What I read on my holiday...

I have just had a lovely relaxing two week break on my holiday, For the first week I was all over the place, on a Mediterranean cruise, and then the second week, I took it easy in Sicily. If I get a chance I will write a separate blog post about my holidays, but that may need to wait a week or so.

However this being a book blog, and me being a faster reader than normal when I'm on holiday, thought I would share with you all what I have been reading over the past two weeks, with some quick thoughts on each book.

Ninety Steps to Summerhill (Goldebury Bay Book 2)  by Emily Harvale - 5 Stars - Second book in the fabulous Goldebury Bay book. This book features a mystery of feuding families dating back years, and a great host of characters. I loved this book and am looking forward to next book in this series. This can be read as a standalone. 

Calculated Justice (Justice Series Book 12) by M.A. Comley - 5 Stars - Easily one of the best books released in this series for years. This is Mel Comley back to her best, in a fast paced and chilling thriller. This book probably works better if you have read some of the earlier books in the series. 

The Love Detective by Alexandra Potter - 5 Stars - A story that was set in India, really good pacing, and a cracking storyline. And I know the sequel is out soon. I love books set in exotic locations and this had a great story, and was very enjoyable. 

Luxury by Jessica Ruston -  3 Stars - I found this very slow to get into, but once it got going, I was loving it. Some fabulous descriptions of an exotic island getaway, and a good story of revenge. 

Marriage to Measure  (Serenity Holland Book 3) by Talli Roland - 4 Stars - Enjoyable continuation of this series, that was amusing in places. I felt that Serenity was a bit harder to like in this book, but it was still a good story. 

The Guestbook by Holly Martin - 5 Stars - The Guestbook is such a unique way of telling a story, with it being a series of entries into a guestbook, at Willow Cottage. Every guest has a different voice, and the guests often held conversations with each other through the book, as well as with Annie Butterworth, the owner of Willow Cottage. You soon see that some of the guests are return visitors and you slowly get to know a whole variety of people, as well as insights into Annie's life.

This is a different but very effective way of story telling, that I loved every second of. Every time I read a Holly Martin book, I become more in awe of the variety of ways she can tell a story. 

Trinity by Nigel May - 5 Stars - A trio of friends who used to be the best of friends, and now their lives are moving in different directions. They are all rich to an extent and are known people, but yet none of them are truly happy. This is another fabulous sexy scandalous story, but the king of bonkbusters. Some cracking and memorable characters, and with some fantastic story telling, this was perfect poolside reading. 

Goodness, Grace and Me by Julie Houston - 4 Stars - Initially I found this very hard to get into, and felt confused by the sheer amount of characters. Thankfully I persevered, as there are some hilarious scenes in this, including various incidents involving a potting shed!

Look Behind You by Sibel Hodge - 5 Stars - Chilling psychological thriller that has me scared and completely gripped. Page-turning goodness.

The One Saving Grace by Julie Houston - 4 Stars - This is the direct sequel, which I enjoyed even more than the first, possibly because I knew the characters already. In amongst the humour of this story, there is a serious storyline going on, featuring Grace. 

Love Like the Movies by Victoria Ban Tiem - 5 Stars - I can't believe I have had this book for over a year without reading this. This was a pleasure to read, and I had a smile on my face the whole way through, and so many of the movie moments mentioned, are from films I love. Very romantic story, and I found myself rooting for Shane the whole time. I found myself reliving various sections of films in my head, along with the characters. Definitely a book that fans of Rom-coms will love.

Forever Autumn by Christina Jones - 5 Stars - Short novella, but due to being a huge fan of Christina Jones, I found I read it within 2 hours, on a miserable rainy day. I barely noticed the time passing, and really enjoyed it. 

The Accident by C.L. Taylor - 4 Stars - Immersive psychological thriller where I kept wanting to know just why Charlotte was in a coma, or whether it really was an accident. During the book I suspected I knew the outcome, but the individual twists and turns I was not expecting. 

A Jersey Kiss by Georgina Troy - 4 Stars - Slow to start, but ultimately a story the I enjoyed. Loved the setting of Jersey, and hope to find the time to read more of this series. 

Summer at Shell Cottage by Lucy Diamond - 4 Stars - Lovely setting of Devon, family holiday, but missing one key family member, And then suddenly the secrets start unravelling, and there is a lot more to this than meets the eye. 

Wild and Free by Wendy Holden - 5 Stars - Rich cast of characters, some of which know each other, but all have one thing in common the festival Wild and Free.Some of the stories, I cared about more than others, some were very funny, and others just enjoyable. Very enjoyable experience of a festival, with all the types of people that attend.  

Taking Hollywood by Shari King - 4 Stars - Fabulous summer beach read, with a hidden mystery at the heart of it. Unravelling exactly what happened 20 years ago is harrowing, but enthralling too. 

It's Not Me, It's You by Mhairi McFarlane - 4 Stars - Entertaining story, of which my favourite character went by the name of Peshwari Naan. Some great comic strip drawing in this too, which are relevant to the story. 

A Most Desirable Marriage by Hilary Boyd - 5 Stars - Always great to read a book with slightly older main characters. The question is can a marriage of 30 years, survive one indiscretion. And do Lawrence and Jo still want to be together despite everything, or will they go their separate ways. Interesting tale of a long standing marriage and the difficulties that can occur.  

Summer at Tiffany's by Karen Swan - 5 Stars - Definitely can be read as a standalone, although missing out on Henry's original lists, would be a shame. Brilliant sequel that I thoroughly enjoyed with some great new characters introduced. 

The Definition of Icing by Aven Ellis - 5 Stars - Every time I read a book by Aven, I fall in love with the leading man, and this was no exception. Nate is my current book boyfriend and dream guy, not only that but I loved Kenley too, and her Confection Consultations business too. If you have read Waiting for Prince Harry, you will be glad to know that Harrison and Kylie make a return in this book, as Harrison and Nate are best friends. This book was the perfect way to end a brilliant holiday, and to entertain me completely on the flight home.




If you are still with me, I applaud you. This post may have gone on a bit longer than I was originally anticipating. I hope this gives you an insight as to the sorts of books I tend to enjoy on my holidays, as well as perhaps a few ideas for your next read.

There are some absolute cracking reads in this post, some of which I have had lurking on my kindle for ages, so just shows you sometimes need to dig into the depths and see what you can find.

And thank you so much to everyone that visited the blog while I was away, it means a lot to me that there were people still looking at what I have posted, even without new content for a couple of weeks.