The No-Kids Club by Talli Roland

At almost forty, Clare Donoghue is living child-free and loving it. Then her boyfriend says he wants kids, breaking off their promising relationship. And it’s not just boyfriends: one by one, her formerly carefree friends are swallowed up in a nonstop cycle of play dates and baby groups. So Clare decides it’s time for people who don’t have children to band together. And so the No-Kids Club is born.

As the group comes together—Anna, who’s seeking something to jumpstart a stale marriage, and Poppy, desperate for a family but unable to conceive—Clare’s hoping to make the most of the childless life with her new friends.

Will the No-Kids Club be Clare’s route to happiness, or will the single life lose its sparkle?

I have read all of Talli Roland's books and it has been great to watch the authors writing style grow through each one of her books. The No Kids Club is the first book by this author where the subject of the book I could really relate to as all of my friends have children ( or are pregnant ) and I feel as though I am in a world surrounded but baby and children talk so I was sure I was going to enjoy this one.

The main character is Clare who is a single, career focused woman who has no ticking biological clock and with her best friend now entering the world of motherhood she decides it is time to make some new friends who feel the same as her and just want a night out without the main topic of conversation turning to children and so she decides to start a No Kids Club where she ends up meeting Poppy who actually does want children but it hasn’t happened for her so she is in need of some child free friends and also Anna who doesn’t want children but needs to have a social life outside of her marriage that seems to be going down the pan.

This was definitely my favourite book by Talli and her writing is definitely at its best in this book. The storyline flowed effortlessly and having a mix of emotions as well as a touch of light hearted humour meant the book was an entertaining read that has something for everyone. It is not often that I come across a character who like myself doesn’t have a maternal gene and so it was a nice change to have a character who doesn’t want children. Don’t worry all you baby lovers as this book is for both those for and against children so don’t let the title put you off.

It seems to be as soon as you reach the 30’s you are meant to want to have children and so it is nice to see the different reasons why the characters want to be in the No Kids Club which obviously then means there are some emotional issues covered and they are written about very delicately.

I was a little disappointed by the ending of the book but then that is because I was hoping it would end a different way but that is just my personal opinion.

I would definitely recommend this book it is a quick read that kept me entertained.

Last Christmas by Talli Roland

For Lucy, the best Christmas present is forgetting the past.

 Eager to banish the ghost of Christmas past - when her boyfriend dumped her on the streets of Paris - Lucy is determined to make this the best Christmas ever. She rallies friends and family for an epic celebration that just happens to fall on the same day as her ex's festive wedding. Furious at how she's been treated, Lucy can't help relishing the party v wedding smackdown. But when the wedding is threatened and only Lucy can help, can she find the spirit inside to save the day, or will this Christmas be even more disastrous than the last?

Last Christmas is a short sweet novella written by the talented Talli Roland. It is an easy read and only has a very small group of characters. Lucy is our main character and after splitting with her ex Rob she doesn't have fond memories of Christmas but with the help of her assistant Mimi and the delightful James hopefully Christmas will finally be something to look forward to once again.

I felt like this was the perfect length novella, it didn't feel rushed even though it was a quick read that you will finish in under an hour. For a novella there was quite a lot of content including rejection and heartbreak and more positively new love and forgiveness. Once again the authors fantastic writing style has created the scene perfectly and has got the reader into a lovely positive Christmas spirit. This is a delightful read for your commute home this Christmas and for only 99p!! ( price at the time of review)

Kindle

The Pollyanna Plan by Talli Roland

I have just finished reading Talli Roland’s latest release The Pollyanna Plan. I couldn’t wait to get started with this one as I have enjoyed all of Talli’s previous books and this book has my favourite cover, it is one that would catch my attention from the shelves.

Thirty-something Emma Beckett has always looked down on 'the glass is half full' optimists, believing it's better to be realistic than delusional. But when she loses her high-powered job and fiancé in the same week, even Emma has difficulty keeping calm and carrying on. With her world spinning out of control and bolstered by a challenge from her best friend, Emma makes a radical decision. From here on in, she'll behave like Pollyanna: attempting to always see the upside, no matter how dire the situation. Can adopting a positive attitude give Emma the courage to build a new life, or is finding the good in everything a very bad idea?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and devoured this book in one sitting. Talli Roland manages to bring us a light and entertaining read but she also brings us a more delicate storyline involving Will. Having this more serious side showed a different side to the authors writing skills and has only made me love her work even more.

Both Emma and Will are both well-developed characters who are both in need of a little bit of positive mental attitude and as the book moves along you are hopeful that they will help each other pull themselves together and start living and enjoying life again.

It is unusual for me to prefer the male lead over the female because I usually find that authors tend to write same sex characters better, I assume because they can relate to them more but with this book Will was definitely my favourite character.

The Pollyanna Plan is by far my favourite book by this author. I will continue to look forward to her future releases.

I would also like to take this time to say a big congratulations to Talli on the birth of her baby xXx

Kindle

Mistletoe in Manhattan by Talli Roland

I am coming to the end of my Festive reads ( is this bad for November!) Next on my list was Mistletoe in Manhattan by Talli Roland, I have  read all of Talli’s previous books and loved all of them they are easy reads with loveable heroines so I was looking forward to starting this one.

Our Heroine this time is Holly West and she is a modern day girl but she lacks the festive spirit that her parents have. Holly’s parents run a Christmas Party Planning company and Holly works for them, when a call comes through offering a chance to organise a Christmas themed party for a celebrity Holly sees this as a big break and snaps up the job and gets ready to travel to Manhattan to start the planning alone. Will Holly’s efforts pay off?

Mistletoe in Manhattan is a great short read that will get you in the festive mood whilst travelling home from work on these cold dark evenings. I devoured this book in under 2 hours, it was an easy read that was fun and festive and delivers an important message not to forget what Christmas is really about. I am not a fan of short stories I can only actually think of one that I previously enjoyed, so I was glad that Talli managed to add to my little list!

Looking for a little festive fun that will warm your wintry nights this Christmas then Mistletoe in Manhattan is the perfect little treat for you.

Festive Feel


Book Cover


Review over all

Kindle

Construct a Couple by Talli Roland

I have enjoyed all of Talli Roland’s books and so I was keen to read Construct a Couple which is a follow on from Build a Man and I couldn’t wait to see what the characters were going to get upto in this book.

With a great job at a reputable magazine and a man who's the perfect match, Serenity Holland thinks she's laid the foundation for an ideal London life. When a routine assignment uncovers a shocking secret threatening her boyfriend's company, Serenity decides to leave nothing to chance, taking matters into her own hands. Soon, though, she realises keeping secrets isn't as easy as she thought . . . and the consequences are far worse than she ever imagined. 

We meet Serenity and Jeremy a year into their relationship and for once something seems to be going right for these characters, Jeremy is recovering from his stroke and Serenity is about to start a new job which she is hopes will lead her to her dream position. It doesn’t take long for a spanner to be put in the works for them, trouble just seems to follow Serenity which only makes you feel sorry for her character.

What I really missed in this book compared to previous books by this author is the humour, but her writing style still allows you to breeze through this book as her writing just flows effortlessly which makes it an enjoyable easy read.

Although this could be read as a standalone book I still think it would be worth reading Build a Man to get to know the characters a little better before reading this one. This is well worth picking up and it is an unbelievable price on kindle so give it a click.

Build a Man by Talli Roland

I think author Talli Roland likes to write books as much as I like to read them seen as she has managed an amazing 3 books published this year and all up to a great standard! The most recent release is Build a Man which I sat down last night to read and accidently finished in one night! I found that the book was an easy, gentle read that flowed at a comfortable pace meaning I didn’t put it down!

Plot
Slave to the rich and the rude, cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland longs for the day she's a high-flying tabloid reporter. When she meets Jeremy Ritchie -- the hang-dog man determined to be Britain's Most Eligible Bachelor by making himself over from head to toe and everything in between -- Serenity knows she's got a story no editor could resist.


With London's biggest tabloid on board and her very own column tracking Jeremy's progress from dud to dude, Serenity is determined to be a success. But when Jeremy's surgery goes drastically wrong and she's ordered to cover all the car-crash goriness, Serenity must decide how far she really will go for her dream job.

My Opinion
Well the whole question as to if I enjoyed the book or not I feel has already been answered in the timescale that I read the book. I would easily say that Build a Man is my favourite book by Talli Roland and I feel it is a mixture between the unique storyline ( well have you read a book based around plastic surgery and botox!) and a great mix of characters which makes this book a great read.

I found Serenity very likeable from the first chapter, as she came across as a very down to earth character. Jeremy was a lovely warm character who we feel a need to protect him because of his past and because of what Serenity is about to put this poor guy through. There was one character I could not stand from the first time I met him and that is Peter who is Serenity’s boyfriend and boss. I found myself gritting my teeth each time he was mentioned in the book.

I feel that Talli has made a great foundation book here, allowing us to get to know two great characters who I hope we will see continue through to her next book as we see the future of the two main characters progress.

There is such a fresh and exciting feel to this storyline because the plot is something new for the chick lit world, how on earth Talli Roland comes up with some of her plots I will never know although I would like to get inside this woman’s head as it seems a happy and humorous place to be!

I cannot wait to read the sequel to this book. Hurry and get your copy on kindle whilst it is still at this unbelievable price.

If you enjoy Build a man then you may want to give Talli Roland's 2 previous books whilst they are at such a good price

Watching Willow Watts by Talli Roland

I seem to be getting my reading Mojo back and have flown through my latest book! It did help that it was a really enjoyable read. I have just finished Watching Willow Watts by Talli Roland, this book is available on kindle with the official launch on the 14th September, but not to worry for all of you paperback lovers this will be available in paperback on 30th November.

Plot
For Willow Watts, life has settled into a predictably dull routine: days behind the counter at her father's antique shop and nights watching TV, as the pension-aged residents of Britain's Ugliest Village bed down for yet another early night. But everything changes when a YouTube video of Willow's epically embarrassing Marilyn Monroe impersonation gets millions of hits after a viewer spots Marilyn's ghostly image in a frame.


Instantly, Willow's town is overrun with fans flocking to see the 'new Marilyn'. Egged on by the villagers -- whose shops and businesses are cashing in -- Willow embraces her new identity, dying her hair platinum and ramming herself full of cakes to achieve Marilyn's legendary curves.


But when a former flame returns seeking the old Willow, Willow must decide: can she risk her stardom and her village's newfound fortune on love, or is being Marilyn her ticket to happiness?

My Opinion
The heroine in this book who is Willow Watts is such a natural character. From the moment we first meet her we instantly form a bond with her and I think it is because she is so genuine and selfless that we warm to her so much. Throughout the whole book you always see her putting everyone else’s welfare before her own wants and needs. There are a real mix of characters in Watching Willow Watts all who seem very friendly and relaxed this is all bar one character, Jay who turns up to become Willow’s agent and from the moment we meet him there is an instant dislike and we know what he is aiming to do but poor Willow is unaware of his actions.

The storyline to this book is very light-hearted and flows at a perfect pace, I was hoping to see a little more of the relationship between Willow and her ex-boyfriend but this is just me being greedy and a hopeless romantic!

I love the way Talli Roland creates a traditional little country town where everything is very ordinary and the community all come together, and then decides to throw in the whole Marilyn Munroe thing in which you would never expect in such an ordinary town. I think when something big and pink arrives in the town this is when it all felt a little bizarre!

I would defiantly recommend this book and after reading this one I would now like to read her previous novel The Hating Game. Both of her books have very bright eye catching covers so you can not miss them!

Watching Willow Watts is available on the following link at a great price  WATCHING WILLOW WATTS

Head over and join in the fun at http://talliroland.blogspot.com/ and let Talli know if you could be anyone who would you be?