Book Review - Can't Get You Out Of My Head by Sue Shepherd

Amazon UK

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Title:  Can't Get You Out of My Head

Author: Sue Shepherd

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Corazon

Publication Date: 26th March 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

A moving and funny story about sisters, secrets and second chances.

Twin sisters Beth and Lisa do everything together, so what will happen now they both want a life of their own?

"A fabulously endearing and engaging read that I didn’t want to stop." Sarah Hardy, By The Letter Book Reviews.

Beth has a secret she's kept from everyone except her sister. But it's time to get on with her life. Could a seductive Italian, a smooth-talking charmer or backpacking around Australia be the answer?

Lisa feels she's always lived in her sister's shadow. Maybe now it's her turn for some fun, whatever the consequences. But will her drunken antics land Beth in trouble?

And when it comes to the crunch, will one sister have to give up what she wants so the other can have what she needs?

I honestly don't know what I think of this book, the whole premise which I can't really talk about as it may be a massive spoiler, despite it being revealed relatively early on - is something I'm really unsure about, and not completely convinced I believe is feasible. 

However putting that aside I appeared to be hooked on the book, I had no idea where I was on the tube while reading,  and completely lost myself into the heart of the story. 

Which to me means that the writing was excellent, there was plenty of engrossing plot, there were many highs and lows and all of the supplementary characters were incredibly believable and relate able to. 

This is a book that takes place over many years from Beth and Lisa's childhood onwards. For twins they are completely different but also as close as anything, which makes their conversations quite enjoyable. 

Definitely a book that will get you thinking and it tackles a few tough issues too. Certainly a story you need to go into with an open mind, and to get the most from you may if you are like me suspend reality while you read it, just to be able to go with the flow.  

Thank you to the author for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Guest Post - Sue Shepherd talking about Australia - Bookish World Cup - Australia

My latest novel, Can’t Get You Out of My Head, is about twin sisters. The book tells the story of their relationship, which is tempestuous at best, and follows them from childhood through to their thirties. Part of the story is set in Australia, where they go backpacking as young adults.

Like the twins, I was fortunate enough to spend time travelling around Australia when I was younger.

During my time there, I threw myself into many new activities. Amongst other things, I sailed the Whitsundays, camped out in The Blue Mountains and fell from a great height with a large elastic band attached to my feet. I saw the iconic Sydney Opera House up close, rose at 5am to go crocodile spotting in Kakadu and flew to Tasmania in a tiny little plane to visit the sobering Penal Colony, Port Arthur. What an amazing trip -  I’m so pleased I kept a diary!

When I decided to send my characters to Australia, I dug out my diary and spent a wonderful afternoon reminiscing, not just about the activities and the places, but also about all the people I met along the way.  The diary was really helpful to me when, for example, I came to write the scenes in the book where the twins spent Christmas Day on Bondi Beach, and when they go scuba diving.

Although the characters in my book went to Australia in what we now refer to as the ‘noughties’, I was there a whole decade before them, in 1990. To give you an idea of just how long ago that was – Margaret Thatcher was the Prime Minister when I left England!

Of course, backpacking is still hugely popular today. But, one of the main differences between my experience and that of people who are currently heading off to the other side of the world, which my diary really highlighted for me, is ‘technology’. If a young person goes backpacking today, I expect that the last thing that’s said to them, as they pass through the gates, is something along the lines of, ‘WhatsApp me when you arrive safely.’ Or ‘Don’t forget to email us.’ Or even ‘Facetime us from Departures.’ But, when I went to Australia, there were no mobile phones, or emails, in fact, there was no such thing as the internet at all! We really were on our own out there.

So, I thought I’d share with you how I kept in touch from Australia, ‘90s style.

Money was short and phone calls home were rare, so, the system backpackers used, which I understand is still in use today, although not so necessary, of course, was a thing called ‘Post Restante’. The idea was that the traveller would write home and let people know what city they planned to visit next. Their family could then write to them care of Post Restante at the Post Office in that city, and their post would be held for up to a month. As I travelled around, the first stop in each new place would be to head over to Post Restante to see if there was any post for me. I stood in line for ages. There were always huge numbers of exhausted backpackers desperate to get to the counter. The anticipation was enormous. Towards the end of my trip it was getting on for a year since I’d left home, so you can imagine my emotions as I snaked my way to the front of the queue.

When it was finally my turn, I would hand over my passport, and the Post Office employee would head out the back to search for my post. I waited. Chewing my nails. Then … oh, the joy when they returned with letters in their hand! As I was given my precious post I immediately wanted to burst into tears. I’ve tried to explain that feeling to my teenage sons, but they are of the generation who have always had a phone. If they want to ask me a question, they text me (often from the next room) and my reply is instantaneous. Those letters that I held in my hand, having slowly winged their way from England to Australia, had possibly then waited patiently for me in a dusty pigeon hole for a couple of weeks. They were much anticipated little parcels of news and messages of love from my family and friends.

Having been out of contact and waited to hear from people for so long, I could wait no longer. No sooner was I outside, than I would find the nearest clean piece of floor and sit and devour the news. I remember the Post Office in Sydney, it had huge steps leading up to the main doors. I spent a few months in a little suburb of Sydney called Coogee and went into town often. Whenever I passed that building there were always hordes of backpackers sitting on the steps, reading letters, lost in thoughts of home, happy tears streaming down their faces. They knew they were the jammiest gits in the world to be sitting there, enjoying the glorious sunshine, but, those words that their family and friends had written, still tore at their heartstrings.

In this world of immediate gratification, if a traveller does a bungee jump in Australia, it’s possible they will have sent the video clip to their family and had a shocked reply within the hour. When I did my first bungee jump in 1991, I posted the promotional leaflet to my parents with a note that simply said, ‘Hey … I did this today.’ Their startled response didn’t reach me for weeks!

There really was something rather magical about those trips to Post Restante. There was a sense of occasion about them. Post Restante bonded us. We came from all over - Europe, the USA, Asia or elsewhere. There was no doubt we were having the most amazing overseas experience, but in our hearts, we all had someone back home whom we missed like crazy.

Despite my best intentions, I haven’t, so far, made it back to Australia. It remains an amazing memory for me. A year in which I bravely embarked on adventures and pushed myself to the limit. There were experiences that shaped and changed me, and I was delighted to be able to revisit some of it through the eyes of my characters.

In a box in my loft, there are letters, written by my friends, my sister, and my wonderful parents (who are sadly no longer with me), and I know that if I get that box down and read those letters again, I’ll feel the same elation that I did almost thirty years ago, when a younger version of me waited in line for them at Post Restante.

Thank you so much for this fabulous post on Australia.  Had I realised your new book featured Australia I would have reviewed it for today, instead I continue to look forward to reading it.

A moving and funny story about sisters, secrets and second chances.

Twin sisters Beth and Lisa do everything together, so what will happen now they both want a life of their own?

Beth has a secret she's kept from everyone except her sister. But it's time to get on with her life. Could a seductive Italian, a smooth-talking charmer or backpacking around Australia be the answer?

Lisa feels she's always lived in her sister's shadow. Maybe now it's her turn for some fun, whatever the consequences. But will her drunken antics land Beth in trouble?

And when it comes to the crunch, will one sister have to give up what she wants so the other can have what she needs?

Another entertaining page-turner from the No.1 bestselling author of Doesn't Everyone Have a Secret? – where things, and people, are not always as they first appear!

Purchase from Amazon UK 

Sue's Bio:

Born in Harrow, Sue went on to spend several years living in Hertfordshire before selling up and taking a leap of faith across The Solent. She now resides on the picturesque Isle of Wight with her husband, two sons and a standard poodle. Her passions in life are: her family, writing, the seaside and all the beautiful purple things her sons have bought her over the years. Happiest when hunched over her laptop with a cup of tea on the go, Sue loves to create stories with plenty of heart and laughs, but she makes sure to include a bit of naughtiness too. Ask Sue to plan too far in advance and you'll give her the heebie-jeebies and she'd prefer you not to mention Christmas until at least November!

Sue's links:

www.sueshepherdwrites.co.uk

twitter.com/thatsueshepherd

Would You Rather? - Q&A with Sue Shepherd - Blog Tour

I am delighted to welcome back Sue Shepherd to my blog today, and she has answered a series of fun questions all entitled - Would You Rather?

Hi Rachel, Thank you for joining my blog tour and thank you for these questions. These ‘would you rather?’ questions remind me of my youngest son – he often asks me, out of the blue, ‘Mum, would you rather have toes for fingers or fingers for toes?’ How am I supposed to answer that? He does make me laugh.

Would you rather live under the sea or in space?

Well now, I am rather claustrophobic. I tried scuba diving once, and my brain simply couldn’t accept the fact that I was able to breathe under water. So, I definitely wouldn’t choose to live under the sea. However, if I’m honest, I’m not keen on the idea of living in space either. For pretty much the same reason. It’s fresh oxygen only for me! I know this is only the first question, but, can I be cheeky and just live here on Earth, please? Funnily enough this ties in nicely with my latest book, ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head.’ In the book, one of my characters is also claustrophobic, and she fears being under the water too. I think she’d choose to remain on solid ground with me.

Would you rather go skiing or sit by a beach on holiday?

I can answer this in a heartbeat. Beach! I tried skiing once, a very long time ago. I found it thoroughly exhausting. Of course, I was in the beginners group. On the first day, the instructor said, ‘Pick up your skis – we walk.’ And we all lugged these great heavy sticks on to our shoulders and attempted to follow him through extremely thick snow, in weighted boots. Within seconds, I was left behind. The rest of the group reached a rest point and dropped their skis. Sitting in the snow, they waited for a while. (For me to catch up!) No sooner had I joined the group than the instructor (who was very easy on the eye, but an utter tyrant) shouted, ‘And we go again!’ The rest of the group picked up their skis and set off. As you can imagine, this happened repeatedly - and I never got to join them for a flippin’ rest! What was that all about? Why were we walking? Weren’t we supposed to be skiing?

Would you rather go to the cinema or the theatre?

I’d choose the theatre. We have a small theatre locally and I’ve seen a few comedians and plays there. It’s like going into a time warp. Usherettes sell ice creams from a little tray which hangs around their necks! Or, if you prefer, you can pre-order a nice G&T and collect it in the interval. How civilized. If I had the choice I’d love to see a murder mystery. Maybe a good old Agatha Christie. Perfect.

Would you rather read eBooks, audiobooks or physical books?

I would choose audiobooks. I like having the story read to me whilst I potter about in the kitchen, or even better, through my headphones at night, to drown out my husband’s snoring.

Would you rather play or watch sport?

This one is so easy. I would rather watch. I am NOT sporty in any way, shape or form, and I never have been. Hence my skiing failure. I put on a pair of trainers the other day and my husband said I looked as if I was about to go for a jog. Oh, how we laughed!

Would you rather have your own luxury car, or private plane?

I do like the idea of a luxury car. But I think I’d have to choose the plane. My reason being, I live on the Isle of Wight, but I have friends and family on the mainland. A little private plane would come in very handy to pop over and see everyone. Do I get a free pilot too? Is he handsome?

Would you rather be aged 10 or 30 forever?

Thirty. I met my husband just before my 30^th birthday. So, at 30, we were young and newly in love, with every possibility ahead of us. But I wouldn’t want to be that age forever. If we hadn’t moved on, we wouldn’t have our two amazing sons. So, I would eventually have to leave those heady days of being 30 behind and allow myself to age. Every wrinkle and aching bone is worth it for my boys.

Would you rather eat sweet or savoury food?

Savoury please. Given the choice between a starter or a pudding, I would always choose the starter. I’m not a huge fan of cake or overly sweet foods, apart from the odd slice of lemon drizzle cake.

Would you rather give up social media or alcohol?

Oh blimey, that is tough. My instinct is to say I’ll give up social media, because I can’t imagine never again enjoying a nice cold glass of Prosecco. But, even as I type that, my phone is alerting me to the fact that I have a notification, and my fingers are twitching to pick it up and check it out. I think I’ll choose to give up social media, but I can’t promise how long I’ll last!

Would you rather be an only child or have siblings?

Another question that links into my new book. ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ is the story of twin sisters, Beth and Lisa. There are many times in the book when they both ponder how much better life would be if they were an only child. I can answer this very easily – I would choose to have siblings. Well, to be precise – one sibling. I have an older sister, whom I love very much. We’re very close in age. We’ve been through a fair bit together, the loss of both our parents being the toughest parts. As with all siblings, she drives me nuts from time to time, but I cannot imagine life without her.

Thank you for having me, Rachel. Some of your questions were quite tricky and required some serious consideration, but I enjoyed answering them all.

You are very welcome Sue, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your answers and can only apologise I haven't had the time to fit in reading your book yet, but I am eager to read it when I get a chance. 

A moving and funny story about sisters, secrets and second chances.

Twin sisters Beth and Lisa do everything together, so what will happen now they both want a life of their own?

Beth has a secret she's kept from everyone except her sister. But it's time to get on with her life. Could a seductive Italian, a smooth-talking charmer or backpacking around Australia be the answer?

Lisa feels she's always lived in her sister's shadow. Maybe now it's her turn for some fun, whatever the consequences. But will her drunken antics land Beth in trouble?

And when it comes to the crunch, will one sister have to give up what she wants so the other can have what she needs?

Another entertaining page-turner from the No.1 bestselling author of Doesn't Everyone Have a Secret? – where things, and people, are not always as they first appear!

Purchase from Amazon UK 

Sue's Bio:

Born in Harrow, Sue went on to spend several years living in Hertfordshire before selling up and taking a leap of faith across The Solent. She now resides on the picturesque Isle of Wight with her husband, two sons and a standard poodle. Her passions in life are: her family, writing, the seaside and all the beautiful purple things her sons have bought her over the years. Happiest when hunched over her laptop with a cup of tea on the go, Sue loves to create stories with plenty of heart and laughs, but she makes sure to include a bit of naughtiness too. Ask Sue to plan too far in advance and you'll give her the heebie-jeebies and she'd prefer you not to mention Christmas until at least November!

Sue's links:

www.sueshepherdwrites.co.uk

twitter.com/thatsueshepherd

Please follow along with the rest of this tour, with all these fabulous book bloggers taking part. 

Guest Post & Giveaway - Chances by Sue Shepherd - Chances Fortnight

An interesting title. There are many ways we can take a chance. We can try something we wouldn’t normally choose, ‘I’ll take a chance and try the curry, please.’ ‘I’ve never read this author before, but I took a chance because I loved the blurb.’ ‘I don’t normally wear bright orange trousers, but they called out to me to take a chance.’ You get the idea. 

We also take chances when we stretch ourselves. When we apply for a job that’s a level up from our present one, but we think it’s worth a shot. Or when we approach someone in a bar even though they’re a little out of our league. (Do people still approach others in bars?)

Anyway, today, I thought I’d share with you one of the biggest chances I’ve taken. 

 I was fast approaching the age of 43, married, and a proud mum to 2 sons. One day, out of the blue, my husband and I had a very unexpected conversation. We were sitting in the doctor’s waiting room and we both looked at a new-born baby in a car seat. We remarked on how quickly the baby stage flies by. Our children were 6 and 9; we had no further need for baby seats. My husband said something like, ‘Do you think we’ve left it too late to have one more?’ I replied, ‘I’m over 40, of course we have.’ We both stared at the baby.

Once home, I googled the chances of a woman having a baby at 42, and happened upon a site called Mumsnet. It was a whole new world. I found a group of women in their forties, all trying to get pregnant. I was amazed. It hadn’t occurred to me that people chose to have babies that late. Suddenly, from nowhere, came the overwhelming desire for a third child. I went from “My family is complete.” To “I really want another baby.” From 0-60 in a matter of seconds. 

We discussed it and agreed we’d give it a go. The odds weren’t great. My eggs were old. We had to face the possibility of birth defects and our chances of miscarriage were high. At any point we could’ve said, ‘This is madness, let’s forget it.’ But we both wanted to try.

We were successful within six months. Naively, we told the boys. They were very excited. Our friends and family were pleased, although many thought we were nuts. To one friend, I said, ‘By the way, it was planned.’ She replied, ‘Oh God, I know that. No one our age has sex unless they have to!’

Just before my twelve week scan I began to bleed. Even now, I can remember the feeling of cold hard fear clutching at my heart. A scan revealed that the baby had stopped developing at about 8 weeks. I felt like a fraud. I’d been under the impression that I was still pregnant for the last month and actually the baby had no heartbeat. It’s called a missed miscarriage. It’s one of life’s cruelest tricks. 
Our mistake had been to tell the boys before twelve weeks, we now had the heartache of telling them the baby was gone. I stupidly used the term, ‘We’ve lost the baby.’ This confused the heck out of our six-year-old, who figured it was blatantly obvious where the baby was. 
I had a procedure to remove the failed pregnancy. I was crying, and the nurse told me not to worry, she said that there would be other chances. I sobbed, ‘But, I’m 43!’ Her face fell a little.

I was pregnant again within 3 months. Far more wary that time, there was no telling the boys. No assumptions were made. 

Sadly, I miscarried at 6 weeks. I still mark the date, along with the first loss. 

Some people might have given up at that point, but I knew many 40+ women on Mumsnet who were successfully having babies. So, determined, we carried on trying.

I wish I could tell you that the third time was a charm, or that persistence paid off. But, you only have to look at my profile to see how many children I have. Two. Two sons. The same two sons I had that day when I sat in the doctor’s and looked at the new-born baby. 

There were no more pregnancies for me. Each year into my forties the possibility became less and less likely. Until the day when I finally accepted it was never going to happen. 

Am I sorry that I took that chance? Absolutely not! If I had never tried, there would always be a part of me that wondered what might have been. I would’ve assumed that success would’ve been a given. I think I had to take that chance, in order to learn that a third child wasn’t a possibility for us. 

I look back now and I realise that my life would be so different if I had a six-year-old. Maybe it would be better, but I love being an author and I very much doubt I’d have had the time to finish my first book with a baby in my life. 

When my first book was published, it was like a baby for me. (As was my second.) I’m aware that might sound crazy, but I put so much into them and I’m so proud of them. There’s a reason authors call them book babies, you know. Plus, two years ago, we got our gorgeous standard poodle, Forrest and he’s my darling fur baby. 

I will never forget our two tiny lost babies, but, I can honestly say I’m at peace with the outcome of the chance I took.

Thank you so much Sue, for opening up and sharing your chance with us. That must have been hard to write and I'm glad you have got through to the other end.

About Sue Shepherd

Sue Shepherd writes contemporary romance and enjoys creating novels with heart, laughs and naughtiness. She doesn’t pull any punches when choosing her subjects, but manages to handle her characters’ challenging situations with sensitivity and humour.

Her debut novel 'Doesn't Everyone Have a Secret?' was published by Corazon Books in March 2015.  It reached the top 10 UK Kindle chart, and also topped the romantic comedy, contemporary romance and humour charts. It became available in paperback on Amazon.UK in November 2015. 

Sue’s second novel ‘Love Them and Leave Them’ was published in September 2016.

Sue lives on the picturesque Isle of Wight with her husband, two sons and a standard poodle.  Her passions in life are: her family, writing, the sea-side and all the beautiful purple things her sons have bought her over the years.  Ask Sue to plan too far in advance and you'll give her the heebie-jeebies and she'd prefer you not to mention Christmas until at least November!

Website: www.sueshepherdwrites.co.uk
Twitter - @thatsueshepherd
Facebook - www.facebook.com/SueShepherdWrites

Giveaway to Win a £5 Amazon Voucher (UK Only)

Ian at Corazon Books, Sue Shepherd's publisher,  has kindly offered my readers a chance to win a £5 Amazon voucher. He would like to urge you to use it to take a chance on some authors new to you, and possibly take a look at Sue Shepherd's books too! 

Giveaway open to the UK onlu, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 14/06/2017. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

Win a £5 Amazon Voucher (UK Only)

Book Review - Love Them and Leave Them by Sue Shepherd - Blog Tour

Amazon UK

Title:  Love Them and Leave Them

Author: Sue Shepherd

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Publisher supplied review copy

Publisher: Corazon Books

Publication Date: 27th September 2016

Rating: 4.5 Stars

On his way home, Ed makes a split-second decision that changes the lives of all those who love him.

Six years on, Ed’s daughter, Jessie, is stuck in a job with no prospects, her dreams never fulfilled. It will take more than her unreliable boyfriend, Chris, and temperamental best friend, Coco, to give her the confidence to get her life back on track.

But what if Ed had made another decision? It could all have been so different …

Six years on, Ed’s daughter, Jessica, has a successful career, loving boyfriend, Nick, and a keen eye on her dream home. But when new clients, a temperamental Coco, and her unreliable boyfriend, Chris, walk into her life, Jessica’s perfect world soon starts to unravel.

Love Them and Leave Them is a story of love, families, friendship and a world of possibilities. Whichever decision Ed makes, the same people are destined to come into his daughter’s life, sometimes in delightfully different ways. And before they can look forward to the future, they will all have to deal with the mistakes of the past.

Unlike in real life where once you have made a split-second decision you have to live with the consequences and would never know how things turn out, in fiction you can see how one decision is made and follow both potential outcomes. 

Which is what Love Them and Leave Them is all about, showing that the same people may come into your lives not matter what, but the reasoning for them, and what they will mean to you could become radically different. This book shows just what weird ways fate operates. 

If you were driving down a road in a rainstorm and saw a non moving rabbit in the road in front of you, would you swerve to avoid it, or just continue forwards and hope it runs out of the way in time? Well this is the decision that Ed has to make right at the start of Love Them and Leave Them, which sets of two completely different chain reactions involving his family and more specifically his daughter Jessica. 

The story then picks up six years later, and once you have been introduced to the two different scenarios and outcomes, the book continues by alternating each outcome, so each chapter you alternating seeing the results of the swerve or the possibly rabbiticide! 

In one scenario Jessica's life has barely gone anywhere, she is waitressing and has trouble maker for a boyfriend who is generally unreliable. In the other she is a barrister, with a wonderful boyfriend and they are looking at houses.

As the story progresses you will see many similarities between the two halves and although you may expect it to be hard to keep track of both ways of life, I found it relatively simple and I was greatly enjoying elements from both of them. 

There is a great mix of action, drama, relationship woes, friendship problems, health scares, and generally a similar selection of characters in both lives. It is really hard to say much more in detail about the plot as  it really is more enjoyable to discover it from scratch but rest assured its very enjoyable. 

This was the first book I had read by Sue Shepherd and I was really impressed with the concept and execution of the story, as well as the easy to follow writing style. Love Them or Leave Them is a lovely novel that may get you thinking what if... in your own life. 

Thank you so much to Ian at Corazon for my copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

About Sue Shepherd

Sue Shepherd writes contemporary romance and enjoys creating novels with heart, laughs and naughtiness. She doesn’t pull any punches when choosing her subjects, but manages to handle her characters’ challenging situations with sensitivity and humour. Her debut novel, Doesn't Everyone Have a Secret? was published by Corazon Books in March 2015. It reached the top 10 UK Kindle chart, and also topped the romantic comedy, contemporary romance and humour charts. It became available in paperback on Amazon in November 2015.

Sue’s second novel, Love Them and Leave Them, was published in September 2016.


Sue lives on the picturesque Isle of Wight with her husband, two sons and a standard poodle. Her passions in life are: her family, writing, the sea-side and all the beautiful purple things her sons have bought her over the years. Ask Sue to plan too far in advance and you'll give her the heebie-jeebies. 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/thatsueshepherd

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Book Review - Her Australian Summer by Jean McConnell

Amazon UK

Title: Her Australian Summer

Author: Jean McConnell

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Publisher supplied review copy

Publisher: Corazon Books

Publication Date: 12th May 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

A lovely feel good holiday romance novella, perfect for reading in one or two delicious sittings. A nice, easy read with likeable characters, to get you into the holiday mood for this summer. 

When Laura inherits her Uncle Jim's seaside shop in Queensland, which sells coral and shells, she decides to spend her summer visiting Australia to see it for herself. 

Arriving in the small town of Port Duncan she meets handsome farmer Nat, and charming property agent Kyle. As Laura gets to know the two men, she realises her stay in Australia might not be so simple as she'd first imagined. 

Will Laura's Australian holiday bring real romance? And what secrets might the seemingly friendly people she gets to know be hiding from her? Only one thing is for certain, Laura's trip to the other side of the world is one she'll never forget. 

What a lovely summery cover, for a feel good, short romance novella. I loved the setting of this story, in Port Duncan, near Cairns, and I loved learning about the destination, at the same time as Laura. 

Laura had never visited her Uncle in Queensland, but when she inherits his shop, she decides to fly over to work out what to do with it. She meets Beth who was also working and selling jewellery in the shop, as well as Kyle and Nate. 

This is a short sweet romance, that I didn't feel properly. Yes there was a connection between Laura and the man she ends up with, but as its a very short novella, there wasn't enough depth to really get a feeling for any of the characters. 

It really is the location though which made me give this four stars. From the dangerous creepy crawlies, to the scuba diving on the reef, horse riding, a rodeo and all around Australian feeling for the town. Everyone was so laid back and has made me wish more than ever I could afford to travel to Australia for while. 

Enjoyable light romance that I would say is ideal for a rainy afternoon when all you want is a glimpse of sun and warmer climates.

Thank you to Ian at Corazon Books for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Happy Publication Day Jean McConnell. Her Australian Summer is out today! 

Cover Reveal - A Tale of Two Sisters by Gabrielle Mullarkey

Introducing the cover for Gabrielle Mullarkey's new book A Tale of Two Sisters

A TALE OF TWO SISTERS

Published - 14th March 2016

Available for pre-order now at Amazon UK

Bottom line - you don't steal your sister's boyfriend

Katie's sister Flick is a mean girl. Whatever Katie has, Flick wants for herself. And she'll take it just to prove she can. That's why she stole Katie's boyfriend, Steve, then dumped him two weeks later.

Now Katie is with Jack, and Flick is with Dan, so there's no need for more sibling rivalry ... but love and life between sisters is never that simple. If Katie and Dan hadn't drunk too much that night, and if Flick didn't make Katie so mad, maybe it would never have happened ... if only Katie could remember exactly what had happened...

A Tale of Two Sisters is a witty, heartwarming tale of romance, jealousy, the family we love, and the family we love to hate.

Praise for Gabrielle Mullarkey: 

"Readers love Gabrielle’s fiction for its range – whether atmospheric mood pieces or contemporary slices of life, all revolve around imaginatively twisty plots packed with sassy dialogue, characters you feel you know and ‘I didn’t see that coming!’ moments." best

Gabrielle Mullarkey

Gabrielle Mullarkey is a novelist, short story writer and freelance journalist who's never short of an opinion, especially if an editor requires it at short notice. Her stories regularly appear in women's magazines, ranging in content from romance to supernatural thrillers, while her novels combine twisty plots with wry humour and a readiness to tackle big subjects. 

www.gabriellemullarkey.co.uk

@authorgabrielle

I don't know about you, but this is definitely a book that I have my eye on, and hope to be reading soon. 

Guest Post - Sophie King talks about her inspiration

My Sophie King novels have all been inspired by my children. I’m lucky enough to have three – each of them very different. I also have a big age gap between the first and third – seven and a half years. This led to a lot of laughter, tears, arguments, hair-tearing (mine), winning battles (them) and crazy school runs. At one stage, I brought up my youngest more or less on my own from the age of fourteen. This was another learning curve.

But – and most writers would admit it – all this led to lots of plots and ideas for novels. Naturally I adapted these and brought in fiction to disguise the fact. I also changed the characters. But I could not have written the humour and the pathos without the crazy busy family life around me.

Then came something I hadn’t prepared myself for, even though I should have done. Leaving home for uni and other destinations. Somehow it happened much faster than I expected. One by one, they peeled off. My middle child even went to Asia for three years (it was meant to be two). Were they running away from me? Or simply finding themselves?

It was hard to know. I hoped it was the latter.

When my youngest left home, I had a double empty nest syndrome. Not only was I a single mother without children around to distract me, but I had also lost my inspiration for the young family books I’d built my career on.

Luckily I was in for a surprise. Children usually come home even when they’ve flown the nest. At different times, they flitted in and out. It was wonderful to see them – and it also sparked off my writing plots again. Now, more than ever before, I treasure each moment with them; not knowing when they might ring the door bell, laundry in hand.

But what I hadn’t reckoned on was an extraordinary event that took place just before Christmas. Something so marvellous that it’s hard to put into words. I married young the first time and we had our children quite young. My daughter did the same and – yes, you’ve guessed it – our first grandchild arrived just before Christmas. She has brought us more joy than I can describe. It’s truly incredible to have a tiny baby around once more with all the gurgles and chat and cries and nappy changes that go with it.

I’m a very hands-on grannie partly because my own mother died young and I don’t want to miss out on this new role as she had to do. Every morning I spend an hour with my granddaughter so my daughter can get dressed and have breakfast, before going back to my second husband and my writing.

It’s a true delight. But the funny thing is that I feel like a novice. Everything is different now from my day. Babies sleep on their backs instead of their fronts. You need a degree in science to understand how the baby car seat works. Feeding advice has changed. There are more support networks.

You can see what’s coming. More Sophie King stories that involve young babies, grown up children and grannies.
Watch this space ...

Meanwhile, does anyone have some good tips for colic?

About Sophie King

Sophie King is the author of seven novels, and a short story collection, about families, friends and lovers.

Her first novel, The School Run, has been a bestseller twice, and The Wedding Party was shortlisted by the Romantic Novelists' Association as Love Story of the Year.

In between novels, Sophie writes short stories and has had hundreds published in magazines such as Woman's Weekly and My Weekly. Sophie is delighted to support new romance writing through her annual writing competition The Sophie King Prize.

Website | Twitter | Sophie King on Amazon

Thank you so much Sophie for this insight into your inspiration. It really does shine through into your books, which I really enjoy. It's been a pleasure to welcome you to Rachel's Random Reads.

New Covers Revealed for Sophie King books

I went to the same school as Sophie King, although many years later. I had already bought my first Sophie King book, before I spotted her name in the leavers magazine, that details just some of the success stories from our school. Since then I have been a keen follower of her career, and have read almost all of her books.

So when the opportunity came to take part in a week being hosted by Corazon Books, dedicated to Sophie, I couldn't sign up fast enough. I have a wonderful guest post from her coming up tomorrow, but at the same time I received that, I also was given these wonderful cover images.

These are so pretty, that I felt I had to give them their own separate blog post.

So introducing the full set of Sophie King new covers for 2016..and aren't they gorgeous?

Have you read anything by Sophie? What is your favourite Sophie King book? Do these covers entice you to read the books?

Amazon UK

 

Amazon UK

Amazon UK

Amazon UK

Amazon UK

Amazon UK

Amazon UK