Tag: RATED 5/5

About A Girl by Lindsey Kelk

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My Rating: 5/5

So I recently discovered that I was extremely behind with my reading and promptly picked up the last book Lindsey released in the I Heart Series and absolutely LOVED it! With Angela Clarke, the heroine of the series, fresh in my mind I wondered how I would feel about reading a Kelk book that didn’t feature Angela. I needn’t have worried.

Tess Brookes is a girl that likes to plan everything. From the very beginning I absolutely loved Tess. She is different from Angela Clarke, but a character I can see running for a long time! When her planned life starts to fall apart, Tess finds herself in an unusual position. She is without a job, hates her flatmate, and has had a fall out with her friend Charlie.

All in all life is not going to plan so when her demon flatmate Vanessa’s phone rings Tess answers it. In that split second she takes the ‘bull by the horns’, and decides to become somebody else. She pretends to be Vanessa, and finds herself on a plane, on the way top Hawaii, to do Vanessa’s job which just happens to be a photographer. Yes I know it all sounds crazy, but when you read the first few chapters it really isn’t that crazy at all. I was willing her to just go for it and I’d only known Tess for all of a few chapters!

As usual (with any Lindsey Kelk book), I was giggling like a schoolchild. I found the dialogue between some of the characters hilarious. The characters that featured also made the book so great. Nick was the journalist who turned up in Hawaii to help with the shoot and inevitably that causes Tess a whole host of problems. Then there is her new best friend Paige who is the creative Director. However, Kelk still made room for Tess’s slightly mental but absolutely brilliant best friend Amy. I normally don’t quote from books, but the last two Kelk has produced leaves me no other option! “The Andrex puppy had morphed into a Rottweiler and Cupid had traded his bow and arrow for an AK-47”. See what I mean, flipping brilliant!

This is what makes Lindsey Kelk’s books just that little bit moiré fabulous than others. She creates crazy characters that you end up wanting as your own best friend! From start to finish this book was absolutely brilliant. Yep, it certainly has an element of ‘un-realism’ (if that’s even a word) in them, but that’s why I read books like this.

I was truly sad to finish this book but have to say Kelk has managed to create another book that leaves you exasperated that you can’t reach out for the next one in the series. A perfect summer beach read that will have you giggling like a teenager into your Margarita!

The Keeper by Luke Delaney (Sean Corrigan #2)

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My Rating: 5/5

 Luke Delaney published his debut novel Cold Killing back in March 2013. I finally got around to reading it in May of the same year and literally couldn’t put it down. When I received an early copy of the second in this series featuring DI Sean Corrigan I couldn’t resist putting all my other books on hold. Sean Corrigan is a brilliant lead character. It’s hard to describe his ‘gift’ that he has for being able to walk in the killer’s shoes. His imagination lets him think just like the people he is chasing. In this current book, women start disappearing from their homes in broad daylight. Sean and his team need to work around the clock, and possibly against a crazy man’s timetable before women start turning up dead.

The first few chapters re-acquaint the reader with Sean and his team. DS Sally Jones is dealing with her own demons following the last case they worked on, and DS Dave Donnelly is as usual Sean’s right hand man. Both of these characters feature heavily in the book and they have both demanded my attention from book one. This follow up is no different, and each of the characters plays their part extraordinarily well. I’m surprised that this is only Delaney’s second novel. To those that maybe didn’t know you might assume he has been writing years. I think the authors previous years in the force has enabled him to put more experience than research into the book; and it shows!

From the very beginning we know who the killer is, there is no hiding from it. What the reader is treated to is the rather warped and sick world of Thomas Keller. What I really like about this book, is that although there are no surprises as such (like I said we know who the killer is), you instead feel like you are actually in the depth of a huge Murder Investigation. The added bonus about this book is Sean Corrigan himself. His character has a very dark side. Throughout this whole book you have that horrible feeling that he is teetering between good and evil. Is his ability to ‘recreate’ the killer’s thoughts and feelings pushing him closer to their world? From the beginning to the end it’s the pure chase that kept me hooked. It didn’t matter that I knew who was doing what, it still had me reading until late in the night.

I think Luke Delaney is set to be a big name in the crime genre. If he keeps this up, he will be on Peter James tail quicker than you can say Roy Grace. This latest instalment had me thoroughly gripped from start to finish. Yep, it scared the living daylights out of me (especially as the area it’s set in I live near to), but I truly am hooked and am eagerly anticipating the next one.  

I Heart London by Lindsey Kelk (I Heart #5)

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Angela’s back on home turf – and in her biggest romantic scrape yet…Angela Clark has fallen in love with America – and it’s starting to love her back. Throw one expired visa into the mix, and things quickly take a turn for the worse. She might love her life as a Brit in New York, but now she has no choice but to return to London. Not only does she leave behind her gorgeous boyfriend Alex – she must also face unfinished business back on home turf. There’s the ex-boyfriend – who she moved to New York to get away from. Then there’s her best friend, with her perfect new baby. And there’s her mum. Now, there’s another wedding in the offing – and everyone remembers how well the last one went . . .

 *Please note, if you are planning on reading this series from the beginning then do not read this review as it will inevitably contain spoilers*

My Review: I have grown to love this series more and more, however this latest release is the cream of the crop in my eyes. With Angela visiting London and being on home turf is bound to bring more trouble and chaos, as it normally does with Angela. With loads going on when Angela gets home such as meeting her ex-fiancée, seeing her best friend Louisa and the new baby, as well as he own wedding. In true Angela Clark style things go from bad to worse from the outset. Having left her boyfriend Alex at home, it leaves even more room for drama too.

We also see the return of her other friend Jenny Lopez who I absolutely love. She is the complete opposite of Louisa and is brash, rude but downright entertaining. On my morning commute (which was atrocious as usual) I found that it was a lot more enjoyable than normal, and I need to thank Lindsey Kelk for that. I don’t often quote bits of books, but this had me laughing so hard I didn’t care about being squashed for the last three stops of my tube journey. Angela’s friend is explaining that the only way her baby stops crying is by watching certain TV programmes.

‘Top Gear and The Only Way is Essex’ she sighed. ‘Three months old and she’s already a fake-tanned boy racer with a vajazzle’.

It was lines like that that had me chuckling throughout the book. From start to finish I was, as usual, engrossed. I absolutely love all of the characters and especially Angela’s parents. I love the fact that we are seeing her grow up and make her numerous mistakes, although they are normally slightly bigger than mistakes! All in all, an absolute corker of a book in this series by Kelk (her best yet!) and I am looking forward to the next one!

Me and Mr Jones by Lucy Diamond

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Meet the women in love with three very different brothers . . .

Izzy’s determined to escape her troubled past with a new start by the sea – but flirtatious Charlie Jones is causing complications.

Alicia’s been happily married to loyal Hugh for years but secretly craves excitement. Maybe it’s time to spice things up?

Emma’s relationship with David was once fun and romantic but trying for a baby has taken its toll. Then temptation comes along . . .

As the future of the family’s B&B becomes uncertain, Izzy, Alicia and Emma are thrown together unexpectedly. It seems that keeping up with the Joneses is harder than anyone thought . . .

My Review: I started reading Lucy Diamond I think two years ago now. I have been trying to get through her back catalogue but when I got a review copy was dead chuffed and took it with me as my holiday read. Sadly, the book only got me as far as the airport and a 4 hour flight! Having said that, you may well realise I really liked it having finished it in such a short space of time.

As the title suggests, we meet Mr Jones; well actually we meet all the Mr Jones! Three brothers and their family are the heart of this latest story. Charlie Jones is the flighty brother who has trouble keeping his attention for longer than an advert. He is certainly the charmer of the group and when he meets Izzy, it seems he may well cause her trouble. Hugh Jones has been married to Alicia for years and although their relations ship has longevity, it seems that something is afoot as Alicia starts to secretly crave some excitement in her life. David Jones is married to Emma, but with the recent redundancy he suffered and Emma’s need for a child, things aren’t looking too rosy for them. Finally we meet the parents Eddie and Lillian. Eddie and Lillian run Mulberry House which is a guest house and the boys home they grew up in. When they decide it may be time to retire they look to the boys to see which one of them may be interested in taking it over.

Right from the outset I got drawn into this story. The three brothers are so different to each other and we get to see not only them but each wife in turn and what is going on with them. Within the first quarter of the book you are drawn into the family to the extent that you almost feel part of it! In addition to the family, we meet Izzy and her two girls. Izzy was quite simply a wonderful character even though her situation seemed so perilous all the time. For each family member I liked them the more I read about them. This was especially the case with the mother Lillian. By the end of the book I simply loved her and felt for her situation.

There are lots of issues dealt with in this book and as usual Lucy Diamond has dealt with all of them wonderfully. For some reason, every time I read a Lucy Diamond book, it makes me feel kind of inspired. I can’t quite put my finger on why or what it is exactly, but I always feel better about most things I think are un-manageable prior to reading one of her books. This wasn’t better than her last, but then I think Summer With My Sister will always be my number one LD book. Having said that I cannot see how anybody would be disappointed with this book and would highly recommend it!

The Longest Holiday by Paige Toon

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: ‘Don’t wait for the storm to pass; learn to dance in the rain…’ Laura has been married to the man of her dreams for seven months. But a week before the wedding, Matthew made a terrible mistake. Escaping the humiliation that is now her marriage, Laura is whisked off to Florida’s Key West by her best friend Marty. A carefree holiday full of cocktails and fun, surrounded by gorgeous, tanned men, is exactly what the doctor ordered. Distraction comes in the form of sexy Cuban scuba diver Leo. Laura’s instant attraction to him knocks her flying, and she falls hard. As the end of the holiday approaches, Laura doesn’t want to go home. Is it time to face the music? Or is there more to Key West than a holiday romance?

My Review: Laura and Matthew have been happily married for 7 months until Laura learns that Matthew made a terrible mistake a week before the wedding. To help Laura deal with her marriage crisis her friend Marty takes her along on her holiday to Miami. I am actually travelling to Miami later in the year and am very excited, so figured what better way to prepare myself than by reading Paige Toon’s new release. Ever since reading Jonny Be Good by Toon I have read quite a few more of hers and was really looking forward to this one.

As soon as I started reading and realised just what Laura was escaping from I couldn’t help but feel for her. A trip to Miami seems like a good idea and as soon as Laura, Marty and another friend Bridget start their journey it seems like Matthew is out of the picture. Paige Toon does a smashing job in describing the Miami Keys and I found myself wishing my holiday would come sooner. Distraction for Laura comes in the form of Leo who helps the scuba diving courses in the Keys. Laura’s instantly attracted to him but is in complete turmoil as she is there to give herself space, not to fall for another man!

What I liked about this story from start to finish was that it really wasn’t very clear what Laura was going to do. It didn’t feel so cut and dried as some books do and you really feel for Laura as she struggles to make the right decision for both her and her marriage. It was very easy to get completely wrapped up in this book and if it’s one you plan to take on holiday, don’t plan to move from your sun lounger for too long. There wasn’t any part of the book that I didn’t enjoy with one small exception. Towards the end when I was still reeling from Laura’s initial decision, another major event takes place. What niggled me was that this happened literally a few chapters from the end and before I knew it I was reading the epilogue. Don’t get me wrong it certainly didn’t spoil the book but I couldn’t help feeling it was a bit rushed.

I know that there were some small references to characters from other books, but I have yet to read some of her older work so wouldn’t have noticed the link as I’m reading her books out of sequence. Overall, I think this was an absolutely brilliant book and would really recommend it to people. When you are making your holiday packing list, don’t forget to include The Longest Holiday at the end!

The Guest List by Melissa Hill

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My Rating: 5/5

Cara is so happy when her boyfriend Shane proposes. She seems to have it all going on, a great job, a new fiancé and a great circle of friends and family. Their excitement quickly disappears whe…n they tell their respective parents and their ideas for their bog day aren’t quite what Shane and Cara had in mind. Cara was an easy character to like and as soon as I started reading about her and Shane, I couldn’t help thinking this was a lovely couple that seemed to have everything in place for them. When Cara and Shane make a stand and decide on a beach wedding on a Caribbean island, there is uproar from both families.

There were quite a lot of characters in this book but they are all introduced into the story with a little background about each of them. One thing Melissa Hill has done is create a very `real’ family. I would be surprised if there are people out there that don’t have at least one family member that behaves a certain way?!? Cara’s sister-in-law Kim was my favourite character and she brought a real calm to the storm kind of feeling right throughout the book. I loathed Shane’s parents from the outset but as the story progressed my feelings started to change.

I think was surprised me was the fact that I got so engrossed in a book that is essentially not that original. I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way, just that weddings and engagements have been written about time and time again. Hill manages to get the reader that little bit more attached to all the characters, whether it to love them or loathe them. She has taken a traditional story and made it into a bit of a drama, with all the characters playing their part in it all.

The thing that also surprised me with this book was the ending. Well, what can I say I did NOT see that coming! Normally I pick up on things like that, and although I had suspicions about what the past held, I was way off the mark. I absolutely love it when a story does that and genuinely takes you by surprise. I can honestly say that I loved this book and as a person that has actually done the whole “wedding abroad” thing, I could actually relate to some of the stuff going on in Cara and Shane’s lives. I really would recommend this to people; it was a fantastic read and one that I finished in a matter of hours rather than days

Cold Killing by Luke Delaney (Sean Corrigan #1)

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My Rating: 5/5

Well, the only thing I can say is if you havem’t read this debut novel by Luke Delaney, you should certainly give it a go, absolutely brilliant. Here’s my review…

I read the synopsis about this book and thought it sounded great. I mean w…ho better to write a book about the murky worlds of killers that an ex-copper turned CID with experience of extreme violence. When I looked at the bio of Luke Delaney I wasn’t surprised to see that this was a pseudonym, as I can’t imagine many coppers would want their real name and picture plastered about on books! This is the first in a series of books featuring DI Sean Corrigan. The difference between DI Corrigan and others is that Sean has an ability to take his thoughts to the dark side of a killer. His upbringing has left him with deep scars and emotions that haunt him; thankfully they also make him a great copper.

When I started reading this book I didn’t realise that within the first couple of chapters I would be so completely absorbed. DI Sean Corrigan is an absolutely fantastic character. He is a normal guy with a wife and kids, working a job that has unsociable hours. However when the first crime scene turns up in the book you see the other side to him. I really can’t explain just how dark this side of his character is, but just reading him processing his thoughts like a killer made me shiver. What also pulled me in with this book were the chapters that were written from the killer’s point of view. It shows just how much experience Delaney must have as it’s realistic to the point of it being terrifying.

Sean is on the trail of a killer who is frighteningly smart. He knows about forensics and every scene he shows up at is free of any DNA evidence. What struck me when reading this book was the fact that you get to see coppers work a case the real way, not like an episode of CSI. It had me horrified and intrigued in equal measures. The pace was pretty good but this was certainly secondary for me as the storyline and characters were brilliant. This was a book I didn’t want to put down and is best described as a meaty police thriller. Literally as soon as the last page was turned I was straight onto Amazon to find out when the next one is due. I was extremely pleased to see that the second book in the series `The Keeper’ is due out in September 2013.

All I can say is that Delany has clearly found his calling following a career in the police. Being an author is now clearly what he is meant to do and I for one will be keeping a close eye on all future Delaney related news. Highly recommended; especially for fans of Peter James and Mark Billingham.

When Good Men Do Nothing by Paul Grzegorzek

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My Rating: 5/5

Paul Grzegorzek self-published his first book The Follow which I recently read and absolutely loved. It was a brilliant debut and I was really looking forward to getting stuck into book 2. In this book we meet Detective Sergeant Rob Steele who is the only bloke in Sussex who is a specialist in Firearms Positioning. He’s called into an investigation where a body is found and it looks like a professional job. The first few chapters waste no time in throwing you straight into the deep end of the crime scene and we meet his two colleagues on the case with him, Karl and Nat.

Pretty soon the standard murder investigation jumps up a notch when MI6 get involved. An MI6 agent Merrington becomes part of the team and the standard murder case starts to become a lot more serious when they try to hunt down terrorists. With Paul’s first book I really liked the lead main character Gareth Bell and was disappointed that I wouldn’t see him again in this book. Well, that was until I started reading about Rob Steele. He’s a brilliant character and although the book is really fast paced and the storyline brilliant, the lead character is what made it for me. Although the book has a serious theme and there are many tense moments where you start to edge towards the end of your seat (well I do anyway), Rob Steele has these genius flashes of dark humour which pop up throughout the book. There is a particular part in the book where Rob Steel has a bit of a wind up with his colleague Nat where he mentions the Peter James ‘Dead’ books. If you have read Peter James and this series in particular it will make you laugh, I thought it was legendary!

The second half of the book I had to do in one sitting as I couldn’t bear to wait and see what happened. Plenty of action, last minute plot twists and enough danger to shake a stick at. How Paul Grzegorzek has not been snapped up by a Publisher is beyond me. This is his second book and it’s and absolute blinder. His books are like a cross between a Peter James and a Simon Kernick, if you get where I’m going with that description. The fact that this book is available on Amazon Kindle for less than £2/$3 means it would be a crime not to buy yourself a copy. Once again I was blown away by how good this book was. I can only hope that next time I read one of his books it’s because his publisher has sent me an early review copy. A highly recommended read!

With All My Love by Patricia Scanlan

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My Rating: 5/5

Briony McAllistair spends the day with her four year old daughter Katie in Southern Spain. She is on a visit to her mother Valerie, who has recently brought herself a place there. As Katie plays, Briony pulls out an old photo album that contains a letter that will change everything for her. The letter begins My Darling Briony. After many years, Briony discovers that her beloved Grandmother Tessa is alive and well, and has spent many years harbouring after contact with her first born Granddaughter. The first couple of chapters were interesting enough to pull me into the book without a hesitation. What at first seemed like an ordinary story very quickly turns into a complicated plot.

Patricia Scanlan’s latest book grabbed me from the early stages and quite frankly didn’t let go until the very end. This is one of Patricia’s best books I have read. When Briony makes her discovery her instinct is to up and leave, but after a conversation with her Godmother, and Valerie’s best friend as well as her husband she decides to wait and see what her mother has to say. This is the very beginning of the story and we are taken back to the past by Valerie herself. I thought this book would be sectioned out between past and present, and although it is to a degree, the majority of the story takes us through Valerie’s life and how she has got to where she is today.

I very quickly got drawn back to when Valerie met Briony’s father Jeff and her relationship with his parents Tessa and Lorcan. Times were very different when Valerie was young and Patricia Scanlan does a sterling job in transporting you back to a time when unmarried mothers and abortion were deeply frowned upon. I fell in love with the fiery and young Valerie and as the story progressed lots of things are revealed about the sorry state of affairs the present day has ended in. Before long I was shocked to discover I was three quarters of the way through the book in one sitting! What I really loved about this latest book is the layers within it that are ordinary (if that makes sense). Just the lives of ordinary people, who make mistakes, say things they don’t mean and the consequences because of it.

I initially found myself disliking Tessa, however as the story went on it was easy to turn that around and sympathise. I think that by the time I got to the end of the book I was truly sad to have finished it, but found myself thinking this was by far and a mile one of the best Patricia Scanlan books I have read in a while. It was utterly absorbing and one that I couldn’t put down. Highly recommended.

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)”