Strong and Stubborn

Strong and Stubborn by Kelly Eileen Hake
4/5 stars
Barbour, 2012
311 pages
Inspirational Historical Romance
Book #3

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

After reading Rugged and Relentless and Tall, Dark, and Determined, of course I had to finish the trilogy! And I'm so glad I did as Naomi's story ended up being my favorite. I think this is because of my deep fondness for her as someone sensible who tries to hide in the background even though she shines.

This book again overlaps with the end of the previous book, quickly integrating the male romantic interest Michael Strode into the Hope Falls community as he steps up to help rescue Lacey and Dunstan from the mine cave-in. His dedication to helping out and skills in carpentry earn him a place and he quickly falls for Naomi, as who wouldn't? But both have secrets to hide.

Naomi has a tortured relationship with her sister that is further fractured when said sister shows up in town to drive a spike into her sister's heart (figuratively but I wouldn't put it past the girl to do so literally). Her malice was incredible and heart-breaking. Meanwhile Michael was essentially bought by his in-laws to give their fallen daughter the protection of his name and he is still fighting the guilt from this bad first marriage. The two have their secrets and they're aren't fully addressed in the book although I trust that the two will work it out behind the scenes as the ending is very rushed.

Another change that was rushed was Braden Lyman, who has been a HUGE jerk for the previous two books as well as for about 250 pages of this book. The last 50-ish pages finally show him starting to wise up but it was just not enough time to redeem him after the way he behaved like such a massive jerk earlier.

There also weren't enough scenes of all four ladies interacting, which was my favorite part of Rugged and Relentless but that's understandable as the ladies continue to put their efforts toward building the town as well as building lives with their chosen partners. The men who aren't chosen continue to be lovably adorable or jerks in need of reminding the score.

Overall: A sweet conclusion to the stories; very similar in structure to the other books (rushed resolution especially). I think it can be read out of order but is probably best enjoyed in order.

A Lady in the Making

A Lady in the Making by Susan Page Davis
4/5 stars
Barbour Publishing, 2012
318 pages
Adult Christian Historical Romance

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Although this is technically book 3 in the Prairie Dreams series, I felt very comfortable slipping into the world. Would my appreciation of the supporting characters have been deepened had I read the previous books? Certainly but I do not think my enjoyment of this book was hampered at all. Rather, I am now eager to go back and visit the earlier books especially to catch glimpses of the hero and heroine from this book. The book shifts perspectives among four characters, focusing primarily on Millie, striking out on her own, and David, a new earl who was previously conned by Millie posing as a woman named Charlotte.

One thing I didn't like amid the shifting perspectives was David's cousin's wife's pov. She is a grasping woman eager for social advancement even at the expense of David's life (apparently she tried to have him killed in a previous novel). Although her motives are partially to serve her son's interests and I do respect that, I was disgusted with the lady's malice, which it sounds like she has exercised across the three books. Although the ending serves to establish that she will never get to be countess nor will her son be earl, I wish she could have received more punishment for her cruel ways.

A related character is her weak-willed brother Peregrin Walmore (what a name, eh!), a less conniving person because oh so frequently distracted by drink and gaming but easily recruited into a plot against David after a night gone wrong. I did feel bad for him a little bit because he seems pretty passive . He actually kind of reminds me of Mr John Dashwood, who could be a good man if given support but is instead led astray. He'll get his just desserts.

I would have preferred if the antagonist had been Millie's brother and his gang who can't believe Millie is turning her back on them and who have no intention of reforming. However they disappear early in the book, never to return.

For me, one of the most satisfying aspects of the book is Millie's heart transformation. Formerly a conwoman and accomplice, Millie has truly reformed. The ways she proves this change and her new found relationship with Christ would especially please those who have read the earlier books and know the many reasons why she needs grace. Because they've been hurt before, Millie and David are both guarded people but I enjoyed seeing their defenses fall down and the last sections of their happiness were just excellent to me (they reminded me of my beloved Regency romances).

Overall: Just a sweet Christian historical fiction with a bit of a western tinge but also British society-an unusual merging but a cute one :)

Cover: I like the green and how it matches the previous covers.
 

Seattle Cinderella

Seattle Cinderella by Gail Sattler
Barbour, 2012
355 pages
Christian Romance
3.5/5 stars

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

After seeing the title of this, how could I resist? Cinderella is my favorite fairy-tale and I actively seek out retellings plus I used to live in the Seattle area. What I didn't realize is that this was a collection of four intertwined stories, beginning with Cindy, the retelling of Cinderella, and giving love stories to her two stepsisters and to her godmother. I'm going to talk about each briefly.

Cindy and the Prince: This is the story inspiring the title. Cindy runs her father's mechanic shop but only possesses a half interest which she must share with her cruel stepmother and lazy stepsisters. Luke works across the street and has been trying to win a date with Cindy for about six months.

Love by the Books: This was probably my favorite story, actually. It features Annie and Brent, stepsister to Cindy and business partner to Luke respectively. Brent greatly distrusts Annie after her cruel behavior to Cindy but Annie has undergone a transformation and wants to earn trust as she builds her career as an accountant. When she discovers discrepancies in Brent and Luke's books, most people assume she doesn't know what's talking about but Brent trusts her and helps her unravel what has been going down.

Till Death Do Us Part: Zella is the other stepsister who is trying to avoid her mother's matchmaking attempts by joining a book club. Only it's actually a club for writers of books. Zella reads a lot, especially the work of her favorite author T.J. Zareth. Unbeknownst to her, that is the pen name of her group mate Trevor who wants to court Zella without her knowing his secret identity.

Never Too Late: This last story features Cindy's godmother Farrah who has reached her fiftieth year without marrying after the untimely death of her fiance. She has contented herself that marriage is not in the cards for her. Until some meddling teenagers push her to dreamy vet Matt, who had avoided marriage as he is unable to father children.

The books share many things in common. Of course there's the characters who pop up in most of the stories to various degrees and it is all set around Seattle so there are some familiar locales to me from my time in the Seattle area.  Christianity plays a role for all of the characters as they attend church and look for partners of faith.

The weird thing, to me, was how fast all of these couples get married. It seems to take about a week for them to be engaged and then another week for a quick wedding. What's the rush? I understand knowing that you're with the one and wanting to start your lives together but it seemed like they were in such a hurry instead of enjoying dating and getting to know each other. I admit that the timeline might have seemed compressed due to the shortness of the stories but it left me uncomfortable.

Overall: Cute little romance stories-fast reads with sweet characters. Remember these are short stories so not too much time can be spent on character development nor do plots have a chance to be drawn out. I think there's a little something for everyone who enjoys a romance story.

Tall, Dark, and Determined

Tall, Dark, and Determined by Kelly Eileen Hake
Barbour, 2011
319 pages
Christian Historical Romance
3/5 stars
Second in Husbands for Hire series

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book has its first chapter introducing a new character, the male lead, and then it switches back to refresh the reader about what happened at the end of the first book, Rugged and Relentless. This was a little confusing for me but it soon moved in a new direction, starting the new story. Unfortunately I did not really like that story for most of the book although the ending helped a little.

The focus in this book is on Lacey Lyman, whose idea it had been to travel West with her three closest friends to nurse her brother back to help, to find good husbands, and to build a successful saw mill town.  Lacey loves to wear beautiful clothes and bristles at being treated as if she is a delicate female incapable of doing anything, as many men are wont to treat her.  As this is a romance, she does have a male opposite, hunter Chase Dunstan who suspects Lacey's brother of mischief and arrives with false intentions. They two instantly clash and continue clashing.

I was almost completely in Lacey's camp on this one. Chase is arrogant, rude, and overbearing; additionally I, as the reader, knew what secrets he was hiding, and did not appreciate his false cover. I hated knowing that Lacey was falling for him as he did not seem deserving. I also thought he was rather cruel. To compound my dislike of his character, nothing much seemed to be happening. They were just walking around Hope Falls, bickering all the time. I could have stomached, that had there been more scenes with the ladies together, which is what had enchanted me about the first book.

This was going to get a much lower rating despite the smooth writing and easy reading until the ending when there's a bit of suspense and I almost became reconciled to Dunstan.  I must say it is bothersome that two of the women fall for men who arrived under false pretenses. Can't one of them just be honest? Presumably there will be a third book with Naomi, a character I would love to get to know more and hopefully her love interest will be more honest.

Also despite its publication from Barbour, I didn't feel much Christian content. Now I don't want to be preached at of course, but God was not much of a presence, receiving only a few token mentions.

Overall: Mostly boring with an unpleasant male lead until the last dozens of pages when something finally happens and moves the character development along.

Turnabout's Fair Play

Turnabout's Fair Play by Kaye Dacus
Barbour Publishing, 2011
315 pages
Christian Contemporary Romance
4/5 stars

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kaye Dacus is one of my favorite authors although I've had some mixed experiences with her books. Still I picked this one up with high expectations as it brings the Matchmaker trilogy to its conclusion.

The focus this time is on Flannery MacNeill, book editor extraordinaire, whose longing for a deep romantic relationship is heightened by the pending weddings of her two best friends, whose romantic adventures were detailed in the previous two books. Although she's dated quite a few men, she's always asked God to have her fall in love with a dork. Jamie O'Connor's good looks and confidence disqualify him, especially as everything he says seems to offend her. But after he loses his job, he starts questioning the man he has become and what God wants of him. On top of these two souls are their grandparents who want to make a match but find themselves making a match first!

One of my favorite things about Dacus's books are that while romance is the primary thrust of the story, there's also so much character development. Flannery and Jamie start and end the books in completely different places, having learned to rely more on God and falling in love. They reveal their guilty pleasures (Arthurian legend) and the hurts they've experienced from family and friends over the years. They seem like such real people and I really liked them!

However there were a couple of things that niggled at me. First I'm not a fan of the meddling grandparents so desperate to have grandchildren that they involve themselves in their lives. I feel like their motives were softened over the books, to show that they just wanted happiness for the grandkids but I didn't love them as much as the younger characters.  The other part was how Flannery and Jamie felt they needed to keep their love of Arthurian legend under wraps. I don't think that interest is that geeky; admittedly I'm a Star Wars nerd and I have a book blog so I'm probably not the best judge of what is or isn't geeky.

Overall: A fine conclusion to the Matchmakers trilogy; can't wait to find out what Dacus has planned next!

The Art of Romance

The Art of Romance by Kaye Dacus
Barbour, 2011
319 pages
Christian Romance
3.5/5 stars

Review of the first Matchmakers book, Love Remains.

Source: Received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I did not like this book as much as Love Remains but the ending still made me a little teary-eyed as I ended up invested in the relationship of Caylor and Dylan, both of whom believe they have significant baggage.

Caylor lives with her grandmother, having moved in after the death of her grandfather to provide transportation and support.  She has resigned herself to never getting involved in a relationship due to her obligation to her grandmother.  Instead she celebrates Zarah and Bobby's pending marriage and throws herself into life at the college where she is tenured and into her inspirational romance novels.

Dylan has legitimate baggage and then baggage I found ridiculous.  The legitimacy comes from a verboten relationship with the head of his department at the art school in Philadelphia where he used to work.  She was controlling and slowly changed most of his personality and cut him off from his family.  The fact that she was older and more established in the field than him gives him worries in relation to Caylor, who is also older and already has tenure.  The other baggage? Well...

Dylan refers to his big shameful secret about what he did to put himself through college before revealing it to his three brothers in a very sweet "intervention" scene. I expected this to be that he stripped and/or served as a gigolo to wealthy older women.  Instead his secret is that he designed and modeled for romance covers.  Um, kind of lame? Not worth as much anguish as he spent on it.  Funnily enough, his covers were for Melanie Mason...the pen name of Caylor, under which she wrote increasingly steamy novels and was inspired by the handsome model on the cover.

I definitely liked the book more once they got together because their whingeing before that dragged on too long.  Besides their romance issues, Caylor has conflict with her irresponsible younger sister Sage and Dylan struggles with his parents's expectations and their inability to accept his art as a legitimate career path.  Those stories were okay but I wanted more romance.  I also would have liked more God; although finding a church is an important part of the story, I wanted to see more of each of them having a relationship with God instead of having church signify such a relationship.

The romance novel plot was interesting to me because I'm pretty sure that such inspirational romance writers as Francine Rivers and Robin Lee Hatcher wrote secular romances before switching exclusively to Christian romances in order to write cleaner novels and include mentions of God.  I think Caylor is supposed to have followed the same path as them.  It also makes me wonder if Dacus used to write secular romances?

Overall: An okay romance with some interesting subplots; I'm hoping the third book, Turnabout's Fair Play will be more to my taste.

Cover: Caylor's not the painter but it fits in with the pattern established by Love Remains.

Found in Translation

Found in Translation by Roger E. Bruner with Kristi Rae Bruner
Barbour, 2011
365 pages
YA; Christian
3.5/5 stars

Source: Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary: Kim is a spoiled girl from Georgia on her way to her first mission trip in Mexico.  Upon arrival, she discovers that their mission is far different than she had expected.  They're going to a rural area recently devastated by a natural disaster where no one speaks English...and where none of the mission volunteers speak Spanish.  How can they witness to those with whom they can't communicate?

There were some things I really liked about this book: Kim's transformation in to better person (illustrated by her stopping cursing, ministering to a misguided fellow mission trip, and her work with the villagers); her friend Aleesha, super funny; Anjelita, the little Mexican girl who befriends Kim despite the language barrier; the general pace of the story.  Although Kim begins the story petulant and irresponsible, she quickly resolves to become better and then actually follows through and matures.  After breaking her arm, she feels bad that she can't help rebuild houses but she uses her time to instead do other work and then to read aloud from a Spanish Bible

While I liked the basic story elements, I didn't really like the writing, which is what dragged down the rating for me.  The writing was not bad but it wasn't as good as the writing in other books I've read.  I think the message of the book is the important part though and would be very useful especially to young Christians but also to all Christians.

Recommended: Definitely only for Christians or those interested in becoming a Christian.

Rugged and Relentless

Rugged and Relentless by Kelly Eileen Hake
Barbour, 2011
317 pages
Inspirational Romantic Historical
4/5 stars
First in Husbands for Hire Series

Source: Received a free e-copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads Page

Summary: Evie Thompson and her three best friends move to the wilds of Colorado looking to recover lost money, nurse their friend back to health, and claim husband for themselves.  Thus they come up with the idea to place an advertisement and hire for husbands.  They get more than they bargained for as two dozen men descend on the small town.  Jake is haunted by the death of his brother, promising vengeance, and by the cooking of a beautiful young lady back East.  Imagine his surprise when he discovers her in Colorado surrounded by other men who might marry her.  As he looks for his brother's killer, he also has a bit of time for courting the spirited Miss Thompson...who may or may not allow him to.

In short, I loved this book.  It was absolutely delightful and I flew through it, putting off homework in order to read just a few more pages.  While the basic premise seems to be a romance, it's actually more about friendship especially among the four ladies.  Evie, her sister Cora, friend Lacey and Lacey's cousin Naomi had a strong friendship.  They were able to formulate this plan and their strengths complement each other well.  While Evie is the main focus, the book shifts perspectives to all of them.  I will be very interested to see their stories in the later books.

They faced many obstacles.  One of those was Braden, Lacey's brother and Cora's fiancee although he attempted to end the engagement after his near-death and subsequent injuries.  Despite being confined to bed, he still attempts to act very high-handedly and to order them around.  Jake is another obstacle as he sees the dangers of four lovely ladies surrounded by approximately twenty-four not always honorable men, eager for female companionship.  He and Evie sure had sparks and multiple confrontations that revealed their characters and helped them fall more in love!

Then there is the man who killed Jacob's brother who is part of the camp although he is a wily one for sure.  The resolution of this storyline was very rushed and not entirely satisfying although I did like the final confrontation.

The historical elements were another pleasant part.  The ladies are not conventional, as you can see by their move across country, but they are still confined by societal norms.  They wear corsets, tend to stick to "womanly" pursuits, and frequently have men interfering as if they know best.  Luckily the women are spirited and they argue and push back in lively conversations.  I chuckled more than a few times at the way they interacted with language in conversations with Braden and Jake.

While I've seen it shelved as Christian fiction, I found those elements minimal.  Evie relies on the Lord and Jake grows a bit in that regard but it's not as overt as others I've read.  It did not impede my enjoyment in the least but other people may find that disappointing.

Overall: Delightful-highly recommended!

Read for Ebook Challenge.

Women of the Bible

Women of the Bible by Carol Smith, Rachael Phillips, and Ellyn Sanna
Barbour, 2011
267 pages
Non-fiction; Christian; Reference
Read for ebook challenge
4/5 stars

Source: Received a free review copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't entirely sure what this book would be like based on the brief description online.  It seems like it is part of a series and that it is supposed to be very accessible, which it definitely is.

I was disappointed because my own expectations were looking for a more in-depth scholarly approach.  Instead the book does just what is outlined on the cover touching on the minutiae of how women in the Bible might have lived their lives.  Some things we know: the economic status of women, their chores, expectations about children and family while some aspects we aren't sure about.  At best we're piecing together information about women who lived millennia ago but whose concerns then mirror ours now.

Family, friendship, religion, survival, and love are among the similarities between then and now.  Connections are drawn and nice pictures illustrate almost every page.  I especially appreciated the gorgeous artwork, mainly from Renaissance it seemed.  I did not know most of those pictures and they were fascinating to see.

Also included is a list of every woman in the Bible whether or not she has a name.  The more prominent women such as Eve, Sarah, and Mary receive multiple mentions and more space devoted to them.

Layout: I don't usually talk about layout because in most of the ebooks I've read, it hasn't mattered.  But this one had a fantastic layout, probably the closest to the actual book as can get.  It made me so glad that I have a nook color!  One fault was that it didn't have chapter links like many ebooks that I've read so navigating wasn't as smooth as it could be.

Overall: Interesting reference and perspective.

Cover: I like the woman and the colors but I don't like the other pictures.

A Case for Love

A Case for Love by Kaye Dacus
Barbour, 2010
317 pages
Inspirational; Romance; Contemporary
Third in Brides of Bonneterre Trilogy
4.5/5 stars

My reviews of Stand-In Groom and Menu For Romance.

Source: Netgalley

Summary: Forbes Guidry has been the bachelor of the year three times in a row and he's sick of it.  Although he's dated before, those women called him a control freak.  So for now he's alone.  Alaine Delacroix is a host of a television show who wants to move up to anchor.  When they become entangled in a case that pits her family against his, sparks fly!

Thoughts: Now that's more like it!  This was a fantastic book with a strong hero and heroine.  Forbes, while definitely a control freak, really does care about his family and I would say he's the best hero of the trilogy.  Funnily enough, his favorite book is Bleak House because he is interested in the law case.  His one flaw seems to be a lack of appreciation for old movies because I can see how his controlling natures stems from being the oldest child and how it reflects his deep love for his family.

Alaine is a television show host who was introduced in the second book.  After seeing Meredith's (Forbes' sister and heroine of Menu for Romance) happiness, she even more longs for a romantic relationship.  But she is conflicted because the possible love interest Forbes is connected to the family that is bent on destroying a set of small businesses including the one that provides her family's livelihood.  She is also grappling with appearances and the inner self, which she is able to settle.

As their relationship deepened, they both come to important conclusions about their careers that I think will lead them to great happiness.  They had a lot in common and they seemed to make each other laugh.  They also have strong relationships with their families and develop a good rapport with the other's family.  As always, they have relationships with God and the prayers they pray were very consoling to me.

Two problems were I felt that a. their attractiveness was emphasized too much and b. the ending was wrapped up too quickly. Of course, I don't want to read about a law case that drags on for decades so it's probably for the best!  I liked all the descriptions of food in this book even though as a very picky eater, I can't imagine eating any of it (for example I hate seafood).

Overall: The best of the trilogy and a satisfying conclusion to the Brides of Bonneterre trilogy!

Cover: While I have mentioned that I don't like the cut off heads, I really like this guy's suit and the blue on the cover.

Menu For Romance

Menu For Romance by Kaye Dacus

Barbour Publishing, Inc, 2009

317 pages

Contemporary, Inspirational, Romance

2nd in Brides of Bonneterre Series
3/5 stars

My review of the first book, Stand-In Groom, which I loved.

Source: Received from netgalley.

Summary: Meredith and Major are busy professionals at her family's company and they've had crushes on each other for years. But neither has ever dared to say anything. This year will be different. Meredith has made a New Year's resolution that she will find a relationship. And while Major doesn't want to saddle any woman with his mother's schizophrenia, he doesn't want to lose Meredith.

Thoughts: I didn't like this book as much as the first one because Meredith and Major are both in love with each other but are too afraid of getting involved because they don't think they're good enough. Plus Major keeps his mother and her mental problems hidden because while he "loves" Meredith, he thinks she would reject him if she knew. That doesn't indicate trust or respect or love to me.

Additionally Major at one point wants her to admit that she loves him even though he doesn't plan to act on it or anything!  I mean on the one hand, he's very old-fashioned chivalrous (sometimes it veers in to patronizing for me) and on the other hand he doesn't trust her at all which does not indicate a strong future for them.  Basically he wants her around for him even though he's not going to do anything about it.  I hate heroes like that!  They don't even deserve the label "hero" in my opinion.  When she finds out, he purposely misunderstands her good heart.  He is a disgusting coward who's ashamed of his mother and is a pathetic excuse for a man.  Eventually they have it all out but it was somewhat unsatisfying.  I don't see them having the future Anne and George will have and I don't really want to hear about them in the next book.

Also the whole John Wayne obsession thing was so played out.  First John Wayne was a right-wing racist nutcase, not someone I want to support.  Second it seemed like his publicist had arranged for all this extra publicity (obviously that's crazy because he's dead but it felt like that).  I was super pissed every time they talked about him.  The Dean Martin craze (and seriously who likes Dean more than Frank?!) in the first book was much less obtrusive.

Heroine: 4.5/5 (Strong, hard-worker, a bit of a mouse when it comes to her family; obviously bad taste in men)
Hero: 1/5 (for his cooking abilities; nothing to do with his interactions with the heroine.)

Overall: Less satisfying romance than the first book but I still love most of the people in Bonneterre.

Cover: Again it has the chopped off head but the fact that Major is a chef and that makes me think of cooking shows which I adore means that I prefer this cover to the first book's cover.

Stand-In Groom

Stand-In Groom by Kaye Dacus

Barbour Publishing, 2008

302 pages

Inspirational, Romance

1st in series-Brides of Bonneterre

4.5/5 stars

Source: Received from netgalley

Summary: Anne Hawthorne meets George Laurence, tall, good-looking, Christian, and not available. So not available in fact that she is planning his wedding to another woman. But George isn't exactly what he's portraying. Can Anne and George work through it to establish the kind of relationship they've been longing for?

Thoughts: Just reading the first few chapters left me feeling very inspired; I appreciated seeing their prayers and Anne's routine of keeping a prayer journal. Sometimes I rely solely on my memory, which is not the best method, instead of writing down my prayers so that I can reflect on how God answers them.

I've never been a fan of straightforward contemporary romance. Chick-lit*, fine. Historical, sure. YA, yes please! I guess I felt that something was missing. And that something apparently is God. I loved this book and would have to say that it is probably my second favorite inspirational fiction book (after Redeeming Love, obvs because that's the gold standard). And it stands pretty high on my list of favorite romances.

Anne and George were so obviously meant for each other and they built a solid foundation based on friendship and trust (although they had some troubles with the latter) and I guess that was my one tiny problem with the book. Anne was very broken when it came to trust issues due to her parents and her one previous boyfriend. Consequently I felt like she overreacted sometimes.

I also enjoyed her extended family (she has a HUGE family) who were colorful and most seemed carefully drawn and differentiated. Luckily this is a trilogy so I'll get to spend more time with them and find out more about them.

Overall: Outstanding! I'm very excited to read more of Dacus's work.

Cover: It's okay; I like the covers but I'm not a fan of the cropped off head.

Upcoming: About halfway through this (and I would have finished it faster if it wasn't an ebook that I could only read on my laptop), I looked on netgalley to see if they had the next two books in the series. They did, so expect reviews of those throughout the rest of August. I also found another book by Dacus starting a new series so expect that at some point too.

*I'm not a fan of the phrase chick-lit because 1. I've seen it to be used derogatorily as if books by, about, and for women are less praiseworthy than those about men and 2. Most fiction reading is done by females so really everything should fall under that label and anything that targets male readers should be the subsection. I do understand the very human need to classify and I guess that's where this comes from. I do consider myself a fan of chick-lit and I have several recommendations to look in to once I start to visit my library again.