Review: Who Needs Mistletoe?

Surprise! Laura Chapman has a new book! And it's her second of the year! AND it's a Christmas story! In case you couldn't tell by all the exclamation points, I'm pretty excited about this. You should be too because Who Needs Mistletoe? is a perfect holiday treat.

Here's the synopsis:

Charlie London has finally made it. She’s the lead singer of a rising-the-charts band. She’s casually dating Hollywood’s golden boy. And she has a publicist who works very hard to make sure everyone knows all of this. But when her band is bumped from a televised holiday concert—and her boyfriend is photographed canoodling with a co-star—just days before Christmas, Charlie’s perfectly crafted world is crumbling apart. She impulsively hops a flight to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, so she can bring her boyfriend in line and get her career back on track. Her plan seems to be working until a winter storm leaves her stranded en route.
Guitarist Flint Randal has been crazy about Charlie from the moment she walked in to audition for their band three years ago. Knowing her strict policy against dating a bandmate, he’s kept his feelings in check. Until now. When grounded planes send them on a cross-country road trip—alone—Flint sees his chance to finally prove that her one-and-only has been there all along.
As detours and disasters plague their journey, Charlie and Flint grow closer. Will the magic of the holiday season—and the promise of true love—bring them together at last? Or will the siren call of fame get in the way? 

If you're a lover of romance novels, particularly Christmas ones, chances are you've read some iteration of "boy and girl are heading somewhere for Christmas. boy and girl get stranded at airport. boy and girl decide to drive to destination. boy and girl encounter many obstacles along the way. boy and girl fall in love and live happily ever after." I sure have. The joy of Chapman and her writing is that even though the trope is common, the story is totally fresh. I liked that Charlie and Flint knew each other well and just needed that time together to get to know each other more without touring and the band getting in the way.

And, oh, as they get to know each other even more. The feels! Their relationship is almost picture perfect. The small snag being Charlie is technically dating someone else and has no idea Flint is in love with her. Being a romance, you know they'll figure out those snags and get together by the end. The journey getting there though? Oh, so great. Both literally and figuratively. They had so much fun on their road trip - I loved their undercover busking - and you could see their feelings growing. Deeper on Flint's account, and closer to the surface for Charlie.

Chapman manages to insert just enough Christmas magic in this story without it going overboard - or leaving the reader wishing for more. She also focuses on what's most important about the holiday. It's not the gifts and the shopping and the parties. It's the time you spend with the ones you love, whether that's friends, family, or bandmates you're secretly head over heels for. Family in particular plays a large part in this Christmas story and it warmed my heart.

I highly recommend snuggling in with Who Needs Mistletoe? this holiday season. Laura Chapman has written a novella that will pair perfectly with your fluffy blankets, fuzzy socks, hot tea (or spiked hot chocolate), and, if you're lucky like me, a fireplace. Chapman has written yet another winner (which is not at all surprising to me because I love everything she writes) and I hope you love it just as much as I did.

*An e-copy of this novella was provided by the author in exchange for a review as part of a release blitz. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Blog Tour: Counting on You

I will read anything Laura Chapman writes. And *checks Goodreads* so far I have read everything she's written. Her books are always fun, sweet, a little sexy, realistic, and so well-written. Counting on You (just released today!) was no exception and I just loved it.

Here's the synopsis:

Is love worth the risk?
Math teacher Haleigh Parde has no desire to change her single status until she receives an invitation to her high school reunion. With her ex spreading rumors she needs a date and fast. Desperate times call for desperate measures and Haleigh finds herself meeting a blind date at a neighborhood bar called Amarillo Sour . . .
After watching Haleigh crash and burn, app developer Ian Henning makes her a proposition. If she'll provide honest feedback on his new dating app, he'll guarantee her a date to knock the socks off her former classmates. Even better, he—and the other Amarillo Sour regulars—will help her navigate the rocky road of dating.
Through setups ranging from awkward to absurd, Haleigh discovers her matchmaker might just be better than the matches. And Ian wonders if she's the answer to everything he's worked for professionally. Or is she something much, much more . . . 

Counting on You is the first book in a new series by Chapman which is excellent because she's created a really fun world at Amarillo Sour (which, incidentally, sounds like a bar I would totally have a beer or three at). The next book will feature another character but Haleigh and Ian will make an appearance so I can find out what they're up to now.

One of my favourite things about Chapman's books is she always creates characters I could be friends with and their worlds could easily be mine. This means I'm that much more invested in those characters and their lives. I know we, as readers, should try to read outside our comfort zone every once and awhile - and I try to do that - but I just really enjoy stories where I can connect and/or identify with the characters. Haleigh, like all of us, has her struggles and getting to know her as the book goes on, and as Ian also gets to know her, was so  great. I think I fell a little bit in love with her too.

I read this book immediately after finishing The Kiss Quotient and I realized there were a lot of similarities. Not enough to be boring or be considered exact carbon copies of each other but the basic storyline had a lot of similarities: a woman who's not great at dating using a stranger to help her date. Stella (from The Kiss Quotient) has Aspberger's and Haleigh has anxiety problems which also parallels. This comparison is a good thing, trust me. If you loved The Kiss Quotient (like I and every other rom-com lover out there), you must pick up Counting on You.

Reading as Haleigh went on so many (terrible, failed) dates was hilariously cringe-worthy. She was determined though and I loved that about her. Ian, as you might expect, took his job as coach and protector pretty seriously and it was fun to read as they slowly started to realize the feelings they had for each other. I don't think I really loved how things eventually blew up between them - it felt a tad too forced and/or convenient - but it was a minor thing. I was rooting for them the whole way through the novel and was really hoping for a Happily Ever After.

I would keep writing about Counting on You but I'll either give something away or flail nonsensically. Laura Chapman continues to be one of my favourite writers and you should definitely give her books a shot if you haven't yet. I can't wait for the next book in the Amarillo Sour series!

For you lucky readers in the US, there's a Rafflecopter giveaway happening for the duration of the tour (until September 2). Sorry to my fellow Canadians :(

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Laura Chapman is the author of sweet and sexy romantic comedies. A born and raised Nebraska girl, she loves watching football, traveling, crafting, and baking. When she isn’t writing her next story, she is probably working at a museum by day and binge-watching Netflix with her cats Jane and Bingley at night. So, basically, she’s living large.

You can find and contact Laura Chapman here:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads * Amazon * Instagram * Newsletter

You can buy Counting on You here:
* Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Google Play * iTunes *

*An eARC of this novel was provided by the author and Lola's Blog Tours for the purposes of a blog tour in exchange for a review. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Top Ten Tuesday: All About Romance

Created by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created it because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature. (Side note: I only did one TTT in 2016! And it was over a year ago! Crazy.)

Happy Valentine's Day, bookworms! Are you doing anything special today? Nothing planned for me. We're not into celebrating Valentine's Day so it's just another Tuesday in our house. Even though I'm not part of a typically romantic couple, I adore romances. I will read pretty much any book that has any hint of a romance - chick lit, women's fiction, literary fiction, historical fiction, and, of course, romances. Gimme 'em all. I'm interpreting today's TTT of All About Romance Tropes/Types as a list of my favourite tropes. I've included an example for each so you get a better idea of what I mean by the trope. Links lead to Goodreads. I only came up with eight because, to be honest, it was getting late on Monday night and I needed to get to bed! What are some of your favourite romance tropes?

Small Town
This is, hands down, one of my favourite tropes. I don't really know why because I wanted to get out of my own small hometown so badly but I guess there's just something about stories in teeny little towns to tug at my heart.

Example: I love Nora Roberts' Inn Boonsboro series and thought The Perfect Hope was the perfect way to wrap up the series. Bonus: you can actually visit the Inn and bookstore. Nora and her husband own them!

Second Chance
I think I love these stories so much because, like most people, I always wonder about what could have happened if life had gone one way instead of another. (To be clear, these days I wonder about more career related things than relationships gone wrong!)

Example: Jennifer Weiner puts her own (fantastic) spin on the second chance romances in Who Do You Love.

Classic Example: Persuasion by Jane Austen. And there have been so many books written that pay homage to this wonderful story, too!

Christmas
I absolutely adore Christmas and one of my favourite things about the holiday is reading all of the romances that have anything to do with Christmas. It does get annoying when "Christmas" gets slapped on a story that barely has a whiff of peppermint or evergreen. But...when there is the holiday spirit and a sweet romance? Oh, I'm a happy girl.

Example: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is, well, simply wonderful. It has the Christmas spirit and it's by one of my favourite author/blogger/people, Marie Landry. Bonus: It also takes place in a small town and is a second chance romance.

Summer Vacation
This trope is only really applicable to YA novels. I think I have a fondness for them because I had quite a few summer romances in high school. There's just something magical about those few months off school when the weather is beautiful and you don't have a care in the world.

Example: Sarah Dessen wins all of the summer vacation stories. Yes, there are other, amazing authors, like Morgan Matson, but I've been reading Dessen for so long that summer vacation = her novels. Along for the Ride is my favourite summer story because it also takes place in a beach town.

Friends to Lovers
This trope can be overdone but when it's done right? I love it. One friend realizes they have feelings for the other but they don't know if the feelings are reciprocated. Such tension!

Example: Anne of the Island. There are so many great examples but...it's Anne and Gilbert. Swoon.

Boy/Girl Next Door
This kind of carries on from the friends to lovers but I just really like when two friends grow up together and end up realizing they're in love with each other.

YA Example: My Life with the Walter Boys was so much fun to read. I need more!

Athletes
Either I haven't found enough or there just aren't enough sportsing romances out there. Good ones, of course. I particularly need more with baseball or hockey or basketball. There are enough football books out there already. Anyway. I've played sports and enjoy watching them so I also really enjoy reading about athletes falling in love. And yes, I'm being a bit sexist when I think of these types of stories. Tall, strong, men with all sorts of other redeeming qualities on top of their athletic prowess? Yum.

Example: This was a really hard one to choose because the few I've read (there should be more!) are all so good. But my virtual bestie, Laura Chapman, has an awesome series about football (yes, I know what I just said) that everyone should read. Start with First & Goal.

Road Trip/Vacation
This is sort of the adult version of the summer vacation trope. I like reading about couples who are in a different place than they're used to and either fall in love or fall in love more deeply while they're vacationing.

Example: Karina Halle has written so many books that would suit for a lot of these tropes (without being cliche...important!) but one of my favourites of hers is Where Sea Meets Sky which brings a guy from BC to New Zealand because he's chasing after a girl.

Review: The Marrying Type

There was a moment after finishing my event management post-grad program that I considered getting into wedding planning. It was a brief moment. I realized I just wasn't cut out for dealing with the brides nor did I want to give up every summer weekend. But that doesn't mean I'm not still interested in the whole wedding thing. So, when Laura Chapman asked if I would review her latest novel, The Marrying Type, I jumped at the chance to see what one of my favourite authors would do with the popular wedding planner story.

Here's the synopsis:

Always the wedding planner, never a bride, Elliot Lynch is famous for orchestrating the splashiest weddings in Charleston, South Carolina. When her father’s sloppy management practices leave them on the brink of bankruptcy, Elliot will do whatever it takes to save the family business. When asked to appear on “The Marrying Type,” a reality TV show about the people behind the scenes as couples exchange I dos, she says yes to the invasion of privacy (and the hefty paycheck that comes with it).
With a camera crew capturing every detail of her life, Elliot faces her most challenging contract yet: planning a wedding where her ex is involved in every part of the process. Add in a lazy assistant, liquor-loving bridesmaid, and rival planner encroaching on her turf, and Elliot’s wedding season goes from high-end to high-stress.
Forced to confront her past, Elliot must live out her troubled present on national TV if she has any hope of saving her future.

There is so much going on in this book but that is what makes it so good. Chapman expertly weaves together every storyline and everything flows and fits together perfectly. Yes, there is a drunk, out of control bridesmaid and a reality TV show and family drama and an ex who is back in town BUT The Marrying Type would not be the amazing novel that it is if any one of those elements had been left out. It's wedding season in the south. Of course it's crazy! :)

I loved Elliot. She's one of those characters who is just flawed enough at the beginning of the story that she's not annoying and you know she's going to get herself on the right path by the end. It's not that she was imperfect, exactly, it's just that she was totally realistic. She had her issues and hang ups like anyone else does and that was refreshing. I really enjoyed reading about her life and I was rooting for her throughout the entire novel.

I can't finish this review without mentioning the romance in this novel. Even though I knew Elliot's ex, Eric, would be showing up (thanks to the synopsis) I had no idea how or when he would arrive back in Elliot's life. I was constantly surprised by what happened in their relationship and I loved that. They had some major obstacles to overcome but I really wanted a Happily Ever After for the two of them because they just seemed so perfect together!

Fun fact: The Marrying Type is a bit of a modern take on Jane Austen's Persuasion. I absolutely loved that. It's a bit of a subtle homage but Chapman does an amazing job of updating the classic story while still making this novel all her own. And if you haven't read Persuasion yet, get on it. *makes note to reread the novel as soon as possible.*

I loved loved loved The Marrying Type. I actually read it while on vacation on a cruise ship and I hate that I couldn't tweet or message Laura to tell her how much I was loving it! It's such a great story about a twentysomething wedding planner trying to figure out her career and solve all her family's problems. Bonus, there's an amazingly sweet love story too! So far I've loved everything Laura Chapman has written and I absolutely cannot wait to see what she comes out with next!

*A copy of this novel was provided by the author in exchange for review consideration. All reviews are honest and my own.*

Top Ten Tuesday: Favourites of 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created it because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature.

I love looking back at my year of reading. I'm lucky to have been able to read a lot of books (98 at the time of this post) and it's honestly really hard to keep track of them! So, these recap/best of posts are great to remind me of all the fabulous (and not so fabulous) books I read over the year. Thanks to my handy "read in 2014" list on Goodreads, here are my ten favourite books from the past year! Note: I was completely shocked that only two chick lit books (by the same author) made it on this list! I wonder if it's because I tried to branch out more this year? Because you'll also note quite a few YA books on this list! You'll also note that I've cheated a bit...there are two authors who have two books on my favourite list so I combined them! What were some of your favourites this year? Links lead to my review or Goodreads.

How Do You Know? and Just Friends with Benefits - Meredith Schorr

The Rule of Thirds - Chantel Guertin

Isla and the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins

To All the Boys I've Loved Before - Jenny Han

My Life With the Walter Boys - Ali Novak 

The Orenda - Joseph Boyden

Burying Water and One Tiny Lie - K.A. Tucker

Hard Hats and Doormats - Laura Chapman

The Heiresses - Sara Shepard

I Don't Know What You Know Me From - Judy Greer

Top Ten Tuesday: 2014 New-To-Me Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created it because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature.

It's been awhile since I've done a TTT (it's been awhile since I've blogged, really. Damn new job getting in the way of, well, everything.) but I love end of year wrap ups and knew I had to set aside some time to figure out which authors were new to me over this past year. It doesn't mean that these are debut authors. These are (eleven) authors I hadn't read before this year. Did you discover any new authors in 2014?

Joseph Boyden: Can Lit master. I must read more of his books.

Gemma Burgess: I really like her series about 20-somethings living in Brooklyn and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Jenny Han: I hadn't read Han before this year and I really don't know why. I LOVED To All the Boys I've Loved Before.

K.A. Tucker: She is probably my favourite New Adult author - and she's Canadian!

Laura Chapman: I'm so proud of blogger-turned-author Laura. Her debut novel was amazing.

Marissa Stapley: Another Canadian makes the list! Mating for Life is more serious than I tend to read but it's amazing and Marissa is a total sweetheart.

Morgan Matson: Another YA author I had been meaning to read for forever. Since You've Been Gone was a lot of fun.

Sarah Jio: I can't believe this was my first Jio book. I cannot wait to read her latest, The Look of Love.

Sara Shepard: I don't really have any interest in Pretty Little Liars but The Heiresses intrigued me and I was hooked from the first page.

Tahereh Mafi: I blew through Mafi's Shatter Me series and I'm really glad I read them!

Terry Fallis: While No Relation wasn't my favourite book, I still really want to read the rest of Fallis' novels.

Top Ten Tuesday: Favourites of 2014...So Far!

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created it because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature.

It's been a looong while since I've done a Top Ten Tuesday post. It's not because I haven't wanted to. I just haven't had time. See, I was in Australia for two weeks and I was without wi-fi at both the places I stayed (oh, the horror) so I just didn't get around to doing the posts. Will an adorable koala picture help you forgive me?

I'll  have a full recap post (for those who are interested) eventually. But for now, say hello to Carmella. So cute! Anyway...back to TTT! Can you believe it's almost halfway through 2014 already? Man, where has the year gone? It's been a crazy one for me but I've managed to get a lot of reading done. This list could include all of the Harry Potter books I've reread so far this year (1-5) but that would take up some valuable list real estate so just know that I've been rereading them and it's been awesome. I've read a lot of great books this year but I took the easy way out and listed the books I gave five stars to on Goodreads. Happily, there were ten (other than HP). Easy, peasy! Five stars for me may not mean it's the most amazing work of literature. It means that I thoroughly enjoyed myself while reading the book and it left me feeling awesome (other than The Orenda but that is a damn fine novel). Links lead to my review where applicable.

Just Friends With Benefits - Meredith Schorr
The Orenda - Joseph Boyden
To All the Boys I've Loved Before - Jenny Han
I Don't Know What You Know Me From - Judy Greer
Hard Hats and Doormats - Laura Chapman

Don't Even Think About It - Sarah Mlynowski
The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
My Life with the Walter Boys - Ali Novak
What Nora Knew - Linda Yellin
One Tiny Lie - K.A. Tucker

Author Interview: Laura Chapman

I'm back with another post as part of the CLP Blog Tour for Laura Chapman's debut novel Hard Hats and Doormats. I adored this book (my review went up last week) and loved the guest post Laura wrote for me that went up a few days ago. Today I put Laura to the test and asked her a bunch of thought provoking questions. OK, some thought provoking, some entertaining. I hope you enjoy this Q&A!

Five Favourites

Chick Flick: This is a toss-up between “The Princess Bride” and “When Harry Met Sally.” I was raised on both of these movies, and while I’ve seen other movies I’ve enjoyed, none have stuck with me quite the way these ones did.

Alcoholic Beverage: I’ve been on a Dirty Shirley kick lately. For those of you who don’t know, that’s a Shirley Temple plus vodka. It’s fun to order, because it usually starts a conversation between you and whoever you’re sitting near. I order mine tall, because it requires more 7-Up and grenadine, which means I’m (hopefully) not going to get sloppy.

Travel Destination (somewhere you've been and/or somewhere you'd like to go): The Pacific Northwest. Out of every place I’ve ever been, this is the one that most amazed me. It’s ridiculously beautiful. Every time one of my friends posts a picture from the Seattle area, I actually get this churning in my stomach.

Book from your childhood: These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder. When I was 9, I thought it was the most romantic story ever. It’s the first book I can remember re-reading constantly.

TV show: Of all time, probably “30 Rock.” On right now, “The Mindy Project.” Both shows were created and run by strong, funny ladies, and Tina Fey and Mindy Kahling inspire me.

Books Etc.: You started as a blogger and have now moved into the world of being an author. Was that always your plan? What made you decide to really take the plunge and get published?

Laura Chapman: I knew I wanted to be a novelist before I started my blog, “Change the Word,” or my first blog, the now defunct “Pretending Pretentious.” Back in 2010, I didn’t know much about publishing (heck, I’m still learning), but it seemed like a lot of authors had blogs, and I figured I should, too. After a year and a half of sporadic blog posts, I decided to be more disciplined about it after I’d written my first draft of Hard Hats and Doormats, because I realized if I was serious about becoming a published author, I needed to be more serious about my other forms of writing, including the blog. The fact that CTW expanded as much as it did still surprises me.

BE: What's your writing process like? Do you like to write at a certain time of day or in a certain place?

LC: I basically write whenever I can. I keep trying to make morning writing work, because I know of several authors who have success with it. (It’s actually 5:30 a.m. as I’m answering these questions.) Sometimes I’ll do a little writing or editing during lunch. During National Novel Writing Month, I write a lot of evenings, too. Weekends, it’s kind of a “do it whenever I can focus long enough” approach. On days when I’m more inspired (and focused), I’ll write and write no problem. Other days, I’m easily distracted by BuzzFeed or using the laser pointer to drive my cats nuts.

BE: How do you come up with your story ideas? What inspires you?

LC: So far, all of my story ideas have popped into my head with a single word or phrase. For Hard Hats and Doormats, it was the sight of the mess I’d made in my rental car on a business trip. The passenger seat was littered with road maps, hard hats, steel-toed boots, interview notes and so on. I spent the next few hours of my drive coming up with potential story lines, and basically had an outline by the time I made it to my destination. I still get a lot of ideas while driving. I keep a running list of my ideas.

BE: Now that you have one short story and one novel published, what's your next project? Can you give us any details on what you're working on now?

LC: Hopefully by the time this runs, I’ll have wrapped up the edits on my second novel. I can’t say too much about it now, but it’s a modern reimagining of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. It’s set in present day America, and involves a hunky love from the past, needy family members and a problem only a strong woman can handle. I’m also about two-thirds of the way through the first draft of my third novel. It involves American Football, and that’s as much as I’m saying for now. I’d also like to do a holiday novella if time and resources permit.

Connect with Laura!

Website

Twitter

Blog

Facebook

GoodReads

PS Don't forget to enter this great giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: Laura Chapman

Welcome to my second stop on the CLP Blog Tour for Hard Hats and Doormats, Laura Chapman's debut novel. I absolutely loved this novel (my review went up last week) and today Laura is sharing a guest post with us. I wondered what it was like to get into the mind of Lexi, the main character. How did Laura create Lexi's personality and make her real? Enjoy!

Confession: Out of all the guest posts I’ve been writing to discuss the story behind my first novel, this is the one I struggled with most. I wasn’t quite sure how to put into words exactly what I’d done to channel my inner Lexi to tell her story and make it feel real.

When I wrote the first draft of Hard Hats and Doormats three years ago, it wasn’t much of a stretch for me to get inside my main character’s head. At the time I started the first draft, I was 24, two years out of college and in one of those awkward life phases. You know the kind – you’re not 100 percent happy about the direction your life is taking, but you don’t know what to do about it.

So you get moody, pouty and sometimes overdo it at the bar (not necessarily as a coping mechanism, but because you’re young and don’t always think things through). You make and lose friendships. You make good and bad decisions. You’re trying to figure out who you want to be and how you can become that person.

Like Lexi Burke, I sometimes spent too much of my life on the road for work and complaining about my job. I also liked meeting my friends for post-work drinks. We liked complaining about co-workers and bosses. Flirting with cute boys (because I was still thinking of men as boys at this point) and looking to each other for spiritual guidance.  

It wasn’t just me. Most of my friends were basically the same way. We were all fairly new out of college. We all had big plans, but we weren’t that close to achieving them.

When I needed to get into my character’s head – when I was developing her personality – I considered the most extreme emotions and thoughts I’d had in the previous two years. What made me happiest? What had upset me most? What was the worst character trait I showed? What was the best? Then I thought about the people around me. I’ve always been a fan of people watching (I’m sure other writers can relate), and I used some of those experiences to watch the way men and women in their twenties acted.

I came up with a few interesting characteristics I wanted to feature:

• A lot of us aren’t happy at work. At the time I wrote the first draft, the recession was still on its way to bottoming out. Jobs were scarce, salaries were low and we felt a little helpless about our professional futures.
• Many of us wanted our ideas to be heard and valued, but were finding it difficult, because of our young age.
• The number one social activity for young working professionals seems to be meeting in a bar after work on a Friday (or Monday) to vent about difficult projects and people. That activity has the potential to bring out the best and worst in people, which makes natural drama.
• People can be selfish, but it doesn’t mean they’re horrible. For my part, I felt so helpless about everything going on in my life, I was so me-focused. What was I thinking? What was I feeling? What did I want? How was I going to solve my problems? Lots of “I” thinking. At the same time, I was aware I was being selfish, and I didn’t want to be.

When I developed Lexi Burke as a character – when I got into her head – I funneled this chaotic mix of emotions and thoughts into my writing. In subsequent drafts – as my life changed, and these old problems became less important to me – I tried to keep that same mindset. The story was inspired by some of what I’d experienced or witnessed first-hand as a young professional. It was often messy. There were a lot of mistakes. But we learned a lot of lessons. My hope was by writing a story about characters that weren’t always perfect – and who made mistakes – I’d be creating a realistic book.

Perhaps what most surprised me through writing this story was how different my main character and I turned out to be. I was concerned I’d end up writing a fictional version of myself, because I was expressing so many of my emotions. Ultimately, Lexi and I ended up being two different people, who managed to share a few similar thoughts and emotions. Isn’t that a nice thought? You can be so different from another person – real or fictional – but you can still find a little common ground amongst your differences.

Connect with Laura!

Website

Twitter

Blog

Facebook

GoodReads

PS Don't forget to enter this great giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

CLP Blog Tour: Hard Hats and Doormats

You know that feeling you get when you're reading a really great book and you don't want it to end? I got that feeling when I read Hard Hats and Doormats, the debut novel by Laura Chapman. It was that enjoyable and that good.

Here's the synopsis:

Lexi Burke has always been a stickler for following rules and procedures. As a human resources manager for a leading Gulf Coast chemical company, it’s her job to make sure everyone else falls in line, too. 
But after losing out on a big promotion–-because her boss sees her as too much of a yes-woman––Lexi adopts a new policy of following her heart instead of the fine print. And her heart knows what it wants: Jason Beaumont, a workplace crush who is off limits based on her previous protocol.
While navigating a new romance and interoffice politics, Lexi must find the confidence to stand on her own or face a lifetime of following someone else’s orders.
Who says nice girls have to finish last?

Confession: Laura and I are virtual besties. We've been calling ourselves that for awhile now, so long, in fact, that I can't even remember exactly what it was that made us declare ourselves besties. The virtual needed to be added because I'm in Ontario and Laura lives in Nebraska. So, because we're so close, virtually, I immediately signed up to be part of the CLP Blog Tour for her debut novel. It gave me such a thrill to know that her book was being published. I was proud of her! So, some may think I'm biased, but I think anyone who reads this novel will love it just as much as I did.

I can't remember the last character I read about that I loved this much. I desperately wanted to be Lexi's friend. I loved her personality and I totally related to her. That actually wasn't really that hard because we have a lot in common, including being in our mid-twenties. I completely understood her frustration at her job and wishing she had more choice in careers. I can relate as we're still at the point where any job is better than no job thanks to the brutal economy. I liked that she and her friends would go out to pubs to have a few drinks and hang out instead of going out clubbing. That's what my friends and I like to do, too. Sometimes we get incredibly drunk, like Lexi does on occasion, but sometimes we just go for a few and have a good time, again like Lexi does sometimes. Chapman did a great job of accurately portraying the lifestyle of a twenty four year old (not surprising since she's also in her twenties) and I really appreciated that. I don't know if I can really explain it but I really did want to be besties with Lexi and, by extension, her BFFs. When that happens with a character the book is a winner for me.

I also loved that this novel was funny. It's not a comedy but Chapman wrote characters who were smart and witty. They also got themselves into some interesting conversations, there's a misinterpreted line about crabs at one point, that had me laughing out loud. Then there was this scene (warning, swearing is present!):

I think part of what made this so funny is that my boyfriend is a journalist and I had just made a comment similar to this to him the night before reading this book!

There was only one little thing that I wished had been different in this book. There were a few occasions when I felt like I was missing out on events and conversations. Unless I missed something, the first weekend Lexi and Jason spend together isn't written about. The second weekend is but I feel like that's just not as important as the very first time they spend together. The second, third, and so on could be glossed over but not the very first time they spend significant time together.

I loved the romance in this novel. OK, fine. I loved Jason. He might be my book boyfriend of 2014. There was just something about him that made me swoon as much as Lexi did whenever he was around. I appreciated that the romance wasn't the only part of the story. This was helped along by the fact that we knew right away who Lexi was interested in. Instead of a book full of "will they or won't they?" we get part of that and part of watching the beginning of a relationship. It was a really nice balance.

Other little odds and ends: Lexi named her work phone and I found that ridiculously amusing. I also loved every character name in this book. Lexi, Jason, Brenna, Kara, Cameron....all great names!

As I write this, Hard Hats and Doormats is my favourite book of 2014. Laura Chapman has written a fabulous novel and I think so many people would enjoy as well. Check it out! 

Make sure you check back here in the next few days as I have an awesome guest post from Laura coming up on February 3rd and a Q&A with the author herself on the 5th. While you're waiting, check out all the other reviews and posts that are part of the CLP Blog Tour!

PS A fun fact: this is my 500th post on Books Etc.! That's crazy!

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

Blog Tour: Merry & Bright

I knew I was going to like Merry & Bright, a collection of chick lit Christmas stories. I had been looking forward to reading it ever since I heard about it…so much so that I actually purchased a copy for my Kobo (this is a big deal for this unemployed book blogger…have to watch what I spend!). I’m thrilled that I bought the book as I didn’t just like it…I LOVED it. The anthology features stories by Lauren Clark, Cindy Arora, Nancy Scarfano, Isabella Louise Anderson, Libby Mercer, and Laura Chapman and is edited by Lucie Simone of Simon and Fig. The ladies did an amazing job and created a fabulous Christmas anthology!

Here’s the description of the collection:

Sip your eggnog, linger under the mistletoe, and make a Christmas wish. Merry & Bright brings you six tales of Christmas cheer, featuring stories of budding romances, Southern charm, lost loves, heaps of humor, and lots of pie by authors Isabella Louise Anderson, Cindy Arora, Laura Chapman, Lauren Clark, Libby Mercer, and Nancy Scrofano. From sunny Los Angeles to the Rocky Mountains to the Deep South, Merry & Bright will take you on a heartwarming adventure you’ll love to visit again and again. Wrap yourself in holiday mirth and prepare to be swept off your feet.

I really liked that Lauren Clark’s story, “A Very Dixie Christmas”, slightly tied into her novel Dancing Naked in Dixie (I loved the book and you can read my review here). I loved that she made sure to give enough background that you could see the connection between the two but you could still read this story as a standalone and not be confused. I also adored the Christmas spirit in this story. Main character PD’s little girl, Ella Rae, is questioning Santa and I loved how she was convinced that Santa really does exist. “A Very Dixie Christmas” was one of my favourite stories in this collection!

Cindy Arora’s story, “Christmas at Mulberry Inn”, was really sweet. I loved that it focused on friends spending the holiday together, main character Saffron and her BFF Taylor, who owns the Inn. They discover their own kind of family during the story though and I loved that. Saffron helped open Taylor’s eyes to a man who was right in front of her and Taylor, in turn, threw Saffron into situations designed to help her get over her divorce. There was a very homey feel to this story, which was interesting since it didn’t actually take place in a home, and that made it feel nice and Christmassy.

I’ve never tried speed dating and I don’t want to. After reading “Ice Dating” by Nancy Scrofano I can now add speed dating on ice skates to my list of things I never want to try! Can you imagine how stressful that’d be? I’m not the world’s most graceful person to begin with so it’d just be a recipe for disaster :) What I liked most about this story was that it was all about finding love in the most unusual ways. Quinn is obviously no stranger to love as she’s been engaged four times. And honestly, that kind of irked me…small thing, I know, but why did it have to be four times? Why not just once? Or even twice? For some reason it just made me think that she was in it purely for the wedding and not the relationship. Unfair, perhaps, but it was how I felt. Anyway. I do love how she met Cameron and how fate seemed to intervene to get them back together.

Isabella Louise Anderson’s story, “Meet Me Under the Mistletoe”, had a picture perfect setting. Main character Lexi is an author (I love when authors write author main characters!) and rents a rural cottage so she can complete her manuscript before her deadline. This was one of the stories that didn’t quite hit the mark for me. In part it was because of the immediate love connection between Lexi and Sterling. It just wasn’t very realistic (or even book realistic) and it was hard for me to get past that. The idea is a solid one but I felt like the story needed just a bit more tweaking so it could really shine.

I loved the idea of a holiday treasure hunt in Libby Mercer’s story, “Secret Santa”. It was a unique idea, at least one I hadn’t run into in a Christmas collection before, and it was refreshing. Plus, I just love Mercer’s writing and the characters she creates! I learned last month that Libby is a fellow tall girl so I giggled when I read that main character Abbie referred to herself as tall. :)

I was SO excited to read my virtual bestie, Laura Chapman’s, story in this collection. I know how hard she’s been working on her story and novel (the recently released Hard Hats and Doormats) so I was thrilled to see her name in a published book! And, I might be biased, but “Twelve Drummers Drumming” was one of my favourite stories in the book! Like Mercer’s story, it was a unique idea for a Christmas story. I can’t say much because I don’t want to ruin it but I adored the surprise at the end!

If you only read one Christmas book this year, make it Merry & Bright. It was thoroughly enjoyable and I couldn’t get enough of it. Some of my favourite chick lit authors have come together to create one fabulous collection that I think everyone can enjoy.

Cover Reveal: Hard Hats and Doormats

I am so unbelievably excited to share the cover of Hard Hats and Doormats, the debut novel from Laura Chapman. I've been a fan of Laura's blog, Change the Word, for ages and we've become "virtual besties" over the last couple of years. I knew she had been working on her own novel and I am so proud of her for finally publishing it! She's being published later this year by Marching Ink who has also published some of my favourite books by Samantha March and Cat Lavoie. I can't wait to read Laura's novel!

Here's the synopsis for Laura's debut novel:

Lexi Burke has always been a stickler for following rules and procedures. As a human resources manager for a leading Gulf Coast chemical company, it’s her job to make sure everyone else falls in line, too.
But after losing out on a big promotion––because her boss sees her as too much of a yes-woman––Lexi adopts a new policy of following her heart instead of the fine print. And her heart knows what it wants: Jason Beaumont, a workplace crush who is off limits based on her previous protocol.
While navigating a new romance and interoffice politics, Lexi must find the confidence to stand on her own or face a lifetime of following someone else’s orders.
Who says nice girls have to finish last?

Are you ready for the cover? *drum roll*

Oooh! Ahhh! :) I'd definitely be interested to see what this book was about if I saw it on a shelf!

To celebrate the cover reveal, Laura is sharing behind-the-scenes tidbits about the making of Hard Hats and Doormats here and on other blogs with her “Hard Hat Confessions.” I absolutely love this idea!

Here’s #9:

Visit Laura's site for more “Hard Hat Confessions.”

About Laura

Laura Chapman found a way to mix her love of romance and humor as a women’s fiction author and blogger. A 2008 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Laura studied journalism, English and history. She traveled across the United States as a writer/photographer before settling into a career in communications. She also maintains Change the Word, a blog devoted to promoting women’s fiction and documenting her experiences as a writer. Born and raised in Nebraska – in a city, not on a farm – she is a devoted fan of football, British period drama, writing in bars and her cats, Jane and Bingley. Hard Hats and Doormats is her debut novel.

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