The Honey Queen - Cathy Kelly

one sentence summary:
The town of Redstone has an eclectic cast of characters who interact with each other as only small town people can.

review:
This was a heartwarming read, full of people struggling with life that in the end find happiness. The writing is quick and the descriptions of setting are fantastic. The characters are all connected in unexpected ways and there is a personality for everyone to relate to included in the story. I enjoyed the read, it made me smile to myself a lot. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a light, happy read.

8/10

One Hundred Names - Cecelia Ahern

one sentence summary:
Kitty is a disgraced reporter and her mentor has just died leaving her the task of finishing one last story.

review:
This is a beautiful story, it is uplifting and enthusiastic about people. It strives to show that every person has good within them and everyone has a story worth listening to too! I found myself smiling with every turn of the page. The characters are all fantastic. I recommend everyone read this, it is good for your soul.

9/10

Sex, Lies and Online Dating - Rachel Gibson

one sentence summary
A romance author doing research for her upcoming novel sets up an internet date with an undercover cop looking for a serial killer... sparks fly

review
This was a cute read, the main characters were all likeable (if not totally believable) and the story kept a good pace so was easy to jump back into for short bouts (I read it on my lunch breaks). Apparently this is book 1 in  a series and it was well written enough that I will pick up the other books in the series and give them a go at some point. I recommend this for people looking for a romantic pick me up.

7/10

Ladies Night - Mary Kay Andrews

one sentence summary:
ordered to "Divorce Camp" by a corrupt judge unlikely friendships are struck.

review:
This was a great read, full of humour and intrigue. Andrews always writes with wit and keeps her story moving forward with just enough detail and great character development. The main character developed so much more than I expected in the story. The story was well worth reading, I hope that Andrews returns to these characters in forthcoming books. I recommend it to anyone looking for a happy story.

7/10

Blood Red - Heather Graham

one sentence summary
In New Orleans for a bridal shower get away three normal women find themselves wrapped up in the world of vampires.

review
Writing typical of Graham, with reliance on cliches and tropes but with enough character development to draw you in.  I would recommend this to anyone who likes trashy vampire romance, good reading for a distracted day.

7/10

First Grave on the Right - Darynda Jones

one sentence summary:
Charley is a sexy keep no prisoner grim reaper who in addition to helping the dead cross over helps her uncle, a police officer, solve crimes.

review:
This had a great premise but the writing was not so good. It relied on tropes and cliches to the point of a prime time television show. It would be ok for a day at the beach but there are thousands of better authors out there, some who even write for Harlequin. I will not be continuing to read this series, which is disappointing because of how intriguing the premise was. It did have its moments of great humour though, perhaps Jones should consider a career in stand up or television writing.

5/10

Baby Drive South - Stephanie Bond

one sentence summary:

The Armstrong brothers are rebuilding their tornado ravaged hometown and place and advertisement for women to move to the town, love is in the air. 

review:

full of quirky characters and miss-communications this novel is a perfect example of modern chick-lit. A quirky character falls for another quirky character, they meet and then hate each other and then reconcile and then hate each other again and then end with a happily ever after. The story is full of laugh out loud moments and is perfect for a day at the beach or a day on the train. Fluffy and light. 

7/10

Souvenir - Terese Foewler

one sentence summary:
A woman's life has become mundane but all of that is about to change.

review:
This is a truly heart wrenching story, it literally made tears run down my face more than once. The writing is beautiful and the characters are so well developed that the way the react to the situations they are put in are exactly the way we think they will (but might hope they wont). I highly recommend this to anyone who likes the Nicholas Sparks, Jodi Picoult, Kristin Hannah style of story telling.

9/10

The Stephanie Plum Series - Janet Evanovitch

one sentence summary:

Stephanie Plum is sort of incompetent and a bounty hunter, it is highly entertaining to read about her misadventures.

Review:

Evanovitch writes in a fast passed hard hitting style full of pun and innuendo. Her characters are unforgettable and the misadventures she comes up with are laugh out loud hilarious. They do get repetitive but these are not novels read for furthering the intellect  they are read with the knowledge that they are brain candy, real cotton candy reads. I recommend them to anyone who is looking for some no-brainer type reading. 

6/10

7/10

If you enjoy this series check out Stephanie Bond, Sue Grafton, and Lisa Lutz