Best Friends Forever - Jennifer Weiner (2009)

On the night of her 15th school reunion, Addie Downs opens the door to find her former best friend Valerie Adler on her doorstep wearing a bloodstained coat and pleading for help. The last time Addie had seen Val was years ago, after she'd sided with the popular kids at school. Addie now lives alone in her late parents' home, creating illustrations for a greeting cards company, while Val is a glamorous TV weathergirl. Val confesses that she may have left former jock Dan Swansea - one of the boys who tormented Addie - for dead in a parking lot. So the girls go looking for Dan, with police chief Jordan not far behind on the case. There are lots of flashbacks to the days when Addie was the fat girl and Val was the hippie chick in this breezy tale of friendship lost then found. It has a definite Thelma and Louise feel but don't go looking for a plot that is 100 per cent believable.

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Confessions of a Beauty Addict - Nadine Haobsh (2009)

Bella Hunter, beauty editor at chic magazine Enchante, is loving life and is at the top of her game. Her columns are the highest rated in the magazine and everybody knows her name. Then one fateful interview takes Bella down a notch to where no one, besides her best friends, wants to be associated with her. Feigning defeat and feeling completely out of luck, Bella is surprised to be given another chance but not with Enchante - with Womanly World, one of the most out-of-date, drab magazines out there! Bella soon realises that life isn't all about who you know and what designer you're wearing. She has to work hard to regain her image and respect in the industry all while pretending not to have feelings for her attractive but stiff boss. Will Bella learn more about herself than she ever thought she possibly could? Or will she want to go back to her life of glamour and glitz when offered? This is a wonderfully brilliant read that takes you into the whirlwind world of beauty with heartwarming and down-to-earth characters. (AS)

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Heaven Can Wait - Cally Taylor (2009)

One the eve of Lucy's wedding, she dies in an unfortunate accident and finds herself in limbo. She is told she can go back to earth and complete a task so she can become a ghost and stay with Dan - or move up to heaven to be with her parents and wait for the day Dan dies to be reunited. Lucy can't imagine life - or death - without her soulmate so she opts for the task - finding true love for a geeky IT guy called Archibald. She joins forces with two other living undead characters - trainspotter Brian and gothic teen Claire. But with her friend Anna seemingly too willing to help Dan move on, Lucy finds herself distracted from her task. Awarded our best debut of 2009 award, this has characters you'll love, a mix of funny and poignant scenes, and a teary ending. Don't wait any longer to read this.

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I Heart Hollywood - Lindsey Kelk (2010)

Angela can't believe her luck - The Look, which is the trendy magazine she writes for, has just offered to send her to Hollywood to interview the hottest movie star on the planet - James Jacobs! To make things even sweeter, Angela finds out that James will not do the interview with anyone but her. So, off she goes from cold New York to sunny California, with her best friend Jenny in tow. Once in the land of glitz and glamour, Angela is disappointed to find it is not at all what she expected. James, on the other hand, is everything she expected - and more. He's gorgeous, sweet and really talented. In addition, he seems to be interested in Angela as more than a friend. However, Angela has a wonderful boyfriend, Alex, back home in New York and getting mixed up with a movie star can have its downfalls (as she soon finds out). Things get really complicated when Angela is caught by the paparazzi leaving James' hotel room in the middle of the night. Soon her face is splashed across the entire universe - from the internet to the tabloids. Angela tries to explain to Alex that everything is being blown out of proportion but he doesn't believe her and even Jenny is mad at her for some reason. Then Angela inadvertently discovers a deep, dark secret about James. Facing the crushing dilemma of either losing her job and being deported back to Britain or exposing James' secret is really quite difficult for Angela. Should she be selfish and choose her career over her blooming friendship with James? Or should she expose him for who he is and elevate her career to a new level? You'll have to read this wonderful book to find out. If you love Sophie Kinsella, then you'll really enjoy this witty and fun book. An excellent read indeed! (AS)

I Heart Hollywood - Lindsey Kelk (2010)

In this sequel to I Heart New York, Angela's boss at Look magazine offers her the opportunity to interview British heart-throb actor James Jacobs in Los Angeles. Apparently he has specifically asked for her to be the interviewer. So Angela heads east with her new best friend, Jenny, while her rock muso boyfriend Alex stays behind in New York. Things get a bit out of control when some questionable photos appear of Angela and James - and rather than just covering a story, Angela is thrust into the media spotlight. This isn't as strong as the first book and is certainly a bit cliched. But just as the storyline starts waning, the pace picks up again and you're willing to give it another chance. Let's see how Angela fares in the next instalment in Paris.

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I Heart New York - Lindsey Kelk (2009)

Angela is acting as bridesmaid at her friend Louisa's wedding when she discovers her boyfriend Mark making out with one of the guests in the back of his Range Rover. She flips out, blaming the bride and groom for knowing about Mark's affair with his tennis partner. She hails a taxi to the airport, taking the first flight out she can find - to New York. There the Brit befriends Jenny Lopez (no, not J.Lo) who works in a hotel but really wants to be the next Oprah. After some shopping, sightseeing, barhopping and more shopping, Angela lands a gig writing a blog for Look magazine's website. She also starts dating two men - rock singer Alex and Wall Street banker Tyler. OK, it's not a particularly realistic story - but it'll suit if you're in the mood for some escapist fun. And it's well worth your while to familiarise yourself with Angela, especially as she has many more adventures to come - in Hollywood, Paris, Vegas and London.

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Italian For Beginners - Kristin Harmel (2009)

Meet Cat - she has always been one to play it safe. She has a secure, well-paid job as an accountant, has no debt and owns her own apartment. However sometimes playing it safe doesn't always work to her advantage. The story starts at Cat's younger sister's wedding where her Grandma pipes up about it not being normal for a 34-year-old to still be single. After this humiliating incident, Cat finds herself in the arms of Michael who has a secret. When Cat gets the wrong end of the stick, she impulsively decides to flee to Rome to re-discover her one true love, Francesco. However Francesco is not how she remembers and soon she is alone. Cat then meets some interesting characters, including Karina, who becomes a blessing in disguise and Marco, who resembles that Roman Holiday character Joe Bradley (played by Gregory Peck opposite Audrey Hepburn.) Can this Rome trip be exactly what Cat needs to reinvent and find herself? A wonderful book that plays off on that classic Roman Holiday rom-com. (PP)

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L.A. Candy - Lauren Conrad (2009)

Who better to write a story centred around a reality TV show than someone who has made her name through reality TV shows? Nineteen-year-old Jane has moved to LA with her best friend Scarlett - Jane is interning for a well-known event planner, while Scarlett is studying at USC. When a TV producer approaches them in a nightclub one night, he offers them a chance to be on a new reality TV show. With Jane as the narrator, LA Candy becomes a hit - showing an orchestrated glimpse into the real lives of a girl next door (Jane), a gorgeous brainiac (Scarlett), a spoilt rich heiress (Madison) and a loveable ditz (Gaby). And Jane's star rises even further when she starts dating another tabloid favourite. Ending on a bit of a cliffhanger, the next episode - Sweet Little Lies - is out in 2010.

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Last Night at Chateau Marmont - Lauren Weisberger (2010)

Brooke fell for Julian when she heard him sing and play the piano in a bar. Now happily married to him, she works two jobs as a nutritionist to help support them. When Julian scores a big record deal followed by a gig on the Jay Leno show, it seems he's finally on his way to making the big time. But as his star rises, Brooke finds it tricky to balance her normal life with his hectic new schedule. Then compromising photos of Julian at Chateau Marmont are circulated and it seems as if they're headed for Splitsville. This is a tale of an ordinary woman traversing the rocky path of being in love with a rising celebrity. With lots of name dropping and glamorous scenes, it's an enjoyable peek into the not-so-enviable lifestyles of the newly famous. But just not the page-turner I was expecting.

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Leaving Unknown - Kerry Reichs (2010)

Maeve Connelly needs a change in her life. When she loses her job and her parents tell her that they can't keep bailing her out, Maeve is kicked into action and decides to take her friend Laura up on an offer to visit her in California. Embarking on a road trip out west with her talking bird Oliver, Maeve takes the scenic route across the country through little known towns with quirky names. When her beloved old car dies just outside of Unknown, Arizona, Maeve has no choice but to stay in the town and take on odd jobs until she can earn enough to get her car fixed up. Unknown proves quite lucrative for Maeve as she meets new friends, works at the local bookshop and finds romance with the town's only doctor. However, when Maeve's past rears its ugly head, she can't help but feel like she needs to run away. Again. As she decides to resume her trip to the Golden State, Maeve is bothered that she can't stop thinking about that sleepy little town of Unknown and even more bothered that she can't keep images of her boss, handsome bookshop owner Noah, out of her head. Eventually, Maeve has to decide if she wants to continue on her current path or if she has already found her new home in Unknown, with its welcoming locals and small-town feel. This is a wonderful book with a heart-warming ending. (AS)

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Love Lies - Adele Parks (2009)

All Fern wants for her 30th birthday is an engagement ring - she even gives her long-term boyfriend Adam an ultimatum. But what roadie Adam gets her instead are backstage concert tickets for UK's biggest pop star, Scottie Taylor. (Scottie is so much like Robbie Williams I even heard all his dialogue in Robbie's accent!) Fern meets Scottie while wandering around Wembley Stadium, and after a couple of intense days together, Scottie proposes. The new couple head off to LA, as Scottie sets out to conquer America with his latest album. But as Fern learns to deal with the entourage and adulation that surround her fiance, is her fairytale a true love story? This is a great escapist read which will sweep you up in all the pop star excitement - but may not be to the liking of all Adele Parks fans.

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Lush - Vanessa Johnson (2010)

Advertising account director Lydia is heading towards rock bottom after her boyfriend Marcus moves out, her best friend Miriam disappears on holiday to Mykonos and a major work stuff-up is blamed on her. Lydia, a New Zealander living in London, has a drinking problem but only starts to realise how serious it has got when she suffers blackouts and a doctor confirms she is drinking too much. Can Lydia stay sober, hold on to her job and turn her life around? This is a very promising debut with an endearing but flawed main character and a fascinating work environment. Interspersed with clever twists and humour, in fact, it's so good I think we'll claim the Kiwi author as Australian.

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Me & Miss M - Jemma Forte (2009)

Francesca has wanted to be an actress for as long as she can remember. But as she is getting older and the only job that has given her any type of notoriety is an advert she is ashamed of, she decides it's time for a change. So when she is fired for writing about her co-workers, she gets an opportunity of a lifetime to be an assistant to actress Caroline Mason, who enjoys Hollywood power couple status with actor Carson Adams. To deal with the stress of working for such a hateful person, Fran writes about her life as an assistant. She starts to learn secrets about this life that she wanted so badly for herself - finding that everything isn't always as it seems. A great debut from Jemma Forte and I can't wait to see what else she comes out with. (CG)

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Mini Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella (2010)

Rebecca Brandon (formerly Bloomwood) is at her wit's end. She's trying to plan a surprise birthday party for her husband, Luke, while on a budget. Which is disastrous in itself as Becky does not do budgets. Ever. But with the country in the midst of the worst financial crisis ever and everyone worried about money, Becky has no choice but to keep her party within means. On top of the stress of the party, she has her two-year-old daughter Minnie to look after and she's quite a handful. For a toddler, she sure knows what she wants - and that's everything she sees. Luke thinks Minnie is out of control but Becky disagrees, explaining that Minnie is just "free spirited". However, that's not enough for Luke, who thinks Minnie needs professional help. The final cherry on top of the cake is the fact that Becky has promised Luke that she won't shop until she wears everything in her closet three times. Three times! That will take her ages! But Becky wants to keep her promise no matter how hard it is. And, it's hard. Really, really hard. With Becky telling lie after lie regarding the party - she really does want it to be a surprise - she can't figure out what's the truth and what's not anymore. Will she be able to pull off the party without Luke finding out? And even more important: how long can she actually go without shopping? This is an excellent addition to the Shopaholic series and it's probably one of the best so far. Minnie adds a great element of fun and surprise to the story, which makes it refreshing and hard to put down. (AS)

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Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart - Beth Pattillo (2010)

Claire Prescott has been given a chance to get away from her go-nowhere life in Kansas City when her Jane Austen, Mr Darcy-loving sister Missy can't attend a seminar at Oxford University in England. Claire fills in her spot even though she doesn't understand all the fuss about Mr Darcy - she's happy with her sports fanatic boyfriend Neil. Wandering around Oxford on her first day she meets an old lady called Harriet, who invites her into her Beatrix Potter-looking house and shoves a manuscript into her hands claiming it's a draft of what went on to become the famous novel Pride and Prejudice. Claire starts reading the manuscript and can't help but get drawn deeper into the story, especially when she meets book publisher James, who may well be her Mr Darcy. This is a fun-filled novel for both lovers of Jane Austen and those who aren't as enamoured with the elusive and haughty Mr Darcy. (PP)

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Nanny Returns - Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin (2009)

It's been 12 years since Nan left the Xs' employ, leaving behind her videotape message of discontent. She's back in New York with her husband Ryan (remember HH from the first book), after years spent travelling for his UN job. They have moved into an apartment that needs some serious TLC and she is doing consulting work for a private school. One night, while Ryan is away, Nan's former charge Grayer turns up, drunk on her doorstep. He is wanting her to pose as his mother when his younger brother, Stilton, goes for a school interview. His parents have split up and Mrs X is not coping. And so Nan gets sucked back into a world where wealth and power equal dysfunctional families. Everyone would have their own ideas of how a sequel to The Nanny Diaries should play out. I really missed a combative Mrs X and couldn't see how Nan would have seen what she did around the world, and then still return to work in that privileged Manhattan school scene. As Nan considers the possibility of becoming a mother herself, the door is left open for a third instalment.

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Recipe for Scandal - Debby Holt (2010)

Bath caterer Alberta is throwing a dinner party with her long-term partner Tony when he gets a phone call that throws their lives together into a spin. Her daughter, Hannah, who has moved to London, is not only having man trouble but her best friend Harrison seems to be avoiding her. Then there's Alberta's mother, Phillipa, who is about to find herself in the middle of a scandal involving her husband, a former government minister. Soon all sorts of skeletons are tumbling out of everyone's closets.

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Revenge - Sharon Osbourne (2010)

It's the mid-70s and 16-year-old northerner Maggie has just landed in London, intending to become a star. Instead she finds herself attending endless auditions while working as a barmaid and living in a dingy flat. Falling for the smooth-talking Derek Stone, she soon finds herself abandoned and pregnant. Instead she marries the steadfast Stone brother, George, not realising he is gay and needs a wife for his career. He raises baby Chelsea as his own, and soon her sister Amber comes along. Maggie puts her own ambitions on hold, instead using her musical knowledge to help her husband become a very successful talent agent. She then turns her attention to her golden child Amber. The sisters' rivalry begins when brazen Chelsea wins a TV role that was meant for Amber. From here it seems for one sister's star to rise, the other's needs to fall. This was a surprisingly good romp of a read, with the ending leaving the door open for a sequel. My only complaint - it just didn't have any sense of this particular celebrity author's personality in it at all. The revenge climax ended up being so tepid. Anyone who has seen Mrs Osbourne swing into action to protect her brood would know that she'd come up with a far more powerful act of vengeance herself. (The book was written with an anonymous co-writer.)

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Searching for Tina Turner - Jacqueline E. Luckett (2010)

Lena Spencer reaches a point in her life when living "the good life" in no longer good enough. Tina Turner's autobiography becomes Lena's inspiration as she reaches the fork in the road where she must choose between others' expectations and her personal freedom. Age and circumstances are challenges worth overcoming in the pursuit of passion. This is a good debut which gives readers a glimpse into the lives of some mature and upwardly mobile African-Americans. (CM)

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Sweet Little Lies - Lauren Conrad (2010)

You know when you watch a TV pilot and it draws you in, ending on a cliffhanger so you can't wait to catch the next episode. That was LA Candy, the first book in reality TV star Lauren Conrad's series. Then you watch the next few episodes and it's all a bit ho-hum, making you wonder if the series is really worth your time. That's this book - which opens with Jane in Cabo with her reality TV co-star Madison. Jane's hiding out from a media storm back in LA after a paparazzo caught her with her boyfriend's friend, Braden. And Jane won't believe either her best friend Scarlett or the guy she cheated on, Jesse, that Madison was the two-faced person who leaked the photos to Gossip magazine. Jane reunites with Jesse - much to her show producer's delight - but her relationship with Scarlett seems beyond repair. A lot of this book just seemed to be treading water, setting the scene for the final book. Let's hope Sugar and Spice ends on a higher note.

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The Island - Elin Hilderbrand (2010)

For 13 years, the Tate family house on Tuckernuck Island has stayed vacant, getting more rundown by the year. Desperate to get away from life's little problems and escape to the middle of nowhere, Birdie has invited her two daughter Chess and Tate and her sister India for a month of relaxation. Each one readily accepts, all desperate to escape and hide. For Birdie, it seems that not only did her marriage fall apart but her current relationship with Hank may not survive the break. India, still mourning after the death of her husband Bill, has the chance to be happy, with someone else. But she is worried about what people may say. Tate has never been one for the L word - her job means she is always travelling and racking up 1.6 million frequent flyer points. On the island, Tate comes face to face with her childhood crush Barrett Lee. Is this Tate's chance for happiness once and for all, or will her hopes be crushed again? Then there is Chess, who is dealing with guilt after a broken engagement. The Island is definitely a story to read with girlfriends over a glass of wine or two. (PP)

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The Glamorous (Double) Life of Isabel Bookbinder - Holly McQueen (2008)

Quirky Isabel Bookbinder is set on becoming an international best-selling novelist. She's already thinking about her launch parties and the celebs who will play her characters in the movie version of her bonkbuster, Showjumpers. The only problem is she can't seem to sit down to write the book. In the meantime, Isabel has a bottom-of-the-ladder job at the Saturday Mercury newspaper. While covering for one of the girls in the office, she inadvertently exposes a political sex scandal and is quickly known for all the wrong reasons. Being jobless and possibly chased down by the MI5, Isabel still doesn't give up her hopes of being a novelist. While her life is basically in shambles, she's thrilled to be offered the job of special assistant to best-selling author and multi-millionaire Katriona de Montfort. Katriona takes Isabel to glamorous launch parties where she runs into dreamy literary agent, Joe Madison. But Isabel's detachment from reality soon gets her into more trouble than she can digest. Isabel is naive, lost in her own world and at times self-indulgent, however, you can't help but love her. Isabel's is a fresh new voice in women's fiction, one whose adventures and missteps you'll want to follow again and again. (AS)

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The Sister Diaries - Karen Quinn (2009)

Sisters, you love them and loathe them at the same time. As the quote goes, you can pick your friends but not your family. This book is about three sisters Laura and Amanda Moon and Serena Skank whose mother Sunny Moon has just died after a long battle with disease. The three gather for the will reading and are shocked to discover that everything important has been left to the middle sister Serena. Each sister is struggling in their own way - Serena has gone from being a top executive with Donatella Versace to stay-at-home mum with two under the age of four and her marriage to an oil heir is plunging into a black hole. Amanda who once was the top real-estate agent in New York has money problems and loan sharks hounding her and she was relying on the inheritance to get her out of this mess. Laura has spent the past six years looking after her mum, now all she wants is freedom and a chance to pump energy back into her music career. In an effort to discover what made their mother change her will, the sisters travel to the root of East Hampton to unravel the mystery behind their mother's past and in doing this they set off a domino effect that stands to threaten the bond of sisterhood. (PP)

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Twenties Girl - Sophie Kinsella (2009)

Lara is one of the few family members who have bothered to turn up at her grand-aunt Sadie's funeral, even though she can't remember ever meeting her. Sadie appears as a ghost - in the form of how Sadie looked in her 20s, back in the 1920s - but only Lara can see her. Desperate to find her missing dragonfly necklace, Sadie forces Lara to stop the funeral. Next thing Lara is at the police station, giving a statement about how she believed her 105-year-old aunt's death was suspicious. With Lara facing her own problems, including desperately wanting to get back with her ex Josh and trying to keep her headhunting business together after her partner swanned off to Goa, the last thing Lara needs is taking time out to track down the missing necklace. But as the pair spend time together - and in true Kinsella style, the result is many laugh-out-loud moments - Lara finds perhaps Sadie may just be her guardian angel.

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