United Authors of Chick Lit

What is the United Authors of Chick Lit all about?

Fasten your seatbelts and put your tray tables in the upright and locked position. Over the next few days, some of your favourite Chick Lit characters will be jetting across the Atlantic to visit with fictional friends on the other side of the pond.

The event kicks off on Monday, 21st October.

On Tuesday, 22nd October, read about Stella from Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes and Chloe from Lying to Meet You as they travel across the Atlantic to visit each other.

On Wednesday, 23rd October, it’s time to discover what happens when Emma from The Pollyanna Plan and Kim from Blogger Girl meet.

On Thursday, 24th October, Izzy from Izzy’s Cold Feet and Jamie from Finding Lucas will be taking you on a trip alongside their characters.

And on Friday, 25th October, Kate from Sealed with a Kiss and Pilar from In Need of Therapy will be chatting about their overseas experiences.

Here’s a little sneak peek at the fun, frothy books and sassy gals featured in our international promo, all of which are priced at £2.99 or less:

Synopses

Finding Lucas by Samantha Stroh Bailey – Daytime talk show producer Jamie Ross is beyond fed up with her toxic bad boy turned metrosexual boyfriend. Spurred on by her gang of quirky friends, she goes on a hilarious, at-times disastrous, and totally life-changing hunt to track down the ”one who got away.” But are some loves best left behind? 

Available on Amazon.com, Amazon UK and Kobo.

In Need of Therapy by Tracie Banister – Handling the problems of hysterical hypochondriacs, lovelorn neurotics, and compulsive man whores is all in a day’s work for super-shrink Pilar Alvarez. But can she deal with her crazy Cuban family, a trio of unsuitable suitors, and a threat to her practice without ending up on the couch herself? 

Available on Amazon.com, Amazon UK and B&N.

Lying to Meet You by Anna Garner – Overworked New York fashion girl Chloe Lane has no time for a real relationship, but when her childhood pal asks her to play the part of his girlfriend in order to test a theory, she decides to go for it. The lies start piling up and things start getting crazy. Will Chloe be able to keep it together? 

Available on Amazon.com, Amazon UK and B&N.
You can find my review here.

Sealed with a Kiss by Rachael Lucas – Kate breathes a sigh of relief when she's dumped at her best friend's wedding. When she takes a job on the island of Auchenmor, she's determined to have a year off men, but that's before she rescues Flora the seal pup with the help of Roddy, her mysterious new boss... 

Available on Amazon.com and Amazon UK.

The Pollyanna Plan by Talli Roland – Emma Beckett has always looked down on 'the glass is half full' optimists. But when she loses her high-powered job and fiancé, Emma makes a radical decision: from here on in, she'll attempt to see the upside, no matter how dire the situation. Can adopting a positive attitude give Emma the courage to build a new life, or is finding the good in everything a very bad idea? 

Available on Amazon.com and Amazon UK.

Blogger Girl by Meredith Schorr – Kimberly Long has two passions: her successful chick lit blog and Nicholas, her handsome colleague down the hall. But when her high school nemesis pops onto the chick lit scene with a hot new book and eyes for Nicholas, Kim has to make some quick revisions to her own life story. 

Available on Amazon.com, Amazon UK, B&N and Apple iTunes.

Izzy’s Cold Feet by Sarah Louise Smith – Izzy is engaged to Greg, who is everything a girl could want. The trouble is – all she can think about is the men she loved before she met him. In the week leading up to her wedding day, Izzy is forced to ask herself who she loves the most. And, given the choice, who would she want to spend her life with? 

Available on Amazon.com, Amazon UK, B&N and UK Nook.

Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes by Sue Watson – TV Producer Stella is over worked, over weight and under fire battling to balance family, career and those weighing scales. In the past she’s always found comfort at the bottom of her mixing bowl but now the most delicious lemon sponge with zesty frosting has no effect. However, life is about to get even tougher... and Stella has to face some truths about herself, her life and her future. 

Available on Amazon.com and Amazon UK.

Schedule of Events

Tuesday, 22nd October:
Stella will be on Anna Garner’s blog and Chloe will be on Sue Watson’s blog.

Wednesday, 23 October:
Emma will be on Meredith Schorr’s blog and Kim will be on Talli Roland’s blog.

Thursday, 24th October:
Izzy will be on Samantha Stroh Bailey’s blog and Jamie will be on Sarah Louise Smith’s blog.

Friday, 25th October:
Kate will be on Tracie Banister’s blog and Pilar will be on Rachael Lucas’s blog.

I hope you enjoy travelling with these characters!

Review: Lying to Meet You

Author: Anna Garner
Release Date: 5/09/13
Pages: 328
Genre: Chick-Lit
Source: Review Copy from Anna Garner

Synopsis
Does being in a relationship make you a hot commodity in the eyes of would-be suitors?

Chloe Lane is about to find out. When her childhood pal, Ethan Webster, asks her to play the part of his girlfriend in order to test this theory, she reluctantly agrees. As a work-crazed fashion designer, boutique owner and soon-to-be reality show judge, Chloe has no time for a real boyfriend, but being part of a faux pair will do just fine. Not that she has any intention of trying to attract someone else.

However…

Opportunity unexpectedly knocks when Chloe meets fellow reality judge, William Shannon. Super successful and super sexy, this high-powered entrepreneur inspires Chloe to test Ethan’s theory herself. Now, on top of keeping her fashion business productive, carving out a new role as a television personality, maintaining a fake relationship and attempting to lay the groundwork for a future relationship, she’s lying to William, lying to her friends, lying to her family and quite possibly lying to herself. Will Chloe be able to keep it all together, or are things about to explode?


Review This is Anna Garner's first book under her own name and I love it. Having previously used her pen name of Libby Mercer she decided to revert to her real name for this longer, grittier chick-lit novel. And what a fabulous story she has created!
Meet Chloe Lane. Between fashion designing and running her boutique, there is little time for finding a suitable man. And why does it always seem like men are only interested in the chase? Enter Ethan Webster. When Ethan comes up with a plan to enter into a fake relationship Chloe decides to play along. She doesn't have a particular target right now but going on dates with her childhood friend sounds like fun.
Enter William Shannon. When Chloe is asked to feature as a judge on  reality show she is over the moon at the opportunity. However it's not just stage fright that's playing on her nerves. William Shannon, her fellow judge is ultra rich and amazingly hot - what is a girl to do?! Chloe now had to juggle the boutique, friends, her fake relationship as well as working on William Shannon, can Chloe cope with all the new additions in her life?
This was such an amazing storyline. It often seems like men are interested in unavailable women so I was interested to see how Chloe and Ethan's experiment would play out. I really loved Chloe. She was hard-working, down to earth and easy to empathise with, which made her a wonderful main character. Ethan was such a lovely man, I wanted him to be my boyfriend - fake or otherwise!
The detail Anna Garner put into this book was fabulous. I got a real insight into the world of fashion and with the descriptions Anna gave I could 100% see the designs Chloe created. I love a girl who's in fashion so Chloe was the perfect character to take me on a tour of New York! This book was unputdownable, especially towards the end, I could not wait to find out what was in store for Chloe and Ethan. I believe this book really showcased Anna Garner's talent and  I will be seeking out Anna's books in the future!
4/5 Stars
My Song Choice: Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys

Showcase Sunday #10

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicky from Books, Biscuits, and Tea. It enables everyone to showcase the books they receive each week. To join Showcase Sunday or find out more click here.

Hi everyone! I've had a good week bookwise, I have a range of books to get my teeth into:

For Review:

Lying to Meet You by Anna Garner

On My Kindle:

Sunlounger by Various From The Library:

You Had Me at Hello by Mhairi McFarlane The Sea Sisters by Lucy Clarke Destiny by Louise Bagshawe Perfect Strangers by Tasmina Perry What books have you all received this week?

Cover Reveal: Lying to Meet You by Anna Garner

This is the cover of the new book Lying to Meet you by Anna Garner and I must say I love it. It has a good amount of intrigue and romance - who's the mystery man with his phone out? Are the man and woman a couple or are they just holding hands? I can't wait to find out!

Title: Lying to Meet You
Author: Anna Garner
Expected Release Date: September 5, 2013
Genre: Women’s Fiction/Chick Lit
Age Group: Adult – but it might appeal to YA/NA readers
Cover Designed By: Sue Traynor
Goodreads: Lying to Meet You

Synopsis
Does being in a relationship make you a hot commodity in the eyes of would-be suitors?

Chloe Lane is about to find out. When her childhood pal, Ethan Webster, asks her to play the part of his girlfriend in order to test this theory, she reluctantly agrees. As a work-crazed fashion designer, boutique owner and soon-to-be reality show judge, Chloe has no time for a real boyfriend, but being part of a faux pair will do just fine. Not that she has any intention of trying to attract someone else.

However…

Opportunity unexpectedly knocks when Chloe meets fellow reality judge, William Shannon. Super successful and super sexy, this high-powered entrepreneur inspires Chloe to test Ethan’s theory herself. Now, on top of keeping her fashion business productive, carving out a new role as a television personality, maintaining a fake relationship and attempting to lay the groundwork for a future relationship, she’s lying to William, lying to her friends, lying to her family and quite possibly lying to herself. Will Chloe be able to keep it all together, or are things about to explode?

About The Author

Born and raised in the Midwest, Anna Garner's adventurous spirit kicked in after graduating from high school, and she's since lived in Boston, NYC and London. For several years, Anna worked in fashion--first as a journalist and then as a shopkeeper, and for a while she dabbled in design. Although chick lit was her first love, Anna started writing quirky romances, and her first one, Fashioning a Romance, was published in May 2012 under the name of Libby Mercer. This was followed by two more quirky romances: Unmasking Maya and The Karmic Connection. Since Lying to Meet You is written in old school chick lit style and isn't a clear cut love story, Anna decided to publish it under her real name. She currently lives in San Francisco and spends most of her time cranking out more stories.

Anna Garner's Facebook Page