TITLES X, Y and Z
Titles - A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T The U V W X Y Z
Yes, Chef! - Lisa Joy (2014)
Becca works in the reservations call centre for the restaurant empire run by chef Damien Malone. When she is tapped to take over as his personal assistant, she is filled with trepidation since he is known in the business as being a nightmare to deal with. Next thing she knows she's run off her feet dealing with his unwelcome advances and his wife's outrageous demands. Not only are her friends and work pals wondering where she's got to, Becca hardly has any time to follow up on a promising new love interest. With a heroine who is still finding her way, a caricature hot-headed chef, and a workplace that requires designated Sexual Harrassment Thursdays, this had all the ingredients for a spicy romp exposing the restaurant industry and the cooks who believe they are rock stars. The story would have been even more palatable if it had been served with more generous dollops of chef histrionics, and extra call centre dramas on the side.
Back to top
Yesterday's News - Kajsa Ingemarsson (2012)
Swedish waitress Agnes is fired from her job at a prestigious Stockholm restaurant when she turns down the advances of her slimy boss. The same day her rocker boyfriend, Tobias, breaks up with her for one of his backup singers. With the encouragement of her friends, she struggles to move on and Agnes quickly runs into Kalle, an old friend, who is opening up a Mediterranean-style restaurant. Agnes joins the staff and the author takes you on a journey of the few weeks before the opening of the restaurant to the few months afterwards and the struggles a new restaurant encounters. The reader can't help but cheer on Agnes even when she stumbles back into the arms of her ex-boyfriend and ignores a good man who is right in front of her. Even though I have never worked in the restaurant business, I absolutely loved reading about all the details of running a restaurant from the importance of a good review to the description of the yummy food. (AO)
Back to top
Yesterday's Sun - Amanda Brooke (2012)
Life for Holly was perfect and in line with her five-year plan - that is until she and her husband Tom buy a country home in a picture-perfect English village. While renovating, Holly discovers an old sundial which turns out to be a moondial which can show visions of the future with one condition; it's a life for a life. In Holly's visions, she has died during childbirth, leaving Tom to raise their newborn daughter Libby alone. Holly sets out to try to change their path away from this vision. Things get tense when Tom starts to pressure her about starting a family. Will Holly do everything in her power to avoid becoming pregnant, so that she may live or will she sacrifice herself for her unborn child? Yesterday's Sun reads as a flashback leading up to the main event in which we discover the outcome in the last chapter. The ending is one the reader does not expect and will have your eyes tearing up as you read. This is a heartbreaking and haunting read that I enjoyed more than I thought I would. (PP)
Back to top
You Don't Have To Be Good - Sabrina Broadbent (2009)
In her late 40s, Cambridge council employee Bea Kemp is married to an aspiring writer, Frank, and has always been a good aunt to her nephew Adrian and niece Laura. What appears to be a satisfied life begins to shatter as a series of events lead to Bea's disappearance. Despite the seemingly complicated storyline, and the little emphasis on Bea's own view about things around her, the story is crafted in a beautiful way, adding with it a splash of irony that brings out the tragedy in Bea's life. (XT)
Back to top
You Don't Have to Say You Love Me - Sarra Manning (2011)
Neve Slater is on a mission... to lose weight and to be with the man she loves, William. The only problem is the 25-year-old has never had a proper relationship. Besides giving herself a makeover, she wants to find someone she can have a fake relationship with, so when William comes home from California she is prepared for him. One night, after being dragged out by her sister Celia, she meets Max - her sister's womanising editor. But she comes to an agreement with Max that they will pretend to date so Neve can get an understanding of how a relationship works. Who knows what's in it for Max? As time continues, Neve realises that she is depending more and more on Max and thinking less about William. So what's a girl to do - choose the man she is in a faux relationship with or wait for the man she hasn't seen for years? This is a great book about relationships and finding true love. With so many women on a quest to be thinner, Manning obviously hits a nerve as she focuses on Neve's antics to lose weight, highlighting how far a woman will go to get the perfect body - and man. At times though Neve was perhaps too self-involved with her eating and the lengths she took to get thin. (CG)
Back to top
You Don't Know Jack - Erin McCarthy (2006)
This second book in the NY Girlfriends series is about a woman named Jamie who really doesn't believe in true love anymore. Her dating history has made her cynical when it comes to matters of the heart. When her cross-dressing psychic buddy tells her she is going to meet the man of her dreams, she is obviously doubtful. Then when it actually happens, Jamie doesn't know what to think. Is it true love or a mere coincidence? Unfortunately, the man that she thinks is her knight in shining armour has been less than truthful about his true identity. Now, he doesn't know how to tell her the truth - that he's her roommate's brother, he's obscenely rich, and he's the thorn in Jamie's side that has been investigating her. He wants to tell her the truth, but the truth is, the more he is around her, the more he wants to be with her and the harder it is to come clean. Things are going to get very complicated... I loved these characters. Jamie and Jack make the perfect couple even though they are polar opposites. Jamie is a working-class girl living in New York City with three roommates to make ends meet. She's a social worker who helps paroled convicts re-enter the world as free men. She doesn't believe in the happily-ever-after fairy tale. I thought Jamie's cynical nature would annoy me after a while but it never did. The great thing about Jack is that even though he is mega rich, he's very likeable, down to earth and very persistent. My only problem with this book was the story left a lot of loose ends that leaves the reader hanging. I had a lot of "what about" questions at the end about Austin, Jack's grandfather, Jamie's father and Jamie's roommates, Caroline, Allison and Mandy. Even still, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Jamie and Jack and highly recommend this book if you like smexy (smutty and sexy) hot love scenes and some hilarity to go with it. (SH)
Back to top
You Drive Me Crazy - Carole Matthews (2005)
This is a story about love finding you in the least expected place and at the most unexpected time. With two children and now a second divorce looming, Anna is facing her fear of the unknown. As a way to pass the time in the waiting room of her divorce attorney's office, she strikes up a conversation with Nick. She paints herself as a childless young woman divorcing her mega rich husband rather than reveal the truth about herself: she's desperate, broke, has no marketable skills and needs a job desperately. Anna gets a job as Nick's secretary (though he makes the tea better than she does) and it seems like their relationship has a lot of potential for something meaningful when their respective exes reappear. I loved Anna and Nick's vulnerability. Even though both have been exceedingly unlucky in love, neither is bitter or hateful. They are both looking for a happily ever after and haven't shut themselves off to it happening. The author does an excellent job of showing both Anna and Nick's point of view of what each is going through. I especially loved seeing that Anna's role as a mother wasn't something she could hide - that it was a part of her soul. She unwittingly exposed this side of herself in a hilarious meat-cutting scene that made me laugh so hard I had tears rolling down my cheeks. Overall, this was a very entertaining story that I recommend for those looking for a feel-good story with characters who aren't perfect in looks or rich, but are human with all of the defects that brings. (SH)
Back to top
You Dropped a Blonde on Me - Dakota Cassidy (2010)
Former trophy wife Max is trying to adjust to life without her car dealer husband's cash. Finley has cut her and her teenage son Connor off, citing a prenup, as he trades her in for a newer shinier model. Homeless and unemployed, Max moves into her mother Mona's retirement village. She runs into Campbell, a former high school classmate who has moved back to help his dad run his plumbing business. There's lots of sexual tension - and sex - between the pair as the wise-cracking Max learns how to suck it up and stand up to her ex. This is the first in a series about ex-trophy wives - got to admit not far in I was already looking to trade this story in for a shinier model too.
Back to top
You Had Me at Bonjour - Jennifer Bohnet (2014)
After her husband leaves her for another woman, Jessica takes off to have her own Shirley Valentine moment. But instead of heading to Greece, she rents a place in the south of France. And she's certainly not averse to meeting her very own French version of Costas during her gap year. Trouble is she doesn't speak the language and her 20-year-old daughter Katie is mad that she's left her to deal with her father's pregnant girlfriend. After befriending her older neighbour Eliosa, Jessica meets her nephew Nico. He's a rather suave captain of a yacht but he's also married and off-limits. Or is he? Written diary style over the course of the year, the story follows Jessica as she finds herself again outside her role as wife and mother. The book was way too short for my tastes, not allowing the plot to twist and turn and really challenge the reader. And all the relationships wrapped up far too neatly. But for someone looking for a light and quick holiday read, this one will definitely go down as smooth as a delightful French drop.
Back to top
You Had Me at Good-bye - Tracey Bateman (2008)
Book two in the Drama Queens series focuses on Dancy Ames, who lives with Laini and Tabby and works as a book editor at Lane Publishing. Her brother's best friend Jack Quinn not only took her dream job at the firm, but ends up having to fire her because of a change of company direction. Meanwhile, Dancy helps out her friend Nick at his coffee shop and works on her own novel, called Fifth Avenue Princess, whose main character is torn between two men - one sounding remarkably like Jack. Dancy also is dealing with a teenage half-brother who has just arrived on the scene and jealousy that her engaged brother is getting the family condo. Not sure if I read a different book to what the blurb and advance reviews promised - what happened to the storyline about Dancy being dared to send Jack a book, under an assumed name, about a romance between a mean editor and a coffee barista?
Back to top
You Had Me at Halo - Amanda Ashby (2007)
Holly Evans has just been watching her own funeral (and she certainly wouldn't have wanted to have been caught dead in that particular polyester dress). The 22-year-old drowned in her bathtub on the night her boyfriend Todd was going to propose. Unable to keep her mouth shut in heaven and with much mortal baggage still to deal with, Holly's spiritual realigner decides to send her back to earth in the body of another recently departed. As luck would have it, one of Holly's work colleagues, IT geek Vince Murphy, shows signs of dying and she is put into his six-foot body. But Vince had only fainted and wakes up to discover he has to share his body with someone with only two days to sort out her life. As Holly embarks on a mission to prove she didn't kill herself, she discovers that not everyone in her life was who they seemed. An engaging, comic read that keeps you turning the pages to find out if Holly will resolve her issues and find out why she died in time. And Holly just seems made for the big screen.
Back to top
You Had Me At Hello - Mhairi McFarlane (2012)
Rachel's life takes an unexpected turn and she starts to question the decisions she's made in life. When Rachel bumps into Ben, her best friend from university and the one-that-got-away, it reawakens old feelings. Only in the decade that has passed since they last saw each other, Ben's got married and Rachel's life seems to be the same. As Ben and Rachel rekindle their friendship, will they be able to just be friends? The story is fast paced as it is set in the present day with flashbacks to Ben and Rachel's time at university. This worked really well with the adventures of their university days being interpreted through thirty-something eyes. I laughed out loud throughout the novel. It was witty and fresh and it felt like the sort of naughty chick lit that we had before all the novels about baking cupcakes and running twee shops. An excellent debut novel that will have me looking out for the rest of Mhairi's books. (AB)
Back to top
You Have to Kiss a Lot of Frogs - Laurie Graff (2004)
Forty-five-year-old Karrie Kline, a still single Jewish actress, looks back over 15 years of dating. She goes out with a variety of men from New York to Los Angeles - from long-term boyfriend Jack, to a famous Hollywood actor who barked. There was Elliot, the married journalist; Donald, who wore the same clothes for a week; and Phil, who she mistook as Rob the blind date. Will she find her Prince Charming or just kiss too many frogs?
Back to top
You Knew Me When - Emily Liebert (2013)
After her mother's unexpected death, Katherine and her dad move to a new neighbourhood in Manchester, Vermont, in order to start afresh. From the first second in this new town, Katherine becomes best friends with Laney, and the two are quickly inseparable. Over the years, they start planning their future: going to college, moving to New York, having glamorous and successful careers... All of it together, obviously. However, when the end of high school is near, suddenly everything changes. Fast-forward twelve years, and Laney and Katherine are no longer in touch. Until they both receive the same letter: their old neighbour and friend Luella has passed away and she has named both Laney and Katherine in her will. They are forced to work together again after all these years. Will the girls be able to set aside their differences, or is it true that some things can be forgiven but never forgotten? You Knew Me When is mainly written from Katherine's perspective, with some chapters from Laney's point of view as well, and numerous flashbacks to when the two girls were growing up together. The mixture of both Katherine and Laney's voices, and the portrayal of the two characters as teenage girls and as grown-up women, is really well done. The flashbacks revealed the closeness of their friendship, and this really added a nostalgic layer to the story. Emily Liebert's writing is fantastic: easy to read, captivating, and she manages to capture certain emotions perfectly. The novel mainly focuses on the two primary characters, Laney and Katherine, and the other characters aren't really worked out in close detail. However, this didn't bother me in any way, because it is Katherine and Laney's story that is central to the novel; two best friends trying to find their way back to one another, after life has come in the way. It's a heart-warming, thoroughly enjoyable novel about the power of friendship and the trials of growing up, which readers will be able to relate to. (JoH)
Back to top
Younger, Thinner, Blonder - Sue Watson (2013)
Tanya Travis is the queen of daytime TV. But when she's caught live on air dishing out a foulmouthed rant at her runner - who just happens to be the boss' daughter - Tanya goes from daytime darling to media target. With her relationship on the rocks and money troubles to boot, Tanya's agent suggests there's only one option - Celebrity Spa Trek - a TV reality show set in Nepal where celebrities have to get back to nature. But Tanya doesn't quite realise what's in store. From a prima donna actor to horrendous trials, Tanya's life seems to have hit rock bottom, but a trip to an orphanage begins to put things into perspective. Set in the world of reality TV, this novel feels really current and takes the reader on an illuminating journey into the fickle world of television and celebrity. The addition of tweets and gossip snippets at the end of each chapter again really adds to the up-to-date feel of the novel. The novel is split into three parts - part one focusing on Tanya's fall from grace, part two on Celebrity Spa Trek, and part three on the aftermath of the show. Whilst I enjoyed the story immensely, I did think part one was a bit too drawn out and I would have preferred a greater focus on Tanya's trials and tribulations on the reality show. However, the story still flows superbly well and is fun and spirited. There are some wonderful characters too and although Tanya is clearly the heroine and goes on an important journey of self-discovery, it is Astrid, Tanya's potty-mouthed Swedish cleaner-cum-PA, who steals the show. Sue Watson has created an absolute treat of a character and the only disappointment is that for much of part two we don't get to see, or more importantly hear from, Astrid. Despite its humour and irreverence however, the novel also has some real poignancy and heart - with little Maya providing a huge tug on the heartstrings - and offers a reminder of the many privileges we take for granted and what's really important in life. (JC)
Back to top
Young Wives' Tales - Adele Parks (2007)
Lucy has stolen her friend Rose's husband, Peter, but is now finding life may have been better as a mistress. With barely a maternal bone in her body, she often escapes to her stockbroking job to get away from her four-year-old daughter Auriol. Meanwhile, Rose is making sure she's the best mum possible, making organic meals, volunteering on school committees, not showing her two sons that their father's betrayal has devastated her - even though it was more than six years ago. To avoid rocking the boat, she even allows her friends and family to sign her up to a night course and starts dating again. Their friend Connie, happily married to Luke and a working mother, has managed to stay friends with both women. But her world is rocked when the man she had an affair with, John Harding, turns up at the school gates. The story is expertly told from the varying viewpoints of Lucy, Rose and John. It is the sequel to Playing Away.
Back to top
You Take It From Here - Pamela Ribon (2012)
On their annual girls' vacation, Danielle learns best friend Smidge's lung cancer is back and this time, it's terminal. Smidge, ever the bossy one, proceeds to outline for Danielle how things are going to go, including her plan to have Danielle move into her house, marry her husband and raise her daughter after she's gone, keeping all of this a secret from Smidge's family, of course. Danielle is torn between granting her best friend's dying wish and being true to herself and the life she left Louisiana to live. When those closest to them begin to suspect something is up, Danielle decides it's time to finally take charge of the situation before it's too late. I found the premise of the book intriguing. How far would one go for a dying friend? However, even with several witty exchanges between Smidge, Danielle and those around them, I felt the story went on far too long without any significant plot until the very end of the book. I found Smidge to be an unlikeable character, even with everything she was going through, and hoped that by the end of the book, she would have redeemed herself with me. That was not the case. (LEK)
Back to top
Your Beautiful Lies - Louise Douglas (2014)
Set in Yorkshire in 1984, this tells the story of Annie Howarth, who is married to local police chief William and from the outside, their life seems good. They own a beautiful home called Everwell and while William works hard, Annie takes care of their daughter Elizabeth and her demented mother-in-law Ethel. Annie is unhappily stuck in the basic routine of life, but that is all about to change. When the man she used to be head over heels in love with, Tom Greenway, returns to town, Annie's life is turned upside down. What happened in the past is still haunting both of them and Annie knows it'd be best to stay away from Tom. But before she knows it, she finds herself keeping secrets from everyone in her life and risking everything she has. 'A love story with a dark twist' is definitely a good way to describe this particular Louise Douglas novel. Before picking up this novel I was not familiar with this author's work, but I'm really glad I was given the chance to be introduced to it. It took me a bit of time to really get into the story, but as soon as I was I just wanted to keep on reading until I knew how everything would eventually work out. The writing was well-paced, a pleasure to read, and I was impressed by how she managed to build the tension, coupled with a real menacing feeling, throughout the entire book. The characters in the novel are well-drawn and realistic, but I didn't end up really warming to any of them. I became involved in the main character Annie's life and wanted her to find happiness, but the darkness of the story and the characters kept me at a certain distance somehow. It is a dark, tangible, captivating read which I am sure many women's fiction fans will enjoy. (JoH)
Back to top
Your Big Break - Johanna Edwards (2006)
Communication specialists Dani Meyers started working for Your Big Break Inc, which arranges relationship break-ups, after her fiancé dumped her on live radio. But she can't seem to follow her company's rules, especially the one about not getting personally involved. But could you end a relationship with a guy whose father has just died or tell your father that his mistress wants to end it?
Back to top
You're The One That I Don't Want - Alexandra Potter (2010)
"You will be together forever and nothing will ever break you apart". To Lucy, nothing could be more romantic or perfect for her and Nate than the legend of the Bridge of Sighs. To be joined for all eternity to the One and for nothing to come between them. But that was when they were teenagers. Since then they have gone their separate ways and it seems that they are not destined to be together after all, that is until Lucy moves to New York and through an enormous twist of fate (or is it the legend?) is reunited with Nate. But 10 years is a long time and they soon discover that they no longer want to be with one another. But with a Venetian legend, it's not that simple. After they break up, it seems that the universe is constantly conspiring to throw them back together and the prospect of being together forever now seems like a horrible nightmare. Lucy has to try to break the legend or she's stuck with the One that she doesn't want for all eternity. A nice twist on the usual soulmate story but the plot becomes a bit repetitive. (JC)
Back to top
You're The One That I Want - Giovanna Fletcher (2014)
Maddy, Robert and Ben are three friends who have known each other since childhood. Growing up together, they were affectionately known as 'The Tripod' - were three people that made up one whole; without each other they were nothing. This novel follows them as they go through childhood, adolescence and their early to mid-twenties. Maddy has never fancied either of the boys, they've always just been her friends; she's seen them at their best and at their worst, and has never wanted to be anything more. However, as the three grow up, a whole host of complicated emotions stem from each of them and soon the three of them are trapped in a love triangle; one that is full of emotion and potential heartbreak. What do you do when you have to choose between the two people you love most in the world? I found that I connected instantly with Maddy; when I was growing up I had a lot more male friends than female friends and have had two best male friends, so I could completely relate to the dynamic between the three main characters. I think this is a really strong point of the novel, so many people will be able to relate to the situation Maddy finds herself in. The story is told from three viewpoints which made for some really lovely insights into the way each character was feeling. I loved getting into Ben's head and seeing how he felt (he was probably my favourite of the two guys) and it was really interesting seeing how each character perceived the others' behaviour in totally different ways. Maddy is the perfect female lead; she is funny, caring, confusing, loveable, just everything a teenage/young female character should be! The novel takes place in various locations: in Peaswood where the three grow up, at university, in Paris, in London...the list is endless! I loved how smooth the transition from each location was and how accurately and concisely Gi managed to describe them. She has the perfect narrative voice for this genre and writes in such an experienced way that you fall head first into her fictional world. The characters are beautifully formed and develop spectacularly well over the course of the book. I adored this book from the first page to the last - it's a beautifully told story exploring the notion of friendship and first love through three gorgeous characters who will capture your heart. (LL)
Back to top
Your Perfect Life - Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke (2014)
Casey and Rachel have been best friends since they were kids, and they couldn't be more different. Rachel is a mother of three including a baby that wasn't expected and the wife to someone she barely recognises, Casey is a host for Gossip TV and interviews celebrities you could only dream of meeting. At their twentieth high school reunion it turns into a night to remember for all the wrong reasons. They wake up in each other's bodies the next morning and wonder how they are going to pull off being each other. Rachel gets a chance to live the broadcasting dreams she gave up when pregnant in college and Casey has to face the reality of why she is really alone. They soon discover they didn't know their best friend or themselves as well as they thought. This is a book with a difference for me as I haven't read anything like it before. With a storyline that tugged at my heartstrings and co-written by real-life best friends, I saw a lesson in this book, in that you don't know what you have until it's gone. Casey was my favourite character as she's so down to earth and fun, and always happy to help anyone in need. I was rooting for both of them to get their happy ending. (KD)
Back to top
Yours Truly - Kristy Greenwood (2012)
Natalie Butterworth is getting married to Olly in a month and she's just had a horror haircut. Growing up with bickering parents, Natalie has learnt to be undemanding and doesn't like offending people. So as her mother and sister Dionne help organise her wedding - choosing things she'd never choose in a fit - Natalie finds it hard to stand up for herself. Then one night Natalie is at the pub with best friend and aspiring singer Meg and falls under the spell of hypnotist Brian. Now whenever anyone asks her a question, she can only tell the truth. But can the people in her life handle the truth? Natalie heads to the village of Little Trooley to track down the hypnotist before her wedding is completely ruined. She gets caught up in the dramas of the Old Whimsy pub, which is run by the rather dishy Riley. This very funny debut will delight those who hanker after some good old-school chick lit. If hypnotist Brian put me under his spell and you asked me should you read it: I'd say "definitely!"
Back to top
Zoe's Muster - Barbara Hannay (2012)
Restless Zoe is the odd one out in a high-achieving family; the daughter of a politician and cellist. Her sister is a successful lawyer whilst Zoe ices cupcakes for a living. When she discovers that her blood group is incompatible with her parents, she is not who she thought she was. Rather, she is the product of a brief liaison between her mother and a North Queensland cattleman. Confused, she embarks on a quest to meet her biological father and accepts a position as a muster cook on his property. Travelling to the remote property, she expects to meet her other family, but what she doesn't count on is romantic flirtations from her half brother Luke and her feelings for the undeniably charming musterer Mac McKinnon. As if it isn't difficult enough to keep her mother's secret, she finds herself increasingly attracted to the cool Mac, who is anxious to keep his distance whilst struggling to deal with his own past. The burden of her secret overwhelms Zoe who is worried she will unintentionally cause hurt to all those involved. Burdened by her mother's guilt, can Zoe keep her identity a secret? Will Zoe's mother, Claire, reveal the truth to her husband and potentially ruin his chances of re-election? And how will Zoe's new family feature in her life and can she secure Mac's heart? This is a feel-good romance set amongst clear northern skies and dusty cattle plains. (LF)