Tuesday 23 July 2013

Deep Blue Sea by Tasmina Perry


Beneath the shimmering surface lies a dark secret... Diana and Julian Denver have the world at their feet. With a blissful marriage, a darling son and beautiful homes in London and the country, Diana's life, to the outside world, is perfect.
But nothing is as it seems... When Julian dies suddenly and tragically, Diana is convinced there is more to it than meets the eye. She calls on the one person she had never wanted to see again - her sister, Rachel. A former tabloid reporter, Rachel appears to be living the dream as a diving instructor on a Thai island. The truth is she's in exile, estranged from her family and driven from her career by Fleet Street's phone-hacking scandal. 
For Rachel, Diana's request opens old wounds. But she is determined to make amends for the past, and embarks on a treacherous journey to uncover the truth - wherever it may lead...


If there is one authors books besides Belinda Jones that scream summer beach reads it is Tasmina Perrys books! Deep Blue Sea easily grabs your attention from the beautiful tranquil cover but the storyline is far from paradise.

Diana and Julian have what seems like the perfect lives. But what is on the surface can often mask cracks underneath. When Julian is found dead in their marital home and she is told it is suicide but she cannot accept this and she is desperate to get answers and the one person who she can trust to go to extreme measures to get to the bottom of this is her estranged sister Racheal.

Racheal has been living a more relaxed life running a diving school with business partner Liam which is a far cry from her old job in journalism. When she gets a visit from her sister asking for her help she jumps at the chance hoping it will build bridges with her family again.

This is the third Tasmina Perry book I have read and she is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. What I like about this authors books is they are unlike other authors books I read. They always have a great helping of romance but there is also the suspense she creates and the crimes that make such a captivating storyline that make these books impossible to put down and Deep Blue Sea is no exception. I am going to get my one negative point out of the way now which is that I really missed the glamour that has been present in the author’s previous books. Other than this I loved everything about this book and would recommend it in a heartbeat.

The suspense that is created in this book is fantastic. I couldn’t solve the mystery surrounding Julians death, each time I thought I was on the right track to finding out who was involved Racheal would then speak to another character and her questions always then opened up another possible suspect! I had to keep reading as I was so intrigued I was eager to find out who was behind Julians death. I do love a book that is unpredictable and if you do too then this book really won’t disappoint.

There were a lot of characters in this book but they were all developed well so I had no trouble keeping up with who was who. Racheal was by far my favourite character she was a very strong and determined character who was instantly likeable. I really liked the whole diving in Thailand business Tasmina Perry creates and idyllic setting here I was hoping to have more of the storyline set there but hey I am just being greedy now!


If you’re looking for a captivating, unpredictable read this Summer then look no further as this one is not to be missed.

Kindle                       Paperback

Sunday 21 July 2013

About A Girl by Lindsey Kelk


Tess Brookes has always been a Girl with a Plan. But when the Plan goes belly up, she’s forced to reconsider. After accidentally answering her flatmate Vanessa’s phone, she decides that since being Tess isn't going so well, she might try being Vanessa.

With nothing left to lose, she accepts Vanessa’s photography assignment to Hawaii – she used to be an amateur snapper, how hard can it be? Right? But Tess is soon in big trouble. And the gorgeous journalist on the shoot with her, who is making it very clear he’d like to get into her pants, is an egotistical monster.

Far from home and in someone else’s shoes, Tess must decide whether to fight on through, or ‘fess up and run…


I am a huge Lindsey Kelk fan, the characters in her I Heart books are fabulous and so when I heard she was bringing a new series out I was a very excited to start a fresh series but also a little hesitant in case the characters in About a Girl weren’t as good as our old friends! Luckily there was nothing to worry about as the characters in this book are awesome.
Tess finds herself in despair, she has lost her job which consumed 99.9% of her life, she has also put her foot in it with the guy she has had feelings for for years. Most of us would sit in bed with a bottle of wine and an unlimited supply of chocolate for a month but Tess has other ideas!
When her flat mate Vanessa’s agent calls about a job Tess decides to fly to Hawaii and take the job from Vanessa. Will life in Vanessa’s shoes be a better fit for Tess or will her old life still be calling her back?

I Heart Fans, you will Love this,
Lindsey Kelk Fans, you will Love this,
Chick lit fans, you will Love this,
Bookworms, you will Love this!


This review could easily be summed up by the words above but as I like to chat away I will give yu a full review!

The storyline was fun and lighthearted and flowed at a quick pace, it still has a great modern feel to it like the I Heart books and the shock factors are still in full swing. Not knowing what will happen to Tess next which makes you keep pacing through the pages.

Tess is a loveable, fun and bubbly character who you love from the second we meet her. We meet Tess at the beginning of what seems like a big change in direction in her life. Kekipi was one of my favourite characters he brought a lot of humour to the book.

Friendships and romance features greatly in this book which is a massive bonus for me. I always love how Lindsey Kelk always manages to set a perfect scene and this book is no exception, she describes the surroundings and beaches of Hawaii perfectly that they are tantalisingly good you just want to jet off and live the story with the character. I can not wait to read What A Girl Wants as I do feel like Lindsey has been mean with the ending of this one, she has left me hanging!


A perfect summer read that introduces us to a new world of great characters, Lindsey Kelk has written yet another must read !



Paperback                Kindle

Friday 19 July 2013

The Elephant Girl by Henriette Gyland

The Elephant Girl by Henriette Gyland is not a book I would usually have picked up myself but when the synopsis was sent over to me I was more than a little intrigued so I decided to give it a try and before long I was immersed in the story line.

Five Year old Helen suffers from epilepsy, whilst sitting in her car seat one day she felt a seizure come on, when she came around after her seizure she could see her mum in the front seat and a woman standing there with blood on her hands and a knife.

Fast forward twenty years and Helen’s mums killer is released from prison and Helen wants revenge.

This book is a thriller but with a good splash of romance thrown in. The book has a gripping start and gets your mind racing about possible scenarios and wanting to find out  what really happened.

It is always one of those questions you always think about when you hear of a murder is what happens to the children so it was great to see what became of Helen after the murder. I did find that the book did begin to lose pace midway through the book and my attention began to waver a little but luckily the pace began to pick up again and then there were many twists and turns appearing so this made up for it.

All though I had an inkling as to what was going to be found out in this book I wasn’t sure so I loved this as it kept me on edge and wanting to carry on reading to find out if my thoughts were right. The characters were developed well and there was a lot of mystery surrounding a few of them too.


This is a great book if you are looking for something that is unpredictable with a great mix of characters.



Paperback               Kindle

Thursday 18 July 2013

Giveaway

Today is the paperback release of the fabulous By My Side by Alice Peterson, I absolutely loved this book so much so it got a gem rating from me which is only the second book this year to receive this rating. You can check out my review by clicking HERE



Alice Peterson has kindly given me a signed copy of By My Side to giveaway to celebrate the new release.
This is a UK only giveaway.

Good Luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday 15 July 2013

Sophie's Encore Cover Reveal, Excerpt and Giveaway.

 COVER REVEAL FOR SOPHIE’S ENCORE PLUS EXCERPT AND GIVEAWAY!!!

Hooray! Nicky Wells is here today to celebrate the cover reveal for her third book, Sophie’s Encore

Read on for:
 The BLURB
The COVER
The EXCERPT
The GIVEAWAY
 Here’s your chance to win an advance review copy of Sophie’s Encore or Rock Star Romance SWAG!


 Sophie’s Encore 
 Her rock star is waiting in the wings, but will he get a second chance? It’s all change for Sophie Jones—only this time, there is more at stake than just her happiness. Rock star extraordinaire, Dan Hunter, has been her patient and caring friend through the highs and lows since her wedding day, but now he figures it is time for her to start over. By stealth, the rock singer draws Sophie into the behind-the-scenes work for his band’s latest album. Through the days and weeks spent together at the mixing desk, Sophie discovers whole new horizons for her life, yet before she can even begin to explore them, she faces the very real threat of losing her rock star for good. Join Sophie and Dan in Sophie’s Encore to find out how their journey will end…


 Cover design: Nicky Wells and Chad Lichtenhan 
Cover image: Singer in the darkness © Dmytro Konstantynov | Dreamstime.com

 Whoa! What do you make of this? And to intrigue you further, Nicky has shared this excerpt of Sophie’s Encore:

  
Sophie’s Encore: Excerpt

 My bedroom door opened slowly and Dan crept in. All thought of sleep forgotten, I flicked the light back on and was met by an astonishing sight. There was Dan, the rock star, legend for his antics on and off stage, clad in a demure pair of checked pajamas with a button-up top and a mismatched, stripy dressing gown. His feet were stuffed into fluffy slippers, and he clutched a bottle and two glasses in his hands. 
“Come on,” he whispered.
 “Dinner is served.” I giggled and left my bed, grabbing my own stripy dressing gown and a pair of thick socks. 
“What are you doing?” I breathed into his ear, but he simply took my hand and pulled me down the dark corridor toward the open-plan lounge.
 “Have a seat,” he invited me and gestured at the dining table, which was once again laid, although only for two, complete with candles and napkins. He set down the bottle and glasses and scurried off to shut the lounge door. While he busied himself in the kitchen, I basked in the heat from the fire which Dan had re-stoked, and observed my rock star with some degree of amusement. Within a few minutes, he brought a dish of smoked salmon bites to the table, followed by olive bread, a cheese board, various cold meats, olives, pickled anchovies, and prawns with some sort of aioli dip. He popped the cork on the bottle of champagne, poured two glasses, and sat down, satisfied at last.
 “Now we can eat,” he announced. “Tapas. What do you think?” 
I raised my glass. “Cheers,” I giggled. “So that’s what you meant earlier. I think it’s amazing. It’s like a midnight feast. I’m just waiting for matron to discover us and give us detention. Why all the secrecy?”
 Dan speared a prawn and pointed it at me. “Well, for one, as you say, matron will certainly come and give us detention. Peter is very strict on my sleep regimen, you see.” He dipped the prawn into the aioli before popping it into his mouth. The beatific look on his face and his scrunched up eyes suggested he was enjoying this humble treat far more than was warranted. 
He swallowed and cleared his throat. “And for another, I’m on a strict diet. Every last bit of cheese gets weighed, the carbohydrates counted, the sugar added up. It’s really tedious.” He grimaced. 
I helped myself to some bread and salmon. “Tedious indeed, I can see that. But why? I thought you were supposed to eat lots and get better.” I chewed greedily, my tummy having given an impressive rumble.
 Dan speared another prawn and added a mountain of cheese and bread to his place. “Bliss,” he murmured before explaining further. “I’m supposed to eat healthy, not lots. So Peter has taken it upon himself to reform the bad eating habits of a lifetime. Bless him, it’s what he’s paid to do. I’ve been going along with it, and I have to admit, I’m feeling pretty good. But…” 
He grinned his school-boy grin, took a big mouthful of food, washed it down with a large gulp of champagne, and finished his thought. “Well, it gets boring. And I wanted to do something special with you. On my own.” 
I burst out laughing, but quieted down when I saw the alarm on Dan’s face.
“Sorry,” I whispered.
“Peter’s bedroom is right next door there,” Dan whispered back. “And he’s a light sleeper.” He pointed his finger, and we sat in silence for a minute, straining to hear.
“I think we’re okay,” Dan finally concluded and resumed eating.
I giggled softly. “Naughty, naughty, us.”
“Ha, we’re not naughty yet,” Dan shot back, speaking softly as well. “I was working up to that part.”
He winked, and my heart skipped and jumped. He didn’t mean—he couldn’t mean what I thought he meant?
“What do you mean?” I bumbled, hoping for clarification, but Dan was enjoying himself.
 “All in good time,” he teased. “Let’s finish our meal first.”

 The Giveaway

Nicky wants to share her excitement about this cover reveal and upcoming release with you!
 She’s offering a giveaway — Enter for your chance to win:
 One of TWO Sophie’s ENCORE Advance Review e-Copies
 or 
 One Sophie’s RUN Mug
or
 One Rock Star Romance Trilogy SWAG Pack featuring postcards and bookmarks


 ENTER HERE:


 GIVEAWAY CLOSES 15 AUGUST AT MIDNIGHT BST.

 The small print! Entrants must be aged 18 or over. Giveaway is open internationally. Winners will be drawn via Rafflecopter.

 GOOD LUCK!
****STOP PRESS: Nicky's just told me that her first two books, Sophie's Turn and Sophie's Run, are now available for only $0.99 (or equivalent) each to celebrate the cover reveal! Hurry ~ limited time only!! Book details below!!!***** 

 SOPHIE’S ENCORE: coming your way in e-book and paperback editions on 5 SEPTEMBER 2013!!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
 About Nicky Wells



 Nicky Wells is your ultimate rock chick author. Signed to US Publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing, Nicky writes Romance That Rocks Your World, featuring the rock star and the girl next door. Nicky’s books offer glitzy, glamorous contemporary romance with a rock theme ~ imagine Bridget Jones ROCKS Notting Hill!

 Like Sophie, her leading lady, Nicky loves listening to rock music, dancing, and eating lobsters. When she’s not writing, she’s a wife, mother, occasional knitter, and regular contributor to The Midweek Drive show on Lincoln’s Siren 107.3 FM. Rock on!


 Find Nicky’s Rock Star Romance Trilogy here:

 Part 1~Sophie’s Turn: So the rock star wants to marry her, but she’s already engaged…

 Part 2~Sophie’s Run: Her famous star remains her rock while life takes her on a little detour…

Monday 8 July 2013

Midsummer Magic by Julia Williams


The course of true love never did run smooth! Josie is taking planning her wedding a little too seriously. Harry, her fiance, is starting to feel left-out and overwhelmed… Josie decides a trip to her beautiful family home in Cornwall will be just the thing to get him in the mood, and Harry reluctantly agrees. It’s going to be the first perfect opportunity for chief bridesmaid Diane and best man Ant to meet, too. But they’ve hardly been in the car five minutes before they’ve declared all out war on one another. As friendships are tested to the limit, Ant tries to lighten the mood. He suggests the four agree to a dare put forward by Freddie Puck, a famous TV hypnotist. On Midsummer’s Eve they must go to the spooky standing stones on the cliff and agree to be hypnotised. Local mythology says that true love and lasting happiness belong to those who plight their troth at midnight on Midsummer’s Eve at the standing stones. But as night falls and Freddie Puck begins to play his mind games Josie, Harry, Diane and Ant discover much more about themselves, those they care about and their destinies than anyone could have imagined …



I have previously read two books by Julia Williams and have loved them both so I was looking forward to reading her new release Midsummer Magic.

Midsummer Magic follows the story of Josie, her fiancé Harry and their best friends Ant and Di. They are all taking a trip to Cornwall to Josie’s parents house to start some wedding planning but things soon go from bad to worse when they agree to be hypnotised.


This book has a completely different feel to the previous books I have read by this author. It took a long time for the book to pick up pace but the characters were what kept me reading as I did find them down to earth and humorous, I was more interested in what was to become of Ant and Di rather than Josie and Harry!

I have always had an interest in hypnotherapy after I was hypnotised 8 years ago so when storyline began to involve the hypnosis I began to enjoy the book more, but unfortunately I do feel that the hypnosis went on for too long and I very nearly put the book down. The hypnosis was funny at the beginning and I did have a little chuckle when Di started running around after Josie but it soon felt like the hypnosis was being dragged out and I was just hoping the storyline would move in a different direction.

I am glad I persevered with this book and I would say it is still worth a read but this is not a favourite of mine from this author, but I will still definitely be picking up her next release. At the time of this review the kindle copy is only 99p so grab your copy.




Paperback                Kindle

Saturday 6 July 2013

By My Side by Alice Peterson

 
One step can change everything...

Cass Brooks loves her job, her boyfriend Sean, her life. Until, leaving home one morning, distracted and hungover, she steps into the path of a truck. When she wakes up, she can't walk. And suddenly all her hopes and dreams, the plans she'd made with Sean, the future she thought she'd have, seem out of her reach. But then fate intervenes again. Cass meets Ticket, a loyal golden Labrador who refuses to leave her side. And on a flight to Colorado, she sits next to Charlie, who believes he can show her a life full of possibilities, if only she'll let him. Cass wants her life back the way it was. Charlie knows this cannot be. Yet a future beckons all the same...

Every so often I get a book where part of me wants to devour it in one go because it is so good but yet the other part of me really doesn’t want it to end so I constantly pick it up and put it down! This is how I felt when I was reading By My Side.

Our heroine in this book is unlike any heroine I have read before. Cass was studying medicine, enjoying life, and spending time with her boyfriend Sean. Her life takes a dramatic change after an accident leaves her wheelchair bound.

Sean breaks up with Cass and she can not bring herself to return to her course in medicine. Now she faces life in a chair and she doesn’t see a future ahead.

This book actually blew me away. Alice Peterson has always had a remarkable style of writing and she manages to engage you in the storyline, this book is written in true Alice form. By My Side sees Alice’s writing at its best.

The storyline was so detailed and realistic that it could almost have been someones diary I was reading. The author has quite clearly spent a lot of time doing her research for this book, nothing is briefly skimmed over everything is delivered in great detail.

Disabilities are usually seen as a taboo subject in fiction, usually if there is a character with a disability they are only briefly mentioned in books where as this book is unique in the fact that the whole book is based around Cass and her new friends with disabilities.

Cass soon felt like a friend. We see her go through every possible emotion as she comes to terms with her disability. She was such a warm, genuine and courageous character who you love from the first chapter.
The storyline helps to give insight not only in the day to day lives of someone who is wheelchair bound, but also things that are available to them such as activity holidays and of course Canine Partners where you can go to be paired with a helper dog.

Ticket was a great furry friend and a great addition to an already perfect book. Be sure to pick up a copy of By My Side as it is one of the best books I have read this year and also my favourite by Alice Peterson. It will have you laughing, crying and will get those brain clogs ticking.

Really this review only needed to words PURE PERFECTION.

This book is going to get our rare gem rating ( only the second one so far this year )



Paperback                  Kindle

Thursday 4 July 2013

The Son In-Law by Charity Norman

I read my first Charity Norman book last year after reading other bloggers reviews on her work describing her as the next Jodi Picoult, I still remember After The Fall and how intense the storyline was so I was looking forward to starting her new release The Son In-Law.

The day Hannah has been dreading has finally arrived, her son in-law Joseph is released from prison. After bringing up her grandchildren since the day Joseph killed her beloved daughter Zoe , and finally being able to let the children have as normal and stable life as possible this is now under threat as Joseph is making it clear he wants his children back.

As Joseph leaves the prison there is only one thing he wants, one thing he has left in life and that is his children and he is determined to get access to his children again.

With both Hannah and Joseph keen to get there way how will this affect the children?

This has got to be one of those few books that manage to pull you in straight from the intense first chapter. I was so shocked by the opening to this book it was by no means a slow start we were thrown straight into the storyline from the word go. The story switches between three of the characters points of view, Joseph, Hannah and Scarlet who is the eldest child. This is a great way to tell this story as we get to know how this dramatic storyline effects each of the characters and it allows us to get to know each character personally rather than through the view of other characters allowing us the reader to makeup our own mind about each character.

This is a fresh storyline that is not similar to any books that I have read before and so it was a joy to read. I vary rarely read a book that has made me really stop and think about things. This author’s books are so well written and they really make you realise how easy it is to be judgmental and I can hold my hands up and say just from the first few chapters I had already condemned Joseph. As the book progressed I was surprised to find myself warming to his character and I actually felt a little confused about my feelings towards him as a part of me felt that I should despise him but another part of me actually felt hopeful for him.

I loved that we also got to see how the children were feeling amongst all the drama and it was very emotional to see how it was affecting each of them and the way the author brings this across is really well done and believable. The ending to this book was beautiful and delicately done and finished of the book perfectly. Charity Norman really knows how to write books that are unpredictable and addictive.

This book is a compelling read that will have you hooked from the first page, questioning your own views and maybe even bringing a lump to your throat!


Another great read from Charity Norman.


Paperback

Monday 1 July 2013

Someone to Watch Over Me by Madeleine Reiss


She closed her eyes and he was gone - who is watching him now? When Carrie’s five-year old son, Charlie, disappeared on a Norfolk beach, her world was destroyed. Now, three years on, her marriage crushed by grief and the uncertainty around Charlie’s fate, Carrie keeps herself distracted by running a local gift shop. Persuaded by her mother to visit a medium, Carrie is initially sceptical, but is blown away when he appears to reveal something about Charlie’s disappearance; something that nobody could ever have known except herself.

Single mum, Molly, is worried about her young son, Max. Naturally a sensitive child, Max has been having more of his little ‘accidents’ at school and has recently starting talking again to his imaginary friend. Reluctant to tell his teachers, Molly knows that Max’s problems stem from his very real anxieties about his father – a violent and unstable man – who they are now in hiding from. Carrie is desperate to learn the truth about Charlie’s disappearance and Molly is will do anything to protect Max from danger. Little do the women know that their worlds are about to converge – and both of them will have to face the thing they fear the most. But will the truth destroy them or will love be their saviour?


I couldn’t wait to start Someone to Watch Over Me after I had read the synopsis which was very brief but yet it gave you enough to leave you intrigued.

Carrie briefly drifts off to sleep on the beach and when she awakes her life comes crumbling down around her when she realises that her five year old boy Charlie has gone missing.

Molly’s husband Rupert is changing before her eyes. The one thing she knows she has to do is protect their son Max but when someone is so intent on causing destruction they become impossible to stop.

This is a fantastic debut novel. The emotion that flows in the authors writing really helps us to fall into the delicate and gripping storyline, and feel how the characters are feeling in these heart-breaking situations. At some points in the book there were very chilling moments when you were almost waiting for something or someone to appear, which made it a very tense read and my thoughts began to run away with me thinking of hat else was going to happen next.

The book focuses on loss, bereavement and family domestics all of which are very hard hitting matters to write into one storyline and this author managed to do this perfectly and in her first book so it is quite clear this is going to be an author to keep an eye out for.

All of the characters were really well developed and they also felt very realistic, as did the storyline. Once I had finished this book it did get me thinking that although I had sat and read this book for pure enjoyment, others are actually living these nightmare situations on a daily basis so this isn’t a book that you switch off from once you reach the end.

I often felt as if the book was building up to a big twist but actually what I thought was going to happen never did but there were many unexpected parts in this book that I didn’t see coming. Any fans of Lesley Pearce or SJ Watson will be sure to enjoy this book as the authors writing style felt a little mix between the two. I will definitely be reading any future releases by Madeleine Reiss.




Paperback                Kindle
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