Book Review - My Map of You by Isabelle Broom

Amazon UK

Title: My Map of You

Author: Isabelle Broom

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Publication Date: 21st April 2016

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Holly Wright has had a difficult few years. After her mother's death, she's become expert at keeping people at a distance - including her boyfriend, Rupert.

But when Holly receives an unexpected letter explaining that an aunt she never met has left her a house on the Greek island of Zakynthos, the walls she has built begin to crumble. Arriving on the island, Holly meets the handsome Aidan and slowly begins to uncover the truth about the secret which tore her family apart.

But is the island where Holly really belongs? Or will her real life catch up with her first?

I had been mildly apprehensive when I saw this book was set in Zakynthos, due to having worked there for 3 months before being removed from my job. I had managed to avoid that particular island in real life and fiction since, but was looking forward to reading My Map of You. I'm so glad I put my fears behind me, as all this book did was bring back my better memories of my time on the island, including visiting some places that I had forgotten until I saw the place names in the book. 

A lof of Holly's initial sight seeing struck such a chord with me, as I had also visited the sights of Zante and I laughed in recognitions of the description of Laganas, being exactly what I thought of the place. For those that don't know the island. Laganas is the main nightlife town, with all the night clubs, and Club 18-30 culture, with the hen and stag night crowd liking it too. Thankfully Holly didn't spend much time there, and neither had I. 

Due to the memories and personal connection to the location, it is very hard for me to judge the book completely objectively. I loved the story, and of course the destination is stunning, and the descriptions of Zante were accurate. 

I'm glad to see that the Caretta Caretta (Turtles) were mentioned quite a bit, due to Turtle Island, and that also the stray cat and dog problem was also touched upon, with Holly's next door neighbour in the village being a vet, as well as an incredibly handsome man. 

The mannerisms of the Greek restaurant owners, PR people, and others working in tourist areas were so familiar to me, and probably of anyone who has visited Greece. Trying to teach someone the occasional word of Greek also rang true, and it didn't take too long for the 4 or 5 words of Greek  I knew to come back to me reading this. 

The story itself is one of self discovery for Holly, as she is left a house by an aunt she didn't know she had, and had suffered tragedy herself in her young life. She's in an unfulfilling relationship, and only takes the trip to the island in order to sell the house. She doesn't expect to experience the feelings of deja vu that she got, nor that she would want to know more about her aunt and mum. 

At the end of each chapter, there is a message from one sister to the other, telling the basics of their relationship since the apparent relationship, which just led to my own curiosity as to what had torn them apart, and who was presumably to blame. 

There was loads of keep me reading, not least my clear love of the island, and I thoroughly enjoyed every page of My Map of You. This is a very accomplished debut novel and I'm already looking forward to Isabelle Broom's next releases. 

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

Guest Post - The Joy of getting a book deal by Faith Hogan

The only thing I was fit for was to be a writer, and this notion rested solely on my suspicion that I would never be fit for real work, and that writing didn’t require any.
– Russell Baker

The Joy of Getting a book deal…
It’s what we do, right?  Writers – write and mostly when we’re not writing we dream of being published.  Properly published; so we have deadlines, an editor and a contract.  It may look like we’re doing the grocery list, getting our hair done, making the dinner, in fact we are dreaming of getting our book out there!

So what does it mean, exactly, when that book deal comes our way? Is it really as good as we imagined?

I’m here to tell you, yes.  I’m here to tell you that no matter how hard it is, no matter how early you have to get up in the morning, no matter how your hands/eyes/back hurts, it is worth every single drop of sweat. Yes, and the blood.  And the tears!

It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.
– Ernest Hemingway

We’ve all put our time in the trenches, it’s a bloody business, killing characters, deleting pages, even scrapping books that no-one seems to think are as good as you thought when you started. Sometimes you wonder if it’s all worth it.

So, for all that here’s some joys of getting that book deal:

That mug you got for Kris Kringle 

 You know the one, that said ‘Writer at work,’ or  ‘Keep calm, keep writing,’ can be taken down and used.  Actually, no, it can be flaunted, as you move around your house, because, now you are a real writer, you can enjoy using a mug that reminds you of the fact.  Of course, now I hear that JK Rowling only uses pottery…

That whole sitting and staring into space thing? 

 Well, now you can do it and call it research!  Now you can feel properly writerly as you while away hours on end, your mind turning cartwheels in your imagination.

Anyone for chores?

Ditto with the hovering, dishwashing, kitchen tidying, ironing – a writer can’t be expected to abandon the creative act of doing nothing for mere chores, can she?

Google moi? 

Ebay? Amazon?  Actually, these are all research aids!

Unexpected generosity: 

So, with the book deal, they actually throw in your very own editor.  Well, I mean, it’s up to you to keep her in a job, isn’t it?  Now, you’re actually doing your bit for the economy by leaving in a couple of spelling mistakes.

Shout it out!

You can tell people you’re a writer.

Before my publishing deal, only a handful of people knew I wrote. Even less knew that I produced full-length novels.  The worst question for any aspiring writer is ‘any sign of that book being published?’ You just want to cringe and somehow it takes a little of your soul every time you have to answer in the negative.  But when you get a publishing deal?

You can’t wait for people to ask you, you can’t wait to talk about it, because suddenly, it’s as though you’re a different person.   And of course, if like me, you beavered away quietly, to them you are a different person.  They are seeing a side to you they didn’t know was there.  So, when you get that book deal, shout it out good and loud, you never know, many of these people may even buy your book some day!

The best thing, the very best thing?  

Getting that phone call to say they want your book.  That is just gold.  You know that your baby is destined to make it out into the world and maybe be loved as much by others as it has been by you.
And, if you haven’t got that book deal yet?  Keep writing, keep editing, keep believing.

Thank you so much Faith for this enjoyable post. Congratulations on your book deal and good luck with My Husband's Wives.

Amazon UK

Better to have loved and lost, than never loved.

Paul Starr, Irelands leading cardiologist dies in a car crash with a pregnant young women by his side.

United in their grief and the love of one man, four women are thrown together in an attempt to come to terms with life after Paul. They soon realise they never really knew him at all.
The love they shared for Paul in his life and which incensed a feeling of mistrust and dislike for each other, in his death turns into the very thing that bonds them and their children to each other forever.

As they begin to form unlikely friendships, Paul's deaths proves to be the catalyst that enables them to become the people they always wanted to be.


About Faith Hogan

Faith Hogan was born in Ireland.  She gained an Honours Degree in English Literature and Psychology from Dublin City University and a Postgraduate Degree from University College, Galway.  She has worked as a fashion model, an event’s organiser and in the intellectual disability and mental health sector. 

She was a winner in the 2014 Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair – an international competition for emerging writers.


Her debut novel, ‘My Husband’s Wives,’ is a contemporary women’s fiction novel set in Dublin. It will be published by Aria, (Head of Zeus) on 1st of May 2016.   She is currently working on her next novel.  

Follow Faith on Twitter at @gerhogan or like her on Facebook or, if you’re really interested, you can catch up with her on www.faithhogan.com

Book Review - The Truth About This Charming Man by Peter Jones

Amazon UK

Title: The Truth About This Charming Man

Author: Peter Jones

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Negalley

Publisher: Soundhaven Books

Publication Date: 18th February 2016

Rating: 4.5 Stars

All William Lewis ever wanted in life, was to be an actor. 

That is until he met Rachel. 

Beautiful. Beguiling. Sharp as a tack. Rachel’s almost as appealing as a life in theatre. Unfortunate then that she happens to be married. To cut-throat venture capitalist Michael Richmond. So that’s the end of that. 

Or is it? 

Although Will’s never actually been on stage, or immortalised in celluloid, or appeared in a TV commercial, he’s still made a reasonable living out of pretending to be people he’s not. So when two of his ‘roles’ collide - seemingly by complete coincidence - well, maybe there’s a way he can be with Rachel after all… 

How I love discovering authors that are new to me. You never now what you are going to get, and in The Truth About This Charming Man, I read an incredibly enjoyably story, so long as you suspend pretty much most disbelief for the majority of the book. 

What took me by surprise a bit at the start was that instead of chapters, per se, the book is split into Acts and Scenes, a bit like a play. In fact this would be a terrific stage play, I could really see it on a stage somewhere, as a farce. 

It's a funny as it is bordering on the ridiculous in places, but its such a good upbeat feel to the book I was swept away in the story. Without giving too much away, its about William Lewis who is a struggling actor, who has never had  an acting gig on stage, but has been paid for the past 4 years to act as someone's boyfriend for social occasions. 

In a series of coincidences that are surprising, he is sacked from that job, bumps into the beautiful girl friend of his ex-girlfriend's boss, in another situation, is busted as an actor and then falls in love, with her, all the while as others think he is someone else. 

There is a series of more and more implausible situations and scenes that just show how good an actor Will really is, and all the while there are multiple people in this set of acquaintances that all want revenge on one person - the charming man mentioned in the title. 

This really is a hard book for me to describe as I don't think I've read anything quite like it, which makes if fabulously unique, and so enjoyable for me. Due to the amount of actors in the book, or wannabe actors, the style of it being set up like a play, without it being a script, makes perfect sense. 

If you like comedy, farces, slightly over the top circumstances with elaborate revenge plots, and the finale is brilliant, with a reasonably small cast of key characters, then I would definitely recommend The Truth About This Charming Man. I will definitely be going back, probably quite soon to read Peter Jones' debut novel to see just he is capable of. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Lawsome Books 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. 

Book Review - Life Swap by Carol Wyer

Amazon UK

Title: Life Swap

Author: Carol Wyer

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 22nd April 2016

Rating: 4.5 Stars

She wanted a new life and true love. But the grass isn’t always greener on the other side… 

All Polly has to her name is a string of failed relationships and a mountain of debt. She sees herself as a hopeless case and would do anything to change her luck. 

So when she’s given the opportunity to swap all she’s ever known for a life of luxury, Polly jumps at the chance. Soon, it’s all diamonds, spa days and celebrity parties. Now all that's missing from her life is a bit of romance. Will hunky Matt be the man to heal her broken heart? 

But money can’t always buy you happiness. Can the life she’s always dreamed of get in the way of true love? 

Has your life ever been going so badly, that you wished you could swap places with someone. Well when Simon and Polly's lives are going downhill they both agree to swap places with their chosen person, and the results are hilarious. 

The first part of the book is the set up, which gives us the vital background to Polly and Simon's situations. It is filled with flashbacks and gives you a good idea as to why they are both unhappy. I found initially I was sympathising with Polly's story far more than Simon's possibly as she was close to my age, rather than a man who was starting to feel his age. 

Once the swaps had been organised they both have radically different experiences, and in both cases are full of surprises and hilarious consequences. I found that once they had both swapped lives with other people, the book really got going and became one of the most entertaining and original stories I have read this year. 

I have no idea how Carol Wyer came up with the nitty gritty of the book, which include a whole bunch of details I would love to tell you about, but feel the surprise and journey will be better without any hints from me. I did at times have some suspicions what could be about to happen, and then I was completely taken in by the set up myself. 

Life Swap is a riot of a novel, filled with surprising circumstances, interesting life choices, and shows that you just don't know your casual acquaintances as well you think. All you really know about another person is the persona they give out in public, but what happens in private stays in private. and in the case of the two people that Simon and Polly become, I was surprised as just what was hiding in their lives. 

With lots of incredibly funny moments, a slightly bizarre storyline, and a very well written debut, Carol Wyer has produced a gem of a book. 

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

Happy Publication day to Carol Wyer. Life Swap is out now. 

Promo - The Chic Boutique on Baker Street by Rachel Dove - Blog Tour

Genre: romantic fiction

Release Date: 21st April 2016

Publisher:  Mills & Boon

The perfect escape to the country…

Recently single and tired of the London rat race Amanda is determined to make her dreams of setting up an idyllic countryside boutique come true, and the picturesque village of Westfield is the perfect place to make a fresh start.

Local vet Ben is the golden boy of Westfield, especially to resident gossip Agatha Mayweather, who is determined to help Ben get his life back together after his wife left.

When a chance encounter outside the ‘chic boutique’ sets sparks flying between Amanda and Ben, Agatha is itching to set them up. But are Amanda and Ben really ready for romance?

The Chic Boutique on Baker Street is the debut novel from Rachel Dove, winner of The Prima Flirty Fiction Competition. You won’t be able to resist this heart-warming romantic story set in an idyllic Yorkshire village, full of lovable characters and laugh-out-loud moments…as Amanda finds her way to a second chance at life and love. This is the reading escape you’ve been looking for!

BUY LINKS

AMAZON UK

WH SMITH

WATERSTONES

About Rachel Dove

Rachel Louise Dove is a mum of two from Yorkshire. She has always loved writing and has a had previous success as a self-published author. Rachel is the winner of the Mills & Boon Flirty Fiction competition

Her first novel, Crossing Life Lines is out now in Kindle and paperback format.

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Twitter - @WriterDove

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Book Review - It's In His Kiss by Eve Devon

Amazon UK

Title: It's In His Kiss

Author: Eve Devon

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Publication Date: 21st April 2016

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Who do you turn to when things go wrong?

Your best friend. Obviously.

Sephy King’s worked flat-out to make her new lingerie business a success, only there’s a tiny snag – the marketing photos for the launch party are a disaster.

Luke Jackson will help her, won’t he? They just need to strip off, model gorgeous, sexy underwear together and take more photos! So what if the stunning body he’s been hiding makes Sephy’s eyes pop out? And when he holds her, she suddenly wishes they were in her bedroom…alone? He’s her best friend.

Then Luke asks Sephy for a return favour: to pose as his fake fiancée to get his parents temporarily off his back. It’s a risky strategy – but she’s sure she can pull it off.

Until he kisses her…

It's In His Kiss is a very enjoyable romance, which is high in sexual tension, and had me really wanting to Sephy, so that I could have Luke Jackson in my life too. Luke is a gorgeous video game designer, that doesn't look like a nerd, and is good friends with Sephy. 

However things start to get heated between them when Sephy asks Luke if he could help with a photo shoot, for the new lingerie line she is setting up, and Luke agrees so long as she agreed to be his fake fiancee when his parents are in town. 

Given their base reactions the first time sex was mentioned - in fact the first line of the book features a misunderstood proposition about selling sex, it's clear to the reader that their will be fireworks between the pair before long - and very enjoyable it was too. 

It is very clear that Luke cares deeply for Sephy and is watching out not just for her, but her five year old daughter, Daisy, too. Daisy is a little star in this book, and she loves performing weddings between her toys, and just seems like a well rounded child. 

There are some scenes where Sephy is modelling her own lingerie where I think a fire could have been lit from the heat coming from the pair, and they weren't even doing anything sexual at that point. I would have loved to see the photos from that shoot, as they sounded brilliant. 

Sephy has a tricky relationship with her family, and its due to that she doesn't always make the best decisions, and fights against what is clearly going to happen with Luke. 

I loved every minute of It's In His Kiss, even if the title did have me singing a sony lyric over and over again, and although its the first book I have read by Eve Devon, it certainly won't be the last. A very fun book, that was a very quick read, and definitely up to the normal standard of the romances you expect to see published by Harper Impulse. 

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

5k Twitter Follower Giveaway

I can't believe that early in January this year I was celebrating 4k Twitter followers and on Sunday I was shocked and astounded that my follower count was up to 5k on Twitter.

I know I said this recently with the blogiversary, but I can't say it often enough, thank you to everyone who is supporting me and my little blog. I love you all and every single follow and Retweet is always appreciated it, even if I don't have the time always to thank you each time.

Seems only fitting at this point that I let one lucky person win a book!

Giveaway to win a paperback copy of A Cottage in the Country by Linn B Halton (Open Europe Only)

Having taken a look through my spare books, I have decided to offer one of you the chance to win a paperback copy of A Cottage in the Country - by Linn B Halton which I reviewed last August and really enjoyed. See the review here

Giveaway open residents of Europe only, due to postage costs (I will do more international giveaways soon), please do follow the options on the form, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 27/04/2016. 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.

Win a PB of A Cottage in the Country by Linn B Halton (Open to Europe Only)

Book Review - Trivial Pursuits by Aven Ellis

Amazon UK

Title: Trivial Pursuits (Chicago on Ice Book 2)

Author: Aven Ellis

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied review copy

Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing

Publication Date: 20th April 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Landon Holder is exactly the kind of man Livy Adams should stay far away from. 
The flashy, flirty star defenseman for the Chicago Buffaloes is known for hooking up with women all over Chicago. Livy finds herself attracted to Landy, but his sexy good looks and charm are irrelevant. She had her heart shattered by a cheating athlete in college, and Livy vows she will never let her judgment lapse like that ever again. 

Yet Livy knows she can’t spend the rest of her life focusing on building her jewelry line during the day and her evenings playing TriviaPlayOrPass! on her phone, either. Even though she does have fabulous conversations with a player named Scott, it’s time to get back in the game—in real life. While Livy tries to figure out her career path in jewelry design, she knows it’s time to take a chance on romance again, too. 

But in a strange twist of fate, Livy finds herself getting to know Landy on a much deeper level. Sometimes people aren’t always as they appear to be. Just like a diamond, you have to look closely to see true clarity. 

As Livy unwraps the layers around Landy to see the man behind the image, will she have a change of heart? Can she leave her past behind for a future with Landy? Or is it all a game of trivial pursuits? 

Without fail, Aven Ellis is responsible for the majority of my book boyfriends, to the extent that I feel like I'm cheating on the last one, when I read a new book by her. There is just something about the male leads that get under my skin, from love at first sight. And Landon Holder is no exception, he is a sexy hockey player for the Chicago Buffaloes, but has so many layers under his public womanising persona, that are a pleasure to learn about. 

Livy is the heroine of the story, a jewellery designer and addict of the game TriviaPlayorPass, a trivia quiz app that she has been playing with virtual player Scott921. She chats with him while they play and loves trying to beat him, and sorts of wishes the conversations would turn a bit more personal. 

And then she sees Landon in an unexpected role and as they start to talk, you can tell there is a growing connection between them, 

Trivial Pursuits starts each chapter with a trivia question, which in most cases links well into the chapter its heading. I can't help but think it was a lot of fun to research this book with the trivia, and also  jewellery making techniques.

I love reading a book about soul mates, and its clear early on, even if you have never read a book by this author, that its heading towards a HEA, but I never mind knowing the expected outcome, when the story is as enchanting as this one. 

There is such a likeable cast of characters, including Aubrey from The Aubrey Rules, and there is also a mention of a Dallas Demon, from the author's other series.  Livy's family are quite lively and her nana is a real spitfire, and comes out with really unexpected things. The computer sex scene was hilarious and not what you may be thinking! 

Another unforgettable instance is all mentions of the puppy party, Livy's best friend Collins is organising. Anything involving this party will make your eyes roll, but also amused me greatly. 

Trivial Pursuits is a fantastic addition to Aven Ellis' already brilliant catalogue of books. A delight to read, to fall in love with and a fantastic way to spend part of my Easter holiday. 

Thank you to Aven Ellis for this advance copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Guest Post - Dreams: A window into your subconscious…and a way to read your boyfriend’s mind by Portia Macintosh - Blog Tour

It was a hot and sunny day when I went for a picnic in the park with my friend Carl*. As we chatted, sprawled out on a blanket, feeding each other strawberries in front of a picture-perfect backdrop, I couldn’t have been happier. As the sun started to drop from the sky, the kids all went home, the birds all flew away and the park fell silent, until it was just Carl and me left. With all of the strawberries gone, Carl took the initiative to nibble on my neck instead and, before I knew what I was doing, I was rolling around on the grass with him. Just as things started getting a little too steamy for me to write about, I woke up suddenly, the harsh sound of reality (my bloody alarm clock) snapping me from my dream - yes, it was all a dream. Carl is a real friend of mine though. We’ve never hung out one-on-one, we weren’t ever the kind to message one another and I’ve never really fancied him – but that last one changed after my dream, because I woke up crazy for dream Carl… and therefor, real Carl. 

Suddenly I noticed his kind smile. The way his nose scrunches up when he laughs. The delicious smell of his aftershave…

It was this dream that inspired my latest novel, Truth or Date, in which Ruby, my main character, has a steamy dream about her flatmate, Nick, and finds herself falling head-over-heels for him. But it isn’t the dream that makes Ruby fall for Nick, the dream simply taps into feelings that she already had, hidden away in her brain somewhere. They say that dreams are a window into our subconscious, and I believe this.

It’s a weird that, around the time my book about dreams has come out, that my boyfriend has started talking in his sleep. The strangest thing is that, I can’t tell if he’s sleep talking or not because he does it with his eyes open, his face as emotive as ever, and yet when I relay our conversations to him the second he wakes up for real, he has no recollection of our conversation. As funny and as weird as this is, I feel at an incredibly unfair advantage. I’m getting this sneak peak into my boyfriend’s real feelings, ones that he might not otherwise share with me. While this might seem like a slight (and yet entirely accidental) invasion of his privacy, I can’t help but see this as a vehicle to making him happier, because it helps me to realise what’s on his mind. Most often, it’s work. He’ll blabber something to a colleague, or make some mention of something that sounds far too technical for me to understand. Sometimes he’ll complain that he doesn’t feel well – both things he’d never usually “burden” me with if he were awake, because he’s always too busy looking after me. My favourite sleep revelations made by my boyfriend, are the ones about me. When, even though he’s fast asleep, he tells me how he feels about me. When, at 3am, without knowing being aware of his actions, he wraps his arms around me tightly and tells me I’m wonderful. It’s not that he doesn’t do this when he’s awake, it’s just I know that when he’s asleep, he isn’t choosing to share this information with me, it’s exactly how he feels. Sometimes men tell girls what they want to hear, and sometimes men are scared to tell girls how they feel at all, and both can be incredibly frustrating.

Of course, it hasn’t taken a forthcoming subconscious to make me realise how much my boyfriend loves me, he does an incredible job of that when he’s awake, but it’s nice to have someone care about you so much that they crave your touch, even when they’re fast asleep.

Thank you Portia, at this interesting look at dreams and how they have inspired Truth or Date.

Amazon UK

Author Bio:
Portia MacIntosh has been 'making stuff up' for as long as she can remember - or so she says. Whether it was blaming her siblings for that broken vase when she was growing up, blagging her way backstage during her rock chick phase or, most recently, whatever justification she can fabricate to explain away those lunchtime cocktails, Portia just loves telling tales. After years working as a music journalist, Portia decided it was time to use her powers for good and started writing novels. Taking inspiration from her experiences on tour with bands, the real struggle of dating in your twenties and just trying to survive as an adult human female generally, Portia writes about what it's really like for women who don't find this life stuff as easy as it seems.

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