Book Review: On the Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher

"Your soul is too heavy to pass through this door, 
Leave the weight of the world in the world from before.

Evie Snow is eighty-two when she quietly passes away in her sleep, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. It's the way most people wish to leave the world but when Evie reaches the door of her own private heaven, she finds that she's become her twenty-seven-year-old self and the door won't open.

Evie's soul must be light enough to pass through so she needs to get rid of whatever is making her soul heavy. For Evie, this means unburdening herself of the three secrets that have weighed her down for over fifty years, so she must find a way to reveal them before it's too late. As Evie begins the journey of a lifetime, she learns more about life and love than she ever thought possible, and somehow, some way, she may also find her way back to the only man she ever truly loved . . ."

Rating: 2.5/5

I had been really excited to read Carrie Hope Fletcher's debut fiction novel On the Other Side for a while, so was pleased to recently be accepted to read it on Netgalley. Carrie is a star of musicals, sister of Tom Fletcher and sister-in-law of one of my favourite authors Giovanna Fletcher, so I went into this one with quite high hopes, especially after reading some other reviews of the book. However, by the end I have to say I was a little disappointed and felt perhaps this book was more suited to YA/New Adult genres rather than women's fiction, as I felt it was just wasn't for me.

Evie is 82 when she dies quietly in her sleep, but suddenly wakes up to find herself much younger again, in her old home but unable to pass through the door into heaven. She soon learns that her soul is too heavy to allow her to pass through the door, so has to complete a few tasks that have weighed her down throughout her life in order to leave her affairs in perfect order, allowing her to pass through. We see Evie's life as she goes back through her past, keen to right some wrongs, and leave those she has left behind settled. Will Evie be able to unburden herself and pass through to her own version of heaven?

The idea of this book sounded really good, a quite serious look at an issue I really don't read much of in women's fiction, but for me the problems came in the execution of the story. It soon started to become more of a fairy tale, with things happening that didn't sit right for me, and I just found myself struggling to enjoy it. By the end, the whole business with the tree (I don't want to spoil it but for me, this just tipped it into slightly ridiculous territory) was too much and I was pleased that it had reached a conclusion. It was a shame but the magical, fairy-tale elements just didnt' work for me, such a shame.

I did enjoy the characters and the family at the heart of the book, although the names were a little bit bizarre. Evie was the leading lady throughout, and I enjoyed her life story, through both its ups and downs. Her family are the other main people - her husband, children, lovers and more frequent the story and it was fascinating to see them both with Evie, and learning how to cope without her around. However, I did feel at times they all felt quite immature, not completely fleshed out as characters, and I can't say I connected fully with any of them. Fletcher is good at writing the emotions these characters are feeling, from love to grief, heart-break and hope, there's a lot going on in here.

However, I felt due to the nature of the story, and the magical, almost fantasy elements within, I do feel this would have been far more suited to a younger audience, the teen or New Adult market would perhaps have been the target age range for this book. There were a few parts where I felt it dragged on a bit too much, and it could have lost a fair bit of narrative without affecting the flow or gist of the story. It's a shame when a book you've been looking forward to doesn't live up to your expectations, and I'm a bit sad that this was the case for me and this book. Carrie has a new book called All That She Can See due out this summer, which I will be trying, so fingers crossed I'll feel a little more positive towards that.

Book Review: A Christmas Kiss by Vicky Pattison

"Amber Raey is working all the hours God sends as assistant to one of the country's top fashion designers, and her boss is a complete nightmare. Amber's dream is to launch her own fashion line one day so, for the time being, she just has to grin and bear it. And then opportunity comes knocking and Amber's suddenly on the fast track to the top.

The parties, the glamour, a whirlwind romance - Amber loves every second of her new life. But there's more to this world than its glossy exterior suggests, and when a face from Amber's past reappears, she finds herself in real trouble. With Christmas fast approaching, Amber is drifting further and further away from her family and friends. Can she get her life back on track before it's too late for a merry Christmas?"

Rating: 3/5

I will be honest and say I am not a fan of celebrity books. I read a few of Katie Price's novels many years ago, but they weren't really my cup of tea. I also tend not to watch reality TV, so didn't really know much about who Vicky Pattison was before I read this (sorry). I obviously have since googled her and found out more, and decided to go into this with open eyes, hopefully being as unjudgmental as I could be. However, while elements of this story were enjoyable, it falls into the category of books which annoys me most - those which have a Christmassy cover and title, and pretty much have no relevance to the season at all apart from near the end. Nothing annoys me more. Oh, and a very cringeworthy cameo. Just why?!

Amber is working in fashion and really loves her job, even in the designer she currently works for is a bit of a dragon, with a reputation to match. So when she is offered the chance of a lifetime thanks to a chance meeting at London Fashion Week, Amber decides to take a chance on it and have a go! Soon, her career is looking up, and with a famous man showing interest, Amber thinks her life can't get any better. But as her relationship progresses, Amber finds herself being pulled away from her friends and family, and isn't quite sure how to get back to them. Will she be able to celebrate a merry Christmas after all?

The story sounded like it could be a good one, and it was for the most part. I don't know a lot about fashion or designers, and while this book is based in that world, I don't feel that I learnt a lot about it when reading this book. I couldn't really feel Amber's passion for her work - there just wasn't enough description of the clothes she loves, her own designs - it all just fell a little bit flat for me. However, Amber herself was likeable enough, even if she did need to grow a bit of a backbone when it came to certain men in the book.

As Amber became involved in a relationship with a former pop star, things obviously start to change for her life, and she's swept up with everything, to the detriment of those around her which is a shame, but I couldn't deny that I saw it coming. In fact, most of the story is quite predictable, not in a bad way but in that there was nothing to surprise me in here. I lie. There was one thing that shocked me, and actually left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. For some inexplicable reason the author has chosen to put a cameo in this book towards the end. Who is it, I hear you ask? Well, it's herself. Yes, Vicky Pattison has chosen to include herself in the book. I actually couldn't quite believe what I was reading. I'm not sure who told her that was a good idea because it really wasn't!

I was also a bit annoyed by the fact that the majority of the book isn't at all festive, that part is simply crammed in to the end to give a nod to the title and the cover! I was really hoping for a happy ending, that Amber would open her eyes and dedicate more time to her career, friends and family than she did her hopeless boyfriend, because she did seem talented and seemed to be throwing a great career opportunity. The book was an easy way to pass a few hours, with a few laughs and an easy story to read but there were a few things that let it down for me. A good story, and as long as you don't go into expecting anything festive, you'll probably enjoy it!

eBook Review: Truly, Madly, Greekly by Mandy Baggot

"Sun, sea and a sexy stranger - a whole lot of fun just got a lot more complicated. 

Capable, confident and career-driven, Ellen had her dream job and a marriage proposal from boyfriend Ross. Life was good, her future set. Until it wasn’t and everything fell apart… 

Whisked off to the beautiful island of Corfu to plan her sister Lacey’s big, fat, Greek wedding, Ellen is hoping some time out will help clear her head and heal her heart. But letting go of her past is not going to be easy. 

With Lacey in full on Bridezilla mode, Ellen is soon distracted from her own problems. And when the all-inclusive treats on offer at hotel Blue Vue include one gorgeous, brooding Adonis – Yan – Ellen finds him difficult to resist. 

But Ellen isn’t looking for love or lust, or anything involving too much ouzo…or is she?"

Rating: 3/5

You can buy Truly, Madly, Greekly as an eBook now.

I love when I heard things on Twitter and other blog's about how great a book is - it makes me really excited to read it and find out what all the fuss is about! This was definitely the case with Mandy Baggot's first book with publishers Bookouture - Truly, Madly, Greekly. I was thrilled to get a copy from Netgalley, and started to read it straight away. After about a third of the novel, however, I wondered what I was missing because it wasn't quite what I had expected, and I wasn't enjoying it as much as I had hoped, and annoyingly this carried on throughout the book. It was a good read, but just didn't have that something to make it a brilliant read sadly.

The book follows 2 sisters, Ellen and Lacey, as they travel to Greece for a holiday to scout a wedding venue for Lacey's impending nuptials. They end up on Corfu, staying in a beautiful hotel, and they really couldn't ask for more. However, Ellen is hiding a secret from Lacey and their family, and she's using this holiday as a good excuse to get away from the horrible reality of what she has done. She starts to grow close to one of the staff at the hotel, Yan, who has secrets of his own. But Ellen is sure she isn't looking for any kind of romance.... but maybe it's looking for her...

As I said above, although this was a good story, I struggled to find it better than that, and just didn't seem to connect with it in quite a few ways. Firstly, I had problems with the main characters. While Ellen and Yan are nice people, they were a bit, well, boring. Ellen didn't have anything about her that made me like her, or want to read about her story. Her sister was pretty awful, very selfish and I was willing Ellen to grow a bit of a backbone and tell her what she really thought. But Ellen just didn't seem strong enough as a character to hold the whole book together, and this was a real problem for me. I just didn't care about her friendship with Yan, it all felt a bit cliched and rushed to me, and they didn't strike me a good fit together.

Yan was lovely - a nice person, a hard worker and sounded gorgeous, but that was it. Again, he was a little dull and didn't stand out to me at all. He was very moral, determined not to let anything happen with Ellen because she is a guest, and he could lose his job which is all well and good, but it is a bit boring! I was desperate for him to throw caution to the wind and do something a bit naughty, just to give the book a bit of action! Perhaps this was my other issue with the book - that nothing really happened in it. I was sat reading, waiting for something to happen, but nothing ever really did - it just sort of plodded along, and I found the pace of it quite slow.

The setting of Corfu in Greece was a good one - Mandy Baggot describes it well and brings it to life nicely on the page. I enjoyed reading about the gorgeous beaches, the sunshine and the lovely hotel, it was a nice bit of escapism, but it wasn't quite enough to make me desperate to pick the book up each night and find out what was going to happen next. This just wasn't the light-hearted, fun summer story I felt I had been promised, and perhaps that is why I was let-down by the book. I went into it expecting something that just didn't deliver for me. It was a pleasant enough read, with sun, good characters and a bit of a romance, but it just didn't go that extra mile for me unfortunately.

Blog Tour: eBook Review: Bride Without A Groom by Amy Lynch

"Rebecca has chosen the most luscious, five tiered, wedding cake – as featured in Hello! Magazine. The engagement ring that she has selected is celebrity inspired. The wedding singer is on speed dial. He doesn’t usually do Michael Bolton, but as it’s for a first dance he’ll make an exception. Father Maguire is checking dates for the parish church as we speak. The deposit on the white sand honeymoon is paid for in full on Barry’s card. Sure, the resort was good enough for Pierce Brosnan when he tied the knot. She has fallen for an ivory lace couture gown that is to die for. The down payment may require her to sell a left kidney, but it will be worth it. Isn’t that why you have two?

There’s one teeny problem. It’s nothing, really. No need to panic! It’s just that Barry has yet to propose. Says he’s not ready! He can be a bit of a kill joy that way. It’s time to face the harsh reality – she is a bride without a groom.

Truth be told, Barry’s had enough. There’s only so much wedding talk that one man can take. Discovering the credit card statement is the final straw. Now he’s leaving for a conference in Bangkok and frankly, he’s looking forward to the peace and quiet. He says he needs time to think about their relationship. As the Tiger beer flows and the tie loosens, his colleague Shelley is providing more than a shoulder for him to cry on. Maybe Shelley is right. Maybe Rebecca only wants the big day.

Back in Dublin, Rebecca worries. Maybe she has pushed Barry too far this time. Best mates Pam and Emer are on hand for counseling and cocktails. With the help of family, friends and a well stocked drinks cabinet, Rebecca puts her cunning plan together. Operation ‘Win Back Barry’ is in full swing. She needs to convince Barry that she’s not crazy – just crazy about him. But wait… who is the mysterious woman that is so keen to talk to her, and what is it that Barry needs to get off his chest?"

Rating: 3/5

You can buy Bride Without a Groom as an eBook now.

I was recently asked to be part of the blog tour for new author Amy Lynch and her brand new eBook Bride Without A Groom. I have read several things online comparing the book to Sophie Kinsella's 'Shopaholic' series, so definitely had high hopes for this one. While it started well, and I found it amusing at first, soon the main character Rebecca started to grate on my nerves, and I found it all a bit unrealistic and annoying in terms of what she was doing. I did enjoy it, but felt perhaps it just wasn't for me.

The synopsis at the top of the post is long enough so I'm not going to give you another run down of the story here and repeat it over again! The main character in the book is Rebecca, and she's in love with her boyfriend Barry, and cannot wait to marry him. She was funny at first, determined to get him down the aisle at all costs, and stocking up secretly on magazines, wedding dresses, shoes and other wedding paraphernalia... all without Barry knowing. But as her birthday passes, she starts to become more obsessed with the idea of being married and ploughs on with the arrangements, regardless of Barry's thoughts on the matter!

Barry is soon sent abroad with his job and has the chance to escape Rebecca and her madness for a while. Barry is your typical commitment-phobic man, but it's clear that he does love Rebecca a lot. I can understand why he flips out when he finds out about the money Rebecca is spending (without second thought, apparently), and the wedding stuff she is hoarding, but he was just made out to be the bad guy. Yes, he makes some bad choices as the book goes on with his colleague (and a bit of a psycho) Shelley, but ultimately I felt he was a good guy and just got a bit swamped.

What bothered me about the book was Rebecca, her actions and complete and utter lack of responsibility, whether it's to do with money, her job, weddings or Barry. She seems to take endless sick days, inventing ridiculous excuses and somehow trying to justify what she is doing. She's very childish and this is why I really failed to connect with her. She spends money like it's going out of fashion, dropping thousands without thinking twice, and buys anything that takes her fancy. I wanted to give her a shake, tell her to grow up and start acting like the adult she claims to be - and include her flippin' boyfriend in the wedding plans!

Don't get me wrong - there are some amusing moments in the story that had me smiling, but this was outweighed by the more frustrating parts that just had me gritting my teeth and feeling angry at the immaturity of the leading lady. It definitely isn't any Shopaholic, but it's a light-hearted read that will pass by an evening. Perhaps I am a bit too serious for this book, and I need to let go a bit, but while it was good, it wasn't my cup of tea. It is well-written, there's plenty going on to keep the pace up and is funny, but there's just bits that didn't agree with me.

eBook Review: It Started at Sunset Cottage by Bella Osborne

"Kate Marshall is slowly getting her life back on track after losing her fiancé. As an author she has been able to hide herself away from the world and its expectations – but now one of her books has been optioned for a film and Hollywood suddenly comes knocking on her door!

When Kate is given the opportunity to stay at a beautiful country retreat and concentrate on the screenplay, it’s an offer she can’t refuse. Encouraged by her best friend, sharp-tongued single mum Sarah, Kate sees it’s finally time to stop letting life pass her by.

Looking for confidence and inspiration in the idyllic Cotswolds countryside, the last thing Kate expects is for Timothy Calder, A-list actor and leading man in the movie adaptation of her book, to turn up on her doorstep, hoping to lie low after his latest tabloid scandal! But after a rocky start, with Tim narrowly avoiding death by watering can, they find they have a few things in common: a liking for Lady Grey tea, walnut whips and bad ‘knock knock’ jokes. Actually, the bad jokes are just Tim.

As an unlikely friendship begins to blossom, and with circumstances repeatedly throwing them together, is Sunset Cottage where both Kate and Tim’s lives will really start?"

Rating: 3/5

You can buy It Started at Sunset Cottage as a paperback or an eBook.

Another book I was drawn to reading by the cover was the debut novel from author Bella Osborne with Harper Impulse, It Started at Sunset Cottage. The cover looked really quaint and sweet, exactly like the sort of cosy story I enjoy reading after a hard day at work. I was lucky enough to receive a review copy from Netgalley and eagerly got stuck in, excited for the story. However, it wasn't quite what I imagined, and the story had so many twists and turns I wasn't sure exactly what the main plot of the story was!

Author Kate Marshall has struck it lucky with her novel and is excitedly turning it into a screenplay for a Hollywood film. To do this, she goes to a wonderful little cottage in the heart of the Cotswolds to work on it with a screenwriter, but doesn't bank on the arrival of the star of the film, Timothy Calder. The two get on like a house on fire, and Kate looks forward to working with him on the set of the film. As well as juggling her professional life, she's also looking out for her best friend Sarah who is having a bit of a hard time with her ex, the father of her young daughter, and is in a spot of bother. Will Kate be able to juggle everything, and make a success of her new film, and is there love lurking around the corner for the reluctant widow?

Although the book is billed as being about Sunset cottage, and consequently about Kate and her screenwriting for the new film, but to me it didn't feel like the main plot of the story. To me, this was the story with Sarah and her daughter, who is having trouble with her ex husband Shaun. A lot of parents will be able to relate to Sarah's story of reluctantly having to let her daughter spend time with her awful ex, but things about to take a more sinister turn. This part of the book had me hooked, I thoroughly enjoyed the development of this story even if it was a bit stilted in parts. This definitely deserved to be the main focus, and I far more enjoyed reading Sarah's tale than I did Kate's.

I don't know what it was about Kate but I think I just found her a bit too bland and rather forgettable unfortunately. She has sadly lost her fiancé and is still struggling to get over his death, so is rather throwing herself into work as a distraction. However, I felt this story took a backseat to the other action going on in the book, perhaps because it was a rather slow-burner, and nothing happened for quite a while, it all plodded on a bit too slowly for me. It was nice to read about a book being turned into a screenplay and a film, surely a dream for any author, but it just didn't completely pique my interest which was a shame. I couldn't warm too much to the actor, Timothy Calder, either - he just didn't seem my cup of tea.

Overall, this was a well written book but I couldn't help but wonder if the author was struggling to decide which exactly was her main plot - Sarah's or Kate's story. It certainly wasn't the read I was expecting from the quaint cover, and I don't feel the title is entirely relevant either, but those are just my opinions. I did enjoy the development of Sarah's story - it had me wondering what on earth had happened, just how bad a man Shaun was and how far Sarah would go to be rid of him from their lives - and she certainly has the mother-in-law from hell as well! I did enjoy the story, but found myself losing interest a little bit as Kate's story carried on, this just didn't draw me in as I had hoped. Even so, I will looking out for more from this author, hoping her next is more along the lines of Sarah's story!

Book Review: From Notting Hill With Four Weddings... Actually by Ali McNamara

"Movie addict Scarlett O'Brien is finally living the jet-setting life she's dreamed of, but it all hangs by a shiny, golden thread. Flying between London and New York, running two businesses, and planning her wedding to handsome fiance Sean along with her best friends Oscar and Maddie--life couldn't be better. Then Scarlett meets paparazzi darling Gabriella Romero, and life suddenly becomes even more extravagant and glamourous. But as she begins to experience the other side of being rich and famous, it's not only Scarlett's perfect wedding that's put in jeopardy, but her whole world."

Rating: 3/5

You can buy From Notting Hill With Four Weddings... Actually as a paperback or an eBook now.

This is the third book in Ali McNamara's 'Scarlett O'Brien' series, one that has been going for a few years now. I loved the first book, and while I enjoyed the second, it wasn't quite a fun as the first which was a shame. I wasn't sure whether there would be a third book but there is, and it's called From Notting Hill With Four Weddings... Actually, again a play on the movie titles that the main character loves so much. The cover for this book is stunning, really pretty, and I was looking forward to reading more about Scarlett and her fiancé Sean again and see what they were up to this time around.

Scarlett is living the dream... jetting between London and New York to help run her successful businesses, she thought it would be everything she ever wanted. But Scarlett is finding it tiring running 2 businesses on her own, and is missing having her fiancé Sean around all the time too. She also has a wedding to plan in the meantime, and wonders where she's going to fit that into her schedule. When her American business puts her in touch with celebrity Gabriella, Scarlett thinks it's all finally coming together for her. But as life gets more and more hectic, things start to go wrong for Scarlett, but she isn't sure why. Can she figure out what's going on and save her wedding amongst other things before it all comes crumbling down around her?

As you can see, there's quite a few different things going on in the book and it took  me a while to settle into it. The book begins by reintroducing us to Scarlett and her various business ventures, as well as her fiancé Sean. However, what immediately felt different to me was the character of Scarlett. She felt incredibly different from the Scarlett we met in the first book, and even different from the second one too. Perhaps she is struggling with her many commitments, but it all felt a bit far-fetched in parts, that she went from nothing in the first book to suddenly being an international business success, so much so that she needs to frequently hop on planes and jet across the world several times a month. Also, I felt her love of films, which is what made her so fabulous in the first book, wasn't here so much in this book which was a shame. 

The other characters were great, in particular her best friend Oscar. He's hilarious and certainly made me smile with every scene that he was in. The introduction of celebrity Gabriella was interesting for the book, and I enjoyed her storyline, it was a good separate plot line for the book, and I probably enjoyed this part most out of the rest of the book. The other new character in the book was Alex, an old friend from Sean's past, but I could where this storyline was going from a mile off. It felt a bit unnecessary to have him in there really, it was a distraction from the main plotlines, and I felt he was a bit too evil to be believable which was a shame. The final nail in the coffin for this book for me was the constant name-dropping of celebrities. There were far too many in this book to be believable in any way, and I was cringing as I read it, they just felt silly and unnecessary. Realistically, Scarlett is a nobody but all these celebs suddenly wanted to be part of her life? No, sorry but I wasn't falling for it, and it really irritated me. 

I will say that I did enjoy reading this book, it was nice catching up with characters that I know well and finding out what they are up to now, but it just seemed a bit disjointed and OTT for me in parts. I really, quite deeply disliked the inclusion of the celebrities which just made me cringe, and the storyline with Alex, but other than that I enjoyed what I had read. I loved the setting of New York, always one of my favourite places to read in a book as it evokes such wonderful memories for me, and the story with Scarlett and Gabriella was fun to read, and definitely the best thing about the book for me. I am not sure I would want to read a fourth installment in this series, it's a good ending to it all in this book for me. Well written, enjoyable and light-hearted, but a few niggles for me that let it down.

Book Review: OMG Baby! by Emma Garcia

"This ISN'T a book about babies... It IS about two people, one unexpected pregnancy and a question…

Viv and Max were best friends for years, then they were lovers and then it all went terribly wrong. Now finally they are to be reunited.

Viv feels sick. Not just with nerves at seeing the gorgeous Max again, but because there's a small chance she might… quite possibly… most definitely… be pregnant. It's thrilling. But also terrifying.

At thirty-two Viv doesn’t have a job, only eats fruit when there’s nothing else, and can barely meet the needs of her foster cat. And whilst she knows that Max is the love of her life, they don’t exactly have the most stable relationship…

Then, as Viv's long-lost mother reappears on the scene and they all end up sharing an apartment, all hell breaks loose.

HOW ON EARTH ARE THEY GOING TO COPE?"

Rating: 3/5

You can buy OMG Baby! as a paperback or an eBook now.

Although I wasn't particularly overkeen on Emma Garcia's debut novel Never Google Heartbreak, something kept drawing me to the cover of the sequel to that book called OMG Baby! which has been sat on my bookshelf for a few months now. I decided I would give it a try and see if this one would be a book I would love. I didn't really remember too much about the first book, other than the main characters were called Viv and Max, so I sort of went into this as if it weren't a sequel, my mind being refreshed by the story as the new book went on. Things are briefly touched on from the first book, but this story can definitely stand-alone too, with the characters at a new stage in their lives... expecting a baby!

Viv and Max have finally gotten together, and are in for a shock. Viv is surprised to find out she is pregnant, and Max is delighted, sure he's going to be a dad to a baby girl. Although they aren't quite set up for parenthood, living in separate flats and neither earning especially good money, they are determined to make it work. But when Viv's estranged mother turns up on her doorstep after years of silence, Viv is sure her impending motherhood is the ideal way to bond with her own mother, and so invites her to stay with her and Max in her small London flat. Unfortunately, Max and Lorraine don't exactly hit it off and Viv finds herself stuck in the middle, as well as juggling her new company and pregnancy...

Don't get me wrong, this is a fun read. It's a light-hearted look at pregnancy for the unprepared, with Max and Viv both happy to admit they haven't got a clue what to expect or how to raise a human being between them. In fact, I'm sure that's like most people when they find out they are pregnant, and there were some humourous moments - Viv is genuinely clueless and it's funny finding things out along with her, and her funny reactions to things. However, what I didn't like about Viv was how she was treated by her mother (and how she kept on letting herself be treated like crap by her) and consequently how she treated lovely Max because of those problems. I wanted to give Viv a shake and tell her to wake up, and at times found myself so frustrated with the way it was going I had to put it down for a while and read something else.

Viv's mother was quite possibly the worst character in a book I have ever read. And I've read a lot of books and horrible characters, believe me. There was nothing - NOTHING - redeemable about this woman at all. The way she takes advantage of her poor pregnant daughter, the way she manipulates people and situations, and how she had so little care for Max was just awful and I couldn't stand her. I also couldn't understand how Viv couldn't see through her, and it left me really frustrated, and took away from the other things I enjoyed about the book overall. Some of the other characters are more light-hearted, such as Damon from Viv's workplace who did make me smile, and lovely Christie who she has started a new company with, but Lorraine just left such a sour taste in my mouth.

As the book went on, I enjoyed the progression of the story and how Viv and Max confront their new circumstances together, even against the odds of Lorraine conspiring against them. Garcia's writing is easy to read, quite pacey and did make me smile a lot as I was reading. There was a touching addition of a friendship storyline between Viv and her best friend Lucy, who goes through a horrible time in the book, and I enjoyed a more sensitive and soft side to Garcia's writing amongst all the humour. It was a good read, I did care about the story and the characters, and wanted to finish it, but I can honestly say I've never encountered a character I have hated so much and been so cross at before, so much so it hindered my overall enjoyment of the book sadly. I do hope there will be more from Emma Garcia, a very promising voice in women's fiction, but hopefully without the abominable Lorraine!

eBook Review: When Alice Met Danny by T. A. Williams

"What's in a name?

Devastated after losing her job, eternal pragmatist Alice leaves London for a new start in Devon. It’s there that she meets Danny.

Then she meets another Danny.

And then she meets Daniel – Danny to his friends…

In fact, there seems to be a Danny at every turn! Her neighbour’s a Danny; there’s little baby Danny; there’s a vicar, a windsurfer, even a dog called Danny! And whether it’s laughter, comfort, a flutter of romance or a walk along the beach, they each bring something special to Alice’s new life.

You might say it’s a coincidence. Alice certainly would… at first! But when she suddenly risks losing not just one Danny, but all of them, she begins to wonder: might there be more in a name than she ever guessed?"

Rating: 3/5

You can buy When Alice Met Danny as an eBook now.

I didn't actually know much about this book until I signed up to be part of the blog tour for it, run by Leah from Girls Love To Read. I loved the cover, but with a bit of an ambiguous name, I wasn't sure about the author at all. It turns out that T. A. Williams is a man, and this is his third novel, his second with publishers Carina. As I mentioned, I hadn't heard of him or this book before I read as part of the blog tour, so went into it with my eyes open, and looking forward to a good story. It is currently only available as a Kindle edition, but I love that Carina still put a lot into their eBook covers.

Alice is really devastated to lose her job, and decides it might be the ideal time to move away from London, and buy a small cottage on the coast in Devon. She rents out her London flat to her colleague Danny, who she befriends before she leaves, and buys a house at auction, without seeing it first. However, Alice is in for a shock when she visits after purchasing it, and finding out it's a dump - crammed full of the items of a hoarder, with the most hideous stench, and overgrown garden to boot. Alice rents a room in a local guesthouse while she renovates her new home, and makes some new friends... with rather a lot of them called Danny. There's Danny, the local landowner (although best known as Daniel), Danny the baby of the lady next door, Danny the dog... Danny's appear to be everywhere in Alice's life - is it a sign?!

As you can see, as well as Alice, the majority of the other characters in this book are called Danny. Luckily, I didn't find it too confusing because they are obviously all very different, especially the baby and the dog, and it's not something I have read before in any book, so I liked that it was a unique idea. The character of Alice was very likeable, you could see why she wanted to move out of London for a break, the town she moves to in Devon sounds idyllic, a real tight community and I could see why she wanted to stay there. The descriptions of the house she buys are perfect - they really highlight the state that the house is in; the junk, the grime, the smell - all of it comes to life in the writing and you can't help but think Alice should running as far away from the house as she could get. I liked all the different things going on in the book too - I was never bored, and Alice always had something fun on the go - even the sadder scenes were written with care, and done really well.

The relationships that Alice forms in the book are good too, especially with 'London Danny', who we learn later to be 'windsurfer Danny' too - you do have to concentrate to keep an eye on who is who! I liked how easily Alice made friends, from Alice to the lady living next door, and her landlady too. Alice seems like someone who is easy to befriend and get to know. While the characters were enjoyable to read about, it was their dialogue that really let the book down for me. All of the conversations in the book felt really wooden to me, not at all like you'd expect conversation to flow in real life, and I found it a bit cringey to read at times. I just felt it wasn't a true reflection of real people's chats like it usually is when I read a book, and it was hard work for me. It's a shame, as the story was a great idea, but it was massively let-down by this aspect of the book for me.

I found this to be a fairly enjoyable read, the story was a unique idea, something that actually worked quite well in the book, but there were elements of it which left me wanting to knock a few stars off. For me, conversation/dialogue in a novel are really important, they are often my favourite parts of a book. When they aren't done properly, it can spoil the other parts of the book, and this was the case for me. I'm sure it's something that can be worked on, because the rest of the book flowed well and was enjoyable to read, it's just something for me that I couldn't get past. A beautiful setting, some really good descriptive writing and characters that you can invest in and care about - the bare bones are there to provide a great backbone to the story, and if the dialogue were better, it would have been a pretty brilliant read!

Book Review: The Travelling Tea Shop by Belinda Jones

"A delectable tale of love, friendship and cake...

Laurie loves a challenge. Especially if it involves tea-time and travel. So when British baking treasure Pamela Lambert-Leigh needs a guide on a research trip for her new cookbook, she jumps at the chance.

The brief:

Laurie and Pamela - along with Pamela's sassy mother and stroppy daughter - will board a vintage London bus for a deliciously unusual tour of the USA's East Coast, cruising from New York to Vermont.

Their mission:

To trade recipes for home-grown classics like Victoria Sponge and Battenburg for American favourites like Red Velvet Cake and Whoopie Pie.

All the women have their secrets and heartaches to heal. As well cupcakes galore, there's also the chance for romance...

But will making Whoopie lead to love?"

Rating: 3/5

You can buy The Travelling Tea Shop as a paperback or an eBook now!

There's something about the summer which always means that a new Belinda Jones book is on the horizon! I've read so many of her fabulous summer novels and feel like I've travelled around the globe with her brilliant characters. This is a lovely new book, set across the east coast of America, so again it's a lovely travel-orientated book. That cover is just stunning too, with the pink and green foil highlights on the paperback, it's certainly a book that makes you want to grab it and devour it quickly, much like the story inside!

This is the story of the adventure of four women as they travel the East Coast on an old London bus. There's Laurie, a travel guide writer who is more than up for the job of being tour guide for her new clients, TV chef Pamela, her mother and daughter too! Laurie has to take them to lots of places, finding out the speciality cake of each state, and gifting them a British one in return. But things aren't quite plain-sailing on the trip, especially with the tensions between Pamela's mother Gracie and her daughter Ravenna running at an all-time high. Laurie, however, is determined to make the trip a success, and this might mean getting in the middle of more than one family argument along the way...

Any book filled with cakes is a book for me, and I was really looking forward to tucking in to it, and reading all about the yummy cakes that Laurie and co were going to get stuck into! Those of you who have read Belinda's last book Winter Wonderland will recognise the character of Laurie who made a few appearances in that book - we also get back in touch with Krista from that book too, it's nice the way that they cross over so easily. Laurie was a likeable character, quite no-nonsense and determined to make the trip successful and exactly what Pamela and her family need. She clearly loved her cake too, and wasn't afraid to scoff a slice or two, I liked that about her!

The other main characters in the book were Pamela, Ravenna and Gracie, the three women on the trip. To be honest, the only one I really liked was Gracie, she told it how it was and didn't want either her daughter or grand-daughter to ruin the trip in any way! Pamela was just a bit wimpy, especially towards her daughter, pretty much giving her what she wanted, when she wanted it, and Ravenna was just a spoilt, rude little girl. I really struggled to warm to either of them, and so it was hard for me to care about their back story, and whether or not they'd sort out their family differences. However, because I struggled to care about them as characters, and consequently as a family, I wasn't overly bothered by the end as to what happened to all of them, whether or not they sorted their differences felt a bit irrelevant to me.

The trip was fun to read. It was great to read about the different destinations, from New York to Boston to Maine, there were lots of different places in there to keep you interested, and consequently lots of yummy sounding cakes as well! There was a lot of heavy description about the places that they stopped at too, and at times I felt like the narrative got bogged down with these - it was just too heavy for me and made the reading feel somewhat stilted. The pace of the book was okay for the most part when there was dialogue happening, but as I said it did get stuck at times. Lots of secrets are revealed, a few of them left me frustrated as to how they were dealt with by the characters, and I felt they were perhaps strung out longer than they needed to be. Jones has clearly done her research here, she knows what she's talking about in regards to the places they visit on the trip, the cakes and various other things, but the characters, their dialogue at times and other things didn't gel for me. It wasn't my favourite of Belinda's books unfortunately, but it's still a pleasant and easy read.

eBook Review: The First Christmas Without You by Michelle Betham

Jessie Collins has always wanted to visit Lapland. But this Christmas, more than any other, it’s the place she feels she really needs to be as she tries to come to terms with a future she really needs to start living.

Rating: 3/5

You can buy The First Christmas Without You as an eBook now.

This novella is another from publishers Harper Impulse that I managed to read just after the Christmas period. They have been releasing a lot of amazing novels and novellas as of late, from lots of brand new authors and I was excited to read this one. I hadn't heard of Michelle Betham before reading this book, but I have to admit I was swayed by the cover into reading it, it's stunning, just a shame it didn't show up in colour on my Kindle Paperwhite!

This book is set in gorgeous Lapland at Christmas. We are there with our leading lady Jessie, who has taken the trip with her brother and his friends because her lovely husband Jase died in an accident, and it's somewhere that the pair had always wanted to go. Jessie was determined to make the trip in honour of her husband, but is unsure what to expect when she gets there. She knows she has to start to move on from her husband, but doesn't even know where to start. When she meets a mysterious stranger and starts listening to his wise words, maybe she can start to envisage a future without her husband but with a little bit of happiness.

I have to admit the first few chapters did go on a little bit and I struggled to get into the story fully. I know that Jessie is devastated by the loss of her husband, but it's harked on about a little too much for me, and I felt myself getting a tad frustrated, wanting the story to move on a bit quicker and get to Lapland. It was quite repetitive, with Jessie saying the same things about her and Jase a bit too much, especially about the holiday to Lapland, but I persevered! Eventually it did move on to Lapland, and I'm pleased I held on for that. Betham writes beautifully about the country, perfectly describing everything from the scenery to the snow, to the hotel where Jessie is staying.

Jessie meets Mikku, a man who she is sure is destined to change her life in some way. I found him a bit strange, there was something a bit different about him, and when I realised what it was, I knew that you have to suspend your disbelief for a while when reading this book, there is a bit of a magical element to it. I'm not a fan of magical books if I'm honest, I prefer something a bit more realistic so perhaps this wasn't really for me in this respect. However, I love Betham's writing about Lapland, the amazing Northern Lights experience which is one I certainly want to experience for myself one day, and Jessie was a fairly likeable character, struggling to get over a life-changing loss and finding happiness in a new way. It feels festive and Christmassy, so it's one to load up on your Kindle for the next festive season.

Book Review: The Bow Wow Club by Nicola May

"Ruby IS BACK and never expected to be starting over...but after a shocking bereavement, she begins to question whether or not she will ever be happy again.

A chance encounter with handsome author Michael Bell throws her fragile heart into turmoil. Plus, a dark family secret and completely unexpected love interest add to her confusion.

Encouraged to face her demons, she volunteers at The Bow Wow Club - (Boyfriends of Widows, Wives of Widowers).

In this charming sequel to Working it Out you will laugh and cry along with a myriad of eccentric characters as Ruby searches for her inner peace. But will she let love win? Or allow her past to continue to haunt her."
Rating: 3/5

You can buy The Bow Wow Club as a paperback or an eBook now.

I've been a big fan of all of Nicola May's previous novels, and have read them all on my Kindle so far. For a self-published author, she has made a real success of her work and has a loyal fanbase, and rightly so, some of her stories are excellent, if a little crude in parts for me. I was pleased that Nicola offered me the opportunity to read and review her latest novel The Bow Wow Club, which is a sequel to her previous book Working It Out. I enjoyed that book a lot, so I was looking forward to getting back with the character of Ruby and finding out what had happened with her. As it happened, Nicola has thrown this character a bit of a curveball and she's a different Ruby to the one we met before. And by the way, I just have to say how glad I am it isn't a novel all about dogs, which is what I had feared from the title lol!

Ruby thought she had it all, but when she is suddenly robbed of her happiness through a shocking and tragic bereavement, she begins to question everything about her life and what makes her happy. When she bumps into handsome stranger Michael Bell by chance, she wonders if she can open her heart again and perhaps begin to move on with someone who makes her happy. Ruby begins to volunteer at the local Bow-Wow club, and hopes that hearing stories of those like her can help her move on and get through her grief. But with every move she makes, she feels guilty, like she shouldn't be allowed to get on with her life. Will Ruby be able to find happiness in her future again?

If you haven't read Working It Out, you don't have to worry because enough things are referenced in this book that you'll be able to keep up fine, although obviously it does help if you've read and know the back story a little bit! Plus if you've read it, there's always that great things of catching up with characters you've read before. I always liked Ruby, even if she was a bit promiscuous for my liking, and sadly that isn't something that changed at all in this book. Actually, it felt worse in this book because of the storyline, and I actually cringed as I read a few scenes in this book, it just felt wrong and I didn't feel comfortable at all. Don't get me wrong - I'm not a prude, I've read and enjoyed the Fifty Shades books, and while this of course doesn't reach those levels, it was the setting and everything about those scenes in this book which just didn't wash with me I'm afraid.

Sadly, neither did the main male character in the book. I felt the scenes with him and his writing of his own book were just awful, they felt so wooden and out of touch, I actually skipped quite a lot of them, and didn't feel I missed much. Michael was a terrible character, I couldn't work out if he were a good guy or a bad guy, and consequently, I had no feelings about what would happen at the end for him and Ruby, I couldn't care either way. Now to the good. May's writing is really good throughout, except the pieces with Michael, but I can forgive that for the delicate way she deals with Ruby's grief and some of those scenes were very emotional and not easy to read. Hopefully it isn't a scene many readers will be able to relate to but May writes it so well, you almost feel Ruby's emotions along with her.

Being a Nicola May book though, it isn't all doom and gloom luckily, and there's a lot of humour in there to keep you smiling along as you're reading. Ruby can be very funny, as can her friends and family (we didn't get to see enough of her lovely brother in this book for my liking!), but there were a few scenes with her friends too that didn't sit quite right with me, despite the humour that tried to come along with it. Fi, her best friend, is a bit too raucous and rude for my liking, but some of her bits were funny, while others made me cringe but I expect a lot of people will like her. Ruby, though, for me, is the best bit of the book and I am glad May chose to bring her back in this book and tell more of her story in this book.

Overall, The Bow Wow Club was a good read, and I enjoyed most parts of it. However, as I mentioned there were a few areas which just weren't to my taste, and I couldn't overcome these as I often try to when I read a book. Ruby was a great character, and Simon was a fantastic addition to the cast, but sadly I cannot say the same for the awful Michael. May has certainly got a talent for writing very readable and enjoyable novels, and it's still a surprise to me she hasn't been snapped up by a big publishing house as she gets good reviews on Amazon consistently. Yes, parts of it weren't for me, and at times I found the writing didn't flow to my liking, but overall, I'd recommend this book to people who like a light-hearted read about a more serious topic, or if you've enjoyed Working It Out then you'll definitely want to grab a copy of this.

Book Review: Never Google Heartbreak by Emma Garcia

"When her fiance Rob breaks off their engagement for the third time, Viv does what any girl would do - she Googles heartbreak.

Confronted by tales of misery, she decides to set-up her own self-help website for the broken-hearted. But as Viv passes through the three essential stages of grief (denial, vodka, disastrous haircut), she becomes determined that it's not too late to try and get Rob back.

When things get out of hand after a drunken declaration of love at an extremely inappropriate moment, Viv's scruffy, tequila-swilling best friend Max is there to pick up the pieces. Viv starts to realise that maybe the real thing has been under her nose all this time, and now - one ex and a massive error of judgement later - she has to face the question:

What's the craziest thing you'll do for love?"

Rating: 3/5

You can buy Never Google Heartbreak as a paperback or an eBook now.

I have really been looking forward to reading Emma Garcia's debut novel - the reviews have been great and it sounded really funny, just the sort of novel I love to get stuck into after a long hard day at work. I really love the cover and in real life, it's a lovely sparkly one with lots of foil bits on, and I really love the simplicity of it too. I was surprised to see that there has been no Twitter account or website set up for the book, as this is really a perfect trick to get more people hooked in to it, but there you go! I was hoping before I started that the book would be one that I didn't want to be put down but sadly for me, it had a fair few niggles that were bothering me all the way!

Viv is heartbroken when she is left by her fiancé Rob, but worse that that - it isn't the first time he's broken off their engagement and she's got a horrible feeling that this may be the final time for them. Viv sets out to try and get over her heartbreak by googling heartbreak and reading other people's stories. Viv is sure that she can get Rob back, and sets about trying to do just that. Viv's friend Max is the one who is there to help her pick up the pieces of her broken relationship, but when she accidentally upsets him and risks losing him too, she has a realisation that maybe she's been living under false pretences all along. Will Viv be able to get her happy ever after ending she's always dreamed of?

I have to say first off I actually found Viv to be quite annoying, and that possibly spoiled my enjoyment of the book as a whole. I really wanted her to wake up and see Rob for what a pig he was, and the fact she was so desperate to please him and wanted him back all the time really grated on my nerves for some reason. She wasn't especially nice to her friends either which was a shame, Rob really was the centre of her world and she was really blinded by it. At times, it was endearing but it really did just irritate me, especially when it starts affecting her worklife and other things. Maybe I'm just heartless lol but I just couldn't feel the sympathy for Viv that I had expected to! Rob was just hideous, Garcia certainly did a good job of making him utterly hateable - it only makes you wonder more how Viv couldn't see the truth about what he's really like!

The pacing of the book was really good and I thought the story moved along at a believable pace, and things happened well in the book. I actually enjoyed reading about Viv's job and her antics there more than I did her romantic life at points throughout the story, her assistant was just hilarious and I felt being at work showed a better side to Viv, even though her job was falling down around her ears too. I didn't really get the inclusion of the website that Viv has made, it feels like it's too much of a side story and not enough was made of it during the book which was a shame as I felt it could have been a really brilliant centre piece for the story. I also felt the whole ending felt like it was off on a bit of a tangent, and I found myself losing interest slightly as I had a feeling I knew how it would end up anyway.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and kept reading to the end because I felt invested in the book and the characters, but I didn't have that urge to pick it up at any opportunity like I often do when I'm reading a book. I enjoyed Garcia's writing, she's certainly got the knack of making you smile as you're reading because it's amusing and light-hearted, but I felt Viv was just too bogged down in the desperation of getting Rob back - I just wanted her to grow a backbone and tell him to get lost once and for all, she was too much of a soft touch for me! Max on the other hand was my favourite character in the book, and I wished he was in there more... I loved reading about him and Garcia makes him sound like a perfect man! I enjoyed Never Google Heartbreak but perhaps had higher hopes than what the book delivered on for me, but I'm still looking forward to reading more from Emma Garcia.

Book Review: Christmas Magic by Cathy Kelly

"A festive collection of short stories by No. 1 bestseller, Cathy Kelly. The perfect stocking filler!

Lose yourself in a warm and wonderful collection of short stories from bestselling Irish storyteller Cathy Kelly.

From Dolores and Genevieve, two spinster sisters who must finally break free from their mother’s powerful personality, to Alice, who is facing having to open her home and her heart to the one visitor that she doesn’t want this Christmas; from a captivating family story triggered by a letter to Lily’s disastrous arrival at her best friend’s wedding, these are stories to make you laugh, cry and nod in recognition.

Relax and unwind this holiday season and indulge yourself in these warm and uplifting tales. Remember that Christmas comes but once a year, so curl up by a roaring fire and let the magic reel you in . . ."

Rating: 3/5

I tend not to read many short stories, it isn't because I don't like them exactly, it's because I find them too short and end up getting a little frustrated because I want to find out more, and inevitably we only get a few pages to read about the characters! I was however intrigued to read Cathy Kelly's new short story anthology entitled Christmas Magic which was originally released back in 2011, but has been released in paperback for this Christmas. I love the cover, although I don't think it's especially festive, which is must like the book if I can say that! Don't pick this up expecting a book packed with festive stories or you'll end up quite disappointed much like I was!

Please don't get me wrong, I did enjoy parts of this book, and there were quite a few short stories which I felt would make good full length novels and wished there was more about in the book. The stories range in length from the very short, to the slightly longer Letters from Chicago which was possibly my favourite story in the book. However, even this was too short for me and I just found it hard to get involved in them because I just wanted more from it. Kelly created the stories and characters very well, and I found it easy to flit between the stories, not getting confused at all because they were all so different.

As I mentioned though, there were not many festive stories in the book which was very disappointing for me. From the title of the book, you'd expect there to be a fair few, but there was only a couple that actually centred around Christmas. I wonder then if the title was a ploy to get people to buy the book for the festive season, because it really would have benefitted from having a more generic title that was more befitting for the content of the book. There were a couple of stories in there that I didn't like at all, and I found myself skipping those because they were only short stories, and I didn't really want to waste time on stories that didn't immediately hook me in, something I feel should happen quite quickly for a short story.

Overall, this was a nice enough short story anthology, but it just wasn't anything amazing and I don't think there was anything particularly memorable about it. I wish there had been more festive themed tales about it, because I really did enjoy these stories. There were a few that I would have loved to be a bit longer because I felt that there was enough in them to expand on them, but there were others that I didn't enjoy at all, so I am sure that means there is something in there for everyone. Christmas Magic unfortunately won't make it onto my Christmas keepers shelf, but that's because there isn't enough of the festive feeling in there for me, and I wasn't a huge fan of all of the stories. Cathy Kelly fans I am sure will enjoy this read.

You can buy Christmas Magic as a paperback or an eBook now.

Book Review: The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes

"Helen Walsh doesn't believe in fear - it's just a thing invented by men to get all the money and good jobs - and yet she's sinking. Her work as a Private Investigator has dried up, her flat has been repossessed and now some old demons have resurfaced.

Not least in the form of her charming but dodgy ex-boyfriend Jay Parker, who shows up with a missing persons case. Money is tight and Jay is awash with cash, so Helen is forced to take on the task of finding Wayne Diffney, the 'Wacky One' from boyband Laddz.

Things ended messily with Jay. And she's never going back there. Besides she has a new boyfriend now, the very sexy detective Artie Devlin and it's all going well. But the reappearance of Jay is stirring up all kinds of stuff she thought she'd left behind.

Playing by her own rules, Helen is drawn into a dark and glamorous world, where her worst enemy is her own head and where increasingly the only person she feels connected to is Wayne, a man she's never even met."

Rating: 3/5

Marian Keyes' latest book has been a long time coming for many of her fans, and it's another installment in the Walsh family novels. Now, the only one in the Walsh novels I have read is Watermelon, which also happens to have been Marian's first ever book which I really enjoyed (and probably should have read the rest of the saga). My next Marian book was 'This Charming Man' which was a bit of a strange one for me, and then followed this up with The Brightest Star in the Sky, another odd book which I found strange, and not completely to my tastes. I was hoping that with a return to the Walshes, I'd find a more "normal" novel (for want of a better word) but I'm not entirely sure that's what I got...

Helen Walsh is a Private Investigator, and a fairly good one at that. She's been working for many years, but what with the recession, she's finding it hard to make ends meet as work starts to dry up more and more. Not only that, but Helen is contending with a never-ending depression, one which makes her have suicidal thoughts and feelings, and she doesn't know where to turn. When she's offered a lucrative job as a PI to search for a missing popstar, Wayne, part of man-band Laddz, she decides to take it and find him once and for all. But where is Wayne, and what mystery of Mercy Close is lying behind Wayne's front door? Also, is Helen going to be able to battle her depression and work on probably her most important job to date?

I'll be honest and say I did struggle with this book at times, and really had to give myself a kick up the bum to pick it up and carry on ploughing through it. It's a big old hardback book, and at 500 pages, it isn't short either, and at times feels like it is going to go on for a while. Helen was quite a dislikeable character for the most part, for me anyway. She narrates the book in the first person, so we can really try and get into her head, and I just found her hard to like. She's quite selfish in a way, money-oriented, and tends to feel sorry for herself in so many ways. I found her to be quite horrible to her own family as well, having strange relationships with those around her, even her boyfriend Artie, and ex-boyfriend Jay, who happens to be manager of Laddz. There are parts where she made me smile, parts where she made me feel very sorry for her but in the other parts, she just wasn't a character for me!

I do have to praise Marian on the way she writes the storyline of Helen's depression, something Marian herself has a lot of experience of, and it shows in her writing of this story arc. She uses names of prescription medicines, details about treatments, doctors and it feels very realistic as you're reading it. I felt incredibly sorry for Helen, she really struggles with her problems, and her family almost seem a bit dismissive of it at times, and she doesn't seem to reveal how bad things get to others in her life - she seems a lonely kind of person. The part of the story which I did like a lot was the mystery of Mercy Close - where pop star Wayne was, why he'd disappeared, and Helen's hunt for him. It was great to read, fast paced and lots going on, throwing you in wrong directions and it entertained me - and I didn't guess how it ended up either.

However, as I mentioned already, I felt the book was really too long for me, and there were parts of it which I found went on and on, and I could have skipped without missing too much of the story. Helen wasn't a likeable lead character, and considering that the point is told entirely by her, that meant it affected my enjoyment of the book overall which was a shame. The arc of Helen's job as a PI and her "mission" in this book was the enjoyable part and I really thought Keyes had done a great job of this. The Walsh family all get name-checked in this book, although they are barely a passing mention in most cases, except for Claire, which I was surprised about. Die-hard Marian fans will love this, and I'm sure will love seeing the long-anticipated final Walsh sister novel, but for me, it wasn't really my cup of tea and it's a shame I couldn't enjoy it more.

You can buy The Mystery of Mercy Close as a hardback or an eBook now.

Book Review: What I Did On My Holidays by Chrissie Manby

"Sophie Sturgeon can't wait for her annual summer holiday. Not only will it be a week away from work, it will be a chance to reconnect with her boyfriend Callum.

So this upcoming trip to Majorca is a big deal. Sophie's spent a lot of time getting ready. She's bought a new wardrobe. She's been waxed to within an inch of her life. She's determined she and Callum will have the best time ever.

Then Callum dumps her, the night before they're due to leave. In a show of bravery and independence, Sophie says she'll go to Majorca alone - but in fact, she hides in her London flat. But when her friends, family, and even Callum seem so surprised and delighted at her single girl courage, Sophie decides to go all out and recreate the ultimate 'fake break' . . . with hilarious results."

Rating: 3/5

Although Chrissie Manby has published a lot of novels under several different names, somehow I've only managed to read a few of them. I really enjoyed her seasonal novel Kate's Wedding which came out last year in time for the Royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton, and which delayed the release of this book by a year. When the cover was released, I thought it was a really fun, summery cover, and I loved the fake postcard look too, it tied in well the with the idea of the book. I also thought the premise of the book sounded fun, and isn't a topic that I think has been covered in chick lit before, so I was looking forward to something new and fun here!

Sophie feels sick when the night before her special birthday holiday to Majorca with her boyfriend Callum, he dumps her and tells her he won't be accompanying her on their holiday. Sophie is devastated, but also mortified about being dumped, especially as the pair work together. To save face, she decides to stay at home in her flat, but tell everyone else that she's happily sunning herself in Majorca and getting over Callum. But when her sister Clare finds out Sophie isn't really abroad, she decides to join in on the fake holiday, and the sisters begin to try and enjoy their new found freedom, albeit limited to Sophie's flat! Will their fake break be found out by their friends, and will Sophie get over Callum in time to return to work and face him once again?

My biggest problem with What I Did On My Holidays was that it just didn't seem to go anywhere for me. It had so much potential to be a great story, but I really felt that the fake holiday never really took off, despite Sophie's sister Clare really wanting to go all out for the break and take advantage of a few days break from real life! Sophie seemed reticent to join in anything, being a bit of a stuck-in-the-mud about things and generally not enjoying herself. I realised that she is pining after and missing her ex-boyfriend Callum, but even so I wanted her to snap out of it a bit and just enjoy herself! I did find Sophie a little hard to like at times, far preferring her sister Clare who was more up for a laugh, but behind her smile held secrets about her own relationship that she was keeping from Sophie.

In many ways, this was a very different read for me, because rather than having a large cast of characters, lots of locations and things going on, the book was fairly static as it spent 90% of its time in Sophie's small flat, and with just 2 characters. This meant Manby really had to work to make these characters interesting to read about, and at times it just didn't work for me. I found myself getting bored of Sophie, but there were some funny moments in there which saved the day for me. I especially enjoyed how the girls thoroughly researched the area of Majorca they were staying in, almost to the point of forgetting they weren't actually there themselves. Manby writes well about the Balearic island too, it certainly sounds a world away from Sophie's London flat, and her job as a PA in a lift company!

While the book had some good moments, the lack of direction was a real shame and did drag the book down for me as well. It felt like a pretty short read as well, and I didn't feel like I had really gotten it before it was suddenly all over and it felt like the idea wasn't fully utilised well enough as I was really expecting much more from the book. I think it's a good beach read to make you smile when you don't want anything too heavy to read, but for me it just didn't quite reach it's potential unfortunately. The book's issues about relationships are well written, and I enjoyed the idea of having a holiday at home, something pretty relevant in these credit crunch times, and I perhaps wish Clare had been the main character, not Sophie because at least she gave it her all! A light-hearted look at fake holidays to make you smile but doesn't really begin before it ends!

You can buy What I Did On My Holidays as a paperback or an eBook now.

Book Review: The Love Letter by Fiona Walker

Can fate be signed, sealed and delivered?

When Allegra North parted from first love Francis after a decade together, she poured all her regret into a letter. He didn't reply. A year later, her job brings her back to the beautiful Devon coast where romance first blossomed and she hopes that they can start a new chapter.

As summer storms circle, the exes juggle rebellious parents, vengeful family members and a very reluctant celebrity author who holds the key to everybody's future . . .

Rating: 3/5

It's been a good few years since I have managed to pick up a Fiona Walker novel, having devoured several of them when I first began reading chick lit a good few years ago now. When I was sent a copy of Fiona's latest book The Love Letter for reviewing as part of her new blog tour, I was curious to once again try another of Fiona's books and see how good it was. I was surprised by how big a book it was, at over 650 pages it isn't a short read, and with a fairly small type as well, it did take me quite a while to read it. Even though I did enjoy parts of it, I felt it was far too long, there were too many characters and too much going on all at the same time, and I found myself having to force myself to pick up the book to read it sometimes, as it felt I was plodding along all too slowly and I was waiting for something a bit exciting to happen! Luckily it picked up towards the end but was it a case of too little, too late?

Allegra North was madly in love with her childhood sweetheart Francis, but after a few bad decisions, the pair parted under bad circumstances and Allegra wrote him a letter, a love letter if you will. When her job at a London literary agency brings her back to Devon and into the Farcombe household once more, how will she find it being submerged back into Francis' life once more? And exactly what effect is the mysterious successful author Gordon Lapis going to have on Allegra and her relationship with Francis and his family? Is she going to be able to pull off trying to recreate a friendship with Francis as well as fulfilling her work commitments to reveal author Lapis at the Farcombe's literary festival?

Straight away, I had a feeling I would struggle to get along with this book, although I can't really put my finger on why. Quite a few characters are all introduced together, and I found it a little bit confusing to keep up with who was who until it was all solidified in my head a little bit. There's Allegra's family, her friends, her boss Conrad at the agency, and Francis and co who live at Farcombe, as well as author Gordon Lapis and his PA. That's quite a big cast list, and for a while, the Farcombe's especially started to blend into each other and I had to keep real tabs on who was who, who was with who and what exactly was going on. The only people I didn't confuse were Allegra, Gordon, Jago and Francis! Once they were in my mind, it was okay but it took quite a bit of the book for me to get to that state.

The characters were well written enough, but I have to confess to not warming to Allegra, or Legs as she is annoyingly referred to throughout the book. I found her to be a bit too annoying for me, always flying about doing something or other and not able to tell people, Francis in particular, her true feelings. I wanted to shout at her to grow up a bit and just be happy and do what she had to do to get there, regardless of who it may hurt in the process. I also really disliked Francis, he seemed like such a slimy character, some in it to only get what he could out of a situation and not a genuine person at all. My favourite by far was Jago Byrne, a character who appears halfway through and throws the whole scenario up in the air, but he was a breath of fresh air, and I loved him. I wish more of them had been like Jago to tell the truth!

As I mentioned, the book is over 650 pages long, and if I am honest, it really did feel like it. It dragged in places, and it seemed like some of the narrative was just there to bulk it up a bit and I felt myself skim reading these parts, waiting for it to get back to the action as it were. I found the final 1/3 of the book to really good, it picked up pace and got exciting, and I found myself really getting into it, but I just wish it had come sooner because this part really was good. Overall, I felt The Love Letter was a good read, but it suffered with being too long, with narrative that went on way too much and could have done with losing at least 100 pages from it, and getting to the last part far quicker! Yes, Walker's writing is good and she creates a large cast of characters with ease, some of them better than others, but for me the good bits were lost too much in the fact I struggled to motivate myself to read it every time I picked it up, and the confusion over the many characters in the book. It's a good read, but you have to have time and patience to follow it through to the end!

You can buy The Love Letter as a paperback or an eBook now.

Book Review: Alice Brown's Lessons in the Curious Art of Dating by Eleanor Prescott

"Looking for love? Call in the expert. Alice Brown is a matchmaker extraordinaire. She has never, ever failed to find her clients the man of their dreams, and she doesn't intend to start now. As she tells her clients: Life's more exciting when you let yourself be surprised. But Alice's latest client Kate is proving her biggest challenge yet. Kate is a on a mission: she wants the perfect man. Trouble is, Kate could find fault with George Clooney and reject Johnny Depp. Will Kate be the first client for whom Alice fails to find love? Truth is, Alice has failed once before - she is the one person who remains resolutely single. In helping Kate, will she finally learn to take her own advice too?"

Rating: 3/5


This is one debut novel I have been curious about for a while. Ever since I saw it on Amazon, I thought it sounded like quite a good idea, and I liked the cute green cover, it was certainly different and stood out to me compared to the normal chick lit covers we see. This is author Eleanor Prescott's debut novel

The book tells the story of dating agent worker Alice Brown, who is determined to find true love for each of her clients. She really believes that there is someone out there for everyone, and puts her all into her matches, trying to make sure that they meet someone they will be compatible with. However, her boss isn't quite as honest as Alice is, trying to hang on to the male clients by matching them with unsuitable women to keep them on her books, oh and her marriage to John isn't quite all she makes it out to be either. Alice's latest client Kate also believes in true love, but doesn't fancy going out every night to meet a man. Despite mocking from her best friend, she moves along with the plan andi s unsure after a few poor dates. But will Kate meet her Mr Right? And is Alice ever going to be lucky in love herself?

I have to confess that when I started reading the book, I was a lttle disappointed as it felt a bit slow, and I found it hard to get into it. I decided to persevere and carry on with it, but I did feel like I had to push myself to pick the book uprather than wanting to pick it up at every opportunity which how I like to feel about my books! As the book progressed and I got a little bit more into the story, I enjoyed a little bit more, but still found it went a bit slowly for me, and I wished things would happen a little quicker as I did guess who Alice would end up with, and I sorted want her and him just to get a move on with things a little bit! I did enjoy the dating agency aspects of the book, they were quite readable and it was fun to read about all the girls that worked there, and their rivalry with Stella from another agency who made me laugh, and I wished there was more of these scenes!

Alice was okay as a lead character, but I did find her a little dull to read about after a while. Yes, she's got a good heart and wants the best for everyone, but that didn't mean she was fun to read about unfortunately. I was a little bit fooled by the blurb as well as it makes out that Kate is the other main character in the book, but I found her not to be, and was just a minor character really. In fact, the other main character was Audrey, Alice's boss at the dating agency. In some ways, I actually preferred her story over Alice's because it was really interesting, and although it too was a bit slow-burning I wanted to see how it would pan out, and I ended up feeling a bit sorry for her, she was just a naive old lady really. Kate's story, however, was made up of a few dates, and then what happened after those dates and that was it. She wasn't particularly fun, or good to read about, and I found myself wanting to skip over her parts a little bit, especially as her dates progressed a bit more. I couldn't stand her best friend either, and don't see what she added to the book at all.

Overall, I have to say I found this book a bit disappointing, and wasn't the fun story I had hoped for before I began the book. It felt like it took me ages to read compared to others I have read this year because I really couldn't get into it enough and didn't get that feeling of wanting to read it all the time which was a shame. If you fancy something a little more slow-paced, then this might be the book for you, but I just couldn't get myself into it as I had hoped. It had a good cast and good potential, but something didn't click for me. For a debut novel, this by far isn't the worst I have ever read, in fact the writing is quite good, and I enjoyed the way the chapters alternated in terms of narrator so was kept quite fresh and allowed us a good insight into all the characters and their thoughts and feelings, but for me, the more negative bits outweighed the good for me, and so the book gets 3 stars from me!

You can buy Alice Brown's Lessons in the Curious Art of Dating as a paperback or an eBook now.

Book Review: The Jane Austen Marriage Manual by Kim Izzo

"It's a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen knew more about marriage than anyone else. (Never mind that she never got married herself...)

It's in the midst of the recession when Kate, a freelance journalist and self-professed Jane Austen addict, finds herself single, unemployed and soon-to-be homeless (not to mention about to turn 40).

In desperation she accepts a writing assignment to prove a theory that in the toughest economic times a wealthy man is the only must-have accessory. So, with just Jane Austen's advice for company, she sets off to see if Mr Rich can ever become Mr Right.

Her mission takes her to Palm Beach, St Moritz and London. Where, in keeping company with the elite, she meets billionaires, oil tycoons, and generally men who make Mr Darcy look like an amateur. But will rubbing shoulders with men of good fortune ever actually lead her to love?"

Rating: 3/5


Kim Izzo's debut novel is one I've been looking forward to for a while. The idea of the story sounded great, and I really liked the cover when it was debuted online. In real life, it's far pinker and prettier, and certainly looks like a book I would really enjoy. I've read a few Jane Austen novels, and really enjoyed them, and have also read a few modern retellings of the stories, so I was curious to see where this would fit into those sort of novels, and if you actually had to like Austen to read this book at all! As it turned out, you don't need to have read an Austen novel to keep up with this, and I'd go so far as to say you don't even have to like Austen that much to read and even enjoy this. Sadly, it didn't really work well for me, and although I enjoyed parts of it.

The book is the story of American Kate, a journalist who adores the novels of Jane Austen. She's been unlucky in love so far, and lives in a house with her grandmother who virtually raised her, and mother who is keener on gambling than she is on her family. When Kate loses her job, she embarks of a rather strange adventure (of sorts) - to write an article to show how to get a wealthy man like the heroines of her favourite Austen novels. Kate ends up travelling the world on the last few dollars she has left, but is she going to find the man of her dreams and the happiness she desperately craves? Or is it going to be a big disappointment if she finds out that a rich man doesn't automatically mean her dreams will come true...

My first big problem about this book was Kate's whole philosophy of finding a rich man simply to help pay for her mother's debts and sort out her life as she had no job and therefore no money. She seem quite cold and calculated in bagging a rich man, one she didn't even necessarily have an attraction to in order to fulfill her need to get a rich husband. It sat rather uncomfortably with me, even though it perhaps wasn't meant to be taken 100% seriously, I just couldn't make sense of what she was doing in my head and it felt a bit awkward to read because I didn't like the way it was going. Kate started off being quite likeable, and I felt quite sorry for her with the storyline regarding her mother and grandmother, but as it progressed, I found myself disliking her more.

I enjoyed the travel aspect of the book as Kate travelled the world on her savings, and with some new friends that she meets along the way. It was nice to read of the glamourous locations, from the ski slopes to the polo club, and some of the characters that appear there were good and made for interesting storylines. However, I could see by about halfway through who Kate was going to end up with, and I wish it had got there sooner because it could have saved a lot of story with these unsuitable men that Kate forces herself to be with. I like the Izzo has brought up the story of a woman not wanting children, something which weirdly seems to be quite taboo these days, and it was nice that Kate was a strong, independent woman - well at the start anyway.

Overall, this book was an okay read but I have to confess that it did leave me disappointed as I turned the final page. There wasn't as much about Austen as I had expected given the title, just a few references by Kate here and there and of course the story that Kate is writing an article based on what the women in Austen's books used to do, but that was it really. I just didn't like the way Kate went about it, and I think that is what left a sour taste in my mouth because the writing was really good, the book was very readable but just something about it just didn't jump out at me as I had hoped. Perhaps it's just me taking it too seriously, I don't know but The Jane Austen Marriage Manual wasn't the read I was expecting it to be.

You can buy The Jane Austen Marriage Manual  as a paperback or an eBook now.