Location: Canada
Member Since: Dec. 25, 2010
Jonita
Books
This member has not published any books.Smashwords book reviews by Jonita
- A Life That Fits
on Aug. 17, 2011
Heather Wardell is one of my favorite chick lit authors because her stories are light and fun, yet thought-provoking. I always find myself reading frantically, anxious to find out what will happen next. "A Life That Fits" is no exception to the rule. I really appreciated Andrea's situation. Here she is, safe in a relationship that she's been in for years, and she's expecting a marriage proposal, not for her boyfriend to leave her. When the inevitable happens she spends the acceptable amount of time being upset about it, but instead of continuing to wallow she decides to take action in order to win Alex back. By changing her life in order to achieve this goal, she receives the most wonderful gift- she rediscovers who she really is. I, for one, quite like what she found. Combine entertaining characters, an interesting plot, and a fantastic ending and you have "A Life That Fits". This is a great choice for women's fiction lovers who are looking for a book that refuses to let you go until the very last page.
- Live Out Loud
on Nov. 16, 2011
Amy is a talented songwriter and singer who accidentally falls into stardom when a video of a private performance that she gives is posted on a blog and goes viral. The next thing she knows she's being stuffed into too-tight clothing with matching wigs, she's moved to a more secure apartment, she has her own bodyguards, and she has become the singing sensation Misty Will. Her willingness to do all it takes to become a music sensation is more than what it seems on the surface, though. Amy loves singing and performing, but what she really needs is the money that her opportunity will provide her with to start the center for troubled young girls that she and her late friend, Giselle, had always dreamed of opening. As Amy becomes more involved in the world of Misty Will, and as the money that she needs to start the center is deposited into her bank account, she starts to reexamine what it is that she truly wants from life and is torn: does she continue being Misty Will or does she start the center and honor her friend's memory? The answer seems clear, but is she making the right decision? I'm a long time fan of Heather Wardell and there's lots to love about Live Out Loud. My favorite part had to be the underlying message that clearly comes across: live your dreams with no apologies. All too often we feel pressured to do something with our lives that will make others happy, but it's easy to lose sight of what will make us truly happy. Amy struggles with these issues throughout the book as she tries to decide if she should follow her dreams or follow the dreams of her late friend in her memory. I also enjoyed the developing romance present in the book. It felt genuine and realistic to me, and I was happy when Amy was able to find someone able to deal with her instant stardom. The plot was fresh and current. I'm a big fan of The Ellen DeGeneres Show and there have been tons of times when Ellen invites someone on her show who has posted a video of themselves on YouTube and has become almost instantly famous. With all of the technology at our fingertips this kind of thing is happening all of the time and the plot resonated with me. That being said there was one thing in this book that I had a problem with. Amy, as a character, did not always feel real to me. It had nothing to do with her fame, but with her reactions to certain events in her life. Despite her fame she didn't seem to change a bit, and I didn't find that realistic. She was careful to watch out for others, and she got along with almost everyone that she met, but I think that all of us has an inner bitch that does come out to play once in a while, and that we can't be "on" 24-7. I just wish that she would have shown some kind of selfishness or diva-like behavior along the way. It wouldn't have made me like her any less, I just would have felt that she was more human. Live Out Loud is well-written, relevant, and interesting, with plenty of things to love about it. I can easily recommend it to my fellow chick lit fans.