Chicklit Batch!

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

I'm reading a lot faster than I'm reviewing, so I'll try to catch up with "batch" posts. Hope that's OK.



Houston, We Have a Problema by Gwendolyn Zepeda. This fast-paced, often funny book tells the story of Jessica Luna, a Latina with a love for art, a boring day job, and a strong belief in signs and the supernatural. She visits a psychic, hears some predictions, and proceeds to bumble around getting in the way of her own happiness.

I liked the tone and humor of the book a lot, but it suffered from some tired chicklit tropes, including the interfering family, sister with seemingly perfect life, body image crap, etc. But it's a quick read and there are some lovely details about the Houston, Texas setting, and the stuff about the art world politics seems right on to me. (#3 of my 50 books.)

Single Mama Drama by Kayla Perrin. A romantic thriller with a strong chicklit feel, the novel follows Vanessa Cain through the aftermath of her fiance's headline-grabbing murder. Turns out he was still married! And shot in the act with another woman! The soap-opera feel of the plot (the dead fiance was a former pro football player, to boot) is balanced by Perrin's strong writing, characterization, and humor. That said, the page-turning plot goes weirdly astray about three-quarters of the way into the book, and the ending feels a bit unfinished. (#5 of my 50 books.)

Tastes Like Chicken by Lolita Files. Files combines the glitz and drama of old-school writers like Jacqueline Susann and Jayne Ann Krentz with the humor and attention to detail of today's best chicklit writers. This book centers around the disastrous wedding of Reesy Snowden and Dandre Hilliard. When their relationship implodes at the altar, Reesy flees to the other side of the country; Dandre pursues, determined to win her back. There's some interesting stuff about Hollywood, and a subplot about midlife crises among black community leaders, but I enjoyed this less than some other books I've read by Files. (Her previous books featuring Reesy Snowden and her best friend, Misty Fine--Scenes from a Sistah and Getting to the Good Part--are stronger.) (#8 of my 50 books.)

Comments

[meril.livejournal.com]

Kayla Perrin is still writing books involving football players (more or less?) I wonder if this one is tied in with her other books. I've read The Sweet Spot and liked it, but haven't read Gimme an O yet--I'll get around to it eventually.

[bulliciosa.livejournal.com]

I usually avoid chicklit as if it were the plague, but I may have to cave and check out the first and the last one.

Thanks for the reviews.