Rating: 
Summary: Bombshell beauty
Review: Laren Stover takes her bombshell cues from the classics -- Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot, Jayne Mansfield, Marilyn Monroe, and other women who exuded sexiness over the years. So expect plenty of classic bombshell references in "The Bombshell Manual to Style," an informative though rather thin description of how to let your inner sex kitten purr.
After a list of quotes from bombshells through the decades (does Drew Barrymore come off as bombshellish?), Stover starts giving intricate descriptions of how to live day to day as a bombshell. A bombshell's tantrums (brunettes get to destroy stemware), wardrobe (for weight-lifting, a triangle bikini and jeans), jewelry and "underpinnings," perfumes, handbags (and their contents), shoes (mostly mules and slingbacks), makeup, a Bombshell's sanctum sanctorum (a piano is a must) and a soundtrack to her day (Tchaikovsky for bubble baths).
And, perhaps most importantly, attitude. "If you can learn to use your mind as well as you use a powder puff, you will become more truly beautiful," Sophia Loren once said. So Stover also focuses on the attitude and feelings -- love of animals, optimism, laughter, and a bit of sentimentalism.
Don't take "Manual" as a complete guidebook to life unless you're a Paris Hilton heiress, since few women's lives can completely conform to what is described in here. Rather, take a tip here (perfume) or a tip there (shoes), if you're unsure of how to be feminine and sexy without seeming vampish. Certainly it has a lot of good pointers and recommendations.
Probably "Manual"'s big flaw is in being too restrictive. What if a Bombshell likes J.D. Salinger or Sylvia Plath -- is she disqualified? And the assumption runs through it that a Bombshell can afford the designer price tags and furnishings that are absolute musts for a bombshell. As Ms. Loren said, being a bombshell shouldn't be restricted by whether you wear Dior or not -- how about a Budget Bombshell book?
Laren Stover presents a fun and alluring vision of the classic bombshell beauty in "Bombshell Manual of Style." Sure, you can't do it all, but you can at least put on some Manolos and spriz some Chanel on.
Rating: 
Summary: Simply Fabulous, Darling!
Review: Oh, what a charming little book! This one is a must read for either someone looking for an amusing read or want tips on how to be that rare type of woman who is equal parts lady & tramp! The people who are giving it low ratings are taking it way too literally. This book is not to be followed step by step, it's just for inspiration & reference. You don't have to follow every little thing just what you're comfortable with. It's light hearted & humorous reading & Laren did a great job on this. It's a very imformative book, it covers everything from beauty & style to art & culture. I also love it's compact size, so I just throw it in my tote when I'm on a getaway or sipping champaigne in my bubble bath. It's about the joys of being a woman & liberated. Sexy, smart, charming & beautiful...in your stilletos!
Rating:
Summary: This is NOT an instruction book
Review: Please, people, obviously Ms. Stover never intended this book to be some sort of self help endeavor. She is actually a very intelligent woman if you've ever bothered to read anything else she's written. Anyway, this book is about deconstructing and examining what it is to be a bombshell, the whole idea behind the image. And none of the women discussed in the book would anyone consider to be "slutty" or "bimbo-esque" as has been suggested in other reviews. Also I think another over-arching point of this book is that women don't have to dress and act like a New England prep or intellectual snob to be an intelligent, powerful, vivacious woman. If you like old movies and are fascinated by the bombshell persona then this is absolutely a book for you. Very easy to read a la cart with lots of interesting anecdotes about all those bombshell women.
Rating: 
Summary: A fun read
Review: Well, I'll have to admit that I'm not really a "bombshell" and in the fullest sense of the word, I don't think I'd want to be. It seems to me that even the most deep-down, genuine bombshell (in other words, someone whose true persona fits the general "type" as opposed to someone who's studied the description and is "acting" accordingly)would have a tough time being taken seriously in real life, even if she was an easy person to like or love...and sometimes, no doubt, be maddened by! On the other hand, maybe she's the type of person who inspires other people to take care of her.Still, it was a fun book to read, with its breezy, tongue-in-cheek style. I think it must have been a fun book to write, too. And even for us non-bombshells, it gives a nice reminder to kick back sometimes and just enjoy life and our femininity.
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