Book Review: Kissing Mr Wrong by Sarah Duncan

Lu Edwards is sure she is never going to find Mr Right. She knows exactly what she's looking for, but it just seems somewhat impossible to find. When she meets handsome, rich and nice man Marcus in a bar, she thinks she may have struck lucky but it turns out he's off to America, so that's another hope for Lu gone.

As well as trying to find her Mr Right, Lu is desperately trying to do something very important for her elderly grandmother - find out exactly what happened to her parents back in the war. Lu ends up meeting Nick, a man who specialises in military history, and he helps Lu find out more than she could have planned for... but with several things in his world that Lu doesn't want in hers, is she ever going to be able to find her Mr Right, or is is she destined to always  kiss Mr Wrong?

This is the second Sarah Duncan novel I have read this year. I read A Single to Rome a few months ago, and very much enjoyed it so I was looking forward to reading this one too. The gorgeous summery looking cover hints at a lovely summer read inside, and the dash of red poppies is a wonderful tribute to the sub-plot about the war going on throughout the book. I was curious to see how Duncan would be able to weave a love story alongside a search for someone's family throughout the war, but it made me interested enough to give it a read, and I'm really glad I did as this book was a surprise for me by the end.

Author Interview: Tilly Bagshawe

We have a great exclusive for you today... an interview with the lovely Tilly Bagshawe! I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to put some questions to Tilly after reading her latest book Scandalous which I reviewed yesterday. I've been a big fan of Tilly's books for a few years now, so it was a really exciting chance for me to get to ask her some questions I had been thinking about for a while, so here it is! My huge thanks go to Tilly for taking the time to answer my questions. Enjoy!

Q1. Can you tell us about your latest book, Scandalous?

Scandalous is a tale of love, passion, betrayal and ultimate revenge.  It begins in Cambridge, and the action sweeps from there to new York, Los Angeles and Tokyo as our heroine plots the downfall of the man who has tried to destroy her.

Q2. There's quite a bit of scandal(!) happening at Cambridge University in the beginning of this book, did you know of anything like this going on while you were there or is it complete fiction?!

The scandal itself is complete fiction...but there is plenty of backstabbing, rivalry and of course sex going on in all universities, and Cambridge was no exception.  I loved Cambridge though, so I wouldn’t want to slander it too badly!

Book Review: Scandalous by Tilly Bagshawe

When Sasha manages to get into Cambridge University, she is sure that she's going to become a hugely successful physicist and really do well. Her professor, Theo Dexter, however, has totally different plans for Sasha, plans she isn't at all happy about. When it turns out that he has betrayed her in the worst way possible too, Sasha swears revenge and is determined to succeed at all costs.


Theo's wife Theresa has known about several of his affairs with students, but been willing to put up with it because she loves her husband. But when Theo's career really takes off, will the man she adores turn his back on her once and for all, or is Theresa enough for the famous Theo? And how exactly is Sasha planning to get her revenge on Theo once and for all?

I have read almost everything that Tilly Bagshawe has written, so I was really excited when I received a copy of her new novel Scandalous to review. The cover looks really great, like a perfect summer blockbuster read so I eagerly started to read it pretty quickly after it arrived. Straight away, I was hooked by the book and couldn't wait to  find out how the story was going to pan out. I was even more thrilled when I was given the chance to interview Tilly who kindly answered all of my questions, and we'll be posting this exclusive interview with Tilly tomorrow! But until then, back to the review...

Book Review: Midnight Girls by Lulu Taylor

Allegra, Imogen and Romily were all happy at boarding school together until a terrible accident occurs that binds them together with a secret forever. The girls are determined to keep what they know quiet, but at what personal cost is it going to be at?


Fast forward several years, and the girl's are all living very different lives. Allegra helps her Uncle run a very exclusive club in London, with ideas to start her own clubs as well. Imogen is a trainee lawyer and enjoying the party scene in London, something she never thought she would do, and Romily is living the life of an heiress as best she knows - holidays, beautiful clothes and lots of fun. But when one of the three seems as if they may be in trouble, can they put their past secrets and lies behind them to save each other for the last time?

I read Lulu Taylor's debut novel Heiresses last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I was very pleased to get a copy of Midnight Girls from the publishers for review. I adore the purple cover, I have seen it on the shelves in a few supermarkets and it certainly stands out so it has that going for it, as well as sounding like a great story. I find Taylor's books to be similar to those of Tilly Bagshawe, Jo Rees and other "bonkbuster" writers so if you like their work, then you may well enjoy a read of Midnight Girls, it'd make a great beach read.

Book Review: Rock Chicks by Ronni Cooper

Behind every great musician is a great wife... or is there? Marny has been in love with her rock star boyfriend Sly since they first met, and nothing has changed now Sly has become a global superstar. Is Marny going to be able to handle the attention that her boyfriend gets, or will it push their relationship to breaking point? Coco has always dreamed of running away from her stifled life, and decides being a groupie is the best thing. She quickly attaches herself to the band and into their hearts, but what is Coco running away from? Finally, there's Lori, the band's manager. She's determined to succeed in an industry dominated by men - and she isn't afraid of it either. Will these Rock Chicks stand by their men whatever comes their way, or is the rock lifestyle too much for some?

I have been looking forward to this book for quite a while, it's had a huge lot of press about it, it's been all over the net and it's being billed as a huge summer read. However, I was a bit nervous because it is splashed with warnings of its explicit content, and it certainly wasn't one I was therefore going to take out in public and read, who knows what people might have thought lol?! Either way, when this rocked up on my doorstep in its glitzy pink bubble envelope, I was quite excited and decided to start it straight away and see what I thought.

Author Interview: Martel Maxwell

Author Martel Maxwell was kind enough to let me ask her a few questions after the release of her debut novel Scandalous which was a fun read. If you enjoy books set in the world of showbiz, it might well be the book for you. I really appreciate Martel taking the time to answer my questions, and we hope you enjoy the interview!

Q1. Tell us about your new book, Scandalous.

Scandalous is a romantic comedy following half sisters Max and Lucy Summers, lifting the lid on London’s showbiz scene.

Q2. The book is set in the world of journalism - how much did you draw on your own experiences as a journalist/broadcaster when writing the book?

Not so much from broadcasting but I poured my experiences as a showbiz reporter (I used to work on The Sun’s Bizarre desk) into Scandalous. One of the best things about the reviews (like chicklitreviews) has been the feedback that’s it offers such an accurate portrayal of the showbiz scene. Piers Morgan, who started out as an entertainment reporter, said it was a ‘waspish, funny and insightful portrayal of the mad, bad world that is Planet Showbiz.’ That’s me showing off! Max is a showbiz reporter and every A-list party she crashes, the things she does for a scoop, it’s all based on the many and varied things I used to do.