Category: General Fiction

A Sister’s Promise by Renita D’Silva

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Synopsis: Two sisters. Bound by blood. Torn apart by love. My sister – the glue that held our family together and the gatekeeper to the memories of our shared childhood. The girl I made a pact with – to protect each other for life. The woman who destroyed my family, my future. And the only one who can save my daughter. Set against the dramatic backdrop of India, A Sister’s Promise is a powerful, emotional tale of family secrets, love and the ties that bind sisters together.

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: Wow! I wasn’t sure what I expected when I knew I had the new Renita D’Silver book to read. I certainly enjoyed the first one I read, but the synopsis for this latest book didn’t seem very enticing. Now I have finished the book, I can understand why it is written in the way it is. I picked up this book and to be honest for the first few chapters was wondering if this was the same author. It seemed disjointed, who were all these people and what on earth was going on? It turns out that Renita was doing what she was clearly born to do. She was weaving her web in your subconscious, waiting for the moment maybe 5 or 6 chapters in when you just knew anything you had planned for the next few hours was NOT getting done.

Like I say by the time Renita had me in her clutches I wasn’t getting out of it that easily. My dinner, ironing and anything else remotely housework like was discarded because I just couldn’t stop reading. We meet two sisters Sharda and Puja, both completely different, but with good reason. It’s extremely difficult to explain anything about this storyline without giving away far too much. Half the love of this story was the finding out part.

What I can tell you is that the book took me on a journey, one that was filled with love, laughter and sadness all wrapped up into one. Renita has a magic ability to transport you in this case from London to India. I could almost smell the smells and see the sights. From the moment I was collared I didn’t put the book down until I was finished. I can truly say I finished this book and felt breathless it left such an impact. I love the fact that you are reading about a different culture to the one here in England and the writing and storytelling was truly magnificent. With just over half the year gone, I am convinced that this will be one of my top 3 books for 2015 in this genre. This was an exhilarating and emotional read that will leave you wanting more.

I truly can’t explain just how wonderful this book was. If you want to read something a little bit different I would urge you to give this a go. At first glance it may not seem your thing, but I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the story Renita has in store. Wonderful!

In addition to this maybe check out the Publisher Bookouture, these guys are giving the Big Boy Publishers a run for their money with the amount of cracking authors they have producing first class books lately.

Summer Flings and Dancing Dreams by Sue Watson

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Synopsis: Laura Watkin’s heart isn’t broken, she’s just forgotten how to use it. After years on her own, the highlight of single mum Laura’s week is watching Strictly Come Dancing with a glass of Pinot Grigio and a large helping of imagination. 

With her daughter Sophie going travelling, Laura knows the time is right to do something for herself for a change. One disastrous Zumba class later and Laura ends up at the feet (literally) of gorgeous dance instructor Tony Hernandez. 

A natural dancer and inspiring teacher, Tony rekindles in Laura a passion she inherited from her ballroom dancer father – and with it comes a dream… to make him proud. But when Tony enters them to perform at the National Dance Festival, can Laura’s new-found confidence survive the test? And with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn Flamenco in Spain, could Laura truly learn to dance like nobody’s watching… and love like she’ll never get hurt? 

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I am a HUGE of Sue Watson and if you have a rather filthy sense of humour, and like a good giggle her books don’t fail to raise a smile. MAKE SURE you read the description of what type of book it is before you read it and then slate it…it clearly states it’s a funny and uplifting romantic comedy. Thankfully this does exactly what it says on the tin. Laura Watkins is your average divorcee who is working to make ends meet and is trying to ensure her daughter doesn’t go off the rails following a disastrous relationship. I know that quoting lines can be irritating for some people but I just knew that when I read the below lines within the first chapter that I would be laughing at quite a few lines in this latest book.

“I would be sending a very stiff email to ‘God.Com’ when all this was over, telling him and his staff to sort their s*it out. No wonder people were going to Supermarkets on a Sunday instead of going to Jesus”

When Laura’s daughter Sophie goes travelling and she realises her life consists of working and nights in front of Strictly Come Dancing, she is determined to make a few changes. And that is exactly what she does along with some wonderful characters. Enter Tony the Dance Instructor who is a hilarious character that has bucketful’s of attitude, glitter and stories to tell. He is determined to teach Laura to dance and for once do something for herself.

The journey they take from there on in is brilliant. The story is everything you want from this sort of book. I wanted Laura to become the person she could be and found myself wishing I could watch this in a film too! There is one particularly funny chapter entitled ‘Slut Dropping Zumba Queens and Someone Else’s Leggings’. Suffice to say it was a very amusing chapter that I’m pretty sure quite a few people can sympathise with.

By the time I finished this book I wanted to book myself on a trip to Grenada to see all the sexy Spanish men and women dancing Flamenco. This is a cracking book which had me smiling and laughing and it’s the perfect tonic for the everyday boring blues that most people experience.  Some people may wonder why only 4 stars instead of 5, well Love, Lies and Lemon Cake was one of my favourite books of 2014 and Sue has to go some to top that. Another fantastic read and as usual I can’t wait to read the next one!

The Little Flower Shop by The Sea by Ali McNamara

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Synopsis: The blossom is out in the little Cornish harbour town of St Felix. But Poppy Carmichael’s spirits aren’t lifted by the pretty West Country spring. Inheriting her grandmother’s flower shop has forced her to return to Cornwall, a place that holds too many memories.

Poppy is determined to do her best for the sake of her adored grandmother, but she struggles with the responsibility of the more-shabby-than-chic shop. And with the added complication of Jake, the gruff but gorgeous local flower grower, Poppy is very tempted to run away… The pretty little town has a few surprises in store for Poppy. With new friends to help her and romance blooming, it’s time for Poppy to open her heart to St Felix and to the special magic of a little flower shop by the sea!

Kat’s Rating: 5/5 Continue reading “The Little Flower Shop by The Sea by Ali McNamara”

Too Many Cooks by Dana Bate

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Synopsis: Kelly Madigan seems to have it all: a fabulous boyfriend, a supportive – if eccentric – family, and a flourishing career as a cookbook ghost-writer. But after finding a letter from her recently-deceased mother, criticising her stable but unexciting life, Kelly knows she needs to make a change. When a mysterious new writing opportunity in London presents itself, she jumps at the chance to get away from it all.

Enter Natasha Spencer – Oscar-winning actress and health nut, not to mention a total nightmare. She’s working on a new cookbook and has asked for Kelly’s help. What Kelly didn’t factor in was meeting Natasha’s dishy MP husband, Hugh Ballantine. Away from her family, friends, and the life she knows – will this fish out of water ever get back in the swim? 

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: Kelly Madigan is an easy character to like from the get go. With her eccentric family, her steady and likeable boyfriend seems to make her life perfect. However, when her Mum passes away she leaves Kelly a letter which tells her to get out there and cause some waves in her life and not to settle for the easy option. This sets Kelly off on a chain of events which see her take some drastic decisions including upping and moving to London to work as a ghost-writer for a celebrity writing her own cookbook.

Enter Natasha Spencer, the sort of celebrity fictional character I love to hate. She appears to have it all, looks, fame and money but seriously lacks in personality. Kelly is instantly dwarfed and overwhelmed by her new employee. In addition to Natasha she also has to put up with her ridiculous assistant Poppy who just adds to the hilarity of Natasha’s over inflated sense of self. Natasha, although everything people probably imagine some celebrities to be like, make the book so much more readable and there is nothing like a bit of backstabbing and bitchiness to liven up a book. I also loved some of the one liners that Kelly’s friend Meg came out with, it injected a real laugh out loud element to certain parts of the story.

When Kelly meets Natasha’s husband MP Hugh Ballantine things get even more crazy and before you know it Kelly feels a million miles away from home and incredibly lonely. The characters, the cooking and the general air of drama and humour around this book seems the perfect combination to me. I enjoyed Dana’s first book, but not as much as this one. Once I was into the story I didn’t want to put it down. A fantastic read which I thoroughly enjoyed and cannot wait to see what’s next for Dana Bate. 

THE TIME OF OUR LIVES BY JANE COSTELLO

Kat’s Rating: 3/5

Synopsis: 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.

Kat’s Review: For some reason this Jane Costello book slipped through the net, so realising that I made a prompt start on this book. Imogen, Meredith and Nicola are three friends that have won themselves a VIP trip to Barcelona. In their minds they are well on their way to sipping champagne and cocktails amongst the jet setters. Sadly, from the very moment they get to the airport things are destined to go wrong. Now I am quite a Costello fan but found myself struggling to get into the first few chapters. I persevered but for some unknown reason the book felt like it was hard work.

I quite liked the characters but sometimes they grated on me, normally with a JC book I love the characters that she creates but just found I couldn’t gel with these three. Harry was a prominent male character and he was instantly likeable and easy to read about. I think overall Imogen irritated me the most and unfortunately for me if I don’t like the character there is less chance I will enjoy the book. Maybe this was just my mood, who know, but I just wanted to slap her round the head and destroy her phone! Meredith and Nicola were slightly easier to read, but with constant interruptions from Meredith it just lost its appeal.

It sounds like I am being un-necessarily harsh and I really am not. Jane Costello has a great writing style and her books are always so enjoyable. For some reason this one and I just didn’t quite gel. There were elements about it I loved, but as the characters were so annoying it lowered my enjoyment. This certainly isn’t a bad book, just one that wasn’t for me.

It’s Not Me, It’s You by Mhairi McFarlane

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Delia Moss isn’t quite sure where she went wrong. When she proposed and discovered her boyfriend was sleeping with someone else – she thought it was her fault. When she realised life would never be the same again – she thought it was her fault. And when he wanted her back like nothing had changed – Delia started to wonder if perhaps she was not to blame. From Newcastle to London and back again, with dodgy jobs, eccentric bosses and annoyingly handsome journalists thrown in, Delia must find out where her old self went – and if she can ever get her back.

My Review: I’ve read one other Mhairi McFarklane book and enjoyed it so was looking forward to reading this latest release. Delia Moss in the beginning seems a nice enough girl and living with her boyfriend Paul life seems to be reasonably good for her. However, when she proposes to her boyfriend she has no idea that it will lead to the discovery of his infidelity. From that very moment I was rooting for Delia to change her ways and tell him where to go. Thankfully we see Delia’s escape route and take the journey with her.

Her friend Emma lives in London and this is where Delia escapes to. What starts out as her taking some time out, becomes a whole lot more with some very funny moments along the way. In addition to Emma, Delia meets people such as Naan, Stephanie and Adam along with her new boss Kurt. All of the characters play their part and make for brilliantly compulsive reading.

Mhairi manages to capture the lovely ‘Geordie’ accent without overkill with some of Delia’s sayings, as well as making you feel like you are walking the streets of London with her. There were some moments where I wondered where the storyline was going, but when it all came together it was a fantastic read. I can honestly say having only read one of her previous books, that she may well be a somewhat under rated author. I know for a fact that I will be putting her straight on to my ‘definite to buy/read/follow’ list. A fantastic read, one which will make for a perfect summer holiday!

My Husband Next Door by Catherine Alliott

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Synopsis: Separated in every way but distance, Sebastian resides in an outhouse across the lawn from his ex-wife Ella’s ramshackle farmhouse. With a home crowded by hostile teenaged children and gender-confused chickens, Ella finds comfort in the company of the very charming gardener, Ludo. Then Sebastian decides to move on, catching Ella horribly unawares. 

How much longer can she hide from what really destroyed her marriage… and the secret she continues to keep?

Kat’s Rating: 3/5

Kat’s Review: I’ve been reading Catherine Alliott’s books for many years and was looking forward to starting this one. However, for some reason by the time I had finished the book I just thought it was okay, just that…okay. Ella and her artist husband Sebastian separated and the end result is now two lazy teenage children and Sebastian living in an outhouse on the farm. This means that Ella is left with holiday guests to look after, the children to wait on hand and foot, and to add to the mix her Mother comes to stay after herself experiencing marital difficulties.

Ella was a nice enough character and the storyline trundled along, but it was lacking that normal sparkle that her books have, such as ‘A Rural Affair’. We also meet Ginnie who is Ella’s sister and although her life looks to be perfect, it may just be that appearances are deceptive. On the whole the book is certainly readable, no doubt about that, but I just felt like I was waiting for something else to happen. It seemed to be middle of the road and the attempts at secrets and character changes just seemed stilted and forced.

I was disappointed but only because I have previously really enjoyed some of her books. It certainly wasn’t a bad read; it just wasn’t what I expected. I will look forward to the next one and hope that Catherine Alliott returns to that magic sparkle that her books normally have.

The Cake Shop in The Garden by Carole Matthews

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My Star Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: Fay Merryweather runs her cake shop from her beautiful garden. She whips up airy sponges and scrumptious scones, while her customers enjoy the lovely blossoms and gorgeous blooms. Looking after the cake shop, the garden and her cantankerous mother means Fay is always busy but she accepts her responsibilities because if she doesn’t do all this, who will? Then Danny Wilde walks into her life and makes Fay question every decision she’s ever made. When a sudden tragedy strikes, Fay’s entire world is thrown off balance even further and she doesn’t know which way to turn. Can Fay find the strength to make a life-changing decision – even if it means giving up the thing she loves the most? Life, love and family are about to collide in The Cake Shop in the Garden. Continue reading “The Cake Shop in The Garden by Carole Matthews”

Rose Petal Beach by Dorothy Koomson

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Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Availability: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Audio, Nook and Kobo

Synopsis: Every love story has a dangerous twist. Tamia Challey is horrified when her husband, Scott, is accused of something terrible – but when she discovers who his accuser is, everything goes into freefall. Backed into a corner and unsure what to think, Tamia is forced to choose who she instinctively believes. But this choice has dire consequences for all concerned, especially when matters take a tragic turn. Then a stranger arrives in town to sprinkle rose petals in the sea in memory of her lost loved one. This stranger carries with her shocking truths that will change the lives of everyone she meets, and will once again force Tamia to make some devastating choices… Continue reading “Rose Petal Beach by Dorothy Koomson”

Pieces of You by Ella Harper

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Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Available: Kindle, Paperback, Kobo, Nook

Synopsis: The perfect marriage. A devastating secret.  An impossible choice. Lucy was always sure of one thing – her future with husband and soulmate Luke. But after eight long, heart-breaking years trying to have a baby, that future is crumbling before her eyes. When a terrible accident puts Luke into a coma, Lucy is forced to reassess everything she thought she wanted. Then Stella arrives. A woman Lucy’s never met, but with a secret that will change her world forever.

My Review: I am a Sasha Wagstaff fan, and for those that don’t know Ella Harper is a pseudonym used by her for the release of this book. The characters are extremely likeable and Lucy and Luke are who the story centres around. They seem to have it all and as the story progresses we are taken back chapter by chapter to how and when they met. When we read about them in the current day, although their love for each other is blindingly obvious, Lucy’s need for a baby seems to be overshadowing everything. The premise is probably a familiar one with thousand across the world knowing just what Lucy is going through.

However, Lucy’s life becomes ten times worse when her paramedic Husband Luke is involved in an accident and lays in a coma. This is the catalyst for Lucy’s world to start crumbling. In addition to Lucy the other characters are their friends Dee and Dan, as well as Luke’s Mother Patricia, his sister Nell and brother Ade. There weren’t any characters I disliked and I thought they all brought something to the story.

The one thing I will say is that this isn’t exactly the most uplifting book you will read, it’s gritty and real and some people will say at times extremely upsetting. All of that aside, this was still a book I really didn’t want to put down and to be honest thought it was an extremely readable book that caught me hook line and sinker. Sasha Wagstaff it seems will now be getting herself a whole new bunch of fans with this type of book and I am really looking forward to what she has out next.