Showcase Sunday #9

 

Showcase Sunday is a weekly event hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits and Tea where book bloggers share what books they have added to their collection in the previous week. This week I've been very good and only added two books to my tbr pile.

 

 

Firstly I received this to review from bookbridgr, thank you bookbrigr and headline.

 

 

Secondly I was sent this to review from Choc Lit, it looks really good and is due for release on October 7th.

 

What new books did you add to your collection this week? Link up with Vicky's blog and see everyone's list here.

 

 

 

 

Release Day Round-Up #3

Just three picks for my release day round up this week:

 The Beginner's Gide to the Birds and the Bees by Sophie Hart

Publication Date: September 19th 2014

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 384

Available on Kindle and Paperback

Pre-Order now from Amazon

 

What happens in the bedroom doesn’t have to stay in the bedroom
A refreshingly open and uplifting romantic comedy about friendship, love and sex. Sometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone in order to give a relationship a good dose of TLC…

Sex therapist Annie Hall helps couples put the fizz back into their relationships. It’s a shame her own love life is non-existent. When Jamie who works next door catches her eye, she can’t ignore the spark of chemistry.

Most men would jump at the chance to skive off work for an afternoon quickie with their gorgeous wife, but Nick knows Julia is after only one thing – a baby. Sex shouldn’t be a chore. Can Annie help Julia see that?

Newly engaged Zoe and Simon can’t keep their hands off each other. They’ve decided to take a vow of celibacy until their wedding night. Will Annie help them stick to it?

Roy and Linda have been married for over thirty years but she’s more interested in the family business than getting intimate with him. Can Annie convince Linda to rediscover her passion for Roy after all this time?

While Annie begins to work her magic with the three couples, she soon discovers that she’ll need to take some of her own advice if she’s going to let a new man into her life.

 

I loved this book, see my full review here. If you enjoyed her previous novel then this is a must read.

 Twitter Girl by Nic Tatano

Published: Septeber 18th September 2014

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Pages: 288

Available in Kindle from Amazon

 

Meet America’s Tweet-Heart.

She’s network reporter Cassidy Shea, better known as @TwitterGirl, with more than a million followers thanks to her sarcastic tweets. One hundred forty characters that can take anyone down a notch.

But while brevity may be the soul of wit, it can also get you fired.

When a controversial tweet goes viral the snarky redhead finds herself locked out of the career she loves… and watches her boyfriend take a hike.

Alas, no industry values sarcasm more than politics, and Cassidy becomes a marketable commodity for Presidential candidate Will Becker, a squeaky-clean, stone cold lock to be the next occupant of the White House. This candidate is unlike any other; he’s the country’s most eligible bachelor. He’s also looking for a running mate, and we’re not talking about a Vice President.

Twitter Girl has caught his eye.

Cassidy finds herself swept up in a whirlwind romance that turns her into the next Jackie Kennedy and becomes the favorite to be the next First Lady. The country can’t get enough of America’s First Couple… will Cassidy and Will Becker bring back Camelot?

But an anonymous tip triggers her journalistic curiosity. Is Will Becker all that he seems? The search for the answer teaches Cassidy the meaning of love.

 

I've not read anything by Nic Tatano yet but this looks really good, plus I'm intrigued to read some chick-lit written by a man.

 

 After the Wedding by Roisin Meaney

Published: September 18th 2014

Publisher: Hachette Books Ireland

Pages: 400

Available in Kindle and Paperback

 

After a bumpy start, Nell and James have finally said 'I do' and everything seems to be falling into place. Nell is getting comfortable in her new role as stepmother to James' sixteen-year-old son Andy, she's finally mending fences with her father and she's ready to look to the future.

Then Nell's ex-fiancé Tim - her husband James' brother - comes back to Roone, a place he's never liked, and she begins to feel uneasy. As the summer days roll by, and Tim seems in no hurry to return to his wife and daughter, Nell is finding it more and more difficult to enjoy her new beginning.

But when the little island of Roone is rocked by the disappearance of a young child, Nell realises that life can change in a single moment. Will happiness be restored before the autumn comes?

I really like the sound of this book and this is an author that I've not heard of before, so that excites me.

 

Book Review - The Beginner's Guide to the Birds and the Bees by Sophie Hart

 

The Beginner's Guide to the Birds and the Bees by Sophie Hart

Published: September 19th 2014

Publisher: Bookouture

Available on Kindle, pre-order here,

 

 

 

Blurb

What happens in the bedroom doesn’t have to stay in the bedroom A refreshingly open and uplifting romantic comedy about friendship, love and sex. Sometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone in order to give a relationship a good dose of TLC…

Sex therapist Annie Hall helps couples put the fizz back into their relationships. It’s a shame her own love life is non-existent. When Jamie who works next door catches her eye, she can’t ignore the spark of chemistry.

Most men would jump at the chance to skive off work for an afternoon quickie with their gorgeous wife, but Nick knows Julia is after only one thing – a baby. Sex shouldn’t be a chore. Can Annie help Julia see that?

Newly engaged Zoe and Simon can’t keep their hands off each other. They’ve decided to take a vow of celibacy until their wedding night. Will Annie help them stick to it?

Roy and Linda have been married for over thirty years but she’s more interested in the family business than getting intimate with him. Can Annie convince Linda to rediscover her passion for Roy after all this time?

While Annie begins to work her magic with the three couples, she soon discovers that she’ll need to take some of her own advice if she’s going to let a new man into her life.

If you’re a fan of Tracy Bloom’s No one Ever Has Sex on a Tuesday and Lindsey Kelk, kick your feet up, turn off your phone, and sink into Sophie’s novel

 

Review

Firstly thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

 

Sophie Hart’s first book The Naughty Girls Book Club was one of my favourite reads of last year; it was funny, heart-warming and engaging.  If you enjoyed her last book as much as I did then you will not be disappointed by this one. It is very similar, in that it has the same sort of premise where a group of unlikely characters come together and become friends. The characters are on the whole engaging and the story flows really, probably a little too well as this book was finished far too soon.

From the blurb I expected this book to talk heavily about sex, in fact  it doesn’t feature that much, Annie as the sex therapist talks to her clients more about how their emotional relationships are working rather than actual physical sexual problems.  I liked this as it gave more insight into the characters and their insecurities; this particularly came through with Ray and Linda’s relationship.

Out of all the characters I think Ray was my favourite, he reminded me of a big squashy teddy bear and I just wanted to go give him a hug and tell him everything would be alright in the end. I also loved Annie, she was so sassy and confident most of the time but she let her insecurities about finding love show a couple of times which just made me love her. The way the sparks built up between her and Jamie was really well done and I couldn’t wait to find out if anything would happen between them.

If you read Sophie’s previous novel then you are in for another treat with this one and if you haven’t read it I still recommend you read this as its honest, funny and very well written. I just hoping a third novel is not too far away.

Rating 5/5

Top Ten Tuesday - Authors I've Only Read One Book From But Need to Rad More

 

This week's Top Ten was authors you've only read one book from but need to read more, this is a great list for me as I've read so many new authors over the last three months , most over which I'm desperate to read more from. This list is in no particular order:

 

 

1. Melissa Hill

I read A Gift to Remember last month and I loved it, Darcy was such a great character who I really related to. I particularly want to read The Charm Bracelet and Something from Tiffany's both of which sound perfect reads for me.

 

 

 

2. Natalie Meg Evans

If you want a historical romance with a hint of mystery then this is the book for you, I loved it and cannot wait until her next book The Milliner's Secret is released next spring.

 

 

3. Rosie Fiore

Back in 2012 I became pregnant after trying for months and I devoured almost every mum to be book I could get my hands on, this was one of the best. I've not picked up her other book Wonder Woman yet but it look like something I would really like.

 

4. Emma Garcia

I found this brilliantly funny and loved Viv as a main character. Really want to pick up the sequel OMG Baby soon.

 

 

 

 

5. Katie Fforde

I cannot believe that I've got to 31 and this was the first Katie Fforde book that I read, I know it definitely wont be the last, its just deciding which one to read next from all the others.

 

 

 

6. Lucy Diamond

This was the first book that I wrote a review for on this blog so will always be a favourite. I'd never read any Lucy Diamond before and was surprised how much I enjoyed it. I really want to read The Beach Café, Sweet Temptation and One Night in Italy before too long.


7. John Green

 This book was everywhere when I started blogging so I had to read and I'm so glad I did, this book was amazing and has made me want to read all of John Green's other books, I have An Abundance of Katherine's on my tbr pile so should read it before the end of the year.




8. Philip Kazan
I won this book off Goodreads and was so excited as it was the first book I've ever received for free. The descriptive language in this book is just stunning and very absorbing, I can't wait to see what his next book is like.



9. Jill Steeples
This is a really good chick-lit read which has wetted my appetite for more of Jill Steeples' work, hopefully I can read Desperatley  Seeking Heaven soon as this sounds so good.



10. Zara Stoneley
This book had me laughing all the way through, it was just brilliant. The rest of Zara's work seems to be more erotic fiction than chick lit but I still really want to read more from her and hope there is a sequel to Stable Mates to read

So that's my list this week, what is on yours? To see everyone's list take a look here.

Showcase Sunday #8

 

Showcase Sunday is a weekly event hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits and Tea where book bloggers share what books they have added to their collection in the previous week.  This week I have been fairly good and just bought one book and picked one up in the local library.

 

 

 

I bought Daughter by Jane Shemilt and picked up The Playground by Julia Kelly which I was super excited about as it was only released this week. What new books did you receive this week? Link up with Vicky's blog and see the list here.

 

Book Review - The Wish List by Jane Costello

 

The Wish List by Jane Costello

Published: April 2013

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 496

Available in Kindle or Paperback

 

Blurb    

There are six months left of Emma Reiss's twenties. . . and she has some unfinished business.
Emma and her friends are about to turn thirty, and for Emma it's a defining moment. Defined, that is, by her having achieved none of the things she'd imagined she would.
Her career is all wrong, her love life is a desert and that penthouse apartment she pictured herself in simply ne...more There are six months left of Emma Reiss's twenties. . . and she has some unfinished business.
Emma and her friends are about to turn thirty, and for Emma it's a defining moment. Defined, that is, by her having achieved none of the things she'd imagined she would.
Her career is all wrong, her love life is a desert and that penthouse apartment she pictured herself in simply never materialised. Moreover, she's never jumped out of a plane, hasn't met the man she's going to marry, has never slept under the stars, or snogged anyone famous - just some of the aspirations on a list she and her friends compiled fifteen years ago.
As an endless round of birthday parties sees Emma hurtle towards her own thirtieth, she sets about addressing these issues. But, as she discovers with hilarious consequences, some of them are trickier to tick off than she'd thought…

 

Review

This book has been on my to read pile for months and I finally decided it was time to read it and I was instantly hooked, Jane Costello is definitely one of my new favourite writers, this book was brilliant.

It tells the story 29 year old Emma Reiss who is approaching the big 3-Oh and worrying that life has past her by. One day she stumbles upon a list she made when she was fifteen of all the things she wanted to do before she was thirty. This list includes things like become an interior designer and find the man you will marry, along with more extreme things such as jump out of a plane. Emma decides to embark on completing the list in the six months left before her birthday.

Emma is the perfect heroine for a chick-lit novel, she’s funny, caring and just a little bit clumsy which make her adorable and right from the start you’re rooting for her.  This book has some wonderful hilarious scenes, my personal favourite being the night Emma spends in a tent with Rob, just brilliant!

There is also number of sub-plots happening in this book which involve her sister Marianne and two friends Cally and Asha. I felt these added an extra dimension and made the story more realistic, they also added a little bit of heartbreak. My favourite character was Giles; I just loved how he changed from being so grumpy to funny and loving once he found the right woman.

I adored this book and found Jane Costello’s writing very addictive and this book was finished far too soon.  I cannot wait to read more of her work.

Rating 5/5

 

 

Release Day Round-Up #2

Here is my pick of my favourite new releases for this week, the first two I have been lucky enough to read and review already:

 

The Best of Me by Nicolas Sparks

(Movie Tie-In Version)

Available in: Kindle, Paperback

Published: September 11th 2014 (this version)

Publisher: Sphere

Pages: 336

Order here from Amazon

 

They were teenage sweethearts from opposite sides of the tracks - with a passion that would change their lives for ever. But life would force them apart.

Years later, the lines they had drawn between past and present are about to slip . . . Called back to their hometown for the funeral of the mentor who once gave them shelter when they needed it most, they are faced with each other once again, and forced to confront the paths they chose. Can true love ever rewrite the past?

 

This was the first Nicholas Sparks book that I have read and I loved it, read my full review here.

 

 

 

Crossing the Line by Kerry Wilkinson

Available: Kindle and Paperback

Published: September 11th 2014

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Pages: 300

Order from Amazon here

 

Long before Jessica Daniel became a police detective, Manchester was a ghost city after dark. Fear ruled as people were afraid to be out by themselves, the notorious Stretford Slasher terrorizing its inhabitants.

Now, twenty-five years on and the media are feeling nostalgic. But Jessica has a new case to worry about. Apparent strangers are being targeted in broad daylight, the attacker unworried about being caught. If only Jessica and her team could track him down . . .

It's the coldest spring in memory and Jessica has old friends to look out for, plus secrets - so many secrets - that should have long been buried.

This was the first Kerry Wilkinson book I've read and I'm sure it won't be my last as planning on going back and reading from book 1 in the series, hopefully before book nine makes an appearance. Check out my full review here.

Here are three books which are also out today but I've yet to pick up a copy to read:

 

The School Gate Survival Guide by Kerry Fisher

Available on Kindle and Paperback

Published: September 11th 2014

Publisher: Avon

Pages: 400

Order from amazon here

 

Maia Etxeleku is a cleaner for ladies who lunch. With mops and buckets in tow, she spends her days dashing from house to house cleaning up after them, as they rush from one exhausting Pilates class to the next.
But an unusual inheritance catapults her into the very exclusive world of Stirling Hall School – a place where no child can survive without organic apricots and no woman goes a week without a manicure.
As Maia and her children, Bronte and Harley, try to settle into their new life, Maia is inadvertently drawn to the one man who can help her family fit in. But is his interest in her purely professional? And will it win her any favours at the school gate?
A hilarious, straight-talking read for anyone who's ever despaired at the politics of the school run.

I love the sound of this one as I love a good "mum" book and this looks like it could be good to curl up with after a miserable wet school run, which I'm sure will be happening in the not so distant future.

 

The Honeymoon Hotel by Hester Browne

Available in Kindle and Paperback

Published: September 11th 2014

Publisher: Quercus

Pages: 448

Order from Amazon here

 

The Bonneville Hotel is the best kept secret in Mayfair: its art deco suites and glittering ballrooms a former home-away-from-home for royalty and film stars alike. Recent years haven't been kind, but thanks to Events Manager Rosie, the Bonneville is reclaiming some of its old cachet as a chic retro-glam wedding venue.
While Rosie's weddings are the ultimate in romance, Rosie herself isn't; she's focused on the details, not the dramas. But when the hotel owner appoints his eccentric son Joe to the Bonneville staff, Rosie finds herself up against an unprecedented challenge: a rival whose predilection for the unconventional could derail not only Rosie's own career, but the most elaborate, high-profile wedding the Bonneville has ever seen.

I've yet to read anything by Hester Browne but this could finally be the book that I pick up, I love the sound of Rosie and the plot and think the cover is just beautiful.

 

The Long Fall by Julia Crouch

Available in Kindle and Paperback

Published: September 11th 2014

Publisher: Headline

Pages: 448

Order from Amazon here

 

How far would you go to protect your secrets?

Greece, 1980

Emma takes part in a shattering, violent event. An event to which she is anything but an innocent bystander.
She is only eighteen, but this marks her fall from innocence.
It will haunt her for the rest of her life.

London, now

Kate has the perfect existence: a glossy image, a glamorous home, a perfect family.
But there are cracks.
All is not what it seems.

And now the two worlds are about to collide.
Somebody's out for revenge.
Someone who has been waiting thirty years...

I'm really intrigued by this book and cannot wait to read it and find out what its all about. So that is the books that I'm most excited about from this weeks releases, what book has interested you this week?