Merry Christmas everyone!

This will be the last post from me in 2012, so I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, and a happy New Year! Thank you for all the support this year, it's been such a joy reading and reviewing the 115 (!!!) books I've read this year, and I hope you've all enjoyed the reviews and they've helped you choose come fabulous books. It'll all be continuing in 2013, so see you then!

Merry Christmas!!

Book Review: From Essex to Chelsea with Love by Millie Conway

"If you're a fan of all things Essex or Chelsea, you won't want to miss this sensational read...

Chelsea events planner Talli Jones is in a fix. Her brother Persimmon and his fiancée Edwina want her to deliver the Wedding of the Year. Their dream venue, Highdrow Castle, has had a last-minute cancellation. But it's in eight weeks' time. With 500 guests. And doves... Personal trainer Zac Parker needs some fast cash. But he can't reveal why, even to his girlfriend, glamorous reality TV star Kiki. If he can get wealthy client Edwina into shape for her Big Day, he'll get a hefty bonus. All he needs is for that uptight wedding planner to stop getting in his way. As Zac and Talli battle to work miracles, the heat between them unexpectedly starts to rise. But when friends and family get involved and the fireworks begin, it's clear that it's a long, long way from Chelmsford to Chelsea..."

Rating: 4/5

My last 2012 book for this year had to be something that would give me a bit of a laugh, and be a fun note to end the year on. I've been lucky enough this year to read some amazing books, so I was hoping I'd make a good choice for my final read of the year. Millie Conway's debut novel certainly would appeal to those who love the reality shows like Made in Chelsea and The Only Way is Essex, but I watch neither of those shows and managed to really enjoy the book! As an 'Essex girl' myself, I always hate when people overuse the stereotype and make them the embodiment of what those girls in TOWIE are like, but Conway actually does a good job in this book of balancing out the stereotypes, and by the end I had a big smile on my face!

Tallulah, or Talli as she prefers to be called, is still a bit stuck career-wise, so when her mother manages to railroad her into planning her brother Persimmon's upcoming nuptials in just 8 weeks, Talli reluctantly accepts and sets about organising the wedding of the year. Not to mention the fact that Persimmon's fiance is Loving Essex's director Edwina, and is fanatical about her appearance and has a determination to be a perfect size for her wedding dress. She hires Essex personal trainer Zach, whose sister's star on her show to knock her into shape. Soon, Zac and Talli realise they have to work together, not against each other, to pull off Edwina's wedding, but is it going to be just the wedding they will end up working together on?

This is quite a tongue-in-cheek read, and you have to know not to take it too seriously when you're reading, because it really is quite fun and a laugh overall. The differences between the main characters, Talli from Chelsea and Zac from Essex are obvious from the word go, but Conway loves to really emphasise the point, especially through the thoughts of these characters when they're thinking about each other. The narrative is always told in the third person, but switches between following Talli, then Zac, so the reader gets a nice rounded picture of the story, and can see the crossed wires, which makes it all the more interesting and frustrating at the same time! I really liked Talli, she had her heart in the right place, although I did wish she's grow a back bone! Zac was just a bit of a typical Essex-guy, obsessed with his appearance, but has a softer side towards his sisters and Auntie Dot, who happened to be one of my favourite characters! The God-awful Kiki rounds off a fantastic cast of characters, and she's definitely one you'll love to hate!

The storyline is good enough to carry the book through, although I stopped caring about Edwina and her wedding quite soon after it was mentioned, I simply cared more about what was going on with Talli and Zac! I loved how the book travelled between Essex and Chelsea too, again highlighting the differences in these people, and how appearances can be deceptive, especially with some of the Essex girls, who have some of the most hilarious names I've read in a long time... Porsche and Shiraz to mention a couple! The wedding ideas were ridiculous, completely OTT but as you'd expect someone like Edwina would want, and the designer brands are name-dropped quite a bit throughout the book too, but it wasn't too out of place so I didn't mind it too much. There's a few sex scenes in there too, but they were well written, and complemented the story.

The story has a good pace, and I found it was a fun read that I enjoyed picking up every time I went to read it. There was a lot of humour in there that made me smile, but there were moments of sweetness in there too, Talli and her father's relationship was one of them, as was Zac and Dot. I was really rooting for Talli and Zac to finally get together, but it wasn't smooth sailing, and I was really curious to find out what the secret Zac is desperately hiding from everyone around him throughout the book was! I really enjoyed reading From Essex to Chelsea with Love and thought it was a fun read that you can lose yourself in for a few hours, and it'll certainly put a smile on your face, if only to say thank you to God that you don't have a life like these people! A fun and easy read.

You can buy From Essex to Chelsea with Love as a paperback or an eBook now!

Chick Lit Chloe's 2012 Awards!

Chick Lit Chloe's 'Book of the Year' 2012
WINNER:
- Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Nominees:
- The Island - Tracey Garvis Graves
- The Long Weekend - Veronica Henry
- Perfect Strangers - Tasmina Perry
- Dearest Rose - Rowan Coleman
- This Child of Mine - Sinead Moriarty

Author of the Year 2012: As voted for by website visitors
WINNER:
Carole Matthews!

Second Place - Sophie Kinsella
Third Place - Marian Keyes

Nominees:
- Jenny Colgan
- Milly Johnson
- Paige Toon
- Lindsey Kelk
- Jojo Moyes
- Dorothy Koomson
- Claire Allan

Christmas Book of the Year 2012
WINNER:
- With Love At Christmas by Carole Matthews

Nominees:
- Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Abby Clements
- Married by Christmas by Scarlett Bailey
- Christmas at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan
- A Winter Flame by Milly Johnson
- A Merry Little Christmas by Julia Williams

Female Character of the Year 2012
WINNER:
- Rose from 'Dearest Rose' by Rowan Coleman

Nominees:
- Lou Clark from 'Me Before You' by Jojo Moyes
- June from 'The Meryl Streep Movie Club' by Mia March
- Ella from 'All That Glitters' by Ilana Fox
- Juliet from 'With Love At Christmas' by Carole Matthews
- Victoria from 'The Darling Girls' by Emma Burstall
- Natalie from 'Yours Truly' by Kirsty Greenwood

Male Character of the Year 2012
WINNER: 
- Jon Jordan from 'Bad Angels' by Rebecca Chance

Nominees:
- Jacques Glace from 'A Winter Flame' by Milly Johnson
- Will from 'Me Before You' by Jojo Moyes
- Dave from 'The Greatest Love Story of All Time' by Lucy Robinson
- Christian Grey from 'Fifty Shades of Grey' by E L James
- Miles from 'Married by Christmas' by Scarlett Bailey
- Olly from 'When I Fall In Love' by Miranda Dickinson

Book Cover of the Year 2012
WINNERS:
- I Heart London by Lindsey Kelk & A Merry Little Christmas by Julia Williams

Nominees:
- Revelry by Lucy Lord
- This Is A Love Story by Jessica Thompson
- From Notting Hill to New York... Actually by Ali McNamara
- Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Abby Clements
- The Rose Petal Beach by Dorothy Koomson
- Perfect Strangers by Tasmina Perry

Debut Novel and Author of the Year 2012
WINNERS:
- The Island by Tracey Garvis Graves & Fifty Shades Trilogy by E. L. James

Nominees:
- You Had Me At Hello by Mhairi McFarlane
- Stop the Clock by Alison Mercer
- The Greatest Love Story of All Time - Lucy Robinson
- The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan
- Chelsea Wives by Anna Lou Weatherley
- The Perfect Location by Kate Forster
- The Vintage Teacup Club by Vanessa Greene

Tear Jerker of the Year 2012
WINNER:
- Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Nominees:
- Dearest Rose by Rowan Coleman
- The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
- Ten Years On by Alice Peterson
- Lifesaving for Beginners by Ciara Geraghty
- Secrets of the Tides by Hannah Richell
- With Love At Christmas by Carole Matthews

Self Published Novel of the Year 2012
WINNER:
- The Darling Girls by Emma Burstall

Nominees:
- The School Gates by Nicola May
- Bondi Blonde by Lucille Howe
- Yours Truly by Kirsty Greenwood

Women's Fiction Book of the Year 2012
WINNER:
- Secrets of the Tides by Hannah Richell

Nominees:
- Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell
- The Rose Petal Beach by Dorothy Koomson
- The War of the Wives by Tamar Cohen
- The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
- French Lessons by Ellen Sussman
- Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

Book Review: You Had Me At Hello by Mhairi McFarlane

"What happens when the one that got away comes back? Find out in this sparkling debut from Mhairi McFarlane.

‘Think of the great duos of history. We're just like them.’
‘You mean like Kylie and Jason? Torvill and Dean? Sonny and Cher?’
‘I think you’ve missed the point, Rachel.’

Rachel and Ben. Ben and Rachel. It was them against the world. Until it all fell apart. It’s been a decade since they last spoke, but when Rachel bumps into Ben one rainy day, the years melt away.

They’d been partners in crime and the best of friends. But life has moved on: Ben is married. Rachel is not. Yet in that split second, Rachel feels the old friendship return. And along with it, the broken heart she’s never been able to mend.

Hilarious, heartbreaking and everything in between, you’ll be hooked from their first ‘hello’."

Rating: 5/5

Mhairi McFarlane's debut novel You Had Me At Hello first caught my eye when I saw the gorgeous cover for it online a few months ago. It looked fun and fresh, and from things I had read about it, it sounded like it would be a bit of comedy read too. As much as I like Christmas novels at this time of year, I was actually really excited to pick up something a bit different, and so I think Mhairi's book came at just the right time for me. I was picking it up at every opportunity I had... even sneaking a read on my lunch break at school as it was a great book to escape into, and I rather loved Rachel and Ben quite a lot! It's a stonkingly brilliant debut, and judging by the many glowing reviews on Amazon, it seems I'm not the only one who thinks so!

Rachel and Ben were the best of friends at University, and were pretty joined at the hip. They went everywhere together, did everything together and despite what everyone around thought, they didn't think they were attracted to each other. Fast forward ten years, and the friends haven't spoken after one particularly fraught night at a party. When Rachel bumps into Ben again, all those feelings come flooding back, but she's shocked to find out how Ben has moved on, with a wife and successful career in tow. Rachel realises she rather likes Ben as more than her friend, but how will she be able to mend her broken heart, and make sure Ben won't be leaving her life again any time soon?

I think what drew me in so much about this book was the honest relationship and friendship that Rachel and Ben had together. It was so readable, and I loved both of them straight away, they were flawed but at the same time perfect for each other. Rachel was so funny, like a girl next door, and the perfect heroine in all ways. She works as a journalist in the local law courts, but doesn't seem to have that killer instinct required to really demolish people as she perhaps should. Rachel's line throughout the book are genuinely funny, her quick observations had me giggling along, and she was in so many ways the best character in the book, I really did love her. Ben on the other hand was a quite swoon-worthy male lead, and you could feel the tension between these two characters, McFarlane writes their relationship perfectly and I was just willing them to get their acts together quite often in the book!

I really enjoyed the way that the story is told in two time periods. There's the present day story, with Rachel and Ben reuniting with each other and their struggles to find a place for each other in their otherwise stable lives, and explaining it to those around them too, and then there is the Rachel and Ben of their University days, which gives the reader a good insight into how their friendship came about and why they feel as they do for each other. McFarlane really sets up a good backstory for the pair, and makes you want to read on and find out if they ever did hook up and how/why/where/when! There are a few other storylines in the book, involving Rachel's friends and while these were enjoyable, the main focus for me was totally on Rachel and Ben, and what was going to ultimately happen for them.

This is the ultimate in feel good romance stories, and I loved every page of it. McFarlane's comic writing is a joy to read from beginning to end, and I was so reluctant to finish it because that meant I'd have to leave Rachel and Ben behind for good. It was a hilarious read, that manages to tug at the heart-strings at the same time, and I really can't praise it highly enough. For a debut novel, it's fantastic and it makes me so excited to read more from McFarlane as soon as possible, because she's certainly a bright shining star in the chick lit world, and I can't wait for more. This is one read from 2012 that will be making its way onto my keeper's shelf, and it was certainly worth the wait. A truly fabulous book!

You can buy You Had Me At Hello as a paperback or an eBook.

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.

eBook News: Staying Away At Christmas by Katie Fforde

Katie Fforde is back with her first ever digital short story Staying Away at Christmas, just a few months before her new full length novel A French Affair is released in February 2013. The story is only 84p at the moment, and it's nice to have the odd short story to read when you get a few minutes spare, I know I don't always have time to sit and get involved in a long novel, and this sounds like a fun read! It's available only as an eBook.

You can get Staying Away at Christmas for just 84p as an eBook right now.

"Add an extra sparkle to your Christmas with this exclusive, straight to digital short story from the Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller. 

Miranda and her daughters have rented a cosy cottage for Christmas. The only trouble is, Anthony and his children are booked into the same place.  In a moment of Christmas spirit, Miranda suggests they all spend yuletide together.  Will the mistletoe help ease the tension and bring some cheer?  Will romance blossom under the stars? Or will it be a Christmas they'd all rather forget? 

Sunday Times bestselling author Katie Fforde is known for her wonderfully romantic stories, delectable heroes, and heroines we can all relate to. In Staying Away at Christmas her warmth and wit shine through in this enchanting short story.  Turn on the Christmas lights, curl up on the sofa and immerse yourself in the deliciously readable world of Katie Fforde.  

It also gives readers the first chance to read the opening chapter of her wonderful new novel, A French Affair, out in February."

Chick Lit Chloe's Awards 2012: Author of the Year - Final Round!

Welcome to the final round of my 2012 awards and the Author of the Year - Reader's Choice Award! The top ten author from round 1 went head to head with each other, and after a huge amount of votes (thank you!), the final three came out on top by a bit of a margain! The top three choices were (in no particular order) Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella and Carole Matthews. 

To decide the winner, all you have to do is vote on the below form for one of them, pop your email address in the bottom box so I can make sure there's no duplicate entries, and that's it! Voting will close on Wednesday 19th December at midday, and the winner will be revealed when my awards go live on Thursday 20th December!  Thanks so much for all your votes so far, now let's get a winner! Good luck to the three nominated authors!

 

Book Review: With Love At Christmas by Carole Matthews

"Can the imperfect family really have the perfect Christmas?

Juliet Joyce adores Christmas. She loves the presents, the tree, the turkey, the tinsel, everything. Already the festive spirit is upon her, which is just as well as this Christmas things are starting to get out of hand.

Her son Tom is out of work and bringing home a slew of unsuitable partners; pregnant daughter Chloe and her little boy have moved back in; Juliet's father, Frank, is getting over a heartbreak of his own and Rita, her eccentric mother, is behaving more erratically each day. And has the chaos got too much for Juliet's husband Rick?

With the big day fast approaching, Juliet hopes that she can stop everything spiralling out of control, because the only thing she wants is her family all around her and her home to be filled WITH LOVE AT CHRISTMAS."

Rating: 5/5

I have really been looking forward to reading Carole Matthews' latest festive offering for a while now, especially because I have seen quite a bit of praise about it online, and I was curious to see if it would live up to my expectations too. I found her last Christmas book 'Wrapped Up In You' to be a bit of a disappointing read for me, not quite as festive as I had hoped, so I was very hopeful this one would be more my cup of tea. Thank goodness I took a chance on it, because its now one of my favourite Christmas reads this year, and I think it's one that will be making its way onto my 'keepers' shelf because it was such a brilliant read and I can't recommend it highly enough... and here's why.

Juliet Joyce is a lady who loves Christmas, despite her own family not being quite as keen on the festivities as she is. There's her dad who is going through a terrible heart-break thanks to his partner Samuel, her son Tom who is out of work and seemingly not looking for a job, but who is more than happy to look for a girlfriend or three; daughter Chloe who is a mum of one and expecting another baby and are now back at home with Juliet again, and of course her husband Rick, who is feeling the pressure financially for the family. Will Juliet be able to pull off the magical Christmas she so wants to provide for her family, or will the problems amongst the Joyce's prove too much for Juliet once and for all?

There was something really festive about this book, right from the beginning and I really loved that. Juliet is a huge fan of Christmas, and Matthews uses this to really go to town on the descriptions of everything from the plentiful amounts of food that Juliet buys, to the decorations and lights that adorn the house, and it really cheered me up to read it! Matthews really brings alive the Christmas spirit in this novel, but also goes to highlight the not-so-good things about this time of year too, such as those who are alone or living in worse circumstances than ourselves who we would perhaps otherwise overlook, and the financial burden it can place on people too. I felt the balance was right in this novel, and the story worked well to cover all aspects of Christmas, but managing to keep on the happy side throughout.

The Joyce family were fun to read about, and there was certainly a lot going on this book to keep me hooked! I have to confess to really hating Juliet's children Chloe and Tom, what a horrible couple of children with seemingly no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and I'd never dream of speaking to my parents like they do, or treating their house in the same way either! However, the storyline with Juliet's parents was very touching, and I felt Juliet's fathers story was very sad, and I did cry a few times when I was reading this. Matthews managed to really convey the emotion of the situations so well, it seemed very realistic as I was reading and I couldn't help but feel involved in the tale. Juliet herself was the main character of the story, and I really did love her, I think any busy, working mum at Christmas can relate to her!

I found it a very fun novel to read, and it spread the Christmas cheer for me every time I picked it up for read a few more pages. It manages to put across the emotion of the season, and mixes that with a lot of humour that had me chortling along as I was reading, Matthews has a great way with the comic lines from Juliet! I was consumed by this story, once I was involved I felt I had to know how things were going to end up for the Joyces, and if they would have a great Christmas after everything they'd been through. It is a story that a lot of people will enjoy reading, and probably relate to as well, especially Juliet's Christmas obsession in a lot of cases too I expect! It is a fab festive read that manages to be funny yet sensitive and emotional at the same time, and it's a book I shan't forget for a long time. As I previously said, it's one of my favourite festive reads this year, and it'll give you a warm feeling inside as you're reading. A brilliant book!

You can buy With Love At Christmas as a paperback or an eBook now!

Book News: Vanity by Lucy Lord

I do love a gorgeous book cover, and Lucy Lord's second book Vanity is certainly a contender for one of the gorgeous 2013 covers I've seen so far, and I've seen a fair few already! It's a follow up to her 2012 novel Revelry and I'm curious to see what Poppy and Bella are going to be up to this time. It's out as a Kindle version on January 3rd 2013, although readers are going to have to wait until July 18th for the paperback (don't ask me why!).

"Glamorous Poppy seems to have it all, and after a long tough year she is damn well going to enjoy it. But as Poppy’s career in New York goes from strength to strength, her husband, Damian’s takes a nosedive and she begins to wonder if love really can survive anything.

In London, Poppy’s best friend Bella is basking in that new-couple glow with her boyfriend Andy. But, not everything is as perfect as it seems, and Bella can’t help but be a little jealous of her best friend’s Big Apple adventures. Meanwhile, their arch-nemesis, shallow but beautiful Ben, is in Hollywood to make his name on the silver screen, and annoyingly, is doing rather well at it!.

From St Tropez to New York, LA to the impossibly chic Paris; join Bella and Poppy and their friends as they face the reality of friendships pushed to the limits, and embark on a road trip that they’ll never forget…"

You can pre-order Vanity as a paperback or an eBook now.

eBook News: The Pollyanna Plan by Talli Roland

Talli Roland's new novel The Pollyanna Plan is out now, and it sounds like a great read! I just read Talli's novella Mistletoe in Manhattan and loved it, so I'm looking for reading this as soon as I can... it's all ready to go on my kindle! I have to quickly say I love the cover as well, and it's a shame I don't get a full colour version on my Kindle... this is my least favourite thing about eBooks I'm afraid!

"Is finding true love as easy as an attitude change?

Thirty-something Emma Beckett has always looked down on 'the glass is half full' optimists, believing it's better to be realistic than delusional. But when she loses her high-powered job and fiancé in the same week, even Emma has difficulty keeping calm and carrying on.  

With her world spinning out of control and bolstered by a challenge from her best friend, Emma makes a radical decision. From here on in, she'll behave like Pollyanna: attempting to always see the upside, no matter how dire the situation.

Can adopting a positive attitude give Emma the courage to build a new life, or is finding the good in everything a very bad idea?"

You can buy The Pollyanna Plan as an eBook now.

eBook Review: Mistletoe in Manhattan by Talli Roland

"As Little Missington's first Christmas baby in fifty years and the daughter of Christmas When You Like It party-planners, Holly West has been surrounded by the holiday spirit since birth. Trouble is, she's not exactly filled with festive cheer. In fact, Holly can't wait to ditch the tinsel and Santa suits for champagne and celebs, and become a party-planner to the stars.

When British TV star Dean Layton hires her parents' company to throw his holiday bash in Manhattan, Holly jumps at the chance to help, confident she can handle a little Christmas in exchange for access to Dean's exclusive world.

But New York and Dean's over-the-top demands are more than Holly bargained for. Can Holly deck the halls and make it a party to be proud of, or will this Christmas be one she'll never forget . . . even if she wants to?"

Rating: 5/5

For some odd reason, I don't think I've ever read anything by Talli Roland, but I really couldn't resist diving straight into this new eBook short story from her, mainly because it's set at Christmas, and of course that time is coming rather quickly! The cover for it is gorgeous and looks very professional, and matches the rest of Roland's covers too. As I said, this is a novella (short novel) but it felt a good enough length for me to get into and get involved in the characters without being over too soon and leaving the reader hanging! I sat and read it in one sitting in an evening, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The main character is party planner Holly, who works for her parent's business in Little Missington but has far bigger dreams. When the opportunity comes for Holly to take her party planning over to New York City, and at Christmas no less, she jumps at the chance. While planning Brit star Dean Layton's lavish party, she meets bartender Alex. I loved Alex. He's so nice and I wish there were more men around like him, he's the perfect hero for the novel! He and Holly seemed really well suited too, and I loved the developing friendship between the pair. These two were the main characters, and both were very likeable, and made the book fun to read. The setting of New York was perfect too, I've been there at Christmas myself and it brought back some great memories for me, and I could imagine all of the things clearly in my mind.

I really enjoyed this novella, it was a quick read but I enjoyed every page and didn't want it to end. I wasn't sure how things were going to work out for Holly, and I liked the unpredictability of it too. The idea of party planning was good too, and the book showed how much work actually has to go into it, as perhaps some people (like me!) think it's perhaps easier than it actually is! There were great characters in here, both likeable and very dislikeable, and with a gorgeously festive setting, this is the ideal novella to sit down with on your Kindle on these really cold nights to make you feel all Christmassy! I loved it, and can't wait for Talli's new full length novel The Pollyanna Plan!

You can buy Mistletoe in Manhattan as an eBook now!

December 2012 Releases

It's December already, oh my goodness me! I really don't know where this year has gone, it's flown by and boy have we seen some amazing book releases this past year. Luckily, there are still 6 more to keep us entertained for the duration of December, although I don't know how much reading I'll get done between the shopping, wrapping, cooking and cleaning that has to be done this month! Which releases are you looking forward to most of all?