Category: General Fiction

It’s Raining Men by Milly Johnson

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My Rating: 3/5

Synopsis: Best friends May, Lara and Clare are desperate for a holiday. They have been dreaming of a little cottage in the middle of nowhere, long walks in the country and just a bit of time away from it all. But when they arrive in Ren Dullem, a small Yorkshire seaside town, it seems it is not the place they thought it was…

May can’t wait to get away from men after being cruelly deceived. Then in Dullem she falls hook line and sinker at first glance for one of the inhabitants – but he’s already taken…

Lara is living with James and his awful step-children who taunt her with tales of his younger, prettier ex whom they adored – the woman who Lara walks in to find James in bed with despite all his protestations that he wouldn’t touch her again with a barge pole. Reeling from the hurt, she needs the sea air of Dullem to heal her. What she doesn’t need is to be constantly in battle with the owner of the holiday cottage – a man who is every bit as bitter and resentful and untrusting of the other sex as she is.

Clare’s kind, steady boyfriend Lud wants her to go and live abroad with him for two years, but she’s just been offered the promotion of a lifetime. It gives her the excuse she needs to end the relationship and find some single excitement which happens to turn up in the form of a very bad boy who is everything Lud isn’t – impulsive, wild and dangerous. Will this holiday be the break they all need? Or will the odd little town with all its secrets bring them all to breaking point…?

My Review: I was looking forward to reading the new Milly Johnson as there isn’t one of her books I have yet disliked! This one sounded interesting and I knew that it wouldn’t take me long to get into it, if her past books are anything to go by. I really liked the three main characters Lara, May and Clare. All of them were very different and as they prepare for their holiday you can see why things might go very wrong for all of them.

As soon as they arrive at Ren Dullem, they realise the place they are staying is not quite what they imagined. Milly Johnson did a stellar job of describing the quaint town and the mad and crazy characters that live there. The only thing that I found different in this book to other’s, is that I didn’t really feel like I had an opinion on the men of Ren Dullem either way. I was so indifferent I surprised myselfJ. By the end of the story I felt a little warmer towards them, but felt like we never really got to know them very well.

The girls on the other hand I felt we got to see for who they really were. I liked all of them, and felt like this highlighted just what Milly Johnson is fabulous at! She manages to create characters the reader really likes. This current book is no different and as more characters are added in, to weave the tale of the mysterious village, it makes the story so much more interesting. IF I am being 100% honest, there was one slightly ‘magical’ element to the story which just wasn’t to my taste. Thankfully, this didn’t deter from me liking the book. As usual Milly Johnson has created an enchanting book that I’m pretty sure the majority will like. It’s not one of my favourite MJ books, but I enjoyed it all the same.

A Night On The Orient Express by Veronica Henry

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: For one group of passengers settling in to their seats and taking their first sips of champagne, the journey from London to Venice is more than the trip of a lifetime. A mysterious errand; a promise made to a dying friend; an unexpected proposal; a secret reaching back a lifetime…As the train sweeps on, revelations, confessions and assignations unfold against the most romantic and infamous setting in the world.

My Review: I am a pretty big VH fan and was looking forward to her latest release. Especially when learning that this would be set on one of the most romantic places, the Orient Express! When I think of the Orient it automatically conjures up images of beautiful and romantic splendour! I would say the main characters of the book are Adele and her granddaughter Imogen. She sends Imogen on the Orient to collect a painting from a man named Jack. This in itself leads to another thread to the story whioch involves Adele’s past with Jack.

In addition to Imogen and Adele, we meet a couple that are in a relatively new relationship; Stephanie and Simon along with Simon’s kids. Archie and Emma both win a competition to have the ultimate blind date on the Orient Express, and finally Riley and Sylvie who are an older couple who have been friends for years and are taking their regular ‘birthday’ trip on the Orient. Initially, I was surprised to see so many characters, but this wasn’t a negative as such in my eyes. I liked all of the characters and was keen to see what happened to each of them.

Veronica Henry has managed to bring the trip and experience on the Orient to life for me. I could almost imagine myself taking the trip alongside these characters, and experiencing all the old fashioned glamour. There were two things that I wasn’t sure about with this book though. The first was the length of it, I have no idea if this was shorter than her usual books; or whether I just read it really quickly but it seemed to be far too short for my liking. The second thing was that although I enjoyed it, I almost felt like it was 4 short stories combined into one book. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I would love to see books on all the individual characters.

Overall, another great read by Veronica Henry and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I would love to think there could be a possibility of books following these characters onward (especially Archie and Emma!). Who knows….

Party Games by Jo Carnegie

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: I’m Vanessa Powell. People think they know me because I’m famous. They think I’ve got the world at my feet and the husband every woman wants to marry. But fame can be a lonely place and the perfect marriage can be even lonelier. Now someone’s come into my life who makes me feel alive. For the first time ever, I’m thinking about what I really want; no matter what the consequences.

My Review: As usual Jo Carnegie has delivered a book that brings to life the characters from yet another quirky village. The town of Beeversham is a small place but also lays claim to being home to some of the rich and famous. Vanessa Powell and her husband Conrad are one such couple. There are also additional characters such as Beau Rainford the local playboy, Beau’s brother Felix and his wife Ginny, Fleur and her Dad who live on a local farm, and Catherine, the once Editor of Soiree magazine and her husband and John. Now that may sound like a lot of characters (and that’s not all of them) but they all play a part in this story.

It was easy enough to get to know them all and what exactly went on behind closed doors. As the story gets past the initial ‘introduction’ stage Jo Carnegie starts launching all sorts of trouble onto the characters living in Beeversham. I really liked all the characters and found myself willing each of them to sort their lives out! There are plenty of threads to the story providing just enough drama, and plenty of moments that will have you laughing. Although the synopsis leads you to think that Vanessa Powell is the main character, each storyline and villager draws you in. Catherine’s story and character were actually my favourite although Vanessa drew a close second.

Jo has also introduced two men in the book, both whom I love! You have the naughty Beau who is adorable (even though he is a naughty Playboy), and then we have Dylan who is the Conrad’s gardener. Although these two played a big part in the story, I couldn’t help loving John who is Catherine’s husband. As always in a Carnegie book, the men play just as big a part as the women of the village; and frankly a wonderful distraction from all the drama in Beeversham!

This latest release of Jo Carnegie’s was a brilliant read, but if I’m being totally honest the Churchminster series is still my favourite! I would love to see whether she will continue this village with a new series as some of the characters were brilliant, but you maybe didn’t see enough of them! Although the Churchminster series pips this book to the post, if this were to continue I could see a brilliant series coming out of it. Although this isn’t maybe my favourite JC book so far, it was certainly a brilliant and entertaining read as usual. This will keep you entertained from start to finish!

About A Girl by Lindsey Kelk

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My Rating: 5/5

So I recently discovered that I was extremely behind with my reading and promptly picked up the last book Lindsey released in the I Heart Series and absolutely LOVED it! With Angela Clarke, the heroine of the series, fresh in my mind I wondered how I would feel about reading a Kelk book that didn’t feature Angela. I needn’t have worried.

Tess Brookes is a girl that likes to plan everything. From the very beginning I absolutely loved Tess. She is different from Angela Clarke, but a character I can see running for a long time! When her planned life starts to fall apart, Tess finds herself in an unusual position. She is without a job, hates her flatmate, and has had a fall out with her friend Charlie.

All in all life is not going to plan so when her demon flatmate Vanessa’s phone rings Tess answers it. In that split second she takes the ‘bull by the horns’, and decides to become somebody else. She pretends to be Vanessa, and finds herself on a plane, on the way top Hawaii, to do Vanessa’s job which just happens to be a photographer. Yes I know it all sounds crazy, but when you read the first few chapters it really isn’t that crazy at all. I was willing her to just go for it and I’d only known Tess for all of a few chapters!

As usual (with any Lindsey Kelk book), I was giggling like a schoolchild. I found the dialogue between some of the characters hilarious. The characters that featured also made the book so great. Nick was the journalist who turned up in Hawaii to help with the shoot and inevitably that causes Tess a whole host of problems. Then there is her new best friend Paige who is the creative Director. However, Kelk still made room for Tess’s slightly mental but absolutely brilliant best friend Amy. I normally don’t quote from books, but the last two Kelk has produced leaves me no other option! “The Andrex puppy had morphed into a Rottweiler and Cupid had traded his bow and arrow for an AK-47”. See what I mean, flipping brilliant!

This is what makes Lindsey Kelk’s books just that little bit moiré fabulous than others. She creates crazy characters that you end up wanting as your own best friend! From start to finish this book was absolutely brilliant. Yep, it certainly has an element of ‘un-realism’ (if that’s even a word) in them, but that’s why I read books like this.

I was truly sad to finish this book but have to say Kelk has managed to create another book that leaves you exasperated that you can’t reach out for the next one in the series. A perfect summer beach read that will have you giggling like a teenager into your Margarita!

The Husband Diet by Nancy Barone

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My Rating: 3/5

The Husband Diet is Nancy Barone’s debut novel and after reading it I have to say a pretty good one at that! This debut features Erica Cantelli is a mother whose husband Ira tells her constantly that she needs to lose weight. It didn’t take me long to like the main character Erica and you can tell by the way her life is that her sole focus is her children and husband. It also didn’t take me too long to loathe the selfish and pig-headed husband. Erica’s mother is also a hideous woman who does nothing but criticise Erica about anything and everything. Erica decides it time to turn her life around and makes positive changes.

Some of the highlights in the book for me were moment’s where Erica fantasises about killing her husband, and trying to buy healthy food in the shops to discover its half the size and tastes of nothing! There were quite a lot of funny moments in the book and it just made me root for Erica even more. She even starts dreaming of her children’s Principal Julian Foxham and along with her quest to improve herself, she starts to see some real changes in her life. The question is whether or not she can ever achieve her ideal dream of living in Tuscany.

This book didn’t stand out as particularly different from many other books in this genre I read. Having said that, I enjoyed the characters and the humour running through the book was brilliant from start to finish. I wouldn’t say this was the best book I have read but it is certainly a great debut novel and I would definitely look out for her next book as I think this may be an author that will improve with every book she writes.

Deep Blue Sea by Tasmina Perry

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: Beneath the shimmering surface lies a dark secret…

Diana and Julian Denver have the world at their feet. With a blissful marriage, a darling son and beautiful homes in London and the country, Diana’s life, to the outside world, is perfect. But nothing is as it seems…

When Julian dies suddenly and tragically, Diana is convinced there is more to it than meets the eye. She calls on the one person she had never wanted to see again – her sister, Rachel.

A former tabloid reporter, Rachel appears to be living the dream as a diving instructor on a Thai island. The truth is she’s in exile, estranged from her family and driven from her career by Fleet Street’s phone-hacking scandal.

For Rachel, Diana’s request opens old wounds. But she is determined to make amends for the past, and embarks on a treacherous journey to uncover the truth – wherever it may lead…

My Review: Tasmina Perry has been on my must read list for some time now. With her latest release Deep Blue Sea (being her 8th release) out; I was looking forward to delving into another rich and glamorous story. The premise sounds great, with a wealthy couple Diana and Julian Denver seemingly having it all. However, when Julian commits suicide Diana realises she needs to reach out to her estranged sister for help.

Rachel is Diana’s sister and is currently living in Thailand following the death of her career surrounding a phone hacking scandal. When Diana reaches out for help, Rachel decides it’s high time to try and make amends with her family. And so begins a journey across many countries to find the answers behind Julian’s death. As usual Tasmina Perry certainly weaves a great tale; however I had real issues with Diana. Rachel I really liked, especially as she was the underdog, but Diana was just too frail and pathetic for my liking.

With that one small flaw out the way, I can honestly say the story itself certainly didn’t disappoint. There is a lot of mystery and intrigue and the more questions Rachel asks, the more questions it raises too. There were a few additional characters I really liked such as Rachel’s business partner Liam and her old colleague Ross. There were lost of dark and murky elements to the storyline including affairs, drugs and contested will. Overall it was again what I would rate a success from Perry, however it lacked that certain something to make it a 5 star read from me. Still a solid 4/5 book and one that I think her fans will love. 

I Heart London by Lindsey Kelk (I Heart #5)

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Angela’s back on home turf – and in her biggest romantic scrape yet…Angela Clark has fallen in love with America – and it’s starting to love her back. Throw one expired visa into the mix, and things quickly take a turn for the worse. She might love her life as a Brit in New York, but now she has no choice but to return to London. Not only does she leave behind her gorgeous boyfriend Alex – she must also face unfinished business back on home turf. There’s the ex-boyfriend – who she moved to New York to get away from. Then there’s her best friend, with her perfect new baby. And there’s her mum. Now, there’s another wedding in the offing – and everyone remembers how well the last one went . . .

 *Please note, if you are planning on reading this series from the beginning then do not read this review as it will inevitably contain spoilers*

My Review: I have grown to love this series more and more, however this latest release is the cream of the crop in my eyes. With Angela visiting London and being on home turf is bound to bring more trouble and chaos, as it normally does with Angela. With loads going on when Angela gets home such as meeting her ex-fiancée, seeing her best friend Louisa and the new baby, as well as he own wedding. In true Angela Clark style things go from bad to worse from the outset. Having left her boyfriend Alex at home, it leaves even more room for drama too.

We also see the return of her other friend Jenny Lopez who I absolutely love. She is the complete opposite of Louisa and is brash, rude but downright entertaining. On my morning commute (which was atrocious as usual) I found that it was a lot more enjoyable than normal, and I need to thank Lindsey Kelk for that. I don’t often quote bits of books, but this had me laughing so hard I didn’t care about being squashed for the last three stops of my tube journey. Angela’s friend is explaining that the only way her baby stops crying is by watching certain TV programmes.

‘Top Gear and The Only Way is Essex’ she sighed. ‘Three months old and she’s already a fake-tanned boy racer with a vajazzle’.

It was lines like that that had me chuckling throughout the book. From start to finish I was, as usual, engrossed. I absolutely love all of the characters and especially Angela’s parents. I love the fact that we are seeing her grow up and make her numerous mistakes, although they are normally slightly bigger than mistakes! All in all, an absolute corker of a book in this series by Kelk (her best yet!) and I am looking forward to the next one!

Me and Mr Jones by Lucy Diamond

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Meet the women in love with three very different brothers . . .

Izzy’s determined to escape her troubled past with a new start by the sea – but flirtatious Charlie Jones is causing complications.

Alicia’s been happily married to loyal Hugh for years but secretly craves excitement. Maybe it’s time to spice things up?

Emma’s relationship with David was once fun and romantic but trying for a baby has taken its toll. Then temptation comes along . . .

As the future of the family’s B&B becomes uncertain, Izzy, Alicia and Emma are thrown together unexpectedly. It seems that keeping up with the Joneses is harder than anyone thought . . .

My Review: I started reading Lucy Diamond I think two years ago now. I have been trying to get through her back catalogue but when I got a review copy was dead chuffed and took it with me as my holiday read. Sadly, the book only got me as far as the airport and a 4 hour flight! Having said that, you may well realise I really liked it having finished it in such a short space of time.

As the title suggests, we meet Mr Jones; well actually we meet all the Mr Jones! Three brothers and their family are the heart of this latest story. Charlie Jones is the flighty brother who has trouble keeping his attention for longer than an advert. He is certainly the charmer of the group and when he meets Izzy, it seems he may well cause her trouble. Hugh Jones has been married to Alicia for years and although their relations ship has longevity, it seems that something is afoot as Alicia starts to secretly crave some excitement in her life. David Jones is married to Emma, but with the recent redundancy he suffered and Emma’s need for a child, things aren’t looking too rosy for them. Finally we meet the parents Eddie and Lillian. Eddie and Lillian run Mulberry House which is a guest house and the boys home they grew up in. When they decide it may be time to retire they look to the boys to see which one of them may be interested in taking it over.

Right from the outset I got drawn into this story. The three brothers are so different to each other and we get to see not only them but each wife in turn and what is going on with them. Within the first quarter of the book you are drawn into the family to the extent that you almost feel part of it! In addition to the family, we meet Izzy and her two girls. Izzy was quite simply a wonderful character even though her situation seemed so perilous all the time. For each family member I liked them the more I read about them. This was especially the case with the mother Lillian. By the end of the book I simply loved her and felt for her situation.

There are lots of issues dealt with in this book and as usual Lucy Diamond has dealt with all of them wonderfully. For some reason, every time I read a Lucy Diamond book, it makes me feel kind of inspired. I can’t quite put my finger on why or what it is exactly, but I always feel better about most things I think are un-manageable prior to reading one of her books. This wasn’t better than her last, but then I think Summer With My Sister will always be my number one LD book. Having said that I cannot see how anybody would be disappointed with this book and would highly recommend it!

The Longest Holiday by Paige Toon

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: ‘Don’t wait for the storm to pass; learn to dance in the rain…’ Laura has been married to the man of her dreams for seven months. But a week before the wedding, Matthew made a terrible mistake. Escaping the humiliation that is now her marriage, Laura is whisked off to Florida’s Key West by her best friend Marty. A carefree holiday full of cocktails and fun, surrounded by gorgeous, tanned men, is exactly what the doctor ordered. Distraction comes in the form of sexy Cuban scuba diver Leo. Laura’s instant attraction to him knocks her flying, and she falls hard. As the end of the holiday approaches, Laura doesn’t want to go home. Is it time to face the music? Or is there more to Key West than a holiday romance?

My Review: Laura and Matthew have been happily married for 7 months until Laura learns that Matthew made a terrible mistake a week before the wedding. To help Laura deal with her marriage crisis her friend Marty takes her along on her holiday to Miami. I am actually travelling to Miami later in the year and am very excited, so figured what better way to prepare myself than by reading Paige Toon’s new release. Ever since reading Jonny Be Good by Toon I have read quite a few more of hers and was really looking forward to this one.

As soon as I started reading and realised just what Laura was escaping from I couldn’t help but feel for her. A trip to Miami seems like a good idea and as soon as Laura, Marty and another friend Bridget start their journey it seems like Matthew is out of the picture. Paige Toon does a smashing job in describing the Miami Keys and I found myself wishing my holiday would come sooner. Distraction for Laura comes in the form of Leo who helps the scuba diving courses in the Keys. Laura’s instantly attracted to him but is in complete turmoil as she is there to give herself space, not to fall for another man!

What I liked about this story from start to finish was that it really wasn’t very clear what Laura was going to do. It didn’t feel so cut and dried as some books do and you really feel for Laura as she struggles to make the right decision for both her and her marriage. It was very easy to get completely wrapped up in this book and if it’s one you plan to take on holiday, don’t plan to move from your sun lounger for too long. There wasn’t any part of the book that I didn’t enjoy with one small exception. Towards the end when I was still reeling from Laura’s initial decision, another major event takes place. What niggled me was that this happened literally a few chapters from the end and before I knew it I was reading the epilogue. Don’t get me wrong it certainly didn’t spoil the book but I couldn’t help feeling it was a bit rushed.

I know that there were some small references to characters from other books, but I have yet to read some of her older work so wouldn’t have noticed the link as I’m reading her books out of sequence. Overall, I think this was an absolutely brilliant book and would really recommend it to people. When you are making your holiday packing list, don’t forget to include The Longest Holiday at the end!

One Perfect Summer by Paige Toon

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My Rating: 4/5

I only discovered Paige Toon a few months ago and read Johnny Be Good and Baby be mine within a matter of weeks. Following on from that I made sure I had a few more of her back catalogue to read in the future. Her new release One Perfect Summer was released on the 10th May 2012 and I was looking forward to reading it.

Alice is 18 and takes a summer trip with her parents down to Dorset. She happens to meet a young man Joe who steals her heart. However, after reading the first few chapters it becomes clear that Joe’s life is not that idyllic and Alice realises that although she has fallen for him, things will not be easy. Joe is an absolute sweetheart of a character and I adored him and him and Alice’s relationship. However, before long things go wrong and Alice ends up leaving Dorset to make her way to Cambridge to start University. The one thing that is different is the fact that she leaves broken hearted and without Joe.

We see her life move on to the next phase and although I was disappointed that we do not see Joe Alice grows on me and we see her settle into University life with her friends. Some of the other characters we meet are fun and very readable such as Jessie. Before long Alice meets Lukas a German student who is studying at a nearby university. Lukas is a rich boy who sweeps Alice off her feet to a certain degree.

The second half of the book is spent watching Alice move on with her life and what happens to her next. Lukas is not a nice character and I spent half of the time asking myself what Alice was playing at. But as the story continues you can see the predicament she has got herself into and things start to become if not clearer certainly a lot more understandable. As usual with a Paige Toon book she draws you in with her easy writing style and knack of telling a story that is sometimes bittersweet.

The best part of the book for me was without a doubt the ending. Paige Toon has done once again what she managed to do with the book Johnny Be Good, which is leave the reader on a slight cliff-hanger with a big question mark. I can only hope that there is a follow up to this, otherwise it’s an unnecessarily cruel ending for us fans. This book will certainly keep you reading, and at the end you will certainly be left wanting more.