Review - Summer Daze - Living Life With Joy

Today I’m excited to share my review on a fun collection of summer stories written by a group of some seriously awesome authors!

Summer Daze: Six Bite-Size Chick Lit Treats

Stories by Carla Caruso, Sarah Belle, Laura Greaves, Georgina Penney, Vanessa Stubbs and Samanth Bond

Published: February 10, 2016

Book Blurb: Summer… when hot days, steamy nights, surf, sand and sizzle make that first flush of new love feel dreamlike.

Relax by the water’s edge and dive into this all new collection of summery short stories by six of Australia’s leading chick lit authors.

1. Book Boyfriend by Carla Caruso

Forget ‘opposites attract’ – book-loving Laila Laughton is done with guys who are nothing like her. So when she comes across the library receipt of a gorgeous bookworm who seems like her perfect match, she’s determined to track him down.

My Review: The collection begins with a short story by one of my favorite Australian authors, Carla Caruso. This was a fun flirty short about a young woman named Laila that plans to spend her two week vacation reading chick-lit guilt free. As much as I love the idea of spending time at the beach, I also love curling up with a good book and getting lost in the story. I loved Carla’s reference to feeling like the character had a book hangover, it made the short fresh and relevant and very now. This story had a good message about things not always being as they seem and you can’t judge a book by it’s cover.

2. That Voodoo That You Do by Sarah Belle

Lila is sick of waiting for the criminally sexy Ben to ask her out, so she’s taking matters into her own hands. But when her attempts to harness the power of voodoo go awry, has she lost him forever?

My Review: This was a short about unrequited love between Lila and Ben that had an unexpected and hilarious ending. Lila was a bit nutty to be playing her hand with a Voodo doll, but this short was entertaining and I would definitely read the author’s other works.

3. Sunny, With A Chance by Laura Greaves

Brydie is moving on from a bad breakup with her adorable dog, Sunny, in their cute country cottage. City boy Leo doesn’t have time for a girlfriend, especially not a hippy artist with a ton of baggage. But Sunny may have other ideas…

My Review: This was a cute story about serendipity between Brydie and Leo. I loved the idea that you can’t always be too quick to judge people before you get to know them. I enjoyed the author’s writing and am definitely going to look up her other works.

4. Awkward Chocolates by Georgina Penney

Tom has been out of the dating game for a long time. A very long time. When his internet date makes a sexy request, can he rise to the challenge – or is it just too awkward for words?

My Review: This was a humorous short about online dating that took place during a gloomy Scottish summer. Tom and Claire are both trying to keep up with the ‘times’ and are trying to be relevant in today’s dating world. This was good for a laugh and I enjoyed the author’s writing!

5. Lily and Viv by Vanessa Stubbs

Teddy has been an outsider as long as he can remember. With high school finally behind him, does he have the courage to be true to himself with his dream girl by his side – or will school’s seductive Queen Bee lure him away?

My Review: This was a sweet short about people overcoming their disabilities and differences. Sometimes it’s easier to hide behind a mask and try to make yourself seem a certain way to be popular and accepted. But at the end of the day, people should realize that the most important person is yourself, and you have to learn to accept yourself the way you are. The people that matter will appreciate you for you and the people that don’t accept you aren’t worth your time. One of the most important things in life is to have genuine people that truly care about you and will stand by your side.

6. Killer Heels by Samantha Bond

Tough Private Investigator Scully has landed the case of a lifetime: probing the disappearance of a celebrity lifestyle guru. She doesn’t need her gorgeous ex, police detective Logan, getting in her way – until her life is at stake.

My Review: This short was about a young woman named Gillian that left her job to open her own PI company called X-files investigations. She goes by the nickname Scully and has a penchant for killer heels and Botox. This last one is for fans of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. It had a similar story line filled with crime, humor and strong independent female characters. I enjoyed her writing and would definitely be interested in more.

Overall Impression:

I enjoyed all 6 stories in the Summer Daze collection. Written by a group of talented female writers, this collection is sure to keep you entertained. This had one of my favorite authors, plus 5 authors that are new to me that I’m looking forward to seeing what else they’ve written and will look for new ones that are published in the future. If you’re looking for a fun collection of short entertaining chick-lit stories, this is your ticket right here!

5/5 stars for the collection as a whole