Review: Double Click

A couple of years ago I decided to read Click: An Online Love Story by Lisa Becker because of all the good reviews I had read through a CLP Blog Tour. I didn't love it as much as I had hoped (my full review is here) but when Lisa asked if I would read the sequel, Double Click, I was excited because I wanted to find out what happened to the characters. I kept putting it off but I finally read it in one sitting the other day. It was so much fun and I enjoyed it much more than the first book.

Here's the synopsis:

Fans of the romantic hit Click: An Online Love Story will enjoy another voyeuristic dive into the lives of Renee, Shelley, Ashley, Mark and Ethan, as Double Click picks up with their lives six months later. Are Renee and Ethan soul mates? Does Mark ever go on a date? Has Shelley run out of sexual conquests in Los Angeles? Will Ashley's judgmental nature sabotage her budding relationship? Through a marriage proposal, wedding, new baby and unexpected love twist, Double Click answers these questions and more. Readers will continue to cheer, laugh, cry and cringe following the email exploits of Renee and friends.

I think because I had already spent some time with all the characters in the first book, I had a better idea of what they were like and felt more invested in their lives. I admit that I couldn't really remember what had happened at the end of Click, since I had read it in August 2011. I went back and read the last chapter of the book so I could be reminded of who was with who and where they were at in their lives. Once I got back into the story I remembered that the characters had a lot of fun together and were all really great friends.

Speaking of the friends, I'm glad there wasn't a lot of drama between them (even if Ashley and Shelley don't really get along...think Samantha and Charlotte from SATC). In fact...now that I think about, not a whole lot happened in the novel...maybe that's why it was such a fast read. There were some typical relationship issues, some pregnancy emotional issues, and some secrets but nothing major. The friends were all there for each other, which I loved. Other than the whole no one really liked Mark's new girlfriend thing. Cassidy, said girlfriend, really just seemed to be involved to give Mark someone to be with and provide some humour.

One of the things that had annoyed me about the first book was Shelley's crazy promiscuity. She was always talking about her conquests and it got sort of tiring after awhile. In the sequel, Shelley seemed to calm down a bit. I started to wonder if something was up with her and my hunch ended up being correct! I loved where her story went in the sequel, even if it was a little sad for the girls. (Nothing serious, I promise!)

I really hope Lisa Becker decides to write a third book in the series because I really want to know what happens with the characters after Double Click ended! Every character seems to have their life in order but I'd like to see how things play out for them. I can't say much because I don't want to give things away so I'll just simply say I want another book :) This novel was a fast read but a really enjoyable one. I loved spending time with Renee and her friends and I think other readers would, too.

Happy reading :)

*A copy of this novel was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.*

Just Finished: "Breaking Even"

Breaking Even by Kathleen Kole was a book I heard about through a Chick Lit Plus organized blog tour. Since I missed out on both those tours, I decided to take matters into my own hands and bought it for my Kobo so I could read it too! (This isn't the first book that I've read because of a tour CLP organized. This was also why I decided to give Click: An Online Love Story a shot. You can read my review of that novel here.) I'm glad I decided to get this book because I really enjoyed it.

Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

Meet Penelope Whittaker. A sensible, do things the right way, soon-to-be-married accountant. Penelope is engaged to the wonderful, kind and caring Ben Miller ... a man she has known forever. Enter Single Dad. While on a school run, Penelope accidentally locks her keys in her car. A seemingly boring event, until she is offered aid by a very handsome (hubba, hubba) and personable Single Dad. Shaken by the encounter, or, more to the point, shaken by her reaction to the encounter, Penelope tries to put it where it belongs: on a shelf marked "Chance Encounters". Life has different plans.

This was one of those books that had me laughing out loud in some parts and cringing in others. I particularly enjoyed the scene where Cameron (Penny's young nephew) meets Scott (aka Single Dad). Cameron was so incredibly protective and made it clear to Scott that Auntie Pen was with Uncle Ben. Absolutely adorable. I was reading this part at the gym while working out and I'm sure people were looking at me strangely as I giggled at the imagery of a young boy giving a grown man the evil eye.

As for cringing...there were times when I wanted to smack Pen upside the head for being so silly and not listening to her friends. There's a reason the two women, Kris and Renee, were her closest friends - and not just because they're going to be her sisters-in-law. They know Penelope and Ben and can see the potential problems that will come from talking to Single Dad. Unfortunately, Penny can't see these problems and ignores their warnings. She also chooses to bottle up her issues instead of discussing them with Ben. The poor guy is left worrying about what he's done and what's going on with his fiance.

Even though Penelope is toying with the idea of starting an affair with Single Dad (whether she realizes it consciously or not), it is easy to relate to her and understand what she's going through. I found myself rooting for her and Ben and hoping that Kole would give me the ending I really wanted. (And no, I'm not going to tell you what the ending was. Read it yourself to find out!) Her friends are a fantastic support system and a good model for what marriage is really like (I'm assuming as I'm nowhere near marriage myself). I liked that Kris and Renee had their own lives and their stories were woven into Penny's while not overtaking the main plot.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and think many others would too. It's a fun read with great characters. For Kindle readers, you can buy the book here, Kobo users check out the book here, and for all the non-ereader readers a paperback can be purchased too. I think it's worth a buy and when you're done reading Breaking Even you should make sure to check out her Kole's next novel Dollars to Donuts. I'm looking forward to reading it myself!

Happy reading :)

August Chick Lit Review #2: Click: An Online Love Story

Welcome to my second review for the challenge hosted by Chick Lit Plus! I decided to tackle two debut novels this month. The first was Confessions of a Call Center Gal (read my review here) and the second is the focus of this review - Click: An Online Love Story by Lisa Becker.

I wanted to read this novel because Chick Lit Plus hosted a blog tour back in July and I thought it looked like fun. (If you're interested in what others had to say about this novel, read on here) Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

Fast approaching her 30th birthday and finding herself not married, not dating, and without even a prospect or a house full of cats, Renee Greene, the heroine of Click: An Online Love Story, reluctantly joins her best guy pal on a journey to find love online in Los Angeles. The story unfolds through a series of emails between Renee and her best friends (anal-compulsive Mark, the overly-judgmental Ashley and the over-sexed Shelley) as well as the gentlemen suitors she meets online. From the guy who starts every story with "My buddies and I were out drinking one night," to the egotistical "B" celebrity looking for someone to stroke his ego, Renee endures her share of hilarious and heinous cyber dates. Fraught with BCC's, FWD's and inadvertent Reply to All's, readers will root for Renee to "click" with the right man.

Overall, I thought this book was fun and the story was entertaining. What was interesting about this novel was that it was written entirely in emails. I liked the idea but it didn't quite work for me. I didn't feel like I really got a great feeling for Renee, the main character, let alone any of the secondary characters. Lisa did a good job of putting explanations for what happened in the emails between Renee, Shelley, Ashley, Mark, and the various men Renee meets online. That being said, it seemed like this format worked really well for events and plot but the emotional part of the story, the part that really makes you connect with the characters, didn't quite work through emails.

The only other thing I didn't like about this book was how totally "over-sexed" Shelley is. Most people are aware of Samantha in Sex and the City and how promiscuous she is. Shelley was just the same way. I have no issue with her sleeping around and finding a new man every weekend, but what bothered me was that every single conquest was given a nickname - The Cuddler, the Tongue, Mocha Man, etc. It was funny to start but once I got really into the novel I just kind of got tired of it. Part of that may be because I felt it took away from the main point of the novel which was Renee trying to find a man through online dating.

All that being said...I really liked the whole premise of the novel. The novel begins right after New Year's and an email from Mark where he tells Renee that he wants to try online dating but wants some moral support. Renee is going to be turning thirty this year so she thinks, why not? I liked that she met all kinds of guys on the site and seemed to get emails from every single type of guy. I could really feel her frustration at some points and could understand when she wanted to just throw in the towel. The dates were amusing to read about. This is one time that the email format of the book worked. I felt like I was another one of Renee's friends and she was filling me in on another of her dates from hell.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. It was a really fast and fun read. I would recommend it to any chick lit fans but would make sure they knew it was not a conventional novel. The email format may not be for everyone. I think you'll laugh out loud at quite a few parts and cringe right along with Renee.