From Notting Hill With Love..Actually by Ali McNamara

From Notting Hill With Love...Actually

Author:  Ali McNamara

Genre:  Chick Lit

Publisher:  Sphere

Date Published:  November 25th 2010

From Goodreads:

Scarlett O'Brien is in love . . . with the movies. Utterly hooked on Hugh Grant, crazy about Richard Curtis, dying with lust for Johnny Depp, Scarlett spends her days with her head in the clouds and her nights with her hand in a huge tub of popcorn. Which is not exactly what her sensible, DIY-obsessed fiancé David has in mind for their future. So when Scarlett has the chance to house-sit an impossibly grand mansion in Notting Hill ? the setting of one of her all-time favourite movies ? she jumps at the chance to live out her film fantasies one last time. It's just a shame that her new neighbour Sean is so irritating ? and so irritatingly handsome, too. As a chaotic comedy of her very own erupts around Scarlett, she begins to realise there's more to life than seating plans and putting up shelves. What sort of happy ending does she really want? Will it be a case of Runaway Bride or Happily Ever After? The big white wedding looms, and Scarlett is running out of time to decide.
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I’m a complete fan of chick flicks, and I’ve seen them all. Two of my favorites are Notting Hill and Love Actually, so yeah I wanted to read this one bad, so bad that I paid quite a bit and had it shipped from the U.K. , sadly it was just okay for me.




My main problem with From Notting Hill with Love Actually was the predictability of it. Yeah, I know the one thing chick lit can guarantee is it’s predictability, but I still thought the movie angle to this one would make it shine all nice and new. It didn’t. Scarlett loves the movies and is positive life should be and can be like the movies, but everyone else in her life seems to think that these romantic movies are all silly make believe fantasy worlds (hate to break it to you Scarlett, but they are). I’m glad I’ve outgrown that notion back in my early twenties, or I’d still be waiting for my Mr. Darcy (Bridget Jones), who liked me just as I was.

It was a sappy read, and I kind of liked that, but Scarlett’s problem with trying to push these movie scenes from real life started grating on me.

I did like the concept and I all in all it wasn’t a bad read, just didn’t give me what I expected. I will give author Ali McNamara another go though, I guess at the closing of the book I still liked her style.

This would make a awesome chick flick.

Obsession, Deceit, and Really Dark Chocolate (Sophie Katz, Bk 3) by Kyra Davis

Obsession, Deceit and Really Dark Chocolate

Author:  Kyra Davis

Publisher:  Red Dress Ink

Paperback, 400 pages

From Goodreads:

Sophie Katz's relationship with the irresistible and occasionally insufferable P.I. Anatoly Darinsky is on the fritz when a friend recruits Sophie's investigation skills to decode her possibly two-timing husband's strange behavior. When Sophie shows up in a short, red cocktail dress and her friend's hubby winds up dead, the loveable would-be sleuth can't help but take on the job.

Suddenly plunged into a crazy world of campaign mudslinging, dirt-digging and cover-ups, Sophie begins to uncover some pretty dirty secrets indeed— involving a conservative congressional hopeful's involvement in the Furry community, a group of people who dress up in mascot-size stuffed animal costumes. Sex and politics, wouldn't you know?

Way in over her head as usual, Sophie reluctantly—or not-so-reluctantly— enlists the help of her two-time sidekick and ex—Anatoly. Together they set out to determine who killed Eugene and why, and in the process can't resist falling for each other—again?

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As most know I’m a huge fan of Kyra Davis, and her writing, that being said, I really liked Obsession, Deceit, and Really Dark Chocolate. I didn’t love it, though. It is my least favorite out of the first three in the Sophie Katz series, but I adore the character of Sophie Katz, and I zipped through this easily.

Obsession, Deceit, and Really Dark Chocolate has again Sophie Katz in the middle of a murder mystery. When Sophie’s mentor ask her for a favor she has no idea that it will entangle her in the murder of her mentor's husband. The reason I only like this book, and not LOVE it was the mystery part. It all seem farfetched the way it all connected in the end. I just wasn’t buying the motive, and I kind of lost interest in who done it about half way through. Of course, it was no problem continuing reading, because as I mentioned before these books are funny. The one liners are plentiful, and hilarious. The quirky characters are fun.  I so want to be part of that clique.  I love the interaction between Anatoly and Sophie.  Their connection is based on physical attraction, and one-upping each other.

I really can’t say enough about this series, and the writing of Kyra Davis.  If you haven’t given these a try, you really must. You will not be disappointed.  The first book in the series is Sex, Murder and a Double Latte...read it!

Rating: 4

Passion Betrayal and Killer Highlights by Kyra Davis

Passion, Betrayal and Killer Highlights

Author:  Kyra Davis

Publisher:  Red Dress Ink

Hardcover, 352 pgs.

From Goodreads:

Considering the kind of disasters that usually befall the half-black, half-Jewish mystery writer, probably both. Because the last time Sophie saw sexy P.I. Anatoly Darinsky, he practically danced a jig when she waved goodbye—a normal reaction for a man who'd nearly bought the farm trying to protect her from her own foolishness. What are the chances he'd agree to take incriminating pictures of her sister's philandering husband? Or that he'd let her tag along—you know…for research?

But when her brother-in-law turns up dead and her sister becomes the prime suspect, Sophie's priority is finding the real killer. With or without Anatoly's help. Her brother-in-law's secret life yields plenty of suspects, but the San Francisco police aren't taking any of them seriously. So Sophie does what comes naturally to her: she stirs up trouble (to lure the killer out, of course).

But if her crazy plan works, will Anatoly be there to protect her this time?

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It has been awhile since I read bk 1 in the Sophie Katz series by Kyra Davis, but the story quickly came back to me after reading a couple of chapters of Bk 2, Passion Betrayal and Killer Highlights. I forgot how much I enjoyed Sophie Katz, and the writing of Kyra Davis.



In Passion Betrayal and Killer Highlights the focus is on Sophie’s sister Leah, who is the prime suspect in her husband’s murder. Leah clearly has motive, since she had just recently found out thatBob was having a affair and leaving her for the other women, and let’s not forget the the all important fact that she is the one that finds him dead, and she has no alibi. Of course, there is no way Sophie is going to let the police pin bob’s murder on her sister. She hires the ever hot PI from bk 1, Anatoly.

Kyra Davis is a witty writer. The characters are fun, and the book is full with one liners that had me rolling. It’s been awhile since I laughed so much reading a book.

My favorite line in the book..

“ Let me make sure I’m interpreting this correctly. You cheated on your diet, gained a pound, and blame this on a self-diagnosed thyroid condition”

I couldn’t stop laughing after reading that line.

The mystery was awesome, I was kept on my toes throughout the whole book. I spent the whole book thinking I knew who did it, to be completely wrong. I’ve read many reviews that say that this is a cheap imitation of the Stephanie Plum series, so I guess I’m lucky that I’ve never read a Stephanie Plum book. I love this series, and I adore the characters.


Rating:  4.5