Book Review - The Swimming Pool by Louise Candlish

Amazon UK

Title: The Swimming Pool

Author: Louise Candlish

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Publication Date: 5th May 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

It's summer when Elm Hill lido opens, having stood empty for years. For Natalie Steele - wife, mother, teacher - it offers freedom from the tightly controlled routines of work and family. Especially when it leads her to Lara Channing, a charismatic former actress with a lavish bohemian lifestyle, who seems all too happy to invite Natalie into her elite circle.

Soon Natalie is spending long days at the pool, socializing with new friends and basking in a popularity she didn't know she'd been missing. Real life, and the person she used to be, begins to feel very far away.

But is such a change in fortunes too good to be true? Why are dark memories of a summer long ago now threatening to surface? And, without realizing, could Natalie have been swept dangerously out of her depth?

Wow, The Swimming Pool is a gripping read, and one that has left me gasping for breath at the end of it. I found I was drawn into the story from the start, and after the first third or so, I didn't want to put the book down at all. 

It all unsurprisingly centres around a swimming pool, or the newly re-opened Elm Hill Lido to be precise. It is a summer of a heatwave, and for Natalie she is feeling slightly reckless this summer. She is married to Ed, they are both teachers, and have a 13 year old daughter Molly. 

I realised early on that Molly was slightly different, and I don't feel its a spoiler to say that she has aquaphobia, a fear of being in water, or even being splashed. She has had various treatments for the condition but nothing has worked, and swimming lover Natalie just wishes Molly would overcome her fear. 

Natalie and Molly though at the start of the summer make friends with the far more glamorous Channings, who were instrumental in the re-opening of the lido, and turn into key players in this whole story. The majority of the story takes place over a three month period of the summer, and the time line does jump around slightly. 

We have the aftermath of an incident and that that being told in short segments, and then in larger segments we have the entire telling of the summer up until that point. There are also chapters that are flashbacks to a different summer in Natalie's past, when she was around Molly's age, and had a reckless summer that year too. 

Throughout the book, I couldn't help but feel there was something not quite right with some of the characters, but until things panned out, I couldn't work it out. At one point I was 100% convinced I had cracked at least one of the links, but I was very wrong even with that. 

The Swimming Pool tackles the topic of aquaphobia, as well as all manner of pool safety guidelines, in amongst a story that is really compulsive to read, and that I loved every second of. I am currently loving the direction Louise Candlish is taking with her writing and long may it continue. There are definitely psychological aspects at play in The Swimming Pool, and that overwhelming feeling that something big will happen with potentially fatal consequences, and I loved reading the entire lead up to the finale. 

Another cracking book from Louise Candlish, but I would perhaps say that although this could be regarded as great holiday reading, I'm not sure I would have felt comfortable at times reading it by a pool, but that may just be because the descriptions of the pool, and swimming would have made me jump into a real one, if nearby!

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

Happy publication day to Louise Candlish, The Swimming Pool is out today!  

Book Review - A Year of Being Single by Fiona Collins

Amazon UK

Title:  A Year of Being Single

Author: Fiona Collins

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Carina

Publication Date: 21st April 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

Best friends Imogen, Frankie and Grace decide to test whether the grass really is greener on the single side of the fence…

Imogen is supposed to be on the most romantic weekend of her life and instead she’s quickly realised that her current boyfriend definitely isn’t ‘The One’ and actually One Big Mistake.

Frankie is fed up. Fed up of her good-for-nothing husband and her four, unappreciative children. Well, they hardly notice her anyway, maybe it’s time to shake it up a little…

Grace thought she had the perfect life. Gorgeous little boy and perfect, hardworking husband. Or rather, she did, until she realised her husband was shagging his ‘work’.

It’s time for a change – and to ditch the men who are dragging them down! It’s time for a year of being single. Swearing off men, these single ladies don’t need to put a ring on it…right?

Three best friends all living in the same street, all on the same day let out silent screams and realise they need to change their current circumstances. Imogen realises that she needs to get rid of the current man she is dating as he is repulsive. Frankie is mum to four kids, plus her husband who by the sounds of it is more of  a child than the others. She realises the only way she will ever get appreciated or some alone time is to kick Rob out. And then there is Grace, who has just discovered her husband James is cheating on her. 

When the three friends get together the next day they decide between them to all be single for a year, and swear off all contact with any men completely. Of course things never go exactly according to plan and you end up with a fabulous mix of the friends lying to each other, as they realise its harder than it seems to stay single for a year! 

A Year of Being Single is a fabulously entertaining story, alternating between the three friends points of view. All three of the friends stories are very different, and it was a pleasure getting to know the ladies. Imogen's colleague sounded a bit nuts, Grace had a different way of dealing with a plus one invite now that she was single and Frankie took up a new hobby and found herself realising that she needs to be careful what she wises for. 

This is an enjoyable debut novel from Fiona Collins, and one that I found to be light hearted piece of chick lit, perfect of cheering up a drab weekend. It was easy to read, and I feel that it would be quite easy to dip in and out of,. The writing is amusing and there are some fairly memorable scenes.  

I did feel slightly let down by the conclusion, and felt that various conversations towards the end should have been bigger and more impactful. There are though some gorgeous men and a few good romantic gestures in the story to make up for it!  

As someone who is chronically single, I still feel happy being single after reading this, but appreciate its not a condition that most ladies can deal with for a whole year! 

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

Cover Reveal - B-Side by Elle Field

Today I am happy to be involved in the cover reveal for B Side the new novella in the Arielle Lockley series by Elle Field.

"What do I honestly know about the music industry? I'm just another idiot with a dream who is naive enough to hope that I might be the next big star."

Etta Millhouse has always had big musical ambitions to match her big voice, but she's also got three very big problems - the addiction she won't admit to, her godmother's illness that she can no longer ignore, and her godmother's useless business partner (who she wishes she could ignore).

Keeping an eye on Arielle's poor business decisions is the last thing Etta wants to do when she's offered the chance to record a demo with a top producer. But, a promise is a promise, even if it has her reaching for another pick-me-up... And then another. And then one more.

When the secret she must keep for her godmother, Felicity, sends her drug habit spiralling out of control, can Etta battle her demons in time and make her dream happen? Or, will her music career be over before it's even begun?

B-Side will be published on 17th May

UK Amazon link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/B-Side-Arielle-Lockley-Book-2-5-ebook/dp/B01E8YYFFY

US Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/B-Side-Arielle-Lockley-Book-2-5-ebook/dp/B01E8YYFFY

Add on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29542411-b-side

I really look forward to the day where I have time to start reading this series, as it sounds fantastic. 

Guest Post - Writing is Therapy! by Cassi Ellen

Ever had your heart broken? I think everyone has at some stage in their life. I decided to write a book about mine and here is why……

Why I wrote the book
After I broke up with my ex-boyfriend, I was 30, single, heart broken and alone, 10,000 miles away from home. The loneliness was unbearable and I guess writing things down really helped me, like some sort of therapy (which I highly recommend).

I never intended to write an actual book, but I guess I just got carried away, and before I knew it I had 70,000 words! Then an editor read it, said it was good, and the rest, as they say, is history!

Why you should read it
Like I said, I put pen to paper as a kind of personal therapy, but after people read it, and said that the story had credible weight to it, I decided to publish it in the hope that others could take something away from my story.

I hope it will have you running the gamut of your emotions and might even lead a few to examine their own relationships and learn something from my experiences. 
But don’t think the book is all serious, because it certainly is not! It should also have you laughing out loud too!

The book – Story of a Secret Heart.

As Cassi, a 30-year old single woman, leaves a long-term, unhappy relationship, she struggles with the pain and anguish of a broken heart. When, by chance, she meets a handsome stranger, he introduces her to a world that she didn’t even know existed. As she begins to slowly forget all about her broken heart she learns to have fun again. It is then that her life starts to spiral out of control and all she can do is laugh and hang on tight. 

Story of a Secret Heart is about breaking up . . . and breaking down. It’s about the roller-coaster ride of a breakup and all the little stories in-between.

Author Bio
I am a completely anonymous author which is very difficult. It’s quite a burden to be honest as I’m definitely a girl’s girl and so I love to chat and gossip with my friends and my mum. I hope one day I will have the courage to tell them. I’m sure the time is not far off.

Twitter | Blog | Facebook

The reviews
The reviews have been great so far! My favourite so far is when it was called ‘a hug in a book’ which I totally relate to as I would really love to hug all my readers. 

Download today for a one of a kind Chick Lit read!

http://amzn.to/1qVbZ3p

Thank you so much Cassi for coming over to Rachel's Random Reads today. I'm so glad that writing the book helped you so much, and it really does sound like an entertaining story.

Book Review - Soho Honey by A.W. Rock - Blog Tour

Amazon UK

Title: Soho Honey

Author: A.W. Rock

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Publisher supplied review copy

Publisher: Clink Street Publishing

Publication Date: 5th May 2016

Rating: 3 Stars

This contemporary crime story takes place over three weeks in November and unfolds against the multi-cultural backdrop of Soho, London. Branen had to leave the UK six years before to escape his complex clandestine history and the consequences of a crime that achieved worldwide notoriety. When his daughter is brutally murdered in Soho he believes that he could be the reason. He returns to his old hunting grounds to find the killer. His search brings him into conflict with the British Secret Service and Soho's underworld. He is forced to flee Soho again after a tragic meeting with his ex-wife. His past has caught up with him and the hunter becomes the hunted. Now forty years old Branen wants to stop running and to remove forever the continuing threat to his life. In an effort to get rid of his pursuers he is faced with the prospect that his only chance of survival could lead to his death.

Soho Honey feels different to the others thrillers I have read so far this year. It is a very slow to start, and there were times where I was seriously wondering if it was worth persevering with. Thankfully once most of the action has happening in real time and not just the huge amount of background information, the last 40% or so was a fairly enjoyable read. 

Although I am sure some may find it helpful, I found the 4 pages at the start of the book consisting of the entire cast of characters and their nicknames and in some cases acronyms incredibly off putting, as I wasn't sure how I was ever going to remember all of it, and although you can use the Go To function on a kindle to jump back and forth, I wasn't convinced how useful it was. 

The story as you may expect is split into parts, with the start giving you all of Branen's background, including why he was convicted and what he was involved in, that leads him to think all these years later that his life could be at risk. The main incident of this section, reminded me a lot of a major real life event also from 1997. As I was slightly confused by some of the abbreviations at the time, I am not sure how deliberate it was, at it took me a lot further into the story to fully appreciate what was going on. 

It was the second part that featured Branen's daughter, that started to draw me into the story slightly, and contains all the events leading up to her death. She is in a situation that she should never have found herself in, and its through her, we are introduced to most of the major players in the book. 

I was always under the impression that thrillers were meant to be fairly fast paced, but this just felt very slow, almost even when it was more urgent. Once I got past the halfway point I found the story had grown on me enough to make it a likeable book, and there were definitely elements in the wrapping up that caught me slightly unawares. 

Soho Honey will definitely though give you a great feel for the seedy underbelly of Soho, and some of the locations featured, I really did feel as though I knew by the end of the book. But since it was the seedy underbelly, expect a lot of drug references and there is a fair amount of organised violence too. 

I am aware its a Book one, and I am curious as to what is going to happen next in the series, there are definitely elements that could be wrapped up or expanded on, but equally there is a character called The Controller who I would love to find out more about. 

At times with one specific character it felt as though there was a political undertone to parts of this book, which given the extremist views which don't match my own, I felt slightly uncomfortable with. There also seemed to be a lot of government secret service style departments all acting independently, and trying to keep track of which group knew what about who was mildly confusing. 

Overall Soho Honey was a book that grew on me as it progressed, and although for the most part I liked it, I couldn't shake the feeling that it just wasn't quite for me, although I am sure there are many people out there that will enjoy this style of writing. 

Thank you to Kate Appleton and Clink Street Publishing for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Please follow along with the the rest of the blog tour, to see what everyone else thinks. 

Website: www.sohohoney.com

Twitter: @SohoHoney

Book Review - Summer at the Cornish Cafe by Phillipa Ashley - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #24

Amazon UK

Title: Summer at the Cornish Café (The Penwith Trilogy, Book 1)

Author: Phillipa Ashley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 5th May 2016

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Demi doesn’t expect her summer in Cornwall to hold anything out of the ordinary. As a waitress, working all hours to make ends meet, washing dishes and serving ice creams seems to be as exciting as the holiday season is about to get.

That’s until she meets Cal Penwith. An outsider, like herself, Cal is persuaded to let Demi help him renovate his holiday resort, Kilhallon Park. Set above an idyllic Cornish cove, the once popular destination for tourists has now gone to rack and ruin. During the course of the Cornish summer, Demi makes new friends – and foes – as she helps the dashing and often infuriating Cal in his quest. Working side by side, the pair grow close, but Cal has complications in his past which make Demi wonder if he could ever truly be interested in her.

Demi realises that she has finally found a place she can call home. But as the summer draws to a close, and Demi’s own reputation as an up and coming café owner starts to spread, she is faced with a tough decision . . .

A gorgeous story exploring new beginnings, new love and new opportunities, set against the stunning background of the Cornish coast. Phillipa Ashley has written a feisty, compelling heroine who leaps off the page and encourages you to live your summer to the full.

I'm gutted, I have to wait absolutely ages for the next book in this series and that I have come to an end of Summer at the Cornish Cafe.  It is a delight to read, and is clearly the start of what promises to be a really special series. 

And yet surprisingly from the title of the book you may be expecting a fully functioning cafe to be at the heart of the story, well it is in a way, but a large part of the book it was purely an growing idea in Demi's head, which then took on a life of its own when she finally shared it with Cal. 

Cal had taken a leap of faith when he hired Demi, having saved her from sleeping rough, and is trying his hardest to renovate Kilhallon Park into the holiday resort it deserves to be, after his father let it rot. He faces a tough time in his personal life, and is clearly hiding whatever happened to him on his last stint of working abroad (which I'm hoping the next books will reveal). 

Summer at the Cornish Cafe is one of those books that had me saying "just one more chapter before bed" at least 5 times before I actually went to bed, and that was at the beginning of the book. It has such a nice writing style that kept me turning the pages. 

I loved Demi's character and her development during the book was a delight to see, she goes from being this girl who acts and feels very young, and slowly as her confidence grows shows just how intelligent she is, and what great plans she can come up with. 

This was the first book I have read by Phillipa Ashley and I'm so glad I allowed myself to be enticed by the pretty cover as its a very entertaining story. 

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

Thank you to everyone that has voted for this book, last week. It was a clear winner, and for those of you that had said you had read it, I can see exactly why you chose this. It's brilliant. As always I am looking forward to seeing what your next choice for me will be. 

Rachel Reads Randomly - Vote #25

 

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

1 Votes - My DisOrganised Life by Nina Whyle

3 Votes - Truth or Date by Portia MacIntosh

4 Votes -  What To Do If He's Having An Affair by Molly Hopkins

6 Votes - One Moment At Sunrise by Karen Aldous 

9 Votes - Summer at the Cornish Cafe (The Penwith Trilogy, Book 1) by Phillipa Ashley

Well you are all definitely getting good at picking a book that I will loved. Summer at the Cornish Cafe from the start had me saying just one more chapter, and it kept doing that to me for the whole book. Keep your eyes out for it on Thursday when its published. 

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 my initial 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:

I have vetoed, 44 - Bon Voyage by Michelle Betham, as it was the second book drawn by her, and I'd prefer to have a selection of 5 different authors, so have included the 6th random number as a replacement. 

2 - The Lost Child by Ann Troup - I'm sorry to say I've still not read any of Ann Troup's books, despite her being a great supporter of the blog, and is the creator of those wonderful book sculptures. 

4 - The Torn Up Marriage by Caroline Roberts - I loved The Cosy Tea Shop in the Castle so really interested to see what her first book is like

18 - One Glass is Never Enough by Jane Wenham Jones - I remember liking this author in the past, and agree that One Glass of something is never enough!

46 - See You At the Show by Michelle Betham - I love Michelle Betham's books, so curious to see what this one is about

60 - Yes Chef, No Chef by Susan Willis - I know this got some interest last time it was on a vote post, so can it win this time? Believer it could make me hungry to read!

These seem to be a completely mixed bag, but my gut feeling says that there could only be one winner, and I'm honestly not sure who I feel about that. I am going to be watching this with my usual interest, and sort of hope that there could be a surprise winner. 

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.

Cover Reveal - Would Like to Meet by Polly James

I am pleased to shared with you all today the cover for Polly James brand new book Would Like To Meet and its sounds brilliant.

Publishes: 30th June 2016 in EB and PB

A hilarious, heart-warming read perfect for fans of Shirley Valentine and You’ve Got Mail.

Could the worst thing that’s ever happened to Hannah Pinkman also turn out to be one of the best?

She and her husband Dan have reached the end of the line. Bored with the same gripes, the same old arguments – in fact, bored with everything – they split up after a trivial row turns into something much more serious.

Now Hannah has to make a new life for herself, but that’s not easy. She’s been so busy being a wife and mum that she’s let all her other interests slip away, along with her friends. And when Hannah is persuaded to join a dating site, her ‘best match’ is the very last person she expects it to be . . .

A clever, funny and poignant novel about life after a long relationship, the importance of friendship, and rediscovering your identity.

Pre-order Would Like To Meet now on Amazon

Follow Polly James on Twitter

Polly James' debut novel Diary of an Unsmug Married is currently at 99p in the Kindle May Madness Sale, so get it while you can! 

Book Review - My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry

Amazon UK

Title: My Husband's Wife

Author: Jane Corry

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Publisher supplied review copy

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 26th May 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

What if your life was built on a lie?

When Lily marries Ed, she's determined to make a fresh start. To leave the secrets of the past behind.

But when she takes on her first-ever criminal defence case, she starts to find herself strangely drawn to her client. A man who's accused of murder. A man she will soon be willing to risk everything for.

But is he really innocent?

And who is she to judge?

My Husband's Wife is one of those books that had been shouting at me to read it for a short while before I decided to start it. Within minutes of starting the first couple pages, not only was I hooked, I also had yet again made that error of judgement of starting a psychological book right before bed. 

I have found over the past two days while reading it then any time I had to stop for real life to invade, my thoughts were staying with the book, imagining what could happen next, trying to work out who was guilty and who was innocent. 

The story is told in alternating viewpoints between Lily and Carla, and at the start its set 15 years ago where all of this really did begin. Lily is Ed's wife, and Carla is the little girl who lives next door to them, and becomes Ed's muse (he's an artist). You continually get hints that the marriage isn't very happy but yet not entirely sure why (although more is revealed as you progress into the book). 

Lily is a criminal defence lawyer, but the only case we hear about in any detail is her first one, defending a man convicted for murder, who is appealing his sentence. Carla on the other hand when we meet her is an unhappy 9 year old girl, who's mother is more interested in a married man than her daughter and Carla feels out of place at school. 

This brilliant novel tells the story of the two women as their lives continue to combine. In addition there is a lot to do with Aspergers syndrome with at least three characters having it. For someone without much knowledge of the condition, I felt a lot more knowledgeable after reading this book. 

I'm not really sure how to classify a book like My Husband's Wife, it doesn't read like a crime, it doesn't quite affect me like a psychological thriller, although I did have a sense of doom throughout the book, and its definitely addictive. I suspect the best definition for those that like that sort of thing would be a psychological family drama, as it definitely affected me psychologically, and there is a lot of family drama involved. 

I am actually struggling to believe this is the author's first attempt at this sort of book, as its so well written, and feels very accomplished. Often I have a very mixed opinion on a psychological book, but in this case, I thought it was brilliant and addictive. It's affected my sleep for two nights so far, and there are lots of twists and turns (they may not have made me gasp, but was very impressed by them regardless). 

With a timespan of 15 years, two incredibly intelligent women, some very dubious morals, one main man, and one that is always there in the background, My Husband's Wife worked it's way so far under my skin, that I'm amazed. 

Thank you to Annie Hollands at Penguin for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Come back on the 11th May for a guest post by Jane Corry as part of the blog tour for My Husband's Wife. 

My May Madness Kindle Sale Picks

I have just been browsing through the newly posted May Madness Kindle sale, and have been amazed at the amount of fantastic bargains there are in it this time. Unfortunately on a personal level there was nothing that caught my eye to buy, but that may be because I already have read or own all the ones I generally would be interested in in the sale. 

However, always happy to help out especially when I've suddenly had a burst of energy to create a post, so here are my picks of this sale. Take advantage at these prices as they won't last forever! 

Please note the sale ends on 22nd May 2016, so if you are reading this after that date, then please double check the price, before you purchase, and since I am in England, this is the UK Amazon May Madness Kindle Sale, other regions may have different sales, and definitely different prices!

So let's split my picks into a few categories!

Top picks that I have reviewed on Rachel's Random Reads

Beyond Grace's Rainbow by Carmel Harrington - 99p - 5 Star Review
The Great Village Show by Alexandra Brown - 99p - 5 Star Review
When We Were Friends by Tina Seskis - £1.99 - 5 Star Review
What Doesn't Kill You by Laura E James - 99p - 5 Star Review
The Island Escape by Kerry Fisher - 99p - 4.5 Star Review
Girl on the Run by Rhoda Baxter - 99p - 4 Star Review
Quintessentially Yours by Linn B Halton - 99p  - 4 Star Review


Top picks that I have read before I started blogging but loved (some of these I read a few years ago so can't remember in detail)

A Summer Fling by Milly Johnson - 99p - If you have never tried a Milly Johnson, you won't find a better price or time to start than with this book
The Vintage Summer Wedding by Jenny Oliver - 99p - I'm a huge fan of Jenny's books and this is a lovely summery read
The Holiday Home by Fern Britton - £1.49 - Lovely book set in Cornwall
Sowing Secrets by Trisha Ashley - 99p - Was one of the first books I read by Trisha Ashley when it first came out, and helped cement her as an author to always read
Do You Remember the First Time by Jenny Colgan - 99p - I read this when it was first released, before Jenny Colgan seemed to hit the bigger time with all of her shop based books.This really is vintage Jenny Colgan! 
Escape for the Summer by Ruth Saberton - 99p - I don;t think I've read a bad book yet by Ruth Saberton, and this one was lovely
The No-Kids Club by Talli Roland - 99p - Very funny and highly entertaining
Who's Afraid of Mr Wolf by Hazel Osmond - 99p - I remember enjoying this, but its been a while so can't recall the details


Top picks that I own and am looking forward to reading (eventually, when I ever find the time to!)

Pieces of You by Ella Harper - 99p - I've read The Years of Loving You by Ella Harper and loved it, so really looking forward to reading this when I can. 
Green Beans and Summer Dreams by Catherine Ferguson - 99p - I bought this last summer with every single intention of reading it on holiday. Not sure what happened but still really want to read it
The Man Who Can't Be Moved by Tilly Tennant - 99p - I've read others by Tilly Tennant and loved them, so really hoping this will be great too
Diary of an Unsmug Married by Polly James - 99p - I thought this book looked good when I originally bought it, I still do and the author has a new book due out at the end of June. 
It's Up To You, New York by Tess Daly - 99p - Bought this as I love books set in New York..someone remind me I own this if I ever plan a New York feature on the blog!

I hope you like some of my top picks from the May Madness sale. I would love to know what you are planning on buying if anything.