Review: What Fresh Hell by Lucy VIne

What do you get if you cross a dozen drunk hens with one shiny Butler in the Buff?

Meet Lilah Fox. She's on the hen do from hell. Then she gets a message (44 of them, actually) from her best friend with big news: she's getting married in six months. Oh, and Lilah's her maid of honour. Which means she just got signed up for:

- A military schedule of wedding fairs and weekly planning meetings

- Excel spreadsheets and endless hen emails

- All the enforced, expensive fun you can imagine...

What fresh hell is this?

Review: If you loved Lucy's last book Hot Mess then you will love this book, and it is even funnier than Hot Mess. If you loved Bridget Jones's Diary, then you will love this book, and this is even funnier! I know, I went there but this book was such a romp from start to finish. I laughed out loud, I identified with the main character, and most of her Friend so much and I just loved every minute.

Lilah is a great main character for this novel because she is just like all of us. She has set her life up, she has a boyfriend and a decent job but sometimes she hates that job and she's not sure her relationship is quite right for her, but at the age of 28 she really feels as if she ought to have it altogether. What she does have is great mates and she wants to be there for them and support them, especially when it comes to their big day.

The weddings, this story revolves around several (and i mean several) wedding that Lilah has to attend, sometimes as a bridesmaid and sometimes as a guest. We've all had those years when you have a zillion weddings to go and and the hen dos and the outfits and the wedding presents that go with them. You loose your bank balance, your sanity, and as happy as you are for your friends, you loose your life somewhat. Its a great premise for a book and Lucy Vine really pulls this off incredibly well, prepare for hilarity at every turn!

As i probably mentioned in my review of Hot Mess, Lucy Vine also writes down what we are all thinking. This is amazing and i defy anyone not to love her writing style, particularly when lines such as 'Fuck you Gwyneth Paltrow' and 'without a bra, these are already somewhere around my vulva'. There are also some really touching family moments in this book and its great to have some secondary storylines surrounding family and friendship running alongside Lilah's main issues.

I really enjoyed this novel. Lucy Vine doesn't censor her language so if swearing easily offends you then this might not be for you. But if you've ever attended a wedding, or had one of those years where everyone you know is getting married, if you;re questioning pretty much anything in your life even. Then this book is for you-enjoy the laughs!

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

Review: The Year That Changed Everything by Cathy Kelly

Three women celebrate their birthdays . . . 30. 40. 50. But their milestone birthdays mark the start of a year that will change everything . . .

Ginger isn't spending her 30th the way she would have planned. Tonight might be the first night of the rest of her life - or a total disaster.

Sam is finally pregnant after years of trying. When her waters break on the morning of her 40th birthday, she panics: forget labour, how is she going to be a mother?

Callie is celebrating her 50th at a big party in her Dublin home. Then a knock at the door mid-party turns her perfect life upside down . . .

Full of warmth and wisdom, this is a story about finding happiness on your own terms from international bestseller Cathy Kelly.

Review: This is such an original premise for a book. Three women all having milestone birthdays and not all of them quite living up to expectations. For me the strength of this book lies right here, things not living up to expectations. Cathy Kelly really sheds a lights on what being a woman at these milestone ages is actually like compared to what society deems it should be.

This book tackles some difficult issues as well and does so very well. It covers what happens when marriages end unexpectedly, the difficulty in having a baby and really delves deep into body image. I could relate to all of these characters even though I most identify with Ginger, and not just because I'm in my 30s too!

These characters are all unique but have a connection. We don't see them reveal that connection until much later on in the book. As I have mentioned above, I felt the most empathy with Ginger, she is a great character to read about and I would love to hear more from her in the future! Sam is also very easy to get along with and I can definitely see aspects of her in my girlfriends. I feel like Callie has the most thrown at her in this novel, she has a very difficult ride, even if on the surface it doesn't seem that way. 

Obviously this book has multiple narratives and I did struggle a little to identify where we were in each of the characters storylines when we picked back up with them again because each of their sections was quite long. Once I got back into each of their worlds though, I enjoyed going on this journey with them. I think this switching did slow down the pace of the book a little for me, even though I am normally a fan of a multiple narrative. Cathy Kelly's charm and wit shine through though and I say this is a plot which is unique and I'd love to see more of! 

To order your copy now, just click here!

Review: Shop Gossip by Kathryn Player

When the charity shop is in danger of closing down, the ambitious Ruth (the shop supervisor) will do anything to keep it open. One cake sale later and a disastrous encounter with a Health and Safety officer, Ruth lands herself in hot water with Head Office. Meanwhile, Molly (a volunteer) has a stab at internet dating and Nadia (her sister) has a huge crush on the shop manager. But does Alex feel the same? What happens when a forty seven year old married woman has another try at love?

Nadia follows Alex when he goes on a date and she narrowly avoids being arrested. She realises that she needs to leave Alex alone so, therefore, she decides to focus on her ambition to be a successful beautician. She is determined to make it work and doesn’t miss an opportunity to give her beauty products away. However, the dream receives a cruel blow from the bank and just when things couldn’t get any worse, Nadia finds out her husband has been having an affair.

Nadia starts to question things. Is she really cut out to be a beautician? And is she too old to find someone new? Sometimes it’s easier to go crawling back to the husband of twenty years, rather than try life on your own without an income. Does Nadia want to take the risk? Is love really worth it? 

Review: this book has so much great potential, some really fun characters, a good storyline and some great ideas but it just didn't really do it for me. This was a lovely quick read and definitely something to pick up if you're looking for something to read on your commute or squeeze into a shorter amount of time as it's a cute little novella. 

The characters in the novels and ladies who all work in a charity shop, we meet them all a little later in life than your average rom com heroine would normally be and of course there are men on the scene too! One of the things I really liked about the relationship between the characters was that they didn't necessarily all get along, also two of them are sisters which brings a new dynamic to the story. None of the characters are really well-developed enough for my liking though, they had so much potential and I think that if this had been a longer book, there would've been more scope for them to flourish and fly a little further. 

The storyline just felt a bit the same way to me. Kathryn player is a very funny writer and her first novel is testament to that, there were some really funny moments in the novella but again, some of them could've been developed into so much more, making it seem a little rushed. The ending also felt a little rushed too, almost as if it is open to further development or that we are going to visit these ladies again some time in the future. I think perhaps one of the issues I had was that it was written in the present tense I so I found it a little difficult to follow because of that. 

The story is heartwarming and definitely challenges the perception that life is over after fifty! It also shows that working in a charity shop comes with the same pressures as any other job and that scandals and affairs can happen in any workplace. 

I enjoyed elements of this novella and am definitely glad I read it the whole way through but it just needed a little more development for my taste and I think it would really benefit from being developed into a full-length novel where Player's witty way with words would have it's chance to really shine through! 

Review: Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates

Are you #ShoutingBack? 

After experiencing a series of escalating sexist incidents, Laura Bates, a young journalist, started a project called 'everyday sexism' to raise the profile of these previously untold stories. Astounded by the response she received and the wide range of stories that came pouring in from all over the world, she quickly realised that the situation was far worse than she'd initially thought. Enough was enough. From being harassed and wolf-whistled at on the street, to discrimination in the workplace and serious sexual assault, it was clear that sexism had become normalised. Bates decided it was time for women to lead a real change. Bold, jaunty but always intelligent, everyday sexism is a protest against inequality that provides a unique window into the vibrant movement sparked by this juggernaut of stories - often shocking, sometimes amusing and always poignant. 

With an Introduction by Sarah Brown, this book is a manifesto for change; a ground breaking, anecdotal examination of sexism in modern day society. Welcome to the fourth wave of feminism.

Review: everyone needs to read this book now! I knew I was looking forward to reading this book but I seriously don't know why I left it so long! I have been aware of the project and the Twitter feed for the project for some time and I had seen this author doing various bookshop tours and appearances on TV but I really wish I had read this book sooner just so I could've been pushing it on people sooner as well.

I struggle to say that i liked this book because I did like it, I enjoyed reading it and hearing all the stories and statistics and found it hugely interesting but I don't like the content of the book. This isn't because it isn't well put together or because it isn't a fabulous read which everyone should buy or at the very least add t their wishlists right now, but its because I find it very sad the amount of sexism that people tolerate, irnore or are completely unaware of. So I love the book and loved reading it but I don't like the fact that it had to be written.

The structure of this books makes for a very easy read. Each chapter has a theme and that theme is explored through entries to the Everyday Sexism projects, statistics and analysis by Laura Bastes. Its the perfect formula and means that every aspect of that particular chapter is explored thoroughly. The Author's voice is strong but not judgmental. It must have been incredibly hard to pull this off without making tons and tons of judgments and coming across as very one-sided when it comes to sexism but this book explores all aspects of sexism including sexism combined with other kinds of prejudice and discrimination and the sexism that men face and the way they feel about sexism directed towards females.

The thing that stuck with me the most having read this book is the aspirations of young people, especially girls and the sexism they face when deciding what they want to do with their lives. As a teacher, I now feel a tremendous sense of responsibility to ensure that the young people I come into contact with realise that they can to anything that they want to do and that they should make it happen!

This book should definitely not be confined to the female audience or to those who would consider themselves a feminist. It is such a brilliant read because of how informative it is and once read, you will definitely feel fired up! If you haven't already done so, this book needs to be added to your basket or at the very least your wish list because it is one of the most important books you will read this year!

Review: Fractured by Dani Atkins

Rachel’s life is perfect. A handsome boyfriend, great friends and the prospect of starting at university in a few weeks means she’s never been happier. But in a single heartbeat her world falls apart forever.

Five years later, Rachel is still struggling to come to terms with the tragedy that changed everything. Returning to her hometown for the first time in years, she finds herself consumed by thoughts of the life that could have been. But when a sudden fall lands her in hospital, Rachel awakes to discover that the life she had dreamed about just might be real after all.

Unable to trust her own memories, Rachel begins to be drawn further into this new world where the man she lost is alive and well but where she is engaged to be married to someone else . . .

FRACTURED is a heart-warming tale of love and second chances which will leave you wondering whether two very different storylines can ever lead to the same happy ending.

Review: This Book was not what I expected at all. I was thinking the alternate lives Rachel lived would be split like a bit from here, a bit from there and eventually they would both come together but I really didn't think she would be aware of the two lives she was living-what an interesting twist of this traditional kind of storyline! This book comes with a warning though-the ending will break you! 

I have to admit, I thought this book got off to a bit of a slow start. That's not entirely true, the very start of this book is action packed, this is where everything happens that's going to lead into the rest of the book, but I felt from that point onwards, nothing really happened apart from Rachel continuously hitting her head and getting into scrapes becaus of it. Towards the end though, this really picks up and I did find myself doing the classic 'shout at the book' move as this drew to a close! 

I thought Rachel was a bit of a weak person, the character was written really well, this has nothing to do with that, but I feel her personality was just to be a kind of follower and not necessarily a leader striving to make the most out of life. When she is faced with the dilemma of having her life she Thoth she knew completely disappear I don't think she tries particularly hard to get people to believe her, she just accepts that she won't. The supporting cast are interesting but again, none of them particularly strong characters. The men in her life seem to lead her to the truth in this novel, something with k find a little bit male-centric and the whole idea coming from a particarchical society, but I still liked these characters nevertheless. 

I think you can definitely tell that this is a debut novel, there are a few plot holes in the middle, but the idea behind it is superb and the ending and beginning are action-packed. This isn't your classic women's fiction and I really like that that as the case. Once things began to hot up towards the end of the novel, I couldn't put this book down and so for that reason it's definitely something I would recommend you read! 

Review: A Gift to Remember by Melissa Hill

Discover the magic of Melissa Hill this Christmas... Darcy Archer works in a small bookstore on Manhattan's Upper West Side. A dreamer who secretly wishes for true love similar to that in her beloved novels, Darcy refuses to settle for anything less than being swept off her feet by the perfect man.

One day, when cycling to work, Darcy accidentally crashes into a sharply dressed man walking his dog. He is knocked unconscious and rushed to the hospital, but his dog gets left behind. Wracked with guilt over the accident, Darcy resolves to care for the dog and reunite him with his owner. But the dog is not the only thing that's been left behind and when she finds a small beautifully wrapped package - suspiciously shaped like a book - she becomes curious. She decides to try and figure out all she can about this man, and make the delivery herself. Darcy gradually becomes drawn into his life; one that she soon discovers is filled with books, travel, adventure and all the wonderful things she's ever dreamt about. It doesn't take long before Darcy builds up a picture of this man's lovely life, and feeling an immediate kinship towards him, tries to make things right.

It might be a challenge but doesn't she owe it to him to try? But does fantasy match reality? And what happens when he finally wakes up?

Review: wow, I literally devoured this book. It was just the right amount of light-hearted loveliness that I needed at the time and I actually could not stop listening to it! I actually downloaded this book on audiobook because I was moving house and I could listen to this whilst unpacking boxes. I was hooked into this book right from the word go, I think this was becaus main character Darcy worked in a bookshop and loved books so I could wait to see what bookish tales she was going to tell us and what adventures her books would take her on next! This book had a good amount of mystery involved, but not so much that you didn't know what was going on the whole time. The mystery kept you wanting to turn pages and find out how everything was going to come together in the end. 

I loved the character if Darcy. She was such an optimistic person, something which is a rarity nowadays and she wanted to please everyone and make everything right. It was exciting waiting to see where this desire to please was going to take her next and indeed much of the storyline revolves around her trying to make a situation right. She didn't expect anything or assume anything and I think I was willing things to go right for her because of this! Aiden is the main make character in this book and a lot of the mystery in the storyline revolves around him. For this reason we really don't know a lot about him and so it is hard to form an opinion of him as a character. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but it does make him a little unrelatable. Despite the fact that there are chapter narrated by him, designed for us to get to know him, we find out details about his life but not really about his character or his personality. I really liked the structure of this book, the way these chapters were dropped in every now and then though! 

This book has it all, a great mix of characters, an interesting storyline and a great New York setting. I actually preserver red the beginning of this book to the ending. I think this is because I liked the thrill of the mystery and not knowing and so when everything was tied up neatly at the end, I had a reached a natural stopping point anyway! Although this book is set predominantly at Christmas, it's definitely something that will entertain you and pick you up at any time of year! I'm definitely going to go away and read some of of the fabulous Melissa Hill novels that are sitting on my shelf now! 

Extract from Every Woman For Herself by Trisha Ashely

I'm very lucky today because it is my stop on the Trisha Ashley Blog Tour for Every Woman for Herself, her latest novel...

About Every Woman For Herself – 8^th May 2014

When Charlie’s husband Matt tells her that he wants a divorce she has to start from scratch. Suddenly single, broke and approaching 40 she is forced to return to her childhood home in the Yorkshire moors.

Living with her father and eccentric siblings could be considered a challenge but soon Charlie finds her new life somewhat refreshing. Now that she’s single she’s got no need to dye her roots nor to be the perfect wife and she can return to her first love - painting. But just as she begins to feel settled, handsome, bad-tempered actor Mace North moves in down the road and starts mixing things up for Charlie in more ways than one.

‘Trisha Ashley writes with remarkable wit and originality - one of the best writers around!' Katie Fforde

If that hasn't wetted your appetite then perhaps a gorgeous extract from the novel itself will...

It certainly was. I went into the conservatory, locking the door carefully behind me. Although it’s so tiny, once I’m in the middle where my easel and table are, you can’t see me for jungle plants.

Palms, bamboo and bananas, and a fig tree in a big pot . . . Dense foliage and warm, slightly steamy, air.

Matt banged on the glass a few times like a deranged moth, shouting, but I disconnected, picking up a brush and carrying on painting the tiny, naked, cowering figure at the heart of the rampant forest. It looked like Steve, the handsome young gardener at the park, and something threatening was definitely lurking in the undergrowth.

Probably me: I often have lustful thoughts about him when I go there to sketch in the greenhouse, but in reality there is not enough cover to drag him behind even were he willing – and it is one of those ironic twists of fate that as you age you lust after fewer and fewer men, and those are the very ones who wouldn’t look twice at you.

I really should have sown my wild oats before I got married; I fear it is now too late.

Sometimes, too, I wonder if my body wouldn’t have rejected each pregnancy if they hadn’t been fathered by Matt? Perhaps our genes are incompatible?

Too late for that, as well.

Much later I resurfaced to the sound of a familiar loud thud and yelp as Flossie (my spaniel) attempted to walk through the glass door again. But at least if she’d come out of hiding it meant Matt had gone.

Flossie is not big on brains, but she has grasped that Matt hates her, and it’s safest to keep out of his way. Of course she forgets sometimes, especially when overcome by greed, like yesterday morning when she was drooling over his feet at breakfast, and he kicked her when he thought I wasn’t looking.

Later I went up to the bathroom and gave all my big silver rings a vigorous cleaning with his toothbrush and a bit of powdered floor cleaner. The rings came up a treat and I expect his teeth did, too.

Flossie now sat in the dining room outside the conservatory door, looking dazed. (But this is not unusual.) She wagged her tail happily when she saw me coming.

The breakfast debris still littered the table, and Alien Nation had left a note pinned down by the teapot that said he’d had to call a taxi, and if he missed the connection it was my fault.

There was also the name and address of the solicitor who would explain everything to me.

I wish someone would.

Why do I never seem to grasp anything until a couple of years after it’s happened? I never know where I’m going, only where I’ve been.

As Joni Mitchell says, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. I only know what I had to start with.

Or do I only know what I think I had to start with? Or did I have what I thought I had, but somehow swapped it for an alien? Could living with me for so long have turned him into an alien?

He was right about one thing – he’s changed, but I don’t think I have very much.

Clearly that was my mistake.

I took stock of my innermost feelings and discovered there weren’t any: I’m a blown egg, all shell and void.

You might hear the sea if you put your ear to me, but that’s about it.

Thanks so much to Trisha Ashley for stopping by and sharing that extract with us. Don't forget to follow Trisha on Twitter for more updates abut Every Woman For Herself and he latest novella, Ginding Mr Rochester. 

Review: The Time of Our Lives by Jane Costello

Imogen and her friends have had their fill of budget holidays, cattle-class flights and 6 a.m. offensives for a space by the pool.

So when one of the group wins a VIP holiday at Barcelona's hippest new hotel, they plan to sip champagne with the jet set, party with the glitterati and switch off in surroundings of unapologetic luxury.

But as they mingle with movie stars, mafia bosses and millionaires, it becomes clear - with riotous consequences - that even in the most glamorous of locations, things can go wrong. Very wrong . . .

Review: oh it was so nice to get back into one of Jane Costello's books again, it felt a bit like coming home. All of her books are the perfect mix of humour, love, real life and just the right percentage of eventfulness! This book was no exception! I raced through this novel because I was pulled in right from the word go and wanted so badly to find out what was going to happen that I ended up staying up really late just so I could finish it. I laughed really hard, I cried and I awed...

Imogen is just a gorgeous character, so down to earth and real it's actually amazing. I could identify with her so much. She is stressed out by work, loves her mates, loves her daughter and is a little bit scared of getting Into another relationship after her last big affair. I think it's just so great to read about a real character going through the kinds of things we all go through. Her friends on the trip are lovely as well and each have their own secondary story lines going on which is fabulous! Of course there is some male action too and there are one or two scenes which got seriously steamy thanks to the gorgeous hunk in glass Harry (loved him) he is a true gentleman and definitely my new book boyfriend! 

The storyline itself is light-hearted and yet seriously stressful at points. Because of Imogen's job, she seems to be constantly on call and at some points I really did want to just dump her phone in the sea! I was feeling the stress for her, but at the same time revelling in the sunshine and laughing at the capers her and her friends got into. There are more serious issues dealt with in the book and Jane Costello has written these very well indeed and intertwined them perfectly amongst the more serious storylines. 

Whilst I couldn't picture the setting as I haven't been to Barcelona, there was some wonderful description by the author that totally made me want to be there right now. The thought of an infinity pool, a sunny beach and a sun terrace filled me with energy, but because of that it was the perfect escapism from the British weather! This book would be a great introduction into Jane Costello's work if you've never read anything from this author before. If you are a fan of her work then you will love this new offering, the perfect summer affair and I guarantee you will not want to out it down! 

Review: A Beginner's Guide To Salad by Jennifer Joyce

Ruth loves nothing more than curling up in front of the telly with a family-sized bar of chocolate. She doesn’t do diets and she certainly doesn’t do exercise. But all that changes when she’s invited to her school reunion.

Bullied at school for being overweight, Ruth’s first reaction is to rip the invitation into a million pieces. But then Ruth hatches a plan. She’ll lose the weight and arrive at the reunion looking gorgeous and glamorous, leaving her old classmates in awe. Especially her former crush, Zack O’Connell.

With the help of her friends and a new, unbelievably hot colleague, Ruth begins her transformation. With six months until the reunion, losing weight will be a piece of cake, right?

Review: I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of this gem of a debut novel and I am so glad I was given the chance to read this as I might not have discovered it otherwise! I was expecting a story about a woman's battle to loose weight, the feelings and emotions associated with this and the highs and lows we feel when we are dieting, especially for an occasion! What I got was a whole lot more, I actually found It really hard to put this book down and found myself wanting more when I finished it. 

The character of Ruth was a lot happier than I expected her to be and reminded me of myself, dressing in bright colours and fabulous shoes, therefore I felt an instant connection with her. I didn't like the fact that she was dieting to look good for someone who had made her life so miserable in the past. If she had just been dieting for the reunion, i would've had more respect for her. I loved her relationship with her brother and his friends her roommate. Their relationship is unlike those you'd find in most books and so I really enjoyed this aspect of the novel. The other character I really liked was Ruth's sort of love interest. There were some really funny moments where this guy was involved, I found myself laughing out loud. There were also some reality touching moments too, when we found of that there was more to him than meets the eye. 

The dieting in this book is almost more of a secondary storyline, this being a romantic comedy,the romance and funny moments kind of take over. I would've liked to have seen Ruth sticking to some of the diets for a bit longer, I thought there might have been other humourous moments when she was only eating salad, or gorging herself on meat and cheese on the Atkins diet. This is my only criticism of this book really thougg. It's a super fun read with plenty of substance, humour and romance and perfect reading for when you begin a January diet of your own. I can wait to see more from this author!

Jennifer will be dropping by next Sunday when she has a fabulous guest post for us, so keep your eyes peeled for that one next week!  

Review! The Girl Under The Olive Tree by Leah Flemming

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this for review and thought it sounded like the kind of thing my mum loves to red, so I asked her if she'd do a guest review for me. She agreed and so here is her thoughts on The Girl Under The Olive Tree!

May 1941 and the island of Crete is invaded by paratroopers from the air. After a lengthy fight, thousands of British and Commonwealth soldiers are forced to take to the hills or become escaping PoWs, sheltered by the Cretan villagers.

Sixty years later, Lois West and her young son, Alex, invite feisty Great Aunt Pen to a special eighty-fifth birthday celebration on Crete, knowing she has not been back there since the war.

Penelope George - formerly Giorgidiou - is reluctant to go but is persuaded by the fact it is the 60th anniversary of the Battle. It is time for her to return and make the journey she never thought she'd dare to. On the outward voyage from Athens, she relives her experiences in the city from her early years as a trainee nurse to those last dark days stranded on the island, the last female foreigner.

When word spreads of her visit, and old Cretan friends and family come to greet her, Lois and Alex are caught up in her epic pilgrimage and the journey which leads her to a reunion with the friend she thought she had lost forever - and the truth behind a secret buried deep in the past ...

The Girl Under the Olive Tree is a story of one girl’s journey through adversity and survival against all the odds, and of the people she meets along the way.

We first meet Penny George as a young girl in 1936, trying to evade her mother’s plans to launch her into society and marry her off to a ‘suitable’ man. She definitely has other plans, but the problem is how to escape. Her interest in archaeology is fuelled by meeting Bruce, a New Zealander with a passion for the subject. Unbeknown to her, their paths will cross many times in the years to come.

Penny’s escape from her mother’s clutches comes unexpectedly, when her brother-in-law is posted to Athens and she is allowed to go for a visit. During her extended stay with her sister and brother-in-law, she is able to follow her interest in archaeology, but, with the threat of war coming, she decides to train as a Red Cross nurse. She meets up with a young Jewish girl, Yolanda, who trains with her, and the two become firm friends, Penny learning a lot about the Jewish people and their customs in the process. Yolanda, like Penny, has parents who wish to map out her future and choose a husband for her, which is not entirely to her liking.

With war clouds gathering, British people are leaving Greece, but Penny is determined to stay behind and carry on with her chosen vocation. She has inherited Greek colouring from her paternal grandfather, and can pass herself off as Greek, especially when she reverts to the family name of Georgiou and dyes her blonde hair dark. Despite attempts to make her leave Greece many times, Penny finally ends up in Crete, nursing wounded soldiers. The German invasion and occupation of the island brings new challenges, and Penny becomesheavily involved with the resistance movement there.

In the course of her nursing duties, Penny meets up with a high-ranking German officer, Rainer, injured during the invasion. He develops a fascination for her. Despite her attempts to avoid him, and the fact that they are on different sides, they meet up several times over the years.

Running alongside the story of Penny during the war is a tale of her return to Crete in the present day (2001), and her surprising discoveries when she gets there. This part involves her grand-niece, Lois, and Lois’s son, Alex. Lois is recovering from a broken marriage, and decides to take Aunt Penny back to Crete as a birthday treat, the timing coinciding with a sixtieth anniversary reunion on the island. The narrative jumps back and forward between the 1940s and 2001, which is a bit distracting.

In this novel, we see a different image of Crete from the idyllic island we are used to as modern-day tourists. As has been seen many times in history, we see the war causing devastation of the landscape and ancient sites. During the occupation of the island, there is also muchlooting of artefacts that were centuries old. We also learn of the strength and tenacity of the Cretan people under conditions of great hardship and oppression.

Although Penny and Yolanda both find the loves of their lives during the course of the narrative, it is more a tale of war and survival than a love story. The ending of the story is quite abrupt and unexpected. It would be nice to know what happened next.

To get your copy of this novel click here

Review: Tempting Fate by Jane Green

When Gabby first met Elliott she knew he was the man for her. In twenty years of marriage she has never doubted her love for him - even when he refused to give her the one thing she still wants most of all. But now their two daughters are growing up Gabby feels that time and her youth are slipping away. For the first time in her life she is restless. And then she meets Matt . . .

Intoxicated by the way this young, handsome and successful man makes her feel, Gabby is momentarily blind to what she stands to lose on this dangerous path. And in one reckless moment she destroys all that she holds dear.

Consumed by regret, Gabby does everything she can to repair the home she has broken. But are some betrayals too great to forgive?

Review: I was quite excited to start this new novel by Jane Green, the blurb sounded great and, unsurprisingly, I was drawn in as soon as I began to read. Now I have a bit of a mixed relationship when it comes to Jane Green novels. She deals with some tough issues in her novels and she deals with them so well and so realistically, that I have been known in the past to really struggle to continue reading a book, or have had to overcome part of it to get to the end. This is no exception and I did find parts of this book making me cry, making me feel tense and reminding me of parts of my own life. This shows, however, just how well she writes. She can make things seem so real, and draw the reader in so much, that emotion and pain is evoked just through her words and her characters.

I really liked the main character, Gabby. She was a mom of two, she felt slightly guilty for not working, was struggling to get on with her elder teenage daughter and has to overcome an awful lot in this novel. But all of this meant that she came across as extremely real. You could genuinely picture her talking things through with herself, she could be that mum you see in the playground, the woman doing her Christmas shopping at the next till. I thought that she had integrity and courage and I really liked her. Her family are all gorgeous, even her slightly eccentric mother and I found myself liking all of them too. There appears in the book, a rift between her and her best friend Clare and I found myself disliking Clare immensely because of this, but again, all of this was very real and very believable. 

As I have already mentioned, this book deals with some tough issues. I don't want to give anything away so I won't go into it, but the storyline did have me shedding a few tears at various points along the way. There were also some genuinely heartwarming moments that made me go aww, and all of it seemed like it could have actually happened which was great! Gabby is an English woman who moved to the states and most of the story is set in Connecticut. I loved the setting and the descriptions of Main Street and of the various houses and other settings in the book were written beautifully so you could really picture yourself there.

Despite the book dealing with some tough issues it still kept a good pace. I read this novel in a couple of days and found it to be a real page turner, I wanted to know how Gabby was going to deal with the next issue she faced, and I did really enjoy it. If you are a fan of Jane Greens style and her other novels then this is very much in the same vein and you will not be disappointed. If you are looking for something overly sexual or something very lighthearted then you're probably best not to start with this novel. This is definitely one that should be enjoyed with a big cup of tea or coffee on a crisp autumn day and will definitely keep you warm against the British winter! 

If you fancy grabbing a copy of this for yourself, just click here 

And don't forget you can follow this author on Twitter @JaneGreen

Review: Keeping Her by Cora Carmack

Garrick Taylor and Bliss Edwards managed to find their happily-ever-after despite a rather . . . ahem . . . complicated start. By comparison, meeting the parents should be an absolute breeze, right?

But from the moment the pair lands in London, new snags just keep cropping up: a disapproving mother-in-law-to-be, more than one (mostly) minor mishap, and the realization that perhaps they aren't quite as ready for their future as they thought.

As it turns out, the only thing harder than finding love is keeping it.

Review: a fabulous new novella from this great New Adult author! This is a brilliant novella because we get to have a quick catch up with Bliss and Garrick from Losing It-wonderful! Bliss and Garrick are headed to London to meet Garrick's parents and so you know trouble is going to ensue. It was grata to catch up with these characters and find out what they are doing now they have both left the college where they met. We learn that Garrick isn't quite sure about his career change, i thought this was brilliantly realistic and so really enjoyed that part of the writing.

The characters haven't changed a bit, apart from being further on in their lives and relationships, Bliss is still as insecure as ever and Garrick is still so lovely and supportive of her. When Bliss goes to London with him, she becomes particularly anxious about meeting his family, and it is lovely the way he supports her. Something else also happens in London which is incredibly exciting, but I'll leave you to find out about that one yourself! 

We get to meet some of Garrick's friends as well as his family and they are written as typically British Lads, I thought this was great. I did find myself wanting to tell Bliss to pull herself together at points,but again I found her incredibly real, we often can't see how good we've got it in a relationship because we are too close to realise! This is a must for any fans of Cora Carmack, and a great New Adult Novella in its own rights. I wouldn't recommend reading this if you haven't read Losing It but both a fabulous to grab your copies now!

To get your copy of Keeping Her click here.

You see my reviews of Cora Carmack's previous novels by clicking the links.

Losing It

Faking It

Top Ten Tuesday: top ten books on my summer TBR pile

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!

My TBR pile is seriously massive right now, so narrowing this down to just 10 books is going to be hard. i think I'll split my choices between books that are coming out and books that I am saving for my time off work in the summer holidays, there are sooooo many more I could talk about though!

 

1. About a Girl by Lindsey Kelk. I am really looking forward to this coming out in July, and looking forward even more to going and getting it signed. I will probably read this as soon as I get my hands on it, but it still counts as summer reading!

2. Revenge Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger. This one comes out on Thursday, so again, it won't last until the summer holidays, but still definitely right up there on my TBR pile!

3. I'm a big Milly Johnson fan (as you may have noticed) so I'm really looking forward to this one coming out slap bang in the middle of my summer holidays...and its being released on Yorkshire day as well-how awesome is that? (Totally not biased)

4. This has been on my TBR pile for quite a while now, but because it's hardback, it literally does just sit there. I am looking forward to sitting down with Jennifer E. Smith's This is What Happy Looks Like in my Parents' garden and putting my feet up and just devouring it, cover to cover.

5.I've read a few books recently that have mentioned Jilly Cooper's Riders and also heard some people talking about it on Twitter so I felt that I had to read it, having never done so. my next audio book credit is going on this mammoth listen!

6. You may have noticed that my Paige Toon Marathon has been somewhat shoved aside by other novels in recent weeks, so pledge to finish my marathon over the summer holidays and so she is definitely way up
there on my TBR pile!

7. Another author featuring on my TBR pile is Lisa Jewell. I have a few of her novels languishing on my  bookshelves now and so she is another writer I would really like to catch up with over the summer.

8. I am really looking forward to the release of Finding Colin Firth by Mia March this summer. I loved the Meryl Streep Movie Club and so I'm sure that this will be just as good, if not better!

9. Katie FForde, A French Affair. I have had this sitting on my kindle for a while now, and i begin it but then have to abandon it in favour of something else i have to read for a certain time. I will definitely give it the full attention that it deserves this summer and so that is why it is at the top of my TBR pile!

10. As above, Leftovers  by Stella Newman has been sitting on my Kindle for some time now waiting to be read, and I'm sure I will managed to squeeze it in this summer some time!

There are so many more I could add onto here, some coming out and some which have been sitting on my shelf for ages. I know they're all there and you can keep an eye out for the reviews of these coming up soon on my blog as well as an exciting giveaway! Let me know what's at the top of your summer TBR pile, or indeed if you feel there is anything I am missing from mine! I always love to hear from you!

Review! The Naughty Girls Book Club by Sophie Hart

A quaint suburb. A quiet little book club. A very naughty reading list.

When Estelle sets up a book group in order to increase custom to her struggling cafe, what follows is more mind-blowing than she could have ever imagined...

As the first book club meeting flounders, Estelle suggests a spot of erotica to spice things up.

Inspired by their naughty novels, this group of shy suburban readers shake off their inhibitions and soon discover that their own lives can be just as scandalous...

Review: Now I LOVE books about book groups, and I do like a bit of erotica, so I pretty much knew I was going to love this book, but I was still surprised because it didn't take the plot direction that I thought it was going to, and in doing so, exceeded all my expectations! I thought it was a brilliant concept, with the development of 50 Shades of Grey and all the others that have been release since, erotica has definitely become more mainstream, and so a book group focusing solely on 'naughty books' is a great idea! 

Each and every character in this book adds to the development of the plot as well as to the readers enjoyment. Cafe owner Estelle, initially seems pretty reserved, a divorced mum with a teenage son, she is not as conservative and you might expect,however. Then we have retired Sue, again somewhat more conservative than the other members of the group, but the amount that she learns bout herself and changes over the course of the novel is truly phenomenal. Initially I didn't like the male character in the group, Reggie, I thought he felt as if the book grip was beneath him, but he is really brought out of his shell by other members of the group. Rebecca is your typical newly wed finding that marriage isn't necessarily all it's cracked up to be. The novels she reads seem to bring out her character with each page turn. My favourite member of the group though is Gracie. I find it fab that she works in a library and I love the sound of her sense of style. She's definitely a whole lot of fun.

There are, or course, other male characters in the novel aside from book-club member Reggie and these guys all bring something the to the book as well. At some points I feel sorry for Rebecca's husband Andy, he really doesn't know what he's in for when Rebecca starts reading the books that the group discuss. The addition of the make characters mean that there is of course romance throughout the storyline! I think the balance of sex, and romance and plot was just fabulous, the author has got it spot on in this case, and that's part of what makes it such an entertaining read! 

Whilst there definitely are some slightly risqué scenes in this book, all the sex is dealt with incredibly tastefully and so don't be fooled into thinking this novel is going to be a complete bonkfest full of descriptions from the pages of the books they are reading. The sex is interspersed with the perfect amount of romance, but also a decent helping of real life. I think everyone will be able to relate to one of these characters, or at least something that one of them is going through, another place where this author has got it exactly right.

The Naughty Girls Book Club is a great read, something which I think any reader could pick up and enjoy as a fun, fast-paced novel. The characters are likeable, the storyline and realistic BUT it will make you want to go out and buy more books, so be warned! There is a fab section at the end of the book that has, not only suggested book-club questions, but also suggested reading material! I am proud to say that I have read a decent chunk of the books suggested, but there are at least three books mentioned by this author that are going straight on my wish list!

I'll leave you with a quote from the book that I found particularly thought provoking..."But life can't be like fiction, mum. People read books like that for escapism."