Book Review - A Million Dreams by Dani Atkins - Blog Tour

The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK | Amazon US

Title: A Million Dreams

Author: Dani Atkins

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Head of Zeus (UK) / Bookouture (US)

Publication Date: 14th November 2019 (UK) / 19th February 2020 (US)

Rating: 5 Stars

Beth Brandon always dreamed of owning a florist, but today the bouquets of peonies and bright spring flowers are failing to calm her nerves. Because today, Beth has a life-changing decision to share with her husband.

Izzy Vaughan thought she and her husband would stay together forever, but sometime last year, their love began to fade. They both find such joy in their young son Noah – but is he enough to keep them together?

Eight years ago, something happened to these two women. Something that is about to bring them together in a way no-one thought possible...

Thought-provoking, emotional and uplifting, this is a gripping love story for fans of Jojo Moyes and Amanda Prowse.

I've spent the past 24 hours extremely resentful of real life separating my from reading at times,  regretful that I didn't read this while I was on holiday and would have been able to read it in one sitting,  and regularly on the verge of tears, due to the sheer emotion and power behind the words of this book. 

It has really got to me, and is easily one of the best books of the year so far for me.   

A lot of the power and emotion I feel has come because I had no idea what to expect. The blurb gives very little away, and even the first thing to be revealed, not too far into the story, I think I appreciated all the more because I had no idea it was coming.  (OK, I had an inkling perhaps a chapter before but wasn't convinced, and I had the same realisations at couple of times in the book, but never more than a chapter before it happened).  And even if I did think i knew what was about to happen, nothing could have prepared me for the way it was written and the impact it had on me. 

I was completely immersed in this powerful story, and its one that will hopefully stay with me for a long time.  It covers something that would be completely and utter worst nightmare scenarios for the two families involved,  and really does take you on a roller coaster of emotions. 

I suspect I would have been crying for most of the book if I had my own children, instead I just had a massive feeling of empathy regardless and really did love all the main characters. 

For this is an epic love story - but not romantic love, but of a mother's love for their child.   It is written from two perspectives and  from that you great insight into how both Beth and Izzy cope with a situation that I've never read about before anywhere. 

A uniquely wonderful story from an author who always writes powerful stories that grab your heart and don't let go.  

Or in short, it left me speechless, I have no idea how anything else I read for a few days will compare to this and just wow!!!  If you are a fan of anything with an emotional kick to it, you need to read this book. 

Thank you to Head of Zeus and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Please do take a look at the rest of the stops on this blog tour. 

Book Review - A Cornish Secret by Emma Burstall - #HolidayReading Thailand

The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: A Cornish Secret

Author: Emma Burstall

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Publication Date: 1st June 2018

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Be careful what you kiss for...

Esme Posorsky is an enigma. For as long as people can remember, she has been part of community life in the quaint Cornish fishing village of Tremarnock, but does anyone really know her? She is usually to be found working in her pottery studio or at home with her beloved cat, Rasputin. But when an old school friend turns up with a secret from the past, nothing will ever be the same again.

Meanwhile teenager, Rosie, is excited to find a bottle washed up on Tremarnock beach with a message from a former German prisoner of war. While the rest of the village is up in arms about a new housing development, she sets out to find him. Little does she know, however, that her discovery will unleash a shocking chain of events that threatens to blow her family apart.

Tremarnock may look like a cosy backwater, but some of its residents are about to come face-to-face with tough decisions and cold reality...

How refreshing it was to be back amongst friends in Tremarnock.  Ever since the first book of this wonderful series I have been hooked.

There are some fabulous new characters introduced into this book, including Caroline and Max, in two very different story lines. 

If you haven't read any of this series, besides missing out on great books, not to worry, as this can easily be read as a standalone. 

My favourite plot in this book was the fight to save the village playground, and the way the method picked develops. If I didn't know these characters so well, I'd almost think it was unbelievable, but its a great way of peacefully standing ground. 

Then there is Esme's friendship with Caroline, which takes a direction that will almost certainly surprise some. 

Oh and Rosie finds a message in a bottle that is dated to WW2, and she is determined to find either the write or intended recipient of it. 

Meanwhile Lizzie seems to be at her wits end with Robert, while Lowenna is utterly adorable. 

I love all of these wonderful characters and being able to find out what they are all up to currently.  Its another excellent addition to this much loved series. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Anna by Amanda Prowse

Amazon UK

Title: Anna

Author: Amanda Prowse

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Publication Date: 8th March 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

There are two sides to every love story. This is Anna's.

Anna Cole grew up poor, but her mother's love made her feel rich every day. Then her mother died, and Anna was sent to a care home. As a teenager, Anna vowed that one day, she would have children of her own, and create the happy, noisy family life she always craved.

Then, one day, Anna meets Theo Montgomery in a lift. Theo has kind eyes, but a sad past. His family were rich, but his childhood was full of neglect. Theo can't imagine bringing a child into this cruel world, but he does want a soulmate. Someone to love him unconditionally; someone with whom he can share his family's wealth.

Theo and Anna are two damaged souls, from two different worlds. Is their love for each other enough to let go of the pain of their pasts? Or will Anna and Theo break each others' hearts?

I'm really in two minds about this book but I have been since this and Theo were announced. I can't fully explain it but two books showing the both sides of a love story should be ideal for me, but even having finished Anna, and having "met" Theo, I'm just not sure I want to read the next book.

I think part of it is although I liked Anna, and absolutely was hooked reading her childhood and the tougher parts of her life, I just didn't like who she became with the love of her life.   

Don't get me wrong while I was able t concentrate on the book, I felt the same pull I usually get when reading a book by this author, utter amazement at great the writing is, being drawn into the story and really believing in the characters that they are real people.  

Although I had mixed feelings towards Anna and Theo, the supporting cast were fabulous, I don't really want to name them as to give them context may give away parts of the story that are best discovered for yourself, but there are memorable characters from each section of Anna's past.  

The first half of the story brings us Anna's life from age 6 all the way up current day, and we visit each age for a period of time, so get a feel for Anna at various stages of her early life.  She had one tough childhood which I wouldn't wish on anyone, and the one thing she is craving the whole time is her own family.  

I absolutely love the intermittent letters to Fifi and Fox, and also Anna's alphabet game, both of which give a good indication as to elements of her personality. 

There were a few occasions during the book, including once while I was on public transport when I was on the verge of tears while reading this. At points it definitely gave me the feels, while at others I was wondering why I wasn't feeling the need to read this in one sitting. 

No doubt though that this is very good book, from an extremely talented author, I just think I may not have been in the right mind set for this particular story when I read it.  

Thank you to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily, 

Thank you to everyone that vote for Anna this week, really appreciate being made to read this, as I may have left it for longer before getting to it, as I have been tending to stay away from emotional reads recently.  So what will you have me read this week?

Book Review - Tremarnock Summer by Emma Burstall - #HolidayReading Book 18

Book 18 of 30 that I read on my holiday to Fuerteventura in December 2017

Amazon UK

Title: Tremarnock Summer

Author: Emma Burstall

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Head of Zeus 

Publication Date: 30th May 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

Bramble Challoner has had a very normal upbringing. She lives in a semi in the suburbs of London with her parents and works at the call centre down the road. She still goes out with the boy she met at school. At weekends they stay in and watch films on the telly and sometimes hold hands. Bramble is dying for an adventure.

So when her very grand grandfather, Lord Penrose, dies, leaving his huge, rambling house in Cornwall to her, Bramble packs her bags immediately, dragging along her best friend Katie. The sleepy village of Tremarnock had better be ready for its newest residents...

Really enjoyed this latest installment in the Tremarnock series. With it is the introduction of many new characters including Bramble and Katie who are moving to Cornwall from London. 

I liked seeing how Bramble would react to suddenly having  a whole manor house as her disposal, and the housekeeper was rather a surprise. 

I loved the variety of recurring characters in Tremarnock and always love seeing more from Liz and her family who are still by far my favourites. 

I found parts of Brambles story slightly on the predictable side, although there were elements that had me gasping out loud, and the ending did surprise me a bit too. 

This could easily be read as a standalone book, but since the others in the series are so good Iwould recommend those too!

Already very excited to learn there will be  a book 4 for this series, and can't wait to read it. 

Thank you so much to Head of Zeus and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Last of the Summer Moet by Wendy Holden

Amazon UK

Title: Last of the Summer Moet

Author: Wendy Holden

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Publication Date: 1st February 2018

Rating: 3 Stars

Laura Lake, deputy editor of glossy mag Society, has been promoted to the hot seat while her boss recovers from 'exhaustion' in rehab. Finally she's in charge, but who can she share the free jollies with?

Not her international glamourpuss BFF Lulu, who's left Knightsbridge for Britain's poshest village. Lulu's busy living the good life at her new pile Riffs, a ex-rock star's ex-country mansion.

But not everything in her guitar-shaped garden is lovely; Lulu's attempts to join the hunt, act in the panto and grow the biggest marrow are blocked by the snobbish locals.

Who does she call on for help? Journo extraordinaire, Laura Lake...

Laura Lake is back in a whole new adventure that starts at the hilarious and moves onto the sublimely ridiculous, with one of the most farcical plots I have ever read. 

It is so far fetched on so many levels that all I can do is applaud the imagination and creativity of the author for coming up with it in the first place, and for the most part elements of the story made sense. 

The ending which could have been brilliant, felt incredibly rushed, and I'm left with a sense that the series will just get arguably sillier and sillier in its storylines of what Laura is trying to investigate. 

I would have loved to get to know any of her off-on men in her life better. I did enjoy all the increasingly weird features ideas for Society magazine, some of which are definitely verging onto the bizarre. 

Dependent on your sense of humour this is a book that could be described as hilarious, it just didn't quite hit my funny bone. I did enjoy Laura's best friend Lulu, but after a while all of the mispronunciations started to get mildly annoying, as I was having to try along with Laura to work out what Lulu was talking about most of the time. 

Although this didn't work particularly well in places for me, I can fully appreciate just much work has been put into writing this book, complete with all the new characters of the village Laura was investigating.  Unfortunately so many of the villagers and Laura's colleagues just were unlikeable. 

After the brilliance of Laura Lake and the Three Weddings (or whatever the current title is) I was just left disappointed by this one unfortunately. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Behind Her Back by Jane Lythell - #HolidayReading Book 2

Book 2 of 30 that I read on my holiday to Fuerteventura in December 2017

Amazon UK

Title:  Behind Her Back

Author: Jane Lythell

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Publication Date: 10th August 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

In a TV station run by men, how do the women make themselves heard?

Liz Lyon is a television producer at StoryWorld, the UK's favourite morning show. Her job is stressful and demanding, but she is determined to show her teenage daughter that women can succeed.

Then a new female colleague joins the station. In this predatory climate of toxic masculinity Liz and Lori should be helping each other. But when Lori starts secretly building her power base with the bosses, Liz is desperate to know what's going on behind her back...

Really enjoyed seeing Liz Lyon back in her second book and thoroughly enjoyed being part of the Storyworld team again. 

This is the second book in the series and at did take me while to get fully into the story. It had been a long while since I read book 1 and so remembering the characters and specifics took a bit of time. I do though feel this probably works as a standalone too, as all the key bit from the previous book are mentioned. 

Wow there is a lot to take in on this story, there is a lot of work place politics in place, some of which is more amusing than others, there is Liz's new dating interest who I'm not sure I like that much. 

Then there is Liz's daughter Flo who is in some ways a typical 15 year old girl, and in others as someone quite loving and mature for her age. 

I just found it a shame that just as my enjoyment had peaked, I was at the end of the book and have been left crossing my fingers for a book 3,

Full of humour and conflict, this is a lovely story and one I really enjoyed. 

Thank you to Clare Gordon at Head of Zeus for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Guest Post - My Writing Path by Jane Lythell - Blog Tour

As a child my mum would describe me fondly as a bookworm. My favourite activity was to lie on my stomach, on my bed, in the garden or on the beach and to escape into the latest fictional world that was enthralling me. From the age of nine we lived in Norfolk and as an early teen I read my way through the fiction shelves of Sheringham library. I also tried my hand at fiction when I was seven or eight. I wrote a story for my younger sister Caroline about Sally Dumpling, a fairy with curves who lived in a yellow rose. Her best friend was a robin. I read this to my sister who said she loved it. She still sometimes mentions it today.

I studied English Literature at university so I enjoyed three more years of intensive reading, novels and poetry, and writers were my heroes: Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

I started to write a few short stories. These were highly autobiographical and I never did anything with them though I think they were teaching me something about how to write. Then, from about the age of thirty and for many years, there was no time for writing and a lot less time for reading. I was working in film and TV in the kinds of jobs that gave you very little empty time. I think you need empty time to be able to write. And I had my daughter and was a lone parent from when she was two and a half. But I had stories in my head which I wanted to tell one day. While I was at the Foreign Office, heading up their TV and Radio Unit, I started on my first draft of what would become The Lie of You.

One of the things that helped me at this time was the Arvon Foundation which runs writing retreats. I went to two week-long retreats, one in Devon and a year later one in Scotland. These were very valuable because I met other would-be writers and the published writers who lead the courses and this made me take my wish to write more seriously. I carried on with The Lie of You.

The next step in my writing path was blogging. In 2011 I started to write a novel in instalments which I called The Chronicles of Chloe Greene. It was set in the 1980s and centred on a young idealistic woman called Chloe Greene who lived in a run-down housing association house in North London with two artists. Each week I made myself write an 800 – 1,000 word instalment and would post this up on my blog every Tuesday. I then tweeted about it and began to attract readers who enjoyed the unfolding story. Blogging gave me two very good things: the discipline to write every week and the sense of reaching an audience, however small. Readers would post comments on the instalments and I found this thrilling.

I took my draft of The Lie of You out of the drawer where I had stashed it and read it again. I felt it had something and I finally plucked up courage to ask my partner Barry to read it. Barry is a TV script writer and we hadn’t been going out very long! I asked him to be honest. Was it worth trying to redraft it or should I start again? Barry’s feedback was so helpful. He said it opened well and that the characters were interesting but that the last third of the book had lost direction. And it had.
This encouraged me to work on it again and I rewrote it and sent the first forty pages of the manuscript to the literary agency Sheil Land. I didn’t know anything about publishing at this time. 

My work world had been film and TV. My finished manuscript was only 57,000 words long. 
I had the huge luck to be taken on by the literary agent Gaia Banks of Sheil Land. Gaia guided me. She explained that publishers expected a novel to be at least 80,000 words long. We discussed the book at length and how it needed some new scenes to deepen the characters and the plot. And I learned that you never submit to a publisher until you have made your book as good as it possibly can be. A first draft is just that, a first draft. It is at the redrafting and editing stage where you can hone and polish your book.

Six months later Gaia submitted my now longer novel (87,000 words) and I was selected for publication by Head of Zeus which was a new publishing venture. If I could do cartwheels I would have done these all around the garden! 

This was my writing path and I now write full time.

Jane Lythell

Thank you so much Jane for sharing your writing path with us.

Jane's latest book Behind Her Back is out now, and I hope to be reading and reviewing it as soon as I can.

Liz Lyon is a television producer and busy single mum to a teenage daughter. She works at StoryWorld, the UK's favourite morning show. As both confidante and team leader, she is the person tasked with controlling the conflicts and tantrums that flare up off-air. Having just started dating again, she's also having to deal with a few conflicts and tantrums at home...

Following a blissfully peaceful two-week holiday in Italy, Liz has returned to find a new colleague has joined the station. Lori Kerwell has been brought in to increase the show's profitability. But Liz is not sure that's the only thing on Lori's agenda.

As Lori builds her power base with the bosses, Liz finds herself wondering what's really going on behind her back... 

Purchase from Amazon UK

Please follow along with the rest of the blog tour to see more from Jane. 

Guest Post - What's In A Name? by Emma Burstall - Blog Tour

Choosing a name for a book character can be almost as hard as naming a baby. When I was deciding what to call my children, I ummed and ahhed for ages because I wanted to get it just right, and so it is with the men and women in my novels. Often I’ll spend hours writing out different combinations of first names and surnames until I’m completely satisfied. 

A name can convey so many things, from someone’s personality and age to their nationality and background. Plus, if my character is someone I like, then I have to find a name I like, too, and if it’s my hero or heroine, I have to love it.

There’s another issue as well. I try not to name my characters after family or friends, in case they think I’m writing about them when I’m not. This is especially important when it comes to villains, for obvious reasons. It can be extremely difficult, though, because I know a lot of people, and at times I’ll plump for something generic, like ‘Helen’, ‘Claire’ or ‘Ben’, and hope no one gets the wrong idea. 

My sister once pointed out that I’d used the name of one of my nieces for a minor character, and although it’s a very common girl’s name, I then worried that the other niece was feeling left out. So you see, it’s hard not to ruffle feathers however hard you try!

Here are some tips for choosing names for your own books:

1.   Think about the kind of person your character is and their defining features, physical, intellectual and emotional. Names have associations, although of course this will vary for different people. For me, ‘Summer’ and ‘Tansy’ suggest carefree, New Age types while ‘Susan’ and ‘Victoria’ are practical and sensible. Graveyards can be a good source of inspiration. I once found a headstone in a Cornish cemetery bearing the name ‘Mary Screech’. I thought it was so marvellous that I made a note and used it for a character, Shelley Screech, who was suffering from a particularly nervous disposition!

2. Make sure your name fits the person’s age. Patricia, Barbara and Sheila, for instance, were very popular in the Thirties and Forties, but they’ve gone out of fashion.  And how many eighty year old Kylies or Tegans do you know? Exactly. If you need ideas, there’s plenty of information online about top boys’ and girls’ names in a particular year of birth.

3.  Try not to have too many names beginning with the same letter, as this can become confusing for the reader. Also, read all your names out loud once you’ve picked them. I once had to change someone’s name at the last minute, because I realised that it sounded too similar to someone else’s. This is especially important if your novel is to be made into an audio book.

4. Try alliterative initials if you want a character to be really memorable. This works particularly well with children’s books, think Bilbo Baggins and Rowena Ravenclaw, but use sparingly in adult fiction or you’ll risk irritating your readers.

5. Try to avoid unpronounceable names, unless it’s intentional. I once called a female character ‘Persephone’ precisely because it’s so unusual. The other characters kept mispronouncing the name in different ways and winding her up, which provided lots of comic scope.  


Thank you so much Emma for this interesting post. I completely agree about not having too many names beginning with the same letter,  I've read some books where I've been very confused the whole time for just that reason.

Bramble Challoner has had a very normal upbringing. She lives in a semi in the suburbs of London with her parents and works at the call centre down the road. She still goes out with the boy she met at school. At weekends they stay in and watch films on the telly and sometimes hold hands. Bramble is dying for an adventure.

So when her very grand grandfather, Lord Penrose, dies, leaving his huge, rambling house in Cornwall to her, Bramble packs her bags immediately, dragging along her best friend Katie. The sleepy village of Tremarnock had better be ready for its newest residents...

Purchase from Amazon UK

About Emma

Emma Burstall was a newspaper journalist in Devon and Cornwall before becoming a full time author. Tremarnock, the first novel in her series set in a delightful Cornish village, was published in 2015 and became a top-10 bestseller.

Website - EmmaBurstall.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/emmaburstallauthor 
Twitter - https://twitter.com/EmmaBurstall 


Please do follow along with the rest of the blog tour:

Guest Post - Extreme Celebrity Weddings by Wendy Holden - Blog Tour

Is there anything better than a really fabulously over-the-top celebrity wedding? I don’t think so, which is why I’ve written a novel about them. Laura Lake And The Hipster Weddings is a riff on the phenomenon of elaborately over-styled nuptials, from boho-chic woodland affairs with guests on haybales to castles, tiaras and ancestral carriages, or arty extravaganzas in Victorian loos in Shoreditch.

Writing it, I was inspired by a number of recent real-life unions of famousness. The twenty first century has marked a new high in hedonistic high jinks on a marital theme and long may this continue! Here are my top five.

5. The bohotastic Charlie Gilmour nuptials when the bride and groom (stepson of Pink Floyd star Dave), wearing only the flowers in their hair, jumped starkers into a Sussex river in 2016 to join guests already in there.

4. Tamara Ecclestone and Jay Rutland Billionaire Bernie’s little girl Tamara made it legal in a lavish three day 2013 French Riviera extravaganza. Brandishing a champagne flute and wearing three separate white outfits over the course of the celebrations, Tamara danced on the beach with a groom resplendent in white shorts and blue deck shoes. A banging post-wedding beach set was provided by superstar DJ Mark Ronson, while wedding singers were Elton John, Mariah Carey and Lionel Richie. Lionel dedicated Endless Love to the couple, although it might as well have been Endless Money.

3. Bo Bruce’s cosmic Celtic handfasting in Savernake Forest. Under a mighty oak called The King of Limbs, and watched by guests sitting on haybales and conveyed into the depths of the forest by tractor, The Voice star wed her best friend/bandmate/ Henry (the groom wore no socks) in a 2016 ceremony involving their hands being bound together with ribbons. The magical nuptials were full of creative touches; besides poetry readings there was an acoustic performance by Red Sky July, a trio including someone called Charity Hair.

2: Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo. An intimate 2013 ceremony in the stunningly understated location that is Monaco. The sunglasses-sporting groom’s arrival in an army jeep kicked off three days of celebrations including a party on Princess Caroline’s yacht. To wed the second in line to Monaco’s throne, Colombian billionaire’s daughter Tatiana sported her signature laid-back hippie-chic style; a bespoke crochet gown by Missoni and a simple wreath of flowers on hair styled in flowing waves. The couple’s Boston terrier dog Daphne was in attendance.

1: Will and Kate The splendid 2011 Westminster Abbey bash with Prince William and his brother showcasing splendid red uniforms and Pippa Middleton showcasing her famous bottom has yet to be equalled for sheer showbiz glamour. The cartwheeling verger, Princess Beatrice’s alien hat, the real trees in the cathedral aisle and David Beckham actually wearing his OBE are only some of the details that linger in the memory. Can Prince Harry’s rumoured forthcoming nuptials knock it off the number one spot?

Laura Lake And The Hipster Wedding by Wendy Holden, published in hardback and ebook by Head of Zeus

Thanks so much Wendy for these great examples of extreme weddings. For more amusing weddings, take a look at Laura Lake and the Hipster Weddings which I loved.

Amazon UK

She'll need a triple-barrelled name for the castle one. She'll need a gallon of glitter for the woodland one. She'll need a lobster-shaped hat for the Shoreditch one.

Laura Lake longs to be a journalist. Instead she's an unpaid intern at a glossy magazine – sleeping in the fashion cupboard and living on canapés. But she's just got her first big break: infiltrate three society weddings and write a juicy exposé.

Security will be tighter than a bodycon dress, but how hard can it be? Cue disappearing brides, demanding socialites – and a jealous office enemy who will do anything to bring her down...

Win free signed copies of Laura Lake And The Hipster Weddings by sharing your own hilarious wedding stories with me! I can't wait to read them! They might even inspire another novel! Please go to https://goo.gl/forms/xYaoaGCgxPpNR23g1  Thank you.  Love Wendy xx

Book Review - Laura Lake and the Hipster Weddings by Wendy Holden - Fab Firsts

Fab Firsts is my new regular Sunday feature, that is going to be highlighting books that are firsts. When interviewing authors, it will be about their first book, as well as other firsts in their lives. When reviewing books for this feature, there will be a mix of debuts, first books in a series, the first time I read an author, and possibly other firsts depending on what I can think of!

If you are an author wanting to take part in Fab Firsts then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you.

I hope you enjoy this look at a variety of hopefully fabulous firsts, while making some sort of dent in my review and paperback TBRs which are my current main focus!

Laura Lake and the Hipster Weddings is the first in a new series by Wendy Holden, and also Wendy's first book for new publisher Head of Zeus. 

Amazon UK

Title: Laura Lake and the Hipster Weddings

Author: Wendy Holden

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Publication Date: 9th March

Rating: 5 Stars

She'll need a triple-barrelled name for the castle one. She'll need a gallon of glitter for the woodland one. She'll need a lobster-shaped hat for the Shoreditch one.

Laura Lake longs to be a journalist. Instead she's an unpaid intern at a glossy magazine – sleeping in the fashion cupboard and living on canapés. But she's just got her first big break: infiltrate three society weddings and write a juicy exposé.

Security will be tighter than a bodycon dress, but how hard can it be? Cue disappearing brides, demanding socialites – and a jealous office enemy who will do anything to bring her down...

Such an incredibly entertaining story, that had me loving every second of the book. One of the things that struck me most was the incredible amount of imagination Wendy Holden used in naming some of her characters, the majority of them have at the very least surnames that are rather clever, and the others have some quite different first names to the normal ones you see in most books. 

The book isn't just full of imaginative names, but the three weddings that are featured, plus the art installation at the beginning are all very creative, and just so different. Laura Lake as the assignment of a lifetime when she is given the chance to write about the new trends of hipster weddings for Society magazine. 

She needs to somehow infiltrate each wedding to try and get the best accounts, and in doing so manages to have run ins with an old nemesis from her school days. There is the wedding that has easily the most unusual location I've ever seen for any sort of function, there is the one that involves a hand fasting ceremony and a lake and the other in theory is more traditional but what a creepy location. 

We first meet Laura when she is living in Paris and being part of an art installation to earn extra money, along with Caspar. From the early chapters we get a great idea of what Laura's grandmother Mimi is like, full of advice on how to be a Parisenne lady. So its a a wrench for Laura to take up a job offer in London. 

What you soon realise with this book is nothing ever goes according to plan, and that Laura has a lot more guile and cunning than it first appears, as she gets herself in a whole variety of situations. In places you do have to suspend your grip on reality and accept there is definitely some artistic licence being used, but that just added to the fun of the book for me. 

I can already see the start of potential story arcs for future books in this series, specifically around Laura Lake's parents, as it would be lovely to learn more about her background. 

Laura Lake and the Hipster Weddings has a fresh new main character and is the start of what promises to be a fabulous series. It feels a bit different to other books by the author, but still is very easy to read and I loved  it all. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for this copy of the book which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - My Husband's Wife by Amanda Prowse

Amazon UK

Title: My Husband's Wife

Author: Amanda Prowse

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Publication Date: 14th July 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Once a week, Rosie Tipcott counts her blessings.

She goes to sit on her favourite bench on the north Devon cliffs, and thanks her lucky stars for her wonderful husband, her mischievous young daughters, and her neat little house by the sea. She vows to dedicate every waking hour to making her family happy.

But then her husband unexpectedly leaves her for another woman and takes the children. Now she must ask the question: what is left in her life? Can Rosie find the strength to rebuild herself? More importantly, does she even want to?

I'm sitting here in disbelief at how one author can make a reader experience a whole gamut of emotions, in just one cleverly crafted novel. I've gone from laughter, to anger, to disbelief at some of the decisions made, to almost being in tears due to my depth of feelings for the family at the centre of the book, back to laughter. I have gone full circle, as has this book, which deals with the aftermath of one man walking out on his family. 

I had purposely waiting until I knew I had a day without distraction in order to read  My Husband's Wife, purely as I know from experience just how gripping Amanda Prowse's books can be. She is a natural born storyteller, just telling the story of a reasonably ordinary family, but in such a way that you feel as though you know them. So their highs are your highs, and their lows are your lows. 

At no point did the story go where I may have expected it to, which made it even more of a pleasure to read. I like things not to be utterly predictable.  There is a lot of depth in this book, dealing with growing up without a mother, depression, adultery and what really is best for your children. 

I was so absorbed in the writing, that I devoured this book on a day off in a manner of hours. If you take nothing else from this review, take this - make sure you can read the book, or as much of it as possible in one sitting. Free up some time and you won't be disappointed. 

My Husband's Wife is yet another superb book from Amanda Prowse, and yet again its an honour to have been able to read it. 

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Book Review - Woman of the Hour by Jane Lythell

Amazon UK

Title:  Woman of the Hour

Author: Jane Lythell

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Publication Date: 14th July 2016

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Meet Liz Lyon: respected TV producer, stressed-out executive, guilty single mother... woman of the hour.

StoryWorld is the nation's favourite morning show, and producer Liz Lyon wants to keep it that way. Her job is to turn real-life stories into thrilling TV - and keep a lid on the scandals and backbiting that happen off-stage.

But then simmering tensions erupt at the station, trapping Liz in a game of one-upmanship where she doesn't know the rules. As the power struggle intensifies, can Liz keep her cool and keep her job? Does she even want to?

In this gripping novel of power, rivalry and betrayal, Jane Lythell draws on her experiences of working in the glamorous, pressurised world of live TV.

I really enjoyed the book, and found it  a very entertaining and gripping read.  Liz Lyon is in charge of features for a TV show called StoryWorld. It's a morning TV show, with guests on the couch, and some pre-recorded sections, but mainly live, similar to This Morning in the UK, at least that is the vibe I had from it. 

She has a small team and the book is all about the inner workings at the TV station, and the power games between the overall boss, Julius that she has had a chequered history, the head of the News team, Bob who has been having an affair with another member of the show. And on the flip side we also have Lizzy's anxieties at being a single parent to 14 year old Flo, whose new neighbour, 16 year old Paige is a not fantastic influence. 

I loved the scenes in the TV stations as it gives a great behind the scenes look at the decision making involved in putting on live daytime TV, and the dynamics between Liz's research team are great. Loves Simon, Molly, Ziggy and even Harry grew on me eventually. The two younger girls Ziggy and Harry cause the most mystery in the book, in an epic storyline that runs for the majority of the book, often in the background, but just there, hitting at your concious to be unravelled. 

The various "on air personalities" are a good mix too, from the insecure lead presenter Florrie, to the chef who makes some delicious sounding recipes to the flamboyant astrologer, the kind hearted Betty who is the problem letter lady and even some comic relief with Sal. 

There were loads of entertaining interactions, and between the team at the station and the stories of some of the guests, especially some for the Outside Broadcast, I had a tremendous sense of how realistic Jane Lythell can write her characters and that she clearly knew her TV production stuff. 

I believe I read somewhere this is the start of a series, and if so then I am definitely eager to see more from the team at Storyline, as I really want to know what happens next. 

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.