Synopsis

Dating, fashion, and drama: Clementine never has a dull day at the Parsons School of Design.

When Clementine Liu arrives in New York City to study at the Parsons School of Design, she knows that she’s found
her place. It isn’t long before she meets her fashionista soulmate, the loud and charismatic Jake, and Jonathan, a dreamy fashion photographer who turns her world upside down.

Between schoolwork and glitzy fashion shows, Clementine launches a blog, Bonjour Girl, and her wit, originality, and flair quickly catapult the site to cult status. Unfortunately, this comes with a price: Clementine is faced with online abuse and public humiliation. In the midst of all the drama, she finds out that a classmate is not what she seems, and Clementine has to find a way to save both her reputation and Jake’s fashion collection.

Review

I have mixed feelings about this book. The underlying story (or at least what I think is the story) about cyber bullying and chasing your dreams was good. We know that bullying is rampant in our country and this shows how one person fought back. Clementine also had a dream that she followed which is a good message for anyone – if you have a dream or passion, follow it and figure out how to make it work.

What I wasn’t as keen about – all the fashion references. Yes it is a book about the fashion industry so it is to be expected, but this seemed over the top for my personal preferences.

I suspect that Clementine is about 19 or so in this book, but she acted younger at times but perhaps it is a cultural thing? She is supposed to be from France and at times she came off that way but not as much as I would have expected. Jake is a bit over the top and after awhile it became annoying. I did like that Clementine found an ally in an unlikely place and it took some time.

We give this 3 paws up

About the Author

Isabelle Laflèche worked for more than 10 years as an attorney in New York City, Montreal, and Toronto before pursuing her passion for writing. Her debut novel, J’adore New York, is an international bestseller, and her series of J’adore novels are enjoyed by readers worldwide. She has lived in New York and Toronto, and currently lives in Montreal.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Synopsis

Lolly: From Fishing to Fashion, Reeling in an Unlikely Fashion Success is the latest non-fiction book by award-winning author Jeff Stewart and takes an in-depth and personal look at the start, deconstruction and re-birth of Los Angeles based clothing company, LOLLY Clothing.

Lolly tells the story of two brothers and LOLLY Clothing owners, Todd and Chad Kimball, who had a drive for success and a penchant for unconventional methods. The book also highlights a group of rather eccentric participants who all came together to create one of the fastest growing west coast clothing brands. Each member of the LOLLY team to include peripheral family members is either interviewed or mentioned in the book providing a candid often personal perspective on the evolution of LOLLY Clothing.

Lolly opens with a captivating story of a group of professional fishermen battling an angry discuss investing in a high-end clothing company, LOLLY; thus providing a smart introduction into the extraordinary group of characters in the book.

About the Author

Jeff Stewart is an award-winning author of novels, short stories and poems. His works include: March of Time and Skin, Dead Birds Hot , Bad Jacket , F lotsam for Jetsam and his most recent work, Lolly: From Fishing to Fashion, Reeling in an Unlikely Fashion Success.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

About L O L L Y Clothing

LOLLY Clothing debuted in the Fall of 2011 and was created by brothers Todd and Chad Kimball. The brand is featured in over 600 stores nationwide and blends luxurious fabrics, feminine silhouettes and an understated street-chic aesthetic, making it one of the fastest growing West Coast clothing brands.

This week’s book is a little older, A Veiled Deception by Annette Blair.  It was released in January 2009, but a series I had never heard of or picked up to read until now.  There are currently 5 books in the series and if you want to check out an except from this first book, you can read it here. 

Synopsis:

New York designer Madeira Cutler returns to Connecticut for the wedding of her younger sister Sherry, who she virtually raised when their mother died Their father can’t deal with the details of the wedding and the hostility of the groom’s wealthy mother. Then the groom’s former flame shows up, obviously planning to replace Sherry as bride.

When she’s strangled at the shower with the antique bridal veil, Maddie has to not only redesign the dress but also make sure neither bride nor groom is jailed for the murder. Helping her — and vying for her affections — are her hot FBI sometimes-boyfriend and a local police detective she’s fought with since high school.

Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book quite a bit.  I found the world of fashion and vintage clothing interesting and the fact that Maddie is able to see ghosts or experience some history when she touches a piece of vintage clothing with some history.  While I’m not into the supernatural and paranormal, I consider this paranormal light.  It touches on it but isn’t the main focus of the book.  I liked the book enough that I have sought out the remaining books in the series (as of now) and can’t wait to see where the story takes us and Maddie.