Review: The Life List by Lori Nelson Spielman

1. Go to Paris

2. Perform live, on a super big stage

3. Have a baby, maybe two

4. Fall in love 

Brett Bohlinger has forgotten all about the list of life goals she’d written as a naïve teenager. In fact, at thirty-four, Brett seems to have it all—a plum job at her family’s multimillion-dollar company and a spacious loft with her irresistibly handsome boyfriend. But when her beloved mother, Elizabeth, passes away, Brett’s world is turned upside down. Rather than simply naming her daughter the new CEO of Bohlinger Cosmetics, Elizabeth’s will comes with one big stipulation: Brett must fulfill the list of childhood dreams she made so long ago. 

Grief-stricken, Brett can barely make sense of her mother’s decision. Some of her old hopes seem impossible. How can she possibly have a relationship with a father who died seven years ago? Other dreams (Be an awesome teacher!) would require her to reinvent her entire future. For each goal attempted, her mother has left behind a bittersweet letter, offering words of wisdom, warmth, and—just when Brett needs it—tough love. 

As Brett struggles to complete her abandoned life list, one thing becomes clear: Sometimes life’s sweetest gifts can be found in the most unexpected places.

Review: wow I loved this book and I'm still upset that it ended! This is such a heart warming novel. I laughed, I cried, I related to the characters. The perfect formula for a perfect piece of chick-lit. If you are ever needing to get out of a reading slump, or want something that is going to lift your spirits. This is the book for you! Even if that's not you-you should read this now! 

This was sitting on my shelf for far too long before I got round to reading it, but when I picked it up, I absolutely could not put it down! I love books which have a list of things to do. You can work through these things with the characters and it gives you a really good idea of the progression as time goes on. This list was particularly difficult and the real twist in the story was the fact that Brett doesn't complete each item in there, the way in which you might think she will-delightful.

I really liked Brett as a character, she dealt with things the way I might deal with them. Find them difficult but try them anyway. She was very selfless and did what was best for other People sometimes rather than just pleasing herself. I really disliked her brothers and her boyfriend at the beginning of the book, thankfully, she really showed them and met some really fabulous characters along her journey through this novel! I was terribly suspicious of the new man in her life and was willing her to get it on with a different guy the entire way through. The only flaw in this book, for me, is that she didn't end up with who in thought she would, not giving anything away! 

There are definite tear jerker moments in this novel and so be warned-don't read the end section of the book in public, or you will be crying in Starbucks just like I was! You may also find yourself staying up late to read this book because it is definitely a page turner. This book has made me want to try and achieve some of the goals I thought I was nowhere near to achieving in my own life. This is definitely an excellent read and something you should pick up now without hesitation! 

To get your copy now-click here

Letterbox Love #6

Welcome to Letterbox Love, this is a UK meme, hosted by the lovely Lynsey at Narratively Speaking and inspired by The Story Siren's In My Mailbox. This post is a means by which to highlight the books we get in the post and beyond, and especially to bring attention to those books which may be sat on our shelves for a little while yet that we love all the same.

I've been lucky enough to receive a few books in the post over the last couple of weeks which is brilliant because I'm on a book buying ban so I'm not allowed to buy any books whatsoever-paperbacks, ebooks or audiobooks. 

I've received 5 books from Random House Children's so thanks very much to them! 

Shine by Candy Gourlay-I've seen this one in the charts so I'm looking forward to seeing what this is all about.

Time between us by Tamara Ireland Stone-the sequel to this is coming out soon so I'm going to wait and read them both together!

I also received The Edge Chronicals by Paul Stewert & Chris Ridell. I don't know when I'm going to have time to read these but ill try & squeeze them in at some point!

I also received a copy of The Proposal by Tasmina Perry which I am VERY excited about reading but I'm just NOT ready to take this beautiful ribbon off it yet!

On ebook I received a copy of Connectivity by Aven Ellis, am looking forward to digging into this one as soon as I'm finished my current paperback!

And from Netgalley I downloaded Geek Girl 2: Model Misfit by Holly Smale-ill probably devour that this week at some point because I've been hotly anticipating the release of this sequel!

Let me know what you've bought or received this week-I'm actually really proud of myself for sticking to my book buying ban-despite how hard it's been!

Review: Secret by L. Marie Adeline

Cassie Robichaud’s life is filled with regret and loneliness after the sudden death of her husband. She waits tables at the rundown Café Rose in New Orleans, and every night she heads home to her solitary one-bedroom apartment. But when she discovers a notebook left behind by a mysterious woman at the café, Cassie’s world is forever changed. The notebook’s stunningly explicit confessions shock and fascinate Cassie, and eventually lead her to S∙E∙C∙R∙E∙T, an underground society dedicated to helping women realize their wildest, most intimate sexual fantasies. Cassie soon immerses herself in an electrifying journey through a series of ten rapturous fantasies with gorgeous men who awaken and satisfy her like never before. As she is set free from her inhibitions, she discovers a new confidence that transforms her, giving her the courage to live passionately. Equal parts enticing, liberating and emotionally powerful, S∙E∙C∙R∙E∙T is a world where fantasy becomes reality.

Review: wow! What a novel. This book was chosen for our book club read and I wouldn't have picked it up but boy am I glad that I did. There has been a surge of erotica post-fifty shades and they are all starting to get a little bit on the similar side, lots of girls biting lips and orgasming left right and centre, but if you are looking for something a bit different from the norm, a bit less mainstream, you have come to the right place. This is a wonderful concept for a novel-a secret society that help women overcome their sexual fears, their insecurities and let them play out every fantasy they have ever had!

This book is set in New Orleans and starts out pretty simple, just like the beginning of any women's fictions novel, we meet Cassie, someone who has kinda of shut herself off from the world since her alcoholic husband was killed in a car accident. He was an a suite partner and one who didn't really believe in her and so now she goes to work in a coffee shop, comes home to her cat and that is pretty much her existence. I loved Cassie as a character, she had to be fairly quiet and open to suggesting in order to take on the SECRET way of life, and I think this worked really well for the novel.

Along the way she meets other people involved in SECRET including a local governor, a hip hop star and a whole host of women high up in New Orleans society who help her with her journey. Her boss Will is also a main character in the novel and has so much potential to be a lovely guy but is being held back by his shallow girlfriend Tracina. All these characters are so well written, this book is no way just about the sex scenes!

I found the sex scenes really well-written too though. There were some realistic fantasies and some not so realistic. I particularly enjoyed her first fantasy involving a massage that was all about her, very realistic that sometimes all we need to some time that is just about us! There was nothing too shocking, no scary whips and chains and nothing too taboo either which I thought was good. This was a quick read and so good if you've not enjoyed erotic fiction in the past and therefore great for a book group read too. The characters and storyline were well developed and the whole novel very enjoyable!

Click here to get your copy of the excellent piece of erotica! 

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 I Would Love To See As A Movie/TV Show

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!

Now there are some seriously awful movie adaptations out there, but there are some really good ones too, I loved the movie adaptation of Little Women and who doesn't love a bit of Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice? I often find myself saying out loud or in my reviews, this book would be awesome as a movie so I'm quite excited about this weeks top ten! If you're sitting comfortably then I'll begin...

1. Both novels by Beth Reekles. The Kissing Booth and Rolling Dice both had quite a movie feel for me and so I think they'd be really good as teen movies and would make mega bucks! 

2. The I heart series by Lindsey Kelk. Now I know these books feature in like, MOST of my top tens but they are so so good and would make an awesome move franchise (as would this authors other novels for that matter!)

3. The Naughty Girls Book Club. I think this would make a totally awesome movie, it would be a real heart warmer and I can see the characters in the coffee shop now discussing the books and reading them in between times, it would be a fab rom com! 

4. Cupidity by Holly Hepburn. I said in my review that this should be made into a movie, I thought it was really funny and would work well on the big screen!

5. Moody Not Broody by Kathryn Player. I loved this novel, it had me laughing out loud. I think that this would be my first choice for a TV series, along the same lines as channel four's Teachers but from the female point of view... 

6. Cross My Heart by Carmen Reid. I didn't know if I was going to like this book but it totally had me gripped and would work really well as a WW2 movie but from a teenage girl's perspective.

7. Any of Paige Toon's novels. Because all of these moves have a kind of escapism theme to them, they would be fabulous as a films, you could sit back on the sofa and be transported to another place for a romantic adventure! 

8. The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell. I think this would make an excellent film, a real saga it would have you on the edge of your seat to the bitter end (just as the book did)

9. Dearest Rose by Rowan Coleman. I would love to see any of Rowan's books made into a film but this one in particular is a real game changer and I think that getting this across in a film would be a challenge but would have a beautiful result! 

10. The Arcade by Kitty Charles. This excellent monthly serial would make an awesome soap. I think seeing this even weekly on the screens would be a real scream and you'd have people tuning in to every episode to find out what drama was going to unfold next. If you haven't checked out this fab series, get it downloaded now! 

So there you have it. If you think I've missed anything out, leave me a comment below, it's always great to hear from you and let me know what you've put on your lists too...

If you're interested in any of the books, click on the links to try them for yourself!

Review! Woman's Walks Into a Bar by Rowan Coleman

A day in the life of Sam, a single mother whose friends have set her up with a blind date. As she prepares for the date, Sam looks back on her life so far: an, ultimately, upbeat, funny look at life and what it throws our way.

Rowan Coleman's ebook Woman Walks into a Bar is re-released tomorrow and as you will have seen from my blog post last week and on twitter, she is giving all of her proceeds to Refuge, a charity helping women who are in or have been in absolve relationships. I think that this is amazing and it made me want to re-read the book which I had previously listened to on audiobook because this author is just fantastic. I have pre-ordered my copy and so have all my friends, I will out details of how you can get yours at the bottom of the page.

Review: i love it when authors write novellas or quick reads. Sometimes you just need a short blast of something when you are between books, or something just to tempt you if you haven't read anything by Mathis author, this novella is a little bit different. I found myself completely involved in the story, it made me laugh, it made me cry, and that is the power of Rowan Coleman's writing. She deals with the subject of someone who has been in an abusive relationship and the struggle it is to put themselves back out there again so well in this novella.

It's definitely a valid subject to tackle because people sometimes think that once someone is out of an abusive relationship, their problems have ended but there are many scars to bear and trusting anyone again, sometimes just the thought of meeting someone else can be a mammoth task! This story deals with it in a light hearted way through a series of dates. I love a book dealing with Internet dating as it really is a minefield out there. There are some really funny bits in this book, as well as some really poignant moments, but it is all dealt with in a realistic way which is fantastic!

The other characters in the novel are also all realistic, the kind of friend every girl needs. There is an extremely cute and funny bartender just to add to the interest of female readers. The real star of the book for me though is Beth, a child who is much older than her years, and who leaves notes for her mum with little jokes, gives her advice on clothes and makeup and is generally just a gorgeous little superstar!

Not only does this ebook do amazing things for women every there it is also an excellent read. It doesn't put a dent in the bank balance and it is a nice quick read, perfect for a longer train journey or a Sunday afternoons reading. I can't recommend this story enough!