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That Time of the Month
Recently fired and almost broke, thirty-year old Ellie decides to push all distractions aside and form a crash-or-burn plan to save herself and finally pursue her dreams. She gives herself one month to make the near-impossible happen, otherwise she has to leave New York City and move into her niece's toy room.
The plan seems simple but becomes complicated by a nosey best friend, a difficult roommate, a dreamy stranger, and a really bad ring. As the month progresses, Ellie must confront the realization that by deciding to focus on herself, she may have become completely self-centered.
Will she let her own ambitions, insecurities, and assumptions ruin her friendships and get in the way of a possible romance? Ruled by endless lists and fueled by several plates of pie, Ellie's comical thoughts and mishaps drive this story from the office to the coffee shop during a month that will leave her with a broken foot, a great pair of shoes, and a forever changed life.
The plan seems simple but becomes complicated by a nosey best friend, a difficult roommate, a dreamy stranger, and a really bad ring. As the month progresses, Ellie must confront the realization that by deciding to focus on herself, she may have become completely self-centered.
Will she let her own ambitions, insecurities, and assumptions ruin her friendships and get in the way of a possible romance? Ruled by endless lists and fueled by several plates of pie, Ellie's comical thoughts and mishaps drive this story from the office to the coffee shop during a month that will leave her with a broken foot, a great pair of shoes, and a forever changed life.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
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462 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 20, 2013
Every once a while, I know before I even open a book that I am going to love it. That is what happened with That Time of the Month. I'm not sure if it was the synopsis, the title or just my psychic tendencies but the minute I saw the book featured on Chick Lit Plus, I knew I had to read it and that it would become a favorite.
Ellie just lost her job as a contract attorney at a NYC law firm. Although she hated the job, it was what kept her living in New York. Without a paycheck, she will be forced to move back to her hometown in Tennessee to live in her older brother's "toy" room. Unless she gets a new job, Ellie will only have enough money to stay in New York for a month and so comes up with a plan. In one month, she will write a book which will lead to an offer for representation from her dream literary agency and an eventual publishing contract. Ellie finds the perfect coffee shop to do her writing and is positive that her literary dreams will come true. And if she can just learn to open her heart and believe in herself, she might just find love too.
Ellie was a hilariously endearing and quirky main character. I adored her and there were times while reading this novel that I thought we might be kindred spirits. I shared many of her inner thoughts, as well as a tendency to get caught in awkward situations and fall in public. Ellie, however, lets her freak flag fly a bit higher than I do and it was a pisser to read! There were moments when I wanted to strangle her for jumping to conclusions and acting too hasty but it was that conflict that also kept me turning the pages to find out how everything would be resolved. I loved Ellie's best friend Beth. I think most of us have a friend who is slightly cooler than us, but when that person is also always in your corner, it's priceless. The love interest, while a bit too good to be true, was that perfect combination of romantic, egnimatic, supportive and cool (and twinkly).
I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a light hearted, funny chicklit book with an endearingly flawed main character.
Ellie just lost her job as a contract attorney at a NYC law firm. Although she hated the job, it was what kept her living in New York. Without a paycheck, she will be forced to move back to her hometown in Tennessee to live in her older brother's "toy" room. Unless she gets a new job, Ellie will only have enough money to stay in New York for a month and so comes up with a plan. In one month, she will write a book which will lead to an offer for representation from her dream literary agency and an eventual publishing contract. Ellie finds the perfect coffee shop to do her writing and is positive that her literary dreams will come true. And if she can just learn to open her heart and believe in herself, she might just find love too.
Ellie was a hilariously endearing and quirky main character. I adored her and there were times while reading this novel that I thought we might be kindred spirits. I shared many of her inner thoughts, as well as a tendency to get caught in awkward situations and fall in public. Ellie, however, lets her freak flag fly a bit higher than I do and it was a pisser to read! There were moments when I wanted to strangle her for jumping to conclusions and acting too hasty but it was that conflict that also kept me turning the pages to find out how everything would be resolved. I loved Ellie's best friend Beth. I think most of us have a friend who is slightly cooler than us, but when that person is also always in your corner, it's priceless. The love interest, while a bit too good to be true, was that perfect combination of romantic, egnimatic, supportive and cool (and twinkly).
I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a light hearted, funny chicklit book with an endearingly flawed main character.
February 16, 2013
By the way, contrary to what you might immediately think about after reading the title of this book, THAT TIME OF THE MONTH is *not* about a womans period. just saying.
However, yes there is DEFINITELY PIE served and eaten throughout the book. gotta be crazy not to <3 books with yummy food on the cover, right?!?
I read this book three months ago. It was pretty good actually and nicely written. I was interested in the characters and wanted to see what happens with them.
In the first few pages Ellie losses her job as a lawyer and rather than panic and jump out the window or run right into finding another job, she counts her money and decides to give herself one month off to write the book she'd always dreamed about writing.
I love a book about someone who goes for their dreams!
I thought the main and supportive characters were relateable, believable and well rounded out. However, my favorite 'characters' of this book were probably the cat/Mr. Doe and also Ellie's closet. (Read the book, you'll love them too) I also looked forward to the seeing what the pie of the day was going to be. ;)
The lists were interesting and a unique addition in a story, but they made for some of the best insight to the character and added to the story. Overall the story was great. Nice flow (even if a little predictable) I enjoyed reading Ellie's month long struggle as she ends up changing her life. Left me with a warm fuzzy feeling.
If you have an free afternoon or weekend and you're looking for a fun, funny, quirky, semi-romance, quick and yummy read, THAT TIME OF THE MONTH is a sweet option.
I won this book in a blog contest at ChickLitPlus.com and the author. Thaanks so much ladies!!
However, yes there is DEFINITELY PIE served and eaten throughout the book. gotta be crazy not to <3 books with yummy food on the cover, right?!?
I read this book three months ago. It was pretty good actually and nicely written. I was interested in the characters and wanted to see what happens with them.
In the first few pages Ellie losses her job as a lawyer and rather than panic and jump out the window or run right into finding another job, she counts her money and decides to give herself one month off to write the book she'd always dreamed about writing.
I love a book about someone who goes for their dreams!
I thought the main and supportive characters were relateable, believable and well rounded out. However, my favorite 'characters' of this book were probably the cat/Mr. Doe and also Ellie's closet. (Read the book, you'll love them too) I also looked forward to the seeing what the pie of the day was going to be. ;)
The lists were interesting and a unique addition in a story, but they made for some of the best insight to the character and added to the story. Overall the story was great. Nice flow (even if a little predictable) I enjoyed reading Ellie's month long struggle as she ends up changing her life. Left me with a warm fuzzy feeling.
If you have an free afternoon or weekend and you're looking for a fun, funny, quirky, semi-romance, quick and yummy read, THAT TIME OF THE MONTH is a sweet option.
I won this book in a blog contest at ChickLitPlus.com and the author. Thaanks so much ladies!!
January 21, 2014
I loved this book for a number of different reasons. The main reason was how relatable the characters were in this novel. I crave for a BFF like Beth, and easily could see myself sitting next to Ellie in the coffee shop or on her couch/bed reading over her lists. I went through the gamut of emotions with this one, at times laughing out loud (shoes in the gutter, really?!?! and who remembers "Informer" - GENIUS!). I was only sad to see the book end. I understand this is Emily Shaffer's debut novel, and I cannot wait to read what she comes up with next. I have no doubt it will be amazing.
March 10, 2013
Disclaimer: the author is a good friend. That said and out of the way, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Entertaining "Chick-Lit" that's quick to move through. A good first showing for Shaffer. I look forward to reading more from her!
October 9, 2012
Originally posted on The Book Tart at http://thebooktart.com/book-review/re...
This book was a delight all the way through. I actually just googled synonyms for Adored and Loved because I needed more words to adequately express my enchantment with this story. I was swept into Ellie's world and connected with her. She felt very familiar to me and I recognized a kindred spirit. I absolutely positively LOVED this book.
So, Ellie, the heroine of the story, loses her job in the very first chapter. It's a particularly funny scene that I've made two of my friends listen to me read. *snicker* I am enamored with Ellie's voice. She's snarky and silly and hopeful. After losing the job she didn't really love, but it kept her in the city and out of her brother's spare room, she decides to see this as an opportunity to focus on a dream she had set aside when she went to school and got a responsible degree. She wants to write! Ellie has enough money in her bank account for a month's expenses. She finds a coffee shop that is perfect for a respectable soon-to-be famous author to work in and she eats a piece of pie. And so starts her 31 day journey towards her goal.
The secondary characters felt very real and are a joy. Ellie's best friend, Beth, is sweet and sarcastic, a shopping goddess and a supportive true friend. *sigh* And then there's Jeff... When she first sees him Ellie thinks "He is the scruffy hip-looking type. He is also the handsome dreamboat type." I liked Jeff so much. Ellie tries so very hard not to be interested in Jeff. I loved that he seemed so bemused by her and didn't give up on her.
Ellie is a bit lost for some of the story. She's is going through some major changes and it trying to find her balance. I loved her journey. I got a kick out of all the lists she writes, her adventures in pie eating, falling over counters,her foot in mouth habit, the dumpster diving and opening the door dressed in pj pants with cowboy pickles on them (I have silly themed jammies too lol) This book made me so happy. I keep grinning when I think about it. That Time of the Month is a whimsical story that is funny and insightful at the same time. I am beyond thrilled that I picked up this book and can't wait for more from Emily Shaffer.
In no particular order here are just a few of my favorite lines...
♥ "I turn off all the lights and lay down on bed-couch. Sleeping isn’t going to be easy tonight. I try counting sheep. I try counting the number of car horns I hear sounding on the street outside. I try counting the number of dollars I have left in the bank. None of it is helping. I decide to turn the TV on."
♥ "Of course I want ice cream on the pie. I don’t understand why anyone ever asks that question. Would someone ask if you want sunshine with your day, or Jekyl with your Hyde? No! So why would anyone ever ask if you want ice cream with a piece of apple pie?."
♥"Unique? See, I hate when people make statements like that. “Unique” is one of those things that sounds like a compliment, but could actually be quite the opposite. “Unique” could mean that he finds me fascinating and exotic, or it could mean that he thinks I’m an especially rare type of lunatic."
♥"There is no polite way to say “I’ve completely tuned you out, you jobless hippie, and therefore haven’t a clue what you want to know…could you please repeat yourself”…so I just stare at him in ignorance."
♥"Talking is my favorite thing, and here is someone who wants to sit and listen to me."
Take a look at this book. I hope you fall in love with it like I did :)
(((hugs))) Kat
The Queen of Tarts
♦eARC provided for review (but I seriously just bought the print book from Amazon!)
This book was a delight all the way through. I actually just googled synonyms for Adored and Loved because I needed more words to adequately express my enchantment with this story. I was swept into Ellie's world and connected with her. She felt very familiar to me and I recognized a kindred spirit. I absolutely positively LOVED this book.
So, Ellie, the heroine of the story, loses her job in the very first chapter. It's a particularly funny scene that I've made two of my friends listen to me read. *snicker* I am enamored with Ellie's voice. She's snarky and silly and hopeful. After losing the job she didn't really love, but it kept her in the city and out of her brother's spare room, she decides to see this as an opportunity to focus on a dream she had set aside when she went to school and got a responsible degree. She wants to write! Ellie has enough money in her bank account for a month's expenses. She finds a coffee shop that is perfect for a respectable soon-to-be famous author to work in and she eats a piece of pie. And so starts her 31 day journey towards her goal.
The secondary characters felt very real and are a joy. Ellie's best friend, Beth, is sweet and sarcastic, a shopping goddess and a supportive true friend. *sigh* And then there's Jeff... When she first sees him Ellie thinks "He is the scruffy hip-looking type. He is also the handsome dreamboat type." I liked Jeff so much. Ellie tries so very hard not to be interested in Jeff. I loved that he seemed so bemused by her and didn't give up on her.
Ellie is a bit lost for some of the story. She's is going through some major changes and it trying to find her balance. I loved her journey. I got a kick out of all the lists she writes, her adventures in pie eating, falling over counters,her foot in mouth habit, the dumpster diving and opening the door dressed in pj pants with cowboy pickles on them (I have silly themed jammies too lol) This book made me so happy. I keep grinning when I think about it. That Time of the Month is a whimsical story that is funny and insightful at the same time. I am beyond thrilled that I picked up this book and can't wait for more from Emily Shaffer.
In no particular order here are just a few of my favorite lines...
♥ "I turn off all the lights and lay down on bed-couch. Sleeping isn’t going to be easy tonight. I try counting sheep. I try counting the number of car horns I hear sounding on the street outside. I try counting the number of dollars I have left in the bank. None of it is helping. I decide to turn the TV on."
♥ "Of course I want ice cream on the pie. I don’t understand why anyone ever asks that question. Would someone ask if you want sunshine with your day, or Jekyl with your Hyde? No! So why would anyone ever ask if you want ice cream with a piece of apple pie?."
♥"Unique? See, I hate when people make statements like that. “Unique” is one of those things that sounds like a compliment, but could actually be quite the opposite. “Unique” could mean that he finds me fascinating and exotic, or it could mean that he thinks I’m an especially rare type of lunatic."
♥"There is no polite way to say “I’ve completely tuned you out, you jobless hippie, and therefore haven’t a clue what you want to know…could you please repeat yourself”…so I just stare at him in ignorance."
♥"Talking is my favorite thing, and here is someone who wants to sit and listen to me."
Take a look at this book. I hope you fall in love with it like I did :)
(((hugs))) Kat
The Queen of Tarts
♦eARC provided for review (but I seriously just bought the print book from Amazon!)
October 22, 2012
After working four years as an attorney for a New York City law firm, thirty year old Ellie is fired, almost broke, and unsure what to do next. She decides to follow her dream and follows a thirty day crash-or-burn plan to become an author. With enough money saved to live on for at least one month, Ellie embarks on a journey to write a book and become a famous author ... only to discover some things about herself along the way.
That Time of the Month is an entertaining story about a woman who decides to follow her dreams. This fast-paced story is told in the first person narrative by the protagonist, Ellie, who takes the reader along for the ride on her journey to follow her dream of becoming an author. With a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, Ellie's journey is wrought with trials and tribulations that will keep the reader in stitches. From her habit of writing out endless lists, to the pie eating adventures at the local coffee shop, to dumpster diving, and her clumsiness that lands her with a broken foot, Ellie's journey is anything but smooth but along the way she discovers things about herself that will change her life forever.
The cast of characters in this story are a crazy but wickedly fun bunch of people who are engaging and easy for the reader to relate to. I loved following Ellie's journey to pursue her dream: her sassy personality, clumsy ways, her habit for writing endless lists, and the adventures she got herself into were a hoot, I think I snickered my way through the whole story. With a crazy supporting cast of characters: best friend Beth, a truly supportive friend with a sarcastic personality; Jeff, the scruffy hippie turned dreamboat love interest; and Ellie's roommate Mr. Doe, each added a realistic and crazy fun entertainment value to the story.
Rich in detail and descriptions, laugh-out-loud witty dialogues and interactions, and a whimsical storyline that draws the reader in from the beginning, That Time of the Month is one heck of a funny story that will make you laugh and smile.
That Time of the Month is a must read for anyone who enjoys a wickedly fun and humorous story, it will even make you to ponder about pursuing your own dreams.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
That Time of the Month is an entertaining story about a woman who decides to follow her dreams. This fast-paced story is told in the first person narrative by the protagonist, Ellie, who takes the reader along for the ride on her journey to follow her dream of becoming an author. With a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, Ellie's journey is wrought with trials and tribulations that will keep the reader in stitches. From her habit of writing out endless lists, to the pie eating adventures at the local coffee shop, to dumpster diving, and her clumsiness that lands her with a broken foot, Ellie's journey is anything but smooth but along the way she discovers things about herself that will change her life forever.
The cast of characters in this story are a crazy but wickedly fun bunch of people who are engaging and easy for the reader to relate to. I loved following Ellie's journey to pursue her dream: her sassy personality, clumsy ways, her habit for writing endless lists, and the adventures she got herself into were a hoot, I think I snickered my way through the whole story. With a crazy supporting cast of characters: best friend Beth, a truly supportive friend with a sarcastic personality; Jeff, the scruffy hippie turned dreamboat love interest; and Ellie's roommate Mr. Doe, each added a realistic and crazy fun entertainment value to the story.
Rich in detail and descriptions, laugh-out-loud witty dialogues and interactions, and a whimsical storyline that draws the reader in from the beginning, That Time of the Month is one heck of a funny story that will make you laugh and smile.
That Time of the Month is a must read for anyone who enjoys a wickedly fun and humorous story, it will even make you to ponder about pursuing your own dreams.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
October 20, 2012
Have you ever started reading a book and right from page 1 you knew you were going to love it? Well, that was That Time of the Month for me! I was in the mood for a silly, funny book... and I definitely got exactly what I was looking for!
Ellie... clumsy, silly Ellie is just a delight! I fell in love with her instantly. I can TOTALLY relate to clumsy silly characters, and that's exactly what she is. Then you have the equally awesome supporting characters: Her best friend, Beth, is both supportive of all of Ellie's "flaws", as well as not afraid to use tough love and stick her nose in where it doesn't belong when it's necessary. Jeff is "dreamy" in every sense of the word, including his scruffiness and twinkling eyes. And oh, I can't forget about roommate Mr. Doe. I really enjoyed watching the relationship between the two roommates, Ellie and Mr. Doe, blossom as the story progressed.
I also couldn't get enough of the lists! I'm definitely a list kinda girl. I make lists for what I thought was everything. To my surprise, I was wrong. Ellie makes lists for EVERYTHING! Every time I got to a list of hers I got so excited and a smile appeared on my face before I even started reading it. That might have been my favorite part of the whole book!
Well, maybe all of the humor was my favorite part. I was giggling more than not. Emily Shaffer has an amazing ability to write a funny, romantic, adorable chick lit book. I can't wait to read more from her in the future. And I promise I will be reading more!!! I hear there's a sequel... I can't even contain my excitement!!! :)
If you're a fan of chick lit and you want a smile on your face, definitely give this one a read!
Ellie... clumsy, silly Ellie is just a delight! I fell in love with her instantly. I can TOTALLY relate to clumsy silly characters, and that's exactly what she is. Then you have the equally awesome supporting characters: Her best friend, Beth, is both supportive of all of Ellie's "flaws", as well as not afraid to use tough love and stick her nose in where it doesn't belong when it's necessary. Jeff is "dreamy" in every sense of the word, including his scruffiness and twinkling eyes. And oh, I can't forget about roommate Mr. Doe. I really enjoyed watching the relationship between the two roommates, Ellie and Mr. Doe, blossom as the story progressed.
I also couldn't get enough of the lists! I'm definitely a list kinda girl. I make lists for what I thought was everything. To my surprise, I was wrong. Ellie makes lists for EVERYTHING! Every time I got to a list of hers I got so excited and a smile appeared on my face before I even started reading it. That might have been my favorite part of the whole book!
Well, maybe all of the humor was my favorite part. I was giggling more than not. Emily Shaffer has an amazing ability to write a funny, romantic, adorable chick lit book. I can't wait to read more from her in the future. And I promise I will be reading more!!! I hear there's a sequel... I can't even contain my excitement!!! :)
If you're a fan of chick lit and you want a smile on your face, definitely give this one a read!
December 7, 2012
Even during a crazy, busy few weeks I finish That Time of the Month really quickly. I really enjoyed this book. Great writing, nice flow and some really hilarious parts made this book a fun read. The main character, Ellie is likable and well developed by the author.
Ellie loses her job and decides to embark on the tough task of writing a novel in one month. The book follows Ellie, a clumsy, unemployed lawyer through her mishaps, struggles and adventures as she is penning her first novel.
It's an enjoyable, quick read. Emily Shaffer, the author of That Time of the Month, self published this book and did an amazing job on her own. Check it out.
Ellie loses her job and decides to embark on the tough task of writing a novel in one month. The book follows Ellie, a clumsy, unemployed lawyer through her mishaps, struggles and adventures as she is penning her first novel.
It's an enjoyable, quick read. Emily Shaffer, the author of That Time of the Month, self published this book and did an amazing job on her own. Check it out.
March 7, 2013
I bought this on recommendation from the author and a special offer. So I really wanted to like it but didn't, I'm afraid.
An annoyance at first was that all the text was to the left side of my Kindle and I've never had a book do that before. Not sure if this has happened to anyone else ? However, no spelling or grammatical errors in what I did read so it gets an extra star for that !!
I am guessing the author is a lot younger than I am as it seemed to be written for the young adult market and I found a lot of the dialogue quite juvenile so it really didn't work for me. Sorry, Emily.
An annoyance at first was that all the text was to the left side of my Kindle and I've never had a book do that before. Not sure if this has happened to anyone else ? However, no spelling or grammatical errors in what I did read so it gets an extra star for that !!
I am guessing the author is a lot younger than I am as it seemed to be written for the young adult market and I found a lot of the dialogue quite juvenile so it really didn't work for me. Sorry, Emily.
January 4, 2013
Ellie gave me a headache at first. I cannot imagine a real person being so neurotic unless they have some mental disorder like ADD. I didn't give up on the story and in the end actually enjoyed it. Although, I cannot see anyone putting up with that kind of crazy in real life.
August 5, 2012
Fun story. The characters are very relatable. This is one of the quickest reads I have had in a while.
April 29, 2013
Light, funny, and a good simple spring/summer beach read. The author is a lawyer also, so the fact creative words can still flow out of her fingertips, amazes me. Can't wait for your next book, dear!
August 10, 2012
Hilarious! Best quick read novel I've had in years! Truly loved this book!!
September 3, 2012
Fluffy and delightful like a souffle (or should that be a pie?) - a humorous, fun read.
January 31, 2013
fun book and cute ending to boot.
May 18, 2013
A quick, but cute read. This would be perfect to take to the beach. It's pretty predictable, but that's just how these kind of books are supposed to be! I really liked it :)
July 15, 2013
Had a hard time getting through this book.Was kinda of annoying.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews