Title: Summer Blowout
Author: Claire Cook
ISBN: 1401322417
Pages: 256
Release Date: June 3, 2008
Genre: Women's Fiction, Chick Lit, Beach Read
Rating: *** (out of 5)

From the dust jacket:

Bella Shaughnessy is addicted to lipstick with names like My Chihuahua Bites and Kiss My Lips, an occupational hazard since she works as a stylist and a makeup artist for her family's small chain of beauty salons in Marshbury, Massachusetts, along with her brother, sister, and two half-sisters. The owner is her father, Lucky Shaughnessy, a gregarious, three-times divorced charmer with Donald Trump hair, who is obsessed with all things Italian and still carries a torch for his first wife. After Bella's own marriage flames out spectacularly when he half-sister runs off with her husband, Bella decides that she has seen enough of the damage that love can do. She makes a vow: no more men.

Then Bella meets a cute entrepreneur at a college fair, and despite their bickering, they can't seem to stay away from each other. He also gives her a brilliant business idea, one that just might allow her to share her business expertise with the world. A small, well-tressed dog finds her way into her life, and her heart, and she decides to chance that, too. When the whole clan heads to Atlanta for a big Southern wedding, sparks fly - in a summer blow out no one will forget.

This hilarious, rambunctious novel is pure Claire Cook: full of juicy conflict and unconditional love.

While I found Summer Blowout funny and quirky, I didn't love it like I expected to. I'm not entirely certain what it was that turned me off.

Let's start with the good things. The book is funny, there's no doubt about that. Bella finds herself in hilarious situations, and the supporting cast is equally as amusing. In particular, her father had me laughing out loud multiple times throughout the book - in my opinion, he's the best character. From his insistence on pretending he's Italian to his political incorrectness regarding his gay son ("I even have a gay of my own. Two if you count the husband!"), he is a very funny character.

Like I said before, I'm not entirely certain about what I didn't like about the book. Something just felt off. The product placement got to me a bit. I understand that Bella was a makeup artist and was just that obsessed with lipstick, but it seemed like there was a brand mention twice per page. I also thought the way that Sean changed his mind at the end after sticking to one line of thought for the entire book was a bit strange (unfortunately, I can't say anything more than that or I'll give it away!)

Overall, Summer Blowout is a fun and light beach read. It's perfect for a summer day, but if you're looking for a chick lit read with a little bit of heft, this probably isn't the book for you.