Book Review - My Sardinian Summer by Michael Uras

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Amazon UK

Title: My Sardinian Summer

Author: Michael Uras

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hodder & Stoghton

Publication Date: 19th March 2020

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Giacomo is stuck in a funk he can't shake - and a translation of Moby Dick he can't finish. When he's summoned home to Sardinia, to say a final goodbye to his dying grandmother, he's offered the perfect opportunity to escape.

On the noisy, sun-drenched island, Giacomo reconnects with long-lost friends and overbearing relatives, relives the childhood he once couldn't wait to leave behind, and rediscovers new joie-de-vivre within him. Never mind that he's making no progress on his translation. . .

When the time comes to leave once more, Giacomo wonders: has he fallen back in love with his home-island? Or has he been hiding from something which he needs the courage to return and confront?

But most importantly - is his grandma really as ill as she's claiming to be?

This is a tricky book for me to review - you may not think so if you know how tempted I am by anything with an exotic location, a holiday feel to it, and a gorgeous cover - obviously all the elements that first attracted me to the book. 

And I can definitely say that is is an interesting read, each time I picked up the book I was happy to be between the pages although it didn't really call to me in between. The writing is good and I feel I have learnt a lot from reading the story, about life in Sardinia especially for locals in a small village.   

About family life in Sardinia, and also about the work of a translator.   Which did amuse me as the first thing I noticed on opening it, was that it is a translated piece of fiction itself, and the main character is a translator. 

I loved his description of his job as a nearly man - someone who says nearly the same thing as the original author.. but not quite identical.    The theme of nearly runs through the book quite a lot. 

Yet there are no chapters, lots of paragraph breaks, but no actual chapters which I found to be disconcerting.  And if feels as though the chain of thought dots about seemingly at random.  One minute we are perhaps in the hospital at Giacomo's grandma's bedside,  the next its gone off a tangent as perhaps a memory is introduced, or something about a friend or acquaintance. 

In some ways it felt disjointed, but in others possibly a bit eccentric.  There were characters of course to get to know, and I did feel as though I knew Giacomo's family quite well by the end of the story. 

I have probably missed a key point in the book, as I'm just not sure it worked for me. but I can easily see how others will probably like it.   I suspect that Giacomo translating a new version of Moby Dick with regular references to it were off-putting for me, as I've never read Moby Dick. Equally I've never heard of half the literary works that are mentioned even in passing, and thus a connection to the story fully was just out of my reach. 

An interesting book that I am glad I had the opportunity to read even, and I loved getting an insight into Giacomo's little portion of Sardinia. 

Thank you to Hodder and Netgalley for this copy which i have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew by Milly Johnson

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Amazon UK

Title: The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew

Author: Milly Johnson

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: EDPR

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 11th July 2019

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Sophie Mayhew looks like she has the perfect life. Wife of rising political star John F Mayhew, a man who is one step away from the top job in the government, her glamour matches his looks, power, breeding and money. But John has made some stupid mistakes along the way, some of which are threatening to emerge. Still, all this can still be swept under the carpet as long as Sophie 'the trophy' plays her part in front of the cameras.

But the words that come out of Sophie’s mouth one morning on the doorstep of their country house are not the words the spin doctors put in there.  Bursting out of the restrictive mould she has been in since birth, Sophie flees to a place that was special to her as a child, a small village on the coast where she intends to be alone.

But once there, she finds she becomes part of a community that warms her soul and makes her feel as if she is breathing properly for the first time. Sophie knows she won't be left in peace for long. Now she must decide: where does her real future lie?

Well this was a book that took a while to grow on me, for the entirety of the first part I really struggled as all the characters just seemed unlikable, bordering on vile and there were just loads of them.  Well there were all the members of both John and Sophie's families, as well as the whole of John's political team, and spin doctor etc... 

You could tell that between the flash backs to Sophie's schooling (which I did quite enjoy, despite again being at school full of horrific people), and the most recent events building up to doorstepgate that something big was brewing, and I made sure to stick with the book as was sure that once we got the vital background, that the book would become far more interesting. 

And I was correct, the second we are away from the inner workings of someone wanting to be the conservative leader and everything that he and his family must do to keep up public appearances even in the face of blatant scandal,  Sophie really grew on me and the book took on a much more enjoyable tone. 

Unfortunately I'm not hugely keen on politics, and the fact that Sophie ended up in a small village, in the Almshouse but having deep conversations with the local vicar (who is utterly gorgeous), meant I was seeing a bit more religion, or at least faith in god type discussions than I particularly want to see in a book and did have to double check the front cover to make sure it really was a Milly Johnson story I was reading as it seemed rather unlike her. 

From the moment that we move into part two though I was invested in the story, I enjoyed seeing how Sophie;s character developed and some of her through processes.  She goes from being a doormat of a trophy wife, to a woman who is able to show her real personality traits and that was rather wonderful to see. 

All the people she meets by contrast up in her hideaway are down to earth, characters that are relatable to, and some of which I really loved hearing about.  

This is the sort of book that makes you wonder, would you be able to stand by your man, if proved to be cheating, in public. just to toe the party line and not ruffle any feathers. 

Of the two families there is besides Sophie, only one character who really grew on m which which was Johnathan's brother Edward who seemed like the only one with any human feelings at all, and there was a fabulous showdown scene involving him that had me really cheering. 

There is plenty to enjoy in this book, but at the end of the day I've enjoyed all of Milly Johnson's other wonderful books a great deal more than this one, and I'm looking forward to see what she writes next. 

Thank you to EDPR for my copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Holiday by T.M. Logan - #HolidayReading Thailand

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Amazon UK

Title: The Holiday

Author: T. M. Logan

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Zaffre

Publication Date: 13th June 2019 

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Seven days. Three families. One killer.

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday, dreamed up by Kate as the ideal way to turn 40: four best friends and their husbands and children in a luxurious villa under the blazing sunshine of Languedoc-Roussillon. 

But there is trouble in paradise. Kate suspects that her husband is having an affair, and that the other woman is one of her best friends. 

One of these women is willing to sacrifice years of friendship and destroy her family. But which one? As Kate closes in on the truth in the stifling Mediterranean heat, she realises too late that the stakes are far higher than she ever imagined. 

Because someone in the villa is prepared to kill to keep their secret hidden.

Well this is definitely a book about a holiday,  for four friends.  Right from the start you sense something epic is going to happen on this trip. 

What frustrated me was that we were given so many clues and red herrings about the truth,  and it seemed like Kate was going round in circles about some suspicious messages found on husband Sean's phone, that the real juicy action took until around 85% to get going. 

It may be that reading this on holiday myself and not checking the blurb,  meant that I was expecting it to be a different sort of book to what it was.

I enjoyed the writing style,  and once I got used to getting insights into almost all the characters through dedicated chapters,  it became easier to follow. 

I would happily read another book from this author in the future. He certainly kept me guessing throughout,  and I couldn't have predicted half of it. 

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

Book Review - I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella

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Amazon UK

Title: I Owe You One

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Black Swan

Publication Date: 27th June 2019

Rating: 3.5 Stars

The irresistible new standalone from Sophie Kinsella is a story of love, empowerment and an IOU that changes everything . . .

Fixie Farr can’t help herself. Straightening a crooked object, removing a barely-there stain, helping out a friend . . . she just has to put things right. It’s how she got her nickname, after all.

So when a handsome stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop for a moment, Fixie not only agrees, she ends up saving it from certain disaster. To thank her, the computer’s owner, Sebastian, scribbles her an IOU – but of course Fixie never intends to call in the favour.

That is, until her teenage crush, Ryan, comes back into her life and needs her help – and Fixie turns to Seb. But things don’t go according to plan, and now Fixie owes Seb: big time.

Soon the pair are caught up in a series of IOUs – from small favours to life-changing debts – and Fixie is torn between the past she’s used to and the future she deserves.

Does she have the courage to fix things for herself and fight for the life, and love, she really wants?

One random act of kindness, leads to a stranger giving Fixie an IOU, and starts a chain of events that you may not have predicted from the outset. 

Fixie so named as she likes fixing everything is lovely, passionate about the family business, loyal to her family but honestly comes across as a doormat.  She drove me mad half the time, as she wouldn't stand up to her siblings. 

And the least said about her long term love and crush, the better. He was utterly despicable. 

I'm really not sure if I liked most of the characters. In fact my favourite character is one that doesn't talk back -its the family shop Farrs.   We get enough description, plus of the vibe of the place and what it sells, that it feels like a character in its own right. 

I suspect had I read this any other week I would have loved it more, but given how exhausted I am, I have to say that reading this felt a bit like hard work.  It didn't really draw me back into it, which is odd as I normally love a Sophie Kinsella book. 

It's not a bad book in the slightest, and I did enjoy most of it, but its also not the best or funniest of Sophie Kinsella's standalone books. There are moments of humour and the further I got into the book, the more I was enjoying it, especially once I started to see the evidence of character development as they became more rounded people. 

Filled with characters you love to hate, a lovely small business, a complete mix of personalities in one story and a series of favours and good deeds done, thanks to one IOU note, this is a good story, which frustratingly felt a bit short for me. 

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

Book Review - The Age of Misadventure by Judy Leigh - #HolidayReading Thailand

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Amazon UK

Title: The Age of Misadventure

Author: Judy Leigh

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 21st February 2019

Rating: 3.5 Stars

You’re never too old to live dangerously…

The gloriously funny new novel from the author of A Grand Old Time.

All Georgie Turner wants is to keep her family together. But with her daughter growing up fast, her sister married to a man Georgie hates, and their aging aunt getting more and more outrageous, nothing’s simple.

So when her brother-in-law makes his biggest mistake yet, Georgie sees the chance to reunite the ladies in her life. And after a little persuasion, three generations of Turner women head off on a very unusual road trip. Georgie’s confident that some sun, sea and a bottle or two of prosecco will make this an adventure they’ll never forget.

What could possibly go wrong?

Misadventure certainly sums up the zany story-line in this book. 

Definitely a story where you need to suspend your belief in reality while reading as  this was a completely unexpectedly wild ride. 

Somehow multiple generations of one family end up on the run, after Bonnie's husband does one too many dodgy deals, and some really nasty bad guys want some revenge, 

I didn't really take to most of the women in this book, but did enjoy Aunty Nanny, who has a habit of not quite using the right words, to some hilarious consequences. Plus she is easily the most fun of the characters and really came into her own. 

The last third I was barely able to tear myself away from, as when everything started to heat up and come together, it did it in an addictive style. 

Story wise it felt quite original, and the writing was certainly good, I just didn't really gel with most of the characters. 

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

Book Review - Izzy As Is by Tracie Banister

Amazon UK

Title: Izzy As Is

Author: Tracie Banister

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Self published

Publication Date: 24th January 2018

Rating: 3.5 Stars

The party is over for bikini model Izzy Alvarez. For six years she’s made a good living by flaunting her God-given assets on runways and in front of cameras, but now as she approaches the big 3-0, the bodacious Latina is shocked to learn she’s aged out of the profession that’s kept her in mojitos, mani/pedis, and designer thongs. What’s a girl with a taste for the finer things in life and no marketable skills to do?

Getting a regular job is too boring to even consider, so Izzy decides to follow in the footsteps of her newly-engaged frenemy and become a trophy wife. Although she’s desperate and too broke to get a chipped nail fixed, Izzy still has standards for her future husband, which means no uggos, no vertically-challenged guys, and no geezers who need to pop a blue pill to perform in the bedroom. Enlisting the aid of her computer whiz nephew and her closest pals, Izzy goes on the prowl for a rich, marriage-minded man, encountering likely candidates in a lot of unlikely places.

The high life she’s dreamed of may be within reach when Izzy meets a charming, successful man who’s not only hotter than a steamy summer night in Miami, but ready to settle down. Now all Izzy has to do is make sure her loud, crazy Cuban family doesn’t scare off el hombre perfecto—oh, yeah, and squelch those pesky, romantic feelings she keeps having for the sweet, cash-strapped guy she's known forever.

Will Izzy’s hunger for money win out, or will her fiery heart demand to be heard?

Ever since I first saw this cover revealed, I was enticed into reading this book, it is so summery and gorgeous looking, just what is needed in a cold British winter, a slice of warmth in Miami.  Given I have spent a few day in Miami and done two loops on the hop on, hop off buses, I did have some idea of the basics of this city, and was very excited when a mall I went to got mentioned briefly! 

Unfortunately I soon realised that Izzy is the sort of main character that I no longer have time for,  5-10 years ago I would have probably loved her, but I find now that shallow characters that predominately care about their appearance, and bagging a rich husband just don't interest me anymore.  However that is my problem and I know plenty of people will have no problem with this element of the book. 

For I really did enjoy the writing, I loved that Izzy is a Latina, and part Cuban, and thus would occasionally start talking Spanish, and I was really glad to know that my knowledge of Spanish was up more than up to it and that I knew a swear word when I saw one!  

There were plenty of moments in the book which made me chuckle, and the sibling rivalry Izzy had with Pilar and Ana was amusing. In fact I loved Izzy's mother too, who was just a slight hypochondriac, and tried to make every scene she was in revolve around her. 

Though my absolute favourite character was Nate, Izzy's 11 year old genius nephew. We didn't see too much of him, but I loved his insights and just how intelligent he really is. His sister Gabi was adorable too, and her 5th Birthday party was the sort of party that little girls must dream of! 

Izzy's best friend Zane is the other character I really really loved, in fact I think I fell a bit in love with him, but whether Izzy will ever notice him properly is another matter as she is determined to become a trophy wife and comes up with various plans to meet a rich sexy future husband!  

If only I had connected more with Izzy, I would be giving this a much higher rating, as the rest of the book was really good, I just find if I 'm not keen on the main character it becomes a problem for me.  The story itself was predictable but I didn't mind that too much, just wish I had been able to read this on holiday, as it would be a great poolside / beach read! 

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

Book Review - El Dorado? No! Heathrow Airport by Tony Levy - #HolidayReading Book 1

Book 1 of 30 that I read on my holiday to Fuerteventura in December 2017

Amazon UK

Title: El Dorado? No! Heathrow Airport

Author: Tony Levy

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: MDM

Publication Date: 25th November 2017 

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Former Security Guard, Tony Levy reveals the shocking truth of life inside one of Britain's busiest airports. He exposes the pressures faced by its 76,000+ staff, the traits of pampered celebrities as they pass through the terminals, and the weird, wonderful, and sometimes shocking behaviour of other passengers. Tony delivers his unique portrayal in a sometimes comedic manner, and it was this humour that relieved the intensity of life inside Heathrow's bustling terminals.

Not my normal sort of read but since I love travel and have used Heathrow airport loads, I couldn't resist purchasing this book when I discovered it existed.

There is plenty that is likeable and enjoyable about the book. I absolutely loved all the interactions with passengers where im sat rolling my eyes at just how stupid people can be. 

In fact I was shocked at just how many people going through airports didn't know coins and mobile phones contained metal, and thus would set off the detectors. 

Part 2 which takes in Tony's colleagues and various moments of disbelief with them again was interesting and amusing, but really opened my eyes was all the times Tony commented on the management behind Security at terminal 5.

Unfortunately due to the way his career finishes I think it may have influenced some of the last part that left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. 

I have to hope that the book was, or is currently planning on being serialised, as the sheer amount of repetition I found within pages of the first mention is inexplicable otherwise. I was almost feeling patronised that I wasn't expected to retain information throughout the book which i read cover to cover in one day at the start of my own holiday. 

I found the first few chapters a bit too dry for my taste but they did give valuable and interesting background information, but for me the book got going once we were dealing with anecdotes.

Overall an eye opener as to life at Heathrow Terminal 5, and although I never have, nor would,  I promise never to kick off ever at any airport staff, as they really don't deserve the abuse they get.

Book Review - Snowballs: Winter Fun on the Slopes by Fliss Chester

Amazon UK

Title: Snowballs: Fun on the Slopes

Author: Fliss Chester

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 30th November 2017

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Escape to the glamorous resort of Val d'Argent for a wintry week of fun, fondue and frivolity. It's going to be an unforgettable Christmas!

Join old university friends Jenna, Max, Angus, Bertie, Hugo and Sally as they jet off to the French Alps for a week of festive fun.

On the agenda: flirting, drinking, dancing - and a bit of skiing along the way.

But once they arrive they are soon waylaid by secret passions, chairlift shenanigans, sexy ski-instructors and the sort of social climbing that requires more effort and planning than a solo ascent of Mont Blanc!

Will it all snowball into disaster or will there be someone waiting under the mistletoe this Christmas?

Clip on your skis, dig out your salopettes, and get ready for some fun on the slopes..

From the looks of the cover and the blurb I thought perfect this is easily my sort of book, I will love it and it should be a nice quick read for me.   So you may be wondering why only 3.5 stars from me? 

I think it was just the wrong book for my frame of mind at the time of reading it.  Unfortunately my main bug bear with it was purely that I didn't like most of the characters and from their behaviours I felt like I was 10-15 years too old to read this book - I would reckon teenagers would potentially enjoy this, or uni aged people but it just didn't quite strike the right chord with me. 

That being said, wow there was a lot of sex in this book and some of those scenes were hot and highly enjoyable. Some of it could be classed as more risque or sordid which did add to the fun of the book, and there seemed to be a lot of partner swapping. 

The action on the ski slopes too caught my attention and I loved the both the action on and off the piste, especially the hunky French ski instructor who was incredibly flirty! 

There is plenty to enjoy and I reckon another day, I would have been raving about the book. I am though curious to see what the next book is going to be like, although having read the blurb of that before finishing this one, I did know who one of the characters ended up with already. 

6 friends, 6 perspectives, a whole lot of fun and action packed into a one week ski holiday, plus some adventure and adrenalin pumping scenes.  Good debut and be curious to see how this author progresses. 

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

Book Review - Christmas at Butterfly Cove by Sarah Bennett

Amazon UK

Title: Christmas at Butterfly Cove

Author: Sarah Bennett

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 6th October 2017

Rating: 3.5 Stars

All she wants for Christmas…
When talented artist Nee Sutherland returns to Butterfly Cove for her sister’s wedding, it’s only a matter of time before she has to face her own bridegroom – Luke Spenser – the man she impulsively married, then left in the middle of the night.

Nee hasn’t picked up her paintbrushes in months, a part of her is broken. She knows Luke might never forgive her, leaving him was the biggest mistake of her life – but could coming home for Christmas be the best decision she’s ever made?

Maybe all she needs is a little Christmas miracle…

Absolutely loved the finale to the book which brought a good series to a lovely ending. However despite it only being a few months since I read book 2, I struggled with this third Butterfly Cove book. 

I found there were all these recurring characters from the first two books and although I remembered the main characters, its was all the family members and friends and how belong to who, and where and why, and bits of back story that were hinted at, but not enough of a reminder in it to help me out - and this is as someone that should know the relevant back story. 

I believe this is a book that is best read straight after the previous one in order to get that much needed continuity with it. 

That being said it was good to catch up with Mia and Kiki, but I felt that for a book that should have been focusing on getting to know Nee and Luke, that I struggled to connect with them, as there was just so much on all the other characters.  

Kiki's childrens were some of my favourite characters yet again, Matty and Charlie are just adorable and the latest addition to their family is incredibly cute too.  i also loved the new development with Mia and Daniel, but Lee and Nee I still don't feel like I know that well. 

Lovely to be back at Butterfly Cove, but ultimately to me this is the weakest of the three books in this series. There is a good story to it and if my memory for the other books had been stronger then I may have enjoyed it a lot more. Was a quick book to read and it does touch on some deep subjects, especially in Nee's backstory but I would have perhaps like to see more of Nee generally. 

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

Book Review - Her Last Breath by Tracy Buchanan

Amazon UK

Title: Her Last Breath

Author: Tracy Buchanan

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 12th June 2017

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Food writer Estelle Forster has the perfect life. And with her first book on the way, it’s about to get even better.

When Estelle hears about Poppy O’Farrell’s disappearance, she assumes the girl has simply run away. But Estelle’s world crumbles when she’s sent a photo of Poppy, along with a terrifying note: I’m watching you. I know everything about you.

Estelle has no idea who’s threatening her, or how she’s connected to the missing teen, but she thinks the answers lie in the coastal town she once called home, and the past she hoped was long behind her.

Estelle knows she must do everything to find Poppy. But how far will she go to hide the truth – that her
perfect life was the perfect lie?

Well this was certainly a book that kept me guessing throughout. There are two perspectives in this book, Estelle a food blogger who is launching a book, and then another person who pops up now and then that is written very cleverly.

For it is this mystery person that is clearly behind all the weird things occurring in Estelle’s life but for most of the book I was left wondering who they are, and just what they are trying to achieve.

Oddly I enjoyed reading about Estelle’s childhood, its gritty and very real, from a 7 year old until placed into foster care and then the main story features around one of her foster families while she was 15.

For during that year there were two main events that left their mark on young Estelle and shaped her into the woman she is now.  And it is these events that seem to have come to the surface and are the focus of the book.

I am sorry to say that I didn’t find this book anywhere near as gripping as I had hoped, although I did enjoy reading the story.  The characters on the whole I just found incredibly hard to like and for me that makes it harder to read. 

I was intrigued to find out what was happening, and there is a storyline that takes in landslides that definitely kept me reading. There is plenty of deception and mystery to this book to keep you guessing.

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

Book Review - The Forget-Me-Not Flower Shop by Tracy Corbett

Fab Firsts is my new regular Sunday feature, that is going to be highlighting books that are firsts. When interviewing authors, it will be about their first book, as well as other firsts in their lives. When reviewing books for this feature, there will be a mix of debuts, first books in a series, the first time I read an author, and possibly other firsts depending on what I can think of!

If you are an author wanting to take part in Fab Firsts then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you.

I hope you enjoy this look at a variety of hopefully fabulous firsts, while making some sort of dent in my review and paperback TBRs which are my current main focus!

This is Tracy Corbett's debut book. 

Amazon UK

Title: The Forget-Me-Not Flower Shop

Author: Tracy Corbett

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 3rd July 2017

Rating: 3.5 Stars

The summer romance novel everyone is talking about!

Evie is busy running the Forget-Me-Not Flower Shop and praying for an uplift in sales as soon as possible. She might be in the market of selling romance, but for Evie a new man is the last thing she needs!

That is until plumber Scott Castillo turns up to fix her boiler. She’s definitely not interested. But then, why does she keep ogling his rather attractive forearms? She’s been fooled before - she isn’t about to fall head-over-heels for some smooth-talker, right?

When he isn’t trying to balance paying the bills with caring for his sick mother, Scott has stepped in to help parent his 18-year-old nephew, Ben. Between that and working full time Scott doesn’t have time for romance. Until he meets Evie…

Love doesn’t always bloom the way you expect but for the customers of the Forget-Me-Not Flower Shop it might just be the perfect time for romance…

What a lovely story, focused around three main families and a lovely flower shop. It's a gentle story of relationships, but family and romantic, and is just a really relaxed book to read. 

There is Evie who would like to buy The Forget-Me-Not Flower Shop, if only she can raise the funds, the last thing she wants in her life is a new man, but there is just something about Scott the plumber that gets under her skin. 

Scott is struggling, he has a problem that he tries to hide from everyone, and is looking after his mother who is disabled from a stroke, as well as his 18 year old Nephew, Ben.  Ben has fallen in love but not everyone agrees with his relationship with Amy. 

Amy's parents have a horrible dynamic in their relationship and I really feel sorry for Patricia, her mother. No-one deserves to have a husband like David. Patricia plays tennis with Martin, who is married to Laura. Laura is Evie's best friend, and runs a wedding dress shop, but isn't too happy in her marriage either. 

The chapters either focus on Evie, Laura or Patricia and it took me a while to fully work out the relevance of where most of the characters would encounter each other, and I've only mentioned the basics!  

It's the story of  how peoples lives interrelate, and although at times I was slightly confused, I did really enjoy what I was reading. I found myself on numerous occasions frustrated that the characters hadn't got together sooner. 

I enjoyed this book, especially all the flowers and also Evie's new dog who has a real bit of character to him. However my favourite things in the book overall was probably Evie's shoes, I loved the creativity of the different novelty shoes she was finding as bargains on Ebay, or in charity shops. They were quirky and just added a new facet to her personality. 

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

Book Review - Hampstead Fever by Carol Cooper - Chances Fortnight

Carol Cooper was a completely unknown to me author until she contacted me about her book, and having then met her a month or so ago, I realised it was about time to take a chance and move the book from my review pile, to actually read it. 

Amazon UK

Title: Hampstead Fever

Author: Carol Cooper

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Hardwick Press

Publication Date: 30th June 2016

Rating: 3.5 Stars

In a London heatwave, emotions reach boiling point…

Ex-con Dan has it all. The perfect job and a new baby with his dream woman. So why is he still an outsider?

Laure had baby Jack late in life. It’s only natural she’s a little over-protective. Motherhood is terrifying.

After surviving serious illness, Sanjay’s got his life back. Now he wants adventure. Where does that leave girlfriend Harriet?

Karen’s love life is reduced to casual sex with the football coach. As a divorcee with four kids, romance is on her to-do list, just below the laundry.

Doctor Geoff’s relationship with actress Daisy is bound to be a bit dramatic. But why all the mystery?

A slice of contemporary multi-cultural London life to make you laugh, cry, and nod in recognition.

This is definitely a book with a snapshot of life in multi-cultural London. And like real life there were people in the book that I just didn't like at all, and others I put up with for the purpose of getting along with story. Unfortunately I didn't really connect to most of the characters, which made this hard for me to fully enjoy. 

It turns out I have some of the same questions that I had from reading the blurb, now after having finished the book. I know Dan is an ex-con but I would have loved to hear about this time in prison, and find out just what he has been jailed for.   

Speaking of Dan, I have absolutely no problem with a character wanting to better themselves by learning one new word a day..quite an admirable trait. However when I'm sitting reading the book on my commute, oddly passing by Hampstead, while underground, and thus don't have access to even my kindle's inbuilt 3G, let alone any wifi, having Dan learn plenty of words that I can't instantly look up, nor do I know the meaning of starts to get incredibly frustrating. Especially since he is never sure if he is using the word in the right context. Admittedly it may just be that I need to expand my vocabulary. 

Laure is a new mother to baby Jack, and Dan is the father. Laure spends most of her time at home with the baby, and as time progresses the worries that probably every new mother have become even more amplified. At times I wondered if she was even safe to leave in charge of a small child. She appears to have read every baby book going, and the slightest change in Jack's behaviour is instantly a worry, despite some of the time it could just be attributed to the child growing up a bit. 

Geoff is a local GP, suffers from a little talked about male problem, but thanks to assorted drugs is ready and just about able for any of the women he seems to attract! I really enjoyed though the workings of his GP practice, and the way he deals with his patients. I also loved Daisy's role in acting as various patients to train new doctors. I feel as though the author's obvious medical knowledge shone through and as a result really enjoyed any time Geoff was working. 

Equally I enjoyed the assorted magazine article ideas Jessica was coming up with, some great ideas and often amusing. Karen has four children, and one of them has great facts and figures that he quizzes the others on, which I found fascinating. I also enjoyed Karen's riddle and views on how women are perceived. 

There are many other characters, and they all interlink in various ways as the story progresses. Essentially its a book highlighting various people's lives in Hampstead, over a period of time.  Some elements felt a lot better than others to me.

Each chapter is either from one character's perspective or split into various of the perspectives, which enables the reader to slowly over the course of the book really get to know some of them really well. I found some seemed to feature a lot more than others, which looking back 

What did have me laughing in recognition near the start, was a mention of a children's entertainer, I swear as a kid growing up in North West London myself, there was a children's entertainer doing the rounds of everyone's parties with just 1 letter difference of name. No idea if this was intentional, how reliable my memories are, but it did bring back memories of many children's parties I went to between the ages of perhaps 3-7. 

As someone relatively local to the location of the book, there were other moments of recognition and that did add to my liking of the book. 

Thank you so much to Carol Cooper for this copy of the book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.