Books 11, Twelve, 13

All book descriptions are from Amazon. 
11. French Women For All Seasons: From the author of French Women Don't Get Fat, the #1 National Bestseller, comes an essential guide to the art of joyful living—in moderation, in season, and, above all, with pleasure.

Together with a bounty of new dining ideas and menus, Mireille Guiliano offers us fresh, cunning tips on style, grooming, and entertaining. Here are four seasons' worth of strategies for shopping, cooking, and exercising, as well as some pointers for looking effortlessly chic. Taking us from her childhood in Alsace-Lorraine to her summers in Provence and her busy life in New York and Paris, this wise and witty book shows how anyone anywhere can develop a healthy, holistic lifestyle.

Review: I read the first book, French Women Don't Get Fat. I loved it - but by the second installment - I'm over it. I think the difference between the books is that when I read the first book, I'd never been to France. By the second book, I had been to Paris. It is a beautiful place, but a lot of smoking, a lot of VERY thin women, and...not quite as "fanciful" as I expected... I think I'll take some of the advice, but if there is another book that comes out - I will skip it. Read the first book...it's far better.


12. Lemon Meringue Pie Murder: Hannah Swensen, owner of The Cookie Jar and Lake Eden, Minnesota's own amateur sleuth extraordinaire, returns in "Lemon Meringue Pie Murder" to track down the killer of a neighbor with a sweet tooth.It's summer in Lake Eden and Hannah's younger sister Michelle is coming home for a visit. But before the family reunion can get under way, Hannah discovers the body of a local resident in the woman's basement. The only clue is one of Hannah's luscious lemon meringue pies on the kitchen counter with only one slice missing...even though from the looks of the victim's kitchen, she was planning an intimate dinner for two.Includes nine original cookie and dessert recipes for you to try!

Review: Same story as French Women - read the first one. I'm over it. The series reminds me of the Ladies Detective Agency series. Although I liked the LDA series better, both series have simple and sweet lead detectives and the crimes are not brutal and dark. Think Monk television series. The only thing with these series, esp. Lemon Meringue, is that it gets old. I want more from the main character and the people around her. I want to go deeper. All in all, I'm taking a break. It's definitely not a series where I can read the books back to back...


13. Sunday Brunch Club: Meet Capri, an attorney at a top Houston firm. She seems to have it all together all the time until a seductive client topples her self-control. Then there’s Jermane, a devout Catholic who met her husband in law school and has never been with another man. But now her workaholic marriage is threatened by temptation.

Angel, on the other hand, sees men merely as a means to sex. Her scorn for love of all kinds—godly or otherwise—is challenged by a serious health scare. Meanwhile, Jewel bases her dating choices on the size of a man’s bank account until she meets a new flame who causes her to reconsider her requirements.

Finally, there’s Lexi, the link between the ladies, who provides sage advice while praying for Mr. Right. But what happens when depression hits hard?

Through conversation and consolation, these dynamic characters provide one another with divine inspiration—encouraging readers to root for them along the way.

Review: This book was great. You will find yourself frustrated with each one of  the characters at different times in the book. Some compare it to Waiting to Exhale - I haven't read it. But will say that it's definitely better (to me) than Getting To Happy.