Category: General Fiction

Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes by Sue Watson

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My Rating: 5/5

As many of you already know I read a LOT of books. Sadly, there are many writers out there who are great, but just don’t get the chance as the competition is fierce and us readers can be a critical bunch! Every now and then the same author’s debut novels keep popping up and somewhere along the line Sue Watson’s name came up to the point I clicked on the author page. When I read her paragraph on her author page, it kind of made my mind up that I really wanted to give her book a go.

Overweight TV Producer Stella is currently working on a gardening programme and that’s how Sue’s book starts. In the first two or three chapters I realised that I absolutely loved Sue Watson’s humour. Her characters just radiated brilliance and I fell in love with the `not quite perfect’ Stella. Stella is trying desperately to manage a career, a disgruntled husband and a young daughter. Stella’s boss MJ is determined to make her life hell and some of the scenes you read concerning MJ are hilarious. It’s difficult to say too much without plot spoiling, but I will say that we see Stella do her best to ensure MJ never humiliates her again!

When Stella makes huge changes to her career, she has the support of her two friends Lizzie and Al. I must just say that Al deserves a lead of his own in another book as he was just brilliant in this one. Although the storyline may be a little clichéd, the writing and comedy value made it a winner in my eyes. I read the book in a day and am really looking forward to her second book. I’m just crossing my fingers and hoping that she creates a book that is just as funny as the first.

Friends and Rivals by Tilly Bagshawe

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My Rating: 5/5

I am a huge Tilly Bagshawe fan and loved her last two books so was looking forward to the newest release. Friends and Rival does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a totally self-indulgent, glamorous and escapist read (which is right up my street). I’m not looking for anything high on the morality scale right now so this suited me down to the ground. I was also lucky enough to receive an early edition which has a beautiful cover, which made me want to get started even more. I settled down on my commute home and before I knew it was 4 or 5 chapters in and irritated that I had made it home in record time!

Catriona (Kat) has been married to Ivan for more than twenty years. On the surface with their two kids and Ivan’s successful career in the music industry things look great, however Ivan is a pathological liar and cheat. When he leaves her for a younger woman her life feels like it has come to a complete halt. On the other side of the fence there is Kendall who is a superstar singer that is used to getting what she wants. Ivan’s partner who heads up the US business Jack is the person who looks after Kendall and he certainly has his hands full. From the minute I got involved with this book there was no stopping me.

It took me straight into the worlds of the main characters which appeared to be Ivan and Kat and Kendall and Jack. All four of them had intriguing personalities. I despised Ivan from the word go and to be honest I love it when characters get my back up, it makes the book that little bit more enjoyable. This sort of book is exactly why I love reading. The music business was brought to me with characters that wouldn’t seem out of place on Dynasty! There was a lot of threads to the story and other characters introduced which although not as central as the others, were just as readable. I literally couldn’t put this down and was disappointed once I had finished. This book is escapism at its best and one that I would highly recommend!

The Out Of Office Girl by Nicola Doherty

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My Rating: 4/5

Okay, let me clear something up. I am NOT a romantic person by nature (as my husband could probably confirm). However, when it comes to book the complete opposite applies. Although I read many genre’s (including Crime & Thrillers) I love romance and comedy books. Sometimes for me the purpose of reading is to escape real life and to just believe that the ridiculous and sublime may just happen (even though the realist in me knows it wouldn’t). Therefore, the synopsis of The Out Of Office Girl sounded perfect to me. Alice Roberts is having an awful summer and when her boss is taken ill and she is given the chance to go to Italy to interview Hollywood bad boy Luther Carson she jumps at the chance.

As soon as I picked this book up and started reading I just adored Alice. She was a normal girl with a normal job who is thrown into the deep end and given the opportunity of a lifetime. I was hooked within a matter of pages! Alice flies over to Sicily and her job is to edit the autobiography of Luther along with his agent Sam and the publishing company’s Ghost Writer. As soon as she lands we are given a glimpse into Luther’s life and his bad boy antics seem just the start. Luther is an enjoyable read as well as some of the other characters such as Sam and Annabel.

Doherty does a great job of setting the scene in Italy and she made it sound extremely idyllic. The story itself takes a few funny turns as we see Alice get herself stuck in certain situations which she isn’t quite sure how to get out of. The storyline towards the end is a little predictable but if I’m being honest I quite enjoyed the fact that things worked how they should have done. This book is certainly not intellectually challenging, but to be honest its not a factor for me when reading. I read this and felt much the same as I do when I watch Dirty Dancing. Yes its’ something that would never happen but when you are in the moment and enjoying it, it’s good enough. I will certainly be looking out for future publications from Doherty and think that she has written in a similar way to Lindsey Kelk. If that’s the case and she keeps the great storylines up then she is well on her way to drawing e lot of fans in.

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

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My Rating: 3/5

My first Jojo Moyes book was her last release Me Before You which I both devoured and loved. I was looking forward to reading another by her but if I’m being honest the synopsis didn’t grab me quite as much. The synopsis explains that in France in 1916 Sophie Lefevre is trying to keep her family safe while her husband Edouard fights at the front. The Germans descend on her hotel every evening and when the new Kommandant sees Sophie’s portrait it starts a terrible journey for Sophie. Almost a century later, the portrait is owned by Liv Halston who is also taking her own terrible journey as she is grieving the loss of her husband.

I don’t tend to read stuff set in the war times as it tends not to hold my attention as much. I decided that as I loved JJM’s last book so much I would give this a go even though not my first choice. What surprised me the most was how quickly I was drawn into Sophie’s world? Jojo Moyes did a wonderful job of ensuring the reader really understands how tough times were for the French when the Germans were invading. I found myself drawn to Sophie and keen to find out more about her life and how she ended up in the position she was. Before I knew it I was a large chunk of the way through and I actually felt quite disappointed when the story jumped forward to Liv Halston and her current situation. From there on in, the reader is taken between Liv’s current dilemma regarding the painting and the life of the woman who is in it.

Although the writing was good and I was enjoying the story I found myself yearning to read more about Sophie and less about Liv. Although Liv’s story was okay, I just found the character a little on the irritating side. I much preferred the history of Sophie’s story and was pleased when towards the end we start realising just what happened to Sophie Lefevre. I don’t know why Liv irritated me so much, but Sophie was somebody I wanted to read more about, whereas Liv’s story grated on my nerves a little and I couldn’t help feeling like she was just feeling sorry for herself. Maybe the stark contrast between time and what both women endure had something to do with it? After reading and enjoying her last book, I must say this wasn’t as good in my opinion. Maybe if the story focused on Sophie more it would have been just as good as her last book.

As it was, the book was a solid read, and one I’m sure her fans will enjoy. For me it was an okay read but not my favourite book of Moyes. I will however still look forward to the next one she releases.

What Happened in Venice by Molly Hopkins

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Welcome to Venice, the city of love. He cheated, but only once! Evie Dexter has promised to forgive her fiancé Rob – and her efforts to absolve his sins are paying off: in the past ten days she’s only called him a two-timing love rat eleven times.

Thank goodness her flourishing career as a tour guide takes her to fashionable Dublin, in-vogue Marrakech and cool Amsterdam. And when Evie’s offered a luxury visit to the sensual city of Venice she jumps at the chance. With its delicious wine and sultry Italian men, four days in the city of light and love is just what she needs.

My Review: Molly Hopkins released her debut novel last year (2011) and to be honest I only picked it up because there were so many favourable reviews on Amazon. Boy was I glad that I did! I read her book in a day or so and was genuinely shocked as it had been such a long time since I had read such a funny debut novel.

I realised that her second novel was released in August 2012 and when I received an early copy to review I was foaming with excitement. Evie Dexter is once again back with her crazy motley crew of friends and family. The one thing that made me love the first book was Evie herself and in this one she is back on top form. Evie is a brilliant character that I have fallen in love with. She cannot keep her mouth shut when required, constantly gets drunk and is always unpredictable, especially when it comes to shopping. She is engaged to her fiancé Rob even though he cheated on her. However, as a tour guide for Insignia Tours she gets the opportunity to leave the country for a few days at a time and her trips are always eventful.

This latest book had me snorting with laughter into my tea within the first few chapters. As a result when I arrived home from work, the book accompanied me whilst cooking, taking a bath and into the early hours of the morning. It’s a book that is so warm and funny that you just can’t put it down. In addition to Evie, her friends and family cause just as much mayhem and make the book what it is. I love her crazy flatmate Lulu, her sister Lexy and everybody that works with her at her friend Nikki’s café.

It’s hard to really review the book without giving spoilers, but I will say this. If you are a fan of the Angela Clarke series of books by Lindsey Kelk then make sure you pick up Molly Hopkins. She is without a doubt a rising star and if you haven’t read her yet, you need to start now, you won’t be disappointed. Without a doubt Molly Hopkins has created a series that can run and run and leave the reader wanting that little bit more. I loved the way the story went, loved the characters and was disappointed that I had finished it so quickly. It happened in Venice is a truly fantastic book that I would highly recommend. I guess the only saving grace is that I now know I can truly look forward to the next It Happened in book in the series due for release next year. Roll on for the next one Molly I am truly looking forward to it! A MUST READ!

The Beach Cafe by Lucy Diamond

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Star Rating: 4/5

I have been book reviewing for a few years now and only recently picked up my first Lucy Diamond book. However, I had no idea how much reading one of her books would change things for me. The second book I picked up was her most recent release Summer With My Sister. The book was a brilliant read and as I was reading it, something strange happened. It started the cogs in my brain turning and an idea for a new business has come out of it (but more on that later!). Having enjoyed the first two books of hers, and being so inspired by one I was keen to pick up a third to see how that fared against the other two. This book, the Beach Café sounded like a good read and I was hoping it would help me get out of my feeling of `being in a rut’.

Evie Flynn has always considered herself the `black sheep’ of the family. Her two older sisters always seem to get it right, while she seems to be permanently stuck in a rut. Whilst Evie is stuck in a very depressing temp job, and her `sensible’ boyfriend plans their future, her beloved Auntie Jo dies leaving the family shocked. Jo was always the life and soul of the party and Evie was incredibly close to her. When Evie realises that her Aunt has left her the little Beach Café she owned in Cornwall she has no idea what she is going to do. Evie was a character I liked immediately and the first few chapters really give you an idea of the sort of character she is. She is a little bit of a flapper and spends many an hour with her head in the clouds and you can’t help but wish for better things for her.

Her boyfriend Matthew I just wanted to throttle. He was so sensible and boring and seemed to be doing nothing but holding Evie back. After a lot of dithering Evie decides that she will go to Cornwall and spend the summer deciding what to do with the café. It’s the start of a journey that is funny, disastrous and interesting all at the same time! The only criticism I could really find with this book was that it seemed to take a long time for Evie to make the decision and actually get down to Cornwall and work at the Beach Café. Other than that, as soon as the transition happened the book was brilliant. We meet lots of characters that feature heavily including Rachel the waitress, Ed the chef and Phoebe, a young girl who makes an impact on Evie.

Apologies if people think this review is long but I feel like I need to explain something about reading Lucy Diamond books. Although this wasn’t my favourite I have read of hers, by the end of the book I had that `feel good’ mood back and my positivity had gone through the roof. I don’t know what it is about the way she writes, but it has the profound effect of making you feel like if you keep on chipping away things will work out and you just need to keep at it. The reason I highlight this, is that reading a LD book started me off on a new (albeit small) business venture that I am hoping to launch by later on this year. However, I was having a bit of a wobble moment and wondering if I had gone bonkers. Having read another of her books, I now feel a lot more confident and think if you don’t give it a go, you will never find out!

Overall, not my favourite but a great feel good easy to read book that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Love and Sleepless Nights by Nick Spalding

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My Rating: 5/5

I read Nick Spalding’s first book Love From Both Sides and as soon as I had finished it I then downloaded this one which is the follow on. I guess if you want to read the first book you had better stop reading this review as it will inevitable contain spoilers!

In the first book we meet Jamie and Laura and they tell the story in their Diary and Blog about life being single. The book itself had me crying with laughter as it inevitably told the hard cold truth about dating in today’s society. It held some very vulgar but equally hilarious storylines which although maybe not for everybody had me screeching with laughter. In this follow up we see Laura and Jamie face life as a couple with the added shock of finding out that Laura is pregnant.

It’s hard to specify exactly what the storyline is all about other than to say it’s the story of two youngsters preparing and dealing with parenthood. The story starts with a particularly funny episode with Laura interviewing for a job and as soon as I had read that scene I realised I wouldn’t be putting the book down until I had finished. Once again Nick Spalding has managed to write a very funny book with some side splitting moments (especially when Jamie takes the baby out on his own for the first time). There are so many of these funny moments that it’s too hard to tell you my favourites.

All I know is that much like the first book there is a real sense of many readers shaking their head as they realise that Spalding has hit the nail on the head with many tales of raising children. The book was so well written, easy to read and every other chapter seemed to throw up another ridiculous but funny situation. By the end of the book I was sad to see the ending was here but crossed my fingers and hoped that Spalding decides to bring back the Newman’s and their daughter as a teenager!

I can honestly say that this book and the previous one was brilliant, had me laughing from start to finish and is a book I think many will enjoy. I truly would recommend that these books are read in order and for the price of them on Kindle it’s an absolute bargain. Can’t wait to read another Spalding!

Love From Both Sides by Nick Spalding

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My Rating: 5/5

Okay, don’t ask me how but I somehow missed Nick Spalding when browsing through looking for Rom Com type of books by men. The latest book I Fell in love with was a debut novel by a self published author Steven Scaffardi. I thought it couldn’t be matched until I read Nick Spalding. It came about in the best way, I recommended the Scaffardi book to my friend Pete and he in turn then found Love From Both Sides. I got around to reading this on a particularly relaxing weekend in Spain at my Mum and Dad’s house.

The back of the book told me that Nick Spalding has written this ‘laugh out loud’ book and shockingly is self published as well. That in itself surprises me especially when I found out that he has now sold a total of 250,000 books on Amazon. I can honestly say that after reading this book I am also surprised that he has not been published by one of the major publishing houses.

Jamie Newman and Laura McIntyre are two single people. The book is written through their respective diaries and blogs and as soon as I picked this book up and read the first few chapters I had tears of laughter rolling down my cheeks. Jamie and Laura share their dating attempts and one particular scene involving a one night stand and a religious picture had me howling for the best part of 5 minutes (that’s all I will say peeps!). One thing to point out is that if you are looking for an inspiring and intellectually challenging book (certainly not my type of book) then this won’t be your cup of tea. If however, like me, you have an open mind, a wicked sense of humour and don’t mind a bit of filth and bad language this book will have you in stitches!

When Jamie and Laura’s paths cross it doesn’t take a genius to work out where the story goes but I must say this is one of the funniest books I have read all year (and I have read a lot of books). This was packed to the rafters with dating disasters, sexual disasters and general cock up’s from start to finish. As soon as I finished this book I immediately downloaded the sequel (Love and Sleepless nights) and finished it the same day. This book (and the sequel) is suited to both men and women and at the price they are on Amazon it would be a travesty to miss out. Do yourselves a favour and grab a copy, seriously you won’t regret it!

Perfect Strangers by Tasmina Perry

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My Rating: 5/5

I have read each and every one of Tasmina Perry’s books and was excited that there would another one soon with the release of her latest Perfect Strangers due in August 2012. To my absolute delight, the publishers sent me an early copy for review so it became THE book for me to read. As usual with Tasmina’s books you get a lot of book for your money and this one came in at just under 450 pages. As usual her books have very inviting covers and her new one was no different.

Without even glancing at the synopsis at the back I got stuck in. We start by meeting Sophie Ellis at her mother’s house seeing to guests attending her fathers wake. Sophie is a `typical’ Chelsea rich girl that was spoilt by Daddy and never had to do a days work in her life. Sadly for her, that was no longer the case as just before her father’s death he had made a bad investment and lost all of the family money. Sophie now lives in a bedsit and a chance meeting with somebody in her local gym leads to a surprise invitation.

It certainly seems an innocent enough start and Sophie is asked to house sit for a few weeks. Without realising what the future holds for her she attends a party and meets Nick Cooper. Within a matter of days she is swept of her feet and things really start to look up for her. Disaster strikes and Nick is found murdered in his hotel room. Sophie then becomes the main suspect in his murder and before she knows it her life has been literally turned upside down.

From this point on (which I must point out is less than a quarter of the way through, so no plot spoilers) things take a dramatic turn and the pace picks up considerably. I hadn’t realised that I had managed to read a quarter of the book in one sitting as I was so engrossed. The next time I picked the book up I managed to finish it all. I literally couldn’t put it down. Sophie, although not an obviously sounding great character, is extremely likeable and you soon realise that you are urging her to get to the truth. Her life is literally hanging in the balance and she has to find the truth about who killed Nick or she will end up in prison.

Although Tasmina Perry would usually fall into the `Bonkbuster/Chick Lit’ genre, this current book is verging more into the Romantic Suspense genre. I would defy anybody to not be gripped by everything that goes on. There were quite a few layers to the plot which constantly keeps the reader on their toes and I was so disappointed to finish it. The ending threw up a few surprises too but it was all wrapped up nicely. I must admit that although I have liked all of her books this is by far her best yet. Maybe because I am a fan of the crime, thriller and mystery genre as well as chick lit this was the best of both worlds for me. A truly magnificent read that had me reading into the early hours of the morning. Perry fans will NOT be disappointed!

The Long Weekend by Veronica Henry

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My Rating: 5/5

The last book of Veronica Henry’s that I read was The Beach Hut which I absolutely loved. Veronica has a way of telling many stories in one book without you feeling overwhelmed. In The Beach Hut she managed it flawlessly. She has taken the same writing style and done it again, but even better with her latest release The Long Weekend. We start sedately by meeting the main focus of the story which is Claire Marlowe and her partner Luca who own a very high end hotel named The Townhouse by the Sea. I instantly loved Claire and to be frank, despised her smarmy boyfriend Luca. In a matter of a few chapters I felt myself longing to visit this place. It sounded glorious and to be honest somewhere that I would have stayed at in a heartbeat.

After the initial introductions we are introduced to the other characters that feature in the book almost as mini short stories combined. We meet Laura and Dan, young adults on their first weekend away with family secrets to uncover. There is Nick and his stag party who have no idea that their arrival will change many lives following the weekend. We also see Angelica, one of the staff members, and Trevor and Monique who are investors in the hotel.

I found myself utterly absorbed in each character and their troubles. It’s hard to be more specific than this without spoiling the story so I won’t elaborate. Somehow, Veronica Henry manages to whisk you away with all of the characters and I was irritated when I had to stop reading to do the `proper’ things like work or cook. It truly is a great thing when you find a book that you don’t want to put down and this book was a great example of that. The writing style was easy, the story absorbing and at the same time gripping as well as the fact that I just could NOT put the thing down. Read in a day and a truly wonderful book that I would highly recommend.