Review! Faking It by Cora Carmack

Mackenzie “Max” Miller has a problem. Her parents have arrived in town for a surprise visit, and if they see her dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings, they just might disown her. Even worse, they’re expecting to meet a nice, wholesome boyfriend, not a guy named Mace who has a neck tattoo and plays in a band. All her lies are about to come crashing down around her, but then she meets Cade.

Cade moved to Philadelphia to act and to leave his problems behind in Texas. So far though, he’s kept the problems and had very little opportunity to take the stage. When Max approaches him in a coffee shop with a crazy request to pretend to be her boyfriend, he agrees to play the part. But when Cade plays the role a little too well, they’re forced to keep the ruse going. And the more they fake the relationship, the more real it begins to feel.

Review: Having only recently read Losing It I was so pleased to find out the sequel was out. I quickly downloaded it, eager to find out what had become of the love Cade from the previous novel, and perhaps catch up with Bliss and Garrick. Sometimes when you are excited about a particular sequel, you can end up disappointed, but I really wasn't in this case! I devoured this book in a matter of hours, try as I could to slow down and savour the action, my self control was not strong enough, I HAD to keep turning the pages.

I was surprised I liked Losing it as much as I did, but I find this fabulous author's writing style so easy to read and so conducive to an extremely quick read. The way she constructs her plot and even the length of her sentences, just make you keep wanting to turn the pages! I think it was a brilliant idea to take one of the character from the first novel and give him his own story. Cade seems to alway be the injured party in Losing it, and at the start of this novel. He seems to be going down that same route, but he really comes into his own about a third of the way through the book.

I loved the introduction of the character of Max. I think she is really easy to identify with as sometime who wants to be an individual and yet finds it hard to show who she really is to her parents, for their benefit, more than for hers. When she first tells her boyfriend Mace to go away in a coffee shop and quickly hauls Cade into the picture to be her 'Faking It' boyfriend, I wasn't sure I  was going to liked her. But she turned out to be a feisty independent women, who I love to read about, and meant that the story was almost more about her than it was about Cade.

We hear a little bit from the characters of Losing It, enough to satisfy fans of the book, but not too much so that it take the attention away from this storyline and this particular novel. I think if you haven't already read Losing It, you definitely don't have to in order to enjoy this novel, it works brilliantly as a stand alone as well as a sequel to Losing It. Not only are the characters in the novel fabulous and the writing wonderful, there are some perfectly described sex scenes thrown in too, this author really does have a way with words! Whether you have already discovered Cora Carmack or not, I am sure you will find something for you in this novel. If you haven't read Losing It already, you definitely should, but Faking It is equally brilliant. A successfully satisfying sequel!

You can follow this author on Twitter @CoraCarmack

Or click here to buy the book!

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."

Author interview! Elle Field!

I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of Kept by this fabulous author so I got in touch with her and asked if she would be kind enough to pop over the the blog for an interview. I try and keep my interview questions for authors pretty much the same, so here are her answers, a fabulous interview I'm sure you'll agree....

First question-bit of a cliché-how did you get into writing?

I've always scribbled down stories ever since I was a child but I first started writing chick lit the summer after I turned twenty-one. I'd had a bit of a rough time in the months leading up to that summer and it was cathartic making things turn out well in fiction! (It was much more fun than working on my dissertation which I also had to write that summer.)

My first book was called Torn and it was utterly dreadful - I might rewrite it one day as it did have some good bits in it; in fact, that's where Tabitha came from. She was the cousin of that book's protagonist, Lottie, who was also mentioned in passing in Kept. This spurred me on the next summer when I graduated to sit down and write Kept.

Do you write full time & if so, have you always done this?

Not at the moment, but I did take a few months off at the end of last year to edit Kept and get it ready for publication. One day I would love to be able to write full time but for now I'll just have to snatch writing time when I can.

Do you have a particular writing style or genre that you prefer?
I love to write chick lit in first-person narrative. I do have a few chapters here and there of other genres that I would like to explore further one day.

What was the inspiration behind your first novel?Like Arielle I’ve known what career I’ve wanted to do ever since I was a child. Writing Kept made my dream happen; I won’t spoil it by telling you how things work out for Arielle!

What is your writing process-do you map it out first? Write a bit at a time?

I've never planned a book yet, though that might change. I write the first draft by hand, type it up - I hate that part - then edit the book on screen until I'm happy with it.

How much of you is reflected in your novels?

Arielle does share a few traits with me; I think it is inevitable as a writer that a few of your own experiences or quirks might make their way into your books!

What kind of research did you do before/during writing Kept?Some of it is drawn from my own experiences but my fashion knowledge isn't as extensive as Arielle’s! Reading glossy magazines and wandering down Sloane Avenue helped me to make the fashion side of the book as authentic as possible!

Do you have any plans to develop your novel further, write sequels, turn it into a series?

There will definitely be a sequel to Kept, but I'm not sure if it will be part of a series. Ask me again when I sit down to edit the first draft next year - I'll know then if there's anywhere else the characters can go or whether that's it.

I did toy though with the idea of releasing a short story at Christmas time that follows the life of Obélix... we'll see!  

How much attention do you pay to the reviews that you get?

Probably more than is healthy at the moment! I've been quite lucky in that I've only had 4* or 5* reviews so far - I'm sure when I get my first bad reviews that I won't pay as much attention to them... maybe!

Are friends and family supportive of your writing?

They are very supportive, even though I suspect I have turned into a bit of a book bore of late. (Sorry!)

How did you feel leading up to your publication day?The run up to my Kindle publication day was very surreal and it still felt very surreal until my paperback was released. Seeing my book in my hand suddenly made it exciting and real!

Which other authors inspire you or are there any you particularly enjoy reading?I'm a big fan of Maggie Alderson, Dorothy Koomson, Sebastian Faulks, Kate Morton, Diane Chamberlin, Nancy Mitford,  Bill Bryson, Meg Cabot, Sophie Kinsella, Mel Sherratt, Shalini Boland, Sara Shepard and Lulu Taylor.

Finally...what are you working on right now?

I'm having a few weeks off whilst I move house , but then I'll be finishing off editing Geli Voyante's Hot or Not which will be out this Autumn. It’s about newspaper columnist Geli who has the bonus of working next to the newspaper’s hot political columnist, Theo – she’s had a crush on him ever since she started working at the paper but never done anything about it... When her arch-nemesis Tiggy Boodles gets engaged, Geli finally sets about to try and convince Theo that she’s not as shallow as her light-hearted column suggests and, more importantly, she’s the one for him. But, the path of crushes or, indeed, true love never runs smoothly.

Thanks again to Elle Field for answering my questions. If you haven't downloaded your own copy of kept, then I suggest you make that a priority. Don't forget you can follow her on Twitter or like her on Goodreads as well!

Review! Kept by Elle Field

"Did she really just say that? I am fifteen again, except the reality is I am experiencing full parental horror, aged twenty-five. I want to die."

Life hasn't quite worked out how Arielle Lockley imagined it would. Becoming the next Coco Chanel was always her childhood dream, but she's spent the past four years living a dizzying whirl of glitzy parties, luxurious holidays and daily shopping sprees - all paid for by boyfriend Piers - and not doing anything to make her Coco dreams happen.

When the recession hits, it's not just the economy that takes a tumble and Arielle finds herself living back with her parents, on bad terms with Piers, and having a CV that's as welcome as a pair of knock-off Jimmy Choos. And maybe it's the location, but she's also finding unwelcome thoughts of her childhood sweetheart are popping into her head...

What's a girl to do? Can Arielle figure out what it is she now wants to do with her life and move on, or will she be doomed to spend the rest of her life dwelling over her worst mistakes, stuck listening to her parents' embarrassing dinner table talk each night?

Review: I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of this book for review by its lovely author. This is Elle Field's first novel and what a debut it is! I'm a massive fan of books that get straight into the action and then explain how it all came about over the course of the book. The concept of this story is great. Arielle suddenly finds herself on her way back to her parents, rejected and penniless, how did she come to be in this state, well that is what we find out. Nothing is a straightforward as it seems in this fast-paced savvy story. I was kept guessing the whole way through, having no idea how things were going to turn out-fabulous!

Now I have to admit, I absolutely hated Arielle. I thought she was really spoilt and really didn't like the way she was living her lives. She seemed to have no respect for those around her and just threw their love for her back into their faces. Thankfully, she does see the light and manages to turn her life around. By the end of the novel she is a strong independent woman who is able to stand on her own two feet and is willing to help others out along the way, just the kind of heroine I like to read about! 

The supporting characters in this novel really are larger than life. Her mum and dad are typical parents who are just a little on the judgemental side and really care about what the neighbours think. Her pal Ob is a typical lads lad, sex-mad and seemingly always meeting her for a pint. The two male 'leads' in the novel are also exaggerated characters with money to burn, slightly philandering and not really sure who they are without a girl in tow! Friend Lydia seems to have no feelings apart from the money, but, like Arielle, she comes through in the end and really helps her friend out.

This novel is set between London, Hampshire and Bournemouth. The settings are described really well and you can always picture Arielle flitting around Sloane square or trolling the boutiques in Bournemouth, something which I really like to be able to do as a reader. There are some really funny moments in the novel and just the right amount of sex to be realistic and believable. I thought this was a wonderful debut and slots nicely into the chick-lit genre. I couldn't actually believe that this wasn't written by one of the chick-lit queens, the storyline and the writing itself being the perfect combination of witty one-liners, twists and turns and self-discovery!

Top Ten Tuesday: top ten beach reads

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 week's top ten topic just makes me long to be on a beach reading! I can't actually remember the last time I lay on a beach reading, perhaps in the north of Scotland somewhere at some point? Anyway, in my usual fashion, I'm recommending beach read authors this week rather than just their books. I think that a beach read should be something which doesn't alwasy require your full attention, because lets face it, youre on a beach in the sunshine, enjoying a lovely holiday too, so I'm recommending some authors that have fabulous fun-filled reads that I think fall into the 'beach reads' catagory...

1. Rebecca Chance. Her books are filled with wild characters, and whilst they may take up quite a bit of room in your suitcase, the only other thing you will have to worry about it emitting gasps at all the drama between the covers!

 

2. Jane Costello. You know I love her, and she will make you laugh, maybe cry a little, but all of her characters are so easy to identify with, you'll be sure to enjoy her books anywhere!

3. Paige Toon. Another author I've been mentioning a lot on the blog recently. This particular author seems to specialise in escapism and so makes the perfect holiday accompaniment!

4. Sophie Kinsella. A chick-lit queen! What more do I have to say?

5. Lindsey Kelk. You can't go wrong with her in your beach bag! And what's more, her books aren't too weighty so you won't have to worry about your luggage allowance, there's room for the whole 'I Heart...' collection!

6. Marian Keyes. Another chick-lit legend, best not to leave home without her!

7. Mia March. Her debut novel was absolutely fabulous and set by the sea too, so the perfect beach accompanyment! Her next novel is out this summer and features Colin Firth so this is defenitely a top beach author choice!

8. Lauren Weisberger. If you have't read any of her books, you can expect more high drama than you can shake a stick at. With her new novel coming out next month, definitely another one to add to the holiday reading pile!

9. Danielle Steel. I find her novels super easy to read. She seems able to fit a long time period into the sapce of a normal length novel, definitely a bonue when space is an issue!

10. Carmen Reid. The last author on my list is no-less fun than all the rest. If you are looking for something to entertain you for the duration of your time away, go for the whole of the Annie Vaelntine series, although 'Did the Earth Move?' is one of my personal favourites...

Losing my Book Group Virginity

Confession: I have never been part of a book club before-online or otherwise! I know this might seem hard to beleive, the amount of reading that I do, but I've never found anything that suits me. I moved to this area about two years ago now, but don't really know anyone here and so the thought of joining a book club here is slightly intimidating and before I moved here, the only book clubs around me were for the kind of books that I don't enjoy reading!

The ironic thing is that I love reading books about book clubs. Elizabeth Noble's the Book Group, The Jane Austen Book Club  and now the new Naughty Girls Book Club by Sophie Hart, which you can read my review of soon, have all been fabulolus books (although they did lead to me buying a load of new books to read alongside them) and so why had I never managed to find a book club for me?

Well that all changed one night on Twitter! I had downloaded The Naughty Girls Book Club to read on my Kindle and followed the author on Twitter. I knew that she had started an online book club, held once a month over Twitter. The last two books they had been talking about, I hadn't read and didn't reallty have time to start by the time I found out about it happening, but this month's book was Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire which was at the very top of my TBR pile anyway (as fans of the blog will know!) So I decided to take the plunge, read the book and take part in the book club over Twitter!

This was on Wednesday and, let me tell you, it was exhilerating! The most interesting thing for me was that my opinions on the book differed from some of the others. I'm not sure it would have worked with many more people because it would have been hard to keep up with the tweets, there seemed to be just the right number! I really enjoyed exploring the different aspects of the book. We explored the characters, the violence in the book, the naughtiness in the book and also touched on the book's sequal, Walking Disaster. Sophie Hart was hosting and was asking some excellent questions!

So now I've lost my book group virginity, and I can tell you... A good time was had by all. The next question is-what will we be reading next? If you have any thoughts on the matter, let me know! I LOVE to hear your comments! 

Review! Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

INTENSE. DANGEROUS. ADDICTIVE.

Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

Review: so everyone told me I HAD to read this book and having received it at a bloggers event at Simon and Schuster back in autumn I thought it was about time I should read it. The impending online book club gave me the final push to begin to work my way through it. I really liked the owning of this book because it gets you straight into the action. Although I wasn't sure what was going on initially, what kind of fight the characters were at, it sure as he,l made me want to read to on to find out.

I often find with YA or NA novels that I dislike the main characters because they seem to be a slightly many teenager type, and unfortunately this was the case with this novel. Abby seems to be fairly successful in her studies, has got into college, has a best friend, and yet she seems to bitch and moan an awful lot. American, her best friend, is no different, she just seems to go running around stirring up drama the whole time. Now if this book were set in a high school, I would be,I've this to be the case, we all did a little bit of stirring in that kind of situation, but I just felt that once, we've left that environment and reached the ripe old age of 19, we could manage to be a bit more mature about things.

The male characters in the book were slightly better, slightly more sure of themselves. Main character Travis is definitely and heartthrob, and I liked him because he seemed determined to go for the things that he wanted in life. He went for Abby, her used his fights to fund his lifestyle and he studied to make sure that he got good grades at school. A bad boy with a brain. He also had a good sense of morals, in that he wanted to make sure Abby was OK even when he was pounding some guy's face into the ground. I didn't like his short temper, but the character was much better written than Abby because I could recognise a lot of his character traits in guys I have known.

I was left slightly wondering the point of the storyline. Travis and Abby got together fairly quickly and then after that it seemed to be a continuous cycle of her overreacting and being pissed at them. Then they go to Vegas (a part of the story I did not get at all) and then they go back to cycle of her cutting him out because he looked at someone the wrong way or something. I think it was very well written, otherwise I wouldn't have managed to get to the end, and I found myself holding my breath during a particularly dramatic bit near the finish of the novel, which is always a good sign!

If you are a fan of YA then I am sure you will enjoy the incredibly self indulgent nature of Abby and swoon (as I did) over Travis. This was a little hard to get through but I did enjoy some parts of it, and I am sure that it has been so well received because it has a loyal fan base. I myself won't be rushing to read the sequel, although Walking Disaster did seem to be even more warmly received than this first novel!