The Trap by Kimberley Chambers (Butlers #1)

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My Rating: 5/5

In KC’s latest book we get to meet the wonderfully nutty family The Butlers. Having read all of Chambers books you get to the stage where you wonder what she is going to come up with next. Thankfully she still has a head full of ideas and crazy characters that had me both laughing and gasping in shock at the same time. Vinny and Roy Butler are the apple of their Mum Queenie’s eye. They can do no wrong, even if they do operate outside the law. IN the early part of the book we get introduced to a lot of characters. At first I felt like I couldn’t keep up as there were so many, but luckily I got to grips with everybody well before the first quarter of the book. By the second half of the book I could see why Kim had created so many characters as it makes for a very interesting read!!! Continue reading “The Trap by Kimberley Chambers (Butlers #1)”

Living on A Prayer by Sheila Quigley (Seahills #3)

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My Rating: 4/5 

Well it’s been a while since I have read about Lorraine Hunt in Sheila Quigley’s series. I decided it was high time I re-acquainted myself with them. I am very glad I did and as ever can’t wait to read the next one in the series. In the 3rd book in the series we meet up with the Detective Lorraine a few weeks before Christmas. 

It begins with the tragic apparent suicide of a young lad named Richie Stansfield who is found hanging from a tree at the Seven Sisters. The beginning of the book was a brilliant re-introduction to everybody for those that haven’t read any other books in the series. We once again meet Lorraine’s collagues Luke as well as Carter and Jacobs (who I despise by the way!).

Before long the apparent suicide seems to be too sut and dried when Richie’s friends appear to be holding something back. This particular story takes on a very sinister feel when there are rumours of cults but the story is fed in pieces really building up a picture of horrifying possibilities. I really like Lorraine as a charchter and the relationship she has with her Mum and her Mum’s best friend brings a  lighter hearted side to the story, which I enjoyed.

Having read the first two I certainly wouldn’t put this down as my favourite so far, but there are certain developments with Lorraine that made it a lot more interesting. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me occupied, especially when it came to Luke and his past!!!  I also loved seeing the return (albeit brief) of Jacko who featured in a previous book. Overall this book seemed to have a much darker theme that previous ones but it made it no less enjoyable. I would highly reccomend these books as they are brilliant. Really looking forward to the next one:-)

CHRISTMAS AT THE CUPCAKE CAFÉ BY JENNY COLGAN

My Rating: 4/5

I hate to admit this but only picked up my very first Jenny Colgan book towards the end of last year (yes I know it’s ridiculous) but that book was The Cupcake Café. I devoured it and was thrilled when I realised there was a follow up book that had just been released. I eagerly picked up this one, Christmas at The Cupcake Café, and couldn’t wait to see where Issy was in her world.

For those that maybe haven’t read the first one, fear not this can still be read as a stand-alone. However, it was so much more enjoyable being able to go back and see how all the characters were getting on. Issy took the plunge in book one and started up her very own Cupcake Café. We now go back to the café to find Issy, along with her two workers Pearl and Caroline running the café in their usual no-nonsense way. Issy is in love with her boyfriend Austin who works at a local bank, and things seem to be going smoothly for her. That is until Austin is called away on business to New York.

The distance between them is the start of things going very wrong for Issy and pretty soon it seems that nothing is the same as before and she has no control over things. The one major difference between this book and the last although I still wanted to know about Issy, I was also really keen to see more of Pearl and Caroline. Although Issy is the main character, Jenny Colgan has done a stellar job of making the reader really engage with all the characters. Austin’s younger brother Darney, Issy’s mother, Doti the Postman, they all caught on with me and I just wanted to keep reading about all of them.

This book didn’t have nearly as much impact with me as the first (not sure why), but this certainly isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it. I really enjoyed it and as usual it took me only two days to read it. The one thing I love is that these characters are memorable; I would really love to see the return of not just Issy but the other characters too. The story itself was good, but like I said just didn’t have as much impact as the first. There is the addition of recipes all the way through the book which is a really nice touch, although it did make me quite hungry more often than not. Having finished it I am eagerly planning on getting stuck to other Jenny Colgan books. Another really good book!

Screams In The Dark by Anna Smith (Rosie Gilmour #3)

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My Rating: 4/5

I only read Anna’s first book in October but as I knew her new one was due out at the end of January I figured I’d better catch up with Rosie and how she was doing. In Anna’s second book To Tell the Truth we start off by seeing Rosie on holiday. She’s taking a well earned break, but as usual nothing stays quiet when Rosie is about. In a scene that is hauntingly similar to a news story a few years back, a young girl is snatched from a beach in the Costa del Sol. 

When Rosie realises the huge news impact she speaks to her boss and she decides to cover it herself. Rosie’s boss McGuire sends out Matt to help her cover and between them they start the task of trying to get to the bottom of what’s happened.

The same as her last book, Anna doesn’t mess about, and throws the reader straight in at the deep end. I really love Rosie and after reading this current one I love her even more. As usual, she likes to get involved irrelevant of the danger and this case is no different. Rosie knows from the off that the mother of the missing girl is covering up for what really happened that day, and in addition she is approached by an illegal sex worker with information about the abduction.

The pace is full speed pretty much from start to finish and with this book and the last there is a certain frenetic energy about the books which I love. The only other author who I can think of that has that same kind of pace is Simon Kernick. What I also loved about this book is that although we see Rosie completely absorbed in the case we still see glimpses of her personal life and her real vulnerability. A friend of Rosie’s named Adrian made a brilliant addition to this story and I would love to see him appear again at some point. Towards the ending I dismissed dinner, TV and phone calls just to make sure I finished it. I cannot believe I didn’t read her books sooner, but having said that I am pleased that I can get straight onto book three entitled Screams in The Dark.

Anna also added a wee bit of a question mark right at the end of this book with regards to Rosie’s personal life. All this made me do was groan “For GODS SAKE!” but in a good way. I would say in all honesty that her first book held a slight edge for me, probably just in terms of story. Other than that I loved this book. Absolutely itching to get started on book three and cannot recommend her highly enough. If you haven’t read an Anna Smith before, you may want to start now!

Husband Missing by Polly Williams

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My Rating: 3/5

In this book by Polly Williams we meet Gina who has met and married Rex within a matter of months. When her husband goes missing on a holiday with friends her dream marriage starts to turn on its head. Rex’s brother Jake is instrumental in helping Gina to try and find Rex or some clue as to why he has gone missing. The initial part of the book really grabbed me and you are left with so many questions at the beginning of the story. As time progresses and we see Gina return to the UK, her life has to move on but she struggles with day to day things. As more about Rex’s past is revealed I began to find myself getting a little irritated with Gina as a character. Maybe this was just me but I felt that she was so weak and vulnerable I wanted to slap her!

Rex’s brother Jake on the other hand was a great character and I really liked him from early on. The story was certainly different and the writing was as in her other book brilliant. I just couldn’t help but feel like I was missing something. When I finished the book I certainly enjoyed it, but the character Gina just irritated me so much that I began to dislike her and it just ruined it a little for me. This certainly isn’t my favourite Polly Williams book but I think it will be a favourite with many others. I will carry on reading Polly Williams as I have really enjoyed her other books, and maybe next time I will like the character more. There was slightly hurried feel to the end of this book too, which maybe lessened my enjoyment of it, but I still felt like it was a good read, just not a favourite of mine.

Lessons In Laughing Out Loud by Rowan Coleman

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My Rating: 4/5

Don’t ask me how but I had not got round to reading a book by Rowan Coleman. Yeah, yeah, I can hear people out there exclaiming “WHAT?”. I know, sometimes I ask my self that very same question. I decided enough was enough, and scrolled through the ridiculous amount of books I have on my Kindle to start reading Rowan Coleman’s book Lessons in Laughing Out Loud. It didn’t take me long to like the main character Willow. Her and her twin Holly are polar opposites and Willow works for a demon of a woman, has a failed marriage behind her and finds it hard to say no to people. From very early on it’s clear that Willow has something from her past that is holding her back and in the early part of the book she came across as a little weak, although also pretty endearing!

When Willow’s step-daughter turns up at her doorstep with a problem, Willow does no more than take her in along with a celebrity she happens to be babysitting on her bosses orders. Pretty soon Willow’s life gets very complicated. I was quite taken by the story and the relationships that we see crossing over. I was beginning to get itchy feet just over the halfway mark wanting to know more about Willow’s secret. However, as I read on I realised that Rowan Coleman had done a magic job of writing about a sensitive subject and revealing it at the perfect time in the book.

Although this was my first Rowan Coleman book, I don’t think it will be my last. There was only one element I thought spoiled it and that was the `magic’ shoes. Yes I know the theory behind it was all about how Willow felt herself, but it just grated on me a little bit. That aside I thought the writing, characters and story were really enjoyable and certainly hooked me in to wanting to read more of her stuff. It was a slightly different kind of writing to other favourite authors of mine, but by no means just as good. I’m looking forward to reading more of her stuff in the future.

Touch and Go by Lisa Gardner (Tessa Leoni #1)

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My Rating: 4/5

 I am a pretty big Lisa Gardner fan, especially of her DD Warren series. Her newest release Touch and Go is due for release in February 2012 but I was fortunate to receive an early reader copy. Her latest book features Tessa Leoni (who also appeared in Love You More) who is called in after the Denbe family are abducted. Upon arrival at Justin and Libby Denbe’s home, there are no signs of a break in, and there is no ransom demand. It seems like the couple and their teenage daughter have vanished into thin air. The more Tessa digs, the more it seems a little too perfect. To the outside world they are the perfect couple, with Justin running a very wealthy and successful company and a beautiful home.

As usual the pace is pretty frenetic from the very beginning. Justin and Libby are on date night when then enter their home and are taken by surprise. As the reader we see both sides of the story, both from the family’s perspective and the Detectives as well. As the story progresses we also meet Sergeant Wyatt Foster who participates in the case with Tessa. Having read the book Love You More I was familiar with Tessa’s history, however if you haven’t read it there is certainly enough background for readers to understand her past. I really loved Tessa and Wyatt working together and thought they made a good team

From the very early stages, although we see what is happening to the family (can’t say too much for fear of spoilers) we also see the police trying to solve the puzzle. With no clear cut motive it means examining every person who is close to the family. I found myself constantly changing my mind on who I thought was culpable, and thankfully it only became clear towards the very end (which is always a bonus in my eyes). The family were easy to read about and part of that attraction was seeing them crumble under the immense strain they are put under in their kidnapping situation. Layers are peeled away to reveal a family far from perfect and this makes the story even more interesting than the bog standard murder novel.

When I got to the end I was not entirely shocked at the outcome but thought that the book was another great read by Lisa Gardner. Admittedly I still favour DD Warren, but I think Tessa Leoni could be the star of another series. If she is I can only hope that Wyatt Foster goes along for the ride. Not my favourite Lisa Gardner book, but an awesome read that will keep you guessing until the end.

Don’t Want To Miss A Thing by Jill Mansell

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My Rating: 5/5

Meet Molly Hayes who lives in the dreamy village of Briarwood in the Cotswolds. She works drawing a cartoon strip for a paper and helps out at her friend’s café in the Village. Her love life is something of a shambles and she always making the wrong decisions. Meanwhile Dexter Yates is a handsome bachelor who is living the party lifestyle in London. Surrounded by women who fall at his feet and partying with his friends his life is just as it should be. Overnight, Dexter’s life changes when his sister dies tragically in an accident. When he discovers that his sister has left him as the sole guardian of her 8 month old daughter Delphi he has no idea where to start.

It took me a mere three chapters to fall in love with the calm but bad decision maker Molly. Easy to like, she is the sort of girl that you instantly warm to. I also loved the village she lived in and the characters that made it up. Dexter was also an easy to love character which makes a book so much more enjoyable. One of the more interesting themes to the book was the childcare aspect of it. A young, free and single man attempting to look after a young child, is both sad and at time hilarious. Jill Mansell has a way with words which is why she is still writing such successful books 20 years on. The writing flows easily and you are drawn into the story and see both characters progress. There are certainly some serious moments in the book, but along side that is balanced nicely with some characters that are so colourful they made me chuckle to see what they get up to. In addition to Molly and Dexter, the reader meets lots of other villagers that are drawn into the story in one way or another. Each person added another layer to the book and although my focus was firmly on Molly and Dexter, I loved the sideline stories going on in the background.

I have been reading Jill Mansell books since my teenage years and don’t get me wrong I haven’t thought every book was 5 stars, but I have never felt let down with one of her books. This newest release was a wonderful read that had me absorbed from start to finish. Many will say that the storyline is predictable, but to be honest if the story didn’t have the predictability and threw me a horrible curveball, maybe I wouldn’t like it as much 🙂 This was an absolutely wonderful read and I think that Jill Mansell’s fans will as usual be thrilled with it. As usual, I will be waiting patiently for her next book and would highly recommend this one!

To Tell The Truth by Anna Smith (Rosie Gilmour #2)

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MY RATING 4/5

I only read Anna’s first book in October but as I knew her new one was due out at the end of January I figured I’d better catch up with Rosie and how she was doing. In Anna’s second book To Tell the Truth we start off by seeing Rosie on holiday. She’s taking a well earned break, but as usual nothing stays quiet when Rosie is about. In a scene that is hauntingly similar to a news story a few years back, a young girl is snatched from a beach in the Costa del Sol. When Rosie realises the huge news impact she speaks to her boss and she decides to cover it herself.

Rosie’s boss McGuire sends out Matt to help her cover and between them they start the task of trying to get to the bottom of what’s happened. The same as her last book, Anna doesn’t mess about, and throws the reader straight in at the deep end. I really love Rosie and after reading this current one I love her even more. As usual, she likes to get involved irrelevant of the danger and this case is no different. Rosie knows from the off that the mother of the missing girl is covering up for what really happened that day, and in addition she is approached by an illegal sex worker with information about the abduction.

The pace is full speed pretty much from start to finish and with this book and the last there is a certain frenetic energy about the books which I love. The only other author who I can think of that has that same kind of pace is Simon Kernick. What I also loved about this book is that although we see Rosie completely absorbed in the case we still see glimpses of her personal life and her real vulnerability. A friend of Rosie’s named Adrian made a brilliant addition to this story and I would love to see him appear again at some point. Towards the ending I dismissed dinner, TV and phone calls just to make sure I finished it.

Cannot believe I didn’t read her books sooner, but having said that I am pleased that I can get straight onto book three entitled Screams in The Dark. Anna also added a wee bit of a question mark right at the end of this book with regards to Rosie’s personal life. All this made me do was groan “For GODS SAKE!” but in a good way. I would say in all honesty that her first book held a slight edge for me, probably just in terms of story. Other than that I loved this book. Absolutely itching to get started on book three and cannot recommend her highly enough. If you haven’t read an Anna Smith before, you may want to start now!

Broke by Mandasue Heller

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My Rating: 4/5

I have mentioned in previous reviews that although I consider myself a fan, I don’t LOVE every MH book I read. Having said that her last book Lost Angel was absolutely brilliant. With that in my mind I was really looking forward to reading the new release Broke. The story centres on Amy who at a young age and with a baby on the way marries Mark. Within the first two chapters I had the urge to slap Amy around the face and ask her what she was playing at. The character Mark is an absolute idiot and one that I loathed from the very beginning. A few years later and with another child in tow Amy and Mark find themselves stuck in the doldrums. When Mark loses his job and his gambling gets out of hand he makes the major mistake of borrowing money from the local loan shark Lenny Yates.

From that point on the story takes a rather sinister and dark turn. Lenny Yates decides that Amy can pay off Mark’s debts his way. For fear of giving plot spoilers I don’t want to divulge any more of the story, but hence to say things are not particularly nice for Amy and her children. As Amy’s world takes a turn for the worse, her situation spirals and becomes almost unbelievable. The one thing I would say is that Mandasue touches on many subjects that are hard to deal with. Although Amy’s situation made me feel sympathetic towards her, I also felt irritated by her as a character. The fact that her life is all about Mark and nobody else grated on me, and at times it seemed like her children came second although at the end this seemed to have done a 360 degree turn? That was my only real bugbear about the book.

Other than that, the story drew me in and I went through quite a few emotions from pure rage at reading what characters were doing to sheer irritation at how stupid they can be! I managed to read this in just under 4 hours which is a record even by my standards. It’s certainly written in a way that makes you want to keep reading. Although I really liked this book her previous book Lost Angel was outstanding. That and the fact that Amy irritated me so much means it’s only a 4/5 read from me, but still a great read. Can’t wait for the next one.