Book ~ "Red Blooded Murder" (2009) Laura Caldwell

From Amazon ~ Chicago is the Windy City and these days the winds of change are whipping Izzy McNeil's life all over the map. A high-profile job on Trial TV lands her in the hot seat. After a shocking end to her engagement, she finds herself juggling not only her ex-fiancé but a guy she never expected. And a moonlighting undercover gig has her digging deep into worlds she barely knew existed.

But all of this takes a backseat when Izzy's friend winds up brutally murdered. Suddenly, Izzy must balance the demands of a voracious media and the knowledge that she didn't know her friend as well as she thought.

This is the second of three in a series ... I had read the first one, then the third one and now the second one.

I'd say that this is the weakest of the series. Though I enjoyed the writing style, the story was so-so. I found some of the situations absurd and unbelievable.

It was good to find out how she met Theo (I like him) but I got tired of Sam coming back and forth and whining.

The part with Mayburn could have been left out as it had no bearing on the main story but I guess she had to have him there so he can come back in the third book.

It didn't take me long to figure out who dunnit ... I would have liked more of a challenge.

Book ~ "Red, White and Dead" (2009) Laura Caldwell

From Amazon ~ Izzy McNeil is hot on the trail of one of Chicago's most notorious gangsters. Not that he realizes the crimson-tressed enchantress, a self-proclaimed "lapsed lawyer," is moonlighting as a private investigator. But when an unexpected run-in trashes Izzy's cover, she's swept into an evil underworld where she is definitely not safe.

That is until Izzy receives help from an unlikely source: the ultimate guardian angel. And the last person she ever dreamed she'd see again. Now Izzy is racing from Chicago to Rome, all the while battling personal demons, Mafiosi killers and red hot emergency desires.

This is the third in the series ... I still have to read the second one.

This isn't a bad story and I liked Izzy's character. A lot of it is far-fetched and could never happen but you just have to go with it.

Though I enjoyed the writing style, I found it odd that most chapters were written in Izzy's voice ("I") and others which included her weren't (she is referred to as "she").

The story wrapped up really quickly and predictably and left a lot of loose ends for me.

Spoiler alert!





What happened to Bernard in Italy? Was he a bad guy? They kinda forgot about him.

Does Victoria stay with Spence or go with Christopher?

Does Lucy's husband go to prison and does she and John get back together?

Book ~ "The Year Of Living Famously" (2004) Laura Caldwell

From Amazon ~ Plenty of women wonder what it would be like to be married to a movie star but designer Kyra Felis finds out when she marries Irish actor Declan McKenna. When Kyra meets Declan in Las Vegas, he is on the cusp of stardom. The two have a whirlwind courtship and Declan proposes after a few months. Kyra is reluctant to leave New York for L.A. but her love for Declan wins out. At first, it's just a matter of adjusting to the culture and attending a premiere here and there, but then Normandy is released to rave reviews and an eager, vast audience, and its star, Declan, and, by default, Kyra are launched into superstardom. Everyone wants to interview Declan, and the paparazzi follow the couple everywhere. Declan's success helps to launch Kyra's clothing line but she is not sure she can deal with life in the spotlight. Caldwell's snazzy, gripping third novel gives readers an exciting taste of life in the fast lane, exposing the truth behind the fairy tale.

It was interesting to see what life is like behind the scenes of an actor and his wife.

I didn't like Kyra ... she was such a downer. She was always whining about something and was such a wet rag. There's no way she could have landed a fun Irishman like Declan. Why would he marry her?

I was imagining Gerry from P.S. I Love You when I was reading about Declan. He sounded like a good guy and was the only one I marginally cared about.

Book ~ "The Night I Got Lucky" (2005) Laura Caldwell

From Amazon ~ At 32, Billy Rendell isn't exactly where she thought she'd be. She is still waiting, possibly in vain, for that promotion to VP at the PR company she works for, and her marriage to Chris seems to be in real trouble. Billy pays a visit to her kooky therapist, Blinda, and leaves with a good luck charm, a small frog. The next day, when Billy wakes up, things are different. Her formerly distant husband is attentive and loving, and she has received the promotion to VP at work and already has a posh new office. Billy is puzzled but soon settles in by firing a snooty coworker, Alexa, and engaging in a flirtation with the office hunk, Evan, whom she has always had a crush on. But as her perfect life rolls on, Billy is nowhere near as satisfied as she thought she would be. Caldwell is one of the most talented and inventive chick-lit writers around, and her latest features a likable heroine in an unusual situation and ends with a clever resolution.

Fluffy quick read.

Not great but not bad.

Book ~ "Red Hot Lies" (2009) Laura Caldwell

From Amazon ~ Former trial lawyer Caldwell launches a mystery series that weaves the emotional appeal of her chick lit titles with the blinding speed of her thrillers. Young, sassy Izzy McNeil, lead entertainment lawyer at Pickett Enterprises, has earned envy for her success (much of which she owes to the patronage of CEO Forester Pickett) and cheeky manner, but she's starting to panic about her upcoming wedding to charming Sam Hollings. Then Pickett is killed and Sam vanishes, as do $30 million worth of Panamanian real estate bonds. Suspecting Sam, Izzy and the FBI promptly take up parallel and sometimes contradictory investigations. The somber ending is something of a letdown after the headlong chase, but readers will be left looking forward to another heart-pounding ride on Izzy's silver Vespa.

This book started off slowly, picked up and got exciting and then yes, the ending was a letdown. Plus there were people and actions that seemed to have been forgotten ... why even include them? Perhaps because they'll be back for the next book in the series?

But I enjoyed the writing style enough to check out her other books, including those in this series.