In a “Bachelor” meets “Survivor”-style reality TV show, twelve women are flown to an undisclosed location to meet the eligible bachelor Ky, a former boy band member and the privileged son of an LA plastic surgeon. After arriving at a beautiful resort in Bali, the women compete for a chance at love as they fight to win Ky’s affection.

Morgan, the blunt, down-to-earth, girl next door; Harper, a wannabe Hollywood starlet who is competing not only for her fifteen minutes of fame but to win enough money for breast implants; and Brinkley, the innocent, Jesus-loving Midwesterner who believes that she and Ky are a match made in heaven, must go head-to-head with nine other women on group dates and in challenges to stay in the competition.

What happens behind the scenes when a dating reality show goes awry?

In this debut novel by Larkin, we get to learn more about the author’s experience as a young English woman who meets her eccentric biological American parents for the first time.

Enter Pippa Dunn, adopted as a baby and raised British. Imagine her surprise when she finds out that her birth parents live in the South of the US, meaning a culture clash of epic proportions.

Pippa is typical English girl: She has marmite on toast for breakfast, she knows how to make a perfect cup of tea, and she even attended a posh British boarding school. Yet she has always felt different from her adopted family, misunderstood by her intelligent, sophisticated sister and practical parents.

At the age of 28, Pippa finally discovers the true identity of her birth parents. She meets her freethinking, artistic birthmother and charming, hard-working birth father. Pippa decides to move to the US to be closer to her biological parents. At the same time, Pippa begins to build a relationship with a young man with a story similar to her own – he has recently found his own estranged father.

Although the novel sounds serious and emotional, it has its share of fun and humor. Readers loved the authentic, likable characters and upbeat pace of the book, though some found it “slow and boring.”

****½ (4.5/5)

It’s never too early to plan your summer reading list! In this Karen White novel, we meet Julie Holt – a woman who has been familiar with tragedy since the young age of 12. It was then that her younger sister disappeared, causing a loss that nearly destroyed her family.

Now an adult, Julie has a respected career in the arts, where she meets a struggling artist who brings back memories of her younger sister. This begins a friendship that encourages a long and painful healing process for Julie.

Julie soon finds herself visiting a house on the Gulf Coast that has been demolished by Hurricane Katrina. Julie doesn’t know where to turn, until she finds a place to stay with an older woman named Aimee. There she begins to explore family stories that take her deeper into her troubled past.

Fans of the book called it a beautiful story that tells a tale of love, family, and endurance. Other readers described the story as “interesting” as it explores the two subplots between Aimee’s past and Julie’s present.

Unfortunately, critics of the book found it slow with a predictable ending. Readers pointed to the main issues as lack of character development with a typical plot line and generic romance.

****½ (4.5/5)

In the latest novel from the New York Times best-selling author Andrews, we meet Annajane – a woman who finally thinks that she’s gotten over her ex-husband, Mason Bayless.

Annajane and Mason have been divorced for four years; Annajane has decided to move on with a new engagement to a seemingly wonderful man, and she’s ready to leave her small town and former marriage behind to start again. In fact, Annajane believes that she’s so over her ex that she decides to attend his wedding to his beautiful new bride Celia.

But as luck would have it, the wedding is stopped dramatically as the bride walks down the aisle, forcing Annajane to realize that she may have been given the second chance she was looking for.

Do things really happen for a reason? Is this the perfect opportunity for Annajane to get Mason back?

To add a wrench to the plot, people from Annajane’s past are hell-bent on keeping her from getting what she wants. It may not be as easy as she hoped to win back her ex and start a new future.

Fans of the book highly recommend the novel as a five-star summer read with believable dialogue and relatable characters. Unfortunately, critics of the book called it “just okay” with a plot that went on far too long.

****½ (4.5/5)

I just finished reading the very latest by Jane Green, and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Not that I’m not already a huge fan of Green, but the plot for this book seemed a little heavy to be considered chick lit. Still, it was a page-turner that was well worth the read.

In this book, we meet Andi who has finally found the perfect man at the ripe, old age of 37. The catch is that Ethan is divorced with two daughters, and his oldest daughter Emily is far from easy to get along with. Andi has always wanted to become a mother but loving Emily is more difficult than she anticipated. On top of that, Ethan doesn’t want to adopt a baby after Andi has trouble getting pregnant naturally.

As the story unfolds, we find out more about Emily’s pain, her biological mother’s drinking problem, and Andi’s temptations in her marriage. As Emily tries to do everything in her power to destroy her father’s new relationship, Andi must undergo the ultimate test as a mother and a wife.

All in all, the novel is a great read with addicting characters and a plot that will stick in your mind long after you put the book down for the night.

[Rating: 5/5]

This latest Jennifer Weiner installment is addicting, to say the least. I have to say that I’m a sucker for multiple character stories woven together that will keep you turning page after page to find out what happens.

Without further ado… We’re introduced to a Princeton senior on full scholarship named Jules who is enticed into selling her eggs for cash to help save her drug addicted father. Then there’s Annie, a stressed housewife in Pennsylvania who believes that surrogacy will bring in some much-needed income to save her marriage.

India (not her real name) is married to a wealthy older man and is hoping for a baby to bring purpose to her life and marriage. As you may have guessed, India is connected to both Jules and Annie as the egg donor and surrogate to her unborn child. And don’t forget about Bettina, the privileged stepdaughter of India who has it out for her stepmother from the very beginning. Bettina is dead set on uncovering India’s past because she believes that her stepmother is hiding a deep, dark secret that could affect her family.

Although the book may not constitute light, fluffy chick lit, it is tender, endearing, and charming. If you’re a fan of Weiner, Then Came You won’t steer you wrong!

***½~ (3.5/5)

In this story, we meet Lindsey Rose, a 29-year-old who has lived in the shadow of her gorgeous fraternal twin sister Alex for what seems like her entire life. But now, Lindsey wants to get noticed and separate herself from the competition with her beautiful twin.

Lindsey is close to being named the VP Creative Director of the posh advertising agency where she works in New York City, after slaving away for more than 80 hours a week. But after one devastating night, everything that Lindsey has worked for seems to fall apart.

Spurred on by humiliation, Lindsey decides to flee from Manhattan and return to her childhood home in Maryland. At the same time, her twin sister is in the midst of planning her luxurious wedding to Mr. Perfect; Lindsey continues to struggle with her identity as the good, responsible sister while she tries to get her life back on track.

The story becomes even more complicated when a family secret is revealed that causes both sisters to reevaluate their own life choices and the paths that they will take.

Most reader reviews praised the book for how it explored the relationship of two incredibly close sisters. The book is recommended for fans of Jennifer Weiner and Emily Giffin. Readers who didn’t like the book found it “uninteresting”, and some enjoyed it so little that they couldn’t finish it.

****½ (4.5/5)

To start, I have to clarify that I absolutely love Madeleine Wickham, even more than her later alter ego Sophie Kinsella. I don’t know why, but I appreciate her older novels because they’re interesting, charming, and simple. What’s not to love?

With that in mind, I really, really wanted to love 40 Love, a snappy novel about new money and high society in England. In the book, we meet four couples, three of which were old friends before moving into bigger houses in richer neighborhoods. The couples come together for a weekend tennis party hosted by Patrick and his tacky wife.

As the weekend progresses, all of the couples begin to unravel slowly. Patrick is desperate to push his sketchy investments on all of his friends in order to meet his yearly quota; Charles and his wife find out a startling secret that rocks the foundation of their family fortune; innocent and poor Stephen and his wife feel inferior to all of their rich friends.

The plot itself sounds like a wonderful premise full of intricacies and dark secrets, but it just doesn’t seem to come together. Many of the characters are difficult to relate to, and sad to say, the book becomes a chore to read at times.

***~~ (3/5)

In this novel, we meet Chloe, who is in desperate need of a holiday. Her husband Philip is having difficulty at work, and their entire family needs a break. We also meet Hugh and Amanda, an unhappy man with an immaculate trophy wife that obsesses over every detail of their home.

When the two families arrive on vacation in Spain, they’re in for one big surprise since the reservation has been double-booked. Rather than give up on the vacation altogether, the families decide to bite the bullet and share the villa. Soon enough, tensions begin to mount in the cramped quarters.

What none of the other guests realize is that, as luck would have it, Chloe and Hugh have a shared history. Is it possible that this accidental meeting wasn’t so accidental after all?

Chloe decides to keep her past love affair a secret from her husband, while expressing her hurt and bitterness to Hugh. Chloe is stuck between a rock and a hard place as she considers making a change to start a new life with Hugh, the life that she could have had 15 years ago.

Some fans of Wickham and Kinsella absolutely adored the book as Wickham spins a captivating chick lit tale that is true to form. Unfortunately, other readers called the book “just okay” since the characters weren’t likable enough to make the novel a page-turner.

***~~ (3/5)

To start out this review, I have to be completely honest. I couldn’t get beyond the first 20 pages of the book. While the plot seemed on the money, all about superficial Hollywood trophy wives, the writing, to me, seemed disingenuous and unbelievable. And if I can’t identify with the main character, I can’t read the book, plain and simple.

In this book, we meet Haley Cutler, who has just been screwed over by a sudden divorce from her rich producer husband. Although Haley thought that she married Prince Charming, she lived as a trophy wife for seven years and wound up with nothing in the end.

When her ex-husband’s lawyer suggests that she joined a Bible study called The Trophy Wives Club, Haley is immediately offended. But she ultimately gives in in a desperate attempt to make new friends post-divorce. Ultimately, Haley must realize that she can stand on her own two feet and move beyond the dreaded “Trophy Wife” label.

Surprisingly, many of the readers sympathized with the main character and identified with her plight. However, other readers found the narrative to be both whiny and cynical with a little bit of unnecessary preaching from the author on how divorce shouldn’t be considered the only viable option in a bad relationship.

Although this book was impossible for me to read, fans of Billerbeck may disagree.

****~ (4/5)