The Icing on the Cake - A Review

Scarlet Lindsay's dreams are coming true. Her bakery is booming in it's new location on Galveston's popular street. Her best friend is getting married and Scarlet is planning a dream cake. She's also the baker that Bella Neely consistently recommends to her brides. So everything is great right? And what could go wrong? A lot evidently. First an Italian heartthrob, Bella's brother Armando, breezes into town and melts Scarlet's heart. Then there's her overbearing Aunt Willy. Oh and a cake competition on the Food Network. Plus the troubled teen at Scarlet's church and the talent show. Will Scarlet figure out that sometimes God's plan is better than all of hers?

I've read quite a few books by Janice Thompson and each one has been a delight. They always make me laugh. With Icing on the Cake, readers are introduced to a delicious bakery - if I could gain weight just by reading, then I've probably gained 10 pounds - where the owner, Scarlet, is very self conscious about her body image. She thinks she's fat. One thing that I ABSOLUTELY loved about Armando was that he never saw Scarlet as fat. In fact, he worked hard to build her image up. As always, the gang from Splendora is a treat to reconnect with. As is the large Rossi family. Filled with humor and lessons of learning to not judge and to trust (to name a few), Icing on the Cake will delight readers. I always know I'm in for a treat when I read one of these chick lit books. I am eagerly awaiting the third book in the series.

I received the Kindle copy of this book for free from Revell Books via NetGalley for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Janice Thompson, chick lit, romantic comedy, romantic comedy movies like Legally Blonde, Sweet Home Alabama, Never Been Kissed, Mary Connealy, Becky Wade, Rachel Hauck

Rating - 4 stars

Available August 2013 at your local bookstore from Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Hello Hollywood - A Review

Athena Pappas is the head writer for the popular Stars Collide sitcom. When the producers bring in comedian Stephen Cosse to help boost the show's ratings, Athena feels threatened. Sparks fly immediately between Stephen and Athena, especially when her large Greek family is added into the mix. Will the two learn that it's better to write romances for their characters than their own lives?

I have read the others in the Backstage Pass series and loved them. This one was no exception. This is book 2, and having read book 3 before reading one and two, I was already prepared for the outcome of the happy ending. What made this book so entertaining was how the characters got to that happy ending.

I read the Kindle version for pure pleasure. Recommended to fans of romantic comedies, Denise Hunter, Jenny Jones, Sandra Bricker, Karen Witemeyer.

Rating - 4 stars

Stars Collide - A Review

Kat Jennings and Scott Murphy are the leads on the popular sitcom Stars Collide. On the show, they play a couple in love. But, there's a secret - they're not just in love on the show, they really are head over heels for each other in real life. As the pair struggle to keep their real life romance out of the pages of the Hollywood gossip magazines, they discover that sometimes it's ok to let life happen.

This is the first book in the Backstage Pass series. I'd read the third one a while back and loved it. Even though I already knew the ending, I still enjoyed going back and seeing how Kat and Scott actually got together. Filled with hilarious supporting cast members and antics, I laughed and laughed while reading this book.

I read the Kindle edition for pure pleasure. If the book is still free, I highly recommend downloading it.

Recommended to fans of romantic comedy, Denise Hunter, Mary Connealy.

Rating - 4 stars

Stars Collide Giveaway Winner

Using Random.org to select the winner, the winner is:




Loraine Ertelt!!!!!


Congratulations. I've just emailed you for your address.

There will be another chance to win a book, or two, in September.  

Giveaway

It's time for another giveaway!

Today I'm giving away the paperback copy of Stars Collide by Janice Thompson.

About the book (from Amazon) - Kat Jennings and Scott Murphy don't just play two people who are secretly in love on a television sitcom--they are also head over heels for each other in real life. When the lines between reality and TV land blur, they hope they can keep their relationship under wraps. But when Kat's grandmother, an aging Hollywood starlet with a penchant for wearing elaborate evening gowns from Golden Age movies, mistakes their on-screen wedding proposal for the real deal, things begin to spiral out of their control. Will their secret be front-page news in the tabloids tomorrow? And can their budding romance survive the onslaught of paparazzi, wedding preparations, and misinformed in-laws?

From the sound stage to a Beverly Hills mansion to the gleaming Pacific Ocean, Stars Collide takes readers on a roller-coaster tour of Tinseltown, packing both comedic punch and tender emotion.



This is book one in the Backstage Pass Series. I recently downloaded this for free on the Kindle and so I want to share with one lucky reader.


How to enter: A valid email address must be included in one of your comments. Use form myname(dot)number(at)hotmail(dot)com

• One entry for leaving a coment on this blog telling me your favorite TV show.
• Extra entry for leaving a separate comment telling me you follow my blog & how you follow it (GFC, Networked blog, email, etc)
• Gain an extra entry for each comment you leave on any of my book reviews. Find them here. You can do this daily.
• Follow me on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway. Include in your tweet my handle @DawnJanis. Also this can be daily as long as you come back and leave a comment that you tweeted.

I'll pick a winner next Sunday, Aug 25th, after my 8pm CST conference call. I can only ship US.

Director's Cut - A Review

Tia Morales is the director of the popular sitcom Stars Collide. On the set, she's the one calling the shots and in control. Yet her life off of the set is anything but controlled. Her family has their own problems and somehow Tia's in the center of them all. Yet when she admits to herself that she's got feelings for camerman Jason Harris, she finds herself out of her comfort zone. Will she let down her guard long enough to let love in? Or will she fight a tug-of-war battle with the God of the universe who wants to show her who is really in control?

I've never read anything Janice Thompson has written until now. Yes this is the third book in the Backstage Pass series, but I didn't have to read the others to know what was going on. This book had me laughing so much. Of course it took me until chapter four to realize that the chapter titles were really television shows. Tia struggles with the same things that so many of us struggle with, and that is allowing God to take control of our lives and for us to let go. Yet the moment that she comes to the realization that she needs to let go, it was beautiful. While I do wish that there was more of the romance between Jason & Tia in the story, overall the book was a great read. It's a romantic comedy that teaches some good lessons.


I look forward to reading both the Weddings By Bella Series and the other books in the Backstage Pass series.

This book is available in June 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell Publishing Group, a division of Baker Publishing. 

I received this book for free from Revell for the purpose of reviewing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating - 4 stars

Extra goodies from the publisher
The author, Janice Thompson has spent time in Hollywood as a director. This blog post tells of some of her experiences.  

Also Family Fiction magazine has published an article about the Backstage Pass series. The article can be found here.