Book Review - A Home in Sunset Bay by Rebecca Pugh

Amazon UK

Title: A Home in Sunset Bay

Author: Rebecca Pugh

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Carina

Publication Date: 9th Feb 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

There’s no place like home…
Enough is enough! The always perfect Laurie Chapman had jumped in her car and raced as fast as she could from London heading to Sunset Bay and (she hopes!) the open arms of her estranged sister…

Mia Chapman loves running Dolly’s Diner in the picture-perfect coastal Cornish town of Sunset Bay. Now that her and Grandma Dolly’s dream is finally a reality Mia has never been prouder! Until Laurie suddenly turns up on her doorstep… How can she forgive the sister who walked away?

Once upon a time Mia and Laurie were best friends. Back together after so long, the time has come for the sisters to figure out what went so wrong all those years ago – and whether they can ever put it right!

An uplifting romantic comedy about sisters, friendship and the love of good food.

After seeing the cover revealed for A Home in Sunset Bay, I knew this would be my kind of book, and that I couldn't believe how pretty the cover is. This is the first book that I have read by Rebecca Pugh, and I instantly felt like I was coming home, to  a warm and cosy friend. Sunset Bay sounds like a picturesque place to live, and Dolly's Diner is clearly at the heart of the community. 

Mia Chapman runs Dolly's Diner, which is reminiscent of a 50s style American diner, complete with a jukebox. I had the image of the diner from the Grease in my mind as I was reading this. She is very happy running the diner, and then suddenly her estranged sister Laurie turns up in the middle of a party. 

Laurie has had a tough time of it recently, after walking in on her boyfriend and another woman, and she also realises that she is no longer happy in her job, and hopes her sister will provide some comfort, despite them not having spoken for a few years. 

It was interesting to see the differences in Mia and Laurie's relationships with their parents, and how they slowly rebuilt the relationship. The reason for the estrangement made sense, and slowly the sisters work on their relationship. 

A Home in Sunset Bay is a story about sisterhood, new romances blossoming from friendships, the wonderful diner, and about making your own way in the world. It is written in a cosy style, as it draws you right into what is happening, along with wonderful descriptions, to really build up a fabulous picture of everything in your minds eye. 

I had the same feeling from this book, as I usually get from Katie Fforde's books, of  a small town location, and just the feeling that you have always known these characters as well as your best friends. I loved the writing, and the all the characters that work in the diner. 

I really enjoyed A Home in Sunset Bay, and really hope that Rebecca Pugh can continue to produce books of this quality for a long time.

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

Book Review - We Just Clicked by Sophie Childs

Amazon UK

Title: We Just Clicked

Author: Sophie Childs

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: So Vain Books

Publication Date: 4th February 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

Erin Cochrane loves the gossip and the countless bizarre stories about her best friend Bex’ adventures with online dating. Not that she’d ever sign up for the site herself. Erin’s far too busy planning her dream wedding to her gorgeous fiancé, Tyson. 

But when Tyson decides that he is not ready for marriage, Erin’s world is turned upside down. Forced to move back in with her eccentric mother, things couldn’t get any worse. Thrust back into the singles’ scene, could online dating be the escape Erin needs from it all? Or will it be just another disaster? 
From stalkers to cheapskates, Erin feels as though she’s become a magnet for every loser around, until she opens one message that changes everything. 

An intriguing novel about modern dating and unexpected encounters that will keep you entertained right up to the very last page.

Before starting this I was expecting We Just Clicked to be yet another book about online dating, with a helping of funny anecdotes about dates from hell. Although the story did start going in that direction there is so much more to it than that, especially after Erin gets a message from the dating site that really catches her eye. 

Just reading that message, I would have been tempted to date the man in question, so was glad when Erin, against her misgivings met up and had a fabulous date. From there one, the story becomes a lot more romantic, with some lovely dates, and he's the sort of man, that doesn't even have a problem with Erin's somewhat eccentric mother. 

Erin's mother Delia, is the life and soul of any party, she is larger than life, swaps hobbies more regularly than people change their socks. She may have a habit of embarrassing Erin regularly, and a different interpretation of borrowing to other people, but she clearly loves Erin, and just wants what is best for her. 

We Just Clicked is incredibly entertaining, and had me hooked. I thankfully had some free time when I started it, as  before long I was over half way and didn't even notice. It's probably more of a longer novella than full blown novel, but that doesn't detract from how easy it was to read, and what a great way to while away a few hours. 

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

Guest Post - Sophie King talks about her inspiration

My Sophie King novels have all been inspired by my children. I’m lucky enough to have three – each of them very different. I also have a big age gap between the first and third – seven and a half years. This led to a lot of laughter, tears, arguments, hair-tearing (mine), winning battles (them) and crazy school runs. At one stage, I brought up my youngest more or less on my own from the age of fourteen. This was another learning curve.

But – and most writers would admit it – all this led to lots of plots and ideas for novels. Naturally I adapted these and brought in fiction to disguise the fact. I also changed the characters. But I could not have written the humour and the pathos without the crazy busy family life around me.

Then came something I hadn’t prepared myself for, even though I should have done. Leaving home for uni and other destinations. Somehow it happened much faster than I expected. One by one, they peeled off. My middle child even went to Asia for three years (it was meant to be two). Were they running away from me? Or simply finding themselves?

It was hard to know. I hoped it was the latter.

When my youngest left home, I had a double empty nest syndrome. Not only was I a single mother without children around to distract me, but I had also lost my inspiration for the young family books I’d built my career on.

Luckily I was in for a surprise. Children usually come home even when they’ve flown the nest. At different times, they flitted in and out. It was wonderful to see them – and it also sparked off my writing plots again. Now, more than ever before, I treasure each moment with them; not knowing when they might ring the door bell, laundry in hand.

But what I hadn’t reckoned on was an extraordinary event that took place just before Christmas. Something so marvellous that it’s hard to put into words. I married young the first time and we had our children quite young. My daughter did the same and – yes, you’ve guessed it – our first grandchild arrived just before Christmas. She has brought us more joy than I can describe. It’s truly incredible to have a tiny baby around once more with all the gurgles and chat and cries and nappy changes that go with it.

I’m a very hands-on grannie partly because my own mother died young and I don’t want to miss out on this new role as she had to do. Every morning I spend an hour with my granddaughter so my daughter can get dressed and have breakfast, before going back to my second husband and my writing.

It’s a true delight. But the funny thing is that I feel like a novice. Everything is different now from my day. Babies sleep on their backs instead of their fronts. You need a degree in science to understand how the baby car seat works. Feeding advice has changed. There are more support networks.

You can see what’s coming. More Sophie King stories that involve young babies, grown up children and grannies.
Watch this space ...

Meanwhile, does anyone have some good tips for colic?

About Sophie King

Sophie King is the author of seven novels, and a short story collection, about families, friends and lovers.

Her first novel, The School Run, has been a bestseller twice, and The Wedding Party was shortlisted by the Romantic Novelists' Association as Love Story of the Year.

In between novels, Sophie writes short stories and has had hundreds published in magazines such as Woman's Weekly and My Weekly. Sophie is delighted to support new romance writing through her annual writing competition The Sophie King Prize.

Website | Twitter | Sophie King on Amazon

Thank you so much Sophie for this insight into your inspiration. It really does shine through into your books, which I really enjoy. It's been a pleasure to welcome you to Rachel's Random Reads.

Book Review - A Sudden Crush by Camilla Isley

Amazon UK

Title: A Sudden Crush

Author: Camilla Isley

Format reviewed: E-book

Source: Author supplied review copy

Publisher: Pink Bloom Press

Publication Date: 4th February 2016

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Joanna Price is a city girl with the perfect life. She loves her job as a book editor, she just married Liam, high profile bestselling author and the man of her dreams, and she’s headed to the Caribbean to enjoy two weeks of paradise for her luxurious honeymoon. 

Connor Duffield is a gruff, grumpy rancher from the Midwest. He is a country boy who has a no-nonsense approach to life, more scars than he’d like to admit, and he hates city girls. 

So it’s just a misfortune they have to sit next to each other for a six hour plane ride. Even more so when their flight is caught in the perfect storm and Joanna wakes up stranded on a desert island with Connor, the very man she hoped she would never have to see again. 

Why are they alone on this forsaken island? What happened to Joanna’s husband? 

When her dream honeymoon turns into a hilarious tropical nightmare, Joanna’s first thought is survival. However, she and Connor will quickly discover just how boring paradise can be. As the days turn to weeks, and then months, this mismatched pair will have to learn how to coexist and how to resist the sparkles of an attraction they weren’t prepared to feel. 

When they are finally rescued will Joanna’s marriage be saved as well, or will the life she knew and loved be in ruins?

Going to have to start with a warning for this book. Do not read the first two or three chapters, while on a plane, especially if you are a nervous flier. The level of description of the plane ride,, which leaves Joanna and Connor stranded on a deserted tropical island, is scarily real, and provides a fabulous introduction to this fabulous story. 

Joanna and Connor couldn't be more different. Connor is like a caveman, seems to mainly communicate in grunts, and is not overly chatty. Joanna, was on the flight to the Caribbean for her honeymoon with Liam, but when she ends up on the island,  she shows she is more than just a city slicker. Joanna is also a book editor, and I loved all of her feeling about books, and they mirror quite a lot of my own thoughts. 

Time passes very fast in A Sudden Crussh, so keep your eyes on the chapter headings, so you can see how much further on you are. This adds to the pace of the book, and keeps you on your toes, as you see all the key moments that occur. 

My only slight criticism about the book is that although I loved the characters, they sometimes felt a bit one dimensional. I didn't really get a well rounded feel for them, nor did I have a good sense of their back stories.  However it didn't spoil my enjoyment as I think the idea for the book was to be more of a light weight, fast paced, enjoyable romantic comedy, and on those grounds it succeeds. 

From tropical islands, to a monkey named Manny, to various survival scores, with a fair bit of romantic tension too, A Sudden Crush has it all. It is very easy to read, and only took me a few hours to complete, as I was so absorbed in the story, especially while they were on the island. 

Thank you so much to Camilla Isley for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

New Covers Revealed for Sophie King books

I went to the same school as Sophie King, although many years later. I had already bought my first Sophie King book, before I spotted her name in the leavers magazine, that details just some of the success stories from our school. Since then I have been a keen follower of her career, and have read almost all of her books.

So when the opportunity came to take part in a week being hosted by Corazon Books, dedicated to Sophie, I couldn't sign up fast enough. I have a wonderful guest post from her coming up tomorrow, but at the same time I received that, I also was given these wonderful cover images.

These are so pretty, that I felt I had to give them their own separate blog post.

So introducing the full set of Sophie King new covers for 2016..and aren't they gorgeous?

Have you read anything by Sophie? What is your favourite Sophie King book? Do these covers entice you to read the books?

Amazon UK

 

Amazon UK

Amazon UK

Amazon UK

Amazon UK

Amazon UK

Amazon UK

Book Review - Singles & Spice by Elaine Spires

Amazon UK

Title: Singles & Spice

Author: Elaine Spires

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Review copy supplied by author

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: April 2014

Rating: 5 Stars

A singles' holiday to India's Golden Triangle - Taj Mahal, the pink city of Jaipur, tiger-spotting in Ranthambore, the noisy, crowded streets of Delhi - all go to make up a trip that is hot, humid and spicy. Eve Mitchell, Travel Together's tour manager extraordinaire has a couple of familiar faces in her little group of travellers and others that she hasn't met before; sexy man-eating pensioners, a compulsive over-eater, a constant whiner and a man with a personal problem. 

And there's a big surprise awaiting someone -and Eve - early one morning. By the end of the tour, which sees our group travelling by coach, rickshaw, train and elephant, she will know rather more about some of their innermost secrets than she'd like. But Eve deals with all the twists and turns the trip throws at her as we come to understand what makes people travel the world with a bunch of complete strangers and appreciate the success that is a singles' holiday. 

I have just spent a wonderful 10 days touring around India, seeing all the sights, spending time with an amusing tour group of single travellers, all from the comfort of my armchair, and in the space of one evening's very enjoyable reading. 

Eve Mitchell is back, and is this time guiding a tour group to India. For those of you who have read the first book in this singles trilogy, you will be glad to see a few recurring characters. If you are new to the series, then Singles and Spice can definitely be read as a standalone novel. If you did read Singles Holiday, and are worried this will be identical but in a different location, you could't be further from the truth. This is a guided tour, featuring various stops in Northern India, and not just a hotel stay with optional excursions. 

As a result the Travel Together tour group this time, spend a lot of time together, and as to be expected some members of the group do become quite close to each other. There are mentions not only of the Antigua trip in the previous book, but as others are repeat travellers with the company, we get small glimpses into the other tours and countries on offer by this company. If I was nervous of travelling abroad by myself, I would definitely be using Travel Together, after seeing how well they treat their guests. 

It felt as though you really were on holiday with this group, and there are some sights from this trip that will stay with me forever (I am aware on some level that this was a book, but never mind!). We see all sorts of wildlife from tigers to elephants and barely a snake in sight (which Eileen was very thankful about). 

With Ajit the local guide's expert knowledge, we are also treated to the facts about some of the temples and places of interest so get to learn a bit about India while we are reading this descriptive and enjoyable work of fiction. 

I could feel the heat on me, while reading this on a cold winters night, and felt as though I could hear all the sounds and smell the spices, that is the general atmosphere of India. Watch out for a wonderful scene at the Taj Mahal, which is incredibly romantic. 

As you can probably imagine, the tour group is made up of a complete mix of people, some a lot more pleasurable than others to be around, some that take some time to get to know, others with hidden secrets and then there are those determined to flout the rules at every step of the journey (while thinking they know more than the guides). You have probably seen these characters on your own holidays, and they will be people that you will learn to enjoy spending a ten day guided tour with. 

Set in an exotic location, Singles and Spice is a fantastic book that I loved reading every second of.  I pretty much read it, in one sitting, in a few short hours and love the quality of the writing, and the overall story. There were some sections that even had me giggling out loud. 

Thank you so much to Elaine Spires for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Book Review - Styling Wellywood by Kate O'Keeffe

Amazon UK

Title: Styling Wellywood

Author: Kate O'Keeffe

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied review copy

Publisher: Wild Lime Books

Publication Date: 8th May 2014

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Book 1 in The Wellywood Series 

Ousted from London, The Centre Of her Glamour Universe, 28-year-old Jessica Banks returns to her New Zealand hometown. For her it’s the Land Of Been There, Done That—and a deeply buried past. 

And she’s got a lot to deal with. There’s her overbearing mother, her new fashion career, not to mention the sudden disappearance of her best friend. Thank goodness for Ben, her reliable, cute friend who always has a broad shoulder to cry on—at least when his gorgeous girlfriend isn’t around. 

Then sexy tennis pro, Scott bursts into her life, serving up a hot and steamy love match. But off the court Scott is running a different racket—one that might just open Jessica’s eyes and heart. 

With everything she ever wanted and feared in front of her, will Jessica finally find her way home? 

Escape to beautiful New Zealand in this sexy, feel-good romantic comedy. 

What attracted me to Styling Wellywood, was the setting of Wellington, New Zealand's capital city. If you have ever wondered what Wellington is really like, then I feel this book probably gives a fairly accurate representation of the place, or at least the version that is in Styling Wellywood has made me a lot more curious about visiting New Zealand, and to see the contrasts between London and Wellington. 

However apart from the lovely setting, I found Styling Wellywood a typical chick lit book, with a predictable outcome. Yes there are some funny bits, and Jessica's encounters with Scott the hunky American will get your pulse racing. 

Jessica though spent half the book very anti being back in Wellington, having had to return to her home, after four years in London, due to her visa expiring. She takes up a new career as a stylist, with one of her best friends Morgan (who is incredibly flaky). She seemed to resent New Zealand, and was adamant that she would be able to bring London style to Wellywood, as there wouldn't be any home grown talent at all. 

Jessica's attitude to her situation started to grate on me, although I could understand, she just didn't seem to have enough "get up and go" to make me really relate to her. Most of the main characters (and there is a character list at the start of the book) felt very shallow and not that fleshed out. 

That being said, as I tend to enjoy these sorts of books, I did really like Styling Wellywood, and if you enjoy chick lit, or want to read a book set in New Zealand then this isn't a bad choice...it's just that personally I feel there are better books out there. 

Thanks to Kate O'Keeffe for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Cover Reveal - After The Lie by Kerry Fisher

Having really enjoyed both of Kerry Fisher's previous books, I jumped at the chance to be involved in today's cover reveal for her new book After The Lie..so here it is!

An addictive and gripping read about love, life and living a lie … 

One little lie can make one big difference … 

Lydia has the ‘right’ kind of friends, her children are at the ‘right’ kind of school and she’s married to the ‘right’ sort of man – kind, steady, reliable Mark. Her wedding business is flourishing and even though she is at loggerheads with her mother, she couldn’t ask for anything more from life. 

But the truth is that Lydia has been lucky. She has been living a lie for years and Mark has no idea who he is really married to. But nothing lasts forever and the past has a funny way of catching up with the present. When the person who knows all of Lydia’s dark little secrets turns up at the school gates, his presence threatens to blow Lydia’s life apart. 

What is Lydia’s terrible truth? Once the secret is out, you can’t put it back … 

Publication date: 29th April 2016.

Available to pre-order now. 

UK: http://amzn.to/1RU81Dw

US: http://amzn.to/1NJz4d0

About Kerry Fisher

Born in Peterborough, Kerry Fisher studied French and Italian at Bath University, followed by several years working as an English teacher in Corsica and Spain before topping the dizzying heights of holiday rep and grape picker in Tuscany. She eventually succumbed to 'getting a proper job' and returned to England to study Periodical Journalism at City University. After two years working in the features department at Essentials magazine in London, love carried her off to the wilds of the West Pennine moors near Bolton. She now lives in Surrey with her husband (of whisking off to Bolton fame), two teenagers and a very naughty lab/schnauzer called Poppy. Kerry can often be seen trailing across the Surrey Hills whistling and waving pieces of chicken while the dog practises her 'talk to the tail'.

Kerry has spent half her life talking about writing a novel, then several years at Candis magazine reviewing other people's but it wasn't until she took some online courses with the UCLA (University of California) that the dream started to morph into reality, culminating in the publishing of The Class Ceiling. The Avon imprint of HarperCollins picked it up and retitled it The School Gate Survival Guide, published summer 2014. Her second book, The Island Escape, came out in May 2015. It won first prize at the York Festival of Writing for the opening line: 'I was wearing the wrong bra for sitting in a police cell'. 

Best advice ever received: 'This is fiction, we can skip the boring bits.' Lynn Hightower, UCLA Writers' Program. 

Website: www.kerryfisherauthor.com

Follow her on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/kerryfswayne

Like her page on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/kerryfisherauthor

Book Review - The Truth Will Out by Anna McPartlin

Amazon UK

Title: The Truth Will Out

Author: Anna McPartlin

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 25th February 2009

Rating: 3 Stars

Twice Harri tries to marry the love of her life.
Twice she fails.
Since there are only so many times she can leave her man standing at the altar, Harri loses him.
On top of that, as she battles the panic attacks that have stopped her getting married, Harri discovers that everything she understood about her life is wrong.
As the truth comes out, and the world she thought she knew crumbles around her, Harri struggles to pick up the pieces.
Can she find herself again and, if she does, will it be too late for love?

Harri suffers from crippling panic attacks. They are the reason she has now failed to marry James twice, and left him standing at the altar both times. James understandably has now had enough, and in the days that follow, Harri's parents decide they need to explain some things to their daughter, and her twin brother, George. 

The revelation that follows is a bit hard to believe, I'd say even for fiction, but since I wasn't living in Ireland in the 70's, I can't be sure its completely unreasonable. However what George and Harri are told shocks them completely, and the rest of the book deals with the aftermath. 

There is also Susan, Harri's business partner, and she is struggling with her marriage, and Harri's best friend Melissa feels like a single mother to her two young children as her husband doesn't seem to help out anywhere near enough. 

At the end of each chapter there is a diary. It dates back 30+ years and it takes quite a while as the book progresses for you to even vaguely know who was writing it. Unfortunately the diary entries didn't grab me at all, and I hate to say that after half the book, I was skipping those sections (with odd paragraphs catching my attention), as I just didn't really relate to what was happening. Also due to the amount of characters in the main story, I was then getting confused with a similar amount of people being mentioned in this diary. As a result I feel I may have lost some sense of the book as a whole. 

I liked the main story, but felt it did drag a bit in places. Ultimately I much preferred the other book I have so far read by Anna McPartlin, but still want to read more by her. 

Thank you to everyone that voted last week. This was the overwhelming favourite, unfortunately, in retrospect I think I would have enjoyed the other books up for vote slightly more. 

Please do take a look at this weeks Rachel Reads Randomly vote, and have a say. Regardless of the outcome, I have generally purchased all these books at one point or another, so do want to read them. 

Rachel Reads Randomly Vote #13

Thank you everyone for your input last time. The results of the last vote were:

0 Votes - Cream Teas, Traffic Jams and Sunburn: The Great British Holiday by Brian Viner 

0 Votes - We Could Be Heroes by Alison Bond
1 Vote - French Coast a Novel by Anita Hughes 
2 Votes - Disengaged by Beth Orsoff
7 Votes - The Truth Will Out by Anna McPartlin

Well there was an overwhelming winner last week, so thank you everyone. My review of The Truth Will Out will be up slightly later today. 

This week I am restricting the choice to a selection I like to call the Former Freebie! These are books that I originally picked up as Kindle freebies, but as I, when I do choose my own books, I tend to go for ones I paid for, these end up neglected on my kindle. A lot of these date back to when I first bought my kindle, and was downloading freebies continually. 

Below is initially my theory for this feature, and then a bit further, what you are all waiting for... This weeks's vote! Enjoy!

I am also awful at deciding what book to read next, as I often have about 10 titles or authors jumping into my brain at any time, shouting at me to read them, and I tend to worry I have made the wrong decision while reading a perfectly good book. I am hoping this will save me having to make at least 1 choice a week, while possibly providing a review to the site of a book you all either love or are curious about yourselves. 

So what I am proposing, is my lovely loyal readers of Rachel's Random Reads, select one book for me to read a week, and I will post the review the following week. 

This weeks random numbers are...

And the books these numbers correspond to are...

So the 5 choices with my gut feeling responses are:

33 - Coconuts and Wonderbras by Lynda Renham - I read my first Lynda Renham over Christmas and couldn't believe I hadn't read more by her. Have quite a bit of the back catalogue to read. 

37 - Excess All Areas (Freya Johnson Book 1) by Mandy Baggot - Was it only last year that I started to read Mandy's books. I love them, this one I picked up ages ago, but just not read yet. 

44 - See You At the Show by Michelle Betham - This is getting repetitive, but again only read my first Michelle Betham last year, but have over the years picked up loads of them, so need to read them at some point!

54 - Behind the Scenes by Sophie Childs - Saw great reviews of this when it came out, and my review of Sophie's new book is coming up on Friday. 

58 - Yes Chef, No Chef by Susan Willis - I'd like to think this will make me hungry if I read it!

I often like to predict to myself which will be the winning book from each week's selection, and the only feel I have from this bunch is which will probably not win... from the others, wow I really want to find the time to read them all and now...but since that may not be realistic, please help me decide!

Pick your favourite or the one you most want me to review, or just the one you are curious about, and leave me a comment below, before midnight on Wednesday. 

I look forward to seeing what I will be reading over the weekend, courtesy of you all.

The explanation if you haven't seen the feature before. 

How is this going to work?

Every Monday, I am going to have a post like this, which is going to have some choices on it. I am planning on using random.org to select 7 random numbers, to coincide with my spreadsheet of unread books.  

I will from that produce a list of hopefully 5 books, I reserve the right to veto any books, and will give reasons for them, if it occurs.

I will take screenshots and post them, of the chosen books, and also give you my instinctive reactions to the choices (without checking blurbs or any other info about them, which could be interesting as there are probably many forgotten about books on my spreadsheet!). 

Your task is to post a comment on this post, with the book you would like me to read this week. At midnight on Wednesday I will take a tally of the votes and the book with the most, I will read and review for the following Monday, where you will also get a new choice post. 

In the event of a tie, I will chose which one appeals most, for the Monday review, and possibly try and read and review the other to appear when I can. 

I am hoping this will provide some variety to the books appearing, and will let me potentially read or discover some great authors that I have wanted to read but not got around to yet.