Taking a Break

Hello Everyone,

I've decided to take a little break and just focus on my little ones for the last week of the school holidays so I will be back blogging on Wednesday 3rd September. Enjoy the sun, if you get some.

Joanne x

Book Review - Dear Thing by Julie Cohen

 

Published: May 2014 (this edition)

Publisher: Black Swan

Pages: 482

Source: Library Copy

Available from Amazon in: Kindle / Hardcover / Paperback

 

“Dear Thing” is a real emotional rollercoaster of a book which tackles the topic of surrogacy; it’s so beautifully absorbing that you will not be able to put it down.

Ben and Claire have an almost perfect life; the only thing missing is a baby. They have been trying to have a baby for years and have gone through numerous tests and cycles of IVF, after their latest failure Claire decides she’s had enough and begins to a contemplate life without children. Ben is heartbroken and seeks comfort with best friend and single mum Romily. Romily in a drunken haze offers to be a surrogate for Ben and Claire, she found pregnancy easy with her daughter Posie  and would do anything to help her friends. Before she really has chance to let this idea sink in she finds she’s pregnant and there is no going back. When reality sinks in Romily’s feelings which she has kept hidden for so long are beginning to surface and could threaten her friendship with Ben and Claire and potentially wreck their marriage. This is the story of an impossible decision when there are two mothers and only one baby.

 

Surrogacy is not a topic which is written about very much but Cohen has done a wonderful job of highlighting the issues that arise and showing us both sides of the story. It really tugs at your heart as right from the first page you feel the heartbreak Ben and Claire are suffering and you can feel the despair as they face yet another setback in their dreams. Cohen has made the reader feel like they are also feeling the emotions of the characters and as the story is told from the perspectives of Claire, Ben and  Romily you feel like you are pulled one way then another.

 

I think Cohen has done a brilliant job in the portrayal of the two contrasting “mothers”. Claire is the perfect motherly type, she’s organised, caring, loves cooking from scratch and you can tell her whole focus will be on making “Thing” completely happy, the only thing she can’t do is conceive and carry her child. Romily is dis-organised, forgetful and more focused on her own life than Posie’s, but she has the perfect body for growing a baby. Both totally different but both want the baby so much.

 

I think my favourite character was Romily’s daughter Mariposa “Posie”, I just love that unique name and thought it suited this very intelligent and insightful seven year old perfectly. I thought Posie brought some light- heartedness to a book which was needed when dealing with such a serious topic.

 

The title “Dear Thing” comes from the letters which Romily begins to write to the unborn baby as a way to work out her feelings that are churning inside her. It’s through these letters that we learn more about Romily and why she makes such a huge gesture to her friends and I think they help us to understand her and the way she is with Posie.

 

This book is truly gripping and I loved that things didn’t always go the way you expected, which kept you just wanting more. This is not just a book about surrogacy and longing for a child, it’s about friendship, about finally letting go of the past and about realising what you thought you wanted is not always what you need. It is a book which will stay with you for a long time and one which I thing anyone who has a child should read.  Truly breath-taking, I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

 

 

Book Review - Spare Brides by Adele Parks

 

Published: February 2014

Publisher: Headline Review

Pages: 400

Source: Library Copy

Available: Kindle/Hardcover/Paperback

 

 

Spare Brides is Adele Parks’ first historical novel and as I have read most of her other novels I was keen to see how this one measured up. It doesn’t disappoint, she has really captured the essence of the 1920s through the eyes of four young ladies in their twenties.  The story follows the women as their lives change in the year of 1921.

Firstly there is Lydia; she has been married to her husband Lord Lawrence Chatfield for eight years. She has wealth, beauty and her husband spent the war safely behind a desk, so to the others she appears to be the lucky one. Lydia feels anything but lucky; she is longing for a baby and has been to countless doctors but has so far no success. She is also trying to come to terms with the guilt she is feeling towards her husband not serving on the battlefield. When she meets Edgar Trent the handsome war hero,  Lydia is instantly drawn to him and time with him helps her to escape her feelings of failure, guilt and resentment.

Sarah has lost her beloved husband Arthur and is coming to terms with her loss and the probability that she will spend the rest of her life as a widow.  Her sister Beatrice is twenty six and has never had a man of her own, she is fairly plain and so finding a man was hard before, almost impossible now that the War has taken most of them. She is longing to find her place in the world. Ava is single and enjoying not being tied to any one man, she spent the war being employed and is now looking for something to fill her time and occupy her mind.

 

Even though we experience the story through the eyes of all four girls I felt that this book was too heavily focused on Lydia’s story, which although I enjoyed I wanted more on how the lives of Ava, Sarah and Beatrice were changing. The changing circumstances for Beatrice interested me the most as I really felt sad for her and would have like to have known she was happy in her new situation.

I loved the way that Adele Parks has managed to write four women who are believable and are struggling with feelings which I’m sure many women at the time had. I think her portrayal of the men in the book was well handled, showing the emotional scaring which the war left behind on even the physically strongest men.

Although I don’t think this is her best novel it is still a brilliant read and I would recommend to anyone who wants a good novel set in the 1920s or something which examines friendship through changing circumstances. I hope that this is not the last historical novel which Adele Parks writes as I think the book was well researched and showed a true life representation of what these women went through. I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella

 

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine where booklovers showcase which book they are eagerly awaiting for publication. This week my pick is:

 

 



 

 

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Publisher: Black Swan

Release Date: 25th September

Format: Kindle and Hardcover

Pre-Order from Amazon here.

 

Taken From Goodreads:

Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) is in Hollywood! It's as if all her life has been leading to this moment. She's hanging out with the stars . or at least she will be, when she finally gets to meet movie superstar Sage Seymour, whom husband Luke is now managing.

There's so much to see and do! And getting Minnie through the hurdles for her A-list Hollywood pre-school will require some.er.help.
Becky sets her heart on a new career - she's going to be a celebrity stylist. Red carpet, here she comes! But Becky soon finds it's tough in Tinseltown. Luckily her best friend Suze comes over to keep her company, and together they embark on the Hollywood insider trail. But somehow...things aren't quite working out as they'd hoped.
Then Becky's big chance comes, and it's an opportunity that money can't buy. But will it cost her too much?

 

Cannot wait for Becky's story to continue and this book looks just as good if not better than the rest of the series. What is your pick for this week? Take a look at everyone else's list here.

Showcase Sunday #6

 

Showcase Sunday is a weekly event hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits and Tea where bloggers share which books they have received or bought throughout the week. This week was a week of firsts for me. Firstly I have been sent my first book to review from a publisher

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So thank you to Georgina @ Headline for sending me a copy to review. If you want a taster of this book you can download one of the stories Uriah's War on Amazon for just 99p here.

 

 

Secondly I was accepted for my first Netgalley arc which was Stable Mates by Zara Stoneley from Harper Impulse which is available from Amazon from September 4th on Kindle, pre-order here.

 

What have you added to your collection this week? Take a look at everyone else's list here.

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Saving Grace by Jane Green

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where book bloggers share which books their eagerly awaiting for publication.




Release Date: 25th September 2014
Publisher: Pan MacMillan
Pages: 400
Format: Hardback
Pre-Order from Amazon here.

Taken from Goodreads:

Grace Chapman has the perfect life, living comfortably with her husband, bestselling author Ted, in a picture-perfect farmhouse on the Hudson River in New York State. Then Ted advertises for a new assistant, and Beth walks into their lives. Organized, passionate and eager to learn, Beth quickly makes herself indispensable to Ted and his family. But Grace soon begins to feel side-lined in her home - and her marriage - by this glamorous, ambitious younger woman.
Grace becomes increasingly distressed, as nobody around her believes that Beth could mean any threat. Is Grace just paranoid, as her husband tells her, or is there more to Beth than first thought? Then an unexpected email from Beth's former employer changes everything. What is Beth really capable of? Can Grace get her life back? And what if she realizes it's no longer the life she wants?

 

I love Jane Green novels and this looks like another brilliant one, definitely on my must read list. Have a look what everyone is "Waiting On" this week here.

 

Top Ten Tuesday - Books I'm Not Sure I Want To Read For Various Reasons

 

So this week this list at The Broke and the Bookish is books your not sure you want to read, this was really hard for me as I tend to focus on the books I do want to read and 90% of what is in my to be read pile is books I can't wait to read, but here goes:

 

 

1. The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling

Don't all throw things at me! I never wanted to pick them up when they first came out and now I'm still not sure. I don't actually know anyone whose read them and disliked but magic and fantasy stories are not my thing. I'm sure if I had a copy I'd probably picked it up and be hooked but for now I'm still not convinced.

 

 

2. The Lunar Chronicles by Melissa Meyer

I like the idea of fairy-tale retellings but I'm not huge on the idea of them being set in the future and featuring androids and cyborgs, they again seem very popular so maybe one day.

 

3. Anything else by John Green which is not The Fault in Our Stars

I read TFIOS in June and loved it, it was such a moving book. That was my first John Green book and now I'm scared to pick up another in case its not as good. I have An Abundance of Katherine's in my TBR pile,  do you think should I read it?

 

4. Destined to Feel and Destined to Fly by Indigo Bloome

 I read the first book in the Avalon trilogy during the #SexMeUpReadathon back in July and it has left me with very mixed feelings, the plot line went way over my head and I'm not sure I want to carry on with this trilogy. Has anyone read it? Does it get better or is it still a little far fetched?

 

5.  The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

This was part of the Richard and Judy book club back in Spring 2012, its sat on my shelf ever since and I've never read it. It does sound like something I'd enjoy as do like books set in the 1920s but something is holding me back. Is it worth picking up?

 

6. One for My Baby by Tony Parsons

This is another one which my friend lent to me years ago and it just sat on my shelf, I finally gave it back to her but should I give it another go?

7. The Understudy by David Nicholls

I think I've been put off reading this because I wasn't keen on One Day, I wanted to love it but didn't and think this may disappoint me also.

8. Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

I think the idea of writing to dead people is slightly creepy but I'm also curious about the story of Laurel, it seems to have mixed reviews so I'm just not sure.

9. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

I'm curious about this one, but it again has mixed reviews so I'm not sure. Is it worth it?

10. The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

I'm not really a fan of fantasy books with demons, shadow hunters and vampires but as its so popular there is something inside me saying maybe give it a go.

 

So there is my rather eclectic list, which are worth reading and which are not I'd love to know. To see everyone else's list click here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review - One Hundred Proposals by Holly Martin

 

Publisher: Carina

Published: 25.06.2014

Format: Kindle

Available From Amazon now

 

I have been intrigued by this book since it first started showing up on people’s blogs and was mentioned everywhere. I really love the idea behind it: Is there such a thing as a perfect proposal?  I was a little scared to start reading this as whenever there is a book which has received a lot of praise I worry that I will be the one person that hates it. Well worry not, this book lives up to every good review it has been given and all the praise it has received, it’s heartbreakingly romantic and will take you on an emotional journey with two characters you know belong together.

Suzie and Harry are best friends. Together they run thePerfectProposal.com a website helping would be grooms to plan their perfect proposal. One day Harry asks Suzie what her perfect proposal would be, when she draws a blank, Harry embarks on a mission to find Suzie’s perfect proposal. He decides to do one hundred different proposals over one hundred days.

What is obvious from the very beginning is Suzie is madly in love with Harry and has been ever since they first met. Their friendship goes way beyond the boundaries of a normal male/female friendship, they sleep in the same bed, they’ve seen each other naked, and they know almost everything there is to know about each other. She doesn’t want to tell him how she feels as she doesn’t want to lose his friendship. He’s been her rock since her brother Jack died from cancer and she’s not sure what she would do without him. So the idea of having to watch the man she loves propose to her each day just for research is heart-breaking. Remembering to say no each time Harry asks “Marry Me?” almost pushes Suzie to the edge.

The romance between these two is so beautiful because it seems so real, how many men would you let see you wear a cow suit onesie? Not so many I’m sure. As they start their daily routine of the proposals you so want Suzie to say “yes” every time, however there’s always something holding her back or some mishap which gets in the way and all this just adds to the beauty of this story.

Harry and Suzie are both characters which you will adore instantly. Harry is so kind, funny and really hot that you just can’t help but fall in love with him. I loved the way he would just drop everything and go running to Suzie no matter what time of day it was, how can you not want a man like that?  Suzie is a lovely down to earth character, I love the way that she will let Harry see her when she is a total mess with no make-up on and those pj’s you hide from everyone, I love the way she is a little clumsy and has a habit of falling over at totally the wrong time. These two are just so at ease with each that they need to be together and when the tension between them begins to build I guarantee the only thought running through your head will be “just tell him how you feel!”

Although it seems obvious how the story will end you will be on tenterhooks throughout this book as these two never quite manage to make their true feelings known and you are almost left wondering if they actually will.  This book had me laughing, crying and shouting because I was so frustrated; it is a truly wonderful romantic book which will take you on a journey that you will not want to end.

Rating 5/5

 

 

 

 

Showcase Sunday #5

 

Showcase Sunday is a weekly event hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits and Tea where bloggers share which books they have received or bought throughout the week. This week I only picked up two books from the library and my friend Jane has lent me one to read.

 

 

 

 

I'm  a huge Adele Parks fan and her novels just seem to keep getting better, this is set in 1920 after the end of The Great War and focuses on the lives of Beatrice, Ava, Sarah and Lydia. I'm intrigued by this as its her first historical novel. Party Games is Jo Carnegie's first novel which is not part of the Churchminister series, which I loved, so it will be interesting to see what this is like.

 



 

Don't know anything about this one, but its Erica James so is bound to be good. Could be a while before I get round to this one though. So what books have made their way into your collection this week? Take a look at everyone else's list here.

 

Book Review - A Gift to Remember by Melissa Hill

 

Published: 2013

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 405

Source: Library

Available In: Hardback, Paperback and Kindle

 

Fall head over bicycle wheels in love with Melissa Hill’s A Gift to Remember. Darcy Archer loves books and surrounds herself with them all-day working in a bookshop called Chapters in Manhattan. She spends all her time dreaming about books and longing to find her own perfect Mr Darcy.  One day while cycling to work Darcy crashes into Aidan Harris and knocks him out cold. Racked with guilt Darcy takes his dog and the beautifully wrapped gift he drops and vows to reunite Aidan with his lost property.  At the hospital Darcy finds out Aidan has lost his memory and has no clue who he is or where he came from. Darcy decides to make it her mission to help him piece his life back together  building a picture in her mind of the man she knocked over, who is beginning to resemble Darcy’s dream man. Will Darcy find her happy ever after or will it all be just a dream?

This is the first Melissa Hill book which I have read and I loved it, the story had just enough mystery and plot twists to keep me guessing right until the end. I loved the character of Darcy, she’s just so sweet and helpful and would make a wonderful best friend as she seems incredibly loyal, plus she would probably always have the book you wanted to read in her pile. I loved how she bonds with Bailey the Dog and all the way through I was hoping if she didn’t get the man then maybe she would get the dog.

I thought this book flowed really well and I liked the chapters from Aidan’s point of view as I was able to build my own picture of him from the hints given, the picture I was building was similar to Darcy’s so the ending was a bit of a shock.

I loved this book it was a perfect read for me with a little mystery and romance and any book set in New York at Christmas is a winner with me as I’d love to experience this myself one day.

Rating 5/5

 

 

 

Book Review - Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes

 

Author: Jojo Moyes

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Published: 2007 (This Edition 2013)

Pages: 390

Available In: Paperback & Kindle

 

 

This is a beautifully evocative tale of three women living in the idyllic “Silver Bay” on Australia’s coast and how one man’s visit changes their lives forever.  Liza McCullen lives in the Silver Bay Hotel with her aunt Kathleen and her young daughter Hannah. The three women live a peaceful and sheltered life in the Bay, where Kathleen runs one of the only hotels and Liza spends her time conducting “Whale Watching” tours on her boat. Then Mike Dormer, the mild-mannered smart Englishman who is set to change everything arrives in the hotel.

This book is told through the eyes of the three women and Mike Dormer and although at first you are lead to believe they are all happy with their lives you can soon see they are all missing a little something which turns them from existing into living.  It is beautifully written and will immerse you totally in the lives of these characters.

My favourite character in this book is Mike. I love the way he changed from being very accepting of his circumstances and not really involving himself with decisions to being someone who decides what he wants and does everything he can to get it.

I love the way that both Liza and Mike begin to change their lives after they have been whale watching, it’s as if the whales bring a calm magic to the lives of people who see them. I think this happened to me also while reading, at first I couldn’t really get into the story but then about 100 pages in Liza takes Mike out to see the whales and something changed and I could not put this book down.

Jojo Moyes has once again turned a subject matter I’m not sure of into something utterly beautiful which will touch your heart as the story unfolds.

Rating: 4/5

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday - The Marriage Mender by Linda Green

 

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we share an upcoming release we can't wait for. My pick this week is:

 

 

 

The Marriage Mender

Author: Linda Green

Publisher: Quercus

Release Date: 28th August 2014

Format: Paperback

 

 

Taken from Goodreads:

 

Alison is a marriage mender. Her job is to help couples who fear they have reached the end of the line. But the trouble with spending your time sorting out other people’s problems is that you tend to take your eye off your own.

Even when her husband’s ex Lydia arrives on the doorstep demanding to see her son, Alison thinks she can handle it.

But what Alison doesn’t realise is that Lydia is the one person who has the ability to destroy their happy family. And sometimes the cracks can run so deep that even a marriage mender can’t repair them

 

I've not read anything by Linda Green yet but I think this might be the book to change that, I also would like to read The Mummyfesto and 10 Reasons Not to Fall in Love. Check out what everyone else is "Waiting On" this week here.



Top Ten Tuesday - Books I'd Recommend to People Who Haven't Read Chick Lit

This week at The Broke and the Bookish the Top Ten was books you would recommend to someone who had never read....so I chose Chick Lit , here is my list, in no particular order:

 

 

1. Sushi for Beginners by Marian Keyes

I love this book, it was one of the first adult books which I bought and I have re-read it many times. It tells the story of Lisa who moves over to Dublin from London to be the editor of the newly launching Colleen magazine, Ashling who applies to be assistant editor and her best friend Clodagh who is seems to have the domestic dream of house, husband and child. Its just a brilliant read about being female and dealing with life.

 

 

2. Bookends by Jane Green

Bookends tells the story of four university friends Cat, Lucy, Josh and Si and what happens when Portia comes back into their lives. Bookends is the name of the café which Cat and Lucy start together, this is my idea of a dream place a bookshop with a café. A brilliant story of what can happen when you start to assume things about people.

 

 

3. Twelve Days of Christmas by Trisha Ashley

Perfect Christmas read. Holly Brown doesn't like Christmas, she agrees to house sit a remote manor in the moors of Lancashire, perfect as she just wants to be alone. When she arrives she finds she is not alone and the family have all arrived expecting a full on family Christmas. Even though the ending to this book is very predictable it is the perfect Christmas book for me as I love all the descriptions of the meals and the decorating which happens, best read by a lovely log fire with hot chocolate.

 

 
 

4. Simply Divine by Wendy Holden

 Socialite Champagne D'Vyne wants to write a magazine column so drags in journalist Jane to write it for her. Jane is also trying to help best friend Tally save a crumbling family home. This is a quick easy read which will make you laugh, although Champagne is probably one of the most annoying characters ever written.

 
 


5. Amanda's Wedding by Jenny Colgan
Fran and Mel have been invited to Amanda's wedding to Laird Fraser. They feel sorry for him marrying social-climbing Amanda who is only interested in his title. So the pair enlist Fraser's brother Angus to help sabotage the wedding. This is hilariously funny and I just love the schemes that the girls come up with to stop the wedding. 
 


6. The Undomesticated Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
Samantha Sweeting is a hotshot lawyer, until she makes a huge mistake. She packs her bags and heads out into the countryside where she is mistaken for a interviewee for a house-keeping job. She accepts the job but is completely clueless about anything found in a kitchen. As she finds her way round the kitchen she also finds love. But will her old life catch up with her? Another light-hearted funny read.
 

 
7. In Her Shoes by Adele Parks
Eliza and Martha are sisters. Each sister envy's the other Martha has the family and house and wants her freedom and Eliza longs for Martha's stability.
 


8. White Wedding by Milly Johnson
Bel, Max and Violet are all  planning their weddings and they each meet in the White Wedding shop. AS the story unfold each of their planned wedding goes slightly wrong. This is Milly Johnson at her best with a story of friendship, betrayal and a little romance.
 


9. Heiresses by Lulu Taylor
Three sisters Jemima, Tara and Poppy inherit their fathers failing perfume business, instead of selling it off they decide to try and make a go of it themselves. This is a story about wealth, lust and families and is gripping from the first page.
 

 
10. Daddy's Girls by Tasmina Perry
Four sisters Serena, Cate, Venetia and Camilla, one of them may have killed her father Sir Oswald Balcon. This is a dip into the lives of the rich and famous with an element of who done it mystery. It's perfect for pure escapism. 
 
So that's my list of beginner chick lit, what is on your list this week? Check out everyone else's list here.

Book Review - The Dress Thief by Natalie Meg Evans

 

Published: June 2014

Publisher: Quercus

Pages: 564

Source: Library Book

Available In: Paperback & Kindle

 

“The Dress Thief” tells the story of Alix Gower a young girl dreaming of working in Parisian haute couture.  Alix has a wonderful ability to be able to sketch copies of high end fashion items at just a moment’s glance. This skill gives her a chance at her dream job in one of the most prominent fashion houses in Paris; but also leads her into a world of danger and deception. After Alix meets the handsome young English journalist Verrian Haviland, Alix’s mysterious past begins to unravel itself and her life begins to fall apart.

I wanted to read this book as I am a huge “House of Elliot” fan which is set at a similar time but in London. However The Dress Thief goes way beyond a story of Parisian fashion. It is a story of mystery, romance, friendship and the everyday struggles of life.  Right from the start this book will grip hold of you and draw you into Alix’s story and it won’t let you go till the very last page.

Alix is a brilliant main character. She is obviously a talented and beautiful young woman whom the men around her find very captivating. I felt she came across as a little naïve when in some situations but I liked that because it made you like her, even though you didn’t always agree with what she was doing.  This book has many characters but they all add something to the story, making you feel like you are right there in Paris with them all.

This is a stunning debut novel by Natalie Meg Evans which has been beautifully written and well thought out. I loved the plot and the way it unfolded just made you want more and more. I was sad to finish the book as the character of Alix really grew on me and I’d love to find out what happens to her next. This book is definitely worth the read and I cannot wait until next spring when her next novel The Milliner’s Secret is released.

Rating 5/5

 

 

Book Review - Destined to Play by Indigo Bloome

 

Author: Indigo Bloome

Publisher: Harper

Published: 2012

Pages: 275

Book 1of the Avalon Trilogy

 

“It’s Simple. No Sight. No Questions. 48 hours.”  This quote led me to pick this book as the part of the #SexMeUpReadathon as it seemed the perfect “dirty weekend away” storyline.

Dr Alexandra Burke a psychologist leaves her home to give some lectures across Australia, after the first one she meets up with her old lover from university, Dr Jeremey Quinn. He propositions her to stay for the weekend under the conditions of no sight and no questions.  Alexandra agrees as she knows Jeremy would not do anything to hurt her and she has enjoyed herself with him before.

I was disappointed by this book; it sounded so good but just did not live up to my expectations.  I think the main reason for this was I just didn’t believe in the attraction and passion between Jeremy and Alexandra, it felt very forced which put me off.  I didn’t really like either character; Alex annoyed me because she seems to forget she is a mother. Jeremy takes her phone off her for the weekend and I didn’t like this as we are told her children are away on a school trip. Now being a mother myself I know nothing would keep me from being reachable to my children and this bothered me. I was surprised to find the author also has two children, so maybe it’s just me that has issues with this. I also felt she was too submissive to Jeremy, she agrees to his suggestions almost straight away, even though you can tell she has doubts.  I wanted more from Jeremy’s character, we never really get to find out much about his thoughts and feelings and this left me feeling he was a little one-dimensional.

This book started off quite well and I did quite like the first half of the book. However it all became a little too much for me to get my head round and became very clinical and not very passionate, which is was I was expecting.  It did not leave me feeling hot and bothered which other erotic fiction books have done, I just felt confused and slightly disturbed.

The ending does answer some of the questions and issues I had with the book and the way it leads onto the second book in the trilogy was done well, if slightly predictable.  I have the second book in the trilogy on my to be read pile, so I may pick this up at some point.  I am giving this book a rating of three stars out of five. I’m giving one star because the book is well written, despite my issues with the content.  Another star because I did like the way it lead onto the second book , which if you enjoyed the first would make you want to read the second straight away and a third star because although I didn’t like it I’m still thinking about it, so obviously the author has done something right.  If you like erotic fiction which is challenging and possibly has  unique scenes then give this book a go, sadly it didn’t do it for me.

 

July Monthly Wrap-Up

As July was only the second month blogging I went a bit crazy and bought quite a few books and also was able to buy a Kindle which I've been wanting since Christmas. Here are the books I've bought and borrowed this month:

 

Books I've Bought:

            

 

 

Books I've Borrowed:

 

        

 

 

Books I've Received for Free:

 

      

 

Thank to my friend Jane for the signed copy of The Teashop on the Corner and thank you to Jane Linfoot for copies of her e-books for me to read and review.

 

This month I've managed to read the following seven books, click on the link for my review:

 

Appetite by Philip Kazan

The Teashop on the Corner by Milly Johnson

The Right Side of Mr Wrong by Jane Linfoot

The Wolf Bride by Elizabeth Moss

Destined to Play by Indigo Bloom

Never Google Heartbreak by Emma Garcia

Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes

I've just started The Dress Thief by Natalie Meg Evans which is proving to be a very intriguing read

so far.

 

Favourite Book of the Month: The Teashop on the Corner by Milly Johnson, absolutely loved this book, it had everything you need in a good book: romance, mystery, heartbreak and friendship and of course that special little bit of Milly magic.

 

Least Favourite Book of the Month: Destined to Play by Indigo Bloom, this book has left me with mixed feelings and I'm still writing a full review to appear next week.

Discovery of the Month: This month I could not decide which was my favourite new author so it is tied with Jane Linfoot and Emma Garcia


During August I hope to read the following:

A Gift to Remember by Melissa Hill
Dear Thing by Julie Cohen
The Wish List by Jane Costello
High Heels and Bicycle Wheels by Jane Linfoot
One Hundred Proposals by Holly Martin

I will hopefully read more than this as there have been a lot of amazing sounding books released recently wish I hope to read soon including What Would Mary Berry Do? by Claire Sandy which will probably be one of the few purchases I make this month.