Category: General Fiction

The Patchwork Marriage by Jane Green

My Rating: 4/5

It has been a year and a half since Jane’s last book and I was really looking forward to this one. As soon as I received it I got stuck in and it took me less than a few pages to be completely absorbed in the lives of the characters. Andi and Ethan are married and Ethan’s two children Emily and Sophia live with them. Her whole life Andi has waited to fall in love with a man like Ethan and to receive a readymade family is the icing on the cake. What she didn’t prepare herself for was the difficulty in becoming a stepmother to these two children.

The main focus of the story is Emily, Ethan’s eldest child who is nothing short of difficult. She is making life for Ethan and Andi very difficult and straight away I did not like this spoilt child. I was hoping that underneath it all was a likeable but troubled young girl! Like her last book, this one features the realities of life and stepchildren is a commonplace issue now for many people (myself included). It was refreshing to read about the not so nice side of this story and how trying to do the right thing by Stepchildren is not as easy as it sounds.

After years of trying to resolve the situation Andi finally gets to breaking point and decides she has no other option than to leave. That is before Emily turns up with a major bombshell that changes everything. It is difficult to discuss major points of the story without spoiling it, but all I will say is that life is made even more complicated for all of those concerned.

The story is not the flowers and roses kind of fairy-tale but one that shows how real life can be and the curveballs you can be thrown. I thought that this book and especially the way it was written was great and made for a compelling read. It kept my interest especially as the story is set over a few years. Jane Green’s books have a very different feel to them in comparison to her earlier books such as Babyville but they are still great books to read.

Although I am limited in what I can say for fear of spoilers, I will tell you that this book was certainly a great read and one that I would recommend.

A Walk In The Park by Jill Mansell

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My Rating: 5/5

Another year has passed since I read one of Jill’s books and I was so looking forward to her new one. I got mine in the post and realised that it was in usual Mansell style a reasonable sized book with over 400 pages and a gorgeous cover inviting me to start reading! Within the first four chapters I realised that my plans for the evening were finished. There would be no cooking or cleaning done, all that would happen is that traipse back and forth to the kettle whilst still reading the book.

Lara Carson starts the story off with a bang. She left her town at 16 and following events that unfolded has now decided to move back and start over. At the same time, her old friend Evie is getting ready to marry her man Joel. However, within the first quarter of the book, both women are up to their eyes in drama.

It is quite hard to review a book without giving away a lot of the story but all I will say about the storyline is that it certainly won’t disappoint. It had a lot going on and kept me on tenterhooks all the way through. As for the characters, this is what Jill Mansell does best. Lara and Evie were lovely women and you warm to both of them right away. In addition to them there is an eclectic and interesting bunch of people that all feature heavily in the story.

Gigi was an adorable character and actually reminded me of somebody I know. We meet Lara’s aunt Nettie, Don who owns jewellery shop in Bath and superstar rapper Enjay Seven. Like I said before the storyline I can’t mention but what I can say is that the scenes between Enjay and Harry had me laughing out loud. My favourite character (and a pretty central one too) was Flynn. He sounds like a truly wonderful bloke and I kept my fingers crossed that things worked out how I wanted the whole way through the book.

Overall this book is one of the best Jill Mansell has written and I loved every bit of it. Having read it in under a day I can only say that I suggest you get yourself a copy and settle yourself in for the night with a hot cuppa and a duvet. What better way to spend an evening? This book is a true testament to why Jill Mansell has been a successful author for twenty years. As for myself, I will settle back and wait another long year for the next one.

THE DARKER SIDE OF LOVE BY JESSICA RUSTON

My Rating: 4/5

This story introduces us to four women who are firm friends. Caroline, Stella, Izzy and Harriet and their partners/husbands are the focus of this story starting in the nineties. Initially, it can seem a little overwhelming with the amount of characters that appear very early on. However, when you begin to understand each of their lives it becomes easier to distinguish between these very different characters.

 Jessica Ruston introduces each character and their partner or husband and how they fit into each others lives become apparent very early on. The first thing that struck me about this book was how different it was to the previous book of hers I had read. She fell firmly into the Bonkbuster genre with her debut novel, but this story is slightly different. It’s clear from the outset that this is, as the tile suggests, the darker side of romance. Call it reality if you will and we see each person face their own issues or demons.

The story itself kept me interested as you see each woman face challenges and we get to see the vast differences in the women as they try to tackle their own problems. This book certainly has the element of reality in it and I think many people will be able to empathise with something in the book. Jessica Ruston certainly had her work cut out to cover all the different elements that were found in the book.

The synopsis shows the reader that eventually a crime will take place but you have no idea with which character, and to be frank, as I read further into the book it could have been any of them! We see adultery, drug use, domestic abuse and the general hard work it takes to make life work. I found myself more and more embroiled in the story and eventually read the last quarter of it in one sitting.

This book was certainly a departure from the normal but I still finished the book having enjoyed it thoroughly.

Summer Daydreams by Carole Matthews

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My Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: First off I need to admit I am a big Carole Matthews fans and a huge fan of the Chocolate Lovers series of books that she wrote. Having said that, I’m certainly not biased and if I don’t enjoy one of her books I will say. Her last release Wrapped Up In You I enjoyed but it wasn’t my favourite.

Moving onto this latest Release Summer Daydreams, we are in a whole new ball park! Within the first two chapters I had fallen in love with the fabulous people. Nell McNamara works in the chip shop and lives locally with her boyfriend Olly and her young daughter Petal. What starts as a makeover for the chippy, pushes Nell into a new line of work designing her own handbags.

What caught my attention from the beginning are the people. Nell’s boss Phil, her two work colleagues Constance and Jenny and Nell’s partner Olly. They are all so readable and lovely. They all have their place in the story and before the first few chapters I couldn’t get enough of them all.

Nell was likeable but frustrating as you see her try to juggle her home life with work and making something for herself and her family’s future. As Nell realises that she may well have talent, you see her facing all the trials and tribulations that I imagine many people starting up on their own face. She has to work out how it all works, against the constant pressure of rising debt to fund her business.

While she is doing all this things start to go wrong, and once they start down that route they only seem to get worse! Towards the middle I realised that I had been reading it straight and had only picked it up that morning. I also realised that these were the first set of characters I had read since the Chocolate Lovers girls that I wanted to see more of (although they still remain my absolute favourites).

Having worked my normal day job I excitedly finished the rest of the book literally not being able to put it down, as I so desperately wanted things to work out well. I finished this in one day and must say it is one of Carole’s best books I have read in a long time. I devoured this and would love nothing more than to see these characters again in the future. Whether we will or not remains to be seen, all I know is that her Carole’s latest release is a true testament to why she is a very successful author. Highly recommended!

Horse Play by Jo Carnegie

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My Rating: 5/5

Jo Carnegie has written a fantastic series of books set in Churchminster. I have enjoyed them all but her last book Dirty Tricks was an absolute corker. I was looking forward to the release of Horse Play. At a meaty 608 pages I certainly had something to get my teeth in to.

As usual with the Churchminster books you see the familiar faces that have appeared in the other books. Although that is the case, you certainly don’t have top read the others and this could be read as a stand alone book. Although that may be the case, I just love the fact that with each book comes another part of Churchminster’s life and we see members of the village and what is going on in their lives.

This books main star of the show was a new face in the form of Kizzy. She works for Angie and Fred (who feature in other books) and is trying to crack her burning ambition of becoming a successful female jockey. Angie and Fred have a horse called Nobby that Kizzy rides along with Edward who comes onto the scene a little later on.

In addition to Kizzy some of my favourite characters all make an appearance along with Caro and Benedict who have another part of the storyline along with Caro’s despicable ex-husband Sebastian. There is also the appearance of other villagers such as Camilla and Jed and Granny Clem. Along with those my absolutely favourite character of all is Calypso, sisters to Caro and Camilla. She has the best attitude ever and some of her sayings are absolutely hilarious. She takes up a slice of the pie as she tries to work out whether or not to go back to London to try and make her events business even more successful.

The story starts with quite a few hairy moments in the beginning and after a couple of chapters I realised that Jo Carnegie had set me up for another bumper read. After a little while we see the sexy Javier, a former Olympic dressage rider, come into the story. The story itself is heart warming, funny and at times as steamy as hell. It had me gripped from start to finish and I truly didn’t want it to end. One particular moment feasturing Caro and a trip to see her son’s teacher had me laughing out loud and cringeing at the same time!

The characters draw you in until you love them or loathe them and the village life certainly hasn’t got any quieter in the case of Churchminster. Two other characters that made this book for me are Caro and Benedict’s new neighbours Baz and Cheryl. They were fantastic and had me giggling at every appearance. The story has lots going on and I would love to live in a place like this where there is drama at every corner!

I was truly sad to finish the book and thought it may well be the best yet in the series. I can only hope that the next book comes along sooner than expected as I don’t know if I can wait another year to catch up with what I now consider old friends!

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

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My Rating: 5/5

Well, having never read a Jo Jo Moyes book, I wasn’t sure what to expect and what I got was certainly not what I expected. The story is not one I that instantly attracts a reader as it subject matter could be looked upon as depressing. Will Traynor is larger than life until life deals him a bad hand and he is involved in an accident leaving him a quadriplegic. Will has all but given up on life until Lou Clark enters it.

Lou Clark is an adorable character from the very beginning. She is a young girl that has lost her job in the small village that she works in and is looking for a new one. When she is offered the job of being a carer, she isn’t sure that the job is for her but decides to give it a go anyway. The relationship between Will and Lou had me laughing out loud, and I must say I wasn’t expecting the humorous side to the story. However, Jo has managed to deal with the issue of Will’s disability with such sensitivity.

Lou is determined to make Will see that life is worth living no matter what your situation. This book was one that I couldn’t put down. I started it at lunchtime and by the end of the evening it was finished. The book was absolutely gripping. I was really part of Lou’s mission and fell in love with all of the characters (including Lou’s family). The ending wasn’t what I expected and the book had me both laughing and getting teary at the same time.

My first Jo Jo Moyes has set the bar and I cannot wait to read another one of her books. I would highly recommend this book but just make sure if you are of a weepy disposition you have the tissues at the ready.

I Heart Vegas by Lindsey Kelk (I Heart #4)

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My Rating: 5/5

I just love Lindsey Kelk’s writing. She has a very funny way of putting characters across and Angela Clark is a perfect example of that. The I Heart series started with I Heart New York, followed by I Heart Hollywood and then I Heart Paris. Her latest release I Heart Vegas features Angel and her pals as she seems to get herself in a pickle.

The first I Heart Book I read I enjoyed but wasn’t overly in love with. Fast forward to today, the day I completed I Heart Vegas and you will find a woman that is slightly in love with Angela Clarke, and wants her very own Angela for Christmas!!!

For people who haven’t read previous books in the series, it doesn’t matter you could still pick this book up and read it no worries. But if like me you want to get to know the characters and the story behind Angela ending up in New York then start at the beginning of the series.

By this point in Angela’s life she is living in New York with her boyfriend Alex and things are going swimmingly. There is however one sticking point, and a rather major one at that. Angela’s visa has expired and as she’s no longer working it’s a bit of a problem. The first few chapters of the book were amusing but not rip roaringly funny, but it was fun to see Angela get herself into all sorts of trouble (as usual) while she tries desperately to appear as if everything is okay to Alex. When her friend Jenny decides that a weekend trip to Vegas is the way to cheer them up, she has no idea what will end up happening.

At this point in the book the humour goes from amusing, to cringe-worthy embarrassment but laugh out loud funny. Angela’s friend Jenny is a rude, brash and very outgoing sort of girl and the two of them together get themselves into some very awkward situations. The theme behinds the whole story makes for great reading and although Angela is a hopeless case you can’t help wishing that everything works out okay for her.

By the last part of the book I literally couldn’t put it down and just had to go right through to the end. This sort of read is classic chick lit. The mix of two girls on a crazy weekend in Vegas, especially with the stunts they manage to pull off as well as the romance behind the story made for a fabulous read and possibly the best in the I Heart series.

The only downside is that I have to wait impatiently for the next instalment some time next year entitled I Heart London.

Here Come The Girls by Milly Johnson

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My Rating: 5/5

Having read and enjoyed my first Milly Johnson Book An Autumn Crush, I was really looking forward to reading another. The front covers of her books manage to catch my attention because they are always nice and bright and look inviting. This one was no different, only this time I didn¡¦t realise I would enjoy the book even more than the last one!

In the beginning of the book we meet Ven, Olive and Roz. Three women that are complete opposites but are the best of friends. I immediately loved Olive and Ven but found myself disliking Roz. The story was so easy to pick up and I found myself immersed in the women¡¦s lives. Olive¡¦s lazy husband and hideous mother in law made for funny reading and Roz¡¦s husband Manus I adored, and immediately this made me dislike Roz even more.

When the Olive and Roz are surprised by Ven with a trip of a lifetime, both of them are pretty surprised. Their dream of taking a cruise before they hit forty seems to finally be a reality. When Olive and Roz both agree, they are in for a shock when they realise that the forth member of their original gang from school is on the boat too.

We meet Frankie later in the book but she was a brilliant character and it became apparent very early on that a lot of the issues were surrounding a past event. This made the book even more readable to have a major event affecting all the girls in different ways. By the end of the book, I loved all the women and the ending was absolute magic!

The book itself literally made me feel like I was in the ladies suitcase. Having never been on a cruise, by the end of the book I felt like I needed to immediately go and book myself on one. This book encompasses everything I want in a chick lit book with the added bonus of the writing being effortless making it a joy to read. There is lost of love, tears and laughter as you join the ladies on a cruise that will literally change their lives. There was only one negative to this book (I know this is ridiculous but¡K) every time I picked it up I couldn¡¦t stop humming that irritating theme tune from the advert on the TV !

I was surprised that this book was so good, and I don¡¦t mean that badly. I expected it to be good; I just didn¡¦t expect it to be brilliant. However, brilliant is the perfect word for it. An absolute must have for a beach read! Roll on with the next MJ book!

Happily Ever After by Harriet Evans

My Rating: 3/5

I read a book by Harriet Evans earlier in the year and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was looking forward to reading her latest book but wasn’t prepared for the bumper book that landed on my doorstep. At 420 pages it’s certainly a hefty book but that didn’t put me off at all.

The book starts off early in Elle’s life when she was a young girl and then quickly moves to her starting out her working life doing the one thing she loves; books! Elle is a character that if I am being honest I didn’t warm to straight away. Her life is made so complicate by her incessant need to worry about everything. She comes across as a very naïve girl trying to make her way amongst the other more glamorous women working in publishing.

Her boss Rory was also a character that I didn’t particularly like, although that didn’t change throughout the book. The story was interesting and Harriet Evans writing style is very easy to read. However, the first part of the book was set in 1997 and then there was a jump to a few years later as we literally see Elle grow up.

As each section of the book takes us to a point further in Elle’s life, I admit I liked her a little more, but her life itself left a lot to be desired. Some of the other characters in the book stuck around for longer than others but only one or two stuck out for me. Elle’s friend Tom was a nice guy, as was Sam her flatmate, but the rest just didn’t sit well with me.

The further into the book I got the more I enjoyed it, but towards the end which took place in 2008 over ten years later I felt like the story hadn’t quite taken the turn I expected. The story held interest for me, and I actually liked the fact that we see Elle grow up but by the time I finished I wasn’t quite sure how I felt. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Would I read more of Harriet Evans books? Yes, definitely? Well then why was I still unsure? That I don’t actually know, but can only say that maybe I felt something was missing. Overall a good read but certainly not a favourite for me.

Prima Donna by Karen Swan

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My Rating: 5/5

Well, well, well. Just what a fool I have been, as this book has been on my to read pile for an age and I was silly to have not picked it up sooner. I don’t know why, it looks like quite a hefty read and if I’m honest, reading the synopsis, the world of the ballerina didn’t quite seem `me’. Well, I am certainly paying for that mistake now! I have already ordered Karen Swan’s other two books and am looking forward to reading them.

Karen Swan’s debut novel entitled Players was released in 2010 and her follow up Prima Donna in 2011. I think you could say her genre was more Bonkbuster than Chick Lit and her front cover of this book certainly didn’t do the book justice.

We meet Pia Soto who is a world class ballerina and the sort of character you just love to hate. She is spoiled, wealthy, and a complete pain to work with. Her assistant Sophie is the plain but talented Irish PA to the star and her polar opposite.

When a tragedy occurs neither of them realise the extent their lives will change. Enter Will Silk, the smooth and very manipulative man who is determined to win over the famous Pia Soto. Will Silk was also another character I loved to loathe but these people were so absorbing that I literally couldn’t put the book down.

The story itself moves along at a brilliant pace with lots of drama and many other characters coming into play. The story is also taken to different parts of the world as each character deals with their own situation. At around the halfway mark things really start to hot up and I found that I read the second half of the book in one sitting.

The added bonus for me was the rather big plot twist towards the end (which I didn’t see coming) and the fact that I really did grow to like Pia by the end of the story. All in all I was shocked by just how absorbing this book was and I cannot recommend it highly enough. First class read!