Thursday 28 December 2017

The Place We Met by Isabelle Broom



Lucy may have suffered her fair share of bad men, but now she has Pete. Finally, a man worth sharing her favourite place with, Lake Como. That's if she can put mysterious phone calls and glamorous ex-girlfriends out of her mind.
Taggie is rushed off her feet, but distraction is exactly what she needs to forget why she fled England and the sadness she left behind. She certainly doesn't have time for infuriating stranger Marco. A man is the last thing she needs right now.
Lucy and Taggie might not know it, but their lives are about to collide. The New Year might begin with fireworks - but how will it end?

I was given a copy of The Place We Met by Isabelle Broom by my Husband for Christmas this year and he couldn't have picked a better book for me. I have adored each of this authors previous books even if they have resulted in a pure determination for me to visit each location that her books have been set in and now having finished this book I have Lake Como to add to my list too!

The storyline is told by alternating chapters focusing on our two main characters Tiggie and Lucy. Both ladies are very vulnerable characters who are carrying emotional baggage but it isn't until the storyline progresses that we begin to see what has caused such emotional turmoil for them.

Tiggie has upsticks and moved to Lake Como a place of comfort to her where she hoped to rebuild herself away from all who know her. 

Lucy is heading off on holiday with her boyfriend Pete but after seeing a phone call from a name she doesn't know come through on his phone her insecurities come to the surface but she hopes the time together on holiday will bring them closer.

One thing I come to expect now from a book written by Isabelle Broom is that she will whisk me away to an idyllic location that will have me mesmerised by its natural beauty and hidden gems found off of the tourist track and once again this is what I found in this book so I was not disappointed other than that my bank balance will not let me venture their currently! Isabelle Broom has such a wonderful atmospheric writing style that brings everything to life so vividly that it is impossible not to get swept away in her books.

I liked how I was kept in the dark for the first half of the book as to what was going to join the two ladies together and when it all was revealed I then began to connect the pieces as to what was going to happen next but I still enjoyed reading the events unfold.

I loved the handsome Marco, whenever he seemed to be around there soon followed some unintentional humour too. I read the book at the perfect time with it being set between Christmas and New Year which was great but don't let this put you off reading it throughout the year as it isn't heavily festive so can still easily be enjoyed on the beach too.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it doesn't quite beat her previous books but I still enjoyed each and every chapter.




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Friday 22 December 2017

Artemis by Andy Weir




WELCOME TO ARTEMIS. The first city on the moon.
Population 2,000. Mostly tourists.
Some criminals.
Jazz Bashara is a criminal. She lives in a poor area of Artemis and subsidises her work as a porter with smuggling contraband onto the moon. But it’s not enough.

So when she’s offered the chance to make a lot of money she jumps at it. But though planning a crime in 1/6th gravity may be more fun, it’s a lot more dangerous…




I was blown away by The Martian so I have been eagerly awaiting the next release by Andy Weir. Artemis is his latest release and having just finished reading this book I am going to start this review with a warning do not buy this book ready to compare to The Martian as you will be disappointed if you are expecting to experience the same adventure that book took you on having said that I was so captivated by Artemis but in a completely different way than I was with The Martian.

Artemis is the first city on the moon and even with a small population there is those who are intent on breaking the law. Jazz Bashara is a criminal who is involved with smuggling and she is determined to get rich and so when an offer that promises an obscene amount of money arises she accepts without realising that her life is about to be put in jeopardy.
This just HAS to be made into a film, even just a few chapters in I found I could visualise the whole setting and this is just going to be a visually noteworthy film. It was such an action packed fast paced read that had me hooked from the start to the finish. We see a determination in the main character Jazz Bashera, her character is unlike one I had read before and do you know what I loved her! She is such a flawed character who is so pig headed and has made extremely bad decisions in the past but you can’t fault her determination. She is fowl mouthed and rough around the edges but is also a very intelligent individual underneath it all.
I am not sure who this book is aimed at because I absolutely loved it and found it so entertaining and addictive but it also had a YA feel to it so I think a broad range of readers will enjoy this book. There is a lot of scientific references which I thought would just go straight over my head but I actually found quite interesting. The author describes everything in such great detail that you don't need to use your imagination as he brings everything to life even the disgusting gunk! 
This book isn't the type of book that I usually read but I haven't read a book in so long that has had me so excited and entertained I was captivated from start to finish and was actually disappointed to have finished and I haven't manage to settle into another book since.
I would definitely recommend this book and it is one of those books that I wish I could go back and read again for the first time. This is one of my top 5 books of 2017.




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Sunday 17 December 2017

The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop by Caroline Roberts




Emma is the proud owner of The Chocolate Shop by the Sea, nestled in the heart of the cosy seaside village that’s become her home. With Christmas right around the corner, she and her assistant Holly are busy cooking up the locals’ festive favourites.
From cinnamon hot chocolates to reindeer lollipops, Christmas wouldn’t taste the same without a little cocoa magic. And for Emma it’s the perfect distraction from her romantic pains of the past. So when the shop’s miserly landlord threatens to hike up the rent, Emma’s Christmas and New Year suddenly look a lot less cheerful.
With the whole village rallying behind her – and loyal spaniel Alfie by her side – Emma’s determined to hold onto her chocolate-box dream.
The chocolate calendar countdown is on. Can Emma rescue her business and her broken heart?




I was looking for a light festive read and with a title that not only involves Christmas but also chocolate too, The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop by Caroline Roberts caught my eye.

Our main character is the lovely Emma and she will warm your heart from the get go. When Emma is left heartbroken she decides to make a new start in a new town and pour her heart into a new business venture by opening up her own chocolate shop. With the help from her assistant Holly her business is beginning to thrive. With things looking up for Emma is there a chance that she could let another man in to repair her broken heart?

This was such an addictive read. The characters were all so likeable in this book, I loved the relationship between Emma and her assistant Holly. Emma was very passionate about her trade and I enjoyed finding out which concoctions she was going to come up with next I was drooling at each new flavour she created.

I love how the storyline weaves a slow burning romance around an ambitious business venture. I enjoyed watching Emma transform her business and work so hard to make her own way. It touches on how small businesses need local support to survive and that there are always hefty financial worries around every corner. The author also shows how heartbreak can come in more ways than one and that this can effect everyone differently some taking years to repair that broken heart. Emma was such a hard working and caring character that I was just so desperate for her to put herself first and not worry about everyone else, I just wanted her to find her happy ending. 

My only slight negative was I found the storyline was slightly drawn out and could have been around 50 pages shorter as I was beginning to find my interest wavering in the last few chapters compared to how desperate I was to turn the page throughout the rest of the book.

I found this such a light and uplifting read that will make a perfect addition in someone's Christmas stocking this year. I look forward to discovering more cosy books by this author.








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