#ComedyBookWeek Maid for Love by Victoria Van Tiem

As part of comedy book week, hosted by the brilliant Ana Spoke, I decided to review Maid For Love by Victoria Van Tiem.

 

 

What they say: Jax, twenty-three-year-old girl-with-a-plan, lacks real world know-how and struggles to keep her recently launched cleaning business afloat in a rocky economy. But when life gives you lemons, Jax makes Lemon Aide–her DIY chic cleaning product. It’s either that or admit she’s blown through Dad’s investment and call it a day. Certain he’d take over, proving her can-do is a can’t-manage, and under mounting pressure to financially support her recently divorced mom, there’s really only one responsible thing to do.

Lie.

It’s either go big or go home, and since she can’t go home–her landlady’s stalking her for back rent–its go big. It doesn’t get any bigger than moving into her vacationing client’s penthouse and throwing a tenant party to attract new business. As an added bonus, Grier, the great looking high-rise handy man, believing she’s taking on her client’s lease temporarily, is all too happy to help. What are a few more lies where the heart’s concerned? Unless she isn’t the only one lying.

The review: I had reviewed I Need A Hero before (see review here) and so I was very willing to go back for more! Now as you can see on the cover we’re told this is ‘a silly little rom-com with a fun big twist’ and that was exactly what this was.We began with a quote and this was followed in each chapter and I have to admit, I’m a sucker for appropriate, lovely, inspirational or just fun quotes, and so I was happy out.There was the added bonus that the story was told by two people, Jax and Grier, which I love.

Jax was working as a cleaner while trying to launch her Lemon Aide cleaning product with the help of her friend and associate Avery. I warmed to Avery straight off but I have to admit I found Jax so unprofessional from the off that this aspect of the story just never sat right-I couldn’t put someone so disorganized and scatty as someone who was hoping to make it big. It was very unfortunate as Jax and Grier were my only big concerns with the book but when your two concerns are the two leads  you can have a bit of trouble. That being said the romance between them was lovely, there were also some ‘hotter’ scenes that will tick the box for some of you! The comedy, however, which is what we’re here to talk about really, and that was very well done-I pre-empted some gags and was satisfied when they turned up on cue and chuckled at others. There were a lot of near misses and mix ups and as a result I eagerly awaited what was going to happen. I will throw in a caveat-as it says it can be a bit silly, people who like their rom coms fully realistic and for everything to slot into place might have a slight problem with this book- there were times you felt that there were a few too many roadblocks  and so it wouldn’t suit all, it was kooky and absurd and crazy but it did the job and was very enjoyable.

Rating 3.5/5

Note: The cover image leads to a universal amazon buy link, while the comedy book week image leads you to the comedy book week website.

My March Bookish Wrap Up!

Please note: if you don’t have the time to read through the post, the pics link to the reviews! Enjoy:)

Another good month in books! It all began with me giving my book of the year so far seal of approval to The Canal Boat Cafe book number 1: All aboard by Cressida McLoughlin, chick lit at its beautiful, descriptive, gripping best! I was torn on Sleepless in Manhatten by Sarah Morgan, which grabbed me with  its building a business form nothing storyline, kept me happy with its comedy, and yet didn’t quite hit the mark Christmas Ever After had done.

I was thrilled to be part of the Holding Out For A Hero by Victoria Van Tiem’s book tour with Hello Chick Lit, where 80’s was the era of the day, definitely one for any eighties fan! Tapestry by Elle Turner mesmerized me with its beautiful mixture of slightly dark stories, and, speaking of dark, I finally reviewed and raved about Room by Emma Donoghue.The Runaway Bridesmaid by Daisy James was a bit too flowery for me, I’m afraid, but I acknowledged that it could be a very popular book, as I did with Kitty’s Countryside Dream by Christie Barlow, which didn’t go the way I expected.

Natalie’s Getting Married gave me chick lit heaven, The Treachery of Trains gave me a lovely, slightly dark, european rom com, and Dear Dad by Giselle Green gave me a gorgeous rom com about three characters on a journey to find their place.

I had a lovely interview with Rosa Temple, and did my first, and only ‘Stacking the Shelves‘ Post (Unfortunately I’m trying to cut down on books at the moment, my volume books on Netgalley are weighing me down!). I also posted on the books I use for writing, which is starting to take off again, I’m currently 10,000 words into book 2, not much, but an achievement for me (I was 20,000 words into a different book 2 and it wasn’t working, so I put it aside and was feeling quite despondent but now I’m all excited again:)). I’m still trying to get it together in terms of a solid blogging presence, and figure out my timetable, but hopefully I’ll get there.

Hope you all had a great month too, let me know in the comments!

Bernadette:)

 

 

 

Blog Tour: Excerpt and Review of Holding Out For A Hero by Victoria Van Tiem

 

Amazon US

Amazon UK

What they say:

Their love survived the 80s. She wished she hadn’t. A funny, bitter-sweet romantic dramedy set to an 80’s soundtrack that proves first love never truly dies.

Libby London fell in love with the 80s, came of age in the 90s, and in the 21st Century is coming completely apart. Her New York fashion sensibility is more ‘vintage tragedy’

than ‘retro babe’ and might just be what’s holding her back in all matters of life and love…

At least that’s what her well-meaning friends think. They’ve staged an #80sIntervention determined to bring Libby bang up-to-date, but how do you move forward when the one you love holds you in the past? Between her dreaded birthday party, friend’s madcap ambush, and being forced to relocate her Pretty in Pink resale thrift shop, Libby’s at the end of her rope. If her therapist isn’t quick, it could be a literal one.

Excerpt

Prologue

My birthday hangs over my head like a noose.

I’d rather just skip it and take the day off. I’m like Cameron in Ferris Bueller: overwhelmed, wound up and seriously pessimistic about the whole idea. Ollie, my best friend’s older brother and I used to debate this movie non-stop when we were teenagers. He swore the entire day was a delusion created by the very sick and depressed Cameron.

‘It’s a crazy theory that’s been floating around, but I stand behind it,’ he’d say with absolute certainty. Oliver liked nothing better than to argue.

I liked nothing better than to wind him up. ‘Sure, he was miserable and the timeline of events impossible, but it doesn’t prove Ferris was a figment of Cameron’s imagination. Was everyone fake? And why would he do that?’

I could hear him pacing, and imagined him at the other end of the line, wide-eyed and gesturing. I loved it when he got that way. I loved everything about him.

‘They’re real, Libby, just not in the context of Cameron’s fantasy. He created Ferris, or at least that version of him, because he had to. He needed a hero.’

Right now, I need a hero. Seriously: where’s my white knight upon a fiery steed? He doesn’t need to be strong, fast, or fresh from the fight, he just needs to be larger than life and capable of saving mine. It’s a mess. But there’s no way I could’ve predicted the position I find myself in right now.

No one could.

And The Review …

First off thanks so much to Chick Lit Plus and Victoria Van Tiem for the chance to participate in the Holding Out For A Hero Blog Tour, and also for the book in return for an honest review. I really enjoyed ‘Holding Out For A Hero.’ From the second I heard about it I was thrilled to hear that music was an intricate part of it. As you can see from the blurb, the book was all about Libby London, who runs ‘Pretty in Pink,’ a thrift shop, which allows her to dress as she wants, in 80’s gear, complete with the hair of the era. Her friends decide to intervene and give her a modern day makeover while organising  dates for her. I loved Libby’s race to save ‘Pretty in Pink,’ and her friend Dora’s ‘interfering,’ although at times I did feel they were too tough on her. I will say that humour wise, it wasn’t always in the same vein as my own, but that’s a subjective thing, and there is a wealth of people out there who loved it for the comedy.

We soon learn that  the reason she’s ‘stuck in the eighties’ isn’t solely due to her love of the movies (with 80’s playlists and movie references such as The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink dropped regularly, the attention to detail is amazing), fashion and music, there is also something that happened that kept her tied to that time and never allowed her to move on. This is examined and explored with the help of her psychologist, Dr Papadopoulos, who is helping her figure out her issues with depression. I felt that this was dealt with very well and is a commendable topic to team with a book that would appear to be lighter than that.

Actually, I really enjoyed Dr Papadopoulos’ character and in general the characters in Holding Out For A Hero, and while I enjoyed Libby’s journey, and in particular her realisations as to how she really felt about certain people (no spoilers!), I would be very interested to find out more about her best friend, Dora’s life (sequel maybe?!) All in all, I really liked this book, the musical and cinematic references were flawless, and although I didn’t ‘get’ all of them, I enjoyed them. The romance was well done, as were the flashbacks and the ending that was a different outcome to the one I would have predicted. If you’re a die hard 80’s fan you’re in for a treat, and I’d advise you to get to it!

Rating: 4/5

WIN!!!

Click HERE  To be in with a chance to win a copy of Holding Out For A Hero!!

About the Author:

Victoria Van Tiem (pronounced ‘team’) is an international author of romantic comedy and dramedy novels, a former gallery owner and creative director with a background in brand development. She lives just outside of Indianapolis on a small hobby farm with her husband and two teenage boys.

Find her here:

http://www.victoriavantiem.com/

Twitter

Facebook

GoodReads

Instagram

To follow the tour on from here, or to look back over some other ‘Holding Out For A Hero’ posts:

March 7th

Literary Chanteuse – www.literarychanteuse.blogspot.ca – Review
Ali -The Dragon Slayer – http://cancersuckscouk.ipage.com/ – Review
Judging More Than Just The Cover – www.ambergreggbooks.com – Excerpt/Review
Grass monster – https://twitter.com/Lost815_Oceanic – Review

March 8th 2016

A Thousand Lives – http://athousandlivesbook.wix.com/bookblog – Review
Boundless Minds – www.boundlessminds.org – Excerpt
Emma’s Book Reviews – www.bookreviewsem.blogspot.com – Excerpt/Review

March 9th 2016

Pretty Little Book Reviews – http://www.prettylittlebookreviews.com/ – Review
ItaPixie’s Book Corner – http://itapixie.blogspot.it – Review/Excerpt
Bookish Escapes – http://bookishescapes.weebly.com – Review

March 10th 2016

Hello…Chick Lit – http://hellochicklit.com – Review
Steamy book momma – http://steamybookmomma0.blogspot.com – Promo Post
BRMaycock’s book blog – http://Brmaycock.wordpress.com – Excerpt/Review

March 11th 2016

Around the World in Books – http://www.aroundtheworldinbooks.ca/ – Excerpt
Book Groupies – http://bookgroupies2.blogspot.com/ – Excerpt
One Book at a Time – http://booksandwinearelovely.blogspot.com/ – Excerpt/Review

 

 

This tour was scheduled and arranged by HCL Book Tours

^click here to check it out^