REVIEW: Don't Stop Me Now by Colleen Coleman

Title: Don’t Stop Me Now
Author: Colleen Coleman
Narrator: Imogen Church
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: March 2017
Genre: Chick-Lit / Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Poppy Bloom planned to finish her PhD and walk straight into a job at her university. But here she is, unemployed, unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend, and living back at her mum’s in her vampire-themed childhood bedroom.

Not exactly what she was hoping for.

But when Poppy sets her mind to something, nothing can stand in her way. She scores herself an internship at the hottest radio station in town, joins a netball team, and renews her friendship with her oldest friend Leanne. Spending time with Leanne’s gorgeous twin Tom is just a bonus...

But life has a way of tripping you up when you least expect it, and Poppy soon has to decide where her priorities lie...

With new friends, a new career and a new romance, can Poppy keep everyone happy, or is everything about to tumble down around her?

My Thoughts: I don’t know if I would have had the same experience with a different format. I originally received the e-book format from the publisher, but in an effort decrease the size of my backlog, I found the audiobook format at the library. I absolutely loved this story, largely in part to the audio narration by Imogen Church, which was fantastic. She puts a lot of emotion into the narration that gave me the sense that I am in the room with Poppy and made her more relatable and easy to like and get to know.

This was also my first experience with this author and I will be looking for more of her work. Colleen Coleman’s writing style is witty and engaging. The characters are easy to relate to and like. The storyline was clever and easy to follow.

I thought Poppy Bloom (what a fantastic name!) was a wonderful character and I shared her outrage at being robbed of her fellowship at the University, getting dumped by her loser boyfriend and learning he has moved on with her good friend. Moving back home with a psychology doctorate degree with no job or prospects on the horizon would send most of us into a spiral of depression and it does for Poppy, but I admired how she pulls herself up and starts putting one foot in front of the other determined to grab life by the horns. Reuniting with her childhood mate, Leanne and her twin Tom was fun to watch. Through a comedy of errors, Poppy finds herself listening to the popular radio station which leads her to calling into the show and a chance at a job where she can make a difference and help real people with their real problems.

This story weaves around Poppy’s life including her struggles to find her place in the world, navigating her estranged relationship with her father, joining Leanne’s netball team and her growing feelings for Tom. This story had me laughing out loud many times and gasping in shock throughout the entire story, I was fully engaged and in anticipation for what Poppy would encounter next.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a fantastic story and fans of chick-lit and contemporary romance will enjoy it too. I highly recommend this story to readers who like underdog characters who face adversity and come out on the other side better off.

Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: The Wedding Charm by Susan Hatler

Title: The Wedding Charm (Wedding Whisperer #1)
Author: Susan Hatler
Publisher: Hatco Publishing
Publication Date: April 2017
Genre: Chick Lit / Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Maid of honor Sarah Carlton hasn’t failed at anything since her high school science project was sabotaged by a relentless competitor. So, she’ll do whatever it takes to make her best friend Jill’s wedding absolutely perfect. That includes taking the next flight out of Sacramento to retrieve the panicked bride’s cherished family wedding charm from her late grandmother’s attic in Atlanta Georgia.

Unfortunately, someone else has offered to come to the bride’s rescue—best man Ben Atkins, the same man who destroyed Sarah’s high school science project all those years ago. Now he wants to one-up her by retrieving the charm first. Sarah refuses to let that happen. The race is on.

When Sarah and Ben arrive in Atlanta, instead of finding the wedding charm there’s a letter from the bride’s grandmother directing the bride and groom to complete a series of tasks in order to prove their commitment to each other. With the wedding only two days away, Sarah and Ben must join forces by pretending to be the bride and groom in order to earn the wedding charm. Should be a cinch. After all, how hard can it be to fake true love for forty-eight hours?

My Thoughts: Some would describe this story as an enemies to lovers story, but Sarah and Ben really weren’t hateful to one another or at war. Instead, this was more a story involving two people have known each other their entire lives and were pretty competitive with one another. There were some hard feelings on Sarah’s part because of her high school science project being destroyed, but had these two spent a half hour having a discussion, that would have been cleared up very quickly.

Sarah’s best friend, Jill is getting married. Sarah is the maid of honor and Ben is the best man. Jill is distraught because she was unable to retrieve a family heirloom from her grandmother’s house and believes her marriage will be doomed to fail if she gets married without it. With the wedding set to take place in Sacramento in a few short days, Sarah and Ben decide to go to Atlanta to retrieve the charm and save the wedding. Of course, Sarah is in full competition mode, convinced that Ben is only going to try to one up her as she has believed he has done all their lives. I was really happy that they decide to join forces in Atlanta and with the help of a lost dog they rescue and name Moose, it appears they have a truce and there are a lot of unresolved feelings. The catch is that retrieving the heirloom is not going to be a quick task. They have to go on a wild scavenger hunt of sorts, pretending to be the engaged couple and pretending to be in love to convince the friends of Jill’s grandmother that they deserve the heirloom.

The tasks they are assigned to do were a lot of fun, but with the ticking clock, Sarah and Ben don’t have a lot of time to enjoy the ambience of Atlanta. I especially loved that one of the tasks required them to go to an Atlanta Braves baseball game and have their picture taken at home plate. The quick thinking and ingenuity this couple uses to accomplish the tasks were quite entertaining and fun to witness.

This book was my first experience with the writing of Susan Hatler and I will be looking for more of her work. I immensely enjoyed her writing style and the attention to detail she gives to Atlanta and Buckhead, which gave me a real sense of being there. I loved Sarah and Ben and thought they made a great team and the addition of Moose the lost dog added more charm and fun to this story.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a great story and I highly recommend it to fans of contemporary romances, stories involving dogs and scavenger hunts as well as stories that feature characters who are willing to go the extra mile for their friends and for each other.

Thank you to the publisher, Hatco Publishing, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Revenge Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

Title: Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns (The Devil Wears Prada #2)
Author: Lauren Weisberger
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: June 2013
Genre: Chick Lit / Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Almost a decade has passed since Andy Sachs quit the job “a million girls would die for” working for Miranda Priestly at Runway magazine—a dream that turned out to be a nightmare. Andy and Emily, her former nemesis and co-assistant, have since joined forces to start a high end bridal magazine, The Plunge, which has quickly become required reading for the young and stylish. Now they get to call all the shots: Andy writes and travels to her heart’s content; Emily plans parties and secures advertising like a seasoned pro.

Even better, Andy has met the love of her life. Max Harrison, scion of a storied media family, is confident, successful, and drop-dead gorgeous. Their wedding will be splashed across all the society pages as their friends and family gather to toast the glowing couple. Andy Sachs is on top of the world. But karma’s a bitch.

The morning of her wedding, Andy can’t shake the past. And when she discovers a secret letter with crushing implications, her wedding day jitters turn to cold dread. Andy realizes that nothing—not her husband, nor her beloved career—is as it seems. She never suspected that her efforts to build a bright new life would lead her back to the darkness she barely escaped ten years ago—and directly into the path of the devil herself...

My Thoughts: First of all, it is imperative that you read The Devil Wears Prada before this one or you will not understand the backstory of Andrea and Emily’s time working for Miranda Priestly and why the mere mention of her name sends Andrea into a spiral of the highest anxiety. I experienced it as well. Interestingly this story’s focus isn’t about Miranda, though she makes a few appearances, she is really in the background, likely filing her claws and feasting on the souls of the unfortunate girls who have made the catastrophic mistake of wanting to work for her. Instead, this story picks up about ten years after the first book. Andy and Emily have reconnected and become (gasp!) best friends and have created a wedding magazine. Andy is set to walk down the aisle with the love of her life, Max Harrison. Everything should be sunshine and daisies in Andy’s world, but it isn’t.

On the morning of her wedding, Andy receives information that fills her with doubts about marrying Max. The magazine that she and Emily have created and worked so hard for several years to make it a success has caught the eye of Elias Clarke and none other than the devil herself, Miranda Priestly, who has been promoted to a managing editor position and they want to buy Andy and Emily’s magazine with the stipulation that the editorial staff continue to work for Miranda for one year.

This news has Andy in a near panic, but Emily is ecstatic. Emily refuses to see how this sale will put them back under Miranda’s thumb and after what happened to both of them while working for Miranda a decade ago, Andy is shocked that Emily would consider it at all, much less be over the moon about it.

I have to say that I was in complete agreement with Andy. Selling their magazine seemed so tragic to me after all the hard work they put into it, even though the financial windfall they would receive would be fantastic. The bizarre point that Elias Clark and Miranda insist that the editorial staff work for her for a year made no sense and they wouldn’t budge on that issue. Obviously, Miranda has some nefarious plan up her sleeve to retaliate in some way but it is never made completely known and you will have to read this book to find out what happens!

I tried reading this book in audiobook format back in 2019 and could not get into the story. Maybe it was the narrator or maybe I just couldn’t wrap my head around the idea that Andy and Emily become best friends and partners. This time I went with the e-book format and I absolutely loved it. It didn’t take long to get reacquainted with all of the characters from the first book who also make an appearance in this book as well as new characters. The author does an excellent job of illustrating Andy’s world of high fashion, publishing, celebrity weddings as well as pregnancy and first time motherhood.

My Final Verdict: Overall, it was wonderful catching up with Andy again and though Emily was never my favorite person, it was interesting to see what these women have been up and how far they have come. I don’t know if Miranda Priestly will be in the third book, but you know the devil has a way of showing up when you least expect it. I highly recommend this book to readers of chick lit and women’s fiction.

REVIEW: The Victim by Gillian Jackson

Title: The Victim
Author: Gillian Jackson
Narrator: Hannah Curtis
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Publication Date: May 2022
Genre: Mystery / Thriller / Suspense
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: She’s killed her husband—and now she must convince the police that she is not the villain but the victim . . .

Caron Rivers appeared to have it all. Lovely home. Loving spouse. Happy marriage. But behind closed doors, things were not what they seemed.

Why did Caron snap and kill Bill? Now she finds herself at the police station, facing questions about exactly what happened and what led to the shocking event. With Bill dead, she is free to tell her story. But the police may not believe it, in this gripping novel of emotional and psychological suspense from the author of Abduction and The Accident.

My Thoughts: The Victim by new to me author Gillian Jackson introduces the reader to Caron Rivers after she has stabbed her husband to death. What follows is a tale of an emotionally damaged woman who tells the authorities of the torture and abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband before she stabbed him in self-defense. Victims of domestic violence may find this story triggering.

The twisty bits of this story come as the investigation begins to uncover more questions as to the validity of Caron’s claims of abuse. As I listened, I felt an increasing sense of anticipation of whether or not she was the victim or the villain. My opinion of her changed just as rapidly as more layers of the story were revealed and more layers of this character’s personality are peeled back.

The story moves at a brisk pace without burying the listener under mountains of details. I really enjoyed the author’s plotting and look forward to more of her work. The narration by Hannah Curtis was expertly performed and gives the reader a clear picture of the nature of the characters in this story.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a compelling story that kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this book to fans of suspense, thriller and mystery genres. Readers who like having twisty details that pull the rug out from under them will also enjoy this one.

Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, who provided an advance reader copy of this audiobook via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne

Title: Passion on Park Avenue (Central Park Pact #1)
Author: Lauren Layne
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: May 2019
Genre: Chick Lit / Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: From the author of the New York Times bestselling Stiletto and Oxford series, the first in a sizzling new series following the unlikely friendship of three Upper East Side women as they struggle to achieve their dreams and find true love and happiness in the city that never sleeps.

For as long as she can remember, Bronx-born Naomi Powell has had one goal: to prove her worth among the Upper East Side elite—the same people for which her mom worked as a housekeeper. Now, as the strongminded, sassy CEO of one of the biggest jewelry empires in the country, Naomi finally has exactly what she wants—but it’s going to take more than just the right address to make Manhattan’s upper class stop treating her like an outsider.

The worst offender is her new neighbor, Oliver Cunningham—the grown son of the very family Naomi’s mother used to work for. Oliver used to torment Naomi when they were children, and as a ridiculously attractive adult, he’s tormenting her in entirely different ways. Now they find themselves engaged in a battle-of-wills that will either consume or destroy them…

Filled with charm and heart and plenty of sex and snark, this entertaining series will hook you from the very first page.

My Thoughts: Passion on Park Avenue by new to me author Lauren Layne introduces us to three women, who by all intents and purposes should never have met or became friends. Two of these women are the mistresses of the third woman’s husband and these women meet on the day of the husband’s funeral. Awkward,, yes, Captain Obvious, but this trope pulled me all the way into the story. Who needs salacious daytime talk shows when this book provides everything enquiring minds want to know?

This is the first book in a series and I absolutely insist you read this one before the others as there is a lot of background detail on the three women that is crucial to know beforehand. This story is about one of the mistresses, Naomi, who still carries the shame of her mother’s affair with her mother’s employer and the fallout it brought to their lives. Now, decades later, Naomi is finally in a financial position to go for one of the apartments in the building on Park Avenue where she and her mother lived while working for the elite Cunningham family. Naomi carries a lot of anger towards this family because the Cunningham son, Oliver, lied about the affair, causing Naomi and her mother to be thrown into the street, penniless and homeless. The best part of this is that Oliver doesn’t remember his childhood playmate and his father is in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s so he doesn’t remember much of anything either. I was on pins and needles watching this play out and the chemistry between Naomi and Oliver was palpable. I even felt a little bit of empathy and compassion for Oliver’s father, though he wasn’t a nice man before his illness and was hard to tolerate now at times.

In addition to Naomi and Oliver, I really liked the other two women, Claire and Audrey and look forward to getting to know them better in their stories. The plot moves at a wonderful pace and kept me fully engaged.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I found this story to be charming and hard to put down. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy stories of unsuccessful revenge, letting go of past pain and characters who rise up from the ashes of their past trauma with head held high.

Thank you to the publisher, Gallery Books, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Kill Me Tomorrow by Britney King

Title: Kill Me Tomorrow
Author: Britney King
Narrator: Patrick Zeller
Publisher: OrangeSky Audio
Publication Date: September 2021
Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Description: Ali is a sex therapist-slash-guru, famous for the work she does helping others find pleasure.

The problem: Ali can never quite find it for herself.

Her life's work makes nothing taboo, nothing off limits. And she's tried everything short of murder. Although, with the way things are going, it's not off the table.

When Ethan Lane is hired to investigate the death of a wealthy bachelor, he isn't expecting to stumble into a string of murders. The victims are men, and all members of a popular dating app. Operating undercover with a profile of his own, he meets the woman of his dreams—who also happens to be his best suspect.

The question: Can Lane stay alive long enough to prove his theory? And does he want to?

My Thoughts: In all honesty, the best thing about this book was the narration performance by Patrick Zeller.

This story had so much potential. The main protagonist was a likable character in the beginning. He’s a former FBI agent who now has his own private investigation firm and is carrying enormous trauma after his young daughter was murdered in a home invasion. He seems to be moving forward in his life being a single parent to his two other children after suffering a painful divorce. He is a character I usually can empathize with and relate to.

When he starts investigating a string of murders of wealthy men and learns they are all members of the same dating app, he goes undercover and with the help of his assistant, creates a profile and ultimately meets a woman he falls hard for. She also happens to be his number one suspect in the murders, so what does he do? Sleeps with her. Yes, his brain takes an immediate exit stage right and he starts thinking with his other brain.

This story was beyond illogical and completely inappropriate for a character with the law enforcement background he has. Why did I keep listening? I kept hoping that somehow his investigation would reveal this woman was not who he suspected her to be, but instead, everything kept pointing to her being involved somehow, if not as the killer, certainly as an accomplice.

My Final Verdict: Based on the ratings of other readers, this book does appeal to some but not to me and I cannot recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher, OrangeSky Audio, who provided an advance reader copy of this audiobook via NetGalley.