The Holiday Swap by Zara Stoneley

The Holiday Swap by Zara Stoneley

Published: 2nd September 2016

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Pages: 392

Available on Kindle

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Rating: 5/5

Blurb

Two women, two very different lives – one perfect solution to escape festive heartbreak!
Tucked away in the idyllic English countryside, Daisy Fischer’s cosy little cottage has always been her safe haven. But when her completely dependable boyfriend issues her an ultimatum, Daisy realises there’s a whole world out there she’s missing out on.
Florence Cortes’s life couldn’t be better – gorgeous apartment right on the beach, fabulous job and dreamy boyfriend, or so she thought. Suddenly, Flo’s life isn’t so perfect after all.
When the girls house swap for the holidays, it’s not long before Daisy is being distracted by sun, sea and sexy Javier while Flo finds herself snowbound for Christmas with only handsome neighbour Hugo and a house full of animals to keep her company.
Love actually does seem to be all around this Christmas, but in the places Flo and Daisy least expect to find it…

Review
After reading and adoring Zara Stoneley’s first novel Stable Mates I knew I just had to read The Holiday Swap straight away. With a plot similar to my very favourite movie I was sure it was going to be a winner for me and it was, it was utter perfection and one that needs adding to my paperback collection when it’s released.

Daisy Fischer has the ideal rural life settled with boyfriend Jimmy. He doesn’t get in the way of Daisy’s everyday life with her horse Barney, dog Mabel and her dog grooming business and that’s the way Daisy likes it. So when Jimmy wants to make their relationship more serious Daisy’s shocked as she was happy as she was and thought Jimmy was too. Deciding she needs time away to think about her future, Daisy heads off to Barcelona for a break with best friend Anna.

Florence Cortes has the dream life, she lives in beautiful Barcelona by the sea, has the ideal job writing for her own magazine and has the perfect boyfriend in Oli or so she thinks. When a dream trip to Paris doesn’t end quite the way Flo imagines she realises it’s time to take time out think about what she really wants out of life.

When Daisy and Flo realise that a weekend of fun just isn’t a long enough break they decide to swap lives for the last few weeks before Christmas. So Daisy stays in Barcelona and spends some time alone until she meets handsome Javier who just seems to keep popping up wherever she goes. Florence returns to Tippermere the place she grew up hoping to work out what she really wants. Having sworn off men until she returns home Flo begins to be distracted by Daisy’s next door neighbour Hugo, who is determined him and Flo are going to get better acquainted.

Can Daisy and Flo find what they are looking for before they go home and can they allow the unexpected romance that is brewing into their lives?

I loved both of the main characters Daisy and Flo. Despite being miles apart geographically these two I found were very similar, they’re both longing for that perfect man to come along and sweep them off their feet or horse in Daisy’s case. They both have dreams which initially they are reluctant to follow. Daisy to travel and see the world and Flo to write her novel. I loved reading how they both grew in confidence after their shattered relationships and became stronger and more determined to follow their dreams and was really pleased they both got some romance with some proper hunky men.

This is a novel set in two very contrasting places, we have the snowy, sleepy village of Tippermere in Cheshire England where everything seemed cosy and settled. Then we have the sun, sea, sand and excitement of the big city of Barcelona filled with new experiences on every corner. I loved both of these settings and thought the contrast worked perfectly making this the ideal summer read to accompany your sunbathing or the perfect winter read to cosy up by the fire with a mug of hot chocolate.

I love Zara Stoneley’s writing style, its fast paced giving enough details to set the scene perfectly but also to carry the story along. She has included some wonderful comical moments, many involving Flo falling over and some sizzling romance scenes. The Holiday Swap is a book about second chances, friendships and grabbing hold of your dreams. I simply adored this book and think it has made the ideal book to start my festive reading.

I’d like to thank the publishers Harper Impulse and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Blog Tour Review - Tempting Isabel by Rissa Brahm

Tempting Isabel by Rissa Brahm

Published: 24th May 2016

Publisher: 108 Dergrees

Pages: 336

Available on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 4/5

Blurb

Luck. Lust. Love.

Wedding planner Isabel Ruiz is cursed. Her hometown of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico agrees, considering her tragic track record. Alone and loveless, she creates fairy-tale weddings for others. Her only distraction? The occasional anonymous fling. So to avoid further tragedy, her rule, one–night–only, is never broken…

Until Zack.

Self-made millionaire Zack James is in town for his brother’s wedding, when a sudden spell of depression hits. Maybe burned out by his fast and luxurious lifestyle? Not even his two female companions hold any interest.

That is, until he meets Isabel.

She humbles and captivates him, reigniting his thirst for life. With her, Zack feels more alive than ever. To his delight—and her dismay—they share a deep bond, a sensual connection, and one mind-bending night.

Zack must have her – to complete him. And Isabel must escape him – to save him.

Their game of catch and chase leads to lust-turned-love. For Isabel, it's fate’s cruelest joke. But Zack won’t quit, positive he’s the cure to her curse. Can he convince her to risk everything with him? Or will it all go south…in paradise.

Review

Tempting Isabel is the first book in Rissa Brahm’s new Paradise South series.  In this book we meet Isabel and Zack, two people so different but so completely right for each other.

Isabel Ruiz works as a wedding planner in Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. She believes she has been cursed as anyone who ever gets close to her ends up in a fatal accident. Shunned by most of the town and all but three of her eleven siblings Isabel leads a lonely and loveless life, throwing herself into her work in order to gain some happiness. When she needs a release she has some strict rules about the men she encounters, no last names and one night only for Isabel cannot risk the life of anyone else by allowing them to come too close, until she meets Zack James and everything changes.

Self-made millionaire Zachery James is visiting Puerto Vallarta for business and pleasure, his little brother Darren is getting married. He’s a self-confessed womaniser but recently he’s hit a dry spell where the woman around just don’t satisfy him anymore. Zack begins to fall into a depression until he bumps into Isabel literally and there she is the woman of all his dreams, all he has to do now is win her heart.

When these two meet the sparks fly and the chemistry between them is red hot, vowing just one   night Isabel lets herself go. Fate is very cruel to Isabel for whenever she’s fallen in love disaster has struck and has ended in fatal damage, but she can’t get Zack out of her head which leads them into very dangerous territory. As Isabel pushes Zack away to save him from her curse Zack becomes even more determined that he is the one that break it for good. Can these two overcome fate and live happy ever after?

Initially I found this quite a hard book to get into, at the beginning there is an awful lot of swearing which kind of put me off and both Zack and Isabel seemed characters that were shallow and self-centred. This changed after about chapter six after these two meet, after that I began to quite like them and at the end I was surprised by how well Rissa Brahms has developed the characters.

After a slow start this book really picked up for me and became everything I believe a good romance should be. It had two characters with red hot chemistry, a beautiful setting, some very entertaining dialogue and a little bit of mystery. Towards the second half I became completely engrossed and was sad to finish, but luckily I have two more books in the series to go and read.

I’d like to thank the author Rissa Brahma and Neverland Blog Tours for my review copy in exchange for my honest opinions and for inviting me to be part of the blog tour.

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Blog Tour: The Sunflower Cottage Breakfast Club by Lynsey James

The Sunflower Cottage Breakfast Club by Lynsey James

Published: 1st August 2016

Publisher: Carina UK

Pages: 218

Available on Kindle

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Rating: 5/5

Blurb

Emily Reed is having a bad day. Devastated at losing her hard-earned promotion to the ditz who’s sleeping with the boss, her mother drops a devastating bombshell—the dad she’s known and loved for twenty-five years isn’t her biological father.

Now Emily needs answers and a month in Luna Bay should give her the time she needs to find her father, and land the difficult client at the Sunflower Cottage B&B which should put her back in the running for her coveted promotion.

Setting up the Sunflower Cottage breakfast club should be a great way to meet the locals and maybe even find out who her father is! The only problem is that brooding and insanely gorgeous, Noah, is determined to make Emily’s stay perfectly uncomfortable.

Finding out the truth was never going to be simple, but she never thought her heart would get in the way…

Review

The Sunflower Cottage Breakfast Club is the second book in Lynsey James’ Luna Bay series, although it can also be read as a standalone novel.

Emily Reed, Business Development Manager for Walter Marshall Hotels has gone from having her life all sorted to being completely lost, after twenty five years her mum has just dropped the bombshell that her loving dad Simon is not her biological father. Her biological father is actually a man named Brian who her mother had a fling with shortly after she was married in the little Yorkshire town of Luna Bay.

To make things worse she’s just been beaten to a promotion by Tara, who seems a little too friendly with their boss Paul. Needing a break and longing to go find out more about her father Emily asks for time off, Paul strikes a bargain with her she has a month to visit Luna Bay and find some answers but while she’s there Emily must get the Sunflower Cottage Bed & Breakfast to sign itself over to Walter Marshall and then she can have her longed for promotion.

Simple, except Emily makes a bad first impression on Mr Grumpy himself Noah Hartley. This wouldn’t be so bad except Noah is very close to The Sunflower Cottages owner Rose and Noah is determined that Rose won’t sell up. After an accident puts Rose out of action for a few days Emily agrees to help Noah run the B & B and to set up his “breakfast club” as a way to keep herself busy and try to subtly find out more about Brian.

After a number of mishaps, misunderstandings and a little heartbreak it’s finally time for Emily to head back to Glasgow, but something’s happened that Emily wasn’t expecting she’s fallen in love…can she really turn her back on Luna Bay now it’s in her heart?

Just like Lynsey’s first Luna bay book I adored this book, it’s an easy enjoyable read and one which is full of emotions, drama and some hilarious scenes. I think the thing that has made Lynsey’s writing standout to me is the characters, she has written some brilliant ones which I can so easily imagine. One of my favourites being Emily’s mum, I just loved her little pep talks with Emily and the scenes where she’s helping Emily cook the breakfasts are some of my favourite in the book.  Talking of breakfasts, I really want one of Noah’s New Yorker breakfasts as it sounded delicious!

I thought Emily was a great main character and had an ah-ha moment when I realised she had been mentioned in book one. I also have my suspicions as to who will be the main character in book three and fingers crossed I’m right because I’m dying to know more about that person.  Anyway back to  Emily, I loved the journey she went on in this book starting out being the uptight, health conscious business woman to the relaxed Emily who goes after what she wants rather than what is expected of her. The sparks that flew between her and Noah were wonderful and I loved reading how their relationship changed.

I also loved that other previous characters were mentioned, it was lovely to check in with Lucy and Jake and see how they were doing. I was a little sad that Elle and George were not in the book as there were character I loved from the first book.

I enjoyed reading The Sunflower Cottage Breakfast Club while I was on holiday and found it to be the perfect holiday read as its light-hearted and fun and Luna Bay reminded me of one of my favourite places Robin Hood’s Bay in Yorkshire.  I’m so looking forward to more of Lynsey’s wonderful story-telling in Luna Bay book three.

Thank you to the Lynsey, the publishers and Neverland Blog Tours for the review copy and for allowing me to be part of the blog tour.

Blog Tour: The Dress by Sophie Nicholls Exclusive Content & Review

The Dress by Sophie Nicolls

Published: 28th July 2016 (Paperback)

Publisher: Twenty7

Pages:290

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Pre-Order now from Amazon

Rating 3/5

Today on the blog I'd like to welcome Sophie Nicolls who has written an exclusive piece for the tour detailing her writing rituals, so over to Sophie:

My writing rituals

Do you have a writing ritual, a way of signalling to yourself that it’s time to settle down to write?

It could be as simple as sitting down at your desk with a hot cup of coffee, perhaps in a special mug; or maybe you even have a particular routine, something you have to do to create the necessary head space to begin? 

The choreographer and dancer, Twyla Tharp, talks about the power of ritual in her book, The Creative Habit: Learn it and use it for life. She writes:

‘It’s vital to establish some rituals – automatic but decisive patterns of behaviour – at the beginning of the creative process, when you are most at peril of turning back, chickening out, giving up or going the wrong way.’ Twyla Tharp (2006). The Creative Habit: Learn it and use it for life. New York. Simon & Schuster

In my own life, there are very often at least fifteen thoughts jostling for attention in my brain at any one time. As well as working on my own writing, I teach creative writing full-time at Teesside University and I have a four-year-old daughter.  Thee are always drafts of my students’ work-in-progress waiting to be read, laundry to take out of the washing machine, a lunchbox to pack, a play date to schedule. It can be difficult to make the psychological space to allow the words to flow.

But as Fabia, one of the main characters in my novel, The Dress, knows only too well, ritual is a powerful way to tap into the stillness inside us. It’s a way to tune out all that mental chatter and start to listen - really listen - to what we really want to say.

Fabia uses rituals – simple household ‘spells,’ for want of a better word – to conjure the right atmosphere of warmth and welcome in her vintage dress shop. She washes her floors with lavender-scented water, polishes them with beeswax, sprinkles salt and lights candles. She uses her special brand of ‘everyday magic’ to sew new futures for her customers, hiding secret words in the hem of a skirt or the pocket of a dress, and she keeps the snipped ends of her embroidery threads in a special jar.

Your writing rituals don’t need to be as elaborate as Fabia’s, of course. Mine tend to be very simple. Although I’m rather fond of lighting scented candles and like to do this at the beginning of an evening writing session, sometimes it’s as simple as closing the door to my office, sitting down in my chair, letting my breathing settle, opening my laptop and saying to myself, under my breath, the magic words: ‘Just write.’

I often imagine that I’m stepping into a special writing space inside my mind. I see this space as a circle, traced on the floor. It’s my safe space and, as soon as I step inside it, nothing can interrupt me. This simple visualisation helps me to make the transition instantly from the busy outer world to the stillness of my inner psyche.

I get some of my best ideas in the shower. Just making the decision to stand under the hot water for a few moments can be enough to get the words flowing. It’s also a place where my very talkative four-year-old daughter is unlikely to follow me.

Fabia uses rituals – simple household ‘spells,’ for want of a better word – to conjure the right atmosphere of warmth and welcome in her vintage dress shop. She washes her floors with lavender-scented water, polishes them with beeswax, sprinkles salt and lights candles. She uses her special brand of ‘everyday magic’ to sew new futures for her customers, hiding secret words in the hem of a skirt or the pocket of a dress, and she keeps the snipped ends of her embroidery threads in a special jar.

Your writing rituals don’t need to be as elaborate as Fabia’s, of course. Mine tend to be very simple. Although I’m rather fond of lighting scented candles and like to do this at the beginning of an evening writing session, sometimes it’s as simple as closing the door to my office, sitting down in my chair, letting my breathing settle, opening my laptop and saying to myself, under my breath, the magic words: ‘Just write.’

I often imagine that I’m stepping into a special writing space inside my mind. I see this space as a circle, traced on the floor. It’s my safe space and, as soon as I step inside it, nothing can interrupt me. This simple visualisation helps me to make the transition instantly from the busy outer world to the stillness of my inner psyche.

I get some of my best ideas in the shower. Just making the decision to stand under the hot water for a few moments can be enough to get the words flowing. It’s also a place where my very talkative four-year-old daughter is unlikely to follow me.

Rituals are wonderful ways for writers to slow down, make space and tap into their subconscious, that place from which creativity flows. As Fabia says, ‘magic is everywhere, when you know how to look.’

Blurb

Meet Ella and her mother Fabia Moreno who arrive in York, one cold January day, to set up their vintage dress shop. The flamboyant Fabia wants to sell beautiful dresses to nice people and move on from her difficult past. Ella just wants to fit in. But not everyone is on their side. Will Fabia overcome the prejudices she encounters? What's the dark secret she's hiding? And do the silk linings and concealed seams of her dresses contain real spells or is this all just 'everyday magic'? Among the leopard-print shoes, tea-gowns and costume jewellery in Fabia's shop are many different stories - and the story of one particular dress.

Review

The Dress by Sophie Nicholls tells the story of Fabia Moreno and her daughter Ella who have just arrived in York and are setting up a vintage dress shop. Fabia is Iranian but is pretending to be Italian in order to blend into the community more as she seems to be on the run from something, she is a fabulous seamstress and begins to sew a little magic into the clothes of the ladies of York, bringing out one or two surprises.  As the months pass both mother and daughter struggle with finding out who they really are and where they belong, especially Ella as the older she gets the more she believes Fabia is hiding something from her.

After seeing such a beautiful cover and the very intriguing blurb I was very excited to read this and sadly I think I’m a little disappointed as this book had a couple of things which bugged me and at the end I was still confused about some things. The first thing that bugged me I think could just be me, for some reason I was convinced this book was set in the 1950/60s and the for the first couple of chapters this could easily be the case, until a man gets a mobile phone out of his pocket, which threw me completely, after that I found it really hard to determine the precise time the book was set and this left me unable to completely place the story.

The second thing that annoyed me was an incident which happens about three quarters of the way through the book, it was completely unexpected and didn’t fit in with the rest of the story and the author’s writing style. Up until then the story had been very gentle and descriptive creating a vivid picture of what was happening and was an enjoyable easy read and this sudden episode didn’t fit with or add anything to the story.

The ending left me confused as not everything about Fabia’s past was explained, unless I missed some vital point. Given that this is the first book in a trilogy I’m hoping more will be explained in the next book.

Despite these reservations I did enjoy some of The Dress, my favourite part was watching how Ella and Fabia changed. Ella’s always being such a good girl doing exactly what her mother says and doing her best and blend in and not be noticed, but as she gets older Ella wants to be noticed, particularly by friend Billy. I loved this change in Ella and was a little sad the epilogue skipped so far ahead in time as its missed part of Ella’s growing up which I would love to have read about. I loved that Fabia despite her reluctance gradually began to let a little romance into her own life.

I also loved all the descriptions of the dresses and would actually love to be able to be able to visit Fabia’s shop as it seemed like an Aladdin’s cave of loveliness. As other reviewers have mentioned The Dress does have similarities to Chocolat by Joanne Harris with Fabia sewing her magic into the clothes, I thought this was such a lovely idea and would love her to make a dress for me.

Overall The Dress was a fairly enjoyable read which had some lovely moments and I’d be interested to see where the author takes the story in the next book.

Thank you to Twenty 7 for sending me a review copy and for inviting me on the blog tour and thank you to Sophie Nicholls for popping in.

If the Dress Fits by Daisy James

If the Dress Fits by Daisy James

Published: 14th July 2016

Publisher: Carina UK

Pages: 316

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating 5/5

Blurb

Callie’s exquisite, glittering silk gown has been shortlisted for the celebrity wedding of the year. But just as all her dreams are coming true, disaster strikes!
Leaving behind the bright lights of London, Callie is forced to return home to sleepy Althorpe. And there’s one man she hopes to avoid – the childhood sweetheart who turned her life upside down. But now she’s back, is it finally time to stop running?
Yet, as Callie faces her past, a Cinderella-like hunt begins for that perfect, pearl-embroidered dress, mysteriously submitted without a name…

Review
If the Dress Fits by Daisy James was a book I was eager to read after seeing the lovely cover and reading the blurb, I’m drawn to anything wedding related, especially at this time of year so this was the perfect read for me.

Callie left her hometown village of Althorpe in Yorkshire years ago after catching boyfriend Theo in the arms of another woman. Since then Callie has poured herself into her work and built up a successful wedding dress design boutique and now she’s at the pinnacle of her career as she’s a finalist in a competition to design a dress for famous actress Lilac Verbois. On the day Callie’s entry is due to be sent for judging she gets a phone-call which devastates her. Leaving her assistants in charge of the paperwork for the competition Callie heads back to Yorkshire where her life has been turned upside-down.

On returning to Yorkshire Callie has a few shocks. Firstly she is now the owner of her aunts shop Gingerberry Yarns and secondly her old boyfriend Theo, the famous rock star just keeps popping up where ever she is. She’s also trying to hide her disappointment at not winning the dress competition, but unbeknown to Callie Lilac’s wedding team are desperately trying to find the owner of the winning dress, which was submitted with no name…

Despite longing to get back to her studio and her work Callie remains in Yorkshire and begins to give Gingerberry Yarns a make-over in order to make it more saleable, but slowly happy memories of the place come flooding back and Callie begins to be won over by the shops charm, which is helped along by some lovely and loyal customers.

What will happen to Gingerberry Yarns? Will Callie return to London? Will she give Theo another chance and who won the dress competition? This books is full of drama as Callie works out where her heart lies.

This was a lovely read which I really enjoyed. Daisy James has created such a magical place with Gingerberry Yarns that I couldn’t help wishing I could go there myself and join in the Cupcakes and Couture group, despite the fact I’m useless with needles! It was such a warm and comforting place, made even better by the delicious sounding cakes which baker Tom keeps dropping by.

I also loved all of the characters, both in Yorkshire and back in London. They have each been given there own distinct personalities and dreams. One of my favourite characters was Tish, Lilac’s slightly ditzy wedding planner. She was such a hopeless romantic getting swept away with others peoples big days while she waited for her Prince Charming to come and she her off her feet. I loved how Nikki, Lilac’s PA has to step in more than once to help her organise things she’d completely forgotten.

If the Dress Fits was a really enjoyable read, it’s a light-hearted easy read which is perfect for reading in the sunshine. It left me with a warm glow inside and is sure to be a book I reach for when I need cheering up. I’m so looking forward to Daisy’s next book When Only Cupcakes Will do, as I know Daisy is one of those writers that will deliver something I will enjoy.

Thank you to the publishers for this review copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

Lying In Wait by Liz Nugent

Lying In Wait by Liz Nugent

Published: 14th July 2016

Publisher: Penguin Ireland

Pages: 304

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 5/5

Blurb

Andrew and Lydia Fitzsimons , a respectful judge and his reclusive wife, find themselves in a most unfortunate situation - they have had to murder a young woman and bury her in their exquisite garden.

While Lydia does all she can to protect their innocent son Laurence and their social standing, her husband begins to fall apart.

But Laurence is not as naïve as Lydia thinks and his obsession with the dead girls family may be the undoing of his own

Review

With the opening line ‘My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it.’ Liz Nugent’s new book was guaranteed to draw the reader in and she did just that with me, I have not been so addicted to a book in such a long time. The fallout from Annie’s murder was an intense read filled with unexpected twists and some of the most devilish characters I’ve ever read about.

The story begins in late 1980 when Annie Doyle has gone missing, her sister Karen is the only person who seems concerned as Annie does not have the most reliable nature. But Karen was close to Annie and knows something is not right and becomes frustrated when the police give up on her sister, vowing to find out the truth about her sisters disappearance.

Told from the perspectives of Lydia, Laurence and Karen we gradually begin to work out Annie’s connection to the Fitzsimons and the lengths that Lydia will go to protect herself and her husband from been convicted of her murder. As Laurence begins to work things out, Lydia feeds him even more lies and he unwittingly becomes an accomplice to murder. Things become even more complex when Laurence and Karen’s lives slowly begin to intertwine. Will Lydia get away with murder? Will Laurence ever tell the truth and will Karen ever find the answers she is looking for?

It’s the characters in this book which make is so completely brilliant, never in all my time reading have I met a character I hated as much as Lydia Fitzsimons, the woman is like the devil, every time I thought she couldn’t get any worse, she did with another fantastic twist in the plot. She has become so immersed in getting what she wants that she seems to have lost all grip on reality and any sense of morality she once had and becomes completely unhinged. She is one of the most manipulative and disturbed characters which I’ve ever come across, but one I enjoyed reading about immensely.

Poor Laurence, I wanted to like him I really did but I just felt he was too much under his mother’s spell to ever really be the man I was longing him to be. He was just too weak for me, he had glimpses of what a happy life could be like but just didn’t grab hold of them enough, preferring to keep pacifying his mother’s outbursts.

Karen was the only character I actually liked, her devotion to Annie and believing the best in her was very endearing. I also loved that she was able to turn her dreams into a reality and grab the career she wanted.

I thought Lying In Wait was a brilliant novel and one which I can’t stop thinking about, it’s a book I’ve recommend to many friends, if only for them to experience Lydia for themselves. It’s full of twists and turns and an ending which actually left me shaking! Utterly brilliant and definitely not to be missed, Lying In Wait is one of the top thrillers of 2016.

The Little Antique Shop under the Eiffel Tower by Rebecca Rasin

The Little Antique Shop under the Eiffel Tower by Rebecca Raisin

Published: 30th June 2016

Publisher: Carina UK

Pages: 284

Available on Kindle

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Rating 5/5

Blurb

Escape to Paris this summer and prepare to be swept off your feet…
Anouk LaRue used to be a romantic, but since she had her heart well and truly broken her love life has dissolved into nothing more than daydreams of the perfect man. Retreating to her extraordinary Little Antique Shop has always been a way to escape, because who could feel alone in a shop bursting with memories and beautiful objects…

Until Tristan Black bursts into an auction and throws her ordered world into a spin.

Following your heart is a little like getting lost in Paris – sometimes confusing and always exciting! Except learning to trust her instincts is not something Anouk is ready to do when it comes to romance, but the city of love has other ideas…

Review

The Little Antique Shop Under the Eiffel Tower is the second book in Rebecca Raisin’s Little Paris series and has been a book I’ve been looking forward to very much as Rebecca is one of my favourite authors, don’t worry if you haven’t read  the first book, this works perfectly as a standalone. This is the first book which has featured predominantly new characters and not those we know and love from the little town of Ashford. This made me a little apprehensive as I wasn’t sure this book would have the same attraction as her previous novels, but never fear Rebecca has written another fabulous novel which could possibly be my favourite so far.

Anouk La Rue is the main character of this book, those of you who read Rebecca’s previous novel The Little Bookshop by the Seine may remember she has a unique way of running her shop. Anouk is devoted to antiques and their history and won’t let just anyone walk into her shop and buy something, you have to be personally recommended by an existing customer.  She will then only sell antiques if she believes the customer is genuinely interested the antiques heritage, so she’s probably never going to make millions.

The Little Antique shop has become even more important to Anouk after she had her heart broken by ex-boyfriend Joshua. He left her with mountains of debt which she is determined to pay off so she can keep her shop, so she has sworn off men for the foreseeable future. Despite efforts from her sister Lilou and friend Madame Dupont , Anouk’s heart remains closed until she happens to meet the mysterious and extremely handsome Tristan Black at an auction. Try as she might Anouk cannot resist the charms of Tristan and the chemistry between them, but is she right to let him into her heart?

Initially I didn’t warm to Anouk, I think this was more due to the fact I was expecting more of Rebecca’s previous characters to appear, than Anouk herself. I loved that she was so devoted to the stories behind the antiques and finding them happy homes. She also tried to do here best for sister Lilou who was in need of some of Anouk’s drive and determination, but I wished she lighten up a little bit and not be so serious and orderly. By the end Anouk had grown on me and I’m sad her story has finished as I became totally wrapped up in it.

I really loved that Rebecca has introduced more of a mystery into this book along with the bubbling romance between Anouk and Tristan. I felt this gave the book more depth than her previous novels. I did work out some of the mystery before the end, but there are also a couple of twists which I wasn’t expecting which added to my enjoyment.

Overall this is another fabulous read from one of my favourite authors. Again she has captured the romance between Anouk and Tristan perfectly and I loved the addition of the mystery of the missing jewels. She has also captured Paris perfectly as I could really imagine walking along the cobbled alleyways with Anouk and visiting the various auction houses.

Thank you some much to Carina UK and Netgalley for the review copy, I adored this book and can’t recommend it enough. So looking forward to reading Rebecca Raisins next book.

This Last Kiss by Madeleine Reiss

This Last Kiss by Madeleine Reiss

Published: 30th June 2016

Publisher: Zaffre (twenty7)

Pages: 327

Available in paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 3/5

Blurb

Rora Raine is finally coming home to Hastings, twelve years after she left her grief-stricken father, and fled the love of her life, Carl.

Struggling to support her bright but troubled daughter, Rora has convinced herself she'll never love again.

When she meets a bumblingly charming stranger, Rora's heart begins to thaw.

But, try as she might, she can't run from true love forever.

Funny, warm-hearted and soaringly romantic, This Last Kiss is the redemptive story of two star-crossed lovers, told through each and every kiss they share.

Review

This Last Kiss is Madeleine Reiss’s second novel but the first which I have read. Rora Raine has finally come back to her hometown of Hastings to visit her estranged father who is dying. Twelve years ago Rora fled to London after a beach party went badly wrong, leaving behind her grieving father and the love of her life Carl. As Rora and her daughter Ursula begin to rebuild their life in Hastings can the events of the past ever be laid to rest?

The Last Kiss is written through 22 of Rora’s “kisses” starting back in 1996 when she first met Carl moving back and forth between then and the present day of 2010.  I thought this was a very clever way of writing the book as many of us have special kisses which have defined important events in our lives and this is reflected in the book.  The writing flows seamlessly between the different times making the story flow well.

I enjoyed reading This Last Kiss, my favourite parts were when Rora and Carl were teenagers and were experiencing there first flushes of love and romance. Madeleine Reiss has captured their youthful innocence perfectly, making them quite endearing at this point in the book. As grown I wasn’t as keen on Rora, she seemed a little be too self-absorbed in her own problems to pay full attention to daughter Ursula’s problems. It isn’t until Rora’s father makes a passing comment that Rora even realises her daughter is being bullied at her new school. I liked the characters of Carl and Krystof very much as felt they added some light-heartedness to a very emotional book. Carl with his extreme dare-devil behaviours and Krystof with his over the top declarations of love.

I felt overall this was a book that was incredibly sad and left me feeling a bit flat. So many sad things happen in this book that it’s hard to imagine Rora and Ursula will ever get their happy ever after as every time they come close something happens and it’s snatched away from them.

This Last Kiss is a book about forgiveness, about first loves and true loves and of being able to find peace in things and move on. If you enjoyed reading Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, One Day by David Nicholls or One Summer Night by Emily Bold then I think you will enjoy This Last Kiss as it has the same emphasis of enjoying love and romance before it ultimately ends.

Thank you so much to the publishers for sending me a copy to review in exchange for my honest opinions.

GIVEAWAY - The publishers have kindly offered three copies of This Last Kiss to giveaway on my twitter account so pop on over to @joanne2913 and enter - UK only please at the publishers request.

The Secret of Orchard Cottage by Alex Brown

The Secret of Orchard Cottage by Alex Brown

Published: 2nd June 2016

Publisher: Harper

Pages: 400

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 5/5

Blurb

April Wilson is wondering what to do next – her life has been turned upside down after the loss of her husband so she’s hoping to piece herself together again with a visit to her elderly great aunt, Edith. Arriving in the rural idyll of Tindledale, she’s dismayed to find Edith’s cottage and the orchards surrounding it in a sorry state of disrepair. Edith seems to have lost interest completely, instead she’s become desperate to find out what happened to her sister, Winnie, who disappeared during WWII.

April gets to work immediately, discovering that the orchard still delivers a bumper crop each year, and with the help of some of the villagers – including Matt, the enigmatic Farrier – begins to unravel the mystery of the missing Winnie. Slowly,
April can feel things coming to life again – but can Orchard Cottage work its magic on her too?

Review

The Secret of Orchard Cottage is Alex Brown’s third novel set in the lovely village of Tindledale. Having read only the first book The Great Christmas Knit-Off, which I loved, I wasn’t sure if the books followed on, however as each book focuses on different members of the village I believe you can read them in any order.

In the Secret of Orchard Cottage we meet April Wilson, who after grieving for her husband Graham for eighteen months decides it’s time for a change and heads off to visit her old Aunt Edie in Tindledale, who she has sadly lost touch with as she cared for her terminally ill husband.

On arrival April finds things in a very overgrown state and her Aunt in a very confused state as she keeps calling April Winnie. Who is Winnie and why is her Aunt so fixated on what happened to her? As April’s visit nears its end she feels very apprehensive about leaving her Aunt and retuning home so when step-daughter Nancy reassures her everything’s fine at home April decides to stay at Orchard Cottage and help her Aunt solve the mystery of Winnie and where she is.

Right from the start of reading this I was struck by the different tone Alex Brown has set for this novel, it seems deeper and more emotional.  Which given the themes of bereavement and dealing with Dementia is understandable. This isn’t a sad book though, in fact I found it to be a very heart-felt and uplifting novel.  For fans of Alex’s previous novels there is still that special something which makes her writing just come alive, especially with the number of wonderful comical moments throughout the book, which were probably my favourite parts.

I love the characters that Alex Brown creates and there are some lovely ones here. April herself is a lovely lady who has a heart of gold but has sadly missed her chance to have children when her husband became ill. She instantly forms a bond with teenager Bella, who just happens to be the daughter of April’s childhood sweetheart Matt. She also becomes closer to step-daughter Nancy when she comes to visit and together they help Edie to piece together the mystery of Winnie, her sister who vanished in the war. These women also manage to bring to bring Orchard Cottage back to its former glory, despite a few hiccups along the way.

The Secret of Orchard Cottage has everything I want in a book, a beautiful setting, some heart-warming characters and a little bit of mystery. I loved this book and think it should be on everyone’s reading list this summer as Alex Brown has once again shown what a gifted storyteller she is.

Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley for my review copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

Counting Chimneys by Sandy Taylor

Counting Chimneys by Sandy Taylor

Published: 10th June 2016

Publisher: Bookouture

Available in paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 5/5

Blurb

Brighton 1969: Dottie Perks steps off the train and breathes in the sea air, the smell of fish and chips, and the precious childhood memories of a friend and place she’ll never forget.

Dottie Perks has forged a new life for herself in London, a new job and sweet boyfriend Joe to keep her warm at night. She’s safe, happy and loved. What more could she ask for?

But when Dottie returns home to Brighton for a family celebration, the last person she expects to see is her first love; the boy who stole her heart… and broke it. Ralph Bennett.

As old familiar feelings come rushing to the surface, Dottie struggles to deny the strong chemistry that still exists between them. She can’t throw away everything to be with Ralph…can she? And if she does, how can they ever overcome the pain and tragedy of their shared past?

Review

Counting Chimneys is the second novel in the Brighton Girls Trilogy by Sandy Taylor. If you haven’t read the first book The Girls from See-Saw Lane, then I really suggest you do as it gives you Dottie’s history, plus it’s a fantastic read.

Counting Chimneys starts four years after the first book ended and Dottie has moved to London to try and forget about all the heart-break she left behind in Brighton. She’s made a new life for herself, sharing a flat with a girl called Polly and has a job on a music magazine called Trend, she even has a lovely new boyfriend called Joe. Everything is going alright for Dottie until she has to return to Brighton for a family christening and who should also be there, but Ralph Bennett, the love of her life and the reason for all her heart-break. As soon as she sees Ralph Dottie’s life is thrown upside down once more as she realises she still loves him and probably always will. Can Dottie throw away her life in London for a second chance with Ralph and will it be happy ever after if she does?

Once again I was easily drawn into Dottie’s story. Sandy Taylor has a way of writing which mixes perfectly emotions, drama and wonderful descriptions making Counting Chimneys, like her previous book a joy to read. 

I loved all the new characters which have been introduced in this book, Polly, Rose, Matthew, Tristan and Stephen all give Dottie some support when once again heartbreak strikes and become like a second family to her. They also added some light-hearted moments such as Stephen and Tristan taking their cat Colin for a walk, that just made me laugh. Even snotty-nosed sister Rita has some moments of being bearable for Dottie.

Sandy Taylor seems to have captured 1960s life perfectly.  Along with it still frowned upon to have unmarried couples staying over with each other, there are hostilities towards those who are different. I loved that Dottie wasn’t fazed by any of this and made her own mind about people, becoming close to Stephen, Tristan and Matthew despite the looks and comments she received.  I felt this showed how much Dottie had changed and grown up from The Girls in See-Saw Lane when she was a teenager and always concerned about her weight and how she looked and what other people thought of her. I can’t wait for the third book to see how Dottie changes as she hits her thirties.

I found Counting Chimneys to be just as enjoyable as Sandy’s first book and hope we don’t have to wait too long before we find out if Dottie can have a happy ever after that lasts.

Thank you so much to Bookouture and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

Daughters of the Silk Road by Debbie Rix

Daughters of the Silk Road by Debbie Rix

Published: 15th April 2016

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 298

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Blurb

‘She crossed over to the shelf where her father kept the dragon vase. He had placed it there when they first arrived in Venice. She took it down carefully, feeling it cool and comforting under her shaking fingers.’
Venice 1441: Maria and her brother Daniele arrive in the birthplace of their father, Niccolo dei Conti. An Italian merchant who has travelled far and wide, Niccolo has brought spices from India, lengths of silk and damask from the lands east of India and porcelain; a vase of pure white, its surface decorated with a cobalt blue dragon, the Chinese symbol of good fortune.
Maria settles in her new home, watching the magnificent and bustling city come to life each morning from her bedroom window. But while her father is away travelling, she soon finds herself and Daniele in terrible danger. She must protect her brother at whatever cost, and she must guard the delicate vase.
London 2015: Single mother Miranda is struggling to make ends meet and build a new life for her and daughter Georgie. When Miranda meets the charming but mysterious Charles, she is intrigued. Could he be her second chance at love? And why is he so fascinated by the old vase sitting on her hall table…

Review
Daughters of the Silk Road is the second novel by Debbie Rix and one I was very much looking forward to after reading her debut novel Secrets of the Tower last year. Initially I was struck by how utterly gorgeous the cover of this book is, it just screams opulence and exotic travels to me.

Like her previous novel this is written in a dual time-frame, one set in the present day with bookshop worker Miranda and her daughter Georgie. The second is set initially in 1441 and covers almost two hundred years up to the middle of the 17^th century. In Secrets of the Tower this dual aspect time frame worked extremely well as both the past and present wove together to create one story. In Daughters of the Silk Road I think Debbie has been slightly less successful in creating a cohesive story. I think the main reason for this is that the story set in the past is stretched too far. In the beginning we meet Maria and her brother Daniele and learn how the Ming Vase was brought to Europe but as the story progresses we hop forward in time and are told snippets of history from various members of their family. These were enjoyable on their own but I felt they were more like individual short stories rather than cohesive chapters in a novel.

I think story set in the present day was my favourite part and would have liked more from Miranda and Georgie. I really liked the fact that Georgie never seemed to give her mum much grief for not having much money and loads of new things, something which I know a lot of teenagers would moan about.  I loved  that sometimes it felt like Georgie was the mum and Miranda was the kid, especially after she falls for evil Charles and is mooning around waiting for him to call again and Georgie makes her get on with things. Speaking of Charles, he seemed like he was hiding something right from the start and I didn’t like him one bit. I thought he had the perfect ending to his story.

One thing which frustrated me and which I felt would have brought the story together was how Miranda ending up having the vase sat on her hall table in London when the last we knew of it in historical context was it was in Amsterdam. What happened in between?

I think Debbie Rix is a phenomenal researcher of history and this really shines through in her novels. Her descriptions of the places and times were amazing and so incredibly detailed that I felt completely immersed the scene, right down to how the streets smelt.

Although I enjoyed Daughters of the Silk Road, for me I felt it wasn’t quite as good as her first novel, so I’m rating this book 4 out of 5.

Thank you to the publishers for this copy to review in exchange for my honest opinions.

Summer at Skylark Farm by Heidi Swain

Summer at Skylark Farm by Heidi Swain

Published: 2nd June 2016

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Pages: 464

Available in e-book

Order now from Amazon

Blurb

Amber is a city girl at heart. So when her boyfriend Jake Somerville suggests they move to the countryside to help out at his family farm, she doesn't quite know how to react. But work has been hectic and she needs a break so she decides to grasp the opportunity and make the best of it.

Dreaming of organic orchards, paddling in streams and frolicking in fields, Amber packs up her things and moves to Skylark Farm. But life is not quite how she imagined - it's cold and dirty and the farm buildings are dilapidated and crumbling.

But Amber is determined to make the best of it and throws herself into farm life. But can she really fit in here? And can she and Jake stay together when they are so different?

Review

Heidi’s first novel The Cherry Tree Café is a book which sadly I have on my kindle but due to getting married the week after it was released I’ve not read it, so I was unprepared for just how much I was going to love Summer at Skylark Farm. It was just the absolutely perfect book for me as being a country girl I love reading about village life with its community spirit, village fetes, cosy teashops and everyone gather in the local pub on a Friday night and Summer at Skylark Farm has this in bucket loads.

Amber works in corporate events and has become her bosses go-to girl when he has a problem, something Amber used to dream of but now her job is overtaking her weekends and quality time with boyfriend Jake and Amber starts to realise its time for a change.  So when Jake drops the bombshell that he’s moving to the country to help his aunty run Skylark Farm Amber decides to pack her job in and join him.

Armed with her floral wellies, Boden tops and a pile of Country Living magazine Amber throws herself into farm life, even if it is a little colder and more run-down than the glossy image she imagined. Soon she’s taken charge of the chickens and keeping a watchful eye over Pip the pony and has even made friends with Annie’s dogs.

It’s not long before Amber has become firm friends with local girls Jess and Harriet and has become part of the community even offering to take over the hosting of the May fair, but with Annie and Jake both hiding secrets can Amber commit to a life on the farm once she knows everything.

Amber is one of those characters who you just can’t help but adore. Right from the start of the book you can tell she’s a very determined lady who believes in doing her best to make people happy, even to the extent of her own happiness. I was so glad she decides to leave her job and move to Skylark Farm as almost instantly she becomes happier and more relaxed, finding joy in the little things in life like baking her own cake and having a clean henhouse.  I loved how she formed easy friendships with both Harriet and Jess and it was a real friendship where you’re not afraid to say exactly what you think and this made for some funny moments.

I loved many of the other characters, especially Annie, she might be old but she’s totally clued up and doesn’t miss a thing and I loved how she sort acted as a mother figure for Amber when she was finding things tough. I also loved how the farm animals also had their own personalities and love that Patricia the hen and Pip the Pony both have their own share of the drama.

I found Summer at Skylark farm a wonderful read full of lovable characters, with a dreamy setting of the farm and surrounding orchards and it had enough drama to keep me entertained. I think it’s the perfect book to kick-start your summer reading and one which could easily become one of my go to favourites when I need a little pick me up. So go and grab yourselves a copy and spend an idyllic afternoon down on the farm.

Thank you so much to the publishers for sending me a copy to review in exchange for my honest opinions, I think Summer at Skylark Farm by Heidi Swain deserves a big fat 5 out 5 stars.

Blog Tour Review: My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry

My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry

Published: 26th May 2016 (eBook)

Publisher: Penguin, Random House

Pages: 534

Available on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Blurb

FIRST COMES LOVE. THEN COMES MARRIAGE. THEN COMES MURDER...
When lawyer Lily marries Ed, she's determined to make a fresh start. To leave the secrets of the past behind.
But then she meets Joe. A convicted murderer who reminds Lily of someone she once knew, and who she becomes obsessed with freeing.
But is he really innocent?
And who is she to judge?

Review

My Husband’s Wife by Jane Corry is a novel which intrigued me as soon as I read the tagline: “First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes murder” What on earth must happen in this book for love to end in murder?

Right from the start we know it is Ed who has been murdered but we have no clue as to who did it or why. They main story is split into two parts, the first being fifteen years earlier when Lily and Ed are newly married and young Carla enters their lives. Told in alternating chapters between Lily and Carla we begin to build up a picture of these two characters who both have aspects of good and bad in them.

Lily and Ed have recently married after a whirlwind romance. Really they are still getting to know each other and soon it is obvious that they are both hiding things from the other.  Lily has just been made a criminal defence lawyer and her first case is defend convicted murderer Joe Thomas in his appeal case. Instantly Lily is drawn to this man who reminds her of her brother Daniel and she goes out of her way to ensure that he walks free, whether he was guilty or not. As the case develops Lily and Ed’s argue more and more and their marriage begins to hit the rocks, can they find a way to start again?

Carla lives in the same building as Ed and Lily with her mother Francesca who is having an affair with a married man named “Larry”. Carla is being bullied at school for being different but receives very little comfort from her mother who seems more concerned with pleasing Larry than her own daughter. When Carla is sent home one day from school after an incident Lily steps in to look after her, as her mother is nowhere to be found. This sees the start of Carla spending more and more of her weekends with Lily and Ed acting as a buffer for their marriage until an chance encounter blows everything apart.

Fast forward twelve years later and a grown up Carla makes her way back in the lives of Lily and Ed, she’s looking for revenge for the unhappiness of her childhood and the consequences for Lily and Ed are devastating.

Right from the start I found this a very intense read, it’s one of those books which you know is building up to something and it makes you feel unsettled. I found that most of the characters seemed to be hiding something and were always very tense with each other trying not to let all the secrets come pouring out and I didn’t really like any of them.

I found Francesca and Ed to be both selfish characters who only seemed to be focused on making themselves happy, which did at times make me feel sorry for Lily and little Carla. But as the story progressed it’s obvious that Carla is quite a manipulative child and will get want she wants even if she goes about it in the wrong way and as she gets older what she wants becomes bigger and bigger. Lily was the character I was most unsure about, I really wanted to like her but I just couldn’t. She’s hiding something from her past and it unsettled me that she wasn’t honest with Ed. As the story progresses Lily begins to hide more and more little things so you never really know when she’s being completely honest.

My Husband’s Wife is an intense novel full of blackmail, hidden secrets and watching the consequences when those little white lies all come tumbling out. It’s a novel which has been very cleverly written so you’re not sure who is good, who is bad and who is telling the truth. It’s a novel which will make you question the morality of every decision you’ve ever made, will make you wonder if even the very best people have a little bit of bad in them and it will make you wonder how far people will go to get what they want. In the end, the question at the centre of this book is who do you believe more Lily or Carla?

Despite not liking the characters I did really enjoy reading this book, I think perhaps not liking the characters has left me thinking about the book more as I’m not entirely sure which characters story I believe, if I’d had a favourite then maybe I would have an answer.

 My Husband’s Wife is a book which had me hooked from the start and has left we with many things to think about, which for once I rather like. I’d like to rate this book 5 out 5 and would recommend it to anyone who loves an intense read full of mind games and moral questions.

Thank you so much to the publishers for sending me a copy to review and also for inviting me to be part of the My Husband’s Wife blog tour.