Waiting on Wednesday - What Came First by Carol Snow

"Waiting On Wednesday"(WOW) is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases eagerly anticipated. I hope to hear from you and your own WOW so that I can add some more books to my TBR shelf.

Carol Snow’s first two books were Been There Done That and Getting Warmer. After reading both books on the recommendation from a good friend, I was a bona fide Carol Snow fan, eager for more of her novels to come out. It’s with no great delay that she has published several others since, with her latest one coming out early this Fall. What Comes Next tackles yet another topic, high in the priorities of life for women, wife and mother hood. As I’m planning my wedding, this topic may be one more step ahead for me, but never too early to think about and what better place to begin to imagine things than through chick lit fiction!

What Came First by Carol Snow

First comes love, then comes marriage, then . . . things can get a little complicated.

Vanessa wants just one thing for her twenty-ninth birthday: an engagement ring from her longtime boyfriend, Eric. But when the ring turns out to be a mix CD and Eric turns out to be a guy who doesn't want to get married or have children, Vanessa considers a new path to having a family.

When Wendy and her husband, Darren, couldn't have children the old- fashioned way, a sperm donor seemed like the perfect solution. She never imagined she'd have out-of-control twins who'd drive her to cookie binges and scrapbooking while Darren escaped into the virtual world of computer games.

Single and career-driven, Laura didn't need a man to have a baby - at least not one that she ever met. Thanks to an anonymous donor, she shares her life with her adored eight-year-old son, Ian. She'll do anything for Ian - even fill their backyard with a bunch of noisy chickens. But the one thing Ian really wants is something Laura's never been able to give him: a sibling.

Now, to grant Ian's wish, Laura starts a search that will not only change her life but Vanessa's and Wendy's as well...

Synopsis Available on Goodreads

Learn more about Carol Snow on her blog at http://www.carolsnow.com/

Waiting on Wednesday - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? by Claudia Carroll



WoW Logo Provided by
Jill at Breaking The Spine



"Waiting On Wednesday"(WOW) is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases eagerly anticipated. This is my third week joining the 100 plus book bloggers who participate in the weekly meme and I am very excited to be a part of it. I hope to hear from you and your own WOW so that I can add some more books to my TBR shelf.

Who wouldn’t be attracted to covers full of pastel colors and beautifully caricatured women with catchy titles like, Do You Want to Know a Secret?, He Loves Me Not... He Loves Me, Personally I Blame My Fairy Godmother and If This is Paradise, I Want My Money Back?? Claudia Carrol, a Dublin born and bred chick lit author has been penning chick lit since 2004 and hasn’t stopped yet. Her books have been high on the bestseller list and she has even had offers to make some of her books into movies and tv sitcoms.  Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? by Claudia Carroll is no exception to the fabulous name that Ms. Carroll has established for herself, already gaining a 4.29/5.00 rating on Goodreads. This will be my first novel to read by Claudia Carroll and I hope that it “reads” up to its reviews.

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? by Claudia Carroll

Cover and Synopsis
via Goodreads

Absence makes the heart grow fonder…doesn’t it?

What happens when two people decide to give themselves the year off…from each other?

Annie and Dan were the perfect couple. But now the not-so-newly weds feel more like flatmates than soul mates and wonder where all the fun and fireworks went …
When Annie lands her big break in a smash-hit show that’s heading for the bright lights of Broadway, she’s over the moon. Goodbye remote Irish village of Stickens, hello fabulous Big Apple! But with their relationship already on the rocks, how will Annie and Dan survive the distance?

They’re hitting the pause button on their marriage. One year off from each other – no strings attached, except a date to meet in twelve months at the Rockefeller Centre to decide their fate.

Will they both turn up? Or is it too late for love?

Lose yourself in a fabulously entertaining and poignant love story – perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes.

Claudia Carroll is the author of other popular chick lit novels like, Personally, I Blame My Fairy Godmother and If This is Paradise, I Want My Money Back. Visit her web site for more info at http://www.claudiacarroll.net/

What are you waiting on this Wednesday???

Waiting on Wednesday - Little Black Dress by Susan McBride

"Waiting On Wednesday"(WOW) is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases eagerly anticipated. This is my third week joining the 100 plus book bloggers who participate in the weekly meme and I am very excited to be a part of it. I hope to hear from you and your own WOW so that I can add some more books to my TBR shelf.

          Are you ready for the next LBD??? What girl isn’t familiar with the phrase “little black dress” or maybe she’s wearing one right this second? That’s why Susan McBride’s second novel makes such a great release with its title of the same name. A great title with an equally stunning cover, Little Black Dress is sure to have a spot on all the shelves of chick lit ready for its August release. I don’t know about you but I can hardly handle the anticipation. Maybe I’ll treat myself to shop for a new LBD while I wait….

Little Black Dress by Susan McBride

Since leaving her hometown of Blue Hills, Antonia Ashton has worked hard for twenty-five years, building a thriving career and a solid relationship with a good guy. Then Greg-the-Accountant gives her the key to his apartment instead of a ring, and the forty-something Toni realizes her life has gone off-track. But she's completely derailed when her mother, Evie, suffers a massive stroke. While their relationship has never been warm and fuzzy, Toni always thought she'd have time to make it right. Now she's running back to Blue Hills to her mother and to the past she'd left behind.

Once home, Toni finds more than an ailing Evie to tend to. The old Victorian on the vineyard where she'd grown up isn't only filled with clutter; it's chockfull of secrets and lies. As Evie heals, Toni tries to put her mother's house in order and, in the process, uncovers truths long-hidden involving Evie and her sister Anna, who'd vanished fifty years ago on the eve of her wedding. Unveiling the sisters' tangled lives not only sheds light on the past, but on Toni's own mistakes. And she learns the most unexpected things, about love and magic and a little black dress with the power to break hearts and mend them.

Susan McBride is also the author of The Cougar Club. Visit her web site for more info at http://www.susanmcbride.com/

What are you waiting on this Wednesday???

Waiting on Wednesday - Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

 

"Waiting On Wednesday"(WOW) is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases eagerly anticipated. This is my third week joining the 100 plus book bloggers who participate in the weekly meme and I am very excited to be a part of it. I hope to hear from you and your own WOW so that I can add some more books to my TBR shelf.

Maine by J.Courtney Sullivan

Touted as THE book of Summer 2011, Maine is the second release by author J. Courtney Sullivan. Scheduled for release June 14, 2011, I am already on the wait list through my local library’s web site for the audio book version. While it might not be June yet, maybe we can start summer a little early this year…

Three generations of women converge on the family beach house in this wickedly funny, emotionally resonant story of love and dysfunction from the author of the best-selling debut novel Commencement (“One of this year’s most inviting summer novels” —The New York Times).

The Kelleher family has been coming to Maine for sixty years. Their beachfront cottage, won on a barroom bet after the war, is a place where children run in packs, showers are taken outdoors, and threadbare sweaters are shared on chilly nights. It is also a place where cocktail hour follows morning mass, nosy grandchildren snoop in drawers, and ancient grudges simmer below the surface. As Maggie, Kathleen, and Anne Marie descend on Alice and the cottage, each woman brings her own baggage—a secret pregnancy, a terrible crush, and a deeply held resentment for misdeeds of the past.

By turns uproarious and achingly sad, Maine unveils the sibling rivalry, alcoholism, social climbing, and Catholic guilt at the center of one family, along with the abiding, often irrational love that keeps them coming back, every summer, to the family house, and to one another.

For more info on J. Courtney Sullivan or any of her books, please visit:

http://jcourtneysullivan.com/

What Are You Waiting On this Wednesday???

Waiting on Wednesday - The Single Girl's To-Do List by Lindsey Kelk

"Waiting On Wednesday"(WOW) is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases eagerly anticipated. This is my third week joining the 100 plus book bloggers who participate in the weekly meme and I am very excited to be a part of it. I hope to hear from you and your own WOW so that I can add some more books to my TBR shelf.

“I heart” Lindsey Kelk!! I absolutely adore her writing, her character Angela from the I Heart series and her Twitter posts, which range from bubbly and sweet to entirely funny and random. So you can imagine my excitement when I found out that she has another book out in 2011, taking a little break from her I Heart series. The Single Girl’s To-Do List sounds like a hilarious new chick lit novel that centers on one young woman’s most recent break-up and the tasks her friends set her up with to help her get over it.

I love lists. In the book aptly titled, To-Do List: From Buying Milk to Finding a Soul Mate, What Our Lists Reveal About Us, author Sasha Cagen uncovers the hidden meaning behind those thousands upon thousands of little sticky notes and agendas we leave for ourselves all over the place. Check out their My Space page for a fun look at what your own lists might reveal about you!

www.myspace.com/todolistblog

The Single Girl’s To-Do List

by Lindsey Kelk

 (Author of the “I Heart…” series)

A hilarious and romantic standalone novel from the bestselling author of the I Heart series Rachel Summers lives every area of her life according to a to-do list and so far, she is ticking most things off. She has a job she loves (make-up artist to the stars), the perfect boyfriend, a cozy London flat and a fantastic circle of friends. All that remains on her life to-do list is to get married, have a baby and live happily ever after. Simple. Well, not quite! Suddenly, Rachel's perfect boyfriend wants to take a break. She's convinced it's just cold feet but when the break turns into a split, her best friends Emelie and Matthew step in and come up with the ultimate heartbreak cure -- the single girl's to-do list, the top ten things Rachel must see and do to kick-start her fabulous, new single life. But nothing can prepare her for the adventures that unfold as the to-do list takes them all over town and even abroad, and proves to all three that love is out there if you're willing to take a chance!

For more information on Lindsey Kelk, her latest books and happenings, visit her web site at:

http://www.lindseykelk.com/

The Single Girl’s To-Do List will be released on June 9, 2011.

 I Cannot Wait!  What are you Waiting on this Wednesday???

Waiting on Wednesday - Sweet Jiminy by Kristin Gore

"Waiting On Wednesday"(WOW) is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases eagerly anticipated. This is my first week joining the 100 plus book bloggers who participate in the weekly meme and I am very excited to be a part of it. I hope to hear from you and your own WOW so that I can add some more books to my TBR shelf.

I joined Amazon’s audio book site, Audible almost a year ago to take advantage of its fabulous and widespread selection of audio books. They always seem to get the latest and greatest and with an offer to every member of one free audio book credit a month, it makes the monthly fee of $7.49 seem like peanuts; but because there is only the one free audio credit, I try to make my choices really special by either downloading audio books I cannot get at my library or those that I absolutely cannot wait a second longer to hear!

The first book I downloaded from Audible was by an infamous politician’s daughter, Kristin Gore. The title of her book, Sammy’s Hill, the first in a two-book series, made me unsure of whether or not I would like the flavor of chick lit that she was writing, not being one who considers myself to be politically oriented in any sense of the word.  Of course, this assumption was based purely on unfounded (and uneducated) judgments (i.e. Don’t judge a book by its cover (or its title!)). To my unexpected but pleasant surprise, Kristin Gore took the advice given to so many writers, “to write what you know” and she created a unique and hilarious chick lit adventure led by heroine, Samantha (Sammy) Joyce that was just as fabulous, if not more, than any other. One of the things I quickly came to love about Kristin Gore was her talent to create such deep and multifaceted characters with depth. Since her first two novels, the last one published in 2007, I have been eagerly awaiting another novel from Kristin Gore and much to my surprise, 2011 is the year I no longer have to wait!!

Coming soon to a book store near you, Sweet Jiminy, will be Kristin Gore’s third release. From the reviews and synopses I read, it sounds like this book may be less of a chick lit and more of a fiction and literature mystery. Nonetheless, with Kristin Gore on as the writer, I’m sure I won’t be disappointed and I can’t wait!!!

April 26, 2011 Hyperion publishers presents…

Sweet Jiminy by Kristin Gore

In the throes of a quarter-life crisis, Jiminy Davis abruptly quits law school and flees Chicago for her Grandmother Willa's farm in rural Mississippi. In search of peace and quiet, Jiminy instead stumbles upon more trouble and turmoil than she could have imagined.


She is shocked to discover that there was once another Jiminy the daughter of her grandmother's longtime housekeeper, Lyn who was murdered along with Lyn's husband four decades earlier in a civil rights era hate crime. With the help of Lyn's nephew, Bo, Jiminy sets out to solve the cold case, to the dismay of those who would prefer to let sleeping dogs lie.


Beautifully written, and with a sure grip on the tensions and social mores of small towns in the South, Sweet Jiminy will captivate its readers, and fans of Kristin Gore's earlier novels will be intrigued and compelled by this new direction for her fiction.

To learn more about Kristin Gore’s first two novels, Sammy’s Hill and Sammy’s House, see my reviews on Goodreads

For Sammy’s Hill (Sammy Joyce #1)

 http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/85932564

Sammy’s House (Sammy Joyce #2)

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/94150928

or visit my audio book page at the Chicklit Club

http://www.chicklitclub.com/audio-books.html


So that's what I'm Waiting on this Wednesday at Lip Gloss and Literature!! What are you Waiting On this Week?? Thanks for sharing.

Waiting on Wednesday - Faking It by Charlotte Kymberley

"Waiting On Wednesday"(WOW) is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases eagerly anticipated. This is my third week joining the 100 plus book bloggers who participate in the weekly meme and I am very excited to be a part of it. I hope to hear from you and your own WOW so that I can add some more books to my TBR shelf.

One of my favorite web sites is Chick Lit Plus. It’s a very varied site with its articles and features on chick lit and general fiction, celebrity gossip, book reviews, fashion, fitness, writing resources and a whole lot more; and this year, the woman behind the site has even added a few services to her list, one of which is serving as Host of a 2011 Chick Lit Reading Challenge. The goal, over the course of the twelve months in 2011, is to read 12 chick lit genre books – with one exception: two MUST be by debut authors with book releases in 2011. I am grateful to be a part of this challenge, not only because it increases my personal quota of reading chick lit novels and writing reviews but because this is the first year I can remember being really focused on what the upcoming new books and authors are going to be out there in the publishing world and make it into local bookstores.  It’s really caused my TBR list to skyrocket!

This week I am featuring a book I saw featured on both the Chicklit Club as well as Chick Lit Plus (this week). Oddly enough when I looked it up on Goodreads for a synopsis it said the book was by “Charlotte Kymberley” but then I noticed the cover of the book said it was by “Lotte Daley”. Is it fair to assume Lotte is the pseudonym or shortened name for Charlotte and similarly, Daley is a shortened, play on Kymberley? I’m open to any and all ideas….

The synopsis reminds me a lot of a book I recently read by Ilana Fox called the Making of Mia, in that the leading lady undergoes a drastic makeover and becomes the paparazzi’s latest IT Girl to target – but will it help her find true love? The right career? Her own place in the world? Or even herself? It brings up the idea about whether making oneself over really serves its purpose? Is it all worth it? And at what costs? Or is it just a false disguise? I guess I’ll have to wait and find out.

'It's not you, it's me'. That's the cowardly text message that Katie receives from Jack, her actor boyfriend of three years, when he dumps her. And things go from bad to worse when photos of Jack canoodling with a famous size-zero actress are splashed across every gossip magazine and tabloid soon after. Just how much humiliation can a girl take? With the paparazzi camped out on her doorstep, Katie decides to preserve what's left of her dignity. So she agrees to become her PR colleagues' next project. They will make her over (hair, teeth, clothes, Botox, and boobs - the works) and turn her into an instant celebrity in order to win back her ex and show the world that an ordinary girl can rival a beautiful bimbo. But will a new life in the limelight be everything Katie dreamt of? Can she make it in the cut-throat world of the beautiful, rich and famous? Is Jack worth all the hassle or is there someone else out there who might love Katie just the way she is?

The above cover and synopsis were found on Amazon via the Paperback edition.

Faking It by Lotte Daley/Charlotte Kymberley will be released February 17, 2011 (Tomorrow!!)

For more debut authors coming out soon visit Chick lit Plus’ latest post at:

http://chicklitplus.com/debut-authors-novels-februarymarch-2011/

Waiting on Wednesday - Summer And the City (The Carrie Diaries 2) by Candace Bushnell

"Waiting On Wednesday"(WOW) is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases eagerly anticipated. This is my first week joining the 100 plus book bloggers who participate in the weekly meme and I am very excited to be a part of it. I hope to hear from you and your own WOW so that I can add some more books to my TBR shelf.

Last week, the country celebrated Groundhog Day and Pennsylvania’s forecasting furry friend, Puxatwaney Phil, did not see his shadow. According to legend, then, Spring is right around the corner. I know I am ready for the longer, warmer days of Spring and Summer – enough with all this cold and snow, already!! Fitting with the warming trend, my pick this week for Waiting on Wednesday is the second book in a long awaited young adult/teen lit series, Summer and the City (The Carrie Diaries #2) by chick lit queen, Candace Bushnell. Summer in the City is the second story in the saga of Carrie Bradshaw’s life before her days as the glamazon, fashionista and women’s columnist we know and love from Sex and the City.

I absolutely adored the first novel in this series, aptly titled The Carrie Diaries, in which readers got a sneak peek at the life of Carrie Bradshaw in her high school days. In the second release, Candace Bushnell reveals how Carrie met bffs, Samantha and Miranda. Just like Carrie and her limitless styles of designer shoes and handbags, there are multiple, fashionable covers designed for book two of  The Carrie Diaries (see below). I literally, CANNOT WAIT for this one!!

Summer and the City (The Carrie Diaries #2) by Candace Bushnell

Meet teenage Carrie Bradshaw as she hits the bright lights, big city of New York for the very first time! Find out how Carrie transforms from country girl to super-cool fashionista in the second explosive CARRIE DIARIES novel from the globally bestselling author of SEX AND THE CITY. Summer is a magical time in New York City and Carrie is in love with all of it -- the crazy characters in her neighborhood, the vintage-clothing boutiques, the wild parties and the glamorous man who has swept her off her feet. Best of all, she's finally in a real writing class, taking her first steps toward fulfilling her dream. This sequel to THE CARRIE DIARIES brings surprising revelations as Carrie learns to navigate her way around the Big Apple, going from being a country "sparrow" -- as Samantha Jones dubs her -- to the person she always wanted to be. But as it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile her past with her future, Carrie realizes that making it in New York is much more complicated than she ever imagined. With her signature wit and sparkling humor, Candace Bushnell reveals the irresistible story of how Carrie met Samantha and Miranda, and what turned a small-town girl into one of the New York City's most unforgettable women.

The above synopsis was found on Goodreads via the Hardcover edition.

Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell will be released April 26, 2011

If you visit her web site, you can see an Author video of The Carrie Diaries, Candace Bushnell’s bio, previous media releases and publications and more!!

Waiting on Wednesday - Emily and Einstein by Linda Francis Lee

"Waiting On Wednesday"(WOW) is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases eagerly anticipated. This is my first week joining the 100 plus book bloggers who participate in the weekly meme and I am very excited to be a part of it. I hope to hear from you and your own WOW so that I can add some more books to my TBR shelf.

For my second week participating in this meme, I am featuring a novel I just found out I was one of 200 lucky winners on Goodreads to win a pre-release copy of Linda Francis Lee’s latest novel, Emily and Einstein. Linda Francis Lee is probably most well known for her 2006 novel, The Devil in the Junior League, but she has published 20 books in total with editions around the world.

I can’t tell you how excited I was to wake up this morning to an email saying that I had won a copy of this book. In fact, just last night I was thinking about all the books to come in 2011 and what I might put at the top of my wish list – and here it is! What are you Waiting on this Wednesday?!?

Emily and Einstein by Linda Francis Lee

He was a man who didn’t deserve a second chance. But he needed one…

Emily and her husband Sandy Portman seemed to live a gracious if busy life in an old-world, Upper West Side apartment in the famous Dakota building. But one night on the way to meet Emily, Sandy dies in a tragic accident. The funeral isn't even over before Emily learns she is on the verge of being evicted from their apartment. But worse than the possibility of losing her home, Emily is stunned when she discovers that her marriage was made up of lies.

Suddenly Emily is forced on a journey to find out who her husband really was . . . all the while feeling that somehow he isn't really gone. Angry, hurt, and sometimes betrayed by loving memories of the man she lost, Emily finds comfort in a scruffy dog named Einstein. But is Einstein's seemingly odd determination that she save herself enough to make Emily confront her own past? Can he help her find a future—even after she meets a new man?

The above synopsis was found on Goodreads via the Hardcover edition.

Emily and Einstein by Linda Francis Lee will be released March 1, 2011

If you visit her web site, you can read an excerpt from the Prologue of Emily and Einstein or check out all the info on her previous novels, appearances, her blog and more!

Waiting on Wednesday: Skipping A Beat by Sarah Pekkanen

"Waiting On Wednesday"(WOW) is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking The Spine spotlights upcoming releases eagerly anticipated. This is my first week joining the 100 plus book bloggers who participate in the weekly meme and I am very excited to be a part of it. I hope to hear from you and your own WOW so that I can add some more books to my TBR shelf

For my first week participating in this meme, I am featuring a novel I truly cannot wait for: Sarah Pekkanen’s Skipping a Beat which will be out for release on Tuesday, February 22^nd. Belated Valentine’s Day gift, anyone?? ! I just finished reading her debut novel, The Opposite of Me, and I can easily and assuredly say that she has quickly risen to the top of my favorite authors list. If you read chick lit or women’s fiction, Sarah Pekkanen is a very talented author you won’t wan to miss. Her characters, stories and writing are so involved and intricate that I found myself having to be reminded that I was reading fiction. When I can’t put a book down or am constantly thinking about the next few minutes I can steal away to read a book, I know I’m hooked!

Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen

What would you do if your husband suddenly wanted to rewrite the rules of your relationship?

Julia and Michael meet in high school in their small, poverty-stricken West Virginia hometown. Both products of
difficult childhoods -- Julia’s father is a compulsive gambler and Michael’s mother abandoned his family when he was
a young boy – they find a sense of safety and mutual understanding in each other. Shortly after graduation they flee West Virginia to start afresh. Now thirty-somethings, they are living a rarified life in their multi-million-dollar, Washington D.C. home. From the outside it all looks perfect – Julia has become a highly sought-after party planner, while Michael has launched a wildly successful flavored water company that he sold for $70 million.
But one day Michael stands up at the head of the table in his company's boardroom -- then silently crashes to the floor. More than four minutes later, a portable defibrillator manages to jump-start his heart. Yet what happened to Michael during those lost minutes forever changes him. Money is meaningless to him now - and he wants to give it all away to charity. A prenuptial agreement that Julia insisted upon back when Michael's company was still struggling means she
has no claim to his fortune, and now she must decide: should she walk away from the man she once adored, but who
truthfully became a stranger to her long before his near-death experience - or should she give in to her husband's pleas for a second chance and a promise of a poorer but happier life?

The above synopsis was found on Goodreads via the Paperback edition.*

Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen will be released February 22, 2011

Visit her web site for more information on Sarah Pekkanen or any of her books.

*There is a giveaway for 5 copies of Skipping A Beat by Sarah Pekkanen being offered by Simon and Schuster on Goodreads through February 18, 2011. I just entered. Check it out!