Book Review - I Heart Hawaii by Lindsey Kelk

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Amazon UK

Title: I Heart Hawaii

Author: Lindsey Kelk

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: 30th May 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

When Angela Clark’s best friend Jenny invites her to join a press trip to Hawaii, three days of sun, sea and sleep sounds like the perfect antidote to her crazed life.

At work in New York, she’s supposed to be the face of Having It All. But the only thing Angela feels she excels at is hiding in the printer cupboard, eating Mini Cheddars and watching Netflix on her phone and if this is living the dream, she's more than ready to wake up.

A few days away with Jenny sounds like exactly what she needs but Angela’s talent for getting into a scrape guarantees nothing goes to plan – and not even the most beautiful beaches, blue skies and daiquiris will get her off the hook…

Well if you have to end a much loved series, I can't think of a more perfect way for it to end.  Although I feel like I've been through the wringer emotionally with this book, as there is to my mind are rather ominous prologue, where I was fearing bad things. 

Thankfully my ability to predict what is going to happen in a book is rubbish as always,  and I loved every single second of the book.  

It was wonderful to be back with Angela and the gang, although I'm utterly bereft that we won't be getting another I Heart book.   This is just as much fun if not more so than all the others in the series, and easily a new favourite of mine. 

If you are a mega fan of Lindsey's you will spot other characters from her other series popping up, as well as the whole venue in Hawaii being incredibly familiar.  The second I started reading and Jenny was talking about the Hawaii trip my mind was thinking I'm sure I've read about the state in another of Lindsey's books, so delighted to see there was a link up. 

I even had to smile when I noticed in passing the name of a character who has had a series around him,  from another author mentioned.  As fans of both authors things like that always make me grin! 

This is Angela at her best, she is trying to cope with motherhood, is going back  to work, has approaches about joining a top mothering group, there is a talk of a big deal for her professionally - and yet she still has time for a 5 day press junket to Hawaii with assorted friends. 

When you put Angela Clark, Jenny Lopez, Louisa, James and Eva together on a tropical island, expect fireworks, and hilarity to ensue.   The scene with the horses is fabulous,  there is late night swimming, there is so so much fun to be had, as well as some more serious conversations between friends.  

I loved seeing how Alex was with Alice, he really is the best husband you can get in fiction, and a superstar to boot. 

From the second this book dropped onto my kindle, I knew I had to drop everything and just read it.  Lindsey Kelk is always a favourite author, and I would love to wax lyrical about the whole book for hours, but I fear boring you - plus I'd rather you go out and read it yourself. 

I have no idea if its readable as a standalone, I was far too engrossed in reading it, and being back amongst old friends, to even give it a second thought, plus all 8 books in the series are equally fabulous - so if you haven't read I Heart New York, go back to the beginning of the series, and lose yourself in truly entertaining stories. 

Excellent writing, fabulous humour, and everything you have come to expect from a book in this series,  I couldn't love this book if I tried. Well apart from when I remember that its the end of the series and then I just get upset.   

I truly truly hope this isn't really the last we see of these characters,  I'll settle for cameos in future books just to know they are all ok, and getting on with things.

Regardless if you love your romantic comedies, want to dream of going to Hawaii, or just generally want a wonderfully easy to read and incredibly entertaining story, you can't go far wrong with this one. 

But please.... Lindsey Kelk, can we have some more! 

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - One In A Million by Lindsey Kelk - Blog Tour

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Amazon UK

Title: One In A Million

Author: Lindsey Kelk

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Harper

Publication Date: 5th July 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Everyone wants that special someone….

Annie Higgins has given up on love: she’s too busy trying to get her own business off the ground. Infuriated by the advertising agency across the hall making fun of her job, Annie accepts their crazy challenge – to make a random stranger Instagram-famous in just 30 days.

And even when they choose Dr Samuel Page PhD, historian and hater of social media, as her target, Annie’s determined to win the bet – whether Sam likes it or not.

But getting to know Sam means getting to know more about herself. And before the 30 days are out, Annie has to make a decision about what’s really important…

Funny, real and heart-meltingly romantic, Annie and Sam’s story is My Fair Lady for the social media age – and the perfect summer read.

I can see why this is being described as a modern day My Fair Lady, it really is turning someone from nothing on social media into a proper instagram influencer at least in terms of follower count.  Of course the person being transformed is rather reluctant and its all come about as a result of a bet thanks to the overly competitive Annie Higgins. 

I was laughing early on when Annie was referred to as Professor Higgins by the person she made the bet with regarding her social media prowess.  And that isn't the only nod to My Fair Lady in the book, I probably missed some references but there was one quite late on that made me smile 

Setting aside my clear love of a musical, we have a fabulous contemporary story that really resonated with me, especially since like Annie I seem to keep an eye on my phone and emails at all times of day, night, weekends regardless of if I was meant to be having downtime.  Ironically as I know how much I tend to enjoy Lindsey Kelk books I read most of it while being deliberately separated from technology for a few hours and I was loving the book until I had to go back and check my emails!! 

This is full of Kelk's trademark humour, so much to laugh at, and there is a message about social media in the book too.  I loved Dr Samuel Page, and seeing him come alive in Annie's boyfriend bootcamp is rather enjoyable, and surprising.  

So many scenes that I thoroughly enjoyed and I loved the banter between Annie and her co-workers and the advertising agency across the hall from them too. It is all just a lot of fun. 

The entire book takes place in just over a month, with most chapters starting with the date, some with an update on the bet with latest follower counts.  The question is will Annie succeed in turning a relatively unknown historian, with too much facial hair and bad dress sense, into an instantly recognisable instagram that everyone wants to follow?   Well you need to read to find out, and see just how much this bet affects the lives of both people. 

This is a very witty, well thought out story from a fabulous author, who knows exactly what she is doing and does it so brilliantly.  To me its not as great as the I Heart series the author is most known for, but its still an excellent book. 

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

Please do follow along with all these over lovely bloggers for more One In A Million !

Book Review - I Heart Forever by Lindsey Kelk - Blog Tour

Amazon UK

Title:  I Heart Forever

Author: Lindsey Kelk

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Publisher supplied review copy

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: 7th September 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

Winter in Manhattan…and someone’s keeping a secret.

The day her husband Alex picks up a backpack and goes travelling, Angela Clark promises to stay out of trouble and keep both Louboutins on the ground.

So when her best friend’s boyfriend confides in her, it can’t hurt to help him pick out a ring at Tiffany’s surely?

And when her fashion magazine announces major changes, being terminally late and arguing with your boss isn’t that bad, is it?

Then suddenly there’s another big secret Angela’s got to keep – and the man she loves is still thousands of miles away. As the wedding of the year looms, and Manhattan switches on its Christmas lights, Angela is going to need her friends by her side as her old life looks set to change forever.

I Heart Angela Clarke

I Heart Lindsey Kelk

I Heart Jenny Lopez

I Heart “the I Heart Series”

I Heart “I Heart Forever” – I really do, I absolutely adore everything about this story, with one very big problem. The only thing I hated was that it had to end. I did everything I could do extend my devouring and enjoyment of the book, but at the end of the day, I ran out of pages, and I want more already!

If you have previously read any of the I Heart series, then this book is a must read for you, although I’m sure you already knew that. If you haven’t read any, then I suppose I need to persuade you just how great this book is! 

This really is Lindsey Kelk at her best. I found myself laughing out loud so many times during the story, as I love the sense of humour. Then there is the exploits that Angela and her friends are up to this time. 

This is a book that takes in many huge changes for Angela and Jenny, both professionally and personally, and it is how they deal with these changes that I loved seeing. Angela has a lot going on, even for her, and I love seeing her various thought processes. We don’t see huge amount of her husband Alex, but it’s very clear the couple are still very much in love.  Professionally there are changes afoot at Spencer Media, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing just what decisions Angela chooses to make.

Jenny Lopez, Angela’s best friend is as much a firecracker as normal, she can be downright scary but she is also a fantastic friend.  One of the main storylines is all about Jenny, so her fans can rejoice, and for those new to the series, you will get to meet a thoroughly entertaining character, who often cracks me up! 
I would happily wax lyrical and the magnificence of the book, the pure escapism it offers, the quick pace, the hilarity of some of the one liners, the fact that after 350 pages of complete absorption, I still want more, all day, but ultimately this is one book not to miss. 

Easily my current favourite of the series, although I may say that again if there is another one in the future, and for eagle eyed fans of the author, you may spot a couple of quick mentions of characters from her previous books. I always love it when I spy those sorts of things! 

All that is left for me to do is to shout out:

“I HEART THIS BOOK”!!

Thank you so much to Felicity Denham at Harper for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - We Were On A Break by Lindsey Kelk

Amazon UK

Title: We Were On A Break

Author: Lindsey Kelk

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Harper

Publication Date: 6th October 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

Is it a break? Or is it a blip?

‘You’ve just had a holiday,’ I pointed out, trying not to yawn. ‘Wasn’t that enough of a break?’
‘I don’t mean that kind of break.’

There’s nothing worse than the last day of holiday. Oh wait, there is. When what should have been a proposal turns into a break, Liv and Adam find themselves on opposite sides of the life they had mapped out.

Friends and family all think they’re crazy; Liv throws herself into work – animals are so much simpler than humans – and Adam tries to get himself out of the hole he’s dug.

But as the short break becomes a chasm, can they find a way back to each other? Most importantly, do they want to?

We Were On A Break is a book that will have you chuckling from start to finish. There are so many comic gold moments in it, that I found myself enjoying everything. Most of them are small things, but when you aren't wanting to slam the two main characters heads together in an effort to make them see sense, everything else is really funny. 

Adam was supposed to propose to Liv on holiday. He knew it, his brother knew it, his brother's wife, Cass knew it, and since Cass is Liv's best friend she may have let the secret slip. All Adam didn't know was that Liv had found out and had spent the whole holiday expecting a proposal which due to some unforeseen events, and an inability to read a map app, never occurred. Instead by the time they are back in the UK, there have been massive arguments and they appear to be on a break. 

Ever since series 3 of Friends, the line We Were On A Break has always brought to mind Ross & Rachel, and their epic fight, and the rest of a season of great humour surrounding that one line! As a result it is not surprising that things get a bit out of hand and both Liv and Adam find themselves spiralling away from each other, after one asks for a break. 

The story switches perspectives between Adam and Liv fairly regularly, which is confusing as first until you start recognising a change when it happens. There is no warning, just one minute you are reading with a girls perspective and the next from a boys. 

The dynamic between Adam's brother Chris and just about anyone else in the story would be hilarious if he wasn't such a <insert rude insult here>. He is a condescending piece of work with regards other people including his brother, but yet is also a bit of a show off. Just wait until you get to descriptions about the christening party! 

As a huge Lindsey Kelk fan, I was incredibly excited to receive an early review copy of this book, and it certainly lived up to expectations. We Were On A Break may not be my favourite book by the author, but it is still a lovely addition to my collection of her books, and one I really enjoyed reading. 

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

Book Review - A Girl's Best Friend by Lindsey Kelk

Amazon UK

Title: A Girl's Best Friend

Author: Lindsey Kelk

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Prurchased

Publisher: Harper

Publication Date: 5th November 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

After the crazy six months she’s had, if there was a ‘clear history’ button for your life, Tess Brookes would be the first in line to press it.

When the opportunity arises to join her best friend, Amy, in New York for Christmas, Tess jumps at the chance. The only slight hitch is that Nick, the man who broke her heart, lives there. And Charlie, the man she turned down, has just started talking to her again. And she has just four days to take a photo for a competition that could save her career.

But aside from that, everything is going to be great: it’ll be the best Christmas ever. Won’t it?

As much as I'm a huge fan of Lindsey Kelk, and do enjoy all of her books, I hadn't really taken to this Girl series, as much as the I Heart Series, until this book. A Girl's Best Friend is to me Tess's best story yet.

I did struggle a small bit at the start of this book purely, because I couldn't remember what happened in the previous ones, and the prologue completely confused me, until I saw the words at the start of Chapter 1 of "two and a half weeks earlier" which meant I could put the prologue into context and hadn't completely blanked everything I thought I knew about the series. 

From there my enjoyment rose, page on page, especially when there was the initial mention of Angela, and then Jenny, and the twins from Spencer Media, at which point I started to get very excited. Because yes they are the characters we know and love from Lindsey Kelk's I Heart Series, making a cameo in this book. Was great to catch up with new friends, and makes me very curious as to where both series will go from here. I'm hoping  a full merger!

This is set in New York at Christmas, and Tess is trying her hardest to take a photo to win a competition that could lead to a photography apprenticeship. In the mean time her heart is still torn between Nick and Charlie, and there are moments in the book that had me favouring one over the other, and then something else happened and I was back to square one again with my rooting. 

This is full of the fun and humour you would expect from Tess's story and she is still as ditzy as ever. Amy her best friend seems unrecognisable from previous books. My favourite points in the whole book were Tess out with Angela and Jenny, I think its clear where my heart lies with this authors books!

Without giving much away this is a great addition to the series and could be read as a standalone too. Incredibly enjoyable and a fun story.

Book Review - Always The Bridesmaid by Lindsey Kelk - Paperback Summer

Amazon UK

Title: Always The Bridesmaid

Author: Lindsey Kelk

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Harper

Publication Date: 7th May 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

Everyone loves a bridesmaid - except Maddie, who’s perpetually asked to be one.
Everyone loves a wedding - except Maddie’s best friend, who’s getting divorced.
And everyone loves the way Maddie’s so happy behind the scenes - except Maddie herself.

One best friend is in wedding countdown while the other heads for marriage meltdown. And as Maddie juggles her best chance at promotion in years with bridezilla texts and late-night counselling sessions, she starts to wonder – is it time to stop being the bridesmaid?

It would be so easy to just write a two sentence review for this book. It would look something like this - 

If you are a Lindsey Kelk fan already, then go out and buy this book, its her best book yet, yes..even better than <insert name of your favourite book by Lindsey here>. If you have never read a Lindsey Kelk book before, then where have you been for the past few years, go out and buy this as its utterly fantastic and so entertaining. 

However I'm fairly sure you probably want a slightly more involved review than that, so I will try my hardest to do some justice to this fab new story by an incredibly talented chick-lit author. 

Maddie is an assistant at an events planning company, she appears to be a born people pleaser, and has a slight inability to say no to anyone or anything. During the first part of the book, she agrees to help best friend Lauren, plan her wedding in under 3 months time, is put up for promotion by the head of HR at her job, and thus has to plan a naming ceremony for a couple, with a newborn baby, who have eccentric tastes, and her other best friend Sarah is going through a divorce. 

Add in a brand new love interest, an usher at the wedding where she meets this love interest, with both men having a grudge against each other, although the reasons for the grudge take a while a to be revealed. Oh and did I mention Maddie's marginally psycho boss? 

All of this is the perfect recipe for laughs, fun, chaos, some romance and a real test of the girls friendships. 

There are some absolutely ridiculous but very fun scenes, especially during the event she is planning for the gay couple. In fact every time she meets the men things seem to go just slightly wrong, but leave the reader laughing.  There is also the bachelorette  party for Laura that is giggles galore. 

To be honest I can't think of another way of describing this book with out saying this is Lindsey Kelk, doing as Lindsey does best. It is her trademark type of lead female character, and each one she writes I feel, she gets the characterizations better and better. 

Always the Bridesmaid is just fantastic. I loved it so much that I was gutted that it had to finish, I would have happily read a lot more of Maddie and her friends Lauren and Sarah. This is a perfect poolside read this summer.