Blurb:
Roo Beckett knew there had to be a catch when she won first prize in a prestigious wildlife fim-making competition. A month's mentorship in the beautiful South African game reserve, Leopard Rock, with renowened film-maker Wyk Kruger, seemed simply too good to be true.
Sure enough, after her free-loading, fashion-magazine colleagues decide to tag along, Roo's solo African adventure doesn't have the best of starts. But that's the least of her worries. Lost in the African outback, Roo's soon struggling with a bigger and more unexpected problem - her attraction to the mysterious Wyk himself...
My thoughts:
I bought this book earlier this year in when I was visiting South Africa. The story is based in the Johannesburg area at a game reserve and as you can imagine, it paints a beautiful picture of the South African wildlife and nature - something I just can't resist. The story in itself is cute and interesting and perfectly light for a holiday read - recommended.
Blurb:
Two weeks before Christmas, Diana Duprey, an outspoken abortion doctor, is found floating in her pool, a bruise the size of a golf ball visible through her dark curls. A national figure, Diana inspired passion and ignited tempers, never more so than on the day of her death.
Her husband, Frank, an attorney in the D.A.'s office for more than twenty years, had fought bitterly with her on the day of her murder. Yet to reveal the nature of their fight would cost him not only his career but something greater still—a relationship he will go to any lengths to protect. Diana's daughter, Megan, a college freshman, had also quarreled with Diana that day, and her role in her mother's murder will prove more significant than she ever could have anticipated. The Reverend Stephen O'Connell, founder of the town's pro-life coalition, obviously had issues with Diana, but his anger extended beyond the political to the personal—namely, Dr. Duprey's involvement with his own troubled teenager. Meanwhile, the detective on the case grapples to make sense of it all. His investigation implicates many in this town and reveals a series of gross miscalculations, each one challenging what we know, or think we know, about community, fidelity, justice, and love.
My thoughts:
I've seen this book around in the library but haven't been interested enough to borrow it. I actually found the book at the villa we rented in France and had an opportunity to have a better look. Soon I found out that I couldn't put the book down!! The characters are complex and the realtionships difficult, just like in real life. The key to the mystery was kept hidden till quite the end which was a huge plus as well. The book has many heavy issues going on which makes you think of ethics and might disturb some readers. A page turner!
Blurb:
French women are innately elegant and sexy. How do they do it? Author Helena Frith Powell goes undercover in her book TWO LIPSTICKS AND A LOVER to transform herself from a Fulham frump to a sensual French woman in just one year.
This edgy and hilarious guide takes Helena on a journey where she unlocks French secrets and learns:
-> The best way to have an affair
-> Style tips from French female icons
-> How a little Flaubert keeps you sexy
-> Exercise tips without breaking a sweat
-> How seduction must be in the forefront of your mind at all time
-> How French women age with elegance and without botox
My thoughts:
I've actually read this book before but since I was holidaying in France and found it at the apartment where we were staying, I decided to refresh my memory. The book has some fun tips how to be more glamorous and more like the sensual French woman but its also a good reminder to take care of yourself - not for others but for your own well being. That's something us moms tend to forget at times. I think everyone can learn from the French about that! Helena tells us that one of the French women's secrets to being slim is that they can eat a lot one day but then they will ration their eating the next day. After watching the French women at the supermarket crazily stocking up on the croissants, cakes and baguettes, I'm still inclined to think that the secret to their thinness is genes!!
Blurb:
When newly single Tilly Cole impulsively quits her London job for a fresh start in the small town of Roxborough she finds she's arrived in a hotbed of gossip, intrigue and rampant rivalry for the most desirable men. Tilly has no intention of joining in – she's just happy with her new Girl Friday job.
Then she meets Jack Lucas.
Jack is irresistible… and he's got his eye on Tilly. But there are shocking rumours about his wicked reputation. Tilly doesn’t want to be just another notch on anyone's bedpost. But is she being mature and sensible – or is she running away from the love of her life?
My thoughts:
I loved Rumour Has It! Jill Mansell had me glued from the very first pages. It's a cute and heartwarming story which you won't want to put down. Mansell has created really lovable characters who you'd love to be best friends with. Excellent chick-lit.
The Perfect Lie - Emily BarrBlurb:
Lucy lives in Cornwall. She has a partner, and a job in a waterside pub, and she has friends. Her life is perfect: it just happens to be a lie.
One day, she climbs a cliff to rescue a child. A stranger on the beach points a camera at her, and the footage ends up on television. Lucy’s life unravels, and she flees across Europe, desperate to stay one step ahead of a figure from her past.
My thoughts:
Out of all the books I've read in July, I liked this one the least. However, that does not mean that it was a bad book, it simply wasn't my favourite. Saying that, Emily Barr had me hooked to the mystery of what had happened to Lucy - what was so terrible that she had to constantly be on her toes? The dark undertone of the book kept me reading till the end.
Blurb:
The death of Judd Foxman's father marks the first time that the entire Foxman family-including Judd's mother, brothers, and sister-have been together in years. Conspicuously absent: Judd's wife, Jen, whose fourteen-month affair with Judd's radio-shock-jock boss has recently become painfully public.
Simultaneously mourning the death of his father and the demise of his marriage, Judd joins the rest of the Foxmans as they reluctantly submit to their patriarch's dying request: to spend the seven days following the funeral together. In the same house. Like a family.
As the week quickly spins out of control, longstanding grudges resurface, secrets are revealed, and old passions reawakened. For Judd, it's a weeklong attempt to make sense of the mess his life has become while trying in vain not to get sucked into the regressive battles of his madly dysfunctional family.
My thoughts:
I remember loving Jonathan Tropper's How to talk to a widower, so I was really looking forward to reading this one. I'm not sure if I've ever heard of sitting shiva (seven day mourning period) before and found it interesting to learn more about the Jewish tradition. Tropper writes humorously but the book is not only funny, it's also heartbreaking and very true. The Foxman family is a bunch of weird individuals whose lives give you a glimpse into different kinds of relationships, life is never easy for anyone. If you're easily offended, then you might not enjoy this book.. I adored it.
Have you read any of my summer reads? Do share your thoughts!
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