Category Archives: Chick Lit

Book Review, 3 Treasure Boxes, Chick Lit, Kindle, Goodreads

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding

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This entry is part [part not set] of 1 in the series Bridget Jones
Book Review
Book Review

Book Review of  Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy: 3 Treasure Boxes
Publisher: Knopf (October 15, 2013), File Size: 2745 KB, Print Length: 400 pages, ASIN: B00CNQ7CRI

Bridget Jones is back, but it is 14 years later. She has two small children and she has been a widow for four years. It is time she started to re-enter the world of dating, and although she is now 51, the first man she dates is a boy toy of 29.

Helen Fieldings created the lovable and amusing character of Bridget Jones. She has previously written two Bridget Jones books: Bridget Jones Diary and Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason. Both have been made into movies. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy continues the diary style used in the previous two books, and shares with the reader all of Bridget’s private thoughts through her daily diary entries.

Bridget Jones Diary, the forerunner of the chick-lit genre, is an enjoyable and humorous story. Bridget Jones is a delightful character, and in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Fieldings once again shares with the reader the ups and downs of Bridget’s life. In the previous books Bridget, a single woman in her mid thirties with the support of her friends, is looking for love while counting calories. In Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy as in the previous installments, Fieldings accurately captures and relays the thoughts of feelings of a single woman. Only this time Bridget is 51 years old and a mother. She is once again looking for love with the support and encouragement of her friends, and she is still counting calories. Only now she is also grappling with social media and online dating.

I enjoyed the story, and I both laughed and cried with Bridget as she stumbled through life, dating, and motherhood. However, I did find the lack of grammar in some of the diary entries to be both distracting and annoying. “Look. Is absolutely fine being in on own on Saturday nights. Will simply clear out cupboard under stairs then get on exercise bike.” Location 604-5. But when she expands on a scene and includes dialogue, then the story becomes enjoyable. However I did find some of her diary entries amusing and funny. “Was trying to park car. This is impossible in our street as is narrow, curved and cars park on both sides. Had just reversed in and out of space fourteen times, then resorted to Braille Parking, i.e. forcing car into space by bumping cars in front and behind.” Location 853-56.

The story was predictable, and I could see what was going to happen with Mr. Wallaker almost as soon as he was introduced into the story, but I did enjoy the journey. I could relate to Bridget’s trials, tribulations, and successes. I recommend Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy as a very good read. If you enjoyed the previous Bridget Jones books, then you must treat yourself to the newest book in the series.

Book Review, 1 Treasure Box, Chick Lit, Public Library, Goodreads

Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

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Book Review
Book Review

Book Review of Wedding Night: 1 Treasure Box
Publisher: Random House Audio, Audible Audio Edition, Listening Length: 13 hours and 13 minutes (464 pages,) ASIN: B00CAZKFJ4

Lottie is convinced that the man she has been dating for four years is going to ask her to become his wife. Fliss, the older and wiser sister, is going through a divorce. However, things do not go as expected, so when Lottie ends up engaged to an old flame, someone she has not seen in fifteen years, Fliss does everything she can to stop the marriage from becoming official. 

Madeleine Wickham is the author of this book written under the pen name of Sophie Kinsella. She has written numerous books under this name, including the  Shopaholic novels.  Please see my other reviews at Sophie Kinsella reviews. All of these novels including Wedding Night are considered chick lit. The story is told in the first person narrative alternating between two sisters. 

Wedding Night combines and interweaves two story lines and is told in the alternating voice of these two sisters, showing their different perspectives.  I l

iked Lottie’s character, but I found Fliss annoying at times. The story had no suspense or sense of mystery and I knew after the first third of the book what was going to happen. I also found the story unrealistic and trying. Especially all the scenes concerning Lottie and Ben’s wedding night experience. Although I think the biggest flaw in the book was the lack of romance.

There were a few funny scenes in this book, but overall I found it rather lackluster and disappointing. I did finish the book, but I could only rate it as okay. Not good, not bad, just okay. Overall, I was disappointed because it was not what I had come to expect from this author.

To Purchase: “Wedding Night” from Amazon, click here or on picture above


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Kindle, Goodreads, Drama, Book Review, 3 Treasure Boxes, Chick Lit

Where We Belong by Emily Giffin

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Book Review

Book Review of Where We Belong: 3 Treasure Boxes
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (July 24, 2012), File Size: 477 KB, Print Length: 383 pages, ASIN: B0071NMK66

Marian is a successful television producer and she has everything, a great job, a wonderful boyfriend, and a big secret. A secret that she has kept for 18 years, but which is about to be exposed to the world. When 18 year old Kirby knocks on her door, she sees her daughter for the first time in 18 years and Marian is forced to examine the decisions she made 18 years ago.

Emily Giffin has written numerous books, and they all fall into the chick-lit genre but Where We Belong is also a drama and a romance story. It is told in a first person narrative alternating between the main protagonist, Marian’s and her daughter Kirby’s point of view.

The theme of this book is secrets, and it reveals the power of destruction behind the secret. The story shows how a secret can become an emotional barricade that separates us from the people in our lives. The characters are all well rounded and interesting. My favorite character was Kirby, she knew what she wanted and she went after it, even though she was afraid and she did not know how she would be received. Although I could not really understand why she had a difficult time with her parents, I still thought it was believable. I also loved all the scenes with Conrad, because he was an intriguing and sexy character.

Where We Belong is a standalone novel that captured my interest from the very first line and I thought the story built up to a satisfying ending. There were no real surprises and it pretty much went where I thought it would. I recommend this book as a very good read and I stayed up late several nights because I found it hard to put down.

 Favorite Quotes:

“So I guess what I’m trying to say is that life is fast. And it keeps speeding up. Sometimes I lose track of the season-or even the year. And we just have to make the best of it all. Our choices. Our fleeting moments together.” (location 3973)

 “Although too much time has gone by to miss her, I feel regret that I didn’t maintain our friendship. Even if we no longer have much in common, we would have always had the past, which, in some ways, is just as important as the present or future. It is where we come from, what makes us who we are”. (location 4284)

 “It’s about wanting something real-even if it’s messy and complicated. It’s what Kirby has taught me.” (location 5151)

Question to Ponder:

Often in the book Ms. Giffin states that secrets and lies are the same thing, do you agree, do you think they are the same thing? 

To Purchase: “Where We Belong” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

Book Review, Chick Lit, Kindle, Goodreads

Thin Rich Bitches by Janet Eve Josselyn

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Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, File Size: 459 KB, Print Length: 259 pages, ASIN: B007JCSNDI

Pippin, a newly divorced single mother, is starting a new life in a posh community where she is land rich and cash poor.  Pippin is down to earth but in her new life she needs to learn to deal with the snooty women of Dover, and even though the road gets a bit bumpy, she finds her way.

Janet Eve Josselyn’s debut novel is a chick-lit story told in a first person narrative by the main protagonist. The story takes place in Dover, Massachusetts..

Pippin, a likeable woman, is forced to deal with some equally unpleasant women, but she doesn’t let them get her down.  Pippin is more like a real woman, middle aged and ten pounds overweight. We cheer her on as she learns to deal with life on her own terms.

Thin Rich Bitches is a standalone novel that follows an interesting path through the world of chick-lit. I enjoyed the journey and recommend the book as a good read.

To Purchase: “Thin Rich Bitches” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

Book Review, 3 Treasure Boxes, Chick Lit, Public Library, Goodreads

I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

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Book Review: 3 Treasure Boxes
Publisher: Random House Audio, Listening Length: 13 hours and 25 minutes (368 pages), ASIN: B0078XQXDA

 


Poppy has just lost her engagement ring after a champagne lunch and just when she thinks things cannot get any worse, someone steals her phone. Lucky for her she finds a working phone in a trash can, but is it lucky for the business man who owns the phone?

Madeleine Wickham is the author of this book written under the pen name of Sophie Kinsella. She has written numerous books under this name, both Shopaholic books and the other standalone novels centering on various characters. Please see my other Sophie Kinsella reviews at https://books-treasureortrash.com/?s=sophie+kinsella. All of these novels including I’ve Got Your Number are considered chick lit. Most of her books also fall under comedy as they are usually funny and amusing. The story is told in the first person narrative with the voice and thoughts of the main character, Poppy Wyatt, as we follow her through her life.

This is an amusing and fun read. Poppy is a likeable young women and her use of the “footnote” is quirky and fun to read. The overall style continues in typical Kinsella fashion as our heroine gets herself in and out of trouble and along the way she figures out her life. The story is a bit predictable but includes a few heartwrenching moments.

This is a standalone story with a few twists and a great ending. I recommend this book as a very good read and anyone who is a Sophie Kinsella or chick-lit fan should be sure to add this book onto their list.

To purchase: “I’ve Got Your Number” from Amazon, click here or on picture above


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Book Review, 3 Treasure Boxes, Chick Lit, Public Library, Goodreads

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin

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Book Review: 3 Treasure Boxes
Publisher: Macmillan Audio, Listening Length: 10 hours and 18 minutes (400 pages), ASIN: B003LTOIK0

The Russos have the perfect marriage, or so it seems from the outside. A young boy is badly burned. Each family is facing a crisis and how they deal with it determines their true character.

Emily Griffin has written five books and they all fall into the chick-lit genre.  Matters of the Heart is told in a first person narrative alternating between the two main protagonists.  Tessa Russo is the wife of a prominent pediatric surgeon.  Valerie Anderson is a single mother, who becomes involved with Dr. Russo after her son is badly burned.

This story has great character development, all the characters are likeable and I could understand where everyone was coming from. I was totally engaged from the first page. A story which revolves around a young boy, who is seriously burned, peaked my interest immediately and tore at my heart. I have read some of Ms. Griffin’s other novels, and I was intrigued with the connection to Something Borrowed. Tessa’s brother and sister-in-law are the same Dex and Rachel who are featured in that novel.

This is a standalone book. The story kept me guessing right up until the end.  I found the situation touching and it brought tears to my eyes several times  If you enjoy a good book in the chick-lit genre, then you should definitely read Matters of the Heart.

To Purchase: “Heart of the Matter” from Amazon, click here or on picture above


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Book Review, Chick Lit, Public Library

The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

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This entry is part [part not set] of 1 in the series The Friday Night Knitting Club

Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
First book  in The Friday Night Knitting Club series.
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc. (June 6, 2007), Audible Audio Edition, Listening Length: 12 hour(s) and 41 min.(384 pages), ASIN: B000RNKHIU

Georgia Walker and her twelve year old daughter are the proprietors of Walker and Daughter, a little yarn shop in Manhattan. Together with the women in their lives they develop a Friday night knitting club which is a safe place where they can get together to knit, eat and discuss life. This book is a slice of life for these six women as they each struggle with their own challenges helping each other.

Kate Jacobs has written four novels all concerning the members of the Friday Night Knitting Club. This is a chick-lit book that revolves around a group of women who help and support each other. It is told in the third person narrative with the voice and thoughts of the main characters.

The Friday Night Knitting Club had a bit of a slow beginning, initially just focusing on Georgia and Dakota. But soon we are introduced to the other members in the club and once we get to know all the different characters, we really start to care about them. I also like how Ms. Jacobs uses the analogy of knitting a garment with living our lives. The book weaves an interesting tale of these women and their lives with a shocking ending.

This is a standalone book, it was interesting but not really exciting. If you enjoy reading slice of life, chick-lit books then you should give this book a try.

 

My favourite quote from the book:  “You’ve been really kind to me, to Perry, all of us.  I kinda wanted to make a film about that, about women pursuing their dreams and being independent. “

To Purchase: “The Friday Night Knitting Club” from Amazon click here or on picture above

 

2 Treasure Boxes, Chick Lit, Public Library, Goodreads

Second Chance by Jane Green

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Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
Publisher: Penguin Audiobooks (May 23, 2007), Listening Length: 11 hour(s) and 40 min (400 pages), ASIN: B000SAGYJS

Four friends are reunited after 20 years following the death of a good friend who connects them all.  Holly, Olivia, Paul, and Saffron are all close to 40 and they soon realize that they need each other. They are forced to examine their loves and lives while dealing with tragic grief from their loss.

Jane Green has written 12 best selling novels all dealing with women and falling under the chick-lit genre. Second Chance was on the New York Times Bestseller list for several months. It is told in the third person narrative with the voice and thoughts of the various characters.

Although the subject matter is serious and sad the story is light. Second Chance is an entertaining book, at times it made me laugh and at other times it made me cry. The character’s were interesting, but not too deep.  The best part of the book was the ending, it did not go where I thought it would but I liked the direction it took.

If you find yourself with a free weekend and you are looking to curl up and read an interesting story about women just hitting their 40’s who are examining their lives, then I recommend you pick up Second Chance.
To buy: “Second Chance” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

 

3 Treasure Boxes, Chick Lit, In Library, Goodreads

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

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Book Review: 3 Treasure Boxes
Publisher: Dell (Oct 30 2007), Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages, ISBN-10: 9780440242383, ISBN-13: 978-0440242383

What if the worst thing that happened to you turned out to be the best thing? Samantha, a high stressed lawyer, on the eve of becoming a partner in the most prestigious firm in England, discovers she has made a mistake that will cost her client 50 million pounds. She freaks out and runs away, stumbling onto an estate where she is mistakenly assumed to be the new nanny. Samantha doesn’t know anything about being a domestic helper, she can’t cook nor clean. In fact, in the past her solution to changing the vacuum cleaner bag is to buy a new vacuum. This is her story of transformation and growth, a time when she learns there is a different way to live.

Madeleine Wickham is the author of  The Undomestic Goddess written under the pen name of Sophie Kinsella. She has written 10 books under this name, 6 of these books are Shopaholic books and the other 4 are stand alone novels centering around various characters. All of her novels are considered Chick-lit. Most of her books can also fall under the comedy genre as they are usually funny and amusing, although this book does not qualify as a comedy since it is more serious. The story is told in the first person narrative with Samantha’s voice and thoughts as we follow her through her life.

I really enjoyed this story, although the premise is somewhat silly and kinda of unrealistic, it was still very interesting and well written. I liked Samantha’s transformation and I was rooting for her throughout her trials. I enjoyed how the story progressed, showing Samantha’s reaction to her error, then her growth as she comes to terms with her new situation. The love story was endearing. The ending was sweet and touching.

I recommend this book. This is a stand alone book. If you enjoy reading Chick-lit then don’t pass up on The Undomestic Goddess.

My Favourite Quote from the book:  ” You only get one chance at life.”

 

Questions to ponder:

Did anyone else think this was an unrealistic premise?

Who was your favourite character?

 

To Purchase: “The Undomestic Goddess” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

Book Review, 2 Treasure Boxes, Chick Lit, In Library, Goodreads

Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella

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Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
Publisher: Dell; Reprint edition (Sep 29 2009), Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages , Language: English, ISBN-10: 9780440242406, ISBN-13: 978-0440242406, ASIN: 0440242401

How would you feel if when you woke up 3 years had passed? You did not look the same, you did not know your husband and you had a whole new life. What would you do if you did not like the new you? This is the story of Lexi Smart a young woman who at 25 was known as straggle tooth as she stumbled through life.  After a fall and a bump to her head she wakes up three years later a whole different person with perfect teeth and hair. This is her tale as she works on uncovering who she is and how she got there.

Madeleine Wickham is the author of this book written under the pen name of Sophie Kinsella.  She has written 10 books under this name, 6 of these books are Shopaholic books and the other 4 are stand alone novels centering around various characters. Please see my other Sophie Kinsella reviews at https://books-treasureortrash.com/?s=sophie+kinsella. All of these novels including Remember Me are considered chick lit. Most of her books can also fall under comedy as they are usually funny and amusing, although Remember Me does not really fit into the comedy genre as it is more serious. The story is told in the first person narrative with Lexi’s voice and thoughts as we follow her through her life.

The story pulls us in from the first page when we are introduced to our main character Lexi Smart.  She is 25 years old and she is happy in her life although things could be better.  She has crooked teeth, a lousy boyfriend, her father just died and she missed the annual bonus because she was hired 2 weeks after the start of the bonus period. It is now 3 years later and a lot has happened to change Lexi’s life.  She has a gorgeous and successful husband, her teeth have been straightened and she is in the best shape of her life. The only problem is she has a specialized amnesia and can not remember anything that has happened over the last 3 years.

The characters are interesting and I really liked Lexi’s little sister, I thought some of her antics were intriguing. This book takes a good look at family dynamics. It shows how families can help mold us and drive us to do the things we do. I enjoyed following Lexi’s journey of personal discovery as she pieced together her life. Getting to know her husband, finding out he wasn’t as perfect as he first appeared, but then who is? Lexi also learns the price she had to pay to go from junior clerk to executive.  This is an enjoyable read, not really very deep but certainly fun. 

If you are looking for an entertaining story about a young woman’s journey in rediscovering her life then I recommend this book. If you are expecting lots of humour you will not find it in this book and although it is not really funny it is still light reading.