Category: General Fiction

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!

The Real Katie Lavender by Erica James

My Rating: 4/5

It has been a year since I read an Erica James book and was looking forward to her new offering. At 448 pages it certainly isn’t a short book but I settled myself down to what I hoped would be another great book.

We meet Katie Lavender very early on as we see her get some shocking news from her solicitor. Learning that her life as she knew it was not what she thought was a great opener for me and I was soon gripped by the turn of events her life was going to take. Katie is a really likeable girl without being too predictably weak. I liked the fact that she took the bull by the horns and sets about learning what her life and family are really all about.

The Nightingale family are from the outside the perfect family, but once Katie becomes involved she realises that there is more to them than meets the eye. She is then party to a number of crises that hit the family and before she knows it she is a part of their strange but interesting lives.

The Nightingale family made for an interesting read with the family members all having their own skeletons in the closet. Stirling Nightingale was interesting for me as I couldn’t decide whether I liked him or not, but it certainly kept me reading to find out what would happen to the whole family. The additional family member that really added some spark was Cecily, the grandmother, who seems to have more spark and get up and go than all of them put together.

Towards the end, I found that some characters grated on me but I think that was the whole point, and overall I liked the ending and the way that things turned out for all involved. It certainly wasn’t Erica’s best book ever, but it was a book that kept me turning the pages having the right mix of love, tears and laughter. An enjoyable read.

The Beach Hut by Veronica Henry

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My Rating: 4/5

I only picked up my first Veronica Henry book towards the end of 2010 which was the first book featured in the Honeycote series. That was quickly followed by the others the Honeycote Series, and following that I just haven’t picked up another. I really enjoyed the Honeycote books, but they weren’t books that left a lasting impression.

I started the book with an open mind and within a few pages, I was hooked. Jane Milton is the main focus of the story and before long we learn that her husband has died leaving her in serious debt. The Beach Hut in Everdene is the hut that her family have used for years, only this time she is visiting for the last time, before she is forced to sell up. Quite early on in the book, the reader is transported back to when Jane was younger, which I was instantly gripped with. However, just as I was getting my teeth into that, Veronica takes us to a new chapter, a new hut, and a glimpse into somebody else’s life.

There is a huge selection of characters built up around the Everdene Huts and to be quite honest although I was surprised, it made such a refreshing change to see glimpses of numerous characters, but with enough information to whet the appetite for the next character. Usually, so many people in one story would put me off, but this book does the opposite.

Although Jane and her family are the focal point, we get to witness many different situations and scenarios which are all playing out around the Milton family. The character of Jane Milton was a great one, a woman who has been there and seen it all before, but somehow is managing to take it in her stride and not become too bitter. Running parallel, we see Roy who has know Jane his whole life, and has grown up in Everdene having never set foot outside of the county, let alone out of the country.

We get such a mix of people that it keeps the book fresh right the way through. We follow Jane from a young teenage girl, with a storyline concerning an author she used to work for, and which I absolutely loved. I can explain this book as almost like 5 or 6 short stories thrown in with one main theme.

Overall, when I finished this book I couldn’t wait to see what else I had by VH. This book was a dream to read, it keeps you really interested right the way through and I would highly recommend it. Now I can look forward to reading the rest of her books.

An Autumn Crush by Milly Johnson

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My Rating: 4/5

I had never read a Milly Johnson but was looking forward to it after a combination of seeing the cover, reading the synopsis as well as the rave reviews on Amazon. It took me less than two chapters to absolutely fall in love with the brutally honest but loveable Juliet Miller. Her quest to find a flatmate works out well as we meet the second female character of the book Floz Cherrydale. Floz is the polar opposite to Juliet as she is quiet and a little bit withdrawn but a lovely girl.

We also meet Juliet’s twin brother Guy and his best friend Steve. Guy is a chef that is working for a pig of a man and in his spare time he wrestles with his friend Steve. Steve is a wrestler who would love to do his job all of the time but with the declining interest in the sport has to settle for plastering as well. Steve and Guy are fabulous characters and with the unusual nature of the wrestling in the story it made it that littler bit more interesting.

The book flows really well and at an easy pace where you become wrapped up in their normal world with a little bit of excitement added when the girls watch the wrestling matches that Guy and Steve take part in. After seeing Juliet and Steve’s disastrous night where they get drunk and end up in bed the story gets that little bit funnier too.

I loved the characters and the fact that this story was about four normal people who have different goals and their personalities make it very interesting. The one element of the story that surprised me was the one involving Floz and her secrets from her past, and this extra nugget of information made me read much quicker in an attempt to find out what it was all about.

When I reached the ending I was smiling from ear to ear as the book panned out exactly as I had hoped. I thoroughly enjoyed my first Milly Johnson book and have already got another couple waiting to be read. It reminded me slightly of Carole Matthews in her early days and I am really looking forward to the next one.

The Drought by Steven Scaffardi

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My Rating: 5/5

Occasionally I receive emails from authors asking if I would be interested in reading their debut novels. Steven was no different and to be honest when I checked out the bio of him I was a little shocked. Yes I had heard of `Lad Lit’ but to be honest had never really delved into the world of the Mike Gayle’s and the Nick Hornby’s. I figured that as I was being offered a chance to read it free, then why not. What I didn’t realise was that Lad Lit is the perfect combination of humour and reading for me and my dry and crude sense of humour!

When I read the synopsis I realised that Lad Lit really is just that; Lad lit! The stories regarding love and romance; albeit from a slightly different perspective than that of a woman! As soon as I started reading a few things became apparent. The first was that this author’s humour was right up my street. Brash, crude and direct but laugh out loud funny. Dan Hilles is a `typical’ bloke. In the beginning of the book we see him break up with his terrifying girlfriend (blimey, she was enough to give all us women a bad reputation). Dan was a likeable bloke though and it didn’t take me long to realise that Dan’s life was not going to be as easy as he thought.

The whole idea of the book is that we see Dan struggle through single life on a `drought’ meaning no sex and even less female interaction. I read a review on Amazon which said that the book was repetitive in its nature and that the reader knows that Dan is on a sex drought. Well I have to be honest and say I was confused by that statement. Yes we know he is on a drought, that’s what the whole book is about, and believe me it is very funny.

Yes, you certainly have to have a certain type of humour, but I cannot imagine one of my friends not liking this book. Obviously if you are somebody who prefers to read books that don’t involve swearing or sex, then maybe pass on this one. If not, do yourself a favour and give this book a chance.

I was reading this book on the train on my journey home and actually managed to spit my tea out where I was laughing so hard. The man opposite me was not impressed! As the story moves forward we see Dan’s attempts at getting some female attention becoming more and more daring, and to be honest more and more of a failure. This book had me cringing, laughing and smiling all the way home. I read it in a day and a half and have already started telling my friends about it. The women will (like I did) laugh at the shocking truths some of which will be close to home, and the men will laugh at the sheer truth of it all.

I can tell you now that I didn’t know an awful lot about the author until after I had read the book and I checked out his website. I was shocked to realise that he self-published. Maybe, having not read any other `Lad Lit’ I cannot compare his book to others in that genre but I honestly think this would be a fantastic author for a publisher to pick up! All I can say Steven, is I seriously hope that even if you don’t sign a publishing deal, you continue to self-publish because I will definitely be buying the next one. Overall, an absolutely cracking debut novel and I will be waiting for the next one. HIGHLY recommended!!!

Wrapped Up In You by Carole Matthews

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My Rating: 3/5

Okay, where do I begin? I was looking forward to reading Carole’s new book as I always find I can curl myself up and lose myself in the stories she writes. Indeed I did curl up, however as for losing myself… well.. it never really felt like that. Let me explain…

Now maybe I am biased, ever since reading Carole’s Chocolate Lovers Club I have been a little bit obsessed with those books as they were perfect tens in my eyes. I have read each and every book of hers and have never, not enjoyed one. With her latest release I was convinced that even if I had my doubts reading the synopsis, I would be proved wrong. We meet Janie Johnson and soon learn that she is an ordinary woman leading an ordinary life. From the outset I liked Janie and found myself smiling at the brilliant storytelling that Carole Matthews has in abundance.

As we learn that Janie is trying to move on, following the revelation that her ex is getting married and having a child, we see her mind trying to contemplate what way to best achieve her goal. We see Janie try a blind date which goes disastrously wrong (but which is very funny) and after much dithering she makes a bold decision. Instead of spending Christmas on her own with her cat, she is going to visit Africa. This for me was where the story maybe went a bit south.

Janie flies off to Africa and falls head over heels in love with Dominic, a Maasai Warrior. The story itself was still (in Carole Matthews’s style) brilliantly written. Having said that, it was at that point in the book where I started not liking Janie as much as she made more and more decisions based solely on her love for Dominic. The other characters in the book that I really liked was Janie’s neighbour Mike who plays a pretty central role in helping Janie with her life as well as Janie’s friend Nina (who I was not a big fan of).

The section of the story in Africa is lovely and you can almost imagine being alongside Janie as she experiences all that Africa has to offer.

The story was wrapping to a close and I felt myself feeling a little put out with how the ending was looking. On an entirely personal note, I actually didn’t like how things ended up for Janie and would have preferred a different outcome.

Overall I am still a die-hard Carole Matthew’s fan and her writing is still as brilliant, but for me I couldn’t help feeling that this was way too average for a Matthew’s book. Maybe it was more to do with the fact that there were too many characters I didn’t like in this book, or maybe the fact that I didn’t get the ending I wanted. Whatever, it was this was still a good read and the majority will love this book. I will, as ever, be waiting with baited breath for the next book and highly recommend her as an author.

LUXURY BY JESSICA RUSTON

My Rating: 5/5

I had read really good reviews of this book on Amazon which is what made e get it for my Kindle. It took me a while to get round to it, buy boy am I glad I did. Very early on we meet the three men that feature in this story; there is Logan, Johnny and Nicolo. However at the beginning of the story we see them all as men and Logan is now married to Nicolo’s first love Maryanne. All three of them are extremely successful and the only fly in the ointment is the fact that Nicolo and Logan are now sworn enemies. Jessica Ruston the transports us back to the past and how the three men met as boys. It is done in such a way that the pieces are fitted together at the right time and not too quickly.

The story itself is quite intricate and at the beginning we are taken through the different layers affecting all of the people involved. The book centres heavily on the down side to being rich and having it all which made a refreshing change. Not only that but the core of it all is two men’s need for revenge and rivalry. The characters themselves, whether it be the three guys, Maryanne or Logan’s children are all seriously flawed and as the book continues you get to see just how much actions affect them all.

I found myself over halfway through in the first sitting, but sadly had to wait until the next day to carry on. I didn’t necessarily like all the characters, but they were written in such a way that you understood why they were going down the path they chose. The cover certainly doesn’t do this book justice and finishing it with a big self satisfied sigh, I couldn’t wait to read the second one.

I loved this book and although people may write it off as women’s fluffy fiction, they couldn’t be further from the truth. This was an absolutely brilliant book that I couldn’t put down. Lots of suspense and a gripping storyline means I will be looking forward to Jessica Ruston’s second book To Touch the Stars. If you are a fan of authors such as Tasmina Perry, then this is the author for you to try!

It Happened in Paris by Molly Hopkins

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My Rating: 5/5

I happened to see some favourable reviews for this book which is Molly Hopkins debut so took a chance and ordered it on my Kindle. I had zero expectations, with all new debut novels and surprisingly found myself laughing out loud within the first chapter.

The one thing I want to point out is that Chick Lit is meant to be whatever the author chooses. It doesn’t have to be meaningful, or in particular close to real life. My own opinion means that I read this type of book to sometimes get away from real life. If this is the sort of book you want, along with one that can make you laugh out loud give this a go.

Evie Dexter is a hilarious character. She and her flatmate Lulu seem to be a combination of a few of my personal friends. To give you an example, early in the book the pair of them try out a workout DVD, to which they complete the warm up and then decide to “watch the actual workout with a glass of wine, so they know exactly what they need to do”.

The characters that appear throughout the story are all very loveable (with the exception of Rob who I just couldn’t stand). The situations Evie manages to get in are both funny and ridiculous at the same time. This feel good kind of story kept me reading until I had finished in one sitting. Think Bridget Jones crossed with Becky Bloomwood, and I think you are somewhere close to Evie Dexter.

This is not a book with a deep and meaningful moral to it; but boy will it make you laugh. Read and enjoy the fact that it is what it is, a light-hearted romantic comedy sort of book. I found myself wishing that her follow up book was nearer to publication as I really want to read the next instalment. I think for anybody that wants to kick back with a glass of wine and cheer themselves up, this is the book to read. Highly recommended and an absolutely brilliant debut novel by Molly Hopkins.