Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Self Helpless

Title:                    Self Helpless
Author:                Rachel Hall
Publisher:            Peninsula Psychology Publishing
Market:                Chick-lit
Genre:                  Fiction (humor and romance)
Series:                 ---
Length:                318 pages
Pub. Date:           March 12, 2014

Description (from Amazon):
Jenny Peterson is a single, self-help junkie looking for her soul mate. But despite being an expert in self-improvement, her life still seems to be stuck in a rut. Her designer clothing rental business, even with its well-heeled Orange County clientele, is mysteriously losing money. And although it goes against every fiber in her moral makeup, the one guy she pines for happens to be her best friend’s husband. But are her fortunes about to change? A super-cute mystery guy has just recommended a new self-help book, and from the moment she opens the pages of A Better Life, her world is turned upside down in ways that not even Dr. Phil could have predicted.

My Review:
This is the first book I’ve ready by Rachel Hall.  Part of what attracted me to the book was that Jenny is a fashionista and funny, and it reminded me of the Finley Anderson Tanner mysteries by Rhonda Pollero (Sadly, she no longer writes books).  It was definitely worth my time to read this book.

Yes, Jenny is great with fashion, and she’s funny.  We read her sarcastic thought that are left unsaid.  Jenny is an imperfect main character.  Being a little overweight and having some acne in an appearance dominated profession are two obstacles in her life.  I enjoyed her character.  However, there is one event in the book that I really wish wouldn’t have happened.  Jenny, what were you thinking?!

Hall has done a great job writing this book.  I loved Jenny’s character right away, and I wanted to find out how her obsession with Marc ended up and if anything was going to happen with Brice.  Reading this is like listening to your own internal monologue at times.  It helps you connect to Jenny and understand her better.    She’s an underdog that I cared about and rooted for throughout the book.  There are a couple of things that happen in the book that are surprising, and one of those is a bit shocking, too.  I didn’t see it coming.

The book that Jenny buys helps her to grow and mature throughout the story.  Again, she is an imperfect character, and she doesn’t always do the right thing.  Isn’t that true with all of us though?  Everyone makes poor choices from time to time, but fortunately for Jenny, there are people in her life who are willing to give her a second change.  She has people to pick her up when she has fallen.

I would recommend this book to anyone over age 18 who likes chick-lit, humorous stories about fashionistas, and female underdogs who enjoy self-help books to help them succeed in the romance department.

Thanks to Goodreads First Reads and Rachel Hall for providing a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Honest and for True

Title:                   Honest and for True
Author:               Jane Lebak
Publisher:           Philangelus Press
Market:               Women’s Fiction
Genre:                 Romance
Series:                 Adventures of Lee and Bucky (Book 1)
Length:               312 pages
Pub. Date:           May 5, 2015

Description (from Amazon):
29-year-old Lee has a Park Slope apartment with easy access to Manhattan, loves her job as an auto mechanic, and can see her guardian angel (a wisecracker with a fascination for the Rumours album.) That's kind of a full life for a kid in the world's biggest playground. Despite what everyone thinks, she doesn't need, or want, a romantic relationship.

Far more comfortable in blue jeans and flannel than in heels and satin, Lee finds herself lying to every man she dates. To the physical trainer, she's a preschool teacher; to the guy at the bowling alley, she's a secretary. The lies keep romance at arm's length even as they drive the angel to distraction until the day she realizes she's fallen for a straight-laced accountant who's exploring his dark side through bizarre foods (please note: sea cucumber is not a vegetable). But now he thinks she's someone she's not.

Now she's got to turn those mechanic skills on herself to diagnose and repair the most important relationships in her life. And just think, she used to find it tough repairing a transmission!

Long-time comedy writer and novelist Jane Lebak serves up a hilarious comedy with angels and spare tires and a recipe for the best omelets you've ever tasted. Also what may be the most romantic toilet-fixing scene in the English language. But there really isn't an award for that, so we’ll never know.

My Review:
This is the first book I’ve read by Jane Lebak, but it won’t be the last.  What drew me to the book was the cover (Yes, I do judge books by their covers.) and the element of humor.  I was in the mood for something funny, and this book delivered.

I really liked Lee’s carefree and spunky personality.  Over the course of the book, I really felt like I knew her because the book is so well written.  It’s not just Lee that the reader gets to know.  We have pretty good insight to Beth, Avery, and Hal as well.  There were parts of the book that had me chuckling and parts that had me in tears. 

I’ve never read a book with a character like Bucky.  Reading about angels really made me stop and think about guardian angels.  The only problem I would have with being able to speak with our guardian angels is that we probably wouldn’t have a close relationship with God.   Bucky was a cool part of Lee’s life, and it seemed like it could be real, too.  It wasn’t written like a far-out fantasy novel.  Reading about Bucky was biblical without being religious, dogmatic, or pushy.  Instead, it was thought-provoking, inventive and fresh.

There is some conflict between Lee and other characters.  With the variety of conflicts, we see other sides of Lee, and I wanted to know what happened next with each of the relationships.  The book was pretty fast paced, and I didn’t want to put it down.  Yes, I lost sleep reading this book.

Anyone who likes angels, non-traditional female characters, and humor mixed with serious issues will enjoy this book.  It’s not a comedy, but the characters are funny at times.  There is one four lettered f-word (Hint:  The word is not “free.”) that might offend some readers, but it’s only once, and it’s toward the end.  Other than that, this book is appropriate for conservative readers.

Thanks to Jane Lebak, Goodreads First Reads, and Philangelus Press  for providing a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Pros:      Funny, thought-provoking, and fun

Cons:     One four lettered word

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars