Contributor Spotlight: Review of Until the End of Forever

February 7, 2011 The Chick Lit Bee

Nancy's Review of Until the End of Forever by Shannon Hart

In Until the End of Forever, Sarah Matthews has recurring nightmares that she is drowning and she can’t figure out why. They have gotten so bad that they are disrupting her life. Sarah has a devoted husband, Rob, and two children, Katie and Josh. She also has a small graphic design company with her sister-in-law, Lucy. Sarah thinks she has it all, but her subconscious tells her otherwise. The nightmares gnaw at her when she is asleep and awake. Her friend, Samantha, is able to tell that she is unhappy and tells her repeatedly to see a therapist, something Sarah refuses to do. When they both have lunch with Rhonda, Sarah’s previous boss, Rhonda presents Sarah with an opportunity to go to Paris for a few weeks to work on coffee table books. Sarah is reluctant to leave her family but realizes that this could be the way to clear her head and finally get past her awful nightmares. After convincing Rob that Paris is exactly what she needs, Sarah leaves everything behind, seeking a change of scenery, new people, relaxation, and a new perspective on her life. However, when she gets there, she wonders if she made the right choice. She worries that her absence is hurting her marriage and her relationships with her kids. She worries that she won’t find any of the answers she is looking for in Paris. But, most of all, she worries that things will never be the same when she returns from her trip.

This book is told from both Sarah’s and Rob’s perspectives. There are a lot of flashbacks throughout the book to the beginning of Sarah’s and Rob’s relationship, detailing what led them to their current situation. They have been inseparable since they met, but their relationship is put to the test when Sarah chooses to go to Paris. The flashbacks provide some necessary background information but the story could have been a bit better with less of them and more action in the present instead. Hart paints an accurate picture of a marriage in a rut. Many people will be able to relate to Sarah’s feelings that her life has become mundane, predictable, and boring. She seeks excitement but isn’t exactly sure how to find it, a common problem for people who get caught up in family life and their careers, forgetting to take time for themselves. Sarah and Rob face a road filled with uncertainty, tragedy, and loss on their way to rediscovering each other and what they want out of life. Until the End of Forever is a quick, thought provoking read. Readers who enjoy Hart’s short stories will definitely enjoy her novel.

Shannon Hart is a contributor here at The Chick Lit Bee. She writes short stories regularly for us. Until the End of Forever is her first novel and she is currently finishing up her second manuscript. Aside from writing, Shannon enjoys reading, shopping, and movie nights with her husband. To learn more visit www.shannon-hart.com and follow Shannon on Twitter.
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Have you read Shannon's novel or short stories? Tell us what you think. Thanks!
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Check out the publisher of Until the End of Forever, Black Leaf Publishing.

Pretty Little Pocket Full of Secrets: If At First You Don't Succeed, Lie, Lie Again

February 2, 2011 The Chick Lit Bee

In last night's episode, If At First You Don't Succeed, Lie, Lie Again, the Liars try to figure out who the shadow is in the picture of Alison that A sent in the previous episode. The girls determine that the photo had to have been taken from Alison's bedroom, so maybe it was her brother, Jason, who took it. Spencer volunteers to talk to Jason about it since he's back in town. Hanna's mom finds out that the woman she stole the money from, Miss Potter, made an appointment to see her. When Spencer meets up with Jason, he tells her that he will have his private investigator determine if the photo is real or not. Emily rejoins the swim team and beats her record time. Spencer gets tickets for Aria and Ezra to attend an art gallery exhibit out of town so they can have a real date. Paige is on the swim team with Emily and she is threatened by Emily. She gives everyone on the team presents so that they will like her more than Emily. Aria asks Ezra to the art exhibit and he accepts. Hanna gets detention for ditching PE too many times. A puts a card in Hanna's locker that A will pay Hanna if she gives a ticket to the art exhibit to Aria's mom so she can see that Aria is dating a teacher. Hanna goes home and finds her mom very upset about money issues, so Hanna reluctantly agrees to do what A asks of her. Paige confronts Emily in the locker room with a homophobic slur. Hanna puts the art exhibit ticket in Aria's mom's mailbox at school. Hanna feels bad about this, so she tells Aria not to go on the date. This results in an argument between Aria and Hanna. Emily tells Spencer about Paige's inappropriate comment in the locker room. They open Paige's gift and find that it is a bracelet similar to Alison's duplicate bracelet. They plan to go to the store and ask who purchased Alison's fake bracelet. Hanna tries to stop Aria's mom from using the ticket but she isn't quick enough and has to go to detention. Caleb is in detention too and Hanna tells him that she was trying to stop Aria's mom from going somewhere. Aria goes to Ezra's apartment to meet him for their date and is surprised to find that he has rented a limo for them. Aria's mom's car won't start when she tries to go to the art exhibit. The swim coach confronts Paige and Emily about the homophobic comment but Emily refuses to talk about it. Aria's dad shows up to help Aria's mom with her car but they can't fix it, so he drives her to the exhibit. Jason shows up at Spencer's house to tell her that the photo of Alison is real. He says that he may have taken the picture but doesn't remember because at the time, he was always high. He tells Spencer that he used to get high with Ian a lot. Spencer tells Emily that she told the swim coach about Paige's comment. Emily gets upset and leaves Spencer's house. Aria and Ezra have a great time at the exhibit. Her mom never comes inside because she ends up kissing Aria's dad in the car. Hanna is upset and shows up at her mom's office before her appointment with Miss Potter. They find out that Miss Potter passed away that day. Spencer goes alone to the bracelet store and the clerk tells her that Alison's bracelet was bought by Spencer. Aria and Hanna talk and work everything out without Hanna telling her about A's request or the money issues. Paige holds Emily underwater to scare her and threatens her. Caleb reveals to Hanna that he was the one who messed with Aria's mom's car so she couldn't go to the exhibit. Aria and her mom lie to each other about where they were the night before. Spencer tells the other girls that she had a huge fight with Alison before the photo was taken and she is the shadow in the picture because she was chasing Alison after Alison stormed out of her house. Spencer blames herself for Alison's death. The Liars see Jason in the window across from Spencer's bedroom window. The last scene is back at the bracelet store. The clerk tells A that she did exactly what A asked her to do.

It seems to me like there have been three episodes in a row that are just moving the plot forward. They haven't had any intense action or huge reveals since the season premiere. While it is slightly disappointing, I understand that not all episodes can be edge-of-your-seat exciting. My favorite scene of last night's episode was when Aria asked Ezra to the art exhibit. She went into his classroom, and even though there were other students there, she still managed to ask him out on the sly. I loved the song that was playing, Hey Na Na by Katie Hertzig. The date between Aria and Ezra was nice. It was great to see them actually having fun. I think it was sweet that he got a limo for them to go in but I also wonder if he did that on purpose so they wouldn't be seen by anyone on the train. I'm annoyed with Hanna. I think she has taken so many steps backward. I can't believe she gave the ticket to Aria's mom just because A told her to. I understand that her mom has money problems but still. It was totally uncalled for and I'm glad Spencer said that line about standing up to bullies. Hanna is totally being bullied by A because she feels so bad for her mom. A is so manipulative, but would we expect anything less from A? I don't know what will happen with Caleb and Hanna. I don't really like Caleb. He tries to act like such a "bad boy" but he isn't appealing at all. I think Emily was justified in being upset with Spencer. Spencer had no right to tell the swim coach about Paige's comment without asking Emily first if she wanted her help. Even though she thought she was helping and protecting Emily, sometimes she needs to back off. Emily is capable of taking care of situations on her own and Spencer's comment to Emily about Emily never standing up to Alison was a low blow. I don't really understand the ending when Jason was in the window across from Spencer's house. Whose house was he in? Are we supposed to know? Because I don't. Hopefully, Noel and Lucas will make some appearances in next week's episode, Je Suis une Amie. It looks like an exciting episode. We'll see!

That's all for this week's PLPFS. To catch up on the previous four episodes and read my thoughts on them, check out Moments Later, Salt Meets Wound, Know Your Frenemies, and Careful What U Wish 4. Don't forget to share your opinions with us and come back next Tuesday for another recap and discussion of PLL.

Better lock it in your pocket, taking this one to next week...

Nancy

Pretty Little Pocket Full of Secrets: Careful What U Wish 4

January 25, 2011 The Chick Lit Bee

In last night's episode, Careful What U Wish 4, the Liars try to make sense of the creepy video of Ian and Alison. They are interrupted by Ian, though he doesn't see what they were watching, and they all think he's a killer. At school, the Liars decorate for the dance-a-thon dance. Hanna tells Sean that she needs to get a job so she can make money to buy earrings, but she really needs money to pay her mom back for their money that was stolen. Aria's former babysitter, Simone, is back in town and surprises Aria. Aria's mom sets Simone up with Ezra since she thinks he's single. Emily can't reach Maya, so Hanna gives Emily's phone to new kid Caleb to help her. The Liars want to turn Spencer's laptop in to police since it has the video of Alison and Ian on it but they realize that the laptop was stolen from Spencer's bag. Emily tries to get her phone back early from Caleb but he charges her more for his services. Hanna tries to get a job at a clothing store but they won't hire her because her mom owes the store money. Aria shows up at Ezra's apartment without calling first and he tells her that he has to leave to meet Simone for coffee. Spencer asks Ian if he has seen her laptop and he says no. He tells her that he will be chaperoning the dance. The Liars are really uncomfortable at the dance because Ian is there. Simone shows up at the dance and Aria wasn't expecting her to be there. She is there to see Ezra who is also a chaperon. She likes him a lot and Aria is jealous. Emily sees Ian lock his briefcase in his desk, so the other girls try to get the key. Eventually, Aria gets the key and gives it to Spencer. Hanna tells Caleb off for overcharging Emily for her phone. A texts Hanna and tells her that he/she will pay her to dance with Lucas. Sean dumps Hanna because she is dancing with Lucas and she can't tell him why. Emily finally reaches Maya but is disappointed when Maya is really distant. Emily gets upset and drinks all of the alcohol in the flask that Hanna brought to the dance. A keeps texting Hanna offering more and more money to dance with Lucas. Caleb helps Spencer break into Ian's desk but the laptop isn't there. Aria is so jealous of Ezra and Simone that she tries to confront them, but Spencer intervenes and asks Ezra to dance. Emily drunkenly tells Hanna that Hanna is just like Alison for torturing Lucas by dancing with him when she knows how he feels about her and she doesn't feel the same way about him. Then, Emily confronts Ian and says that they all know what he did. Spencer covers it up by saying that she told them that he kissed her last summer. He threatens her if that's not the truth. Lucas wants to take Hanna home but she refuses, telling him that Emily needs her. She pulls her scarf out of her pocket and all of the money she earned from dancing with Lucas falls out. Then, she goes with Emily and Spencer to Spencer's house. Ezra and Aria argue about Simone but Ezra assures Aria that he's in love with her. Hanna helps Emily to bed since she's drunk. She tells Emily she feels horrible about dancing with Lucas and admits that her actions were worse than Alison's. She says she had to mess with Lucas and that it wasn't for fun, but she realizes Emily is asleep, so she doesn't elaborate. Spencer and Hanna find the laptop on the coffee table and discover that the video was erased. Instead, there is a picture of Alison that says, "Watch your backs. I didn't. -A." The last scene is back at the coat check at the dance. Aria's mom gives a jacket and gloves back to someone who is unseen and who is presumably A.

I didn't like the Hanna/Lucas scenes. Before watching the episode, I read somewhere that there were going to be some sweet moments between Hanna and Lucas at a dance, but I didn't think their scenes were sweet at all. I think Hanna is reverting back to her old ways because of A. She came such a long way in the first half of the season and actually became friends with Lucas and seemed to really like him. Now, she's acting like the popular girl again who is way too good for him and just uses him for her own benefit. I was hoping she wouldn't give into A and wouldn't torture Lucas like that just for money but she did. A definitely knows Hanna's weaknesses since he/she made her eat all those cupcakes in the last episode too. I think Hanna needs to stand up to A eventually. I really don't like what she did to Lucas because I was rooting for them and now it's ruined. I doubt they will ever get together. Supposedly, Hanna and Caleb are going to date in upcoming episodes. I don't really like Caleb. He seems like a jerk who has secrets of his own. I bet he will cause trouble for the Liars. I wonder if Simone will be in any other episodes to cause more drama between Ezra and Aria. I also wonder if their relationship can handle anything else. They already have to sneak around but adding Simone to the mix makes everything even more difficult for them. I don't really know what to make of the whole Ian situation right now. He is definitely creepy but it's hard to know exactly what he has done. I'm not totally convinced that he killed Alison, despite the video that A sent to the Liars. The next episode is If At First You Don't Succeed, Lie, Lie Again. Can't wait to see what happens!

That's all for this week's PLPFS. To catch up on the previous three episodes and read my thoughts on them, check out Moments Later, Salt Meets Wound, and Know Your Frenemies. Don't forget to share your opinions with us and come back next Tuesday for another recap and discussion of PLL.

Better lock it in your pocket, taking this one to next week...

Nancy

Book Review: The Love Goddess' Cooking School

January 24, 2011 The Chick Lit Bee

Nancy's Review of The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate

In The Love Goddess’ Cooking School, Holly Maguire leaves California after a tough break-up to visit her grandmother, Camilla, on Blue Crab Island in Maine. Shortly after Holly arrives, Camilla passes away, leaving Holly to pick up the pieces and continue her grandmother’s legacy by running her Italian food store and teaching cooking classes. The only problem is that Holly doesn’t know how to cook that well, despite watching her grandmother cook when she was younger. Holly is grief stricken and lacks confidence in her abilities in the kitchen. She must push through her obstacles in order to honor her grandmother. In the process, she meets a group of interesting people who sign up for her first cooking class. One of them is an eleven year old girl named Mia who is determined to learn to cook for her single father, so that he won’t marry his girlfriend who Mia hates. Holly takes Mia under her wing, growing very close to Mia and her dad, Liam, but his girlfriend and an unexpected long-term visit from his ex-wife make everything very complicated. Holly is also determined to start getting catering jobs, so that she can make enough money to keep the business she inherited open. While getting to know the people of Blue Crab Island and reading her grandmother’s diary, Holly discovers secrets from the past and present. She learns more than she ever thought she would about her newfound friends, her family, and most importantly, herself.

Senate writes beautifully from start to finish. She paints an engaging an inviting picture of life on Blue Crab Island and all of its quirky residents. Holly’s shortcomings will be easy for readers to relate to and they will be rooting for her to succeed all the way until the last page. Her relationship with Mia is heartwarming, giving Holly a chance to display her motherly instincts, even though she doesn’t have children of her own yet. The other characters are well developed and will keep readers interested throughout the novel. The drawback of this book is that Holly’s grandmother, Camilla, is not in any of the scenes since she is deceased. Readers learn about her through her diary and Holly’s memories. Camilla seems like such an engaging, wise, and fun woman that it is really a shame that she is not physically present in the story. Understandably, her death is the catalyst for Holly’s journey but, most likely, readers will close the book still wanting to learn more about her. If the story were restructured a bit, perhaps Camilla could have been in a nursing home or in the hospital or had some other reason for needing Holly to take over, that way Holly could have still had an adventure and also spoken to Camilla. But then it would have been a very different book. Overall, The Love Goddess’ Cooking School is an enchanting story that will capture the hearts of foodies and hopeless romantics.

Melissa Senate is the author of ten novels in adult fiction and young adult fiction including See Jane Date, The Solomon Sisters Wise Up, Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?, Theodora Twist, The Breakup Club, Love You To Death, Questions to Ask Before Marrying, The Secret of Joy, The Mosts, and The Love Goddess' Cooking School. Check out our interview with her here to learn more about how she started her writing career.

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Follow Melissa on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MelissaSenate

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Have you read this book or any of Senate's other books? Share your thoughts in the comments section. We'd love to hear from you!

Pretty Little Pocket Full of Secrets: Know Your Frenemies

January 19, 2011 The Chick Lit Bee

In last night's episode, Know Your Frenemies, Spencer hears Melissa and Ian whispering in the kitchen after they return from their honeymoon. She tries to hear what they are saying but is unable to. Eventually, she learns from Melissa that they are trying to have a baby but were also trying to keep it a secret. Spencer decides to call the resort in South Carolina where Ian and Alison stayed to see if she can find anything out about their trip together. Emily is skeptical that Ian was involved in Alison's disappearance. The relationship between Hanna and her mom is a bit strained since all of their "borrowed" money was stolen at Hanna's surprise party. A tells Hanna that she will get the money back if she goes to a certain address. When Hanna arrives at the address, it is a cupcake shop. A text messages Hanna and tells her to sit down outside of the store and eat six cupcakes that are decorated with pigs. Hanna agrees and eats all of the cupcakes in front of football players who make fun of her. Aria shows up and Hanna confides in her that Alison used to help her throw up after a binge. Aria tells Hanna that is really dangerous behavior but Hanna assures her that she has changed. When Hanna goes into the bathroom alone, she contemplates throwing up but doesn't. She grabs some paper towels and discovers the money attached to the towels. A kept his/her promise. Elsewhere in Rosewood, Toby is tormented on the street and at school being called a killer and a murderer since everyone thinks he killed Alison. Spencer doubts it is Toby and begins to soften towards him. Emily and Maya have a study date. When Emily's mom comes home and finds them together, she freaks out. In Maya's hurry to leave, she leaves her backpack behind. Emily's mom goes through it and discovers drugs. She forbids Emily from seeing Maya and turns Maya in. The other girls arrange for Emily to see Maya one last time before Maya goes to juvie. Noel threatens Ezra by implying that he will report Ezra to the principal for dating Aria if he does not change Noel's grade on a paper. Ezra refuses to change it. Aria finds out from her brother that Noel is going to tell the principal, so she rushes over to Ezra's apartment to spend the night with him. He reveals that he is going to quit his job and leave Rosewood so Noel can't report him. When they arrive at school the next day, Noel gets in trouble for cheating before Ezra has a chance to resign, so it looks like Ezra will be staying. At the end of the episode, the girls are at Spencer's house when Aria receives a text from A to look at her computer. A sent them a video of Alison and Ian together the night that Alison disappeared. It isn't shown but implied by background noise that Ian killed Alison. The girls are shocked. They hear someone outside, so they chase after him/her but the person, presumably A, gets away.

This wasn't my favorite episode. It was interesting and kept the story moving along but it wasn't as exciting as other episodes. I was disappointed that Lucas wasn't in this episode at all, so there weren't any Hanna/Lucas scenes. I think it will be interesting to see where the Spencer/Toby storyline goes. I think Spencer is going to befriend Toby now that she is pretty sure he didn't kill Alison. I don't think Noel is A, even though he was outside of the bakery when Hanna ate all the cupcakes. I think that was just a coincidence. Hanna's scenes were really sad. I think she is starting to unravel a bit because of A's demands and the money problems. I wouldn't be surprised if she leans on Lucas in future episodes, even though they aren't on the best terms right now. I'm more and more suspicious of Ian. I think he is A. He seems so secretive and creepy. If we are to believe the video, it seems like he really did kill Alison, unless Alison and Ian faked the video and made it seem like he killed her but she's actually still alive somewhere. I really think she's still alive. How else would A know all of the girls' secrets that only Alison knew? I think maybe Ian and Alison are A together. Can't wait to see the next episode Careful What U Wish 4.

That's all for this week's PLPFS. To catch up on the previous two episodes and read my thoughts on them, check out Moments Later and Salt Meets Wound. Don't forget to share your opinions with us and come back next Tuesday for another recap and discussion of PLL.

Better lock it in your pocket, taking this one to next week...

Nancy