Friday 29 April 2016

An Autumn Affair by Alice Ross

An Autumn Affair

An Autumn Affair by Alice Ross
Published: 21st April 2016
Publisher: Carina UK
Pages: 384
Available on Kindle

Blurb
Autumn is coming. Anything could happen…
Julia is contemplating an affair with ex-boyfriend Max after a chance meeting in the cereal aisle of the supermarket…and finding that he’s just as gorgeous as ever.
Miranda has got it all: expensive clothes, a huge house and her enormously wealthy husband, Doug. So why does she feel as if something is missing?
Faye is fed up of being treated like a child – she’s a teenager, and knows what she wants! She’s determined to escape her sleepy life at Primrose Cottage…
Three women, each with two options, needing to make one choice. When it comes to affairs of the heart, nothing is ever simple!
A perfect, feel-good read about love, life and family.

Review
An Autumn Affair is the first book in Alice Ross’s new countryside dreams series.  It follows the lives of three women, each one is facing difficult decisions as they come to realise they are not happy with their lives.
First we meet Julia, a woman who has been married to Paul for almost twenty years after finding out she was pregnant just after college. She believes she’s happy until a chance meeting in the cereal aisle of the local supermarket reminds her she’s never really gotten over her first love Max. So does Julia stay and play happy families with Paul and the twins or does she set out to follow her heart?
Next we meet Miranda, she’s married to wealthy business man Doug and has one daughter Josie. On the outside Miranda has the perfect life, she doesn’t have to work, she has the big house and she can go buy anything she wants. But with Doug away most of the time and nothing to occupy her Miranda makes one tiny mistake which could have massive consequences.
Finally we meet seventeen year old Faye, Julia’s daughter. She’s struggling with living in the shadow of her wonderful twin brother Leo and she’s just longing to grow up. When she decides to “be a grown up” and do what she wants it lands her in big trouble and she realises she’s maybe not ready to face a world away from her mum.
At first I wasn’t sure how this story would come together as one, Julia and Miranda’s stories initially felt very separate and I was waiting to see what would pull them together. When they did come together, the reason why was quite a shock, but I felt it worked really well. Although these two had very different background stories I felt they were very similar as all they both really wanted was to be appreciated and feel like they belonged.
I struggled with liking Faye, she seemed a typical whingey teenager who’s jealous of everybody else and wants what she can’t have. I’m glad that she learnt that being an adult isn’t as “fun” as it’s made out to be and began to appreciate her mum a lot more.
I really enjoyed reading An Autumn Affair, it was an easy and fairly quick read for me with plenty of humour and some heartfelt moments. It’s a story about acknowledging that everybody has a right to be happy and that we should all follow our dreams and be happy for ourselves and not just for other people.
I’m really looking forward to reading the second book in this series A Summer of Secrets which is out soon.
Thank you to Carina UK and Netgalley for this copy to review, I would like to rate An Autumn Affair by Alice Ross 4 out 5 stars.

Thursday 21 April 2016

When I Lost You by Kelly Rimmer

When I Lost You: A gripping, heart breaking novel of lost love.

When I Lost You by Kelly Rimmer
Published: 21st April 2016
Publisher: Bookouture
Pages: 333
Available on Kindle

Blurb
Do you ever wish you had the chance to meet someone again for the first time?

When Leo and Molly met and married, they believed they were invincible. Together they could take on the world. But Leo, a war correspondent, lives for life on the edge, and when he takes a step into the unknown, tragedy strikes and he loses his memory. Molly rushes to help him fill in the gaps and soon they start falling in love all over again.

The trouble is, Molly is hiding something. Something big. The devoted wife at Leo’s bedside is a sham; Leo and Molly’s marriage was on the rocks long before Leo’s accident.

The closer Molly gets to her husband the more scared she becomes that he will remember. As Leo’s memory begins to trickle back will Molly lose the man she loves for a second time?
An emotional, heartbreaking read that will restore your faith in the power of love.

Review
When I Lost You is the latest novel by Kelly Rimmer, it’s the first I’ve read which is very bad as I’m sure I have both of her previous novels on my kindle.
 When I Lost You tells the tale of Molly and Leo, two people who fell very deeply in love very quickly and are now dealing with a marriage on the verge of breaking up. Except now it’s not that simple, Leo has been in a car accident and has been left paralysed and has no recollection of the last four years. So Molly, his wife, the love of his life and the complete stranger next to him begins to tell Leo about their life together. As Leo begins to piece his past together we slowly start to see how close they once were and how they marriage slowly begin to fall apart. But given a second chance can Molly and Leo restart their marriage and find their happy ever after.
From the very start of this novel I was totally engrossed and committed to finding out the story of Molly and Leo and what had gone so badly wrong. From completely opposite sides of town it seemed unlikely that these two would get along. Molly’s a Torrington, one of the richest families in Sydney and has grown up never wanting for anything. Leo’s from Redfern, one of the poorest districts of Sydney and has had to work hard to get everything in his life. Their only connection Molly’s dead brother Declan  who was Leo’s best friend at university and as the two come together to grieve for the man they’ve lost they begin to fall for each other.
I loved how this story was written with alternating chapters between Molly and Leo. In the first part Molly’s story is told from present day in 2015 just after Leo’s accident and Leo’s story is told from the past in 2011 when the two first met years after Declan’s death. In part two the perspective is switched and we hear the present day from Leo’s point of view and the past from Molly’s. This allowed me as a reader to experience their relationship from both sides and be fully absorbed by their relationship and all its raw emotions.
This novel really highlights that to make a relationship work there needs to be communication and compromise from both sides, otherwise assumptions are made and things can go wrong. So can Molly and Leo manage to figure this out and make their marriage work?
I loved When I Lost You, it was full of deep raw emotion and had me hooked until the end. It’s a must read if you love want something which covers some of the more realistic aspects of a relationship and not all the sparkle and shine.
I’m rating When I Lost You five out of five, it was a brilliant real full of intense emotion and I can’t wait to read more books by Kelly Rimmer,
Thank you so much to Bookouture and Netgalley for this review copy.

Wednesday 20 April 2016

Truth or Date by Portia MacIntosh

Truth Or Date

Truth or Date by Portia MacIntosh
Published: 11th April 2016
Publisher: Carina UK
Pages: 243
Available on Kindle

Blurb
Falling for the man of her dreams… Ruby Wood is perfectly happy playing the dating game – until she has a red-hot dream about her very attractive flatmate, Nick. He might spend every day saving lives as a junior doctor, but he’s absolutely the last man on earth that fun-loving Ruby would ever date!
The solution? Focus on all of Nick’s bad points. And if that fails, up her dating antics and find herself a man! So what if she manages to make disapproving, goody two-shoes Nick jealous in the process…
Only, after a series of nightmare first dates, there’s still just one man on Ruby’s mind. Maybe it’s time to admit the truth and dare to ask Nick to be her next date?

Review
Truth or Date by Portia MacIntosh is a book which just screams fun to me, I adored the cover and after reading the blurb knew I had to read this book and it did not disappoint it was full to the brim with funny scenarios but also had some lovely heartfelt moments.

Ruby Wood has been perfectly happy dating a different man every week, content to keep looking for her ideal man rather than settle down and focus on a relationship. Until she begins to have rather erotic dreams about her flatmate Nick. Nick who is the total opposite to Ruby, he’s tidy, gets up early and is very focused on his career as a junior doctor. Nick who Ruby can’t stand as he mocks her fun lifestyle. Nick who is happy with long term girlfriend Heather. After confiding in best friend Millsy Ruby knows the only way to get Nick out of her head is to increase her dating antics, but when this just leads to a series of disasters should Ruby just admit the truth and ask Nick for a date?

Ruby was a character that I instantly warmed to. She may be untidy, late, a little dramatic and only really interested in a having a goodtime but she does seem loyal to those she does care about. Having a male best friend has made her harder and less willing to admit that what she really wants is someone to care about her and something to give her some direction in life. This really comes across when she begins to realise she has feelings for Nick and also begins to admire his work ethic rather than scoffing at it as she previously had.  I loved that she was confident in her own body, she is not worried what anyone thinks of her and carries off her curves and pink tinged hair brilliantly.

I loved all the comical moments in this book as Ruby attempts to win Nick’s heart, poor Ruby she seems destined for disaster. Some of my favourite moments were, stalking weird Ian, going clubbing dressed in drag and the selfie in the stars wars bedroom. Its book which will definitely make you laugh and I think it would make an excellent film.

I loved reading Truth or Date and will definitely be reading more books from Portia. Truth or Date is a light hearted read which is flirty and fun and a guaranteed pick me up, I think everyone should read this.

I give Truth or Date a rating of five out of five and would like to thank Carina UK and Netgalley for my review copy.

Thursday 14 April 2016

The Second Chance Shoe Shop by Marcie Steele

The Second Chance Shoe Shop

The Second Chance Shoe Sop by Marcie Steele
Published: 8th March 2016
Publisher: Bookouture
Pages:232
Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Blurb
All Riley Flynn wants is to meet someone who makes her happy. But attracting the right kind of man is not easy, and with her heart still hurting from her last break-up, Riley believes she’ll never find love again.

A year ago, Sadie Stewart’s whole world was shattered when her husband, Ross, died. She has struggled to keep herself together for the sake of their young daughter, but with the anniversary of his death approaching, Sadie finds herself overwhelmed by grief.

Sadie and Riley work at Chandlers shoe shop, in the charming town of Hedworth. But when Chandlers is threatened with closure, the friends are confronted with the loss of not only their jobs, but also their support network - the glue that holds them together when they are close to breaking.

As they put together a plan to save their beloved shop, Sadie realises that she might just be learning to live again. Could it be that new beginnings are just round the corner? The campaign also finds Riley unexpectedly crossing paths with charming photographer, Ethan. Maybe her second chance at love is right under her feet …

Review
The Second Chance Shoe Sop is the third book by Mel Sherratt writing as Marcie Steele and I think it’s her best yet. She’s developed a lovely writing style which is easy to immerse yourself in with characters which you genuinely begin to care about.
Riley has been the manager of Chandler’s shoe shop for the past eight years and she loves her job.  She loves working with friends Sadie and Dan and loves finding exactly the right shoe for people, more recently she has been longing to bring the shop more up to date and stock more fashionable and affordable shoes instead of the expensive sensible shoes Chandler’s is known for. Despite giving owner Suzanne many news ideas for stock and marketing Riley is unable to convince her boss to change and sales remain stagnant.
When Suzanne pits Riley against her two work colleagues in a competition to drum up sales Riley knows it’s time to take things into her own hands before the shop is gone forever.  So Riley sets out to use her social media knowledge to drum up some slightly unconventional publicity for the shop, but will it be enough to save Chandlers?
Riley is a character who I instantly adored. She’s so loyal to the shop and to her friends that she will do anything to help them, even if this sometimes lands her in trouble. She’s wary of starting a new relationship after she had her heartbroken by horrible Nigel, but can’t seem to resist the charms of news photographer Ethan. Is he the one to mend Riley’s broken heart?
Sadie and Dan were also great characters, each dealing with their own heartbreak. Together with Riley they make an excellent team and this stands out throughout the book as they are tested by Suzanne. The other characters Ash, Cooper and Ester all add to this group of friends and provide comfort and support for each other throughout the book.
I loved that Marcie has once again based her novel in the fictional town of Hedwoth where her previous novel That’s What Friends Are For was set, this time focusing on the high street rather than the indoor market.  A couple of characters from that book pop up here and it was good to check back in with them. I’m hoping we may see Hedworth again in another novel…please.
Despite this being a novel about shoes don’t fear you will love it, I’m a girl who lives in either slippers or wellies and this book has made me want to go out and buy a new pair of shoes, so read it and bring on the shoe love!
This is a novel about friendship, love, loss and loyalty, about knowing who to trust, and knowing that when things are bad they will always work out in the end. I really enjoyed The Second Chance Shoe Shop and am hoping Marcie writes another one soon as she’s becoming one of my favourite writers.
Thank you so much to Bookouture and Netgalley for the review copy, I’d like to rate The second Chance Shoe Shop five out of five, I loved It!

Wednesday 6 April 2016

Thats What Friends Are For by Marcie Steele

That's What Friends Are For
That's What Friends Are For by Marcie Steele
Published: 11th December 2015
Publisher: Bookouture
Pages: 342
Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Blurb
Best friends tell each other everything… right?
Sam and Louise have been best friends since they hung their coats side by side on the first day of primary school. Now in their thirties, they’re just as close, but life is a little bit more complicated…

On the outside, thirty-something Sam seems to have it all; the gorgeous husband, the beautiful home and the flourishing business. But things are not quite as rosy as they seem. So when handsome stranger, Dan, walks into her life, Sam finds his attentions hard to resist.

Louise might seem like life and soul of the party, but her outgoing exterior hides her sadness about the heartbreak in her past. She just wants someone to love – but all Louise gets left with is a quick fumble with an ex at the end of the night.

When a glamorous face from the past returns to shake things up, things get even more complicated for Sam and Louise. And just when they need each other the most, they’ve reason to wonder whether they ever really knew each other at all.

An emotional and uplifting tale of love, secrets and the importance of having a best friend.

Review
That’s What Friends Are For is the second novel for Mel Sherratt writing as Marcie Steele. While I found her first novel good I really enjoyed this one. The story is focused on the relationship between best friends Sam and Louise but I enjoyed the addition of all the other characters which added more depth to the story and for me made it more realistic.

Sam and Louise have been best friends since their childhood. Working together on Sam’s market stall their lives might not have turned out exactly as they planned but they seem happy and share everything, well almost everything. Louise has a fifteen year old daughter Charley and has never told anyone who her father is, something which bugs Sam. Sam appears to be happy in her marriage to Reece but while he works away Sam begins to question how happy she really is and the appearance of handsome stranger Dan leads her to wonder exactly what her future holds.

The characters for me are what makes this novel so enjoyable, there’s such a mix but somehow they all fit together with their connections to the market. The community spirit among them is lovely, especially when they come together to give someone a special surprise.

My favourite had to Charley. I just loved her sassy attitude towards Louise as she tries to get her mother to notice her more. She comes across as such a sensible teenager despite having very little guidance from Louise and struggling at school because of Louise’s behaviour. I found Louise one of the characters I didn’t get on with at first, she comes across as very selfish and acts very childish going out and getting drunk every weekend instead of caring properly for Charley. I wished she’d take a proper look at lovely Matt who was always there for her and Charley and for some strange reason was clearly besotted with her. The other characters of Nicci, Jay and Jess all add extra drama to the story, some of which is comical and some of which is a little heart-breaking.

That’s What Friends Are For is packed full of drama and secrets and I loved it. It’s about family, friendships and trying to find your own happy ending.

Thank you Bookouture and Netgalley for sending me a copy to review, I’d like to give That’s What Friends Are For five stars as I found myself immersed in life at the market. I’m looking forward to Marcie’s next novel The Second Chance Shoe Shop which is out later this week.

Saturday 2 April 2016

Monthly Wrap-up March 2016

Hope you all had a lovely Easter and are enjoying the holidays if you have children, I know we are enjoying being out in the garden much more. Sadly its back to being cold and wet again today, never seems to stay nice does it!

I didn't think I'd read many books in March but surprisingly I've read nine and they've all been really great, so here's what I managed to finish reading this month:



Never Marry a Politician The Bucket List to Mend a Broken Heart You Sent Me a Letter Beneath The Surface Secrets of the Sewing Bee Summer Nights at the Moonlight Hotel The Night That Changed Everything https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25357112-the-song-collector

Between You and Me

Again I have been sent some lovely books by publishers, so thank you all very much:

The Weekend WivesThe Lost The Dead Ground (Paula McGuire, #2) A Reckless Desire (Breconridge Brothers, #3) Nobody But You (Cedar Ridge, #3) Jane Steele Tell Me Lies (Gardner and Freeman)  My Name is Leon Porn Money and Wannabe MummyA Year of Marvellous WaysMy Husband's Wife

 

Regular readers of my blog might be wondering why I've been sent a copy of A Year of Marvellous Ways again as I already have reviewed a hardback copy. Well they have used part of my review as a quote inside the cover of the paperback version which was released at the end of last year and have very kindly sent me a copy, Which I am extremely grateful as its lovely to see your name in print only if it is one line and it makes this book even more special to me. So thank you very much Amy at Tinder Press.

On to Netgalley, I think I'm a lost cause where this is concerned. Being Auto-approved by two of my favourite publishers also doesn't help as I want to read everything they publish. So here's what has made it onto my Kindle this month:

The Secrets of Castle Du RĂªve: A thrilling saga of three women's lives tangled together in a web of secrets What She Never Told Me The Chic Boutique on Baker Street The Missing The Love Triangle A Mother's Secret: A beautiful, heartbreaking novel of love, loss and hidden tragedy Wicked Dix (Hard Love Romance, #2) Sleep Sister Love Me for a Reason The Second Chance Shoe Shop The Summer Escape See How They Run Where Dragonflies Hover Daughters of the Silk Road When I Lost You: A gripping, heart breaking novel of lost love.

Here's what I'm currently reading:

Song of the Sea Maid My Kind of Wonderful (Cedar Ridge, #2) The Summer I Met You The One-in-a-Million Boy

AS you can see I still haven't finished Song of the Sea Maid,  to be honest I'm not sure I will now as I don't seem to want to pick it back up, I'll give it till them end of the month and then see how I feel. I'd nearly finished both My Kind of Wonderful and The Summer I met You when my kindle battery died and I can't find my charger, so annoying. One in a Million Boy I have just started but I love its quirkiness.

So finally to my March book of the month. This was so hard to pick that I've finally decided to pick two books:
Between You and Me Beneath The Surface

I must have been on a psychological thriller kick this month as I just loved both of these, if you haven't read them yet then go and check them out.

So that's March in books, quite a busy month. I probably won't be reading as much in April as I'm working on my vegetable garden. I've also signed up to be a Stampin' Up! demonstrator so hoping to spend some time creating. If you'd like some crafty inspiration then come at check out my other blog at www.stampinwithjo.blogspot.com