Book Review: Feng Shui Love

Elise’s Review of Feng Shui Love by Joni Davis and Lisa Hyatt

Joni Davis and Lisa Hyatt make a fresh contribution to the Chick Lit genre with their first novel Feng Shui Love. Published in November 2009 by Palari Publishing, the book follows Lily Chamberlayne as she attempts to pick up the pieces of her life after she discovers (on her second honeymoon) that her seemingly “perfect” husband is having an affair with his assistant. Luckily, for Lily, her eccentric mother Lauraine introduces her to the principles of Feng Shui and helps on the road to recovery of her love life.

After Lily discovers her husband’s affair, she relocates from Washington, D.C. to New York City to reconnect with her best friend, Brooke Bellevue. Together Lily and Brooke attempt to navigate the New York “single’s scene,” with limited success. Lily also meets up with an old high school friend, Will, who has always had a little crush on her. When Lauraine comes to visit the girls in New York City she realizes why they aren’t having any success in the dating world, and gets to work (with the help of Justin, a Feng Shui expert) ridding Brooke’s apartment of negative love energy from failed relationships. With their house in order, love and prosperity begin to find both Brooke and Lily…with a few snags along the way.

Davis and Hyatt create a fast-paced story with non-stop twists and turns. You are definitely in for several surprises as you make your way through this novel! And, as with many chick lit stories, this novel is written from the perspective of the protagonist so we are surprised right along with her as the story unfolds.

If you don’t believe in Feng Shui love, you might just change your mind after reading this book. Davis and Hyatt definitely will have you believing that you need a love rock and your own Feng Shui expert before you finish the last page. Feng Shui Love Child, a sequel to Feng Shui Love, is already in development by the authors.    

For more information about Feng Shui Love and its authors you can visit the book’s website at http://www.fengshuilove.com/. You can also follow the book on Twitter and Facebook and check out the book’s blog. Feng Shui Love can be purchased at all major bookstores or online by visiting What We're Reading. To learn more about other books published by Palari Publishing you can visit http://www.palaribooks.com/.
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Book Review: Family Affair

Kelly’s Review of Family Affair: A Novel by Caprice Crane

Family Affair: A Novel is author and Los Angeles native Caprice Crane’s third novel. Published in September 2009 by Bantam Dell, an imprint of Random House, the book follows a couple navigating a divorce and the ensuing custody battle over the husband’s immediate family.

When Layla and Brett began dating in high school, Layla found the family she’d always wanted in The Fosters. Now, after six years of marriage, college football coach Brett is feeling as though the spark is gone and is resentful of the close relationship Layla has with his family. Layla, a pet photographer who is blissfully unaware of her husband’s unhappiness, mistakenly thinks Brett wants to take their marriage to the next level and suggests having a baby. She learns Brett actually wants to take things in a different direction – he wants a divorce. Layla is devastated but refuses to lose The Fosters and the years of memories she has made with them. She and Brett begin vying for The Fosters' allegiance by showering them with expensive gifts, planning family outings and other desperate acts of bribery. Layla eventually decides to make it a legal matter and files for joint custody of her in-laws.

Colorful characters decorate the pages of this novel. Brett’s brother Scott is a socially awkward aspiring comic book author harboring a clandestine love for Layla. Brett’s sister and Layla’s business partner, Trish, is a lesbian who speaks her mind and attempts to knock some sense into her immature brothers. Each chapter is written in the first person from the perspective of a different family member. This style allows the reader to jump into the family feud and get wrapped up in their dysfunction.

Crane has a knack for realistic dialogue that can likely be credited to her experience writing for television and the big screen. Her ability to paint such an accurate picture of modern family dynamics is what makes this book so easy to relate to and entertaining.

For more information about Crane visit her website at http://www.capricecrane.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @capricecrane. Family Affair: A Novel can be purchased at all major bookstores or online by visiting What We're Reading. To learn more about other books published by Bantam Dell you can visit http://bantam-dell.atrandom.com. 
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Book Review: The Icing on the Cupcake

Nancy’s Review of The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross

Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, published The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross in April of this year. This is the third novel from Ross, who wrote her previous novels under the pen name JC Conklin. The Icing on the Cupcake tells the story of Ansley Waller, a young Texan woman who is dumped by her fiancé. Ansley must reevaluate her life and decides to leave Dallas for New York to live with her estranged grandmother, Vivian. While Ansley works toward opening her own cupcake shop in an unfamiliar city, Vivian must deal with unfinished financial business left behind by her late husband. These women rely on baking to help them overcome life’s obstacles.

Ansley is introduced as a snobby girl who is disliked by most of her sorority sisters at Baylor University. When her fiancé dumps her because she is horribly mean to others, she realizes that she must change her attitude if she wants to succeed in anything. Ansley gets some initial tough love from Vivian when she arrives in New York, which sets her on the path to discovering who she is and the right way to interact with others. Vivian is a strong willed woman who harbors secrets and regrets that have consumed her for many years. As she gets to know Ansley, she increasingly hopes she will get a chance to reunite with her own daughter, Hattie. Vivian and Ansley form a believable bond but lack communication with each other despite living in the same house. The Dallas lifestyle is described in significant detail. It is important to know what kind of background Ansley comes from to understand the magnitude of her decisions in New York. Other notable characters are Ansley’s ex-fiancé Parish, Ansley’s sorority sister Patty, Ansley’s new friend Dot, Vivian’s daughter Hattie, and Vivian’s financial advisor Thad.

The Icing on the Cupcake is an enjoyable, quick read. The cupcake recipes at the end of each chapter are great additions to the book. They allow readers to see exactly what Ansley and Vivian are up to. Cupcake lovers and foodies alike will find these recipes useful and will take an interest in reading about the ups and downs of opening a cupcake shop.

For more information about Ross and to read her blog you can visit http://www.theicingonthecupcake.net. You can also follow her on Twitter @cupcakeauthor. The Icing on the Cupcake can be purchased at all major bookstores or online by visiting What We're Reading. To learn more about other books published by Ballantine Books you can visit http://www.ballantinebooks.com.
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What do you think of this review? Do you want to read The Icing on the Cupcake? Have you read it or read Ross's other books? Let us know!