Tag: RATED 5/5

What Happened in Venice by Molly Hopkins

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Welcome to Venice, the city of love. He cheated, but only once! Evie Dexter has promised to forgive her fiancé Rob – and her efforts to absolve his sins are paying off: in the past ten days she’s only called him a two-timing love rat eleven times.

Thank goodness her flourishing career as a tour guide takes her to fashionable Dublin, in-vogue Marrakech and cool Amsterdam. And when Evie’s offered a luxury visit to the sensual city of Venice she jumps at the chance. With its delicious wine and sultry Italian men, four days in the city of light and love is just what she needs.

My Review: Molly Hopkins released her debut novel last year (2011) and to be honest I only picked it up because there were so many favourable reviews on Amazon. Boy was I glad that I did! I read her book in a day or so and was genuinely shocked as it had been such a long time since I had read such a funny debut novel.

I realised that her second novel was released in August 2012 and when I received an early copy to review I was foaming with excitement. Evie Dexter is once again back with her crazy motley crew of friends and family. The one thing that made me love the first book was Evie herself and in this one she is back on top form. Evie is a brilliant character that I have fallen in love with. She cannot keep her mouth shut when required, constantly gets drunk and is always unpredictable, especially when it comes to shopping. She is engaged to her fiancé Rob even though he cheated on her. However, as a tour guide for Insignia Tours she gets the opportunity to leave the country for a few days at a time and her trips are always eventful.

This latest book had me snorting with laughter into my tea within the first few chapters. As a result when I arrived home from work, the book accompanied me whilst cooking, taking a bath and into the early hours of the morning. It’s a book that is so warm and funny that you just can’t put it down. In addition to Evie, her friends and family cause just as much mayhem and make the book what it is. I love her crazy flatmate Lulu, her sister Lexy and everybody that works with her at her friend Nikki’s café.

It’s hard to really review the book without giving spoilers, but I will say this. If you are a fan of the Angela Clarke series of books by Lindsey Kelk then make sure you pick up Molly Hopkins. She is without a doubt a rising star and if you haven’t read her yet, you need to start now, you won’t be disappointed. Without a doubt Molly Hopkins has created a series that can run and run and leave the reader wanting that little bit more. I loved the way the story went, loved the characters and was disappointed that I had finished it so quickly. It happened in Venice is a truly fantastic book that I would highly recommend. I guess the only saving grace is that I now know I can truly look forward to the next It Happened in book in the series due for release next year. Roll on for the next one Molly I am truly looking forward to it! A MUST READ!

Love and Sleepless Nights by Nick Spalding

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My Rating: 5/5

I read Nick Spalding’s first book Love From Both Sides and as soon as I had finished it I then downloaded this one which is the follow on. I guess if you want to read the first book you had better stop reading this review as it will inevitable contain spoilers!

In the first book we meet Jamie and Laura and they tell the story in their Diary and Blog about life being single. The book itself had me crying with laughter as it inevitably told the hard cold truth about dating in today’s society. It held some very vulgar but equally hilarious storylines which although maybe not for everybody had me screeching with laughter. In this follow up we see Laura and Jamie face life as a couple with the added shock of finding out that Laura is pregnant.

It’s hard to specify exactly what the storyline is all about other than to say it’s the story of two youngsters preparing and dealing with parenthood. The story starts with a particularly funny episode with Laura interviewing for a job and as soon as I had read that scene I realised I wouldn’t be putting the book down until I had finished. Once again Nick Spalding has managed to write a very funny book with some side splitting moments (especially when Jamie takes the baby out on his own for the first time). There are so many of these funny moments that it’s too hard to tell you my favourites.

All I know is that much like the first book there is a real sense of many readers shaking their head as they realise that Spalding has hit the nail on the head with many tales of raising children. The book was so well written, easy to read and every other chapter seemed to throw up another ridiculous but funny situation. By the end of the book I was sad to see the ending was here but crossed my fingers and hoped that Spalding decides to bring back the Newman’s and their daughter as a teenager!

I can honestly say that this book and the previous one was brilliant, had me laughing from start to finish and is a book I think many will enjoy. I truly would recommend that these books are read in order and for the price of them on Kindle it’s an absolute bargain. Can’t wait to read another Spalding!

The Devil’s Bounty by Sean Black (Ryan Lock and Ty Johnson #4)

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THE DEVIL’S BOUNTY – HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO FOR JUSTICE?
Convicted of a series of horrific crimes against young college students in upscale Santa Barbara, wealthy playboy Charlie Mendez has fled across the US border into Mexico. 

As one bounty hunter after another meets a grisly end at the hands of the murderous drug cartel his family have hired to keep him safe, it seems that Mendez is one fugitive destined to remain beyond the reach of the law. Or at least that’s how it looks until one determined victim persuades high-end security specialist Ryan Lock and his partner, retired Marine Ty Johnson, to go after him

My Review: 5/5

Kat’s Review: Okay Ladies and Gents, meet Mr Sean Black. His first book was released in 2009 and featured Ryan Lock an ex-soldier turned Bodyguard and his partner Tyrone Johnson. I picked the first one up and if I’m being 100% honest didn’t expect all that much. Just how many more characters like this could my mind take? As it turns out, my mind was very open to Ryan and Ty and now let me introduce you to my latest character crush!

I have read each of Sean Black’s 3 books in the series so far and was really looking forward to this book which is the fourth instalment in the Lock series. Ryan Lock and Ty make a brilliant team and have been through the mill with various assignments going wrong. Ryan and Ty are currently doing the security for a rap group when trouble comes to find them for a change. A young girl approaches Lock and tells him that he is the only one that can help track down the wealthy playboy Charlie Mendez who has been convicted on a number of crimes but has fled the US over the border into Mexico.

The story takes less than two chapters to get going with a pretty fast paced scene kicking all the action off. It seems that a few Bounty Hunters that have tried to hunt Charlie Mendez down have ended up dead, so Ryan and Ty make it their mission to bring him back to the United States. There is a sense of real authenticity in Black’s books and you realise when you are reading that he has certainly done his homework. Knowing that Sean does things like a 24 day Intensive Body guarding Course makes you realise he takes his research seriously. Even more so when you find he spent time in Supermax Prison Pelican Bay also in the name of research!

With the story being fast paced the whole of the first half, I expected it to slow down a bit towards the middle but it kept up its suspense and we were thrown plenty of curveballs and surprises along the way. You can certainly read this book as a stand alone but for those that have read all the previous Lock books you will see Ryan try to move on from the issues he was dealing with at the end of the last book and this case seems to be a good way of moving forward. This book has plenty of action and suspense to keep you reading and although I loved every page of it I am looking forward top the next instalment more. That may sound strange but I want to see what happens next for Ryan and Ty, especially regarding their personal lives.

Overall, another solid read from Sean Black and he shows no signs of the series slowing down, it just appears to be getting better. As usual, having finished the book I was left with that disappointed feeling, I have to wait another year to reacquaint myself with my latest character crush. Mr Lock, we will meet again!

Love From Both Sides by Nick Spalding

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My Rating: 5/5

Okay, don’t ask me how but I somehow missed Nick Spalding when browsing through looking for Rom Com type of books by men. The latest book I Fell in love with was a debut novel by a self published author Steven Scaffardi. I thought it couldn’t be matched until I read Nick Spalding. It came about in the best way, I recommended the Scaffardi book to my friend Pete and he in turn then found Love From Both Sides. I got around to reading this on a particularly relaxing weekend in Spain at my Mum and Dad’s house.

The back of the book told me that Nick Spalding has written this ‘laugh out loud’ book and shockingly is self published as well. That in itself surprises me especially when I found out that he has now sold a total of 250,000 books on Amazon. I can honestly say that after reading this book I am also surprised that he has not been published by one of the major publishing houses.

Jamie Newman and Laura McIntyre are two single people. The book is written through their respective diaries and blogs and as soon as I picked this book up and read the first few chapters I had tears of laughter rolling down my cheeks. Jamie and Laura share their dating attempts and one particular scene involving a one night stand and a religious picture had me howling for the best part of 5 minutes (that’s all I will say peeps!). One thing to point out is that if you are looking for an inspiring and intellectually challenging book (certainly not my type of book) then this won’t be your cup of tea. If however, like me, you have an open mind, a wicked sense of humour and don’t mind a bit of filth and bad language this book will have you in stitches!

When Jamie and Laura’s paths cross it doesn’t take a genius to work out where the story goes but I must say this is one of the funniest books I have read all year (and I have read a lot of books). This was packed to the rafters with dating disasters, sexual disasters and general cock up’s from start to finish. As soon as I finished this book I immediately downloaded the sequel (Love and Sleepless nights) and finished it the same day. This book (and the sequel) is suited to both men and women and at the price they are on Amazon it would be a travesty to miss out. Do yourselves a favour and grab a copy, seriously you won’t regret it!

Perfect Strangers by Tasmina Perry

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My Rating: 5/5

I have read each and every one of Tasmina Perry’s books and was excited that there would another one soon with the release of her latest Perfect Strangers due in August 2012. To my absolute delight, the publishers sent me an early copy for review so it became THE book for me to read. As usual with Tasmina’s books you get a lot of book for your money and this one came in at just under 450 pages. As usual her books have very inviting covers and her new one was no different.

Without even glancing at the synopsis at the back I got stuck in. We start by meeting Sophie Ellis at her mother’s house seeing to guests attending her fathers wake. Sophie is a `typical’ Chelsea rich girl that was spoilt by Daddy and never had to do a days work in her life. Sadly for her, that was no longer the case as just before her father’s death he had made a bad investment and lost all of the family money. Sophie now lives in a bedsit and a chance meeting with somebody in her local gym leads to a surprise invitation.

It certainly seems an innocent enough start and Sophie is asked to house sit for a few weeks. Without realising what the future holds for her she attends a party and meets Nick Cooper. Within a matter of days she is swept of her feet and things really start to look up for her. Disaster strikes and Nick is found murdered in his hotel room. Sophie then becomes the main suspect in his murder and before she knows it her life has been literally turned upside down.

From this point on (which I must point out is less than a quarter of the way through, so no plot spoilers) things take a dramatic turn and the pace picks up considerably. I hadn’t realised that I had managed to read a quarter of the book in one sitting as I was so engrossed. The next time I picked the book up I managed to finish it all. I literally couldn’t put it down. Sophie, although not an obviously sounding great character, is extremely likeable and you soon realise that you are urging her to get to the truth. Her life is literally hanging in the balance and she has to find the truth about who killed Nick or she will end up in prison.

Although Tasmina Perry would usually fall into the `Bonkbuster/Chick Lit’ genre, this current book is verging more into the Romantic Suspense genre. I would defy anybody to not be gripped by everything that goes on. There were quite a few layers to the plot which constantly keeps the reader on their toes and I was so disappointed to finish it. The ending threw up a few surprises too but it was all wrapped up nicely. I must admit that although I have liked all of her books this is by far her best yet. Maybe because I am a fan of the crime, thriller and mystery genre as well as chick lit this was the best of both worlds for me. A truly magnificent read that had me reading into the early hours of the morning. Perry fans will NOT be disappointed!

The Long Weekend by Veronica Henry

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My Rating: 5/5

The last book of Veronica Henry’s that I read was The Beach Hut which I absolutely loved. Veronica has a way of telling many stories in one book without you feeling overwhelmed. In The Beach Hut she managed it flawlessly. She has taken the same writing style and done it again, but even better with her latest release The Long Weekend. We start sedately by meeting the main focus of the story which is Claire Marlowe and her partner Luca who own a very high end hotel named The Townhouse by the Sea. I instantly loved Claire and to be frank, despised her smarmy boyfriend Luca. In a matter of a few chapters I felt myself longing to visit this place. It sounded glorious and to be honest somewhere that I would have stayed at in a heartbeat.

After the initial introductions we are introduced to the other characters that feature in the book almost as mini short stories combined. We meet Laura and Dan, young adults on their first weekend away with family secrets to uncover. There is Nick and his stag party who have no idea that their arrival will change many lives following the weekend. We also see Angelica, one of the staff members, and Trevor and Monique who are investors in the hotel.

I found myself utterly absorbed in each character and their troubles. It’s hard to be more specific than this without spoiling the story so I won’t elaborate. Somehow, Veronica Henry manages to whisk you away with all of the characters and I was irritated when I had to stop reading to do the `proper’ things like work or cook. It truly is a great thing when you find a book that you don’t want to put down and this book was a great example of that. The writing style was easy, the story absorbing and at the same time gripping as well as the fact that I just could NOT put the thing down. Read in a day and a truly wonderful book that I would highly recommend.

MEET ME AT THE CUPCAKE CAFE BY JENNY COLGAN

My Rating: 5/5

I am almost disgusted with myself for having never read a Jenny Colgan book. I have always seen her books around but don’t ask me why, have never managed to pick one up. Thankfully, I finally got around to buying this book which was released in 2011 with its very enticing cover. I started reading and immediately loved the main character Issy. Issy’s Grandpa Joe ran bakery’s his whole life and has passed his love of baking on to Issy.

Very early on we meet Issy’s pathetic excuse for a boyfriend Graeme (who I despised from start to finish) along with some other characters that feature in the book. When Issy is made redundant from her City job she takes the plunge and sets about opening her own type of Bakery called The Cupcake Café.

Jenny Colgan has done a grand job of making the readers feel for Issy. We see her struggle with lots of things at once and try to manage starting a new business, her love life, the care of her Gramps as well as having some sort of social life. What made this book a little bit different is that at the start of various chapters (I cannot recall if it was every one) we see Issy’s recipes for her famous Cupcakes. There is something refreshingly different about that approach, and some of the descriptions that go with the recipes had me chuckling.

I read three quarters of this book in one day, I read in the morning, my lunch break, my commute and even when I was washing up! I then eagerly picked it up the following morning and finished it. The story is a lovely read and you feel like you are taking the journey with Issy and you can’t help but will her success on. I loved the characters, including the feisty Pearly and difficult Caroline both who work with Issy. I also loved Issy’s flatmate Helena who has a very brisk attitude. You also see other local characters come in and they all add their own flavour to the story.

I was really excited to see that Jenny Colgan has a follow up to this book due out October 2012. I think a follow up would be brilliant, especially as the end of this one is extremely open-ended with many possibilities for the characters. Overall this was a book that I loved in every way, and it especially cheered me up as I am in the middle of my own very precarious start of a new business. This book was a real `feel-good’ read and I loved every bit of it. Highly recommended.

Summer With My Sister by Lucy Diamond

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My Rating: 5/5

I am ashamed to say that I only picked up my first Lucy Diamond book last month. I was so glad that I did because I loved that book and made sure that I had her new one ready to read. Sue Mongredien (the author’s real name) has produced another fantastic book with this latest release. Polly has always been the sister that `made it’. With her high flying career she is lucky if she can even make time for her family, let alone friends and a social life. So when she loses her job and her home she is awoken from her idealistic bubble with a very sharp shock! On the other end of the scale you have Polly’s sister Clare, a single mum who struggles to make ends meet. Clare still lives in the village she grew up in and although nearly always broke she has her friends and family close by.

Polly has to face up to things and eventually returns to her home village and she ends up living with Clare and the two kids. The story drew me in almost instantly and I found myself disliking Polly and falling in love with Clare. The two sisters are poles apart and as a reader you can see Polly’s demise coming. When it does happen and the two sister’s end up living together the story takes an interesting turn. As the story goes on you begin to see the reasons that the two sisters have different outlooks and their past family history becomes clearer.

Although I originally disliked Polly you can see the changes in her as time goes on and before too long I was rooting for both sisters to work things out. The writing flows so easily that before I knew it I was into the last quarter of the book and once again chastising myself for reading too quickly. I really liked the odd character that was thrown in as well such as Clare’s slightly barmy next door neighbour as well as her work colleague Roxie. Towards the end, the only thing that I can honestly say was a negative was the final three or four chapters. I felt like things had wrapped up too quickly and I could have easily read another 60-70 pages with the conclusions drawn out a little bit more.

Overall, this particular book is one that is perfect for the current climate that we live in. It makes you realise that there are many `Polly’s’ in this world and maybe you should just appreciate what you have (there’s nothing quite like a good `moral to the story’). I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was a pleasure to read. The only reason I knocked a star off was because the ending was far too quick and I could have easily read more; other than that just brilliant!!!

The Charm Bracelet by Melissa Hill

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Synopsis: Every charm bracelet tells a story and Holly O’Neill knows this better than most. Many years ago she was sent one mysteriously, just a single charm attached. Some time later another charm appeared, and the same happened until the bracelet was almost full. Each charm proved significant, as if her anonymous benefactor knew she needed a little bit of magic in her life. So when Holly stumbles across another bracelet – one that somebody else has lost – she recognises a lifetime spelt out through the charms, and knows she must try to reunite it with its owner. Using each charm to help discover more about the bracelet’s owner, Holly gradually begins to piece together details of this other charmed life. And her quest leads her somewhere she never expected…

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: I only recently picked up my first Melissa Hill book; her most recent Something From Tiffany’s. When I realised she had a new book The Charm Bracelet I really looked forward to reading it. The first thing I noticed when it arrived was the very pretty front cover. Simple yet elegant and once I had read the synopsis I got started.

Holly O’Neill lives with her son Danny in New York. She works for a Vintage Clothes store which seems to perfectly fit her personality. Straight away the reader gets a feel for the sort of woman Holly is. Romantic notions are what set her going as she learns the history of each piece of clothing that comes into the store and becomes insistent on sharing her knowledge with customers. Many years prior she had received a charm bracelet yet she had no idea who it was from. Each year she receives a charm relating to her life even though she still has no idea who she is getting them from. Her charm bracelet is always on her wrist so when she discovers somebody has left one in an item of clothing she is determined to reunite it with its rightful owner. Holly uses each charm as a clue and slowly she works her way through them all looking for clues as to the owners identity.

I realised before long that this book, like Melissa’s last, has a very old school romance feel to it. Melissa Hill manages to convey the old fashioned romance that many people wish for. The characters that appear in this book are very readable and we meet Greg who decides to start a new career much to the disdain of his girlfriend Karen. We also meet his father Jeff and as the story progresses we learn about somebody pivotal to both of them.

Towards the end of the book I was mesmerised by it all and found I wasn’t prepared to stop reading so sat down and finished the last quarter in one sitting. I began to piece together parts of the story as the book went on but by the last few pages found I was shocked. I certainly didn’t see the ending and thought it was a lovely way to finish the book. This isn’t typical to the very modern chick lit books but has a very charming feel to it. If I am being honest, although this wouldn’t normally be my first choice of story I was completely mesmerised by the magical feeling the book creates. Overall, an absolutely fantastic read, and certainly one that I would recommend for all you `old romantics’ out there.

A Mother’s Journey by June Hampson

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My Rating: 5/5

I have read all of the books written by June Hampson and for those that maybe haven’t read her they are all part of a series featuring Daisy Lane. The first book in the series (and June’s debut novel) is set in the 1960’s and her last book in the series entitled Fighting Dirty has moved on to the 1980’s. Her most recent release had aroused my curiosity due to the fact that this book is almost a prequel. The books feature Daisy Lane but also her friends and family. Vera has been a central character from the word go and has been a brilliant presence in Daisy’s life. This book takes you back to the 1940’s when Vera was a young girl.

If I am being 100% honest I was a little worried but only because I love Vera so much and wondered whether this book would be as good as the Daisy Lane books I have read to date. If anything this book far exceeded what I expected and was a brilliant read. June Hampson takes us back to when Vera was a 14 year old girl living with her family in the middle of the war. Straight away I was drawn into Vera’s world and it took me less than a few pages to remember why I loved the June Hampson books so much.

If people haven’t read any of the Daisy Lane books, you can still read this as a stand-alone but to be honest for me it was so much nicer having the history of all the characters. It explained so much about Vera and how she has arrived at the place she is now. Vera’s life was certainly not easy and along the way she has her fair share of heartbreak and I realised why I loved her as a character so much. This book only made me want to read more and has whetted my appetite for the next Daisy Lane book.

I am not normally a fan of books set in the 40’s but June Hampson has done a fantastic time of taking you back to that time and being able to picture a place torn apart by the War. I was absolutely gripped from the very first page to the very last. I am annoyed that I left this so long to read (it was released in March 2012) but am so glad that I got around to it. I think that June Hampson fans will absolutely love this latest instalment.

I think some fans are concerned that after the last book Fighting Dirty, the series may have come to a natural conclusion, but I beg to differ. I think that the next book that June Hampson produces may well feature Daisy’s children as the previous book gave loads of scope for that part of the story to be developed. I will as always wait impatiently for her next instalment. For people that haven’t tried June Hampson I would highly recommend her but would suggest starting at the beginning.