Top Ten Tuesday - 2015 Releases I Meant to Read But Didn't

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish who love list making an reading. Each week there is a different book related list to create and share with other bloggers and readers. this week's list is 2015 releases I meant to read but didn't, now I could have added hundreds of books to this list! I've decided to focus just on chick lit as this had the most books I seemed to have "missed"

1. Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Café  by Milly Johnson

Her marriage is all washed up. It's time for a clean start.
Connie Diamond has always been her husband Jimmy's 'best girl' - or so she thought. But then she discovers that he's been playing away for the past twenty-four years, and that the chocolates she believed he bought her as a sign of his love were just a cover-up, and she is determined to get revenge.
Along with Della Frostick, Jimmy's right-hand woman at his cleaning firm, Diamond Shine, Connie decides to destroy Jimmy's life from the inside. Together they will set up a rival business called Lady Muck, and along with the cleaning ladies who meet at the Sunflower Café, they'll make him wish he had never so much as looked at another woman.
Then Connie meets the charming Brandon Locke, a master chocolatier, whose kind chocolate-brown eyes start to melt her soul. Can the ladies of the Sunflower Café help Connie scrub away the hurt? And can Brandon cure her affliction and make her smile again?

 I am really disappointed in myself for not reading this. I am huge Milly Johnson fan and have devoured her previous novels as soon as they are released. Just not sure why this one hasn't made it off the tbr pile yet, hopefully it will before she releases her next book.

2. Country Affairs by Zara Stoneley

Welcome back to Tippermere for the wedding of the year…

Scatty but loveable Lottie Brinkley is famous throughout the village for her disorganised personality so when she steps up to plan the perfect wedding the only likely outcome is disaster.

When her globetrotting, love cheat of an ex, Todd, literally crashes the wedding on a not-so-noble steed, things definitely look set to take a turn for the scandalous. As rumours of why he’s back spread through the village quicker than the stable girl can drop her knickers, is Lottie's future with sexy eventer Rory Steel about to fall at the next fence?

With a wave of unexpected pregnancies, steamy shenanigans in the hay and a farrier with more than shoeing horses on his mind, will Lottie ever be ready to take on the coveted title of Lady of the Manor and restore the Estate to its former glory?

As the heart of the village, Tipping House Estate, makes its move into the 21st Century, pulses start to race in a novel packed full of charm, hunky stallions (the guys that is), and a daring plan that just has to succeed…

This is another book the I am hugely disappointed in not reading, especially if you look closely at the cover and see a certain blog name is mentioned (my bad!). I think part of not picking this was up was that I knew I was going to enjoy it and wanted to take my time with it and as last year was so busy my reading time was always rushed while waiting for the school bus. I'm planning on find an afternoon to myself and getting stuck into this very soon.

3. After You by Jojo Moyes

Lou Clark has lots of questions.

Like how it is she's ended up working in an airport bar, spending every shift watching other people jet off to new places.
Or why the flat she's owned for a year still doesn't feel like home.
Whether her close-knit family can forgive her for what she did eighteen months ago.
And will she ever get over the love of her life.
What Lou does know for certain is that something has to change.
Then, one night, it does.
But does the stranger on her doorstep hold the answers Lou is searching for - or just more questions?
Close the door and life continues: simple, ordered, safe.
Open it and she risks everything.
But Lou once made a promise to live. And if she's going to keep it, she has to invite them in . . .

I think anyone who read Me Before You will have been touched Lou and Will's story and will have longed to find out what Lou did next, so thank you Jojo for writing us a sequel I just I'd had time to read it

4. The Great Village Show by Alexandra Brown

Tindledale is in a titter. The Village Show competition is coming around again and after last year’s spectacular failure, the villagers are determined to win. Meg, teacher at the local school, is keen to help and to impose some much-needed order.

After a terse encounter with a newcomer to the village, Meg discovers that it is celebrity chef and culinary bad boy, Dan Wright. Meg thinks he is arrogant and rude but rumour has it that Dan is opening a new restaurant in the village which could really put Tindledale on the map!

As things come together, villagers old and new all start to come out of the woodwork, including new arrival Jessie, who seems to have it all. But first impressions can be deceptive and Meg discovers that when it comes to Tindledale – and Dan – nothing is ever quite as it seems…

I loved Alexandra's first book set in Tindledale, The Great Christmas Knit-Off and was really looking forward to another visit there as I just fell in love with the characters and everything about the village. Hopefully I'll get to read this before her next book hit the shelves.

5. Appleby Farm by Cathy Bramley

Freya Moorcroft has wild red hair, mischievous green eyes, a warm smile and a heart of gold. She’s been happy working at the café round the corner from Ivy Lane allotments and her romance with her new boyfriend is going well, she thinks, but a part of her still misses the beautiful rolling hills of her Cumbrian childhood home: Appleby Farm.

Then a phone call out of the blue and a desperate plea for help change everything…

The farm is in financial trouble, and it’s taking its toll on the aunt and uncle who raised Freya. Heading home to lend a hand, Freya quickly learns that things are worse than she first thought. As she summons up all her creativity and determination to turn things around, Freya is surprised as her own dreams for the future begin to take shape.

Love makes the world go round, according to Freya. Not money. But will saving Appleby Farm and following her heart come at a price?

Cathy Bramley is an author who I've never read but I'm just dying to read this and her previous book Ivy Lane so much both have beautiful covers and being set in the country they really appeal to me. This is an author I really need to take time to discover this year.

6. A Very Big House in the Country

'Holidays are about surviving the gaps between one meal and another.'


For one long hot summer in Devon, three families are sharing one very big house in the country. The Herreras: made up of two tired parents, three grumbling children and one promiscuous dog; the Littles: he's loaded (despite two divorces and five kids), she's gorgeous, but maybe the equation for a truly happy marriage is a bit more complicated than that; and the Browns, who seem oddly jumpy around people, but especially each other.


By the pool, new friendships blossom; at the aga door, resentments begin to simmer. Secret crushes are formed and secret cigarettes cadged by the teens, as the adults loosen their inhibitions with litres of white wine and start to get perhaps a little too honest ...


Mother hen to all, Evie Herreras has a life-changing announcement to make, one that could rock the foundations of her family. But will someone else beat her to it?

I loved Claire previous novel What Would Mary Berry Do? and this sounds even better, a big house, three families to me it just screams hilarious moments that will have me laughing all the way through and I'm gutted I haven't yet read this book.

7. The Woman Who Fell in Love for a Week

Teacher Jenny loves her summer job house-sitting, and she's looking forward to a fortnight looking after The Old Rectory, a quintessentially English pile stuffed with glorious artwork and books. Owned by two celebrated writers, everything about it boasts of a successful family, reminding Jenny of her own happy home life before divorce. In a sizzling heatwave, as Jenny encounters the forceful personalities of the family dog and the eccentric neighbours, she soon starts to realize that the Lewis family may not be as enviably perfect as their big portrait above the fireplace suggests. And a new friendship may represent a surprise second chance in Jenny's life that paints a whole new picture.

Fiona Walker has been one of my long-term favourite authors and I usually enjoy her latest book on my summer holiday. However this didn't happen last year so I'll probably try and read this when we have our summer holiday this year as it sounds the perfect beach read.

8. If You Go Away by Adele Parks

1914. Vivian, a young, impassioned debutante is hurried into a pedestrian marriage to cover a scandal. War breaks out on her wedding day - domestically and across Europe. Quick to escape the disappointment of matrimony, her traditionalist husband immediately enlists and Vivian has no alternative than to take up the management and running of his estate - after all, everyone is required to do their bit. Even pretty, inadequately-educated young wives.

Howard, a brilliant young playwright rushes to the front to see for himself the best and the worst of humanity; he cannot imagine what the horror might be. In March 1916, when conscription becomes law, it is no longer enough for him to report on the War, it's a legal requirement that he joins the ranks. Howard refuses, becoming one of the most notorious conscientious objectors of the time. Disarmingly handsome, famous, articulate and informed, he's a threat to the government. Narrowly escaping a death sentence by agreeing to take essential work on Vivian's farm, it's only then Howard understands what is worth fighting for.

Adele Parks is another favourite author whose books I like to keep up to date with. Although her previous novel Spare Brides wasn't my favourite I'm still keen to read her latest historical novel as this sounds really good.

9. The Love Shack by Jane Costello

Life's great when you're 29 years old with a gorgeous girlfriend and fulfilling job. Until you have to move back in with your mum . . .

Dan and Gemma have found their dream first home, but the asking price is the stuff of nightmares. The only way they'll ever save enough for the deposit is by moving in, rent-free, with Dan's mum.

It's a desperate solution, but it's only for six months. And Gemma's determined to
make it work, no matter how bad things get.

But between Dan's mum's kitchen karaoke, her constant innuendos, irrepressible argumentative streak and - worst of all - her ham and pineapple curries, life back at home would test the patience of two saints. Which Dan and Gemma most definitely are not.

Then, as they're trying to convince themselves it will all be worth it, Gemma's past comes back to haunt her. And suddenly the foundations of their entire relationship are shaken to their core…

I think this book sounds like a brilliant read which will be full of humorous moments, definitely one I'm sad I haven't managed to read yet.

10. Dream a little Dream by Giovanna Fletcher

Sarah is doing just fine. Sure she's been single for the last five years, and has to spend an uncomfortable amount of time around her ex-boyfriend, his perfect new girlfriend and all their mutual friends. And yes, her job as a PA to one of the most disgusting men in London is mind-numbingly tedious and her career is a constant disappointment to her mother. But it's really okay. She's happy (ish).

But it's not surprising that when Sarah starts dreaming about a handsome stranger, she begins to look forward to falling asleep every night. Reality isn't nearly as exciting. That is until her dream-stranger makes an unexpected real-life appearance, leaving Sarah questioning everything she thought she wanted.

Because no one ever really finds the person of their dreams... do they?  

I have to confess I was initially drawn to this book because I think the cover is stunning, the story does sounds intriguing though, feel this is definitely a curl up in your bed read.

So that is my top ten chick-lit books which I missed reading last year. It will be interesting to see if I actually manage to fit them in this year among all this years amazing books. If you would like to play along with the list week then go along to The Broke and the Bookish and add you link.

A Merry Mistletoe Wedding by Judy Astley

A Merry Mistletoe Wedding by Judy Astley

Published: 3rd December 2015 (Paperback Edition)

Publisher: Transworld

Pages: 352

Available in Hardback, Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Blurb

It is almost a year since Sean and Thea met and it's been a roller-coaster ride: they're getting married on Christmas Eve!

Neither Thea or Sean want a big fuss - a simple wedding, with Christmas carols and just a few sprigs of mistletoe for decoration is all they need. But before they know it, things begin to get complicated. Trying to manage a long-distance relationship in the build-up to their Christmas wedding is one thing, but as one challenge after another comes their way, the happy couple begin to wonder if they'll ever make it down the aisle...

Review

A Merry Mistletoe Wedding is Judy Astley’s Christmas novel for 2015. It follows on from last year’s book It Must Have Been the Mistletoe, which I’d suggest you read first if you haven’t already and would like to. A Merry Mistletoe Wedding could be read as a standalone novel but I feel it works best as a sequel as you would miss out on a lot of information which really adds to the story if you haven’t read the first book.

In this novel Thea are Sean are planning their wedding which they want to be held in Cornwall at Christmas just like how they met. All they really want for their day is the beach, some mistletoe and each other but like any wedding they incur a number of setbacks which make them question if getting married really is the right thing to do?

Like Judy’s other Christmas novels this book has a fabulous cover which oozes festive spirit with the Christmas tree and all the twinkling lights. However unlike It Must Have Been the Mistletoe it didn’t feel like it was a Christmas novel at all. In fact Christmas only features in a little of Emily’s plans and right at the very end of the book. Despite this, I did really enjoy this book.  I loved following Thea on her journey through wedding planning with difficulties from her family and was hoping she’d eventually find her happy ever after.

Along with Thea and her wedding plans the book also features narrative from Anna who is on the hunt for a new home and Emily who is struggling with post-natal depression after giving birth to Ned her third child. I really felt closer to Emily in this book as we learn more about her depression and her fears of being snowed in again and something bad happening to baby Ned. Surprisingly it seems to be family friend Charlotte who makes the most effort to try and help Emily and these scenes were definitely my favourites in the book.

I really enjoyed this book and Judy’s writing style which is heart-warming and easy to read has definitely put Judy Astley in my “must read more of” for this year. Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley who sent me a copy to review. I’d rate this book 4/5.

Release Day Round Up #15

For 2016 I have decided to bring back my Release Day Round Up posts which I wrote back in 2014. I've decided to do this for two reasons. Firstly I probably won't be reading as much this year so want to share as many wonderful book with you as possible and secondly they may end up acting as mini reviews while  I catch up with the backlog of reviews I have to write. Each week I'm going to just pick my top three releases so these posts don't end up mega long. I am working on a release date page for all books that catch my eye this year so pop back soon for to check that out. So for this week my picks are:

Try Not to Breathe by Holly Seddon

Published: 7th January 2016

Publisher: Corvus

Pages: 384

Available in Hardback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Blurb

You won't be able to put it down.
Just remember to breathe.

Alex is sinking. Slowly but surely, she's cut herself off from everything but her one true love - drink. Until she's forced to write a piece about a coma ward, where she meets Amy.

Amy is lost. When she was fifteen, she was attacked and left for dead in a park. Her attacker was never found. Since then, she has drifted in a lonely, timeless place. She's as good as dead, but not even her doctors are sure how much she understands.

Alex and Amy grew up in the same suburbs, played the same music, flirted with the same boys. And as Alex begins to investigate the attack, she opens the door to the same danger that has left Amy in a coma...

I think this sounds really intriguing and slightly creepy and just what I'd fancy reading after all the Christmas romances.

The House at Quill Court by Charlotte Betts

Published: 7th January 2016 (Kindle Only)

Publisher: Piatkus

Pages: 383

Available on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Blurb

1813. Venetia Lovell lives by the sea in Kent with her pretty, frivolous mother and idle younger brother. Venetia's father, Theo, is an interior decorator to the rich and frequently travels away from home, leaving his sensible and artistic daughter to look after the family. Venetia designs paper hangings and she and her father often daydream about having an imaginary shop where they would display the highest quality furniture, fabrics and art to his clients.
When a handsome but antagonistic stranger, Jack Chamberlaine, arrives at the Lovell's cottage just before Christmas bringing terrible news, Venetia's world is turned upside-down and the family have no option but to move to London, to the House in Quill Court and begin a new life. Here, Venetia's courage and creativity are tested to breaking point, and she discovers a love far greater than she could have ever imagined . . .

I love a good historical fiction novel and the Regency period is one of my favourites. Charlotte Betts is an author I've not read yet so really looking forward to giving this book a read this year.

The Chocolate Lover's Wedding (Chocolate Club #4) by Carole Matthews

Published: 7th January 2016

Publisher: Sphere

Pages: 384

Available in Hardback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Blurb 

The ladies of The Chocolate Lovers' Club should be gearing up for the wedding of the year but life keeps getting in the way . . .

Lucy is worried about her financial situation and it keeps distracting her. Should she accept an offer of help from an untrustworthy source?

Nadia may have a real chance at finding love but other areas of her life aren't so rosy. Something needs to change - but what?

Autumn can't wait to meet someone she hasn't seen in a very long time. She's full of hope for the future but then things don't exactly go to plan . . .

Chantal has been through so much and she's finally starting to feel settled. The last thing she needs is the kind of bad news that could change her life all over again.

And yet, despite all the ups and downs, the Chocolate Lovers' ladies know they can get through it all as long as they have each other. They're not going to let anything get in the way of their happy-ever-afters in . . . The Chocolate Lovers' Wedding.

Sadly I've only managed to ever read one of Carole's novels, I do however have about six waiting to be read as they always sound so good that I keep buying them. I've only got the first book in this little series in my pile The Chocolate Lovers Club so it will be a while before I get to this one. I know she has a huge following and many of her  fans will be eager to read The Chocolate Lovers Wedding.

So that's my top three for this week, next week it will be much harder to narrow down to three as I already have a list of ten that look good.

It Must Have Been the Mistletoe by Judy Astley

It Must Have Been the Mistletoe by Judy Astley

Published: 25th September 2014

Publisher: Transworld

Pages: 349

Available in Hardback, Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Blurb

Thea's parents decide to host a big family Christmas in a house by the sea. even though they are, in fact, about to split up. Thea herself is newly single - her sister and brother are both settled, with children, homes and a future. But Thea's boyfriend has ditched her in favour of his pedigree dogs, and Thea can't decide whether or not she minds.

There will be copious food and drink, holly and mistletoe, lots of bracing walks and a wintry barbecue on the beach. If it seems an odd way to celebrate the final break-up of a marriage and the Moving On to new partners, no- one is saying so. But then no-one had anticipated that the new partners might actually turn up to complicate the sleeping arrangements.

As Cornwall experiences the biggest snowstorm in living memory, the festive atmosphere comes under some strain. Will Thea manage to find some happiness for herself? Will the mistletoe work its magic on them all?

Review

It Must Have Been the Mistletoe is one of the most Christmassy books I’ve read this Christmas. It has a beautiful festive cover and unlike many “Christmas” books I’ve read it’s actually about Christmas which was wonderful to read in the middle of the festive season.

I really enjoyed the sound of this book, Anna and Mike are sixty-something parents who have chosen to divorce after forty years of marriage. They intend to remain friends with each other and decide to spend one last Christmas together as a family. They’ve booked a cottage on the Cornish coast and have ask their three children Thea, Jimi and Emily and their families to join them there over Christmas.  As with all large family gatherings some things are bound to go wrong including being snowed in with a couple of unexpected guests.

I did find that this book had a slow start and to be honest I was not totally comfortable by Mike and Anna’s decision to divorce and seek new partners, it just seemed a really odd thing to do after a  long and happy marriage. It took me a while to get these thoughts out of my head and focus more on the other characters. Thea, the eldest daughter has just broken up with fiancé Richard who decided he prefers his poodle and his sister to Thea. She’s not really in the mood for Christmas this year but tries to embrace it for the sake of her family, can the cottage’s owner give Thea her sparkle back? We don’t find out too much about the other family members other than Emily seems to be a bit moody. My favourite character had to be Charlotte, so was so brutally honest and put her foot in her mouth on more than one occasion!

After a few chapters I was hooked as the full on family Christmas got under way. There was tree-decorating, carols, snowmen, board games and of course the Christmas dinner. I just loved all the Christmas details and what made it all the more Christmassy was seeing the whole family together as one unit despite all the bickering, moaning and fall-out of normal family life.

Surprisingly given the number of previous novels listed at the back this is my first Judy Astley novel, it certainly won’t be my last I’m hooked. I loved the details of the scenery and am longing to visit a remote cottage for my own magical family Christmas. I also loved the way she brought her characters to life, the felt very real to me with their ordinary everyday problems and the way she wrote the romance in the book was just perfect. This is exactly the kind of book I enjoy reading at Christmas full of family, romance and a little touch of magic!

I’d rate this book 4/5 and am looking forward to reading the follow up book A Merry Mistletoe Wedding.

Top Ten Tuesday - Bookish Resolutions 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish who love list making an reading. Each week there is a different book related list to create and share with other bloggers and readers. This week's list was Top Ten Bookish Resolutions which for me was an easy list to create as there is plenty I would like to improve on.

1. Read 70 Books - Last year I set my Goodreads Reading Challenge at 100 books and although I read more than what is listed on my profile I know it was no where near 100 and towards the end of last year I began to feel very disappointed for not having succeeded. I'm taking the pressure and I'm sure I can easily complete this number.

2. Blog more consistently -In 2015 my blogging was very sporadic, one week I'd have five posts the next one. I think the thing was I was aiming for every day but with everything that happened last year I just couldn't manage it. When the guilt of not blogging crept in I'd post consistently for a few days and then life would catch up again. This year there are no big plans on the horizon so I aim to be more organised and try (fingers crossed) to post three times a week, every week.

3. Make my blog more interesting - My blog has predominantly been reviews with the odd Top Ten post for the last year. I'd love to be part of more blog tours and host guest posts and cover reveals, hopefully I can achieve this and my blog more interesting for readers.

4. Request fewer review books -  2015 was the year when I went crazy requesting books to review and although I read quite a few, I didn't read them all and for this I feel massively guilty towards the authors and publishers who've kindly sent me books in the post or through Netgalley. I think this is because I have a serious love of receiving mail and nothing makes me happier than seeing another shiny new book all ready to be read. This year I'm only going to request books I will read straight away and will hopefully really enjoy.

5. Buy fewer books - This links to the resolution above, I've bought loads of books in the year and there just gathering dust in my bedroom, very few have actually been read yet! As 2016 is going to be my year of the declutter I'm not going to buy another book unless I know it will be a firm favourite. /I have an excellent local library and really should make better use of it.

6. Read some of my own books - Although I have a large review pile to get through, this year I would also like to get my own books out and give them some love. I also really want to thin my collection down by probably half, so I need to get reading.

7. Write book reviews much sooner - I've become very bad at not actually writing reviews recently. I've a notebook full of notes I made while reading but have failed at actually writing the review, which is something I want to change immediately. I've loved most of the books I've read in the last few months and it's time I shared that love with my readers.

8. Engage with other bloggers more - The book blogging world is full of loving caring sounding people who also share my love of books. I'd love this to be the year where I become more involved in the blogging community and connect with other bloggers.

9. Read books nearer to there release date -  This kind of links to many of my other resolutions, I want to enjoy books while they still have the buzz about them so I can share that with others. I also want less books sat on shelves being unloved.

10. Spend more time writing creatively -  I'd love 2016 to be the year where I develop my writing skills and write some fiction of my own rather writing about other people's. Not sure if I'll find the time to do this on top of everything else but here's hoping!

Thank you for stopping by today, I'd love to know what your resolutions are for this year bookish or otherwise. See other people's lists here.

Top Ten Tuesday - New to Me Authors in 2015

Today I decided to join in with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and The Bookish, its being a long time since I complied a bookish Top Ten and felt this week's list was the perfect one to jump back in with: Top Ten New to Me Authors in 2015. Now at least half of what I've read this year has been new to me authors but I have found some real favourites who are now on my must-read list.
   

1. Angela Marsons: this woman's writing is superb and I've loved all three of her D.I. Stone novels that she has written this year and am looking forward to more in 2016



2. Jill Mansell: I'm very sad to admit that I've never picked up a Jill Mansell novel before despite being a huge chick-lit reader. Three Amazing Things About You changed that, it was just amazing in every way and has opened up a whole new love. Luckily for me Jill has written quite a few novels so I've plenty more gems to discover in her back catalogue.


3. Kirsty Greenwood: The Vintage Guide to Love and Romance was just brilliant and the main character Jess Beam just had me laughing all the way through. I have Yours Truly her first novel on my tbr pile so hopefully it won't be sat there too long.


4. Dinah Jefferies: The Tea Planter's Wife was such a beautifully written novel and I loved how the story unfolded. I'm so looking forward to her next read The Merchant's Daughter which is out in February.


5. Jessica Thompson: The Waiting Game was beautiful, such a heart-breaking novel. Will pick up another book by her when I want an emotional read.


6. Sarah Morgan: I've just finished reading Christmas Ever After and I adored it, love the characters, the setting, the plot, everything was perfect. I need to read more from this lady very soon.


7. Debbie Rix : The Secrets of the Tower was a ready good read with a dual narrative full of mystery and romance. I really hope this lady writes more in the future.

 
8. Christie Barlow: I read both of Christie's novels back to back in September and enjoyed the comedy in both of them. Looking forward to her new novel Kitty's Countryside Dream which is out in February


9. Claire Sandy: Loved What Would Mary Berry Do? and am hoping to read her other two novels before too long.


10. Chrissie Manby: I've just finished the first Proper Family book and am eager to start the next one as this family just captured my heart. Will enjoy going back and reading her previous novels next year.

So that's my list, are any of these favourites of yours? Pop over to The Broke and the Bookish and have a look at other people's lists.

Joanne x

The Girls from See Saw Lane by Sandy Taylor

The Girls from See Saw Lane by Sandy Taylor

Published: 4th December 2015

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 350

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Blurb

Brighton 1963. Mary Pickles and I walked along the street with our arms linked, looking in shop windows. We were best friends and together we were invincible.

Dottie and Mary forged a friendship over a bag of penny sweets when they were eight years old. They’ve shared everything together since then – the highs and lows of school, family dramas, hopes and dreams and now, at seventeen, they’re both shop girls, working at Woolworths.

As they go out in the world in pursuit of love and happiness, the simplicity of their childhood dissolves as life becomes more complicated. The heady excitement of first love will consume them both, but the pain of unintentional betrayal will test their friendship in ways neither of them could ever imagine…

A charming, heart-breaking and ultimately uplifting novel which brings a bygone era vividly to life.

Review

The Girls of See Saw Lane by Sandy Taylor tells the tale of Dottie and Mary, who’ve been best friends since age seven when Mary moved onto See Saw Lane. This is a tale of friendship, betrayal, romance, growing up and tragedy, it’s a story which seems so ordinary yet it is so well written that it will totally absorb you and capture your heart.

Both main characters Dottie and Mary are very likeable and although very different they have the kind of close friendship many of can be envious of. Mary is a dreamer and artistic and she longs to travel the world and attend art school in Paris. She infatuated with bad boy Elton and longs for him to whisk her away from Brighton. Dottie is the more sensible one, she enjoys her job at “Woolies” and all she really wants in life is to get married and have her own family, but she’s happy to follow along with Mary and her dreams.

When their friendship suffers the ultimate betrayal can they survive? Can one girl get over the betrayal and forgive her friend or can she move on and make a life on her own? What does the future hold for these two girls?

I loved the descriptions of life for the girls in 1960s Brighton, their work in “Woolies” where they encounter the latest make-up, to the record shop where they listened to their latest rock and roll heroes, to the chips the bought on the pier. It really made me feel like I was there with them experiencing everything.

I loved this novel so much, even though it’s probably the most heart-breaking story I’ve read all year. It left me sad but in a good way and I’m eager to read the next book “Counting Chimneys” to see what happens next.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the review copy and rate this heart-breaking and beautifully written novel 5/5.

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

Order now from Amazon

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.

How to Stuff up Christmas by Rosie Blake

How to Stuff Up Christmas by Rosie Blake

Published: 5th November 2015

Publisher: Corvus

Pages: 324

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

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Blurb

'Tis the season to be jolly. Unless you've found an intimate picture of another woman on your fiance's phone...

Eve is heartbroken after discovering her fiance is cheating on her. Being surrounded by the joys of Christmas is more than Eve can bear, so she chooses to avoid the festivities by spending Christmas alone on a houseboat in Pangbourne. Eve gets an unexpected seasonal surprise when handsome local vet Greg comes to her rescue one day, and continues to visit Eve's boat on a mission to transform her from Kitchen Disaster Zone to Culinary Queen.

But where does Greg keep disappearing to? What does Eve's best friend Daisy know that she isn't telling? And why is there an angry goose stalking Eve's boat?

A hilarious and heart-warming novel about Christmas, catastrophes and cooking, containing exclusive Christmas recipes, from the talented Rosie Blake.

Review

How to Stuff up Christmas is the first book I’ve read by Rosie Blake. She is an author I’ve been wanting a read for quite a while and this book, which is her second novel, more than lived up to my expectations for being a funny and engaging read.

Heartbroken Eve is not looking forward to Christmas one bit. Last year it was perfect, her boyfriend Liam had proposed on Christmas morning and Eve had been overjoyed. This year she’s single after finding out Liam was cheating on her and she wants to avoid all reminders of last year. So she books herself on a pottery course and goes to stay on a houseboat for a few weeks in December. While staying on the houseboat the village of Pangbourne and its residents….including a very handsome vet start to make their way into Eve’s heart.

The first thing I loved about this was book was the cover, it’s so sparkly and festive and really put me in the Christmas mood, plus I love anything to do with gingerbread men!

I instantly liked Eve, she says and does exactly what she thinks and is very funny. I loved that she did what many of us do after break-ups, wallow in pj’s for days on end, avoid anything that serves as a reminder and clings onto things of the lost partner, even if we don’t really want them…poor Marmite it wasn’t his fault! I also loved that when she made decision to do something she went and did it.  

I loved the way the plot flowed easy and was filled with some brilliant, witty and very honest dialogue. The opening chapter with Eve chatting to her parents was hilarious and one of the best first chapters I’ve read in a long-time.

One thing I wasn’t so keen on was that a couple of scenes were repeated from Eve and Greg’s perspective’s, right down to the same dialogue and I just found this a little too repetitive and distracted from an otherwise hilarious and addictive plot.

I loved the number of mysteries that were in this book. Where does Greg keep running off too? Who is the woman on Liam’s phone? What is Daisy hiding? And what’s with that goose!

I found How to Stuff up Christmas to be a very funny read with lovely likable characters and although it doesn’t scream Christmas it will definitely put you in the mood for some mulled wine and turkey.

I’d like to thank Corvus for sending me a copy to review and would rate this book 4/5.

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.

The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements

The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements

Published: 5th November 2015

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 305

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

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Blurb

Hazel never set out to be a wedding planner. She was just helping her stressed sister Lila with cakes and décor for her big day. But when Lila and Ollie's summer ceremony is a runaway success, with guests raving about the food and styling at the pretty venue, word about Hazel's expertise soon spreads.

But Hazel's clients expect the very best - she's promised lawyers Gemma and Eliot a snow-covered castle in the Scottish Highlands, and laidback couple Josh and Sarah a bohemian beach wedding in a Caribbean paradise. But as weather, in-laws and wilful brides conspire against her, can Hazel get two very different couples to walk up two very different aisles to say 'I do'? And will she find her own happy ending if she does?

Review

Despite having a number of Abby Clements books on my bookshelf, The Winter Wedding is the first one I’ve read. I’ve been waiting for this to be released for months since I spied it on a trawl through Amazon, for me it has one of my favourite things to read about weddings!

In The Winter Wedding we meet Hazel and her twin sister Lila. For years they have done everything together but as they’ve grown up Lila’s been spending more and more time with boyfriend Ollie until the inevitable happens and they become engaged. Dissatisfied with her work life Hazel steps in to help out as wedding planner and after the wedding turns out to be a huge success Hazel finds herself with a few more clients and a new direction in life.

Hazel was such a lovely character, she’s always looking out for her sister Lila, helping her boss Emma more than she should and seems to have everyone’s best interests at heart. I loved that her creativity was admired through the weddings she had planned as I felt it gave her a confidence boost to go after what she really wanted.

All the characters in this book are lovely but I think my favourite had to be Amber, she just seemed to be the perfect flat-mate for Hazel and I’m glad that events in the book didn’t come between them as they possibly could have. I’d love to be a taster for her cakes!

This was a lovely gentle read which flowed at good pace making for a quick easy read.  Although it’s not the most in depth book but I really enjoyed it. I think it’s the perfect book this winter and I’m looking forward to reading more books by Abby Clements.

Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster for providing me with a review copy. I’d like to rate The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements 5/5.

The Love Dectective by Alexandra Potter

The Love Detective by Alexandra Potter

Published: 2nd January 2014

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Pages: 359

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

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Blurb

"People always ask me what kind of books I write and I guess you'd call them love stories, but I also think of them as mysteries. After all, what makes two people fall in love? I've written three novels on the topic and I'm still looking for the answers.

In a way, I'm a bit of a love detective. Because what's a greater mystery than love?"

Ruby Miller has lost her faith in love. In an effort to forget her cheating ex and clear her writer's block, she joins her sister for a week's holiday in India... and embarks on an extraordinary adventure.

Swept up on a magical mystery tour, amid silks and spices, palaces and weddings, Ruby investigates different stories of love lost and found.

But will a romance of her own remain always out of reach? Or can she find her happy ever after?

Review

Alexandra Potter is an author whose previous books I have loved, they are full of romance and quirky female characters that you just can’t help but fall for and they all seem to have that added bit of sparkle which makes them special. The Love Detective is the first book in a new series, but it can be read completely as a stand-alone novel.

Ruby Miller a romance writer who puts sparkle and romance into her novels. Until now, she’s just found out her fiancé has been cheating on her and Ruby’s faith in love has been lost. So when little sister Amy invites Ruby to join her out in Goa Ruby packs her bags and heads to India. All is perfect at the blissful beachside yoga resort until Amy goes missing, on the day they are both due home. Ruby being the protective sensible older sister embarks on a journey across India to find Amy and bring her home. What starts as a journey to find Amy turns into a journey for Ruby to find herself again among the magic of India.

I have to confess I did nearly give up on reading this book after a few chapters, I just wasn’t engaging in the story for some reason. It wasn’t until after around page 100 that I became hooked. I think initially the story seemed a little flat as Ruby was predominantly by herself and the dialogue with other characters was very minimal. However when Ruby meets Jack on the train something caught my interest and I couldn’t put his down.

I loved Ruby as a character, she’s full of romance ideals, more than a little clumsy and is fiercely loyal to her sister Amy, who I actually found quite self-absorbed.

I loved the chemistry between Ruby and Jack, initially they don’t hit it off and their conversations are mostly bickering it was easy to see the spark between them, they made for an enjoyable and funny read.

India has never really been a country which I’ve longed to visit, but through the writing I can sense it must be a really special place. Every place visited Ruby’s visit has been brought to life perfectly and I really felt a sense of the colours and aromas of the county, well done Ms Potter for capturing the essence of India so completely.

After a wonderful journey with many twists and turns Ms. Potter’s signature magical element helps to bring this story to the perfect, if not predictable ending. Fans of Alexandra’s previous books will adore this book as it has her same magical, romantic style. If your pick this up and struggle a bit with the beginning, please don’t put this book down as you will miss out on a wonderful story. I give this book 4/5.

The Liar's Chair by Rebecca Whitney

The Liar's Chair by Rebecca Whitney

Published: 15th January 2015 (Hardback)

Publisher: Mantle

Pages: 305

Available in Hardback, Paperback and Kindle

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Blurb

Rachel Teller and her husband David appear happy, prosperous and fulfilled. The big house, the successful business . . . They have everything.

However, control, not love, fuels their relationship and David has no idea his wife indulges in drunken indiscretions. When Rachel kills a man in a hit and run, the meticulously maintained veneer over their life begins to crack.

Destroying all evidence of the accident, David insists they continue as normal. Rachel though is racked with guilt and as her behaviour becomes increasingly self-destructive she not only inflames David's darker side, but also uncovers her own long-suppressed memories of shame. Can Rachel confront her past and atone for her terrible crime? Not if her husband has anything to do with it . . .

A startling, dark and audacious novel set in and around the Brighton streets, The Liar's Chair will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the final page has been turned. A stunning psychological portrait of a woman in a toxic marriage, Rebecca Whitney's debut will show that sometimes the darkest shadow holds the truth you have been hiding from.

Review

The Liars Chair by Rebecca Whitney tells the story of Rachel and David Teller. On the outside it appears these two have everything, a big house filled with top of the range furniture, expensive cars and a successful business. However both are hiding things from each other and when Rachel is involved with a hit and run that kills a man the cracks in their marriage begin to appear as they both struggle to keep control.

Rachel and David were both horrible characters. Rachel seems to be void of any emotions towards others. Although she showed a little remorse towards the man she ran over it was purely because it affected her own life. She also shows no real affection towards Will, the man she has been having an affair with for over two years, it just came across that she’s use him whenever she wanted a distraction from her controlling marriage. David was just a vile, some of the things he does to Rachel just because of a little mistake are just horrendous. I almost felt sorry for Rachel being married to David, but not quite.

I found that the writing style of this book was very descriptive but didn’t actually seem to explain what was going on, honestly I was quite bored reading it and almost gave up a couple of times. I kept reading purely waiting for the moment something thrilling and intense would happen, sadly this never came.

I did enjoy the first three chapters, the description of the accident and Rachel’s feelings towards were good and I was expecting this to continue throughout the book, sadly it seemed to go downhill from there. I didn’t like the ending, I felt it was just too easy to write it that way and there didn’t seem to be any conclusion as to why anything had happened and what the chapters relating to Rachel’s childhood were really all about. 

I was really disappointed after reading this as I was expecting a really intense and gripping look at the marriage relationship and the fall-out from the accident, however for me it was just lacking. If you like horrible rich people acting horribly to each other with no real redemption then you may enjoy this.

I’m giving this book 2/5 stars, one star for the beginning and one star for Will who seemed to have some feelings towards others.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this to review, sadly it’s not for me.

Lost Girls by Angela Marsons'

Lost Girls (D.I. Stone #3) by Angela Marsons

Published: 6th November 2015

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 359

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

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Blurb

Two girls go missing. Only one will return.
The couple that offers the highest amount will see their daughter again. The losing couple will not. Make no mistake. One child will die.

When nine-year-old best friends Charlie and Amy disappear, two families are plunged into a living nightmare. A text message confirms the unthinkable; that the girls are the victims of a terrifying kidnapping.

And when a second text message pits the two families against each other for the life of their children, the clock starts ticking for D.I. Kim Stone and the squad.

Seemingly outwitted at every turn, as they uncover a trail of bodies, Stone realises that these ruthless killers might be the most deadly she has ever faced. And that their chances of bringing the girls home alive, are getting smaller by the hour…

Untangling a dark web of secrets from the families’ past might hold the key to solving this case. But can Kim stay alive long enough to do so? Or will someone’s child pay the ultimate price?

Review

Lost Girls is Angela Marsons’ third instalment in the D.I. Stone series and I think it might just be my favourite so far. Just like her previous two novels Silent Scream and Evil Games Angela has written a fast-paced and gripping story which will have you on the edge of your seat, your nerves in tatters and physically unable to put that book down!

This time the case involves two young girls who have been kidnapped and a bidding war is instigated between the two families, the incentive being whichever family pays the most will see their little girl again, the other won’t. The case mirrors an earlier case where only one of the girls was returned safely. As Kim is put in charge of this high profile case she promises to deliver both girls home…alive.

As Kim and her team set up home in one of the families’ homes they are joined by two additional members, profiler Alison and negotiator Matt. In true Kim style she doesn’t let them settle in easily and there is a lot of verbal sparring between them as Kim struggles with the pressure to deliver a result as time slowly runs out. Being located in the home of one of the families also gave an insight into the way the two couples reacted to each other as time when on, the emotions and dialogue between them was just fascinating to read and very believable.

Aside from the main case we begin to learn more about D.S. Kevin Dawson as Kim sends him off on his own to tie up an old case. I really enjoyed getting to know more about Dawson and his background as it made Kim’s team feel even more real. I hope in the next novel we can learn more about Stacey and what makes her tick.

As the story unfolded I began to have a feeling for who I thought was the perpetrator and…boom...how wrong I was! The last few chapters of this novel built up into an utterly amazing and nail-biting conclusion, one which I totally didn’t see coming and completely threw me as I thought, aww Angela has done it again! Her plots just get better and better and the realism of it all has me in awe as everything always comes together in such a clever way.

I think 2015 has been a fantastic year for Angela Marsons’ she has delivered three outstanding crime novels and seems to have become a firm favourite with many crime readers. She has definitely become my favourite crime writer and one which I know will produce some must-read novels of 2016. Well done Angela, I am a huge fan of your utterly brilliant addictive writing and please, please don’t stop writing!!

Finally I’d like to say I give Lost Girls 5/5….it really deserves many more! I’d also like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the review copy, it has been a pleasure to read and review