Book Review - The Blue by Lucy Clarke - Winning Reads #1

Winning Reads

Welcome to my new feature, Winning Reads. As I enter a large amount of competitions for books, and have a reasonable degree of luck, over the past year or two, my paperback mountain has grown out of control mainly due to being a bit lucky, and then not remembering (or having the time) to pick the books up and read them. 

Now I have a blog, I feel that I should be continually reading the brand new shiny releases the whole time, but I do want to read all these other books, so while I have a stash of them, here is Winning Reads, my new weekly feature for Sundays.

Amazon UK

Title: The Blue

Author: Lucy Clarke

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Competition Win

Publisher: Harper

Publication Date: 30th July 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

They had found paradise. What would they do to keep it?

With a quick spin of the globe, Kitty and Lana escape their grey reality and journey to the Philippines.
There they discover The Blue – a beautiful yacht, with a wandering crew.

They spend day after languorous day exploring the pristine white beaches and swimming beneath the stars, and Lana drifts further away from the long-buried secrets of home.

But the tide turns when death creeps quietly on deck.

A dangerous swell of mistrust and lies threatens to bring the crew’s adventures to an end – but some won’t let paradise go…whatever the price.

This is the first book I have read by Lucy Clarke, in fact before this book, I don't think I was aware of her at all, but now I find myself wanting to instantly read her other books, to find out if they are as good as this one. 

I absolutely loved The Blue, I was gripped right from the first page, and was very regretful any time I had to put the book down, as things like real life got in the way. It is an utterly absorbing story, telling both what is happening to Lana in the present, and the story of what happened when she was sailing on The Blue. 

There are so many questions being asked, right from the first chapter and the prologue, and they are in your mind the whole way though as the story progresses. I felt I was right with Lana, by her side as she describes her time on The Blue, a yacht that has a paying crew, and their own life philosophies to live by. 

When Lana and Kitty join The Blue, its in The Philippines, which is where they travelled after Lana discovers something major she had believed all her life, had been a cover up. While in The Philippines they meet Denny who lives on board The Blue and through him meet the rest of the crew. 

They are then invited to join the crew of the yacht themselves, at which point they believe they have discovered paradise. However everyone seems to be hiding something, or running from something, and then what happened that made Lana leave. 

It turns out I am rubbish at predicting outcomes in these sorts of books, and I definitely didn't see some of the final revelations coming, let alone some of the earlier ones. At points in the story, my adrenalin was definitely pumping, and I just needed to keep turning pages. 

In the first few pages I was a bit unsure about the style of writing, and then I became so used to it, as the story starts hooking you in, I stopped noticing the specific style, and focused on a brilliant book instead. 

Generally I don't normally say, if you loved x, you will love y... but in this case because the comparison feels right, I will say if you loved The Lie by CL Taylor, you will love The Blue. Both are set in exotic, unusual locations, and both have a this holiday/trip went wrong feel to them, as well as both being excellent addictive books. 

Book Review - A Step in Time by Kerry Barrett

Amazon UK

Title: A Step in Time

Author: Kerry Barrett

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Carina

Publication Date: 19th October 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

The time of her life!

Following a (totally justified) ugly, public brawl with her love-rat boyfriend, soap star and paparazzi darling Amy Lavender's TV career is over.

Her agent assures her that winning a glitzy dancing TV competition will put Amy back on top. But Amy has two left feet, and her hot dance partner Patrick seems to think that she's behaving like a superficial spoiled brat (also totally justified).

At rock bottom, Amy is now living in a rented room when she encounters her upstairs neighbour, an elegant older lady with a mysterious, tragic air who knows more than a thing or two about the foxtrot.

But it'll take more than a couple of dance lessons to get Amy back on the leaderboard and ready to cha cha cha her way to glitterball glory!

The second I saw the stunning cover for this book revealed, I knew it would be one I wanted to read. My first thoughts of the title were of the Mary Poppins song "Step In Time" but thankfully I didn't have it running in my head as I read this. 

A Step in Time is definitely a book for fans of Strictly Come Dancing, or other ballroom dance TV shows, and even if you aren't, like me, I was still able to enjoy the story, and wished I knew more about the various ballroom dances, to picture them fully as I read this. 

After a public brawl with the reality TV star seen kissing Amy's almost fiancee, Amy is in public disgrace, and her soap opera drops her, and all the endorsements she had start drying up. Amy's only option according to her agent Babs, is to take part and preferably win a reality TV competition. 

The problem is the only one that Babs can get Amy on is Strictly Stars Dancing, and Amy has two left feet. Added to the fact there may have been a slight incident with her dance partner the night before they are paired up, and Amy is off to a rocky start to repair her career. 

Although Amy's story is light hearted and fun and by itself would have made an enjoyable book, but possibly lacking substance.. we are also treated to Cora's story. Cora is the older lady in the apartment above the one Amy has to move into. Amy has agreed to keep an eye on Cora, but if anything its the other way around, as Cora takes Amy under her wing. 

In turn we learn about Cora, and her war time romance, which is really bittersweet. Cora is an elegant and wonderful character and also used to teach dance, so helps Amy a lot. 

I really enjoyed seeing Amy's interactions with Cora, Patrick her dance partner, Matty the ex-boyfriend, as well as Cora's best friend. She clearly cares a lot about the people around her, and she is determined to put her career back on track, regardless of what others may think is best for her. 

I thought A Step in Time was fabulous, glitzy story, that was a lot of fun to read, and thanks to Cora, had more depth than I was expecting, but very glad that it did. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Carina for this review copy. This is my honest opinion. 

4k Twitter Follower Giveaway (UK Only)

Earlier this week, I was amazed to see I got to 4000 twitter followers, and that is clearly a good excuse for a giveaway.

Thank you every single one of you for getting me to hit that mark, and I hope you all continue to enjoy my blog as I do creating it.

Giveaway to win a paperback copy of Things We Never Say by Sheila O'Flangan (UK Only)

Having taken a look through my spare books, I have decided to offer one of you the chance to win a paperback copy of Things We Never Say by Sheila O'Flanagan, who writes really great books. 

Giveaway open residents of the UK only, due to postage costs (I will do more international giveaways soon), please do follow the options on the form, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 15/01/2016. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

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Book Review - Try Not to Breathe by Holly Seddon

Amazon UK

Title: Try Not to Breathe

Author: Holly Seddon

Format reviewed: Hardback

Source: Publisher supplied review copy

Publisher: Corvus Books

Publication Date: 7th January 2016

Rating: 4.5 Stars

You won't be able to put it down.
Just remember to breathe. 

Alex is sinking. Slowly but surely, she's cut herself off from everything but her one true love - drink. Until she's forced to write a piece about a coma ward, where she meets Amy.

Amy is lost. When she was fifteen, she was attacked and left for dead in a park. Her attacker was never found. Since then, she has drifted in a lonely, timeless place. She's as good as dead, but not even her doctors are sure how much she understands.

Alex and Amy grew up in the same suburbs, played the same music, flirted with the same boys. And as Alex begins to investigate the attack, she opens the door to the same danger that has left Amy in a coma...

What a cleverly crafted book, told from various perspectives, over a 15 year period. I wasn't completely shocked out the outcome, it had crossed my mind about who the attacker was, but I had also though it could have been a few other suspects too. 

Alex is just about a functional alcoholic, who works in the mornings, and then drinks for the rest of the day. She is also a freelance journalist researching a story about coma patients, and whether they can understand anything in their state. It's in the hospital she comes across Amy. 

Amy was only fifteen when she was attacked and left for dead, and is now not exactly in a coma, and can breathe for herself, but isn't awake, nor able to communicate in ways that would be familiar to you or me. Her brain though is definitely still active, and we get chapters from her point of view, from the lead up to the attack, right through to the present day, where she is clearly aware of her visitors, even if she thinks she is still fifteen. 

Then there is Jake, the other main player in this story, and other main focus, he was Amy's boyfriend at the time of the attack, and it changed him. He is now married and has a baby on the way, and yet is hiding a secret from his wife. 

Alex decides that she wants to write a story about Amy, having recognised her from all the newspaper coverage at the time, as her attacker was never found. Over time, Alex regularly visits Amy, and its through these visits that Alex, starts to gain some inner strength.

I found Try Not to Breath to be pretty suspenseful, and once I was in the rhythm of the book, I was finding it harder to put it down., to the extent that it was the early hours of the morning when I finished it, and I didn't notice the time. 

However this is being billed as a psychological thriller and from my experience of them, and my understanding of the genre, that doesn't feel quite right to me. I didn't get a sense of danger, or even urgency, just a mystery that needed solving, and some tough issues to be tackled. 

I found the way Amy was portrayed, and her condition to be fascinating. I was unsure with the first few chapters from her perspective whether it would work, but you do get a real sense of a girl who is trying to communicate and no longer can. 

I thought Try Not to Breathe is a fabulous first novel for Holly Seddon, and  I would love to see what she writes next. 

Thank you to Corvus Book for this review copy. This is my honest review. 

Book Review - The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood

Amazon UK

Title: The Darkest Secret

Author: Alex Marwood

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Sphere

Publication Date: 1st January 2016

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Apologies for the general email, but I desperately need your help.

My goddaughter, Coco Jackson, disappeared from her family's holiday home in Bournemouth on the night of Sunday/Monday August 29/30th, the bank holiday weekend just gone. Coco is three years old.

When identical twin Coco goes missing during a family celebration, there is a media frenzy. Her parents are rich and influential, as are the friends they were with at their holiday home by the sea.

But what really happened to Coco?

Over two intense weekends - the first when Coco goes missing and the second twelve years later at the funeral of her father - the darkest of secrets will gradually be revealed...

This may have been my first Alex Marwood book, but it certainly won't be my last, if The Darkest Secret is anything to go by. What a gripping and intense mystery, with a huge cast of characters, and the secrets and revelations kept on coming at a good pace.

However before you get to the business end of the book,  there is all the set up, and I found some of this quite confusing, as there are at least 4 sets of adults and many children all mentioned and introduced quite early on, and I found it hard to remember who belonged to who, who was related to who etc...

The Darkest Secret is set over two main weekends, set 12 years apart. 12 years ago, Coco Jackson went missing from where the family and friends were on holiday and she was only 3 years old. She had an identical twin, called Ruby who was still there, but had no idea what went on. 

And now Ruby's father has died, and all the people that were there that fateful night, are of course reconvening for the funeral. Ruby is reintroduced to her half sister Milly, who had never really been keen on the 3 year olds at the time, but is now discovering common thoughts about their father. 

With the exception of Ruby, Milly and perhaps Clare (Ruby's mother), I really disliked all the other characters in this book. Their behaviour was completely despicable and disgusting and I found myself rooting for  a different ending to the one provided. Although even that had some last minute surprises. 

Both weekends play out in alternating chapters, with in chapters in 2004 focusing on a different person each time, whereas the whole of the present day was focused on Milly. I loved the beginning of the book, with its various witness statements and the appeal for information about Coco. To me there were a lot of similarities between the appeal and what was announced about that night, and to a real life high profile case. I've no idea if that was deliberate, but did make the story feel even more real.

After a slightly slow start The Darkest Secret became harder and harder to put down, until I just sat engrossed and oblivious in it until I reached the end.  If this is the standard of thrillers being released in 2016, then we are in for a fabulous year. 

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

Book Review - The Things We Do For Love by Alice Peterson

Amazon UK

Title:  The Things We Do For Love

Author: Alice Peterson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Quercus

Publication Date: 10th September 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

Love may hurt, but not loving hurts even more . . .

January Wild loves her daughter, her dog Spud and her childhood home by the sea.

Single parenting is tough, but January has no regrets. She has a job she loves, a happy home, and the support of her beloved grandfather. The arrival of a new boss, however, threatens to shake up January's safe world.

Ward Metcalfe loves great sales results and a well-run office.

Everyone at her office agrees: Ward is a soulless, corporate slave driver. Even Spud, the company mascot, dislikes him.

A secret stands between them.

Yet over time January realises first impressions aren't always right. Slowly she unravels more and more about her new boss, things she couldn't possibly have imagined, nor expected...

What a beautiful and emotional novel, incredibly well written, that deals with some tough subject matter. As result of this book, I know a lot more about Cerebal Palsy than I did before, and that can only be a good thing, as its increased my understanding of this condition. 

January Wild has not had an easy life, her parents died when she was one, her grandparents brought Jan and Lucas (her brother) up, and now January is a single parent to Isla. Isla is a wonderful, spirited 11 year old girl, who is the life and soul of this book. January loved her job too, until she gets a new boss and then everything changes. 

Her new boss, is Ward Metcalfe and he runs an office in a different manner to the previous boss, and it takes a while for any of the employees to take to him. 

In amongst the present storyline, we are often transported back to key points in Jan and Isla's past, and we learn a lot about how Jan grew up, and why Lucas isn't the warmest of big brothers. And we learn the story of Isla's early years, the reason Dan (her father) wasn't in the picture, and we learn of the immensely strong and scary decision Jan makes for Isla, to try and improve her quality of life. 

I loved seeing the changing dynamic between Ward and Jan, as well as Jan's relationship with her grandparents. You could feel the love in this book. 

Right from the start The Things We Do For Love will get under your skin, and make you want to continue to read on. If you have never read an Alice Peterson, then this is highly recommended as your first one. If you have read Alice Peterson before and loved her like I do, then I'd urge you to consider this book. 

Thanks so much to Quercus and Netgalley for this review copy. This is my honest opinion.

Book Review - Home by Matt Dunn

Amazon UK

Title: Home 

Author: Matt Dunn

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Publication Date: 10th November 2015

Rating: 4.5 Stars

It’s been eighteen years since Josh Peters left dreary, dying Derton—the seaside town where he grew up—and headed for the bright lights of London. Now his dad is sick and his mum needs him, so he’s back—though he’s promised himself he won’t be staying for long...

Then Josh finds himself unexpectedly detained in Derton, living in his cramped teenage bedroom, with simmering family tensions a little too close for comfort. Back amongst the old friends, old enemies, and old flames he left behind, he’s worried that some things may never change.

But is Derton the same place he couldn’t wait to escape from back then, full of failures and bitter memories, or has it been doing just fine without him? As Josh revisits his past, will he find that the only one who hasn’t moved on is him?

His London life is calling him back—but sometimes there’s no place like home...

Eighteen years ago Josh Peters left Derton-on-Sea, thinking it was a backward place, and was never going to live up to the possibilities of London. He has barely been back in the between times, and now has gone back to visit his parents, and to take his Dad to a key medical appointment. 

After receiving the worst news at the appointment, Josh decides he has to stick around to support his parents, however long it takes, even at the cost of his job and girlfriend. 

My first thoughts on a book starting in this way was that it would be a very depressing story, as we watch the decline of Josh's father, however I couldn't have been more wrong. Home is still a romantic comedy, written in Matt Dunn's distinctive style. At some points the comedy is Josh's dad making bad jokes about his situation and about anything, but it was his coping mechanism, and on the whole, the book is very upbeat, even if I was very emotional towards the end. 

While Josh is back in Derton he meets up with old friends, his ex-girlfriend, which upon meeting her again, he starts to wonder why his 18 year old self let her go, and also his old nemesis. He also discovers that Derton has moved with the times and is close to a thriving tourist town again, and it seems to him, that only thing that hasn't changed, is himself. 

Home really is about where you can call home, and about family. Josh never had a great relationship with his father, but as this book progresses, they finally start to get along a lot better, or at least understand each other. 

I found Home to be quite refreshing compared with a lot of the books I have been reading recently, as its always nice to read a book aimed at women, written by a man, with a male lead character, and Josh just proves that age old conclusion, that men find it hard to work out what a woman is thinking!

This is a brilliant book, that I have really enjoyed reading. Its a reasonably quick to read story, and feels in places a bit more mature than previous books by Matt Dunn. Home is a great introduction to this author, if you have never read anything by him before. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.

Book Review - How to Get Ahead in Television by Sophie Cousens

Amazon UK

Title: How to Get Ahead in Television

Author: Sophie Cousens

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Publisher supplied review copy

Publisher: Corvus Books

Publication Date: 3rd September 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

Poppy Penfold desperately wants a career in television. After months of dead-end applications, she gets her big break with a temporary job as a runner for RealiTV. But to land a permanent role, Poppy will need to go head-to-head with fellow runner Rhidian: arrogant, highly competitive - and ridiculously good looking.

Poppy goes all out to impress, but somehow things don't go to plan. Whether failing to prevent a washed-up soap star from becoming roaring drunk during Scottish game show Last Clan Standing, or managing to scare the horses during the filming of Strictly Come Prancing, Poppy gets noticed for all the wrong reasons. With highly strung presenters and distractingly handsome producers in the mix, it's Poppy's determination that will see her win or lose her dream job, and maybe her dream man too...

After reading a few frankly mediocre, uninspiring books, and then abandoning something else at lunchtime, I was definitely in the mood for something that may lift my mood and entertain me, and in picking to read How to Get Ahead in Television, I knew within the first few pages that I was definitely getting that sort of book. 

The list of chapter titles initially worried me slightly as it makes it sound as though this is a How To - self help style book, but I can assure you it isn't, although if you do really want to work in TV, this could be almost a how not to go about it guide. 

Poppy Penfold is a brilliant character, she really wants to work in television, despite her nagging, and funny mother giving all sorts advice against a media career. Poppy finally gets a chance as a runner for RealiTV. However its a temporary contract, and she is in competitions with a gorgeous man who seems to be very competitive. At the end of the temporary contract one of them will land a proper one year contract. 

I loved the whole set up at RealiTV, and although I'm not a huge fan of watching reality TV, the behind the scenes goings on, are a lot more entertaining. Poppy encounters all sorts of programme formats, and situations where is something could go wrong, it probably will, and that Poppy will be at the heart of it. 

Poppy doesn't have a huge amount of luck with men either, and again some of the scrapes she gets into a completely hilarious. 

How to Get Ahead in Television, is such a hilarious book, that has kept me reading while grinning like an idiot the whole way through. As Sophie Cousens has worked in television, you can tell that most of the scenarios are based most probably on real life occurrences, and as such, are believable and not unrealistic. 

I love the voice of this book, as well as the host of characters at RealiTV, including the various producers, and star hosts of the shows. There is also a look at just how some shows are manipulated, just to increase viewing figures, which I suspect goes on the whole time in the industry. 

I'm not sure I can explain just how much I enjoyed reading this book, and think its a fabulous debut from Sophie Cousens. I would love to see a sequel, just to see how things progress even more, as I really wasn't ready for the story to end and to say goodbye to Poppy. 

Thank you so much Corvus Books and Sophie Cousens for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Book Review & Giveaway - The Seafront Tea Rooms by Vanessa Greene

Amazon UK

Title: The Seafront Tea Rooms

Author: Vanessa Greene

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Sphere

Publication Date: 8th September 2014

Rating: 5 Stars

The Seafront Tea Rooms is a peaceful hideaway, away from the bustle of the seaside, and in this quiet place a group of women find exactly what they've been searching for.

Charismatic journalist Charlotte is on a mission to scope out Britain's best tea rooms. She knows she's found something special in the Seafront Tea Rooms but is it a secret she should share? Kathryn, a single mother whose only sanctuary is the 'Seafront', convinces Charlie to keep the place out of her article by agreeing to join her on her search. Together with another regular, Seraphine, a culture-shocked French au pair with a passion for pastry-making, they travel around the country discovering quaint hideaways and hidden gems. But what none of them expect is for their journey to surprise them with discoveries of a different kind . . .

Full of romance, tea and cake, The Seafront Tea Rooms is a heart-warming tale about the strength found in true friendship.

Charlie, is a food journalist and has decided to write an article about Britains best tea rooms. She has come up to Scarborough to meet her new niece, and to try and rebuild her relationship with her sister. She discovers the town's best kept secret in "The Seafront Tea Rooms", run by Letty. 

The Seafront Team Rooms offers traditional afternoon tea, and all the food their sounds delicious, and there are many varieties of tea on offer. As Charlie is more of a coffee drinker, she takes a tea suggestion from another woman in the tea rooms, Kat. 

Kathryn, is a single mother to Leo, 3, and is in desperate need for a new job. She loves food and tea and agrees to work with Charlie on the article, so long as The Seafront Tea Rooms don't feature in it, as Letty wouldn't want the place to become a tourist destination. 

Seraphine, is a French girl, who has come over to help out single dad Adam, as an au-pair / French teacher, to his daughter Zoe. This is the first time Seraphine has been to England, and she is struggling initially with Zoe who doesn't want her around. Then Seraphine discovers the Seafront Tea Rooms, and starts talking to Charlie and Kat, and so a friendship is formed. 

During the book, the trio (or parts of it) visit many tea rooms around the North East Coast of Britain, and there are many mouth watering descriptions of afternoon teas, some obviously better than others, and you can just imagine the atmospheres in these places, especially those that require a bit of a trek to get to and are real hidden gems. 

Not only do the girls discover a new friendship and tea-rooms, they are all also on journeys of self-discovery, and I feel all grow quite a lot over the few months in which the book is set. 

I loved Charlie, Kat and Seraphine, as well as all the young children in the book. Their stories were all so different, and towards the end there was even quite a shocking revelation (which I felt could have been dealt with, in more depth). 

The Seafront Tea Rooms is a fantastic book, I found it to be a gentle read, the pages just seemed to turn themselves, I was so lost in the story. I loved every second of this book, and am looking forward to Vanessa Greene's next book out later this year. 

Giveaway to win a paperback copy of The Seafront Tea Rooms (UK Only)

If  you like the sound of this book, then this is the giveaway for you. I am giving the readers of Rachel's Random Reads a chance to win their own copy of  The Seafront Tea Rooms  in paperback. 

Giveaway open residents of the UK only, due to postage costs (I will do more international giveaways soon), all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 10/01/2016. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

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Rachel Reads Randomly Vote #10

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and good start to 2016. Well its back, my Rachel Reads Randomly feature.

I will probably this year be changing what pool of books I an randomising from each week, for reasons I should be able to explain at the time. However this week as its the first of 2016, I'm from the entire TBR list spreadsheet which has grown dramatically since I last put numbers on it. 

Below is initially my 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. 

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. 

On the assumption that some of this makes sense, I will without further ado, load up the randomiser and see what the options are for this week. 

This weeks random numbers are...

And the books these numbers correspond to are...

So the 5 choices with my gut feeling responses are:

42 - Elimination Night by Anonymous - I believe Karaoke is involved somewhere in this book, and that its been on my kindle for ages.

329 - Underneath it All (The Walsh Series Book 1) by Kate Cantebary - I vaguely recall winning the first two books of this series and no recollection of anything else about it. 

424 - The Secret Life of France by Lucy Wadham - I suspect this could be a travel book based in France.

465 - Forever (Forever Series Book 1) by Mary Wasowski - I know I won this in a competition, I think its romance based but past that no clue.

580 - The Wedding Countdown by Ruth Saberton - Love the author, surprised I haven't read this book by her yet. 

My gut feeling is telling me I can predict the outcome of this easily, but really hope I may be surprised. It's an interesting selection, and I'm hoping some of you know more about these titles than I do! Please everyone have a say this week, as I'd love to know your thoughts. 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.