Christmas at Lilac Cottage by Holly Martin

Christmas at Lilac Cottage by Holly Martin

Published: 20th October 2016

Publisher: Zaffre (Paperback) Bookouture (Ebook)

Pages:362

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

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Rating: 5/5

Blurb

Penny Meadows loves her cosy cottage with its stunning views over the snow-topped town of White Cliff Bay, but not even the roaring log fire can keep her personal life from feeling frozen.

That is until dashing Henry and his daughter Daisy arrive at the cottage for the festive season. And between decking the halls and baking delicious mince pies, Penny realises there is more to Henry than meets the eye.

With sleigh bells ringing and fairy lights twinkling, the ice-sculpting competition and Christmas Eve ball are in full swing. Will Penny be able to melt the ice and allow love into her heart? And will she finally have the perfect Christmas she's been dreaming of?

Review

Christmas at Lilac Cottage is the first book in Holly Martin’s new White Cliff Bay series and it’s a book which just oozes Christmas from cover to cover. Especially the cover itself at its covered in super sparkly snowflakes which make you just want to dive in and read.

Penny Meadows is an ice sculptor who lives alone in Lilac Cottage up on the hills above White Cliff Bay and that is how she would like it to stay. But sadly Penny needs some extra income so has agreed to rent out her annexe to Henry and Daisy. Being single and suffering from heartbreak Penny is not looking forward to a couple sharing her home. So imagine the surprise she gets when she realises Daisy is actually Henry’s daughter! Despite Henry’s initial gruff exterior Penny finds herself more and more intrigued by this handsome man. With Daisy trying her best to set the two up, can Penny find a way to let love into her frozen heart.

I love Holly’s writing and her Christmas novels are some of my favourites, this one is just perfect for anyone who wants to overdose in Christmas cheer.  As with most of Holly’s characters I found Penny someone I instantly liked but was intrigued as to why she shut herself off from the rest of town so much, what could have happened to such a sweet girl to make her so isolated. Henry and Daisy are also great characters and have a lovely father/daughter relationship between them which was just lovely to read about.

White Cliff Bay is a place which Holly has brought to life perfectly, it’s a charming little town which just oozes Christmas spirit and the community really throw themselves into all things Christmas with ice carving competitions, Christmas Balls, ice-skating, it’s like a Christmas wonderland and somewhere I would just adore being over the Christmas period.

This book had everything I want in a Christmas novel, a beautiful setting, a romance which is both naughty and nice, adorable characters, a few moments of danger or uncertainty and most of all I want to laugh. With Christmas at Lilac Cottage Holly Martin has completely nailed all these aspects and written a truly wonderful book. I can see this being a favourite of my Christmas reads for many years to come.

Thank you to the publishers for sending me a copy to review.

Blog Tour Review: Snokeflakes and Christmas Cakes by Lindsey Paley

Snowflakes and Christmas Cakes by Lindsey Paley

Published: 15th June 2015

Publisher: Purple Heather Publishing

Pages: 178

Available on Kindle

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Blurb

When all-round buttercream princess, Millie Carter, becomes stranded at Craiglea Manor Cookery School, she believes her chance of enjoying a merry festive season is over.

The village of Aisford is Christmas-card perfect, but Millie hates it - she hates the snow, her freezing fingertips, and being forced to look like her Aunt Marjory in a mud-splattered wax jacket and wellies instead of her beloved shorts and sparkly sandals. 

She plots her escape but ends up locking spatulas with the estate manager, Fergus McKenzie, who is forced to rescue her before she succumbs to a severe dose of hypothermia. Things start to improve with the arrival of handsome Sam Morgan, fresh from the beaches and rum shacks of the Caribbean. 

Can Millie accept her fate? And will Aisford sprinkle some of its seasonal magic on her troubles? 

Snowflakes and Christmas Cakes is a festive story of love and friendship and reaching for the buttercream icing and edible glitter when life gets tough. 

Review

Snowflakes and Christmas Cakes is the first book in Lindsey Paley’s Camille Carter series and is a book which is full of mishaps and festive treats surrounding Camille Carter or Millie as she prefers to be known.

Millie Carter’s a girl who adores the sun and living in the south of France she gets plenty of it, this year she has reluctantly agreed to spend Christmas with her sister Nicole in cold and wintry England.

Arriving in London with not even a coat Millie is about to get a shock when sister Nicole suddenly cancels their holiday plans and asks Millie a huge favour. Will she replace Nicole as a cookery demonstrator at Criaglea Manor in the Lake District to deliver a course on the perfect Christmas dinner. With no other option Millie agrees and heads north towards Criaglea Manor and hopefully a cosy Christmas sharing her passion for cooking with a group of enthusiastic learners.

However as Millie arrives things are not as she dreamed, Aisford where Craiglea Manor is situated is covered in snow, the only way to get around is via quad bike and she’s going to need to buy herself a huge coat to keep out the chill in the air. When she arrives at the Manor things are even worse the heating’s broken and the cookery course has been cancelled.

Stranded at the Manor for the weekend with no way of escape Millie entertains herself with thoughts of handsome estate manager Sam, baking up a mountain of Christmas treats and most of all trying to avoid the frosty Fergus who sees Millie’s whole presence an inconvenience, especially after he has to rescue her from hyperthermia when she tries to make her way back to the train station.

As Millie reluctantly settles into village life for the weekend and meets many of the villages lovely residents is there someone special who can thaw her heart and convince her life in the snowy village isn’t as bad as she thinks.

I really enjoyed reading this book and found myself warming to Millie despite her being quite a standoffish and cold character to begin with.  I liked her a whole lot more once she began to get settled in the village and could see her fitting in well with the group of characters who became her friends.

I thought she was quite a lucky lady too as there seemed to more than one man who had noticed her arrival and I was glad with the choice she finally made.

I loved that this was more than a chick-lit romance and had some more serious moments involving some of the characters. I also loved the comedy moments Millie provides by being angry and clumsy. The aftermath of her kitchen bake-off I can totally relate, I also leave a trail of mass destruction wherever I go so loved this characteristic in Millie.

I’m so glad this is part of a series as I’m really looking forward to reading more about Millie and hopefully other characters from the village. This story was well written with some heartfelt moments and plenty of laughs, an ideal read for a wintery afternoon by the fire.

Thank you to Neverland Book Tours for inviting me to be part of this tour and for the review copy of the book.

Giveaway:  open to UK residents only

1 eBook copy of Snowflakes and Christmas Cakes and an actual Christmas cake. Mmm!

Click on the link below to enter, good luck x

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The Broken Hearts Book Club by Lynsey James

The Broken Hearts Book Club by Lynsey James

Published: 12th October 2015

Publisher: Carina UK

Pages: 242

Available on Kindle

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Rating 4/5

Blurb

Secrets never stay buried for long…
Lucy Harper has always been good at one thing: running from her past. But when her beloved Nana Lily passes away she has no choice except to return to the one place in the world she most wants to avoid…
Luna Bay hasn't changed much in the eight years she has spent in London. The little Yorkshire village is still just as beautiful, but the new pub landlord is a gorgeous addition to the scenery!
Lucy only intended to stay for a day, yet when she discovers that Nana Lily has not only left her a cottage but also 'The Broken Hearts Book Club', Lucy is intrigued. Her Nana never have mentioned the club and Lucy can't wait to get started, but walking into her first meeting she is more aware than ever that her past is finally catching up with her.
One way or another, Lucy must finally face the past she left behind – or spend the rest of her life on the run…

Review

The Broken Hearts Book Club is the first book in the new Luna Bay series by Lynsey James and is actually the first book of hers that I have read. Full of things I love books, romance and a gorgeous Yorkshire village I was sure I was going to love this and I did.

Lucy Harper has just returned to Luna Bay for her Nana Lily’s funeral after keeping away in London for eight years. Lucy feels very uneasy about being back in Luna Bay as the tragedy of what happened years ago still haunts her and is something of a mystery to reader until well into the second half of the book.

She was hoping to just head back to London and leave the past behind for good, but her Nana Lily has had other ideas. She has left Lucy her beautiful cottage by the sea, which is hers to keep providing she lives in the cottage and takes over the running of the Broken Hearts Book Club for three months. Lucy loved Rose Cottage as a child so is torn in two as she really doesn’t want to stay in Luna Bay, but intrigue into her Nana’s special book club and a very dishy barman are just enough reasons to get Lucy to stay instead of scurrying back to the safety and anonymity of London.

Life back in Luna Bay isn’t quite as easy as Lucy imagined, determined to help the members of The Broken Hearts Book Club doesn’t quite go to plan and makes for some very funny moments as Lucy tries to fix all the messes she makes. There’s also still some hostility from certain members of the village which Lucy is scared to face up to.

Lucy was a wonderful main character, she tries so hard to please everybody that she doesn’t always completely think things through, which leads to some misunderstandings, but you could tell she really did begin to care about making the members of the book club happy and that she just wanted the best for everybody. I also loved many of the other characters including Elle, George and Jake and I even warmed to Diane towards the end.

I did feel that the mystery of what happened to the past did overtake the story a little as it’s hinted at so frequently. I was reading fairly fast through this book as I wanted to find out what the big mystery was and to be honest I was a little disappointed when I found out what it was. I did however settle into the book more and really enjoyed the last few chapters at a more leisurely pace.

I also really enjoyed the romance that builds up between Jake and Lucy and loved reading how their relationship developed as it felt very real and also didn’t overpower the book.

Overall I found The Broken Hearts Book Club to be an enjoyable read with some lovely characters, in a beautiful setting, yes I want to go to Luna Bay myself. It’s a story with mystery, with romance and with the message that it’s okay to forgive yourself and leave your heartbreak behind.

I’m glad there is a second Luna Bay book out now as I’m eager to dive back into Luna Bay and all its lovely characters.

Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy to review.

Thats What Friends Are For by Marcie Steele

That's What Friends Are For by Marcie Steele

Published: 11th December 2015

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 342

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

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Blurb

Best friends tell each other everything… right?
Sam and Louise have been best friends since they hung their coats side by side on the first day of primary school. Now in their thirties, they’re just as close, but life is a little bit more complicated…

On the outside, thirty-something Sam seems to have it all; the gorgeous husband, the beautiful home and the flourishing business. But things are not quite as rosy as they seem. So when handsome stranger, Dan, walks into her life, Sam finds his attentions hard to resist.

Louise might seem like life and soul of the party, but her outgoing exterior hides her sadness about the heartbreak in her past. She just wants someone to love – but all Louise gets left with is a quick fumble with an ex at the end of the night.

When a glamorous face from the past returns to shake things up, things get even more complicated for Sam and Louise. And just when they need each other the most, they’ve reason to wonder whether they ever really knew each other at all.

An emotional and uplifting tale of love, secrets and the importance of having a best friend.

Review

That’s What Friends Are For is the second novel for Mel Sherratt writing as Marcie Steele. While I found her first novel good I really enjoyed this one. The story is focused on the relationship between best friends Sam and Louise but I enjoyed the addition of all the other characters which added more depth to the story and for me made it more realistic.

Sam and Louise have been best friends since their childhood. Working together on Sam’s market stall their lives might not have turned out exactly as they planned but they seem happy and share everything, well almost everything. Louise has a fifteen year old daughter Charley and has never told anyone who her father is, something which bugs Sam. Sam appears to be happy in her marriage to Reece but while he works away Sam begins to question how happy she really is and the appearance of handsome stranger Dan leads her to wonder exactly what her future holds.

The characters for me are what makes this novel so enjoyable, there’s such a mix but somehow they all fit together with their connections to the market. The community spirit among them is lovely, especially when they come together to give someone a special surprise.

My favourite had to Charley. I just loved her sassy attitude towards Louise as she tries to get her mother to notice her more. She comes across as such a sensible teenager despite having very little guidance from Louise and struggling at school because of Louise’s behaviour. I found Louise one of the characters I didn’t get on with at first, she comes across as very selfish and acts very childish going out and getting drunk every weekend instead of caring properly for Charley. I wished she’d take a proper look at lovely Matt who was always there for her and Charley and for some strange reason was clearly besotted with her. The other characters of Nicci, Jay and Jess all add extra drama to the story, some of which is comical and some of which is a little heart-breaking.

That’s What Friends Are For is packed full of drama and secrets and I loved it. It’s about family, friendships and trying to find your own happy ending.

Thank you Bookouture and Netgalley for sending me a copy to review, I’d like to give That’s What Friends Are For five stars as I found myself immersed in life at the market. I’m looking forward to Marcie’s next novel The Second Chance Shoe Shop which is out later this week.

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

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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.

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

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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

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Blurb

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

Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

Order now from Amazon

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

Evil Games by Angela Marsons

Evil Games ( D.I. Stone #2) by Angela Marsons

Published: 29th May 2015

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 384

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

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Blurb

The greater the Evil, the more deadly the game…
When a rapist is found mutilated in a brutal attack, Detective Kim Stone and her team are called in to bring a swift resolution. But, as more vengeful killings come to light, it soon becomes clear that there is someone far more sinister at work.

With the investigation quickly gathering momentum, Kim finds herself exposed to great danger and in the sights of a lethal individual undertaking their own twisted experiment.

Up against a sociopath who seems to know her every weakness, for Detective Stone, each move she makes could be deadly. As the body count starts to mount, Kim will have to dig deeper than ever before to stop the killing. And this time - it’s personal.

Review

After reading and been totally blown away by Angela Marsons’ first DI Stone novel Silent Scream I was eager to read her second novel Evil Games and it didn’t disappoint, it’s another highly addictive and fast paced read which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

In Evil Games DI Stone and her team are investigating an ongoing child abuse case alongside the recent brutal stabbing of a rapist. As other crimes are committed Kim feels there is a connection between them, her colleagues disagree but as the name Dr Alexandra Thorne keeps cropping up Kim can’t let that niggle in her gut go. As she investigates on her own Kim comes face to face with a dangerous sociopath and as Kim faces her deepest fears…can she outwit her strongest adversary yet?

Wow, just like Angela’s first crime thriller this was addictive from the very first page and had me hooked until the end. There were so many plot twists and turns that kept me totally absorbed, making for a fairly quick read. The short chapters and Angela’s excellent action packed writing style helped this book to flow brilliantly. One thing I really loved was that the last sentence of each chapter seemed to add more clues to the case and was like a mini cliff-hanger urging me to keep reading.

In Alexandra Thorne Angela has created a truly despicable and unsettling character, reading about her was so intriguing. Just like Kim I felt that niggle that she wasn’t quite as charming as she first appeared and as we learnt more about her and her mind games she just made me shudder. Well done to Angela for creating such a brilliant character.

Another thing I loved about Evil Games was that we learnt a lot more about Kim’s background which really made like her more as a character. Although we learn more about why she is so harsh and closed off to emotions it was nice that with the introduction of Barney the dog there is hope for Kim to form relationships in the future, something to look forward too maybe?

Evil Games was a brilliant read, written in the same addictive style as Silent Scream and as a follow it’s just as good as the first one. So looking forward to reading the next book Lost Girls and really hoping Angela will continue to write this wonderful series.

Thank you so much to Bookouture and Netgalley for the review copy, I give Evil Games a massive 5 out 5 and urge anyone who hasn’t read this to do so now, you won’t regret it.

Shopaholic to the Rescue by Sophie Kinsella

Shopaholic to the Rescue by Sophie Kinsella

Published: 22nd October 2015

Publisher: Bantam Press (Transworld)

Pages: 320

Available in Hardback and on Kindle

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Blurb

To Las Vegas . . . and beyond!

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

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

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

Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Summer Fling and Dancing Dreams by Sue Watson

Summer Flings and Dancing Dreams by Sue Watson

Published: 3rd July 2015

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages:308

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

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Blurb

Dance like nobody’s watching. Love like you’ll never get hurt…
Laura Watkin’s heart isn’t broken, she’s just forgotten how to use it.

After years on her own, the highlight of single mum Laura’s week is watching Strictly Come Dancing with a glass of Pinot Grigio and a large helping of imagination.

With her daughter Sophie going travelling, Laura knows the time is right to do something for herself for a change. One disastrous Zumba class later and Laura ends up at the feet (literally) of gorgeous dance instructor Tony Hernandez.

A natural dancer and inspiring teacher, Tony rekindles in Laura a passion she inherited from her ballroom dancer father – and with it comes a dream… to make him proud.

But when Tony enters them to perform at the National Dance Festival, can Laura’s new-found confidence survive the test? And with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn Flamenco in Spain, could Laura truly learn to dance like nobody’s watching… and love like she’ll never get hurt?

A laugh-out-loud, uplifting comedy about finding the courage to be yourself, the importance of dreams, and learning to grab life by the glitter balls.

Review

Summer Flings and Dancing Dreams is the second book by Sue Watson that I have read. After reading and loving Snow Angels, Secrets and Christmas cake last Christmas I was eager to read Sue’s next book and was so glad to find I loved it just as much. Sue’s writing style is witty, honest and heart-warming and it brings to life her ordinary characters and makes them feel very real.

Laura is a forty-something single mum who has spent her life trying to give her daughter Sophie everything she never had as a child. As the story starts poor Sophie has been left standing at the alter and is now in tears outside the church, her heart completely crushed by the man she thought would give her the perfect life. Laura, also heart-broken at the prospect at having to pay for the non-wedding after hours of overtime, is crushed even further when Sophie reveals that she doesn’t want to end up like her mother: sad and alone with only the television and a glass of wine for comfort with no ambition in her life. Devastated by the way her daughter views her life Laura vows to add a little bit more spice into her life. After a disastrous Zumba class Laura meets Tony a dance instructor who helps Laura to slowly ignite her passion for dancing and so “Lola” is born.

I found Laura a really easy character to relate to, sometimes we all fall into a rut with the everyday routine of working and bringing up children, so to have all that hard work and effort thrown back in your face is hard to take, especially if it comes from your own daughter.  Some people might sulk and moan about their life but Laura hasn’t she’s just got on with it to help her daughter have the best life possible, so I was pleased when she decided to do something for herself and follow her dancing dreams. As soon as Laura starts to dance the passion she has inside her just oozed off the paged and I just loved Tony for helping her to become the wonderful and outgoing and very brave “Lola” that she deserved to be.

This is a hilarious and uplifting novel full of laughs and comedy moments which had me chuckling all the way through. Although Laura has to endure a little heartache along the way, she ultimately ends up as the stronger more confident women she longs to be and makes her mum and daughter proud of her. It’s a novel which leaves you thinking “I can do that” which I found very inspiring. So if you have hidden dreams let this little gem with its glitter and sequins work its magic and inspire you to follow your dreams just like Laura did.

I’d like to thank Bookouture for sending me an arc copy to review, I loved it and would like to rate it a very sparkly 5/5.