One Wish in Manhattan by Mandy Baggot

The temperature is dropping, snow is on its way and Hayley Walker is heading for New York with one wish … to start over. With her daughter Angel, Hayley is ready for adventure. But there’s more to New York than twinkly lights and breathtaking skyscrapers. Angel has her own Christmas wish – to find her real dad. While Hayley tries to fulfil her daughter’s wish, she crosses paths with billionaire Oliver Drummond. Restless and bored with fast living, there’s something intriguing about him that has Hayley hooked. Can Hayley dare to think her own dreams might come true – could A New York Christmas turn into a New York Forever? Travel to the Big Apple this Christmas and join Hayley and Oliver as they realise life isn’t just about filling the minutes … it’s about making every moment count.

I have read every one of Mandy Baggot’s books and her writing has blossomed over the years with this year’s Summer release Truly, Madly, Greekly being the best of them all but when I first laid eyes on the stunning festive cover Bookouture has produced for her new novel it looked like a promising read that could possibly knock it off of my top spot with the help of it being not only a Christmas book but set in Manhattan too.

We are introduced to some wonderful characters in this book, our little walking talking encyclopaedia,  Angel who was adorable and comical all at the same time and was a true credit to single mum Hayley who was a very grounded and warm character whose love for Angel shone through the pages and she was determined to make Angels wish come true and find her father whilst they were spending Christmas with her brother Dean in Manhattan.

American Billionaire Oliver was the perfect love interest, clearly hiding behind barriers he had built up so high and yet charming women and granting their wishes but not letting them close. He should be a character you sneer at and yet I loved him from the moment we were introduced as it was quite easy to see that this flawed character had a warm heart hidden away.

The setting was described perfectly and created an idyllic winter and festive feel I would have loved to be there ice skating and falling on my bum with them! The storyline will bring so many emotions, laughing one minute and the characters antics, feeling hopeful that their wishes will come true and it will also bring a lump to your throat as true feelings and secrets are revealed.

This was a sparkly festive read that swept me away with the storyline, it didn’t quite knock Truly, Madly Greekly off of the top spot for me but it did come close.

Kindle                     Paperback

Truly Madly Greekly by Mandy Baggot

Capable, confident and career-driven, Ellen had her dream job and a marriage proposal from boyfriend Ross. Life was good, her future set. Until it wasn’t and everything fell apart… 

Whisked off to the beautiful island of Corfu to plan her sister Lacey’s big, fat, Greek wedding, Ellen is hoping some time out will help clear her head and heal her heart. But letting go of her past is not going to be easy. 

With Lacey in full on Bridezilla mode, Ellen is soon distracted from her own problems. And when the all-inclusive treats on offer at hotel Blue Vue include one gorgeous, brooding Adonis – Yan – Ellen finds him difficult to resist.

But Ellen isn’t looking for love or lust, or anything involving too much ouzo…or is she?

I have just finished reading Truly, Madly, Greekly by Mandy Baggot, I have read all of Mandy's previous books and I can honestly say this is her best book by far.

Ellen accompanies her sister Lacey on a holiday to Corfu on a mission to check out the hotel and area for Lacey's Wedding and this holiday couldn't have come at a better time as Ellen has a secret and it looks like she is going to be found out so the distraction of some make eye candy may be just what she needs.

This is the first book I have read this year that really has that Summery, beach read feel about it. Set on the island of Corfu this was a glorious setting, the author describes different parts of the area from the ruins to the mountains and beautiful beaches so it was easy to visualise the setting, I just wanted to be whisked away there.

The storyline is a great light read which was just what I needed after a couple of intense reads so I devoured this book in only two days. There were no big twists and turns that I didn't see coming but this didn't effect my enjoyment of the storyline. I am sure the majority of us have gone away at some point and had a little holiday romance so we can all relate in a way to this storyline.

Yan oozed sex appeal through the pages and I grew used to his broken English too I did wonder if it would begin to grate on me but luckily it didn't. Ellen was a perfect female lead for us although at times I would have liked to have kicked her up the bum!

If you are looking for a light hearted, fun, summery read with a splash of romance then try this one for your holiday it will soon get you in the holiday mood.

Kindle

Security by Mandy Baggot

I have read all of Mandy Baggot’s books and I have enjoyed watching her writing skills grow with each new book she releases. I loved the sound of this book after reading the synopsis and knowing that the author has a passion for singing and performing I was sure this book was going to be a great read as she is putting a personal interest into her book.

Autumn is readying herself for the biggest night of her career but the last thing she expected was for her life to be in danger. Nathan Regan is assigned to protect Autumn, a difficult job when she is less than co-operative but her life soon starts to take a downward spiral and she begins to put her trust in Nathan to help protect her.

Can Nathan lay his past demons aside and concentrate on the job in hand?

This is by far my favourite book by Mandy she is top of her game in this book. She has created some fabulous characters not just our main characters but the supporting cast too. Tawanda is actually my favourite character she brings a little light to full on action pact storyline.

Autumn was a worrying character for me when the book began and we first met her as I thought Diva alert but luckily although she is a strong character she has her little wobbles where you see she is actually a very vulnerable and lost character and it is when we get to see these glimpses of her character that your love for her grows.  Where the authors writing has always been strong has been in creating her male lead characters and this book is no exception in fact I would say this is my favourite male eye candy so far! Although he isn’t portrayed so much as a hunk it is his protective nature that makes you quiver!

This storyline seems to have taken Mandys writing down a different path we still have the romance in full flow but the action side of her writing is something that I really enjoyed in this book it was very unexpected and I loved it.

The whole Kidnap trail didn’t feel drawn out the pace of the drama was perfect, enough to keep you intrigued and on edge. There were also some great little twists in this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book I couldn’t put it down ( until my kindle died!) 

Paperback                Kindle

Mandy is also running a competition, anyone who posts a review for her book on Amazon before the end of May can enter the rafflecopter giveaway to win £25/$40 Amazon gift certificate.


Click here for rafflecopter link

Mandy has also given us an E-copy of Security to giveaway. This is an International giveaway. Good Luck !

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Taking Charge by Mandy Baggot

Plot Is going back Robyn’s only way forward? American-born Robyn Matthers is going home. With her dad in hospital, his roadhouse in ruins and the ice hockey team slipping down the league, she needs to take charge. But does she have the strength to do it?

Cole Ryan is a hockey player on a personal mission. He’s tall, dark, hot and Robyn’s noticed! But can she trust her feelings - or his? And what will Cole do when he finds out the truth about her?

With an ill father, a trailer trash step-mom and ex-boyfriend Brad desperate for another chance, does Robyn have time to contemplate a relationship? Can she start again? Does she really want to? And can two people really fall in love in three days?

My Opinion

After reading the synopsis for Taking Charge which just gave enough information to grab my interest but without giving too much away, I was looking forward to reading this one. I have read all of Mandy’s previous books and I have seen her writing skills growing from strength to strength with her previous book Strings Attached being my favourite. Taking Charge gets off to at fast start enveloping you into the storyline from the first chapter. As soon as we meet Robyn and Cole they immediately feel like genuine, down to earth characters. The storyline was enjoyable and the touch of light-hearted humour broke up the deeper underlying topic of the storyline.

I loved the banter between Eddie and his new hospital neighbour, I found myself looking forward to the hospital chapters just to see what these characters were up to next usually resulting in some kind of cheeky behaviour. I know that fiction is not always realistic but I did find the speedy romance between Robyn and Cole a bit too much in my opinion but if I m honest that’s probably the green eyed monster in me that is making me write this! If only romance was that quick and easy in reality!

One thing that we can always count on from Mandy Baggot and that is to provide us with a mouth wateringly handsome man but she goes one step further in this book and provides us with a whole team of them! This is definitely one to look out for and Mandy Baggot is becoming an author to watch out for. A down to earth day to day storyline with a dreamy romance and testosterone oozing from each page!

Kindle                          Paperback

Strings Attached by Mandy Baggot

I have just finished reading Mandy Baggot’s latest book release, Strings Attached. I have read all of Mandy Baggot’s previous books and I can really see each time I read another one of her books she is truly growing as an author.

Plot
Caterer George Fraser has a mission. She’s going to prove everyone wrong. Ambitious owner of catering firm Finger Food and black sheep of her family, she’s determined to succeed in business where she’s so far failed in her personal life. Asked to cater for gorgeous rock star Quinn Blake’s after-show party her life suddenly takes a turn for the dramatic.


Magnetically drawn together, George and Quinn embark on a relationship that no one must know about. But is Quinn everything he seems or is there more to his star life than he’s telling her?


Things hot up when George is invited to the wedding of the millennium and her integrity very soon becomes compromised. With celebrity obsessed colleague Marisa in the mix and her beloved Adam spending more time in her life can George keep her secrets and hold on to her ambition, or will love finally get in the way?

My Opinion
I am always very honest in my book reviews and any of you who have read my previous reviews on Mandy Baggot’s books will know I always seem to be surprised how much I enjoy them as I never liked the front cover of the books. Well this time I am giving Mandy Baggot a big sloppy kiss as this time she has given her book the cover it deserves! I have also been told that Mandy Baggot’s previous novels have had the covers updated and I have had a sneaky peek and they all look great.

The chemistry Baggot creates between our two main characters George and Quinn is quite intense which makes this book a real page turner. Both of the main characters were easy to connect to right from the start of the book. We get the best of both worlds with our two main characters the normal girl next door and the celebrity who is living the high life.

I loved the twist in this book which I for one didn’t see coming. I have enjoyed Mandy Baggot’s previous books but this book has a completely different feel to it. The characters are developed more and the storyline feels like it flows better in this book. I read this book in a day I found it hard to put down and I ended up a shrivelled prune in the bath whilst reading the last few chapters!
Mandy Baggot has hit the nail on the head with this book and I would definitely recommend this book, this is officially my favourite Mandy Baggot book.

We are Lucky enough to have Mandy Baggot over on our blog today. Sit back and relax Mandy whilst I make your toes look as eye-catching as your book cover! I have a few questions for you!

At times I had to remind myself that George was a fictional character as she seemed to down to earth. Did you base her character on anyone you know?

George’s main traits are her strength and her inner determination to succeed. I think we all have a bit of that in ourselves. Hopefully readers will empathise with these powerful elements to her character but also understand her vulnerability. She’s a tough cookie but she has a soft centre.

What gave you the idea to start a twitter page for Quinn?

Quinn is one of my favourite male characters I have written. He’s sexy, he’s strong, he’s alluring but he also has that slight air of mystery about him. What’s he really thinking? Does he mean what he says? The Twitter page was formed to a) promote the book, b) to bring the character to life, c) to get readers involved and have them fall in love with Quinn prior to reading his story. Creating the Twitter page has won praise from Tesco Books and Waterstones – they thought it was innovative and unique.

Strings Attached is my favourite book of yours and reading your books has been like watching you grow as an author. What was your favourite book to write and why?

Ooo that’s a toughy. That’s like asking me to pick my favourite child! I think probably Strings Attached. There are lots of different elements to the story, some really great characters and twists and turns. It actually only took me four months to write the story but it took over a year to hone it to perfection. I’ve never worked harder on a book, the editing, the promotion, the interviews, the cover – I’ve enjoyed every aspect but it has been full on! I just hope the readers love it!

What was the last book you read?
The last book I read was The One Before the One by Katy Regan. I enjoyed this; it was chick-lit and a great writing style.

If you were stuck on a desert Island what would be the 2 items you would take with you?
Eeek!! Laptop (there would be free Wifi right?), Jack Bauer – because if anyone is going to get us off the island then it’s him!


Thank you Mandy for taking the time to come and chat to us over at reabookreview. We wish your book every success.

You can follow Mandy Baggot on twitter @mandybaggot and you can also follow the gorgeous Quinn @quinnblakemusic

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Knowing Me Knowing You by Mandy Baggot

Knowing Me Knowing you is the second book I have read by Mandy Baggot. The previous book Breaking the Ice was an enjoyable read but in my opinion after reading Knowing Me Knowing you this book is on a totally different level.

Plot
KNOWING ME KNOWING YOU - BRING ON THE LOVE! Recently single mother Kate is struggling. Clinging on to a career and bringing up her 2 year old daughter leads to nights alone drowning her sorrows in the cheapest white wine she can find. Forced to employ Joel, a male escort, to accompany her to a professionals' dinner, Kate somehow ends up in the middle of a relationship contest, competing for a £100,000 prize alongside someone she barely knows. With her boss, the Lady Dragon Miranda, desperate for Kate to flounder, her tarot card reading child-minder trying to match-make and her ex-husband making her life a misery, can Kate keep her life on an even keel? And more importantly can she put her trust in a serial dater who used to be an underwear model?


My Opinion
Our leading lady in this book is Kate who is an easy character to warm. After just a couple of chapters we realise how hard Kate is finding juggling her work with looking after her daughter and getting over her ex-husband so from the start of this book you cannot help but sympathise with her character. Baggot gives us enough information to set the scene for this characters background with out over doing it and making it a chore to read. Kate story starts to unwind as we read on through the book until it is time to see if she can turn her life around and start enjoying and living life again.

Having just read what I have written so far about my opinion for this book it sounds as though this is a really deep and meaningful book which is true but it doesn’t feel like that when you are reading this book as there is a large amount of humour in this book to which manages to keep the book on a light hearted track. I mean who has ever known an author start a book with the first line "bird poo and porridge were basically one and the same thing"!.

How can I review this book without mentioning the best part and that is Joel (Rea goes all dreamy!) When we are first introduced to Joel via the escort agency I was sure he was going to be a sleaze ball but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I think Joel is every woman’s ideal man and his character had to be my favourite!

It was a pleasure to read this book and see how Mandy Baggot is growing as an author, there is clearly a different style of writing in this book compared to Breaking the Ice, and she manages to keep you interested all the way through the book. The only downside to this book is the cover, this is defiantly one of these books where the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover " comes to mind.

I would defiantly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read Mandy Baggot’s up and coming release Strings Attached which is released in November with the Launch starting on the 1st November check out Mandy’s blog for more information http://mandybaggot.webs.com/newbookstringsattached.htm

Breaking The Ice by Mandy Baggot

I have been reading a lot of books recently by self-published authors. Over the last few years I have read many reviews on self published authors which have put me off of reading them. I decided it was time to see for myself what I thought of some of their works. I read 2-3 books a week so I have decided for each week in July and August I am going to read one self published book. I have already read Working it Out by Nicola May and Bagpipes and Bullshot by Janice Horton ( both of these reviews you can find on the blog) both of these I thoroughly enjoyed. My next review is of Breaking the Ice by Mandy Baggot.

Plot

When routine driven box office assistant Samantha Smith meets the stars of 'Skating on Broadway' her life is turned upside down. Immediately attracted to lead skater Jimmy Lloyd, Samantha does her best to deny her feelings. But when all you can do is burst out laughing and hyperventilate every time you're under pressure, keeping things under wraps is a hard task. When the future of her beloved Civic Hall is threatened Samantha must rise to the challenge to ensure its survival. Constantly scrutinised and criticised by her zany sister Cleo and her brogue wearing boyfriend Jeremy, can Samantha save her job, save the Civic Hall and stop her panic attacks just long enough to give away her heart?

My Opinion

I chose to read this book at just the right time. The storyline of Breaking The Ice is very light making it an easy read. Although there wasn’t much depth to the storyline this is made up with the detailed characters in this book. Samantha and Jimmy’s characters are what truly make this book an enjoyable read. Samantha comes across as a very gentle character having lived a very sheltered life, it felt as though Samantha was trying to live her life through her sister. We see Samantha build her trust in Jimmy and start to try new things and we can feel how nervous she is often with a panic attack looming and we just hope that she doesn’t get hurt.

We don’t get to see much of Jimmy’s back ground other than the snippets from magazine articles relating to his time in Rehab. It took me a while to trust Jimmy as I couldn’t see what his intentions towards Sam were. After a few chapters in I started to enjoy his character and realised he didn’t have an ulterior motive he was just trying to change his way of life.

This is the ideal book to read in between books as it is an easy and reasonably quick read not to challenging, ideal for sitting in the garden on a Sunday. The only thing I think lets the book down a little is the cover of the book. I don’t think the cover of the book is appealing and it doesn’t give the book the justice it deserves.

I like that Baggot has taken a typical chic lit style scenario with the famous guy falls in love with the plain Jane girl but has then weaved this is in to a different storyline featuring the ice skating which was a topic I have not read about before and which I enjoyed. Baggot also brings in an unexpected light hearted humour to the book which usually occurred when Samantha is coming out of her comfort zone!

After reading Breaking the Ice I would defiantly pick up another Mandy Baggot book and I would also recommend her romantic novel to anyone needing a quick and easy read.