Book Review: Me and My Sisters by Sinead Moriarty

There's more than one way of being a modern woman, not that the Devlin sisters would admit it ... Julie used to be the easy-going sister. But now she's a mother of four boys under five, her marriage is under strain and she is struggling to keep sane. She needs support, but her sisters don't understand. After all, their lives are perfect. Lawyer Louise has always been top of her game, with little time for family and even less for romance. But with a drunken mistake threatening everything she's worked for, she may need to accept that she needs help to keep going. Gorgeous Sophie got everything she ever wanted: a loving husband, a beautiful, well-behaved daughter and a designer lifestyle. Her sisters consider her spoiled and shallow but she doesn't care - that's until her life is turned upside-down and she realises they may be right. Not that she's going to let them know the trouble she's in. The Devlin sisters think they have little in common. They might just be in for some big surprises ...

I haven't read any of Sinead Moriarty's books in a while, but I did love her 'Baby Trail' series from a few years back. When I received a copy of Me and My Sisters for review, I was quite excited to start reading her books again, and the gorgeous navy blue cover with sparkly silver bits certainly helped a bit too. It's quite a large book, at 464 pages long but it doesn't feel that way when you are reading it, the book simply melts away because you're so engrossed in the story within. Moriarty has created another story set around one family, this time with several issues going on that I am sure many readers will be able to relate to, and this is perhaps what makes her books so readable.

Author Interview: Tamar Cohen

I read and reviewed Tamar Cohen's debut novel The Mistresses Revenge recently, and thought it was a great piece of fiction written in a way which really involves you in the story. After reading it, I was offered the chance to interview Tamar, and I jumped at the chance as I had quite a few questions to ask her about the book, and how it came about. Here is the interview, my thanks to Tamar for answering my questions, I hope you enjoy reading it!

Q1. Tell us briefly about your novel 'The Mistress's Revenge'.

The Mistress’s Revenge charts the fallout from the ending of an illicit affair as told through the journals of the dumped mistress, Sally. Unable to accept her affair with Clive is over, Sally inveigles her way into the lives of her ex lover’s wife and children. As her obsession with them grows, she neglects her own family, career and home, with inevitably catastrophic results.

Q2. It's quite a controversial story in that the main character has been having a long-standing affair, did you worry about how it would be received?

I didn’t have any worries about the moral aspect simply because I don’t believe it’s necessary for the reader to have sympathy for the characters, only to find them believable. As a reader, I don’t want to be put into the position of making value judgements on characters based on a given situation. I’d much rather make up my own mind about them based on what is revealed throughout the course of the book. Also, I think most people aren’t so black and white about infidelity any more. For goodness sake, our future monarch is now married to his former mistress! I think we’re more able to accept that human relationships are complex things, and don’t always follow a fairy-story arc.

Book Review: Private Lives by Tasmina Perry

Anna Kennedy loves her career. A young associate with a top media law firm, she's the lawyer to the stars, hiding their sins from the hungry media. When Anna fails to prevent a damaging story being printed about heart-throb movie star Sam Charles she finds herself fighting to save not only his reputation, but also her own. But Anna is about to uncover a scandal more explosive than even Sam's infidelities. A party girl is already dead and those responsible are prepared to silence anyone who stands in their way. Not least a pretty young lawyer who knows too much...

I read my first Tasmina Perry novel last year, Kiss Heaven Goodbye, a superb beach blockbuster of a read and I decided she was definitely an author I'd be looking out for in the future. When I received a (huge) copy of her new novel to review, I was really excited but was slightly worried about the size of it... it was a big 700 page book and I was worried that it might be too long for me. Luckily, the story inside kept me engrossed from the first page, and my arms got a good workout every time I decided to read it as well! The cover is gorgeous, one of the prettiest summer covers for this year, and it'll certainly attract people into picking up the book to find out more. I really enjoyed this book, and here's why.

Book Review: Bad Sisters by Rebecca Chance

Three ambitious, rivalrous sisters. And a deadly secret, which one of them is determined to keep buried at any cost ...Deeley is the fake wife of a Hollywood TV hunk, who is secretly gay. But Deeley's five-year contract is up, and his cut-throat publicist wants Deeley out. So, dejected and penniless, Deeley wends her way home to London, hoping to re-establish links with her two estranged elder sisters ...Devon is married to the nation's-favourite-rugby-hunk Matt, and has her own highly successful TV career, as the sexy hostess of her own cookery show. But behind her buxom facade, Devon is lonely and frustrated, and when a live celebrity cook-off shows her up as a fraud, she leaves sweet Matt and runs off to Tuscany, to learn a few lessons - not just in cookery - from an Italian master. Lastly, there's Maxie: a politician's wife, Maxie is fiercely ambitious. She's furious when Deeley, hard on her luck, sells the sisters' childhood story to a tabloid newspaper, revealing their impoverished roots and unsavoury parentage. The story undermines Maxie's carefully cultivated image, and the fallout threatens to be devastating. But Maxie is only too aware that there is much more Deeley could yet reveal. What murderous secret lies in the sisters' past? And just how far will Maxie go to keep it buried? 

I've actually read all of Rebecca Chance's previous novels, and jumped at the chance of reading her third release, Bad Sisters. I love the cover now, it looked like a real blockbuster of a read and the synopsis confirmed that to me. I wasn't overly keen on it at first, but its definitely grown on me, especially since I've read the book. Yes, her books seem to follow a certain formula of a cast of characters doing something wrong/hiding some of secret, it being revealed and then dealing with the fallout, but I really enjoy them and they are great escapist fiction. If you haven't yet picked up a Rebecca Chance book, allow this one to tempt you because it is a great read!

Book Review: The Comeback Girl by Katie Price

Once upon a time, Eden had it all; she was one of the most successful young singers in the UK, and the darling of the pop industry. Life couldn’t have been better. But just two years after a sell-out tour, Eden is regarded as a has-been, better known for her drinking and the kiss-and-tell stories that a string of men have sold to the papers.


Desperate to get back in the big time, Eden begins recording a new album with songwriter Jack Steele, a man who drives her crazy for all the wrong reasons. And then she’s asked to be a judge on the TV talent show Band Ambition. It’s just the break she needs and she’s determined not to mess it up, so falling in love with Stevie, a contestant on the show, is probably not a very good idea. But Eden has always followed her heart, and she is sure Stevie is 'the one'.


But is Eden setting herself up for another fall?

Who in this country doesn't know Katie Price? It isn't a secret that Katie doesn't sit there and slave over a laptop, typing up every word of the story herself. She comes up with the idea for a book and her ghost writer, author Rebecca Farnworth actually writes the book for her. I think its a cheek she has her name on the cover and makes a lot of money from books she doesn't write, and the fact there are plenty of fantastic authors out there who can't get in with the big publishers yet Katie Price can churn out this drivel year after year is grossly unfair. Her stories are easy to read and certainly don't tax your brain but there was something about this book I just couldn't stand. Yes, the cover is bright, glitzy and lovely but that's the only nice thing about this book.

Book Review: A Rural Affair by Catherine Alliott

Newly widowed Poppy Shilling should be feeling distraught at the death of her husband, Phil. But, instead, she can't help feeling relieved. No longer will she have to endure Phil's iron fist ruling over her and their two young children, or his unfortunate penchant for lycra cycling wear.

What's more, when a secret is revealed after his death, Poppy's memories of their life together are turned upside down.

Freed from the shackles of her loveless marriage, Poppy is determined not to make the same mistakes again. Fully embracing village life, she becomes the object of the local menfolk's affections- from Bob, the resident odd ball, to Luke, the sexy church organist. But it's just her luck that the one man who catches her eye can't seem to let go of his glamorous ex wife...

Will Poppy have the courage to follow her heart and refuse to settle for second best? It's time for a new beginning, and a chance to discover what real love feels like...

I've not yet read a Catherine Alliott novel, but I was looking forward to trying her new novel A Rural Affair. I was really put off by the cover at first - it really isn't inspiring and I don't think opens up the book to a wide age demographic, but I was willing to give it a go anyway. The idea of a wife being somewhat relieved at the death of her husband was quite interesting, and I wondered how Alliott would approach the issue and continue Poppy's story. At 464 pages, it isn't a short novel and I did find it hard going at times, I do felt it could have been a bit shorter with some scenes being easily cut, but I carried on nonetheless and ploughed through the book as best I could.

Book Review: Breakfast in Bed by Eleanor Moran

TAKE ONE NEWLY SINGLE WOMAN: At thirty-one, Amber is being bombarded with wedding invitations just as she's collecting her divorce papers - and her bossy best friend has gone one step further and made her chief bridesmaid. It's high time Amber regained control of her life. ADD A PASSIONATE AND FIERY CELEBRITY COOK: Amber's joy at landing herself a coveted role in Oscar Retford's kitchen soon fades as she discovers Oscar is as famous for his furious temper and addiction to firing people as he is for the legendary meals he creates. TURN UP THE HEAT: But as passions start to run high, and her past catches up with her, it looks like Amber's cooked up a recipe for disaster ... 

I have to admit this is a book that wasn't on my radar for a while, I had read Eleanor Moran's debut novel Stick or Twist and enjoyed it, but didn't get around to reading her second book which Leah did do and enjoyed it. When I saw the book cover, I thought it was lovely with the blue and black shadows, yet I actually loved the proof copy even more, and I'm not sure why the publishers didn't go for that. It was bright pink as opposed to the blue, and it just looked far more eye-catching and attractive to me. Ah well, I'm sure a lot of decision went into the blue, so that's what we are left with! I've only previously read one book set in a kitchen, Miriam Morrison's Recipe for Disaster, so I was looking forward to seeing if this one would be a good read too.