Monday 30 July 2012

A Very Accidental Love Story by Claudia Carroll


A Very Accidental Love Affair is the first book I have read by Claudia Carroll, after hearing so many good things about this author I was looking forward to finally getting on board and trying out one of her novels.


With Eloise Elliot it was all work and no play and it wasn’t until her 30th birthday party when hardly anyone turned up that she realised that she was lonely as her whole life revolves around work she has no friends no partner and hardly any contact with her family.

After three years things have changed somewhat for Eloise as she is now a mother to a beautiful little girl but one thing still has yet to change and that is to get some kind of balance between work and social balance. It is when little Lily starts questioning about her Daddy that Eloise has no option but to slow down at work and try to find Lily’s Daddy she longs to meet.


The first thing I have to say is that I love the cover of this book it gives a kind of fairytale feel to it, and is definitely one that would catch my eye on the book shelf.

Our main character Eloise was quite a hard character to warm to at first and that is because her character is cold and hard. The only thing to her personality is that she is a workaholic but that is as far as her personality goes. When the book then fast forwards to three years later when she has become a mum she still doesn’t seem to have developed at all and that is when I began to worry about this book as the most important thing to me in a book is that I can either relate to the character or at least like the character.

It is Jake who saves the day in this book because as soon as Eloise meets him she starts to blossom as a character and he is a lovely male character too. By the time Eloise finds Jake the pages seemed to be turning themselves and I found myself getting lost in the storyline wanting to see how it pans out but as I got closer to the end it was a little sad to find it was nearly finished!

It seemed as though Eloise’s daughter Lily had her mum wrapped around her little finger which was quite funny to see that this hard woman could have her hard exterior broken down by this adorable little girl. I was surprised that my feelings towards the main character turned full circle by the end of the book and I actually really liked her character and was only hoping for the best for her.

I enjoyed Claudia’s writing style which flowed so effortlessly I am looking forward to picking up some of the authors previous books after reading this one.

Paperback                Kindle

Saturday 28 July 2012

Kindle Treats!

I will be a busy bee this weekend moving into my first house and so I have scheduled two posts for you to keep you busy through the weekend. This post I am hoping will help you to all get your hands on some fantastic Kindle books at unbelievable prices. Moving home I know I will have to cut my book spending so I know this will come in handy for me as I hope it will do for you. The second post you need to keep your eyes peeled for is a review of A Very Accidental Love Story as I am sure this will be one you will all want to add to your list.

Let us know which ones you pick ! x

99p                            £1.99                   £1.99                     99p


£1.09                         £1.99                   £1.99                     99p P/O


£1.53                        £1.99                     20p                       99p


99p                         99p


I HOPE YOU ALL FIND SOMETHING YOU LOVE I HAVE READ THE MAJORITY OF THESE AND LOVED THEM SO GET CLICKING!!!









Wednesday 25 July 2012

Mum on the Run by Fiona Gibson


I remember walking into WHSmith and seeing a pack of two books by Fiona Gibson on the shelf. The covers of these books are exactly the brightly and alluring covers which seem to always catch my eye so I had to pick these ones up. Problem was I was very organised and put them in my drawer as I keep the books I buy separate from the books sent to review but I done a bad thing and forgot about them ( please form a line to smack my wrist!) I thought it was about time I read one of these books so I started with Mum on The Run.

Laura Swan is not happy with her weight but seems to just plod along without doing anything about it until the dreaded children’s sports day comes around and her daughter Grace is pleading with her to take part in the mum’s race. Finally giving in to her daughter she competes against the very athletic mums and in such a short time during this race her world comes crumbling down in more ways than one.

Laura decides to take drastic action and is going to shift the extra pounds but is this going to be enough to fix everything around her?

This is the first book I have read by Fiona Gibson and I can now say it definitely will not be my last. This book was pure entertainment right from the first chapter which had me laughing away. Laura is such a loveable character it doesn’t take long for us to warm to her and we find ourselves routing for her all the way through the book as she tackles situations many of us have found ourselves in.

The book flows at such a fast and easy pace that I finished it in an afternoon in the sun. I loved the way the author tied the ending up as I am sure you all know by now I do not like to be left on a cliff-hanger!
I did find the parts of the storyline very predictable but for me this didn’t effect my enjoyment of the book as it was great to see how everything unfolded and the day to day humour which is used in this book more than makes up for the lack of suspense. 

If any of you are like me and not read any of Fiona Gibson’s previous books then I would definitely pick one up especially thoughts of you who like the writing style of Jane Costello as this book had a similar feel to her books. I cannot wait to start another book by Fiona Gibson lucky for me I brought The Great Escape too so I am sure you know what I will be reading tonight!

Kindle                     Paperback

Monday 23 July 2012

Playing On Cotton Clouds by Michela O'brien


Playing on Cotton Clouds has been sitting on my top be read list for a while now because my kindle died but thanks to the lovely Amazon they have replaced my poor old kindle with a nice shiny new one allowing me to catch up with some of my e-book reviews.

When arty Livy falls for her sister’s boyfriend, she knows her dreams are unlikely to come true… Sensitive Seth thinks he has hit the jackpot when the girl of his dreams finally looks his way… While laidback Aidan is every girl’s hero. 


Fast forward twenty-five years as carefree youth turns into adulthood responsibilities, relationships begin and end, music and fashion change, and life moves on with its successes, failures and heartaches. As the friends grow up, they discover life rarely turns out the way you imagined it at fifteen. The rites of passage through years are eerily familiar to every 1980s teenager in this moving, heartfelt novel. 

I loved the structure of this book it is not often that I read a book and find myself following a character through decades of their lives but this is what we see in this book but not with only one character but with a group of characters.
Because of the way this book is set out the characters are developed really well as we get to know them through the different stages of their lives.

The book flows at a very slow pace with the storyline unfolding gradually revealing some surprising tribulations which keep the readers interested, had it not been for this I would have been a little worried as the pace of the book was a slight problem for me.

Livy was by far my favourite character in this book she brought a little light to the darkness surrounding Seth’s character. I loved the shocking revelation involving Aiden, I really didn’t see this coming and this is what I always love in a book is when something creeps up on me that is so unpredictable.

For any Lisa Jewell or Joanna Lambert fans this author is going to be a new one to add to your list. I will be looking out for future books by this author.


Kindle

Saturday 21 July 2012

Yours Truly by Kirsty Greenwood


I couldn’t wait to read Yours Truly mainly for two reasons, firstly I loved the cover and I remember reading the post about the cover being developed with the various changes being made to make it perfect which I found very interesting. Secondly the author is Kirsty Greenwood from over at Novelicious and the ladies over there seem to have a similar taste in books to myself so I was secretly confident that Kirsty would write something to my liking but with any debut book you are never quite sure what is in store!

Natalie is a sweet natured character with “walk over me” tattooed on her forehead! Everyone from her family to her boyfriend Olly walk all over her and do not take her feelings into account but poor Natalie doesn’t have the heart to say anything even when she has a bad time at the hairdressers she still doesn’t say anything it seems easier for her to be upset than to stand up for herself and say something.

On a night out with her best friend to a hypnosis night things go terribly wrong when her friend Meg is meant to be hypnotised but the next day it soon becomes clear that although Meg didn’t full under Natalie sure did problem is every time she is asked a question she can only tell the honest truth. Things soon spiral out of control and Natalie is on a mission to find the hypnotist again to put things straight.

I loved loved loved this book! What a fantastic debut. It is funny in all the right places with situations you would never dream of. I don’t make a habit of comparing authors but I think it does help with debut authors so as you know if to take a chance on their new book and so I have to say the first thing that came to my mind whilst reading this book is wow the humour is very similar to Sophie Kinsella’s humour in Can You Keep A Secret which for me is great as that is my favourite book so I knew I would love this one if it kept the pace.

The characters are all fantastic even the characters we are not meant to like I loved as they brought their own little something to the book. Natalie’s character I found easy to relate to as I am similar in I would rather keep quiet to not hurt other people’s feelings so to watch her out of her comfortzone speaking her mind was very entertaining.

I found the book very pacey and the storyline didn’t feel as though it was being dragged out it was a simple easy read that had you turning over the pages wanting to see the outcome.

I would definitely read future books by this author. Well done on your humours and down to earth read Kirsty Greenwood.


Kindle

Thursday 19 July 2012

Don't You Forget About Me by Alexandra Potter


The cover for Don’t you Forget About me has to be one of my favourites so far this year so it was easy for me to decide which book I should read as my 200th book on Goodreads as this continually caught my eye and I have loved previous books by Alexandra Potter.
Heartbroken Tess has just been dumped by her boyfriend and all she wants is to get back together again, in a mysterious situation Tess gets her wish to go back and start the relationship from the beginning again and she is determined to do things differently this time to make the relationship work.

I thought this was an excellent storyline as I am sure we have all been in the same situation as Tess, broken hearted and would do anything to have a second shot at a relationship so we can relate to her character even though the majority of us do not get a second chance and definitely not one to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch.

There is a great amount of humour in this book which I found similar to the humour in Jane Costello’s books. Often when Tess is on a date desperate to make the date more successful this time around but the majority of the time something terrible happens to her and yet although you feel for her you can’t help but laugh! Tess was a likeable character from the first chapter as was her friend and roommate Fiona, and I loved the shocking twist surrounding Fiona later in the story which came out of no-where.

This is a fantastic romcom which gives you everything you can possibly want in a book laughter, romance and certainly pulls at the heart strings especially when it comes to Tess’s granddad. I found the book pacey and there seemed to be something constantly happening on each page so it was very hard to put down. Alexandra Potter as come back with a bang !

Paperback               Kindle

Tuesday 17 July 2012

Book News and Give Away

Thursday 19th July is a big day for book releases and I am sure you are making your lists of which books you will be picking up but I have more news for you Finding Mr Flood by Ciara Geraghty is also being re-released on Thursday but this time with a shiny new Summery cover!

I have even better news for you I have a copy of the new look book up for grabs all you need to do is enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below I want to know which cover you prefer the old or the new?

This is a UK giveaway only this time (sorry)

                                                                           OLD Cover
                                                                 NEW cover

GOOD LUCK !


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday 16 July 2012

Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell

We have some great books due for release this Thursday and to help you decide which ones to pre-order I am posting all of the reviews ahead of publication.


After reading The Making of Us a few weeks back I was looking forward to reading Lisa Jewell’s new up and coming release Before I Met You. The book is set in two time periods the 1990’s and the 1920’s each chapter alternates between these time periods.

We first meet our two main characters as little Elizabeth or Betty as she is soon to be referred to moves to Guernsey to live with her step-grandmother Arlette. As the years go by Betty finds herself looking after her grandmother after she falls ill meaning that all of Betty’s friends leave the island for study or work and Betty is left to care for her grandmother but as time moves along Arlette dies and leaves a difficult task in her will. She has left a large sum of money to a Clara Pickle problem is no one has ever heard of her and they have a year to find her and if they are unsuccessful then the money goes to Betty.

Betty decides to take on the challenge of finding the mysterious lady as she travels to London and unravels many episodes of Arlette’s younger life.

In between following Betty who is trying to unravel details of Arlette’s past we are shown Arlette’s life through her own eyes so we know the missing pieces of the puzzle.

For any of you who follow my twitter updates or Goodreads you will know that when I started this book I was finding it rather hard to get into and having loved all of Lisa Jewells previous books I thought this was going to be the first one I wasn’t going to enjoy or even finish. The book starts of at a very slow pace and had the feeling that everything was being dragged out a little but let me say this now before you think my review is just going to be a big put down of this book, I am SO glad I carried on!

The book does flow at a very slow and delicate pace but once we get involved with the characters and the storyline we see that it is the perfect pace around such a warm and delicate storyline. I loved the structure of the book where we travel back and forth in time and it did feel at times when we were reading parts of Arlette’s life that whilst Betty was searching for clues she seemed to be living a modernised version of Arlette’s life.  

I also loved the small references which were used to create the feel of the 1920’s such as not having a mobile phone to contact people and funny enough Betty finds herself in a similar situation waiting by a public phone for her phone calls! In all honesty I couldn’t say that I preferred either characters storyline over the others as I felt that they complimented each other.

I liked the feeling of unknown all the way through the book, never knowing if the mystery of Clara Pickle will be solved this was what kept me hooked. There really was a mix of emotions and content in this book there were some heartbreaking moments and I did find Arlette’s life very glamorous.

If you are looking for a traditional, delicate and yet charming little read this is most definitely the book for you.

Paperback               Kindle

Tuesday 10 July 2012

Diva by Carrie Duffy


I remember all too well being approached last year to read a debut book by author Carrie Duffy and what a great debut book Idol was. I have eagerly been awaiting her new book Diva to come flying through my door as this author showed great promise in her previous book and I was looking forward to see how she has progressed in her new novel DIVA.


Three beautiful women who are all desperate to make a better life for themselves and need to get away from their childhood memories. Dionne is stunning, confident and is determined to be the next top model. Shy and reserved Alyson has had the toughest of upbringings and when things come to a head she decides it is time she takes her life into her own hands and follow her dream.

Both of the girls find their journey begins in Paris where they both end up moving in with a quirky clothing designer CeCe who is trying to make it in the fashion world if only someone would give her a break. It soon becomes clear that there will be many hurdles to overcome to make it to the top of their careers which will put each of the girls to the test and show what some people will do to get to the top.

I found this book impossible to put down. The author creates three very different characters with Alyson being my favourite as she was a very delicate and innocent character. Dionne was a very hard character to take too the title clearly represents Dionne as Diva is the perfect word to describe her. She is a very jealous and determined character and yet although there was a lot I didn’t like about her personality there was something about her that I just knew I would warm to in the end. Although CeCe feature a lot in this book she does seem to take a back seat compared to the other two women but she still brought her own little something to the book.

The romance in the book was predictable but it was great to watch it develop. If you love a book with the glitz and glamour and a heap load of fashion this book is definitely one for you. Carrie Duffy has brought us yet another fantastic book and in my opinion this has knocked Idol off the top as the authors writing style seemed to flow alot easier in this book there were no low parts to the book that had you feeling like you wanted to skim through.

A thoroughly entertaining and fashionable read by Carrie Duffy.


Kindle                      Paperback

Saturday 7 July 2012

Chelsea Wives by Anna-Lou Weatherley


This is Desperate Housewives meets First Wives Club set in the glamorous borough of Chelsea.


On the King’s Road, revenge is sweeter than champagne… They are the ultimate ladies who lunch: Imogen, the beautiful ex-model, Calgary, the glamorous, former fashion editor, and Yasmin, the feisty ex-party girl.


But life isn’t all champagne and canapés. Plagued by personal tragedy and united by failing marriages, they mastermind a shocking plan to turn the tables on their husbands.


Set against a backdrop of exotic locations, designer boutiques and London's high society scene, these Chelsea Wives are about to join forces and risk it all for the ultimate revenge…


I am so pleased that I surprisingly loved this book! I was a little hesitant about reading this one as I am not a fan of Desperate Housewives which this book is constantly compared to but yet I really enjoyed it. I did find it took me a while to differentiate between the three main characters, although they had different back grounds it took me time to remember who was married to whom but once I had this down to a tee the book flowed smoothly and it became a real page turner.

I loved the surprising situation which occurred towards the end when the girls join forces to show their husbands they are not to be messed with and the build up to this moment was tense I found myself speeding through the pages to see what these ladies had planned!

Each of the characters are developed well and each of their relationships with their husbands are told in depth so we surprisingly feel sorry for these glamorous ladies and find ourselves routing for them even if what they have planned is on the wrong side of the law! For those of you who enjoy the whole fashion scene you will enjoy this book as there are many brand drops throughout this book.

I do love an ending that ties everything up perfectly I am not one who likes an ending that leaves us to use our imagination so for me the ending of this book really completed this fantastically entertaining read. This is a fantastic price on kindle at the moment so head over and click to get your copy.

Kindle                      Paperback

Friday 6 July 2012

Chrissie Manby Interview

One of my favourite books that I read last month was What I did on my Holidays by Chrissie Manby. I only read my first book by this wonderful author last year when I read Spa Wars which I loved, so I was eager to get her over for a little chat to find out more about her.

Welcome Chrissie Manby....



1) Tell us a little about your new book What I did on my Holidays.
  What I Did On My Holidays is the story of Sophie Sturgeon, who finds herself single the night before she and her boyfriend Callum are supposed to go on a big romantic holiday. In the heat of their break-up row, Sophie tells him she's going to go to Majorca regardless but when it comes to getting the plane, she bottles out and stays home. However, when her friends, who think she took the trip, congratulate her on her bravery and assure her that Callum is rattled by her move, Sophie decides she has no choice but to pretend she is in Majorca after all. Things become complicated when her sister Clare, who has come to water the plants, discovers Sophie in hiding. Clare has problems of her own, and before Sophie can protest, Clare 'joins' Sophie in Majorca and they are locked into creating the ultimate fake break.

 2) What gave you the inspiration to write this book?

The premise behind WIDOMH is an extension of that classic mobile-phone enabled lie 'I'm in the office', when you're really tucked under the duvet. Now we have phones and laptops, we can work - and pretend to be - literally anywhere. But, of course, social networking creates its own problems. These days, you're expected to remain in contact all the time, even when you are on the beach.

3) What research did you do for this book ( I have visions of you hidden under the bed!) 

Ha! I haven't been able to fit under the bed for a very long time!

4) Are you currently working on your next book and can you tell us what to expect?

I've just finished writing a book called 'A Proper Family Holiday', which is set in Lanzarote. It follows the adventures of the Benson Family, who are holidaying together to celebrate Jacqui Benson the matriarch's sixtieth birthday. The action centres on Jacqui's daughters, Ronnie and Chelsea, who haven't spoken to each other in three years when they are forced back together by Jacqui's birthday wishes. The sisters lead very different lives - Ronnie is a mum, CHelsea is a magazine editor - and the tension of holidaying together threatens to ruin their relationship forever.

5) What was the last book you read and would you recommend it? I am currently reading the Gospel According to Coco Chanel by Karen Karbo. It's a book of life lessons drawn from the experiences of the great fashion designer. I'm enjoying it very much. I'm very interested in fashion.

6) Are you a Kindle convert?

 I would not be without mine! I love being able to summon up a new book anytime, anywhere

7) You are stuck on REA'S DESERT ISLAND what would be your three must have items?

My Kindle! Murad sunscreen and an endless supply of Earl Grey tea-bags.

Thank you Chrissie for taking the time to talk to us. 


Kindle                    Paperback 

Thursday 5 July 2012

I Heart London by Lindsey Kelk


I am a huge fan of Lindsey Kelk and I have loved every one of her books. I have eagerly been waiting to read her newest release I Heart London but with so many books lined up to review it was taking a back seat. After reading Fifty Shades of Grey I was eager to get back to my chick lit and so I decided to go down town and pick up my copy of I Heart London which was easily recognised on the shelf by its fantastic cover.

Angela and Jenny are back with a bang. After a phone call from Angela’s mum demanding she returns to London with Alex for her birthday Angela has no choice but to return to London but lucky for us she has Jenny in toe! Angela finds it very unsettling being back in her home town she has changed so much through the previous four books that she no longer sees London as home. It’s not long before her meddling mother is pushing Angela into something that she is not quite sure she wants to be doing and rather than have the constant reassurance and support from her two best friends Louisa and Jenny they seem more intent on competing between them for Angela’s friendship. We never know how things will pan out for poor Angela in her rollercoaster life, will she stay or will she flee!

As ever Lindsey Kelks writing style flows so effortlessly that I found myself falling easily into the storyline and before I knew it I had finished in under a day. This was pure entertainment on every page.  I found the confrontation between both Jenny and Louisa both frustrating and entertaining at the same time as they were fighting to be Angela’s number one! With this book being set in London it had a very familiar and comfortable feel to it especially when places of interest that I have been to were featured. Alex and Angela’s relationship seems to be running a lot more smoothly in this book and I found I warmed to Alex more in this book. We also finally managed to find out more about Angela’s best friend Louisa who is mentioned in the previous books but now I really feel like I know her character better.

I found this book very unpredictable which just added to the endless amount of positives for this book even down to the ending I still wasn’t sure which way things were going to pan out. I really think that the author has created two of the best characters in chick lit in Angela and Jenny whatever these women get up to just have us hooked and gripping our sides!

If you have read the previous I Heart books then you will love this one it is one of my favourites..... hell they are all my favourites! For those of you who have yet to read one of the I Heart books you need to pick these books up they are great entertaining reads which have you eagerly awaiting the release of the next book. I can only wonder where Angela’s adventures will take her next!


Paperback               Kindle

Tuesday 3 July 2012

Fifty Shades Darker by E L James


After reading Fifty Shades of Grey I couldn’t wait to start book number two, Fifty Shades Darker, to see what on earth was going to happen next.

Daunted by the dark secrets of the tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Ana Steele has broken off their relationship to start a new career with a US publishing house. But desire for Grey still dominates her every waking thought, and when he proposes a new arrangement, she cannot resist.


Soon she is learning more about the harrowing past of her damaged, driven and demanding Fifty Shades than she ever thought possible. But while Grey wrestles with his inner demons, Ana must make the most important decision of her life. And it's a decision she can only make on her own ...

I was totally hooked on the first book because it was unlike anything I had read before. In this book there is more of a storyline starting to build up alongside the sex scenes but I have to say I found this one a bit of a chore to read through as the repetition which we saw in book one gets unbearable in this book. I was getting to the point where it started to irritate me so I did pick up and put down the book a number of times as near enough every page there was “Oh my” which was very annoying!

We start to find out a little more about each of the characters most importantly the reason why Christian is “Fifty Shades” thanks to his upbringing. I also found Ana felt a little more grown up in this book ( well I suppose she has to be after what she has just been involved with!) I loved the interaction with more character in this book as the first book mainly revolved around Christian and Ana bringing these characters into the book has helped to build more of a storyline and for the first time I can kind of see why people are linking this book to the twilight books.

I still enjoyed this book just not as much as the first book but then this is usually the case with trilogies. I am looking forward to reading the final book to see what happens to the couple I only hope the repetition stops for the next book.

Paperback               Kindle

Monday 2 July 2012

Kindle books under £2.00

I have sad new my poor kindle has died today :-( On a good note Amazon are fantastic and are sending me a new one yay!! So whilst on the topic of kindle I have found some great books for you at a great price. Just click on the one you want below to take you to your chosen bargain book!



20p                           99p                         20p                       99p                       99p


99p                          £1.99                      £1.90                    £1.99                    £1.80

July Releases

It's that time again first day of the month and here are the books you have to look forward to this month!

Paperback               Kindle                      Kindle                    Paperback             Kindle

Paperback              Kindle                     Hardback               Kindle                        Paperback

Kindle                     Paperback              Kindle                      Kindle                  Paperback

Paperback                 Kindle                   Kindle                   Paperback



So Which one's will you be enjoying? I have read Carrie Duffy's Diva and loved it I would say it was actually better than Idol! I am looking forward to Don't You Forget About Me.....

Sunday 1 July 2012

Summer with my Sister by Lucy Diamond

I loved The Beach Cafe by Lucy Diamond last year and so it didn't take much persuading for me to buy her recent release Summer with my Sister.

It is quite clear from early on in this book that the two main characters Polly and Clare are two polls apart and they clearly do not get on and yet they are sisters! Polly has been living away from the family village and her parents are very prod at what she has achieved in her high powered job. Soon Polly's world is turned upside down when she is unexpectedly made redundant and with no other option she has to head back to live with her parents but she can't bring herself to tell her parents the truth.

Sister Clare is bringing up her tow children alone and is trying to hold a part time job down at the local surgery but it is getting harder to try and make ends meet. When she finds out her sister is coming back to stay with their parents she is less than excited about seeing her and instantly is curious as to the real reason of her sisters stay.

Will the sisters be able to put their differences aside and help each other out of their current situations?

When I first met our little workaholic Polly I have to say I didn't like her character and this was a little worrying as one of the most important parts of a good book is having a likeable character, but luckily as the book progresses and Polly returns home her character begins to change and I started to warm to her character. I instantly warmed to Clare who was a very realistic character struggling to juggle work and family life whilst trying to make ends meet something the majority of us can relate to.

The storyline wasn't too challenging and made for a great light hearted read, there were only a handful of characters which I love as there was no problem trying to remember who was who. I loved the build up the author created around the situation involving the girls brothers death this is what kept me turning the pages eager to find out what had happened.

This story is full of heartache, romance and family secrets which all rolled into one created a great sentimental read. I really enjoyed this book and it is well worth a read, but I still say The Beach Cafe is my favourite by this author!



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