Secrets of a Spiritual Guru: Real Estate, Yoga & Lies

by Tamara Lee Dorris

Looking For a Book You Can't Put Down?A fast, fun, hilarious read!"Secrets of a Spiritual Guru is a complete enjoyment. I am a huge fan of chick-Lit and read this book cover to cover without stoppingd hook the reader and tell what your book is about and why they should bother reading it.."

Meet Melissa wine-drinking real estate agent who finds herself "accidentally" assuming the role of a spiritual blogger when her boyfriend leaves her for his yoga teacher. Can she keep her role secret while trying to win her man back? If the lying doesn't kill her, the poses might!



˃˃˃ "...Achingly funny and impossibly wise..." Jenna McCarthy, author of, If It Was Easy They'd Call the Whole Damn Thing a Honeymoon; Living with and Loving the TV-Addicted, Sex-Obsessed, Not-so-handy Man You Married to support the headline above it.

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Genres: Humor, Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Ebooks

205 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 8, 2013

About the author

I've been writing since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I write across genres, both fiction and non fiction, but most of my 20 books focus on mindfulness or mind power. I write humor, spiritual, and science. I love to share what I learn with whomever is interested in reading it.

I teach at various colleges and universities, and do some corporate consulting .

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like to read a book that is fun and full of laugh-out-loud moments, then Secrets of a Spiritual Guru is the book for you. Author Tamara Lee Dorris weaves an entertaining tale written in the first person narrative that follows the everyday trials and tribulations of real estate agent Melissa Murphy.

Melissa's world is turned upside down when Ron, her live-in boyfriend of four years, leaves her for Shanza, his yoga instructor. Determined to win Ron back, Melissa searches the internet to find information about Shanza's yoga studio, and discovers that Shanza is in need of a spiritual blogger, so Melissa applies for the position with no prior knowledge of yoga or any spirituality/enlightenment concepts. Can Melissa pull off the role as a yoga/spiritual guru and win back the heart of Ron, or will she be made out as a fraud if the truth comes out?

It was so much fun following Melissa as she overcomes challenges while trying to keep her personal and professional life on track. There is a nice balance of entertainment and spiritual concepts interwoven throughout the story. The reader is kept engaged as Melissa tackles the challenges in the real estate industry, learning and blogging about yoga and the variety of spirituality concepts, and her romantic issues with ex-boyfriend Ron. Melissa is a sassy and quirky lady that keeps the reader laughing with her witty humor and neurotic misadventures, it's easy for the reader to relate to the everyday life situations that she faced.

I really enjoyed the references to yoga and the spiritual teachings that were sprinkled throughout the book with a mixture of humor and real life examples. What more could a reader ask for then to be entertained and enlightened? This is a funny, insightful, refreshing and thoroughly enjoyable story that will leave a smile on your face.

Secrets of a Spiritual Guru is a delightful fast paced story that is chick lit at its very best. The only problem with the story is that the author leaves the reader wanting more with an open-ended conclusion that will be continued in the second book of the Guru Series.

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...

[Colleen Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED this book...right up until it came to a screeching halt, and I fell headlong over the cliffhanger. I am NOT a fan of paying for the same book twice, which is, in essence, what the author wants me to do in order to finish the story. I'm all for sequels, and I don't mind a sub plot here and there that isn't wrapped up, but for the main plot to be left in mid-telling is just a sneaky way to get more money for the same story. If you want twice as much for the book, then please charge it up front.

All of that being said, this IS a delightful novel. It isn't a complicated or "deep" story by any stretch, but it had me laughing out loud in several places. It's perfect light reading for a cozy evening curled up on the couch with a glass of wine.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in a first reads free giveaway. I can't wait to get it in the mail. Thanks for my copy of the book.
I loved this book! Can't wait for the sequel to it. It was funny and enjoyable to read. I loved every minute of it. Melissa is quite the interesting person. I couldn't wait to see what happened next.
Thanks again for my copy.

[Carol Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chick lit at it's best! Awesome read.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been a huge sucker for fiction that involves yoga into the plot line, which was definitely my biggest driver when I purchased SECRETS OF A SPIRITUAL GURU: REAL ESTATE, YOGA, AND LIES for my Kindle a few months ago. So, when I was recently asked to participate in a blog tour for this very novel, I just couldn't resist posting a review for this quirky little gem.

Right from the first page, we can tell that wine loving, real estate agent Melissa will be loads of fun, and she certainly doesn't disappoint in that department. Humorous and spunky, Melissa thinks she has a pretty good life -- a decent job and an adoring live-in boyfriend definitely top her list of perks. But, all of that changes in an instant when Melissa comes home to Ron packing up all his worldly belongings in order to go move in with his *new* girlfriend -- his yoga teacher, Shaza.

Ron says it's totally not Melissa's fault, but he's just found a new way of yoga, meditation, and spiritual enlightenment, and there's just no room for old relationships that weigh him down. Infinitely curious, Melissa finds herself on Google, seeking information about this boyfriend stealing yoga goddess -- and in the process, learns that Shaza is build like a Barbie doll but is desperately in need of a spiritual blogger on a volunteer basis.

How hard could it possibly be to whip up a few columns about yoga and enlightenment? And in the process, of course, Ron is bound to see the column and fall in love with her words, right before desperately begging for a second chance at her heart, right?

Melissa discovers that she's actually better at putting together random spiritual musings than she ever expected, and she soon reinvents herself as Nala, the mysterious yogi who studied abroad in India. Of course, now she actually needs to attend yoga classes (at a different studio, of course!) to make sure she sounds semi-credible.

Her spiritual column finds extraordinary praise and even ends up winning an award for spiritual excellence. But, as Melissa/Nala gets further into her blogs on forgiveness, karma, honesty, and spiritual clarity, she starts to wonder if the concepts are really changing her from within, or if she's just a big, fake spiritual fraud.

Can this real estate turned spiritual guru determine what her heart really wants before she's exposed?

I was certainly not disappointed with this novel, and I adored the wit and humor from start to finish. At times, I find myself wondering about the person behind the blog when I browse through various "experts" online, and it's hilarious how easily Melissa is able to escalate into the status of a spiritual guru -- without having really ever taken a single yoga class!

Of course, I adored the whole process of Melissa joining the yoga classes and exploring herself and her emotions through the joys and pains of a new discipline. Her descriptions of the mishaps in the yoga studio were incredibly entertaining, and it all felt completely relateable. Although I adore yoga, I can't deny that I feel every bit as dorky and clumsy as Melissa described in these sections.

And then that ending?! Tamara Lee Dorris -- how can you DO this to me? How long must I wait for this sequel to find out what happens with Ron and Melissa and Tac? Will Melissa stick with yoga? Will she finally sell more than Tac? And who will she end up with romantically?

I loved this fun little book and I appreciate the opportunity to review it. Obviously, I can't wait for the next installment!

[Stephanie Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melissa is a struggling real estate agent. Her boyfriend of numerous years, Ron, left her for his yoga instructor. When did he become interested in yoga? In an effort to learn more about the woman who stole her boyfriend, Melissa begins an interest in yoga. Not only that, but the woman who stole Ron is looking for someone to write a blog about yoga and related topics. Out of spite, Melissa applies for the blog position under a different name to hide her identity. In a weird twist of fate, she gets the job.

In an effort to sound like she knows about yoga, Melissa searches the internet and starts learning yoga at a local facility. But the more Melissa learns about yoga, the more she truly wants to improve herself. The articles she writes truly inspire herself and the boyfriend stealing instructor. But should she reveal who she really is to this woman? All this hard work of learning yoga to try to get Ron back, but does she really want him after all this improvement?

While the cast of characters is minimal, they each have a unique personality that you can relate to. Written to amuse and make you laugh, whether you are feeling the pain of the yoga positions or routing for her success in real estate, you’ll keep turning the pages until you get to the end. Easy to follow and hard to put down, you’ll smile and laugh till the end.

[Robert Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A while back, I was driving, and my karma hit a dogma. I felt just awful. For six weeks, the poor little tyke was in a full body cast. He also had to wear the Cone of Shame.

Then I read this book. What an eye-opener! I achieved Satori about half way through, and I realized that in hitting the poor little dogma, I discharged all my bad karma for the rest of my life. So now I am not only enlightened, but also happy as a clam, and plan to remain in that state until such time as I am reincarnated as a Wombat.

Enlightenment is only one of the goals our delightfully neurotic protagonist, Melissa Murphy (Nala to all the yogis out there) is trying to achieve. She gets nowhere, but she has a whole lot of hair-raising, un-enlightening experiences along the way. Think Dave Barry meets Lucy Ricardo.

Melissa is a stumblebum of life, love, and Yoga. No matter how hard she tries to succeed in her endeavors, be they romantic or business, she manages to consistently turn gold into lead. She’s like a human train wreck. You want to scream at her “Melissa, NO, don’t do it. You’ll regret it”. But alas, she can’t help herself. And she makes the reader LOL while at it. This is one hilarious book.

Apparently there is a sequel due later in 2013. I look forward to the further mis-adventures of Melissa Murphy, Yogi Extraordinaire.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

* I received a complimentary copy of this book to review for this tour. I have not been compensated for my review and all opinions are my own.

Fans of chic-lit won’t be disappointed with this novel. The story is hilarious, entertaining and hard to put down.

I totally loved Melissa and how she handled all the little ups & downs in her life. When her no-good, cheating boyfriend leaves her for his yoga instructor, Melissa decides she’s going to find a way to win him back, so, she hits the internet in search of finding out what this yoga lady has that she doesn’t. With the help a good, stiff drink, Melissa ends up applying for (and getting) a blogging position on ‘Yoga-Barbie’s’ website, writing about a topic she know nothing about.

I’m not the quickest reader, but I was able to devour this book in a day. I just couldn’t put it down. Mellissa’s character was fun, quirky and so realistic, she was so easy to relate to. I don’t practice yoga, but I could easily picture what she was going through, and I couldn’t stop laughing. The entire book is entertaining, and the ending sets you up for the next book in the series, which I can’t wait to read.

This book will please anyone who enjoys fun, lighthearted humor. If you like to laugh, then go get this book now!

[T.A. Beasley · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Secrets of a Spiritual Guru by Tamara Lee Dorris readers are introduced to Melissa Murphy a real estate agent dealing with life’s issues. Melissa is trying to get over her boyfriend, Ron who left her for a yoga instructor. Melissa decides that she wants Ron back and does some investigating. Melissa finds out that Ron’s new fling has a job opening for a spiritual blogger and she applies for the job. When Melissa gets the job she is surprise since she has no experience.

Melissa’s task now is to research and keep the façade of a spiritual blogger while keeping her personal life separate from her professional life. Will Melissa be able to juggle real estate, life and blogging? Or will everyone find out that she is a fake?

Secrets of a Spiritual Guru was a funny and entertaining story. The main character brings a certain humor to the storyline while trying to fix her life. This was a true chick-lit book that was enjoyable to read. The only problem I had was the way the book ended but I am assuming there will be a part two to round this off. I do recommend this book to others.

This ebook was provided by the author for review purposes.

Teresa Beasley
A&RBC Reviews

[Nana Prah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The heroine, Melissa is a nut. And I say that in a good, laugh my behind off at her antics kind of way. Ms. Doris is brilliant with her writing. She’s created a character whose intelligent, outspoken and a bit of a liar, but it doesn’t stop the reader from liking her.

I rooted for her all the way and was glad when things turned out the way they did in the end. Oh, Melissa ( written with a head shake). I’m still laughing over a few of the scenes. Her embrace of Yoga impressed me along with her ability to create such engaging blog posts about it.

A wonderful novel that I would recommend to any chick lit fan. Heck to any reader in the world whether or not you like yoga, borderline alcoholics, blogging, and hot coworkers. Namaste.

I give this book five out of five Warrior II position shaped chocolate bars.

[Kimm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am I glad I obtained this gem! I was laughing before I finished the first paragraph. This is one of those books you love instantly and don't want to put down. The main character is someone I could resonate with and who I would like to have as a friend. Although I've never sold real estate and don't like wine, I have been a retail clerk, have dabbled in yoga, have written blogs on topics I knew next-to-nothing about, have a mother who has embraced technology, and, of course, have been dumped. This is "chick lit" but it's different than other "chick lit" I've read. It's more for gals my age (i.e., past my best childbearing years) and is more down-to-earth. I'm glad to see this is only Volume 1 because it means there will be more. The only part I dislike is that I'll have to wait for Volume 2. Love, love, love this author!

[Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secrets of a Spiritual Guru is a light-hearted novel extremely well-written by Tamara Davis. Melissa is absolutely a darling. She represents a good majority of young women today. We are all trying to make it in this tough economy, we all have or troubles whether it be drinking, weight problem or spousal issues.

Davis simply brought life to the character, Melissa. Through all of her seemingly flaws she happened to be good at giving advise. Although how that came to fruition is quite comical (read the book for details) I thought it was quite fitting for Melissa to learn throughout her real estate, yoga and blogger experience.
I am excited that Tamara Davis will keep writing in this series. I cannot wait for the next book.

[Samantha March · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tamara Lee Dorris is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Secrets of a Spiritual Guru

What a cute little book! I feel like Melissa and I were kindred spirits – we do yoga, we love wine, and Doritos is our guilty pleasure. I thought it was fun to watch Melissa’s journey into yoga, and how she really developed a knack for it – and a need for it. As a big yoga advocate, I loved seeing she went from dissing it to doing warrior poses when she was stressed out. The romance aspects kept me on my toes – from Ron to Tac. Sometimes I thought Melissa would take Ron back, other times I thought for sure sparks were going to fly between her and her co-worker. This is a fast read and there is definitely a cliff-hanger ending, leaving me excited to read the next!
4.5 stars

[크리스티 (Kristy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I'm probably not in the "target" demographic of this book (still in childbearing years and marriage is feasible) I enjoyed this book! I thought the main character was an older more stressed/burnout version of myself. It made me think about my life and how crazy it is and to relax and slow down. I was laughing hysterically at least every page if not every other page. Her eccentric mother reminds me of my own. I enjoyed the quick chapters and not getting hung up on minor things to keep the story going (the kidnapped dog?!?!) it was a great read - a good relax by the pool side read!

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was just ok....i thought the bridesmaid lotto was much funnier. i felt like this one dragged along. i wasnt compelled to come back to it like i was with other books. i thought if it was more like journal entries of her mishaps and bad luck it might have been better and i was disappointed with the end...so they had a date, was crystal vision right? guess we will have to wait for the second book, which i may not even bother with.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't like this novel in the beginning because I didn't like the main character, but she really goes through many changes, and I grew to love her. She was just as quirky as I like my characters to be. Eventually, I found that I could not put this novel down. The only reason this is not a favorite is that the end wasn't an end. It's the end of a chapter that will lead to the next chapter in the next novel. :(

[Beverly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't care for the writing style. The story seems to me to be about nothing. Almost meaningless. Maybe I am missing the philosophy handed out throughout the book. Just not my kind of book. Stayed till the end because I wanted to see how the relationship with Tac would develop. Would have to read the next book I guess. Probably not going to.happen!

[Jill Dimartino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this book! Very fun, quick, light hearted read. Even if you aren't in real estate or yoga it is a fun book. I received it free and wasn't too excited about it, but as soon as I started reading it I couldn't put it down! Very pleasantly surprised! Looking forward to the sequel.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmm...nothing like ending in the middle of the story! That's one way to get me to read the next book in the series when it comes out!

This is a funny quick read. Neurotic, goofy Melissa is a likable character and her road to spirituality is pretty entertaining.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really cute middle aged chick lit book about finding confidence and changing her life through the mantra-Fake it till you make it. It does make the blogging world seem much easier to gain recognition than normal, but the plot device is a hoot. Free kindle edition recommended.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This as a fun read. I love all the things that happen to her unintentionally--a yoga blogger. What!! Refreshing read, funny, great main character. Looking forward to book 2 (but I don't know what it's called--ugh!).

[MommaNeena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story, the writers style is engaging and humorous...it was unexpected and interesting...It ended way too abruptly, but it sounds as if book 2 in the series should be coming out soon. I hope so! I need more!

[Flsunluvr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melissa/Nala is a hysterical character and I enjoyed the journey she made in this first book. This being a "first" book in the series is why it's getting a 4 instead of a 5. I'm just not sure I'm willing to be committed enough to her to continue reading book after book.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

No 5th star given because of spelling/grammatical errors.
If not for the errors 5 stars wouldn't have been enough to give. Some parts had me laughing so hard my eyes teared up and I couldn't see to read.
I cannot wait for the next book! I am looking forward to my next adventure with Melissa/Nala.

[Caristy Olson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay book! At time cringe worthy just with the situation the main character gets her self into but okay! You see throughout the book she is trying to change & improve herself. Always seems a one step forward two step back situation.

[Vikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laugh out loud funny, especially for real estate agents!! Very true-to-life frustrations as well as hilarious personal life drama. A fun, light-hearted read.

[Kellie Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow what a very true, laugh out loud spiritual read.. I loved this light hearted short read!!! I can't wait until book 2 to see how her love blossoms with Tac!!!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fun dose of chick lit. I wasn't laughing out loud, but thought it was humorous.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing, but annoying because you have to wait for the sequel to find out what happens!