32) Fatal Fixer-Upper by Jennie Bentley

The Blurb -

Avery Baker was once a New York designer, but inheriting her aunt's old Maine cottage has led her down a new career path—home renovation. Now, with help from hunky handyman Derek Ellis, Avery starts learning the ABCs of DIY. But when the designer-turned-renovator finds clues that lead to a missing professor, she wonders if she can finish the house—without getting finished off in the process.

My Thoughts -

Fatal Fixer-Upper is the first in the cozy Do-It-Yourself Home Renovation mysteries. At the beginning I wasn't sure if I was going to like the book. Avery, the main character came across as so naive and a little blonde and I was a little put off. However I decided to see how things panned out and I was pleasantly surprised by how the story developed. By the end of the book I was hooked and now I have another cozy mystery series to add to my reading list.

I like reading cozy mysteries and even though my first love is Paranormal Urban Fantasy I need a break from the Supernatural now and again. This cozy series really hit the spot this week and turned out to be a welcome change and an easy interesting read. The plot was clever and well thought out and the whole Do-It-Yourself angle was a nice twist and not too over the top.

So I look forward to reading more in this series. I see there are actually already four books so I have some catching up to do!

27) Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

The Blurb -

Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) thought motherhood would be a breeze and that having a daughter was a dream come true – a shopping friend for life! But it’s trickier than she thought – two-year-old Minnie has a quite different approach to shopping.

She can create havoc everywhere from Harrods to Harvey Nicks to her own christening. She hires taxis at random, her favourite word is ‘Mine‘, and she’s even started bidding for designer bags on ebay.

On top of everything else, there’s a big financial crisis. People are having to Cut Back – including all of Becky’s personal shopping clients – and she and Luke are still living with Becky’s Mum and Dad. To cheer everyone up, Becky decides to throw a surprise birthday party – on a budget – but then things become really complicated.

Who will end up on the naughty step, who will get a gold star and will Becky’s secret wishes come true?

My Thoughts -

Yes this is a Chick-lit book but I really love this author and I have followed the Shopoholic series from the beginning and didn't want to miss out on this one. Of course this review will be short because there are no vamps, weres or anything else paranormal involved.

It was a nice read. Not as good as the previous books. A little long winded and not as funny as the rest of the series. I wonder if the author will now do a Shopoholic in L.A or let things be. Of course I will keep reading Sophie's books because she is a great author that I can not leave off my wishlist.