Shoes Books

I loved this one just as much as the first one. At first, with it not really being the same women I was unsure, but it was a quick read.

If you love shoes, and buying a new pair always makes you feel better..... you've got to read this book.

Like many reviewers here, I got this shortly after having been thoroughly entertained by the author's first book. I had the audio version, and during just the first CD, I picked up the box three times to make sure it really was the same author, and the same (albeit loosely) continued story line. Not only were the characters' predicaments much more ludicrous, the writing style was quite different and pretty risque, too...no way I'd call this a "spiritual" novel. (Seriously, Midwest Book Review, what were you thinking? True, it's not Sex in the City, but it's not a "spiritual offshoot" if it can't be sold in a Christian bookstore.) Even if the characters end up as better, happier people, (I wouldn't know, as I gave up halfway through) this is not a book I can recommend to my friends, whereas the first one I felt was a fun, entertaining read which had some worthy messages to impart, as a bonus. I agree with another reviewer who stated that if you're trying to choose, pick the first book, and don't waste your time with this. Not a sequel at all!! This review is no reflection on Orlagh Cassidy...she just reads (superbly) what she's given, after all.

I was excited to get this, but it was a really watered down version of the first. A quick read, but nothing grabbed me- the first one had a lot more substance.

I was puzzled by the disparity of reviews here and, after reading Secrets of a Shoe Addict, I think maybe for some people it depends which book they read first. True, this book has little to do with shoes. I think the point is that one of teh shoe addicts from the last book is revealing her "secrets" to help a new group of women. So if you're looking for a big shoe book, this might not fit the bill. But if you're looking for a really fun read, and some slightly deeper characters, Secrets of a Shoe Addict is really satisfying. Some of the subject matter is darker (one of the characters had a terrible accident when she was young and has been trying to atone for her sins ever since) butthe laughs are better too.

In my other life, I review women's fiction and "chick lit" and I would say this book delves deeper into women's issues, and, for me, that raises it above the easily-dismissed "chick lit" level.

Great book, even bought more for gifts, teaches children about giving of yourself and about how God works in very difficult circumstances. Beautifully illustrated.

My Purchase got to me on time and in great shape! I was very happy with it and I would recomend this book for a great Christmas present.

The Shoe Box is a pleasant and easy read, taking me less than an hour to finish but making a big impact. It is one of the more versatile books in my collection and has become one of my favorites.

The story begins as Timmy, a dear six year old comes to live in a foster home, bringing with him a mysterious box. My heart was warmed as his foster family showed him everyday Christian love and Timmy showed them the true meaning of Christmas.

At the end of the book, after Timmy's story, you will find the biblical account or the Christmas story, from Matthew and Luke, presented in the easy to understand New Living Translation.

In addition to these two beautiful stories there are more treasures. dispersed throughout the book are insights into the author's family traditions and some wonderful recipes.

This is a lovely book that will continue to reside on my bookshelf and serve as a Christmas tradition in my home. This year it will be a special gift item for family and friends.

I recommend The Shoe Box as it is just as valuable for relaxing reading on any quiet afternoon, as it is for family reading on Christmas Eve.

The Shoe Box is a fabulous Christmas book. It is a touching story that is beautifully illustrated. It highlights the importance and beauty of child-like faith. For our family, it will be a must-read book each Christmas for years to come.

This is a very charming book. As a result of the book it inspired my family to create shoe boxes to give during the holiday. It was amazing what good it did. Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful.

Karen

This along with his other book "Last Catholic In America" were recommendned to me by someone who attended Catholic grade schools in Chicago about this same time. I grew up in Catholic grade school in the South Suburban area of Chicago about this same time and found some things I could relate to. But throughout the book I did expect some references to the title. Only one sentence in the entire book did he mention the nuns saying and kids questioning do patent leather shoes really reflect up?. Needless to say he never answered whether they do or not. He just went on and on about or even why the nuns thought they did. Luckily I bouth both of his books through Amazon's used book resellers connection and didn't have to pay full price for the book.

I ordered the book on Tuesday and received it on Thrusday! 2 days! perfect now I have a book for the weekend!
it was well packaged, and in very good shape.
Thank you again.

Through the lens of a Catholic upbringing, Eddie Ryan begins his recollections from age twelve. I tumbled with laughter on every page right up through his high school graduation. The vividly painted account of his emotional responses during this time period is hilarious. John R. Powers has a way with language. With very few words, he is able to hit the laugh button repeatedly. This is a quick read and a gem!

If Amazon had a Half Star, or better yet, a No Star rating I would have used the latter. Powers spends the first seven pages talking about his pimple dilemma then goes on to his tediously constructed random subjects with shallow character development laced with corny humor. I get the feeling throughout the book of the author's desperate attempt to be funny.

The earlier posts which don't give high ratings are probably the ones who "just don't get" the Chicago way. Unless you grew up in Chicago or its surrounding suburbs, you won't find this book amusing. Several of my friends, self-proclaimed "victims" of the Chicago Catholic School system, greatly enjoyed this book. Unless you are high-brow or artsy to begin with, you probably won't understand or get the gist of this tome. For the above average, this book is an insightful read.

A+

Claudia and Angel are two best friends whose lives lead them to cross paths in the California Foster Care system. There, they form an unbreakable bond as not only best friends, but as sisters. Unfortunately, the girls are unable to deal with the abuse of their foster parents and they become runaways who live the only way that they know how- by selling their bodies as prostitutes. Claudia and Angel's lives change when Rueben, an old friend from the foster home rescues them from the streets and introduces them to the finer things in life- a life fueled by Rueben's life as a hustler.


Tennis Shoe Pimp was initially a little slow in the beginning. Yet as the story began to develop, the reader will find themselves caught up Claudia and Angel's lives. The insecurities and feelings of the characters can be easily related to. Tennis Shoe Pimp is gritty and real. The author does a great job of weaving this tale of survival in the game of the streets that will engage the reader and keep your attention until the very end.

Tamara Grant
Words of Inspiration Book Club

Claudia and Angel meet as foster children living in the home of an abusive foster dad. Through the trials and abuse the girls form a bond and eventually run away only to find themselves on the streets selling their bodies. They find life on the streets is just as bad as being in the house. Then a chance meeting reunites Angel with Ruben and Diego, two brothers who once lived in the foster house with her. From the outside looking in the girls think life is good for Ruben and Diego, but behind the scenes their empire is about to take a hit. A former member of their gang wants to be his own boss and is willing to take any one down to get to the top. When he finds that Ruben and Angel are together, he knows just what to do to bring the brothers down. What he doesn't know is that someone from his past is ready for revenge and plotting his downfall as well.

TENNIS SHOE PIMP by Jacqui Smith is a gritty tale of drug life, gang wars, sex, and deceit. It is full of action and drama but pacing issues keep the book from being as entertaining as it could be. The twist and turns that are supposed to enhance also become somewhat predictable. Lastly, the ending fails to bring the novel full circle as if it is being left open for a sequel. However, Smith's novel still remains a realistic depiction of West Coast street life and the consequences it brings.

Reviewed by Criss Coles
for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Claudia Martinez and Angel Hart left an abusive foster home only to live in another hell - the streets. They were turning tricks and living life on the edge until Ruben saved them. Ruben moved them into his mansion and allowed them to taste the good life. Angel was able to shop and be the mistress of kingdom, while Claudia set back and relaxed.

Just as quick as their life changed for the better it turned again. Angel, wanting more of the finer things in life fell for the charms of Ruben's arch revival - "Black". Claudia didn't want Angel to ruin her life, so she developed a plan to rescue her friend and seek revenge at the same time. But Claudia may be too late since Angel has sold her soul to Black.

Tennis Shoe Pimp webs an intricate story of love, betrayal and the ultimate revenge. The characters develop slowly throughout the book adding drama to the storyline. The war between the rival gangs is hectic at times but nothing that we haven't seen before. Hmmm, good combination of action, love and suspense with a sprinkle of spelling errors - that's urban lit worth reading!

Reviewed By - Deltareviewer
For Real Page Turners

Of the violence in the cities of Oakland and Richmond, and Bay View/Hunter's Point in San Francisco, assassins kill innocent people along with their marks; it helps to have some understanding into why. Any insight into the drug and vice trade at the emotional level where murder, revenge and abuse occur--not rarely--is moving forward. Jacqui Smith's book, Tennis Shoe Pimp, an escape-hometown, bodice-ripper is a gritty page-turner. The story follows the semi-romantic life of two teenage girls living hard and fast. The author drops us in a world of unscrupulous drug and vice gang bangers separated from civil society by a Barbary Coast of San Francisco or Five Points of New York mentality where pirates reign with no consequence for immoral profits.
There is innovation and strength and truth in the story--either gotten by great research or lived by someone close--thanks for putting it out, Miss Smith. It is rowdy and real.
The author's main characters portray the lives of moral people set in an immoral world. (But then, isn't this the human condition in modern society?) Here we are within the landscape of street soldiers, a pit-bull eats pit-bull world of ignored, no-stakes neighborhoods. The violence may be the violence that breeds another kind of soldier--for an obscene occupation in a war faraway, generating more violence back home.
One character has a vivid flashback of psychic pain--spoken clearly to the effect of: "the deeds been done, now grab the loot." We recognize this phrase--a hypnotic cue that signals the outward consequences stemming from the PTSD within the story.
Dangling a glimpse of the final act at the beginning: "to understand the ending, go back to the beginning," Miss Smith places the reader in a seductive loop of unresolved pain, a dreamlike quality.
The friendship between Angel and Claudia is a moving kinship and cues how foster care is mentoring at highest. The terms and phrases of the novel's dialogue are rich, alive. The hard-boiled relationships and hoodspeak drive the edgy and surprising plot in a setting that is probable but probably unfamiliar. It really is all new to this reviewer who grew up in the suburbs of Orange County.
Other stories of revenge come to mind, Nevada Smith, Get Carter, and Blade Runner, and it's true, Miss Smith brushes the hair of Daniele Steele's romance novels. Throw in the loose and rough sex and you have a shocking tale of the far side of The City. Miss Smith would be wise with her talent and determination to purchase Syd Field's classic, Screenplay, The Foundations of Screenwriting to etch out the story for a wider public in the aspect of screen or stage. File down the edges, Miss Smith, and get the message out--because we cannot afford to underestimate or misplace any body in this town.

We all have heard about gang wars on television, at one time or another. You never hear why the war got started, but when bodies start dropping that is when we know that they are at war. Jacqui Smith offers a tale of two gangs from the West Coast, in her urban street literature, Tennis Shoe Pimp.

The Kings and Ten Deuce will not stop until some one cries mercy. How far will Ruben, the leader of The Kings, or Black, the leader of Ten Deuce go before the war ends? How did this gang war start? Does it have to do with women, drugs, territory, or plain manhood?

Claudia Martinez and Angel Hart have been friends since they met at a foster home. They ran away only to find in order to survive the streets they had to become prostitutes. When a bad night with a trick occurs, Angel is saved by Ruben Palacios, a guy she once knew at the foster home where she lived. Ruben supplies her and Claudia with a roof over their heads and they do not have to walk the streets anymore. Will they be able to stay off the streets? What turn of events starts the bloodshed, and who will be left standing?

Tennis Shoe Pimp had a few editing issues, but the biggest of all was the spelling of the title on the spine of the book. It might not be easy to find the book in a book store due to this misprint. The sexual implications are rather harsh, at times. This would be a great read for someone looking for a glimpse in the life of gangs.

Jennifer Coissiere
APOOO BookClub

I enjoyed this book more than I expected to as I am not into fashion. However, I agree with previous reviewers that the main characters are ones you would like to get to know better. I would have liked a bit more personality development in Armstrong, he was way too silent. I didn't have a clue who the bad guy was until the last chapter or two. I also liked the way she presented some of the effects of the ills of todays society, steroids, STDs, & and the lure of beauty in a factual but non-judgmental way. I will look forward to her next book.

This book has got to be one of the funniest in recent fiction. It's far more character-driven than plot, the pace is fairly quick, and it's combo of edgy and entertaining take it almost out of the female-driven market. The main character is much smarter than the cover suggests and I loved the L.A. rhetoric. The modernized version of homicide in tinseltown is a funny and fervish read. I would recommend this book to others, especially readers who are into Evanovich-style writing.

I think the premise for the book is great, but it doesn't live up to its promise. I found the heroine unlikeable and the plot sluggish. The conclusion seemed to come out of nowhere. I expected a fun, quick read, but instead I got ... this.

I liked this book, but didn't love it. The set-up is original with the offbeat duo providing plenty of laughs as they team to solve a cold case. Satire playing on life and death in L.A. Author seems to have great sense of vision, but, in the end, has conflicted voice, as the tone seems to change a great deal.

Taking some tips from Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, as well as the character Betsy, Queen of the Damned (Undead & Unwed, Mary Janice Davidson) Enright, with her difficult last name, combines the fiesty dames & unlikely sidekicks to come up with this unexpectedly engrossing novel.

No it's not new, buy you haven't read it before and the characters might not be fresh but they are well-seasoned.

Pairing Claire Fontaine, idle & elegant (if awkward), with the overweight bear of a detective Bennet works... There's no romantic tension but plenty of taut frustration and quite a few malodorous smells lingering in the burger graveyard that is their ride.

As Betsy(sorry!) - Claire, charms her way into victims confidences, Bennet belches his way through various gastronmic misadventures, both quite likeable.

True to Davidson's Betsy books, Claire has a handsome and inaccessable neighbour who happens to find her attractive, in spite of her crazy antics.

Very enjoyable and fluffy despite the dark subject matter and gruesome crime descriptions, this novel takes a Law & Order approach to the seamy side of fear - ie, it's fairly pg.

If you're looking for something to tide you over on the train to work, or home on the weekend, this book nicely fulfils the criterion.

If you have enjoyed Sophie Kinsella's books, you'll love this one as well.
kotori August 2007

"What I learned is that most conflicts are rooted in misunderstandings, and that misunderstandings are not just innocent mistakes. They're often caused by a stubborn refusal to understand or consider another's point of view" (pg 109).

This book is written in masterful narrative yet practical style. Tom's personal experiences and journey to a truly empathetic business model is a must read for wants to make a difference. It has opened my eyes to a new paradigm - It's taught me through experience how to THINK in other's shoes.

This is a self-published book, which says a lot. Tom Ward is a verbose writer and this book is badly in need of a skilled editor. The problem is, an editor would have carved away 85% of the fluff in this book, exposing the fact that there's nothing new or substantial in this silly vanity book published by a motivational speaker trying to raise his image.

Basically, Ward proposes that businesses need to practice the "Empathy Effect" in order to be successful. But he defines empathy in an overly broad way. An example? "You walk into a store and find the gum sorted on one shelf, chocolate bars on another, and chips on another shelf. A successful store owner knows customers want to get in and out quickly, and sorts food so they're easy to find. That's the empathy effect." By stamping almost everything that's "good" in business as the empathy effect, Ward tries to capture too much real estate at once, and comes off sounding silly, naive and uneducated.

This "observation" is hundreds of years old, and has been called customer service, customer satisfaction, and marketing. There is another excellent book on this subject - "The Ultimate Question" -- which addresses customer satisfaction in a much more disciplined and insightful way. I highly recommend it.

Ward goes on to fill up another 180 pages with unconvincing stories to bulk up his central theme. Why is Southwest Airlines successful? Many reasons, says Ward, but empathy is one of them. And to prove it, he tells the story of a Southwest Airlines employee who volunteered to work late when another employee couldn't come in. Uh-huh. Stores that compete on price must sacrifice customer service (empathy) and they will have high customer and employee churn, but stores that compete on empathy (think high-margin reatilers) will thrive. To "prove" the point, Tom tells the story about someone who paid a premium price for flowers, because he got good advice from the salesperson. Tom seems to believe that there's only one sustainable business model - the high-margin high-touch model - and completely dismisses the very real economics, and valid business strategy, of serving the price-sensitive customer with a no-frills offering.

Another fatal flaw is that Ward never gives practical advice for how to become more empathetic toward customers, other than the typical fare of surveys, greeting customers with a smile, etc.

Ward's book gets interesting when he talks about his own experience in the mortgage business, and his own evolution to a customer-centric (empathetic) approach to innovating his business practices. And this could have been a much better book if Ward had said "I don't pretend to know what's right for every business, but here's what worked for my business." A little humility could have saved this book.

If you don't have a clue how to work with customers, you might gain some perspective from reading this book. But if you're already familiar with the importance of putting yourself in the customer's shoes, Tom Ward's book does not bring any new insights to this age-old problem.

After reading the Amazon reader reviews, I was expecting the book to contain much more depth into the subject. Besides the few interesting stories, the business-book fluff was rampent. We've read all that stuff before. The book offers little insight into a subject that I belive is well worth writing about.

Reading this books was a great "A-hah!" I come from the hospitality industry, and used to make my living from tips, from taking care of people. And, I came away from that experience knowing what Tom Ward and Greg Beaubien said, but without the ability to give this knowledge to other people. I now run a small company, and I can use these examples, these words to communicate what I had long known and felt. If A T & T had understood this, perhaps they wouldn't be as pitiful as they are right now. Understanding the other is key for all relationships: lovers, friends, business, national and international. And, here is an easy way to understand this idea, based not on theory, but on pound the pavement reality.

This is a great book for new entrepreneurs, sales professionals, as well as long-time business owners looking to grow their firm. Tom Ward talks about the three levels of Empathy necessary to build a successful organization. Importantly, he shows us the steps needed to reach these levels by using clear illustrations of successes and failures throughout the business world.

The Empathy Effect is an easy and enjoyable read. The book deals with hiring and firing of employees, as well as how to establish benefit plans which supports the ideals of Empathy. Tom further talks about how to expand his philosophies beyond his staff in the office and work with the "outside" vendors to create empathetic networks.

I've read a lot of these "type" of books which only contain "fluff." This one is different. Tom puts concrete examples and "blueprints" in his book which, if followed, may help the reader obtain a similar level of success that Tom and his family have.

I highly recommend the book. Read it. Buy copies for your staff. Grow your firm.

This is an ok beginning book. A little busy, and the directions are less than stellar. My daughter likes it as she REALLY wants to learn to tie her shoes, but has ALOT of trouble following the directions.

I bought this book for my daughter, and she hasn't used it yet. However, I looked through it, and it is very cute. I can't wait for her to learn to tie her shoes using this book.

I like the book idea, but the directions are weird. It's a good book to proactice after children are shown an easier way to tie their shoes.

I ordered this book from Scholastic. I tried showing my 5 year old daughters and it just seemed odd to me. I was hoping for a book that taught my girls how to tie a shoe the way I was taught and it isn't with two bunny ears. It is an awkward way to teach little fingers how to tie. I tried following the directions and couldn't do it myself. Either could my husband or my parents. Maybe it is us!!! I ordered a different book for tieing shoes and it was no longer available so they replaced it with this one.

We got our daughter this book for her 5th birthday. I confess I relied pretty heavily on velcro shoes for the past 5 years!

The diagram instructions are small and not particularly helpful; in fact they are comparable to the instructions you get for putting together a coffee table. It was nice to have both methods to demonstrate so that my daughter could choose the method that worked for her.

We used the book as a way for me to demonstrate on a large scale and with different colored laces so my daughter could get a really good look at each step. After practicing on the laces in this book, she was able to tie her own shoes within a week. I can't really credit the book TOO much -- my daughter was ready and eager to learn, and I think any book with different colored laces would aid good old fashioned demonstration, parental feedback and independent practice.

Ms. Muller's books get a lot of stars, so I was expecting something memorable. This is not it, maybe because it was an early book? The characters don't make sense, particularly sharon's relationship with a cop, who is first nasty (in a way that i would consider "over the top" for teasing) and later becomes just as inexplicably friendly. This was very jarring for the reader. I kept wondering why the beneficiary of the will, rather than the executor, was making legal decisions about the estate -- doesn't everyone know that there has to be an executor? this mistake bothered me. Regarding the actual antiques, while I don't really know, I find it hard to believe that business is conducted in the way described. All in all, pretty unpolished.

This is the 1st of the Sharon McCone books. I discovered it when another author's fictional detective referred to McCone on a "case." And holy cow! This book is copyrighted 1977. Where has it been hiding from me? Sharon McCone is quite a bit like Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone (or vice versa), which is truly high praise from me. It's savvy, sexy, exciting stuff. McCone is way cool. EDWIN OF THE IRON SHOES is set mostly in an antique shop with the eerie "characters" of a headless mannequin named Clothilde and a little "boy" named Edwin who has strange iron shoes. The author creates only a sketchy sense of place, but a definite sense of character, with some really fun potental villains. A very interesting ultimate motive for the murder makes for a satisfying ending. I can see why this is such a popular series. I loved it!

Private eye Sharon McCone was hired by All Souls Cooperative, a San Francisco legal services plan, to discover who was vandalizing a small street of antique shops when one of the antique dealers was found murdered in her own shop. Sharon had no idea who had killed Joan Albritton, a pleasant older woman whose main fault was talking to the dressmaker's dummy, the stuffed German shepherd, and the little boy mannequin she kept in her shop, but she didn't feel confident in the police's ability to discover the killer. Especially after she met the unpleasantly patronizing Lieutenant Marcus who was in charge of the case. Uncertain of whether she would be paid for her work or not, but refusing to allow Joan Albritton's killer to go free, Sharon starts her investigation.

Suspects abound, with Charlie, the junkman who ran the shop across the street from Joan's, at the forefront. Charlie was Joan's former lover, recently jilted for a wealthier man, and he was the one who had discovered the body and called the police. Then there was Cara Ingalls, a real estate mogul with ice running through her veins. She made no secret of the fact that she was glad that Joan was gone so that she could buy the land and force the antique dealers out. Of course, Cara was not the only one trying to buy the land and then there was the slimy bond bailsman and the slick "antique-style" dealer who kept popping up at every corner. Not to mention the puzzling Lieutenant Marcus, who was grateful for Sharon's help and then pushing her aside the next. As Sharon takes more and more risks, she comes closer to solving Joan's death, but she also comes closer to being murdered herself...

Edwin of the Iron Shoes is the First Sharon McCone mystery and it was just okay. The book was well written, but the story was pretty simplistic and the characterization was pretty inconsistent. Sharon McCone is billed as this hard-boiled female private investigator, but I thought that she was pretty stupid myself. She took a lot of unnecessary risks and managed to solve the case more by being the only one around then following the clues properly. Also, I know that this book was written quite some time ago (I have the 1977 edition), but I have a hard time believing that the police ever invited female private investigators to look over the crime scene while the body was still there. With a stronger plot, more believe characters and some additional detail, this mystery would have been much better. Hopefully the series improves as it goes along...

This is the first Sharon McCone mystery written by Marcia Muller. In it, we find beginning her career with the All-Soul Legal Co-Op. This is a fine first novel and gives an early taste of some wonderful stories to come.

It took me a long time to discover Marsha Muller, but I am glad that I finally did. This is the first installment of her Sharon McCone Mystery Series which had a strong influence on later female authors and heroines. Sue Grafton, in a quote on the book jacket calls Muller the "founding mother of the contemporary female hard-boiled private eye". That's quite a claim considering how many well-known female investigators there are in fiction now. In this first installment, Sharon McCone is the investigator for a group of attorneys called All Souls Cooperative. Her boss Hank asks her to investigate the murder of an antique store owner who has been stabbed with one of her own knives. Sharon learns that the dead woman was about to make an important decision about selling her property and she feels that this might be a motive. She also discovers some shady goings-on among the art dealers and tries to fit this in to a motive for murder. Add to this some past and present romances, and there are several possible suspects. Muller's writing is clear and to-the-point. She tells a good story and carefully wraps up each loose end. I look forward to reading the other books in this series, which has so far spanned a 25-year period.

With the plethora of wedding books on the market today, it's interesting to find one that strays a bit from the norm. With realistic reactions, numerous 'case studies' about other wedding, and interjected 'wedding myths' throughout the book, it's a quick read, a helpful guide to getting married, and a sets a good tone and perspective on the craziness of weddings, verses the serious commitment of marriage. It would be perfect, except it's really geared towards the bride in a 'her wedding not his' sort of way at some points, which i don't personally care for. However, I still highly recommend the book.

My man and I are planning our wedding and I am a wreck. This book made me laugh and think and get really excited. I recommend it to anyone that is planning a wedding, especially if you don't have a lot of friends who have planned weddings recently. Lara gives great advice and backs it up with ideas and antecdotes. A must read!

I recently got engaged and my fiance was terrified about all the plans we would have to make. We do not have a lot of money and have to be very careful how we spend the little we have. Lara's tips and tricks and funny stories have set her more at ease. This book is so worth the money it will save in psychotherapy!!! It is warm and fun. We loved it.

I thought this book was wonderful! Lara Carrigan does a great job at making the reader laugh while offering extremely useful information. I have purchased several "how to plan a wedding" books and I am using this one almost exclusively! It is great! After I read a couple of pages, I feel a lot less stressed out - which is a good thing for a bride-to-be! I recommend it to anyone planning a wedding! (She has a great sense of humor also!) Lara Carrigan is a princess!

The cover and the title of this book imply a funny, light-hearted, less-tradtional approach to the adventure/ordeal of planning a wedding. In truth, other than stressing the importance of doing what you want, rather than what you're being told you *should* want, this book is very traditional in its advice and approach. While the author does mention a few less traditional weddings in passing (mentioning marrying while skydiving numerous times), none of her advice is geared toward anyone actually taking one of these paths. Also, she seems to assume that every reader has the average $20,000 to spend on a wedding. One would think that a "best friend" might have had a few cost-cutting hints here or there. I give this book only two stars because it does not live up to its appearance. It's perfectly good for those of you having a traditional wedding; just make sure you have lots of money to spend if you're going to follow the advice.

I'm still trying to finish this book, it is so boring. The characters Carly and Evan are annoying Evan treats Carly like dirt is moody and talks down to her and she in turn gets angry sometimes and tells him off or she just gets timid and says nothing. When Evan does have something nice to say to her she is so happy and thrilled he's being nice to her. This Carly character needs to get a backbone and Evan with his mood swings and dark behavior are in no way sexy or interesting, I have picked this book up 3 times to try to read it and I'm barely half way done with it I know I will never buy another book from this author.

If this hadn't been a Zebra debut novel, I probably wouldn't have touched it. But i like the price. (saving money is always a good thing at my house) I like the variety. I like how the monthly novels seem to go from historical to paranormal to contemporary to Western to historical... it's just fun. This whole debut thing that Zebra is doing is fun. So I picked up My Red Shoes but I didn't think I'd like it. I didn't like the premise for starters. I know nothing about the entertainment life. The heroine is being black-mailed in order to get her "lucky" shoes back? Is that normal in show biz? Well, I have to say, this story is hilarious. The hero is to die for (at least he's described that way), and it's a one-sitting, fantastic read. I couldn't put it down. I've read it twice. Thank you Ms. Merrill!

Carly Beck loses her special red shoes at a too exuberant party. She counts on them for luck when she auditions for voice roles in Hollywood's competitive industry.
Discovering that sexy Evan McLeish has them, and is holding them hostage, starts an adversarial on-and-off romance that is fun reading.
As Carly tells her best friend, Evan "maybe thinks I'm cute, but absolutely thinks I'm as witless as a bread loaf." Enjoy their clashes and the growing sexual tension. Carly's cat is quite a character, as is her best friend, Dana. It's fun, fast moving and a sexy romp.
I'll certainly look for more titles by Liana Merrill.

Usually, I'm skeptical about books that are on Special Value. I wonder why they don't warrant full price, but I was thrilled to discover this book was truly terrific. I finished it in a little over one day. Both characters have their own "neurosis", which is refreshing. So many times you find books where one character is perfect and the other is left to make all the changes. Carly and Evan truly seemed like real life people who could live down the block from me and not the larger than life characters you often find in romance novels. The prose was funny and smart. It reminded me of quite a bit of the "Gilmore Girls" banter. One small criticism is that it would have been nice to get things from Evan's point of view from time to time, but all in all this book was utterly phenomenal. I would recommend it to anyone and please let me know when she puts out another.

Have you ever had something that you thought was lucky? In the book, My Red Shoes, Carly looses her lucky shoes one evening when she gets drunk and passes out at a party. Now she is searching vigorously to find the shoes that brought her so much success. She soon finds out that love is on the way. The questions are- "Does she get her shoes back from her arch enemy?, Who is her arch enemy?, and why do they want the shoe?"

This story is realistic fiction, which is a love story. In my opinion it was not the most interesting book because the story dragged, and I do not care for love stories. I do not care for love stories because they seem meaningless. I would suggest this book to an older and more mature person. The reason I would suggest it to an older person is because it is inappropriate for someone younger.