Category: General Fiction

Poppy Does Paris by Nicola Doherty (Short Story)

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My Rating: 3/5

Availability: Kindle, Nook and Kobo

Synopsis: The first instalment in this hilarious, romantic and un-putdownable five-part series. Perfect for fans of Lindsey Kelk’s I Heart… novels.

Paris. City of love, city of romance. The last place you want to go to on a work trip when you’re in the middle of an epic dry spell. But that’s where Poppy is headed, along with her colleague Charlie, who’s shallow and annoying but very, very good-looking. During a white-wine-fuelled session with her friend Alice, Poppy concocts the perfect plan: work by day, and have some no-strings fun with Charlie by night. Of course, it might prove a little more complicated than that, but it’s nothing Poppy can’t handle – or is it?

Girls on Tour is an irresistible series of interlinked stories about four friends, ordinary girls who have extraordinary fun in faraway places. Expect the unexpected, the utterly hilarious and unforgettable, on this rollercoaster ride of love, laughs, surprises and sparks. You have a VIP pass to join each girl’s adventure, so pack your bags and buckle your seatbelts, because just about anything is possible…

My Review: The first thing I need to mention is that this is a short story. AT only 66 pages long, it’s a VERY short story. When you look at the title and details on Amazon it isn’t very clear that it’s a short story (which is a little bit annoying). That aside we meet Poppy, the Editor who is on her way to Paris with her colleague Charlie to try and wow an author into signing with them. Poppy is likeable, as is Charlie and Nicola Doherty does a great job of describing Paris. 

However, at 66 pages you don’t get a lot of story, and if I’m being 100% honest this is the reason I am not a lover of short stories. Just as you are beginning to get to know the characters they leave you. I suppose if you like short stories this will be very enjoyable and I can certainly see how she is compared to the likes of Lindsey Kelk. I think I liked this enough to maybe read the rest of the Girls on Tour but my preference would definitely be a full length , especially  as I really enjoyed Nicola Doherty’s debut so much.

This particular series has a number of books, all featuring friends from the same group, and all short stories, and they are as follows:-

Poppy Does Paris – Girls on Tour 1 (June 2014) 

Lily Does LA – Girls on Tour 2 (Sept 2014)

Maggie does Meribel Girls on Tour 3 (Dec 2014)

Rachel Does Rome – Girls on Tour 4 (Feb 2015)

The French for Love by Fiona Valpy

My Rating: 4/5

Availability: Paperback and Kindle

Synopsis: Can happy-ever-after get lost in translation? 

Gina has lost her perfect job, her boyfriend and her favourite aunt all within the space of a few months. So when she inherits her aunt’s ramshackle French house, Gina decides to pack her bags for the Bordeaux countryside – swapping English weather for blue skies, sunshine, great wine and a fresh start. What she hasn’t factored in is a hole in the roof, the most embarrassing language faux pas, and discovering family secrets that she was never supposed to know. 

Suddenly feeling a long way from home, Gina will have to rely on new found friends, her own hard work – and Cédric – her charming, mysterious and très handsome new stonemason. But whilst desire needs no translation, love is a different matter. Can Gina overcome the language barrier to make her French dream come true?

My Review: The synopsis is certainly not original and I have seen these ‘relocations and fresh starts’ many times in other books. However, Fiona Valpy has done the MOST important thing in my opinion. She has managed to weave a tale that is descriptive enough to actually take me to France in my mind and picture the village and house, as well as giving me the main character Gina who I just fell in love with. If you can get the setting right, and characters that are likeable that’s half the battle.

Gina seems to have lost everything in a very short space of time including her boyfriend, her job and now her aunt. Her aunt has left her ramshackle farmhouse in France to Gina and she decides to give life in France a try…after all she has nothing holding her back now. We watch as she makes a fresh start and decides to take time out and study, as well as adjust to a slower pace of life. When the roof on the farmhouse is damaged in high winds, her wonderful neighbour Mereille involves her four sons in the repairs.

In the meantime, Gina is discovering that her Aunt Liz had secrets of her own. Gina starts to delve and soon realises that there was more to her Aunt than she originally thought. This along with the wonderful storyline that involves Gina working on her Masters of Wine qualification makes for a very interesting read. This book was a wonderful and uplifting read, just perfect for a beach, a plane or even a comfy sofa. It will transport you to the beautiful area in Southern France and give you a much needed break from real life.

I am so pleased I got around to reading this book and was especially pleased at the Epilogue (I do love it when authors add this in). I am now totally ready to read another book in this series and cannot wait.

*It may be worth noting that the ‘French Series’ is not a continuation with the characters, merely a series of books based in France *

From Notting Hill With Four Weddings Actually by Ali McNamara

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My Rating: 5/5

Availability: Paperback, Kindle, Released 23.10.14

Synopsis: Movie addict Scarlett O’Brien is finally living the jet-setting life she’s dreamed of – but it all hangs by a shiny, golden thread.

Flying between London and New York, running two businesses, planning her wedding to handsome fiancé, Sean, with best friends Oscar and Maddie – life couldn’t be better.

But then Scarlett meets paparazzi darling, Gabriella Romero, and life suddenly becomes even more extravagant and glamorous. As she begins to experience the other side to being rich and famous, it’s not only Scarlett’s perfect wedding that’s put in jeopardy, but her whole world. 

 **Please note if you would like to read this series in order, please don’t continue with my review as it will inevitably contain spoilers**

Continue reading “From Notting Hill With Four Weddings Actually by Ali McNamara”

SAVING GRACE BY JANE GREEN

My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: Grace Chapman has an enviable set-up, living comfortably with her husband, bestselling author Ted, in a picture-perfect farmhouse on the Hudson River in New York State.

Then Ted advertises for a new assistant, and Beth walks into their lives. Organized, passionate and eager to learn, Beth quickly makes herself indispensable to Ted and his family. But Grace soon begins to feel side-lined in her home – and her marriage – by this ambitious younger woman.

Is Grace just paranoid, as her husband tells her, or is there more to Beth than there first appears?

My Review: I just loved the sound of this latest Jane Green book. It kind of has that ‘Single White Female’ feel to it. Grace Chapman is a woman seemingly living on the edge. Within the first few chapters I absolutely loathed her bullying author husband. However, a few chapters in and you realise that Grace knows no different. Her life has been ruled and surrounded by people that control the way she feels. On the surface she has the perfect marriage. Everyone seems to fawn over her bestselling author husband Ted Chapman (Lord knows why). Ted used to have an assistant Ellen, who had to suddenly leave to care for her Mother. It now seems like Grace has even more pressure upon her as her life seems to get even more disorganised by the minute.

Enter Beth! From the minute the reader meets Beth you just know there is something not quite right about her. Beth has by chance been introduced to Grace and seems like the answer to her prayers. Before long Beth has managed to integrate herself into Grace and Ted’s lives and has become almost indispensable. The way Jane Green has written Beth’s character makes it clear that something isn’t right but you just don’t quite know what. It meant I just had to keep reading, and dinner would have to wait.

Pretty soon Grace feels like she is losing her mind as her life seems to slowly slip away from her. I love reading books like this that make me want to stand up and shout and scream at Grace to see sense. Jane Green has done another stellar job in weaving a tale of an ordinary woman whose life becomes somewhat disjointed. The book kept me reading until slowly the layers of deceit and betrayal are unravelled. The only reason I didn’t score this 5/5 is that there were a couple of points in the story that didn’t quite sit right with me towards the end. Other than that another fantastic read.

A Place to Call Home by Carole Matthews

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My Rating: 4/5

Availability: Hardback, Paperback, Kindle, Audio, Kobo

Synopsis: In the dead of night, Ayesha takes her daughter, Sabina, and slips quietly from her home, leaving behind a life full of pain. Boarding a coach to London, all Ayesha wants is a fresh start.

Hayden, a former pop star, has kept himself hidden away for years. He’s only opened up his home to two people – Crystal, a professional dancer with a heart of gold, and Joy, an ill-tempered retiree with a soft spot for waifs and strays. 

When Crystal asks Hayden if Ayesha and Sabina can stay with them, he reluctantly agrees and, as different as they may be, they quickly form an unlikely bond. So when enemies threaten their peaceful home, they will do all they can to save it and each other.

Continue reading “A Place to Call Home by Carole Matthews”

If You Were Me by Sheila O’Flanagan

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: On a sultry summer evening in Seville, anything can happen… 

Carlotta O’Keefe is happily engaged, and the wedding plans are coming together. She’s clear about her future path, both personally and in her busy career. Maybe Chris doesn’t make her heart race every time she sees him, but you can’t have that feeling for ever. Can you? 

Then, on a trip to Seville, Carlotta runs into Luke Evans. Luke broke her heart so long ago she’d almost convinced herself she’d forgotten him. Now, he’s not that boy any more, but an attractive and intriguing man. And he can explain everything that happened way back when.  Suddenly Carlotta’s not so sure of anything anymore. Except that what she decides now will shape the rest of her life…

My Review: This book had a very enticing cover (as I think most of SOF’s do) and I couldn’t wait to get started. Carlotta O’Keefe is engaged to Chris and between them they both have busy careers’. I didn’t take to Chris from the outset, he seemed like Mr Perfect and frankly, that never sits right with me. We meet Chris dominating family and see Carlotta struggle to keep everybody happy. The opening few chapters see Carlotta try and fail miserably to return to Dublin for her Mother-In-Law’s party. Without realising it Carlotta is about to set off a chain of events that will change everything.

The first few chapters actually had me laughing as I think many people can identify with Carlotta from the outset. She manages to oversleep whilst in Seville on a business trip and then running late and missing trains. It makes the transition to the next part of the story a lot easier. Upon her return to the hotel she runs into Luke Evans, her childhood best friend and that’s where the story gets interesting.

I immensely loved Luke Evans from the start, even though it’s clear that his journey from childhood into adulthood has been far from easy. We start to get to see glimpses of Carlotta’s younger years and her friendship with Luke. We also (albeit slowly) get to find out what went on with Luke’s family many years before. The book is over 400 pages long and although longer than recent books I’ve read it still only took me a day and a half to finish it.

I was a little bit shocked by one turn of event towards the end of the book, but overall it was as usual a wonderful read from O’Flanagan. She manages to not only tell a wonderful story with characters you love, but also throws on the sights and sounds of the places Carlotta visits in too. A fabulous read which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Stolen Girl by Renita D’Silva

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My Rating: 4/5

Availability: Paperback, Kindle,  Nook and Kobo

Synopsis: ‘Your mother has been arrested. She stole you.’ 

For as long as thirteen-year-old Diya can remember, it’s always been just her and her mum, Vani. Despite never staying in one place long enough to call it home, with her mother by her side, Diya has never needed anything else. Then, in an instant, Diya’s fragile world is shattered. Her mother is arrested, accused of abducting Diya when she was a baby… Vani has spent a lifetime looking over her shoulder, determined to make the best possible life for her daughter. Now she must fight for her child, re-opening the door to her own childhood in India and the woman who was once as close to her as a sister. Told through the eyes of Diya, Vani and Aarti, this is a heart-breaking story of friendship and betrayal, love and motherhood, which asks the question; how far would you go to protect your only child? 

My Review: I was a little apprehensive when I started this as it sounded a little out of my comfort zone; however, I was more than pleasantly surprised. The story is told initially from a young 13 year old Diya’s point of view. The story starts out quite emotionally charged as the reader witnesses the horror that a young confused 13 year old experiences when her Mother is arrested and accused of abducting Diya when she was a baby. The first few chapters I found a little hard going as it seemed there was nothing other than a few confused ramblings of a confused young girl. Once I reached the halfway book those thoughts were long gone and I was loathed to put the book down.

D’Silva has created a wonderful read by creating layers that are slowly revealed as we learn slowly each person involved in their own element of the story. Diya’s mother Vani starts to reveal her own story much further into the book but as we see it revealed I thought I had it all figured out, to realise very quickly that I didn’t have the first clue. In addition to that we also meet Aarti who is battling her own demons. With each chapter that was written I felt myself being drawn into the story more and more.

With a heart-breaking story, wonderful characters and such raw emotion D’Silva had me hooked. A beautiful story that I think many people would love to read. Not an author I have come across before, but one that I will be looking at more closely in the future.

CHRISTMAS AT CARRINGTON’S BY ALEX BROWN

51t1kydeh1l._sy346_Synopsis: Georgie Hart loves Christmas time at Carrington’s Department store. Running the luxury handbag department, Georgie adores helping customers in the hunt for the perfect gift for the perfect someone. And this year is no exception – now she has the hunky Tom, Mr Carrington himself, to spend the special day with.

But when Tom springs a surprise, Georgie’s plans are thrown into chaos. Carrington’s is getting a fresh lease of life in a hot new reality TV show, featuring formidable retail guru, Kelly Cooper. As the first show airs, Georgie is shown in a far from flattering light. Worse is to come when Kelly’s vile daughter appears to get her claws into Tom. Georgie fears this will be the worst Christmas ever, but Santa still has a little surprise for her stocking this year – she’ll just have to wait until Christmas to find out…

My Rating: 4/5

My Review:  I read the first book in this series back in December and decided it was high time to catch up with the second in the series. If you intend on reading the first book, maybe don’t read my review as it will inevitably give away spoilers for the first book. I really like Georgie Hart and when I had finished book 1 I knew that I would want to see what happened next for her. Luckily we are now back at the department store Carrington’s and Georgie is now loved up with her new man (who also happens to be her boss) Tom Carrington.

What starts off this latest story is when Georgie turns on her TV to see that her own booty shaking antics in store are being aired to the nation. It seems that Carrington’s is home to a new Reality TV show and this was the first Georgie was hearing about it. Along with Georgie we see Sam, her best friend who is now married to hubby Nathan, and her GBF Eddie. All three of these characters are brilliant and I really enjoyed getting to see what was happening to them too.

The whole reality show has literally taken over the store and its entire staff. Very quickly I realised that I had already devoured nearly half the book in one sitting. I was surprised as I figured I had just got started?!?  As usual Georgie manages to get herself in hot bother by adding 2 and 2 and coming up with 25. Maybe this is one of the reasons I like her so much. She is a typical woman her age, and she is far from perfect. Yet somehow she’s also not a patronising character.

The added bonus for me was that we get to see all the Carrington’s staff in small snippets and you always feel like you are right in the middle of the action. There are some very funny moments in this book, as well as some slightly sadder one. As usual Brown has down both with ease and managed to make it light-hearted but sensitive too. The one big plus for me too was the extra part of learning and getting to know Georgie’s Dad. This was an excellent addition to an already great story. Another book that I devoured loved and didn’t want to put down. This was the perfect accompaniment to a long flight, or a rainy evening. I can’t wait to start the next one.

Continue reading “CHRISTMAS AT CARRINGTON’S BY ALEX BROWN”

Love, Lies and Lemon Cake by Sue Watson

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Faye Dobson has lost her sparkle. Living on film star fantasies and vague memories of a marriage that once was, she can’t help feeling that life is passing her by. She dreams of being whisked to Paris for dinner, making three wishes at the Trevi fountain and having sex under the stars. But the wrinkles are multiplying, her husband’s passion is for plumbing, and the nearest she’ll get to Rome is a take-away pizza.

So when Faye meets Dan the gorgeous Australian surfer guy working in the local deli she can’t help but wonder what it would be like to see the world. He is blonde, tanned, ten years younger and bakes the most amazing lemon cake. Unlike her husband Dan actually listens to Faye, his smile makes her feel fizzy inside, and when he smiles… Oh. My. God.

But is Faye being silly? What would Dan see in someone like her? Even if he did have feelings for her, could she give up everything to be with him?

My Review: I read Sue’s last book Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes and made an instant decision when finished. Not only was I going to recommend it, I was absolutely convinced that if Sue Watson met me she would become my BFF! As it turned out we have since struck up an online friendship and she is one of the funniest women I have met recently. Her personality and humour shone through in a major way with her writing and had me laughing out loud. When I realised she had a new book out, I decided it would be a good time to get started.

With a rather lug cuppa and a few Jaffa Cakes I started to read. I need to point out that my week wasn’t going so well and at this particular point I felt like I could cry. Nothing was going right and murdering my husband had crossed my mind more than once! I figured that reading could let me escape for a few hours. What I hadn’t planned on was this book literally turning my rubbish mood into a great one. Faye Dobson, the lead character, opens the book describing a rather saucy scene involving a sun lounger in the sun washed hills of LA and a rather suave looking Ryan Gosling attending to her every need, before being rudely interrupted by her husband Craig. I knew without a doubt that this book was the perfect tonic. Faye was a brilliant character, and instantly I loved her. Her life has become somewhat mundane what with her eldest daughter Emma now living away from home and her life that remains involves looking after her husband and working.

Some of the scenes and one liner’s that emerged from just the first few chapters had me belly laughing. Sue has a wonderful knack of telling it just how it is. Faye’s dreams have along the way got lost with her day to day chores and responsibilities. Luckily for Faye a new Deli has opened up just down the road from the hairdressers and it has the most delicious man serving behind the counter. Dan the deli man as a character is just the sort of man that most women would love to have as a distraction first thing on a Monday morning commute (shame I’m not a hairdresser). In addition to Dan we meet Faye’s boss Sue who is just desperate to find a new man after her husband ran off with somebody younger, and the absolutely hilarious young girl Mandy who has all manner of ideas for Faye to try (including a legendary Vajazzle incident!).

This book is the modern day Shirley Valentine with a much funnier main character. Although it may not be everybody’s cup of tea it was certainly mine. Sue’s latest release is a wonderful journey packed full of just what the title says, Love, Lies and Lemon Cake. One of the funniest book I have had the pleasure of reading, this is a real must buy and one that I think the majority will love. The only criticism I have is that seeing as Sue is meant to be my new best friend, where was my ‘rushed early copy’? Sue…I may need to re-think your status as my new best friend!

Beauty by Louise Bagshawe

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: Dream Big. No Limits. Be Bold. Manhattan is there for the taking .

Blend it. Sculpt it. Shape it. Use it…

There isn’t a woman on earth who doesn’t have her beauty secrets. But for Dina Kane, beauty is more than just business. It’s power. And it is the secret. She’s dragged herself up from poverty to Park Avenue. She’s rolled with the punches. And she’s learned how to win.

Now someone is out to destroy her, and all she’s built. They’ve underestimated Dina Kane. She’s staying at the top – and she’s happy to wait for the perfect moment to exact her revenge…

My Review: I haven’t read many of Louise Mensch (better known as Louise Bagshawe) books, but the last one I read was pretty good. If I’m honest I didin’t realise for a while that Louise Mensch and Louise Bagshawe were one and the same. When I picked this up I hadn’t bothered reading the synopsis, and just dived right in. It didn’t take long for the story to drag me right down with it and before too long I realised that I had read half the book in one sitting. I started to figure this book was going to be a good read.

The story centres on Dina Kane and trust me the girl does not have an easy start in life. As opposed to a loving and positive home she is born into a world where her father works all the time and her mother resents her. With that in mind the story unfolds and we see Dina struggle in her childhood. The book is set over a few years and as the chapters flew by I couldn’t help loathing Dina’s family. On the other hand I can’t honestly say that I warmed to Dina that much either. She is a tough girl and although I didn’t dislike her, it was hard to warm to a young woman that has to play hardball to get where she wants to be in life.

The story had me gripped as we see Dina grow up and try to conquer the business world. The story is weaved in a way that makes you want to read more and although Dina wasn’t maybe my favourite character, I just couldn’t help but will her on in her quest. The story is certainly worthy of a read and for fans of Bagshawe I don’t think they will be disappointed. I for one, will certainly be continuing to read her work as I thoroughly enjoyed this and literally couldn’t put it down. My only reasoning for the 4 out of 5 rather than the maximum is the fact that I just didn’t like Dina as much as maybe I should have. Other than that this was a fantastic read.