Guest review:The Travelling Tea Shop by Belinda Jones

Laurie loves a challenge. Especially if it involves anything beautiful, baked and frosted. The brief is simple: With three other women, Laurie will board a London bus - kitted out as an English tea shop - on a deliciously different road trip of the USA.

Their mission: To bring home-grown classics like Battenberg, Victoria sponge and scones to the land of cupcakes, whoopie pies and gold-leafed chocolate sundaes.

And to show them how a real cup of tea is made. All of the women have their own secrets and heartaches to heal. As well as a grand appreciation of cupcakes, there's also the chance for romance...

But will making whoopee lead to love?

All aboard for: New York - Connecticut - Rhode Island - Massachusetts - Maine - New Hampshire - Vermont

Review: Gosh, it sounded as if this book had all the best things - cake, a road trip in the USA, a bit of romance and a bit of drama. Unfortunately, and surprisingly, it failed to live up to my expectations. It read mostly like a travelogue of New York and New England, with the characters as tour guides. I'm sure that Belinda Jones must have put a lot of effort into researching the topics covered, and what fun she must have had discovering suitable locations and magnificent confections, but, for me, the story dragged along a bit.

The road trip has been organised by Laurie, who, along with her best friend, Krista, runs a travel company in the USA. Laurie is a former travel agent and Krista a one-time magazine journalist. Their company specialises in tailor-made vacations, and has a girlie travel-planning website with special features that may interest its readers. The purpose of this particular trip is for a British chef, Pamela, to tour around part of the USA collecting recipes for a book. The transport for the trip is a specially-adapted red London bus, reminiscent of the one featured in the Cliff Richard film, Summer Holiday. Pamela is bringing along a driver for the bus, and this turns out to be her mother, who is elderly in years but definitely not in outlook. At each stop on the tour, Pamela is to learn about a cake/dessert originating from that area and swap the recipe for something similar from the UK. When Pamela turns up to begin the tour, she is somewhat stressed and frazzled and, to Laurie's surprise, is accompanied by her grumpy and difficult 20-year-old daughter. Along the route, we gather a few more characters and finally a bit of romance creeps into the story.

As I said in the beginning, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I anticipated. There is a diverse cast of characters, some of whom are instantly likeable, but others are definitely not and I felt like giving some of them a good shake at times.  All of them have interesting stories of their own going on in the background, and they are cleverly all knitted together. There is a secret running through the story that the reader is introduced to fairly early on in the book and I was just aching to get it out there in the open.  There are plenty of descriptions of fascinating places they stop on the tour, and mouthwatering descriptions of cakes. Definitely not a book to read when you are already hungry! I even think I might return to Boston, having missed out on Boston cream pie the first time round. 

Guest review: Good Husband Material by Trisha Ashley

I am lucky enough to have another fab guest review from my lovely mum today. She's been reading tons recently since there are so many awesome books around at the moment...

James is everything Tish has ever wanted in a husband – she’s married a man who even her mother approves of. He’s handsome, dependable, and will make an excellent father – unlike Tish’s first love, the disreputable Fergal. Her teenage sweetheart abandoned her for a music career and now lives a typical celebrity lifestyle. Fergal broke her heart – James helped mend it.

Now, they’ve bought a cottage in the country. The next step – kids and a lifetime of domestic bliss. Well, that’s the plan. And even if James has a slight tendency to view the village pub as a second home, their relationship is still in pretty good shape after seven years of marriage. So why is marriage to Mr Right making her long for Mr Wrong?

I thought this book was Trisha Ashley at her best. I fairly quickly devoured all 500 pages and was entertained throughout.

The characters are all strong and interesting. The main character, Tish (or Leticia to give her her full title, as her mother prefers), is happily married to lawyer James, quite unaware of what is going on behind her back, although the reader is suspicious fairly quickly. She is a successful writer of women's fiction, but nobody in her family acknowledges this as more than a hobby. Although Tish is a likeable character, I occasionally felt quite irritated by her naivety and her obsession with cleanliness. However, her whole personality undergoes a transformation once it dawns on her what James is up to and she decides simply to remove him and his belongings from her home and her life. She becomes stronger, harder and determined to be independent, which had me almost literally cheering for her. When she meets up again with pop star and ex-boyfriend Fergal, things begin to get really interesting for Tish.

There is drama aplenty as well as humour in the story as we see Tish settling into country life and ridding herself of a man who turned out not to be Good Husband Material after all. The village into which she and James have moved is full of interesting and amusing characters. Anyone who has spent any length of time in a small village will recognise them. The story was originally published and set in 2000, so some of the attitudes seem a little old fashioned, but it is quite refreshing to have situations uncluttered by things such as mobile phones and tablets.

I feel sure that any Trisha Ashley fans who have not yet read this book will be as delighted by it as I was. It would also be a great introduction for those unfamiliar with her work. A good one to pop in your holiday suitcase or add to your ereader collection. 

Review: Two Weddings and a Baby by Scarlet Bailey

Tamsyn Thorne has not been back to her home town of Poldore for five long years.

But now her brother, Ruan, is about to get married and she has no excuses left.

Her plans to arrive in Cornwall looking chic and successful are dashed when a huge storm turns her from fashion goddess to a drowned rat. Worse, she ends up insulting the local hunky vicar – and then finds a tiny baby abandoned in his churchyard…

Review: so exciting to have a summer release from Scarlet Bailey this year. I don't know how the queen of Christmas managed to squeeze it in but she has done it again! This is an awesome story, completely addictive and something that everyone must read. One of the best things about this story is that it carries on from where we left Poldore in this authors latest Christmas work and so we get to catch up with old friends, in particular the loveable Buoy who saves the day constantly and of course, the lovely Alex who I'm sure you'll have fallen in love with if you've read the previous novel. If you are planning on reading Just For Christmas and haven't already, then you should read that first because this book will be full of spoilers. If you don't want to read Just For Christmas (although you should-it's awesome) then this works perfectly as a stand alone novel. If, like me, you've been excited about this novel since you read Just For Christmas, then you won't be disappointed by the turnout in this fab story! 

There is drama galore in this book. We have storms destroying towns, lost babies, but who is the mother? Wedding dresses that have to be created at the drop of a hat and warring siblings who may or may not make it up by the big day! And that's just in the first chapter! Honestly, if you're looking for a book with more twists and turns than the Monaco racetrack then you've found it here! At no point though, do you feel as if anything is unrealistic or simply sensationalist, all of the events in this book could have happened, and as you get deeper into the storyline, gasping at each page turn, you will be so absorbed in the story that of course you'll know that the vicar is going to have a whole cupboard full of dirty secrets that form a key to one of the plot twists! 

The characters in the novel are great. As well as the old favourites from the previous book we get to meet the sexy new vicar who is also a dab hand at changing nappies. Tamsyn who has just returned to Poldore from Paris and who has a complete personality transfer over the course of the book. The verger Catriona Merryweather (what an awesome name!) who has some serious secrets of her own and of course baby Mo who you will instantly fall in love with. These guys merge really well with the other characters in the novel and each play a major part in tying the whole story together. 

You honestly won't be able to put this book down, so keen will you be to find out what happens next. There is a storing message of friendship and family that runs throughout the novel and of course there is the wonderful setting in Poldore which will have you aching for the sea! You will gasp, you will laugh and you will find yourself willing two characters to hurry up and get it on already. A fab book for summer from the wonderful Scarlet Bailey! 

Review: The Three of Us by Cathy Woodman

The Three of Us is an exclusive short story introducing Zara, the village midwife whose story you can read in Follow Me Home, and bringing us up to date with what's happened to Tessa and Jack from The Village Vet

Tessa and Jack live at the animal sanctuary in Talyton St George. They had been friends for years, but it wasn't until Jack interrupted Tessa's wedding that she discovered his feelings for her were stronger than she ever knew.

Now, a year on, they could not be happier. And when Tessa discovers she's pregnant, it's as if all their dreams have come true.

But a scan shows that there are complications, and suddenly Tessa realises that Jack has always had doubts about having a baby. Supported throughout by Zara, the village midwife, Tessa and Jack have some tough decisions to make.

However, as the baby's birth draws closer, Tessa and Jack grow further apart. Will he feel differently when the baby is born? Or will having her wonderful child mean losing the man of her dreams?

Review: this was the first Cathy Woodman book I'd read because I thought it might give me a little taste of her writing, having been recommended her books in the past. I was so glad that I read this. Frustratingly I wasn't able to sit down and read it in one big chunk because life got in the way whenever I actually tried to sit down but I read it in three sittings, although I think it would be even more lovely in one. Seriously though, this author has packed so many feels into such a little novella, it's insane! 

I so enjoyed this storyline. Even though I didn't know any of the characters from previous or further novels I still managed to fall in love with them. The idea of people having a baby and everything not being exactly rosy, actual reality sets in, the fact that things go wrong, or people become unhappy I think is so realistic and needs to be written about (and not in an overly dramatic way). This had the feel of an awesome chick lit novel but is short enough to get through after work! I loved midwife Zara and so I really want to read the full novel that follows this so that I can get to know her a little bit more, she just seemed to down to earth but I'm sure she's got some secrets lurking in her past...

This was a really enjoyable book. The setting was fab because of all the animals and it was obviously a super fast read. As you can tell from the review, you don't have to have read any of this authors novels before to enjoy this although I'm sure if you're a fan of her writing and know the characters then some of the things in the story will have extra meaning for you. A lovely little treat of a novella! 

Review: Thirteen Weddings by Paige Toon

Last year, Bronte left Sydney for a wedding in England, where she met newly single Alex. After a night of passion they parted ways, and Bronte returned to Australia.

Now working on a picture desk for a magazine in London, Bronte is about to meet her new colleague, who turns out to be all too familiar. Although awkward at first, as Alex is now engaged to the girl he was on a break from when they met, they soon become friends.

But as the two get closer, and the wedding day looms, it is clear that Alex and Bronte have unfinished business

Review: I was very excited about reading this book. I love it when a book comes out by an author I know I like and try and make time to read it straight away. This book got off to a great start for me. I find it easiest to get into a book when you are dumped straight in the action, getting to know the characters as you go along. This was definitely the case in this book and I loved the idea of starting off with a hen party coinciding with a stag party and two characters meeting that way. The rest of the story line was really good too but began to slow for me, towards the middle of the book. Thankfully there was a really long epilogue which wrapped everything up nicely, which again is something that I love. I thought the idea of someone going through life photographing weddings was fab and adds to my assurance that Paige Toon does escapism better than anyone else in her novels, but it just felt a little slow for my personal reading taste. This is not something that has happened to me with a Paige Toon novel before, let me reassure you!

I thought the characters in this novel were really interesting and the mix of personalities was just great, you couldn't get a more random bunch if you tried. I liked this though, because it is indicative of friendships that I have and those friendship groups that I see around me! Bronte was a great protagonist, if a little indecisive. If she had been more decisive, however, a lot of stuff in the book wouldn't have been able to happen. She was very brave to give up everything for a job in the UK and throw herself into the wedding industry too, that way that she did. I loved the two male leads in this book, but definitely favoured one over the other because of his free spirit and unconditional ability to love!

There was an interesting storyline involving alcoholism and another involving closeted homosexuals among the clergy which i thought were unique choices for a novel like this. I'm no sure that they fitted with with Thirteen Weddings persona but it was refreshing to have these issues dealt with with such honesty by an author who normally covers slightly lighter topics. Overall I did enjoy this novel, i just didn't get as much of the usual Paige Toon sparkle that i normally get from these books. Nevertheless, I will definitely be counting this up there with the others and it would make a super summer read whether you're lying on a beach or sitting in your own back garden!

Review: A Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon

Letters from the only man she's ever loved.

A keepsake of the father she never knew.

Or just a beautiful glass vase that catches the light, even on a grey day.

If you had the chance to make a fresh start, what would you keep from your old life? What would you give away?

Gina Bellamy is starting again, after a difficult few years she'd rather forget. But the belongings she's treasured for so long just don't seem to fit who she is now.

So Gina makes a resolution. She'll keep just a hundred special items - the rest can go.

But that means coming to terms with her past and learning to embrace the future, whatever it might bring . . .

Review: oh what a gorgeous book. I haven't actually read anything by this author before, despite having a couple of her novels sitting on my shelves but I was recommended this book so many times by other bloggers and other authors that I knew I had to pick it up. I ended up listening to this on audiobook and found myself making excuses to listen at any opportunity it was so compelling and I needed to find out what was going to happen next. It was one of those novels that I really struggled to describe to someone as I was reading it, but I love something like that that doesn't conform to a particular mould or form!

First of all let me rave about Gina because she is such a special character. She has been knocked down again and again and again. She has been in an unhappy marriage, she has a difficult relationship with her mother she is struggling to buck against the stereotype that she has of a survivor and yet that is exactly what she is, a survivor. Someone who makes the very best of herself, by herself, she accepts help from others and yet does things by herself and for herself, she had decided to make herself happy, something which more of us should definitely be trying to do, be happy for ourselves by ourselves! 

Her best friend, Naomi is also an amazingly strong female and is a pillar of strength for Gina even if she doesn't realise it. She is written as the kind of best friend that all of us would want to have, just a little bit more outgoing and more straight talking that your average girly girl! Gina's ex is, of course, a character we kind of love to hate, but you also feel sympathy for him and I think Gina did too. Her relationship with her mother develops over the course of the novel and there is a very interesting couple that Gina works with, developing their house and gaining more than just a couple of business clients! 

The storyline jumps back and forth between present day and flashbacks to Gina's past but it is so well-written that you never feel confused as to what era you are in. The writing is truly beautiful, full of wonderful descriptive phrases and by the end of the book, i felt as if  the house she was developing was actually mine! There's a gorgeous dog for you to fall in love with as well and whilst reading about him, I felt I could actually see him sitting in front of me and see the pain in his eyes-aww! 

This is truly a novel to help you appreciate what you have and make you evaluate whether the material possessions in your life are anywhere near as important as the relationships that you have. This book is far from a downer though, it is full of moments of pure joy and will motivate you to seize the day, so to speak. This is a unique book and something which everyone should make space in their reading piles for! 

Review: Finding Mr Rochester by Trisha Ashley

In this fabulous ebook short story Trisha Ashley will whisk you away for a romantic treat on the Yorkshire moors.

Plus the first chance to read the opening chapter of Trisha’s new novel Every Woman For Herself and get your hands on some exclusive Trisha Ashley recipes.

Budding author and die-hard Bronte fan Eleri Groves decides to escape from her disastrous love life to a remote farm cottage in Yorkshire.

Living in the land of the Brontes has got to be better than her life at home and she hopes that she’ll find some inspiration for her next book.

But what she doesn’t expect is to find her own Mr Rochester and much more than she bargained for …

A warm, witty and romantic short story from Sunday Times top 5 best-selling author Trisha Ashley.

Review: This was a gorgeous little novella which I actually read with my mum because she is also a Trisha Ashley Fan! This novella leads nicely into the authors new book Every woman for herself and yet has depth itself to work as a complete standalone novella. This would also serve well as an introduction to Ashley's writing because this has the style with is indicative of her other novels and has the same feeling and setting that readers come to expect from a Trisha Ashley book! 

The characters in this novella were strong and well-developed. Main character Elori was sensible and stronger than I expected her to be. She was also hard working, something which I definitely value in a protagonist because it is something that I can identify with. She is definitely one of those characters who gets knocked down but gets straight back up again. The male lead in this novella is actually a typical Mr Rochester, I read him out loud with a very broad Yorkshire accent, and yet we really do learn to love him over a matter of simply a few pages! There are a whole host of supporting characters who are very very funny too and add to the light-hearted nature that is indicative with a novella of this length! 

The setting is, of course, beautiful being in Bronte country and the hills and fields are well described enough that you can picture yourself there. The storyline is also incredible well-written because you really get into it over the short number of pages and are really routing do the characters! Of course, being a Trisha Ashley novel, there are plenty of twists and turns on the way to a happy ending, but the ending is really the result you are hoping for and yet leaves you wanting more.

This is the perfect download for an afternoon in the sunshine read! 

Review: Every Woman For Herself by Trisha Ashley

Charlotte—Charlie—Rhymer’s husband wants a divorce. Charlie isn’t sure what she wants, but after the incident with the frying pan, even she has to concede that their differences may be irreconcilable after all. Returning home to her native Yorkshire and the bosom of her family seemed like a good idea at the time. Even if Charlie’s father has never quite forgiven Charlie or her siblings (Anne, Emily and Branwell) for failing to live up to their more literary (as in Bronte) namesakes.

Upvale Parsonage, the family home to which Charlie has retreated, is presided over by her sister Em. Em’s hobbies are composing inspirational verses, dabbling in the Ancient Black Arts, and fighting off the incursions of Father’s latest mistress. When the current mistress actually moves in, family loyalties are sorely tried. Still, Charlie is determined to bounce back from disaster and strike a blow for deserted older wives everywhere. But when she meets brooding actor Mace North, she realizes that when it comes to dating for the over-forty crowd, female solidarity be damned—it’s every woman for herself!

Review: 

I have to come right out and say that this would not rank as one of my favourite Trisha Ashley books, nor anywhere near the top of the list. The characters and situations are strange,  at times bizarre, making it difficult to follow what is going on in places. I found  the first half of the story heavy going, but it got better towards the end, or maybe I just became accustomed to the cast. I would not be surprised to find that many people would have begun to read the story but never finished it.   This is actually an early example of Trisha Ashley's work, which could explain why it is not, in my view, the best.

The main character, Charlie (short for Charlotte),is one of a family of four children of an eccentric father who has decided that they should each bear the name of one of the Brontes and that they must live in a parsonage, although in reality it has never even seen a parson. She has to return to the family home, deep in the wilds of Yorkshire, when her husband suddenly announces that he is divorcing her. There are some comic episodes in the story, but I found quite a lot of the time I was very worried for Charlie and what would become of her.  She has a tough time dealing with her husband's behaviour and being plunged into a world where she has to fit back into her strange family and try to make a living from painting. The story improved somewhat for me with the arrival of an actor, Mace, and his young daughter to the village. He has his own problems with an estranged wife, but brings a bit of normality to the situation.

I would say that this is an entertaining tale overall, but is quite difficult to get into, although your perseverance is rewarded by a satisfactory conclusion .

Review: Carry You by Beth Thomas

For anyone who has loved, lost or found it hard to let go, CARRY YOU will make you laugh, cry and celebrate your best friends. Perfect for fans of Marian Keyes and Jo Jo Moyes.

Daisy has lost her mum to breast cancer. She’s at rock bottom and doesn’t think she’ll ever get back up again. Her best friend Abi has other ideas – she tells it like it is and she’s determined to make Daisy remember the person she used to be.

What Daisy doesn’t know is that, thanks to Abi, her life is about to take an unexpected turn, when she signs them up to do a charity walk. Added to which, someone is about to burst into Daisy’s world in a riot of colour reminding her that life can be full of surprises.

Review: this book was quite different to anything I've ever read. There was something about the voice and the storyline that was entirely unique which is such a gem to find considering the amount of books that I read in this genre! The storyline was really really lovely because it all surrounded raising money for breast cancer and breast cancer awareness and raising awareness and dealing with mental health, something which again, is not dealt with that often in other books. Although the book deals with these thought subjects, it still manages to be light hearted and a lovely read and yet the subjects are dealt with in a sensitive way and covered comprehensively! 

The other major storyline here is one of friendships and the two friends in question are easy characters I get to know and to relate to, the reason for this being that the each have flaws. Daisy is dealing with depression and has to suddenly move in with best friend Abbey. She comes across as a fairly selfish character and also someone who is unaware when they are hurting other people around her. However, watching her grow and get her life back on track in this novel was really really special. I really liked her by the end of the novel, even if I didn't agree with some of the choices she had made. Abbey made some choices that I wasn't so sure about either but as a best friend, she is truly awesome. She supports Daisy without question and gives her space and her time freely, something which is such an endearing quality! I loved he ending that both of these characters got, even though they might not be what you would expect from the beginning of the book! 

Ther IS a love story in this novel but it is such a slow burn and such sweet beginning that's you will literally find yourself squealing out loud when it finally surfaces. Of course other relationships are dealt with as you would expect from this genre but the little love story that runs underneath everything else is just delicious. The pace of this book is definitely slower than you might expect and that for me was really the only thing that stopped it from being a five star read. It didn't stop me from reading it in 2 days however which considering its substantial size, is pretty impressive. This is definitely something to read this summer and something which will definitely take a good look at your best friends with a renewed sense of appreciation!  

Guest Post From No-One Ever Has Sex on A Tuesday Author Tracy Bloom!(plus giveaway eep!)

I'm very lucky to have the fabulous Tracy Bloom back on the blog this week. You might remember I reviewed this fabulous novel last year and also brought you an interview with Tracy here on the blog. Well to celebrate the release of he paperback of this fab debut, I have Tracy back on the blog, telling us about the characters in the novel. If you scroll to the bottom and leave me a comment as well, you can win a copy of this super duper novel for yourselves. You have until Monday night to enter, I'll announce winners on Tuesday! 

Without further ado I'll hand you over to Tracy Bloom! 

Meet the characters of NO-ONE EVER HAS SEX ON A TUESDAY by Tracy Bloom

KATY – 36yrs old with an irrational hatred of Mickey Mouse, Katy thinks she has life under control. So fareverything has gone pretty much to plan leading to agreat career at a Leeds advertising agency along with a stylish riverside flat. Her love-life however is much lesssussed. Left broken hearted by her childhood sweetheart at eighteen she struggles to commit, getting rid of anyboyfriend the minute she starts to get attached. But then she meets Ben…

BEN – is a school PE teacher and eight years younger than Katy. It’s the perfect relationship. He’s too young to take life seriously so always up for a laugh and not old enough to want to settle down which suits commitment phobic Katy. In fact she wonders why she didn’t choose to date a younger guy before. Then she attends a school re-union and bumps into her teenage boyfriendMatthew...

MATTHEW – since school Matthew has become success in a suit. He is very proud of his career in finance as well as his sleek company car and expense account. Howevermeeting Katy at the school re-union reminds him of hisyounger carefree days that were totally unlike the micromanaged life he now leads. Somehow he ends up in bed with Katy. Next morning they agree to never see each other again and he returns home to his wife Alison…

ALISON – having worked in HR, Alison is used to organizing everyone’s life as well as her own. Her exceptional planning skills however are no use when her body fails her as she struggles to get pregnant. Fertility treatment banishes all the joy and spontaneity out of hermarriage to Matthew as she obsesses over having the children she always dreamed of.

Also staring….

DANIEL – Katy’s gay best friend who is also Creative Director at the Advertising Agency where she works. He’s the only one who knows about Katy’s indiscretion and so is under pressure to offer advice and support, something that doesn’t come to him naturally especially when it involves pregnancy!

BRAINDEAD – one of Ben’s mates whose unique take on life is by parts hilarious and very worrying. His ability to reduce big problems down to his level however can sometimes prove very constructive

IAN – divorced with teenage kids, Ian is doing his best to comfort the forty something single females of Leeds in is own inimitable style. A colleague of Matthew, he thinks it’s hilarious that Matthew has got himself into such a pickle when he hears that a blooming Katy has turned up at an antenatal class attended by Matthew and his finally pregnant wife.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Gateway Books/ Authors in my Reading Journey1/4/14

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists over there at The Broke and the Bookish. I'd love to share my lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

This is a really interesting top ten to do. Before I actually had to sit down and think about it, I didn't realise there were so many authors/books that had acted as gateway books in my reading life but there are very definite moments in my life where I was taken to a new genre or allowed to rediscover books again after a period of not reading and these were led by one author/book in particular. Here goes...

1. Judy Blume. I was in the last year of primary school and had read every thing that my school had to offer and was bored with it all quite franky. Then, that summer I disocovered Judy Blume and literally had to get my hands on everything she had written! 

2. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding. I was in my third year of secondary school. I didn't really red a lot other than in the summer holidays, again the books we were reading at school weren't really thrilling me, then my friend lent me this-I found myself, suddenly back into reading! 

3. Secret Dreamworld of a shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella, Yet again I found myself in a bit of an inactive reading period then my dad bought me this novel for my birthday and would you believe it? I found myself hooked on chick lit-I've never looked back. The first book to make me laugh since I read Bridget Jones! 

4. I've Got your Number also by Sophie Kinsella. This was the book that got me reviewing books. I was suddenly doing guest reviews over on The Sweet Bookshelf and henceforth, a blogger was born (another awesome book by the way!)

5. Notes From a Big Country by Bill Bryson. The book that got me hooked on travel writing. 

6. Losing it by Cora Carmack. The book that opened my eyes to the New Adult Genre.

7. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. The Book that gave me an appreciation of YA fiction! 

8. Fifty Shades of Grey. The books that got me back into erotic fiction. I had fallen out of love with erotic fiction whilst at uni and hadn't really returned to it being so busy with reading my chick lit. But then I picked this up and the other two when they came out and realised that I quite liked this genre too-as cliched as that may be! 

9.  Lindsey Kelk. The author who made me want to meet all the other authors. Lindsey was one of the first authors I met at a book signing when I got back into reading again after uni. Since then I've been seeking out book signings and author events and now am lucky enough to go to blogger events of course, but she was the one who started it all off...

10. Miranda Dickinson. She is a gateway author in more than one sense. I read her first novel during a very difficult time in my life and it was then that I discovered that reading could be such an awesome form of escapism. She also encouraged me to write. Fair enough I haven't finished my novel yet but I got a massive way into it thanks to her encouragement and she also came into my school to try and inspire my kids as well (something which they are all still talking about!) she is definitely a massive gateways author in that she has had such a big influence on me! 

Review! The Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

Polly Waterford is recovering from a toxic relationship. Unable to afford their townhouse, she has to move miles away from everyone, to the sleepy little seaside resort of Polbearne, where she lives alone above an abandoned shop.

And so Polly takes out her frustrations on her favourite hobby: making bread. But what was previously a weekend diversion suddenly becomes far more important as she pours her emotions into kneading and pounding the dough, and each loaf becomes better and better. With nuts and seeds, olives and chorizo, with local honey (courtesy of local bee keeper, Huckle), and with reserves of determination and creativity Polly never knew she had, she bakes and bakes and bakes . . . And people start to hear about it.

Sometimes, bread really is life . . . And Polly is about to reclaim hers.

Review: first of all can we all just take a moment to marvel over another gorgeous cover from a jenny Colgan. I am so pleased that her back catalogue of titles have been redone with this style of cover because they are just so sumptuous and glorious, just as the content inside is! This novel is very thing that I wanted it to be. It leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, has a killer romance storyline and had the kind of setting that has you yearning to get there any way possible right now. Jenny Colgan's books always leave you with that warm and fuzzy feeling, like settling down in a pair of pyjamas with a cup of tea and a cuddle. This one started as it meant to go on in just this vein. It was just so lovely, with the kind of details you really value as a reader. 

The storyline itself was nice and simple. Polly wants to start a new life and attempts to do it on a little is,and, frequently cut off by the tide, where she finds herself mixed up with fishermen, a Bee keeper, bakers and a puffin. Although this sounds fairly unbelievable, you get so wrapped up in Polly's world that anything seems possible. The part of the storyline involving the puffin had me in tears at parts and exclaiming out loud with pure joy at others. There are some very dramatic parts in the storyline as well, it's not all war and fuzzy but there is definitely the perfect balance of drama, romance and sweet sweet moments. 

I loved Polly as a character, she was so chilled out it made her incredibly easy to like. When things went wrong for her, she simply picked herself up and evaluated where she was going to go next and how she would improve next time. She didn't sit around moping and she made things happen for herself. She didn't seem phased by her romantic entanglements either, and she had a genuinely lovely relationship with her best friend which was a joy to see in the novel. The best friend is a wonderful over the too character who provides a wonderful contrast to the laid back atmosphere of the town and Polly herself. 

The men in this novel all have their lovely qualities. I defy you not to fall in love with Tarnie, huckle and even Jayden for that matter! Colgan has written some lovely hunky men to drool over and the add extra spice to the storyline, as well as their own brand of drama. The setting is definitely a character in its own right. The idyllic fishing village, enhanced in its escapism even more by the fact that it is literally cut off from everything else at certain times of day. The bread too, is another character, do NOT read this unless you are full, and reading whilst on a diet is not advisable. You can almost smell it coming off the page and will have you rushing to this kitchen to try and knead some dough yourself. 

I loved this novel (as if you can't already tell) and genuinely can't find fault with it. If you're looking for something full of mystery and crime, you won't enjoy this, but if you're looking for a lovely, easy read full of wonderful characters and a satisfying storyline then this needs to be your next read! 

Review: Take Mum Out by Fiona Gibson

Fiona Gibson returns with a laugh-out-loud read, sharply observed and full of dating disasters.

Three blind dates

Two teenage boys messing up her plans

And one man who'll melt Alice's heart.

'You need to get back in the saddle…' Alice despises that phrase. She's fine being single – with two slothful teenage boys and a meringue business to run, she has enough on her plate without negotiating the troublesome world of modern dating.

However, Alice's three best friends have other ideas. Each one will present her with an utterly delicious, eligible man – all Alice has to do is pick her favourite.

Review: I found this book really easy to get into. You warm straight away to the character of Alice, a single mum with 2 teenage sons. She is the perfect chick0lit heroine in that she ins strong and independent but just a little bit ditsy too. You find yourself rooting for her the entire way through the novel and so that really carries the storyline along. The other characters in the novel were there for emotional value and comedy value. The two teenage sons are written beautifully, given the teens that i know/have worked with, and they add pure moments of magic to the novel. Throughout the novel, Alice goes on dates with various men picked out by her girlfriends. These guys really do just add pure comedy value. I have to say though, i found them all rather hard to warm too. I had this same problem with Alice's ex Tom, perhaps this was because I felt somewhat protective over Alice and her family and didn't want anything to burst their little bubble. 

The storyline of this book was nothing new. The idea of a women dating several guys and having to choose between them or eek out their pros and cons, however it was told in a light-hearted and fun way, and every aspect of dating was explored-from the butterflies in your tummy beforehand, to the thought of sex with another man when its been a while. The whole thing is definitely heart-warming, and really highlights the importance of a strong family unit. There were some real laugh-out -loud moments, especially moments from her fortieth birthday party, and so you will definitely fin yourself chuckling at several points in this book!

I liked the fact that this book was set in Edinburgh, you know I love a good setting, and I found it really easy to picture Alice's surroundings and all the different scenes where her adventures were taking place. In one part of the book, she travels to a different city and there could have been a lot more description of her surroundings, but there were a lot of events going on at the time and so I can understand why the author chose not to include too much setting description at this juncture. 

Overall this was a fun read and definitely something I would recommend to fans of chick lit, or fans of this author. It had all the makings of a really good contemporary women's fictions novel and will definitely keep you entertained. I've not read any novels by this author before, although I have a couple sitting waiting to be read, this novel would definitely encourage me to explore more of her writing in the future!

Review: Finding Colin Firth by Mia March

After losing her job and leaving her beloved husband, journalist Gemma Hendricks is sure that scoring an interview with Colin Firth will save her career and marriage. Yet a heart-tugging local story about women, family ties, love, and loss captures her heart— and changes everything. The story concerns Bea Crane, a floundering twenty-two-year-old who learns in a deathbed confession letter that she was adopted at birth. Bea is in Boothbay Harbor to surreptitiously observe her biological mother, Veronica Russo—something of a legend in town—who Bea might not be ready to meet after all. Veronica, a thirty-eight-year-old diner waitress famous for her “healing” pies, has come home to Maine to face her past. But when she’s hired as an extra on the bustling movie set, she wonders if she is hiding from the truth . . . and perhaps the opportunity of a real-life Mr. Darcy. 

These three women will discover more than they ever imagined in this coastal Maine town, buzzing with hopes of Colin Firth. Even the conjecture of his arrival inspires daydreams, amplifies complicated lives, and gives incentive to find their own romantic endings.

Review: I loved The Meryl Streep Movie Club when I reviewed it last year and so I was desperate to read this one! In the end I downloaded this book on audiobook, having enjoyed the other audiobook by this author. This was such a lovely book, anyone reading even a little bit of it will be left with that warm and fuzzy feeling! Whether you are a fan of the author, or indeed of Colin firth, or not, this is definitely something you should be adding to your Wishlist. 

The wonderful thing that first struck me about this novel was that it was set in basically the same town as this authors previous novel was set in. Now I like returning to previous settings and revisiting other characters from previous novels, rather than just having a straight sequel and it was lovely to be able to do so with this novel. We got the catch up with June, Isabel and Cat from the last novel and well as taking on the fabulous new characters of Gemma, Bea and Veronica. This novel features the Three Captains Inn just as heavily as the last one did, but also takes into account The Best Little Diner in Booth Bay, which sounded like a delicious place to be. 

I loved the mix of characters in the book. They all had their flaws but all three of the women were genuinely likeable. I think I identified most with Gemma, unsurprising really when she is the same age as me and has similar aspirations to me. Veronica was feisty and independent and the romance she is involved in creeps up on her so surprisingly, she becomes completely endearing to the reader. Bea has had it tough and it seems she has found her peace in Booth Bay, something which I'm sure we would all find if we visited this charming coastal town! 

The storyline centres a lot around babies and adoption. When the right time to have a baby is, and it is all held together by the lynchpin that is Colin Firth. This is hilarious but totally had me wanting to watch all of the films they were talking about, not to mention the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice! Along with the Inn, the book also covers a home from teenage girls who are pregnant and I think that this was really interesting because its not something that usually comes up in this kind of book very often, that's one of the reasons this author really stands out for me, she's not afraid to go completely out there with her concepts and the topics that she covers. 

Overall this was a really nice read. There weren't many dramatic moments but it was definitely a page turner because you wanted to find out what happened to each of the characters and their problems. I was entirely pleased with the ending and I really recommend this book if you are looking for something light and fun, or if you are a fan of Colin Firth! 

Guest post: From Erotica To Romance by Jenny Kane

From Erotica to Romance by Jenny Kane

Thank you ever so much for letting me drop by your wonderful blog today to help celebrate the six month anniversary of my very first contemporary romance, Another Cup of Coffee.

After 9 years of writing erotica under the name Kay Jaybee, last year I was persuaded to dip my toe into the world of contemporary romance. I must admit, although I knew I had a story to tell, I was rather nervous about writing a novel that didn’t have sex underpinning the plotline!

Once I’d begun to write however, I had a great time weavingall of the novel plotlines together- and I have to confess, it was rather nice not to have to write loads of sex scenes. A girl can have too much on the boobs and bits front sometimes!

Blurb-

Thirteen years ago Amy Crane ran away from everyone and everything she knew, ending up in an unfamiliar city with no obvious past and no idea of her future. Now, though, that past has just arrived on her doorstep, in the shape of an old music cassette that Amy hasn’t seen since she was at university.

Digging out her long-neglected Walkman, Amy listens to the lyrics that soundtracked her student days. As long-buried memories are wrenched from the places in her mind where she’s kept them safely locked away for over a decade, Amy is suddenly tired of hiding.

It’s time to confront everything about her life. Time to find all the friends she left behind in England, when her heart got broken and the life she was building for herself was shattered. Time to make sense of all the feelings she’s been bottling up for all this time. And most of all, it’s time to discover why Jack has sent her tape back to her now, after all these years…

With her mantra, ‘New life, New job, New home’, playing on a continuous loop in her head, Amy gears herself up with yet another bucket-sized cup of coffee, as she goes forth to lay the ghost of first love to rest...

Although it is the story of Amy and Jack’s past and present,that forms the backbone of Another Cup of Coffee, there is also a third player in this novel who is vital to both Jack’s history and Amy’s future- and her name is Kit Lambert.

For the character of Kit I shamelessly borrowed from my ownknowledge and background- for I made her a writer of erotica. An ordinary thirty three year old wife and mother, with a serious coffee habit who is suddenly, with Amy’s arrival inLondon, forced to face a few home truths that she buried long along.

Here’s a mini extract to pique your curiousity...

Walking past Pickwicks’ window to check that she was there, Jack saw it was very busy. Full of elderly women with shopping trolleys, ladies who lunched, and Kit. She was in the corner just as he’d imagined, head down, her right hand speedily moving back and forth across the table as she scribbled down her words. Jack was about to open the door when he saw Peggy approach her. He hung back, watching their exchange as Kit’s cup was refilled. Jack couldn’t help but smile. He wondered how much coffee she’d unconsciously drunk that morning, and not for the first time, marvelled how Kit’s body coped with such high levels of caffeine on a daily basis.

As he stood there, Jack realised that it had been a long time since he’d looked at Kit properly. Without him even noticing she’d turned from a girl into a woman, a mother, and a wife. Her hair was still red; no grey was peeping through. It was shorter than he remembered, though. Maybe she’d had a trim recently, or more likely it had been like that for ages and he just hadn’t noticed. Despite the coffee-and-cake lifestyle, she was still relatively slim, but childbirth had changed her shape, and the chest he used to admire was bigger than it had been. There she sat, quiet, motionless, and slightly scruffy. The last woman. Jack knew how much he owed her. It was high time he told her so.

Peggy had gone to tend her other customers, so the coast was clear. Jack wiped his tacky palms on his jeans, suddenly conscious of being in last night’s clothes. They smelt of stale smoke and beer. Jack ran a hand around his face; the stubble had crept beyond its usual fashionable shadow. Still, he hadn’t crossed London to back out because he was a touch less than hygienic. Pushing the door open, Jack approached her table. ‘Kit?’

She looked up. Her oval-shaped face went white as she saw who was standing before her.

‘May I sit down?’

She didn’t say anything, but nodded, gripping her pen tighter as he sat down on the spindle backed chair opposite her.

Peggy, who’d noticed Jack’s hesitant approach to the corner table, immediately recognised the urgent need for another cup of extra strong coffee. Quickly filling a mug, the waitress scooted forward, and placed it wordlessly in front of Jack before retreating to her counter, keeping her ears wide open, ready to witness the potential showdown.

Words tumbled out of Jack’s mouth as he plunged straight in, ‘I want to apologise. I didn’t not tell you about Amy. It just never came up. She never came up. Time moved on and stuff.’

Kit twiddled a biro between her fingers, looked Jack directly in the eye, and spoke with a calm voice that belied the turmoil within. ‘You have absolutely no idea why I’m so upset, have you?’

He hung his head, ‘No. Not really. Sorry.’

‘You didn’t make our tape, did you?’

Jack felt uneasy. ‘No, I’ve remembered some of what would have been on it though. I’ve remembered quite a lot actually. It’s been quite a fortnight.’

‘Hasn’t it.’ Kit picked up her drink, trying to resist her natural tendency to forgive instantly, determined not to tell him it was OK; that she was being silly, and that he should forget it. Because it wasn’t OK, not this time. Trouble was, she still didn’t really know why – but she was damned if she’d tell him that.

‘Peggy,’ Kit hailed her friend, ‘we need sugar over here. Fast.’

Without a word, Peggy headed for the cake display, placed two large slabs of carrot cake onto a plate, and returned to the frosty silence which hung over her corner table.

‘Thanks,’ they spoke in unison, both Kit and Jack thankful to have something to focus on as they sat opposite each other and, for the first time in their lives, didn’t know what on earth to say...

****

If you want to find out exactly what history has passed between Kit and her gay best friend, and how it all links up to Amy, you can buy Another Cup of Coffee as an eBook or a paperback from –

Amazon UK- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Another-Cup-Coffee-Jenny-Kane/dp/1783751126/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377605533&sr=8-1&keywords=another+cup+of+coffee   

Amazon US - http://www.amazon.com/Another-Cup-Coffee-Jenny-Kane/dp/1783751126/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377605667&sr=8-1&keywords=another+cup+of+coffee+jenny+kane

Thanks again for letting me visit you today – time for a cuppa now I think!

Jenny xx

Bio-

Jenny Kane is the author of the contemporary romance novelAnother Cup of Coffee (Accent Press, 2013), and its novella length sequel, Another Cup of Christmas (Accent Press, 2013). Jenny’s second novel, Romancing Robin Hood, is due for release in 2014.

Keep your eye on Jenny’s blog at www.jennykane.co.uk  

You can also follow Jenny on-

Twitter @JennyKaneAuthorhttps://twitter.com/JennyKaneAuthor

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JennyKaneRomance?ref=hl 

Jenny also writes as the erotica author Kay Jaybee.

Details of all Kay’s work can be found atwww.kayjaybee.me.uk