Review: Build A Man by Talli Roland (and giveaway!)

Hi Lovelies! I had said earlier this year that I was going to post some book reviews here as I worked through my reading list for the year. I started with a review, then kinda got sidetracked if I didn't write it as soon as I was done reading and it was fresh in my mind.

So, it's no secret, I'm kind of a book worm. I've pretty much loved reading since before I could even read myself. I spent a lot of time with my Grama when I was young and she was always reading to me. I could practically quote whole books because we'd read them so many times (the little Golden Books; not like I was quoting Shakespeare LOL).

Anyway, when I could read on my own I was reading anything and everything! Road signs, cereal boxes, lol. I loved words! I loved books! I'd read the Boxcar Children books... The Baby Sitter Club Little Sister books then the Baby Sitter Club series...

In my later years (ha, my twenties) I'm pretty much immersed in chick lit. Specifically British Chick Lit. Sophie Kinsella is my absolute fave and I adore Gemma Townley.

I often scroll through the Amazon 100 Free Kindle books just to see what's out there (it's typically classics and smut lol. You know the really trashy (but not completely unenjoyable;) romance novels) Last week, Talli Roland's Build A Man was for free. As much as people say "don't judge a book by its cover" I do;) And I was pretty sure I'd enjoy this one.

The premise is that Serenity Holland moved from Maine to England in hopes of becoming a tabloid reporter and living the big London life! She gets a job working at a cosmetic surgeon's office and ends up dating and moving in with the doctor--Peter Lycett. When a nice looking fellow named Jeremy Ritchie comes into the office looking to have several operations to make him into the man he thinks women wants, Serenity decides to pitch the idea of writing a column about him to one of the local tabloid magazines.

When the online column is picked up, she goes undercover to get the scoop on Jeremy's life--digs up some info about his past and why he wants such drastic changes. She changes names and is sure that confidentiality will be at its highest. But as the events unfold, Serenity will get more than she ever planned.

Okay, the summary is pretty shallow and stereotypical--and that's exactly what drew me in. Reading to me is an escape from the real world. I want something light and airy and funny that will entertain me and just make me feel good:) When I started reading, I thought I had the whole story figured out... she'd write the story, Jeremy would figure it out and hate her... and she'd be left broken.

I'm not going to spoil the story for you, but it really didn't go exactly as I thought it would (and that's a good thing;) Along the way, we're introduced to Kirsty and Tim--Serenity's BFF from Maine who also moved to London. Kirsty is the kind of girl who has every bit of her life planned out. So when she discovers she's pregnant and Tim proposes, she's suddenly thrown into stress and confusion wondering if you get what you thought you always wanted, what happens if you're not sure you really want it anymore..

Those same thoughts go through Serenity's mind as she's working on the Build a Man column... here she is working as a tabloid writer.. going to launch parties.. but at what expense? To expose someone she's just getting to know? Is it really worth it?

Talli did a great job creating characters that are totally relatable. There were parts of both Kirsty and Serenity that I could see in myself. Don't we all sometimes get to a point of trying to figure out what we want; wondering if it's what we really want; as well as wondering if there's something (or someone) more out there. There were even parts of Jeremy I could relate to--when feeling rejection, I want to go and change everything because clearly there must be something wrong.

It was a super easy, fun, quick read that I would definitely recommend. You can get it for 99 cents at Amazon (and you don't need a Kindle to read it!) But one lucky reader will be able to get it for free! I am able to loan it one time, and I'm going to share it with one of you! (when I loan it, it will be delivered to your email address. Once you download it, you will have it for two weeks before its returned to me.) I'm going to make this a super easy giveaway! All you need to do is follow me either via Google Friend Connect, HelloCotton, Bloglovin, Facebook, or Twitter. Leave a comment below telling me where you follow me, what your display name is, and your email address. On Wednesday, June 27, I'll select a winner at random and send you the book!

Have you read any good books lately? Who are some of your favorite authors?

Book Review ~ Jemima J. by Jane Green

Hey Lovelies! A while back I'd posted a poll to see who would be interested in my doing reviews of books I'm reading off my reading list this year! Only six people voted, but those six all said yes! So here I am doing my first one!

It almost feels like I'm doing a book report for school again! (ha, did you have to do those growing up??) And speaking of reading and growing up, did you get to do the Book-It program from Pizza Hut where you lived? It was such a fab thing! Basically, you had to read so many books/pages/whatever a month and if you did it, then your teacher would fill out the slip of paper and you'd take it to Pizza Hut where you'd get a free personal pan pizza! (delish!) AND you'd get this big Book-It button and each month you'd get a star to put on the button. Loved it. I was a big reader anyway, so regardless if the program existed or not, I still would've been reading everything! But what a great way to get rewarded--with pizza!!! (you can read more about the Book It Program on their website; it's probably explained better there anyway lol)

This was my first ever Jane Green book that I'd read. I actually picked it up at a magazine/book swap I'd gone to with my Meetup friends. It seemed like the usual type books I read (chick lit) and thought I'd give it a whirl. The story focuses around Jemima who is an overweight woman working for a newspaper in the UK. She fancies this guy at work, but of course, since he's hot and she's fat she realizes that he could never like her (typical). The internet is up and coming and she discovers chat rooms and realizes that she can be anyone she wants when she's talking to people online. She meets Brad who's this amazing American man and they hit it off right away! Jemima is determined to lose all the weight so that she can fly to the States and meet this man of her dreams!

The book then turns to following Jemima's journey to lose weight--she starts working out way too much, eating way too little, but the pounds come off and she eventually gets to the body she thinks she needs! (all this happens with some other drama going on in the background of the book; her roommates hitting on the hot guy from work she likes; her mother prying in to her life; the hot guy moving on to a new job at a TV show; his new boss trying to hook up with him.. on and on).

Anyway, JJ as she no long goes by her name of Jemima Jones, ends up in America and stays with Brad. Things go great at first and she's so excited that she lost all the weight and became what she thought she always wanted to be! Brad's assistant is really kinda mean to JJ and she can never seem to figure out why.

There's kind of a twist near the end, and of course everyone ended up "happiily ever after." It was a fun read, but I felt at times that it was just very busy. A lot of details added to the book as filler or fluff and not actually a part of the real story.

I felt that Jemima was mostly a realistic character to which readers could relate. And her struggle is very common of many women around the world. It was nice to see her get what she want, but then also see her as many other people feel when they get what they want and still want more.

I think I would read another Jane Green book if given the opportunity, but I'm not sure I would actively go out to try to find one. Overall, it was just a so-so book.

How about you? Have you read any of Jane Green's books? Did you read Jemima J? What did you think of it?