Book Review - The Accidental Life Swap by Jennifer Joyce

The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: The Accidental Life Swap

Author: Jennifer Joyce

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 1st September 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Sometimes one moment can change your life forever…

Rebecca Riley has always been a bit of a pushover. When her glamorous boss, Vanessa, asks her to jump, she doesn’t just ask how high… she asks if her boss would like her to grab a coffee on the way back down!

So whilst overseeing the renovation of Vanessa’s beautiful countryside home, the last thing Rebecca ever expected was to be mistaken for her boss – or that she would even consider going along with it! Far away from the bustling city and her boss’s demanding ways, could she pretend to be Vanessa and swap lives, just for a little while?

Very enjoyable story about discovering what you are truly capable of, even if it takes partially impersonating your boss to do so. 

For Rebecca Riley has a massive confidence problem, she dreams big, but ultimately seems to be lacking a backbone to stand up to anyone. Hence why her boss Vanessa forces her to suddenly become the project manager for her new property in Little Heaton. 

Rebecca is normally Vanessa's PA at an events management company and dreams of stepping up to be an event manager, but first she needs to make sure the renovations are done in time for the house warming party, and standing up to a group of builder. 

Due to a slight misunderstanding on first meeting the builders they believe she is Vanessa, and suddenly Rebecca is channelling her inner Vanessa. 

What I really enjoyed the most about this book, is the animal sanctuary that is next door to Vanessa's property.  There are some really adorable animals in it, and Stacey and Oliver who run it are key people that I loved getting to know.  Any scenes involving the sanctuary are just a joy to read. 

My other favourite bits are the series of board games the Rebecca and Oliver play, being a board game fan myself.  I would have loved to have joined in with them, as I'm as competitive as them both!! 

On the whole this is a lot of fun, and the main hook of how long can Rebecca keep up the pretence and what will happen if the truth comes out, is very enjoyable and kept me reading on and on. 

A really entertaining novel from the always pleasing to read Jennifer Joyce. 

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

Book Review - The Single Mums' Picnic Club by Jennifer Joyce - #HolidayReading Book 22

Book 22 of 28 read on my holiday to Cyprus in June 2018.

The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: The Single Mums' Picnic Club

Author: Jennifer Joyce

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 8th June 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Katie thought she had the perfect family life by the sea – until her husband left her for another woman, abandoning her and their two children! She knows it’s finally time to move on but she’s unsure where to begin…

Frankie is shocked when gorgeous dog-walker Alex asks her on a date! As a single mum with her own business she struggles to put herself first, but maybe she’s ready to follow her heart?

George is used to raising her son on her own – but now he’s at nursery, her life feels empty. So when she meets Katie and Frankie at the beach, she realises that her talent for rustling up delicious picnics could be the perfect distraction!

But of course, life isn’t always a beach and as secrets begin to surface the three women’s lives are about to be turned upside-down…

I can certainly see why this is being advertised as an uplifting summer read - it really is feel good fiction, with new friends, new romances, good food and picnics!

Told from three alternating focal points, we really get to know George, Katie and Frankie and their assorted children.  They meet one cold day on the beach and all being single parents that are newish to Clifton on Sea they bonded and started to have weekly picnics. 

Their children are all different ages and each of them is single for a different reason, and they are all positive they don't have the time nor energy for romance!

One of the comedic stars of this book has to be Jake, a loveable dog that keeps getting himself into scrapes and kept making me laugh and smile. 

We also learn about the ladies families, and some of their pasts are far more serious in tone, understandably.,and gives a good rounded idea of who they are. 

I loved the picnics, and the various theme ideas and assorted food on offer. George is one cooking dynamo. 

All three mums are wonderful women and I really enjoyed getting to know them, and escaping into their lives for a few hours. 

The Single Mums' Picnic Club is a great holiday read for the summer or at any time. It is a joy to have read it. 

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

Book Review - The Wedding That Changed Everything by Jennifer Joyce

Amazon UK

Title: The Wedding That Changed Everything

Author: Jennifer Joyce

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital 

Publication Date: 7th February 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

Love happens when you least expect it…
Emily Atkinson stopped believing in fairy tales a long time ago! She’s fed up of dating frogs in order to track down her very own Prince Charming, despite the best efforts of her matchmaking best friend…

But now she’s been invited to the wedding of the year at the enchanting Durban Castle, and perhaps bumping into a knight in shining armour isn’t as far away as she thought!

Will Emily survive the wedding and walk away an unscathed singleton – or finally find her own happily-ever-after?

I thoroughly enjoyed The Wedding That Changed Everything, it was entertaining from cover to cover in this book that could make the hardened of hearts potentially believe in love or fairy-tales. 

 For our main character Emily stopped believing in Prince Charming when she was a child and is utterly fed up of being sent out on dates thanks to her best friend, Alice.  Alice agreed that if Emily comes with her, to her sister's wedding and puts up with one week of intense searching for Prince Charming that Emily can live her life without interference. 

What Emily wasn't expecting was just how magnificent Durban Castle is, and how much she may genuinely start to like one of the men she meets over the course of the week long wedding. 

I loved reading about all the different activities planned for the guests, the games on the lawn were funny, the treasure hunt was exhaustingly competitive, and the karaoke sounded a lot of fun. 

I loved seeing as the week go on, just how true the title is, that the wedding really does change everything, for a large number of the guests.  There is a big family misunderstanding that is causing tension between Alice, her sister, her stepmom and her boyfriend, and I loved seeing how that was all going to resolve itself over the course of the story. 

Jennifer Joyce has written a really enchanting, sweet book that is full of humour, some mystery, romance, getting lost (just try and keep count how many times Emily gets lost!), and plenty of potential Prince Charmings! 

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

Book Review - The Little Bed and Breakfast by the Sea by Jennifer Joyce

Amazon UK

Title: The Little Bed and Breakfast by the Sea

Author: Jennifer Joyce

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 28th June 2017

Rating: 4.5 Stars

One summer can change everything…

Mae has no time for men in her life! Local vet Alfie might be totally gorgeous but she’s far too busy looking after her young daughter and running her little bed & breakfast by the sea.

Willow is in the middle of building her dream home with her husband, Ethan, when disaster strikes. And with every month that passes she secretly worries that her happy ever after will never come true…

Melody only intended to stay in the bustling seaside town for a few days. But when she meets Hugo – the charming man in the ice cream van – she decides to stay a little longer.

It seems the little bed & breakfast is full of surprises!

I loved The Little Bed and Breakfast by the Sea, both the book and the building. For it really is a tiny B&B as it only has 2 rooms available for customers, with Mae and her 4 year old daughter Hannah living in the rest of the house. 

The B&B is set in a gorgeous little Northern coastal town Clifton-on-Sea, which we get to see through the eyes of Melody who is taking photos of towns such as these. It takes a while to fully understand why it is she is a photographer who is a bit unsure of herself and doesn't like showing people her pictures. 

Willow lives in the town and comes to stay in the B&B when renovations of her dream home hit a huge snag. I absolutely loved Willow's job as an upcycler and the amount of imagination shown in some of her projects was brilliant. 

There were a few characters that I loved even more than the rest, and believe it or not it wasn't those three ladies although they are the main characters and all really likeable.  I loved Hannah and her insistence that the random cat keeps showing up at their house is not only theirs but that its favourite food is Frosties. Hannah is 4 years old, and utterly adorable with it. 

My other favourite has to be the local ice-cream van man, Hugo and his dog called Scoop! Hugo is a bit of a cheeky chappy, has a bit of an ego and always seems up for a laugh. He befriends Melody and I giggled at most scenes involving him. 

The book is split so that each chapter has a different character to focus on, be it Mae, Willow or Melody. The writing was easy to follow and pleasurable to read, as was the whole story.  I enjoyed finding out about the characters pasts, and seeing how their thoughts changed over the time they were all together in the bed and breakfast. 

This is yet another great story from Jennifer Joyce, and author who never fails to write entertaining books. 

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

Book Review - A Beginner's Guide to Saying I Do by Jennifer Joyce

Amazon UK

Title: A Beginner's Guide to Saying I Do

Author: Jennifer Joyce

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied review copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 15th August

Rating: 5 Stars

Ruth can’t quite believe she’s managed to snag The One but when he proposes, she can finally accept that she’s found her happily ever after. But when Ruth finds herself booking her dream church for just six weeks away, she starts to panic. You can’t plan a whole wedding at such short notice. Can you?

Trina has only just walked down the aisle, but she’s already starting to question whether they can make their marriage work. Will they survive the honeymoon period, or have they just made a very big – and very expensive – mistake?

Erin has somehow found herself agreeing to be a bridesmaid for the tackiest wedding known to man. With drunk hens, ridiculous outfits and a terrifying wedding planner, just what has Erin signed up for?

Three women. Three weddings. But who will say I do – and who will say I don’t?

Three weddings and a...well thankfully not a funeral but an incredibly romantic surprise! 

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, there are plenty of moments to giggle at, some wonderful weddings to either gain inspiration from or to generally enjoy, and three very different, but equally fabulous main characters all of which feature in these weddings. 

First let me state this can easily be read as a standalone novel, although if you have read the previous book A Beginner's Guide to Salad you will know Ruth and Jared's full back story, and more of Erin's romantic history to. This one is set two years later and you don't have to have prior knowledge to be able to appreciate the fun of this book. 

We have Ruth who is madly in love with Jared, and after finding their dream church they need to plan a budget wedding in just 6 weeks. Cue calling in favours from her best friends and family. Best friend Erin is in a relationship with Richard, has no interest in marriage but has to be a bridesmaid at Richard's sister, Lindsay's wedding.  Then there is Trina, Ruths cousin who has a fairytale wedding at the start of the book, but then the marriage side of things turn out a bit trickier. 

With three different takes on weddings and relationships and all the characters interlinking it leads to a lot great situations. Anything involving Lindsay's wedding was hilarious, her hen party sounded a bit like a nightmare, at least for Erin, and when you get to the description of her wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses its laughable. 

On the other hand I loved the sound of dress that Ruth finds, and all her plans for the wedding seem great, even if there was some initial panic about planning of a short notice wedding, I really enjoyed seeing how it all came together. 

Yet Trina's story adds another dimension to this book, and I couldn't help but have a lot of sympathy for her. The family she marries into sounds like a nightmare for various reasons, while her new husband  - well the less said about him the better. 

If you are a fan of Jennifer Joyce, romance, weddings, humour, books with groups of friends, great characters and generally a whole feel good vibe from a book then A Beginner's Guide to Saying I Do is for you. I loved the writing, the story and was interested to see how Ruth had developed and changed since the previous book. I really hope this isn't the end of this series. 

Thank you so much to Jennifer Joyce for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Guest Post - Top Quality Bed & Breakfasts by Jennifer Joyce - Blog Tour

After deciding to set my latest book in a seaside bed and breakfast, I had to think about what would make the best meeting place for Mae, Willow and Melody. Here a few points I made about the top qualities I’d like in a B&B:

Make It Personal

For me, a bed and breakfast is more personal than a hotel. It should be cosier than a bland, uniform hotel room, the service should be more bespoke and friendly. I’m not saying hotel staff aren’t – and shouldn’t be – friendly, but it’s unlikely the receptionist is going to be cooking your breakfast if you’re staying in a big hotel. There’s less of a barrier between B&B owner and guest, I guess.

No Kim & Aggie Required

It goes without saying that the B&B should be clean (as should a hotel) but I’m not about to go on the hunt for little curly hairs under the mattress protector like the contestants on Four In A Bed often do. It’s an entertaining program, but it can get ridiculous at times! If you have to put your back out looking for a cobweb, you’ve probably gone too far. As long as there is clean bedding, the bathroom has had a good scrub, a hoover has had a run around the carpets and there are no obvious stains or cobwebs, you’re on the right track.

The Little Touches

While researching bed and breakfasts (read: watching back-to-back episodes of Four In A Bed and To B&B The Best), I came across the idea of leaving little welcome baskets for guests. I thought this was such a nice touch and the kind of attention to detail I was looking for. We’re not talking expensive hampers here, just a little basket of mini toiletries and a few treats, such as chocolates or biscuits.

A Friendly Host

This is so important when you’re staying in a bed and breakfast. Staying in such close proximity, you don’t have the same anonymity you would within a hotel, so you need a host who you feel comfortable around. Perhaps you will be sharing a communal space with this person from time to time, and they may be the person who deals with your breakfast requests in the morning. 
But you also need someone who knows when to take a step back, who knows the line between making sure you’re settled and fussing. You want to feel relaxed during your stay and while knowing you can ask for more towels if you need them is fantastic, feeling as though you have an extra participant on your trip isn’t quite so great.

Books

I’d love any B&B where there was a bookshelf where I could pick up a book I don’t have on my towering TBR pile and work my way through while on my trip (I will have taken several books of my own, obviously, but a bookworm can never have access to too many books). This isn’t strictly necessary, but it would put a smile on my face!

So those are the qualities I think are important – I’d love to know about yours too!

Thank you so much Jennifer I love your thoughts on B&Bs and look forward to seeing how The Little Bed and Breakfast by the Sea shapes up!

About the author

Jennifer Joyce is a writer of romantic comedies who lives in Manchester with her husband and their two daughters. Her latest novel, The Little Bed & Breakfast by the Sea is out now. You can find out more about Jennifer and her books on:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jenniferjoycewrites

Twitter: www.twitter.com/writer_jenn

Instagram: www.instagram.com/writer_jenn

Blog: www.jenniferjoycewrites.co.uk 

Escape to the seaside this summer!

Mae loves running her little Bed & Breakfast, it’s the perfect place to raise her adorable four-year-old daughter! And no matter how persistently local vet, Alfie, chases her, she just doesn’t have time for men in her life.

Willow is busy building her dream home with her husband, Ethan, but with every month that passes she secretly worries that her happy ever after will never come true…

Melody only intended to stay in the bustling seaside town for a few days to capture the perfect photo. But when she meets Hugo – the charming man in the ice cream van – she decides to stay a little longer!

One thing is for sure, summer at the little Bed & Breakfast by the sea certainly has a few surprises in store…

Book Review - The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts by Jennifer Joyce - Blog Tour

Amazon UK

Title:  The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts

Author: Jennifer Joyce

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital 

Publication Date: 8th February 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

From fairy cakes to first dates!

Maddie Lamington’s dreams are crumbling around her. If she doesn’t come up with a plan to save her little teashop on Sweet Street soon, it might be too late…

So when she sees how the perfect apple crumble brings together her lonely father and faithful customer Birdie, inspiration strikes: she’ll set up a dating night involving all her sweetest bakes.

Luckily, seriously gorgeous Caleb is on hand to help sprinkle a little magic – and a lot of sugar! Could one night of scrumptious first dates fix Maddie’s heartbreak and save her beloved teashop, too?

Having now finished reading The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts, I have just realised how hungry a large amount of the book has made me. There are so many mentions of delicious cakes being described, that I can only suggest you have some snacks ready, while you eat, as I suddenly have a large craving for cake, or maybe some of Maddie's apple crumble given her father, and also regular customer Birdie seem to love it so much! 

Or maybe I should eat some of the little servings of cakes that Maddie serves, during the concept that she really hopes will put The Sweet Street Teashop on the map - speed dating and cake! Maddie's tea-shop is wonderful and it has a whole set regular customers, with various quirks. 

There is Robbie who only ever wants Banana milkshakes, the builder who clearly fancies Mags who works alongside Maddie, Birdie who has a gorgeous son, Caleb, and very cute granddaughter Cara, there is also Nicky who is Maddie's best friend and works in the salon on Sweet Street, Neal, who is Caleb's best friend who may be interested in one of the women too, amongst others. 

However Maddie's small cast of regular customers, aren't enough to turn a profit at the teashop, hence her need to come up with the dating idea. 

There are so many scenes that just brought a large smile to my face, including a certain discussion about underpants with Caleb, when you get there I 'm sure you will agree! She occasionally speaks without quite thinking how it may sound, and thus has a slight foot in mouth problem! Regardless she is loveable and just trying to do her hardest for the employees, and be the best friend she can be, while being sworn off love. 

With its delectable combination of cake, friendship, heartbreak, entertaining characters and just a whole lot of fun, written in an easy to read style, The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts is a highly enjoyable story. 

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

Take a look at all my wonderful fellow bloggers, that are also sharing their thoughts on the blog tour for The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts. 

Truth or Lie - Month 1 Roundup

Well it has been a tightly fought first month on Truth or Lie, and I really appreciate everyone that has taken the time to read the posts, and to have a guess. And so for the moment of truth, here is the leaderboard.

Please note if you took part, guessed but didn't get any correct, then don't worry, the board resets for the new month so please come back and try for Month 2. It's all meant to be a bit of fun really!

Well it looks to me as though there is a clear winner, so...

Congratulations Ali - The Dragon Slayer you have won a paperback of your choice. Please contact me to claim your prize! 

An honorable mention has to go to Sarah Hardy, who is the only person to have a clean sweep on any given week, Her 3 points came from guessing all 3 of Alan Jones' lies correctly.

Lynda Renham of week 2 was the trickiest liar, no-one guessed any of hers correctly, although she did answer more questions than everyone else, so that probably made it a bit harder!

And finally the moment you have all been waiting for, the lies revealed for Rachel Dove, Lynda Renham, Jennifer Joyce and Alan Jones. 

Week 1 - I had Rachel Dove as my guest, and she had some realistic sounding lies. So here is the truth! 

Question 7 - What is the most annoying interview question you have ever been asked?

(LIE) If you could be a fruit, what would you be and why? Ha ha!
(TRUTH) I have been pretty lucky so far, I haven't been annoyed or stumped yet!

Question 9 - Besides reading, which I am guessing is a given, what other hobbies do you have?

(LIE) 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. 

(TRUTH) I am pretty boring really, I like to hang out with my kids, cross stitch, bake, go on days out. My kids are amazing, we get up to all kinds of fun, and I enjoy every minute. When they are at school or sleeping, I either work, spend time with my husband or do one of my hobbies to chill out.

Question 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?

(LIE) 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. 

(TRUTH) The Yorkshire Dales. I would like to live in a little bolthole, and look out over the fields and flowers. 

Week 2 - I had Lynda Renham as my guest, and these are her lies uncovered!

Question 4 - What was your most memorable holiday ever?

Two idyllic weeks in the Bahamas. (this is a lie) Very relaxing and luxurious. (The truth) It would be Our trip to Cambodia this year which was very meaningful to both of us.

Question 5 - If you could be an animal what would you be and why?

A cat. I could sleep a lot and let other people take care of me. (lie) Truth is a dog and then I would have to go out for walks which I don’t do as much as I should now.

Question 17 - Did you have an invisible friend as a child? If so please tell me about them. 

Yes, his name was Fred and he went everywhere with me even to dancing school. My mum even laid a special place at the table for him at meal times (this is a lie) Truth is I never had one.

Week 3 - I had Jennifer Joyce as my guest, and she has some brilliant lies to be revealed

Question 3 - What was your most memorable holiday ever?

LIE - We went to Egypt for our honeymoon in 2012. I’ve always been fascinated by the pyramids so it was amazing to actually see them for myself. Unfortunately, my husband was pretty ill for most of the week (you don’t want any details, trust me) so it wasn’t such an amazing holiday for him!

TRUE  - We spent the Christmas of 2011 in New York and it was amazing. On Christmas Day we had a ride around Central Park in a horse-drawn carriage before going to the zoo and eating hot dogs. We didn’t have a tree in our hotel room but the giant tree at Rockefeller Center was only a short walk away!

Question 8 - Besides reading, which I am guessing is a given, what other hobbies do you have?

LIE - I’ve played the violin since I was nine, though I don’t play as much as I used to. My youngest (who’s seven) is starting to take an interest so if she starts having lessons, we can play together, which would be lovely.

TRUE - I love crafting and have various places around the house where I stash my crafty bits and pieces. If you give me some card, a pair of scissors and some double-sided tape, I’m a happy bunny.

Question 13- If you won the lottery, how would you spend the money?

LIE - I’d love to travel the world. There are so many places I’m itching to experience. Australia and New Zealand would definitely be at the top of my list as they both look like such gorgeous countries and I’ve never been that far from home before.

TRUE - I’d buy a house big enough to have its own library with a ladder on wheels. That’s the dream!

Week 4 - I had Alan Jones as my guest, and I have a feeling he may have been the trickiest yet! 

Question 10 -  Besides reading, which I am guessing is a given, what other hobbies do you have?

 I collect vintage cigarette cases. (LIE) I make Furniture (TRUTH)

Question 11 - What is your guilty pleasure when it comes to music? 

Take That. (LIE) Dusty Springfield (TRUTH)

Question 12 - What are you most scared of? 

Cats (LIE) Horses (TRUTH)

Thank you once again to all the contestants for this inaugural month of Truth or Lie? I hope that everyone is enjoying the feature and will take a look and have some guesses at the first of month two - Zara Stoneley and you never know you could be winning a paperback of your choice next month. 

Funday Friday - Truth or Lie? - Jennifer Joyce - Month 1 Week 3

Welcome to the second 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 at least 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 Jennifer Joyce, please can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

I’m a writer of romantic comedies who lives in Manchester with my husband and our two daughters. We also have a Jack Russell called Luna and two bunnies called Cinnamon and Leah. If I’m not writing, I can usually be found with my nose in a book or loitering on social media.

Please to meet you Jennifer, we definitely have something in common already, I seem to be loitering on social media a lot

Now onto the show, and remember everyone, Jennifer 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?

I love Dorothy Koomson’s writing. It’s beautiful and evocative and hooks me in immediately.

2) What book do you wish you had written?

Bridget Jones’s Diary. Like most authors, I’d love to see my books transferred to the screen but there’s always the fear it won’t live up to what you imagined in your head while writing it. For me, Bridget Jones’s Diary is just as fabulous as the book and I could watch it over and over and never get bored.

3) What was your most memorable holiday ever?

We went to Egypt for our honeymoon in 2012. I’ve always been fascinated by the pyramids so it was amazing to actually see them for myself. Unfortunately, my husband was pretty ill for most of the week (you don’t want any details, trust me) so it wasn’t such an amazing holiday for him!

4) If you could be an animal what would you be and why?

A cat because they have a great life: strokes whenever they want some fuss (and only when THEY want to be stroked – everything is on their terms), free to roam or laze wherever they want, the cute factor so they can be fed at multiple houses. It’s idyllic.

5) What superpower would you love to have?

The ability to stop time. Imagine being able to pause time when the alarm clock goes off in the morning, only restarting it when you’ve had a lengthy enough lie in!

6) What is your dream job, and have you tried to achieve it?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer, from a young age. It took years of writing and submitting before I was published but it was worth it.

7) If you could only read one author for the rest of your life (and I’m aware that’s a very scary world), who would you choose and why?

It’d be Lisa Jewell because I love to re-read her early romantic comedies, like Thirty Nothing. I never, ever get bored of re-reading them.

8) Besides reading, which I am guessing is a given, what other hobbies do you have?

I’ve played the violin since I was nine, though I don’t play as much as I used to. My youngest (who’s seven) is starting to take an interest so if she starts having lessons, we can play together, which would be lovely.

9) Who is your ideal Disney character?

Frozen’s Olaf because he is cute, lovable and funny.

10) What would your ideal pet be?

A dog because they make great companions. They’re fun, playful and loyal – and adorable. Luckily I happen to have a dog, who is all those things.

11) What is your guilty pleasure when it comes to music? 

I have a varied taste in music and don’t feel any guilt (although maybe I should…) I love anything from cheesy pop like The Spice Girls and S Club 7 to T-Rex.

12) Who is the most important person in the world to you?

I have two – my daughters, Rianne and Isobel.

13) If you won the lottery, how would you spend the money?

I’d love to travel the world. There are so many places I’m itching to experience. Australia and New Zealand would definitely be at the top of my list as they both look like such gorgeous countries and I’ve never been that far from home before.

14) What are you most scared of?

I’m scared of a LOT of things: spiders (obviously), most other creepy-crawlies and flying bug-type things, snakes, horses, my own imagination. They’re all tied, fear-wise. 

Thanks so much Jennifer for taking part on Truth or Lie? I also love your favourite author, and Olaf is definitely the best! 

I hope you have enjoyed this 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! 

Jennifer Joyce is a writer of romantic comedies who lives in Manchester with her husband and their two daughters. Her latest novel, The Wedding Date is out now. You can find out more about Jennifer and her books on:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jenniferjoycewrites 
Twitter: www.twitter.com/writer_jenn 

Blog: www.jenniferjoycewrites.co.uk 

Book Review - The Wedding Date by Jennifer Joyce - Blog Tour

Amazon UK

Title: The Wedding Date

Author: Jennifer Joyce

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Carina

Publication Date: 28th March 2016

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Will you…date me?

Delilah James, singleton and smoothie-addict, has six months to find a date for her oldest friend’s wedding. Oh, and to prove to her ex, best man Ben, that she has totally moved on since he dumped her out-of-the-blue nine months, eight days and seventeen hours ago…

So, with her two BFFs playing Cupid, Delilah launches herself into the high-tech, fast-paced and frankly terrifying world of dating. Luckily there’s the hot new guy at work, Adam Sinclair, to practice her flirting on – even if, as a colleague, he’s strictly off-limits!

Yet time’s running out and date after disastrous date forces Delilah to tell a little white lie – and invent a fake boyfriend! But will her secret crush on Adam ruin everything? Does she even care about Ben anymore? And is it too late to untangle her web of lies and take a real date to the wedding…?

The Wedding Date is another really enjoyable and entertaining story by Jennifer Joyce. If you don't like large webs of lies then this may not be the story for you, as it did get a bit confusing at one point, trying to remember who was aware of which lies that Delilah couldn't help but tell. 

It all started with one small omission of fact, where Delilah implies she has got over her ex of 9 months and is also moving on and dating again. And somehow she is persuaded to bring the new man as her plus one to an old friends wedding. The only small problems are that Delilah is not over Ben, and she has no interest in dating again at the moment. 

And so project Wedding Date is born, between her and her two best friends Ryan and Lauren. Between them they try all manner of ways to meet men for Delilah to make the lie true, and have a date for the wedding. 

The first half of the book is filled with some truly horrifying but hilarious dates, as all sorts of stereotypical male characteristics are on display, from the sore loser to the one very much not over his ex and a whole variety of others. 

To my eyes there are two potential men that Delilah was likely to end up with, either the best friend or the colleague, and for a long time I really wasn't sure which way the story would go. Of course I won't spoil the ending by telling you, but would be interested to see how many predict accurately. 

Despite Delilah not really liking her job, I must say I did enjoy seeing her at work as there were just enough mentions of biscuits and possible recipes including biscuits to make me very peckish. 

I loved the light hearted feel to this feel good romantic comedy, with each chapter starting with a text message exchange either past or present that is relevant to the upcoming chapter, between Delilah and her friends. Even her name is made fun of many times, and if you think one of the jokes is about to start wearing thin, think how it must be for any real person with that name, and how often they must hear the same comments/songs. 

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

Thank you to Jennifer for inviting me to be part of her blog tour. 

About Jennifer Joyce

Jennifer Joyce is a writer of romantic comedies who lives in Manchester with her husband and their two daughters. Her latest novel, The Wedding Date is out now.

You can find out more about Jennifer and her books on:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jenniferjoycewrites 
Twitter: www.twitter.com/writer_jenn

Blog: www.jenniferjoycewrites.co.uk