Book Review - Christmas at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan

Christmas at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan This is one of the better ones of recent offerings which combine recipes with a romantic story. Isabel (Issy) Randall has a cupcake store which is doing well and a collection of staff and friends going through various problems – divorce, parenting etc. Her boyfriend, Austin has the chance of a great career move but it is to New York – all the way across the Atlantic. How will Issy and Austin work through this issue and will they end up together and if so, where? Pleasantly charming, light entertainment including some lovely younger characters. Wendy

Book Review - It's Raining Men by Milly Johnson

Three friends have booked a luxury spa retreat but the booking is mixed up and they end up in a strangely isolated, unfriendly village where they are astonished that the natural beauty and luscious local produce aren't more widely appreciated. Each of the women has their own romantic problems and there are coincidentally three brothers who own key properties including the cottage where they are staying. More depth than your usual Chicklit, with some unlovely characters causing mayhem and some lovely romantic moments blended with just a touch of magic which keep this seaside holiday story humming along. Understanding the village story helps each of the friends to find their happy ending. Wendy

Book Review - Happily Ever After by Harriet Evans

A deeply satisfying but easy read chronicling Elle's development from gawky social misfit to sophisticated New York editor. Finding her feet in the publishing profession, surviving a doomed love affair and coming to terms with her family history, Elle acquires a veneer of sophistication but secretly dreads revealing her real self. Full of insights into the publishing industry and including a marvelous publisher who insists she reads Georgette Heyer, one of my all time favourite authors. The tension between 'good' literature versus commercial sellers is realistically portrayed. Mistakes don't necessarily mean you miss out on the happy ending!

Book Review - The Wedding Bees by Sarah-Kate Lynch

This is a charming story of Sugar Wallace, an itinerant bee-keeper who arrives in a place only to sort out her new friends and then move on to pastures new chosen by her bees crawling on a map. But this time, Sugar gets more than she bargains for as her bees help her with her neighbours in a New York City apartment building and with her own bruised heart. Helping others can help you help yourself but you have to be open to life's hurts as well as its joys. I think this is my favourite read this year. Wendy

Book Review - The Honey Queen by Cathy Kelly

This is classic Kelly! Three women at different times in their lives all come to a small Irish village. Lillie has come from Australia to meet relatives she never knew about, as her birth mother died and her secret was revealed. Lillie is mourning the recent loss of her beloved husband. Her 'new' half brother and his wife have taken on a large house but then he lost his job and financial strains are complicating their relationship. Peggy arrives in town to open a new knitting shop but must reconcile her past before she can move on to a shining new future. How these and other well-drawn characters interact and help each other is a heart-warming read and one I would be happy to come back to again. It's life-affirming. Wendy

Book Review - Any Dream Will Do by Maria Duffy

Fiction Jenny Breslin has made a few very good friends on Twitter and has perhaps gilded the lily when describing her life to them. One night when drunk, she invites them all to come for a weekend. This sets her up to find that whilst none of them have exactly told the truth, their basic qualities confirm their friendship. It's too true that we can always learn a little more about ourselves when we open up to others. An Irish chicklit serving – light with a firm foundation and a happy ending. Wendy

Review - The Single Girl's To-Do List by Lindsey Kelk

This is a fluffy romp through modern romance. Rachel has been in a relationship with Simon that is comfortable and that she doesn't question. When he wants a break from their relationship, at first she is devastated but with the help of her two best friends, she makes a list of actions to enable her to take charge of her life. The ensuing adventures help all three of them understand just who is Mr Right for each of them. If you wanted to revitalize your own life, what would be on your list? Light entertainment for an idle afternoon Wendy

Review - I Should Be So Lucky by Judy Astley

Competent by the numbers chicklit with a young widow, celebrity stalkers, a handsome guerrilla gardener and a family inheritance mystery. Greg meets Viola who is determined to stay unattached since the death of her philandering second husband and the discovery that her first husband is gay. An interesting secondary story follows Viola's mother caring for one of her friends as she declines into old age. Light and escapist. A pleasant diversion. Wendy

Book Review - Daughters by Elizabeth Buchan

Lara has 2 step-daughters and a daughter from her marriage to Bill who is now getting married to Sarah. Eve, the younger step-daughter, is also getting married. During the course of the wedding preparations, Bill and Sarah inherit a huge old house, Bill and Lara finally address the loss of their stillborn son and all three daughters learn a few things about how they want to live their lives. Very different approaches to marriage and family exist within this one blended family. Resolving where each person 'fits', is an engrossing read.
Wendy

Book Review - In the Bag by Kate Klise

Daisy and her daughter Coco are on a plane, as are Andrew and his son Webb. The story is told through each of the character's viewpoints as a series of mishaps and misunderstandings complicate a very contemporary love story. Funny and charming, Kate Klise hits the spot with her first adult romance.
Wendy

Book Review - One Summer by Roisin Meaney

A succession of summer lets at Nell's house by the sea brings people who need to change direction in their lives to the perfect place for making decisions and seeing new possibilities. Nell is letting her house to earn money to save up for her wedding to Tim but she is spending dangerous amounts of time with everyone but him. Meanwhile other village residents also experience events of great sadness and great happiness as the summer unfolds. Relaxing reading by another accomplished Irish writer. There must be as many charming Irish villages as there are murders in Midsomer!
Wendy

Book Review - The House on Willow Street by Cathy Kelly

Cathy Kelly returns with 4 intertwined female characters, who go through a pivotal year which takes their lives in a new directions. Set in a small Irish village, the family home for some, a refuge for others, the women find love, comfort and understanding from each other and their community. Spend an engaging hour or two escaping the everyday.

Wendy

Book Review - The Love Letter by Fiona Walker

Fiona Walker is firmly in Bridget Jones territory as her characters inhabit both the world of business and that of English country homes where complicated family trees and fortunes wreak havoc with continuity of the local hunt and arts festivals. Allegra (Legs) North ran out on her fiancée, Francis, to have an affair with her married boss, Conrad. She has to return to the family home to set up a deal for her publishing company's best author, Gordon Lapsis, who she only knows via email. Along the way, she meets Byrne, a long lost Irish family connection as she tries to sort out her parents' marriage breakdown and resolve her own feelings for all the difficult and demanding men in her life. As Sir Walter Scott said in the Lay of the Last Minstrel , "What shall be the maiden's fate? Who shall be the maiden's mate?" This is a funny contemporary romance with a large & attractive cast and lovely English coastal setting. Suspend disbelief and enjoy!

Wendy

Chick-Lit Christmas? Yes Please

This time of year is a great time to get into Chic-Lit. Relax, take a load off and immerse yourself in a world of girly problems and triumphs. You're bound to love one of these fab reads (I like the look of the Hindi Bindi Club myself, there in the centre). Click the title to view more details, or pop into Camden and Narellan branches. And good luck with your Christmas shopping!

Better together by Sheila O'Flanagan

Shelia O'Flanagan is one of the reliable group of Irish writers bringing you stories of people and relationships with a serious undertone but a light touch. Settle down for some pleasant entertainment as journalist Sheridan Gray takes a job on a small regional newspaper after being made redundant by a big city sports desk. Sheridan’s landlady, Nina, has a TV soap actor husband who is having a fling with his attractive young co-star. And what a pity that the devastatingly handsome man at the junior soccer match is married…. or is he?
Wendy

Digital Shelves: Scrumptious Chick-Lit

These juicy chiclit titles are available at Camden and Narellan libraries. Click the titles to get more details.