It's no secret that Trashionista is a huge fan of Little Black Dress books, and there are plenty of upcoming offerings from some well-known romance authors. Laurie Brown, writer of The Death of Bridezilla, is back in December with new novel Over His Dead Body; a romantic tale with elements of mystery...

Ever since Caroline Tucker moved back home from Hollywood to the bright lights of Haven, New Mexico, she's been trying (and failing) to avoid her ex-husband, Town Sherriff Travis Beaumont. Then, when her niece stumbles across the perfectly preserved body of a cowboy at Girl Scout camp, Caroline has no choice but to give Travis a call. But is this actually a crime scene? Or just a potential tourist attraction? As the mystery of the mummy unravels, Travis digs up some sinister evidence. And the more Caroline tries to keep away from trouble - and Travis - the more they come knocking at her door...

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Last week I came across an interesting article by British actress and writer Arabella Weir, in which she told of her constant battle with weight and self image, which began during childhood. Arabella, who wrote the wonderfully funny novel Does My Bum Look Big in This? In the 90s, is back - and this time, with a memoir. The Real Me is Thin is due for release on September 2^nd, and is set to be a funny yet frank account of life involving watching what you eat.

The hapless and hilarious tale of a life lived under the constant and ruthless reign of a chocolate biscuit...

Lumped into 'the too fat for potatoes group' by her mother, carefree eating isn't something Arabella Weir had much experience of growing up.

Written with startling frankness, Arabella unravels her own eating history in this humorous appraisal of our attitudes towards eating disorders and obesity. Not easy for someone who still can't be alone unsupervised in a room with a packet of chocolate biscuits.

Charting Arabella's neurotic relationship with food, from prolonged abstinence to binge eating, this humorous memoir recreates a childhood besieged with battles over food. Subjected to her mother's capricious feeding regime and taught early on that food was her enemy, happiness meant being allowed to eat what she liked - or more importantly, what everyone else was eating.

Recounting stories of unhinged mothers and callous doctors, mystery-meat suppers, and egg custard battles with calculating boyfriends' mothers, this candid memoir vividly recreates a childhood and adolescence marred by the social embarrassment of being marked as different simply due to your weight.

We're looking forward to Rekha Waheed's Little Black Dress novel, My Bollywood Wedding. The book is due for release next year, and here's the gorgeous cover!

We have a while to wait yet (the book isn't released until February!) but here's the synopsis:

Maya Malik wants a big glamorous Bollywood wedding.

And now Maya has found Jhanghir Khan, her perfect man, it's time to start the mammoth task of planning it. But fifteen designer wedding boutiques, seven venues, two jet-set dashes to Dubai and Dhaka, and one trip to Tiffany's later, with interfering aunties on her tail, her enthusiasm is flagging. And with the Maliks and Khans fighting over dowries and every decision related to the 600 strong guest list, Maya questions if it's all worth it. Most importantly, she starts to doubt if Jhanghir really is Mr Right...

Click here to visit Little Black Dress Books.

Hester Browne originally leaped to popularity with her Little Lady series (The Little Lady Agency, Little Lady; Big Apple). The books were excellent, hilariously and wonderfully written, demonstrating the obvious charm that makes Browne's books such perfect, unputdownable reads. So when I received a copy of her latest book, The Finishing Touches, I was intrigued. The plot of this latest tale sounded very interesting, and I couldn't wait to settle down and start reading. Could her work get any better?

Yes. It definitely can.

The Finishing Touches focuses on Betsy, a modern girl hailing from the Tallimore Academy a high-class finishing school that she practically grew up knowing about, having been abandoned on the school steps as a baby. Adopted by Lord and Lady Tallimore, Betsy longed to join the girls in the enchanting classes but was never allowed. Now in her twenties, Betsy has returned to the Academy after the death of Lady T to discover that the school is for young ladies is in a terrible financial state. With the Tallimore Academy being Lady T's life and the couple having had no other children to take on the family business, Betsy makes a promise to herself and the late Lady T - her elegant, kind and graceful adoptive mother - that she will try and rescue her pride and joy, no matter what it takes.

The Tallimore Academy was one of the most prestigious charm schools in its heyday, but Betsy can't help but think their teachings are a little outdated. While Betsy herself is dealing with boyfriend problems and all the hassles of modern life, the Academy's few remaining pupils are still being taught about tea party etiquette and other social situations that aren't exactly applicable in today's world. What the place needs is a curriculum makeover, if Academy has any chance of lasting another year.  

With Betsy teaching, along with some friends, they get to work training the Tallimore Academy into a 21st-century finishing school, combining Lady T's old-fashioned, upper-class ideals with modern, realistic tips such as how to manage mortgages, motors, and men. Her young, very rich (yet misguided) students are quick to learn more. As a pilot scheme, the school is working well, yet it's now down to the matter of convincing London's society parents that the new, improved Academy is the place to be.

Can it be a success?

Meanwhile, Betsy is becoming ever close to discovering the truth about her birth parents - a secret she's been waiting all her life to reveal. Betsy knew that she was found in a box on the school doorstep with nothing more than a note and a necklace. A romantic tale itself. But who did it belong to? Betsy's mother had to be a girl at the school, but who?

The Finishing Touches is such a witty, addictive read that I finished it in one go. It was fun to escape to a world the of upper-class London finishing school, and Betsy's modern take on the old ideals made the book such a sweetly delightful read. I couldn't put it down, and in actual fact, loved this more than I loved The Little Lady Agency (though all of Hester's books are great!) I would definitely, definitely recommend this.

Rating: 5/5

2011 is already proving exciting in terms of new releases, and here's another to add to the list! Karla Brady's The Bum Magnet is to be re-released in March next year, and we can't wait to get our hands on it!

The Bum Magnet, which Karla self-published in 2009, was snapped up by publishers Simon & Schuster and is soon to be getting a new cover. The book won the 2010 Next Generation Indie Book Award for Multicultural Fiction. Keep checking back for updates!

For now, here's the synopsis:

She's a savvy, successful real‑estate agent with a quick wit, a low tolerance for BS, a gorgeous plus‑size body, and a thirst for top shelf vodka. Despite her dream house, luxury car, and appetite for life's best--like fine dining and hot men--she seems to have her own special talent for attracting players. Why do all of her ex‑lovers belong in the Losers Hall of Fame?

There was Lamar, the hazel-eyed Adonis who sowed more wild oats than Quaker . . . Sean, an expert at juggling relationships . . . Marcus, whose lips wandered as often as his eyes . . . and others, too.      But just as Rissey swears off sex and vows to dump her emotional baggage, she meets house‑hunting client Dwayne Gibson. There's no way she can resist his seductive smile and rock‑hard body. . .

Will Dwayne turn out to be the biggest bum of them all? Or will this time be different?

To find out more about KL Brady, check out her website.