Tag: RATED 5/5

The Schemer by Kimberley Chambers

226x346

My Rating: 5/5 (can I give it 6?)

Well, well, well. When I realised that I was getting my hands on an early edition of Kimberley Chambers new book, to say I was excited is a bit of an understatement. For the benefit of those that haven’t maybe read her books before you may want to know a bit more. Kim wrote and published her first book Billie Jo back in 2008. She then went on to write another two books before releasing the first in a series of books (The Feud being the first) featuring the O’Hara and Mitchell family. The release of The Victim (the third in that series) in 2011 was an absolutely brilliant book and I couldn’t have imagined she could ever top the characters she had created, but somehow she has. Kimberley Chambers has made a niche for herself and is now in my opinion as good as (if not better) that the more infamous British crime writers such as Martina Cole.


Sadly, many people have never heard of her and this is where people like me come in. My one true love is reading, and when you find a writer like Kim that writes books as good as hers you feel the need to share it with people. No, I am not paid by Kim or her publicists; I am just a true crime book lover. If you want a typically English bit of grit with a few gangsters thrown in then these are the books you should be reading.

The Schemer starts off by introducing us to Stephanie Crouch in the eighties. The first few pages had me laughing and reminiscing at the same time as Kim’s descriptions of being a teenager at that time was absolutely spot on. It had the kind of feel that the new release of the film The Firm had. We get to see her older sister Angela and her mum living in their grotty council house with the rather colourful characters that live in their road! Pretty soon we meet East-End boy Barry who as a teenager falls head over heels in love with Steph. Sadly, their love is to be tested as Barry is taken to live in Spain with his Mum and new boyfriend. Steph then turns to Barry’s friend Wayne and they soon move from friends to lovers and all thoughts of Barry leave Steph’s head.

The book then moves to ten years later and we see the downside to Steph’s decisions that she made as a teenager. This book had me absolutely gripped from the very first page to the very last page. All of the characters in this are absolute crackers and they each have their redeeming qualities. One thing I really need to point out is that if you are not a lover of a lot of swearing, then maybe this book won’t be fore you. As a South London girl that swears like a sailor, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. One thing that really struck me was that although the characters are brilliant and the plot and storyline fantastic, the book certainly isn’t without its humour.

There is one particular character by the name of Marlene that had me cringing and laughing in equal measures. The other thing that I really noticed about this book is that Kimberley Chambers has created characters that you can start off loving and end up hating. In the case of this book I am still not sure how I feel about either of the men featured and I really want to keep reading about both of them to see how it pans out. Thankfully, the ending of this book is so open-ended it’s unreal. This is the best opener for the next book and to be honest I’m a little bit irritated I have to wait so long to find out!

Either way, I truly think that Kimberley Chambers is a good reason to highlight female British crime writers. Kim Chambers has not only earned her place as one of the Queens of British Crime, she is keeping it with this latest book as proof that she deserves to stay up there. All I can say is that if you haven’t read her books before, I suggest you start now. If you have and you are keenly awaiting the next one, you will NOT be disappointed. Roll on the next one!

Lost Angel by Mandasue Heller

326x500

My Rating: 5/5

I have read all of Mandasue Heller’s books and would definitely consider myself a fan. Having said that I haven’t loved every book, it almost seems like I either love it or just don’t like it at all. Her last book The Driver I seemed to struggle with

but the previous book Two-Faced I loved. With all that in mind I was excited to read her new book but apprehensive to see whether I would like it. Many people over the last few years have compared her to the likes of Martina Cole and this book just proves that she is in my opinion better than Martina Cole.

Johnny Conroy is a young lad who is typically enjoying life and when he meets Ruth Hynes he takes his chances. What he doesn’t account for is that the infamous hard man Frankie Hynes daughter will fall pregnant. Before he knows it he is part of the Hynes lives and is married with a baby on the way.

The first portion of the book is like Mandasue’s early books and was absolutely brilliant. We meet Ruth and her parents Frankie and Rita. Johnny, for all his faults, is a great character and before long you can’t help feeling sorry for his sudden immersion into Frankie Hyne’s business and his gloomy marriage to Ruth.

The book moves on over the years and in total we see Johnny’s life over twenty years. There was something easy to read about the way it was written and we see enough of what goes on in blocks of time, to make you feel like you are moving in time along with the family.

Johnny’s daughter Angel comes along and becomes the light of Johnny’s life and all the time he is constantly progressing and improving the family business. Along the way we see Johnny’s friend Dave and Ruth’s cousin Lisa integrate themselves into the story making for some extra added story threads. Before long the book moves us into Angel’s younger years before finally arriving at her teenage years where she becomes involved with one of Johnny’s workers Ryan.

That in itself causes major problems and before long it seems like they have all come full circle. The book had me reading well into the night and when I finally got to the climax of the story well into the early hours I was blown away.

The book itself was what I would describe as old school Mandasue and was so easy and enjoyable to read. What I didn’t account for was the shocking twist at the end that had me reading on in disbelief. I can honestly say that this is one of her best and is an absolute corker of a read. All those Mandasue Heller fans will certainly not be disappointed as we see her make a return to her brilliant skills as an absolutely exceptional writer. This one is certainly a book you will want to get your hands on as soon as it’s released and I for one recommend it highly.

A Walk In The Park by Jill Mansell

226x346

My Rating: 5/5

Another year has passed since I read one of Jill’s books and I was so looking forward to her new one. I got mine in the post and realised that it was in usual Mansell style a reasonable sized book with over 400 pages and a gorgeous cover inviting me to start reading! Within the first four chapters I realised that my plans for the evening were finished. There would be no cooking or cleaning done, all that would happen is that traipse back and forth to the kettle whilst still reading the book.

Lara Carson starts the story off with a bang. She left her town at 16 and following events that unfolded has now decided to move back and start over. At the same time, her old friend Evie is getting ready to marry her man Joel. However, within the first quarter of the book, both women are up to their eyes in drama.

It is quite hard to review a book without giving away a lot of the story but all I will say about the storyline is that it certainly won’t disappoint. It had a lot going on and kept me on tenterhooks all the way through. As for the characters, this is what Jill Mansell does best. Lara and Evie were lovely women and you warm to both of them right away. In addition to them there is an eclectic and interesting bunch of people that all feature heavily in the story.

Gigi was an adorable character and actually reminded me of somebody I know. We meet Lara’s aunt Nettie, Don who owns jewellery shop in Bath and superstar rapper Enjay Seven. Like I said before the storyline I can’t mention but what I can say is that the scenes between Enjay and Harry had me laughing out loud. My favourite character (and a pretty central one too) was Flynn. He sounds like a truly wonderful bloke and I kept my fingers crossed that things worked out how I wanted the whole way through the book.

Overall this book is one of the best Jill Mansell has written and I loved every bit of it. Having read it in under a day I can only say that I suggest you get yourself a copy and settle yourself in for the night with a hot cuppa and a duvet. What better way to spend an evening? This book is a true testament to why Jill Mansell has been a successful author for twenty years. As for myself, I will settle back and wait another long year for the next one.

Horse Play by Jo Carnegie

321x500

My Rating: 5/5

Jo Carnegie has written a fantastic series of books set in Churchminster. I have enjoyed them all but her last book Dirty Tricks was an absolute corker. I was looking forward to the release of Horse Play. At a meaty 608 pages I certainly had something to get my teeth in to.

As usual with the Churchminster books you see the familiar faces that have appeared in the other books. Although that is the case, you certainly don’t have top read the others and this could be read as a stand alone book. Although that may be the case, I just love the fact that with each book comes another part of Churchminster’s life and we see members of the village and what is going on in their lives.

This books main star of the show was a new face in the form of Kizzy. She works for Angie and Fred (who feature in other books) and is trying to crack her burning ambition of becoming a successful female jockey. Angie and Fred have a horse called Nobby that Kizzy rides along with Edward who comes onto the scene a little later on.

In addition to Kizzy some of my favourite characters all make an appearance along with Caro and Benedict who have another part of the storyline along with Caro’s despicable ex-husband Sebastian. There is also the appearance of other villagers such as Camilla and Jed and Granny Clem. Along with those my absolutely favourite character of all is Calypso, sisters to Caro and Camilla. She has the best attitude ever and some of her sayings are absolutely hilarious. She takes up a slice of the pie as she tries to work out whether or not to go back to London to try and make her events business even more successful.

The story starts with quite a few hairy moments in the beginning and after a couple of chapters I realised that Jo Carnegie had set me up for another bumper read. After a little while we see the sexy Javier, a former Olympic dressage rider, come into the story. The story itself is heart warming, funny and at times as steamy as hell. It had me gripped from start to finish and I truly didn’t want it to end. One particular moment feasturing Caro and a trip to see her son’s teacher had me laughing out loud and cringeing at the same time!

The characters draw you in until you love them or loathe them and the village life certainly hasn’t got any quieter in the case of Churchminster. Two other characters that made this book for me are Caro and Benedict’s new neighbours Baz and Cheryl. They were fantastic and had me giggling at every appearance. The story has lots going on and I would love to live in a place like this where there is drama at every corner!

I was truly sad to finish the book and thought it may well be the best yet in the series. I can only hope that the next book comes along sooner than expected as I don’t know if I can wait another year to catch up with what I now consider old friends!

No One Left To Tell by Karen Rose (Baltimore #2)

192x293 (1)

My Rating: 5/5

One thing I want to make clear is that this book along with all of Karen Rose books falls under the genre of Romantic Suspense. Now I am a fan of both romance and crime so the mix of the two doesn’t bother me at all. For those that want zero romance, you may want to look elsewhere. For those that, like me, quite like that element of the book then get yourselves out and get a copy of her latest release.

No One Left To Tell starts as it means to go on when we see Paige Holden make her way to a pro bono clients house. The story starts with a bang as Paige witnesses Elena Munoz gunned down and while Paige is trying to save her, Elena whispers in her ear and sets off the chain reaction that will turn her life upside down.

Paige as a character is very easy to like, a lady that has her own past and is trying to make a fresh start in a new city. When Elena Munoz dies, Paige is determined to get to the bottom of the secrets she was holding. We also meet Grayson Smith, who also has his own secrets but has made a success of himself as an attorney.

Paige meets Grayson and together they try to piece together the evidence they have and set about finding the killer for numerous murders. This book, even by Karen Rose standards was quite a long one but this one seemed more intricate in detail. The storyline keeps expanding with new possibilities and leads at every corner.

At just over the halfway mark I couldn’t put it down, and although it got more and more complicated and dangerous I just had to keep reading. The list of crimes that they uncover, seem get longer by the hour with murder, corruption and suicides to name a few.

As usual we also get to meet a whole host of other characters such as Grayson’s family along with some familiar faces. One of the things I love about Karen Rose books is that I have read them all so the feature of some characters is an added bonus for me. We get to see Detective Stevie Mazzetti, Investigator Clay Maynard and Dr Lucy Trask who all feature in other books.

The pace is kept up from start to finish and although the book is lengthy it kept my interest from the first page to the very last. This book is a fine example of Karen Rose’s brilliant writing. Once again, I will have to wait impatiently for the next instalment.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

226x346 (1)

My Rating: 5/5

Well, having never read a Jo Jo Moyes book, I wasn’t sure what to expect and what I got was certainly not what I expected. The story is not one I that instantly attracts a reader as it subject matter could be looked upon as depressing. Will Traynor is larger than life until life deals him a bad hand and he is involved in an accident leaving him a quadriplegic. Will has all but given up on life until Lou Clark enters it.

Lou Clark is an adorable character from the very beginning. She is a young girl that has lost her job in the small village that she works in and is looking for a new one. When she is offered the job of being a carer, she isn’t sure that the job is for her but decides to give it a go anyway. The relationship between Will and Lou had me laughing out loud, and I must say I wasn’t expecting the humorous side to the story. However, Jo has managed to deal with the issue of Will’s disability with such sensitivity.

Lou is determined to make Will see that life is worth living no matter what your situation. This book was one that I couldn’t put down. I started it at lunchtime and by the end of the evening it was finished. The book was absolutely gripping. I was really part of Lou’s mission and fell in love with all of the characters (including Lou’s family). The ending wasn’t what I expected and the book had me both laughing and getting teary at the same time.

My first Jo Jo Moyes has set the bar and I cannot wait to read another one of her books. I would highly recommend this book but just make sure if you are of a weepy disposition you have the tissues at the ready.

I Heart Vegas by Lindsey Kelk (I Heart #4)

163x250

My Rating: 5/5

I just love Lindsey Kelk’s writing. She has a very funny way of putting characters across and Angela Clark is a perfect example of that. The I Heart series started with I Heart New York, followed by I Heart Hollywood and then I Heart Paris. Her latest release I Heart Vegas features Angel and her pals as she seems to get herself in a pickle.

The first I Heart Book I read I enjoyed but wasn’t overly in love with. Fast forward to today, the day I completed I Heart Vegas and you will find a woman that is slightly in love with Angela Clarke, and wants her very own Angela for Christmas!!!

For people who haven’t read previous books in the series, it doesn’t matter you could still pick this book up and read it no worries. But if like me you want to get to know the characters and the story behind Angela ending up in New York then start at the beginning of the series.

By this point in Angela’s life she is living in New York with her boyfriend Alex and things are going swimmingly. There is however one sticking point, and a rather major one at that. Angela’s visa has expired and as she’s no longer working it’s a bit of a problem. The first few chapters of the book were amusing but not rip roaringly funny, but it was fun to see Angela get herself into all sorts of trouble (as usual) while she tries desperately to appear as if everything is okay to Alex. When her friend Jenny decides that a weekend trip to Vegas is the way to cheer them up, she has no idea what will end up happening.

At this point in the book the humour goes from amusing, to cringe-worthy embarrassment but laugh out loud funny. Angela’s friend Jenny is a rude, brash and very outgoing sort of girl and the two of them together get themselves into some very awkward situations. The theme behinds the whole story makes for great reading and although Angela is a hopeless case you can’t help wishing that everything works out okay for her.

By the last part of the book I literally couldn’t put it down and just had to go right through to the end. This sort of read is classic chick lit. The mix of two girls on a crazy weekend in Vegas, especially with the stunts they manage to pull off as well as the romance behind the story made for a fabulous read and possibly the best in the I Heart series.

The only downside is that I have to wait impatiently for the next instalment some time next year entitled I Heart London.

Here Come The Girls by Milly Johnson

226x346

My Rating: 5/5

Having read and enjoyed my first Milly Johnson Book An Autumn Crush, I was really looking forward to reading another. The front covers of her books manage to catch my attention because they are always nice and bright and look inviting. This one was no different, only this time I didn¡¦t realise I would enjoy the book even more than the last one!

In the beginning of the book we meet Ven, Olive and Roz. Three women that are complete opposites but are the best of friends. I immediately loved Olive and Ven but found myself disliking Roz. The story was so easy to pick up and I found myself immersed in the women¡¦s lives. Olive¡¦s lazy husband and hideous mother in law made for funny reading and Roz¡¦s husband Manus I adored, and immediately this made me dislike Roz even more.

When the Olive and Roz are surprised by Ven with a trip of a lifetime, both of them are pretty surprised. Their dream of taking a cruise before they hit forty seems to finally be a reality. When Olive and Roz both agree, they are in for a shock when they realise that the forth member of their original gang from school is on the boat too.

We meet Frankie later in the book but she was a brilliant character and it became apparent very early on that a lot of the issues were surrounding a past event. This made the book even more readable to have a major event affecting all the girls in different ways. By the end of the book, I loved all the women and the ending was absolute magic!

The book itself literally made me feel like I was in the ladies suitcase. Having never been on a cruise, by the end of the book I felt like I needed to immediately go and book myself on one. This book encompasses everything I want in a chick lit book with the added bonus of the writing being effortless making it a joy to read. There is lost of love, tears and laughter as you join the ladies on a cruise that will literally change their lives. There was only one negative to this book (I know this is ridiculous but¡K) every time I picked it up I couldn¡¦t stop humming that irritating theme tune from the advert on the TV !

I was surprised that this book was so good, and I don¡¦t mean that badly. I expected it to be good; I just didn¡¦t expect it to be brilliant. However, brilliant is the perfect word for it. An absolute must have for a beach read! Roll on with the next MJ book!

Prima Donna by Karen Swan

228x346

My Rating: 5/5

Well, well, well. Just what a fool I have been, as this book has been on my to read pile for an age and I was silly to have not picked it up sooner. I don’t know why, it looks like quite a hefty read and if I’m honest, reading the synopsis, the world of the ballerina didn’t quite seem `me’. Well, I am certainly paying for that mistake now! I have already ordered Karen Swan’s other two books and am looking forward to reading them.

Karen Swan’s debut novel entitled Players was released in 2010 and her follow up Prima Donna in 2011. I think you could say her genre was more Bonkbuster than Chick Lit and her front cover of this book certainly didn’t do the book justice.

We meet Pia Soto who is a world class ballerina and the sort of character you just love to hate. She is spoiled, wealthy, and a complete pain to work with. Her assistant Sophie is the plain but talented Irish PA to the star and her polar opposite.

When a tragedy occurs neither of them realise the extent their lives will change. Enter Will Silk, the smooth and very manipulative man who is determined to win over the famous Pia Soto. Will Silk was also another character I loved to loathe but these people were so absorbing that I literally couldn’t put the book down.

The story itself moves along at a brilliant pace with lots of drama and many other characters coming into play. The story is also taken to different parts of the world as each character deals with their own situation. At around the halfway mark things really start to hot up and I found that I read the second half of the book in one sitting.

The added bonus for me was the rather big plot twist towards the end (which I didn’t see coming) and the fact that I really did grow to like Pia by the end of the story. All in all I was shocked by just how absorbing this book was and I cannot recommend it highly enough. First class read!

The Drought by Steven Scaffardi

51KPjvFXPIL._SY346_

My Rating: 5/5

Occasionally I receive emails from authors asking if I would be interested in reading their debut novels. Steven was no different and to be honest when I checked out the bio of him I was a little shocked. Yes I had heard of `Lad Lit’ but to be honest had never really delved into the world of the Mike Gayle’s and the Nick Hornby’s. I figured that as I was being offered a chance to read it free, then why not. What I didn’t realise was that Lad Lit is the perfect combination of humour and reading for me and my dry and crude sense of humour!

When I read the synopsis I realised that Lad Lit really is just that; Lad lit! The stories regarding love and romance; albeit from a slightly different perspective than that of a woman! As soon as I started reading a few things became apparent. The first was that this author’s humour was right up my street. Brash, crude and direct but laugh out loud funny. Dan Hilles is a `typical’ bloke. In the beginning of the book we see him break up with his terrifying girlfriend (blimey, she was enough to give all us women a bad reputation). Dan was a likeable bloke though and it didn’t take me long to realise that Dan’s life was not going to be as easy as he thought.

The whole idea of the book is that we see Dan struggle through single life on a `drought’ meaning no sex and even less female interaction. I read a review on Amazon which said that the book was repetitive in its nature and that the reader knows that Dan is on a sex drought. Well I have to be honest and say I was confused by that statement. Yes we know he is on a drought, that’s what the whole book is about, and believe me it is very funny.

Yes, you certainly have to have a certain type of humour, but I cannot imagine one of my friends not liking this book. Obviously if you are somebody who prefers to read books that don’t involve swearing or sex, then maybe pass on this one. If not, do yourself a favour and give this book a chance.

I was reading this book on the train on my journey home and actually managed to spit my tea out where I was laughing so hard. The man opposite me was not impressed! As the story moves forward we see Dan’s attempts at getting some female attention becoming more and more daring, and to be honest more and more of a failure. This book had me cringing, laughing and smiling all the way home. I read it in a day and a half and have already started telling my friends about it. The women will (like I did) laugh at the shocking truths some of which will be close to home, and the men will laugh at the sheer truth of it all.

I can tell you now that I didn’t know an awful lot about the author until after I had read the book and I checked out his website. I was shocked to realise that he self-published. Maybe, having not read any other `Lad Lit’ I cannot compare his book to others in that genre but I honestly think this would be a fantastic author for a publisher to pick up! All I can say Steven, is I seriously hope that even if you don’t sign a publishing deal, you continue to self-publish because I will definitely be buying the next one. Overall, an absolutely cracking debut novel and I will be waiting for the next one. HIGHLY recommended!!!