Love Under Different Skies by Nick Spalding

Sometimes, the hardest part of staying together is keeping a straight face... Ever wish you could leave all your problems behind and make a fresh start somewhere else? Trade the stresses and strains of everyday life for your own slice of sun-kissed paradise on the other side of the world? Jamie and Laura Newman certainly have. When Jamie's spectacular meltdown at work results in him being handed his P45, and Laura finds her working days end up with her rugby tackling defenceless pensioners in the high street, a move ten thousand miles away sounds ideal. After all, it might mend some of the cracks that have appeared in their marriage over the past few months... So when Laura is offered a new job in Australia, the Newman family think their dreams have come true. But as the old saying goes - be careful what you wish for, you might just get it. As the hapless couple soon find out, problems have a way of following you, no matter how far you go to avoid them. Can love survive under different skies?

I needed cheering up and wanted to start a new book and when I looked on my bookshelf I saw Love Under Different Skies by Nick Spalding and knew that I could count on this author to get me laughing!

We meet up with Jamie and Laura Newman again, things have continued to go wrong for the poor couple, and now Jaime has lost his job it is down to Laura to become the breadwinner and when she is offered a job in Australia they can’t afford to turn it down and after Jaime struggles to get work he hopes that a new start will be good for him and his marriage. Will there new life be all they hoped it would be in Australia?

This is one author I can guarantee will have me laughing out loud and reading this book was no exception. The authors witty humour is toeing so close to the line which I love and can honestly say the humour is not like any other book I have read. The way in which the story is told is via Laura’s diary to her dead mother and Jaime’s view on his blog, so we get a first-hand account from both of our main characters. It almost feels as though it is a bloke in a pub telling us his story as it is actually quiet believable and the way it is told feels like we are just having a general chat!

There are no low points to this book, every page is entertaining and eventful and just when you think things cannot possibly get any worse for this couple something else just pops up. I still remember the “pedal bin moment” from the first book and I still find myself chuckling away and I think the poo situation in this book will stay with me too.

There are literally no negative points that can be said about this book it is fun and witty and you will easily finish this book in a day as it is impossible to put down as you can’t stop laughing. I can see the author making another book about the Newman family, Poppy is starting to get a funny side to her character too so I think there could be more in store for this family and I know I will be first in line waiting to pick up my copy.

If you are looking for a laugh out loud read that will have you gripped from start to finish then make this your next read.

Love and Sleepless Nights by Nick Spalding

Sometimes, the hardest part of becoming a parent is keeping a straight face... Just ask Jamie and Laura Newman, who (thanks to a rather relaxed attitude to contraception) find themselves about to have a baby. It's obviously a terrifying prospect for a newly married couple, but as long as they stick together they'll be just fine... right? They'd better because the path between falling in love and those first few baby steps is littered with obstacles. Featuring a hilarious cast of characters including an overbearing mother-in-law, a terrifying midwife and at least one chorus of mating humpback whales, Love... And Sleepless Nights is the hilarious follow up novel all about what happens beyond the happy ever after. Falling in love is easy... starting a family is far from it!

One of the books that left a lasting impression on me this year was Love From Both Sides by Nick Spalding. I can’t tell you how many people I told to pick up a copy of this book and gave them a warning that they will never look at a pedal bin without laughing again! Having enjoyed this book so much I was eager to read the sequel Love and Sleepless Nights, although I was a little unsure if it would be able to compete with such a great first book.

Newlyweds Jamie and Laura should be enjoying their new lives together but things don’t go to plan when they find out that Laura is pregnant. This wasn’t part of their plan. The story alternates between Laura’s point of view, which is written in her diary to her mum, to Jamie’s point of view, which he writes on his blog. This style of writing worked really well in this book. It allows the reader to really get to relate to the characters and to see their views and feelings about situations first hand. The couple face many challenging situations during both the pregnancy and the baby Poppy’s first year all which provides us with many laughs!

This was another entertaining read by Spalding and it was a great sequel to Love Form Both Sides, I still feel the first book is unbeaten as that one had me spitting with laughter whereas this book I found very entertaining and comical but I wasn’t laughing out loud. I love how well the author manages to write both the male and females character equally well. Both of the characters are very down to earth and the problems and struggles they face are realistic and I am sure people will relate to one or two of them.

I do think you need to read the first book before reading this one as there are some parts that they talk about in the previous book and also you build up a relationship with the characters in the first book so they feel familiar by the time you read book 2. If you want a comical, easy read then this one is calling out to you.

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Love From Both Sides by Nick Spalding

I have lost count how many books I pick up to read and see on the cover “Laugh out Loud” or “Hilarious” and then read the book and just can’t seem to find what it was that people found amusing. When Love from Both Sides by Nick Spalding arrived in the post the first thing I noticed was the comment at the top of the book “The Laugh out Loud Bestseller” and I have to admit part of me was thinking here we go again!

Each chapter in the book alternates between our two main characters Jamie Newman and Laura McIntyre. Both are single but are looking for a partner but this isn't as straight forward as it sounds, everything that could go wrong does go wrong. We follow both of the characters through their disastrous dates and just when you think it cannot get any worse it does!

Some of the things that happen on the dates will have you cringing and other times you will do exactly as the cover says and laugh out loud! This has to be the funniest book I have read in a long time and one of very few books that actually had me laughing out loud rather than just feeling amused.

As can be expected with the author being male there is some typical bloke humor and sexual talk but again I found this amusing but I have grown up around many male family members and friends so am used to their humor some people may find it a bit much but I am hoping the majority of readers will see the funny side to it. I was surprised how well the author managed to write Laura’s side she was very natural and feminine and a character I really loved.

I cannot wait to read the sequel. This book is going to be talked about A LOT this year I am sure!

I cannot recommend this book highly enough if you are looking for a book to get rid of the January blues! All I can say is you will never look at a pedal bin again without getting the giggles!

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