Listen to New Releases Audiobooks in Fiction, Chick Lit

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Title: Sima's Undergarments for Women

Author: Ilana Stanger-Ross

Narrator: Vanessa Hart

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-03-09

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit

Publisher's Summary:

In the comfort of her Brooklyn basement bra shop, Sima Goldner teaches other women to appreciate their bodies, but feels betrayed by her own. Shamed by her infertility and by a secret from her youth, she has given up on happiness and surrendered to a bitter marriage. But then Timna, a young Israeli with enviable cleavage, becomes the shop seamstress. As the two serve the colorful customers of their Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, Sima finds herself awakened to adventure and romance. Years after giving up on their marriage, Sima and her husband, Lev, must decide if what they have is worth saving.

With a gracefulness evocative of Amy Bloom and Alice McDermott, prize-winning writer Ilana Stanger-Ross has created a secret underground New York sisterhood where women of every shape and creed can come to share their milestones, laughter, loves, and losses against a backdrop of discount lingerie.

Members Reviews:

Difficult Listening

I thought the story was interesting, but the narrator spoke in a breathy, low voice that was hard to hear. Sometimes the volume was uneven---straining to listen----then having it blasted out of the speakers! Disconcerting.

Sima's Undergarments for Women

Save space in your life for this wonderful book. You won't want to put this book down but the good part is you have something great comeback to.

Enjoy this one to the end because when you get to the end there really is one , something I find rare in books these days.

disappointment

What disappointed you about Sima's Undergarments for Women?

This story is so painfully slow that I gave up on finishing it. I usually enjoy Jewish fiction but this didn't hold my interest.

Has Sima's Undergarments for Women turned you off from other books in this genre?

Try Tova Mirvis for a better listening experience.

Couldn't finish it

I tried, but the way it was read- the voice- it just couldn't keep me interested,

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Title: An Ordinary Woman

Author: Susan Sallis

Narrator: Anne Dover

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-31-08

Publisher: ISIS Audio Books

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit

Publisher's Summary:

The following May, Joanna - Jon' - was born. Rose and Jon were totally different. Jon was vivacious, liked a good time, and always got what she wanted, even when what she wanted happened to belong to Rose.

Rose was reserved, never wanted to leave her home or Gloucestershire, and was - well - an ordinary girl vvho grew into an ordinary woman.

But as Jon raced from disaster to disaster, from one violent relationship to another so Rose, in her quiet way, salvaged the family, pasted over the cracks of tragedy and emohonal upheavals whilst at the same time fighting her own personal crises.

It was much later - when life at last seemed tranquil and settled - that Jon precipitated Rose across the Atlantic and into the most extraordinary event of her life. When Rose finally returned from America no one could ever again think of her as an ordinary woman.

Members Reviews:

An Ordinary Woman by Susan Sallis

This is a fantastic book. For those who like family sagas and family dramas filled with romance, adventure and secrets, this is a must listen. Rose and Joannah are sisters who are totally different. Joannah is captivating, going from crisis to crisis and a girl who gets everything she wants. Rose was reserved, quiet, the peacemaker in the family. She must battle her own demons and save not only her own happiness but that of Joannah and her family. In doing so thanks to Joannah's need for help, she transforms from an ordinary woman into an extraodinary one. I love this book because you can identify with many of the situations the characters find themselves in, and the suspence of the secrets is thrilling! a must listen for winter evenings.

An ordinary book

This book was fine, but the story was quite dull in places, rather dated and predictable. Some parts were unnecessarily drawn out. The narration was good.

Very Slow!

An interesting story that crosses the Atlantic - EVENTUALLY.

I like Susan Sallis, but did get bored as the plot dragged out but persevered as I was on holiday. An abridged version would have done me.

What saves the book is the narrator, Anne Dover has a great voice to listen to even if the plot is slow!

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Title: Frenchman's Creek

Author: Daphne du Maurier

Narrator: John Castle

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-30-08

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 107 votes

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit

Publisher's Summary:

Exclusively from Audible

Dona's thirst for authentic human interaction and adventure is satiated upon arrival as she meets the enigmatic and entrancing French pirate, Jean Benout Aubery. Previously a wealthy landowner, Aubery reveals that much like Dona, he too left his old life behind in search of greater things. Described by Daphne du Maurier as the only romantic story she ever wrote, Frenchman's Creek is an escapist tale of a woman's search for swashbuckling adventure despite the responsibilities which tie her down and threaten to contain her.

Women's freedom, a recurring theme in du Maurier's work, is prevalent in Frenchman's Creek and the story is said to have been written at a time when Daphne was eager to escape from the threat of war in 1941. A true tale of escapism, this audiobook delivers a powerful message about motherhood, romance and duty, and is continually propelled forward by the author's incredible skill and imagination.

Narrator Biography

John Castle is a classically trained English actor and graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Best known for his performances in I, Claudius, The Lion in Winter, Man of La Mancha, Blow-Up and RoboCop 3, he has acted alongside the likes of Peter O'Toole, Vanessa Redgrave and Dame Peggy Ashcroft.

A celebrated stage performer, he's starred in the Royal Shakespeare Company's revival of Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts, The Royal National Theatre's Hamlet and The English Shakespeare Company's War of the Roses. John is also no stranger to the small screen and can be seen more recently in Casualty, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Spooks, Midsomer Murders and The Tractate Middoth.

For more of John Castle's audiobook narrations, listen to William Makepeace Thackeray's Vanity Fair.

Members Reviews:

Spellbinding...I loved every moment!

I've loved this book for years (so I may not be impartial!) A cross between a Historical romance and an introspective novel, Frenchman's Creek is set during the English Restoration period. The story line has a dreamy quality to it that was enhanced by the narration.

The quick gist of the book: Lady Dona, married with 2 children, but dissatisfied, frustrated, and unhappy with herself and her life, leaves London for rural Devon. Intending to take the time to re-evaluate her life and its purpose, she is unaware that her estate has been the hideout of a notorious French pirate, Jean Benoit Aubrey. Inevitably, the two meet, and have a profound impact on one another. Frenchman's creek is a refuge for both Dona and her pirate, but for different reasons. Ultimately, it comes to symbolize peace and self respect for Lady Dona.

Starts slow, finishes good!

I am a big fan of Daphne Du Maurier. I was disappointed at the beginning and well into it for 2 of the 8+ hours as it was slow and like a romance novel anyone could have written. However, I stuck with it and it was worth it. It picks up in the middle and becomes more intrigue and surprise that Du Maurier is known for. Good Du Maurier book. Excellent Narrator.

Silly bodice ripper of a story but great narration

Would you try another book from Daphne du Maurier and/or John Castle?

I would not purchase another book by du Maurier. BUT, if John Castle is available, he should be engaged to narrate more (and better) books.

What do you think your next listen will be?

V.

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Title: Once Around the Track

Author: Sharyn McCrumb

Narrator: Nicole Poole

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-23-08

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit

Publisher's Summary:

When a team of female investors decides to sponsor a car for the female equivalent of Viagra, they shake up the racing world. Badger Jenkins, a sexy driver past his racing prime, is recruited by the investors and their all-girl pit crew to drive the new car. But every woman has a different plan to get the car (and herself ) into the fast lane.

Team engineer Taran Stiles has the hots for Badger, gruff crew chief Grace Tuggle aims to prove her worth in a man's world, and publicist Melanie Sark is working on a NASCAR exposé. It's not long before the women collide - and every NASCAR fan knows that the crashes are the best part of the race.

Critic Reviews:

"This book is populated with strong female characters ... And McCrumb's detailed descriptions of the pit crew at work are so strong you can almost smell the motor oil." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Liked It A lot

A great review of both NASCAR and southern culture (no they're not one in the same.) A group of rich females have decided to buy their own NASCAR team. Furthermore they have chosen to employ an all female team as well; the definition of a team is provided in the text. the book is narrated from the point of view of several of the women from different facets of the organization. The author is obviously an aficionado of both and does a great job of avoiding the broad stereotypes that so often accompany them. The characters are well drawn and exhibit the subtlety and complications of actual human beings. The references to "pit lizards" along with driver Badger Jenkins' ability to deflect one and connect with her on a personal level was an excellent piece of writing as was her reference to "teaser studs." The ride that Badger gives one of the female owners who are treating him like their toy is fun too. What I'm trying to tell you in my scattered way is that this book is totally worth the credit.

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Title: I See You Everywhere

Author: Julia Glass

Narrator: Mary Stuart Masterson, Julia Glass

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-14-08

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 128 votes

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit

Publisher's Summary:

Louisa Jardine is the older one, the conscientious student, precise and careful: the one who yearns for a good marriage, an artistic career, a family. Clem, the archetypal youngest, is the rebel: uncontainable, iconoclastic, committed to her work but not to the men who fall for her daring nature. Louisa resents that the charismatic Clem has always been the favorite; yet as Clem puts it, "On the other side of the fence - mine - every expectation you fulfill . . . puts you one stop closer to that Grand Canyon rim from which you could one day rule the world - or plummet in very grand style."

In this vivid, heart-rending story of what we can and cannot do for those we love, the sisters grow closer as they move farther apart. Louis settles in New York while Clem, a wildlife biologist, moves restlessly about until she lands in the Rocky Mountains. Their complex bond, Louisa observes, is "like a double helix, two souls coiling around a common axis, joined yet never touching."

Alive with all the sensual detail and riveting characterization that mark Glass's previous work, I See You Everywhere is a piercingly candid story of life and death, companionship and sorrow, and the nature of sisterhood itself.

Members Reviews:

Voice narration this author hasn't mastered

I have tried several times to listen to this book out of whatever misplaced loyalty makes me not want to put down a book. But today, I have thrown in the towel -- please do not let this author read any more of her own work. She is a writer, not a actress or narrator. If the story were more interesting or less insipid maybe it would be worth sticking -- but it isn't interesting and it is insipid!

Shallow

I don't often feel compelled to write a review, but since Audiobooks recommended this one to me(presumably based upon the previous books I've read), I feel that I must expound a bit about how this book goes nowhere. If you like your reader to read to you, using a "Valley Girl" accent, tinged throughout with a hint of sarcasm, then this is the read for you. I don't think the author really intended that kind of "voice" for the main characters (two sisters), though the entire story strikes me as a shallow romance, presented in the form of these two sisters commenting upon and analyzing each other's every move, mood and intent. Funny thing, I've never ordered shallow romances before! I only made it through 4.5 hours.

Narration

Didn't care for the narration. Julia Glass needs to stick to writing. Book was fine. Sibling rivalry - I just can't relate.

I forced myself to finish it

This book wasnt for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I have no idea

What was most disappointing about Julia Glasss story?

The narrative was bad, 2 people. The story wasn't grabbing my attention

Kept my attention

Where does I See You Everywhere rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

I heard an excerpt of this book on "book radio" on satelite, and I needed to heart it from the beginning. I laughed and cried many times during this listen. Well worth it.

What did you like best about this story?

It was a fascinating story.

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Title: The Manny

Author: Holly Peterson

Narrator: Karen Ziemba

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-26-07

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit

Publisher's Summary:

A middle-class girl from Middle America, Jamie Whitfield isn't "one of them" but she lives in "the Grid", the wealthiest acre of real estate in Manhattan. And she has most everything "they" have: a sprawling apartment, full-time help, and her very own detached attorney husband. What she doesn't have is a full-time father figure for their struggling nine-year-old son, Dylan.

Enter The Manny. At first, the idea of paying a man to provide a role model for Dylan sounds crazy. But Peter Bailey is calm, cool, competent, and so charmingly down-to-earth that he's irresistible. And with her career as a news producer in overdrive, and her husband locked in his study, Jamie is in serious need of some grounding. But will the new manny in her life put the ground back beneath her feet...or sweep her off them?

Critic Reviews:

"Holly Peterson has a keen observer's eye for the frailties, foibles, and frivolities of present day upper class life among the rich of New York City. She understands her territory well and writes with authority." (Dominick Dunne)

"Holly Peterson writes about the rich with acute understanding and a drop-dead eye for detail. The funniest, sexiest ride in the limo lane since The Bonfire of the Vanities." (Tina Brown)

Members Reviews:

Not a Fun Summer Read

I downloaded the Manny, thinking it would be a fun light-hearted listen of the "chick lit" variety. This book is neither fun, nor literature and it is definitely not entertaining. It's hard to know who to blame, the narrator or the author, for why each of the characters is so unlikeable. It's incredibly cliched -- middle class midwesterners are good -- rich new yorkers are bad. There is nothing nuanced about any of the characters, it's not funny and the plot is predictable and tiresome. I wish I had heeded the bad reviews and stayed away. If you need a lighthearted summer listen try "Shopaholic has a Baby." If you want engrossing, entertaining and literary, listen to "Free Food for Millionaires" -- my absolute favorite listen of the summer. Stay away from the Manny -- you can't get those 11 hours back!

the book is as bad as the name

I tried to give this book a chance. I listened to the authors political views on how mistreated the liberal media is. The right wing conservatives setting up the poor misunderstood television station. Spoiled rich liberals living the good life cheating on their spouses.

It never improved. Shoot me if I ever listen to another one of this authors books again.

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Title: Girls Most Likely

Author: Sheila Williams

Narrator: Cherise Boothe, Sheila Williams, Shari Peele, Susan Spain

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-19-07

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 24 votes

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit

Publisher's Summary:

Best friends since the fifth grade, Vaughn, Reenie, Susan, and Audrey have always been considered the most likely to write the Great American Novel, marry a prince, find fame, and run the world, respectively. Now in their 50s, they are all still chasing those dreams - which sometimes makes the "girls" collide.

©2006 Sheila Williams; (P)2007 Recorded Books

Critic Reviews:

"Williams's sustained portrayal of female friendship, with its loyalties and betrayals, is extremely entertaining." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Enjoy, inspiring, informative and fun

This book was entertaining and enjoyable, but more inportant it was inspiring and informative. Not only did I learn a lot about a life experience different from my own, but I felt myself laughing, crying and cheering for the seemingly real charactors. Together my preteen daughter and I listened to and then discussed some appropriate excerpts. This is a must listen.

Boring

Do not waste your credit's/money on this one.

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Title: The Thing About Jane Spring

Author: Sharon Krum

Narrator: Pamela Dillman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-25-07

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 162 votes

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit

Publisher's Summary:

One snowy night after a bottle of wine and a Doris Day marathon on cable, it hits her: Doris Day always got her man. So Jane Spring trades in her nondescript black pantsuit and clunky diver's watch for pastel pink suits with pearls and pumps, she changes her hair, stops cursing, starts wearing makeup, sweetens her mannerisms and redecorates her whole apartment. And soon her life really does begin to change. Not only does her lazy secretary start working, but everyone seems to be kinder and gentler...and she's got men lining up around the block. But can she keep her inner attack dog on hold long enough to win the most important case of her career...and the man of her dreams?

Sharon Krum's magical and hilariously funny novel is a delightful romantic comedy about a driven young woman who must shed her rough exterior and embrace her inner ultrafemininity in order to truly find herself and, eventually, true love.

Critic Reviews:

"A charming modern fairy tale with all the essential chick-lit elements: witty banter, quirky secondary characters, dueling love interests, and personal makeovers. This frothy summer confection will please fans of single-in-the-city comic romance." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

A very silly book

This is one of the silliest books I've ever listened to. The characters were cartoonish and the plot was so ridiculous that I couldn't suspend my belief long enough to really enjoy it. I kept listening, however, because I couldn't figure out how the author was going to pull all of this craziness together at the end. She did, but in a way that was very unsatisfying to me. I realize it was all supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, but did the wink have to be so big?

fun and silly

This isn't as funny as kinsela or fielding but it surprised me in how good it made me feel. But I grew up admiring doris day on tv so I guess this was not a stretch . It was well done and captured the doris day joy.

Fun!

I thought this was light and fun- especially if you love watching Dorris Day movies. This has been one of my favorite Audible selections so far! I stayed up late a few nights wanting to hear how Jane and her court case would fare. Hope to see more from this author.

Doris Day - Yay!

I absolutely loved this book, it made ME want to hit the vintage stores and become Doris myself.

I ended up staying up half the night to finish listening to it.

boring

boring and completely unrealistic. i rarely read or write reviews, but i thought after listening to this book that is was important to...

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Title: Little Pink Slips

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Sally Koslow

Narrator: Laural Merlington

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-02-07

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 69 votes

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit

Publisher's Summary:

Once there was a little girl from Fargo, North Dakota, named Maggie Goldfarb who grew up, moved to Manhattan, and morphed into Magnolia Gold, the highly paid editor in chief of Lady magazine. With a corner office, a designer wardrobe, and dozens of loyal employees, Magnolia has been hired to update the dowager of women's magazines.

She's on her way to giving Lady a face-lift when she is ignominiously replaced by Bebe Blake, a brash television personality who remakes the magazine in her own hilariously inappropriate image. With her ketchup-red hair, skintight clothes, and penchant for "boy toys", Bebe is more out of control than a speeding limo. Maddeningly unpredictable, she confounds everyone at the newly christened Bebe with her personal vision of what a women's magazine should be, and baffles them further with her bawdy sense of humor and over-the-top generosity.

Shunted off to the darkest corners of executive purgatory - an overlooked back office she shares with a cockroach or two - Magnolia seethes from the sidelines as Bebe turns her beloved, once-profitable Lady into a sideshow. As things go from bad to worse, Magnolia fears that her career will never recover, but even she can't predict how deeply satisfying her eventual triumph will be. And not just at work: amidst the frenzy of backstabbing at the office, Magnolia finds Mr. Right in a city of Mr. Not-Quites.

Inspired by real-life events, Little Pink Slips is about the fall, rise, and sweet revenge of a woman who witnesses corporate shenanigans at their most flagrant. Filled with gossipy revelations about celebrity obsession and behind-the-scenes details of the media business in all its malfeasant glory, this novel is delicious, can't-stop-reading fun.

Critic Reviews:

"Koslow's take on behind-the-scenes maneuvering will keep readers turning the pages of her debut." (Publishers Weekly)

"Koslow presents another dishy and delightful insider's view of the elite in magazine publishing." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Don't buy it

First things first...the story was boring and written as though by a teenager. I can't believe the author extended the book to 13 hours! Her editor must have gone on vacation. A shorter version would have been better but, even as long as it was, there was no character development. They were poorly written and their actions made no sense (motivation?), even in the world of celebrities. A terrible example of "chick lit".

Second (and worse than the writing), I have listened to the narrator before and have liked her in the past. Unfortunately, her pronounciation of celebrities' names was so distracting that it could not be overlooked: Ralph Fiennes (twice pronounced "Ralph" by the narrator, not correctly as "Raif") and Keanu Reeves) . I can only assume that one of the main character's name was actually "Jacques" but she pronounced it like "Jock". There were several other words that she didn't know how to say either. I don't understand how someone who is a narrator for a living doesn't know how to pronounce words and doesn't take enough pride in her work to make sure she is getting it right!

Another clunker

Definately NOT The Devil Wears Prada. Almost as boring as The Secret.

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Title: Sisters

Author: Danielle Steel

Narrator: Sam Freed

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-05-07

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 21 votes

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit

Publisher's Summary:

Suddenly, four sisters who have been fervently pursuing success and their own lives reunite to share one New York brownstone, to support each other and their father, and to pick up the pieces while one sister struggles to heal her shattered body and soul. A bustling house is soon filled with eccentric dogs, laughter, tears, friends, men, and the kind of honesty and unconditional love only sisters can provide. But as the four women settle in, they are forced to confront the directions of their respective lives.

With unerring insight and compassion, Danielle Steel tells a compelling story of sisters who are irrevocably woven into the fabric of each other's lives. Brilliantly blending humor and heartbreak, she delivers a powerful message about the fragility and the wonder of life.

Members Reviews:

Sisters

I enjoyed this audiobook a lot. It made traveling to and from work easier. The characters are interesting and you find it very easy to get involved in their lives.

Lovely story

I loved this book. The twists and turns are aewsome! I would highly recommend it.