Top Ten Tuesday (Wednesday) - My Winter TBR List

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week the list is Top Ten Winter TBR list, I've focused my list on books which are due for release in Dec and January. So these are the books I'm most looking forward to reading this winter.

 

 

The Snow Angel by Lulu Taylor

 

 

I'll Take New York by Miranda Dickinson

 

 

You Think You Know Me by Clare Chase

 

 

 

Red Rose, White Rose by Joanne Hickson

 

 

 

 

The Year of Taking Chances by Lucy Diamond

 

 

Three Amazing Things About You by Jill Mansell

 

 

The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

 

 

As Good As It Gets by Fiona Gibson

 

 

The Girl On The Train

 

 

 

A Trick of the Mind by Penny Hancock

 

So what I'm most looking forward to reading this winter, after I've finished all my Christmas books that is, what are you most forward to this winter?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My 100th Post!!!

So after just over five months in blogging I have written 100 posts, I'm quite proud of this as I wasn't sure blogging was really for me after two previous failed attempts, but this time I've found something which I want to write about and that's BOOKS!!!

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who has visited my site over the past five months and I hope you found something which makes you want to come back. Also thank you to everyone who has lefts comments, I know I have not always replied and for that I am sorry and hopefully going forwards this is something I will get better at.

I also want to say thank you to all the publishers and authors who have been kind enough to send me copies of their books to review. Nothing makes me happy than receiving a new book through the post or that email that says you've been granted access to that book your longing to read on Net Galley. I just wish there were more hours in the day so I can read all these fantastic books quicker!

I hope to continue blogging, although please don't worry if I suddenly disappear sometime next year. I'm waiting for some surgery on my heart so may end up in hospital for a while, but I will definitely return and the thought of all the lovely books I can take with me is making me not dread hospital quite so much.

Best Wishes

Joanne xx

Release Day Round-Up #12

This week there are four books which have caught my eye and are due for release.

 

Stable Mates by Zara Stoneley

Published: 20th November 2014 (Paperback Copy)

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Pages: 336

Available on Kindle and now Paperbck

Order now from Amazon

 

Welcome to tranquil Tippermere, an idyllic village nestled deep in the Cheshire countryside. Home to lords and ladies, horsemen and farmers, and plenty of secrets and scandals…

Leaving a scumbag ex behind her, Lottie Brinkley has hotfooted it out of Spain and back home to the country in serious need of some flirtatious fun to soothe her aching heart.

Luckily for her she’s spoilt for choice with not one but three eligible bachelors offering a steamy romp in the hay! But faced with the attentions of roguish eventer Rory Steel, the smiling Irish eyes of hunky farrier Mick O’Neal, and mysterious newcomer Tom Strachan, how can she possibly choose?

When billionaire landowner Marcus James drops dead unexpectedly, his WAGish wife Amanda threatens to sell the heart of the village and sets her sights on Tom! It seems things are heating up for little Tippermere… both in and out of the saddle.

 

I reviewed this back in August when the e-book version came out and I will be purchasing a paperback copy for myself as I know its going to be one of those books I re-read often, I'm already starting to miss Lottie and the gang so hopefully over Christmas I'll get chance to have a re-read. This book is also special too me as it was the very first book I was accepted to read on NetGalley and made my blogging adventure a little more real. Check out my full review here. I definitely recommend this to anyone and I cannot wait for a follow to hit the shelves...hopefully soon.

 

 

Waiting for Doggo by Mark B. Mills

Published: 20th November 2014

Publisher: Headline Review

Pages: 224

Available in Hardback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

No-one ever called Dan a pushover. But then no-one ever called him fast-track either. He likes driving slowly, playing Sudoku on his iPhone, swapping one scruffy jumper for another. He's been with Clara for four years and he's been perfectly happy; but now she's left him, leaving nothing but a long letter filled with incriminations and a small, white, almost hairless dog, named Doggo. So now Dan is single, a man without any kind of partner whether working or in love. He's just one reluctant dog owner. Find a new home for him, that's the plan. Come on...everyone knows the old adage about the best laid plans and besides, Doggo is one special kind of a four legged friend...and an inspiration.

 

Think I was a bit slow on the uptake with this on as review copies seem to be floating round blogger land and I seemed to have missed the boat. When I went to see what the fuss was about I found a book which does like will be a winner. At least the wait for publication day is over and I can go buy myself a copy and judge for myself.

 

 

 

Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline

Published: 20th November 2014

Publisher: Headline

Pages: 368

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award winning author Lisa Scottoline is loved by millions of readers for her suspenseful novels about family and justice. Scottoline delivers once again with Keep Quiet, an emotionally gripping and complex story about one man’s split-second decision to protect his son - and the devastating consequences that follow.Jake Buckman’s relationship with his sixteen-year-old son Ryan is not an easy one, so at the urging of his loving wife, Pam, Jake goes alone to pick up Ryan at their suburban movie theater.　 On the way home, Ryan asks to drive on a deserted road, and Jake sees it as a chance to make a connection. However, what starts as a father-son bonding opportunity instantly turns into a nightmare. Tragedy strikes, and with Ryan’s entire future hanging in the balance, Jake is forced to make a split-second decision that plunges them both into a world of guilt and lies. Without ever meaning to, Jake and Ryan find themselves living under the crushing weight of their secret, which threatens to tear their family to shreds and ruin them all. Powerful and dramatic, Keep Quiet will have readers and book clubs debating what it means to be a parent and how far you can, and should, go to protect those you love.

 

This one has a brilliant premise for a thriller and already has me questioning would I would do in similar circumstances. I have the on my to review pile so check back soon to see what I thought about it.

 

Mr Miracle by Debbie Macomber

Published: 20th November 2014

Publisher: Arrow

Pages: 272

 Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

 

 Harry Mills is a guardian angel on a mission: help Addie Folsom to get her life back on track - and help her find love.

Creating a happy ending for Addie and her neighbour Erich doesn’t seem like much of a challenge. But soon after arriving in the town of Tacoma, Harry realises he might need some guidance. Addie and Erich can't stand each other; growing up he was popular and outgoing, while she was rebellious and headstrong. Addie would now rather avoid Erich entirely, especially at Christmas.

Harry is going to need all the help he can get, and a bit of divine inspiration, to help Addie and Erich find their Christmas miracle.  

 

To me you can't have Christmas without Debbie Macomber, the majority of those Christmas movies we all love will usually be based on one of Debbie's novels. This one looks to be another one where people in need get that special Christmas miracle, I love them and can't wait to read this one.

 

 

 

Blog Tour Book Review - The List by Joanna Bolouri

Welcome to the second to last stop of the blog tour for The List by Joanna Bolouri, organised by Emma Louise in conjunction with Quercus. If you want to find out more out Emma Louise, check out her blog here.

 

The List by Joanna Bolouri

Published: 10th April 2014 (first published 5th December 2013)

Publisher: Quercus

Pages: 400

Available in paperback and on kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Blurb

Phoebe Henderson may be single but she sure doesn't feel fabulous. It's been a year since she found her boyfriend Alex in bed with another woman, and multiple cases of wine and extensive relationship analysis with best friend Lucy have done nothing to help. Faced with a new year but no new love, Phoebe concocts a different kind of resolution.

The List: ten things she's always wanted to do in bed but has never had the chance (or the courage!) to try. A bucket list for between the sheets. One year of pleasure, no strings attached. Simple, right?

Factor in meddlesome colleagues, friends with benefits, getting frisky al fresco and maybe, possibly, true love and Phoebe's got her work cut out for her.

 

Review

The List has been a book which has been on my radar to pick up since it first came out, so when Emma Louise organised this tour I took the opportunity to join in and finally read it and I’m so glad I did. The List is a hilarious book which talks honestly about sex and relationships in a way which is not too vulgar or sugary sweet.

It’s New Year’s Eve and Phoebe Henderson is nursing a broken heart after finding boyfriend Alex in bed with another woman. After numerous bottles of wine and relationship dissection with friend Lucy, Phoebe decides its time to find out what she really wants. So she sets herself a new resolution with a difference. Ten things she’s always wanted to experience in bed but hasn’t yet had the chance.  In order to complete her challenges Phoebe enlists the help of best friend Oliver for some no strings, sexual fun.  So begins Phoebe’s quest for sexual enlightenment, along the way she encounters a few obstacles and gets herself into a couple of compromising positions.  So does Phoebe complete her challenge? Well you’ll have to read the book and find out!

I was instantly drawn to Phoebe, she says exactly what comes into her head, even though at times she realises afterwards she could have worded things better and been a little less abrupt.  I loved her chats with Lucy, the way they were so honest about everything, including the sex and how good or bad it was. They talked like you would expect two friends to, nothing held back, anything goes, which made for some very funny conversations.  The thing I really liked about Phoebe was despite coming across as confident and sure of herself on the outside, on the inside she still had a vulnerability about her, with real insecurities about ending up all alone, which for me made her really endearing. She is a real heroine for women today, a woman who isn’t afraid to go out there and get what she wants, a woman who doesn’t care what she weighs, how much she drinks, or how much she swears…which is a LOT!

This book is written in a diary format from Phoebe’s point of view and I thought this worked extremely well.  The book is spread across the year and at 400 pages you would expect it to take a while to read, but you’ll get hooked on Joanna’s easy flowing writing style and be finished before you know it. I kept reading just a bit more as I wanted to find out how Phoebe’s next challenge would work out. Some challenges went fairly smoothly and some were more disastrous but they were all really FUNNY. Throughout her year Phoebe’s encounters a number of sexual partners and some of them are definitely more frog than prince.

Now I cannot write a review of this book without talking about the sex. The best word I have come up with to describe it is HONEST, sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad and sometimes it’s just downright funny. It is described in such a way that makes it believable. Yes there is a lot of it and yes it is fairly detailed in some parts, but not in a way that makes you throw the book across the room in disgust. It is written in a way that makes you curious, because let’s face it we’re all curious about having better sex whether we admit it or not. So whether you embark on your own LIST or just live through Phoebe just enjoy it!

As a debut novel I think Joanna Bolouri has done excellent job in providing us with an honest and hilarious look at sex and relationships and I cannot wait to read what she writes next. I’d love a follow on to find out what happens to Phoebe. I rate this book 5/5 as there is nothing I can think of which I didn’t really enjoy, if you are looking for a book to make you laugh then this is it.

I’d like to thank Emma Louise for organising this blog tour and also Quercus books for sending me a copy to review and lastly to thank Joanna for writing such a brilliant book. If you would like to find out more about the author then you can visit www.joannabolouri.wordpress.com or follow her on twitter @scribbles78 where you can see just how funny this lady really is.

 

 

Book Review - The Great Christmas Knit-Off by Alexandra Brown

 

The Great Christmas Knit Off by Alexandra Brown

Published: 6th November 2014

Publisher: Harper

Pages: 400

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Blurb

Heartbroken after being jilted at the altar, Sybil has been saved from despair by her knitting obsession and now her home is filled to bursting with tea cosies, bobble hats, and jumpers. But, after discovering that she may have perpetrated the cock-up of the century at work, Sybil decides to make a hasty exit and, just weeks before Christmas, runs away to the picturesque village of Tindledale.

There, Sybil discovers Hettie’s House of Haberdashery, an emporium dedicated to the world of knitting and needle craft. But Hettie, the outspoken octogenarian owner, is struggling and now the shop is due for closure. And when Hettie decides that Sybil’s wonderfully wacky Christmas jumpers are just the thing to add a bit of excitement to her window display, something miraculous starts to happen…

 

Review

Firstly I would like to thank Harper Collins for sending me a digital copy of The Great Christmas Knit Off by Alexandra Brown, I actually squealed when I saw this little beauty land on my kindle, for a fan of Christmas and all things crafty it’s perfect for me.  If any of you have read her Carrington’s series you will know that Alexandra has such a way of creating a magical heart-warming sense of community and characters that you just can’t help but adore her books.  With The Great Christmas Knit Off she has done it again, will an added bit of Christmas sparkle.

In The Great Christmas Knit Off we meet Sybil and she’s having a pretty rough year. First she was jilted at the alter by love rat Luke, who then ran off with twin sister Sasha. Then her mother keeps trying to set her up with the neighbour’s son, finally she makes a BIG mistake at work which has cost literally thousands. Exhausted and in need to somewhere to hide Sybil heads off to the small village of Tindledale, hidden deep in the countryside to visit her friend Cher. After a brief encounter with a dishy gentleman on the train Sybil arrives in Tindledale to discover snow and no taxis.  Eventually she arrives at the village pub to find to electricity, no room at the inn and no Cher.  After she’s given somewhere to stay by  B & B owner Lawrence, Sybil finds herself in Hettie’s House of Haberdashery, somewhere where she can indulge in her favourite past time KNITTING.  In Hettie, Sybil finds a kindered spirit and the pair pour their hearts out to each other over the click-clack of the knitting needles.  As Sybil begins to knit a Christmas jumper for Hettie, word of the knitting spreads round the village and one by one the villagers join Sybil and Hettie knitting and the Tindledale Tappers are born and soon they have an extra special project to complete.

I just adored all the characters in this book. Sybil is so lovely the way she wants to help Hettie get herself back on her feet after only just meeting her. She seems a little fragile when she first arrives in Tindledale but with Lawrence’s help she begins to blossom and feel complete herself, like she’s finally found where she belongs.  Lawrence, is just, well he reminded of a fairy-godmother for Sybil, giving her shelter and a shoulder to cry on when she needed someone to listen. I just loved him. Hettie reminded me  little of my grandma, the way the knitting just brought a smile to her face even though her heart was aching on the inside and I just wanted to give her a hug and make everything alright for her again.  The little budding romance between the adorable Dr Darcy and Sybil was so cute, I was just longing for them to find a little alone time to see if there was real chemistry between them. Other characters I liked were Ruby, Marigold and Taylor as they all added a little depth and more background to the story.

Tindledale sounds like the perfect place to live, everything is centred on village life and the community spirit in this places oozes off the pages. I really loved the little map at the beginning of the book as it really helped me picture this quaint little village in my mind.  My favourite place was Hettie’s House of Haberdashery as I love anything crafty and can imagine spending hours in here browsing and perhaps hoping someone will be able to finally teach me to knit if I stayed long enough!

This book is the perfect Christmas read is it brimming with everything Christmas described in a lovely whimsical, slightly old fashioned way and I adored it, another visit to Tindledale and its inhabitants cannot come quick enough.  Alexandra Brown has another winner with this book and the only downside to it is…I’ve finished it!!

Rating 5/5

Release Day Round-Up #11

Just a mini post this week as there has only been three books which have caught my eye

 

Mistletoe Mansion by Samantha Tonge

Published: 10th November 2014

Publisher: Carina UK

Pages: 384

Available on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Kimmy Jones has three loves: cupcakes, gossip magazines and dreaming of getting fit just by owning celeb workouts.
When Kimmy’s Sensible Boyfriend told her he didn’t approve of her longing for the high life or her dream of starting a cupcake company Kimmy thought she could compromise – after all, she did return those five-inch Paris Hilton heels! But asking her to trade in cake-making for a job sorting potatoes is a step too far.

 

I've already read and reviewed this and I loved it, its full of fun, celebrities and something a little bit spooky. Check out my full review here.

 

 

The Reluctant Elf by Michele Garman

Released: 13th November 2014

Publisher: Notting Hill Press

Pages: 132

Available in paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Meet Britain's Worst Innkeeper

Single mother and extremely undomestic goddess, Lottie, has five days to become the ultimate B&B hostess to save her beloved Aunt Kate’s livelihood.

When Aunt Kate ends up in the hospital, Lottie and her seven-year-old daughter are called to rural Wales to stand in at the B&B. Without the faintest idea how to run a hotel (she can barely run her own life), Lottie must impress the picky hotel reviewer and his dysfunctional family who are coming to stay over Christmas. Without the rating only he can bestow, Aunt Kate will lose her livelihood.

But will Danny, the local taxi driver who she hires to help her, really be Santa’s little helper, or the Grinch who stole Christmas?

 

This sounds like something I will just love, I love women who are undomesticated being thrown in at the deep end and finding out if they can cope, so this looks perfect. Just need to decide Kindle or paperback?

 

 

How the In-Laws Wrecked Christmas by Fiona Gibson

Released: 13th November 2014

Publisher: Avon

Available on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

A funny, festive short story from bestseller Fiona Gibson. Just the thing to curl up with on a cold winter night.

Christmas in the country. What could be better? All you need is one country house, one gorgeous boyfriend and a liberal dusting of snow. Right?

That’s what Anna thinks and she can’t wait for the festivities to start. But then she meets her gorgeous boyfriend’s awful parents. And their drunk friends. And she starts to hear all about a certain ex-wife. Suddenly this doesn’t look like a very merry Christmas after all…

 

 This looks so good and like it could be very funny, there is no reason for no one to not read this as its currently free on Amazon for Kindle, so get it while you can. So that's my three picks for this week, what's caught your eye this week?

 

Book Review - Cold Feet at Christmas by Debbie Johnson

 

Cold Feet at Christmas by Debbie Johnson

Released: 6th November 2014

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Pages: 222

Available on Kindle

Order from Amazon now

 

 

Blurb

Running out on your wedding shouldn’t be this much fun!

A remote Scottish castle on a snowy Christmas Eve. A handsome husband-to-be. A dress to die for. It should have been the happiest day of Leah Harvey’s life – but the fairytale wedding turns sour when she finds her fiancé halfway up the bridesmaid’s skirt just hours before the ceremony!

Fleeing the scene in a blizzard, Leah ends up stranded at the nearest cottage, where she collapses into the arms of its inhabitant – a man so handsome she thinks she must have died and gone to heaven!

And when Rob Cavelli suddenly finds himself with an armful of soaking wet, freezing cold, and absolutely gorgeous bride on the run, he’s more than happy to welcome her into his snowbound cottage this Christmas…

 

 

I received a copy of this through Net Galley from Harper Impulse in exchange for an honest review.

 Cold Feet at Christmas has a lovely festive cover and a plot which sounded a whole bundle of fun and I couldn’t wait to get stuck in. Leah, the main character is having the worse Christmas Eve ever; she’s run away from her own wedding after catching groom Doug in the arms of her bridesmaid, the car she runs away in then breaks down in the middle of a snow drift. With no phone signal her only hope is walk across a snow filled field to the only light she can see.  So is it any wonder when she arrives at the cottage, bedraggled, worn out and soaking wet that when the door opens she falls straight into the arms of the extremely handsome Rob Cavelli.

Rob’s come to Scotland to escape Christmas and some demons from his past, the last thing he wants is to be disturbed but when he opens the door to a dishevelled but still beautiful Leah, something stirs in him and he can’t help but let her stay.  These two are instantly drawn to each other and it isn’t long at all before the temperature in the cottage rises and they end up in bed together.  So begins some very hot scenes as these two make the most of being snowed in at Christmas. Rob asks Leah to come back to Chicago with him and as she’s lost her husband to be, her home and her job she agrees.  Back on his home turf Rob decides he should maybe have left Leah back in Scotland as being around her is causing his emotions to go into overdrive and the guilt from his past flares up. As the two can’t handle their feelings and unable to just be friends, they start to have petty little arguments whenever they are around each other. Will they ever be able to admit their true feelings and live happily ever after?

After reading the first couple of chapters  I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this book as it just all seemed a bit ridiculous and over the top. How many people would jump into bed with a total stranger the day after their supposed wedding, not many I’m sure? I had a real issue with Leah just totally forgetting about Doug, okay he was a total idiot for sleeping with her bridesmaid but if I’d found my man messing about on our wedding day I would be DEVESTATED and probably uncontrollable with tears, not to mention angry, I would NOT jump into bed with next man I saw, no matter how hot he was.  I also had issues with Leah jumping on a plane and moving to a whole other country without telling anyone. I get that she doesn’t have much of a family but there must have been someone other than Doug who she cared about enough to talk to about leaving.

I wanted to hate Leah, but despite her man-eating tendencies and her extremely childish behaviour I couldn’t help but like her.  She seemed to always look on the bright side of things and nothing seemed to really bother her and I’m glad she was able to make a go of her life in Chicago. I didn’t like Rob, he might be gorgeous but I thought he was incredibly selfish taking Leah to Chicago as some kind of play thing and then abandoning her and being rude to her when her realised he actually had feelings for her, what a jerk! I really think his mother should have given him a good talking too and told him to grow up and stop letting his past guilt give him an excuse to be so arrogant.

I’m not exactly sure what this book has to do with Christmas, apart from the fact that Rob and Leah meet at on Christmas Eve there is nothing festive about it. No family togetherness, no forgiveness, no gift giving or anything related to Christmas, so if you looking for a book full of Christmas cheer this is not the book for you.  I think the title is very misleading, a better title might have been “Craziness in Chicago” because that about sums it up.

This book did make me laugh at the lengths Leah went to to try and get Rob to notice her.  Although I did have a number of issues with the plot and the characters I did still enjoy it.  If you are looking for a read which is light-hearted and you don’t want to take it too seriously then this could be the book for you, if you’re looking for your next Christmassy read then maybe not.

Rating 3/5

 

Book Review - Mistletoe Mansion by Samantha Tonge

 

Mistletoe Mansion by Samantha Tonge

Published: 10th November 2014

Publisher: Carina UK

Pages: 384

Available on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Blurb

Kimmy Jones has three loves: cupcakes, gossip magazines and dreaming of getting fit just by owning celeb workouts.
When Kimmy’s Sensible Boyfriend told her he didn’t approve of her longing for the high life or her dream of starting a cupcake company Kimmy thought she could compromise – after all, she did return those five-inch Paris Hilton heels! But asking her to trade in cake-making for a job sorting potatoes is a step too far.

So, newly single - and newly homeless – Kimmy needs a dusting of Christmas luck. And, masquerading as a professional house sitter, her new temporary home is the stunning Mistletoe Mansion. Soon she’s best buds with glamorous next door golf WAG Melissa, and orders are pouring in for her fabulous Merry Berry cupcakes! The only thorn in her side is handsome handyman Luke, a distraction she definitely doesn’t need. And talking of distractions, something very odd is going on at night…

Kimmy is finally living the life she’s always wanted. But will her glimpse into the glittering lifestyle of the rich and famous be as glamorous as she’s always imagined…?

 

Review

 

Firstly I would like to thank Samatha Tonge for sending me an advanced copy to review. I’d never read anything by her before but the cover of this book was so lovely I couldn’t resist.  I have to say I think I’ve found another favourite author as this book was jam packed with lovely characters and I just loved the plot, it was hilarious.

The story begins with Kimmy being thrown out of her shared flat by boyfriend Adam because she won’t give up her dreams of a baking business and go and work in a potato factory with him. Kimmy is a baking whizz and is hoping to build her own cupcake business, she’s had a few jobs through friends but not enough to give Adam the confidence to believe in her.  Kimmy begs him to give her more time to allow her to make her business work, but Adam’s having none of it and out she goes.

After meeting up with friend Jess, who has just been thrown out by her brother, they manage to blag themselves the position of house sitters for Mistletoe Mansion. The girls can’t believe their luck, set in a quiet cul de sac Mistletoe Mansion is everything Kimmy has dreamed of but is everything exactly as it seems? Hot handyman Luke seems initially very standoffish and neighbour Terry can’t wait to leave as soon as its gets dark, so what is going on?

Kimmy meets celebrity WAG Melissa from next door and gets her first job catering for one of her coffee mornings, as Kimmy makes a new friend she realises the celebrity lifestyle isn’t as glossy as the magazines make out.

Mistletoe mansion is full of great characters and I loved that they all seemed just slightly over the top. There’s Kimmy with her gold parka jacket that you just can’t help but like and who are longing to see succeed with her business, just to prove Adam wrong.  Jess, her  vegetarian best friend who is gardening mad, handsome handyman Luke with his sexy cords, who Kimmy might have a little crush on, Melissa the stylish but kind celebrity wife who’s longing for a baby and Terry the eccentric, celebrity gossip loving,  next door neighbour  with his micro-pig, yes you read that right PIG, Frazzle.

The thing I loved most about this book was the relationships. Especially the little love triangle between Kimmy, Adam and Luke. Kimmy’s so focused on proving to Adam that she’s worthy of his love and support by making her business a success. Initially she can’t stand how arrogant he is around her, but when she gets to know him she realises that he believes in her and gives her encouragement and support without question. Will she pick solid, reliable, sensible Adam or sexy, cheeky, risk-taking, Luke?

With the delicious descriptions of cupcakes, the slightly spooky goings on and the misbehaving celebrities this book is the perfect treat for a cozy Christmas read and I loved every single page.  I give this book 5/5 and think everyone should add it to their reading list this year.

 

 

Sunday Showcase #16

 

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.

 

 

I was lucky enough to receive three books from bookbridgr this week, one which was a complete surprise.

 

Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline

The Oyster Catcher by Jo Thomas

The Chestnut Tree by Jo Thomas

 

 

I also went on a bit of a book buying splurge (the bottom two are going to be put away from Christmas) but there were so many good books released this week I couldn't not!

 

Coming Home for Christmas by Julia Williams

Christmas in the Snow by Karen Swan

The Winter Folly by Lulu Taylor

It's Not Me It's You  by Mhairi McFarlane

The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley

 

This Week I Have Read:

Cold Feet at Christmas by Debbie Johnson

Mistletoe Mansion by Samantha Tonge - upto chapter 18

 

 

This Week on the Blog:

 

Monday - Sunday Showcase #15

Tuesday - Top Ten Books I Want to Re-Read

Wednesday - Review - Difficult Husbands by Mary de Laszlo 3/5

Thursday - Release Day Round-Up #10

Friday - Review - Hello from the Gillespies by Monica McInerney 5/5

 

So that's been my week, I wish I had done more reading but Masterchef is back on TV so I've watched that instead.

 

Book Review - Hello From The Gillespies by Monica McInerney

 

Hello From The Gillespies by Monica McInerney

Published: 6th November 2014

Publisher: Penguin

Pages: 528

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Blurb

For the last thirty years, Angela Gillespie's annual Christmas letter has been full of her family's triumphs. But this year Angela surprises everyone, including herself - she tells the truth.

Angela's husband is in the throes of a mid-life crisis. Her grown-up daughters are more out of control than ever. And her youngest child spends all of his time talking to an imaginary friend.

With fantasy thoughts of a life before marriage and motherhood becoming more than just an innocent daydream, Angela's real life is slowly slipping out of focus.

But, as the repercussions of her ruthlessly honest letter begin to pile up, a shocking event takes Angela from her family, and she realises she should have been more careful of what she wished for. .

 

Review

I was instantly drawn to the cover of this book; I have a real love of all things postal so a book based on a letter has my interest straight away .Thank you to Penguin for allowing me to read an arc copy of this through Net Galley.  Hello from the Gillespie’s is set in the outback of Southern Australia on the sheep station of Errigal. Every year since her marriage to Nick, Angela has written a Christmas letter highlighting all the good things her and family have done throughout the year, she sends this letter on December 1st to over a hundred people across the world.

 This year things haven’t being going so well for the family. Twins Genevieve and Victoria are living away from home and having their own problems, Victoria having come out of a nasty affair which ended her Sydney radio career and Genevieve being caught up in celebrity gossip, her other daughter Lindy has returned home after a failed attempt at running her own business and son Ig has run away from boarding school and is spending all his time talking to imaginary friend Robbie. As for Nick, he’s spending all his time researching family history, shutting himself away from everyone. He and Angela are barley speaking and Angela feels more distant from her family than she ever has been.

So Angela is not sure what to write in her letter, friend Joan suggests she writes how she really feels instead of just the glossy things Angela usually writes. So Angela does just that, she lets all her emotions flow into the letter and even describes her fantasy life.  Angela saves the letter, intending to edit it later with what she ought to say, but as it usually does with a big family, life gets in the ways and Angela never gets a chance to change the letter before it accidentally gets sent out.

The aftermath of the letter send the family into complete disarray and push Angela and Nick even further apart. Angela becomes more and more withdrawn spending most of her time dreaming about her fantasy family, until eventually a tragic event leaves Angela more apart from her family than any of them could imagine.

I found this book a truly wonderful read, in the beginning I wasn’t exactly sure what would happen as we were introduced to each of member of the Gillespie family and found out what life was like for them.  As the family became reunited in a geographical sense at least I found I was totally absorbed by the everyday life of this family.  Monica has a real talent for being able to give you the viewpoints of the six main members of the family and make them all distinguishable so the story was easy to follow and flowed at just the right pace to keep you wanting to read just a little bit more.

I loved every character in the Gillespie family, although they seemed to have their differences and their squabbles the love they had for each other just flowed off the page and I really felt like I was a part of that too.  I loved the way that all the children seemed to grow up a little and help, their mother when she really needed them all.  My favourite character was Joan, she was just so brutally honest with all of them but at times they needed it to pull themselves together.

This book is full of the drama of family life and some slightly more shocking events, which made for an incredible read as you weren’t sure what exactly was going to happen next.  It’s a book which makes you truly value your family and makes you really think about what you wish for, because sometimes you might just get it and not in the way you expect.

If you are looking for a read which is incredibly emotional, has characters you will fall in love with and plot that will keep you hooked until then end then I recommend this book, it’s perfect.

Rating 5/5

Release Day Round-Up #10

This week I have an extra long list as there are loads of lovely books being released, I've picked fifteen this week, so there is probably something here you will enjoy, I've split them into three loose genres as there is so many.

Christmas

 

Cold Feet at Christmas by Debbie Johnson

Released: 6th November 2014

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Pages: 222

Available on Kindle

Order now from Amazon here.

Running out on your wedding shouldn’t be this much fun!

A remote Scottish castle on a snowy Christmas Eve. A handsome husband-to-be. A dress to die for. It should have been the happiest day of Leah Harvey’s life – but the fairytale wedding turns sour when she finds her fiancé halfway up the bridesmaid’s skirt just hours before the ceremony!

Fleeing the scene in a blizzard, Leah ends up stranded at the nearest cottage, where she collapses into the arms of its inhabitant – a man so handsome she thinks she must have died and gone to heaven!

And when Rob Cavelli suddenly finds himself with an armful of soaking wet, freezing cold, and absolutely gorgeous bride on the run, he’s more than happy to welcome her into his snowbound cottage this Christmas…

 

Coming Home for Christmas by Julia Willliams

Released: 6th November 2014 (pb)

Publisher: Avon

Pages: 400

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Cat needs to get off the ‘has-been’ heap and rescue her flagging TV career but the demands of her extended family are reaching fever pitch and she barely has time to breathe. Meanwhile, Pippa has got too many balls to juggle as a struggling single mum trying to hang on to her family farm. And Marianne’s marriage is looking distinctly rocky now her beloved husband’s ex is back on the scene.

Happy Christmas? Forget it.

But Christmas is a time for miracles, and when the villagers learn they must fight for what they love, it becomes clear that there is festive magic in the air.

Suddenly for Cat, Pippa and Marianne, it’s looking like it might just be a Christmas to remember …

 

 

Christmas in the Snow by Karen Swan

Released: 6th November 2014

Publisher: Pan

Pages: 300

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

No secret stays buried forever...

In London, the snow is falling and Christmas is just around the corner - but Allegra Fisher barely has time to notice. She's pitching for the biggest deal of her career and can't afford to fail. And when she meets attractive stranger, Sam Kemp, on the plane to the meeting, she can't afford to lose her focus either. She learned to shut off her emotions long ago and only her sister and best friend Isobel knows why. But when Allegra finds herself up against Sam for the bid, their passion quickly turns sour.

In Zermatt in the Swiss Alps, a long-lost mountain hut is discovered in the snow after sixty years and the last person expecting to become involved is Allegra - she hasn't even heard of the woman they found inside. But it soon becomes clear the two women are linked and, as she and Iz travel out to make sense of the mystery, hearts thaw and dark secrets are uncovered, long buried by the snow.

With glamorous locations and heart-breaking twists, Christmas in the Snow is all you need in your stocking for a truly decadent Christmas holiday. The perfect gift - even if it's just to yourself.

 

 

The Great Christmas Knit-Off by Alexandra Brown

Released: 6th November 2014

Publisher: Harper

Pages: 400

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

The perfect seasonal tale of how laughter, friends and wacky Christmas jumpers can mend a broken heart. For fans of Trisha Ashley and Jenny Colgan.

Heartbroken after being jilted at the altar, Sybil has been saved from despair by her knitting obsession and now her home is filled to bursting with tea cosies, bobble hats, and jumpers. But, after discovering that she may have perpetrated the cock-up of the century at work, Sybil decides to make a hasty exit and, just weeks before Christmas, runs away to the picturesque village of Tindledale.

There, Sybil discovers Hettie’s House of Haberdashery, an emporium dedicated to the world of knitting and needle craft. But Hettie, the outspoken octogenarian owner, is struggling and now the shop is due for closure. And when Hettie decides that Sybil’s wonderfully wacky Christmas jumpers are just the thing to add a bit of excitement to her window display, something miraculous starts to happen…

 

 

Footsteps in the Snow by Trisha Ashley

Released: 6th November 2014

Publisher: Avon

Available on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

From her novels to her magazine articles Trisha Ashley has been writing all her life and this is a collection of her work brought together in a single edition for the first time.

A fabulous collection of short stories from the Sunday Times bestselling author. Perfect to curl up with on a winter’s evening.

A Proper Family Christmas by Chrissie Manby

Released: 6th November 2014

Publisher: Hodder

Pages: 400

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Annabel Buchanan has it all. A privileged life. Pots of cash. Looks and manners born of generations of fabulous breeding. At least, that's what she likes people to think. But Annabel's carefully created image is about to come crashing down.

With her beloved daughter Izzy in need of a kidney transplant, Annabel is desperate to find a suitable donor. That's how she comes to admit that before Annabel Buchanan there was Daisy Benson, given up for adoption by her teenage mum and dad.

Hoping her biological family will be able to help, Annabel traces the Bensons and is horrified by the embarrassing, chavvy bunch she discovers. They're definitely not her kind of people. And she is equally baffling to them.

But as Christmas approaches and Izzy's situation brings the Benson and the Buchanan families closer, will Annabel discover at last that blood is thicker than water?

 

 

It Must Have Been the Mistletoe by Judy Astley

Released: 6th November 2014

Publisher: Transworld

Pages: 352

Available in Hardback, Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

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?

Women's fiction, Family Saga and Chick-Lit

 

 

Hello from the Gillespies by Monica McInerney

Released: 6th November 2014

Publisher: Penguin

Pages: 528

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order from Amazon now

 

For the last thirty years, Angela Gillespie's annual Christmas letter has been full of her family's triumphs. But this year Angela surprises everyone, including herself - she tells the truth.

Angela's husband is in the throes of a mid-life crisis. Her grown-up daughters are more out of control than ever. And her youngest child spends all of his time talking to an imaginary friend.
With fantasy thoughts of a life before marriage and motherhood becoming more than just an innocent daydream, Angela's real life is slowly slipping out of focus.
But, as the repercussions of her ruthlessly honest letter begin to pile up, a shocking event takes Angela from her family, and she realises she should have been more careful of what she wished for. . .

 

 

The Woman Who Stole My Life by Marian Keyes

Released: 6th November 2014

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Pages: 450

Available in Hardback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Stella Sweeney is back in Dublin. After living the dream in New York for a year - touring her self-help book, appearing on talk shows all over the USA and living it up in her 10-room duplex on the Upper West Side - she's back to normality with a bang. And she's got writer's block.

Stella wants a clean break as she didn't exactly leave New York on a high. Why is she back in Ireland so soon? Who is it who keeps calling? Stella wants to get back to being the woman she used to be. But can she? And should she?

 

 

The Mysterious Miss Mayhew by Hazel Osmond

Released: 6th Novmeber 2014

Publisher: Quercus

Pages: 402

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Tom doesn't need any more women in his life. He already has his hands full with his five year old daughter, an estranged wife who keeps blocking his efforts to get divorced and a mother who might be having an affair with the vicar. When Fran Mayhew turns up - years younger than him and with all the tact of a dinosaur with its backside on fire - she's just another tricky person to deal with.

And what's she doing in his remote part of Northumberland crawling around in graveyards anyway?

But soon Tom discovers that there's more to Miss Mayhew than meets the eye - and it's not just his heart he's in danger of losing.

 

 

It's Not Me It's You by Mhairi McFarlane

Released: 6th November 2014

Publisher: Harper

Pages: 544

Available in Hardback

Order now from Amazon

 

Delia Moss isn’t quite sure where she went wrong.

When she proposed and discovered her boyfriend was sleeping with someone else – she thought it was her fault.

When she realised life would never be the same again – she thought it was her fault.

And when he wanted her back life nothing had changed – Delia started to wonder if perhaps she was not to blame…

From Newcastle to London and back again, with dodgy jobs, eccentric bosses and annoyingly handsome journalists thrown in, Delia must find out where her old self went – and if she can ever get her back.

 

 

 

Strange Girls and Ordinary Women by Mogan McCarthy

Released: 6th November 2014

Publisher: Tinder Press

Pages: 368

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

They say you know instinctively who to trust.

Alice is normal; she'd never do anything rash. But when she sees her husband one day with a younger girl, she knows at once that he's having an affair. And it must be stopped.

Vic loves her friend Michael, more than he knows. He wants happiness, and thinks he's found it with the magnetic Estella. But Vic feels sure she can't be trusted - and she needs to make Michael see that too.

They don't know Kaya; her life is tougher than they can imagine. But Kaya's a survivor, and she's determined to find a way out of her miserable world.

Three women, three lives that come crashing together in this dark, lyrical and utterly enthralling story of warped perceptions, female intuition and 'the other woman'

 

The Oyster Catcher by Jo Thomas

Released: 6th November 2014

Publisher: Headline Review

Pages: 400

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now on Amazon

 

Dooleybridge, County Galway. Population: 482 (or thereabouts). The last place Fiona Clutterbuck expects to end up, alone, on her wedding night.

But after the words 'I do' have barely left her mouth, that's exactly where she is - with only her sequined shoes and a crashed camper van for company.

One thing is certain: Fi can't go back. So when the opportunity arises to work for Sean Thornton, the local oyster farmer, she jumps at the chance. Now Fi must navigate suspicious locals, jealous rivals and a wild, unpredictable boss if she's to find a new life, and love, on the Irish coast. And nothing - not even a chronic fear of water - is going to hold her back.

Join Fi on her romantic, unpredictable adventure as she learns the rules of the ocean - and picks up a few pearls of Irish wisdom along the way...

 

 

 

 

Magic Sometimes Happens by Margaret James

Released: 6th November 2014

Publisher: Choc Lit

Pages: 352

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Passport to love...

London-based PR and promotions consultant Rosie Denham has just spent a year in Paris where she's tried but failed to fall in love. She's also made a big mistake and can't forgive herself.

American IT professor Patrick Riley’s wife has left him for a Mr. Wonderful with a cute British accent and a house with a real yard. So Patrick's not exactly thrilled to meet another Brit who's visiting Minnesota, even if she's hot.

Pat and Rosie couldn’t be more different. She’s had a privileged English upbringing. He was raised in poverty in Missouri. Pat has two kids, a job that means the world to him and a wife who might decide she wants her husband back.

So when Pat and Rosie fall in love, the prospects don't seem bright for them.

 

 

The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley

Released: 6th November 2014

Publisher: Pan

Pages: 400

Available in Hardback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Their future is written in the stars . . .

Maia D'Apliése and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, 'Atlantis' - a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva - having been told that their beloved father, the elusive billionaire they call Pa Salt, has died. Maia and her sisters were all adopted by him as babies and, discovering he has already been buried at sea, each of them is handed a tantalising clue to their true heritage - a clue which takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Once there, she begins to put together the pieces of where her story began . . .

Eighty years earlier, in the Belle Epoque of Rio, 1927, Izabela Bonifacio's father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into aristocracy. Meanwhile, architect Heitor da Silva Costa is working on a statue, to be called Christ the Redeemer, and will soon travel to Paris to find the right sculptor to complete his vision. Izabela - passionate and longing to see the world - convinces her father to allow her to accompany him and his family to Europe before she is married. There, at Paul Landowski's studio and in the heady, vibrant cafés of Montparnasse, she meets ambitious young sculptor Laurent Brouilly, and knows at once that her life will never be the same again.

In this sweeping epic tale of love and loss - the first in a unique, spellbinding series of seven books, based on the legends of the Seven Sisters star constellation - Lucinda Riley showcases her storytelling talent like never before.

Crime

 

 

 

The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths

Released: 6th November 2014

Publisher: Quercus

Pages: 384

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Brighton, 1950.

When the body of a girl is found, cut into three, Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens is reminded of a magic trick, the Zig Zag Girl.

The inventor of the trick, Max Mephisto, is an old friend of Edgar’s. They served together in the war as part of a shadowy unit called the Magic Men.

Max is still on the circuit, touring seaside towns in the company of ventriloquists, sword-swallowers and dancing girls. Changing times mean that variety is not what it once was, yet Max is reluctant to leave this world to help Edgar investigate. But when the dead girl turns out to be known to him, Max changes his mind.

Another death, another magic trick: Edgar and Max become convinced that the answer to the murders lies in their army days. When Edgar receives a letter warning of another ‘trick’, the Wolf Trap, he knows that they are all in danger…

 

 

Vendetta by Dreda Say Mitchell

Released: 6th November 2014

Publisher: Hodder

Pages: 416

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

                         Two murders. Two different crime scenes. One killer?

Mac wakes in an smashed-up hotel room with no recollection of what has happened. With his lover's corpse in the bathroom and the evidence suggesting that he killed her, Mac is on a mission to uncover the truth and find the real killer.

But he's in a race against time with less than a day to unravel the mystery. Still reeling from a personal tragedy Mac isn't afraid of pain. Hot on his heels is tenacious Detective Inspector Rio Wray. Double-crossed and in the line of fire, Mac has to swim through a sea of lies to get to the truth.

But only Mac knows he's been living a double life. Can he be sure he doesn't have the blood of a dead woman on his hands?

 

So that is my mega list for this week, I have a few of these to review so check back over the net couple of weeks if you would like to know what I thought of them.