you dropped a blonde on me.

She was the perfect party-planning, haute-to-the max trophy wife. Now Maxine Cambridge is broke, unemployable and living with her mother and teenage son in a retirement village, with her self-esteem kicked to the curb.

Until her geeky former classmate Campbell Barker returns, all grown-up- and off-the-scale smokin' hot. Campbell refuses to believe Max isn't that smart, funny girl he's crushed on since high school. The more Max tries to show him he's wrong, the more she rediscovers her long-retired mojo. Now, she's ready to throw down some payback on her ex-life and fight for what she deserves.

What a nice surprise this book was. This was the first of Dakota Cassidy's books I've ever read, since I don't particularly care for paranormal and that's what her previous novels are. With Border's going out of business, I picked this one up, hoping against hope that it would be worth the money. And it was. (Although, not my money. The book was a gift.)

Max is a great heroine for this book. She's flawed, super messed up when it comes to relationships. She jumps to conclusions, a few times publicly, and it's embarrassing in its hilarity. The hero of the book, Campbell, is pretty fantastic. He's there for her every step of the way, taking up for her when she can't take care of herself. I loved the fun of this book. I've been waiting for a good, fun, easy book to come along and here we are!

After reading it, I found out that it's the start of Cassidy's Ex-Trophy Wives series, with book two released this month. I have every intention of reading Burning Down the Spouse, but, despite how much I enjoyed the first book, I'm a bit wary about this being a series instead of a stand alone.

lauren conrad style.

You've seen Lauren Conrad on TV and red carpets, looking fabulous whether she's going casual for a day with friends or dressed for a night out. Now Lauren reveals how you can adapt her classic, understated style for yourself.

In her first-ever style guide, Lauren offers tips on how to create your own unique look, shares her favorite sources of inspiration, and identifies the absolute must-haves for any fashionista's wardrobe. Along the way, she examines her fashion evolution, from California-casual teen to camera-ready style icon and clothing designer.

From beauty advice and hair secrets to how to shop vintage or find the perfect T-shirt, Lauren Conrad Style unlocks the mysteries of being effortlessly chic. With Lauren's guidance, you'll look and feel stylish every day.
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As someone who has never been a fan of Laguna Beach or The Hills (I've seen maybe 3 episodes total), I've still been able to appreciate Lauren Conrad's sense of style. I think she almost always looks fantastic from head to toe. Gorgeous hair, great makeup, and amazingly fantabulous clothes. Conrad's style book takes you through the basic pieces you should have in your wardrobe, how to mix and match prints, and how to select the perfect style of jeans. Additionally, she suggests shopping methods, including how to choose and alter vintage pieces. Not only about fashion, Conrad also has chapters on make-up and hair. Filled with photos to help the budding fashionista, Lauren Conrad Style is an absolute must read for any fan of her looks or someone starting out on their own style journey.

Purchase at Amazon. (I bought one for me and gifted a copy to a friend.)

a lot like love.

Jordan Rhodes is invited to all of Chicago's best parties, but there's only one the FBI wants to crash. To get her brother out of jail, she agrees to take Agent McCall as her date. But when the mission gets botched, requiring their "relationship" to continue, it starts to feel less like an investigation-and a lot like something else.

I feel like this hardly ever happens anymore. A new author (to me) with a book that I really, truly enjoyed from beginning to end. SCORE!

My first Julie James story can only be described as a delightful, humorous surprise. At a time when most authors are writing romantic suspense that surrounds around a deep dark plot, James pens a novel about two people falling in love who just so happen to be involved in a federal case. Having the majority of the book’s focus on the contemporary romance instead of the case was a refreshing change. I loved the playful language she used for her characters. There were quite a few times where I found myself laughing at loud at the risque wine talk. Jordan and Nick were great characters that I know I would like if they really existed. This one was a joy to read and I cannot believe Julie James managed to slip under my radar. If they previous novels are anything like this, then I am in for a treat.

touched by an alien.

Marketing manager Katherine "Kitty" Katt steps into the middle of what appears to be a domestic dispute turned ugly. And it only gets uglier when the man turns into a winged monster, straight out of a grade-Z horror movie, and goes on a killing spree. Though Kitty should probably run away, she springs into action to take the monster down. In the middle of the chaos a handsome hunk named Jeff Martini appears, sent by the "agency" to perform crowd control. He's Kitty's kind of guy, no matter what planet he's from. And from now on, for Kitty, things are going to be sexy, dangerous, wild, and out of this world.

I'm very picky about what kind of urban fantasy I read. There's a lot of paranormal and whatnot out there that I know I won't like (most paranormal romances - Lara Adrian, Christine Feehan, JR Ward, etc) so I take my time choosing ones that I think I will enjoy (Dresden Files, Cal Leandros). So I was wary of this series when my sister first suggested it to me. She got this one shortly after it came out and I refused to read it. However, the second book came out this month and after she read it, she mentioned it to me again. As I had just finished reading and reviewing a stack of books, I figured I'd go for it since I didn't have anything pressing to read. I am so glad that I did.

Touched by an Alien is ridiculous. And I mean that in the most fantastic way possible. Gini Koch has created a sexy, brainy alien race that has come to Earth to help save us from parasitic monsters. Sounds outrageous, right? It is. Amazingly so. There are corny alien jokes, purposely cheesy come on lines, and a lot of evil monster butt kicking. One of my favorite things about the alien race is that while both the men and the women are supremely gorgeous, the women are usually smarter and are the scientists of their kind. As such, they are attracted more to smart humans than to the sexy men from their planet and don't really find those men all that gorgeous. Love it! I also love how Kitty comes in out of nowhere with ideas and suggestions previously unthought of and how she seems to be constantly giving them a "why haven't you ever thought of this?" side eye.

It's hard for me to explain everything about the book without giving it away. I should mention if you're a pure romance fan, there's a relationship between Jeff and Kitty that gets a great amount of attention but is not really the focus. However, my sister is a hardcore romance fan and she admits that it's more of my kind of book than hers, but she enjoys it anyway.

christmas eve at friday harbor.

Book Description:

ONE LITTLE GIRL NEEDS A FAMILY

One rain-slicked night, six-year-old Holly lost the only parent she knew, her beloved mother Victoria. And since that night, she has never again spoken a word.

ONE SINGLE MAN NEEDS A WIFE

The last thing Mark Nolan needs is a six-year-old girl in his life. But he soon realizes that he will do everything he can to make her life whole again. His sister’s will gives him the instructions: There’s no other choice but you. Just start by loving her. The rest will follow.

SOMETIMES, IT TAKES A LITTLE MAGIC…

Maggie Collins doesn’t dare believe in love again, after losing her husband of one year. But she does believe in the magic of imagination. As the owner of a toy shop, she lives what she loves. And when she meets Holly Nolan, she sees a little girl in desperate need of a little magic.

…TO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE

Three lonely people. Three lives at the crossroads. Three people who are about to discover that Christmas is the time of year when anything is possible, and when wishes have a way of finding the path home…

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I really, really liked this story. Lisa Kleypas is one of my favorite historical authors, but I was never tempted to try her contemporary writing until now. Her previous attempts didn't interest me at all. But when I read the blurb for this one, I figured I'd give it a shot.

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor is exactly what it professes to be. A simple, contemporary romance with no wild plot twists or crazy secrets. I have said before that it's difficult to find what I call "regular" romances these days. So many authors and publishers are pushing paranormal (which I truly dislike) and leaving us regular story lovers behind.

I loved the Nolan brothers and Holly. While Maggie wasn't the best heroine Kleypas has ever written, she served her purpose here. I liked the speed of their relationship (patient) and the description of Friday Harbor (made me want to visit Washington). Basically, Kleypas did quite a good job here. Honestly, the only thing that readers might not care for is that the two don't sleep together until the end and it's more of a fade to black scene. I would've preferred a bit more passion, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless. Great for the holidays!

This book is available here.

the bikini car wash.

While perusing through a selection of e-books, I came across The Bikini Car Wash by Pamela Morsi. I randomly requested a copy to go along with the romance books I was selecting. And I am so, so glad I did. I absolutely positively loved, loved, loved this book. I had originally intended to read some of it over the course of a few days, but got so into it that I read it in one day. Every time I tried to walk away from the computer, I'd come right back and pull the story up again.

The book is about a young woman (Andi) who returns to her hometown when her mother dies. In the big city, she has a great job, but she can't manage to find one at home. Eventually, with the help of two other unemployed women in town, they come up with the idea to open a car wash with a gimmick - they wash the cars wearing their bikinis.

For me (and I think for most people), it's important that I like the main characters and care about what happens to them. In this book, I liked all of the characters. Though the relationship between Andi and Pete (former high school crush) could have used some work, I didn't mind too much because I knew it wasn't really the focus of the book. I also could have done without the sidebar of Andi's father Walt and his relationship. What I enjoyed most was what I believe the point of the book was - Andi and how she transitions and changes into a new life. How she learns that some things in her life weren't the way she'd always believed them to be and how she moves on from there. Andi was definitely the most defined of the characters and, as a reader, I wanted her to do well and figure how to deal with the changes in her life.

All that said, I just liked the book. Truly, thoroughly enjoyed it. I've actually got my eye on another one or two of Morsi's book because of how great I thought this one was.