Review: The Moon Over Kilmore Quay by Carmel Harrington

When your heart belongs in two places, can you ever truly find home? 

Brooklyn, New York.

Bea has grown up in the heart of the Irish community, always hearing stories of home. When she discovers a letter from her younger self, written years before, it sends her deep into her own family history.

Kilmore Quay, Ireland.

Years earlier, Lucy Mernagh leaves her much-loved home and family in search of the New York dream. The Big Apple is a world away from the quiet village she grew up in, and the longing for home aches within her.

When Bea uncovers a shocking secret, it takes her back across the water to Kilmore Quay, where - finally - long-buried truths will come to light. But fate has one last twist in store....

Review: You know a book is going to be a favourite of the year when you're chilling out listening to the audiobook and suddenly sit up and gasp at something that has just happened. This book has some of my favourite features of a novel, multiple timelines, multiple narratives and revelations you never saw coming!

One of the other things I truly and deeply loved about this book was that it deals with the immigrant experience. I know a lot of books deal with people who have been through the immigration experience and have a language barrier or a cultural barrier but it can be just as tough and experience when you move from one English speaking Western country to another. There are still cultural hurdles to tackle and still immigration worries to face and so I was so pleased to find those written about in such an in depth and sensitive way as they were as part of this story. 

I really loved reading both Bea and Lucy's stories. I loved that we got to switch between the two of them and yet we always got to keep in tough with the location and family that unites them. I was pleasantly surprised that we don't just get to hear about Bea in present day Brooklyn but also past Bea whether that was one year ago or many years ago. I felt like we got to know a lot more about Bea as a fully formed character than we did Lucy but that was for some VERY good reasons. We get to meet Lucy when she first boards the ship to Ellis Island and the experience of being a young Irish Girl in The Big Apple for the first time. I felt like I could really sympathise with Lucy and I loved getting to know her story as the novel progressed. 

Although there are a lot of adventures to be had in this book there is some sadness and tragedy too and so this book overall could definitely be described as a bitter sweet novel but as a first time reader of this author I was just so impressed by the depths that this story goes into whilst still keeping up the pace of the breadth of the novel. I really loved this book and I highly highly recommend it. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: In Five Years by Rebecca Searle

Where do you see yourself in five years?

When Type-A Manhattan lawyer Dannie Cohan is asked this question at the most important interview of her career, she has a meticulously crafted answer at the ready. Later, after nailing her interview and accepting her boyfriend's marriage proposal, Dannie goes to sleep knowing she is right on track to achieve her five-year plan.

But when she wakes up, she’s suddenly in a different apartment, with a different ring on her finger, and beside a very different man. The television news is on in the background, and she can just make out the scrolling date. It’s the same night—December 15—but 2025, five years in the future.

After a very intense, shocking hour, Dannie wakes again, at the brink of midnight, back in 2020. She can’t shake what has happened. It certainly felt much more than merely a dream, but she isn’t the kind of person who believes in visions. That nonsense is only charming coming from free-spirited types, like her lifelong best friend, Bella. Determined to ignore the odd experience, she files it away in the back of her mind.

That is, until four-and-a-half years later, when by chance Dannie meets the very same man from her long-ago vision.

Brimming with joy and heartbreak, In Five Years is an unforgettable love story that reminds us of the power of loyalty, friendship, and the unpredictable nature of destiny.

 

Review: Everyone has been saying how unexpected this book was but really I know that love stories are normally straight forward but I love when they're not. This love story gave me something different in a wonderful setting with a main character that was very intriguing. So it was definitely a hit for me. 

I really liked reading about Dannie because she wasn't necessarily easy to like right from the get go. She seems a little entitled or some might even say spoiled. As you get to know her though, you realise she is full of heart and she really does want the best for her loved ones. It's not easy being young and trying to move your life forward on today's society, especially not in a big city like New York but she is trying her best. 

I loved Dannie's relationship with Bella. I really love when the friendship is at the forefront of a novel and in this novel, that is definitely the case! Bella was also a bit of a prickly character, a bit difficult to get through to but that meant that this book felt like going on a journey with these two and you were really part of that journey!

The thing that comes second to the amount of love and heart in this book, for me, was the setting. I fell in love with the parts of New York city these characters were socialising in, where they lived and it was all described so beautifully. I could picture Dannie going to work, I could picture them heading to the rainbow room. I could feel the buzz and the energy from the streets and that feeling of being hemmed in amongst all those tall buildings. If you love New York this is definitely one that reflects the city in its best light. 

Overall there are some emotional moments in this book and whilst it might not be what people were expecting from the description, I loved it and a highly recommend it. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: Fashion Victim by Amina Akhtar

A thrilling take on the fashion world, #FashionVictim is Dexter meets The Devil Wears Prada.

Fashion editor Anya St. Clair is on the verge of greatness. Her wardrobe is to die for. Her social media is killer. And her career path is littered with the bodies of anyone who got in her way. She’s worked hard to get where she is, but she doesn’t have everything.

Not like Sarah Taft. Anya’s obsession sits one desk away. Beautiful, stylish, and rich, she was born to be a fashion world icon. From her beach-wave blonde hair to her on-trend nail art, she’s a walking editorial spread. And Anya wants to be her friend. Her best friend. Her only friend.

But when Sarah becomes her top competition for a promotion, Anya’s plan to win her friendship goes into overdrive. In order to beat Sarah…she’ll have to become her. Friendly competition may turn fatal, but as they say in fashion: One day you’re in, and the next day you’re dead.

Review: Wow this novel is dark. If you don't like a lot of death or violence in your novels then this will definitely not be one for you, but if you do, then you're in the right place. This novel is twisty and unexpected and yet funny and snarky and kind of relatable all at the same time. 

This novel is set in the fashion world of New York, one of my very favourite settings and although we don't get a lot of description of the city, we get a lot of description of New York Fashion Week and just what a cut throat (literally) environment the world of fashion really is. 

I loved the fact that we see this whole story through Anya's eyes, we get her take on everything that goes and and we really get into her mind, which is a very unique place indeed. Anya definitely isn't a character you're going to like but she is one of the most intriguing character I have read recently. She is also quite easy to sympathise with in some ways and so you can see where she is coming from in some of the actions that she takes. 

It is very hard to talk about the plot without giving any spoilers away but there is fashion gossip and bitching, police procedure, weight loss, relationships and friendships covered within the pages amongst other things. One of the great things about the plot is that incidents occur very much in the passive voice and it might be a few pages before we, as readers, get to see what actually happened in the active voice. 

Very twisty, very snarky, full of intrigue and surprise. A thriller with themes of mental health and friendship, truly one of the most unique reading experiences I have had in a long time. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshefgh

A shocking, hilarious and strangely tender novel about a young woman’s experiment in narcotic hibernation, aided and abetted by one of the worst psychiatrists in the annals of literature. Our narrator has many of the advantages of life, on the surface. Young, thin, pretty, a recent Columbia graduate, she lives in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan paid for, like everything else, by her inheritance. But there is a vacuum at the heart of things, and it isn’t just the loss of her parents in college, or the way her Wall Street boyfriend treats her, or her sadomasochistic relationship with her alleged best friend. It’s the year 2000 in a city aglitter with wealth and possibility; what could be so terribly wrong?

This story of a year spent under the influence of a truly mad combination of drugs, designed to heal us from our alienation from this world, shows us how reasonable, even necessary, that alienation sometimes is. Blackly funny, both merciless and compassionate – dangling its legs over the ledge of 9/11 – this novel is a showcase for the gifts of one of America’s major young writers working at the height of her powers.

Review: This felt a little bit like a cross between Sweet Bitter and All Fall down but with a younger protagonist. I found this really intriguing and interesting to read. I definitely got along with the main character in the novel even if I didn't always like her but this book was definitely challenging at times, the way it pushes boundaries. The fact that this covers someone basically spiralling out of society and essentially going into hibernation, made me as a reader feel a little withdrawn and claustrophobic too!

As I mentioned, I didn't always like our main character but I wanted what was best for her and felt invested in her story. I enjoyed reading about her struggling with her relationships with friends and family and her theories about what would be best for her and what would best effect her health. She does some pretty extreme things and has some strong opinions so I could see that she wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea but I defy anyone not to be intrigued by her story and her personality in general. 

This book has the added bonus of being set in New York and so we see our main character not only withdrawing from society but withdrawing from New York society. She is in a city where you can get anything within a couple of blocks of your apartment, where the city never sleeps and it is possible to remain in a nocturnal way of life. The fact that this book is about someone being so inactive in a city which is so over active was a great contrast and made my mind bend even more. 

I listened to the audiobook of this courtesy of Penguin Random House audio. It was well-narrated and I think having one voice in my head telling this story led to me connecting to the main character even more and really feeling everything that she felt as she told it to me. This definitely wasn't an easy read but I would definitely recommend adding this audiobook to your TBR!

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: Still Me by Jojo Moyes

The third Lou Clark novel by Jojo Moyes, following the Number One international bestsellers Me Before You and After You.

Lou Clark knows too many things . . .

She knows how many miles lie between her new home in New York and her new boyfriend Sam in London.

She knows her employer is a good man and she knows his wife is keeping a secret from him.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to meet someone who's going to turn her whole life upside down.

Because Josh will remind her so much of a man she used to know that it'll hurt.

Lou won't know what to do next, but she knows that whatever she chooses is going to change everything.

Review: Wow! As soon as I started reading this book I got goosebumps because it was just so thrilling to be back in Louisa Clark's world once again. This book starts in such a fun way with Lou at border control, about to enter the USA, everything she is doing and feeling is so relatable and instantly you remember why you love her as a character so much. There are so many classic Louisa moments in this book, from genuine moments of honestly an heart to moments of insecurity and some really clumsy and or drunken mishaps. She is a great  character and I am so pleased that Jojo Moyes has decided to bring her back for a third time, long live Louisa Clark. 

Of course there are some new characters to meet in this book as well and most of them just happen to be New Yorkers, which is great fun to read about as well. But what Jojo Moyes has done is recognise that there are so many people from so many other countries who live in this city and the characters really reflect this, I think she made a really good choice here! Fear not, we get to catch up with Louisa's lovely family as well, when we got to hear from them through phone calls and visits, it really did feel like I was speaking to home as well, these characters have been so brilliantly written to feel like family to the reader as much as to Louisa. 

Then there is the fact that the majority of this book is set in Manhattan. I loved seeing the city through Louisa's eyes and visiting places with her that I have visited myself. It has that little bit of "Devil Wears Prada' about it because obviously Louisa is new to the city but must find her way around and get into the rhythm of New York so that she can get on with her new job, and there are some very funny moments that come out of this. One of my favourite things is that she frequently stumbles across the difference between purse and handbag, something that I can really relate to and something I'm glad was included in this book. 

In terms of the plot, I would say that this, the third in the series is a little more upbeat than the previous two novels and the plot is therefore a little slower in pace. It is very much all about Louisa's new start and I loved the fact that Jojo Moyes keeps it simple and really does focus in on that. She doesn't go too far into the ins and outs of the consequences of visas and plane fares and that makes for a real escapist read. The plot certainly did keep me turning the pages though as I listened to this audiobook in one day, only stopping it once when I had to call in at that library!

All in all this book was just fantastic. I really don't even think you would need to have read the other two books in the series in order to enjoy this book because it is definitely a story in itself about a wonderfully optimistic English woman making a life for herself in a fabulous new city and everything that comes with it. I feel satisfied and comforted having finished the book. I feel like I have lived through the experience with Louisa and I am ready to go right back to the beginning and start it all again! 

I highly recommend you grab yourself a copy of this book now: UK or US (US publication is 1/30)

Guest Review: Moonlight Over Manhattan by Sarah Morgan

She'll risk everything for her own Christmas miracle…

Determined to conquer a lifetime of shyness, Harriet Knight challenges herself to do one thing a day in December that scares her, including celebrating Christmas without her family. But when dog-walker Harriet meets her newest client, exuberant spaniel Madi, she adds an extra challenge to her list – dealing with Madi's temporary dog-sitter, gruff doctor Ethan Black, and their very unexpected chemistry.

Ethan thought he was used to chaos, until he met Madi – how can one tiny dog cause such mayhem? To Ethan, the solution is simple – he will pay Harriet to share his New York apartment and provide 24-hour care. But there's nothing simple about how Harriet makes him feel.

Ethan's kisses make Harriet shine brighter than the stars over moonlit Manhattan. But when his dog-sitting duties are over, and Harriet returns to her own home, will she dare to take the biggest challenge of all – letting Ethan know he has her heart for life, not just for Christmas?

Review: This is book 6 in the From Manhattan With Love series written by Sarah Morgan. Although part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone as any mention of characters or events from previous parts are explained along the way. I have loved every one of these books and find myself looking forward to the next each time I am nearing the end of my current read. This one was no exception. I was hooked right from page one, particularly as the author cleverly introduces us into an interesting situation. 

This book centres around Harriet, who, with her twin sister, Fliss, runs a very successful dog-walking business (The Bark Rangers) in Manhattan. Although very good with dogs, and animals in general, Harriet is shy with humans, and leaves most of the client contact to Fliss. However, we find Harriet on her own now that her sister has moved away, and determined to come out of her shell. In fact, she has challenged herself to do something that she wouldn't normally do every day for the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is why the reader finds Harriet at the start of the book doing something most un-Harriet like and at the same time hilarious. However amusing and ill-advised this escapade, it does lead to her meeting handsome and hunky Dr Ethan Black, one of the best ER doctors in the city. He turns out to be the brother of one of Harriet's clients, and through her client's dog, Madi, Ethan and Harriet are pushed together.  

This is yet another heartwarming and amusing tale from Sarah Morgan. Its setting, a snowy pre-Christmas Manhattan, is brought to life by her skilful descriptive narrative. I particularly enjoyed the banter between the main characters. I really wanted them to come together, but I was never absolutely sure how things were going to pan out. There was also some entertaining interactions between Ethan and his work colleague, Susan. Of course, as always in this series of books, there is a collection of cute dogs and kittens for all us animal lovers. I would heartily recommend this book for curling up with when it's cold outside. It's sure to give a warm glow for lovers of romantic comedy, medical romances, Christmas tales and animal stories alike. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: Hello Sunshine by Laura Dave

From Laura Dave—the author of the “addictive” (Us Weekly), “winning” (Publishers Weekly) and critically acclaimed bestsellerEight Hundred Grapes—comes a new novel about the secrets we keep…even from ourselves.

Sunshine Mackenzie truly is living the dream. A lifestyle guru for the modern age, Sunshine is beloved by millions of people who tune into her YouTube cooking show, and millions more scour her website for recipes, wisdom, and her enticing suggestions for how to curate a perfect life. She boasts a series of #1 New York Times bestselling cookbooks, a devoted architect husband, and a reputation for sincerity and kindness—Sunshine seems to have it all. But she’s hiding who she really is. And when her secret is revealed, her fall from grace is catastrophic. What Sunshine does in the ashes of destruction will save her in more ways than she can imagine.

In our modern world, where celebrity is a careful construct, Laura Dave’s compelling, enticing novel explores the devastating effect of the secrets we keep in public…and in private. Hello, Sunshine is a fresh, provocative look at a woman teetering between a scrupulously assembled life and the redemptive power of revealing the truth.

Review: This was a great read really bringing home the point that we can't always get what we want but that's ok. Its also a very fitting storyline for the society that we live in today dealing with issues from social media and Internet celebrities to cost of living and the break up of families because of moving far away to advance our careers. This is essentially about someone who has made a name for themselves online and how quickly the bottom can fall out of it all because their online persona is not who they actually are. I loved the idea of this all breaking down over twitter and YouTube and could really relate to the idea of the numbers game across social media. I really enjoyed getting my teeth into this storyline. 

The character of Sunshine is also relatable. She has formed this career for herself and now she is facing a life without this celebrity she has built for herself. She really doesn't have anyone to turn to because everyone in her life was wrapped up in her former celebrityness and so she has to do some serious soul searching. She is open with the reader form the start that she isn't the best person, that she isn't an honest person and I admired that in her, it also meant that she's not necessarily a character you're going to like but she is someone you will find yourself rooting for. 

There are some other interesting characters in this novel too. I enjoyed meeting the various people involved in Sunshine's publicity team and the other people in her little online cooking show world but I also really enjoyed meeting her family and I defy anyone not to fall in love with her niece Sammy. This books obviously has a lot of talk of food in it but not a whole lot of food featured so it's not one of those books about cooking that is going to make you hungry all the time-something which I was grateful for! There are family issues, friendship issues and loyalty issues explored in this book which will definitely make you think, but there are also moments that will make you laugh and a few emotional moments too. This was a good read and I am glad to have discovered this new author, I hope to read more from her soon!

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: We are Okay by Nina LaCour

You go through life thinking there’s so much you need. . . . Until you leave with only your phone, your wallet, and a picture of your mother.

Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart. 

An intimate whisper that packs an indelible punch, We Are Okay is Nina LaCour at her finest. This gorgeously crafted and achingly honest portrayal of grief will leave you urgent to reach across any distance to reconnect with the people you love.

Review: This book really wasn't what I was expecting it to be. I think I was expecting a much more angsty, issue based read but what I got was beautiful and poetic, dealing with someones issues, yes, but in no way the issues I thought we would be dealing with! The summary of this book says that it deals with grief, but this book deals with grief in a way you wouldn't imagine unless you had lived it and at first I was a little wary of this, but having had time to think about it, this is an extremely clever plot and something which I think is completely unique in the market!

The characters in this book are very interesting too and don't necessary conform to the norms that you might imagine, two girls from the west coast in a university dorm room in New York City might be. I loved that about them. I'm beginning to think that the term 'diverse characters' is getting over used but the characters and the storyline really are diverse in this case.

I listened to this book on audiobook and would really like to see it written down because the writing really was beautiful and poetic, you find yourself forgetting about the storyline sometimes because you are listening to the prose and losing yourself in the description of the settings and the feelings of the characters. The setting description is wonderful, of course, and you can definitely picture yourself walking in Merin's shoes.

The book features time shifts and flashbacks and I think this definitely would have been easier to follow had I been reading this as a physical book and no and audiobook, this was the only part I found difficult, but when Merin is talking about her Grandfather, generally that was in the past and so it was easy to manage by remembering that. I definitely enjoyed this book, given that it was so completely different from my expectations. I think if you are looking for something like the kind of thing Nina LaCour writes with David Levithan, then you will be disappointed, but if you think of this as a unique story in its own rights then this will be a pleasurable read for you.

Click here to get your copy and see for yourself. 

Review: Big Sexy Love by Kirsty Greenwood

Olive Brewster is a scaredy cat. She doesn't do new or risky. She’s happy enough with her job at the local market, it’s cool that she has no boyfriend to fret over, she even likes that she still lives in her childhood home. No drama, no fuss, no problems. Everything is fine. Super duper fine.

Except … Olive's best friend in the world​, Birdie, is dying.

Birdie has one final wish. She wants to track down her first love, Chuck, and because she's stuck in the hospital she needs Olive's help to do it. But there’s a teeny problem: Chuck is somewhere in New York and Olive has never even left her home town, let alone roamed the crazy streets of Manhattan.

As if the big city isn't scary enough, Olive has to contend with Seth, a cocky comedy TV writer who thinks she’s a joke; Anders, a bored socialite who’s taken a shine to her; and the fact that no matter how hard she tries to track down Chuck, he doesn't seem to want to be found.

Can Olive learn to overcome her fears, abandon her old safe routine and fulfil her best friend’s last wish? It's going to take extra bravery, one badass attitude and a whole lot of big sexy love to make this happen …

 

Review: I loved this book so much. Kirsty Greenwood is now a total auto buy author for me because her books just absolutely blow me away with the storyline, the characters and her ability to write such epic romances that happen to such real and likable characters. Seriously I enjoyed this book so so much!

 

The characters in this book are so easy to get to know and so easy to like and so right from the beginning you feel that they are your friends and you are ready to get stuck into their story and take this journey with them. I loved the fact that Olive begins this story and someone who chooses to lead a fairly sheltered life, and she's absolutely fine with that. I also love the fact that she works on a fish stall-when was the last time you read a book about a fishmonger? Her best friend Birdie is fabulous and they interact just like me and my best friend, I'm sure all readers will be saying the same thing! Birdie is great and we know right from the start that she has a terminal illness, but she doesn't let that hold her back and Kirsty doesn't let that cast a dark shadow over the novel at all.

 

There a whole host of other character to love and love to hate as well. The fabulous Seth, funny little Colin; Anders the GBF and Olive's family. I absolutely loved meeting everyone and getting to know how they were going to play a part in Olive's story. New York is obviously another fabulous character in this book. Everyone knows I love a story set in New York and the fact that I was there whilst I was reading it made it even more fun! I loved the fact that there are views of the city from the river and they even go over to Staten Island. Olive gets to live in an actual apartment as well, something which most tourists won't get to do.

 

Another thing which I really enjoyed about the book was the way it was structured. The chapters are a great length, not to long and just short enough that you bargain just one more with yourself again and again when you are totally supposed to be somewhere else other than the pages of Olive's story. Each chapter begins with a text or a tweet, sometimes multiple and these can be really really funny. In fact the book made me laugh out loud many many times! I also cried in public and shouted 'bitch!' at one of the characters in the book, thankfully I was in a noisy Starbucks so that was ok!

 

This is a great read and I guarantee you will fly through it. I really recognised myself in some of these characters and loved spending time with them! There is such fabulous romance and just a really great story and setting. You don't have to have read Kirsty's other books to read this one, it would be a great intro to this fab author,. This would also be great to read at any time of year but I definitely recommend reading it right now because you will love it!

 

To order your copy now, just click the link! UK or US

Review: The 12 Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Dash and Lily have been dating for nearly a year, but when Lily’s beloved grandfather falls ill, the repercussions take their toll on everyone. Even though they are still together, somehow the magic has gone out of their relationship and it’s clear that Lily has fallen out of love with life.

Action must be taken! Dash teams up with Lily’s brother and a host of their friends, who have just twelve days to get Lily’s groove back in time for Christmas.

Review: Obviously this book is a sequel and so it is going to be hard to read without giving away any spoilers, but since the blurb of this book plainly states that Dash and Lily have been dating for nearly a year, I know I can mention that at least. For starters I have to say that it was wonderful being back in the world of Dash and Lily again. I read the two books fairly close together and would really recommend re-reading the first book in this duology before reading this one, it'll be great fun, i promise!

One of the things I loved about the first book in this series was the description of New York City. I loved being in the city with Dash and Lily and this book has exactly the same quality. Because of the wonderful writing, you can totally picture yourself wandering around Manhattan with these two, wishing that you were hanging out with them in The Strand bookstore and I think that was why I loved being back in their world so much. 

These authors have also been very clever when it comes to the character development. These two characters were so popular from their first outing, it would have been a safe choice to keep them the same and just have them go about the same kind of adventure once more. But people change. Especially people who are in the formative stages of their lives, and I loved seeing how much these characters had changed and grown. This brought up conflict in both of their lives and so made for a more interesting story and that was great, but I still love both of them!

This is definitely one of those books where you have to have read the first book in order to understand this sequel, there is just no getting around it. I really don't think that would be a problem though because both of the books in this series are wonderful reads and I'm sure that reading the two back to back would be a wonderful experience for you. I loved both these books and would definitely recommend picking up this one immediately!

To order your copy now, click here!

Review: Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Any great friendship can be as confusing, treacherous, inspiring and wonderful as any great romance.

Naomi and Ely have been best friends forever. Naomi loves and is in love with Ely, and Ely loves Naomi, but prefers to be in love with boys. So they create their "No Kiss List" of people neither of them is allowed to kiss.

And this works fine - until Bruce.

Bruce is Naomi's boyfriend, so there's no reason to put him on the List. But Ely kissed Bruce - and the resulting fallout is going to shake up the world!

Review: This is another one of those that has been on my TBR for a while now, I even have 2 copies of it, that's how much I wanted to read it, but I really struggled with this book and I feel a little let down by these characters. I have loved everything else that I've read by these two authors and so I really thought I was going to love this one. Plus this book is set in New York, probably one of my all time favourite settings. Whilst there was definitely some interesting description of the Washington park area and the Waverly Place area, it was a little lacking in the Big Apple for me.

I found the range of characters quite difficult to follow. There are an abundances of Bruces which meant I had trouble keeping up with them and then there are various love interests and friends of Naomi and Ely to keep track of too and I just wasn't sure who I was supposed to be liking and who I wasn't. The main characters themselves strike me as entitled brats. Now I'm not the type of person who has to like a character to be able to think a book is wonderful. Those characters we love to hate are just as much fun as those we want to keep as our best friends, but when you're trying to vouch for someone to get you through a book but both main character rub you up the wrong way because they are so needy and bitchy and unforgiving, then there's a little bit of a problem.

Obviously I loved the high level of Starbucks in this book, that was a definite plus for me. I like the fact that Naomi has visited lots of Starbucks and there's a whole chapter entitle Starbucks that lists what she likes about them. I like that the whole thing starts with her waiting for Ely in a Starbucks but I don't think I would recommend this book to people based on just that fact. On the whole I really struggled with this book but I'm hoping that I will find out a little more about these characters by watching the film which I am about to do now. Not a book for me and not something I would recommend you read.

If you'd like to form an opinion of your own, you can get your copy here.

Review: The One That Got Away by Melissa Pimentel

Ruby and Ethan were perfect for each other. Until the day they suddenly weren't. Ten years later, Ruby's single, having spent the last decade focusing on her demanding career and hectic life in Manhattan. There's barely time for a trip to England for her little sister's wedding. And there's certainly not time to think about seeing Ethan there for the first time in years. But as the family frantically prepare for the big day, Ruby can't help but wonder if she made the right choice all those years ago? Because there's nothing like a wedding for stirring up the past . . .

Review: this is most definitely one of those books that sucks you right in from the word go. I knew as soon as I read abut Ruby and trying to finish up everything she had to at work so that she could get away for a couple of days to the UK for her sister's wedding that I was going to enjoy spending time with her. The whole book starts in this whirlwind way and then we get to know more about Ruby and her 'one that got away' via various flashbacks to her life as it was when she embarked upon this career which is keeping her so busy and what life was like when she moved to New York ten years ago. I really liked this structure and it was helpful in putting THEN and NOW between the flashbacks. Sometimes chapter started with email communication, something which is always fun to read and sometimes we were just thrust right into the action. 

I found myself really identifying with Ruby as a character, and not just because she is the same age as me, but also because she is doing what so many of us are doing right now, working ourselves silly because we are in our dream job in our dream city. I also like the fact that she has this front that she puts on, partly due to that one that got away, and slowly, we start to see her letting more and more into her life. I was really rooting for her and really liked the development that she had achieved by the closing stages of the book. 

There are, of course, some wonderful supporting characters too. I loved Ruby's BFF Jess, she was a real grounding influence, and again someone we will all be able to identify with. I also really liked the strong family values that run throughout the book. Of course, there being a wedding, family are going to be heavily involved, but I liked that way that the family unit developed as the book progressed. 

Of course I loved the setting. We switch between New York, Massachusetts and the North East of England, all places I cold picture well and the feeling of all the places featured was described very well and jumped off the pages and into my reading experience. A few of the phrases that Ruby used with her friends and family got a little repetitive but they kind of became her trademark so I came to overlook them. This book definitely had me on an emotional roller coaster, especially towards the end. I liked the settings, I loved the structure and I thoroughly enjoyed embarking on the journey of discovery with Ruby and the rest of the characters in this novel. Definitely one to add to your TBR this spring!

To grab a copy for yourself, just click here!

Review: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

I’ve left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.

At the urge of her lucky-in-love brother, sixteen-year-old Lily has left a red notebook full of dares on her favourite bookshop shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept. Curious, snarky Dash isn’t one to back down from a challenge – and the Book of Dares is the perfect distraction he’s been looking for.

As they send each other on a scavenger hunt across Manhattan, they’re falling for each other on paper. But finding out if their real selves share their on-page chemistry could be their biggest dare yet….

Review: So I had wanted to read this book for ages and I don't know why I hadn't got round to it until now, but I can definitely say it was worth the wait. I had heard that this book was set in New York but I didn't know how prominently it would feature in this novel. I loved how much of a character New York itself was and I think that this was one of my favourite things about this book. I could really picture where the characters lived and were heading and the places they met. What is great about the writing is that the description is so vivid, you don't need to have visited there, you can live from the descriptions on the page-wonderful!

The eponymous characters are, of course, wonderful as well! I liked the fact that they seemed to be the kind of people who don't normally go off on adventures like the one they encounter in this book. The book starts off with Dash finding this notebook, he could have left it alone, but his sense of adventure means that he picks up the notebook and takes on the first challenge. We can tell that both these characters are confident children of the city, as they are able to speak to people in shows, movie theatres, coffee shops and have no problem in attending a party on their own.

I identified with Lily more than Dash because this is something that she has done in an attempt to put herself out there and you can tell that she doesn't really know exactly what she's doing. I like that she has the confidence to do this. Something else i really liked about this character was the relationship that she has with her grandfather, I think this is a really sweet part of the story. Dash also forms a relationship with one on Lily's relatives and I definitely found this aspect interesting. I like the bond that he was able to form with Lily because of this too.

There are definitely some moments in the book where Dash and Lily seem to exhibit the typical teenage behavior of growing up , a bit of rebellion if you will, but on the whole I found them to be mature individuals. They definitely go on a journey over the course of the novel but I think that this isn't just something to be enjoyed by Young adults, I think that anyone who has a love of adventure and a love of New York would take as much from this book as I have.

The other thing I must mention that I particularly enjoyed about this book is the characters love of books as well. It all starts off in a bookstore and The Strand bookstore in New York features heavily i this novel. This book is therefore perfect for book lovers, it was a pacey read and I loved every moment of it!

To grab your copy, just click here!

Review: Modern Lovers by Emma Straub

Friends and former college bandmates Elizabeth and Andrew and Zoe have watched one another marry, buy real estate, and start businesses and families, all while trying to hold on to the identities of their youth. But nothing ages them like having to suddenly pass the torch (of sexuality, independence, and the ineffable alchemy of cool) to their own offspring.

Back in the band's heyday, Elizabeth put on a snarl over her Midwestern smile, Andrew let his unwashed hair grow past his chin, and Zoe was the lesbian all the straight women wanted to sleep with. Now nearing fifty, they all live within shouting distance in the same neighborhood deep in gentrified Brooklyn, and the trappings of the adult world seem to have arrived with ease. But the summer that their children reach maturity (and start sleeping together), the fabric of the adults' lives suddenly begins to unravel, and the secrets and revelations that are finally let loose—about themselves, and about the famous fourth band member who soared and fell without them—can never be reclaimed.

Review: This truly is exactly what is says on the tin, it is a story of love in the modern time and how work life, social life and social media life can make that a damn sigh trickier than it should be. I loved the setting of this book and also the issues dealt with but something about the mix and the number of characters left a little something to be desired for me and so this book wasn't as good as I hoped it was going to be. 

I really liked the structure of the book in that there were various chapters dedicated to each character and so we got to hear their version of an event and how they were coping with things that had just happened to them. I also liked the storyline being composed of characters that had been intertwined for an extended period of time. I felt a little like I wanted to know more of the history of the people in question, like I'd arrived late at a party, but I think that part of the storyline was done deliberately as things did begin to unfold gradually over time. 

In terms of characters, I struggled a little to remember who was who and so I think this affected my enjoyment of the book as a whole but then I did end up listening to this one on audiobook and this may not have happened had I read the physical copy of the book that I checked out the library. I liked the fact that there was an LGBTQ element to this, re-affirming once again that this book is about modern lovers and modern families. I also liked that fact that there were young people involved, showing that the pressures of modern society on relationships affects new relationships, old relationship, young relationships and more mature relationships too. 

Overall I feel that this author has done a good job of providing a storyline that fits the nature of marriage and relationships, as well as family life in today's society. I thought that the setting and the events that happen throughout the book were strong but I struggled to keep track of the characters and therefore struggled to make a bond with any of them and I think that that is why this book wasn't as entertaining as I'd hoped it would be.

To get your copy of Modern Lovers, just click here!

Review: The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

Review: I had this book recommended to me so many times and it can go either way when that happens, either you believe the hype but then you're disappointed or all the hype turns out to be the truth. Thankfully the latter was the case with this book!

This books had me hooked in right from the start and I read it in one sitting! It is written in dual narrative with some bonus chapters from extra characters that pop up here and there scattered throughout the story. This gave the book great pace, and despite the fact that it takes place over just one day, this book is a compelling, fast paced read that has depth and structure and a terrific storyline.

You really feel invested in these characters right from the word go. I thought it was interesting having a character who was born in the US, but whose parents are Korean. I've not read about a character like that before! Natasha, was not born in the United States but in Jamaica, and again, I've not read about a Jamaican character before, so that was a really interesting aspect for me.

The characters we get to meet along the way in this book were also really interesting. I enjoyed the fact that we learned about a security guard who works at the Embassy, a lawyer, their parents and they really do all get their own little chameo chapters which was interesting! This book also has facts interwoven into the chapters, so for example there is a little factfile on eyes, on love, on the universe and other facts and I really liked that these were in there, they made a great addition to the book and gave the storyline that little bit of extra depth.

I loved the way this book began and ended. It really made me believe in fate but in a real life situation. This book is realistic and so I think that's why it resonated with me just so much. I loved the setting as well, wandering around New York city with these characters was so much fun!

Obviously this book tackles the issues of immigration, of race and ethnicity and of the expectations that our families, society and that we put on ourselves. And yet, at no point were these rammed down my throat as a reader. They were dealt with well, I feel they gave me a deeper understanding and I really loved this book-I'm sure you will too!

To get your copy, just click here!

Blog Tour: Secrets and Fries at The Starlight Diner by Helen Cox

Today I am very excited to be part of the blog tour for Secrets and Fries at the Starlight Diner by Helen Cox. I reviewed the first book in the series on Wednesday on the blog, check that out here. And today I have a very exciting exclusive extract for you all. The extract is from a really pivotal part of the book, but I'll say no more. Scroll down for more of my thoughts on the second book in this series!

To my left, Jimmy cleared his throat and the sound sent a guilty chill through me. I turned to see that my friends had been watching the whole display, Jimmy included. Mona had her arms crossed while Esther had a vague smile on her face and one eyebrow raised. Bernie and Jack were pretending to start a conversation about baseball, perhaps to make out like they hadn’t been watching like everyone else, I don’t know. But there was no mistaking the fact that Jimmy had seen it all. He was looking all hot in the face. Way hotter than the stuttering old heater Bernie used in the winter months could ever hope to make him. The skin crinkled around his eyes and his forehead was locked in a tight frown. There was a sort of sting to his eyes that made my stomach churn.

            Looking back at Nick I said, ‘I’ll… I’ll see you when I get back, alright?’

‘Sure. I understand you can’t make any promises right now. We’ll talk when you get back.’

            ‘Alright,’ I said, turning back to Jimmy. ‘You ready?’

            ‘Am I ready?’ he said, looking down at the lino. ‘We could’ve been out of here a lot sooner if it was down to me.’ He picked up my suitcase and, without so much as a wave to anyone, stalked out of the door.

            ‘Oh boy, this is going to be a fun trip,’ I said, winking at Esther and Mona, and they both chuckled.

‘Bye, Bonnie.’ Jack smiled, stood from his seat at the counter and gave me a firm hug. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow and soon this will all be over, alright?’

‘Thanks, Jack,’ I said, wishing I could believe that everything would be alright, just like he said. I pulled back from his embrace, squeezing his arms as I did so. Then there was just time to give Nick one last nod and blow a kiss to Bernie before I waved to everyone and left, following after Jimmy.

Our rental car was parked just around the corner from the diner.     

As I approached it, I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing. It was a Peugeot 405 in silver.

            I stared at it and put my hands on my hips. ‘Really? You’re going to make a woman from Detroit take what is possibly her last car ride for twenty years in a French vehicle? Haven’t you ever heard of “buy American”?’

            Jimmy, leaning against the other side of the car with his hands flat on the roof, glared at me. ‘I ain’t buying, I’m renting. Now stop being so argumentative and get in the car. I made us a mixtape for the journey.’

            ‘You made me a mixtape?’ I said, knowing this would rile him up even further. Well, if he was going to be so snippy all the time, what was the point in treading on eggshells?

            ‘Us. I made us a mixtape.’

            ‘Really. What’s the first track?’ I asked, raising an eyebrow.

            Jimmy went to open his mouth and then thought better of it. ‘You’ll find out soon enough, just get in.’

            Knowing better than to wind him up any further, even if it was a lot of fun, I climbed into the car and Jimmy started the ignition.

            Jimmy headed south on Clinton while I studied every brick and hydrant and hotdog vendor we passed. Winter still had the city in its icy grip but I rolled down the window anyway so I could breathe in the peculiar incense that could only be found in New York City: a blend of freshly baked bagels and stagnant sewers. I watched men with dogs chat up thin women out for mid-morning runs, and made a silent promise to a blind man playing the banjo on the corner of Broome Street that no matter how long it took, I’d come back to New York, someday. And when I did, I’d probably stay.

A few minutes later, a sign flew up overhead for the Garden State Parkway and a switch flicked in my head. My shoulders tensed and I felt real thirsty all of a sudden.

            I was on my way back to Atlantic City.

            Back to the sickly scent of saltwater taffy. Back to the revving and grunting of the Jitney vans that shuttled tourists between the hotels and the slot machines. And back to that strip of glitzy casinos that lit up at night with a hellish orange glow.

            My stomach tightened. I knew right then I’d go nuts if I spent the whole two-hour journey to Atlantic City thinking about all the memories waiting for me there. Not to mention the people. The people that, if I had it my way, I’d never see again.

            ‘Jimmy, can we listen to the tape now please?’

            ‘No,’ Jimmy scowled. ‘I don’t want to, it was a stupid idea.’

            ‘Jimmy, come on, stop being a jerk and just let me play the tape. You know I love music. If I go to prison I’m not going to hear much music.’ I thought back to when Karen and I used to beg Dad for stuff on long car journeys as kids, back when he’d take us out for Sunday drives in his 1969 Dodge Charger. He was always in a good mood when he was driving that car, and almost always caved into our requests. I made my voice as similar to the one I’d used back then as possible. ‘Please?’

            ‘Fine,’ Jimmy said, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. He sighed, fumbled in his jeans pocked and chucked the tape at me while changing lanes.

Ignoring his attitude, I opened the cassette case and pushed the tape into the deck. There was a brief crackling sound and then the music began. I tried not to let my eyes widen as the opening chords to ‘Take My Breath Away’ by Berlin played out. Surely one of the most romantic songs ever written? Well, at least in the last decade. And then I tried not to think about Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis making out in that scene from Top Gun, or me and Jimmy making out, right now. I looked across at Jimmy, who was pretending to check his rear-view mirror in a bid to avoid my eyes.

If he’d really made this mixtape for us, surely he would’ve just picked out standard road-trip tunes. Like ‘On the Road Again’ or something. It couldn’t be a coincidence that he’d started off with something this romantic, could it?

            Staring at him, I said, ‘I love this song.’

            He looked at me out of the corner of his eye again. ‘I love it too,’ he said. The corners of his mouth were definitely slanting upwards. And something about that, something I couldn’t explain and didn’t want to analyse, made me smile.

To get your copy of the book, click here!

Review: I really enjoyed this sequel! I loved the fact that I got to revisit the characters from the first novel in this series. If anything, this second novel made me appreciate the characters from the starlight diner even more, I got to see how they tick and learnt a lot more about Bernie in this novel than I did the first novel which was great. We got to see a lot more of Esther in this novel too, and I loved the kind of motherly figure that she took on for Bonnie! It was lovely to catch up with Jack and Jimmy and Walt as well. Jimmy really comes into his own in this instalment and I really warmed to him!

Although I've spoken a lot about the deeper appreciation you get for the characters because this is the second book in the series, this book also works well on its own. I know this because I accidentally started reading this book before I read the first book in the series and I was totally caught up in the story even though I hadn't met all of the characters before, so if you like what you've read in the extract above, you can definitely read this on its own! The other reason you can read this book as a standalone is because this book centres around a new character, Bonnie, who we don't even meet until the very very end of book one.... 

I really liked Bonnie because she is so fiercely independent. I really liked that fact that she had got herself to New York and spent xmas alone there. I also really like her ability to read people, just like Jimmy! She really comes into her own in this book, in a way that we can tell she hasn't before coming across the characters she meets in the diner! This book is set partly in Atlantic City too because it is somewhere I've been close to but never visited! There's also a whole bit about Lucy the Elephant, who resides at the seafront in Margate. I loved learning about her in the book and went on to read up about her online, I'll be visiting her next time I'm in New Jersey, that's for sure!

Overall, this was a really strong sequel. Like the first book in the series, this was a romantic comedy with a dark edge and there is a court case in this book that brings in all the great aspects of  a crime novel too. You would definitely enjoy this book if you like your rom coms a little meatier and whether or not you've read the first in the series, you'll be able to pick up with this great group of characters and love them just as much as I did!