Category: General Fiction

Love and Marriage by Patricia Scanlan

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My Rating: 4/5

Patricia Scanlan has now released the final part of her trilogy entitled Love & Marriage. The first two books were Forgive and Forget released in 2008 and Happy Ever After released in 2009.

We again meet the same characters and their daily struggles. Bryan and Debbie are now newly married and feeling the pinch financially. Their marriage is already looking uncertain and as things get harder Bryan tends to bury his head in the sand even more.

Connie who has done her bit for her daughter Debbie and son-in-law Bryan is celebrating a new man in her life. Drew is everything her ex-husband Barry wasn’t. Sadly, Drew’s ex-wife likes to make a habit of ringing and calling upon Drew in her hour of need which is not doing much for Connie’s relationship with Drew.

Connie’s ex-husband Barry re-married Aimee who is the ultimate career woman. Barry is ecstatic when he realises that Aimee is pregnant. This is his chance to be a better father the third time round. With his elder daughter Debbie and youngest Melissa the new addition is something to look forward to. Aimee feels differently and with the added stress to their marriage of their daughter Melissa’s eating difficulties things are looking tough.

Lily’s daughter Judith is recovering slowly from a car accident that left her in a coma. The good thing is that they are finally building a relationship. Judith has become a different person and wants to make the most of her life and together they start to enjoy life as mother and daughter.

Ken and Juliet Davenport have been married for many years. However Judith is sick of her surgeon husband expecting things to be done the same now as they were years ago. When Juliet decides to take action and make her own life for herself independently, Ken struggles to accept that their married life will change forever.

The first two books in the trilogy were as usual good reads, but if I am honest her second book was the weakest of them all. This final part to the trilogy was lovely, so easy to read and a typical curl up with a cuppa type of book! When I first started reading, I kept thinking “I’m sure I have already read this book” and then it finally dawned on me that it was a trilogy.

It didn’t take me long to catch up with the characters and their lives. It also didn’t take me long to detest Bryan who is possibly the most obnoxious character I have read in a long time.

The story itself is always turning and rolling into another part of the story which I loved. The characters are all linked somehow, whether they are family, colleagues or just friends. Patricia Scanlan dealt with the pretty serious issue of anorexia in this book but just like the last one this was dealt with sensitively. The story of Melissa and her eating disorder combined with trying to bond with other family members was very real. It made for a heart-warming read when you see the positive steps she takes in the book.

All in all, this latest release from PS was as usual a great read. It’s not a ten out of ten with a wow factor, but there is something very comforting with her books as you know just the sort of thing you are getting. I look forward to the next one and meeting some new characters.

Johnny Be Good by Paige Toon

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My Rating: 5/5

I am not sure how, but to date I have never read any of Paige Toon’s books. Having seen this in a charity shop a few months ago I picked it up and promptly forgot about it, as it became consumed in my ever growing to read pile. Wanting something new I picked this up recently and decided to give it a go, and boy am I glad I did.

The moment you start reading you realise that this is Chick Lit for the dreamers amongst us. Can you imagine working as a PA to the hottest rock star on the planet? Err, when I was 15 maybe? Having said that I adore books like this which manage to transport you right back to your dreams and wishes! Although the story itself is based on the less realistic scale of `things that could actually happen’, the characters aren’t. We meet Meg who is on her way to become a PA to Johnny Jefferson, who just happens to be a sexy Rock God. It took me less than two chapters to immerse myself in this outlandish fairytale story.

Although the fairytale seems to come true for Meg as she arrives at Johnny’s plush pad in LA, it soon starts to become a little more difficult than she first though. Johnny himself was what you would expect from a rockstar; difficult, impatient and constantly surrounded by booze and women. I can honestly say that although I wasn’t overly keen on Johnny, the story made total and utter sense. Meg is a great girl who is in a position many can only dream of. What makes the story great is the fact that Meg is a normal girl, living and working in an unusual place. Johnny’s best friend Christian is also a main focal point of the story as he is along for the ride whilst writing Johnny’s biography.

There were some funny moments in the book too and I found myself reading quicker and quicker. I loved the fact that you are submerged into the crazy world of Johnny and his ever increasing demands. The story towards the end was looking a little predictable, but that didn’t faze me as that was where I wanted it to go. One thing I was NOT prepared for was the ending, which left me screaming “no” with frustration. Thankfully, for once leaving a book too long has worked in my favour. The follow up to this book entitled “Baby Be Mine” was released a little under two months ago (yay), and has already been ordered!

This certainly wasn’t a challenging book (just how I like it), but the story and characters flowed easily. It is a perfect beach read and I literally cannot wait to read the follow up, I’m just sad that I waited this long to read it!

A Rural Affair by Catherine Alliott

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My Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I have read all of Catherine Alliott’s books and looked forward to another (hopefully) good read. When I ordered my book from Amazon I couldn’t help but notice that there were already 4 reviews, 2 of which loved it and 2 of which loathed it. I was quite surprised by such an extreme reaction.

Having now read the book I can understand why there was such a divide. Happily for me I liked this book. In the intro of the book we meet Poppy, the wife who sometimes resents her mean husband. The type of lady that can have bad thoughts about her husband, although she may not want those bad things to actually take place! As soon as I had read the first chapter I realised that I loved this type of character. The one which isn’t all sweetness and light, the sort of woman that certainly isn’t perfect and has the occasional dream about the what-if’s.

In addition to Poppy we meet her three friends, all of whom are not perfect. Her neighbour Jennie with the disastrous husband, newly separated Angie and the older and chain-smoking Peggy. All in all they are a bunch of women who all have their own issues and are far from happy in their own way.

The story is based around Poppy trying to move on and find happiness after the death of her husband. There are a couple of scenes in it that had me laughing out loud even if they were a little far-fetched. I didn’t particularly love the characters individually, I just felt that it was nice to read something that was a little nearer to the truth than some other books you read and made for a refreshing change.

There are other characters that make an appearance such as Jennie’s stepdaughter Frankie and some of the villagers and they all added to the eclectic mix of messed up and confused people trying to make the most of their lives. This book is certainly not romance and roses, but is more a true to life look at real women struggling through trying to make the right decisions. It may not be to everybody’s taste and for those that are maybe not amused by black humour, maybe it’s not for you. I tend to have quite a twisted sense of humour peppered with huge doses of realism so for me this book was perfect. Maybe a slight variation from what she normally writes but I really enjoyed it.

All For You by Sheila O’Flanagan

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My Rating: 4/5

I have read every one of Sheila O’Flanagan’s books and have enjoyed every single one of them. This seemed like a different type of book, and with a subject matter that many can empathise with. Deanna Ryan is a character that takes a while to connect with. After the initial first few chapters are read, you begin to get an idea of the bigger picture in the lives of the Ryan women. Lainey on the other hand is a wonderful character that you instantly love. She is the very successful weather presenter, as well as being a hopeless romantic. How the two women are mother and daughter is a mystery in the beginning of the book.

However, as you read on, you learn a little about Lainey’s current life, the decisions she makes and the hopes that she has for herself. Alongside this element of the story, we see the build up and history of Deanna’s life and the story that led to Lainey being brought up by her Grandmother Madeleine. The mixture of past and present was cleverly done and everything builds up to create the full picture.

The romantic element of the story is actually not that important in the grand scheme of things as the main focus is on the family element. Deanna was a hard character to get to know, she seemed intent on being only good at one thing and that was women’s rights. As I read on I found myself disliking her even more, but thankfully as I neared the middle I started to see the reasoning behind her actions.

The book is featured in two main settings, one being Ireland where Lainey lives and works and the other being California, which is where Deanna lives. I loved the switch between the two places as it kept it interesting. I began to feel more involved in the story as you realise there is a lot more than meets the eye to the story of Lainey and Deanna’s life. I also loved the element of Lainey’s love life and absolutely loathed her boyfriend Ken, who thankfully doesn’t feature too much!

The ending was building up to the conclusion of the story and I enjoyed finally realising that all the pieces of the puzzle fitted however…there is a `but’! I finished the final chapter and thought “oh, I must have missed something?”. I was really shocked that it had ended so abruptly and I felt a little bit cheated. I would have loved to have found out just that little bit more regarding a couple of characters such as Shay and Fergal. Looking back, maybe Sheila wanted it that way, where you are left to wonder and it isn’t wrapped up quite as neatly as people expect.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this and thought that it was a subtle departure form the normal type of books from SOF. It took me a little while to get into the story, but once I had got there I loved it! 

Private Lives by Tasmina Perry

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My Rating: 4/5

Tasmina Perry is an author whose books I immensely look forward to each year. Her books are always pretty long and substantial and this one is no different. I received a paperback version (as it was a proof copy) and it came in at just under 700 pages. The cover as always is particularly eye catching and the synopsis was one that sounded juicy and full of glamour.

The main characters are plentiful, as is the story itself. We meet the main female character, Anna Kennedy. She is a lawyer working for the stars. Wherever there is scandal, she isn’t far behind doing her best to cover up and protect the paying celebrities. Her first client at her new firm is Sam Charles. He is a British born actor who is Hollywood‘s heartthrob, but sadly when a story is threatened to be published, Anna needs to step in quickly. Amy Hart was known as a party girl, but when she is found dead her family starts asking questions.

The plot is lengthy and there are lots of twists and turns. No stone is unturned when showing us the murky side of the law, where the more you pay, means the more you are protected. Some of the other main characters are slowly introduced to us, such as Matthew and Larry Donovan, Helen Pierce and numerous others. The one thing that stands out with Tasmina Perry, is that you aren’t just taken into these characters lives, you are made to feel a part of them. The story has numerous threads which only start to unravel and intertwine towards the end, making for a lot of possibilities. As usual with a Perry book, we get to see each of the characters and their love lives, whether they are happy or a complete disaster.

I particularly liked Anna Kennedy and Matthew. Their characters were strong and a lot nicer that the resident evil character of Helen Pierce! One of the main draws of this book, is that there is more than a touch of realism to the story line. The world involving news stories and celebrities, is one that is familiar to people across the world. The story also delves into the dirty world of politicians and what lengths they will got to, to ultimately get their own way (sound familiar?!?).

This book, unlike others before have more of a suspense feel to it, than her usual Bonkbuster mix. Having said that I enjoyed it just like I have with each and every book she is written. Was this my favourite? Err, no, but even as a book that isn’t her best it was still a solid read with a great writing style and I loved it. Highly recommended.

Things We Never Say by Sheila O’Flanagan

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My Rating: 5/5

I was so lucky to receive an early copy of the new Sheila O’Flanagan book. Her covers are always very appealing and this one was no different. Abbey …Anderson is the main character in this story and she is the least likely person to want to change her life. However, she doesn’t realise that a man called Ryan Gilligan will come into her life and give her news that changes everything. When the Irish lawyer Ryan visits her in her home in San Francisco she realises that her whole life is based on a lie. What she needs to do is travel to Dublin to find out a lot more about what she has been told.

Now I know that sounds a little vague, but that’s the general plot of the story and I really don’t like spoilers so that is all I can really say. Abbey is an easy character to like and for the first few chapters I loved the friends and family she was surrounded with. Her relationship with her mother was unexplained, but the reasoning for that becomes evident much later on.

For some reason which I cannot put into words, this book was one that I really didn’t want to put down. It certainly wasn’t all roses for the characters and there really wasn’t a theme of `everyone has a happy ending’. Maybe this was what made me want to continue reading. Sheila O’Flanagan manages to peel away the layers of all the characters and two different families slowly. It means that as the reader you really feel like you are getting to see people’s real colours and as time went on I was swinging wildly between sympathy and annoyance at certain characters.

The second half of the book really dug into the `dirty worlds’ of everybody involved and I managed to finish the second half of the book in one sitting. I have been reading Sheila O’Flanagan’s books for as many years as she has been writing and this one is one of the best I have read of hers. IT certainly has a lot of things going on, plenty of twists in the story and enough tension to make you reach for the headache tablets. This was a story that was a little out of the ordinary, but one that I would highly recommend

GIRL ON THE RUN BY JANE COSTELLO

My Rating: 5/5

I have never read any of Jane Costello’s work but due to reading her favourable reviews on Amazon I decided to give it a go. Thankfully, I can now add her to my never ending list of authors that I MUST continue reading.

The book is just shy of 470 pages and I must admit it took me less than ten pages to fall in love with the main character Abby. In addition to that, Jane Costello’s style of writing is genius. She writes genuinely but with such wit and humour injected into the characters that I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion.

The story itself is as suggested by the title about a girl on the run. Unsurprisingly the whole book is about Abby’s quest to run and the reasons surrounding her decision to go ahead with it. This may seem a flimsy plot for the book but Jane Costello has managed to execute it to perfection. In addition to Abby, I seemed to love all the other characters in the book (with the exception of Oliver; who I can’t imagine anybody liking)) and we see small threads of all of their lives as the book progresses. The outcome and ending were what I expected from very early on but that is no surprise to me, and I think that the majority of readers will find that to their liking.

There is something so enjoyable about the way Jane Costello writes and the natural flow of characters; it has been a while since I have read a new author that has all that in this genre. I genuinely loved every part of this book, and I found myself finishing it in just over a day. A truly enjoyable and funny read and I can’t wait to read her other books. If you haven’t given her books a go, you might want to start now, trust me, you won’t regret it!

The Single Girl’s To Do List by Lindsey Kelk

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My Rating: 5/5

I enjoyed reading Lindsey Kelk’s book `I Heart Hollywood’ but I wasn’t prepared for just how much I would love this one. The whole point of reading this type of book is the fact that they are usually fun and light hearted. Sometimes the storylines are predictable but in a way I kind of like knowing I will get the ending I want. When I started reading this book I found myself smiling and smirking as I painfully re-lived moments in my younger years where I was experiencing `the single life’.

The book is a respectable 400 pages, but I have to be truthful and say that the humour started from the time I opened the book. The main character Rachel Summers is an absolute sweetheart who I fell in love with immediately. Her predicament is one that I am sure many readers can sympathise with. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t your rip-roaring, tears streaming down the face kind of humour, but it touched chords with the scenarios and situations Rachel seems to get herself in to.

Add in to the mix Rachel’s two best friends and this book was made for me. Emilie is a woman that is addicted to men, whether it be flirting with them, sleeping with them or getting free drinks off them. Matthew is the six foot plus stunner, who also happens to be gay but definitely not camp. The three of them make an unlikely trio, but their characters are what made this book for me.

We get to see Rachel’s journey from hell as she tries to adapt to a single life. The list is what started her strange journey and it is ultimately the list that creates some very crazy and humorous scenarios. As time went on you could see Rachel getting braver and more daring with herself, and you get the distinct impression you are party of watching her become a stronger person. The book takes us and the trio of friends from London to Canada and watches all three of them struggle to keep up with the craziness.

There were moments in this book when I did laugh out loud and moments where I was smirking to myself, but I cannot fault this book one little bit. I adored everything about it from the people to the places to the crazy and daring challenges Rachel faces. The ending was perfect for me and when I had finished I was truly disappointed.

No, this won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, but it was certainly mine. It’s not intellectually challenging, but frankly when a book makes me smile this much I really don’t care. HIGHLY recommended! Can’t wait to see what Lindsey comes up with next!

No Turning Back by Susan Lewis

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My Rating: 5/5

I only recently read Susan Lewis book Stolen and usually I wouldn’t read two of her books so close together. Her last book was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although she falls into the Chick Lit genre, I think maybe she should just be put under modern fiction as her style of writing and the sort of books she produces are far from romance stories where everything turns out great.

In her latest release we meet Eva who is the main character in this story. I instantly felt sorry for her but also felt she was a little weak and that was portrayed really well. When her world falls apart we see her character change and this in itself made for a very turbulent book when it comes to real emotions.

The other main characters were Eva’ husband Don, who if I am honest, never really warmed to throughout the whole story. We also meet Eva’s sister Patty and her two adult children Livvy and Jake, as well as Don’s daughter Jasmine. The two characters of Jasmine and Livvy were my favourites and throughout the book you see the development of them as both characters and people.

The story itself is fantastic. There are two major plot threads running throughout the story. One of them is quite obvious from the outset and the other is interlinked throughout the whole book. I can’t imagine that either subject is particularly easy to write about but Susan Lewis has done just that, with remarkable compassion.

Although I cannot quite put my finger on exactly what it is she does, all I know is she does it extremely well. Her books are lovely to read and although not always the happiest of subjects, they are made real and heart warming. This book in particular I thought was amazing, it was so easy to read and although not always with the perfect fairytale ending, so enjoyable. There are many people who will have experienced something like the character Eva and can maybe relate to her a little. Although her character started off as maybe a weak and insecure person it was nice to see her progress as the events in her life forced her to change.

I would highly recommend this book to anybody. Not your bog-standard chick lit type of book, but thoroughly good!

Stolen by Susan Lewis

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My Rating: 4/5

Lucy Winters’ parents have always been there for her. Loving, gentle and kind they have given her everything she could have wished for. Now, estranged from her husband, she has moved to the country to take over their thriving auction business. The moment she begins to prepare for her first sale she knows she’s made the right decision. And she dares to hope that at last she is living the life she has always dreamed of.

But then, quite suddenly, her world is thrown into turmoil. She discovers a shocking truth, one that forces her to question everything she has ever known. And it becomes frighteningly possible that the very people who should have protected her are the ones who have betrayed her in the most devastating of ways. Can she ever forgive them? Can they ever forgive themselves…?

I always enjoy Susan Lewis’ books. There is a certain quality of realism to them and real feeling which makes a pleasant change. This book was no different and as you read the prologue, you get an idea of the harrowing scenario one set of parents face as their child disappears. The first few chapters are spent introducing us to Lucy Winters and her family. Lucy is an easy character to like as she struggles to convince her daughter that their relocation is a good idea. Lucy has been given the task of runnign her parents auction business. Lucy’s husband and daughter make you realise that her life is not straightforward and her husband I took an instant dislike to.

Once Lucy has made her fresh start and tries to run her parents business she soon realises that there are more problems than she realises. We soon meet the other characters that make up this wonderful book. There is Sarah who is suffering her own losses as she tries to come to terms with the loss of her father and son as well as trying to get through day to day life.

John and Pippa are newcomers to the town and I immediately fell in love with the brother and sister and wanted only good things for them. The book took me no time at all to get in to and I was soon beginning to see that there were many threads to the story as well as many unanswered questions.

The main plots become inter weaved and as the book nears the end all the answers become a lot clearer. What I loved about this book is that there were so many outcomes that could have been, but the ones that actually took place made the book lovely to read. It was as usual for one of her books a pleasure to read and very heartfelt. It frightens me to think that things like this probably do happen many times in real life but the book is written with real sensitivity and I thought it was very enjoyable. I look forward to the next book from her.