Book Review: Wing Girl by Nic Tatano

"Wing Girl: [wing-gurl] noun
1. A young, single woman frequenting liquor-serving establishments who attracts then later repels eligible men that are eventually picked up by her friends.
2. The essential accessory for dating in Manhattan.

For years guys have cruised bars using the "wing man" as a divide and conquer weapon designed to liberate a gorgeous woman from her not-so-beautiful friend.

Meet Belinda Carson, Wing Girl.

She's a kick-ass, take-no-prisoners investigative reporter fighting for truth, justice and higher ratings. But while her fame draws in the hotties, it’s unfortunate that you can’t buy a new personality at Bloomingdales!

Because up close and personal these unsuspecting suitors get fried by a snarky attitude that's sharp enough to slice a stale bagel…
which leaves her grateful friends to swoop in for the delectable leftovers!

Only enough is enough – isn’t it time for Belinda to stop taking one for the team and land her own Mr Right?"

Rating: 5/5

You can buy Winggirl as an eBook now.

After a massive problem in getting this book sent to my Kindle (no fault of the publishers I must say, and they were very helpful in sorting it out!), I was really keen to read this eBook which I had heard lots of good things about! I also love the fact that Harper Impulse give their eBooks decent covers worthy of being printed too... eBooks need lovely covers to draw people in, I don't care what people say, covers are important! This is a book by a new author to me, Nic Tatano and I was curious to read it and see whether I would agree with the other reviewers who have raved about it so far!

Belinda Carson loves her job as an investigative reporter for her local TV station. She's a gorgeous woman, but tends to hide it behind baggy jumpers, leggings and a strong attitude that often turns men off rather than on. Her friends Ariel, Serena and Roxanne decide they have to do something about it, and decide to give Belinda a makeover. When Belinda is transformed, she's surprised by the amount of attention she received from the opposite sex. However, it isn't just her appearance that needs to change... it's her attitude, table manners and general self too! Belinda decides she might as well go all in and try her best to attract a man, but will she be able to pick the right one from the rotten apple?

I really loved the character of Belinda. The book was written in the first person from her perspective, so you really feel like you get to know her well enough to want her to find Mr Right, and have everything work out for her! I liked that in the beginning she didn't care too much for her appearance, instead more keen on doing a good job as a journalist, and being a good friend. I wasn't too sure about her friends wanting to change her appearance, after all it isn't all about how you look, but I did agree her snarky attitude sometimes needed an overhaul, although it did give me a good laugh! The relationship she had with her three girlfriends, Roxanne in particular, were fun to read, and it was nice to read some genuine female relationships. I have to mention Vincent too, who is one of my favourite male characters in a book this year, he's so lovely!

The backdrop of New York City was the perfect setting for the book. It worked well for the idea of the powerful women in the book, the exciting newscasts that Belinda gets to be a part of, and to be honest, I just love reading anything about New York! Nic Tatano's writing was really easy to read, getting into Belinda's head so well that you are soon engrossed in the book and I found myself not wanting to put it down. It's got love, it's got laughs and lots of moments that just make you smile and want to keep reading. It's realistic too - you can believe that everything you are reading could happen and I think that's important in a book, I do like a sense of realism! I'm really looking forward to the next eBook from Nic Tatano, Harper Impulse have found a great new author here and this one is definitely one to read!

Support 'Books Are My Bag'!

I hope you guys have been out supporting the amazing Books Are My Bag campaign today! It's been a day to go out and support your local bookshop and buy yourself a book and hopefully an amazing 'Books Are My Bag' canvas bag too, exclusively available at bookshops nationwide. I've got my bag, and Harry and I did our bit earlier going out to get him a few new books to share, so I hope this campaign has had an effect on people and made you want to keep shopping at your local bookshop and not so much online! Nothing beats going into a bookshop, browsing and taking home those lovely books to enjoy so let's keep our bookshops alive, and show everyone that Books are OUR bag! :)

Find out loads more about the campaign at their website or via their Twitter page!

Book Review: Another Way to Fall by Amanda Brooke

"What would you do if you could write the story of your life?

After battling a brain tumour twenty-nine year old Emma thinks she is in the clear, but her world comes crashing down around her when she is told her fight was in vain, and there is nothing more the doctors can do.

Realising that she won’t now have time to achieve the things she dreamed of, Emma decides to write her perfect life in a story. She imagines all the things she would have done, the places she would have seen, the husband she would have shared her life with and the family they would have raised. And, mysteriously, as she writes her story, she starts to notice that some of her dreams seem to be coming true.

Now with a real love in her life, and her fading hope burning brighter, reality and fiction start to become blurred. As she writes their life-long love story Emma dares to believe that anything is possible, but can she really change her fate?"

Rating: 5/5

You can buy Another Way to Fall as a paperback or an eBook now.

I'll be honest and say for some reason I hadn't noticed this book until I was contacted by the lovely Jaime at Harper who offered a review copy to me. I read the blurb and thought it sounded like an intriguing read, and I wanted to find out what was going to happen with Emma's story. I was quite prepared for it to be a bit of a sad read, but I don't think I was anywhere near ready for the emotional rollercoaster that I found myself on when I was reading the book. I went from smiling to sobbing, and by the end, I was so moved I couldn't pick up another book for a few days. It's one of those really emotional books that will haunt you and stay with you for a long time, and for me is a must-read.

Emma has been battling a brain tumour for a few years, and she thought she'd finally beaten it. But when she starts getting more symptoms and finds out that her tumour has returned, and this time there's nothing more the doctors can do to help her, she begins to feel bereft. Being only 29, Emma realises she isn't going to get to do all of the things in life she wanted to - travel, get married and have children. So she begins to write a story of her perfect life, with this version of Emma getting to do all those things that she will miss out on. However, as she starts writing her story, things in her own life start changing, and for the better as well. Emma finally opens up her heart, and with that tries to find happiness in the short time she has left.

I don't want to spoil too much of the book, but I have to say how much I loved the character of Emma. Straight away, you get the sense that she is an incredibly strong person having to deal with a really horrible disease, and Brooke writes this so poignantly that you can't help but be touched by it from the first page. Emma's pain, both physical and emotional, is obvious too. Her longing for things she knows she won't have is hard to read and often moved me to tears, and certainly makes you feel grateful that you aren't in her shoes. I can't imagine what it must be like to live with such uncertainty, and while it doesn't always make for comfortable reading, you can't stop turning the pages and being absorbed by Emma and her tale. I really enjoyed the aspect of her writing her own happy ending as well, it was quite bittersweet but the way she felt she was living somewhat through her fictional Emma was heart-warming.

One thing I found really, really hard was to read the scenes with Emma and her mother Meg. I was in floods of tears with these scenes, particularly towards the end because as a mum, I couldn't help but put myself in Emma's mums shoes and the pain she was going through knowing she was going to lose her child. It was very emotional for me in this respect, and I am sure a lot of mothers reading this will be thinking the same thing. It was heart-breaking but such a pivotal part of the story it had to be there. The relationship that Emma had with her sister too was wonderful to read, so close and Brooke writes the pain of both so easily. The love story within too gives Emma hope, and you can't help but wish she could get the happy ever after that she so deserves, even though you know it isn't possible.

Another Way to Fall is really emotional, heart-breaking and moving book that will definitely move you to tears, but it is one that you'll be pleased you've read once you have. It's full of hope and love, showing how families can come together when they are pushed to the very limit, and how you have to be there for each other through the ups and downs, no matter what. Brooke has really tapped into the emotions of these characters so well, their pain, their heartbreak and also their hope too that you are feeling these emotions along with them, it's so powerful. When I read the opening to the book which explains how Brooke lost her own young son to cancer, you can see how she has tapped into her own awful experiences to put across the realistic side to this book, and as you've probably guessed that made me cry even more. Never has a book made me cry so book, but I'm still pleased I've read, and I know it's one that will remain on my 'keepers' shelf, a truly moving book.

eBook News: Woman Walks into a Bar by Rowan Coleman

Rowan Coleman is releasing a new eBook this month, but it's one with a difference. Rowan is donating all of the proceeds of the book to charity Refuge, one which helps women and children to escape domestic violence. Rowan hopes to raise £10,000 through the eBook, and all you have to do to help is buy a copy for your Kindle for a mere £1.59.

Also... there's a chance for you to win some amazing prizes too. Rowan says "Everytime you download a copy of 'Woman Walks into a Bar' you will be entered into a prize draw to win fabulous prizes like a Kindle Paperwhite, A one off designer bag, and lots of Benefit Make up goodies, BUT to be entered you MUST tweet or facebook your purchase via amazon and include the tags #supportafriend and #womanwalks Don't forget to do it, and tell all your friends."

Support a fantastic cause championed by a brilliant author and buy the book now. The eBook is out on 10th September.

"A night out with the girls changes Sam’s life forever…

28-year-old single mother Sam spends her days working in the local supermarket and her Friday nights out with her friends letting her hair down at the White Horse. Life hasn’t been easy for Sam and her daughter, Beth (who always looks on the bright side) but she’s always hoped that one day she’ll break free from her past and meet The One. 

But after a series of terrible dates with men she’s met through an internet dating site, that have all been as awful as her daughter's terrible jokes, she’s starting to lose heart - until her friends tell her they’ve set her up on a blind date. Sam’s horrified but finally she agrees to go. After all you never know when you might meet the man of your dreams; just maybe Sam’s happy ending is just about to begin….

But will Sam have to face up to her past before she can find a new future?"

You can pre-order Woman Walks into a Bar as an eBook now!

Book Review: The Life List by Lori Nelson Spielman

"Things to do when I grow up:

1. Have a baby

2. Fall in love

3. Perform live on a super-big stage

Brett Bohlinger seems to have it all: a plum job, a spacious loft and an irresistibly handsome boyfriend. That is, until her beloved moth
er passes away leaving behind a will with one big stipulation: in order to receive her inheritance, Brett must first complete the life list of goals she'd written when she was fourteen.

Grief-stricken, Brett cannot believe she can ever fulfil her mother's wishes, because to do so would mean losing her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend.

But as Brett reluctantly embarks on a perplexing journey in search of her adolescent dreams, one thing becomes clear: sometimes life's sweetest gifts can be found in the most unexpected places."

Rating: 5/5

You can buy The Life List as a paperback or an eBook now.

This is one debut novel I didn't hear about until shortly before it was due to be released. I had seen it on another blog and it sounded like a great read, so when I was invited to be a part of the blog tour, I jumped at the chance. I hosted a lovely article by Lori Nelson Spielman, and at the time I was only halfway through the book. I took it on holiday with me and had to finish it straight away because I was so involved in the story. I have to compliment the publishers on the gorgeous cover too - I think it's really beautiful and somehow fits in well with the idea of the story too. I really loved this book, and here's why I think it's a must-read.

Brett is devastated when her mother passes away after an illness. She and her mother were very close, and Brett wonders how she is going cope without her rock guiding her through her life. When the will is read and Brett finds out all of her brothers have been given an inheritance and she hasn't, Brett is dumbfounded - why has her mother treated her so differently to her siblings? She soon finds out that her mother has set aside an inheritance, but it's on some strict conditions. Brett has to complete the 'life list' she wrote when she was just a teenager. It seems a strange request - some of the things aren't relevant anymore but Brett is sure there must be a method in her mother's madness. Brett decides she must do what her mother asks, and when she starts completing the tasks, she wonders how they can lead to a happier life for her after all....

This really was a brilliant book. The lead character of Brett Bohlinger is so likeable. Straight away, you sympathise with her as the book opens with Brett at the funeral of her mother and you can see how badly she is affected by her loss. She's bereft and her actions show that so well. When the idea of her teenage life list is introduced, I really liked how Brett dismissed it, sure she is a very different person from the teenager who wrote that list. As she begins to open her mind to the things she has to do, from putting on a stand-up comedy show to having children, something which seems impossible given the year time limit Brett's mother has put on her completing these tasks, you can see Brett change as a person, and I really enjoyed reading the relationship between Brett and her mother's attorney Brad develop as he helps her fulfill her tasks throughout the year.

What shocked me most of all about this book though was the emotion within. While the idea of Brett completing these life list tasks is the main theme, it is the way she goes about completing one of these tasks that really sticks with me and really moves me. There is a story in the book involving Brett and young pregnant girl Sanquita. This story shocked me with how much it struck me and made me think about mother-child relationships in a different way. I'm not ashamed to say that a few parts in this story drove me to tears, it was so emotional and full credit to Nelson Spielman for handling this story so sensitively. I also liked Brett trying to fulfill another of her tasks, connecting with her father. This, again, took some real twists and turns and I loved how it all turned out in the end. It was unexpected, in so many ways and for the whole book really but it worked so well.

At the heart of this book is a beautiful bond between a mother and daughter and this remains the most important thing throughout. Yes, Brett's mother is no longer with her in body, but you get the feeling she is with her in every other way and you can see how Brett draws strength from that. The book takes place over the year of Brett trying to complete her tasks, and I enjoyed reading her character grow and change as a person, accepting those things she cannot change and embracing the ones she could. The bond between Brett and her brothers too was interesting, especially showing how money and business can affect everyone, no matter how close they are. The book isn't at predictable, it twists and turns along the way - when you're sure you know where it's going, Nelson Spielman throws you in another direction, and I really enjoyed it. It's an emotional and very touching read that will certainly stay in your mind when you've finished it. There are some important lessons in this book, and I'm sure everyone who reads it can take something from it. A beautiful book that deserves to be read, shared and loved.

September 2013 Releases

I cannot quite believe we are already in September.... which is a great thing because a) it's nearly time to start the countdown to Christmas and b) that means festive reads! In the mean time though, we have a great selection of books out this month, and I'm certainly looking forward to a few of them! I've also added in a few eBook only titles because I feel eBooks are now so popular, they deserve to be included. Let me know which ones you are looking forward to reading.

Book News: Make My Wish Come True by Fiona Harper

This book caught my eye when I was browsing for Christmas titles on Amazon the other day, and reminded me I have another of Fiona Harper's festive offerings on my bookshelf to enjoy! Her latest book Make My Wish Come True is due on out on November 1st, complete with colourful festive-style cover, and I think it sounds like a great read, and one I'll add to my festive must-reads list!

You can pre-order Make My Wish Come True as an eBook or a paperback now.

"Family-orientated and Christmas-dinner cook extraordinaire Juliet is trying to keep it together in the wake of her marriage breakdown two Christmases ago, but the cracks are beginning to show. Bright and vivacious Gemma was always the favourite daughter… So she has no qualms about leaving Christmas in her sister Juliet’s capable hands; and escaping the pressures of her glamorous job, and the festive madness by jetting off to somewhere warm. When Gemma shirks responsibility once too many and announces she’s off to the Caribbean (again!); Juliet finally snaps. Gemma offers her sister the perfect solution - to swap Christmases: she’ll stay home and cook the turkey (how hard can it be?) and Juliet can fly off into the sun and have a restorative break. In the midst of all the chaos, there’s Will, Juliet’s dishy neighbour who’s far too nice to float Gemma’s boat and may secretly harbour feelings for her sister; and Marco, the suave Italian in the villa next door, who has his own ideas about the best way to help Juliet unwind. Will the sisters abandon caution and make this a Christmas swap to remember?"