Book Review - By Virtue Fall by Carrie Elks - #HolidayReading Thailand

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Amazon UK

Title: By Virtue Fall

Author: Carrie Elks

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Piatkus

Publication Date: 11th October 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

Love blooms when you least expect it . . .

Juliet Shakespeare is done with love. With a growing floristry business and an adorable daughter to raise, life after separating from her husband is complicated enough.

But when handsome single father, Ryan Sutherland, arrives in town, everything changes. As much as she tries to distract herself, Juliet can't help but be drawn to the easy-going Romeo next door and the way he makes her feel.

Photographer Ryan is only back in his hometown for a few months so there's no point falling for someone he'll just have to say goodbye to. But he didn't account for Juliet - the intriguing and beautiful, red-haired woman next door. And in her, he might just have found everything he ever wanted . . .

This was the last book in the Shakespeare Sisters series, this time finally featuring Juliet 

She had been my least favourite sister going into this book, which may account for why it took me a while to get into the swing of things. 

In fact the rest of the sisters barely feature at all which was a shame, and they were sorely missed by me. 

It was though a new friendship turning into something deeper and more meaningful, at the same as Juliet is trying to get a divorce settlement from her ex-husband. 

It was good to finally read about the last sister, and its another good book in the series, just not my favourite. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Piatkus for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Absent In The Spring by Carrie Elks - #HolidayReading Book 21

Book 21 of 28 read on my holiday to Cyprus in June 2018.

The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: Absent In The Spring

Author: Carrie Elks

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Piatkus

Publication Date: 26th April 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

Losing control never felt so good . . .

A successful lawyer, and the eldest of four sisters, Lucy Shakespeare is used to being in control of everything and everyone around her, most particularly herself - until she meets the gorgeous Lachlan MacLeish.

Lachlan's hired Lucy because he needs the best. His inheritance is suddenly in doubt, thanks to his devious half-brother and there's no way he's going down without a fight. The very last thing he wants is a distraction, but as soon as he sees Lucy, he knows he's in trouble.

Despite their efforts to resist, it isn't long before Lachlan has Lucy longing to break all her careful rules. As they travel from Scotland, to Paris and on to New York, Lucy can't help but wonder: is it sometimes worth risking it all?

I do love this series of books about The Shakespeare sisters, and really enjoyed getting to see Lucy, the eldest sister's story this time around. 

I did though find it a tricky to get into but that could have just been my concentration level instead of the book itself, as once I was onboard and had met Lachlan, I was far more invested in the story. 

There is sizzling chemistry between Lucy and Lachlan, even if they  really shouldn't be getting together due to being client and customer. 

It was good catching up with Lucy's family too, and getting updates as to what they are all up to. 

I found this to be really enjoyable and another good book in the series, but I think perhaps due to their professions, that I have preferred the first two in the series.  I am looking forward to the next installment already. 

Thank you to Clara Diaz at Piatkus for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 
​

Book Review - A Winter's Tale by Carrie Elks

Amazon UK

Title:  A Winter's Tale

Author: Carrie Elks

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Piatkus

Publication Date: 30th November 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

Christmas comes just once a year . . . but true love lasts a lifetime

Struggling film student Kitty Shakespeare is as bad at interviews as she is talented at making films. She's given herself until the end of the year to score an internship in LA, otherwise it'll be back to London with her tail between her legs. Unfortunately the only job offer on the table is as nanny to major producer Everett Klein's son, Jonas. It's not exactly the career she'd hoped for, but if she can get this right, then surely he'll take a moment to look at her work. However, what Kitty hasn't allowed for is Everett's sexy-as-hell brother, Adam - and love at first sight this is not.

Adam Klein may be sexy, but he's also gruff, rude and completely impossible. All he wants to do hole up in his cabin and hide from the brother who destroyed his life. If only he could find it easier to ignore the way Kitty makes his heart race . . .

As Christmas approaches, Kitty and Adam realise that although the course of true love never does run smooth, just maybe, it's more interesting that way...

Is it wrong that I want my first sentence of this review to include the words "wow that Adam is one of the sexiest main characters I've read for ages"? 

I mean of all the many glowing things I want to stay about this book such was how the story grabbed me, and how much I enjoyed the characters and getting to know the youngest of the Shakespeare sisters, the first thing I have to comment on is the male lead. 

Well lets continue in that vain then, he is living in a cabin by the lake of his parent's property, after a falling out with his brother led to him having to leave LA for a while.  Due to the dual perspectives we see that Adam is in therapy  and that there is more too him than his hermit like rugged good looks. 

Within the first couple of meeting between Adam and Kitty there are plenty of sparks flying and that is before they even think about liking each other. For the first meeting Adam rescues Kitty, but thinks she is not suited to life in West Virginia. 

Actually coming back to West Virginia, I believe this is the first book I have read that is set there, and I loved the remoteness of the Klein household.  I am going to blame Carrie Elks for putting the song Country Roads into a loop in my head - as its the only reference I knew to West Virginia! 

Kittie is a film student who is struggling to get an internship, but does end up being offered the job of nanny of the great Everett Klein's son Jonas. Jonas is a fabulous child but rarely gets much attention from his parents. 

One of the funniest scenes involved Kittie, collecting all of Jonas' christmas presents from the airport and being given an surprise extra one to take home. Not only take back to the Klein's house, but also hide so its a surprise for Jonas. Just one small problem, this present has 4 legs, is prone to barking, and really dislikes travelling by car. 

This is a book filled with laughter, good times, Christmas with a child, a rugged man that oozes sex appeal, some brotherly rivalry and just generally a great storyline. I was enjoying the book so much I genuinely had no idea what tube stop I was at...not sure what the person who was sitting next to me's excuse was though for also not knowing where we were! 

Where was I?,,, ah yes hooked on a book on a tube, and thinking how wonderful I found A Winters's affair.  This does read as a standalone but since these first two book are so great I would say make sure to read them all - and already looking forward to the third book and curious as to whether it is Juliet or Lucy's story next. 

Thanks so much to Piatkus and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Summer's Lease by Carrie Elks

Amazon UK

Title: Summer's Lease

Author: Carrie Elks

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Piatkus

Publication Date: 13th July 2017

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Meet the Shakespeare family: four sisters, four stories . . . four ways to find true love

Cesca Shakespeare has hit rock bottom. Six years after the play she wrote bombed at the box office, she's unable to hold down a job, keep an apartment, and worst of all her family have no idea how far she's fallen. So when her fairy Godfather offers her the use of his friend's Italian villa for the summer, she grudgingly agrees to try writing a new play. That's before she finds out the house belongs to her arch-nemesis, Sam Carlton.

When Hollywood heart-throb Sam Carlton sees his name splashed across a gossip rag, all he wants to do is hide. That's how he finds himself traveling to Italy, deciding to spend the summer in his family's empty villa on Lake Como. Except when he arrives it isn't as empty as he'd hoped.

Over the course of the hot Italian summer, Cesca and Sam have to come to terms with their pasts. What begins as a tentative friendship quickly grows into an intense attraction - and then a scorching fling. But they can't hide from reality forever . . . as their different worlds collide, Sam and Cesca face a choice: is this just a summer romance, or could their love weather even the coldest winds?

For six years, Cesca Shakespeare's life has been a complete mess, shes been flittering from job to job with not much success, not admitting to her family she needs help and barely able to put pen to paper and write despite being a promising playwright. All of this is thanks to Sam Carlton and what happened 6 years ago. 

Hugh her godfather suggests getting out of London for the summer and she is gifted a house sitting job in Lake Como. Not long into her stay in Italy, she discovers that is is the Carlton's house she is staying in, and then Sam appears! 

From that moment on there is crackling chemistry between the two of them even if not obvious to them at first.  I loved the initial dialogue between Sam and Cesca, and generally found myself enjoying all of their interactions. 

Set over a summer in a stunning Italian villa, with a potential Italian love interest too,  its a sizzling story, of romance but also of Cesca rediscovering herself, and Sam finally facing some family demons. But whether it is just a summer romance is for you to read yourself to find out! 

Cesca is just one of the four Shakespeare sisters who I believe will be featuring in the next books of the series. From what I have seen of them, I am looking forward to meeting them all in a more up close and personal way! 

 This is the first book that I have read by Carrie Elks, and I thoroughly enjoyed her writing. The story moved along a good pace, and I found the book to be a fast and incredibly entertaining read. Having read this I will definitely try to get around to her past books a lot quicker! 

Summer;s Lease is s summer scorcher of a book that is great for reading on a hot summers day when you want to imagine you are house sitting in Italy, but also would be a great winter read, to try to warm you up! 

Thank you to Netgalley and Piatkus for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Guest Post & Giveaway - How I Took a Chance on a New Agent by Carrie Elks - Chances Fortnight

I was sitting by a pool in sunny Portugal the day my life changed. I picked up my phone and checked my Facebook messages, and one of them was from an online friend from Brazil, telling me she was becoming an agent. She asked if I’d consider her representing me. I showed the message to my husband and asked him if he thought it was some kind of scam.

But let’s step back a moment. Back in those days – the summer of 2013 – I was writing fan fiction, and had gained a small online readership, including my friend from Brazil. At that time a lot of authors were breaking out from fan fiction, thanks to their talent and a huge appetite for new stories caused by the rise of the e-reader. I, on the other hand, was still just writing for fun, and posting online once or twice a week. It was – and still is – a lovely community of writers, readers and supporters, and I was happy there.

And then came the message. Would I be interested in writing something to be published? My friend explained that she was joining a new agency, and they were looking for fresh and exciting authors. They were already representing a number of successful, mostly self-published, romance authors, and had made some foreign rights sales.

I remember saying to my husband ‘I’ll see where it goes. As long as they don’t ask me for any money upfront, then I’ll assume it’s not a scam.’

Best. Decision. Ever.

Within twelve months of that first contact, my book, Fix You, was sold to a Brazilian publisher for Portuguese rights, and then to Corvus as an eBook in the UK. Since then the novel has been sold to another 5 countries, and was released in paperback here in the UK, allowing me to finally see my book in the shops. Now I’ve written a new four-part series – The Shakespeare Sisters – which was picked up by Piatkus here in Britain, and by Editora Record in Brazil. The first book in the series, Summer’s Lease, will be released in eBook and paperback on July 13th.

And that person who messaged me back in 2013? She’s not only still my agent, but also a dear friend. It’s a rare week that we don’t chat – on messenger, Skype, Whatsapp or whatever device we can find. She’s my number one supporter, but also my strongest critic; always pushing me to produce the work she assures me I’m capable of. Even better, as I’ve grown into a certain level of success, so has the agency (Bookcase Agency) – and I’m proud of all of us.

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I’d ignored that message and gone for a swim instead. I’m so happy I took a chance and said yes.

Thank you so much Carrie for sharing with us your chance on a new agent. I'm so glad it worked out for you and I'm really looking forward to your new book. 

Can the one who broke your heart be the one to heal it?

On New Year's Eve, 1999, Hanna and Richard meet. She is a born and bred Londoner with plans for a career in journalism. He is the son of a wealthy New Yorker and destined for Wall Street. As Hanna and Richard go back to their own worlds they keep in touch, and when Hanna has her heart broken it's Richard she turns to. They reunite and fall deeply, madly in love.

But they can't possibly imagine the ways their love will be tested. Fifteen years after they first meet, neither can bear to hear the other's name spoken. Then one day Hanna walks into Richard's office and reveals a shocking secret. Richard must decide if he can forgive her. And both need to choose whether to take a second chance on happiness, or if their love is beyond repair?

Amazon - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fix-You-Carrie-Elks-ebook/dp/B00PPSVZX8

iBooks - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/fix-you/id944917815?mt=11

Kobo - http://store.kobobooks.com/en-gb/books/fix-you-4/

Nook - http://www.nook.com/gb/ebooks/fix-you-by-carrie-elks/9781782397120

Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Carrie_Elks_Fix_You?id=eAxYBQAAQBAJ&hl=en_GB

Giveaway to Win a signed copy of Fix You (Open Internationally)

Carrie Elks is giving you a chance to win a signed copy of Fix You, the resulting book from her own chance. 

Giveaway open internationally, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 14/06/2017. 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 signed copy of Fix You (Open Internationally)


AUTHOR BIO

Carrie Elks lives near London, England and writes contemporary romance with a dash of intrigue. At the age of twenty-one she left college with a political science degree, a healthy overdraft and a soon-to-be husband. She loves to travel and meet new people, and has lived in the USA and Switzerland as well as the UK. When she isn't reading or writing, she can usually be found baking, drinking wine or working out how to combine the two.

AUTHOR LINKS

Website: http://carrieelks.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarrieElks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarrieElksAuthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7266211.Carrie_Elks

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Carrie-Elks/e/B00GMTLSI6/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carrie.elks/

Pinterest: http://uk.pinterest.com/carrieelks1/

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