Book Review - For the Love of Christmas by Kate Forster - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #71

Amazon UK

Title: For the Love of Christmas

Author: Kate Forster

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: MIRA

Publication Date: 1st September 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

Rebecca’s so called splendid life isn’t so wonderful. She is fresh out of rehab, her husband and children aren’t home for the holiday, and her Christmas tree has alopecia.

Days from Christmas, Rebecca has to explore her grief about a loss so huge, it tipped her over the edge, and imagine a future that maybe spent alone.

But she learns that, while Christmas for one is possible, it’s just a lot nicer when there’s family to share it with.

Love, loss and forgiveness come together to make a Christmas that Rebecca will never forget, and one that will unwrap a joyous future, even it’s not at all like what she imagined was waiting for her under the Christmas tree.

This festive season, it really will be a Wonderful Life with For the Love of Christmas by Kate Forster.

This is what a festive novella should be like. It draws you in, leaves you wondering initially as to why Rebecca is apart from her family, and then has some moments of incredibly tender loving family moments and a even has an ending. 

It is so refreshing to feel like you have read a whole story in such a short space, and I loved all 4 family members perspectives.  

The characters were all real distinctive, I loved Sofie's voice, and really felt for Rebecca too.  It was a fantastic look at a family in the run up to Christmas where not everything is picture perfect. The best example of that I can suggest is to keep an eye out for just which Christmas tree Rebecca buys. 


For the Love of Christmas has reminded me how much I love Kate Forster's work, the writing hit exactly the right mark and while the book was definitely a Christmas story, it wasn't just the happy go lucky side of the festival either. There was some real depth and emotion in this book and it touches on a couple of tricky subjects. 

Thank you to everyone that voted last week. I think this book had been on my wishlist for a year before I bought it last December, so it really was about time I got around to reading it.  Was a great little book and I look forward to seeing the result from this week. 

Book Review - Miracle on 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan - Blog Tour

Amazon UK

Title: Miracle on 5th Avenue

Author: Sarah Morgan

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: MIRA

Publication Date: 20th October 2016 

Rating: 5 Stars

Hopeless romantic Eva Jordan loves everything about Christmas. Even if she is spending it alone housesitting a spectacular Fifth Avenue apartment. What she didn’t expect was to find the penthouse still occupied by its gorgeous–and mysterious–owner.

Bestselling crime writer Lucas Blade is having the nightmare before Christmas. With a deadline and the anniversary of his wife’s death looming, he’s isolated himself in his penthouse with only his grief for company. But when the blizzard of the century leaves Eva snowbound in his apartment, Lucas starts to open up to the magic she brings…This Christmas, is Lucas finally ready to trust that happily-ever-afters do exist?

I'm a huge fan of romance, I'm a huge fan of Christmas, and I'm an even bigger fan of Sarah Morgan books, so when you combine all three into one, you make me one very happy person. Miracle on 5th Avenue has the strains of a very common Christmas theme running through it, in that one character is not a big Christmas or even romance fan, and the other is all about love and happy ever afters. 

Miracle on 5th Avenue is the third book in the From Manhattan with Love series, and can easily be read as a standalone, as each book focuses on a different girl from their friendship group. This time its Eva's turn in the spotlight. Eva is a romantic, and although she tends to love Christmas is struggling this year, since its a year since her beloved grandmother's death. 

She accepts a job to decorate crime writer Lucas' apartment for Christmas and to stock up his freezer with food, as when he gets into a writing groove he forgets about eating. However what she wasn't expecting was Lucas to actually be there. 

After an incredibly rocky first meeting, a truce of sorts is called and Lucas is suddenly able to make more progress on his new book, which previously he was blocked on. Lucas loves crime, and serial killers, the scarier and more gruesome the better, so is the complete opposite to Eva who mainly loves romance, and is scared of anything resembling a scary story. 

However Eva can relate to Lucas in one way, as he is also suffering from grief, his wife died three years ago at Christmas. Yes there is a fair bit of grief involved in this story, which given my personal circumstances I was mildly worried about, but it's not done in an overly emotional way, and both are trying to get to terms with their current situations. 

I found more than quite a few other books by this author, that there was a clear focus on the two main characters, and although there are other characters in the book, including Frankie and Paige, they barely feature. It really is a snowed in cosy romance story between two very different people. 

Given the other genre of book I enjoy reading is crime, I was fascinated to see inside Lucas' mind, to see how he comes up with his characters and his writing process. Although we learn a lot, there is nothing gruesome at all, and we don't see any segments of writing from the book he is working on, so if you aren't into crime, don't worry. It is more suspense than masses of violence when he is trying to work out just what sort of killer to put into his new book. 

I loved every second of this book, and found it was very easy to read, the writing flowed and because the whole book takes place over a few week period, the pacing is fairly quick. It does feel a bit different from previous Sarah Morgan, with slightly more serious themes taking centre spot, but overall it is still a fantastic romantic novel from the queen of romance, just with a bit more depth. 

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

About Sarah Morgan

USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes contemporary romance and her trademark humour and sensuality have gained her fans across the globe.
Described as 'a magician with words' by RT Book Reviews, she has been nominated four years in succession for the prestigious RITA© Award from the Romance Writers of America and won the award twice; in 2012 for her book 'Doukakis's Apprentice' and 2013 for 'A Night of No Return'. She also won the RT Reviewers' Choice Award in 2012 and has made numerous appearances in their 'Top Pick' slot.

Sarah lives near London with her husband and children, and when she isn't reading or writing she loves being outdoors, preferably on vacation so she can forget the house needs tidying. You can visit Sarah online at www.sarahmorgan.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuthorSarahMorgan and on Twitter @SarahMorgan_

Social info:

@SarahMoragan_

@HQStories

#MorganInManhattan

Book Review - The Ex Factor by Eva Woods

Amazon UK

Title: The Ex Factor

Author: Eva Woods

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: MIRA

Publication Date: 8th September 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

Is it possible to freecycle love?

Modern dating is hard, especially when all you meet are liars, oddballs, men who wear Superman pants and men who live with their mums.

So why not date someone who already comes pre-approved? Just because your friend’s ex wasn’t right for her doesn’t mean that he won’t be right for you. That’s Marnie’s new plan for herself and her three best friends, perennially single Helen, recently divorced Rosa and cynical lawyer Ani.

Through bad dates and good, the four friends begin to realise that there are advantages to dating pre-screened men…but there can be some serious pitfalls to falling for your friend's ex

What a different take on a dating fiction, I think this is the first time I've ever seen a group of friends encourage each other to date their exes, possibly due to all the issues that such a possibly radical idea would bring up. 

The Ex Factor, focuses on a set of four friends, who are all approaching the dating scene from very different angles, there is Rosa who is just in the process of being divorced and barely dated before meeting her husband, Ani who is a lawyer, who is sick of internet dating, but has very strict rules and criteria, Helen who works from home on a controversial dating site and hasn't so much as looked at a man for over to years, and then there is Marnie. 

Marnie has been awol for two years and now she is back, this exes dating each other plan  is her idea, and in the past she has been an indiscriminate serial dater. However will she really fit back into her friendship group after upping and leaving without so much as a word for two years. 

The Ex Factor is as much about female friendships as it is about dating, and yes there are some hilariously bad dates in the mix of the book. At times I found the story a bit confusing, just as soon as you are introduced to the four ladies, you are then being not only introduced and given back story on how they met the ex they are setting a friend up with, but you also have to keep track of who is currently dating who. 

Once that is sorted in your mind, it becomes a pleasure to read. It is a wonderfully light hearted story, great for when you don't want anything too deep and meaningful. Of the various men there is one that I found myself most attracted too, and he wasn't the most obvious of them, not the best looking, just the one that talks to my inner geek! 

Personally I wouldn't want to set a friend up with an ex, let alone still be in contact with one, but as I think it was Charlotte in Sex and the City says - "one girl's trash is another girl's treasure!" so its clearly an idea that could work. I also loved reading about the various jobs the girls dd, from the tricky boss Rosa has, to the gorgeous man working in law with Ani. 

If you want to read some chick lit that has a clear dating and friendship angle, and don't mind jumping straight in with a lot of characters you need to be able to follow, then this is a great book to read. 

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

Book Review - Love Is... by Haley Hill

Amazon UK

Title: Love Is...

Author: Haley Hill

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: MIRA

Publication Date: 8th September

Rating: 4 Stars

Dating Agency doyenne Ellie Rigby always thought that helping people find love with the hard part.

But now she’s all loved up with husband Nick and has hundreds of matchmaking successes under her belt, Ellie ought to know all there is to know about love.

As her struggles to get pregnant put strain on her marriage, and her matchmaking service starts losing clients, Ellie realises she has so much more to learn. So setting off on a global research trip, Ellie makes it her mission to find out what makes love last forever, and whether it’s enough to save her own romance.

Love Is.. was fascinating, as Ellie Rigby is on a search to try and work out how exactly you prevent divorce, stay in love and generally what happiness and love really are, in order to try and offer new services with her dating agency. 

However life has not been going completely to plan since we left Ellie at the end of It's Got To Be Perfect, and she is struggling to conceive, and generally seems a bit distant from husband Nick. Not to mention her best friend is also having marriage struggles and seems to keep popping up everywhere. 

Although this is a second book about a character, it can definitely be read as a standalone, as although I know I have read the first book last year, I couldn't remember any specifics, and didn't feel at a disadvantage for a faulty memory. 

I loved the pacing of this book, and the various witty comments, and some of the imagery when Ellie is meeting her professional gurus are fantastic. I loved the retreat in Texas, and the trip to Iceland, and the technology in Tokyo is something I can see being real within a few years, if it isn't already.  I also really enjoyed the various explanations on just what love really is, and various theories about divorce. 

At times I felt Ellie could be a bit idealistic about the world, and love, then again I may just be a big cynic, but I enjoyed reading her big dilemma in this story, while still rooting for her.  Although I am not going to reveal the ending, as that would spoil the book for everyone, I will say I can't help but think there should be another book for Ellie, as she is a great character and I think has a lot more to offer. 

Thank you Netgalley and MIRA for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Guest Post - The Changing Face of Women's Fiction by Victoria Fox - Blog Tour

Women’s fiction is changing. ‘Chick-lit’, a provocative tag, used to be about high heels, handbags and heartbreak – but not any more. Over recent years, women’s fiction has seen a surge in psychological thrillers, blockbuster action and exotic time-slip. Cosy armchair romances, thanks to what I call the ‘Great Vintage Revival’, have found a new fan base, incorporating baking, teashops and beach houses. There is a whole host of women’s literature, a huge variety with potential to appeal between ages and sexes. Why, then, are women writing for women seen as light, frothy or inconsequential?

The chick-lit hangover is one we’ve got to get past. Often, my books are referred to as chick-lit – I don’t mind, after all the chick-lit stable is one I’m happy to join, peopled as it is with the groundbreaking likes of Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes – but undoubtedly it is a reductive term. Men do not have an equivalent. Novels about fast cars, great battles, agents and spies, subjects deemed (absurdly) to be male pursuits, are not labelled ‘lad-lit’. So why us? It’s the emotional content, maybe, the loves and losses and heartbreak, the secrets, the sex and the below-surface, that classify these books as women’s. It’s diminutive to men, too: it’s not seen as masculine to be interested in these things. Books are life experience, everyone’s experience. It’s not as cut and dried as a pink cover or a blue cover.

Are my books populated by ‘chicks’? No, more often cocks, hee hee. Because mine is a bonkbuster, loud and proud. It’s got the emotion but it’s also got the action, the helicopters, the assassins and the scandal. It’s a story led by women but they’re not sitting at home with their knitting needles: they’re running the show. Read a ‘chick-lit’ book and you’ll find the protagonists are much more than your Jimmy-Choo-wearing, Sex-and-the-City-watching, Cosmopolitan-drinking stereotype. Frankly, you couldn’t write a book about anyone at all if those were their limits. But if these female characters express emotion or thought or analysis, they instantly become ‘chicks’. It’s a tricky word to navigate, but we’re managing it.

I think the key is in giving a protagonist more to think about than a man. For too long, chick-lit has been associated with the single twenty-something looking for marriage and babies, as if that is all a woman can and should aspire to in life. Do we see her male counterpart sitting cross-legged in a nearby bar, nursing a glass of Pinot Grigio and worrying about whether he’s too fat for a girlfriend, or his calves are too big for Tinder? 

Now, thankfully, we’re seeing a great spectrum of women heroes leading their stories, and they’re nothing to do with Getting the Guy. It’s about getting the job, or getting the house, or getting the truth, or getting the dream. It’s about taking control and taking charge. Pour the wine down the sink and put some trainers on instead of those heels. Better to run in. 

The covers have long been a problem – it’s not just men who don’t want to be seen reading a pink, glittery book; it’s me, and many other women – but they’re changing too. Packaging is catching up with content. And soon, hopefully, it won’t need to be called women’s fiction at all – just as ‘men’s fiction’ has no place on the bookshelf. Fiction, one and all, from a vast, shared pool of imagination.

Victoria Fox’s The Santiago Sisters is published 28th July (MIRA, £7.99)

Thank you so much Victoria Fox for your thoughts on Women's fiction and Chick Lit, and I must say I do love a good bonkbuster!

About Victoria Fox

Victoria Fox divides her time between Bristol and London. She used to work in publishing and is
now the author of 6 novels.

@Mira_BooksUK   @VFoxWrites   #TheSantiagoSisters


Amazon buy link: http://amzn.to/2aa6KFg

Book Review - The Santiago Sisters by Victoria Fox - Blog Tour

Amazon UK

Title: The Santiago Sisters

Author: Victoria Fox

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: MIRA

Publication Date: 28th July 2016 

Rating: 5 Stars

They should have stayed as one. They couldn’t survive apart.
It was fate, forever destined to come to this: from birth to death, two halves of the same whole.

Twins Calida and Teresita Santiago have never known a world without each other…until Teresita is wrenched from their Argentinian home to be adopted by world-famous actress Simone Geddes.

Now, while Teresita is provided with all that money can buy, Calida must fight her way to the top – her only chance of reuniting with her twin.

But no one can predict the explosive events which will finally bring the Santiago sisters into the spotlight together…

Powerful..compulsive and intriguing story, that is fast paced and Victoria Fox at her best. This has to be one of the best poolside reads of the season, with its glitz, glamour, secrets, strong female characters, sex and even some sun! 

I was hooked from the first page until the last, as I was drawn into the tale of twin sisters Calida and Teresita Santiago, as you learn of their vastly different lives from childhood until the incident in the prologue. 

In fact the prologue and small snippets of what was to come were cleverly inserted through the book, but in such a way that although you understood the action, the involved characters are kept a secret until the last possible moment, where the pace is ramped up further and the book reaches its dramatic conclusions. 

Two sisters, who both believe the other no longer cares about them, due to one decision on behalf of their mother. The first part set on an Estancia in Argentina was fascinating, as its the sort of location I didn't know much about before reading the book, but one that I got a decent feel for as I was reading the book. 

I was bewitched by the storytelling, and it reminded me of how much I love this author, as its been a few years since I read anything by her, although suddenly I don't mind waiting as long for a book, when you then read something with this level of quality and enjoyment. 

A simply superb summer hit book, The Santiago Sisters, was an unputdownable triumph to read, spanning a 20 year period, and a solid look at the lives of twins, that have been separated and still seem to have various things in common. 

Thank you to Netgalley and MIRA for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Book Review - Sunset in Central Park by Sarah Morgan - Blog Tour

Amazon UK

Title: Sunset in Central Park (From Manhattan With Love, Book 2)

Author: Sarah Morgan

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: MIRA

Publication Date: 14th July 2016 

Rating: 5 Stars

True love can be hard to find, even when. It’s been right under your nose all along…

After witnessing the fallout of her parent’s divorce, love has never been a priority for garden designer Frankie Fisher. The only man in her life is her friend Matt–but that’s strictly platonic. If only she found it easier to ignore the way he makes her heart race…

Matt Walker has loved Frankie for years but, has always played it cool. Until he uncovers new depths to the girl he’s known forever, and doesn’t want to wait a moment longer.

Matt knows Frankie has secrets and has buried them deep, but can he persuade her to kiss him under the Manhattan sunset?

What a beautiful story and another masterpiece from the queen of the romantic trilogy. I can't work out whether I liked Frankie and Matt's story more, or the subtle link ins to Puffin Island, that led to me being able to catch up with various characters from the Puffin Island trilogy. 

But as much as its great to catch up with old characters, learning about a whole new romance is always great fun, and I have devoured reading this book. Frankie is the sort of person who thinks she is bad at love, not a fan of sex and generally quite inexperienced, but if I'd had her childhood, I would probably be the same way. She is scared to trust men, and doesn't give her heart to anyone easily, but she has secret feeling for her best friend's brother. 

What was apparent in even the first book of this of this wonderful series, is that Matt clearly has feelings for Frankie, but knowing her as well as he does, he knows if anything was to happen it has to be taken slowly. 

The scenes between Matt and Frankie were initially loaded with double entendre and some fantastic tension, that I could feel the unspoken attraction just jumping off the pages. And when the inevitable happens, the tenderness of the first time, and how Matt treats her is so good to see. 

It was of course great to catch up with Frankie's best friends Eva and Paige, and we also get treated to a storyline involving Matt's co-worker Roxy who is brave and quite remarkable. There is a lot going on in this brilliant book, and at no point was I anything other than enchanted with the storytelling. 

As a huge fan of romance books,  I am always astounded when someone tells me they haven't discovered Sarah Morgan yet, and I urge you, if that is you,  to rectify that as soon as possible, as once you read one, you will be hooked. 

With a mix of great romantic gestures, a fitting first date, some artistic flower arrangements, roof top terrace gardens, Central Park, and even a cameo by Puffin Island, this is another truly stupendous story by this talented author. 

Thank you so much to Cara Frances at MIRA & Netgalley  for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.  

Book Review - Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica

Amazon UK

Title: Don't You Cry

Author: Mary Kubica

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: MIRA

Publication Date: 17th May 2016 

Rating: 3.5 Stars

In downtown Chicago, a young woman named Esther Vaughan disappears from her apartment without a trace. A haunting letter addressed to My Dearest is found among her possessions, leaving her friend and roommate Quinn Collins to wonder where Esther is and whether or not she's the person Quinn thought she knew.

Meanwhile, in a small Michigan harbour town an hour outside Chicago, a mysterious woman appears in the quiet coffee shop where 18 year old Alex Gallo works as a dishwasher. He is immediately drawn to her charm and beauty, but what starts as an innocent crush quickly spirals into something far more dark and sinister.

As Quinn searches for answers about Esther, and Alex is drawn further under the stranger's spell, Mary Kubica takes readers on a taut and twisted rollercoaster ride that builds to a stunning conclusion.

It took until the last quarter of the book for me to be hooked on it at all, which point I was just thankful I was reading it on a Friday evening with no work the following morning, as couldn't put the remainder down. 

However for the majority of the book I was enjoying Quinn's part of the story about her missing room mate, but just couldn't get to grips with Alex's half, to the extent that I found myself skimming some of Alex's pages as there was so much narrative, but not enough action for my liking. 

It is a story about the disappearance of a house mate, and the appearance of a stranger in another town. From reading the blurb I had my suspicions but it took until a quite far into the book for me to realise the truth of what was actually happening, and it wasn't like I suspected and there are definitely some red herrings thrown in for good measure too. 

The writing was good, I think it's just that I enjoyed Mary Kubica's previous book a lot more and thus was disappointed by this story, however since the last part redeemed itself, I am glad I read the whole book.  I find with psychological thrillers I either love them and find them unputdownable, or like this one I struggle a lot until I find the redeeming features. I'm very slowly learning that I need the blurb to excite or hook me from the start, as those are the books in this genre that I tend to enjoy. 

Obviously books affect everyone in different ways, and it may just be that I wasn't quite in the right head space for this book when I read it. Don't You Cry is an interesting story, some of the characters were really nice, especially Quinn, but yet I found the lack of information about the two girls central to the story frustrating at times, as it made it that bit harder to connect to them. 

Thank you to Netgalley and MIRA for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Book Review - Remember My Name by Abbey Clancy

Amazon UK

Title:  Remember My Name

Author: Abbey Clancy

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: MIRA

Publication Date: 19th May 2016 

Rating: 5 Stars

Model and TV presenter Abbey Clancy’s debut novel is a romantic comedy about a girl from Liverpool who dreams of hitting the big time….

From the moment Liverpool teenager Jess stars in the school musical, she knows that she’s GOT to be a star. Fast forward a few years and the closest the now 22 year old Jessica has got to stardom is as a children’s entertainer – which is where she meets Jack, uncle to the spoiled 5 year old birthday princess, who spots Jessica’s talent and offers her a job with a record label. But that means that she’ll have to leave her family and her home and move to London – where she quickly finds that the streets aren’t quite paved with gold. And as she spends her days making tea for bitchy PR girls and her nights in a mouldy studio flat, Jessica wonders if leaving Liverpool for London has been a terrible mistake.

Attending an industry party – unfortunately only to serve canapes – Jessica’s fortunes suddenly change when Vogue, the singer due to perform at the event drops out. Before she knows it, Jessica volunteers to stand in and takes centre stage. After a dazzling performance, she is surrounded by people wondering who this amazing new talent is. What’s more, her star turn has been captured by the press and she has become an overnight sensation.

Plunged into the crazy world of glitz and glamour, Jessica’s life is transformed but as her star rises, she loses touch with her roots. Jessica’s teenage dreams of stardom may have come true, but at what cost?

Remember My Name deserves the five stars I'm giving it for no other reason that it successfully took my mind of various things that had been spinning around in my brain when I wasn't reading. It is the perfect mix of light hearted romantic comedy, a tale of unexpected celebrity, and just a lot of fun. 

I loved reading about the parties that Jess gets invited to, both as she is starting out, initially as a Disney princess, and that particular party where she was Elsa, will stick in my mind for a while, and then later after she has been discovered and moved to London, there are some other memorable parties. For example the one where she takes Vogue's place as the singer at a big launch party, and ends up launching her own fame sky high and turns into an overnight sensation. Then there are lots of other parties which are various degrees of fun. 

Of course its not all fun and games, Jess' personal journey as her profile rises, is a struggle, as she knows she shouldn't be letting it all go a bit to her head, and has great intentions, but can't quite find the energy to follow through. 

Due to Abby Clancy's career I really do believe a lot of what is written is based very closely on reality and that starting a fledgling singing career really is as exhausting as its portrayed. 

While it may not be the the most literary of books, it isn't trying to be either. If you are looking for a romantic comedy, set in the world of showbiz, with some sexy men, sassy women and some incredibly lovely characters, then Remember My Name is certainly worth a read. When you are in the mood for something light hearted, entertaining and all round fun, then you can do a lot worse than picking up this book and enjoying the ride. 

Thanks to Netgalley and MIRA for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Quick Peek at Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica - Blog Tour

When I enter Esther’s bedroom, the first thing I notice is the cold. Drafts of frosty November air sail in from the window. A stash of paper on her desk—held secure by a heavy college text-book: Introduction to Occupational Therapy—blows in the breeze, making a raucous noise. Frost covers the insides of the window, condensation running in streams down the panes of glass. The window is pushed up all the way. The fiberglass screen is re¬moved, set to the floor with cause. 

I lean out the window to see if Esther is there on the fire escape, but outside the world—on our little residential block of Chicago—is quiet and dark. Parked cars line the street, caked in the last batch of fallen leaves from nearby trees. Frost covers the cars and the yellowing grass, which fades fast; soon it will die. Plumes of smoke escape from roof vents on nearby homes, drifting into the morning sky. The whole of Farragut Avenue is asleep, except for me.

The fire escape is empty; Esther is not there. 

I turn away from the window and see Esther’s covers lying on the floor, a bright orange duvet with an aqua throw. “Esther?” I say as I make my way across the boxy bedroom, hardly big enough for Esther’s double bed. I trip over a stash of clothes tossed to the floor, my feet getting tangled in a pair of jeans. “Rise and shine,” I say as I smack my hand against the alarm clock to shut it up. Instead, I wind up turning the radio on, and a cacophony of noise fills the room, morning talk against the drone of the alarm. “Dammit,” I swear, and then, losing patience, “Esther!”

I see it then as my eyes adjust to the darkness of the room: Saint Esther is not in her bed.

I finally manage to shut off the alarm clock and then turn on the light, grimacing as the bright light makes my head ache, the aftereffects of an overindulgent night. I do a double take to make sure I haven’t somehow or other managed to miss Esther, check¬ing under the heap of blankets lying on the floor. Ridiculous, I know, even as I’m doing it, but I do it nonetheless. I check in her closet; I check the single bathroom, my eyes scanning past the prolific collection of overpriced cosmetics we share, tossed at random on the vanity.

But Esther is nowhere.

Amazon UK

That was a short extract from the start of Don't You Cry, if it has whetted your appetite for the book, then please do follow along with the rest of the blog tour, or of course head to your favourite retailer to purchase the book! 

Book Review - So Now You're Back by Heidi Rice

Amazon UK

Title: So Now You're Back

Author: Heidi Rice

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: MIRA

Publication Date: 25th February 2016 

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Halle Best, TV's Domestic Diva, is proud of everything she's achieved.

Halle took her passion for baking and built her media empire alone after her ex Luke walked out on her sixteen years ago, leaving her a single mum to their two-year-old daughter Lizzie in a dingy flat in Hackney.

Now a bona fide celebrity success, she only speaks to Luke via her lawyer. But as he is threatening to write a tell-all book exposing some of Halle's deepest secrets, keeping him at arm's length won't be so easy anymore.

When Luke suggests a getaway to work through their past, Halle thinks he's crazy; if they can survive two weeks together it will be a miracle.

Yet reconnecting with her past, could be the only way to start her future.

I freely admit to having the lyrics to I Will Survive running through my head, pretty much every time I have come across this book's title, so in some respects very glad I read it on my kindle, so didn't have to stare at the pretty cover continuously, and thankfully I loved the book every bit as much as I do, the classic disco/karaoke hit!

There really are two romances going on in this book, one for Halle, and involving her 18 year old daughter Lizzie. Lizzie's story is more of a coming of age, realising your maturity style of story, as well as her possibly inappropriate crush that could turn into more. 

However for Halle, its the reappearance in her life of  Lizzie's father who she has refused to speak to for 16 years is a shock. As is the way she ends up being tricked into spending two weeks in the wilderness in Tennessee, on an extreme couples retreat. Needless to say some of the consequences could be regarded as predictable and the rest are generally highly amusing. 

There is clearly still a spark between Halle and Luke, however she goes to great lengths to try and deny it. I loved some of the banter between the pair of them, and throughout the book there were small sections of dialogue that would make me smile and giggle to myself. 

This is generally a very upbeat book which doesn't have a huge amount of depth to it, until you start learning about the key males childhoods and upbringings at which point, there is a more serious thread there. 

I found So Now You're Back to be a really easy to read book, that was a sheer delight, and I will definitely be looking out for future releases by Heidi Rice. 

Thank you to Netgalley and MIRA for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Book Review - The Disappearance by Annabel Kantaria

Amazon UK

Title: The Disappearance

Author: Annabel Kantaria

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: MIRA

Publication Date: 21st April 2016

Rating: 3.5 Stars

In a family built on lies, who can you trust?
Audrey Bailey will never forget the moment she met Ralph Templeton in the sweltering heat of a Bombay café. Her lonely life over, she was soon married with two small children. But things in the Templeton household were never quite what they seemed.

Now approaching 70, and increasingly a burden on the children she’s never felt close to, Audrey plans a once-in-a-lifetime cruise around the Greek isles. Forcing twins Lexi and John along for the ride, the Templetons set sail as a party of three – but only two will return.

On the night of her birthday, Audrey goes missing…hours after she breaks the news that the twins stand to inherit a fortune after her death. As the search of the ship widens, so does the list of suspects – and with dark clues emerging about Audrey’s early life, the twins begin to question if they can even trust one another…

The first part of this book jumps around a lot, between the events leading up to the cruise, and also Audrey's early marriage, how she met Ralph Templeton, and just what went on behind closed doors. 

I found myself the whole way through really hating Lexi and John, Aubrey's adult twins, who seemed to resent their mother, and determined to put her in a home years before it would be necessary. I found there was no warmth to either character, and it took until almost the end of the book for my opinion of Lexi to change. John was just horrible man, and seemed to share characteristics with his father. 

The second part of the book is the cruise in detail, and as a huge travel fan, cruising, fan and lover of the Greek Isles, I enjoyed reading about the ports of call, and trying to guess what real world cruise ship the ship they were on was based on. The descriptions in this part of the book really spoke to me and the first few days of the cruise was my favourite section of the whole book. 

I found the disappearance in question to be ultimately disappointing, I didn't feel any tension, or the must read pull that I normally would with a book of this nature, and although there were some surprises, I found they really were just potential motives of a far nastier theory. 

Although I didn't quite guess the outcome, I was hoping for it to turn out how it did, so I didn't even get a a proper shock at the ending. 

I found The Disappearance had a lot of promise but that it just fell short as a psychological thriller. As a book about family dynamics, that had a family holiday in it, I found it an enjoyable story, with quite a few positives, but found my lack of empathy towards any of the main characters a bit worrying, and this didn't really connect to the book as a whole. I did find it to be a surprisingly fast book, and although I wouldn't say it was compulsive, I did read it in one evening, and was shocked how quick I seemed to be getting through it. 

Thanks so much to Netgalley and MIRA for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Funday Friday - Truth or Lie? - Rachel Dove - Month 1 Week 1

Welcome to the first ever edition of Truth of Lie. My name is Rachel and I will be your host, for this exciting new game show. Each Friday, I will have one contestant, and they will be answering 14 questions. There is of course one small twist, 

For three of the answers, they have to lie. It is your task as the viewer to guess which three answers are lies. You are allowed 3 guesses and I want them posted into the comments field. 

Every 4 weeks, I will close the guessing, count up how many correct answers each of you has, and create a leaderboard. 

Anyone who is top of the leaderboard, will go into a draw for a paperback of the winners choice (open internationally). 

Please do include a way for me to contact you (email or twitter or similar), so that I can let you know if you have won. 

The weekend after a 4 week period closes, not only will I produce a leaderboard, and announce a winner, I will also let you know into the true answers, and which were the lies.  

Closing date for the first month is 11pm on 19th May 2016. 

So without further ado, let's meet today's contestant. 

Good morning Rachel Dove, please tell me a little bit about yourself

I am a wife and mother living in Yorkshire, with a cat and dog who don't particularly like each other, two boys who never seem to sleep, and a husband who holds us all together. I used to teach adults, but I now write full time in between school runs, errands, and time spent under blanket forts reading books and stitching. I write romantic fiction, and last year I won the Prima and Mills & Boon Flirty Fiction Competition, changing my life forever. The Chic Boutique on Baker Street is out on 21st April 2016, and I can't wait for you all to meet the characters!
Congratulations on winning Rachel, and wish you every success with the new book.  

Now onto the show, and remember everyone, Rachel hasn't been entirely truthful with three of these answers, so it is up to you to guess which ones they are (only 3 guesses per person though). 

1) Who is your favourite author?

If I absolutely had to pick one, I would have to say Emily Bronte, the writer of my favourite book, Wuthering Heights. 

2) What book do you wish you had written?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Love those books. Katniss Everdeen is who I want to be when I grow up.

3) Tell me about any really memorable dream or nightmare you have had

 I used to be terrified of the Thriller video from Michael Jackson. I used to have pretty terrible nightmares about the zombies when I was little, and I still can't bear to listen to the music.

4) What was your most memorable holiday ever?

Before we had children, Peter (my husband and I) went on holiday with family to Lanzarote. It was a fantastic holiday, and we were undergoing fertility treatment before we left, and I came back pregnant! I always tell Book Worm, my eldest, now 8, that we were going to call him Lanzarote Dove, like Brooklyn Beckham. He is always suitably horrified. 

5) If you could be an animal what would you be and why?

My favourite animal ever is an elephant, so that would be amazing. I love how graceful they are for their size. An elephant or a pet owned by me. Max the dog and Tilly the cat do nothing but sleep, eat and get pampered!

6) If you could be a fruit, what would you be and why?

A strawberry. Love them, and they make me think of Wimbledon, of summer. I used to pick them as a child with my grandparents, lovely memories.

7) What is the most annoying interview question you have ever been asked?

If you could be a fruit, what would you be and why? Ha ha!

8) Do you consider yourself to be an angel or a devil?

I used to be a devil, I was a bit of a wild one in my yoof! I did all kinds of jobs too, from nightclub manager to advertising sales for a newspaper. I am an angel now though, I like a nice quiet life, and I love every minute. Bring on the PJs and the woolly socks!

9) Besides reading, which I am guessing is a given, what other hobbies do you have?

I am a bit of an adrenalin junkie, so I tend to spend a few weekends a year out there white water rafting, abseiling etc. I am yet to try base jumping. 

10) If you could only look at one view for the rest of eternity, what or where would you like to be to see this view?

Tom Hardy's bedroom window, in a tree, with a stack of books (for when he goes out or sleeps) and a flask of tea. 

11) Who is the most important person in the world to you?

Aside from my kids, which is a given, I would have to say my husband. He knows me better than I know myself, scarily so at times, and he is my biggest champion. He silences my moaning and talks me off the ledge. He makes me belly laugh, and I love him to bits. 

12) Can you let us in on an embarrassing secret?

I like to watch You Tube videos of pimple popping and blackhead zapping, late at night when everyone else is in bed. I know it's gross, but I can't help it. I love them. 

13) If you won the lottery, how would you spend the money?

I would buy a place in the country with space for animals, see my family are looked after, and do some good with the rest. Plenty of charities out there needing help. A bursary for new writers would be pretty useful out there, I am sure. 

14) What are you most scared of?

Not much scares me to be honest, it's more the things not done that keeps me up at night. You get one life, so you have to get out there and do what you want to do. 

Thank you Rachel, for being our first contestant. I'm really sorry about the fruit question and yuck what a disgusting embarrassing secret, I suggest you keep that to yourself in future! 

I hope you have enjoyed this first edition of Truth or Lie? I will be back next week with another episode, and in the mean time...

Don't forget to guess the lies, to be in with a chance of a prize! 

Amazon UK

Rachel Dove can also be found on Twitter.