Tasmina Perry

Today on the blog I am joined by the very talented Tasmina Perry ahead of her new release, The Proposal.


Favourite Christmas Books and Movies.

I love Christmas so much I had to write a book about it. The holiday season is also a perfect time for catching up with things you’ve wanted to read over the year but not yet got round to, or re-watching or re-reading old favourites that can’t help but put you in the holiday mood. Here’s some of my Yuletide favourites.

Home Alone has got to be in my Top Ten movies of all time. I’ve watched it over a dozen times and now my son loves it – it’s an excuse to watch it all over again. Home Alone 2 – set in New York (like my new novel The Proposal!) is almost as good as the original if only for the location.

I’ve got a very old copy of A Christmas Carol that I try to read each year. It’s so short but it’s without doubt the most brilliantly atmospheric story about Christmas with a powerful, timeless message about the way we should live to boot.

I bought Arthur Ransom’s Winter Holiday because it had such a fantastic cover and because I loved the author’s more famous novel Swallows and Amazon as a child. It’s perfect Christmas reading - chocoblock full of snow-fuelled adventures like igloo building and sledging.

A beautifully illustrated copy of The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern was in my Christmas stocking a couple of years ago. It can’t be more than 5000 words long, but it’s such a sweet redemptive story – and actually formed the basis for the famous Jimmy Stewart movie It’s A Wonderful Life.

My whole family can pretty much recite Trading Places from beginning to end. Very Christmassy. Very funny. Eddie’s Murphy’s finest moment.

Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons isn’t quite as good as the novel it spins-off from (Cold Comfort Farm) but it’s still a charming short story that is a perfect quick read whilst you polish off the tin of Quality Street.

Elf is a modern Christmas classic. Will Ferrell is brilliant as Buddy – one of Santa’s Elves. Plus there’s lots of lovely singing from star Zooey Deschanel.

I didn’t fancy the Martin Freeman movie Nativity when it was at the cinema, but my little boy forced me to watch it last Boxing Day and I absolutely loved it. I defy you not to cry!

Everyone loves It’s A Wonderful Life, but a lesser known Christmas treat is Nicholas Cage’s The Family Man, another story of Yuletide redemption.

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis isn’t a Christmas novel as such, but all that snow in icy Narnia is perfect fire-side reading.

Tasmina Perry’s The Proposal (Headline) is out November 7

My Review.

I am a huge Tasmina Perry fan, when it comes to her books you can always guarantee that the covers will transport you to some kind of paradise and that there will be a scandalous, strong storyline. The Proposal is Tasmina Perry’s new release and it is not one to be missed. The cover is very different compared to her usual covers but I love it, it is a very simple, elegant cover which does the beautiful storyline inside justice.

The Proposal follows the journey of two fabulous main characters Amy and Georgia. The two ladies couldn’t be any more different and yet thanks to an advert dear Georgia places for a companion to accompany her on a trip to New York the two are brought together and form an unlikely bond.

Amy whose life is anything but perfect from her love life to her career and her empty bank balance would love to go home to see her parents over Christmas but can not afford the flights so when she comes across Georgia’s advert she feels as though she has been thrown a life line.

The story moves back and forth in time from Georgie’s life in the 1950’s to the present day and as Amy discovers more about Georgia through her tale of her earlier years and it becomes clear why she is travelling alone.

This was an absolute delight to read. It was consistently good all the way through, no low points or parts you want to skim are found in this book. The Proposal sees a softer side to the authors writing style, there is of course still a scandal to look forward to so you can still feel that it is a Tasmina Perry book but it was just so much more elegant and warm and just a real classy read rather than her usual modern glamorous and gritty style ( that I also love ). It was lovely to see a different style to the authors writing and it was equally as good.

The storyline is very strong and compelling and not one that I will forget for a long time yet. The characters are fabulous in their individual ways, Georgia is a strong, elegant, eccentric  character who I loved and was in fact my favourite character. Amy is a modern, loveable soft natured character who was a great complement to Georgia. I would love to have a Georgia in my life to give me a lesson or two!

The descriptive writing style was incredible I felt as though I was being transported back in time with Georgia  and I could just picture the elegant dresses and the grand houses.

 It is a very romantic read, with a shocking, unexpected twist which had me so taken aback I had to re-read the paragraph! 

This is an amazing read that I cannot recommend enough, this is definitely my favourite by Tasmina Perry. 

Festive Cover: 

Festive Storyline

Overall review 

The Proposal gets the 3rd Gem rating of the year!

Hardback

Deep Blue Sea by Tasmina Perry

Beneath the shimmering surface lies a dark secret... Diana and Julian Denver have the world at their feet. With a blissful marriage, a darling son and beautiful homes in London and the country, Diana's life, to the outside world, is perfect.
But nothing is as it seems... When Julian dies suddenly and tragically, Diana is convinced there is more to it than meets the eye. She calls on the one person she had never wanted to see again - her sister, Rachel. A former tabloid reporter, Rachel appears to be living the dream as a diving instructor on a Thai island. The truth is she's in exile, estranged from her family and driven from her career by Fleet Street's phone-hacking scandal. 
For Rachel, Diana's request opens old wounds. But she is determined to make amends for the past, and embarks on a treacherous journey to uncover the truth - wherever it may lead...

If there is one authors books besides Belinda Jones that scream summer beach reads it is Tasmina Perrys books! Deep Blue Sea easily grabs your attention from the beautiful tranquil cover but the storyline is far from paradise.

Diana and Julian have what seems like the perfect lives. But what is on the surface can often mask cracks underneath. When Julian is found dead in their marital home and she is told it is suicide but she cannot accept this and she is desperate to get answers and the one person who she can trust to go to extreme measures to get to the bottom of this is her estranged sister Racheal.

Racheal has been living a more relaxed life running a diving school with business partner Liam which is a far cry from her old job in journalism. When she gets a visit from her sister asking for her help she jumps at the chance hoping it will build bridges with her family again.

This is the third Tasmina Perry book I have read and she is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. What I like about this authors books is they are unlike other authors books I read. They always have a great helping of romance but there is also the suspense she creates and the crimes that make such a captivating storyline that make these books impossible to put down and Deep Blue Sea is no exception. I am going to get my one negative point out of the way now which is that I really missed the glamour that has been present in the author’s previous books. Other than this I loved everything about this book and would recommend it in a heartbeat.

The suspense that is created in this book is fantastic. I couldn’t solve the mystery surrounding Julians death, each time I thought I was on the right track to finding out who was involved Racheal would then speak to another character and her questions always then opened up another possible suspect! I had to keep reading as I was so intrigued I was eager to find out who was behind Julians death. I do love a book that is unpredictable and if you do too then this book really won’t disappoint.

There were a lot of characters in this book but they were all developed well so I had no trouble keeping up with who was who. Racheal was by far my favourite character she was a very strong and determined character who was instantly likeable. I really liked the whole diving in Thailand business Tasmina Perry creates and idyllic setting here I was hoping to have more of the storyline set there but hey I am just being greedy now!

If you’re looking for a captivating, unpredictable read this Summer then look no further as this one is not to be missed.

Kindle                       Paperback

Perfect Strangers by Tasmina Perry

Just an innocent invitation... When Sophie Ellis is asked to house-sit at a luxurious Knightsbridge townhouse, it appears to be the offer of a lifetime. Drawn into the glittering circle of the home's owner, she meets wealthy American businessman Nick Cooper and is swept up into a thrilling and passionate affair. But when Nick is found dead in his hotel suite, Sophie is suddenly the prime suspect for his murder, and soon realises Nick was not the man he seemed.

Racing to find the truth and clear her name, Sophie must elude not only the authorities but also a group of dangerous players who believe Sophie has something that they want. And who won't stop until she's caught... Escape with Tasmina Perry from London to New York to the exotic Cote D'Azur, and into a world where a simple case of mistaken identity unravels a web of lies and international conspiracy.

I have previously only read one book by Tasmina Perry which was Private Lives which I really enjoyed so I was looking forward to making a start on Perfect Strangers. Tasmina Perry books always look so warm, bright and summery which always leads me to think they are going to be light easy reads but that is definitely not how I would describe this authors books. They are in depth action packed fast paced reads and this book is no exception!

Chelsea girl Sophie is still grieving for her father, he died of a heart attack after he had lost all their money leaving his family with nothing. Sophie is trying to earn some money and so works in a gym and it is here she meets Lana who offers Sophie the chance to house sit for her in her grand home in Knightsbridge. It is one evening when Sophie is at a high flyers party that Lana was meant to be invited to that Sophie meets Nick. A fast pace relationship begins with Sophie and Nick but things so go wrong when Sophie returns to the hotel room one day to find Nick’s body in the bathroom, problem is there are no other suspects so everything  points to Sophie. Sophie needs to get answers quick and there is only one person who can possibly help her that is Nick’s friend Josh.

I felt my shoulders visibly stiffen when I was reading this book. It was a very intense chase with lots of unexpected twists and turns. The great thing was Sophie didn’t have a clue who was after her or who could have killed Nick and we are in the dark as much as she is. We only begin to unravel truths at the same time as Sophie so we can relate to how she must feel.  There really is no safe place to put this book down, you need to find out what new clue they are going to find out next to try and help us solve the mystery of Nicks death.

I was a little surprised how Josh came across as he was a big part of Sophie’s journey and so having such a big role I thought he would be a male character who we would drool over but although he was protective and seemed to care about Sophie’s wellbeing there was something a little smarmy about him and I think this is because of the reaction from him when he first met Sophie when she was with Nick, this seemed to stay with me all through the book and so I was on edge with his character all the way through. Sophie was a fantastic character who you are routing for from the beginning of the horrible mess she was dragged into. There were many characters in this book but each of the characters were well written and easily defined.  

The book is unpredictable, each time I had an inkling as to who the killer was something was then thrown into the equation to throw me off track. This book was action packed and had me on edge for the majority of the book!

It was a truly thrilling and captivating read that I would definitely recommend. Roll on the next Tasmina Perry book!

Paperback                 Kindle

Private Lives by Tasmina Perry

I have just finished reading my first ever Tasmina Perry book. I have often seen her books in the book store, they all have stunning, eye catching covers, but the size of the books have always put me off!! I was sent a copy of Tasmina Perry’s recent novel Private Lives by Headline Reviews to read and review and when this huge hard back arrived on my door step ( wouldn’t fit in the letter box!) it was my time to delve into the world of Tasmina Perry.


Plot
Anna Kennedy loves her career. A young associate with a top media law firm, she's the lawyer to the stars, hiding their sins from the hungry media. When Anna fails to prevent a damaging story being printed about heart-throb movie star Sam Charles she finds herself fighting to save not only his reputation, but also her own. But Anna is about to uncover a scandal more explosive than even Sam's infidelities. A party girl is already dead and those responsible are prepared to silence anyone who stands in their way. Not least a pretty young lawyer who knows too much...

My Opinion
After I got over my shock at how huge this book was and once I had stopped cooing over the front cover I started reading this straight away. The book is a whopping 534 pages long and I was a little uncertain if the book was going to keep my attention for the duration of the book. The novel starts off slowly and takes a while to get into the flow of the story but I feel this was because there were many different characters and different storylines going on so it took a little time to get to know who was who. Once the novel started to flow the story began to come into its own.

The storyline was a little unexpected for me I am a terrible one for judging a book by its cover so I assumed this was going to be a light weight easy beach read, but I was wrong the story needs your full attention as there is so much going on in the book you cannot afford to skim a part.

There is a real mix of characters in Private Lives and each of the characters have their own storyline which gives us an insight to their back ground but each of the characters are connected in some way. My favourite characters had to be Anna our leading lady who seems to have had a hard time the last couple of years and so has thrown herself into work, and also Matt who has just started working at the same firm as Anna, his character felt very genuine and like your guy next door type of guy.
The storyline did loose me at a couple of points but I soon found myself back on track. I do feel that the book could have been condensed down a little but all in all I found the book very enjoyable. I am not one to usually read about law and lawyers but I surprised myself as to how much I enjoyed this book it really was a glamourous read.

I will defiantly be looking out for Tasmina Perry Books in the future. Thankyou to Headline Review for sending me a copy of Tasmina Perry Private Lives.