Category: General Fiction

The Guest List by Melissa Hill

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My Rating: 5/5

Cara is so happy when her boyfriend Shane proposes. She seems to have it all going on, a great job, a new fiancé and a great circle of friends and family. Their excitement quickly disappears whe…n they tell their respective parents and their ideas for their bog day aren’t quite what Shane and Cara had in mind. Cara was an easy character to like and as soon as I started reading about her and Shane, I couldn’t help thinking this was a lovely couple that seemed to have everything in place for them. When Cara and Shane make a stand and decide on a beach wedding on a Caribbean island, there is uproar from both families.

There were quite a lot of characters in this book but they are all introduced into the story with a little background about each of them. One thing Melissa Hill has done is create a very `real’ family. I would be surprised if there are people out there that don’t have at least one family member that behaves a certain way?!? Cara’s sister-in-law Kim was my favourite character and she brought a real calm to the storm kind of feeling right throughout the book. I loathed Shane’s parents from the outset but as the story progressed my feelings started to change.

I think was surprised me was the fact that I got so engrossed in a book that is essentially not that original. I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way, just that weddings and engagements have been written about time and time again. Hill manages to get the reader that little bit more attached to all the characters, whether it to love them or loathe them. She has taken a traditional story and made it into a bit of a drama, with all the characters playing their part in it all.

The thing that also surprised me with this book was the ending. Well, what can I say I did NOT see that coming! Normally I pick up on things like that, and although I had suspicions about what the past held, I was way off the mark. I absolutely love it when a story does that and genuinely takes you by surprise. I can honestly say that I loved this book and as a person that has actually done the whole “wedding abroad” thing, I could actually relate to some of the stuff going on in Cara and Shane’s lives. I really would recommend this to people; it was a fantastic read and one that I finished in a matter of hours rather than days

THE LOVELIEST CHOCOLATE SHOP IN PARIS BY JENNY COLGAN

My Rating: 3/5

After finishing the Cupcake Café books by Jenny Colgan I was looking forward to this one. In this book we meet Anna Trent who works at a Chocolate Factory. Anna doesn’t appeal that much as a character in the beginning. She has had an accident at work and is recovering in hospital. She meets her old French teacher Claire who is also being treated in the hospital. However, Anna is at an all-time low and seems quite depressed with everything. As Anna is on the mend her relationship with Claire grows and she learns a little more about Claire’s life growing up.

It took me a little while to warm to Anna, but slowly I began to see the girl she was before. When Claire offers her a once in a lifetime opportunity to work in Paris it takes Anna some time to come around to the idea. Anna soon learns that Claire’s former sweetheart is a well-known chocolate maker and he makes his chocolate entirely by hand. Once Anna makes the decision to try it and arrives at the strange and quirky shop, the story takes off a little bit more.

Anna meets the famous Thierry as well as the two guys in the shop. In addition she meets Thierry’s son and there is of course the outlandish character she is living with Sami. As usual Jenny Colgan has done a stellar job with describing Paris and catching the magic, but the characters just didn’t grab me like they usually would. I certainly warmed to Anna, but actually preferred Claire, whose story we see in sections throughout the book where we flash back to Anna’s past in Paris.

The second half of the book was slightly better than the first half and although I enjoyed it I just felt it was lacking something. I have read a lot of Jenny’s books and especially loved the Cupcake books. Maybe I am making too much of a comparison but this one just wasn’t one of my favourites. I will as usual be eagerly reading all her other books I haven’t read and will look forward to any new releases. I just think I couldn’t get along with the characters in this one as well as others.

Before I Met You by LIsa Jewell

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My Rating: 4/5

I tend to get around to Lisa Jewell’s books a lot later than they are published and I make the same mistake every single time (doh!). I pick up the book, devour it and fall in love with her latest novel. I then tell myself I’m an idiot for not reading it sooner and then by the time the next one comes around I do it all over again. With this book released in 2012, here I am again making the same mistake. With Jewell’s latest book it feels almost like she has taken a departure from her usual topics and delved into something a little bit different. In the beginning of this book we meet Betty Dean as a young girl who has moved to Guernsey to live with her Grandmother. When her grandmother dies and leaves something in her will to a mysterious woman named Clara Pickle, Betty is determined to find the woman.

On a mission to find Clara Pickle Betty arrives in grungy, 1990s Soho, ready for anything. This is the first element of the book and the second element involves Betty’s Grandmother Arlette growing up in 1920’s London. I really liked Betty’s character and adored the fact that she was seeing London through a young girls eye’s in the nineties (my age is showing somewhat there). Although I really liked Betty I was surprised to learn that I actually liked Arlette’s story just as much. I had stupidly made the assumption that London in the 1920’s would be a little boring and predictable, how wrong was I?

I was quickly drawn into both women’s lives and the nice thing about this book is that the layers are revealed gradually. The more we learn about Arlette, the more we see Betty discover about the mysterious Clara Pickle. I didn’t particularly like the fact that a rock star happened to live opposite Betty when she moves to London, but the story was driven the right way in my opinion.

Any other outcome for that particular storyline may well have ruined the book for me. Arlette and her friends from that era were extraordinary and I really could picture their hedonistic and glitzy lifestyle in the twenties. Although this was a slight move from Jewell’s usual stuff I loved it and thought the story was heartfelt and very interesting. I was certainly hooked and found that the slight element of mystery surrounding Arlette made it that little bit more intriguing.

I managed to read the last quarter in a couple of hours and found myself once again berating myself for leaving it so long to read this book. I wouldn’t say it was my favourite Lisa Jewell book but it made a refreshing change to read something a little different and I would certainly recommend it.

The Lost Daughter by Diane Chamberlain

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My Rating: 4/5

I only read my first Diane Chamberlain book a few months ago (shocking I know) however loved the book and decided to go back to a couple of her older books I had on my Kindle. The Lost Daughter synopsis sounded intriguing. In 1977, pregnant Genevieve Russell disappeared but twenty years later, her body is found and Timothy Gleason is charged with murder. The unborn child is not found with Genevieve’s body.

Ceeee Wilkes knows how Genevieve Russell died, because she was there. And she also knows what happened to the missing infant, because two decades ago she made the devastating choice to raise the baby as her own. Now Timothy Gleason is facing the death penalty, and she has another choice to make. Tell the truth and destroy her family. Or let an innocent man die to protect a lifetime of lies.

I have to be honest and say that it took me a few chapters to get into the story but once there I was hooked. We meet CeeCee when she is young and naïve and working in a local diner. I immediately took a dislike to a young Tim Gleason but could see where the story was taking me. We get to see CeeCee as a young girl who makes a lot of bad decisions. The story is pretty compelling and even at the start of the book I wanted to slap some sense into this young girl who had no idea she was being taken advantage of.

The story is told over the course of many years and we see CeeCee raise Genevieve’s daughter as her own (don’t worry that’s in the synopsis so is not a spoiler). What the book manages to achieve is the questions that the reader begins to ask themselves. The story touches on many subjects without the author leaning either way based on her own personal opinion. I found myself questioning what I would have done in CeeCee’s position. All I can tell you is that my answer had changed some what at the end of the book, to what it was at the start.

The characters are very believable and I found myself really empathising with them. BY the time I reached the end I was surprised at how quickly I had become engrossed and how short a time it had taken me to read. I actually gave up on DC books a year ago as I found I couldn’t get into them. I’m glad I persevered months later as I have enjoyed the books I have read so far and really look forward to reading another one. This particular book, though enjoyable, wasn’t as good as her most recent release The Good Father but I would still recommend it.

Not Without You by Harriet Evans

My Rating: 5/5

I was very lucky to receive an early copy of Harriet Evans new book Not Without You and having enjoyed her others was looking forward to it. What I didn’t realise was that the book would be the best in this genre I have read this year so far! Sophie Leigh is a movie star; except her real name is Sophie Sykes and she originally grew up in England even though she now leads the glamorous life of an A-Lister. The early chapters are interesting as we get to meet Sophie and her slightly mad life with the crazy `Hollywood’ types such as her agent. You also get to see the real Sophie too which I liked. She’s a pretty ordinary girl who made it as an actress but she has a real passion for the old time movie star Eve Noel. Eve Noel was a star herself in the 50s and 60s but then disappeared from public life never to be seen again.

At first glance Harriet’s book looks like any other number of books in this genre but what the cover doesn’t convey is that there is a somewhat dark side to this story. We get to see Sophie’s life start to spiral as she refuses to do another `Rom-Com’ movie, and the fans that once loved her seem to now despise her. There are numerous characters appearing in this book and what I really loved is the fact that the synopsis gives just enough away without telling too much. I will aim to do the same so will refrain from going over certain details of the book.

We get to see Sophie change locations so the book is part set in USA and part in the English countryside. I felt myself getting pulled further and further into the book and certain elements had a dark side and I was questioning who was involved in it right until the end. The biggest factor which made this book so enjoyable was the fact that although we see Sophie, we also go back to Eve Noel’s life and her rise and fall from fame. It was done so cleverly that you wonder how the two women’s lives will eventually cross over, or if they will at all. I read this book in a matter of two days and absolutely loved everything about it. It just felt so original and fresh, it really did tale me into their worlds.

I read a lot of books and sometimes every now and then one just makes it mark. Harriet Evans latest release is one such book. It is the best book I have read this year in this genre and I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you think female fiction is all about love romance and happy endings don’t be fooled. Harriet Evans’ new book packs in a little bit of everything, creating a story that everyone can enjoy.

From Notting Hill With Love..Actually by Ali McNamara

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My Rating: 4/5

Having never read any of Ali McNamara’s books I had no idea of what to expect. When I read the synopsis and saw some of the comments left I started to look forward to it immensely. Something I should clarify having now read this book though. The book is described as an endearing and romantic fun read. That’s exactly what it is and it’s frustrating when people leave negative reviews because of this. You should always know the sort of book you are about to pick up and that description is perfect for it.

Scarlett our main character is almost obsessed with the movies. She loves all films but romantic comedies are her thing. Her fiancé David is sensible and caring but that’s where it ends. As soon as I started reading I just fell in love with Scarlett. Yes she is slightly ditzy and has her head in the clouds more often than not, but she is very endearing. Her fiancé …is the most boring character I have read about in a while and my empathy was firmly with Scarlett when she compared him to some of her movie idols.

The movie theme is what really made this book and the fact that the films and certain well known quotes are used from start to finish gave it that extra bit of magic. Scarlett also seems to have an extremely bad habit of causing havoc and mayhem wherever she goes. When Scarlett is given the opportunity to house-sit for a friend in Notting Hill she jumps at the chance. With her house-sitting duties comes a whole heap of new friends as well as an annoyingly handsome next-door neighbour.

Now I know that some people may write this book off as being predictable and far too fluffy and romantic, but I say don’t knock it until you tried it. After all Rom-Com films make millions because people sometimes want the predictable fairy tale. This book was a sheer joy to read and took me completely away from reality. It was like my favourite Rom-Com wrapped up in a book. I loved it so much I immediately picked up the second book featuring Scarlett (and boy was I glad I did!). If you want a book which transports you away from the dreary day to day chores, pick this one up. You will be transported to the madcap world of Scarlett and it’s fun from start to finish.

From Notting Hill to New York…Actually by Ali McNamara

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My Rating: 5/5

Having never read Ali McNamara’s book entitled From Notting Hill with Love Actually, I immediately picked up this book which is the second one featuring Scarlett O’Brien. Scarlett O’Brien is a complete addict when it comes to movies, especially the romantic ones. She decides that what she needs is a holiday so decides to visit her father in New York and takes along her best friend Oscar. As soon as she hits US soil you just know that her trip to New York is going to be bedlam.

The first book in the series features Scarlett and her family and friends and I absolutely loved it. However, not wanting to give away any spoilers all I will say is that after the last book it’s clear that nothing is straightforward when it comes to Scarlett. While she is visiting all the big attractions in New York she runs into Jamie and Max, a TV reporter and his cameraman. Other than the fact the Jamie and her seem to both love films, she can’t understand why she has a sudden connection with him. Especially since she is so in love with her boyfriend?

Along with Oscar, Scarlett and her new friends Jamie and Max seem to get themselves into an awful lot of mischief. There are lots of story threads going on in this book which certainly keeps you interested but for me the winning factor was the characters. Although I really enjoyed the first book I enjoyed this one much more. Oscar is hilarious and I had a firm picture of him from the moment I picked this book up. Scarlett’s father, Sean, Jamie, Max, they all added that little something to the story and by the halfway mark I actually felt like I knew these characters inside out.

If you haven’t read the first book featuring Scarlett then it’s not a problem as Ali McNamara gives you enough background. However, I would highly recommend reading it because it gives you an idea of just how crazy Scarlett is. As with the first book it took me no time at all to finish this book and was pretty gutted when I finished it. I just love the fact that you are transported away from day to day life with Scarlett and her friends. This book won’t be for everybody but for me it was an absolute winner. I can’t wait to start reading all of McNamara’s other books.

Pedigree Mum by Fiona Gibson

My Rating: 5/5

I was very pleased when the new Fiona Gibson book was uploaded to my Kindle and I earnestly got stuck in. The synopsis promises us a straying husband, broken hearts and a slightly deranged rescue dog. What’s not to love with that and to be honest with dreary February upon us I was looking forward to getting stuck into a light hearted and humorous book. Kerry Tambini and her husband and two children have made the bold move to move out of town and to the coast in a place called Shorling. Sadly, when her husband Rob makes a huge mistake Kerry is left to settle the family on her own she doesn’t know quite how she will cope. In the case of Pedigree Mum it involves a varied cast of characters in an `everybody knows everything’ place with a crazy dog for company.

The first few chapters already had me smiling as Fiona Gibson sets her storytelling to the highest standards. The descriptions of the snooty mothers whose children eat nothing but organic produce and that look like they stepped out of a catalogue had me laughing out loud. Kerry and her family are so easy to like as they are like the majority of normal families. Their life is normally organised chaos and when Kerry decides to cave into the kids demands for a dog she has no idea what she is letting herself in for. Along comes Buddy the rescue dog who quite frankly should have a book of his own. With a knack for being outrageously naughty, his appearance normally caused trouble in one form or another.

We get to see quite a bit of Rob and his life as he battles to get things right and although this part of the storyline fitted in well I loved nothing more than seeing Kerry integrate herself in a new town. Some of the characters were very funny and all of them were entertaining in their own way. I read this book in just over a day and a half and didn’t like it when I realised I had finished! I absolutely loved this book. It cheered me up no end on my miserable commute. Thankfully, I have a few of Fiona’s other books I haven’t yet read so I can look forward to getting stuck into them. This book was entertaining and addictive making me laugh in all the right places. The perfect accompaniment to a cuppa and a comfy sofa!

Ex-Girlfriends Reunited by Matt Dunn

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My Rating: 3/5

Having read the first book by Matt Dunn featuring Ed Middleton and his friend Dan Davies, I was keen to read the second book. Once again we meet with Ed and Dan, only this time around Ed is settled down with his girlfriend and Dan seems to be going through a dry spell. Dan Davies has a job as a TV presenter, and has landed a role in a new daytime soap. He just can’t figure out why the women aren’t falling at his feet like they usually do. In the first book we see more of Edward and his dilemma of trying to change his ways, and I actually preferred that as Dan grated on me a little bit. With Dan being a little bit more prominent in this book I wondered if I would like it as much.

When Dan and Ed realise that a website `Slate Your Date’ features Dan heavily they realise Dan’s situation is a little trickier than they first thought. Ex Girlfriends seem to have overloaded the site with details of Dan’s disgraceful behaviour. Between them, they decide the only way to get things sorted is to track down Dan’s exes and try to make things right. As usual humour is the main key to Matt’s books slightly having the edge and there is no shortage of that in this book. The one thing that did make me feel it wasn’t as good as the last is the fact that I just couldn’t imagine Dan and Ed actually being friends in real life?! Having said that, towards the end of the book my attitude towards Dan changed somewhat and I found myself thinking that he wasn’t that bad after all!

I think Matt Dunn has produced another good book and although Dan grates on me a bit, I really like the two of them and more to the point want to know how things go from here. Luckily, the next book The Accidental Proposal should answer my questions. I think his two books I’ve read

With All My Love by Patricia Scanlan

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My Rating: 5/5

Briony McAllistair spends the day with her four year old daughter Katie in Southern Spain. She is on a visit to her mother Valerie, who has recently brought herself a place there. As Katie plays, Briony pulls out an old photo album that contains a letter that will change everything for her. The letter begins My Darling Briony. After many years, Briony discovers that her beloved Grandmother Tessa is alive and well, and has spent many years harbouring after contact with her first born Granddaughter. The first couple of chapters were interesting enough to pull me into the book without a hesitation. What at first seemed like an ordinary story very quickly turns into a complicated plot.

Patricia Scanlan’s latest book grabbed me from the early stages and quite frankly didn’t let go until the very end. This is one of Patricia’s best books I have read. When Briony makes her discovery her instinct is to up and leave, but after a conversation with her Godmother, and Valerie’s best friend as well as her husband she decides to wait and see what her mother has to say. This is the very beginning of the story and we are taken back to the past by Valerie herself. I thought this book would be sectioned out between past and present, and although it is to a degree, the majority of the story takes us through Valerie’s life and how she has got to where she is today.

I very quickly got drawn back to when Valerie met Briony’s father Jeff and her relationship with his parents Tessa and Lorcan. Times were very different when Valerie was young and Patricia Scanlan does a sterling job in transporting you back to a time when unmarried mothers and abortion were deeply frowned upon. I fell in love with the fiery and young Valerie and as the story progressed lots of things are revealed about the sorry state of affairs the present day has ended in. Before long I was shocked to discover I was three quarters of the way through the book in one sitting! What I really loved about this latest book is the layers within it that are ordinary (if that makes sense). Just the lives of ordinary people, who make mistakes, say things they don’t mean and the consequences because of it.

I initially found myself disliking Tessa, however as the story went on it was easy to turn that around and sympathise. I think that by the time I got to the end of the book I was truly sad to have finished it, but found myself thinking this was by far and a mile one of the best Patricia Scanlan books I have read in a while. It was utterly absorbing and one that I couldn’t put down. Highly recommended.