Sunday 29 April 2012

Post Box

We have had some more great books arrive which ones will you be looking forward to?


Rebecca is happily married to Olly and content with her job at a glamorous London art gallery. But when tragedy strikes, she decides to move back to her childhood home in the country, hoping time will help her to heal. Joe, born in the same country town as Rebecca, had a falling out with her a decade earlier. Now he's the successful owner of a wine bar, Maison Joe, and is 
breaking local hearts by dating a striking actress, Peta. Rebecca finds living with her parents again a challenge. Nor is it easy to discover that Joe lives and works too close for comfort. When she sees him once more, memories rush back to haunt her, along with unanswered questions about the past. Why did they lose touch? What was Olly hiding? Can Rebecca answer those questions and move on?


Preorder here
Paperback                Kindle






What if you had always dreamed of something more...? Nell McNamara has a happy life: her boyfriend Olly adores her, their four-year-old daughter Petal is the centre of their world and Nell has a steady job in the local chip shop. When the chippy needs a makeover, Nell jumps at the chance to unleash the creativity fizzing inside her. Inspired by what she can achieve - and encouraged by the best friends a girl can have - Nell is determined to try something new and starts making her own line of must-have handbags, which are soon flying off the shelves! It seems Nell's dreams are finally coming true, but her success doesn't come without a price. Before too long, Nell has to ask herself if it really is possible to have it all... Full of fun, love and laughter, soak up the sunshine with Summer Daydreams


Preorder here
Paperback




One night, when a strange red moon fills the sky, six school girls find themselves in an abandoned theme park, drawn there by a mysterious force. A student has just been found dead. Everyone suspects suicide. Everyone - except them. In that derelict fairground an ancient prophecy is revealed. They are The Chosen Ones, a group of witches, bound together by a power, one which could destroy them all. But they soon learn that despite their differences they need each other in order to master the forces that have been awakened within them. High school is now a matter of life and death. Because the killing has only just begun.



Saturday 28 April 2012

The Village Vet by Cathy Woodman


I have always been a firm fan of Cathy Woodman, when I read It’s a Vets Life last year I thought we had seen the end of the vet series of books by this author but then I hear there is a new one called The Village Vet, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy to see what is going to happen in the idyllic village of Talyton St George.

The Village Vet focuses on a new character Tessa Wilde, when we first meet Tessa she is about to get married but after her ex Jack arrives at church pleading with Tessa not to marry Nathan she soon gets cold feet not that she would admit that it is because of Jacks outburst.

Tessa is left single and with a huge sum of debt and no home until her aunt gives her a life line and offers Tessa the opportunity to run the new local animal sanctuary but there was one thing Tessa didn’t bargain on and that was how close she would be working with Jack, thing is have the two still got feelings for each other that could result in them rekindling their old romance?

Cathy Woodman creates yet another loveable down to earth character in Tessa. It took no time at all to warm to her character, unfortunately I didn’t have the same thoughts about Tessa’s best friend Katie from the first moment I met her I instantly had my guard up about her I took an instant dislike to her character and felt as though she was hiding something and after a few chapters I thought I knew what it was she was hiding and I was right although it was predictable I enjoyed the build up awaiting the truth to arise.

We have yet another handsome and charming vet in Jack he did have a similar feel to Alex in previous books but I also loved his character so I am not going to complain about that! The relationship both professional and personal, between Tessa and Jack is what really makes this book the constant will they won’t they throughout the book makes this a real page turner. It is quite clear whilst reading this book that the author has had experience within the vet world as we meet many different animals with various ailments that all need re-homing and with the author putting detailed information into this fictional book it makes the story feel very realistic.

I love that some of the characters from the previous books make an appearance again in this book giving a familiar feel to the book.

If you love animals and are looking for a cosy country book with a gentle pace for your weekend read then The Village Vet needs to be next on your to be read list. 

Paperback              Kindle

Give Away Winners

The Winners have been picked an you will each receive a copy of The Love Letter by Fiona Walker

*Jessica Sjoholm
*Lisa Hemmings
*Sam Clarke
*Sophie Bristow Harris
*Tracey Ford

Congratulations to you all, and Thank you to everyone who took part. xXx

Thursday 26 April 2012

Give away

How would you like to win a signed copy of The Camera Never Lies by the lovely Tess Daly? Well here is your chance! We have not one but two copies up for grabs. This is a UK only competition. 

Please enter by filling out the details on this form Entry form
Winners will be selected by random.org
Competition closes on Sunday 29th April
GOOD LUCK!!!

The Camera Never Lies by Tess Daly


Most of you will know as much as I love reading I am not a fan of books by celebrities I have never read a book by a celebrity which I have enjoyed. When I read the synopsis for The Camera Never Lies it instantly sounded like my kind of read and I loved the front cover of the book, but then I see the author way Tess Daly.

I love Tess Daly in her presenting jobs but I wasn’t holding out much hope for this book.

Britt Baxter has just lost what she thought was the biggest job opportunity of her life when she refuses to sleep with the boss to seal the deal. When she is told from her management that she is too old now for another great modelling job to come her way Britt finds she is desperate for work to pay the bills.
Whilst trying her hand at waitressing Britt is offered a great job opportunity as a presenter on breakfast tv. Things start off all rosy and Britt is quickly accepted by the views and the press, but it isn’t long before things come crumbling down on Britt when she finds details about her personal life in the papers.


I was very surprised how much I enjoyed this book baring in mind if I am honest I didn’t start reading this book with an open mind, I had already made my mind up that this book was going to be like any other books by celebrity authors so Tess Daly had a real challenge in changing my stubborn mind!

It is quite clear through the book that the author has used some of her past experiences and insight into both the modelling and presenting parts of the book which gave the book a more realistic feel to it. Britt found herself in some humorous situations which for some people they may find borderline crude but I think anyone reading light hearted chick lit will take all of these parts on the chin.
I found the book really easy to get into and was an enjoyable and entertaining light read. I was pleasantly surprised that Tess Daly seems to be a very talented author. I did find the book predictable but this didn’t put me off of the book. I would have loved to have had Alex who was Britt’s boyfriend, involved in the story a bit more I found I enjoyed the book more when he was in it. I will definitely pick up any future books by Tess Daly and I would recommend this one if you are looking for a quick and easy read with all the glitz and scandals! 
Paperback                  Kindle


Check Back this evening to be in with a chance of winning your own copy of The Camera Never Lies!

Wednesday 25 April 2012

The Desperate Bride's Diet Club by Alison Sherlock

The Desperate Bride's Diet Club arrived through the post at the most perfect time for me having just started my diet I could easily relate to the characters and their situations.
The book follows the progress of five characters who, for their own individual reasons want or need to lose weight. Although our main character is Violet who is a size 20 unhappy bride to be, the story still moves around each of the characters so we get to see first hand how each of the characters are coping.

I had mixed feelings about the is book at the beginning, I found the first chapter so entertaining I literally laughed out loud I found myself thinking that Violets actions would have been something I could imagine myself doing! (sorry I can't tell you in more detail, otherwise it may ruin the humour for you!).

After the first chapter we meet each of the other characters in turn, we have Lucy, Maggie, Kathy and Edward. It was at this point I was a little worried meeting so many leading characters, as books like this I usually find I get the characters mixed up and forget who is who. Luckily this wasn't the case by the time I was just under a quarter of the way through, each of the characters had been developed so well that each character came into their own as they all had completely different backgrounds and reasons to lose weight.

I loved how the group all came together to help each other out not just with the weight loss but other personal and realistic problems too. Although the books was based around the diet club there were no quick fixes or fad diets the book really helps you to remember the only sensible way to lose weight is to change your eating habits and move your bum! I found that reading this book really helped to keep me motivated on my diet.

I really enjoyed the parts of the book where Violet goes to the Gino's Delicatessen, this is where I felt the authors writing was at its best. I can only imagine from the passion that comes across when talking about her visits and anything to do with the topic of Italy, that this must be a subject close to the authors heart.

I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely look out for future books by this author. If you are on a diet I urge you to read this to give you some much needed motivation and a lot of laughs!

A slice of Humour, A splash of romance for a guilty pleasure!

Paperback                   Kindle

Sunday 22 April 2012

It is Give Away Time!!!

We have another great book due for release in paperback on the 3rd May, The Love Letter by Fiona Walker.




When Allegra North parted from first love Francis after a decade together, she poured all her regret into a letter. He didn't reply. A year later, her job brings her back to the beautiful Devon coast where romance first blossomed and she hopes that they can start a new chapter.

As summer storms circle, the exes juggle rebellious parents, vengeful family members and a very reluctant celebrity author who holds the key to everybody's future . . .

You can grap your copy below.


The lovely publishers at Sphere have given us 5 copies to give away. This competition is for UK only. If you would like to be in with a chance of winning your own copy of this book please fill out the form on the link below.
Give Away Link Click Here

Good Luck and entries will be picked via random.org on Friday 27th April.

Saturday 14 April 2012

The Jane Austen Marriage Marriage Manual by Kim Izzo

When this book arrived in the post as soon as I opened it I instantly loved the cover of the book, it would definitely be one that would catch my eye on the book shelf, but then I read the title of the book The Jane Austen Marriage Manual and I was a little hesitant to start reading this book as I am not a fan of Jane Austen, well to be completely honest I am not really a fan of classics at all (sorry!) None the less I decided to give it a try.

We meet our main character Kate Shaw who is about to turn 40, lose her job, her family home and to top it all of she is single. Desperate to try and give herself and her family the financial stability they need she soon snaps up a chance of some freelance work that could change her life completely.
Using Jane Austen's rules Kate needs to find a rich man to marry but will she find love with the same man?

The storyline is a modern day love story with a great mix of loveable characters from a different mix of classes. I found myself laughing away at various situations Kate got herself into when mixing with the higher class characters my favourite has to be when she is asked to examine a cow!

I am a real sucker for a great romance story and this one had me gripped as it was a fresh unique storyline which made each and every page a joy to read. I am so glad I didn't let the title steer me away from this book because although Katie's assignment is based on Jane Austen's rules there wasn't a Jane Austen overload feel to it.

If you are looking for a delightful modern romance story with some great humour you will thoroughly enjoy this book.


Paperback               Kindle

Friday 13 April 2012

Post Box

This week has been an exciting week for me as the post box has had some great new titles arrive!




Every charm bracelet tells a story and Holly O'Neill knows this better than most.

Many years ago she was sent one mysteriously, just a single charm attached. Some time later another charm appeared, and the same happened until the bracelet was almost full. Each charm proved significant, as if her anonymous benefactor knew she needed a little bit of magic in her life.

So when Holly stumbles across another bracelet - one that somebody else has lost - she recognises a lifetime spelt out through the charms, and knows she must try to reunite it with its owner.

Using each charm to help discover more about the bracelet's owner, Holly gradually begins to piece together details of this other charmed life. And her quest leads her somewhere she never expected...

Pre-order your copy.




Violet Saunders is astounded when her boyfriend gets down on one knee and proposes. At size 18-20, she can't think why anyone would want to marry her and euphoria quickly turns to horror as she contemplates squeezing herself into a wedding dress. When a leaflet from dieting club New You! drops through her letterbox, she hurries to enrol, but is soon traumatised by the terrifying Trudie, who secretly despises her fat clients, while pretending to encourage them.

Things go from bad to worse; everyone just gets fatter on the horrible New You! drink shakes. At work, Violet's half-Italian boss - a man with a lively sense of humour - looks on in amazement and finally persuades her to take a break from New You! and lunch with him at his family's delicatessen. All at once Violet experiences an explosion of beautiful tastes and textures. Inspired, she persuades her fellow dieters to form a new club, with secret weigh-ins at her house - while pretending to Trudie, of whom they are all petrified, that it is the New You! diet which is transforming them. Fabulous Italian recipes gradually begin to work their magic, but can Violet the duckling really become Violet the swan in time for her wedding?

Paperback                 Kindle





Britt Baxter is unaware of the effect she has on people. A big-hearted, no-nonsense northern girl, she naturally looks for the best in everyone she meets, but in her attempts to make it as model she finds she struggles against being pinned down on the casting couch by the most unlikely people...
So when a happy accident lands her a career as a presenter on breakfast television, it looks as if she has made it out of the modelling world of close-ups and cattle calls and into the big time - or at least daytime TV.

But scarcely has Britt had time to wonder at how far she has come, when backstage machinations propel her with ever increasing speed through a series of trapdoors and she soon realises that the drama backstage far eclipses anything that happens in front of the camera.

Tess Daly has written a fast-paced novel with perfect comic timing and as many twists and turns in the plot as her heroine has costume changes. With language that fizzes on the page, enough romance to make the Sex and the City girls blush and a cast of characters that includes American-smoothie heartthrob Hollywood reporter Josh Bailey, Rise and Shine's co-hosts Cherry Smith - known for her tinkling laugh and penchant for toyboys - and lecherous family man Ken Chudleigh who always has a hand in the cake tin. The Camera Never Lies is both hilarious and hair-raising, a glamorous and revealing tale of love behind the scenes from the popular Strictly Come Dancing presenter.

Kindle                        Paperback




Rich Girl

Daisy Dangerfield has been born to a life of pampered luxury. The apple of her father's eye, she is groomed by him to take over the family's property empire while she spends his money and socialises to her heart's content.

Poor Girl

Chanelle Hughes has never had anything. Dragged up by an alcoholic mother on a run-down council estate, all she's ever wanted was to escape.

But which is which?

When their lives are turned upside-down, their fortunes, too, change utterly. And while Daisy is devastated by her new circumstances, Chanelle decides she'll do anything to get the security she craves.

Born on the same day, two girls whose lives could not be more different find that they have more in common than they could ever have imagined.




I love the sound and look of all of these books I have to say I am very excited about the Melissa Hill book because I am what you call a Melissa Hill virgin! This will be my first book I have read by her and I am more than a little excited!. I am intrigued to see how I feel about the Tess Daly book as I do like Tess Daly but I have to say I have never enjoyed a book which has been released by a celebrity. I prefer the cover of The Camera Never Lies that I have I have seen the alternative cover on Amazon and I have to say the Amazon cover wouldn't catch my eye.
Having just started a diet I think I will be reading The Desperate Bride's Diet Club pretty soon. I am feeling a little daunted by the size of Outrageous Fortune but I am not going to let it put me off I will conquer the 678 pages! 


Which of these books do you like the look of?

Monday 9 April 2012

All the Single Ladies by Jane Costello


I have read all of Jane Costello’s books and I love them as they are always full of down to earth humour, which make the books such a joy to read so having thoroughly enjoyed her previous I had no hesitation in ordering her latest book All the Single Ladies even though it meant I haven’t been able to get the song out of my head!

As soon as we meet our main character Sam it is clear that her life has just been turned upside down. Partner Jamie has decided that he can’t be with Sam anymore as he now has plans to move to South America and these plans do not include Sam although he insists he still loves her. This is hard for any girl to hear and it sounds like mixed messages as surely if you love someone you cannot bear to be without them. Distraught Sam soon comes up with a plan along with the help of her tow friends and Jamie’s sister to try and win him back and change his mind.

We see some of Jane Costello’s familiar humour shining through in some of the situations that occur to win back Jamie one of my favourites involving a malfunctioning boob boost! I found that Sam’s character felt pretty in depth which I think is helped by the fact that the book is told from Sam’s point of view so we get to see and feel her thoughts and feelings first hand. I did find at one point in the book closer to the end that I wanted to throttle her for the way she was treating character Ben as I loved him he came across as a true caring gentleman.

Although the book was witty throughout the book there was also a deeper topic which was briefly covered to do with one of Sam’s friends and I thought this was covered very delicately and gave a lovely unexpected touch to the book.

I really enjoyed this book and part of me didn’t want it to end however I love the ending to this book as it was unpredictable and in all honesty I couldn’t have hoped for a better ending to a great book. I cannot wait for another Jane Costello book to come out, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read.



Kindle                        Hardback            Pre-order Paperback

California Dreamers by Belinda Jones

Ever wished you could make-over your life?

Make-up artist Stella is an expert at helping other people change their images, but when it comes to transforming herself, she doesn't even know where to start.

So when her new friend, glamorous Hollywood actress Marina Ray, summons her a movie set in California, Stella can't resist the chance to start afresh - it is the land of sunshine and opportunity after all!

But are they really friends or does Marina have an ulterior motive? What is the secret that both women are hiding about the nautical (but nice) men in their lives? And what will it take to really make both of their California dreams come true?

In a Pacific Coast journey that takes in Los Angeles, the world's most romantic ranch and California's very own castle in the sky - this story of friendship, long-distance love, kissing (and making up) is the perfect escapist read.

My Opinion

When it comes to finding the perfect beach read the first author who always springs to mind is Belinda Jones. Her descriptive writing style has always made me feel as if I am abroad at the setting of the books so I saved California Dreamers for my holiday.
The main character in this book is make-up artist Stella. I loved Stella and feel like I connected with her, which I think could possibly be because she is in a similar industry to me although my life isn’t as exciting as Stella’s!

I enjoyed the storyline and the facts that were given I found interesting but one thing I didn’t find with California Dreamers was that the descriptive writing was lacking a little in this book compared with her previous books and I didn’t feel as though I was being transported anywhere where as usually after reading any of Belinda Jones books I get an urge to go on holiday to the location but I didn’t get this with this book and I genuinely missed this. I did enjoy the romance that the author creates between certain characters and I think this is what saved the book for me and helped me to finish the book.

Although I wasn’t blown away by this book I have loved all of the authors previous books so I will still be picking up her next book when it is released I just hope some of the authors old writing techniques are brought back in her next book as I really missed them here.


Saturday 7 April 2012

Never Can Say Goodbye by Christina Jones


I am a huge Christina Jones fan, so when I heard she was releasing the final book in her current series I was devastated as these books are a world of their own I have never read a book by another author which has them same feel to them as these books. This last book, Never can say Goodbye was released earlier in the year and I couldn’t get it in any of our local stores so I ordered it online from Waterstones and I have been beside myself waiting for it as it has only just arrived so my advice to you is make sure you order from Amazon so you don’t have to be tortured by the waiting time.

This book focuses on the character Frankie who has been heartbroken and spends her days working in a retro clothes shop until Rita who owns the shop up sticks and moves abroad leaving the shop to Frankie. It was great to read along with the changes Frankie makes to the shop to put her own stamp on it, she really developed as a character during this part of the book, and the community support shines through in this part of the book as some of the characters we have met in previous books step in to help Frankie get the shop prepared for its open day.
Frankie is not the only character who has had a business dropped in their lap, heartthrob Dexter finds himself in the same situation and the two characters become close. All is going well until crazy Maisie arrives and announces that the shop is haunted although at the time Frankie passes it as nonsense however she soon changes her mind.
I love the quirky mix of characters in this book, some of whom I remember from previous books which gives the book a cosy and familiar feel to it, and I think this is why Christina Jones books are such an easy read that make you fall into the storyline because you are already familiar with the idyllic village and quirky characters.
There is a fresh new storyline and I must admit if I hadn’t already fallen in love with Christina Jones style of writing I may have been a little hesitant to read this one as I am not a fan of ghostly stories, but the magical element that Christina creates , makes this book a pleasant read.
I loved the relationship between Dexter and Frankie and it was clear from the start that they both had a lot of baggage which was keeping them apart and I have to say there was no way I would have predicted Dexter’s situation.
This is a fabulous read, if you want to get away from the day to day life then I would recommend you pop your nose in a Christina Jones book and find yourself transported to a dream world full of humour and gives you a warm fuzzy feeling inside.

Paperback                     Kindle

Friday 6 April 2012

The Break-Up Test by Rose McClelland


Plot

Meet Amy, Beth and Sarah. All intelligent women with one thing in common, bad taste in men!


Amy receives seductive texts from Gav and promptly skips round to his house for a mid-afternoon romp. She never planned it that way. Maybe one day he’ll actually fall in love with her?


Beth sits at her desk, her mobile phone propped up in front of her keyboard. Anytime soon it will light up like the Blackpool Illuminations, and Karl will finally get in touch about that drink. It’s been five days!


Sarah is seeing Stephen, trying to believe his claim that although he shares a bed with his ex, Kat, they aren’t sleeping together. She can’t believe it’s turned into one of THOSE stories you read about in women’s weeklies.


Then Jamie comes along with his Break-Up Test and turns their lives upside down.
Will Gav, Karl and Stephen suddenly sniff the competition and clean up their acts?
And what exactly is in it for Jamie?

My Opinion.
When I was approached to read The Break-Up Test by Rose McClelland I couldn’t wait to get started on this book after reading the synopsis.

I think the format of this book worked well for the storyline. At the beginning of the book we meet each of the girls in turn so we get to know them on a more personal level rather than through each other’s eyes. Each of the girls are clearly having trouble in their love lives but each of the characters had their own individual characteristics which made their part in the story differ from the next character.

I think it was very clever of the author to also have a guys view of a troubled love life to which I thought gave a great edge to the book and the fact that she had four main characters and managed to give depth to each of the characters is something that I have not often found in books. Usually if there are more than two main characters to focus on the characters are not usually developed very well. I do think that the friendship between the girls could have been shown a little more as usually if you were to find yourself in a troubled relationship it is your girlfriends you would usually turn to but there wasn’t much involvement between the girls, but with this being a debut book I think this is something I will look for in her future books.

I liked the fact that you never quite knew where the girls love lives were going to take them next, I kept wondering if they were going to split and find Mr Right or if their current love interest was going to change their ways and I feel it was this that made this book true page turner to me! ( I did read it in 3 hours so I think that qualifies as a page turner!)

This book is well worth a read and I think Rose McClelland is going to be an author to watch out for in the future.

Kindle

Monday 2 April 2012

Run Rabbit Run by Kate Johnson

The first thing I usually do when I receive a book to review is look up the author and find a little more about them and their previous books but I just dived in with this book and didn’t find out until after I had read the book that this was actually the 5th book in the series of the Sophie Green Novels, not a stand-alone book but having said that I still found I followed the storyline perfectly without having read the previous four books, although there are many references during the book to about many of Sophie’s mishaps but there is enough insight given to us about her past to understand her character and past and present situations.

In Run Rabbit Run Sophie Green is on the run after being framed for a murder she did not commit, she has everyone looking for her from the MI6 to MI5 the CIA and even her partner Luke is trying to find her where abouts but Sophie keeps moving around trying to find evidence that she was not the murderer. It was when Sophie first leaves the country that she meets Jack in the most unpredictable meetings! Jack has also been framed for a murder he didn’t commit and both he and Sophie pairup to try and find evidence to clear their names.
When we first meet Sophie she was a disaster waiting to happen anything that could go wrong went wrong and I actually felt like her character was going to be a bit of a joke but as the story moves on her character began to grow on me and although there were times when I wanted to scream and shout at her when she has a number of close shaves in silly situations she puts herself in it soon became clear it was these situations which kept the book on edge.
I didn’t find the book predictable I could not have predicted the ending to this book although I do wonder if you may have had a little bit more insight into who the murderer could have been if you had read the previous books.
All in all this was a good read, a little different from my usual choice of books but I think it came along at the right time for me. I did enjoy this book but not enough to go back and read the previous books. As a standalone book it is worth picking up and it is currently an excellent price on kindle at the moment if you click the link below.

Sunday 1 April 2012

Winner !

This is what you have all been waiting for..... the result of this weeks Give Away. Jenny Colgan is obviously a very popular author as this competition has hit the most entries on this blog! The Winner is ....

                                Sarah Bracey ( Canada )


Congratulations the book will be on its way to you tomorrow along with a little surprise to enjoy whilst you are reading this fantastic book, I hope the plane travels fast for you!
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