Year: 2011

An Autumn Crush by Milly Johnson

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My Rating: 4/5

I had never read a Milly Johnson but was looking forward to it after a combination of seeing the cover, reading the synopsis as well as the rave reviews on Amazon. It took me less than two chapters to absolutely fall in love with the brutally honest but loveable Juliet Miller. Her quest to find a flatmate works out well as we meet the second female character of the book Floz Cherrydale. Floz is the polar opposite to Juliet as she is quiet and a little bit withdrawn but a lovely girl.

We also meet Juliet’s twin brother Guy and his best friend Steve. Guy is a chef that is working for a pig of a man and in his spare time he wrestles with his friend Steve. Steve is a wrestler who would love to do his job all of the time but with the declining interest in the sport has to settle for plastering as well. Steve and Guy are fabulous characters and with the unusual nature of the wrestling in the story it made it that littler bit more interesting.

The book flows really well and at an easy pace where you become wrapped up in their normal world with a little bit of excitement added when the girls watch the wrestling matches that Guy and Steve take part in. After seeing Juliet and Steve’s disastrous night where they get drunk and end up in bed the story gets that little bit funnier too.

I loved the characters and the fact that this story was about four normal people who have different goals and their personalities make it very interesting. The one element of the story that surprised me was the one involving Floz and her secrets from her past, and this extra nugget of information made me read much quicker in an attempt to find out what it was all about.

When I reached the ending I was smiling from ear to ear as the book panned out exactly as I had hoped. I thoroughly enjoyed my first Milly Johnson book and have already got another couple waiting to be read. It reminded me slightly of Carole Matthews in her early days and I am really looking forward to the next one.

The Drought by Steven Scaffardi

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My Rating: 5/5

Occasionally I receive emails from authors asking if I would be interested in reading their debut novels. Steven was no different and to be honest when I checked out the bio of him I was a little shocked. Yes I had heard of `Lad Lit’ but to be honest had never really delved into the world of the Mike Gayle’s and the Nick Hornby’s. I figured that as I was being offered a chance to read it free, then why not. What I didn’t realise was that Lad Lit is the perfect combination of humour and reading for me and my dry and crude sense of humour!

When I read the synopsis I realised that Lad Lit really is just that; Lad lit! The stories regarding love and romance; albeit from a slightly different perspective than that of a woman! As soon as I started reading a few things became apparent. The first was that this author’s humour was right up my street. Brash, crude and direct but laugh out loud funny. Dan Hilles is a `typical’ bloke. In the beginning of the book we see him break up with his terrifying girlfriend (blimey, she was enough to give all us women a bad reputation). Dan was a likeable bloke though and it didn’t take me long to realise that Dan’s life was not going to be as easy as he thought.

The whole idea of the book is that we see Dan struggle through single life on a `drought’ meaning no sex and even less female interaction. I read a review on Amazon which said that the book was repetitive in its nature and that the reader knows that Dan is on a sex drought. Well I have to be honest and say I was confused by that statement. Yes we know he is on a drought, that’s what the whole book is about, and believe me it is very funny.

Yes, you certainly have to have a certain type of humour, but I cannot imagine one of my friends not liking this book. Obviously if you are somebody who prefers to read books that don’t involve swearing or sex, then maybe pass on this one. If not, do yourself a favour and give this book a chance.

I was reading this book on the train on my journey home and actually managed to spit my tea out where I was laughing so hard. The man opposite me was not impressed! As the story moves forward we see Dan’s attempts at getting some female attention becoming more and more daring, and to be honest more and more of a failure. This book had me cringing, laughing and smiling all the way home. I read it in a day and a half and have already started telling my friends about it. The women will (like I did) laugh at the shocking truths some of which will be close to home, and the men will laugh at the sheer truth of it all.

I can tell you now that I didn’t know an awful lot about the author until after I had read the book and I checked out his website. I was shocked to realise that he self-published. Maybe, having not read any other `Lad Lit’ I cannot compare his book to others in that genre but I honestly think this would be a fantastic author for a publisher to pick up! All I can say Steven, is I seriously hope that even if you don’t sign a publishing deal, you continue to self-publish because I will definitely be buying the next one. Overall, an absolutely cracking debut novel and I will be waiting for the next one. HIGHLY recommended!!!

Wrapped Up In You by Carole Matthews

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My Rating: 3/5

Okay, where do I begin? I was looking forward to reading Carole’s new book as I always find I can curl myself up and lose myself in the stories she writes. Indeed I did curl up, however as for losing myself… well.. it never really felt like that. Let me explain…

Now maybe I am biased, ever since reading Carole’s Chocolate Lovers Club I have been a little bit obsessed with those books as they were perfect tens in my eyes. I have read each and every book of hers and have never, not enjoyed one. With her latest release I was convinced that even if I had my doubts reading the synopsis, I would be proved wrong. We meet Janie Johnson and soon learn that she is an ordinary woman leading an ordinary life. From the outset I liked Janie and found myself smiling at the brilliant storytelling that Carole Matthews has in abundance.

As we learn that Janie is trying to move on, following the revelation that her ex is getting married and having a child, we see her mind trying to contemplate what way to best achieve her goal. We see Janie try a blind date which goes disastrously wrong (but which is very funny) and after much dithering she makes a bold decision. Instead of spending Christmas on her own with her cat, she is going to visit Africa. This for me was where the story maybe went a bit south.

Janie flies off to Africa and falls head over heels in love with Dominic, a Maasai Warrior. The story itself was still (in Carole Matthews’s style) brilliantly written. Having said that, it was at that point in the book where I started not liking Janie as much as she made more and more decisions based solely on her love for Dominic. The other characters in the book that I really liked was Janie’s neighbour Mike who plays a pretty central role in helping Janie with her life as well as Janie’s friend Nina (who I was not a big fan of).

The section of the story in Africa is lovely and you can almost imagine being alongside Janie as she experiences all that Africa has to offer.

The story was wrapping to a close and I felt myself feeling a little put out with how the ending was looking. On an entirely personal note, I actually didn’t like how things ended up for Janie and would have preferred a different outcome.

Overall I am still a die-hard Carole Matthew’s fan and her writing is still as brilliant, but for me I couldn’t help feeling that this was way too average for a Matthew’s book. Maybe it was more to do with the fact that there were too many characters I didn’t like in this book, or maybe the fact that I didn’t get the ending I wanted. Whatever, it was this was still a good read and the majority will love this book. I will, as ever, be waiting with baited breath for the next book and highly recommend her as an author.

LUXURY BY JESSICA RUSTON

My Rating: 5/5

I had read really good reviews of this book on Amazon which is what made e get it for my Kindle. It took me a while to get round to it, buy boy am I glad I did. Very early on we meet the three men that feature in this story; there is Logan, Johnny and Nicolo. However at the beginning of the story we see them all as men and Logan is now married to Nicolo’s first love Maryanne. All three of them are extremely successful and the only fly in the ointment is the fact that Nicolo and Logan are now sworn enemies. Jessica Ruston the transports us back to the past and how the three men met as boys. It is done in such a way that the pieces are fitted together at the right time and not too quickly.

The story itself is quite intricate and at the beginning we are taken through the different layers affecting all of the people involved. The book centres heavily on the down side to being rich and having it all which made a refreshing change. Not only that but the core of it all is two men’s need for revenge and rivalry. The characters themselves, whether it be the three guys, Maryanne or Logan’s children are all seriously flawed and as the book continues you get to see just how much actions affect them all.

I found myself over halfway through in the first sitting, but sadly had to wait until the next day to carry on. I didn’t necessarily like all the characters, but they were written in such a way that you understood why they were going down the path they chose. The cover certainly doesn’t do this book justice and finishing it with a big self satisfied sigh, I couldn’t wait to read the second one.

I loved this book and although people may write it off as women’s fluffy fiction, they couldn’t be further from the truth. This was an absolutely brilliant book that I couldn’t put down. Lots of suspense and a gripping storyline means I will be looking forward to Jessica Ruston’s second book To Touch the Stars. If you are a fan of authors such as Tasmina Perry, then this is the author for you to try!

The Faithless by Martina Cole

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My Rating: 3/5

For the last three books that Martina Cole has written, I finish it and then promise myself I won’t waste money buying it full price. I feel terrible saying that but it’s the truth. I have always been a huge Martina Cole fan and loved the older books such as `Ladykillers’. Sadly it seems that many authors who have huge success seem to go rapidly downhill. I fear that Martina Cole is now firmly on that list. So after finishing her last book entitled The Family I swore that was it. Yet here I am a year later having broken that promise and paying full price for it. For some reason, due to Martina’s sheer talent, I always feel that maybe this is the year she will come back with a bang. 3 years on and I am still not feeling the slightest rumble, let alone bang.

Overall this book was far from terrible, but it is still lacking something which I can’t quite put my finger on. The story itself sounded fabulous from the synopsis and I was looking forward to reading this. As I started reading I had high hopes as you are drawn into the world of the loathsome Cynthia Tailor. Martina certainly still has the knack of producing some vile characters and Cynthia is one of them. Cynthia is a character that is constantly wanting more and its pretty clear from the outset that this woman will stop at nothing to get her own way.

I was very excited reading the first few chapters as the story took no time at all to pick up momentum. I was swept along with Cynthia’s sister Celeste who has bagged the ultimate prize in her partner Johnny. A local face and a man set for better things. Cynthia’s children Gabby and James Junior play a very large part in the beginning of the story as do her parents Mary and Jack.

It becomes clear before long that the story is set over quite a long time period and as w hole the story itself was great, as were the characters. Halfway through and I was still loving the writing but felt that the major difference between this and her older book sis the sheer volume of narrative. I am certainly no book expert, I just know what I like. I don’t recall Martina Cole’s earlier books ever being this descriptive. If you were to weigh up the descriptive narrative and the characters actually speaking I think people would be shocked. It felt like there was an awful lot of repetition and I really didn’t need to be told hundreds of times how much Cynthia wanted everything!!!

I genuinely feel so torn about this book. I actually liked the story and the characters and her writing is still as strong as ever. However, I really disliked the amount of description everything had, and I had that sinking feeling that I was just reading a re-hashed story I had read a million times before. I am still really unsure whether Martina Cole has changed her writing, or whether the competition out there has just got better. These days with the likes of new writers such as Kimberley Chambers and Dreda Say-Mitchell coming along, maybe people expect more. I know it sounds a little sad, but I can’t help wishing that Martina would make a monumental comeback with a book that blows everybody away.

Overall I can’t say that I disliked this book, but it just isn’t as good as some others. No doubt I will still (stupidly) continue paying full price for Martina’s new books praying that it’s the best ever! I imagine that this book will get really mixed reviews and would suggest seeing her better work you should try her earlier stuff.

You’re Next by Gregg Hurwitz

My Rating: 4/5

Having never read a Gregg Hurwitz and having read some favourable reviews I was looking forward to getting my teeth into another new author. The book isn’t slow on the uptake and the first couple of chapters is spent introducing up to Mike, his wife Annabel and their adorable but incredibly bright daughter Kat (what a great name?!?).

Mike was brought up in a foster home and was seemingly abandoned when he was a young child. Having not had the best start in life he has literally turned his life around. When he meets a stranger at a party who explains that he knows him, Mike is none the wiser. It soon becomes clear that this is no ordinary conversation, and pretty soon Mike is aware that he and his whole family are at risk. From that point in the book onwards the tense feeling never leaves you.

Gregg Hurwitz seems to have the ability to create a hurried feeling towards the reader making you think that the worst is going to happen. As the story starts to unfold Mike does what he needs to do to keep he and family safe but it unfortunately means that he is up against people that are a lot more dangerous than he is. In turn I found myself wincing at some of the situations that turned up but found myself willing Mike on to just break the law and get even with them!

I became a little frustrated towards the last quarter of the book as it is very late on that we find out the reasons behind the manhunt. It certainly kept me reading that was for sure. There were quite a few twists along the way and I really liked the main characters. The only downside for me was that once I found out the reason he was being chased I felt it was maybe a little too OTT. It did make a refreshing change to read about a male lead character that wasn’t a cop who had little interest in doing as he is told!

As soon as I finished this book, I checked out his other books and now have a couple sitting in my `to read’ pile. I was very pleased that I read this and thought it was full of suspense and edgy enough to keep me very interested, although maybe not a 5 star read due to the final section of the book.

Overall highly recommended!

Her Last Scream by J A Kerley (Carson Ryder #8)

My Rating: 4/5

This book is the 8th release from jack Kerley in the Carson/Ryder Series. His last two books I really enjoyed but this one for me was better because I loved the story but not quite as good as others and I can’t even say why?!?

Detectives Carson Ryder and Harry Nautilus are not only partners but friends. They have been through a lot and soon become aware that this case is going to be maybe worse than previous ones. When women start turning up dead, there appears to be no connection. Before long it becomes clear that women who are in hiding from abusive partners enter a supposed safe route out, only to wind up in even more danger than when they left their partners.

Early on in the book we see first hand one of the women who is on the end of an abusive relationship and you almost wonder how long it’s going to be before the woman winds up dead. Although the subject matter was really unpleasant, Jack Kerley has written a corker of a story using this terrible crime as the basis for the book.

Harry and Carson are easy characters to like, even if you haven’t read any others in the series. I prefer to get to know the characters and their history which is why I tend to be a fan of series of books, but you can still read this as a stand alone book. Harry’s niece Reinetta Early has actually joined the force and to Harry’s dismay she wants to get involved in the case by going undercover as a woman on the run. I really liked Reinetta as she was feisty and young and seemingly up for doing anything needed to catch a killer. Of course it sets the scene for some extremely dangerous things happening. I think the pace was as usual kept quick the whole way through the book and as usual when reading Kerley’s books, you are in for some twists and turns. The one thing I really liked about this book was that I was convinced I had it all planned out as to who the killer was, only to be proved completely wrong!

The only thing I thought was lacking was anything major happening with Carson/Nautilus. I found that there was no `extra’ sparkle regarding wither of them. On reflection, maybe this is because Kerley wanted to make a platform for Reinetta to feature in follow up books, which I think would be a great move. Overall highly recommended!

Hunted by Emlyn Rees (Danny Shanklin #1)

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My Rating: 4/5

Well the first thing is that this type of storyline is certainly not original. It has been done many times over by many different authors so this sort of storyline is certainly not an eye opener. However, although I admit some authors may do this genre better, as soon as I started turning the pages of this I couldn’t seem to stop!?!

I actually liked the character Danny Shanklin, but, (and there is a but), he wasn’t original enough to stick in my memory. Sadly for Emlyn Rees, there are many authors out there that are at the top of their game in this genre and have a loyal following. Having said all of that, this certainly didn’t take away the fact that it was still a great book. High octane, and quicker than lightning, is the best way to describe the pace of the book. The story starts with Danny in a hotel room and before you know it he is on the run. The story doesn’t let its foot off the pedal until the very end meaning it was a very easy read.


The majority of the story is spent alongside Danny as he tries to evade capture meaning there are quite a few hairy moments for him which keeps you interested all the way through. You also have the added terrorism element of the story keeping it pretty current and up to date.

Although I had that sinking feeling of been here and read this before, I still read the book in one day and have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although it was all too familiar, it seemed like safe territory in terms of story and plot, but the writing was great. In addition to this, the ending is left on something of an opener for the next book which leaves room for the next instalment to be even better.

I will definitely read the next one, I just hope that in addition to the great writing skills, we see something a little bit different to keep my interest amongst the huge list of the longer standing authors producing recurring characters such as Reacher, Bolitar and Cross. If you don’t usually read this genre, then this is a good place to start and will certainly keep you interested. I can honestly say I am looking forward to the next one in the hope we get more originality and hopefully a new Kernick in the making.

It Happened in Paris by Molly Hopkins

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My Rating: 5/5

I happened to see some favourable reviews for this book which is Molly Hopkins debut so took a chance and ordered it on my Kindle. I had zero expectations, with all new debut novels and surprisingly found myself laughing out loud within the first chapter.

The one thing I want to point out is that Chick Lit is meant to be whatever the author chooses. It doesn’t have to be meaningful, or in particular close to real life. My own opinion means that I read this type of book to sometimes get away from real life. If this is the sort of book you want, along with one that can make you laugh out loud give this a go.

Evie Dexter is a hilarious character. She and her flatmate Lulu seem to be a combination of a few of my personal friends. To give you an example, early in the book the pair of them try out a workout DVD, to which they complete the warm up and then decide to “watch the actual workout with a glass of wine, so they know exactly what they need to do”.

The characters that appear throughout the story are all very loveable (with the exception of Rob who I just couldn’t stand). The situations Evie manages to get in are both funny and ridiculous at the same time. This feel good kind of story kept me reading until I had finished in one sitting. Think Bridget Jones crossed with Becky Bloomwood, and I think you are somewhere close to Evie Dexter.

This is not a book with a deep and meaningful moral to it; but boy will it make you laugh. Read and enjoy the fact that it is what it is, a light-hearted romantic comedy sort of book. I found myself wishing that her follow up book was nearer to publication as I really want to read the next instalment. I think for anybody that wants to kick back with a glass of wine and cheer themselves up, this is the book to read. Highly recommended and an absolutely brilliant debut novel by Molly Hopkins.

KILL ALEX CROSS BY JAMES PATTERSON (ALEX CROSS #18)

My Rating: 3/5

Mmmmm, let me think on it for a minute. I feel very torn trying to write a review on this book and if I am being honest I really wanted to like it. Like many readers, when you have read a series as long as this you want things to be great all the time, but inevitably there will come a point when maybe things just don’t sit right any more. I think that maybe I am leaning towards that opinion more than anything right now. Cross Country I absolutely loathed, I, Alex Cross was better but certainly not his best. With this one, I just feel it was mediocre.

The story itself had all the right ingredients, the kidnapping of the two most famous children in America and a terrorist attack on D.C. But somehow it just seemed too much like we had been there before and Alex Cross is maybe going over old ground. The writing style still has the magic Patterson touch with the short sharp chapters that keep the pages turning. That certainly wasn’t lacking, I just felt that there was a major `something’ missing and I cannot for the life of me place exactly what it is.

The character himself was lacking the magic sparkle this time around and I didn’t particularly think he was written in the same manner either. Alex Cross has always been a man who works hard, but this time round his family were a very poor second to his work and that made me think badly of him.

I know it sounds ridiculous to some, but when you have read 18 books over as many years, as a reader you feel you know the character. I certainly finished this book feeling like I didn’t know Alex Cross at all. The terrorist element of storylines in general is wearing a little thin with me as there seems to be so much of it around. I also felt that this part of the story, although very realistic, was a little rushed, and almost like an afterthought to bump the original storyline up a notch.

I am left feeling like I don’t know what just happened. Has Alex Cross finally run out of cases to solve, or has Mr Patterson bitten off more than he can chew with the amount of books he writes and co-writes? In my opinion it has to be one of the two, I just can’t make my mind up which one it is!