You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me, by Sarra Manning

Format: Kindle Edition, 560 pages

Published: February 3, 2011

Publisher: Corgi

Back cover blurb:

Sweet, bookish Neve Slater always plays by the rules. And the number one rule is that good-natured fat girls like her don’t get guys like gorgeous, handsome William, heir to Neve’s heart since university. But William’s been in LA for three years, and Neve’s been slimming down and re-inventing herself so that when he returns, he’ll fall head over heels in love with the new, improved her.

So she’s not that interested in other men. Until her sister Celia points out that if Neve wants William to think she’s an experienced love-goddess and not the fumbling, awkward girl he left behind, then she’d better get some, well, experience.

What Neve needs is someone to show her the ropes, someone like Celia’s colleague Max. Wicked, shallow, sexy Max. And since he’s such a man-slut, and so not Neve’s type, she certainly won’t fall for him. Because William is the man for her… right?

Somewhere between losing weight and losing her inhibitions, Neve’s lost her heart – but to who?

My review:

I loved this and almost gave it five cupcakes, but the period in the book from where William phones to when Neve confronts Charlotte dragged a bit for me, so I felt I had to take half a cake off.

Honestly, though, I was surprised how much I did enjoy this story, and really couldn’t put it down. Neve is a believable character: a woman who has lost a lot of weight but who still sees herself as flabby and undesirable. On her sister’s suggestion, she embarks on a “pancake relationship” with Max – you know, you throw away the first pancake in the batch because it’s never perfect – so she can be ready and experienced when her “true love” William returns from California.

The plotline is contrived and cliched, in that it’s clear from the start there will be more to Max and Neve’s relationship than just fake affection and at some point there will be huge conflict, but I didn’t mind because Max is so damn yummy. The things he says… *sigh* He made me laugh out loud and go tingly all at the same time, and that is the kind of man you want to hold onto. Neve thinks he’s a cad when she first meets him, but in the end it is clear the cad in this story is not him. Far from it.

Hilarious and sexy, I’d recommend this book for Max alone!

My rating: 4.5/5

RSVP, by Helen Warner

Format: Kindle edition, 392 pages

Published: March 1, 2011

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Back cover blurb:

Four women, one wedding and a day to remember – or rather forget …

Anna’s world is rocked when she receives an invitation to her ex Toby’s nuptials – Toby was The One, The Love of Her Life, The One That Got Away. Will attending his Big Day finally give her the sense of closure she so desperately craves? Or will it only re-open old wounds? Clare is Anna’s best friend, the person who was there for her when she and Toby split all those years ago. But little does Clare know that Toby’s wedding day will also change her own life for ever. Ella is a classic femme fatale. She loves men and leaves them without a backward glance. But the one person who’s never fallen for her charms is Toby. As he prepares to get hitched, is it too late for a last-ditch attempt to win his heart? Finally, Rachel is the blushing bride-to-be. This should be the happiest day of her life. So how come she feels nothing but a terrible sense of foreboding?

My review:

This started out great, but by the end I was so annoyed with the main characters, Toby and Anna, that my enjoyment of this book had gone way down. All the characters – but these two in particular – whined, moaned and were so self-absorbed in the second half of this book it’s a wonder any of them found any happiness. Toby was one of the weakest male leads I have ever read, just doing whatever the woman in his life told him to do. I know a few men like that, which I guess made him realistic, but I prefer my fictional leading men to be alphas rather than omegas.

The ending was extremely obvious – so much so I wanted to slap Anna for being so dense – but it came slightly too early for my liking because we never found out what happened with Clare or Ella. I can only assume their endings were happy, but again I’m not sure if they deserved them after the way they behaved.

The first half of the book was excellent, though, and I enjoyed the interwoven points of view as the story was told in flashbacks. It’s just a shame all the momentum was lost once the wedding day – from which the title comes – finally arrived.

My rating: 3/5

Confessions of a Karaoke Queen, by Ella Kingsley

Format: Kindle edition, 400 pages

Published: December 8, 2011

Publisher: Sphere

Back cover blurb:

Maddie Mulhern is suddenly in charge. Her parents – former 80s pop duo Pineapple Mist – have left for the summer on a nostalgia tour, entrusting her to manage their struggling karaoke bar, Sing It Back. Panicking over the dodgy finances, Maddie takes a gamble: she signs up for a fly-on-the-wall reality TV series. With her faithful staff (divalicious drag queen Ruby, shy barman Simon and wannabe actress Jasmine) she’ll transform the bar into a huge success. Simple. Right? Executive Producer Evan Bergman knows that scandal sells. It’s no coincidence that he hires cool, attractive Nick Craven as director. Evan wants drama on screen – and he’ll do anything to get it. As the series builds to a live finale, will Maddie see the truth in a Careless Whisper? Will Nick be able to keep his Poker Face? One thing’s for sure: we all do things at karaoke that we regret …

My review:

First of all, any book which mentions so many fabulous 80s bands cannot be all that bad. There were even ones I had forgotten all about, like Baltimora. So I was totally in my element reading about Maddie and her 80s one-hit-wonder parents, aka Pineapple Mist, who get invited on a reunion tour and leave her in charge of their failing karaoke bar. In order to pay the bills, Maddie allows a TV crew in to film a reality show, which turns out to be a series of manipulated events by the producer with a hidden agenda, Evan.

The plot was a bit predictable, but the characters were engaging and I enjoyed the story a lot. I could have done with more Nick – it was hard to gauge his intentions because he was hardly in it, but I guess that was intentional so we didn’t know too much how he was going to act at the end. I can totally see this as a film or TV movie because the scenes all played out so clearly in my head.

Having said I loved it, I’m not sure how this book would translate to someone not so versed in British or 80s culture. Kingsley uses a lot of Brit slang and cultural references which I suspect many on the other side of the Atlantic wouldn’t understand, and I can only assume she is about my age given her love of Prefab Sprout and OMD. I loved that aspect, though, as it set the story firmly in London and the present day. There were a few typos in my Kindle edition, but I forgave those because the whole thing made me laugh out loud so often. The cover is also very pretty.

My rating: 4/5

Attachments, by Rainbow Rowell

Format: Kindle Edition, 336 pages

Published: April 14, 2011

Publisher: Orion

Back cover blurb:

It’s 1999 and for the staff of one newspaper office, the internet is still a novelty. By day, two young women, Beth and Jennifer, spend their hours emailing each other, discussing in hilarious detail every aspect of their lives, from love troubles to family dramas. And by night, Lincoln, a shy, lonely IT guy spends his hours reading every exchange.

At first their emails offer a welcome diversion, but as Lincoln unwittingly becomes drawn into their lives, the more he reads, the more he finds himself falling for one of them. By the time Lincoln realizes just how head-over-heels he really is, it’s way too late to introduce himself. What would he say to her? ‘Hi, I’m the guy who reads your e-mail – and also, I think I love you’.

After a series of close encounters, Lincoln decides it’s time to muster the courage to follow his heart . . . and find out whether there really is such a thing as love before first-sight.

Heartwarming, witty and unforgettable, ATTACHMENTS is an irresistible romantic comedy that has it all.

My review:

Some of my favourite stories are those where people fall in love via letters, where their words mean everything and they gradually reveal their personalities and feelings without taking any notice of physical appearances. So when I saw the blurb for this book I knew it was for me, and add in the newsroom setting and I was hooked.

Firstly, I must say I have worked in newsrooms with plenty of skeevy IT guys before, so it sent a shudder down my spine to find out Lincoln’s job involved reading intraoffice e-mails. However, he turns out to be a lovely, geeky guy working lonely nightshifts who becomes somewhat addicted to the correspondence between movie reviewer Beth and copy editor Jennifer which gets flagged by the office software for containing inappropriate words. In fact they are just discussing their lives – their partners, Beth’s sister’s wedding, Jennifer’s suspected pregnancy – and Lincoln decides not to reprimand them. Instead he keeps reading, and over several months comes to fall in love with Beth. Without ever having seen her.

Meanwhile, she has seen him, although she doesn’t know his name or what he does at the newspaper. When she tells Jennifer about the cute guy, and Lincoln eventually realises she’s writing about him, he dares to hope… *sigh*

I loved the way Lincoln came out of his shell as the book progressed. He made friends on nightshift, joined a gym, and all the while I was rooting for him to pluck up the courage to talk to Beth. There is tragedy, many laugh-out-loud moments, lots of pop culture references, and journalism in-jokes. Rowell is a reporter, so she gets all the newsroom eccentricities spot on and I recognised many of the colourful secondary characters from my own experiences. I also laughed out loud reminiscing at the Y2K subplot; like many I know, the newspaper was reluctant to change to computers and allegedly only got rid of its electric typewriters in 1992. At the newsroom I worked in in 1992, we only just got electric typewriters that year!

I loved this book. It’s so me I wish I had written it.

My rating: 5/5

Undead and Unreturnable, by MaryJanice Davidson

Format: Hardcover, 272 pages

Published: November 1, 2005

Publisher: Berkley Sensation

Back cover blurb:

Though she’s the vampire queen, Betsy Taylor is much more like a princess. In MaryJanice Davidson’s novels, this high-maintenance monarch is finally coming to terms with her new status.

They say Christmas is a time for friends and family. But with a half-sister who’s the devil’s daughter, an evil stepmother, a fiend living in her basement, assorted spirits and killers running amok, and a spring wedding to plan with the former bane of her existence, Eric Sinclair, Betsy is not sure she’ll survive the holidays.

Oh, right. She’s already dead…

My review:

As much as I love Sinclair, I think this was my least favourite of the series so far. The plot was thin, the denouement too quick, and the new ghost character really annoying. There weren’t enough shoes and there certainly wasn’t enough Sinclair. At 250 words it was a very quick read, though, and this won’t stop me from reading the rest of the series. But, honestly, more Sinclair, please!

My rating: 3/5

Undead and Unappreciated, by MaryJanice Davidson

Format: Paperback, 304 pages

Published: December 6, 2005

Publisher: Berkley

Back cover blurb:

Reluctant vampire queen Betsy Taylor may rule the topsy-turvy world of the undead, but now Betsy’s discovered that she has a long-lost half-sister who’s the devil’s daughter–and destined to rule the underworld.

My review:

Still lovin’ Sinclair… *sigh* He may, as Jessica so nicely put it “have pussy thrown at him from cars”, but his heart belongs to Betsy, and in this third book in the series they finally come to the mutual realisation they love each other. Before that, though, Betsy goes evil for a bit and discovers she has a long-lost half-sister who is the Devil’s daughter. As you do. 

The introduction of Laura, the thoroughly nice spawn of Satan, is a welcome twist to the series, and I’m sure as I read on she will become a key player. Also welcome back in this book was Detective Nick – I missed him in the last book.

I really enjoy the author’s references to pop culture, especially Betsy’s take on the Seinfeld Soup Nazi “No Book for you!” However, sometimes the editing is a bit lax and continuity is lost, for example Ant said she woke up on August 6, 1986 to find she had had Laura, but then Betsy says Laura’s birthday is June 6 – eh? Overall, though, this is another great effort from Ms Davidson. These are quick reads that I just can’t put down. Thankfully there are more in the series to keep me going.

My rating: 4/5

Undead and Unemployed, by MaryJanice Davidson

Format: Paperback, 230 pages

Published: February 28, 2006 (first published August 3, 2004)

Publisher: Piatkus Books

Back cover blurb:

Being royally undead isn’t all it’s cracked up to be—there are still bills to be paid. Luckily, new Queen of the Vampires Betsy Taylor lands her dream job selling designer shoes at Macy’s.

But when a string of vampire murders hits St. Paul, Betsy must enlist the help of the one vamp who makes her blood boil: the oh-so-sexy Sinclair. Now, she’s really treading on dangerous ground—high heels and all.

My review:

Have I mentioned before how much I love Sinclair? He gets even more swoonworthy in this second book about Elizabeth “Betsy” Taylor, the unlikely vampire queen. In this installment we discover Sinclair likes strawberries, but doesn’t much like the idea of his queen working nights in the shoe department at Macy’s. Even if there are new Pradas out.

There’s a plot involving a serial killer targetting vampires, but frankly I figured out who the killer was as soon as their name was first mentioned. Still, the addition of an elderly priest and his band of vamp-killing streetkids was a hoot.

But back to Sinclair. Unf. I love how he’s not the typical alpha male with all the answers – he gets surprised along with everyone else when Betsy discovers a new power. Of course, he’s quick with a sexy smirk and we can see in this book he really has fallen for her.

My favourite quote: “I controlled a shiver. No one said my name like he did… He said my name the way diabetics talk about hot fudge sundaes.” (OK, well it’s my fave quote behind “I could practically feel him at the back of my throat; he was really hung and that was just fine.”)

I love Davidson’s author’s notes too. Hil. Ar. I. Ous. Any editor who shouts “More Sinclair!” at her is worthy of thanks in my book, too.

My rating: 4/5

Undead and Unwed, by MaryJanice Davidson

Format: Paperback, 288 pages

Published: February 2, 2006 (first published March 2, 2004)

Publisher: Piatkus Books

Back cover blurb:

After being killed in a car accident, fashion savvy Betsy Taylor becomes one of the undead and, with the help of her newfound friends, the lure of designer shoes, and a sexy vampire, must destroy a dark enemy and fulfill her destiny as the prophesied vampire queen.

My review:

Absolutely hilarious! Betsy (real name Elizabeth Taylor – yes, she knows!) gets hit by a car and wakes up undead. Now a vampire, she finds herself unnaturally attractive to men and dogs, and discovers the local vampire boss Nostro (or as she calls him, Nostril) wants her dead once and for all. With the help of her sassy best friend, a suicidal pediatrician, and hunky vampire Eric Sinclair – it appears all hot vamps must be called Eric these days – and his minions, Betsy finds out she is the vampire queen the legends have foretold. But she needs a few new pairs of Manolos to be convinced…

The back cover described this book as what would happen if Carrie from Sex and the City became a vampire. In my opinion Betsy is too snarky to be Carrie; more like Samantha but without the sex life. She has some great one-liners and her interactions with Sinclair are full of sexy fun. The bit with the handkerchief had me laughing out loud!

This is a great read and I will definitely be checking out the rest of the series.

My rating: 4.5/5. I’m taking half a star off purely for the occasional typos in the paperback edition I read and for the line “I felt like Princess Diana at her coronation” – WTF? Did I miss that?

2011 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge Update: This is the 24th book I have read this year so far, meaning I have already outdone myself in 2011. Woo hoo! Now to keep going and see how many more I can manage