The Little Pieces of You and Me by Vanessa Greene

Best friends Isla and Sophie made each other a promise a long time ago: to never let life pass them by. Years later, Isla is in love, living abroad and fulfilling her dreams. But for Sophie, things haven't turned out the way she was expecting and she hasn't achieved any of the things she and Isla talked about.

And then, in one sudden moment, life irrevocably changes for both women. Isla and Sophie have hard decisions to make but above all else they must face up to the uncertainty that lies ahead.

It's only when they realise that this is easier together, two friends standing side by side, that each woman can embrace whatever the future holds for them.

The traditional tea cup covers that we have come to associate with Vanessa Greene’s novels are nowhere to be seen on the cover of her latest release The Little Pieces of You and Me but actually I love the new look it gets a bug thumbs up from me. I was just hoping the storyline would be as comforting as her previous books.

Best friends Isla and Sophie still have a strong bond even though their lives have taken them in different directions. When thoughts turn back to the to do lists they both made years ago Isla is eager to complete her list but in life you can’t always plan ahead as you don’t know what is around the corner.

This was a heartfelt plot with a strong believable friendship at the core. Isla and Sophie were such well-developed characters and the supportive and natural connection was felt through the pages. They are everything that true friends should be a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen when you’re not around and someone to encourage you and put a smile on your face when you are at a major low.

The girls individual lives and troubles are weaved perfectly together in this book and I loved both of their character equally. The author tackles some sensitive and challenging issues in this book but she delivers them with such detail and compassion. This is one of those books that really gets you thinking that life is too short and you should grab every opportunity that comes your way and enjoy every second. I didn’t find it a “Debbie downer” book I actually found it quite an uplifting and yet thought provoking read.

In true Vanessa Greene form the storyline is a comforting one with loveable characters and a sprinkling of romance too and yet the friendship is what shone through in this book. I read this book in one greedy swoop and I was not disappointed.

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The Beachside Guest House

When Rosa and Bee get together in the run-up to Bee's wedding, they reminisce about the holiday they took together as teenagers to the beautiful Greek island of Paros. They remember the sandy coves, the guest house in the converted windmill where they stayed with their friend Iona, and the gorgeous local men. As memories of that long-forgotten holiday resurface, they are forced to confront the turns their lives have taken - and the guilt they both feel about letting Iona slip away from them. 

When they learn that the windmill guest house is going bust they form a plan: why not go back to the island and take it over themselves? And so begins a life-changing journey - because it turns out that opening a guest house and reliving their teenage dreams isn't that easy . .

Feeling poorly and looking out the window at rain isn't how I expected the last bank holiday to be so I decided to curl up and have a holiday from my bed with Vanessa Greene whisking me off to the Greek island of Paros in her latest release The Beachside Guest House.

Rosa and Bee have reached a point in their lives where they need a new start so when they see the Windmill on Paros is up for sale Rosa is keen to revisit the place where the girls spent a wonderful holiday together with fond memories and so she decides to buy the Windmill and with Bee's help get the guest house up and running again, but there is someone missing, Iona the third wheel in their friendship. 

This is a wonderful uplifting light read that focuses on a strong friendship between the three girls Bee, Rosa and Iona. Each of the girls are facing a trying time in their lives and yet they can all rely on each other and their strong bond to try and help each other through. I loved each of the girls equally which is unusual for a group of three girls and I found their friendship was very believable and natural.

The storyline surrounding Iona is definitely one that had my back up and it was hard to watch her lose confidence and see how vulnerable she was around such a vile manipulative man and so her storyline was really touching.

There are no hidden twists and turns it was just simply an uplifting, fast paced read that I read in one sitting. The descriptive writing that Vanessa Greene uses creates an idyllic setting really makes you feel a part of this beautiful scene.

This really is a perfect beach read with its short sweet chapters, warming characters with a beautiful friendship and a tranquil setting. I enjoyed my visit to the Beachside Guest House.

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The Seafront Tea Rooms by Vanessa Greene

The Seafront Tea Rooms is a peaceful hideaway, away from the bustle of the seaside, and in this quiet place a group of women find exactly what they've been searching for. Charismatic journalist Charlotte is on a mission to scope out Britain's best tea rooms. She knows she's found something special in the Seafront Tea Rooms but is it a secret she should share? Kathryn, a single mother whose only sanctuary is the 'Seafront', convinces Charlie to keep the place out of her article by agreeing to join her on her search. Together with another regular, Seraphine, a culture-shocked French au pair with a passion for pastry-making, they travel around the country discovering quaint hideaways and hidden gems. But what none of them expect is for their journey to surprise them with discoveries of a different kind . . .

I have been longing to read a book by Vanessa Greene as I have heard so many positive things about her writing and what better way to start with her new release The Seafront Tea Rooms which sounds like my idea of heaven!

This book follows a new friendship between Charlie, Kat and Seraphine who come together quite by chance in The Sea Front Tea Rooms. Each of the woman are going through a trying time and could really do with a shoulder to lean on and a friendship soon blossoms between the three women and they support each other.

I love love loved this book. It had everything I look for in a great read, likeable down to earth main characters, friendships and romance, trials and tribulations and entertainment all weaved together in a perfect setting, what more could you ask for ........Tea and cakes! 

The book starts at a gentle pace as we are introduced to our three main characters. Seraphine is coming to England to try and improve her English and she will be staying with Adam and daughter Zoe to try and help Zoe to improve her French. Kat is a single mum to the lovely Leo but she is finding it hard to make ends meet and needs to find a job around looking after him. Then we have Charlie who has had her heartbroken so has put barriers up so high and had thrown herself into her work which is what brings her to the Tea Rooms as she is writing a review feature on tea rooms. Each of the ladies bring something different to the storyline and each of their stories are gradually weaved beautifully around each other.

The descriptive writing when it comes to the various tea rooms was so impeccable that I could visualise and almost taste all these delicious cakes and teas in these quaint little places, this is definitely not one for anyone currently on a diet!

The book has such a friendly cosy feel to it and the situations the women find themselves in are so realistic so it makes the storyline feel very believable. I had some suspicions as to what was going to happen but each time I was taken down a different path so this was an unpredictable words with plenty of little twists here and there.

I enjoyed this books so much that I can't wait to go out tomorrow to get The Vintage Teacup Club because I just love this authors easy style of writing and beautifully delicate storylines. I would definitely recommend this book and it is one of my favourites of 2014.  

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