February 2013 releases

Not quite so many releases this month, but there are still plenty of good books to look forward to! I'm personally excited to read the next installment of Sam Binnies' 'Kiki' series with 'The Baby Diaries', Fiona Gibson's new book Pedigree Mum and Laura Kemp's debut novel Mums Like Us! As always, click on the covers to be taken to their Amazon.co.uk page :)

Book Review: Husband, Missing by Polly Williams

"When you know, you know. This is what Gina told friends when she married Rex six months after meeting him. Passionately in love, Gina feels like the luckiest woman on the planet.

Until Rex vanishes without trace on holiday abroad. Her dream new marriage slipping into nightmare, Gina never wavers in her belief that he's alive. That she'll find him. When her frantic search unearths troubling secrets from Rex's past, Gina begins to question how well she really knows her beloved husband. But sometimes when all seems lost, unexpected, wonderful things are found..."

Rating: 4/5

You can buy Husband, Missing as a hardback or an eBook now.

I have to be honest and say I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had hoped to. Polly Williams' last novel was a fantastic read, very emotional and so well written, and I was hoping for more of the same from this book. For some reason though, I didn't connect with this book quite as much as her last one, and found myself not caring for Gina as much as I had expected to. She's a woman who has lost her husband without a trace, is struggling to get by without him in all senses of the word, and is relying on his brother Jake to help find him again. She seemed a bit too drippy for me, letting Rex virtually do everything for her and then ending up lost when he isn't around to do them. I'm quite an independent woman and would hate to be reliant on a man to the extent Gina relies on Rex, and I feel this maybe made me a bit frustrated towards Gina rather than sympathetic!

Rex doesn't actually appear in the book himself, but you feel like you get to know him through the many, many mentions of him that are made through the characters in the book, with the main one being Gina of course. She speaks very lovingly of her husband, refusing to believe the stories of him others are telling her, even though they have no reason to lie, and for this I also found myself getting a tad annoyed with her. Rex sounded like he was too good to be true, and it seems like this really is the case for him... I didn't like him from the word go to be honest! His brother Jake, on the other hand, was a lovely character and one I was warmed too very much, he has a kind heart and I liked his actions in the book. Rex's mother appears in the book also, but we don't get to know very much about her at all.

The idea of a missing husband was an interesting storyline, especially as we are as clueless as the main character and have no insider knowledge (as it were) of what had happened to him. Everything we find out about Rex, Gina finds out at the same time and I liked the way it developed. The pacing of the book is very good, it moves through a good period of time throughout the book without being too fast, yet it allowed for sufficient developments of the storylines and stopped the book being too stagnant. Also, it allowed a good change in Gina as well, without making her seem like she was forgetting about her husband, and moving on too quickly at all. I don't want to spoil too much of the book by talking about what happened, but the storylines around Gina add an extra emotion to the story, and I certainly very much felt for her and her situation.

I really enjoyed reading Husband, Missing and thought it was a well written and thought out book. Perhaps its an error on my part that I didn't feel that sorry for Gina or that I didn't warm to her all that much in the book, but it didn't hamper my enjoyment of the book overall or how much I liked the idea of the story. I liked that it wasn't overly obvious either, with no clear conclusion as I was reading, and it had me hooked as to what exactly had happened to Rex and why. I felt emotion along with the characters, I did feel hope when Gina was hoping so badly for her husband, and happiness and sorrow in the right parts too, so Williams has written well to evoke these emotions in her reader. I whizzed through the book quite quickly as I didn't find it to be a long read, and while it isn't Williams' best, it's certainly one to be picked up and enjoyed, and one readers of her previous novels will love too. A very good read.

Book News: With All My Love by Patricia Scanlan

I have been lucky enough to already read a copy of this wonderful new book, and finally the cover has been revealed so I wanted to share it with all of you! Patricia Scanlan's gorgeous new book With All My Love is due out on 28th February, and is brilliant, a must read!

"On a crystal clear Mediterranean day, Briony McAllister sits playing with her four-year-old daughter, Katie, while she waits for her mother, Valerie, to join them. Valerie has recently moved to a picturesque town in southern Spain to finally leave behind her turbulent past and find a peace that has always eluded her. Briony has no idea that in a few moments' time her relationship with her mother will change irrevocably. As Katie plays, Briony pulls from her bag an old photo album, found in a box in her mother's new home. As she begins to study the faded photos, a letter falls to the ground. It is addressed to her. My Darling Briony, it begins. As Briony reads the words with mounting shock, realisation dawns. Her mother lied to her about what happened with her beloved grandmother Tessa all those years ago - and denied Briony that most precious of relationships, the type of relationship Valerie now enjoys with Katie. The lives of three generations of women are set to change forever as the past is revisited and the truth unfolds through the undelivered letters Tessa wrote to Briony over the years. Secrets, lies, betrayals and sacrifices - the complex bonds between mothers, daughters and granddaughters are intricately explored as Patricia Scanlan takes us into the hearts and homes of a family at war."

Book News: The Honey Queen by Cathy Kelly

Cathy Kelly is back this year with another brand new novel, The Honey Queen. Cathy's books are always fiercely popular with her fans, and she always writes a wonderfully classic tale to be enjoyed by all ages. The new book is out on 14th February so not long to wait!

You can pre-order The Honey Queen as a hardback or an eBook now!

"To discover the sweetest things in life, you sometimes have to lose your way…

It’s easy to fall in love with the beautiful town of Redstone – the locals wave and chat to each other, the shops and cafes are full of cheerful hustle and bustle. And amidst all this activity, two women believe they are getting on just fine.

Francesca’s boundless energy help her to take everything in her stride, including a husband who has lost his job and the unwelcome arrival of the menopause, which has kicked in – full throttle.

Peggy, on the other hand, has always been a restless spirit. But now, focused and approaching thirty, she has opened her own knitting shop on the town’s high street. It’s a dream come true, but she still feels adrift.

When Australian-raised Lillie finally makes it back home to Ireland, she is drawn right into the heart of Redstone’s busy, close-knit community. But what she thought would be an ending is actually just a beginning – all is not quite as it seems in the picturesque town.

Soon, Lillie’s hard-earned wisdom will be called into play as she helps new friends navigate unchartered territory…"

Book Review: The Valentine's Card by Juliet Ashton

"The Valentine's card was meant to be Orla's fairy tale ending, but really, it was only the beginning . . .

Orla adores her actor boyfriend, Sim, who's away filming a sumptuous costume drama. Although the long-distance relationship means that she can eat toast for dinner and watch as much reality TV as she likes, she misses him like crazy.

But Valentine's Day changes everything . . . The same morning Orla learns that Sim has died, she receives a card from him. As Orla travels from Ireland to London, to live and breathe Sim's final moments, can she bring herself to open the Valentine's card and read his final message?"

Rating: 4/5

You can buy The Valentine's Card as a paperback or an eBook now!

Juliet Ashton's new book The Valentine's Card is one I've been looking forward to for a while now, as it sounds like a really intriguing idea, and I really wanted to find out what exactly was going to be written in the card itself! Juliet is an Irish author, so I really liked how she blended Ireland through Orla and her character being Irish and originally living there, and then moving the book over to London, where Orla moves to after the death of her beloved boyfriend Sim.

Orla and her boyfriend Sim are happy together. Sim is an actor currently living in London while he stars in a brand new television show, and Orla is back home in Ireland where she is a teacher, and she does love her job. However, on Valentine's Day morning Orla gets an awful phone call, telling her that Sim has very suddenly died, which is swiftly followed by the delivery of his Valentine's card via the postman. Orla can't bring herself to open it, and instead heads to London to find out more about Sim's over there, and to locate his precious journal as well. Will Orla be able to bring herself to open the card and read Sim's final Valentine's message for her?

The book starts quite abrubtly with Sim's death, and then we are put into the story with Orla, and her finding out he's died and the fallout from that. I was surprised that I didn't find this whole part a little bit more emotional, because I was expecting to tug at my heartstrings a little bit more, but sadly I didn't feel all that moved by it for some reason. I have to be honest and confess that I didn't warm to her that much throughout the book either, she wasn't exactly unlikeable but I wasn't feeling necessarily sympathetic towards her like I had expected to. She didn't obviously deal too well with Sim's death, but as things progress and she finds out more about Sim and his life in London, I can't say I liked her actions much and perhaps that hindered my enjoyment of the book ever so slightly.

I really liked a couple of the other characters though. There's Maude, Orla's landlady in London who is hiding a secret of her own, and her no-nonsense approach to dealing with Orla was quite funny at times too and made me smile. I liked Polish man Marek's attitude throughout the book, he was a really well written character, had lots of dimensions to him and I really liked him a lot. Sim's agent Reese pops up throughout the book, trying to help Orla decide what to do with the Valentine's card, and I liked him too. There's the pantomime villain in the shape of Sim's co-star Anthea, or Ant as she's bizarrely known as in the book. She was funny, and you can so imagine many actresses behaving like this! They were a great cast and I enjoyed the many different relationships going on in the book, and how they are all well approached and love is shown in its many forms.

I really did enjoy the mystery of the Valentine's Card throughout the book, and how Orla carried it around with her everywhere, using it as her last connection to Sim, as I'm sure many of us would do if we were in her position. The card becomes more worn as time goes on, and was quite symbolic I feel. The book took some surprising turns as it progressed, and I really didn't know how it was going to end which was nice, it didn't seem obvious as I was reading. The setting of London allowed Orla to change, and I enjoyed Juliet Ashton's descriptions of the city, but also how she wrote the characters, relationship and the many emotions throughout the story. The Valentine's Card is a well written and enjoyable novel about love, grief and moving on, and I really enjoyed how it showcased love and different relationships throughout. It made me smile, and I thought it was a very good debut, well worth picking up!

Book News: The Heart Whisperer by Ella Griffin

Ella Griffin is back with a brand new novel this month, and a lovely new cover look too. The Heart Whisperer sounds like a wonderful novel, and I think the new cover is beautiful, I'm really looking forward to reading it. Ella's book is out on 31st January 2013.

You can pre-order The Heart Whisperer as an eBook or a hardcover now.

"Claire Dillon still lives in the shadow of the past. On her thirty-third birthday, she gives herself a present. One year to change her future.

Claire Dillon's mother had everything to live for. A husband, two children, a successful medical practice. Then, at thirty-three, she died in a tragic accident. And it was Claire's fault.

Now Claire is the same age. A floundering actress with a broken heart, a collection of draft snakes, and a talent for self-sabotage. She is frittering her life away with the help of her oldest friend, the gorgeous ex-rock star, Ray Devine.

On her 33rd birthday she gives herself one last year to be more like her mother. But you should be careful what you wish for . . .

Her estranged brother Nick is back from America and keeping his distance from his clingy sister and his pathetic father while he reinvents himself as a daytime TV relationship guru. But Dublin is full of memories and Nick is already dreaming of escape. While his wife Kelly, has dreams of her own. Ones she isn't telling him about.

What will happen when another accident throws the dysfunctional Dillons together? And the secrets they have kept from themselves and one another finally begin to emerge?"

RNA 2013 Shortlist Revealed!

The shortlist for the 2013 Romantic Novelists' Associations Awards have been announced, and boy do the judges have some hard decisions to make! There are so  many brilliant novels shortlisted, I send my hugest congratulations to all of those authors who have been shortlisted for their brilliant books!

Contemporary Romantic Novel

• Katie Fforde, Recipe for Love, Arrow
• Veronica Henry, The Long Weekend, Orion
• Mhairi McFarlane, You Had Me At Hello, Avon
• Monica McInerny, The House of Memories, Pan Macmillan
• Sue Moorcroft, Dream a Little Dream, Choc Lit
• Polly Williams, The Angel at No. 33, Headline

Epic Romantic Novel

• Rowan Coleman, Dearest Rose, Arrow
• Dilly Court, The Lady's Maid, Arrow
• Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles, Bloomsbury
• Kate Morton, The Secret Keeper, Pan Macmillan
• Gill Paul, Women and Children First, Avon
• Liz Trenow, The Last Telegram, Avon

Romantic Comedy Novel

• Jenny Colgan, Welcome to Rosie Hopkin's Sweetshop of Dreams, Sphere (Little Brown)
• Victoria Connelly, The Runaway Actress, Avon
• Jane Costello, All the Single Ladies, Simon & Schuster UK
• Nicola Doherty, The Out of Office Girl, Headline
• Belinda Jones, Winter Wonderland, Hodder & Stoughton
• Jane Wenham-Jones, Prime Time, Accent Press Ltd.

RoNA Romance Award

• Fiona Harper, Always the Best Man, Harlequin Mills & Boon Riva
• Sarah Mallory, Beneath the Major's Scars, Harlequin Historical
• Heidi Rice, The Good, the Bad and the Wild, Harlequin Mills & Boon Riva
• Carol Townend, Betrothed to the Barbarian, Harlequin Historical
• Scarlet Wilson, West Wing to Maternity Wing, Harlequin Mills & Boon Medical
• Scarlet Wilson, Her Christmas Eve Diamond, Harlequin Mills & Boon Medical

Historical Romantic Novel

• Charlotte Betts, The Apothecary's Daughter, Piatkus (Little Brown)
• Christina Courtenay, The Silent Touch of Shadows, Choc Lit
• Kate Furnivall, The White Pearl, Sphere (Little Brown)
• Pamela Hartshorne , Time's Echo, Pan Macmillan
• Susanna Kearsley, The Rose Garden, Allison & Busby
• Mary Nichols, The Kirilov Star, Allison & Busby