'And What Do You Do?" Sarah Long

First... a couple of my favourite quotes from the book...

"You said a rude word mum,' remarked her other son helpfully, 'Arsehole, that's where your poo comes out. I don't know any other mummies who say arsehole.'

"Oh good, you got some more carrots. Are they organic?' Laura couldn't understand why Asa was so interested in the provenance of her food, since everything she ate was discreetly regurgitated in the bathroom shortly afterwards.'

"Rice or pasta?' she bellowed back to her boys. 'Pierre-Louis will take rice and I will take pasta.' It served her right for asking.

PLOT: From the outside it seems like Laura has it all... a gorgeous French husband, two darling boys, and a wonderful lady-of-leisure lifestyle in Paris. She fills in her day eating croissants, going to museums, and chauferring her children tooand from school. And yet as perfect as her life appears, something just seems to be missing. How can she possibly stretch out breakfast all morning? Laura's live in au pair is driving her insane! And Laura's husband is hardly even in their beautiful home. He is so often working on weekends and staying back late at work. So when Laura finds out that her husband is having an affair with his stunning assistant Flavia, she decides to get her own back in the most interesting way.

REVIEW: So often other people ask us irritating questions such as 'and what do you do?'  Laura justifies the question that many housewives have come to dread in this light, yet addictive novel.

The setting of this story was flawless and brilliant! I actually felt like I was in France - not just because of the way the Parisian ambiance was set up, but because of the cultural differences highlighted between English and French - in an amusing and lighthearted way. I found Laura's husband Jean-Laurent a tad annoying - and not just because he had an affair. He just didn't want to take responsibility for any of his actions!

I loved the characters, especially the aggravating au pair Ava. I thought Laura was portrayed as a character of multi-faceted depth - making her seem like more of a real person than other more 2-dimensional chick lit heroines. Laura's decision at the end of the novel was a twist that I didn't see coming - modern woman kudos to her!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sarah Long live for ten years in Paris with her husband and three children, before they all moved back to London. 'And What Do You Do' was her first novel.

OTHER BOOKS BY SARAH LONG:

'I Heart Paris,' Lindsey Kelk

PLOT: Angela follows her rock star boyfriend, Alex, to Paris for the week - the city of romance. It's not all for pleasure though, as she is there researching an article for Belle magazine, not to mention keeping up with her famous blog. Something seems to be a little strange while she is there though. It seems as if all her efforts are being sabotaged. First her suitcase of gorgeous designer clothes is confiscated and destroyed at customs -along with all her research for Paris!!! Then there is Alex, constantly running into his ex, Solene, who seems hell-bent on winning Alex back. Within less than the week, her life seems to be falling down around her. Her old home London is only a train ride away - should she run back home and leave the carnage of her new life behind her?


REVIEW: This novel follows on brilliantly from the 'I Heart New York' and 'I Heart Hollywood' books. It is so great to have a series of books where I really want to keep reading - and find out what happens to the characters next! I found Angela to be entertaining, independent, and believable. Even after the first book I felt like I knew her personally, which made it so much fun to read about her. Having each novel in a new setting made them exciting. I haven't been to Hollywood myself, but have been to Paris and London. The details about these places were perfect - right down to Angela's craving for Percy Pigs from M&S. (Personally, I always reminisce about the M&S chocolate mousse! That was my daily staple over there!) I highly recommend this series!!!

THE AUTHOR:  Lindsey writes chick lit and edit's children's books. She is a British write currently living in New York. Her website (click here!) is has links that allow you to follow her on Twitter, sign up for her newsletter, and read her guide to New York - among other things! What I love about Kelk's website is that it shows how well informed her books truly are! She writes about what she knows, and that comes across in the comfortable and detailed stories in her books.

Love the cool competitions on the website too, which give you the chance to win copies of the 'I heart' series!


 OTHER BOOKS BY LINDSEY KELK:

Click here to get 'I Heart Paris' on your Kindle!

'Conversations With the Fat Girl,' Liza Palmer

THE STORY: Even though 'fat girl' Maggie has a masters in art restoration, she still works in a cafe. She used to dream of being slim, yet has been able to budge those pounds. She has been friends with fellow 'fat girl' Olivia since she was 12 years old. Only now, at 27, Olivia has lost the weight (gastric bypass surgery!) and has bagged a man - while Maggie harbours a secret crush on her work colleague. Now Olivia is all that Maggie wants to be - thin and getting married, leaving Maggie to be the fat, single bridesmaid. It seems that everyone else is moving on with their lives apart from Maggie. 


With their friendship strained over the different paths that their lives are taking, will Maggie and Olivia's friendship stand the test of time??


QUOTE FROM BOOK:

• "...if i could always live in a place with no mirrors or disapproving glances, i would think i was the prettiest girl around." 

REVIEW: Maggie was very easy to identify with, as her thoughts were very believably conveyed. I also loved the fact that Maggie is an unlikely heroine, not stereotyped in any way. The story didn't follow a predictable storyline in many ways, however it still had that 'feel good' aspect that we all love about 'chick lit.' I have also read 'Seeing Me Naked,' which was just as enjoyable as this book. They receive praise from Meg Cabot, who is an amazing chick-lit author in her own right!


THE AUTHOR: Liza Palmer lives in Pasadena, California with her dog, Poet. She has written two plays that were performed in Los Angeles, and is a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts-West. 'Conversations with the Fat Girl' is Palmers' debut novel.

Read about the author's other books, news and events on her website:

www.lizapalmer.com