Twenties Girl
By Sophie Kinsella

When the spirit of Lara’s great-aunt Sadie–a feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love, and the right way to dance–mysteriously appears, she has one last request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadie’s possession for more than seventy-five years, and Sadie cannot rest without it. Lara, on the other hand, has a number of ongoing distractions. Her best friend and business partner has run off to Goa, her start-up company is floundering, and she’s just been dumped by the “perfect” man.

Sadie, however, could care less.

Lara and Sadie make a hilarious sparring duo, and at first it seems as though they have nothing in common. But as the mission to find Sadie’s necklace leads to intrigue and a new romance for Lara, these very different “twenties” girls learn some surprising truths from each other along the way. (Product Description)

First solid novel since her debut. I really enjoyed this one. The plot was well paced, the characters complimented each other perfectly and the descriptions took the reader right into the book. Unlike her usual contemporary chick lit novels, Kinsella tries her hand in writing a ghost story. Trust me it works without being too over the top, endearing really. As with her other novels, you can't help but love the main character Laura's good natured sincerity and who can forget zany Aunt Sadie's eccentric antics? Light, uplifting, humorous, with a little bit of mystery and lot of character, this book has something for all chick lit fans out there.

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Die For Me
By Karen Rose

The first victim is found in a snow-covered Philadelphia field. Detective Vito Ciccotelli enlists the aid of archaeologist Sophie Johannsen to determine exactly what lies beneath the frozen ground. Despite years of unearthing things long buried, nothing can prepare Sophie for the matrix of graves dug with chilling precision. The victims buried there haunt her. But the empty graves terrify her-the killer isn't done yet.

He is cold and calculating, the master of a twisted game. Even with Vito and Sophie hot on his trail, he will not stop. One more empty grave must be filled, and one last scream must be heard-the scream of an archaeologist who is too close for comfort and too near to resist... (Book Description)

My Review: This fast paced, often gory thriller/murder mystery certainly kept my attention through until the end. What I particularly enjoyed about this novel was the depth of character development, especially when it came to the antagonist… and what an antagonist he was! The reader really gets a glimpse into the mind and motivations of this perverse killer without revealing too much information or his real identity.

As with many tales of “romantic suspense,” the relationship aspect between the two main characters somewhat slowed the pacing for me at parts, but the unpredictable twists and turns well made up for this shortcoming. But if you are one those who love the romance angle as much as you enjoy the suspense, this is the perfect fit. It is also more than 600 pages so be prepared to commit the time, because once you get started, it will be hard to put down.

Another thing to be aware of is that this novel is the first of a trilogy. You don't have to read them in order to know what is going on but here is the list:

Die For Me (2007)
Scream for me (2008)
Kill for me (2009)--this just arrived

Just a warning, this book does contain graphic scenes of torture and is not recommended for the faint at heart.

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Confessions of a Shopaholic
By Sophie Kinsella

Recent graduate and financial writer, Rebecca Bloomwood, is up to her head in debt. When her imaginative excuses run out, and she can no longer ignore the grim letters regarding the state of her account, Becky decides she must take action in order to secure her financial future.

A damsel in a commercialized distress, a wealthy, good-looking prince charming, and a happily ever after: this book is a fairy tale for adults. Confessions of a Shopaholic sums up all of the lame excuses we use to justify the purchases we really don’t need. If you’re looking for something shallow, humorous, and really light, this would be the book to wile away the hours.

Confessions of a Shopaholic the movie is currently playing in the theaters starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy.

I had the opportunity to watch the movie over the weekend and it is definitely a feel-good "chick flic" perfect for a girls night out. The passion Rebecca Bloomwood expresses when she is describing the thrill of shopping truly just captures that magical moment of purchase! For all of you closet shoppers, watch and rejoice.

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The Time Traveler’s Wife
By Audrey Niffenegger

When Henry meets Clare, he is 28 and she is 20. Henry has never met Clare before; Clare has known Henry since she was 6. Impossible but true, because Henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. Henry and Clare’s attempts to live normal lives are threatened by a force they can neither prevent nor control, making their passionate love story intensely moving and entirely unforgettable. The Time Traveler’s Wife is a story of fate, hope and belief, and more than that, it’s about the power of love to endure beyond the bounds of time. (Book Description)

My Review: All I can say is wow! that was probably the most original novel I have ever read. I thoroughly enjoyed The Time Traveler’s Wife but I found it to be really sad in a there's-no-such-thing-as-a-happy-ending sort of way, especially when the love story started out so beautifully. To be fair, I think the novel can be split into two parts: the fairy tale beginning when everything in a relationship is fresh and new and perfect (which I savored); then reality sets in during the second part of the novel when the trials and tribulations of time travel, maturity and life become evident (which harshly threw me into the real world but was enjoyable nonetheless). Niffenegger writes with such originality and vividness, it’s hard to put this one down.

The Time Traveler's Wife is currently being made into a motion picture. Eric Bana will be starring as Henry and Canada's very own Rachel McAdams will be taking on the role of Clare Abshire. So far the release date is unknown.

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Wrong Place Wrong Time
By Andrea Kane

After overhearing a heated conversation in the barn, preschool teacher Sally Montgomery is forced into hiding when a weekend getaway ends in bloodshed. Suspected of murder, she turns to Pete Montgomery, her ex-husband and former police officer turned private detective, and daughter, Devon, to clear her name. Family secrets, lies and scandals are uncovered as the slowly truth emerges.

This was the first book I read by this author and I quite enjoyed the novel. I guess you could say that I am a sucker for dramatic family sagas, and this would definitely qualify as one of those. Everyone in the family had something to hide so it’s difficult for the reader to gage if it’s petty embezzlement or something more sinister. It was a fun, unpredictable, whodunit novel of romantic suspense.

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Remember Me?
Sophie Kinsella

Ever wish that you could wake up one morning to find that you’re in the best shape of your life, married to the man of your dreams and suddenly a richer than you could possibly imagine? After receiving a bump on her head from a car accident, Lexi Smart wakes up to a brand new life that she can’t even remember. Suffering from retrograde amnesia, our heroine can only remember her life up to 2004 when she was slightly overweight, in a dead-end relationship, and trapped in an unfulfilling job. Well, things have drastically changed. But as she begins to piece her seemingly perfect life together, Lexi quickly realizes things aren’t always as wonderful as they first appeared to be.

Although there were no dead bodies or cryptic messages to solve, I must admit, that once I got into the book, it wasn’t a bad read. It was the whole amnesia thing that initially intrigued me. And true to the chick lit genre, there’s always a sickly sweet happy ending. This is not a book I would pick up over and over again, but it was a good source of entertainment while it lasted.

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The Tenth Gift
By Jane Johnson

(Product Description modified and taken from Amazon)
In an expensive London restaurant, Julia Lovat receives a gift that will change her life. At first glance it is a book of exquisite seventeenth-century embroidery patterns belonging to a woman named Catherine Ann Tregenna. Yet in its margins are the faintest diary entries; they reveal that “Cat” and others were stolen from their Cornish church in 1625 by pirates and taken on a brutal voyage to Morocco to be auctioned off as slaves. Captivated by this dramatic discovery, Julia sets off to North Africa to determine the authenticity of the book and to uncover more of Cat’s mesmerizing story. There, in the company of a charismatic Moroccan guide, amid the sultry heat, the spice markets, and exotic ruins, Julia will discover buried secrets. And in Morocco—just as Cat did before her—she will lose her heart…

A literary mystery, historical adventure, and dual love story, The Tenth Gift literally crosses genres with narrative ease and prose that is as captivating as the characters who people this unforgettable tale.

My Review: What an intriguing story. I found myself completely enthralled by Cat Tregenna’s tale and just like the contemporary heroine, I too, was dying to know the fate of the kidnapped slave. The author’s description of the setting and the action took the reader into a completely different time period filled with pirates, renegades and damsels in distress. While I did sometimes find the change in the point of view a little distracting (especially when it switches right when Cat’s tale is getting interesting), overall, it was an enjoyable read.

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Behind Closed Doors
By Natalie R. Collins

For twenty years, childhood friends Jannie and Melissa have been inseparable, until one night, Jannie’s life changes forever. Several years later, Melissa goes missing just days after she entrusts a mysterious box in Jannie’s care. The secrets Jannie has kept for so long start to unveil as the police search for the missing Melissa. Jannie soon finds that the people she thought she knew, all have secrets of their own.

This book was originally recommended to me by an avid library user but what really caught my attention was the fact Allison Brennan had recommended it on the front cover (I had just discovered her). And while the book description suggests this title is a novel of mystery and suspense, it is really a romance with some suspenseful elements. The murder and missing person storyline was secondary to Jannie’s self-discovery. The culprit behind the crimes was obvious early on, and it wasn’t as fast-paced as I like my books to be. That being said, I think I will try at least one more of Collins’ novels.

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