BOOK REVIEW: Miranda Dickinson - When I Fall In Love

“What happens when your happy ever after is suddenly and painfully taken away from you?
Elsie Maynard has a whole new life she never expected to have.
From inadvertently founding a choir like no other with former 80s rock star Woody Jensen, to daring to date again, Elsie steps out into an unknown future – a future that could include gorgeous designer Olly Hogarth, a man who seems intent on winning her heart. Overcoming problems, challenges and the occasional frustration – namely overconfident Torin Stewart who seems to be everywhere – Elsie believes she is making the most of her life.
But then a heartfelt request brings her to Paris – and the last item on a very important List.
Can Elsie take the final step and lay her past to rest? Join Elsie as she battles to start again, with the help of a disastrous, newly-formed singing group and her father and sister armed with dating hopefuls.”

Before reading this, I’d only read one other book from the lovely Miranda Dickinson (Welcome to My World) and I loved it. I loved the characters, the way the story unfolded, the developments that occurred – everything! So I was pretty certain I was in for a treat with this book and I was so right. Yes, I know I’m late to reading it but that’s the joy of books; they’re ALWAYS there, there’s no time limit, etc.

The book follows the story of Elsie as she comes to terms with her past. Along the way, she meets people that change her life and help see the world in a different way, giving her a new focus and sense of hope. I don’t want to say what happened to Elsie as I don’t want to ruin the book for you (the blurb does hint at it somewhat but that’s open to interpretation), just know that it’s tough and, because of the person she is/becomes, Elsie is an inspiration.

This is so much more than your average love story and that’s, perhaps, what I love most about it. I’m not the most lovey-dovey person you’ll ever meet and whilst I do enjoy reading typical love stories, sometimes I want something more. It’s weird, there’s only ever been one book (series) that made me think love was this incredibly magical thing… I can now add this book to the (ever so short) list.

The characters in the book are great. They’re honest, believable, and true to life. As you’re reading, you can get clear images of each of them but, more than that, you’re also relating them to people you know too. Or maybe that’s just me. Who knows? As well as the storyline, it was the characters that kept me turning the pages. I wanted to know where they were going, how their friendships were developing, where they would end up. It teaches a great life story too – sometimes the people you dismiss straight away are the ones that have the most impact on your life.

In terms of structure, this book hits the spot. It’s clear, it’s easy to follow, it’s an absolute joy to read, if I’m honest. The locations are well described and bloody beautiful. I’ve never been a sucker for Paris before and now I feel like I HAVE to go, it’s more than a need. Who fancies it..?

If you’ve ever been hurt or gone through hell when it comes to your love life, you’ll know how hard it is to trust and allow yourself to get back out there. This book deals with loss beautifully – it doesn’t make it seem depressing and gloomy but rather focuses on the happiness of having shared time with that person in the first place. Read this book. Just read it. You won’t regret it, I promise. 

Paperback | Kindle

BOOK HAUL: Super Tiny but Super Exciting

I love book shopping. I'm a bit of an addict, some might say. I'm constantly browsing the web for cheap deals, new books, or the latest releases. Yesterday, I bought two books on my lunch break from the charity shop nearest to my office. Is there anything better than finding little treasures hidden in the book section of a charity shop? I also got a delivery of some books that I've been wanting for ages but had just never got round to buying - story of my life, really. Now, obviously I can't link to charity shops but what I can do is link to Amazon/Waterstones/various other book selling places so that you can check them out too!

Granted that's the worst picture in the world but what can ya do?

The first three I bought from The Book People recently and the order came through a matter of days later. I've wanted to read Ben Aaronovitch's 'Rivers of London' series for the longest time because I've heard so many people talk about it and it sounds like something that's right up my street so when I was it was just £4.50 on the website, I HAD to buy it. Now I just need to find the time to get my teeth into them.

I also (clearly) bought Stef Penney's 'The Tenderness of Wolves'. The blurb sounded amazing so I would have got it anyway but I'm sure that I've heard somebody say this is a really good book on more than one occasion. I, at the very least, remember somebody talking about it to some extent, ha. Plus, it was only £1.50, how could I say no?!

Finally, I bought Jane Fallon's 'Got You Back' - I'm SO excited to read this. It sounds amazing and it was an absolute steal at just £1! 

What books have you bought recently and do you have any suggestions for me?

BOOK REVIEW: Jane Costello - The Time of Our Lives

“Three best friends. One five-star hotel. Will it be the holiday of a lifetime . . .?
Imogen and her friends Meredith and Nicola have had their fill of budget holidays, cattle-class flights and 6 a.m. offensives for a space by the pool.
So when Meredith wins a VIP holiday at Barcelona's hippest new hotel, they plan to sip champagne with the jet set, party with the glitterati and switch off in unapologetic luxury.
But when the worst crisis of her working life erupts back home, Imogen has to juggle her BlackBerry with a Manhattan, while soothing a hysterical boss and hunting down an AWOL assistant.
Between a robbery, a run-in with hotel security staff and an encounter on a nudist beach that they'd all rather forget, the friends stumble from one disaster to the next. At least Imogen has a distraction in the form of the gorgeous guy who's always in the right place at the very worst time. Until, that is, his motives start to arouse a few suspicions…”

Meredith has to be the luckiest person ever – she not only wins a holiday for 2 to a 5 star hotel in Barcelona, she then gets the competition providers to find a way of getting a third person to go too. So Meredith, Imogen, and Nicola set off on their dream holiday although, well… let’s just say it doesn’t exactly go to plan. Before they’ve even left the airport, Imogen has managed to throw her buffet breakfast over herself and a ridiculously hot man and, it turns out, it’s not the last she sees of him. 

It was at this point of the book i.e. VERY early on, that I knew I was going to love it and I was right. Jane Costello’s writing style is very lighthearted and funny which suits me perfectly – I actually laughed to myself on the tube more than once when reading this. It’s also this humour that, when juxtaposed alongside more serious/sad scenes, helps to bring you down with a bump, something I love. 

I adored the friendship between the three ladies. They look out for each other, are comfortable with each other but, at the same time, will tell it how it is with no holding back.

Things don’t run smoothly for Imogen and, as it’s her first holiday in many years, you feel bad for her but, for the most part, the scraps and situations she finds herself in are utterly hilarious and I found myself laughing at/with her more than pitying her. 

Throughout the story, Imogen frequently mentions her daughter’s father, Roberto, and is seemingly unable to get over him leaving her but never really reveals what happened. It’s because of this that she seems a bit ‘bunny boiler’-esque until she reveals the truth to Harry – the gorgeous fella from the airport, a journalist who seems to have ulterior motives thanks to the work drama that poor Imogen is having to deal with whilst on holiday.

When you find out Imogen’s past, you really want her to get with Harry and work everything else out – and you’re absolutely screaming at her by this point to take a step back from work – and re-evaluate what’s important to her and look at her priorities. 

On a personal note, I find it hard to believe that two people would form such a bond given the time frame but that’s the whole point of a book; it can romanticise and steer away from reality. 

The timeline of the book is very clear and easy to keep up with, making the book incredibly easy to read. Add to that Jane Costello’s writing style and you’re definitely on to a winner. The book made me smile and laugh – it was such a great, easy read and I loved every moment of it. I liked the characters and the situations that they find themselves in but, most importantly, I liked that they all went through it and became better people by facing up to the things that they had been ignoring – a life lesson we could all learn from sometimes.

Amazon: Kindle | Paperback
Waterstones: Paperback

BOOK REVIEW: Pippa Wright - Unsuitable Men

I’ve been so busy these last few weeks that I haven’t been able to blog as often as I’d like so, for that, I’d like to apologise. I have tonnes of notes written up about various books so I’ll get cracking on writing them ASAP. In the meantime, I finished this book on my journey to work today and I’m going to sneakily write a review at work so forgive me for any errors, I’m not the best ninja!

"After eleven years of coupled-up domesticity, Rory Carmichael is single for the first time in her adult life. Even she would admit that her ex-boyfriend Martin wasn’t the most exciting man in the world – let’s face it, his idea of a rocking night was one spent updating his Excel spreadsheets – but Rory could rely on him and, having watched her mother rack up four turbulent marriages, that’s what matters. But when she discovers that her supposedly reliable Mr Right is a distinctly unreliable cheater, she’s forced to consider the possibility that everything she knows about relationships is wrong.
In an effort to reinvigorate both her love life and her lacklustre career at posh magazine Country House, she sets herself a mission to date as many unsuitable men as possible. Toyboys. Sugar daddies. Fauxmosexuals. Maybe the bad boys she’s never dated can show her what she’s been missing in life. But if Mr Right can turn out to be so wrong, maybe one of her Mr Wrongs will turn out to be just right…"

I absolutely loved the concept of this book – we’ve all dated people that weren’t exactly suitable haven’t we? Rory finds herself single after 11 years of being with her boyfriend whom she’d planned a future with. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she finds out he cheated on her, is forced to move out of their joint home, and isn’t really enjoying work all that much. So when her column at Country House magazine gets cut she has to think fast and, influenced by a conversation with her colleague Ticky, she suggest writing about dates with unsuitable men.

This book was a genuine joy to read. I won’t lie and say I loved everything about it but I did love the majority of it and the things I didn’t like really aren’t major at all. Let’s get the ‘bad’ out of the way, shall we? There’s literally one thing: Rory’s colleagues are all posh and so everything they say, especially Ticky, is spelt out phonetically, so you end up reading it in a posh accent. Now I’m aware that for most people that would be fine but, for me, I just can’t. I don’t really appreciate a posh voice the way I know I should and so it began to grate on me because I couldn’t get away from it. (I did tell you it was silly!)

The characters in the book are well developed and very fleshed out, from the main characters to the unsuitable men that Rory finds herself dating. There are no characters that just feel like padding – for me there’s nothing worse than spending time reading about somebody to find that they’re quite two dimensional, boring and, ultimately, not really relevant to the story. This wasn’t the case – they all have their part to play and bring something worth reading to the table.

It touches upon the celebrity phenomenon but not in the way you might expect. They’re not current celebrities, as such, more past celebrities. ‘They’ being Rory’s aunt and her lodgers (lodgers feels like the wrong word as they’re more like family – something that becomes evident as the story develops).

One of the stand out things about this book was that, yes, it looks at Rory dating unsuitable men and that’s funny etc. but it also goes deeper and is about Rory growing up, changing, and becoming the person she wants to be, not the person she thought she had to be. There are moments you want to shout at her for not spotting the obvious but that just proves how well written this book is – the fact that I could get that absorbed in this make-believe world says a lot.

There’s a happy ending but it’s not necessarily the one you might think would occur as you’re reading it, although it might be as I guessed relatively early on. Having said that Pippa Wright did throw a little something in the mix that shook things up and I doubted myself for a while. Overall, this was a great book to read and, as I have ‘The Foster Husband’ sitting on my ‘to-read’ pile, I am now even more excited to get my teeth into it!

Paperback | Kindle

BOOK REVIEW: Mhairi McFarlane - Here's Looking At You

“Anna Alessi – history expert, possessor of a lot of hair and an occasionally filthy mouth – seeks nice man for intelligent conversation and Mills & Boon moments.

Despite the oddballs that keep turning up on her dates, Anna couldn’t be happier. As a 30-something with a job she loves, life has turned out better than she dared dream. However, things weren’t always this way, and her years spent as the ‘Italian Galleon’ of an East London comprehensive are ones she’d rather forget.

So when James Fraser – the architect of Anna’s final humiliation at school – walks back into her life, her world is turned upside down. But James seems a changed man. Polite. Mature. Funny, even. People can change, right? So why does Anna feel like she’s a fool to trust him?”

Anna is haunted by her past and, though she thinks she’s over it, she’s really just spent years blocking it out, a fact she realises when she decides, thanks in part to her friends, to go to her school reunion and face her demons. It turns out the people in her past don’t remember her so can she start afresh and prove she’s changed as those from her past prove they’ve changed too? Maybe…

When she goes to the school reunion, she sees James and Loz; James being the main character from her past that broke her down and Loz being his sidekick. Neither of them recognise her (she’s lost a hell of a lot of weight and truly blossomed, in all senses, by all accounts) and Laurence tries to make a move, causing Anna to make an excuse and leave, with the hope that she’ll never have to see them again.

Oh, how wrong she was! She ends up having to work with James, a situation she is definitely not a fan of. She decides she can either be nice and give him another chance or make his working life difficult. Turns out she can’t stick to the option she chose and I’m so glad that’s the case.

They build a friendship that’s by no means smooth but, oh jeez, you feel compelled to keep reading in the hope they work it out. If they were my friends in real life, I would definitely have bashed their heads together at various points in the book.

Whilst Anna and James are attempting, and sometimes failing, to sort out their differences, Anna’s sister Aggy is in the process of planning her wedding – something that doesn’t go to plan either but, thanks to a surprising helpful hand, Aggy gets her wedding after all, even if it’s not the one she’d been dreaming of.

In most stories, when the lead female has been hurt in the past it’s usually some stupid guy who didn’t realise what he had and left or, worse, cheated and then left. Anna’s story is so different to that. Without giving too much away, she wasn’t just hurt by the guy she liked, she was publically humiliated too, in front of a school hall of judgemental, rude, teenagers. Yes, it involves a boy but not a boyfriend.

It was nice to read a story whereby the lead character has literally been to their lowest point possible and made it through, growing into a strong woman that men adore and want to be with whilst women want to be her. Anna’s not perfect but that’s part of her charm and what makes her character such a joy to read.

It’s also touching to see the way James reacts when he finds out just how much of an impact his actions had on Anna; genuine horror and remorse. The length’s he goes to in order to win back her trust and become the friend to her that she needs also makes for great reading.

There are twists and turns throughout which keep you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages, a fine testament to McFarlane’s exceptional writing skills. This would be a great read for anyone who has been belittled by another human and made to feel worthless and not good enough because it’s inspirational and shows that you can become the butterfly you always wanted to be.

Although it’s based around a horrible topic, ‘Here’s Looking at You’ had me smiling, laughing, and full of happiness. Okay, fine, I’m not that tough – I also shed a tear or two as well. I can’t recommend this book enough and I’m going to have to read more of Mhairi McFarlane’s work in the future!

Kindle Edition | Paperback Edition

*paid for by myself*

REVIEW: Ann Hood - Something Blue

“College friends Lucy and Katherine reunite as adults—and build a new friendship as changed women.
Katherine shows up at Lucy’s Manhattan doorstep having run away from the marriage altar. Lucy isn’t thrilled to see her former sorority sister—her own life as a children’s book illustrator is complicated enough, especially as she may be falling out of love with her boyfriend. Along with Lucy’s oddball best friend, Julia, the women tackle the complicated challenge of being young, lost, and in search of life in New York City“

This book follows the lives of Lucy, Katherine, and Julia, as they try to figure out what they want from life and how to get it. Lucy has been with Jasper for years but isn’t very happy, Katherine is about to get married but isn’t very happy, and Julia lives her life through lies and, you’ve guessed it, isn’t very happy - in fact you could say they all feel blue. We watch the three girls as they try to get along with each other and stumble through life, on a road towards happiness.

Lucy and Katherine were friends in college but haven’t really spoken in years which is why I found it so weird that Katherine would turn up on her doorstep. That being said, I can understand why she wants to try and go back to a time when she was happy and that was when Lucy was still in her life. Lucy, however, has moved on and become best friends with Julia, wanting to leave her past strictly in the past. She’s not happy with the person that she was then but, then again, she doesn’t appear to be happy with the person that she is now. She feels like she’s stuck in a rut; she isn’t happy with her boyfriend or her job.

“Katherine arrives on the New York doorstep of her old college friend Lucy and finds herself to be a painful intrusion from the past. The pair, together with Lucy's best friend Julia, must learn to forge new relationships with each other.”

All three characters find it hard to adjust after Katherine turns up; Katherine finds it hard to accept that Lucy has changed and they’re not the close friends they once were, she also finds it hard to be around Lucy and Julia because it reminds her of what she and Lucy once had – friendship. Julia finds it hard because she doesn’t really like Katherine and there are moments when she nearly reveals her lies. Finally, Lucy finds it hard because she is constantly reminded of the past she’d rather forget thanks to Katherine’s appearance.

I don’t really know what to say about this story. I understand that it focuses on the three women’s lives and that we watch them as they try to get where they want to be in life and work out what they want… I just don’t feel there was much of a story to pad it out. It was a great, easy read but it felt like there could have been so much more to it. I would have liked there to have been more of a story behind it all.

I like that the characters do eventually get where they want to be, with who they want to be and it’s nice to read a book where the characters have the same ‘what if’s’ as people do in real life. It’s a very believable book in terms of characters, although I feel that Julia is an exaggerated version of how her character would be in reality.

One thing I took away from this book was that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side and that you can’t bury your past by running away (which is what Lucy did). It will come back and haunt you somehow although, for Lucy, that worked out fine.

As it was written in third person, I struggled to feel connected with the characters. That’s very much a personal thing to me as I know plenty of people that connect better with third person. It just made me feel like I was an outsider, trying to befriend a group of females who didn’t want to know. Then again, in hindsight, maybe that was a deliberate act of the authors as that’s how the characters felt the majority of the time.

I would suggest this book to a friend, partly because it’s an easy read but more so I could see if they felt the same way as me about it. I was left wanting more but I’m not sure if it was in a good or a bad way – did I want more in the form of another book or did I want more from the book I’d just read? It’s hard to say.

Have you read this book, if so, what did you make of it? Leave a comment and let me know!

REVIEW: Susanna Johnston - Lettice and Victoria

“This mischievous roman à clef revolves around the interactions of five main characters. Victoria, barely twenty, finds herself acting as amanuensis to Laurence, an elderly man of letters, now blind, who lives in a ravishing house by the sea in northern Italy. Soon after her arrival, she indulges in a heady night of passion with Edgar, a youthful Englishman. Their subsequent union introduces Edgar's pretentious mother Lettice, who is jealous and suspicious of her daughter-in-law's prettiness and her ability to amuse Lettice's intellectual friends. While Victoria struggles to adapt to her new surroundings, Lettice, in a bid to maintain her own social superiority, attempts to thwart her every move in hilarious fashion. Enter Archie, one of the inner circle, whose relationship with Victoria provokes a scandal that threatens to destroy her. Darkly funny and deeply insightful, Lettice & Victoria is not just a love story with a fanciful and flawed female protagonist, but a wonderful portrait of English society.”

‘Lettice and Victoria’ follows the story of Victoria, a young woman who reads and writes letters for Laurence, a blind man who lives in a very nice house in Italy. Whilst there she meets Edgar and, from then on, seems to go from one convenience to another. Her mother-in-law, Lettice, is a fascinating character who seem rather jealous of Lettice and the effect she has on her nearest and dearest.

Although the book focuses on both Victoria and Lettice, for me Lettice is far and away the character who steals the show. She’s very reminiscent of Hyacinth Bucket from ‘Keeping Up Appearances’ (a great TV show). In fact, ‘Lettice and Victoria’ is very much all about keeping up appearances, especially from Lettice’s point of view.

The book seems to be set in years gone by based on communication methods (very letters based), the social habits in the book, and the speech – not to many the choice of names. It’s described as a ‘love story’ but I beg to differ on that part – there’s very little love or romance throughout, it’s all very much relationships for convenience. The book itself is fast paced with short chapters which is my idea of heaven when it comes to a book. I like something that keeps me turning pages and that’s one sure-fire way of getting me to do so! One of the drawbacks to this tempo is that, towards the end especially, the book can feel slightly rushed – as though the author wanted to wrap everything up quickly.

There are a few moments of humour, not enough to make me laugh aloud but certainly enough to get me smiling. The humour mostly comes from Lettice’s reaction to certain situations – she really is the stand out character for me. I love and hate her, all at once.

The relationship between Lettice and Victoria is one that a large number of people could easily relate to. Lettice is very much a person who wants to be the centre of attention and wants to appear as though she’s more than she is (much like Hyacinth Bucket) which results in Victoria biting her tongue at times and going along with things for the sake of it. Within the group of friends in the book, there’s a certain amount of bitching and back-stabbing which all of us at some stage will have experienced.

Speaking of the friendship group – golly, they’re a weird bunch. Their friendships are complicated and, at times, seem like more of a convenience than a genuine like. That being said, people in this book clearly marry for convenience so that’s to be expected, I suppose.

Maybe it’s a generation thing (I feel this book would be better suited to someone a little older than me) but I found their social habits and friendships really weird, but in a good way. I had to keep reading, I needed to know how things were going to end, if the relationship between Lettice and Victoria was going to improve, etc.

The blurb mentions a scandal that ‘threatens to destroy’ Victoria. I got the impression when reading that, for a scandal, it was fairly overlooked. That being said, the fact I’m not sure I’m talking about the right scandal (you’ll know what I mean when you read it) means that it must be a juicy read!

One of my favourite things about this book is the level of description. The setting, the characters, the whole book is so incredibly rich in description it’s easy to picture everything and get caught in the story. It sounds obvious to say but description is so helpful when it comes to setting the scene which, I feel, helps you to get something out of the book – that certain something that the author set out for you to get.

Overall, I liked this book. I enjoyed reading it and I liked the pace it went to. I find the characters slightly strange but in a captivating way. Plus, who wouldn’t like a book that reminds them so much of a great TV show?!

'Lettice and Victoria' is available to buy on Amazon: Kindle - £5.39 or Hardback - £12.99

*sent for review by Arcadia Books*

REVIEW: Tom Bale - The Catch

“How far do you go for a friendship? That's the question Daniel Wade is forced to ask when a simple favour has fatal consequences. For the sake of his old schoolmate, Robbie - and more importantly for Robbie's sister, Cate - Dan agrees to go along with a lie. But soon he's sucked into a conspiracy that threatens to consume them all.

How hard do you fight for a fortune? For Gordon and Patricia Blake, the dead man held the key to a glorious future. Now that future has been ripped from their grasp, and the Blakes want to know why. Then they want revenge.

How can you hope to survive? With a ruthless predator on their trail, Dan realises that evading justice is the least of their worries. All that matters now is staying alive.”

This is, in all honesty, the first thriller/crime book I’ve read where I didn’t have the faintest clue as to what was going to happen or how it was going to end. The story focuses on a handful of people and those people are split into two groups – Dan, Robbie, and Cate in one and Gordon, Patricia, Jerry, and Stemper in the other – although that changes over time as some people leap ship and others go it alone. Some are good, some are bad, some are just plain deranged, and the bad might surprise you.

The story starts with Dan, Robbie, and Cate (Robbie’s sister) trying to fix one of Robbie’s previous mistakes. It becomes quite clear early on that Robbie is a reckless character with minimal thought of anyone else but himself with Dan and Cate both appearing to be fed up of helping him out of the troubles he gets himself into. The trio go to meet a guy called Hank who Robbie did business with in the past… let’s just say that it wasn’t 100% legit. Although the three go together, it’s Cate who has to deal with Hank directly and it doesn’t end smoothly, with Dan having to jump in.  That’s where the story gets interesting…

Yet again, one of Robbie’s mistakes leads to Dan (and eventually Cate) getting dragged into all kinds of craziness. This time, however, it’s dangerous. After Robbie’s actions lead to the death of a man, both he and Dan have to decide what to do. Dan thinks they should confess to the police and explain it was a mistake, Robbie takes every opportunity to deny what happened and, ultimately, make it look like he was never there, happy for his friend to take the blame if necessary.

As it happens, the person that died as a result of Robbie’s carelessness wasn’t exactly a clean cut kind of guy – he, himself, was mixed up in trouble and with some dangerous people, something to do with money (I do know but I refuse to give the game away). When they hear that Hank has been killed, all manner of conspiracy theories are thought of – resulting in them determined to find the person who killed him to find out why. Cue madness.

I don’t want to give too much away but this book really surprised me. Firstly because I’ve never read a book before where I couldn’t even so much as hazard a guess as to what was going to happen, but also because the characters were so full – they changed, they surprised me, they grew as the story becomes more deep.

From the off, I hated Robbie; he was smug, rude, and selfish, three of the worst qualities in a human. Therefore it doesn’t really surprise you how low he’s willing to stoop, especially when it comes to those he loves. Dan is the complete opposite. Time and time again, he puts himself out for his best friend who never seems to return the favour, unless he can get something out of it too. He struggles with his guilt and the lies that he’s forced to tell and never really recovers. It’s this pairing that makes the book so gripping to read.

At times the narrative seemed a bit disjointed but, overall, it worked with the plotline. For the most part, nobody in the story knows fully what’s going on so with the narrative being here, there, and everywhere sometimes, it helps you understand how the characters would be feeling, to an extent. I’m not sure if this was a deliberate act by the author but it worked out in the end. Of course, however, it can sometimes get quite annoying.

That aside, I can’t think of many other bad points, really. The characters are wholesome and bring out a wide range of emotions ranging from anger to confusion, happiness to sadness. The story has several twists and turns that keep you reading and on the edge of your seat. The only other aspect of this book that I didn’t particularly feel was strong or like was the ending. It could have been wrapped up better, in my opinion. It was still a great read and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a good thriller/crime book.

*received from NetGalley*

REVIEW: Giovanna Fletcher - Billy and Me

This is a repost from my other blog but I thought I'd put it on here as a) it's a fantastic book, and b) this is my book blog now. ENJOY!

Blurb:

Sophie May has a secret.

One that she’s successfully kept for years. It’s meant that she’s had to give up her dreams of going to university and travelling the world to stay in her little village, living with her mum and working in the local teashop.

But then she meets the gorgeous Billy – an actor with ambitions to make it to the top. And when they fall in love, Sophie is whisked away from the comfort of her life into Billy’s glamorous – but ruthless – world.

Their relationship throws Sophie right into the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? And most of all, is she ready for her secret heartbreak to be discovered and shared with the nation?

My thoughts:

There is so much I want to say about this book but, if I did that, I’d ruin the secret so here’s what I can tell you… It’s an emotional rollercoaster and it’s a bloody superb debut novel from Giovanna Fletcher.

Unlike most other chick-lit stories, you know pretty soon that Sophie May and Billy are an item… The question is; will they stay that way? Y’know when you watch a movie and you’re so utterly engrossed in the storyline that you’d rather risk your bladder exploding than running to the toilet and missing something..? ‘Billy and Me’ is like that but in book form – I can easily see this becoming a movie. It got to the point that I was reading it and shouting at the book. Thankfully, I wasn’t in public or that could have been slightly awkward. I did, however, nearly cry on the DLR so be prepared!

Sophie May is a young lady who’s sacrificed certain things in her life and it all comes back to her past. Then along comes love, in the form of Billy. A love so strong and powerful that she starts to leave her comforts behind and face up to the things from her past (not necessarily through choice) that she’s kept hidden for far too long.

I always have my head in a book so, in my head, I’m bound to relate to some of them but none of them have touched me in the same way Sophie May does. There’s been no other story I’ve related to more than hers. Minus the actor boyfriend, of course. It’s more than just because of her past, it’s the way she’s been affected by it. That’s what makes the story so great – no matter what your story, you will, in some way, be able to relate to Sophie.

When I finished the book, I was in floods of tears. I was red, puffy, and snotty, but I was happy. I’d been touched by a book, I felt like I’d gone through everything with Sophie and that’s a testament to Giovanna’s writing ability. I’m a sucker for a book so they do make me shed the occasional tear here and there but this one had me sobbing.

For anyone who thinks that this is about Gi and Tom, I’d tell them to read the book and strip it to its core: it’s about a couple who have to adjust to a big change in their life that threatens to break down the foundation of their relationship. I don’t know about you but that sounds like most relationships to me, not just theirs.

When Giovanna did her book tour, she drew everyone a cupcake based on a word they used to describe the book so I’m going to do the same in the back of my book so that, should I ever lend anyone the book, they can see what I thought of it and maybe add their own cupcake to it too.

(It was supposed to represent all the layers and emotions of the book!)

This book is incredible. I didn't want to put it down and I think this could easily be a series so, with that being said, bring on the next book!

*paid for by myself*

REVIEW: Rosie Blake - How To Get A (Love) Life

"Some people book last-minute holidays, walk barefoot in the grass or party on a week night. Not Nicola Brown. Nicola is the kind of girl who double-locks the front door, leaves the plastic covering on new furniture, sticks to a super-strict diet and definitely, absolutely Does Not Date.
Her colleague Caroline – loopy, warm and exasperated by her, knows that Nicola's reluctance to lose control means she's living only half a life. And so she lays down the gauntlet: Nicola must cast aside her hang ups and go on as many dates as it takes to find true love in time for Valentine's Day.
The pick of local men is, quite frankly, a bit rubbish. And there are only three months until February 14th. Surely it's an impossible task? But, as Nicola is about to find out on her dodgy dates, letting go isn't quite as scary as she imagined. In fact, it's rather a lot of fun..."

There is very little I love better than a book that makes me laugh aloud, question certain aspects of my life, makes me cry, gasp, and make me become so involved with the characters and the story that I miss my stop on the tube. This book does them all except one but, let's face it, crying isn't exactly my (nor anyone else's) favourite thing to do.

I knew when I read snippets of this book on Twitter thanks to @RosieBBooks that I HAD to get my hands on it, especially considering all the reviews I saw of people raving about how good it was. So I'm proud to say this was one of my first Kindle purchases and I hope they're all as spectacular as this in the future.

It follows the story of Nicola Brown, a twenty-something who is stuck in a bit of a rut, not that she's fully aware of it. Now, I'm a fan of routine so I could relate to Nicola's clockwork life but it was also this story that made me realise things need to change, something Nicola slowly realises too. For years, Nicola has been alone, eating certain meals at certain times, doing the same thing day in, day out. Until, that is, her co-worker and friend, Caroline, dares her to get a date by Valentine's Day. This is where the fun starts.

We follow Nicola as she steps so far out of her comfort zone and embarks on her dating mission. We're with her as she meets some genuinely awful men and goes on some shocking dates. In fact, the most shocking date in the book (you'll know the one I mean when you read it) actually sounds like fun to me... Does that mean I'm crazy!?

There's something special about watching someone grow as a person but even more so when you know the things they've gone through and Nicola's past is enough to put anyone off dating! She starts the book as a quiet, slightly weird (it's all the strict routines!), and wary young lady who seems scared of life and ends it as a spontaneous woman who takes risks and grabs life by the danglies. It's a slightly inspiring for anyone who, like Nicola, has been hurt and messed around in the past - it proves there's hope out there, something she realises herself throughout the book.

The title may sound like a self-help book but it isn't, something I hastened to point out to friends whenever they asked what I was reading, ha. That being said, it is the kind of book that will leave you feeling somewhat enlightened, whether that's about daring or life in general. I always find these books the most special - they leave an impact on your life and that can stay with you for a long time.

I love the close knit group that Nicola surrounds herself with; her work friends and brother. It's this friendship group that helps to accentuate how lonely she must have been before the dare and how sheltered her life was. Thankfully, instead of pitying her, you end up spurring her on and feeling like you wanna shake sense into her when she behaves a certain way with a certain someone.

I couldn't stop reading this book and that wasn't just because I was so excited to read it; it's just written so gosh darn well! I laughed, I cringed, I gasped, I wondered how things were going to play out but the one thing I didn't, and couldn't, do was put the book down.

This book would be great for those who like lighthearted 'chick-lit'. It's more than just a great love story, it's like a mini-life lesson we all have to go through.

*bought by myself*

REVIEW: Heather Wardell - Fifty Million Reasons

"Angela has typical lottery player plans: help friends and family, give more to charity, and escape her rut. But when she wins big, she faces angry relatives, her own unexpected greed, and a lawsuit from the person who put her in that rut. Almost nobody treats her normally, and now they’ve got fifty million reasons not to. She can buy anything she wants now, but can she buy the life she needs?”

NOTE: Includes significant references to “Good to Myself” and “Pink Is A Four-Letter Word” – the author suggests reading those first however I didn’t and the book was still a fantastic read.

It’s easy to assume that if you won the lottery, all your problems would be solved but Angela’s story proves that, maybe, that wouldn’t be the case. In fact, winning might be the cause of the majority of your problems. Set in Canada (part of the reason I loved this book so much – I WILL move there one day), we follow the life of Angela – a regular woman who helps those less fortunate and has a small tight knit group of friends – after she wins big on the lottery. It looks at how money affects not just herself but also those around her, including those she thought she could rely on.

As a character, Angela is very relatable and it’s exceptionally easy to get caught up in her world – proof that it’s a fantastic book but also testament to Wardell’s writing style. There were plenty of times I found myself wondering how I’d react to winning and the truth is, it would be just as Angela (I hope. I think I hope anyway) but, more than that, I found myself questioning whether people would react to my (imaginary) win as those in the book did with Angela.

Angela is kind, generous, and pretty cool – something that doesn’t change too much throughout the book. We learn about her ex, Shane, before he’s fully introduced but only by fleeting comments. Her past isn’t mentioned much and, when it is, it’s not explained in a way that brings you entirely up to speed. At least, that’s how I felt when I read it. That being said, there was advance warning from the author and it’s genuinely the only little niggle I have with this book.

The writing style is a dream to read. As I mentioned previously, I would often find myself living in Angela’s world only to be brought back to reality when it was my tube stop or time to finally accept that my ‘one more chapter’ before bed had come. More than that, though, I would find myself thinking about the characters and the story when I was at work or watching TV – how would I spend the money? Would I follow the same suit as Angela? How was she going to react to certain events? The questions are endless. The writing style helps you to empathise with Angela and it’s this that makes the book strike a chord; we’d all like to think we’d be generous with our winnings but seeing things through Angela’s eyes has made me realise that I wouldn’t play it the way I initially thought I would and, maybe, that’s not a bad thing.

If I could take one thing away from this book, it’s that money can’t, and never will, make you happy. Not fully. When Shane reappears in Angela’s life, she thinks she’ll finally be able to have the life she’d been dreaming of since their split and it was her winnings she had to thank for reconnecting them (wait until you read that part – it’s amazing!) but it turns out that John (her friend that lives with his son in the same block as Angela, who she often visits) was right to be wary of the situation. Both Shane and Angela have changed in the 9 years since they were last together and no matter how much money she has, she can’t change that. So will they be able to make it work this time?

John is Angela’s, dare I say it, best friend and one of the few people that doesn’t treat her differently – at least not for the wrong reasons. He doesn’t accept handouts from Angela, despite how much he needs them and that ends up being both frustrating and endearing for Angela. Maybe what she needs is a friend who will be there, regardless of her bank balance?

I can’t rate this book highly enough – it’s superb. I love that it captures you so completely that you think about it even when you’re not reading it and when you are, you get lost in a whole other world that makes you think about reality. That sounds far more confusing than it is. The characters are well padded out, they’re likeable (in most cases) and things don’t necessarily go as you might think or hope.

*Received from NetGalley*