Tag: RATED 4/5

Phoebe Smith’s Private Blog by Lynda Renham

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Synopsis: Fashion conscious Phoebe Smith wants only one thing: a date for the works party in six weeks’ time. She embarks on a journey to find her man and keeps a private blog of all her disastrous encounters. But when her four-year-old nephew gets into her account, Phoebe’s problems only just begin. With Tinder calamities, a male escort and a pork pie addiction, Phoebe tackles her biggest problem: the just too irritating Harry Bloom. Come with Phoebe on her search for the perfect man and see who will accompany her to the party in this hilarious romantic comedy novel.

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I really love Lynda Renham Books as they never fail to make me chuckle. In this case the same rule applies and I found that it cheered me up immensely in the middle of a particularly drudge filled week. Phoebe Smith is a funny character that I instantly liked. She works at the Department store and is 34 and single. She has a group of equally crazy friends and her current mission is to find a date for the upcoming ‘Works Party’ following her disastrous break up.

With her friend Imogen and the very camp Mak she is surrounded by friends whose solution is to drink through it, but those friends make for some stupidly funny decisions she makes. One drunken encounter sees them all agreeing that Phoebe should write a Blog, albeit a personal one about her life instead of writing in a diary. What follows is a stupidly funny tale where Phoebe finds herself in all sorts of weird situation featuring things such as Pork Pies, Male Escorts and Tinder (and that’s just the start).

I admit I loved the character Harry Bloom, but the ones that made me really laugh were the disastrous dates! The story flows along with the help of Phoebes friends and over lactating Sister Rita as well as her Mum who had some brilliant lines in the book. I can truly say this book had me smiling and laughing and certainly ticked many boxes but (I hear people say) why only 4 stars?

Well the only negative for me was that at times I found myself comparing this to Bridget Jones. There were moments that I read and instantly brought to mind Bridget, however having recently seen the film this may account for why. That was the only reason I didn’t give it the full 5, but at a guess I am assuming Lynda Renham won’t mind me comparing her book to the Bridget film too much! Overall a great romantic comedy that will no doubt cheer up somebody else’s dreary week.

Safe With Me by K L Slater

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Synopsis: Thirteen years ago someone did something very bad to Anna. Now it’s her turn to get even …

Anna lives a solitary existence, taking solace in order and routine. Her only friend is the lonely old lady next door. She doesn’t like to let people to get too close – she knows how much damage they can do.

Then one ordinary day Anna witnesses a devastating road accident and recognises the driver as Carla, the woman who ruined her life all those years ago. Now it’s Anna’s chance to set things straight but her revenge needs to be executed carefully …

First she needs to get to know Liam, the man injured in the accident. She needs to follow the police investigation. She needs to watch Carla from the shadows…

But as Anna’s obsession with Carla escalates, her own secrets start to unravel. Is Carla really dangerous or does Anna need to worry about someone far closer to home?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: This is a strange book, in the sense that sometimes while I was reading it I wasn’t sure what was the truth and what was paranoia on behalf of the lead character Anna. Anna lives a very strange and solitary life. At the beginning of the book she witnesses a car accident and is even more shocked that she recognised the driver that had caused the collision. She makes it her mission to befriend Liam, the man injured in the accident so she can garner as much information about the driver Carla as possible.

I have read plenty of books where the lead character is slightly damaged and flawed but Anna seems to take this to a whole new level. At times her logic makes perfect sense, and at others my skin would be crawling with the lengths she was going to, to ensure she was part of Liam’s life. You garner snippets of her past as the story goes along but to say any more would ruin the story for others so I will leave it there. What I will say is that what you feel is obvious as a reader, turns out to be anything but.

Although there were times I felt a little uncomfortable reading this, it was quite a page turner and frankly had the weird and dangerous element to it which makes you want to continue reading. I was surprised where the story went which was welcome in all honesty and by the time I had finished the book I realised that I had thoroughly enjoyed it, albeit in a strangely dark way. I will certainly look forward to future books by K L Slater.

BLOG TOUR: The Girl’s Next Door by Mel Sherratt (Eden Berrisford #1)

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Synopsis: One warm spring evening, five teenagers meet in a local park. Only four will come out alive.

Six months after the stabbing of fifteen-year-old Deanna Miller, someone is coming after the teenagers of Stockleigh, as a spate of vicious assaults rocks this small community. Revenge for Deanna? Or something more? 

Detective Eden Berrisford is locked into a race against time to catch the twisted individual behind the attacks – but when her own niece, Jess Mount, goes missing, the case gets personal.

With the kidnapper threatening Jess’ life, can Eden bring back her niece to safety? Or will the people of Stockleigh be forced to mourn another daughter…?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Continue reading “BLOG TOUR: The Girl’s Next Door by Mel Sherratt (Eden Berrisford #1)”

The Christmas Cake Cafe by Sue Watson

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Synopsis: As the Prosecco chills and Bing Crosby croons, Jen Barker just knows that her long-term boyfriend is about to propose. But instead of a diamond ring nestled in her champagne flute, Jen finds cold flat rejection. Her once perfect life and dreams of a husband and family seem even further from reach.

A working holiday to the Swiss Alps with her younger sister Jody might not be the Christmas Jen had it mind, but it offers her the chance to recharge her batteries and recover from heartbreak.

When Jen meets handsome ski instructor Jon Zutter her hopes for a happy-ever-after seem within her grasp again. Jon is kind and gorgeous and as they bond over Sachetorte at the picturesque Cake Café, Jen thinks he might just be her perfect man. But a relationship with him comes with a catch – and there are some things even cake can’t fix.

As the snow falls and Christmas approaches, could this be the place that restores Jen Barker’s faith in love?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: Thank goodness…another Sue Watson in her usual humorous style, it feels like forever since I have read one like this! I admit I am a bit of a Sue Watson fan, and always know that her books will cheer me up and make me laugh like a drain. Thankfully this book was no exception and once again it cheered me up immensely! However (yes there is a however) I did find the main character a bit annoying in the beginning (hence the 4 stars and not 5)!

So Jen Barker is the main character in this Christmas book and as she is planning her wedding in her mind, she had no idea she is about to be unceremoniously dumped. So a year after  her disastrous break up she finds herself facing another Christmas alone with just her cat (named Mrs Christmas) for company. Her half sister Jody decides enough is enough and manages to convince Jen to take a working holiday with her and her friends over Christmas at a Swiss Alps ski resort. 

In the beginning I didn’t instantly like Jen, in fact I would go as far as to say she was a bit of an annoying woman that thought her whole life was over and she was only 41!!! Thankfully as Jen embarks on a new chapter, her sister and new friends make sure she starts to change her ways. Thankfully the whingeing became less and finally she becomes a woman that starts to take some risks.  There are some extremely funny moments in the book which normally revolved around Jen’s choice of clothes, or comments from her new friends. 

Jen’s life seems to roll from one hilarious disaster to another when she is in Switzerland and with the addition of a rather handsome Ski Instructor named Jon things get so much better and I found myself laughing and hoping for the best for her. The last quarter of the book was fabulous, pure magic and a great end to the book. It certainly has all the right elements for a Christmas stocking filler and is a great feel-good read. For me I mark every book of Sue’s against her book ‘Love, Lies and Lemon Cakes’ which to this day is still one of the funniest books I have ever read. Thankfully Sue always delivers a feel good book with the humour thrown in so this was still a great read (but Sue, can we PLEASE have a less whingey woman next time)!

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS BY JENNY HALE

Synopsis: Snowflakes are falling, there’s carol singing on every corner, and Leah Evans is preparing for a family Christmas at her grandmother’s majestic plantation house in Virginia. It won’t be the same now that her beloved Nan is gone, but when Leah discovers she has inherited the mansion, she knows she can give her daughter Sadie the childhood of her dreams.

But there’s a catch. Leah must split the house with a man called David Forester. Leah hasn’t heard that name in a long time. Not since they were kids, when Davey was always there to catch her.

Now David is all grown up. He’s gorgeous, successful, and certain of one thing: Leah should sell him her half of the house.

They can’t agree, but as they share memories over wine by the log fire, Leah notices a fluttering in her stomach. And by the look in his eyes, he’s starting to feel it too.

Will it be Leah or David who must give up their dreams? Or, with a little bit of Christmas magic, will they finally understand Nan’s advice to them both about living life without regrets … and take a chance on true love?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: Good old Jenny Hale, if there’s one thing you can be sure of it’s a curl up, feel good, good old fashioned romance! This latest release although not my favourite of hers was an easy to read book and one that is perfect for Christmas. Leah and her daughter Sadie are the lead in this Christmas book and we see Leah try to come to terms with the death of her Nan. Leah struggles as a single Mum, however knowing that her Nan had left her the family home ‘Evergreen’ in Virginia she feels like she at least has some stability in her future. However, when she receives a letter from her Nan she is shocked to discover that her Nan has actually left half of the house to a man named David Forester.

Leah is an easy character to like as is her daughter Sadie. Leah has two incredibly good friends Louise and Roz who both help support her and she leans on them heavily as she tries to make sense of what she needs to do. With the girls taking care of Sadie, Leah decides she needs to go to Evergreen and meet David to try and figure out what to do. What she didn’t account for was remembering the boy who was once known as Davey and suddenly recalling their childhood memories. She knows then that she just cannot give up her dream for her future home for her and Sadie.

What happens is we see the story unfold with the addition of more and more characters such as David’s mother June, and a man who has been kept a secret for many years. Although this was slightly predictable it certainly has the feel good factor and is a heart-warming story that shows the family bonds that people sometimes forget over Christmas. As usual Jenny Hale does a magical job of describing locations and only a few chapters in to Leah arriving at the house I was ready to stick on a pair of snow boots and go sledding with them. Like I said this wasn’t my favourite JH book but as always a great read.

Time to Play by K A Richardson (The Forensic Files #2)

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Synopsis: DI Alistair McKay is still reeling from the ‘one that got away’ but when he is called to deal with a potential murder at the water side, he must put his personal worries aside.

As police diver, Marlo Buchanan, starts pulling bodies out of the water, it becomes clear that something isn’t right. Someone is torturing young girls and dumping them in the local reservoir.

Then the body of a man is discovered and Mackay and Buchanan are pulled into the seedy underworld of human trafficking. As the team race against the clock tensions start to run high. Can they overcome their personal demons to work together? And will they find the killer before he strikes again?

 Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I haven’t read the other 2 books in the North East Police series but that made no difference to this book. However, having completed this book it’s just made me disappointed that I didn’t read them as this one was a great read. Marlo Buchanan is a Police diver and to be honest this career path is one I haven’t seen in a fiction book I’ve read so it made a refreshing change. Her and the team are called out regularly and at first there seems to be no link to the other part of the story.

Elvie is another main character we get to know as we witness human trafficking first hand as the young fifteen year old is brought to England to await her fate. The opening chapters are certainly an eye opener and I feel like there are no holds barred in the descriptive horror that awaits these girls. In addition to Elvie, we meet Marlo’s colleague Connor who is struggling not only with his own secrets, but the fact that his Mum is suffering with Alzheimer’s. I did love the character of Marlo and her colleagues and other team members that form part of the RIB, also subsequently form part of the ongoing story lines which start to thread together as the book progresses.We meet Ali who is another copper whose path ends up crossing that of the Dive Team and Marlo as he investigates his own cases. I liked the back story with Ali and he is an extremely likeable guy.

Due to the fact there are multiple threads going on, at first it seems there is too much much in all honesty it was done exceptionally well and each element to the story piqued my interest. As time progresses it becomes clear that there is a lot more linking all the characters than it appeared at first. The writing was easy to get into BUT I did have one major gripe. I understand that sometimes the use of accents means the author changes wording so it seems more realistic such as using slang etc. But in this book the word ‘gunna’ instead of going to appeared more times than it seemed I’ve had hot dinners. I know that seems like I am being super picky but it grated on me as I didn’t think it fitted with the characters. Also both Marlo and Ali towards the last quarter of the book start calling everybody ‘love’? It came from nowhere and again just wasn’t in keeping with the characters. This was the main reason for me not giving it 5 stars, otherwise it was a cracking read.

I shall certainly be reading her future work as the book was fantastic, I will just cross my fingers in the hope she is ‘gunna’ change the characters wording in future to slightly fit their mould more.

CHRISTMAS AT THE LITTLE VILLAGE BAKERY BY TILLY TENNANT (HONEYBOURNE #2)

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Synopsis; Snow is falling in Honeybourne and Spencer is bringing home his American fiancée Tori for a traditional English Christmas with all the trimmings. But when his hippie mum and dad meet her high-maintenance parents, sparks of the wrong sort start to fly. Then Spencer bumps into his first love Jasmine and unexpected feelings come flooding back. 

Millie is run off her feet with Christmas orders at the Little Village Bakery and new baby Oscar. Thank goodness her cousin Darcie is here to help her. Although she does seem to be rather flirty with Millie’s boyfriend Dylan. 

Will Darcie ever find true love of her own? And is marrying Tori a terrible mistake for Spencer if his heart is with someone else?

*Please note, if you plan on reading the first book, then do not continue reading my review as it will inevitably contain spoilers*

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I absolutely loved the first book by Tilly that was set in the small village of Honeybourne. When I realised this was the second book featuring some of the same characters I was extremely excited. The first book features Millie and Dylan, and although they play a big part in this latest book, the main characters are Spencer and Tori. Spencer has been in America and he has brought his English fiance home for Christmas. Sadly for Spencer he hadn’t bargained on a lot of the things that end up happening over the seasonal period in Honeybourne.

Although Millie and Dylan are now settled with baby Oscar, they have help in the form of Millie’s cousin Darcie. Darcie helps out at the bakery and she certainly makes a lasting impression on the reader too. It seems Darcie is somewhat smitten with Dylan which can only cause confusion. IT seems on Spencer’s return he is the only one that has noticed it. However he has his own problems in the form of his hippy like parents and also meeting Tori’s parents for the first time.

As usual the characters Tilly Tennant creates are lovable and what is even more endearing is that you get to see additional characters from around the village that featured in book 1. Jasmine and Rich feature especially seeing as Jasmine was Spencer’s first love and one that he never quite got over. There are so many funny moments which made me giggle, especially when Spencer and Tori’s parent meet…it makes for some very amusing scenes.

Overall, the first book edged it for me as Millie and Dylan are still firm favourites. Having said that this was a thoroughly enjoyable book and with the added benefit of being set in a snowy Honeybourne around Christmas time it certainly has the seasonal feel to it. I love Christmas books, and think this would make a wonderful addition to anybody’s stocking this year!

Blog Tour: All Fall Down by Tom Bale

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Synopsis: It should have been an idyllic day for the Turner family – until a dying man, beaten beyond all recognition, arrives at their home, uttering the words, HELP ME. 

Rob and Wendy Turner and their children try to explain away the horrific scene as being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but in the days that follow their lives are threatened in ways they could never imagine. 

The family is unaware that they are being watched by someone with their own terrifying agenda, who will stop at nothing to fulfil their own twisted desires. 

But when hidden secrets come rushing to the surface, it’s clear not everything is as it seems in this happy family. Are the Turners a victim of circumstance – or does the key to their fate lie closer to home? 

Forced to fight for everything they hold dear, can they save themselves before time runs out – or will their act of compassion see them paying the ultimate price…? 

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Tom Bales last book and was looking forward to this one after reading the synopsis. It took me a few chapters to get into the story but thankfully the pace notched from 0 to 100 in a matter of pages and pretty much stayed there the whole time. A normal family having a BBQ, and all it took was for a man to stumble through their back gate, beaten and dying and that was the beginning of the end for the Turner family.

Rob and Wendy along with their three children  become the targets in a bizarre and terrifying twist of fate, or is it? There’s something intricately clever with Bale’s writing and he managed to pack in plenty of heart in mouth moments. The story races along and gains even more momentum as the family starts to crumble under the pressure of their situation. The family know they are being watched, and little by little their own secrets are revealed.

Just when I wondered why the story was slowing, I realised it was just a reprieve before the author plunges you into new depths of horror for this relatively normal family. The second half of the book is pretty heart pounding and the terror jumps up another notch for the Turner family. I think I managed to read the second half of the book in one sitting and my heart was definitely pounding.

I think Tom Bale has a definite strength with turning the ordinary into somebody’s worst nightmare. This latest instalment had everything the last book had and certainly kept me turning the pages. Why the 4 stars and not the 5 then? Well in all honesty the only thing that didn’t sit right with me was the ending. Somehow, it didn’t fit as well as what I had expected it to and I felt like I didn’t get the closure you normally get with the end of these sorts of books. Maybe that was his intention, but it put a bit of a dampener on it for me. Aside from that I can see Tom Bale rising in popularity and gaining a whole new army of fans with this latest release, He is certainly a ‘go-to’ author for me now and I can’t wait to see what he produces next.

THE LITTLE VILLAGE BAKERY BY TILLY TENNANT (HONEYBOURNE #1)

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Synopsis: Meet Millie. Heartbreak has forced her to make a new start and when she arrives at the old bakery in the little village of Honeybourne she is determined that this will be her home sweet home. Her imagination has been captured by the tumbledown bakery but with no running water and dust everywhere, her cosy idea of making cakes in a rural idyll quickly crumbles. 

Luckily the locals are a friendly bunch and step in to help Millie. One in particular, Dylan, a laid-back lothario, soon captures her attention. 

But just as Millie is beginning to settle in, an unexpected visitor from her past suddenly turns up determined to ruin everything for her. It’s time for Millie to face the skeletons in her closet if she’s going to live the dream of running her little village bakery, and her blossoming romance with Dylan. 

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: First off I love the cover for this book and having never read any of Tilly Tennant’s books I was looking forward to getting started. Right off the bat I liked Honeybourne. A small village where everybody knows everybody. Millie has turned up in Honeybourne having brought the old rundown bakery that has been standing unloved for many years. Millie is not an easy character to get to know and its clear from the outset that her past is whats made her run away and try to start afresh. However, the real reason behind it is kept cloaked in mystery until a long way into the book.

We also meet Jasmine, the pink haired jewellery maker along with her husband Rich and their triplets. They are instantly likeable along with Jasmines younger brother Dylan. Dylan is the laid back one who seemingly doesn’t have a care in the world. Additional characters include Millie’s neighbour Ruth, and Spencer an old friend of Dylan and Jasmine’s. The only niggle point for me in the story was that although Millie’s history was interesting it dragged out too long. Other than that the book, story and characters totally held me captive.

I fell in love with this village and it’s occupants and although the bakery itself is the starting point it isn’t necessarily the main focal point of the story. This was more getting to know the people involved. Millie’s past soon comes back top haunt her and before you know it everybody involved seems to have secret’s spilling out of their closet. The story was great and so enjoyable, and I really love the fact that the follow up books feature other characters within the village. Overall this was a thoroughly enjoyable read perfect for the summer. Luckily for me I have the next book lined up so I know which book will come next. 

Good at Games by Jill Mansell

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Synopsis: Suzy fell for Harry the moment she showed him her husband’s sperm sample. It didn’t really belong to her husband, though, because she wasn’t married. It wasn’t a sperm sample either, it was a drinks carton containing the dregs of her milkshake. But when you’re trying to get off a speeding charge you just have to improvise, don’t you? And it wasn’t actually love at first sight. Still, it was undeniably a healthy attack of lust. And it might just be the beginning of something special..

 Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I have been reading Jill Mansell since my late teens and have always loved her books. Reading this certainly took me back a bit as it was first released nearly 7 years ago. However, with any Jill Mansell book as soon as I started reading I just fell into the story and characters without a problem. Suzy Curtis is a feisty character who makes for incredibly easy reading. She is the ex-wife (number 2) of Rock Star Jaz, and along with him we meet Leo and his brother Harry.

The opening of the book is very funny as we see Suzy get herself in a ridiculous situation that quickly spirals and ends up with her being in a situation she maybe shouldn’t be. As the book progresses we see a story line surround numerous characters and this just adds to the enjoyment of the book. Reading this book some 16 years after it was published certainly made me realise that Jill Mansell’s books have seemingly got better with each year that passes. I felt like this slightly failed to hit the marks if you compare it to her recent releases.

That aside, this really was a typically enjoyable read by Jill Mansell. Funny and lighthearted and very readable. I always find that her books are easy reads and normally a perfect book to take when you go on holiday. Although this wasn’t quite as good as her newer stuff, it was still great and I will as always look out for any new releases she has coming out.