Book Review - Love You, Love You Not by Jo Watson - #HolidayReading Madeira

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Amazon UK

Title: Love You, Love You Not

Author: Jo Watson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Headline Eternal

Publication Date: 14th May 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

 There's a fine line between love and hate...

Poppy Peterson is about to be evicted if she doesn't pay her rent. She used to be an actress on a telenovela until her character, Ramona Gonzalez, Executive Administrative Assistant to the CEO, was killed off. Unfortunately, dead characters can't pay the bills.

Ryan Stark is a tough boss - especially if you're his assistant. He's been through five in the last two months and now no one wants to work for him. He needs an assistant who can meet his demands. And he can be very demanding.

Poppy's been an assistant before - well, on screen anyway. It can't be that hard to do in real life, right?

Two things are for sure. Poppy is about to play the role of a lifetime. And Ryan is about to learn a whole new lesson about what's really important in life.

I do love a Jo Watson book and this was no exception. Completely brilliant story between Poppy and Ryan, two very different people but there is just something about each other that connects them. 

They seem to drive each other mad, I'm not sure how many times Poppy seems to lose her job, but at other times she is incredibly hilarious, 

I loved Ryan's personal situation, and as you get to know him, you see a completely different side to the man that is CEO of his own company, and used to terrifying his staff. 

Poppy is complex, she is though completely not cut out for corporate life but she doesn't want to be she just wants to be able to pay some bills, if only she didn't seem to create drama wherever she goes. 

The chemistry between them is very believable and I loved  seeing them fight a rather obvious attraction. 

I love reading this author on holiday and this to me is another fabulously escapist story, perfect for poolside or beach reading!

Thank you to Headline Eternal on Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily, 

Book Review - You, Me, Forever by Jo Watson - Blog Tour

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Amazon UK

Title: You, Me, Forever

Author: Jo Watson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Headline Eternal

Publication Date: 3rd December 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

It all started with faulty elevator - and a love letter...

Writer Becca Thorne needs an idea - fast! She might have a huge bestseller to her name but, with the deadline for book two approaching, Becca knows she's in danger of losing the career she cares so much about. But Fate has other plans for her when she almost plummets to her death with two strangers in a faulty elevator.

Although Becca emerges in one piece, her precious vintage handbag doesn't, and that's when she realises that inspiration has been with her alll along. Hidden inside the bag's now-torn lining is a set of beautiful love letters.

It might not be her story, yet Becca can't seem to get the romantic words out of her head and feels compelled to discover who wrote the letters. But there's more waiting for Becca than the tale of a romance from long ago - it might be the chance to live her own love story and follow the path Fate has always intended her to...

Don't miss Jo's laugh-out-loud rom-coms, Love You, Love You Not, Love to Hate You, Burning Moon, Almost A Bride, Finding You, After the Rain and The Great Ex-scape.

Sitting her open mouthed in disbelief at just how wonderful this book is.  It has all of Jo Watson's trademark humour, but also a secondary love story that is just beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. 

I loved the chatting style the story was written in, as though Becca was talking directly to you as she tells you her story. She explains that she is in trouble and about the various forks in her life that have led her to this point.  We get in great detail the terrifying moment where there is a near death experience that ultimately is the catalyst for her changing her life. 

And from the moment she visits a small town many hours away from Jo'burg, we see just what a disaster zone she really is. At times it felt like a complete comedy of errors and the local hunky policeman is just the person to witness everything, even if he is despairing of her at the same time. 

I loved the interactions between Mike and Becca, but also well actually just everything about this story. I don't want to give too much away, but there is so much more to this book than first meets the eye and I relished reading every last word of it. 

In some respects this felt like a subtle change of direction for my favourite South African author, but equally there is so much familiarity in the absurdity of some it that that comes across so believable  that it really is only a slight change, as everything I've always enjoyed about Jo Watson is still there in spades! 

A truly fabulous story, one that I fear may have given me a book hangover, as I've no idea how whatever I read next will even remotely stand a chance in my affections!! 

Thank you to Headline Eternal and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and  voluntarily, 

Please do follow along with the rest of the blog tour too. 

Book Review - The Great Ex-Scape by Jo Watson - #HolidayReading Mexico

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Amazon UK

Title: The Great Ex-Scape

Author: Jo Watson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Headline Eternal

Publication Date: 24th January 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

On the scale of one to worst idea ever, agreeing to give the toast at her best friend's engagement party when she's been in love with him for three years was not Val's finest decision. Nor was accidentally confessing her love to him in front of all their guests, including his fiancee.

Boarding a plane that will take her literally anywhere to get away from the humiliation, Val is pleasantly surprised to find herself on the dazzlingly beautiful island of Reunion where she hopes she can heal her wounded pride, broken heart and bruised knees.

When a painful face mask experiment leads her to a fellow broken-hearted traveller, Alex, they decide to give each other a helping hand and follow a foolproof ten-step plan to get over their respective exes. And so begins their crazy adventure. What could possibly go wrong?

For more laugh-out-loud, swoon-worthy hijinks, don't miss Jo's other rom-coms, Love to Hate You, Burning Moon, Almost A Bride, Finding You and After the Rain.

A pure joy to read, full of many laugh out load moments and memorable scenes, 

There is the yacht trip that doesn't go quiet according to plan, the speech at an engagement party that kicks everything off, and even the whole airport scene ending up on a flight to somewhere Val has never heard of. 

So many highlights, and so much fun.  It is a bit of shame we don't see so much of her friends as we have in the other books in this series, but its due to that reason that its easily readable as a standalone. 

The main setting is Reunion Island, and was a fabulous location it is.  I could really picture Val and Alex's adventures as they together work through a 10 things list from a magazine, about getting over the love of your life. 

I can easily say that Jo Watson is getting better with every book, and coming up with even more amusing ideas for her characters,  This is easily one of my favourites in the series, and I can't wait to see what she writes next. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline Eternal for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - After The Rain by Jo Watson - #HolidayReading Book 28

Book 28 of 28 read on my holiday to Cyprus in June 2018.

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Amazon UK

Title:  After The Rain

Author: Jo Watson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Headline Eternal

Publication Date: 6th September 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Some opposites attract; some rip each other's clothes off.

Stormy-Rain and Marcus could not be more different: she's a free-spirited, rainbow-haired hippie; he wears a suit and over-shines his already too-shiny shoes. She believes in auras; he's governed by logic and doesn't believe in Fate. But Fate believes in them...

So what happens when their worlds collide - and they are forced to embark on an epic road trip to catch a plane to a wedding on the other side of the world?

The clock is ticking...and they're seriously ticking each other off. But Stormy and Marcus are about to discover just how thin the line between love and hate really is.

Having read all of Jo Watson's books so far, I have always been intrigued by Stormy Rain who is one of the bigger friendship group, and has struck me as wacky!   Now in After The Rain I get to know her a whole lot better and she is quirky but so so loveable.  She has so many endearing qualities to her, which not everyone can see. 

And Marcus, is a lawyer and about as opposite from Stormy Rain as you can get, and he has promised that he will accompany Stormy to Prague for the wedding they both need to attend. Only Stormy is petrified of flying and things are never as simple as they should be. 

In fact I should warn you don't read the first 15% of this while you are on a plane,  I did and I'm a confident flier but even I was getting a bit worried partly as I hit turbulence at the same point as certain happenings in the early chapters. 

Simmering away beneath Stormy Rain and Marcus' hilarious banter is some explosive sexual chemistry and wow those were some fabulous scenes.  The sex in this book is fabulous and then there is the scene in the helicopter that is so clever.  

I love all the unexpected turns this trip took when one simple journey turned into something a lot different.   

This is another fabulous story from this author, who I am continually excited to hear about new books from! 

Thank you to Headline Eternal and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Love To Hate You by Jo Watson

Amazon UK

Title:  Love To Hate You

Author: Jo Watson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Headline Eternal

Publication Date: 6th February 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Sera is usually a good girl. (Except for one wild night in the backseat of a stranger's car!) But what happens when that bad boy turns out to be her new boss? And what happens when he wants more than one night...and he can be very persuasive...

I have managed to read Love To Hate You at just the right point in my life, where I couldn't work out what I was really in the mood to read but knew I needed to get lost in a story. 

Well I got utterly hooked on Sera and Ben, to the extent that I am 100% in lust with a fictional character. I would love him to be real, and I'm sure I would appreciate him far more than Sera will! 

The level of heat coming off this book is insane, the chemistry between Sera and Ben is sizzling,  and I was loving the double entendres, the innuendos, every single exchange between the two leads. I was sitting there as  a fly on the wall as such, wishing that I was Sera. Yet there aren't a huge amount of sex scenes, its all suggestive comments, dialogue, the hints at what is possible between them, that actually makes the book feel even sexier than you would think. 

Ok not her background, that sounds tough, but then again Ben hasn't been entirely upfront to start with either, and when you eventually get to know them, there is an extra dimension added to both characters. 

Love to Hate You starts in hilarious fashion and doesn't let up, it is pure escapist fun and I couldn't get enough of any of the characters.   I especially love Sera's pseudo family, JJ and Bruce who she lives with. They are simply fabulous. 

If you are looking for a way to leave behind your troubles, delve into a potential new relationship that will have you needing a cold shower yourself, then Love To Hate You is certainly a book for you. I was already a fan of Jo Watson's writing from her previous three books and although this certainly had a slightly different feel to it, it was amazing, it was hilarious and I already know I will be first in line for future releases. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline Eternal for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Almost A Bride by Jo Watson

Amazon UK

Title: Almost A Bride

Author: Jo Watson

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Bookbridgr

Publisher: Headline Eternal

Publication Date: 4th May 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

That moment you catch your boyfriend in bed with another woman and then mistakenly get arrested. #awks

Annie doesn't want to dwell on the fact that she walked in on her bf wearing nipple clamps on the day he was meant to propose to her. She just wants to move on - cue escaping to a tropical paradise.

Life is dreamy on the beaches of Mauritius, until the nightmarish appearance of her ex and the 'other woman'. Faced with the enemy, Annie refuses to look like the sad, lonely single she actually is. She needs a decoy - and fast. Enter Chris, a sexy screenwriter who agrees to play her pretend boyfriend.

But as a battle of the exes commences, the white sand, tropical heat and a pina colada (or five) might just be the cocktail for a real romance - and the adventure of a lifetime.

Hilarious from start to finish, In a book that feels like it could be on the big screen as a great rom-com in its own right.  Well it does feature a sexy man who is like the hero of your average rom-coms and the whole book just had the feel to it. I would love to see this made into a film. 

The prologue really sets the scene for the pacing and humour of this story, and had me grinning from ear to ear, as I had my first feel for Annie’s character. 

Of course what was attracting me to the book besides the beautiful cover is the knowledge that it was predominately set in Mauritius, given I’m a huge fan of travel, and enjoyed my holiday there many years ago. 

What I wasn’t expecting was just how much I was going to enjoy this book as much as I did. For after a disastrous break up with her ex (who she thought was going to propose to her), Annie and her friends head off on holiday to Mauritius for a girls holiday. 

Only Annie ends up away for the first few days by herself, bumps into her ex and his new woman, and American Chris offers to become Annie’s fake Australian boyfriend Boyden! Unfortunately the ex is so determined that Annie is faking with Boyden, and determine to prove it there is a huge amount of competition between the men, and in fact the two couples, with highly amusing outcomes. 

Chris was by far my favourite character from his attempts at Aussie slang, to his job as a rom-com writer, to the clear chemistry there is between Annie and Chris, even as friends to start you can tell they are really in tune with each other. 

It is an engaging story that was fun and quick to read, and is a perfect beach read, where you just want to escape for a while into a good book. Having read all 3 of Jo Watson’s Destination Love books, I can safely say this is my favourite of them all. 

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

Book Review - Finding You by Jo Watson

Amazon UK

Title: Finding You

Author: Jo Watson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Headline Eternal (UK) / Grand Central Publishing (USA)

Publication Date: 2nd May 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

When you go to Greece to meet your family but end up snogging your smokin' hot tour guide #sorrynotsorry

Jane is fed up of being the odd one out in her adoptive family. So in a very un-Jane-like move she books a last-minute ticket to find her birth father - and the real Jane. Armed with the knowledge that he was a tour guide called Dimitri, and multiple boxes of condoms from her mother (#cringe), she sets off.

It turns out that everyone in Greece is called Dimitri, including her very own sexy tour guide, who strikes her a deal. He'll help if she goes on an adventure with him. The old Jane would have never have risked a holiday romance, but the new Jane has other ideas. As the search for her father commences, she might just find something else entirely...

Fantastic story of finding yourself, finding your true love and learning about your heritage all set to a magnificent back drop of Santorini in Greece. 

Some of how Jane is feeling at the start of the book, the feelings of not really fitting in with her adoptive family, reminded me of how the main character in My Big Fat Greek Wedding felt initially. Not really sure of her looks, and doesn't feel quite connected with the rest of the family.  

Completely out of character for Jane she out of the blue decides to hop on a plane and find her birth father. All she knows is he is from Greece, used to work a tour guide and his name is Dimitri. If you have ever been to Greece you will know that Dimitri is a reasonably common name, and tour guides are rather plentiful too, just to give some idea of the task ahead of her. 

The first greek man she meets is a Dimitri and also a tour guide/model and a ridiculously hot greek guy and from here her hormones and womanly impulses are slightly out of control.  I loved how whenever Jane was nervous she would either start churning out various scientific facts, or occasionally would start rambling lots of odd things that afterwards she would be embarrassed by, but in the meantime amused me greatly. 

The descriptions of Santorini match the pictures I've seen of the place, and some of the slightly more touristy things that Jane and Dimitri do, have given me some ideas for my own day on the island later this summer, when I visit on a cruise. I loved meeting Dimitri's big family, and also how he was trying his hardest to make Jane embrace her long dormant inner Greek! 

Watching Jane grow in the time she is in Santorini was really enjoyable to see, and I just thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this story. This is the second of the Destination Love books I have read and am really enjoying the series and Jo Watson's writing. 

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.