Monday 28 October 2013

When You Walked Back into My Life by Hilary Boyd

For eight years Flora and Fin had an exciting, fun relationship, but when Flora wanted to settle down and have children, Fin decided he wanted to move on.

Flora healed her broken heart and resigned herself to being alone, convincing herself that a quiet life is enough. Until Fin reappears. Back in her life once more, they pick up where they left off – his betrayal forgotten, or at least forgiven.

But has Fin really changed? Can he give Flora the love that she’s given up searching for?

I have previously read one of Hilary Boyd’s books which was Thursdays in the Park which I really enjoyed so I was looking forward to reading more of the authors work and When you Walked Back into My Life had a very intriguing synopsis and a beautiful cover so I couldn’t wait to get started.

Flora and Flin had been together for 8 wonderful years when out of nowhere Flin walked out of Flora’s life, not even leaving a note or any idea as to where he has gone and why. Flora’s world is shattered and she completely brakes down.

As her family help her to pick up the pieces over the following years she begins to get her life back on track, but then Flin makes an unexpected return. Is his return going to be greeted with open arms or is he opening up old wounds?

I loved the idea behind the storyline about a previous couple coming back together again to try  and give it another go, leaving the reader in suspense as to whether it will work out or not. The Prologue had me so intrigued and on edge which I thought was a fantastic start to the book but I didn’t find that this feeling lasted past the prologue unfortunately but yet the book was still enjoyable.

I had very mixed emotions about the characters in this book especially when it came to our main character Flora. I had conflicting feelings towards her, in one breath I loved her and found her a very caring, soft natured character but in the next breath I wanted to throttle her! I understand that love can make us blind but I just couldn’t believe what she was putting up with especially with numerous warning signs and so I was often very frustrated with her character rather than sympathetic. I didn’t like Fin one bit, he was spineless and selfish but he played his part well. I loved both Bel and dear Dorothea.

The issue surrounding Dorothea was extremely well written and I actually preferred this to the main storyline. It is really thought provoking and definitely pulls at the heart strings.


This was an easy read that was enjoyable, although the ending did feel a little rushed it would have been nice to see a little more development of the relationship. 


Kindle                     Paperback

Friday 25 October 2013

2000 Followers Celebration

Tweet Tweet! 
2000 followers
Celebration Giveaway!

After 2 years of reviewing I can not tell you how happy I was to log onto twitter and see that I had reached 2000 followers!

It is lovely to know that there are so many of you out there that find my reviews helpful, and I have made so many lovely bookish friends through twitter. 

So to say a BIG thank you I have arranged a special giveaway and because it wouldn't have been possible with out all of you bookworms over seas I have made this giveaway WorldWide (please see terms and conditions)

I have three book bundles to giveaway


1st Prize


2nd Prize



3rd Prize



Good Luck and thank you so much for all your support :-)




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday 24 October 2013

Take A Look At Me Now by Miranda Dickinson


What a difference a day makes… Nell Sullivan has always been known as ‘Miss Five-Year Plan’. But when she finds herself jobless and newly single on the same day, Nell decides it is time to stop planning and start taking chances. Nell blows her redundancy cheque on a trip of lifetime to a place where anything is possible – San Francisco. There she meets a host of colourful characters, including the intriguing and gorgeous Max. Very soon the city begins to feel like Nell’s second home.

But when it’s time to return to London, will she leave the ‘new Nell’ behind? 
And can the magic of San Francisco continue to sparkle thousands of miles away?



I am a big fan of Miranda Dickinson and I have read all of her books. I have eagerly been awaiting her new release Take a Look at Me Now and as I sat down to read this last night I have already devoured it and had to get started on the review as I am still so hyped about this book, I just hope my review will do this book justice.

Nell never takes and risks and is never spontaneous she always has everything carefully planned out, that is until she is made redundant and her love life has a spanner in the works too. Unsure of what path to take next in her life Nell decides to blow her redundancy pay on an 8 week trip to San Francesco to stay with her cousin Lizzie to enjoy the sights and to try and get her head straight as to what it is she wants to do, but will this exciting new city capture her heart and prevent her from returning home?

WOW…..

This book is by far Miranda Dickinson’s best and that is saying something as I have loved all of her books but this is one of those books that just wraps you up and leaves you with a smile on your face though you are sad that it has come to an end. There are so many wonderful characters in this book, Nell is such a delightful character who I instantly loved. As Nell meets the various characters in this book it feels as though we are meeting them too as they are all so full bodied and loveable.

The author has quite clearly done her research when it comes to the sites of San Francisco her attention to detail is fantastic I felt as though I was walking around the amazing and sites, everything just felt as though it was coming to life through the pages. It has never been somewhere that has been on my wish to visit list but after reading this I would love to go! This book was mouth wateringly good, the food was so tantalising, I just wanted to pull the pancakes and cheesecakes out of the pages!

I loved the twists that were created in this book, they were unexpected and when I was reading what I thought was an already perfect read to then have this unexpected twist was just an added bonus. I loved the storyline it had everything that you could want and hope for in a perfect read, romance, perfect setting, quirky characters, twists and turns, what more could we ask for.

This is a definite must read, you all need to add this to your to be read piles. It will have you gripped from the first page and will immerse you in the storyline right until the very last page.




Kindle                       Paperback

Wednesday 23 October 2013

Calling Mrs Christmas by Carole Matthews


Cassie Smith has been out of work for a while but she has an idea. Drawing on her love of Christmas, she begins charging for small things: wrapping presents; writing cards; tree-decorating. She's soon in huge demand and Cassie's business, Calling Mrs Christmas, is born.

Carter Randall wants to make Christmas special for his children, so he enlists Cassie's help, and his lavish requests start taking up all her time. Thank goodness she can rely on her loving partner Jim to handle the rest of her clients. 

When millionaire Carter asks Cassie to join his family on a trip to Lapland, she knows she shouldn't go . . . Suddenly Cassie finds herself facing a heart-breaking choice that could change her entire life.


The first book in our 2013 Christmas book feature is Calling Mrs Christmas and let me tell you this book has started this feature off with a Bang! The cover is very traditional and festive, this will definitely catch your eye on the book shelves this Christmas.

Cassie has been unemployed for some time now and with her confidence dwindling and with both her and husband Joe finding the pinch living on one wage she is desperate to work and bring in some money. After being turned down by all her job applications she decides that she will start a business of her own and has a plan to be a Christmas planner. Before long she is in demand and her main client Carter has many Christmas needs but will Cassie be able to cope with this ontop of her other clients and how will husband Joe feel about the time she has to spend with the handsome millionaire Carter?

This is going to be such a hard book to compete with this Christmas. This was a truly fantastic book that was everything I could have dreamed of for a Christmas themed book. Each and every one of the characters in this book I loved, Cassie was a very down to earth warm character, there was a couple of times where I wanted to shake her but I felt as though her actions were a result of the pressures she felt from when she was unemployed. My favourite characters though were Rozzer and Smudge and their story really intrigued me it is something I haven’t seen featured in a book before and it is quite clear that Carole Matthews done a lot of research on this topic.

This had everything you could hope for in a Christmas themed book, presents, decorations, card writing, Santa and his elves and to top it all of Lapland! One thing you can always count on with books by Carole Matthews are the scenes that she sets are going to be very detailed and this book is no exception not only when Cassie is in Lapland with all the amazing adventures she partakes in but also when she is at home decorating too.

I love that although the book is very festive and entertaining there are also some raw, hard topics that are used with the young offenders and also with the recession and unemployment and the effects they have and yet this still doesn’t bring the joy of the storyline down at all.


Calling Mrs Christmas will definitely get you into the festive mood, and it is a real page turner that is just impossible to put down. This is going to be an unforgettable book and it is certainly up there with one of my favourites by Carole Matthews. Another fantastically festive read by the Queen of Chick Lit, Carole Matthews is my Mrs Christmas this year!

FESTIVE COVER              
FESTIVE STORYLINE  

OVERALL REVIEW      



Kindle                      Paperback

Sunday 20 October 2013

Me and Mr Carrington by Alexandra Brown (short story )


Georgie Hart can’t believe her luck. It looks like Tom, the hunky boss of Carrington’s Department Store, in the picture-postcard town of Mulberry-on-Sea, is as hot for her as she is for him. After a romantic Italian get-together leaves her on Cloud Nine, Georgie is brought back down to earth with a bump when she has to get back behind the counter of the Luxury Handbags section. But when Georgie is left open-mouthed by a revelation from one of her well-heeled customers, it seems like Tom hasn’t been entirely honest with her. Has Georgie done her usual trick of adding two and two together to make five?


I have just finished reading Me and Mr Carrington by Alexandra Brown which is a short story which I am not usually a fan of but I loved it! It was great to meet back with the fun loving characters of Carrington’s and to get a glimpse as to what has been going on since we left them.

It was great to have Eddie back in my life, he is such and fun character, I think everyone could do with a friend like Eddie to bring some sunshine into our lives. Georgie is still a down to earth lovable character and it feels like we are meeting back with old friends. I love that although it was only a short story it didn’t feel rushed at all and also you fall in to the storyline straight away. I do feel that you need to have read Cupcakes at Carrington’s before reading this novella just so you get to know the characters first.

Obviously with this being a novella I can’t really talk about the storyline as I will give too much away but what I will say is if you loved Cupcakes at Carrington’s as much as I did then this one really will not disappoint. It was great to have a little fix to keep me going until I can read Alexandra Brown’s next release.


This has left me wanting more and I can not wait for Christmas at Carrington’s to be released now.


kindle

Remember Me!

Hi fellow bookworms! Sorry I have been a little quieter over the last two months, I have had a lot to sort out in my Salon which has taken up a lot of my time and I also had my email hacked ( someone obviously wants to know all the fantastic new releases coming for Christmas )! I have also had some negative emails come through about reviews of mine so I just needed a little time out. But I am back!!

While I was away from twitter land I reached an unbelievable 2000 followers ! Thank you so much to all of you who follow me it is nice to know that my thoughts on books are still of interest to you all so I will carry on rambling. I am arranging a giveaway to say thank you to you all and I am hoping this will all be ready to begin on Friday ( as long as Mr postman brings me the goodies quick).

There are two reviews to look forward to this week too which you don't want to miss as they are both fantastic books that need to be added to your to be read pile, so come back on Wednesday and Thursday to check these out.

So today I have started getting the ball rolling with the Christmas Feature which you will find on the tab above on the right hand side so take a look for more information.

I am just about to start my second Christmas themed book which is Just for Christmas by Scarlett Bailey which is glistening at me out the corner of my eye it is a very beautiful, glittery cover. What are you all reading at the moment?

Now I have just been having a browse through the kindle books as I have a £10 voucher to use for my birthday and I came across some fantastically priced books that I wanted to share with you some of them I have read and loved and the others are ones that I purchased.

99p





I hope you all find something you will love, I look forward to chatting with you all again xXx

Tuesday 15 October 2013

The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell

I have always been a little hit and miss when it comes to Lisa Jewell books but I thoroughly enjoyed her previous release and when I read the synopsis of The House We Grew Up In I was more than a little intrigued!

This is the story of the Bird family. Four siblings grew up in an idyllic settling in the country but one horrific event left the family in pieces. As each of the children come into adulthood it soon becomes clear that the devastating event has had a dramatic impact on each of their lives. The question is can they help each other to get their lives back on track or will the family be torn apart for ever?

This really was a superb read. It is a very deep and meaningful storyline that is so compelling it is impossible to put down. I did find it took me a long time to get comfortable with the layout of the book as it continually jumps not only between different characters points of views but also between the past and the present and just to add to the mix there is also Lorelei’s emails! Although it took a long time to get used to this layout it actually was perfect for this book as it allowed us to really get to know each of the characters and let us see their thoughts on the event that took place and also how it individually effected each of them.

The author has covered many issues in this book and she has weaved each of these issues beautifully around the main storyline.

The whole hoarding topic has always intrigued me and it was great to see both Lorelei’s thought process on this as well as the thoughts of her loved ones. The way the author manages to describe the sight and smell of the house is remarkable I almost felt as though I was there crawling through the mess.


Meg, Beth and Rory were all fabulous characters. Being part of such a dysfunctional family certainly had a dramatic effect on each of them and their emotions poured out through the pages.

This is certainly not an easy, carefree read but none the less it is a true page turner that will have you gripped and immersed in the storyline. I highly recommend this book.



Paperback               Kindle

Monday 14 October 2013

There's More to Life Than Cupcakes Blog Tour


Today on the blog I am on the There's More to Life Than Cupcakes blog tour ekkkkkk !! So I would like to give a big welcome to the author, Poppy Dolan.

The best gifts to give a writer

Being a writer is weird, to my mind. You spend all this time alone, dreaming up characters and stories and madly typing thousands of words on your lonesome. And then the product of all that time on your tod is that you send a book out into the wide world, to the public. That’s the bit that sends a mild-mannered writer into the throws of bonkersness. What if this thing you created, safe and sound in your shed (which is where I write), gets slated or totally ignored or laughed at – and not at the bits where readers were supposed to laugh. It’s a stressful time and I’m guilty or bursting into tears because I can’t find a biro or flying into a strop because there are only cheese and onion crisps left.  So if you know an author going through a hair-pulling, teeth gnashing time and you want to cheer them up, here are my top five gifts for authors (HINT HINT, husband):

·         Chocolate. Obvious, but it’s obvious for a very good reason – chocolate can rescue the darkest days. I lean more towards Cadburys than Green & Black but, whatever the author prefers, make it a big bar – family sized -  and do not ask for a piece.

·         A lovely cushion or throw. To make all that endless sitting a little bit cosier, thank you.

·         Gorgeous stationery. Post it notes in crazy shapes, a rainbow of highlighters , a really pretty notepad (I love the ones from Paperchase at the moment that actually have embroidered fabric covers. Lush): anything that bit more colourful and fun from a BIC and the back of an envelope will really distract from writer’s block and put a smile on a weary writer’s face. I personally have more notepads than I will ever use but I still squee when I get a new one.

·         Not more books, thanks. It’s not just that you don’t have oodles of time to dip into the 7,000 pages of Game of Thrones, it’s that when you’re feeling dark and moody, you don’t really want it rubbed in your face how talented/successful/effortlessly brilliant other writers are. Not that I’d EVER be jealous or anything, ahem.

·         Seconds, minutes, hours… Writers need to write. OK, so I’m not reinventing the wheel here, but in order to physically get 90,000 words into your laptop (let alone edit them until you’re blue in the face) you need a lot of time and space. So maybe make them a cup of tea, give a little cheerleading chant and then back off for four hours. 


You can connect with Poppy Dolan by these links below:
Twitter: @PoppyDWriter




At midnight on the evening of Thursday 24th October (the tour's conclusion), Novelicious will be randomly selecting one person who has left a comment on any of the blog posts on the Poppy Dolan blog tour. That commenter will win a kit of baking and cake decorating supplies from BBC The Apprentice finalist Luisa Zissman’s The Baker Shop. Chock full of gorgeous edible shapes, sprinkles and even some sparkly edible glitter, each kit contains £50 worth of goodies. Good Luck!


POPPY DOLAN’S BLOG TOUR STOPS

 Monday 14th October: Rea Book Review
 Tuesday 15th October: Victoria Loves Books
 Wednesday 16th October: Kim The Bookworm
 Thursday 17th October: Jennifer Joyce Writes
 Friday 18th October: Chick Lit Reviews and News
 Monday 21st October: Chick Lit Chloe
 Tuesday 22nd October: Chick Lit Club
 Wednesday 23rd October: One More Page
 Thursday 24th October: Handwritten Girl

I am sure you will all want to get your hands on a copy of this gorgeous book so follow the link bellow to buy your copy.

Kindle

Tuesday 1 October 2013

Wonder Women by Rosie Fiore

Jo has always dreamed of starting her own business, but the arrival of her two gorgeous toddlers has put her ambition on the backburner. Then she hits on a brilliant idea – a kids’ clothing shop with a twist – and is thrilled when it really takes off. When husband Lee offers to quit his job to look after the family while her business grows, it seems a godsend – but will their marriage stand the test of reversing their roles?

Jo soon recruits Holly and Mel to help her in the shop. Designer Holly’s high-flying career has come crashing down and she’s moved back home – but is she ready to manage a major family crisis? 

Meanwhile, Mel worries her teenage daughter Serena is going off the rails. 

Is finding out more worth risking her daughter’s trust? At the crossroads of their lives, friendship could be the only the thing keeping these wonder women strong.


I have had Wonder Women on my To Be Read pile since July and I have to say I was a little put off by the size of this book, I mean 570 pages falling on you when you fall asleep will hurt! I had no reason to worry though as there is no way you can sleep after you start Wonder Women as it is so addictive and I found it impossible to put down.

Jo has a dream that she opened up a childrens clothes shop that was child friendly, with the support of husband Lee she decided to makes this dream a reality and before long her shop is open with the help of co-workers Holly and Mel.

Holly has just arrived back from Africa after a terrible time and when Jo offers her a job in her new shop it feels like a life line.

Mel takes a job in Jo’s shop which is perfect to work around her 15 year old daughter although Mel feels as though her daughter is increasingly shutting her out.


I have read so many books this year that I have loved and enjoyed but this book was not only pure entertainment it was also so exciting too. To watch Jo every step of the way in creating her business and see it develop really had me hooked, and each stage of the progression of the business really kept me interested in the storyline.

What was so great about this book was our three main characters Jo, Mel and Holly they are such strong and confident characters which is so refreshing as many characters in chick lit books are very lovable but also quite weak and vulnerable characters but this is not the case with these women they know what they want and they will get it one way or another.  Only a few chapters in the ladies already felt like friends of ours as they were so life like and also quite homely characters. There was a wide range of characters in this book all who played a great part in making a great storyline.
There are many touching issues that are focused on in this book and they were beautifully written especially the situation with Holly’s mum.

This book will bring a lump to your throat or if you’re like me then you will be blubbing! This really is a fantastic read that I cannot recommend enough especially at the current ridiculously low price on kindle at only 46p !!! ( at time of this review, please check price before you download)

I loved this book so much that as soon as I finished I couldn’t wait to get my hands on more of the authors novels so I quickly downloaded Babies in Waiting too!





Kindle                       Paperback



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