Single in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Valdes-Rodriguez, Alisa.
The Husband Habit.

Vanessa Duran has a love for cooking, gardening, and married men. When she agrees to care for her difficult and ailing mother, Vanessa meets Paul, a single and attractive Iraq war veteran.
http://alisavaldesrodriguez.blogspot.com/

Single in Boston

Cook, Claire.
Summer Blowout.

After her husband leaves her for her sister, Bella Shaughnessy, a Boston stylist in her father’s salon, swears off men, steals a bride’s dog, and is confronted with a challenging but handsome business rival. Claire Cook is the author of Must Love Dogs.

Single in London

Buxton, Jayne.
Lessons in Duck Hunting.

Ally James, mother of two children, has been divorced for two years. Bored with both her professional life and her love life, Ally markets her own dating seminar which leads her to a stream of interesting dates. Single mothers everywhere will enjoy Ally’s journey.

Denham, Holly.
Holly’s Inbox.

Holly Denham, a bank receptionist from London, shares her life in a collection of serious, funny, and risqué emails. Denham’s book began as a website http://www.hollysinbox.com.

Wolff, Isabel.
A Vintage Affair.

Every dress and every customer has a story. Phoebe, a London vintage boutique owner, relishes the history of vintage clothing and the details of her customers’ lives. A contemporary novel filled with historical detail, vintage fashion, romance, and a set of fascinating characters.

Also try Behaving Badly by Isabel Wolff
http://www.isabelwolff.com

Mansell, Jill.
An Offer You Can’t Refuse.

Lola and Dougie were high school sweethearts from two different social classes. Ten years ago, Lola accepted a bribe from his mother and broke up with Dougie. The two have been reunited and Lola wants to set things straight.

Also try Miranda’s Big Mistake by Jill Mansell
http://www.jillmansell.co.uk/index.html

Mathews, Carole.
Chocolate Lover’s Club.

Chocolate addicts and best friends, Lucy, Chantal, Autumn, and Nadia, hold emergency meetings at Chocolate Heaven, their favorite chocolate café, where they indulge in scrumptious chocolate while trying to solve each other’s latest dilemmas.

Also try For Better, For Worse by Carole Mathews, a Kelly Ripa book club selection.
http://www.carolemathews.com

O’Brien, Ally.
The Agency.

Tess Drake, a ruthless London literary agent, has a rather complicated life; one of her clients has been accused of plagiarism, she is having an affair with two men on both sides of the Atlantic, and her boss has just suffered a mysterious death. This novel is filled with schemes, mystery, and scandal.

Williams, Polly.
A Bad Bride’s Tale.

Will Stevie, a 34 year old magazine designer battling her biological clock, marry her fiancé Jez or will she be swayed by long time crush Sam? A bride’s tale of “I do” versus “I don’t”.

Single in Los Angeles

Asner, Jules.
Whacked.

Dani Hale, a successful television producer for crime show, Fresh and Bone, has a fascination for dead people. Insecure about her relationship, Dani uses her “crime detecting skills” to spy on her ex-boyfriend.

Conrad, Lauren.
L.A. Candy.

Dubbed “junior chick lit” by publishers, L.A. Candy is the story of two best friends, Scarlet and Jane, who agree to open their lives to the public and film a Los Angeles based reality television show.

Gruenenfelder-Smith, Kim.
Misery Loves Cabernet.

Charlie Edwards is living a Hollywood love triangle. She regrets breaking up with her boyfriend, who recently accepted a job in Paris, and her “A-list” actor employer is fighting with Liam, the attractive movie producer, who has recently moved into her house.

Sequel to A Total Waste of Make-Up.

Single in Minneapolis

McElhatton, Heather.
Jennifer Johnson is Sick of Being Single: A Novel.

Jennifer Johnson is perpetually single. She works for Kellers, a family-operated department store, and lives in a Hello-Kitty adorned apartment. Along comes Brad Keller, heir to the Keller fortune, and he has his eye on Jennifer. A fresh and funny novel from the author of Pretty Little Mistakes: A Do-Over Novel.

Single in New York

Ferreras, Alberto.
B as in Beauty.

Beauty Maria Zavala, also known as “B”, does not feel as if her name implies-beautiful. With misguided help from various friends and co-workers, B searches for her place in the world.

Froelich, Paula.
Mercury in Retrograde: A Novel.

Three women, a fallen socialite, a struggling reporter, and a jittery lawyer, form an unlikely friendship as they inhabit a grungy NYC apartment building.

Haobsh, Nadine Jolie.
Confessions of a Beauty Addict.

Bella Hunter, a fashionable beauty expert at ultra-chic Enchante magazine, is fired after making an inappropriate comment to a reporter. Forced to take a job at the not-so-young and-hot Womanly World publication, Bella is forced to reevaluate her life.

This is Haobsh’s, a popular beauty blogger, first work of fiction.
http://www.jolienadine.com/

Ireland, Liz.
Pink Ghetto.

After embellishing her resume, Rebecca Abbott has landed an associate editor position at Candlelight Books, a popular romance publishing company. Rebecca quickly learns that the corporate world of romance publishing is not exactly an amorous setting. However, there is the cute literary agent she keeps meeting in the elevator.

Rosenblatt, Jill Amy.
Project Jennifer.

After losing her job and discovering her ex-fiancé just married a woman named Jennifer, Joan Benjamin embarks on a life changing make-over.

Single in Washington D.C.

Flowers, Rebecca.
Nice to Come Home To.

At age 36 Prudence Whistler thought she would be happily married with children. Single and recently unemployed, Prudence accepts a job at a boutique and attempts to redefine the definition of family.

Single somewhere in the United States

Guterson, Mary.
Gone to the Dogs.

Slightly distraught that her fiancé has broken up with her, Rena steals his dog. Although she claims it was an accident, Rena must find a way to resolve the matter. Along the way, we meet Rena’s family, and you’ll note they’re slightly off-balance too!
http://www.maryguterson.com

Nonfiction:

Yardley, Cathy.
Will Write for Shoes: How to Write a Chick Lit Novel.

Yardley, a women’s fiction author, not only instructs how to write a chick lit novel but discusses the history of the genre.
http://www.cathyyardley.com

PN 3377.5 C45 Y37 2006

Online Resources

Books and Authors
A reader’s advisory database accessible through the electronic resources page of the Boston Public Library’s website.

Chick Lit Books

Chick Lit Club
An international club dedicated to the Chick Lit genre.

Chick Lit is Not Dead

Compiled by Rebecca Campbell, Reader and Information Services, June 2009