Dewey's Read-a-Thon: October 2014

It's that time of year again! Tomorrow is the Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon. I've taken part for a couple of years now and I thought I'd give it another go this fall. Minor problem though: I have to work for part of the day tomorrow. Boo! I will be trying to squeeze in as much reading as I can in between a coffee date with a good friend in the morning, the commute to and from work (an hour with no traffic...ugh...wish I could have found good audiobooks...), and the few hours at work. This will be my Saturday night!

So, now that I've told you what my day will look like, what books will I attempt to read?

If I Stay - Gayle Forman
I read Just One Day/Just One Year last year (this year?) and LOVED them. I had put off this one because I didn't know if I was interested and then the damn trailers hooked me. I guess those film people know what they're doing.

Blame it on the Mistletoe - Nicole Michaels
It may be a tad early for Christmas books (the weather is still so nice and fall-like and the trees are oh so pretty!) but this is one I got from NetGalley and it expires on the 24. Time to get into the holiday spirit!

Isla and the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins
I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS ONE. As much as I cannot freaking wait to dive in, my friend does own a copy of this so if I can't get to this before it's due back at the library I have a Plan B.

Here for the Cake - Emily Poule
This is the next book in my Novel Escapes queue that I've been meaning to read for ages. Plus, it'd be nice to throw in a chick lit book amongst the YA and romance!

I know I won't get to them all but a girl can dream!

My start time for the read-a-thon is 8am. That's when I planned on getting up anyway but I won't start reading until after that.  I don't think the library would appreciate me bringing If I Stay into the shower. Unless I can come up with a way to waterproof my books?

Once again I'm taking a super laid back approach to the read-a-thon. I'll read what I can, do what challenges I can, and enjoy the day. It'll give me something to look forward to while I'm at work. Trust me...reading is MUCH better than an Annual General Meeting...

Are you taking part in the read-a-thon? What are you planning on reading? Have you read any of the ones I'm planning on tackling?

Review: Redesigning Rose

I am SO excited to share my review of Redesigning Rose with you today. Some of you know that I also write reviews for the site Novel Escapes and have been doing so since the end of 2011. Since then, I've come to think of Lydia Laceby, the owner of the site, as a friend. I am thrilled to announce that she is now officially a published author! I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the first few chapters early on in the editing process but knew things had changed quite a bit between then and the final product being released. I was excited to read the full novel and I wasn't disappointed. Lydia has written a wonderful novel - one that I devoured in one sitting.

Here's the synopsis:

Rose Parker's husband has been lying. About everything.
When a conversation with her husband triggers questions, Rose Parker uncovers alarming answers that shatter her perfect life. But it is only when she shoves her belongings in her SUV and drives off that Rose realizes just how far from perfect her life actually was. She has nowhere to turn.
While debating between distressing sleeping arrangements-her mother’s house full of questions or a hotel room with too much solitude-Rose bumps into an acquaintance from her gardening class and allows bubbly, exuberant Becky to indulge her in a wild night full of whiskey, weeping, and whispered confidences. Suddenly, Rose has a new friend, a roof over her head, and two gorgeous men moving her out of her marital home.
As Rose struggles to settle into her new life, she remains determined to comprehend her past. And with time and distance and especially wine, comes knowledge. Frank wasn’t the only one lying to her. Rose was lying to herself.

We find out right away that Rose's husband, Frank, is up to no good. I immediately felt connected with and protective of Rose. Having a lying, and possibly cheating, husband is pretty awful and poor Rose was completely taken by surprise. I also quickly figured out that Rose has a spark inside her, one that's been hidden since she married Frank, and that helped me like her even more. I loved seeing how Rose grew into the woman she was always meant to be.

Becky came into Rose's life at just the right moment. Actually, you could say that Rose showed up in Becky's life at the perfect time, too. They complemented each other and they were able to learn from each other as well. Rose needed to have a social life (even if it was forced upon her...and I loved the scene when she realizes her friends are planning evenings for her so she's not alone) and Becky was able to provide that. Becky, in turn, needed to learn some things about herself as well. I don't want to say too much but Becky's story took a really interesting turn and I liked how it fit into the overall plot and how it was resolved.

The gorgeous men mentioned in the synopsis are Becky's brother Scott and his friend Adam and they provided an excellent storyline as well. It wouldn't be a chick lit or women's fiction novel without at least a touch of romance and I adored the love story in this book. Sure, I was a bit frustrated that no one was saying how they really felt or allowing themselves to act on those feelings but I knew there were huge obstacles to overcome. In the end, though, I loved how everything worked out for all the characters.

Overall, Redesigning Rose was a fabulous read. There were a few instances where there needed to be just a few more connections but it wasn't anything that really took away from my overall enjoyment of the novel. I definitely recommend Lydia Laceby's novel to chick lit and women's fiction lovers. If you don't want to buy it on Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, or Kobo (but I think you should) and if you have a Goodreads account you still have some time to enter to win a copy here. Hurry, it ends on the 30th! But seriously, get yourself a copy of Rose's story. You won't be disappointed.

Happy reading :)

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

Mini Review: Build a Man

I had heard great things about Build A Man by Talli Roland but it took awhile for me to get around to reading it. Now that I have, I can't believe I waited that long! I loved this book!

Here's the synopsis:

The perfect man is out there . . . he just needs a little work.

Slave to the rich, rude and deluded, cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland longs for the day she's a high-flying tabloid reporter. Unfortunately, every pitch she sends out disappears like her clients' liposuctioned fat, never to be seen again. Then she meets Jeremy Ritchie -- the hang-dog man determined to be Britain's Most Eligible Bachelor by making himself over from head to toe and everything in between -- giving Serenity a story no editor could resist.

With London's biggest tabloid on board and her very own column tracking Jeremy's progress from dud to dude, Serenity is determined to be a success, even going undercover to gain intimate access to Jeremy's life. But when Jeremy's surgery goes drastically wrong and Serenity is ordered to cover all the car-crash goriness, she must decide how far she really will go for her dream job.

Some of you know that I also write reviews for Novel Escapes (and if you didn't before, now you do!) and I was asked to review Construct A Couple, the second book in the Serenity Holland series (my review is here). I really don't like reading the second (or third) book in a series before reading the first so I set out to get myself a copy of book one. Happily, I was successful (thank you Smashwords!) and I dove right into the book.

I loved Serenity. She was funny and just clueless enough to make things amusing but not frustrating. I noted in my review of book two that she reminded me of Becky Bloomwood from the Confessions of a Shopaholic series. Becky drives me crazy so Serenity had all of her best qualities. I liked that Serenity was real and relatable. I liked her so much that I hated that she was dating such a boring guy. Peter was clearly not good for her and I couldn't wait for her to realize that. Does she? Doesn't she? Read the book to find out ;)

Some other quick thoughts: The whole premise of the book was unique without being too crazy. I loved the budding romance between Serenity and Jeremy. Her best friend is a great BFF. I love books set in London.

I did find that I enjoyed Construct A Couple more than Build A Man so if you read this one and can't feel bothered with reading book two, I strongly encourage you to give it a shot! I was so happy that I had book two on my ereader when I was on a train trip and finished book one. I was able to pick up on Serenity's story without any delay. Unfortunately, now I have to wait for Talli Roland to finish the next book in the Serenity series! In the meantime, I'll have to find more of her novels because she's become one of my favourites.

Happy reading :)