Review: Falling by Julie Cohen

Can you imagine keeping a secret so devastating, you couldn’t even tell the people you love?

Honor’s secret threatens to rob her of the independence she’s guarded ferociously for eighty years.

Jo’s secret could smash apart the ‘normal’ family life she’s fought so hard to build.

Lydia’s could bring her love - or the loss of everything that matters to her.

Grandmother, mother and daughter – three women whose lives are falling apart. But one summer’s day, a single dramatic moment will force their secrets into the open.

Can they save each other from falling?



Review: I have to admit that I started this book, left it for a little bit then came back to it again, but once I picked it up again, I literally couldn't put it down. We are talking, the reading lights didn't work on my plane I was using my phone to read this on my kindle kind of can't put it down!

I loved this book because it was so real, the storyline and characters were just so relatable and everything that happened could have happened to anyone of us. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters. We have Jo, a divorced mother with a teenager and 2 little ones. She is having the kind of life we would expect when she is suddenly saddled with an invalid mother in law on top of everything else. She is so very real and I found myself rooting for her the whole way through. We also have Honor who is staunchly proud and I really like the way she transitioned over the course of the book. I think out of everyone, she changes the most during this story. And finally we have Lydia, daughter of Jo. She has some secrets and is struggling with what these secrets mean to her. I really liked Lydia and the way that she managed to cope with everything that was thrown at her. She has a really lovely relationship with her grandmother, Honor and I really related to her, I wish she could be my friend!

I loved that this book was from the perspective of each of these women. There isn't really any crossover in events that happen in their individual narratives, but it is interwoven beautifully and I really liked the fact that Lydia's story is written in the first person. Each section is easy to distinguish from the last because their stories are all so different, but I think having Lydia's in the first person really helped distinguish further and also helped me relate to her as a character. 

This book is all about secrets and each of the characters have their own secrets and each of these secrets are causing these women a certain amount of emotional, ethical and physical turmoil. This book really doesn't feel like the kind of mystery book that it might seem with all these secrets hanging around though, its part family saga, part coming of age, part just really lovely story about three generations of the same family and their own take on their worlds, the bigger world and each other. 

This book really stuck with me after I finished it and I still find myself wondering what is going on with these characters and how they are going about their lives today. I love the way Julie Cohen crafts a story and whether you are already a Julie Cohen fan or not, be prepared to love this novel, it really is the perfect read for snuggling up with in these autumn and winter months!

Click here to order a copy now!
I loved it so much I made a video about it!

Guest Review: Christmas at The Star and Sixpence by Holly Hepburn

A perfect Christmas novella for all fans of Cathy Bramley and Scarlett Bailey and the final part of the Star and Sixpence series.

Curl up with Christmas at the Star and Sixpence - the perfect Christmas novella for those winter nights.



Review: In this final book in the e-serialisation of the story about the Star and Sixpence pub, almost a complete year has passed since we first met its owners and the inhabitants of Little Monkham, the country hamlet where the pub sits on the edge of the village green. I love a Christmas story, and have been looking forward to finding out how the villagers celebrate. 

Nessie and Sam, the young women who inherited the pub from their father and who upped sticks and moved to Little Monkham, knowing nothing about running such an establishment, are now well and truly settled into the community. As the title of this part suggests, they are busy preparing for their first Christmas as landlords. There is lots to do and traditions to uphold. As always, Franny, the postmistress and self appointed guardian of the village, has her beady eye on events, making sure that everything runs as it should. Sam's and Nessie's love lives are progressing nicely, but Sam has been left with a major decision to make about her future with boyfriend Nick.  Nessie's relationship with local blacksmith, Owen, is progressing much more slowly, and suddenly hits a great big rock. All this amidst celebrations and surprises, and, of course, the big question - will it be a white Christmas? 

I have loved reading about the Star and Sixpence. This instalment has all the elements that should be contained in Christmas festivities. Through Holly's writing, you can feel the atmosphere in the village as it prepares for the big day. It has been lovely watching the as Sam and Nessie have taken on the various rolls involved in running the pub and fitted into the small community over the year. To anyone who has not read the earlier instalments of the story, I would definitely recommend reading the others. Alternatively, all four novellas in the series are being published as an ebook and paperback (A Year at the Star and Sixpence) at the end of the year, so that the entire novel can be read at once. 

NaNoWriMo Week 1

So here is my NaNoWriMo week 1 update. I'm sorry there's not top ten Tuesday today, I just couldn't think of 10-when does that ever happen?

I made a video about this too...

So here's my break down:

Day 1: 3142
Day 2: 10075
Day 3: 10075 (didn't write today!)
Day 4: 13633
Day 5: 15850
Day 6: 22569
Day 7: 22569 (didn't write today either!)

So Saturday was double up day, and traditionally, I have doubled my total word count on this day. As you can see, this didn't happen, but I did double my word count from the day before so that helps! I'm currently just about at the half way point but I intend to write a significant amount today as I have a little more time to write today.

I'll keep you updated and keep an eye on the YouTube Channel too to see further updates.

Let me know in the comments if you're participating, I'm always up for a Twitter word race!

Review: All She Every Wished For by Claudia Carroll

If you're as excited about this book as I am, I took part in the blog tour on Monday so you can read an extract from the novel too-how fab is that?

One wet winter night, two women meet on a bridge. One is Tess Taylor, a personal trainer on the way to meet her boyfriend for date night. The other is Kate King, a celebrity married to a handsome billionaire who just happens to make her cry. In the cold dark evening, there is nothing to link them together but the bridge they shiver on. Little do they know they’ll both hold the key to each other’s future marriage…

All She Ever Wished For tells the story of what happens when your dream is about to come true. And what happens when that dream turns into a bit of a nightmare…

Review: This book was completely different from what I was expecting. I suppose that's why you should never judge a book by its cover and also why I should read blurbs before reading a book. I was expecting a love story in the snow but what I got was part fabulous gossip magazine and partly the story of so many people who have fallen out of a bad relationship and had to move back home with their parents (I know I've been there!). I really enjoyed this book. This was written from the perspective of Kate King, former supermodel and wife of a wealthy media mogul and Tess, a personal trainer who is weeks away from her wedding and suddenly finds her world turned upside down in more ways that one when she has to attend during duty. 

I really enjoyed the fact that this book was structured in this way. We got to see Tess in her life an the way she perceived the court case she was on and then we got to hear snippets from Kate's life through the medium of gossip columns or former gathering and parties that she had been involved in. It was always clear who we were talking about and which chapter was which and so the time shifts were not in any way confusing and were in fact the cohesion that held the story together. Loved this and it was part of the enjoyment of this book for me!

I really really identified with Tass. She was a little scatterbrained and couldn't seem to see the situations she was getting herself into as she went bumbling through her life but aren't those the best kind of heroines. I loved her honesty and I loved the way she dealt with everything that was thrown at her. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to be spoilery in anyway but she was just so real and I really enjoyed spending time in her world. We really get to know Kate through what is said about her more than her own thoughts and actions and this changes and evolves as the book goes on and so could have been a whole novel in itself. I really loved the way her character was crafted and felt myself warming to her as much as I did Tess. Because of the way this was written, I also felt like another member of the jury on this case-brilliant. 

Of course there are some fab supporting characters in this novel too. We have some love interests but to talk about them would b giving far to much away but the real stars for me in terms of secondary characters were the others members of the jury on the court case that Tess was on. They were absolutely hilarious and so well sketched out that I could picture meeting, sitting down and chatting to each and every one of them. I loved hearing this authors voice throughout the book and it was definitely a real change of storyline for me. This book was refreshing and riveting and had a real heart-warming ending, definitely a must-read!

To get your copy now, just click here

Bookshop Love in the US so far!

I recently visited The Strand Bookshop in New York and while I was there I was thinking about all of the great bookshops I have visited in the last few months since moving to the USA. I am lucky that I have been able to travel around quite a bit and of course when I travel to somewhere new, I need to take in a bookshop in the area!

The Strand
Oh my goodness I could spend the rest of my life in this bookstore! The atmosphere is just buzzing with a love of books. They advertise that they have 18 miles of books but they have 18 miles of a wide selection of reasonably priced books and include things like tables of books under $5 or $10 books to make you think. They have a great graphic novel selection and a massive section of books about writing too. They have some amazing merchandise with cool slogans on socks, tote bags, pencil cases, pins and notebooks and they even have a TFIOS bench-just such a cool place!. Come to New York just to see this shop!

Tattered Cover
My Denver saviour! I love this bookshop mini chain because the staff are so friendly and the bookshops themselves are just lovely. They host lots of events with fabulous authors and I love to get involved in a bookshop like that. What I also love is that they have a downtown branch and a branch a little closer to the city centre but they also have a branch in a shopping mall area so I can go there and park and take as long as I want browsing and chatting to the lovely booksellers!

City Lights
A San Francisco institution! This bookshop wasn't as big as I thought it was going to be, there was a fab selection of books about the local area and about local interests which I thought was really great. They also had a lovely children's section in the basement complete with little chairs for the children to sit and enjoy the books. I really liked their coffee table books and the fact that they had a big selection of books on feminism and LGBTQ+ issues! I would have liked a little more space between the shelves and I don't think you'd get a wheelchair or a pram in there but that's really the only negative I have!

The Booksmith
This was a great bookshop I found in San Francisco in Haight Ashbury. It had a great selection of diverse books as well as a lovely display of recent releases. My favourite thing about this shop, aside from the awesome music it was playing was the section on feminism and feminist books. It was so refreshing to see it displayed in a prominent position in the shop and not tucked away in a back corner as if it needed to be hidden. if you're in San Fran then I definitely recommend a visit there!

Barnes and Noble
Ok, so I know that this is a chain bookstore but I do love a Barnes and Noble and I recently found one in a mall in New York that was so quiet and peaceful and just a lovely place to read with a coffee and a cupcake. I do have a Barnes and Noble card and I do feel an instant sense of calm when I step through the doors! I love the fact that most branches have a coffee shop or a Starbucks and I recently visited a branch in New Jersey that had a massive 'sale' section at the back where they had regular sale books and then this whole selection of second hand books and you could take your books there for trade in. If you're ever in the area I totally recommend a visit to that Paramus store.

So those are the bookshops I've loved so far. I also did a video about this so do give that a watch (also see my post with my YouTube confession if this is news to you!) and also let me know in the comments if you have other bookstore I should check out in Colorado or anywhere else for that matter-will travel for books!

Guest Review: Summer at The Cornish Cafe by Phillipa Ashley

One summer can change everything . . . 
Demi doesn’t expect her summer in Cornwall to hold anything out of the ordinary. As a waitress, working all hours to make ends meet, washing dishes and serving ice creams seems to be as exciting as the holiday season is about to get.
That’s until she meets Cal Penwith. An outsider, like herself, Cal is persuaded to let Demi help him renovate his holiday resort, Kilhallon Park. Set above an idyllic Cornish cove, the once popular destination for tourists has now gone to rack and ruin. During the course of the Cornish summer, Demi makes new friends – and foes – as she helps the dashing and often infuriating Cal in his quest. Working side by side, the pair grow close, but Cal has complications in his past which make Demi wonder if he could ever truly be interested in her.
Demi realises that she has finally found a place she can call home. But as the summer draws to a close, and Demi’s own reputation as an up and coming café owner starts to spread, she is faced with a tough decision . . .

Review: This book is the first in a series of three set in a Cornish seaside village, and the first story I have read from Phillipa Ashley. I found it very easy to read, and it had me hooked from the first page. It has all sorts of elements to appeal to a wide range of readers, with beautiful coastal scenery, lots of lovely food, a strong cast of characters and even an adorable sounding shaggy dog.

The central players are Demi (short for Demelza) Jones and Cal Penwith. Cal has recently returned from working for a charity in the Middle East to find his family home, once a successful holiday park, run down and in need of repairs he cannot afford, and his girlfriend engaged to his best friend. Demi and her faithful hound, Mitch, are sleeping rough and she jumps at the chance of a job working for Cal to try and get the holiday park a going concern once more. Nothing runs smoothly; there are all sorts of obstacles that come along to make difficulties for them. Cal isn't the easiest person to work with either - he's definitely a Ross Poldark type - dark and moody. The other main characters in the story are also strong and interesting, although they are definitely not all loveable.

I really enjoyed this story from start to finish. In particular, it was great to watch Demi gain in confidence and the relationship between her and Cal develop as the story unfolded. The narrative was split between these two characters, which I occasionally found confusing, but not a big problem.  The book would make a great summer read with all the descriptions of sun, sea and sand, but it would be equally good as something to read while curled up by the fire dreaming of sunny holidays. The only thing I would say is that the title might make you think it is a tale about a cafe, whereas the cafe in question is a pipe dream for most of the book. I am eagerly waiting to read the next book in the series and looking forward to finding out how Demi and Cal's professional and personal relationships are developing.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books To Read in Your Book Club 1/11/16

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!

Ok I'm going to try and pick books that I've had lengthy discussions with people about because I'm sure that Book groups need plenty to discuss. I will try and include as broad a spectrum of titles/authors/genres as possible...

1. The Day we Disappeared by Lucy Robinson, I had to speak to people who had read this when I finished it! 

2. Wonder by RJ Palacio, I've always had great discussions about this with the children I've taught and the adults too! 

3. The Runaway Wife by Rowan Coleman

4. I Was Here by Gayle Forman

5. Meternity by Meghann Foye

6. letters to the Lost pay Iona Grey

7. A Parcel For Anna Brown by Miranda Dickinson

8. Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates

9. On The Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher

10. The Accident by CL Taylor