Book Review - Playing By The Rules by Rosa Temple

Amazon UK

Title: Playing By The Rules

Author: Rosa Temple

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 15th February 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

On the 3rd of August, I died. Well, not literally, but it felt like my life was over. Melodramatic? Me? Just a teensy bit…

When workshy socialite Magenta Bright learns that inheritance comes with one horrific condition, she mentally kisses goodbye to the money. Get a job and keep it for a year? Not likely.

Naïve CEO Anthony Shearman is persuaded to hire her as his PA, and Magenta decides to stick it out, if only because of her sexy boss. But between the bitchy receptionist, Anthony’s beautiful fiancée and not having a clue how to be a career girl, Magenta barely makes it to the end of her first day.

So, just 364 to go then…

Great mix of fun, giggle inducing writing and with two potential love interests that kept me guessing until really close to the end. 

Magenta's life really starts to change when she is informed about her inheritance, or more specifically the conditions attached to it.  So long as she can stay in continuous employment at the same company for a whole year, she will inherit, otherwise its a long wait until she is in her 40s to be eligible. 

For Magenta has never held a job for longer than 2 months at a time, and it appears on the surface at least she is the outsider in her high flying family who all seem to have far more determination to succeed than she does. 

She gets a job purely as one of her sisters pulls in a favour, but the CEO, Anthony Shearman is actually more clueless at business than she is, so its fantastic to see them pull together and learn a lot about themselves and each other, and just what they are capable of. 

There are two potential men in her life, and I enjoyed seeing her agonise over ways to distract herself and her heart from either of them for the majority of the story. She was reasonably determined to stay single, at whatever cost to her happiness. 

I loved Magenta's family, there is just something about their dynamics that was great to see, and the party that was given to celebrate Magenta first getting the job is hilarious. Magenta's best friend was also great character, even if her accent could get slightly annoying at times. 

Playing By The Rules is just generally a light hearted, entertaining story that doesn't take itself too seriously, but is a coming of age story of sorts for Magenta. 

Thank you so much to Netgalley and HQ Digital for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Single by Christmas by Rosa Temple

Amazon UK

Title: Single By Christmas

Author: Rosa Temple

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied review copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 18th October 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

You’ve heard the saying, ‘opposites attract’ haven’t you? Well meet 27 year old Alex Marshall, a party girl with a penchant for free flowing Prosecco, and her devilishly handsome scientist boyfriend, Charlie, who loves jazz and dinner for two.

Alex and Charlie are together for 11 blissful months until Alex goes out of town and does something she will later regret. Was she drunk? You bet. Does she want Charlie to know? Well what do you think?
With the couple about to spend their first Christmas together will Charlie be the forgiving kind or will Alex be Single by Christmas?

This is a feel good, Christmas novel with very few mince pies, not much snow and absolutely no mistletoe – just a couple of best friends, a sociopathic nemesis and a lot of drinking.

If you are ever fortunate to be in love and in a committed relationship with someone by the end of November, please don't do what Alex does in Single By Christmas and end up destroying a perfectly good relationship in under a month. 

I have spent the entire book with assorted mixed feelings towards Alex, at on point I really did want to throw rocks at her head, at others I hated her, some of the time I felt sorry for her, I generally thought that most of her problems were her own fault, but yet when it came to having a friend in need she has  strong sense of loyalty and doing the right thing by them. The problem is due to her multi faceted personality, there are times she drifts off into daydreams and ends up double booking her boyfriend, or missing key things he is saying. 

But yet Alex isn't malicious, just careless, and thankfully although I really wasn't sure what to think about her, I did think Charlie, was a saint for the majority of December barely complaining at anything. 

The story takes place over the month of December and charts the course of how you can start the month with a boyfriend and potentially end up single by Christmas day. Add in her best friend having a relationship crisis, and a potentially new job and promotion, and there is a lot to take in. 

Despite my feelings towards Alex I was definitely entertained by Single By Christmas, and found it a very easy book to read, and the pacing was good. You could see the timeline of the story clearly, and everything was from Alex's point of view. 

This won't be the most overly festive feeling book you will read with Christmas in the title but what you have is a great generally light hearted romantic comedy that is enjoyable to read on a cold winter's day! 

Thank you to Rosa Temple for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Guest Post - Mr Perfect vs The Perfect Christmas by Rosa Temple - Blog Tour

When I told a friend of mine that I had written a novel called, Single by Christmas, she asked if I didn’t mean, ‘Married’ by Christmas. After all, she told me over the phone, isn’t that what happens with heroines in the type of book you write?

Well I had to point out to her that sometimes genres can be turned on their heads and for all she knew my heroine might just be married by Christmas because I’d managed to weave it into the story by way of a massive plot twist – the title might be red herring I told her.

After hanging up, I thought a lot about what she said. Chick Lit novels and the type of romantic comedy that I love to write usually call for a Happy Ever After, don’t they? But that made me wonder, should a woman go all out to find the perfect man in time for a big holiday like Christmas, in the tradition of true love, or does she forget about men and try for the kind of Christmas that everyone loved once upon a time – the Christmas that’s all about family and friends.

If you’re happily in a relationship then this won’t really apply to you, but I have a few single girlfriends who are not relishing another holiday season without the arms of a hunky guy wrapped around them. It’s not as if I don’t get that, but why put yourself under so much pressure when it is only one day after all? Somehow the true meaning of Christmas gets lost if all the single women are going Bridget Jones crazy and singing, “All by Myself” just because there isn’t a man around.

Instead, I say, down with love (or at least searching for it for a while) and get out your old turkey baking tray, Christmas cake recipes and invite family and friends over on Christmas day, instead. It’s the perfect time of year to catch up on old friends and people you haven’t seen in a while. So why not throw a party? 

I remember moving to a new flat some time ago and when it came to Christmas I decided I’d invite lots of people around. I threw an open house party; cooked a big pot of chilli, a big one of mulled wine (which got topped up frequently) and opened my doors from the afternoon onwards. The idea was that people would come and leave after a while making room for the next bunch of people who came in. Trouble was, it was such a success, no one left and my poor little flat was bursting at the seams. But it was a great Christmas party and one I’d love to capture the spirit of again.

Mr Perfect or no Mr Perfect, you can still have a good time.

This year, I will be doing what I love to do best at Christmas time; every evening I get cosy on the sofa, lights on the tree twinkling and I indulge in a slushy film on the television. Then to top it all, on the day, I go crazy in the kitchen, whipping up a load of food for the family. Later I’ll be lying on the sofa in a daze while keeping a watchful eye on the Ferrero Rocher, hoping the rest of the family don’t eat them all before I have space.

Sounds pretty indulgent but that’s a Merry Christmas for me and I’m pretty sure that instead of trying to find Mr Perfect in time for Christmas, you’d have a great time with the people currently in your life and who already love you loads!

Thank you so much for this post Rosa, I can pretty much guarantee I will be "Single by Christmas" as I always am, but always tend to get into the festive spirit regardless. Merry Christmas!

Blog – Rosa Temple Writes: http://rosatemplewrites.blogspot.co.uk/
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Guest Post & Giveaway - What's Wrong With Chick Lit? by Rosa Temple

My first full length novel, Natalie's Getting Married, falls right down the middle of the  Chick-Lit and Romantic Comedy genres. Once I'd discovered my writer's voice, I've really enjoyed coming up with new stories using both of these genres as I develop my own style. 

As a writer new to Chick-Lit, I was shocked and annoyed at what a bad press this genre seems to have gotten in some places. Only recently I read an article by someone who says: “Terms like “chick lit” are obviously degrading...”  

I was fuming at that statement but read on anyway. Basically the article was in praise of writers like Jodi Picoult, whose fiction novels cover several topics, some to do with love and romance, though none that could typically be called Chick-Lit. But, as it seems, people like Amazon and the press lump her titles into Chick-Lit because it was written by a woman! 

I'm happy for people like Jodi Picoult to want to disassociate themselves from my genre if it's not what she writes, but I do resent being looked down on because I read and write Chick-Lit! It's a valid genre loved and enjoyed by people of all ages and walks of life, all over the world.  

So what makes a book Chick-Lit?

For me, it's a story that is told in a lighter fashion to the literary novels like The Tea Planter's Wife or The Husband's Secret. Chick-Lit can have elements of comedy thrown in but mainly revolve around the journey of a woman. She can come in many shapes and sizes, from anywhere in the world and her journey sees her transform and learn something along the way.

While I admit I have read a lot of Chick-Lit lit doozers (and by that I mean badly written books), I have read an awful lot which were quite brilliant, inspiring and took me out of my everyday world while I was engrossed in the pages.

Who could have a problem with that?

You only have to look at the number of people buying Chick-Lit and buying to an extent that it tops bestseller lists with titles that have formed the launch pad for loads of blockbuster films! You can't look down your nose at that, surely?

But I do have a gripe about the so-called big boys, like Amazon (and I guess this is the same gripe writers like Jodi Picoult have), is that they are pretty slack when it comes to what they throw at you when you search for a particular type of book. As a proud writer of Chick-Lit I don't want my book to appear anywhere other than where I want it to appear – with all the other Chick-Lit. You see, whenever I click on the search button for my next Chick-Lit fix, I get a bombardment of erotica and steamy romances with photos of naked torsos on the cover added to the mix! 

Does that annoy you, too?

As a writer I put my trust in people like Amazon to place my book where it will be noticed by people who want to read my genre. I'm not happy that they assume that because women in the main read Chick-Lit and women, in the main, read erotica, that it's okay to lump us all into one group. Like we don't have a brain and we can't decide for ourselves what we want to read.

If I ask for Chick-Lit, I want Chick-Lit. Not a girl riding naked on a horse with a handsome man before they end up in a hayloft for a torrid love making scene and then he rides off for his next conquest. Sex in Chick-Lit is part of the story (if there are any lovemaking scenes) but not what the story is about. 

At the moment, Amazon is the only place you can pick up a copy of Natalie's Getting Married. I promise I have selected for it to be found under Chick-Lit, so if you did fancy reading it, you'll know where to find it. But I apologise in advance if the search brings up a few heaving bosoms and six pack abs. I do promise that within the pages of Natalie's Getting Married, the romance is sweet and fun when it isn't being heart wrenching or sad. The sex is hot but underplayed and definitely not gratuitous.

So how about you? What does Chick-Lit mean to you and what great titles would you recommend for me to add to my Chick-Lit To Be Read list for 2016?

About Rosa Temple

Rosa Temple began writing romantic comedies and chick lit because of her passion for what she calls the 'early chick lit films', like: Sabrina, Barefoot In the Park and Breakfast at Tiffany's. She honed her skills as a ghost writer, gaining experience writing romantic novellas, both sweet and on the slightly steamy side. In her notebooks, she constantly jotted down story ideas of her own and she eventually completed her first novella Sleeping With Your Best Friend and now, the full length novel, Natalie's Getting Married.

Rosa Temple is a Londoner and is married with two sons. She is a reluctant keep fit fanatic and doer of housework and insists that writing keeps her away from such strenuous tasks. She spends her days creating characters and story lines while drinking herbal tea and eating chocolate biscuits. 

To find out more about Rosa and to catch up on all her musings please join her here on Rosa Temple Writes...

Twitter | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Giveaway to win 5 x E-copies of Natalie's Getting Married by Rosa Temple (Open Internationally)

Rosa Temple has given me 5 e-copies of Natalie's Getting Married to giveaway to some lucky winners. 

Giveaway open internationally, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 22/3/2016. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

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Thank you so much Rosa Temple for this fabulous guest post. My personal recommendation to you for more chick lit to read, would be to follow my blog, as I would like to think I'll find some great books over the next few months.  Thank you too for this wonderful giveaway, and I wish everyone taking part a lot of luck. Can't wait to see all your comments for Rosa.

Book Review - Natalie's Getting Married by Rosa Temple

Amazon UK

Title: Natalie's Getting Married

Author: Rosa Temple

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied review copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 14th March 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Career minded, Natalie Spencer, had never been in love. She could never understand what all the fuss was about. But when she met Jackson Humphries during Fresher’s Week at university, that all changed. 

Utterly infatuated, Natalie quickly discovers the meaning of love and, before she knows it, she's heading up the aisle – for the first time, that is. 

This is a tale about four wedding dresses, a runaway groom and a girl who got so carried away, she couldn’t see true love staring her right in the face. 

Natalie's Getting Married, was just what I needed as I read it. It was light hearted, good fun and a great romantic comedy.  Rosa Temple is  writing with a fresh voice, that is very friendly and easy to get along with and warm to. 

Natalie is clearly a romantic. She falls in love very easily and is then blinkered to the man's faults, and is determined that whoever he is will be her happy ever after. It soon becomes apparent that she is blinkered to who is her real man of her dreams, but before we get there, we have three other weddings (not all Natalie's), a sprinkling of men and their relationships with our lead female, and lots of fun in between. 

The book is split into three parts, each of them ending in the same way, with a wedding. They are to signify the differing chapters in Natalie's life as she tries to keep reinventing herself. Every chapter moves the story along in time, and the whole book is set throughout the Nineties. 

I knew who I was hoping Natalie would end up with, and did at times get frustrated that neither character had the guts to say what was clear to the observer. 

Natalie's Getting Married is a sweet romance, that will had me smiling the whole way through. I found it to be a pleasant, reasonable length story (not too long, not overly short), and was entertained throughout. 

Thank you to Rosa Temple for the review copy of this book. This was my honest opinion.