The Parisian Christmas Bake Off by Jenny Oliver

Welcome to the most celebrated patisserie competition in Paris – ready, steady, bake! 

Watching snowflakes settle on the Eiffel Tower, Rachel Smithson’s cosy English village feels very far way – as, thankfully, does her commitment-phobic ex, probably already kissing someone else under the mistletoe. But Rachel hasn’t come to Paris to mope she’s come to bake. Hard. Because the search for Paris’s next patisserie apprentice is about to begin! And super-chef judge Henri Salernes is an infamously tough cookie. But Rachel isn’t about to let her confidence (or pastry) crumble. 

She’s got one week, mounds of melt-in-the-mouth macaroons and towers of perfect profiteroles to prove that she really is a star baker. As well as clouds of flour, and wafts of chocolate and cinnamon, there’s definitely a touch of Christmas magic in the air…

Rachel hasn’t come to Paris looking for a fairy-tale romance, but the city of love might gift-wrap her one anyway…

I was really excited to start The Parisian Christmas Bake Off, I love Christmas themed books and I also love books that feature baking but I was also a little worried as I have never watched The Great British Bake off so I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a problem but lucky for me it didn’t effect reading this book at all in fact if you have never watched a cooking program in your life it doesn’t matter you will still enjoy this one.

Rachel is feeling down and thanks to everyone back home they have sent her away for Christmas to Paris to compete to become top chef Henri Salernes’s patisserie apprentice. The heat is on in the competition but Rachel soon begins to put everything she has into her baking and showcases the most tasty treats to try and win not only the completion but to also get her happiness and confidence back again so she can start living again.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book it had a sprinkling of festivity, a touch of romance and a glorious amount of mouth-watering baking! I don’t think I have ever felt so hungry reading a fiction book before. The descriptive writing sets a gorgeous setting of Paris that makes you feel as though you are being transported there with the characters. The authors descriptive writing didn't stop here, when the contestants were in the kitchens competing the tastes, smells, and how things visually looked all seemed to pop out from the book I was like a kid in a sweet shop! I loved Rachel although a couple of times in the book she did really frustrate me but she quickly redeemed herself.  One part of the book that I had predicted completely threw me when it came clear that I was wrong and I do love this in a book, something unexpected. After reading this I will look forward to future releases by Jenny Oliver.

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There's More to Life Than Cupcakes by Poppy Dolan

There’s More To Life Than Cupcakes is the first book I have come across by Poppy Dolan. The cover is gorgeous and definitely one that would catch my eye on the shelves I was hoping the story was going to be as good the cover.

Successful job CHECK

Husband Check

Baby ???

It seems like everyone is ready for Ellie to take that next step and join the world of parenting that is everyone apart from Ellie. With the pressure on her to conceive she begins questioning herself as to if she actually wants a baby, tries to weigh up the pros and cons. The cons really seem to out way the pros but will husband Pete be content with not having the baby he has so longed for?

This book really surprised me it wasn’t what I was expecting at all! I must learn not to judge a book by its delicious cover! Although baking and cupcakes are featured in the book it wasn’t a big part, the main storyline is babies, which I have to say I was rather apprehensive about as babies are not really my topic of choice I seem to have missed the maternal gene but as I got into the book I soon realised how alike Ellie and I are! I could really relate to her thoughts on the baby topic.

Ellie was a very natural and witty character ( let’s just say I won’t be in any hurry to let her decorate my wedding cake). What I loved about this book is that there is a rare relationship between Pete and Ellie, they are already happily married when we meet them and they don’t have a dramatic relationship it is a very happy loving relationship which makes a change from a majority of books.

There are a lot of characters in this book and I did lose track from time to time as to who was who but by the end they all began to take shape and they all seemed very down to earth, well other than Pete’s family!

This is an entertaining and humorous read, that is easy to relate to. I would have liked more of the baking/cake side of the storyline but that could be my tummy talking.

An enjoyable read that fans of Sam Binnie would also enjoy.

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The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien ( Illustrated by Jemima Catlin)

I am not usually one for television and films always preferring a good book instead, but funny enough I hate to admit I have watched and loved all of The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit films and yet I have never read one of the books. When the publishers sent me the new illustrated copy to review I don’t think I have ever fallen in love with a book so quickly! I am so disappointed that it is not possible to share with you all how luxurious this book looks and feels, the writing stands out in the shiny gold and the fabric that has been used to cover the book just gives the book such a high quality look to it and makes me feel like I have a real treasure in my hands.

The Hobbit tells the story of the quirky little hobbit called Bilbo Baggins, when Gandalf, a great wizard arrives looking for someone to share in an adventure Bilbo Baggins strongly and politely declines for of course hobbits do not partake in adventures! But that evening to Bilbo's surprise a group of dwarfs arrive one by one to his home in the hill and it soon becomes clear they are off on an adventure and Bilbo has been selected to go with them as their burglar as they head to get their revenge on Smaug who has taken the dwarfs ancestors treasure. The journey to the Lonely Mountain is a tough and dangerous adventure, and things along the way change our little hobbit he is a very different hobbit to the one who left for the adventure.

This is a fantastically magical read that will have you hooked from the first meeting. There are an unbelievable amount of characters in this book and yet I never lost track of who was who. The storyline is so unpredictable and shocking so you are constantly entertained which makes the book a real page turner. It is a very long book for a child or young adult at 374 pages but with this addition because it has illustrations on nearly every other page it breaks the book down a little bit so that the size doesn't feel too daunting.

Jemima Catlin has created some amazing illustrations in this book they really are quite remarkable she manages to capture in picture form what the image actually looks like in my head whilst reading. I couldn’t wait to turn the page to see which picture we were being treated to next. Although I mentioned before that the illustrations in this edition is fantastic for children I have to point out that I am 28 and I fell in love with the drawings and I love this edition so much I have never quite loved a book as much as I have this one and I will not be loaning this book to anyone! If ever I do take the plunge and have children I will enjoy sharing this beautiful book with them ( although they won’t be allowed to touch!)

This book is quite simply remarkable and luxurious and would make any one feel special to own their own copy. It is full of adventure and twists and turns that you could not predict even with your wildest imagination. There is such an amazing cast of characters in this book and the descriptive writing manages to bring not only the characters but the wholes setting to life. I cannot recommend this edition of The Hobbit enough don’t hesitate grab this book as not only a prefect girt but an investment into your families library for years to come.

For more information and to get your copy  follow the link below.

http://www.tolkien.co.uk/category/The+Hobbit

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)

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Rowena's Key by AJ Nuest

Rowena's Key is not my typical kind of read but every so often I like to try something new to try and broaden my genres, so I thought Rowena's Key was a good choice as it is a romance/fantasy but it is a novella so I thought it would just be a little taster.

Rowena is an antiques restorer and when she finds herself the owner of an ancestral aromire which contains a hidden key little does she know her life is about to change dramatically.

Through a magic mirror lays another realm and there awaits a hot prince named Caedmon. Rowena struggles to believe this is all real but before long her heart is captured.

This has to be the best novella I have ever read and that is saying something for me as I am not a big fan of novellas. I have never read a novella that has such a deep storyline that has so much content packed into it. It is longer than previous novella's that I have read and so I feel it is more than worth the current price. 

The mystery surrounding the key and the magic mirror to the other realm really had me gripped. There was some hot, passion for all of you who like a steamy read and this was written very well. I was shocked how full bodied the characters were, I felt as though I had been reading about hem for some time. 

What I usually find hard when reading fantasy books is trying to get the normal thoughts out of my head when something unbelievable happens and this is why I love this book because when I started to read this and read about the key and magic mirror of course my initial thoughts were "yeah right"  and what was great was this was the same thoughts of Rowena the main character as she actually assumed that it was a wind up! 

Like most novellas this did leave me wanting more but knowing this is the first in The Golden Key Chronicles I know that I will be getting another fix I just hope we don't have to wait too long. Although I do think the novella could have been a full length novel, I do think having it as a novella builds up more suspense as we await the next installment.

I can not wait to read book 2, this is an ideal read for fantasy fans or romance fans looking for something a little different.

I Heart Christmas by Lindsey Kelk

 Angela’s planning her very own fairytale of New York…
 • Enormous Christmas tree
 • Eggnog • Eccentric British traditions
 • Gorgeous man

 But Santa’s throwing her a few curveballs – new job (as if it’s not mental enough already), new baby-craze from her best friend Jenny, and Alex determined they should grow up and settle down. Once friends start turning up uninvited on her doorstep (and leading her astray), can Angela really have a merry little Christmas? So much for happy holidays – something’s got to give…

My favourite Chick lit series by far is the I Heart series by Lindsey Kelk, each year I look forward to another release and to top it off this year it is a Christmas themed book whoop whoop! This is not a book you will be able to buy and save until Christmas as it sits there twinkling at you so you have to cave in and read it!

As Christmas approaches Angela is like a kid in a sweet shop, she is so excited about all things Christmas that she decides to take time off of work to enjoy doing all things festive with Alex. If only everything was a smooth as that! Where ever Angela is concerned there is always disorder and mischief that occurs and true to form her Christmas is about to be turned upside down thanks to a surprise from husband Alex, a friend in need and to top it all a major change at work.

I loved this book so much. The witty humour is back in full swing and it is such a natural humour that you can’t help but chuckle away. All of our favourite characters are back and in full blown chaos. One thing you can always rely on is that Angela and Jenny will always have some big drama going on in their lives and it sure does keep me entertained. Angela and Alex are now married and I think this is a great direction in which Lindsey Kelk has taken her characters as they are now facing problems that come with settling down.

We get to see a lot more of Angela’s friend Louisa in this book and she is a loveable character. Jenny is still my firm favourite when it comes to the I Heart series she is so unpredictable, spontaneous and hilarious, I would do anything to have a friend like her life could never be dull with her around! I actually found I could relate to Angela’s character in this book ( is this a good thing?!) one of the dilemma’s she faces I can totally sympathise with and the article she wrote about on this topic was hitting the nail on the head for me.

There was a festive feel to this book with the storyline being set on the lead up to Christmas but it wasn’t overly festive so I still feel like this book could be read throughout the year.  I still don’t feel like the I Heart series is over, to me this book has actually set a new foundation for a new book and I am keeping everything crossed that the author does entertain us with another one. This is cetainly one not to be missed and needs to be under all chick lit fans Christmas Tree this year.

It is a fun , festive, fabulous read that you will want to tell all your book friends about but I am not sure you will want to share your copy!

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Driving Home For Christmas by Emma Hannigan

Christmas at Huntersbrook House has always been a family tradition - log fires, long walks through the snowy fields and evenings spent in the local pub. And this year the three grown-up Craig children are looking forward to the holidays more than ever. 

Pippa to escape her partying lifestyle and mounting debts in Dublin; Joey the demands of his gorgeous girlfriend who seems intent on coming between him and his family; and Lainey to forget about her controlling ex and his recent engagement to another woman.

But with the family livery yard in financial trouble, this Christmas could be the Craig family's last at Huntersbrook as they face the prospect of selling the ancestral house. 

As the holiday season gets underway, the family need to come up with a way to save their home, and face the problems they've been running away from in Dublin. And what better place to figure things out than around the fire at Huntersbrook House?


 Driving Home For Christmas is the first book I have read by Emma Hannigan. The cover has a lovely winter countryside setting and I was hoping that the storyline would be festive to help me get into the Christmas spirit.

When it comes to Christmas there is only one place the Craig family want to be and that is at the family home of Huntersbrook House. Thing is this could be the last family Christmas in the family home due to financial problems but this is not known to Joey, Pippa and Lainey who all have a lot of personal problems that they really need a break from this Christmas.

When I first began reading this book I really struggled as there were a lot of characters and they all seemed to blur into one to me but luckily as the storyline progressed they all began to take their own form. Because they story is told from each of the characters points of views their personalities shines through well so we soon get to know the characters well. Pippa was the character who really shone to me, she was a live wire and quite an entertaining character who comes full circle and makes some positive changes.  I loved the importance of family in this book, to all of the family members spending quality time together and looking out for each other is a big thing and it is not something that I see often enough in books or in real life for that matter.

There was some lovely touches of light humour especially around the Christmas presents! There was also an unexpected twist which I love in a good book. I wouldn’t be surprised if the author brought out a sequel to this book as the foundations are already in place for another instalment and I for one would definitely be in line to grab my copy to see what happens next.

This felt like a very realistic and traditional read that you would love to curl up with over these cold winter months. I became so engrossed in the storyline that when I finished and looked out the window I was quite disappointed to see the sun and not a layer of fresh white snow!

Festive Cover

Festive Storyline

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