Book Review - Take a Chance on Me by Carol Wyer

Amazon UK

Title: Take A Chance on Me

Author: Carol Wyer

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 23rd September 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

A hilarious heart-warming read about friendship, taking chances and finding love, second time round. 

When Charlie’s husband leaves after ten years of marriage, her spirits hit an all-time low. She just isn’t sure how to pick herself up again. So, best friend Mercedes makes it her mission to put a spring back in Charlie’s step with the perfect bucket list. 

As Charlie bungee jumps and belly dances her way through an array of adventures, her love life also begins to look up and she’s soon enjoying a few dates as a newly single woman. She begins to realise that finding romance, might not be so hard, especially when you’ve got someone like journalist Jake who has an adorable little boy and is very easy on the eye. 

But is Jake too good to be true? As Charlie’s challenges on the bucket list get bigger, so do her questions about Jake. Should she continue to hold out for the fairy-tale? Or is it only in rom coms that dreams can come true? 

Fun with surprises along the way, is probably the best way to describe Take a Chance on Me. Really early into reading this book I realised that I was laughing, smiling and generally all around loving this story, and that if I had to review at that point, it would have been described as a fun book. Of course I then read the rest of it, and my opinion didn't change, it has fun at its heart, but it's also inspirational and there are a couple of surprising turns that the story takes. 

Two friends on News Years Eve drunkenly agree to a challenge - the have both written Carpe Diem lists (similar to bucket lists) but its been decided they will work through each others lists. Charlie can't remember what she put on hers, and Mercedes who is in charge is also in a wheelchair, so is using Charlie to live through vicariously for some of these challenges. 

For Charlie its a chance for her to face some of her biggest fears, and for her to get some of her old joie de vivre back, and being the kind hearted soul that she is, she also managed to turn it into a fund raiser for the hospital radio station she works on, by setting up Challenge Charlie! 

The challenges Charlie faces are quite varied, are thankfully feel quite different to other books featuring bucket lists. However she also has challenges in her personal life, her daughter would have been 18 this year, and her romantic life is non existent at the start, but does develop in some interesting ways. 

One my my highlights of the book were any time Charlie went over to her next door neighbour Peggy and Bert. Bert is easily one of the most entertaining and charismatic characters, he is a fantastic mimic, hates angry men, and is fabulous at sports, oh and he isn't human either! I challenge you to read scenes featuring Bert and not fail to either laugh or  if a bit more cynical, at the very least roll your eyes at what he gets up to! 

Charlie's best friend Mercedes is an inspiration, she has been through a tough time over the past few years, but she is still smiling and has a real zest for life. They are fantastic friends, and with quite contrasting personalities, that mesh well together, and she puts her all into doing the things on Charlie's original list, even if they are a bit tamer than she would have liked. 

The other venue I really need to praise is the Art Cafe, where Charlie bakes cakes and is a waitress for her day job. There are some detailed descriptions about what the Art Cafe is, what the various rooms are and it's a place that I would love to visit in real life, it sounded like a great business idea - or at least a couple of existing businesses melded together into this Art Cafe!

I could probably continue to go on and on about various aspects of this wonderful book, but I would much rather urge you to take the time to read it for yourself and make up your own minds. I really did enjoy every last second of Take a Chance on Me, and I am so excited to have discovered just how talented author Carol Wyer is for romantic comedies. She is definitely one to keep an eye on in the future. 

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

Funday Friday - Truth or Lie? Tracey Sinclair - Month 5 Week 4

Welcome to the latest 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 fifth month is 11pm on 29th September 2016. 

So without further ado, let's meet today's contestant. 

Good morning Tracey Sinclair, please can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m a freelance writer, editor and author, born in Newcastle but based in Brighton. My books include the romcom The Bridesmaid Blues and the Dark Dates/Cassandra Bick series, the latest of which is Angel Falls.

Please to meet you Tracey, who is back for another interview, after kicking off my Back Catalogue Books interview series back in July. 

Now onto the show, and remember everyone, Tracey, 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) What book do you wish you had written?

That changes pretty much every time I read something good, but off the top of my head: The Secret History by Donna Tartt, Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, Geek Love by Katherine Dunn or The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

2) Tell me about any really memorable dream or nightmare you have had

I often have vivid, narrative dreams that are like watching a film. A few years ago, when there was all that furore about the movie Natural Born Killers, I dreamt an entire version of it that scared me so much that to this day I haven’t been able to sit through the entire film!

3) What was your most memorable holiday ever?

A childhood holiday to Wales – it rained constantly but I didn’t care as I had a massive crush on one of the locals who worked at the campsite, so spent the entire time either ‘accidentally’ trying to be wherever he was, or writing bad poetry about him in my notebook! 

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

A cat – they seem to have life pretty figured out!

5) What superpower would you love to have?

If I could have a combination of teleportation and invulnerability, that would be great. 

6) What is the most annoying interview question you have ever been asked?

Perhaps annoying is the wrong word, but my first novel was a book about a woman who tracks down and has an affair with her estranged father. So it was always slightly off-putting when people asked, ‘is that based on you?’ Um, no!

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

It isn’t any more, but as a teen I wanted to be a TV presenter and did an audition tape that I cringe to think of even now. It was the eighties so I recall my outfit being neon bright and terrifyingly heavy on the shoulder pads…

8) 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?

Terry Pratchett – he’s written a lot of books, and he’s my favourite ‘go-to’ reread. 

9) Did you have an invisible friend as a child? If so, please tell me about them. 

Not invisible as such, but I did have a life size doll called Athena who was about 3 feet tall, that I used to pretend was a real friend and used to hold long, detailed conversations with. Maybe as an only child I wanted a sibling. My mum got so freaked out though that she gave it away!

10) What would your ideal pet be?

In an alternate universe where I lived in a big house with lots of space, I’d love a big, friendly dog like a collie or a husky or a lab.

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

Oh, my music tastes are all cheesy and I’m not guilty about any of them! I love a good pop song and am not embarrassed about dancing round the living room to Taylor Swift or Britney Spears!

12) 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?

I’d like it to be a balcony view over the ocean, ideally somewhere warm. Maybe Hawaii. 

13) Can you let us in on an embarrassing secret?

I once accidentally dyed my entire body a glittery shade of blue (long story).

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

Travel. Maybe check out the view from a balcony in Hawaii…

Thank you so much Tracey, I urge you to put your audition tape onto youtube, as I bet your fans would love to see it, and while your there please also share with us all how exactly you managed to die your body glittery blue! 

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! 

About Tracey Sinclair

Tracey Sinclair is an author and freelance editor and writer. Her books include the romcom The Bridesmaid Blues and the Dark Dates/Cassandra Bick series. Her latest book, Angel Falls, is out now.

www.darkdates.org
@thriftygal
www.facebook.com/darkdates



The Bridesmaid Blues:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bridesmaid-Blues-Tracey-Sinclair-ebook/dp/B00M83Y3VO/

Angel Falls:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Angel-Falls-Cassandra-Bick-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B01AMOGRBY/

Cover Reveal - April Showers and Wedding Flowers by Lindsey Paley

I am delighted to be able to reveal the new cover in Lindsey Paley's Camille Carter series, April Showers and Wedding Flowers.

This is a series I am really looking forward to reading in the future, I have the first book, and hopefully you will be seeing a lot more of the author on Rachel's Random Reads.

But without further ado, here is the beautiful cover.....

The wedding cake is baked, the champagne is on ice and the bridesmaid dress is a perfect fit. Everything is ready for Hannah and Archie's wedding at the picture-perfect church in the sleepy village of Aisford in the Lake District.

But if Camille Carter, 'Queen of Culinary Chaos', thought everything would go according to plan for a change, then she was wrong. When tragedy strikes at the Stag Party weekend there's a risk the wedding will have to be called off. 

Will Millie team up once again with irritating-but-hunky Fergus McKenzie to untangle the mystery and ensure the wedding of the year goes ahead without a hitch? Or should she leave well alone and return to her little Parisian patisserie to concentrate on her fledgling Afternoon Tea business?

April Showers and Wedding Flowers is sure to delight fans of the Camille Carter series.

April Showers and Wedding Flowers is out now and available for purchase from Amazon UK

Author bio:

Lindsey Paley is the author of contemporary romance novels and a cosy murder/mystery series set in the English Lake District. When not scribbling away in her peppermint and cream writer's retreat (shed) she loves baking cakes and indulging in a spot of Afternoon Tea with her friends where a glass of pink fizz is often the highlight. She loves walking in the countryside and is also a keen archer!

Author links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LindseyPaley1 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindsey.paley.9?fref=ts 

Guest Post - Letter from Jenna Kroon to readers by Hannah Warren

A letter from main character Jenna Kroon de Coligny to the readers of “The Cottage on The Border” and “The Farm on Nieuw Land Road”

Dear reader,

Most people would call me a troubled waif, some have even gone as far as labelling me a narcissist. 

Perhaps I AM both but that’s not how I feel it myself. I’ve just had more trouble in the 22 years since I was born than I’d care to remember. My mum committed suicide when I was three years old, and I was taken in by a nice but simple and straightforward foster family. My biological dad, whom I’d never known, turned out to be one of Interpol’s a highly sought neo nazi criminals.

As my posh name may suggest I come from one of the oldest aristocratic families in Holland from my mother’s side and …well… they’re usually not the healthiest lot in the bunch: mental disorders and health issues aplenty. But they left me with at least one thing I never have to worry about: money.

The saving of me is that I have a passion: I dance. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a modern dancer and I succeeded at that. At eighteen I became the star dancer with a modern dance group in Holland. But I wanted more and am now training to become a prima ballerina in New York. Dance is all I know, all I understand and all I will ever want to do. 

The freaking thing is – however – that I have problems with eating and I get too thin and my health fails. That has happened to me on two important occasions so far and I really need to stay 110 pounds to be able to do the tough regime of training six to seven hours a day and perform in the evenings. I’m not anorectic and I have a hard time explaining that too everyone all the time. I’m really fed up with the whole eating business!

I prefer leaving the labelling to professionals like my foster brother Vincent, the psychiatrist. I don’t want therapy. Dance is my therapy. I also know I’m a bit of a loner and I should socialise more. I really like Denise, the farmer at Nieuw Land Farm and her friendship is important to me. It’s the first time in my life that I actually feel close to another human being. I long to talk to her and be with her. 
And then there’s Boras Mardin, that shithead hip-hop dancer from Turkey has wriggled his way under my skin as well. I don’t know what it is we have, maybe just hormones. But I sure fancy him…in a way.

But as I started off saying: my life is never trouble-free. I’m a half sort of psychic at times and scare the hell out of myself at times. And now there’s that Michael Blithe bothering me. The old man is dead and his arrival in my life could well be a bad omen.

Whatever happens to me in book 3 “The House on Broadway”, I assure you I will be dancing. I will be dancing till the day I die.

Take care & don’t forget me,

Jenna

About Hannah Warren

Hannah Warren (Paris, Fr. 1956) is a suspense writer based in The Netherlands. When she’s not writing or thinking about writing, you can find her at the paid job at the local university translating stuff and recruiting international students, experimenting with organic food in her kitchen, stretching the old bones in Yoga or exchanging WhatsApp messages with her grown-up kids.

She loves creating complex characters (mostly women), who are faced with impossible choices in life and still they crack it, whether they perish or not. Warren writes both contemporary and historical fiction and her style can be described as old school: descriptive & character-driven.


Hannah recently joined the writer’s collective 13th Sign Publishing. Apart from publishing books, they bring out a quarterly free eZine on topics they 13 authors love: healthy living, healthy eating and great reading.

Get in touch with Hannah —

Website - http://www.hannahwarrenauthor.com

Facebook Author page - https://www.facebook.com/HannahWarrenAuthor

Twitter - https://twitter.com/hannah_war

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6424314.Hannah_Warren

Instagram - https://instagram.com/hannahaudreywarren

Amazon Author page - http://amzn.to/2daIzx3

Jenna's earliest memory is of her mother's feet dangling in dust motes, as a three year old left orphaned while her mother's corpse hung from a beam. Her mother committed suicide, that's how she escaped and freed herself. When her own life falls apart Jenna's earliest memory becomes her anchor, she too wants to be free. 

Vincent Van Son is Jenna's adopted brother, her psychiatrist, perhaps her only friend. He takes her to the Cottage for recovery, determined to rescue his sister from herself after her failed suicide attempt. The cottage on the border is at Oud Land, and is the location of many dark secrets. 

Jenna's close call with death leaves her open to the psychic world, and in this cottage in the onset of a misty winter, Jenna hears them, the voices of the past, memories of what happened on the border. It becomes a journey to herself. She has to listen, to witness, she has no choice. Their stories are her story, and it is a long heritage of murder, deceit, ethnic discourse and betrayal. 

Perspective returns to the introspective prima ballerina, she has learned the truth of her family, of this cottage of psychic confessions. She alone emerges from the rubble of six decades of troubled family history, a lone phoenix. 

The Cottage on The Border is a tale of murder, mystery, intrigue, familial despair, heartbreak, and spiritual resurrection. 

The Cottage on the Border is available for Free until Saturday on Amazon

Pre-order book 2 of the Jenna Kroon series The Farm on Nieuw Land Road

Jenna’s greatest passion is dance. Nothing else matters, not even her health. No one else matters, except her dog Mauritius. And yet, erratic as Jenna is, she leaves him behind in Holland to pursue a Broadway career in New York. All alone in the Big Apple, she tries to survive. 

Boras is her dance partner, but she doesn’t allow him in, and yet when she collapses, Boras is the only one close enough to save her. Jenna becomes too ill to dance and must make new choices. She must find herself, for knowing herself is the key to restoring her health, to restoring her dance career. 

On the brink of eternal despair, she returns home to the cottage on the Belgian border, a place filled with terrible memories. Also there she is alone. Not even Mauritius is there to greet her, tail wagging. 

Up the road is Nieuw Land Farm and the owner becomes Jenna’s saviour. Denise was a nurse and now breeds horses and she takes Jenna into her care, but Denise too has a past she seeks to escape. Her past will find her, in the form of her husband Carlos. 

The two women connect to lean on each other and the stories they unveil weave together to form a tale of friendship, of family, of hope and of finding strength, of new choices and ultimately of seeking a new future. 

Book Review - Green Tea Latte To Go by Aven Ellis

Amazon UK

Title: Green Tea Latte To Go

Author: Aven Ellis

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied review copy

Publisher: RJM Publishing

Publication Date: 13th September 2016

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Perfect Drink: Green tea latte with coconut milk and raw honey.

Perfect Fashion Icon: The Duchess of Cambridge. Always on point with her fashion, dressing appropriately for every occasion and not afraid to recycle things from her wardrobe, I truly admire her class and style.

Perfect Place: Seattle.

Perfect Activity for Relaxation: Yoga. I’m terrible at it, but I’m determined to perfect downward dog. Someday.

For Seattle blogger Payton James, life is all about trying to achieve perfection. Payton is determined to be her best self in all areas, and she refuses to rest until she achieves it.

However, an imperfect moment in a coffee shop completely changes Payton’s life. When her drink order gets switched by mistake, Payton finds herself face-to-face with a gorgeous British man named Brooks. Payton is instantly attracted to the witty stranger who is quick with his words—and has a beautiful smile.

Brooks is an exotic veterinarian with a huge passion for animals. Heartache in his past has led him to focusing on his career out of fear of getting hurt again. But there’s something about Payton that makes this vet want to know more about the bubbly blogger he has met via fate—and has him reconsidering his stance on love.

But will Brooks ever be free of his fears to truly open his heart? And will Payton’s drive for perfection cost her the one thing she loves most? Or will she learn to embrace imperfections?

And maybe perfect is the one thing Payton doesn’t want after all . . . 

I'm always excited when its time to read a new Aven Ellis, as she is fast becoming one of my must read instantly authors, and having just devoured Green Tea Latte To Go I was completely correct to be excited. It is what Aven does best a gorgeous story, with fantastic characters that is a joy to read. 

It took a while this time but I do at the end of this story have another new book boyfriend, this time its exotic vet Brooks. When you put a handsome man together with various cute animals, my heart can't help but melt at the imagery. He is of course for  a vet an animal lover, and his pig Angus is a a real character, but it was the lionhead rabbit that had me googling to see what unusual breed it is. 

Angus however isn't the only pig in this story, Mr Not Bacon is a star too, and what a great name for a pet pig! He belongs to Courtney who becomes Payton's exclusive concierge customer, which is what she does in addition to her blogging. Mr Not Bacon has a mind of his own, and a predilection for breakfast cereal! 

Payton strives for perfection in her life, each chapter opens with her latest aim for self improvement, however she soons learn that maybe imperfection could be better. 

However Payton's parents are not keen on her current career, and are continually finding fault in everything she does. They are the only characters I wasn't keen on, but I don't think they were meant to be that likeable! 

There are so many moments in this book where you will either find yourself saying "aww how cute" or possibly "that is one amazing man" at various moments. I also laughed out loud a various points too, as some of the antics both human and animal are just that hilarious. 

An incredibly enjoyable story, which shows very closely the slight differences between UK and USA culture and language, as well as having a delectable main man who is utterly brilliant! 

Thank you so much to Aven Ellis for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Book Review - The Lovers' Guide to Rome by Mark Lamprell

Amazon UK

Title: The Lover's Guide to Rome

Author: Mark Lamprell

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Publisher supplied review copy

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication Date: 4th August 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

This gorgeous novel set around the beautiful sights of Rome tells the story of three couples and their adventures with love in the eternal city.

Young artist Alice has come to Rome for adventure and inspiration before settling down. Is there such a thing as love at first sight and how will she know if it's happening to her?

Middle-aged Meg and Alec have come to Rome to rekindle their love affair, which has faded over the years. 
Constance and Lizzie are here to scatter the ashes of Constance's beloved husband, Lizzie's brother Henry.

Rome will play a part in the lives of all these characters to make sure they find the happiness they deserve.

I was pleasantly surprised by by book, first when it appeared through my letter box without any prior warning, and secondly when I started to read it, and found I was enjoying it. The mention of Rome in the title was enough to interest me, as I love books set in a good location, and this one doesn't disappoint. 

The location details are brilliant, it really does feel a bit like a whistle stop travel guide to Rome, as you pass various large monuments. But the brilliance is in the little details, the smaller off the beaten track side to Rome, that you won't see in a travel brochure but shows how the city can present itself to all manner of people. 

It's a story featuring three main focal storylines, and as the novel progresses you can see how the stories could so easily converge through coincidence if nothing else, but through circumstance, they continue on as they are. 

The is a God like narrator to this book, which initially I thought would be off putting, but i soon grew to enjoy the voice that it gives to the book, and certainly gives the writer a distinctive style. This narrator is almost like a fate, and it seems to control the lives of people in Rome, in mysterious ways. 

Keep track of all little details that are revealed during the book, as pretty much anything insignificant could turn out to be very important, especially with hindsight! 

It is a book of three love stories, showing the different stages of a love affair through them, you have the first rush of love, when you are a bit uncertain, Alice's story, you have married life where you know each other perhaps a bit too well, Meg and Alec's story, and then there is the love that continues to prosper even after your partner has passed away, which is Constance's story. 

The Lovers' Guide to Rome is a book that works on many levels, on the surface it could be regarded as travel fiction, and yet the more you think about the book, the more larger questions will come to the surface about life, which is pretty impressive. 

I really enjoyed The Lovers' Guide to Rome with its amusing incidents as well as the more dangerous incidents that occurred, and am really glad that I had this opportunity to read this book. 

I would like to thank the all seeing power that narrates the book, for clearly being the one in charge of sending me The Lover's Guide to Rome, I would also like to thank the publisher for the review copy and assure you that this is my honest opinion. 

Book Review - The Day I Lost You by Fionnuala Kearney

Amazon UK

Title: The Day I Lost You

Author: Fionnuala Kearney

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Harper

Publication Date: 22nd September 2016

Rating: 3.5 Stars

THE DAY I LOST YOU WAS THE DAY I DISCOVERED I NEVER REALLY KNEW YOU

When Jess’s daughter, Anna, is reported lost in an avalanche, everything changes.

Jess’s first instinct is to protect Rose, Anna’s five-year-old daughter. But then she starts to uncover Anna’s other life - unearthing a secret that alters their whole world irrevocably . . .

THE DAY I LOST YOU WAS THE DAY YOU TORE OUR FAMILY APART

The Day I Lost You is a well written story, and is the story of Jess, Theo, Anna and Rose, and how one avalanche can change the outcomes of so many lives. I believe the book is supposed to be highly emotionally charged, and a real weepy, but apart from on perhaps two occasions, I just wasn't feeling it. Whether that is because I am wired abnormally, or whether its because the book just didn't quite work in that respect is probably not for me to decide. 

The narrative is split into a couple of different view points, there is Anna, who we only get to know through her blog posts, and what is revealed by others slowly over the months after the avalanche. There is Jess who is Anna's mother and Rose's grandma, who now has full responsibility for a 5 year old, and who is struggling with grief and just believing that the worst has happened.  We also see things from Theo's perspective, he is Jess' best friend, and going through a tough time of his own. Theo's significance becomes more apparent as the story progresses, and at times I really was wondering if he was as nice as he seems. 

Anna is the focal point of the book, and as the truth about her young life emerges, I found myself wondering how much I really liked her, and as a result how much sympathy I really had with the family. 

With the exception of Rose, and Finn (Theo's son), I'm not sure there were that many characters I particularly connected with. Yes the story is tragic, and there is some degree of hope, but overall I just don't feel the book worked all that well for me, despite being able to clearly see that author was easily capable of writing a story that would draw you in and keep you engaged for the duration. 

Unfortunately although I did enjoy elements of the story, I suspect I may have picked the wrong book for my mood, as it just didn't quite hit me the way I would expect it would others. 

Book Review - A Leap of Faith by Trisha Ashley - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #39

Amazon UK

Title: A Leap of Faith

Author: Trisha Ashley

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Black Swan

Publication Date: 25th August 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

Sappho Jones stopped counting birthdays when she reached thirty but, even with her hazy grip on mathematics, she realises that she's on the slippery slope to the big four-oh! With the thought suddenly lodged in her mind that she's a mere cat's whisker away from becoming a single eccentric female living in a country cottage in Wales, she has the urge to do something dramatic before it's too late.

The trouble is, as an adventurous woman of a certain age, Sappho's pretty much been there, done that, got the T-shirt. In fact, the only thing she hasn't tried is motherhood. And with sexy potter Nye on hand as a potential daddy - or at least donor - is it time for her to consider the biggest leap of all? It's either that or buy a cat . . .

I've had very mixed feelings throughout reading this book. Initially I was surprised from words in the foreword, as I hadn't been fully aware that his was a new edition of an early work by the author called The Urge to Jump, although I was thankful that I hadn't read it previously, as I don't tend to re-read books. 

I then spent the beginning of the book highly confused, and just slightly wary as it turns out Sappho, who is the lead character, is an author of fantasy novels, that seem loosely based on her own life. She slips in and out of thinking about her characters, and we occasionally see sections of what she is writing..but I am not a fan of the genre, so just felt a bit off-centred as I encountered this so early in a book, before I had a chance to even get to know Sappho. 

However once the plot settles down, and Sappho is settling into her cottage in Gower, Wales, we start to learn a lot more about her, from the stalker ex boyfriend, to the person in a village that bares a striking resemblance to one of her characters. We also learn about her two best friends Mu and Miranda. 

Mu is willing to try anything to become pregnant, and not just end up as a crazy cat lady, and is even willing to try the unorthodox idea her mother in law suggests, which is quite amusing. 

It is though Miranda's story that got completely under my skin leading to sections of the book where I couldn't bare to stop, even though I was exhausted.  Miranda is a lovely woman, who is just lacking self-confidence, mainly due to her husband Chris. Chris is one of the villains of the book, and I am so glad that Sappho could not only see through him, but also encourage Miranda to start thinking more independently. 

There is a lot of plot in this novel, so it takes some time for it all to come together, as well as a large cast of villagers, to get your head around. There are a couple of small mysteries going on in the background too, which add to the intrigue. 

Honestly at the start I was very dubious as to whether I was going to continue reading this book, but I took  A Leap of Faith of my own, in my knowledge that I tend to really enjoy Trisha Ashley's books, and persevered and I think it was around the half way point, where the story all clicked in my mind and I realised just how much I was enjoying it. 

This is not my favourite book by the author, nor would I perhaps say its the best one to get a first taste of her from, but if you are a fan of Trish Ashley, or similar authors then I am sure you will enjoy this story too. 

Thank you to everyone that voted last week for A Leap of Faith. I am slightly surprised that there weren't more votes for the Paige Toon, but very glad you picked an enjoyable book for me. Lets see what happens this week! 

Rachel Reads Randomly - Vote #40

 

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

0 Votes - Trusting Jake (Blueprint to Love - Book 1) by Lauren Giordano

1 Votes -  If They Could See Me Now by Denise Welch

2 Vote -  Now That I've Found You by Ciara Geraghty

3 Votes -  All About The Hype (Jessie Jefferson Book 3) by Paige Toon

8 Votes -  - A Leap of Faith by Trisha Ashley 

What a pleasure last weeks vote was, A Leap of Faith shot to a very early lead, and I had a strong feeling very early on I would be reading it. I did really enjoy the book, not my favourite by the author, but still really good, and I did find it unputdownable in places. 

Firstly the review that will be written on the back of this weeks vote will be up on 3rd October. Next week regardless is far too busy for me to run a vote too. 

However due to family circumstances, I may not be able to hold another vote for a few weeks, I will try to update when I post the review from this weeks vote, if I can. 

Now for this week I am going back and randomising from my review books, with me now getting deep into Christmas reading, non Christmas review books may not get read for a few months, so want to give one of them a chance to be on the blog earlier than perhaps expected...but which one will be up to you! 

Below is my initial theory for this feature, and then a bit further, what you are all waiting for... This weeks's vote! Enjoy!

I am also awful at deciding what book to read next, as I often have about 10 titles or authors jumping into my brain at any time, shouting at me to read them, and I tend to worry I have made the wrong decision while reading a perfectly good book. I am hoping this will save me having to make at least 1 choice a week, while possibly providing a review to the site of a book you all either love or are curious about yourselves. 

So what I am proposing, is my lovely loyal readers of Rachel's Random Reads, select one book for me to read a week, and I will post the review the following week. 

This week's random numbers are...

And the books these numbers correspond to are...

So the 5 choices with my gut feeling responses are:

10 - 15 Dress Adventures & One Skirt Tale by Shantelle! - This is a short story collection where each story revolves around a different sort of dress. 

12 - Would Like To Meet by Polly James - I've been wanting to read this for a while, but haven't quite loaded it up. I've heard nothing but good things about the book. 

28 - All She Ever Wished For by Claudia Carroll - This is the brand new Claudia Carroll that I am really looking forward to, the book is out 6th October and I generally love all of Claudia's newer releases. 

29 - The Christmas Promise by Sue Moorcroft - I've been looking forward to this book since it was announced. It has been ages since I last read anything by Sue Moorcroft, but with a great author plus Christmas in the title, I'm sure this will be enjoyable This book will also be out on 6th October, so a few days after when the review from this post will be scheduled. 

31 - The Hope Family Calendar by Mike Gayle - I think I have read pretty much everything released by Mike Gayle, so hope this is up to his normal levels of greatness! 

I am not sure how you will all go for this week. I honestly thought Paige Toon would do better last week, so what do I know?! What I can say is that all of these books will feature on the blog at some point, in the future as they are review books, but some may not get up until 2017, depending on what I can fit in a schedule where! 

Really looking forward to seeing who will win this, and I will be back in a few weeks (hopefully) with another vote... and I will say that when this feature returns hopefully during October, we will probably be doing Christmas editions! 

Pick your favourite or the one you most want me to review, or just the one you are curious about, and leave me a comment below, before midnight on Wednesday. 

I look forward to seeing what I will be reading over the weekend, courtesy of you all.

The explanation if you haven't seen the feature before. 

How is this going to work?

Every Monday, I am going to have a post like this, which is going to have some choices on it. I am planning on using random.org to select 7 random numbers, to coincide with my spreadsheet of unread books.  

I will from that produce a list of hopefully 5 books, I reserve the right to veto any books, and will give reasons for them, if it occurs.

I will take screenshots and post them, of the chosen books, and also give you my instinctive reactions to the choices (without checking blurbs or any other info about them, which could be interesting as there are probably many forgotten about books on my spreadsheet!). 

Your task is to post a comment on this post, with the book you would like me to read this week. At midnight on Wednesday I will take a tally of the votes and the book with the most, I will read and review for the following Monday, where you will also get a new choice post. 

In the event of a tie, I will chose which one appeals most, for the Monday review, and possibly try and read and review the other to appear when I can. 

I am hoping this will provide some variety to the books appearing, and will let me potentially read or discover some great authors that I have wanted to read but not got around to yet.