Blog Tour Review: Don't You Forget About Me by Liz Tipping

Don't You Forget About Me by Liz Tipping

Published: 6th June 2016

Publisher: Carina UK

Available on Kindle

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Rating: 4/5

Blurb

An athlete, a princess, a brain, a criminal, a basket case…

Cara Dunham is definitely one of them. But stuck in her small hometown, with no prospects of escape, she's struggling to find her thing. Her life is more book club than Breakfast Club and there is no Judd Nelson in sight!

So when Cara is invited to a school reunion she knows this is her chance to channel her inner Molly Ringwald and grab her John Hughes moment, once and for all. Because her teenage love, Daniel Rose will be there, the coolest boy at school and the one that got away.

But transforming into an 80's icon isn't easy and Cara enlists the help of her oldest friend, Stubbs, to teach her all she needs to know about being cool and quirky – a la Ringwald.

Except Stubbs thinks she’s perfect, just as she is and takes it upon himself to show Cara that her life might not be ‘movie perfect’, but there is always another take to get things right. And maybe the hero she's dreamed of has been under her nose the whole time…

Review

Cara Dunham is feeling lost, she’s being stuck doing the same job for years, she’s waiting to find her dream man and her purpose in life. So when she gets the chance to go to her school reunion she decides to channel her inner Molly Ringwald and find out who she really is an athlete, a princess, a brain, a criminal, or a basket case so she can finally have her perfect moment with her teenage crush Daniel Rose, who is back in town.

Cara enlists friend Stubbs to help her find out who she really is and in exchange she will help him land a date with his dream girl April. So begins so very comical moments as Cara works her way through the roles.  Alongside this madcap scheme to find herself Cara also needs to find a way to save the local video shop where she works and where she relives her eighties fantasies on a daily basis.

I felt an instant connection to Cara whose trying to decide which character from the eighties films of John Hughes she should become. Having spent her school days just wanting to belong and find out who she is, is something I can identify with greatly. I loved she suddenly has these moments throughout the book like lightning bolts where things suddenly hit her and start to make sense.  I think a lot of readers may find Cara an annoying character as she does take being insecure with herself to a whole new level but I found her quite endearing and wanted her to find her happy ending.

Cara’s friends make other great characters. I loved the used of surnames for Stubbs’ and Divvy which seemed to emphasize that Cara still felt she was a teenager waiting to grow up. I loved Verity, she reminded me of myself, loving my kids but desperately needing to get out and be with the grown-ups sometimes.

This is the second book I’ve read this year that has referenced teenage films from the 80s, particularly The Breakfast Club, which I haven’t seen so a few of the references mentioned regarding the film didn’t make sense to me. This didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the book however as I still loved Cara and her madcap scheme to find herself.

Can Cara find herself before she meets back up with Daniel? Will Stubbs land his dream date? Will Cara save the video shop? Don’t You Forget About Me is an easy light-hearted read full of comical moments which had me laughing all the way through. It is predictable from quite early one who will end with who and what the secrets are, but I still enjoyed it and think it would make a good beach read where you just wanting something entertaining.

Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley for this copy to review in exchange for honest opinions.

If the Dress Fits by Daisy James

If the Dress Fits by Daisy James

Published: 14th July 2016

Publisher: Carina UK

Pages: 316

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

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Rating 5/5

Blurb

Callie’s exquisite, glittering silk gown has been shortlisted for the celebrity wedding of the year. But just as all her dreams are coming true, disaster strikes!
Leaving behind the bright lights of London, Callie is forced to return home to sleepy Althorpe. And there’s one man she hopes to avoid – the childhood sweetheart who turned her life upside down. But now she’s back, is it finally time to stop running?
Yet, as Callie faces her past, a Cinderella-like hunt begins for that perfect, pearl-embroidered dress, mysteriously submitted without a name…

Review
If the Dress Fits by Daisy James was a book I was eager to read after seeing the lovely cover and reading the blurb, I’m drawn to anything wedding related, especially at this time of year so this was the perfect read for me.

Callie left her hometown village of Althorpe in Yorkshire years ago after catching boyfriend Theo in the arms of another woman. Since then Callie has poured herself into her work and built up a successful wedding dress design boutique and now she’s at the pinnacle of her career as she’s a finalist in a competition to design a dress for famous actress Lilac Verbois. On the day Callie’s entry is due to be sent for judging she gets a phone-call which devastates her. Leaving her assistants in charge of the paperwork for the competition Callie heads back to Yorkshire where her life has been turned upside-down.

On returning to Yorkshire Callie has a few shocks. Firstly she is now the owner of her aunts shop Gingerberry Yarns and secondly her old boyfriend Theo, the famous rock star just keeps popping up where ever she is. She’s also trying to hide her disappointment at not winning the dress competition, but unbeknown to Callie Lilac’s wedding team are desperately trying to find the owner of the winning dress, which was submitted with no name…

Despite longing to get back to her studio and her work Callie remains in Yorkshire and begins to give Gingerberry Yarns a make-over in order to make it more saleable, but slowly happy memories of the place come flooding back and Callie begins to be won over by the shops charm, which is helped along by some lovely and loyal customers.

What will happen to Gingerberry Yarns? Will Callie return to London? Will she give Theo another chance and who won the dress competition? This books is full of drama as Callie works out where her heart lies.

This was a lovely read which I really enjoyed. Daisy James has created such a magical place with Gingerberry Yarns that I couldn’t help wishing I could go there myself and join in the Cupcakes and Couture group, despite the fact I’m useless with needles! It was such a warm and comforting place, made even better by the delicious sounding cakes which baker Tom keeps dropping by.

I also loved all of the characters, both in Yorkshire and back in London. They have each been given there own distinct personalities and dreams. One of my favourite characters was Tish, Lilac’s slightly ditzy wedding planner. She was such a hopeless romantic getting swept away with others peoples big days while she waited for her Prince Charming to come and she her off her feet. I loved how Nikki, Lilac’s PA has to step in more than once to help her organise things she’d completely forgotten.

If the Dress Fits was a really enjoyable read, it’s a light-hearted easy read which is perfect for reading in the sunshine. It left me with a warm glow inside and is sure to be a book I reach for when I need cheering up. I’m so looking forward to Daisy’s next book When Only Cupcakes Will do, as I know Daisy is one of those writers that will deliver something I will enjoy.

Thank you to the publishers for this review copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

Holding Out for a Hero by Victoria Van Tiem

Holding Out for a Hero by Victoria Van Tiem

Published: 14th January 2016

Publisher: Pan

Pages: 261

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

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Blurb
The problem with first love is that it never truly dies . . .
Libby London fell in love with the eighties, came of age in the nineties, and now the twenty-first century is baffling her. Her New-York-City style is more, erm, vintage tragedy than retro babe and her penchant for All Things Eighties might just be what's holding her back in matters of life and love . . .
At least that's what her well-meaning friends think. They've staged a #80sIntervention in an effort to bring Libby bang up to date. What with her dreaded birthday party, friends' madcap ambush, and being forced to relocate her vintage shop, Libby's nearing breaking point!
Will she ever be able to move on when the one she loves keeps her in the past?

Review
Holding Out for a Hero by Victoria Van Tiem was a book that arrived through the post one miserable wet morning and it instantly brought a smile to my face, how can it not with such a lovely fun looking cover? This was the first novel that I’ve read by Victoria and I was instantly hooked with her hilarious writing style and quirky characters.


Libby London loves the Eighties so much, her clothes are from the Eighties, she has an Eighties hairstyle and even her job is based on selling Eighties memorabilia. She evens spends most of her time reliving moments from her favourite films from the Eighties. With her thirty-third birthday looming her friends have decided enough is enough and Libby must join them in the twenty-first century. They stage a 80s convention to give Libby an updated make-over and convince her to get back into dating. Can Libby move forward when she’s clinging to the past by holding onto her vintage shop and pining for her first love?

I loved this book, I was laughing nearly all the way through. Libby and her friends Dora, Finn, Dean and Jas were just wonderful to read about and I loved the dynamic between them all. I loved how Libby got so mad with them for various madcap ideas but in the end she realises their only doing it because they care about her. All the characters in this book had their own little quirks and the various “dates” Libby goes on were just brilliant.

There are a lot of references to Eighties films and music in this book, many of which I didn’t get despite being born in the Eighties myself. I don’t think this spoilt the book in any way for me and if you are a fan of this decade then you will no doubt adore all the references and understand the significance of them.

Despite this book being full of comedy moments it also has a serious tone with dealing with Libby’s depression. I thought this was done really well and leaves you thinking that even when life is horrible and you can’t cope keep going because you will get through and you will be alright in the end.

This is a small book at around 250 pages so I managed to read it in a couple of afternoons. It’s jam packed with drama all the way through and I feel Victoria has captured Libby’s story perfectly. I’m so looking forward to picking up Victoria’s first novel Love Like the Movies as I just know I’ll love it.

Thank you so much to Pan for sending me a copy to review. I loved everything about this book and rate it five out of five.

Bella's Christmas Bake Off by Sue Watson

Bella's Christmas Bake Off by Sue Watson

Published: 22nd October 2015

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 314

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

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Blurb

Two best friends. One big lie. The best bake off EVER. Bella Bradley is the queen of television baking - a national treasure. Her Christmas specials have been topping the ratings for years and her marriage to Peter 'Silver Fox' Bradley is the stuff of Hello magazine specials. But this year things are going to be different. For Amy Lane, Bella's best friend from school, life hasn't held quite the same sparkle. And when Amy's husband walks out three weeks from Christmas, it seems their lives are further apart than ever. Amy has watched Bella's rise to fame fondly, despite the fact Bella was always a terrible cook. But when she realises that Bella's latest Christmas book is made up entirely of Amy's mother's recipes, the gloves are off... After winning a competition to appear on Bella's TV show, Amy is going to make sure that for Bella and her viewers, this will definitely be a Christmas to remember... A hilarious, heart-breaking and feel good read about best friends, baking and the magic of Christmas.

Review

After devouring Sue’s last Christmas book I was eager to read her next one and Bella’s Christmas Bake Off has all the ingredients for a perfect Christmas read for me. It was full of laugh out loud moments, entertaining characters, madcap plotlines all topped off with a sprinkling of glitz and glamour.

Amy Lane has just been left by her husband of twenty years for a younger, more flexible woman just weeks before Christmas. She’s gutted as she loves Christmas with all its trimmings and all the extra baking. In order to sooth her broken heart Amy switches on to watch her former childhood friend Bella Bradley serve up the perfect Christmas on her television show Bella’s Christmas Bake-Off. As she watches Amy notices that Bella is using recipes that Amy is very familiar with…because they were her mum’s.

In her anger Amy decides to enter Bella’s competition to win a Christmas cooked by Bella. When she wins Amy forces Bella to cook for the local homeless shelter St. Swithins or she’ll go public about Bella’s recipe stealing. When these two meet after twenty years the sparks fly but Amy begins to realise to how lucky she has been after the sparkly veneer of Bella’s life is peeled away.

Like her previous novels Sue has created characters that we can easy relate to because they’re not perfect! Amy is a little over-weight, she doesn’t make the best of her appearance and she’s jealous of what she believes Bella has, she does however have a caring side which makes her very likable. Although Bella appears to have the wonderful polished life that we can all lust after, once the cameras have gone away there is a very different and lonely woman left behind whose longing for friendship, this made her a very vulnerable and for me made a more likable.

I loved all the references to celebrity chefs such as Mary Berry and Nigella and the food! Oh my goodness, I don’t think it’s possible to read a Sue Watson book without having something to nibble on as the food descriptions are just delicious!

Bella’s Christmas Bake-Off is a book full of humour and comedy moments but by including the homeless shelter Sue has a given it a more serious element and this perfectly portrays the Christmas message that it’s not how much you have at Christmas that makes it special but who you share it with. The scenes from the homeless shelter felt really Christmassy to me when everyone came together to make the big Christmas dinner and these made the book all the more enjoyable.

This book is full of fun and Christmas spirit and I feel it would be the prefect book to read on Christmas Eve, providing of course you’ve stuffed your turkey and prepped your sprouts!

I’d like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book, I really enjoyed it and would rate it 4 out of 5.

The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin

The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin

Published: 16th October 2015

Publisher: Carina UK

Available on Kindle

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Blurb

Le Vie En Rose

Bookshop owner Sarah Smith has been offered the opportunity to exchange bookshops with her new Parisian friend for 6 months! And saying yes is a no-brainer – after all, what kind of a romantic would turn down a trip to Paris? Even if it does mean leaving the irresistible Ridge Warner behind, Sarah’s sure she’s in for the holiday of a lifetime – complete with all the books she can read!

Picturing days wandering around Shakespeare & Co, munching on croissants, sipping café au laits and people-watching on the Champs-Elysees Sarah boards the plane. But will her dream of a Parisian Happily-Ever-After come true? Or will Sarah realise that the dream isn’t quite as rosy in reality…

Review

Once again Rebecca Raisin has manged to charm and enchant us with another brilliant story. The Little Book Shop on the Seine is Rebecca’s first novel which has partly being set away from her lovely town of Ashford. In this book Sarah, owner of The Bookshop on the Corner agrees to a six month book swap with her online friend Sophie who runs Once Upon a Time in Paris.

Sarah heads off believing that Paris will be just as romantic as it is in her books and is hoping to spend some much needed quality time with boyfriend Ridge. However things don’t turn out quite the way she expected and she finds things fairly tough going.

The Little Bookshop on the Seine seems to be a more serious and realistic novel from Rebecca, the characters in this novel aren’t all warm and cosy like the residents of Ashford and I enjoyed this new direction Rebecca has taken. Some of the characters in this book are snappy and rude such as Beatrice and I really enjoyed wondering what exactly her problem was.

Life in Once Upon a Time is busy, disorderly and at times too much for Sarah to deal with after the peace and quiet of her own shop. In this book we see her character develop as she gains more confidence, stands up for herself and takes control of the Parisian shop for Sophie.

As with her previous novels Rebecca has done a fantastic job of creating beautiful scenes from her wonderful descriptions of places in Paris. I loved visiting Anouk in her antique shop and all the quaint hidden little places Oceane introduced Sarah too. One of my favourite scenes was when Oceane took Sarah out for lunch and ordered her steak tartare, I think I would have acted exactly as Sarah did!

I did find that this wasn’t quite as Christmassy as I expected and for that reason I’m glad I’ve read it as one of my first Christmas reads this year. Christmas is only really featured in the last few chapters of the book. However it does do a wonderful have a lovely wintery glow about it, making it perfect to read in front of log fires with hot chocolate and start your Christmas dreams.

As with all previous Rebecca Raisin novels I loved everything about this book. I loved that Rebecca has given us a little bit more depth and mystery to her story but still kept that warm and cosy feeling at the heart of her writing. Although this follows on from previous novels it can be read completely as a stand-alone and make total sense. Definitely a book to add to your winter reading this year, I rate it 5 out 5!

Thank you to Carina UK and Netgalley for my review copy.

Shopaholic to the Rescue by Sophie Kinsella

Shopaholic to the Rescue by Sophie Kinsella

Published: 22nd October 2015

Publisher: Bantam Press (Transworld)

Pages: 320

Available in Hardback and on Kindle

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Blurb

To Las Vegas . . . and beyond!

Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) is on a major rescue mission! Hollywood was full of surprises, and now she's on a road trip to Las Vegas to help her friends and family.

She's determined to get to the bottom of why her dad has mysteriously disappeared, help her best friend Suze and even bond with long-time enemy Alicia Bitch Long-legs (maybe...).

As Becky discovers just how much her friends and family need help, she comes up with her biggest, boldest, most brilliant plan yet! So can she save the day just when they need her most?

Review

Shopaholic to the Rescue is the much anticipated next book from Sophie Kinsella, a direct follow on from Shopaholic to the Stars ( I believe, I have to confess I have not read this one yet…its somewhere in my book pile) which sees Becky and the gang head off to Vegas in search of Becky’s missing dad, Tarquin and Bryce. Can Becky save the day and find her missing dad as well as patching things up with best friend Suze?

As this book follows on from a cliff-hanger ending from the last book it took me a few chapters to work out exactly what had gone on in the previous book, although it didn’t take long to feel the familiarity of the main characters once again. I loved been back in amongst one of Becky’s madcap plans and this one is probably one of the more extreme, chasing round America looking for her dad’s old friends in order to find her dad and gain justice for Brent (one of the old friends).

As with previous Shopaholic books there are some extremely funny moments, my favourite from this book was Minnie riding round the rodeo ring on a sheep, I loved it!

 I did feel however that this doesn’t have that Becky magic from earlier books. Becky seems to have grown a little in maturity in her thinking and actions, especially towards shopping, which was good for her but took her away from the Becky I know and love.

Shopaholic to the Rescue has tied up all the loose ends from the previous book and for me it feels like a natural place for the Shopaholic series to come to an end. I will treasure the Shopaholic books for a long time but I would love to see Sophie Kinsella write more stand-alone novels as The Un-domestic Goddess and I’ve Got Your Number? are a couple of my all-time favourite books and I’d love more like them.

I don’t think this is the best Shopaholic book and if you’re new to the series I don’t think it’s the easiest one to start with as there are a lot of characters to get your head round, once you do however you will love them. It’s an enjoyable book which made me laugh all the way through and it’s the prefect light hearted read.

I like to give Shopaholic to the Rescue 4 out of 5 stars and would like to thank the team at Transworld for sending me a copy to review.

The Misadventures of a Playground Mother by Christie Barlow

 

The Misadventures of a Playground Mother by Christie Barlow

Published: 11th September 2015

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 300

Available on Kindle

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Blurb

New term. New dramas. New friendships. And that’s just the parents…

After a year of country living, Rachel Young is finally getting into the swing of things. Her four kids are happy and content at the village school, and she’s managed to navigate the choppy (shark-infested) waters of the playground mafia.

Or… so she thought.

When playground mum Penelope Kensington moves herself and her kids into Rachel’s home, after discovering husband Rupert has been having an affair, Rachel knows she must ask them politely to leave. The problem is, Penelope never takes no for an answer.

As Rachel tries to deal with Penelope, she also meets new school mum Melanie. Melanie is a breath of fresh air, but her arrival sends ripples of gossip through the playground. Melanie has a few secrets in her closet, and it seems she’s not the only one…

 

Review

 

The Misadventures of a Playground Mother is Christie Barlow’s second novel featuring mum of four Rachel Young and her adventures in the playground in the village of Tattersfield. If you read the first novel then like me you will have been longing to find out what happened after Rupert was a little too honest on New Year’s Eve.  Luckily for me I already had a copy of the second novel already to go so I could dive straight in. Don’t worry if you haven’t read the first book (but you really should its brilliant!) Christie gives us enough background information in the first couple of chapters so you can work out who is who and what happened previously.

I think I loved this one even more than the first book. Penelope has become even worse for Rachel to deal with, subjecting her to tacky speed dating, airport hysterics and meltdowns at the school fair. I really liked the introduction of new character Melanie and liked that Rachel was able to make a normal friend to counteract Penelope’s craziness. It was also good to read about the little romance blooming between Melanie and the hunky farrier.

The Misadventures of a Playground Mother is a book which echoes the reality of the playground and vamps it up making for a thoroughly enjoyable read. All the way the book you’re just longing for Rachel to tell Penelope No!! As the book comes full circle back to New Year’s Eve Penelope finally gets her comeuppance and it’s just perfect for her!

As a sequel this is just as good as Christie’s first novel and one I enjoyed immensely. I love her to revisit Rachel’s life again, but if not I’m sure her next novel will be just as brilliant and one I can’t wait to read.

I’d like to thank Bookouture for sending me a review copy though Netgalley and give this book 5 out 5.  

 

A Year in the Life of a Playground Mother by Christie Barlow

 

A Year in the Life of a Playground Mother by Christie Barlow

Published: 9th June 2014

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 336

Available on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Blurb

A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF A PLAYGROUND MOTHER Ever had the pleasure of collecting your children from the school playground? Even if you haven't this is a hilarious must read. A month by month comical tale of a young mother fighting for her place in the world against the backdrop of the Playground Mafia. As her life unfolds and she takes us through from one amusing anecdote to another the characters come to life. There is Penelope who has a lot more going on in her life than she bargained for and Mrs Noland who has a lot less than she claims, not to mention Rupert who is a VERY busy man. With Mrs High School Musical, The International Sex God and The Frisky Pensioner, the characters are undeniably fascinating and leave you compelled to read more. Who knew that one false move in the playground, one step in the wrong direction or smile at the wrong person could lead to such complications? The witty one liners and side splitting stories will keep you amused from beginning to end. Lively and entertaining, a hilarious comedy that every playground mother can relate to.

 

Review

A Year in the Life of a Playground Mother follows life of Rachel Young as she leaves behind the bitchiness and competition of the suburban mothers and sets off for a quiet life in the county…or so she thought. Instantly Rachel is catapulted into the extreme madness of the playground mothers in Tattersfield, a small village and unwittingly she befriends probably the maddest and most competitive person of them all Penelope Kensington. As the school year progresses will Rachel make it out sane or will she succumb to the playground mafia.

I loved this book so much, it’s probably one of the funniest books I’ve ever read with the most annoying characters I’ve ever had the pleasure to read about: Penelope Kensington. Imagine every annoying thing that a primary school mother can do and this woman will do it and no one will stand in her way as she just doesn’t understand the word NO. Penelope is a woman who you just love to hate and throughout reading this book you will just want to shout NO PENELOPE!! Many, many times. Poor, poor Rachel being stuck with her, the woman deserves a medal!

This was a hilarious and quick read for me as the writing style is very easy flowing. It felt like Rachel was telling me the story herself over a coffee and it was very addictive. I also loved the way so much happened, there was constantly some drama taking place, usually with Penelope at the centre of it and dragging Rachel along for the ride.

I was lucky that I was able to read the follow on book for this straight after as there was a cliff-hanger ending that just made me desperate to find out what was going to happen. So I would definitely suggest you pick up this book and its sequel Misadventures of a Playground Mother and read them back to back.

I loved this book and rate it 5/5, one to share around the playground with your fellow mums.