Book Review: Christmas at the Comfort Food Café by Debbie Johnson

"The brand new Christmas romance from best-selling author Debbie Johnson and the follow up to ‘Summer at the Comfort Food Cafe’.

The Comfort Food Cafe is perched on a windswept clifftop at what feels like the edge of the world, serving up the most delicious cream teas; beautifully baked breads, and carefully crafted cupcakes. For tourists and locals alike, the ramshackle cafe overlooking the beach is a beacon of laughter, companionship, and security – a place like no other; a place that offers friendship as a daily special, and where a hearty welcome is always on the menu."

Rating: 5/5

You can buy the book now.

I have become a huge Debbie Johnson, thanks to the fact her books are just brilliant, and I enjoy every single one that I pick up! I read her latest summer novel Summer at the Comfort Food Café a few months ago and adored it, so I was thrilled to see that Debbie was bringing these characters for another outing, this time at Christmas! However, instead of following Laura as we did in the first book, we follow her single sister Becca in this one, reluctantly joining in with her families celebrations, wishing she was back in her flat on her own! Laura, however, is determined to drag her sister into the festivities, including café owner Cherie's upcoming wedding, and, of course, Christmas. But Becca is finding it tough - will she be able to put up with everyone for the whole Christmas period, and is the arrival of local surfer Sam going to change her mind?!

The first thing I want to mention is Debbie's wonderful writing. It is this that makes me want to pick up her books several times a year, and devour them in one sitting. They're funny (genuinely laugh out loud funny too!), warm, and a joy to read, and this one was certainly no different. Debbie creates the perfect festive feeling throughout this book, and I looked forward to each opportunity I got to pick it up and get myself back to the Dorset coast with Becca and her family again.

I loved Laura as the main character in the summer novel, so it was interesting this time to see Laura and her family from someone else's point of view. While we met Becca in the previous book, she wasn't a main character at all so we don't really know too much about her going into this book. Firstly, she clearly dislikes Christmas and all it stands for. The book begins with a few flashbacks to Becca and Laura's childhood, and their Christmas disasters. Actually, Becca doesn't come across as a very nice person, but as the book progresses, it all becomes clearer as to why Becca is how she is. I actually found it quite sweet how much out of her comfort zone she put herself for her sister.

It was great being back at the Comfort Food Café again with the characters I had really grown to love in the summer. It was lovely to see how settled Laura's children Lizzy and Nate were at last, that Laura's relationship was still ongoing, and that Cherie's wedding was imminent. You don't have to have read the first book to enjoy this, but I feel you should read it prior to this to really set the tone for this one, and explain many of the goings on that are hinted at throughout this book. As I said, the festive feeling is truly there throughout, and happily we actually get to celebrate a Christmas day in the book, which is actually far rarer than you'd think in Christmas fiction!

This book was completely enjoyable from start to finish, and it's definitely one of my favourite Christmas books that I have read so far this year. It was great to be back in a familiar environment, with characters that I knew and already loved, and I was intrigued to find out a lot more about Becca as well, and her journey in the book. I don't want to reveal a lot, but we certainly get to see lots of Becca's downs as well as her ups, I did feel quite sorry for her and her mindset throughout the book, she recognised that she needed to change things but just seemed lost as to how. It was fun, festive and a great read, but also tackles some more serious things, and I enjoyed the balance of this within the book. A fab read, a must-read for Christmas!

Book Review: We'll Always Have Paris by Sue Watson

"Does first love deserve a second chance?

When she was almost seventeen, Rosie Draper locked eyes with a charismatic student called Peter during their first week at art college, changing the course of her life forever. Now, on the cusp of sixty-five and recently widowed, Rosie is slowly coming to terms with a new future. And after a chance encounter with Peter, forty-seven years later, they both begin to wonder 'what if' . . ."

Rating: 5/5

You can buy the book now.

I'm a huge fan of Sue Watson, and look forward to her new books, particularly her Christmas ones, every year. When I saw she had a new book deal with publishers Sphere and that the book would be quite different to the other fiction she has released, I was really eager to try it. Of course, it didn't disappoint and I found it to be a very enjoyable read. It's the story of lonely widow Rosie, who is still getting over the death of her beloved husband, and trying to keep the rest of her life, including the florist business she runs with her daughters, together. When she delivers flowers to a fancy wedding, she bumps into her first love Peter by chance... is she open to letting her heart love again?

I loved Sue's writing throughout this book. She writes the delicate themes so well, touching on Rosie's grief, guilt, hope and sorrow so well throughout the book, and weaving it together to create a wonderfully uplifting and hopeful book. Rosie was a lovely character, someone who has found herself unexpectedly alone and unsure of how to deal with the loss of her husband. You could see she was quite lost, and when she bumps into Peter again, the guilt eats away at her, with her feeling like she might be betraying her husband, and her daughters too by the thought of her moving on.

As you can imagine, this isn't always easy reading, with Rosie wanting to take control of her own life, but being held by back by many factors, some of them being her daughters, one of whom is really struggling with the thought of her mother being with someone other than her father. I found the realism in this story was excellent, you can believe all of these characters and how they acted, I expect that is how I would react if I were to ever find myself in that situation. The relationship with her daughters was very close though, and I enjoyed reading about it. I also enjoyed how the book flashed back to the past, when Rosie and Peter were together when they were much younger, and their love story then, and why it all came crashing down for them. Again this was very emotive, but it certainly helps us understand Rosie and her reticence to possibly getting back with Peter after so many years.

This book, while very different to Sue's other more light-hearted and funny novels, was a great read from start to finish. I found it very touching and emotional, and I found myself wanting Rosie and Peter to end up with a happy ending, they both deserved it. It was also nice to read about love later in life - we read so many books about twenty-somethings finding love and settling down, but I loved reading about someone like Rosie, who was sure she was done with relationships and men after her husband's death, opening herself up to the possibility of loving and being loved once more. Watson's writing is wonderful to read, gentle yet not afraid to delve to the heart of the subject. A truly lovely read.

Blog Tour Book Review: Between Sisters by Cathy Kelly

"Cassie has spent her married life doing everything right - making sure her children have the perfect life, being a devoted wife to her husband and a dutiful daughter-in-law to his mother, even when her patience has been tested. Although it has left her so exhausted that 'wine o'clock' comes a little earlier each afternoon. But she wouldn't change a thing, she's certain, until temptation comes her way...

Her sister Coco runs a vintage dress shop and sure, she's shied away from commitment over the years. It's just that Coco believes men complicate things more than necessary, and she's got enough to contend with looking after her business and her staff, who seem to rely on her more and more for relationship advice. But who is she to give advice, when her own life is so simple?

Watching over them is grandmother Pearl, tucked away in her little house in Delaney Square with her chickens, busy with her poker club and a secret lover. But something is keeping her awake at night. Was she right to do what she did all those years ago? Surely, if she were right, she wouldn't be thinking about it so often now...?

And then there's Elsa, the polished face of daytime TV, who's battled demons of her own in the past and come out on top. Now Elsa faces one final battle - but this one will require more bravery than anything that's come before."

Rating: 4/5

I'm a fan of Cathy Kelly's book, and was very pleased to be asked to be part of her blog tour for her brand new book Between Sisters. The paperback release sees a new cover look for Cathy, and I actually really like this one, its simplistic but eye-catching. This story centres around one family - the Keneally's. Grandmother Pearl is the matriarch of the family, and has brought up her granddaughters Coco and Cassie by herself after their mother disappeared when they were very young. But the girl's lives aren't exactly plain-sailing at the moment. Cassie's relationship with her husband is going from bad to worse, Coco is working away in her vintage shop, having left behind the one relationship that could have turned into her happy ever after, and Pearl is hiding a secret she knows she can't reveal. Are the Keneally sisters going to be able to move through their bad time and into a happier future?

I love books centred around families, so this one really appealed to me from the beginning. At first, we just meet Coco and Cassie, and spend time between their two stories, but as the book progresses, we meet more characters who become involved with the women. The focus, however, stays on Coco and Cassie, and how their past and the abandonment by their mother has affected them. For some, this will be a bit cliché, with the story being a bit predictable and I could see the end coming as I read, but it didn't stop my enjoyment of the book because I sometimes like a story where I can see a happy ending coming!

Coco and Cassie were very different characters, but I found myself warming to Coco more. She was more likeable in my eyes, scared of making a commitment after having her heart-broken before, but strong when she needed to be. There is a sub-plot involving Coco's best friend Jo and her young daughter, and this was a really enjoyable part of the story for me. Cathy Kelly writes these relationships really well, and how it progressed felt really believable. It was emotional, and tackled some strong issues very well.

Cassie, on the other hand, I found it harder to like. She struggles more with the abandonment of her mother, as she was older when her mother left, and this really affects her as an adult, perhaps more than realises. Her husband Shay is quite beholden to his own mother, and the angle this story takes is very interesting. I think I sided with Cassie here, because his actions did start to become unacceptable, but I did feel sorry for Shay too as he was being pulled in two very different directions. Again, this part of the book was very emotive, Cassie really struggles to deal with what is happening in her marriage, but I found myself rooting for the pair to work it out, and put their family back together again. She relies heavily on her grandmother Pearl, who is a typical older wise grandmother character, but I really enjoyed her advice, and Pearl's own story too.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable book, but not my favourite of Cathy Kelly's. As I said, it felt quite predictable almost from the beginning, you could sense how things were going to end up, and although I enjoyed that, there will be readers out there who prefer to go into a book which is a little less predictable. However, what this book has is the heart of Cathy Kelly's writing - warmth, love and heart, it's all of these things which make Cathy's books so readable, and enjoyable. The characters were interesting to read about, the setting was just right for the book, and it was a very enjoyable read from start to finish. Recommended.

Blog Tour Author Post: Someone New by Zoe Miller

Today I am thrilled to be hosting Zoe Miller for her blog tour for her new book Someone New. I love Zoe's books and am very much looking forward to reading this one. Please enjoy the article written by Zoe below, which is about one of the themes featured in her new book, about keeping up a perfect facade. It's a fun read! Thanks to her publishers and to Zoe for inviting me to be part of the blog tour!

You can buy the book now.

SOMEONE NEW: Blog Tour Day 5

I’d like to say a huge thank you to Chloe for being part of the blog tour for Someone New and I’m delighted to be featured today as a guest post on her blog, Chicklit Chloe Blogspot.

Today the guest post looks at the question of keeping up a perfect façade, one of the themes in Someone New.  So many of us maintain a perfect front to put out there to others, sometimes keeping other sides of ourselves away from even our nearest and dearest. We don’t always know the true colours behind the façade people present to the world. It’s a theme I find recurring in a lot of the novels I’ve written - after all anything can be going on behind closed hall doors, or our closed-off selves, or the veneer of an impeccable mask; the potential for human drama and tension as the writer delves beneath the mask or unveils the truth is limitless, for both protagonist and antagonist alike. We don’t know what anyone is going through until, as the saying goes, we’ve walked a mile in their shoes, and that applies to the characters we read and write about as much as ourselves.

In Someone New, Grace Bailey, the thirty-year-old lead character, had been giving her family and friends the impression she was quite happy with her lot and her boyfriend Gavin, and all was well in her world. Likewise her sister Lucia, who has, according to Grace, always accomplished everything perfectly and according to the golden rules.

In some respects it can good for ourselves and our well-being to keep up appearances, to put our best foot forward, to meet the world with a smile. We all need to keep certain boundaries around ourselves, and keep our hearts safe from those who might treat them less than sensitively.  We don’t always need to allow people access all areas of our lives, never mind our thoughts and feelings. Sometimes little white lies can be useful to spare someone’s feelings or safeguard our own.

In Someone New, however, we soon find out that behind the happy impression she had been giving out, Grace had been living the kind of life she felt she ought to be living rather than the kind of life that was true to herself.  She’d been living under the weight of other peoples’ expectations, doing things she felt she should be doing, conforming to other people’s opinions of what makes up a happy, successful life, until she began to feel she was drowning.  In the opening scene, Grace feels she has hit rock bottom. It’s Christmas time, she’s met Gavin, her (now) ex-boyfriend for a drink, and somehow he manages to push all the wrong buttons and make her feel guilty for breaking it off with him, particularly now in the run up to Christmas, which for some, can be the loneliest time of the year instead of the most wonderful. Grace has lived behind a façade for so long that she feels remorseful for breaking free.

Then she meets Danny.  

Writing about Danny, and the way he explodes into Grace’s world and helps her to sweep away the cobwebs of other peoples’ expectations and begin to live a life true to herself was enjoyable and fun. It was more surprising fun however, discovering the effect he had Lucia, when he couldn’t help but shake the silk-covered walls of the life she had constructed around herself.

The problem with putting up a perfect façade is that it can collapse down around us when we least expect it to, and in Someone New that’s exactly what happens…

Thank you Chloe, for having me as a guest on your blog today.

Zoë xx

About Someone New
In her heart, Grace knows the perfect, reliable, good-looking Gavin isn’t right for her. Then she meets Danny. Unpredictable and spontaneous, he turns her world upside down. All of a sudden, Grace is seeing life differently and doing things she never thought she’d do.

But tragedy strikes when Danny dies in a motorbike accident, shattering Grace’s world. As she struggles to come to terms with her loss, she becomes more and more convinced that she’s being followed – sighting a motorbike exactly like Danny’s everywhere she goes. And she starts to wonder if Danny’s death was really an accident.

When she finally voices her suspicions to her family and the police, though, no one seems willing to believe her.

Meanwhile Grace feels ever more under threat as sinister things begin happening to her. What was Danny hiding from her? And what kind of danger is she in now?

About the Author:
Zoë Miller writes contemporary novels laced with suspense and intrigue. She was born on the south side of Dublin, where she still lives with her husband. She has two daughters and a son. As a child, Zoë was always the one with her head stuck in a book and she enjoyed reading so much that it compelled her to write. ‘Someone New’ is Zoë’s eighth book to be published by Hachette Books Ireland, and Zoë fits in her writing between family time and the day job.

Website: www.zoemillerauthor.com

Book Review: The Missing Wife by Sheila O'Flanagan

"Have you ever wanted to disappear?

When Imogen Naughton vanishes, everyone who knows her is shocked. She has a perfect marriage. Her handsome husband treats her like a princess. She's always said how lucky she is. So why has she left? And how will she survive without Vince?

What goes on behind closed doors is often a surprise, and Imogen surprises herself by taking the leap she knows she must. But as she begins her journey to find the woman she once was, Imogen's past is right behind her...

Will it catch up with her? And will she be ready to face it if it does?"

Rating: 4/5

You can buy the book now.

I love Sheila O'Flanagan's novels, and was super excited when her new book The Missing Wife was released this summer. I have to confess I wasn't initially drawn by the cover, it seemed a little bit generic for me, but now I've read the novel, it makes sense! However, despite my initial dislike for the cover, I knew the story inside would be brilliant, because Sheila never disappoints me, and she certainly didn't with this book, it was brilliant and completely absorbing from the beginning!

Imogen seemingly has it all. She's married to a successful man, with a happy marriage, a good job, nice lifestyle and good friends around her. So when she doesn't come home from a business trip, her husband Vince is sure there must be an explanation. But when Imogen doesn't return, it seems she really has vanished and her family are shocked and puzzled, it's totally out of character for to behave like this. Imogen has fled to southern France, to where she grew up, someone she is sure she won't be found. She is determined to start afresh and create a new life for herself. But when it seems Vince might be on her trail, will Imogen be able to keep herself hidden?

There was something really intriguing about this book from the very beginning. There was no initial explanation as to why Imogen decided to walk away from her entire life, not telling a soul where she had gone or why, and this carries on for a good portion of the book. When it is revealed, we do indeed begin to understand much more about Imogen and why she felt this was the only choice she had, and I enjoyed the pace with which this unfolded. I had myself imagining all sorts of things, so it was nice when the big reveal eventually came and I was pleased that one of my guesses was right! I also enjoyed how the narrative was split between Imogen and Vince, albeit in the third person. Therefore we get to see Imogen's side, but also how that affects Vince and everyone she has left behind, we do get a nice rounded look at everything.

As with all stories, things seem to fall into Imogen's lap much more so than I believe would happen in real life, but I love the escapism of books like this and how things usually work out nicely for the characters, especially the ones that deserve a bit of a break like Imogen! Pretty much the rest of the book is set in France, and the little village that Imogen ends up in sounds beautiful, you can see why she was so happy to settle down there. The locals, too, were kind and friendly, and very welcoming too, definitely a nice start for Imogen in her new home. I loved how she got stuck in to local life, happy to work hard and mingle too when it was needed.

I enjoyed the suspense feeling to the book when we feel like Vince might be getting close to locating his estranged wife - I was desperately hoping that he wouldn't be able to because we do see his true colours, and I found myself whizzing through to see how it was going to end for Imogen. I was certainly on tenterhooks for those final few chapters, it was utterly compulsive and I loved it! I felt this was quite different to other books I have read from Sheila in the past, but I found it refreshing and I really did enjoy it. The writing was wonderful, and I really enjoyed the descriptions of Imogen's new hometown, and her childhood home too. It all really came alive in mind as I read, and I felt like I was transported to the warm French village with Imogen and her new friends! An exciting and enjoyable read, I can definitely recommend it!

Book Review: Milkshakes and Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner by Helen Cox

"Next time you’re in New York, take a turn off Broadway onto East Houston Street. There, you’ll see it: The Starlight Diner. A retro eatery curious enough to delight tourists and locals alike. Fifties tunes stream out of the jukebox long into the night, and it serves the tastiest milkshakes in the five boroughs.

Esther Knight waitresses at The Starlight Diner. She’s sharp, sarcastic, and she’s hiding something. Nobody at the diner knows why she left London for New York – or why she repeatedly resists the charms of their newest regular, actor Jack Faber.

Esther is desperate to start a new life in the land of the free, but despite the warm welcome from the close-knit diner crowd, something from her past is holding her back. Can she ever learn to love and live again?"

Rating: 4/5

I adore books set in New York, and I just can't enough of them if I'm honest! So, when I was offered the chance to read and review Helen Cox's new book Milkshakes and Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner set in New York and a small diner, I jumped at the chance because it sounded just like my cup of tea... or coffee as it may be in the diner! This was a truly special book, one that wasn't exactly what I had expected but I loved nonetheless!

Esther loves working in the Starlight Diner, a small diner in New York city, but she's hiding a secret. She's moved over there from England but refuses to tell anyone in New York why she is there, just telling her colleagues she fancied a change of scenery. But when Esther meets newbie actor Jack Faber in the diner, she's worried he will get her to spill all of her secrets and expose her true self. Will she be able to keep her secrets hidden from those at the Starlight Diner, or is she destined to forever be making new starts?

From the cover and the title of the book, I had expected something quite light-hearted and fun. While we did get that in parts of the book, I felt it had a more serious overtone though than I had ever expected, which did surprise me. a lot. In fact, the main storyline, which I won't reveal as part of the mystery of this book is exactly what happened to Esther, was totally unexpected, and I felt very well handled by the author. It's a serious topic, something that needs to be covered carefully and with delicate writing, and this book definitely delivers on that. It touches on the emotion, the gravitas and the power of what happened to Esther, and how it has changed her perfectly, you can truly understand why she is how she is.

Esther was a bit of an enigma in the book, I couldn't quite understand her which is of course what Helen Cox intended, and as the book goes on and more is revealed about her past, you begin to sympathise and understand this character. I loved her close relationships with her colleagues, especially fellow waitress Mona who was just lovely, and the sort of person Esther needed while she was so alone in a big city like New York. Esther's boss, and some of the other diner regulars pop up frequently, and round off a great cast! The male lead in the book is Jack, the actor who takes a shine to Esther, but is a bit of a strange one himself. I was never quite sure how to take him, and whether or not he was being genuine to Esther. However, I enjoyed the progression of their story, and again as the book goes on and more is revealed about him, I became more involved in his story too.

The twists and turns as the book progresses were intriguing, and had me surprised in several places. I had guessed what Esther's secret might be, but that didn't stop my shock and emotion when it was all revealed. Helen Cox's writing was a joy to read, describing everything from the city to the characters to the diner (which sounded just amazing by the way!) in such detail, you really feel like you are there with these characters. The story absolutely hooked me in, I couldn't stop reading in parts, and I am pleased that there is going to be a sequel called Secrets and Fries at the Starlight Diner, and it's out in December! I can't wait to catch up with Esther, Mona, Jack and more... the end of this book certainly hooks you into wanting to read the next one as soon as possible!

Book Review: These Days of Ours by Juliet Ashton

"Kate and Becca are cousins and best friends. They have grown up together and shared all the most important milestones in their lives: childhood birthday parties, eighteenth birthdays, and now a wedding day as they each marry their childhood sweethearts, Charlie and Julian.

Kate has always loved Charlie - they were meant to be. Then she discovers that life never turns out quite how you expect it to. And love doesn't always follow the journey it should.

But best friends are forever, and true love will find a way, won't it…?"

Rating: 5/5

You can buy the book now!

This book was sent to me a few months ago by the lovely SJV at Simon and Schuster, and I was lucky enough that it was a signed copy, which made me really excited! I somehow managed to get so behind on my reviewing, but finally got around to reading this one, and I just wish I hadn't waited so long to finally read it because this was a truly amazing and touching story, and one that I know will stay with me for a long time to come.

The story is centred around cousins, Kate and Becca. They're very close, more like sisters than cousins, and do practically everything together. They share birthday parties, celebrations, and even their weddings. Kate has always loved Charlie, and thought he felt the same too. But somehow, fate intervenes and Kate discovers that perhaps she should broaden her horizons and not always follow how she thought her life would map out. But what will this mean for the cousins, and will their relationship stand the test of time... and adulthood?

First of all, I want to comment on the brilliant way this book progresses. It begins with the two girls as young girls, then moves through into their eighteenth birthdays, their weddings and finally it slows down towards the end of the book as the women cope with adulthood, and their very different lifestyles. I loved how we stuck with the same characters, that the book moves through time perfectly, and you feel like you really are a part of Becca and Kate's lives, and that you're almost seeing them grow up in front of your very eyes.

The story is told from the perspective of Kate, although Becca is very prominent throughout the book of course, as is Charlie, the love of Kate's life. The cast of characters is actually quite small throughout the book, but this works well and allows the story to really focus on Kate, Becca and their various relationships. I really enjoyed the relationship between the cousins; it felt very real, and I liked how it was affected by very realistic issues as the pair got older, and inevitably grow apart a little. Kate was my favourite of the two, not just because she is the narrator but I just found her far more likeable than Becca, and I felt I could relate to her a bit more, being quieter and far shier than her outgoing cousin!

There were a lot of twists and turns thrown in along the way, and the first one that really flummoxed me comes only a few chapters into the book. It shocked and confused me so much that I had to go back and reread what had happened, simply because I felt so sure I'd made a mistake in my mind and got confused, but alas, I hadn't! I loved that Juliet Ashton was able to flummox the reader so early on in the novel, and the surprises kept on coming for me, that was something I really enjoyed! Ashton's writing is brilliant, totally draws you in and made it very easy reading, I just wanted to keep going and find out what was going to happen next!

The momentum was lost a little bit for me sadly around 3/4 of the way through the book, but I ploughed on and I am pleased that I did because I found it soon picked up again, and once a certain character who I really disliked didn't appear as much, I began to really enjoy the story again. I loved everything about this book, as you've probably guessed! The little lull towards the end is totally forgiveable for me because I just adored the rest of it so much. The writing, the characters, the love, the heartbreak - it's all in here and it is just wonderful to read. A cleverly crafted and very enjoyable read, I'm looking forward to Juliet's next book!