both sure they are in love. They want to get married.

However, Blake’s best friend, Zac, objects at first, to their relationship. He thinks that Hazel is a gold digger and only in it for the benefit of financial gain.

There is also a bigger problem. Where the couple will actually live is the question. Hazel refuses to leave Scotland and Blake refuses to leave New York. Blake promises that they will work it out. But the solution he comes up with in the end, is not what Hazel was expecting. In the meantime Hazel has a life changing occurrence which changes her whole perspective on her life. Then Blake goes through a tragedy himself and ends up spiraling downward into despair. Will this couple work it out and be together forever despite their complications and difficulties?

Hazel’s Home by Rosanna Rae is an engaging, contemporary emotional read. It is a romantic fiction filled with drama and complex relationship issues. It is a fabulous story that touches on the many issues pertaining to couples and their ups and downs. There is plenty of love, romance and sex always looming in the air. It even touches on the issues of abuse and illness.

Hazel’s Home is realistic in many important ways. Readers will definitely relate to this engrossing love story. It is captivating, absorbing and unputdownable. I read it through in a couple of days, turning the pages quickly, anxiously wanting to find out if Hazel and Blake will end up together and where they will live. There are some surprises along the way which held my interest thoroughly.

Although it deals with the complexities of relationships, it has plenty of fun, humor and good entertaining moments. The romance is thrilling and exciting.

Rosanna Rae has composed a well written story. She introduces different couples with their relationship issues in various chapters. The characters are all well developed and all hold an important place in the plot. The main characters are especially well fleshed out with likable amusing personalities. Hazel is a complex character with strengths and weaknesses that readers will relate to in many ways.

I was very impressed with the descriptions of everything from the food to the clothes to the scenery. A true delight for the imaginary senses. Rosanna Rae illustrates it skillfully and admirably.

The storyline is unique and creative. I loved Hazel’s Home. It held my attention and kept me thoroughly engaged throughout the entire story. I especially loved the ending, it is was very satisfying and conclusive. I’m looking forward to reading more by Rosanna Rae, She is an exceptional writer with a lot of talent.

Chick Lit Cafe highly recommends Hazel’s Home by Rosanna Rae

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Dating Daisy by Daisy Mae - Book Review

Dating Daisy by Daisy Mae

Hello everyone, I am Daisy. I am a doctor, a writer – oh and an amateur ballroom dancer! I am just publishing my first novel Dating Daisy which is a romantic fiction novel all about internet dating over 50.

Synopsis:

What do you do when you’re a newly divorced 52 year old mother, keen for a second chance of romance? Why internet dating of course! Daisy Mae_224 embarks on the internet dating process with trepidation. Having not been on the dating scene for nearly 30 years, and with fairly rudimentary computer skills, she finds herself embroiled in a series of haphazard and hilarious situations.

Daisy keeps a diary of her internet dating life and reveals detail by detail, the ups and downs of her midlife dating extravaganza. Soon after starting out, Daisy realizes her true mission. With no past experience and no-one/nothing to guide her, she needs to produce – Internet Dating lessons. Read on to find out about PLONKERS, Muppets and MAWDs, and a whole host of amusing anecdotes, tips and ideas. Working by day as a Sexual Health doctor, the story as it unfolds contains accounts of Daisy’s clinical experiences with patients in the Sexual Health clinic.

She also reflects on her past life with Voldemort (the dreadful ex-husband). With advice and encouragement from Imogen, her 17 year old daughter, her surrogate parents known as the Amigos, with a big house and swanky swimming pool, her friend Pinkie and from Jeannie, her nonagenarian friend from the Nursing Home, Daisy resiliently persists in her quest to find a long term partner. This is a heartfelt story that will ring bells with anyone who has ended a long term relationship and now wants to find somebody new. It is humorously written, full of emails, poems, limericks, and even a recipe! Daisy can’t resist her pages of advice on topics like “Kissing” and “Anti-Snoring.” It is a unique and highly amusing book, which will make you laugh out loud! So read on and see. Will Dating Daisy find her “prairie vole?” Or will the whole process end in disaster?

Review:

Daisy Mae is newly divorced. She is a young 52 years old. She longs for a new companion, but has no idea how to find one. Then she turns to the internet. She decides to try her hand at online dating.

First, she has to make a profile. A daunting and rather difficult task at hand. What should she say about herself? She can’t over sell herself as many of the online men she encounters have. With basic computer skills she sets off and creates her profile.

She decides to keep a diary and makes up rules for her journey. Daisy is a Sexual Health doctor by profession. She gets advice from her seventeen year old daughter, but midlife internet dating is an intimidating endeavor. Daisy has friends in her life that are amusing and helpful. She forges ahead in her quest to find a lifelong partner even though there is ups and downs and trials and tribulations. Will Daisy find the love of her life?

Dating Daisy is an engaging humorous look at one woman’s search for a new love online.

It is full of funny narratives, tips and ideas on finding a man online, and tales of her job as a Sexual Health doctor. Author, Daisy Mae, brings humor to events that are hard to believe. She tells of the good, the bad and the ugly of the internet dating scenario. She has a great talent for quips and one liners. Daisy thought she was married for life. But that not being the case, she has to bravely enter the world of dating again.

Daisy Mae has a gift for writing. She is hilarious and poignant at times. She has a way with words that keep the reader compelled to read on. She uses amusing anecdotes regarding her daily work as a Sexual Health doctor. I laughed out loud on more than several occasions. These are real events, although it is a fiction story, that are so funny and so touching that I couldn’t put the book down.

Daisy goes through the gamut of online male daters. She quickly learns that they are not all they say they are. Her standards as to the type of man she is looking for are rather high or I should say specific. So I kept wondering if she would truly ever find Mr. Right.

Dating Daisy is a roller coaster ride of ups and downs, joy, sadness, disappointment and victory. Daisy’s determination is inspiring. For women that are middle aged looking for a second chance, this is a must read. Especially if they are considering online dating.

Daisy gives us the low down on internet dating. She keeps a diary and writes poems. All very entertaining and mostly amusing. It is a very realistic story, with realistic characters.
The characters are likable and well developed with multilayered personalities.

The storyline and plot is unique and entertaining. I loved Dating Daisy. I think readers of all ages will love it too. I loved the stories of her profession as a Sexual Health doctor. She gives us a glimpse into that area and it is mostly funny. It’s also amusing how she breaks her own rules at times especially when it comes to dating men that don’t post a picture of themselves. Her 26 year marriage to Voldemort is touched on as well.

Overall, Dating Daisy is a fun look at one woman’s quest to find a new love online. It is realistic, humorous and filled with real life advice on internet dating. Readers will be fully entertained by this fabulous book. I’m looking forward to reading more books written by Daisy Mae, a talented writer with a fresh new voice.

Chick Lit Cafe highly recommends Dating Daisy by Daisy Mae!

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In a Time Never Known by Kat Michels

In a Time Never Known by Kat Michels

Synopsis:

Wife, mother, spy. Anna is hiding a dangerous secret from her family, especially her Confederate General husband. However, it is not her covert work for the Union that she finds the most daunting, it is dealing with her spoiled Southern belle daughter. When Kady discovers that her mother has been leading a carefully constructed double life, she must choose whether to work by her mother’s side in the shadows or return to the pampered life of a Southern planter’s daughter.

Cast into the bloody fray of one of the deadliest wars in our history, In a Time Never Known is the story of women who courageously defy the expectations of the era to do unprecedented things, altering the course of American history and their own lives.

Review:

Anna has volunteered to be a spy during the time of the Civil War. She is keeping the secret from her husband and daughter. When her daughter, Kady, a true Southern belle, finds out about her mother’s life of espionage, she must make a decision whether to stay by her mother’s side or return to her coddled life as a Southern planter’s daughter. She must choose sides between her Confederate general father and her mother with whom she has trouble getting along with.

In a time when women were unable to have a voice, this is the story of how many of them were cast into a world of war and espionage and bravely went forth to do revolutionary things which changed the course of their lives and the course of American history. In a Time Never Knownis a fabulous, engaging, heart moving read.

Set in the time of the Civil War, In a Time never Known, is a work of exquisite art. Combining many plot lines Kat Michels has penned an interesting, enthralling read. There is excitement and tension with the many characters that all have a defined place in this exciting story. There is a lot going on in this narrative; war, espionage, romance, slavery, rape, murder, and sex. Combined it makes for one engaging, page turning read.

In a Time Never Known has been thoroughly and completely researched by author Kat Michels. Readers will get a history lesson while being completely entertained.

It’s a captivating, rather long, novel that I couldn’t put down. I read fast from start to finish to see what was going to happen next. The words flow off the page as Kat Michels has constructed a marvelous and dangerous spy story. She shows what women did in the time of the war era and their importance in altering the course of history. It’s a really phenomenal novel with all the components that a great history, war, espionage, and romance genre book needs.

The major characters are well developed and multidimensional with interesting and captivating personalities. The minor characters add to the story nicely and give it more fullness and interest.

In a Time Never Known readers will be cast into an arena of emotion, from, happiness to sadness, rage, hope and more. I loved this book and felt I was a part of the story because the descriptions are wonderful and vivid. A real delight for the senses and imaginary sight.

Kat Michels is an exceptional writer and I am looking forward to reading more by her.

Chick Lit Cafe highly recommends In a Time Never Known by Kat Michels.

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The Edge of Memory by Maura Beth Brennan

The Edge of Memory by Maura Beth Brennan

When your childhood is cut short by murder and treachery, it’s not easy to live a normal life. At the tender age of nine, Harriet witnessed her father beat her mother to death, and she holds herself partially responsible. Still haunted by half-memories, guilt, and disturbing dreams, she has constructed a solitary and joyless existence, with little room for men or romance. Facing her thirtieth birthday, she knows she must do something to change her life.

Like an omen, she meets Agnes, a rich elderly widow looking for a companion at her summer home in Maine, and the two forge a business deal. Thinking this will be like a vacation and a time to plan a better future, Harriet is shocked to discover challenges and obstacles she hadn’t anticipated. Agnes’ nephew and sole heir resents Harriet and wants her gone. And then there’s Eli, the local artisan who makes her reconsider her decision to avoid men. Can he possibly return her feelings? Soon, the nephew’s schemes, along with a heartbreaking betrayal, culminate in an event that changes her life forever. Will she fail Agnes as she failed her own mother years ago? Will she lose the man she loves? Or will she find her own strength and realize happiness at last?

Review:

At the tender impressionable young age of 9 years old, Harriet watches as her father beats her mother until she dies.

Horrified and confused, Harriet is plagued with fear and guilt that somehow she may be at fault for her mother’s death.

Some years later Harriet is, basically, psychologically damaged as she experiences tortured nightmares, flashbacks with partial memories and she carries a heavy burden of guilt and fear. She has no joy or happiness in her lonely life of solitude. She has no men or romance in her life.

By the time Harriet is thirty she realizes she needs to make some changes to overcome her past and find some sort of healing and happiness. As fate would have it Harriet meets Agnes, a wealthy elderly woman. Agnes needs a companion and asks Harriet to move in with her at her summer home in Maine.

Harriet accepts Agnes’ offer and they both agree that it will work and be good. Harriet is looking forward to her “vacation” as an adventure where she can meditate and begin to start a new life. What could be better? But little does she know what she is in for. What ensues is far more than just a nice relaxing time at a beautiful summer home. Harriet is about to experience more than she bargained for. But not all is bad. Will something good come out of this whole ordeal?

I fell in love with The Edge of Memory. It’s one of the best books, in its genre, that I have read in a long time. I literally could not put it down and my house suffered for it, as I neglected it for a couple of days and it became a mess. That’s when I know I have come across a great novel.

Author, Maura Beth Brennan brings readers a compelling read filled with mystery, excitement and romance. Harriet is a fabulous young woman. She is compassionate and filled with hope as well as fears. Women readers will relate to her as she journeys toward self-acceptance, freedom from the past, guilt, fear and ultimately healing. The romance in this story is alluring and charming.

The importance of friendship and loyalty is emphasized in this fabulous story. Which makes it endearing and beautiful.

There is a lot going on in this compelling story. It is fast paced and unpredictable. That’s one of the things that I loved about it. I didn’t know what was going to happen next but, I highly anticipated it as I quickly turned the pages.

The Edge of Memory is a psychological drama as well as a mystery, suspense and tastefully written romance story. Readers will love the plot and the twists and turns. I loved the way Maura Beth Brennan wrote the characters and their development. They are multidimensional and evolve gracefully. I found myself really caring about the main character and rooting for her with all my heart. I was very emotionally caught up in her story and journey.

In The Edge of Memory, all the descriptions are written with vivid acuteness and creativity. Everything from the scenery to the people are deliciously described and a delight for the senses.

The whole book is like a thought provoking painting.

The Edge of Memory is Maura Beth Brennan’s debut novel and it is excellent. I’m definitely looking forward to more books written by her…. And, I love the book cover-which is always a plus.

Chick lit Cafe highly recommends this compelling, beautiful and suspenseful novel by Maura Beth Brennan.

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