Relaxing Reading

The price of love

2012-02-14T10:46:00.000-08:00

By Rosie Harris

Lucy is rhe main character in Rosie Harris' book the price of love and we join her as a young woman embarking on a relationship with first love Robert. Lucy believes her future is pretty settled but then tragedy strikes the family and not only do her parents pass away in a car crash, but her brother Sam is injured also and left needing care around the clock. With only Lucy to take on the job as nurse she soon finds herself giving all her time to Sam which causes boyfriend Robert to start looking elsewhere for company.
With a cheating boyfriend relegated to her past, Lucy must find a way to keep her and Sam from becoming homeless and build a new life with her brother despite the future looking quite bleak...

Since this is a saga, there is plenty of love and family life for the reader to enjoy in here but in order to keep the story going, there also seems to be a lot of bad luck for Lucy! She and brother Sam seem to constantly face knock back after knock back and Sam endures more accidents in 300 pages than I've had hot dinners! The author is also extremely fond of the phrase 'to do so', something which I noticed early on and got annoyed by quite quickly!

This book isn't all that exciting. It's like a dull Emmerdale episode in book form which for me was readable but not at all gripping. The characters are quite plain, though there's nothing to dislike about them exactly. Overall, this book is completely average. It wont rock your world and you're missing nothing by not reading it. I've read better by Rosie Harris in the last 12 months.

The Search

2012-02-12T11:06:00.000-08:00

By Nora Roberts

'The seach' is a novel which focuses on the life of Fiona, a dog trainer specialising in training search and rescue dogs. She lives a solitary life with only her 3 dogs for company until carpenter Simon Doyle comes into her life and turns it upside down with a passionate romance. Fiona has a past though, a past which includes escaping a mad man who murdered a dozen other girls as well as killing Fiona's own fiance, and this past seems to be catching up with her. With more girls disappearing and being rediscovered in shallow graves it becomes apparent that Fiona is in the killer's sights once again and that she must somehow keep sane and keep safe until the police find their murderer and prevent him from catching up with her first.

For the reader, this book is fast paced, exciting, and full of everything you could want to pass an evening. It has passion, a sexy male lead, twists and turns and a decent thriller plot. The characters are also profiled in depth and it's clear the author has done her research in order to build a character who is easy to get to know. We are given a glimpse of so many different sides of Fiona's personality that she becomes as familiar as a friend by the time the last page is turned.

I adored this book for so many reasons and I'm really keen to try another Roberts novel asap. If it's half as good as this novel I know I'll love it. It's the attention to detail which makes this author a talented writer.

A Mother's Secret

2012-02-10T11:48:00.000-08:00

By Dilly Court

'A mother's secret' tells the story of a young woman who falls in love with an officer in the army, an officer who she gets pregnant by without the security of marriage. The resulting child (Cassy) is taken from the woman because of her unmarried status and placed in an orphanage where the child grows up dirty and unloved, and often beaten by the owner of the orphanage. Early on in the book the story focuses mostly on daughter Cassy and her wish to find her mother, but by midway through the reader also gets to meet Belinda (the mother) and see the mother and daughter, who's now aged 10, reunited despite difficult circumstances.

I found this book to be quite enjoyable despite the fact that there are two far fetched reunions included and the circumstances of the reunions are unbelieveable because of how unlikely they would be to occur! If a plot is too predictable I tend to get bored and skim pages whilst waiting for the expected to happen.
Having said that, the characters are what make this book and keep the reader interested, not the plot. My favourite character was Bailey, a young boy from the orphanage who joined the army early on in an effort to save up enough money to provide for Cassy and move her to safety, and I read with anticipation hoping he and Cassy might finally get together. Cassy was also a strong lead, with strength of personality showing as she braved her childhood and moved into adulthood.
The book ends as Bailey and Cassy try to decide whether they have a future together so I would love to read a sequel to this novel and learn whether their dreams of opening an orphanage together came true. (There isn't one to my knowledge!)

This isn't one of my favourite Dilly Court books but it was more than enjoyable for a historical saga. The plot is a bit predictable though so don't expect any surprises if you pick this up at your local book shop.

Worst Case

2012-02-07T11:46:00.000-08:00

By James Patterson

Worst Case introduces a new character to me - Michael Bennett, a detective asked to investigate several kidnapping cases which leave the police baffled. These are no ordinary kidnapping cases however, for it's not money the kidnapper wants. Instead he chooses to 'test' his victims about their knowledge of world affairs and the sufferings of those less fortunate than themselves. As the cases heat up and more and more high classed important families become targets of the kidnapper, every organisation from the media to the FBI become involved, much to Bennett's annoyance. But it soon becomes apparent that Bennett is chasing somebody far too clever to ignore any offer of help he can get, especially if it comes in the form of agent Emily...

I found this book to be an easy read with a reasonably exciting plot line but sadly I didn't love Michael quite as much as I did Patterson's other hero Alex Cross. Maybe I've read too many of the Cross series to be happy with a new lead but this character seemed more married to the job and less emotional than Cross, meaning he was harder to empathise with.
Once again this book was in traditional Patterson form, with short sharp chapters and a fast paced story which progressed quickly and was easy to skim through when you have your 10 minute tea breaks during the day. I'd give it around a 6/10. Definitely readable, but this book is more focused on showing off a New York cop solving the case quickly than leaving you desperate for more.

Mini Shopaholic

2012-02-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

By Sophie Kinsella

When you pick up a book from the Shopaholic series, you basically know what you're getting. You're choosing a very light hearted and funny novel which will have you laughing out loud it the antics of Becky, the scatty 'addicted to shopping' lead character.

In mini shopaholic we meet Becky again as she embarks on life with a very high spirited 2 year old toddler who seems to know her own mind and seems to be following in her mum's footsteps when it comes to spending money. Together, they decide they'll throw a surprise birthday party for husband and dad Luke, but with times difficult all this must be done not only in secret, but on a budget too. With months to prepare for the party, will they be able to keep Luke in the dark?

Mini Shopaholic is full of amusing chapters which follow all our favourite characters from the series. Everyone is in here from the new sister Jess to long suffering best friend Suze, who also has many an amusing line to share with the reader. There are also new characters I didn't recognise being introduced such as Bonnie, Luke's PA.

I loved this book for what it is - fun and light hearted and enjoyable as a relaxing read in the bath or on a cold evening. If you love Sophie Kinsella then it's hard not to enjoy this book but by the same token if you've never read her before then it's an ideal starter novel. If you love the style of Marian Keyes then you'll also love Kinsella.

The secret lives of sisters

2012-01-31T11:14:00.000-08:00

By Linda Kelsey

The title says it all with this one! This book is about two sisters, one outgoing and full of life and the other shy and living in her sister's shadow. The book picks up when the shy sister's daughter gets married, then jumps back into the sister's childhoods to tell the stories of both girls and the experiences that shaped them.

This is a sort of biography for the girls in fiction form, telling the stories of their lives from youngsters to the grown ups they are today and I found the book fun to read as well as fascinating. There's lots going on to keep the interest of the reader and I liked both sisters despite them both being portrayed 'warts and all.' There is a big twist in the tail, (which I guessed!) but for me what made this story magical was the revelation on the very last page which allowed the sisters to understand why their relationship had evolved as it did and just how strong the bonds were between them.

There's nothing more to say about this book other than it's heartwarming. It's easy to read and I very much enjoyed it :)

Where earth meets sky

2012-01-29T11:10:00.000-08:00

By Annie Murray

'Where earth meets sky' follows Lily Waters, a nanny who takes a post looking after a British family's children whilst they live in India. It's in India that she meets and falls in love with a mechanic named Sam, who she later discovers is already married. Set in the early 1900's at a time when it's totally unacceptable to have a relationship out of wedlock, the reader follows the developing relationship between Sam and Lily, what happens when Lily learns that Sam already has a wife, and how she gets caught up with another man after sending Sam back home to his family.

Being a saga Sam isn't Lily's only romantic link despite it being implied by the author that Sam is the love of her life, and there are many twists along the way to keep the reader guessing as to whether Sam really has gone for good or whether the pair will work their relationship out despite Sam having the tie of a wife and children. Lily grows as a person as the book progresses, and the changes in her personality allow us as readers to keep guessing which life path she will choose. There are many references to Sam even when he isn't in her life but the references are unfortunately hardly full of emotion...

Sadly I found this book to be a little slow throughout. The first 200 pages or so for me were actually quite dull. I failed to see the passion developing between Sam and Lily and therefore I struggled to hold my interest in the text. It was only the descriptions of life in India and the hope that the book would become more gripping that kept me reading on! This is a good story but the characters, despite the authors best efforts to describe growing love, remain cold and lack the passion that makes a reader fall in love with their quest for happiness.

I've read Annie Murray novels before and to be honest, I've read better by her. This novel I was quite disappointed by.

Belle

2012-01-15T10:39:00.000-08:00

By Lesley Pearse

There is so much to love about this book. It's 600 pages of jam packed action and turned out to be a novel I couldn't put down. In Belle, we meet Belle and her family as they are caught up as witnesses to a murder, a murder which then leads to Belle being snatched from her London home and sold into prostitution. Somehow, Belle must remain strong in order to escape but her ordeal takes her as far as America, where she finds herself based in New Orleans and working as a hooker. Those at home don't forget her however, and the book is split between two different settings and stories, covering Belle's life as a working girl, and the lives of those back in London looking for her and hoping to bring her home.

Some of the text within this book is graphic, with hard hitting descriptions of Belle's life as she's used and abused. It's tough to read, but it's also gripping enough that you'll read on anyway. No more violence than is needed is used to portray the life Belle has been pushed into, and I think anything less descriptive would have made the story too soft and lacking. As it stands, Belle is a wonderfully strong character and I adored that she managed to quite often view her glass as half full as she worked towards her goal of making it back to England.

Once again Lesley Pearse has written a best seller that wont dissappoint her fans. If you enjoyed characters such as Hope or stories full of emotion such as Remember me, then Belle is definitely worth your time too.

4th of July

2012-01-12T11:21:00.000-08:00

This book is from a series of novels featuring inspector Lindsay Boxer, a detective who thrives on solving the unsolvable murder cases.

In 4th of July we meet her as she battles to solve several murders, all believed to have been committed by the same person. Lindsay is supposed to be on vacation at her sister's home when the murders start occurring, but her interest is sparked when she learns of similarities between the current murders and an unsolved case from 10 years earlier, a case which left her baffled and determined to identify both the victim and his killer. Finding herself in the middle of the mystery, Lindsay refuses to go home until all her questions have been answered and all loose ends tied up...
Alongside the murder case unfolding Lindsay also has her own problems. Having killed a teenager in self defence during police business, Lindsay finds herself up before a jury and having to defend her actions in order to save her career. As readers we follow both her court case and her detective work, and this makes for an action packed novel.

Being a James Patterson book this is a simple read with very few characters to get to know. The chapters are very much 'bite size' and since the book is only 400 pages long, it's a quick story to get through. 24 hours is all you need if you've got 3 or 4 hours to spare resting!
I've only ever read Patterson novels featuring Alex Cross in the past but Lindsay Boxer hasn't disappointed as a lead character. She's strong and exciting and although the format of this series is much the same as his Cross books, the characters are different enough for the books to avoid any confusion for the reader. I loved this book as a quick read that wasn't at all taxing and I'll be looking for other books within this series. I believe 4th of July is the 4th book in the series but you don't actually have to read these books in order for them to make sense.

Mistress of Pulrudden

2012-01-11T11:19:00.000-08:00

By E.V. Thompson

Mistress of Polrudden tells the story of Dewi, who moves to Cornwall in order to take up the position of nanny to widow Nathan's young son. Being a saga, naturally it's not long before Dewi starts to fall for head of the household Nathan, but will he ever notice her? Nathan it seems has more pressing things on his mind, with plans of developing a new harbour in order to further his fishing career, and chasing a place as a member of parliament by winning votes in an upcoming election.

Despite the blurb of this book focusing on Dewi, I thought it was actually Nathan that took the lead character's role and provided the bulk of the book. The novel is set in Nathan's home and the storyline is fit around who Nathan is, where his love life is going, and his attempts to further his career. It's only his need for a nanny that gives Dewi a role within the text. In fact, every character within this book is there as a supporting role to Nathan.

It doesn't matter that Nathan seems more important however, for he's a varied character who provides many different levels to the book and he keeps things interesting with little to no help. Dewi is bland in comparison, waiting patiently in the wings for Nathan to notice her. This is a bit of a romance novel in that love builds, but there is far more to this story than a love affair. Village affairs and excitement create the bulk of the story and the book is better for it.

I can sum my opinion of this novel up on one sentence - I loved this book and want to read more by this author.

Think Dog

2012-01-07T23:18:00.000-08:00

By John Fisher

I chose this book as my next read because I wanted a dog training text that would provide me with a bit of decent dog psychology. I wanted to read something that might help me soothe my often stressed Corgi mix and I have to say that with Think Dog, I wasn't disappointed by the teachings offered.

'Think dog' addresses how dogs think, how they learn, and how our actions are often interpreted by dogs that tend to think in black and white. It covers the basic principles of positive reinforcement training and offers suggestions of how to put positive lessons into use to cure almost any dog behaviour problem. The book concludes with an a-z of problem behaviour cures, and offers suggestions of both natural remedies and behaviour modifications to correct any issues you might have with your own pet. Whilst I didn't agree with a couple of the training cures, what I did like about this book is that the author dared to make suggestions in terms of how he would train - often authors are wishy-washy when it comes to dishing out advice incase they're criticised for it later.

The training advice offered was actually worth reading in my opinion. This is the sort of book a novice trainer or owner might learn something from that could actually change their attitude towards their dog and help aid a household live in harmony. If you have problems with aggression or anxiety in particular, then this training manual is definitely worth purchasing.

Overall, this is one of the best dog training books I've ever read.

Common sense rules

2011-12-24T22:05:00.000-08:00

By Deborah Meaden

I really wanted to read a biography by Deborah Meaden but I don't think she's written one! This is the best of her offerings however and as it's only 200+ pages long I thought I'd give it a go. Commn sense rules is really about Deborah's take on business backed up with examples of pitches and investments from the Dragons' Den, all of which you'll remember if you've watched the show for any length of time. As a fan of Dragons' Den I found this quite an interesting read but to be honest, whilst it's a worthwhile read for a fan, as a business book it probably won't rock your world since a lot of what she shares with you seems more about filling pages by stating the obvious rather than anything else.

There are a few gems of advice in here however such as what to do in a financial crisis, and this makes me think you'll benefit more from reading this text as an existing business owner rather than somebody looking for inspiration to start a business. The gems that are worth taking away from this book are very direct and to the point, something which a lot of other business books fall down on when trying to give advice. Deborah talks a lot about her own experiences as a business owner and it's easy to understand where her viewpoint comes from since she shares with the reader specific examples that have lead her to form these opinions. This gives the reader a chance to either agree, or come to different opinions based on their own business dealings.

I'm pleased I read this text - any business book fascinates me when it comes from somebody with a proven track record, but it didn't rock my world or inspire me like Duncan Bannatyne's biography did. It's worth a read, but don't spend your hard earned cash on it thinking you'll reap rewards from the knowledge gained within these pages since you probably won't...

Mersey View

2011-12-22T10:21:00.000-08:00

By Ruth Hamilton

In Mersey View we meet 45 year old Lucy who is just about to embark on a new life for herself following a decision to leave her husband after nearly 20 years of marriage. Her 3 children are now grown and she's waited patiently for the right moment to reinvent herself despite her husband forging her signature to remortgage the house without her permission, running up thousands of pounds worth of debt, cheating on her with any number of women and drinking himself into a coma most nights.
Finally believing she's free Lucy makes a move to Liverpool where she purchases a house, gains the attention of 2 men who both want to chase her and emerges herself into community life.

But her new world is threatened when her husband becomes ill and she's pushed by her own conscience to do the right thing and take care of the ungrateful pig. The story follows Lucy as she fights to stand up for herself without becoming completely heartless when it comes to the expectations of her husband and children. How far will she go when it comes to looking after her husband? And when she finds out he's possibly cheating another woman out of millions of pounds will she say anything?

I found this book to be more than readable but it was actually the secondary characters such as next door neighbour Moira and cleaner Carol that I enjoyed reading about the most. They were both made out to be light hearted fun Scousers and some of the lines they come out with are enough to leave you laughing our loud. Alan, despite being the villain of the book is also quite amusing to follow, more of a general waster than a vicious man.
The characters within this novel are all very different from one another and whilst I found it a bit sickening to read of Lucy and David's developing romance it wasn't enough to put me off totally and maybe if you're a bit more of a romantic you'll actually enjoy the blossoming love. For me though, it was a bit like reading about a couple of old folk slowly getting together!

Overall it's the characters rather than the storyline or setting that makes this book. Once again it's not going to rock your world but it will more than enough keep you occupied for a couple of hours. I wouldn't go out of my way to read another Ruth Hamilton but I wouldn't avoid her either.

Promises, Promises

2011-12-20T22:48:00.000-08:00

By Erica James

Promises, Promises follows the lives of 2 women and one man who all vow to change their lives by keeping promises to themselves. These promises revolve around changing the ways they behave in relationships and in relation to other people within their lives. This book is about leaving the past behind and moving forward towards a more positive and stronger self and future. Ethan wants to stop looking towards other women because he's unhappily married, Ella wants to move on after a relationship breakdown and Maggie wants to stand up for herself and be happy despite being married to a man with no sex appeal whom she calls 'Mr Blobby'. This book is about moving forward and finding the happily ever after in every situation.

Because the book flicks between these 3 main characters there is enough in here to keep you interested and reading on even if you don't resonate with one of the characters. My favourite lead was Maggie, who is downtrodden and putting up with a family who just have no respect for her. She's a saint for putting up with such a foul mouthed mother in law and I loved seeing her go from strength to strength as she learned to stand up for herself, even if the path wasn't smooth initially.

This is a typical chick lit read - women becoming strong, a little bit of heartache alongside the romance, and topics that work without being too taxing. I enjoyed snuggling up with this novel of an evening and enjoyed the book overall even though it maybe didn't rock my world. The endings are a little predictable but then this is a romantic novel! You'd be disappointed with anything else!

A star to steer by

2011-12-17T22:52:00.000-08:00

By Maggie Craig

Set in the 1920's this is the story of Ellie who finds herself going into service when her father unexpectedly dies. Whilst in service she falls for the son of the house but he's not the only boy fighting for her affections. Back in her old life of poverty bad lad Frank has also caught her eye, and it's this love triangle that gives the book it's plot line. This is a typical romance saga with 2 bad boys fighting to win their girl and since I can't resist a romantic book this proved to be right up my street.

Ellie is a very likeable character. She's strong and passionate and determined to improve her lot in life. She doesn't want to stay in service forever and dreams of moving up in the world, as does her brother Malcom who also works for the Tait household. It's very easy to feel compassion for Ellie since she seems to be treated badly by so many people during the time we spend with her. Through no fault of her own she's used and abused although she remains strong and focused throughout.

There is a fair sized twist at the end of the novel which keeps things interesting and throughout the novel lots of little surprises. This book isn't mind blowing but it's definitely got more than enough to keep you going on a cold winter's night. 8/10

The snowball and the business of life

2011-12-15T11:11:00.000-08:00

By Alice Schroeder/Warren Buffett

This is a VERY daunting biography because in full, it's nearly 900 pages. I wanted to read though because this man really is about as successful as you can be when it comes to financial success. I wanted to know not just about his investment career, but what makes him happy and what makes him tick. I hoped that by reading this epic book I'd get a glimpse of who Warren Buffett truly is and what his day to day life is like, and to be fair, I did.

This book covers literally every aspect of his life, as you'd expect a 900 page book to. It is so detailed you'll wonder how the heck Buffett remembered everything he wanted to include in here. We learn probably all there is to know about the one time world's richest man from how Warren started his first business selling chewing gum to how he became a billionaire investing in stocks. The reader is also offered an insight into his family life and it's the accounts of his personal life that left me the most intrigued as well as shocked. Buffett, it seems to me, put making money before everything else, including his children and a long suffering wife and it wasn't until he hit his 70's and a family death left him devastated that he realised just what he'd lost by focusing so hard on gaining wealth.

From this book I learned that whilst I'm quite impressed at how skillful Buffett is at making money, I wouldn't want his life for any amount of cash. Buffett doesn't appear to me to have enjoyed any of the money he's earned. Instead, he's made sacrifice after sacrifice in the name of wealth and any gain most of us believe we'll achieve through financial security seems to have passed him by.

This biography might be 800+ pages long but it's well worth a read if Warren Buffett interests you. It's an easy read, with more than enough detail to keep you as a reader interested. Not once did I get bored turning the pages and I believe this is not only down to such an interesting subject but also because of the talent of the writer who compiled this text - Alice Schroeder. The only negative comment I can offer in regards to this book is that it doesn't include many tips on starting up your own investment career! If you're looking for a step by step guide as to how to make your own billions you'd probably be better off reading something else!

The book of tomorrow

2011-12-10T11:13:00.000-08:00

By Cecelia Ahern

I picked this book up with reluctance, having read a Cecelia Ahern book before but not liked it all that much.

In 'the book of tomorrow' we follow a 16 year old girl named Tamara who, having moved to the country after losing her glamorous life style, stumbles upon a leather bound book, locked with a clasp and padlock. This book she soon learns, has been drawn to her with a promise that it will change her life. Delving into the book Tamara discovers it's a book that will give her insight into her tomorrow, but with this knowledge comes a choice - would she change tomorrow by todays actions if she could?
Tamara wants things to be normal more than anything. Following the death of her dad her mum has disappeared into a shell and Tamara's aunt and uncle are wierd folk who seem secretive despite not appearing to lead particularly exciting lives.
But is there a way to put everything right or has her dad's death destroyed everything worth living for?

I have mixed feelings about this novel. On one hand, there is a massive twist at the end of this book which provides the answers to an exciting mystery surrounding Tamara's family. I loved this revelation and felt it saved the book in many ways because the storyline was allowed to build up to a big crecendo finish. On the other hand though I felt the mystery of 'the book of tomorrow' Tamara finds was more of a pointless addition than a spiritual one and felt this took away from what was otherwise a decent storyline instead of giving it the added depth I'm guessing the author was trying to achieve. The book is readable, but I just don't get the fuss surrounding Cecelia Ahern. Am I missing something?

Witness

2011-12-08T11:34:00.000-08:00

By Cath Staincliffe

From page one I was well and truly hooked by this novel. It's fast paced and full of gripping characters that will force you to keep page turning whether you have the time or not! In Witness we follow 4 people who all witness the murder of a teenage boy. The murder takes place on an estate, and everyone living there is immediately fearful of knowing too much and therefore speaking too much of the truth. The police launch an investigation, and the reader then follows the progress of all witnesses as they either prepare to tell what they know or turn a blind eye to save themselves...
The police promise protection, but understandably some of the witnesses are still reluctant to come forward. Will the police gain enough statements to put the killers behind bars or will the estate fall silent?

I adored this book so much. It's an easy read with likeable, simple characters all placed in a sticky situation purely from being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The author has told the story without resorting to detailed gore and there's nothing in here to give you nightmares. This is the perfect crime scene novel to relax with because it is so clean and free from gruesome detail. I've not read anything by Cath Staincliffe before but now I have, I'm hooked!

The war widows

2011-12-07T11:17:00.000-08:00

By Leah Fleming

Set in the late 1940's 'The war widows' picks up the story of 2 women left in the lurch after falling for and having children with a soldier named Freddie who promises them both the earth then sadly dies in action. It's up to Freddie's family to sort out the mess he created due to his womanising before passing on, and as much as Freddie's mother wants to turn her back on the scandal, she struggles to turn her back on her new grandchildren and invites the 2 women into her home where they are soon looked after by Freddie's sister Lily.

These two women, Ana and Su fall into an uncomfortable friendship for the sake of their daughters and along with Lily form the Olive Oil club, a club for lonely women needing support after the war years. It's through this club that the reader meets other characters such as Queenie and Maria, and gets to follow the stories of Lily, Ana and Susan as they settle into life in England and grow as people.

It took me a fair while to get into this story. It took me a while to learn who was who because there are so many characters to keep up with, and it took me a while to become interested in the lives of these women. There are so many different characters in this novel that the personalities almost clash at times - there are too many misfits in this book for the reader to really fall for anyone's side!

The blurb also leads you to believe this is a bit of a tearjerker but sadly I felt the characters lacked any passion and each and every one of them failed to hook me.into their world.

I enjoyed the story followed in this book and there is plenty of variety within the plot to keep you reading if you choose to including several happy endings and Lily growing from doormat to independent woman, but as far as this being an emotional page turner goes, for me it unfortunately failed. Nice book but for me it wasn't anything special.

Getting your little darlings to behave

2011-12-02T22:50:00.000-08:00

By Sue Cowley

What I loved about this book:
Sue Cowley promises within these pages to give you tips and tools in order to encourage positive relationships with your children and encourage their good behaviour. This book mostly focuses on young children but covers all ages up to teens. I found this book to be fantastic for putting things into perspective and reminding me that calmness is the key when my toddler is having yet another tantrum and I also found it brilliant to read as a reminder to me of why children react as they do and that the last thing I should do is take it personally! This book offers practical reminders to help the parent keep calm and consistent within the parenting role, and it picked me up and helped me through a rough day with D as I read the book. At the end of the book there are a few case studies of behaviour stresses and their most likely reasons to be occuring which could be especially helpful if you recognise your child's issues!

What I wasn't too keen on:
Unfortunately though, that's as far as the positives to this non fictional text goes! There are very few practical tips, the author instead believing we'll shape our own rewards, punishments and reactions to behaviour based on how we want our children raised. (She's probably right, but still!) I was hoping for more of a Jo Frost type book with something concrete I could either use or discard but I should have just gone to the supernanny herself first. If you're struggling with particular issues and are looking for ways in which to deal with and solve the problems, this book probably won't help much. Instead of focusing on the child's behaviour this book focuses more on your reaction to it which is definitely helpful, just not much good if you're already fab at keeping your cool!

Overall this has some good tips and it's worth a read. 6/10-7/10.

The Wag's Diary

2011-11-25T10:58:00.000-08:00

By Alison Kervin

What you see is what you get with this novel. It's a tongue in cheek look at the lifestyle of a top WAG, with every beauty treatment exaggerated and the lead character most definitely coming across as the biggest bimbo you ever did meet! We join WAG Tracie as she's offered a job as a lifestyle columnist for a national newspaper, but alongside her new job trouble beckons via a husband who's lost his knack for football, a tomboy daughter who most definitely doesn't want to follow in her Mum's glamorous footsteps, and a mother determined to bring her daughter down from the dizzy heights of fame and feeling good about herself...

This is a really fun book which you're likely to enjoy if you normally love relaxing with celebrity magazines full of trashy gossip. Even though this is fiction, there's everything in here you'd normally expect to find when it comes to celeb gossip - fake tans, designer wear, and thick blondes who just want to look good!
If none of this interests you however then you're better off staying away as you won't find it at all funny.

The street lawyer

2011-11-21T11:12:00.000-08:00

By John Grisham

Being typical of a John Grisham novel, The street lawyer is set around a law firm and one lawyer in particular, who finds himself caught up in the world of the homeless and choosing to fight for their cause instead of staying in his very comfortabke $100,000 salaried positiion with one of the biggest law firms in America. Michael Brock's story begins when he learns his lawfirm has been responsible for illegally evicting a group of squatters from a building, forcing people onto the streets in the middle of winter and indirectly causing the deaths of a mother and her four children. In order to bring his employer's wrong doings to light, Michael must bring confidential files into public domain, and the firm will do anything to keep the files concealed...

Michael finds himself facing jail for stealing the secret evidence and his family think he's mad for taking a huge salary cut to fight public interest law. The decision to leave such a promising career is also the final blow to his flailing marriage. Has Michael made the right choice? Or will be end up broke and in prison?

I found this novel to be the best John Grisham novel I've read yet. It's story is based around a passionate cause and there's so much more to it than just following a lawsuit's progress, something Grisham's other novels have sometimes been guilty of. I adored the strong character of Michael and was hooked on this page turner within seconds of reading page one. Even if you're not normally a Grisham fan you're likely to enjoy this. There's enough of his usual style for the hardcore fans but plenty of depth for everyone else.

Playing the game

2011-11-14T11:27:00.000-08:00

By Barbara Taylor Bradford

This reminds me very much of a Penny Vincenzi type novel. It's full of posh people who say darling a lot and socialise at big and fancy parties...
In playing the game we meet Annette, a super glamorous art consultant who's married to the very manipulative Marius. On the surface Annette has it all, but when Marius arranges for a journalist to interview his wife about her career success the reader soon becomes aware that she's got a sinister past, a past that she desperately needs to keep burried if she's to avoid jail. Marius knows of her secret and uses it against his wife in order to keep her in line, and this leaves their marriage not necessarily a happy one...

With plenty of scandal and lots of secrets to be revealed, this is a book you wont be able to put down once the story starts to take off. It's gritty and exciting with likeable characters. Even villan Marius is a strong and interesting lead to follow.
The book is set amongst the art world with lots of references to the great artists and million dollar auction sales. You don't have to enjoy art or be knowledgeable on the subject to love this plot however.

Definitely one to read if you're a Vincenzi fan or fancy a posh Jackie Collins novel without the sex!

Heading Home

2011-11-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

By Katie Flynn

This is a typical Katie Flynn saga - not terribly exciting but exactly what you'd expect in a soothing evening read kind of way. The novel is set just before world war 2 but the era doesn't reflect too much on the characters or influence the setting of the book.

Heading home tells the story of sisters Claudia and Jenny who leave Liverpool with their parents as children to move to Ireland, but find themselves moving back to Liverpool as young women when it becomes time to look for work. Upon moving in with their Gran they find themselves reuniting with an old school friend and going into business partnership, and it's from this moment on that the book really takes off and a few exciting twists to the plot are thrown into the mix.

It took around 200 pages for me to start becoming really interested in this saga. Up until then the text flowed but didn't exactly thrill or offer anything that might entice me to read on past the traditional chapter before bed. As Claudia and Jenny grew up however and Claudia began planning her wedding, the pace picked up and I found myself wanting to read on to find out how things ended. Being a saga I wanted the happily ever after but the book offers no clues as to the ending until the very end of the novel. My favourite character was Jenny even though she was in the background for a time, and despite Claudia's relationship with Danny I spent all 400 pages hoping plain younger sister Jenny would turn into a swan and win her prince!

If I had one complaint about this novel it would be that I'd have liked to have seen Jenny's character develop further. At the end of the book we learn of the future she's to have yet we don't actually get to see any of it. Perhaps a sequel to follow 'Heading home' is in the making?

Necessary as blood

2011-11-09T11:05:00.000-08:00

By Deborah Crombie

This is a murder mystery novel.with 2 lead victims, both from the same family. The story begins in May when a wife and mother goes missing after leaving her daughter with a friend. By August, her husband has also been found dead. Their 2 year old daughter is swiftly put into care, and police launch an investigation into not only why her parents have been killed but whether the daughter is in danger also.

The lead detective on the case is Gemma James. She is a friend of the family and desperately wants to gain justice, believing the toddler Charlotte is in danger until she does. Gemma is a passionate, kind woman with personal troubles of her own, and the reader is soon on her side as she fights to expose the truth and catch the bad guy. Her boyfriend is also a detective, and together they battle to solve the case and learn whether mother Sandra is dead or as some believe, merely missing.

This is a cleverly written novel with plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing about both motive and villan. By the time the novel concludes, the reader has been given a clear and detailed account of the case which makes the plot easy to understand and exciting to watch unfold. I loved the fact that this book offers lots to think about along the way whilst still retaining a logical conclusion. There are many characters in here to discover, but I managed to keep up with the who's who!

Overall, a decent crime novel.

One Sweet Moment

2011-11-06T11:54:00.001-08:00

By Maggie Craig

This particular novel is set in an earlier time period than I'd normally go for, the 1820's, but I still found it to be a most enjoyable read. Set in Scotland, One sweet moment follows the story of brother and sister, Kate and Andrew who live in the slums with their aunt and uncle, slaving for 14 hour days in order to earn food from their greedy and mean minded relatives. Kate has one wish, to teach herself to read so she can earn a decent living and make a new life for her brother. At first it seems the dream is so unattainable that it will only ever stay a dream, but then her head is turned by trainee doctor Richard, and it Kate dares to wonder if a better life might soon be within her grasp, if only society will allow it...
The young couple, divided by class, are forced to meet in secret as they plot ways to meet and be together. But the pressure put upon this couple to separate soon takes it's toll and Kate realises she's been burying her head in the sand and will never be accepted by Richard's people.
This is a story of young unforbidden love which must overcome many obstacles in order to survive and grow, including an abusive uncle who wants nothing more than for Kate to remain his to use as he pleases...

I found this book a little slow to get into initially because the characters do not come across as warm as they could do but once I got into the novel, I didn't want to put it down. I did find the Scottish accents and terminology a little off putting however - there were several sentences and paragraphs within this book that I desperately struggled to follow because of the lack of translation!
The ending was a bit of a sad one too, though it did leave an impression on me as a reader and I believe the conclusion made me love the forbiddeness of the love affair all the more.

Overall this is an 8/10 book. It's slow in places and the characters aren't going to draw you in and make you feel passionate about them but you will find yourself page turning to find out whether Richard and Kate get their happy ending, and there's enough in here to keep you interested as you do so.

New Moon

2011-11-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

Stephenie Meyer

Since in New Moon is part of the Twilight series and book one was so amazing, I expected to enjoy this book and I wasn't disappointed. In fact beause of the different slant on this book compared to the first to the novel, I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed it even more than I expected to.

New Moon picks up Bella and Edwards relationship once again just as Edward decides he needs to stay away from Bella in order to keep her safe. Whilst he's away however, Bella grows close to Jacob Black, and discovers he's a Werewolf...
Instead of being safter, it seems Bella is more in danger than ever whilst Edward is struggling also without the love of his life...

You'll spend the entire length of the book waiting with baited breath for Edward to return and hoping that the 2 love birds get back together sooner rather than later. The tension builds through the chapters as Jacob picks up as the lead and the reader is left wondering if Bella and Jack might actually start to fall for one another whilst Edward is out of the picture. Jacob is certainly painted as a very sexy alternative!
There is plenty of vampire and werewolf action in here to satisfy the fantasy element for the fans of this series and plenty of strong lead characters to fall for whatever your preference or crush!

If you're a Twilight fan than read this. You won't be disappointed, it's just as good as the first book in the set.

Secrets of the heart

2011-11-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

By Gilda O'Neill

Set just as world war two has begun, 'Secrets of the heart' follows a family living in London, who naturally hold a few secrets close. We follow this family as they cope with war time London whilst trying to fit into a brand new community following their previous residence being bombed. The community they've found themselves moving into is mostly a welcoming one, but since everyone has their own dark side, it's not long before the reader learns things aren't quite what they seem behind closed doors.

This book focuses on the characters within the community rather than the effects of the fighting. We learn very litte of relatives going off to fight, instead following life for those left behind. There are a variety of characters to get to know, all a variety of ages and in various situations.
Because of the number of characters and how similar some of them are, (the middle aged women like Nell, Sylvie, Sarah and Kitty are hard to tell apart for example) it took me a while to learn who was who. I think I would have lost interest had it not been for the younger characters such as Grace and Freddie keeping my interest.
What I did enjoy however was the descriptions of the war work going on - it gave a real insight into what life was like with air raid sirens going off every night.

Sadly I couldn't fall in love with anyone in here, and the storyline wasn't gripping enough to keep my undivided attention either. I've read better by Gilda O'Neill and I was a little disappointed by this particular novel. I'd give it a 6/10, but only because I know she's written better!

The last child

2011-10-30T12:03:00.000-07:00

By John Hart

'The last child' follows a team of detectives as they try to find the person responsible for the abduction of 2 teenage girls who disappeared a year apart from one another. There is one police officer in particular keen to find the girls, an officer who's watched the brother of one of the girls (Alyssa) fight to keep Alyssa's memory alive in the hope that one day, she might reappear safe and unharmed. This officer, Detective Hunt, has promised the 13 year old brother Johnny that he'll bring his sister home, but as time ticks on and this becomes more unlikely he starts to become obsessed as Johnny about his quest to find Alyssa, neglectiving his other police duties and his marriage in the process. His obsession isn't helped by the fact that he's secretly in love with Johnny and Alyssa's mum, Katherine.

Regardless of personal feelings however Detective Hunt must solve the case, helped in part by Johnny's meddling. If he doesn't, his obsession with the case could destroy his career...

It took a while for me to get into this book. It took around 100 pages before I began to know who was who - there are a lot of characters to keep up with. Once I was sucked in however, I really enjoyed the story unfolding and began to truly feel for Johnny and his mum, suffering more from not knowing whether Alyssa is dead or alive than from the actual possible abduction occuring.

The way the plot ties up in conclusion at the end of the book is really clever too. All loose ends are covered and everything slots neatly into place, with readers being offered an interesting and unexpected conclusion. I loved the book for this - the neatness when this crime is solved, done and dusted is a sign of a well thought out and clever plot.

What I didn't like about this book is the lack of an obvious break between changes of characters within chapters which unfortunately meant that unless I was concentrating I often lost track of who I was following at any given point. One moment you're following one character and the next sentence, another! Even a few blank lines between the end of one paragraph and another however would have given more notification of a scene or character change and solved this problem.

Nevertheless I'd still give this a 7/10, just don't read when you're tired!

London Belles

2011-10-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

By Annie Groves

Set just before world war two, London Belles tells the story of 3 lodgers and their landlady as they cope with various life situations whilst living in a country suffering from the effects of a looming war.

Olivia is a 35 year old widow who after the death of her father in law finds herself needing to take in lodgers in order to pay the bills. Dulcie has decided to leave home after an argument over clothes with her sister. Sally is a nurse from Liverpool and now living in London, whilst Agnes has just left the orphanage she grew up in and is shy and lonely. Olivia's daughter Tilly makes up the list of main characters and the group of girls we follow throughout the early part of the war.

The main focus of this book is that of friendships blooming and young women growing up, both in age and in attitude. The war setting is more of a background feature than a main feature, though there are a couple of very vivid descriptions of war which include a fighter pilot attack and the trauma of the Dunkirk rescue which add a bit of drama to otherwise an uneventful novel.

There's nothing not to enjoy about this novel but because there are no big shocks or twists to enjoy it can be a bit dull for chapters at a time also! Don't pick this up if you want to fall for characters or sink into something in which you'll lose hours of time. This is more of a bed time book which you might pick up to read here and there for a few pages at a time.

I'd give this 6/10. Enjoyable, but not all that exciting.

Silent Scream

2011-10-19T11:35:00.000-07:00

By Karen Rose

As you know, Karen Rose is my latest addiction! She's a crime and thriller writer who provides plenty of action within her fast paced novels and has the ability to hook the reader from page one.

In Silent Scream we once again meet up with detective Olivia Sutherland and firefighter David Hunter. This time around we follow our favourite characters as they find themselves dealing with a serial blackmailer who witnessed arson taking place which resulted in the murder.of a teenage girl. Sutherland is determined to find her arsonists and Hunter vows to help, but it doesn't take long for the reader to understand the team are up to their necks in something far more sinister than a basic arson attack...

If you like your romance then you'll be pleased to know that in this novel tension builds between Olivia and David until we see our well loved characters finally sorting things out and getting together. David is your typical strong and powerful hero, whilst Olivia despite being a strong female in her own right, soon falls for David's masculine charms.

I enjoyed learning more about characters that have played 'bit parts' in other Rose novels I've read although I do think it would be nice to introduce some new characters into the mix and am hopeful there will be new faces in other Karen Rose thrillers. That said, you can't help but love these characters. With plenty of twists and turns within a plot line designed to thrill, it's super easy to get to know these people intimately as the roller coaster storyline shows off every side of their characters, including their vulnerabilities.

I loved the clever twists and how the conclusion tied everything together. The plot is intricate without being confusing or unbelievable. There's nothing to dislike about Silent Scream if you're a thriller fan. Definitely 10/10 once again.

Homecoming

2011-10-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

By Cathy Kelly

Cathy Kelly normally offers up a decent story and this novel is no exception. This is people watching in book form, sort of like a soap on paper as opposed to the TV.

'Homecoming' tells the story of four separate women who are each at a cross roads in their lives and who are each facing challenges that need to be met head on in order to move forward. Set in Ireland, each of these women live within minutes of each other on a residential housing square, and as the book progresses we see each women's life unfold as the community slowly unites, helping support and heal one other during a time which sees friendships blooming. There are a variety of different issues being dealt with but the main theme seems to be one of honesty - the ability to learn to be true to yourself and face your own demons before being true to others.

Whilst there was nothing mind blowingly gripping about this book, it is the type of novel that's hard to put down. The story flows with lots of little twists and turns which encourage the reader to feel compassion for the main characters who are all very likeable but in different ways. It's their vulnerabilities that make these characters so easy to empathise with. Quite possibly you'll be able to identify with at least one of the issues the women deal with in here.

My favourite character was Connie. Probably I identified with her the most since she starts the novel feeling lonely yet chooses to hide away from the world for fear of being hurt. The reader sees her grow as the novel progresses and encouraged by her younger sister, best friend and neighbour, Connie is able to see light at the end of the tunnel and start to truly live with love in her life...

I loved this book. It's the perfect chick lit to settle down with of a cold evening. Warm characters and a beautiful Irish setting. What more could you want?

Nancy's War

2011-10-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

By Anne Baker

I knew I'd enjoy this book before I'd even turned page one. Firstly because it's by Anne Baker, and secondly because the text is set in the early 1940's just before and during the war - a period I find fascinating to read about even if it is fictional!

Nancy's war tells the story of Nancy, a young mother who is widowed just before war breaks out. We follow Nancy as she tries to put her life back together despite war making life difficult and despite an evil mother in law who is determined to get her hands on Nancy's young daughter Caroline. Fortunately her father in law is more compassionate but because he is such a lovely person Nancy finds herself juggling working for her father in law and loving him for his support, whilst hating the difficult woman he's married to. The inlaws have some interesting secrets too, but whilst these are revealed to the reader, Nancy is left in the dark and some of these secrets and personality traits shape her experiences with her family.

I found nothing shocking about this plot or anything too gripping about the characters or settings but for a typical saga, this book provides everything you'd expect. The lead character is a warm, family woman, there's a love story brewing, and there's conflict to overcome in order to achieve the 'happily ever after.' It's easy enough to keep turning the pages but don't expect anything too addictive. For me this is the perfect book for picking up for half an hour here and there. Thoroughly enjoyable and not too taxing.

Out of the blue

2011-10-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

By Charlotte Bingham

There are two main characters in Out of the blue. Florence is one, and a man they call Edward is the second. The story begins when widower Florence finds a young man in the guest cottage within the grounds of her own home. This young man can't remember who he is or why he's there, and to make matters more interesting speaks like somebody from times gone by, someone who has no knowledge of simple things such as cars or pens! In fact he thinks he's a poet who writes with a quill! Against the opinion of her daugther, Florence decides she must help the man figure out who he is, and hopes that by being kind to him she might jog a memory or two...

Elsewhere Jamie joins us as a secondry character. She's the boss of Florence's daughter, and although it's not clear why she's a character in the book until near the end, she was actually my favourite character. Jamie is more relaxed in her dialogue and as a single parent struggling with daily life, I felt her personality to be more engaging with the reader and easier to empathise with.

Despite the super interesting storyline (And I did think the concept of a man with no memory of who he is quite gripping) I actually struggled to lose myself within this book. The text is almost too formal to be a relaxing novel, with all characters speaking the Queens english. Definitely no shortened words or slang in here! I kept on reading in the hope the plot would speed up but instead it plods along and I really only read to the end because I don't like to quit a novel!

I'd give this a 5/5. I'm not at all inspired to read another Charlotte Bingham novel.

Anyone can do it

2011-09-29T11:36:00.001-07:00

By Duncan Bannatyne

There is so much to love about this biography. It's truly one of the best I've read this year!

Before reading I wasn't a huge fan of Duncan Bannatyne. He often comes across as rude and abrupt on TV and I always thought he was a bit of a show off who cared little for other people's opinions. This book however, has changed my mind completely and I now realise how wrong I was!

I chose to read this book because I love business and I love Dragon's Den. I hoped I'd learn something from a multi millionaire and to be fair, I have. The title claims that 'anyone can do it' and having read Duncan's story I think he's probably right! Bannatyne really did start from scratch building his empire, and when he didn't know what he was doing, he read leaflets on the subject and ploughed on ahead anyway! Common sense and an instinct for business is what's made this man so successful, as well as an ability to charge ahead fearlessly when it comes to taking a few calculated risks. This book lists his self employment journey from ice cream man to millionaire health club chain owner, and the story is a fascinating one. I found his life pre the den the most interesting to read about, and I think that's because I knew a lot about his Dragons Den antics already.

As far as Bannatyne's personal life goes, this book offers a fair insight into his family life, his charity work, and what drives him to strive for success. There is a decent bit of gossip to keep your interest although not so much that you'll get bored if you're really only reading for the business insight. I loved reading about his charity work in Romania - these chapters showed a softer side of the tough business man!

By reading this book I've learned Bannatyne is full of passion for life and somebody to be admired for achieving so much success. I'm now watching him more closely on Dragon's Den and seeing a different person!

Sister

2011-09-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

By Rosamund Lupton

This is a bit of a murder mystery featuring 2 sisters, one of which goes missing. Older sister Beatrice finds herself on a plane home to England the minute Tess is pronounced missinng, but it soon becomes apparent that Tess was more secretive than she originally thought, and Beatrice has a bit of a mystery to solve if she wants to learn what happened to her sister. Beatrice is convinced her sister has been murdered but everyone else, including the police, believe suicide to be the cause of death and soon become frustrated with Beatrice's attempts to convince everyone more investigations need to take place.

The book is written both in the first person and as an account of events from Beatrice's memory, and whilst it's cleverly written, rammed full of detail, and full of emotion fron Beatrice, I found myself not connecting with the lead character. I felt I should have felt more compassion for a woman suffering as much as Beatrice is supposed to be. Nevertheless, with so much detail on offer and so many thought patterns shared, it's easy enough to enjoy this text, even if you aren't as in love with the lead character's quest as you'd hope to be. In fact you'll find youself losing hours as you submerge yourself in the text.

In this books favour, I should add that despite the detailed account, you wont struggle to follow the plot because there are only half a dozen or so key characters/suspects to keep up with who are all linked together due to events in the final months of Tess's life. There is also a bit of a twist at the end of the novel which somehow makes the story being told more meaningful, and really brings Tess to life despite the actual character of Tess being no more than a person in Beatrice's memory.

Overall, this is definitely worth a read. Don't expect to be gripped, but do expect to find yourself still reading an hour after you turned the first page.

The empty hearth

2011-09-20T11:53:00.001-07:00

The empty hearth

By Kitty Neale

Set in the 1950's, 'The empty hearth' tells the story of a family of 4 - two children, a down trodden wife and a bully of a husband. Alfie is a bit of a brute to his wife and is jealous of any attention given to his children by her, so when his family starts to fall apart before his very eyes, followed closely by his job and his home life, it's no wonder that his behaviour has been his downfall. Running away to the Navy, brother John leaves his plain sister Millie to stand up to her father, but she's not at all strong and it's not long before she's suffering the same bullying fate as her mother. As the book progresses, Millie must grow both in age and as a person, but will she be strong enough to put her past behind her?

I found this novel to be quite readable despite not being quite as gripping as I'd hoped. You'll like this novel if you're a fan of the likes of Joan Jonker for the writing styles and settings are quite similar. Kitty is a strong lead female character, experiencing a string of plot twists she has to navigate through, whilst Alfie is an interesting lead man, despite being portrayed as a dislikeable person. There are plenty of secrets to come out in the wash, and my only complaint is that the secrets weren't built up to any level of excitement for the reader. Instead the revelations flowed like any other scene within the plot and could easily have been missed by a skimming reader!
The big twist about 2/3 of the way through is well worth reading on for however. It was something I didn't see coming and added another depth to Kitty, one which endears her to the reader.

The storyline concludes with the reader finding out both the fates of Kitty and her dad Alfie, and the conclusions are as you'd expect them to be. Overall though, this is a readable novel with a decent plot and it's hard to find too much fault with it as a restful bed time read.

The only way is up

2011-09-18T12:11:00.001-07:00

By Carole Matthews

I knew before even turning to page one that I'd love this book, firstly because it's by Carole Matthews, and secondly because the blurb described a couple in a situation we could all so easily find ourselves having to dig our family out from.

In 'The only way is up' we meet a couple who, after having lived the high life for many years and enjoyed expensive cars, posh houses, and £20 thousand pound holidays, find themselves up to their eyes in debt, homeless after being evicted from their home by bailiffs, jobless, and living in a grotty council house on a dangerous estate. Somehow, the couple must pull together and start from scratch once again. Their quest is to discover whether money really does make a couple happy or whether what they have is worth so much more...

The main character's are Lily and Lawrence, a middle aged couple who are parents to two children who up until recently have been privately educated. Lawrence has always been a high achieving business man in the city, whilst wife Lily has always stayed at home and spent a lot of time cooking fancy meals and shopping for designer wears. Their world is shattered when Lawrence makes a mistake at work and finds himself out of a job. Unable to pay the bills but determined not to tell Lily, Lawrence tries to cope with rising debt alone, and it's not until he's lost everything that Lily discovers the extent of their problems.

'The only way is up' documents the couple's financial crash as well as their first steps onto the road to recovery. Along the way they discover what's important to them, what's nice but not necessary, and who their real friends are.
This is a touching story which whilst being quite light hearted makes the reader think. What's important to you? If you lost it all, could you survive with very little? And would your friends stand by you if you hit rock bottom and could no longer keep up?

I adored the warm characters within this book and found myself wishing I lived with such wonderful neighbours! In fact I loved this book so much I was gutted when I finished it!

Sworn to secrecy

2011-09-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

By Mary A Larkin

Before this week I'd never heard of Mary A Larkin but having read Sworn to secrecy by her I'm now a devoted fan! This book is packed full of lively characters, dirty secrets and scandall, not to mention twisting plotlines and plenty of romance!

Sworn to secrecy mostly follows Tess, a dressmaker living in Belfast during the troubled times of the early 1970's. Tess is single, but her love life is complicated for she's fallen big time for her best friend and business partner's boyfriend. There is a more suitable man waiting for her hand in marriage, but Tess feels to marry Tony would be to settle...

Meanwhile, Tess's mum and step dad find themselves caught up in a custody battle when their grandson's other set of grandparents decide they'd like to raise him in a nicer area. Dan and Alice have raised their grandson Jackie since he was 2 days old, so are obviously devestated that he might be taken away. The only way to keep him however is for secrets to be revealed, secrets that have stayed hidden for decades...

Tess might be the lead character in this book and the bind that brings everyone else together but her step dad Dan has by far the more exciting past and set of storylines! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel because of how action packed it was though to be honest, so many secrets within a small family is probably quite far fetched!

If you can overlook the fact that the book is like an action packed week on Coronation Street though then you'll adore this novel for what it is - A fun story to relax with and plenty of twists to enjoy.

In time for Christmas

2011-09-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

By Katie Flynn

Being a saga from Katie Flynn, when you pick this book up you know the sort of thing you'll be getting, even though the title gives nothing away and is slightly misleading.

For the most part, this is the story of Addy, a young shop keeper's daughter who we watch grow up in the years before the second world war. Addy is the least favourite daughter within a family of 2 children, and as readers we watch her develop into a young woman living in the shadows of her much loved younger sister, before taking a job within the war effort which allows her the freedom to fall in love.

Whilst Addy is the main character, both sister Prue and mother Nell have their share of storylines, and with a small selection of characters each offering a readable plotline, this makes for a book which might not be all that exciting, yet has plenty going on to keep your interest. The descriptions of the invasion of France were vivid without suffering the same violence other war time sagas tend to.

Overall this is a good read providing exactly what you'd expect to get from this best selling and well known author. The plot line isn't too taxing yet there's more than enough to keep you turning pages. 8/10 if you like this sort of novel!

Don't Tell

2011-09-10T11:47:00.000-07:00

By Karen Rose

This book is my second Karen Rose novel and once again I've been drawn into an exciting book which I honestly couldn't put down. The novel is of the crime/thriller/suspense variety, and whilst it was always obvious Caroline's past was going to catch up with her, the how's and why's and the ultimate outcome of the story is what makes the book a novel you wont want to put down.

'Don't tell' is about Caroline, a woman with an abusive past who takes up a new identity in a new State in order to escape her violent husband. For many years she lives in relative freedom for her husband believes she's dead, but after a local police investigation events lead the husband to question what happened 7 years earlier, and begin to wonder if maybe his wife didn't die as he originally thought. Armed with information gathered illegally Caroline's very dangerous husband vows that if his wife is alive, he'll drag her home and make her pay for leaving him...

Meanwhile, Caroline is about to embark on the first relationship she's entered into in years, but will she be able to truly leave her past behind in order to find love for the first time?

This suspence novel has everything - excitement, a gripping storyline, a love story, fear, suspense, and character's you'll warm too as they struggle with their own past demons. There's really nothing to dislike about a Karen Rose novel, unless you happen to really hate lead characters falling in love! I felt that Caroline came across as a bit of a victim at times, and mirrored the leading lady from the previous Rose novel I've read just a tiny bit too much to be original, but since I enjoy Rose's characters this wasn't enough to put me off! This novel was still a 10/10 for me and I'll be looking for more books from Karen Rose in the future!

Meditaiton and dreamwork

2011-09-01T03:21:00.000-07:00

By Tara Ward

This book claims to change your life simply by allowing you to see the wonder of the world around you, and it works.

It focuses on teaching basic meditations which will help relax you, reorganise your thoughts, and even help you meet your spirit guide, and all the exercises are simple meditations you can do alone with little or no experience. If you're interested in your spiritual development then I think you'll get a LOT from this book because it's not your basic 'how to.' Instead, for each teaching there is more than one meditation technique offered and this means as a reader, you'll get to try more than one exercise per teaching and can adapt and try other examples to suit your own beliefs and needs should one exercise not work for you.

Since this book covers dreamwork, meditation and spirit guide teachings which take in some cases years to understand and perfect, it's difficult to answer honestly whether the exercises within these pages actually work. I love what I've been able to practice so far, but will need to continue with these teachings and refer back to various chapters over the next few weeks in order to give an accurate opinion of the techniques. What I do know, is that I've learned an awful lot in respect of new concepts and ideas, such as chakra energy work, and the meditations I have been working on have been relaxing experiences despite not offering any immediate results to record.

You wont see results purely from reading through the text, but since I'm hoping to do the exercises (in particular the bit about losing the ego!) I hope to get a lot of out it :)

No man's island

2011-08-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

By Susan Sallis.

I have mixed feelings about this book because for me it started off a little slow. 150 pages in and I was desperate to finish the book, if only to put an end to this story and know for sure whether the pace of the book was going to pick up, (It didn't!)

No man's island tells the story of Binnie, a woman who is left an island just off the coast of Cornwall when her ex husband dies. She goes to the island to investigate just what is now hers, and it's here she learns that maybe her husband wasn't as honest as she once thought he was. Stories of pirates and smugglers come to light along with shocking allegations that maybe ex husband Theo didn't die by accident as once believed...
The reader is taken on a journey in which we learn whether Theo truly was involved in smuggling and whether this led to his death... Lead character Binnie decides what to do with the island but most importantly, she delves into Theo's past and finds out the truth once and for all...

Despite quite an exciting plot I did find the novel to be quite slow and dull for the first 250 pages or so. The characters are difficult to fall for and despite the beautiful settings of the islands and gorgeous descriptions of the sea, I struggled to lose myself within these pages. The last 150 pages offered a bit of a plot twist and this is when I become more interested in what was going on, but possibly this exciting twist came too late to change my overall opinion of the book.

I loved the concept of this novel, I just didn't love the pace. Something faster would have been a lot more gripping. As it was, there was just too much irrelivant filling in here and I jut wanted to read and be done with it.

Friday nights

2011-08-23T11:30:00.001-07:00

By Joanna Trollope

Friday night tells the story of a group of lonely people who are brought together by one womans desire to have some company now and again. These women live close to each other but are near enough alone in the world. They each have a need to forge friendships and connect, and we follow the women as they get to know each other alongside facing lifes little challenges.

There is no major plot line to this novel and no major drama to enjoy. Instead I believe the point of this book to be an attempt at portraying the human need to be accepted and an account of the interaction between people who are all very different but essentially want the same thing - love.
The characters are all likeable but I didn't connect with anyone of feel I got to know anyone too well.

I can see the point of the book and I didn't struggle to get through the 400 pages but the book wasn't really all that exciting either. I prefer a book with a decent plot and a few twists and turns and this just doesn't have that. I found reading it passed a few hours but it wasn't a book I'll remember or want to recommend.

I can see you

2011-08-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

By Karen Rose

This is quite possibly the best crime novel I've ever read. It has everything a reader could want and I think in particular 'I can see you' will appeal to female readers for the lead detective is Noah Webster, a detective portrayed as big, sexy, brave and strong... what more could you want in a hero?!

'I can see you' tells the story of a serial killer who stalks his victims online, learning all about them and their deepest fears before going in for their torture and murder. Detective Noah and his team must profile the killer and find him quickly, for it seems the killer is keen to target somebody very close to Noah, a bartender named Eve who Noah admires from afar...

Eve is a bit of a recovering victim within this plot but she's fighting back and becoming strong, and throughout the novel I wanted nothing more than to see her and Noah get together. The chemistry between them fizzes for about 400 pages before we actually learn whether they're going to become lovers or not!

The tension as the police fight to solve the crime and find the killer builds throughout the novel and the plot is so gripping with it's gritty investigations that I truly couldn't put the book down. The revelation of the killer was also a complete shock.
One thing I did approve of was the lack of gruesome descriptions of the victims. There is enough in here to give you the gist of what the girls go through but there isn't enough to give you nightmares - I love a decent plot but I don't enjoy gore!

Overall definitely 10/10. Can't wait to read more Karen Rose.

A grave in the Cotswolds

2011-08-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

By Rebecca Tope

This book reminds me so much of a Midsommer murder type mystery. It's set in a small English village in the countryside and features characters who live so closely together that they know each other's business and all seem connected in some way.

The murder victim is council planner Mr Maynard, and the murder mystery story begins after undertaker Drew is asked to perform a private burial in a Cotswold field for a local woman who has just passed away. Despite being the innocent in all this, Drew soon faces the wrath of Mr Maynard who insists the burial is not legal and the body must be moved. Witnesses see Mr Maynard and Drew arguing and minutes after, Mr Maynard is found dead...

A small time police investigation begins with Drew as the main murder suspect and somehow, with the help of villagers he barely knows, Drew must clear his name...

The book is a little slow in places but it's not meant to be a fast paced crime novel. I believe these books are meant to be a bit of a slower paced option. The Cotswold settings are as important as the actual plot and the villages painted with vivid descriptions which describe beautifully remote places.
The characters might not grip your attention but they're not dislikeable either. The plot is simple to understand and the characters easy to follow. If you're looking for an exciting murder mystery then this probably isn't it, but for a slower less gruesome bedtime option then it's perfect. It definitely wont be giving you nightmares!

Foursome

2011-08-07T06:53:00.000-07:00

By Jane Fallon

There's only one way to describe this book and that's gripping. This is the story of Rachel and Daniel who have their social life crushed when best friends to them Alex and Isabel split up after 20 years of marriage. Before the separation this foursome lived in each other's pockets so when Alex announces he's walked away from his marriage, Rachel knows things will never be the same again.

What's more, when Alex chooses a new girlfriend, it seems Rachel is about to suffer big time as secrets are revealed and Alex's loyalty to Daniel and Rachel comes into question. Alex also claims Rachel is partly the reason he's walked away from everything. Is he really in love with her or did Rachel stifle the group as he claims...?

Whilst the marriage break up of Isabel and Alex is the catalyst for the story, it's Rachel that is the main focus of the book. She's the one Alex seems to turn on and she's the one that suffers at the hands of his new partner, and yet through it all she still tries to keep Isabel away from more hurt and do the right thing by everybody. This book is very much about how to deal with change when a divorce completely changes the dynamics of not just the sparring couple but their family and friends too.

I could imagine this book running as a TV series featuring these characters. The people within these pages are true to life, full of energy and fascinating to read about even though a couple of the characters aren't particularly nice. I hated Lorna for a while and really didn't understand how Rachel could be so compassionate towards her!

Definite 10/10 for this. Modern and gritty and I loved it.

Forgotten Dreams

2011-08-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

By Katie Flynn

This novel is your typical Katie Flynn read; warm, comforting, not too taxing and featuring chatacters easy to get to know. Forgotten dreams is set amongst theatre folk and focuses on Lottie, a child star we first meet at the age of 7. Lottie had an accident when she was six which resulted in her memory disappearing altogether, but plagued by dreams of a past life, we follow Lottie over the years as she pieces together her memories, section by section to reveal an earlier life that maybe didn't involve an existance revolving around showbusiness..
As the memories come to life Lottie asks her mother what they mean, but it soon becomes apparent that her mother is hiding something she refuses to speak of...

Set in the 1920's and full of the glamour of the time, I thought Forgotten dreams provided a fun theatre backdrop for a fascinating novel which also included a really involving plot. At first the book is a little slow and Lottie's dreams a little dull, but as glimpses of Lottie's memory come to light it's harder not to keep turning the pages. The characters are all varied too. Merle is a dancer within Lottie's act and at times she comes across as quite cold and selfish but even she kept me hooked and wasn't easy to dislike!

This novel provides exactly what you'd expect from Katie Flynn. It doesn't provide a plot or characters you'll be thinking of forever more, but whilst you're reading the text the book is easy enough to sink into and relax with for an hour or so. 8/10

In my sister's shoes

2011-08-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

By Sinead Moriarty

If you're a fan of Marian Keyes then you're going to love this particular book because it's in the same style and despite the topic covered is laugh out loud funny in places. In my sister's shoes tells the story of two sisters named Kate and Fiona. Fiona lives in Dublin and is the super mum, whilst Kate lives in London and is the career girl of the two, having just gotten her big break presenting a TV show.

Both of the girls face their lives being turned upside down though when Fiona is diagnosed with breast cancer and calls on her sister to provide some help looking after her family. Kate really doesn't want to give up her career and London life to go back to Ireland and look after her two five year old twin nephews, but family blackmail soon forces Kate into making the right decision for Fiona, even if it isn't necessarily the right decision for her. Her nephews are frightened and so is Fiona, since their mother died of the same illness, and they need all the support they can get as the treatment kicks in and Fiona gets sicker.
Kate however knows that by going to Dublin her TV career is potentially over, and despite feeling selfish for thinking it, knows Fiona's illness has basically trashed her future...

This book is all about facing up to the important things in life and understanding what truly matters. It's about making the right choices and understanding the truly special things in life - our relationships with other people. Fiona must face up to the fact that she might die, but Kate must also face her own mortality. After all she's now in her 30's with no partner, home, job, or real friends. If she were to pass on would anyone miss her? Fiona's illness gets her thinking...

The humour within the novel is mostly provided by the girl's 26 year old brother, wannabe rapper Derek. Derek is convinced his future features fame and fortune but his dad has warned him if the fame hasn't arrived by his 27th birthday then he must get a proper job!

I truly adored both the message within this book and the humour. The entire family is so loveable and it's easy enough to fall for them as you read. This is the perfect beach read since it's only 300 or so pages long, and it's not quite as sad as it first seems :)

Two of a kind

2011-08-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

By Mina Ford

I LOVED this! If you're a fan of decent stories by the likes of Melissa Hill or Catherine Alliot then I think you'll love Mina Ford too.

Two of a kind is all about family. We meet twins who grow up enjoying the perfect childhood but who fall out as teenagers and refuse to kiss and make up, resulting in a 15 year period where they lose touch with each other. We follow both twins during their adult lives and come to learn of various challenges each sister faces such as pregnancy and divorce.
Throughout their time apart however the girls never stop thinking of each other and one day decide they will track each other down and try and salvage a relationship...
The bulk of the book is actually the story of events leading up to the reunion but the twins lead such interesting lives that it's no hardship following their day to day lives and past memories.

This book is all about appreciating what you have and not leaving it too late to offer that last hug or special word. The message of the novel is passionate and the twins are easy to fall in love with. As a reader I found myself enjoying the company of both twins and felt eager for them to reunite. There is a twist in the tail which I didn't expect and didn't like at first but actually having finised the book I think it added to the drama or what was a really strong addictive read.

Mina Ford is definitely somebody I'll be looking out for in the future. Fab book!

74 Seaside Avenue

2011-08-01T11:23:00.001-07:00

By Debbie Macomber

I quite liked this novel despite it being one of a series and a book from the middle of the series at that. You don't actually need to have read any of the previous novels before choosing this one but as I read I did get the impression I was missing out on earlier gossip!

74 Seaside Avenue is a soap in novel form. The story is based in a small town called Cedar Cove and follows the residents of the town. Each house seems to have it's own story to tell and each chapter chooses somebody new to follow. There is PLENTY of drama in here and it's this drama that allows the reader to follow each character with ease. Any other novel and I'd be complaining there were too many characters to get to know but in this book, the high number of characters works and keeps the novel all the more interesting. We meet Terri for example, who's the wife of a famous chess player who's in danger and receiving threats from a Russion who wants her husbands championship title. Then there's Troy, trying to get over his wife's death, and Olivia, facing some life changing news...

As with any soap there were a few chapters where the story lulled a little but despite this I couldn't put the book down. I'm really keen to pick up the story of this small town in the next novel within the series. I feel I know these people now and I want to share more of their lives. More please!

Tycoon

2011-07-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

By Peter Jones

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. I thought I might get a little more biography than I did and that's why I chose to start reading but actually, this is more of a business 'how to' manual.
In 'Tycoon' Peter Jones walks you through the very steps you need to take in order to both think like a Tycoon and become as successful as one within business.

What I loved about this book and what sets it apart from other business manuals is just how simple it is to read and just how factual the step by step rules to success are. Tycoon tells you near enough to the letter how to set yourself up for success and it's all backed up with examples taken from Peter Jones' own business experiences.

If you're thinking of setting up a business and would like some decent instruction then you honestly can't go wrong buying this book because it truly gets you thinking about your idea and working on all potential pitfalls, as well as teaching how to grow a business right through from the idea stage to multi million pound company status.
I also believe Tycoon to be a huge motivational book. It encourages without offering fluff and doesn't sugarcoat the fact that bad choices cause failure.

Definitely definitely buy this book before ploughing any money into an investment opportunity, it will probably save you from making a lot of mistakes.

I would have liked to have learned a bit more about the life of Peter Jones but other than that, I can't fault this one!

Saints V Sinners

2011-07-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

By Katie Agnew

Since Saints v Sinners is set in Monaco you can imagine how glamour filled this novel is. It's true escapism with plenty of fast cars, expensive homes, fancy fashion and gorgeous yachts. True chick lit in glamour form. This is Jackie Collins with a bit more intelligence though still very easy to read and relax with.

In Saints and Sinners we meet the LaFata family, headed up by Fatty LaFata. This is a family who are extremely wealthy, with millions spent on yachts and beach side apartments in every country. Francesca, Carlo and Angel are the grown up children reaping the rewards of their father's success whilst 4th wife Jade might appear to be in a loveless marriage but is more than willing to put up with it for the financial payoff.
When Fatty disappears one night though the LaFata's entire way of living starts to crumble as a web of lies, debts and deceipt unfold in front of them...

With no body as proof the police are assuming Fatty is dead, and with Angel and Carlo partying hard it's upto Francesca to build the family back up. It's not long however before she's realising she might have to start from scratch with only journalist friend Robbie for support...

This is an exciting book with plenty of twists and turns to keep you page turning. It's not so much the plot that appealed to me though, it's the setting! Agnew has painted Monte Carlo with so much glamour that you'll want a piece of the rich and famous lifestyle yourself before the last chapter has been read! Francesca is a strong lead character and it's she who carries the plot but the other siblings very much provide the entertainment and through them you'll enjoy a taste of the lifestyle of the rich and famous, both the good, the bad and the very ugly.

If you love Jackie Collins, Louise Bagshawe or Tasmina Perry then I think you'll adore this too!

Since I don't have you

2011-07-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

By Louise Candlish

This book is truly special. It will haunt you like no other book, especially if you're a parent. Since I don't have you is about Rachel, one of three mums who each give birth to a daughter, and vow that they will stick together forever.
Rachel and her two friends pledge to always be there for each other's children should the worst happen to them as parents, but life is cruel in many ways and it isn't one of the parents that passes to heaven early...

Rachel, unable to cope with life in London without daughter Emma, moves to Greece where she tries to come to terms with the loss of the most important person in her life. At first she can barely get through an hour without breaking down but as the weeks turn into months Rachel remembers her vow to always love and protect the two surviving girls. From afar, Rachel keeps an eye on the girls as they grow, becoming their very own secret Godmother...
Rachel is painted as an amazingly strong woman who puts her grief aside to love her friends daughters, even though she isn't ready to love her adult friends just yet.

I found this so difficult to read in places for as a parent, it really is the worst possible scenario to have to experience and one nightmares are made of at that. Candlish writes with such emotion however with such passion behind the text that you'll find yourself unable to put this novel down. You'll be desperate to learn how Rachel moves on (if at all), and the beautiful descriptions of the Greek scenery bring to life a country steeped in history, culture and sunshine and just might leave you with a desperate urge to get some sun yourself. Greece is painted as the place to run both too and from, and Rachel isn't the only character hiding within such a beautiful setting.

I honestly couldn't put this novel down. Yet again Candlish hooked me as a reader with ease and has left me desperate for more.

After the party

2011-07-20T11:32:00.001-07:00

By Lisa Jewell

Three words - I adored this. 'After the party' is chick lit but with characters you'll actually care about and a theme you'll more than likely identify with. It might be chick lit, but it's chick lit with meaning with a plot line that may get you thinking about your own unanswered questions...

In 'After the party' we meet Jem and Ralph, a couple who've been together eleven years and have two children together. They should be madly in love but trouble is, they've sort of grown apart and are beginning to resent even the sight of each other. This is obviously not the ideal situation given their youngest child is still a matter of weeks old, but something has got to change, and we follow both couple as they fight desperately to discover what it is exactly they're searching for and whether they might one day find it once again together.

This novel isn't at all soppy but it does pose questions we've all asked now and again so you'll find yourself emotionally involved with these characters. You'll also more than likely identify with Jem big time if you've ever had a baby then sat back and wondered what happened to the person that is now only known as 'mum.'

I loved Jem, but even though Ralph appears to cause a lot of the problems within the relationship because of his selfishness I couldn't help but feel for him too. Ralph knows something is missing from his life and he does an awful lot of soul searching within these pages.

There is really nothing to dislike about this book if chick lit is your thing. I enjoyed it as I have most Lisa Jewell novels!

Ambitious Love

2011-07-18T11:41:00.000-07:00

By Rosie Harris

If you're a saga fan then you really can't go wrong with Ambitious love by Rosie Harris. This novel tells the story of Fern who finds herself alone in the world following the death of her family. Her only relative is an abusive uncle and so somehow, despite only being a teen, Fern finds herself having to stand alone in the world and make her own way to success.
Along the way she naturally falls in love and this love encourages her to leave her home in Wales and travel abroad to Russia where she hopes her fortunes will be changed for the better...

If romance isn't your thing then don't worry, there isn't a whole lot in here to endure but because of it Fern fails to show her softer side so it's not easy to sympathise or feel empathy for our lead character. There is no leading hero here either. A couple of love interests are introduced but we never really get to know anyone too well. Fern is a strong and capable woman, the type of lead character we all like to admire, but I didn't feel any love for her despite some of the sadness she's forced to endure.

Maybe it was the lack of empathy felt for Fern that made it easy to get through this novel but the 390 pages were easily read throughout the day. I thought this was an easy and enjoyable read but sadly it's not the type of plot that will stay in your mind for any length of time.

One day in May

2011-07-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

By Catherine Alliott

I was actually a little disappointed by this book. The twist in the tale towards the end of the novel lets the story down badly and for me, a twist that doesn't tally with what we've already been told makes the whole plot a bit of a time wasting exercise and a bit of a let down to a reader who's already ploughed through 300 or 400 pages of text.

One day in May tells the story of Hattie, a single mum who we learn through visiting her past memories adopts a son from war torn Croatia and raises him as a single mother whilst pining for her first and only true love, who happens to be a married politician. We follow Hattie as her life is shaped by her inability to forget her first love, until that is, she bumps into his brother Hal...
It's in meeting Hal that various secrets of Hatties past are revealed threatening to turn her world upside down, and Hattie comes to understand that she must face her past head on if she's ever able to crawl back her dignity and seek the forgiveness of her family...

On paper this plot is interesting and detailed, yet in practice it didn't work. The author spends 200 or so pages describing in detail Hattie's past and then within pages announces that actually, the whole lot was a lie! So disappointing when authors do this. I wont tell you what the lie is for I'd hate to spoil the book should you read it, but it was just too big a detail to have omitted in my opinion.

If you like chick lit but are looking for something a little more substance than average, try anything by Melissa Hill. Way better than this novel unfortunately.

Other people's secrets...

2011-07-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

By Louise Candlish

I adored this book. Dorothy Koomson declares on the front cover that it's an emotionally charged tale, and I have to agree!

In other people's secrets we head to a holiday destination in Italy where we pick up the story of 2 separate families who find themselves living next door to each other for the duration of their break. One family has taken a holiday to recover from a life tragedy, whilst the other family seems perfect on the outside yet has a wealth of unease hidden. Then there's a holidaying backpacker who's invited to one of the villa's for dinner one evening. He has his own secret, but what is it and why has he picked a small lake town to hide out? Each character must use the peace and healing energy of Italy to make sense of their feelings and learn to move forward, but first they must be ready to face demons which seems impossible in the face of such a beautiful setting...

This novel has half a dozen main characters who each have a story to share and are equally as important to each other, making this book a real page turner. There are no filler chapters, and each character has a gripping secret that will keep you hooked until the last revelations. I guessed Dom's secret trouble quite quickly but Ginny's kept me guessing, as did backpacker Zach. Adam, Ginny's husband, is also a bit of a quiet mystery. Will he be able to stand by his wife or is he becoming too interested in young Pippi, the daughter of the family living next door?

I loved the descriptions of the Italian Lakes, and warmed the most to Bea, a middle aged mum desperate for love. Other people's secrets is addictive and I want more please!

The lovely bones

2011-07-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

By Alice Sebold

I think I might have to be a little controversial with this review for I know so many people who've adored The lovely bones and believe it to be a true gem of a novel. For me though, I'm sad to say, it didn't live up to the hype and wasn't quite as amazing as I'd hoped it would be. I don't really get the title either, it doesn't match up to the message the book was trying to share with the reader...

The lovely bones tells the story of Susie Salmon, who is horribly murdered at 14 by one of her neighbours. After the murder we pick up the story of Susie's family and how they attempt to move on from the trauma, all whilst being watched by Susie from heaven. Mum, dad, little sister and little brother all have to learn to live without Susie and they cope in different ways.
Alongside their grieving journey we hear from Susie as she offers insight and opinions on both life on earth and in heaven, and how she feels as she watches her family learn to cope without her despite the police being able to offer no closure by catching the person responsible for her death. Susie is able to watch her killer from heaven, but how will she share the name of her murderer with those on earth? Her one hope is school friend Ruth who is a little bit 'out there' and is sure she's had a visit from Susie, but even Euth isn't convinced she's honestly been visited by a ghost!

The book has been written to convey a message - how precious life is on earth, and how the author believes life in heaven to be after death. It's interesting to see what Susie experiences as her heaven and it's interesting to see Susie's family grow older as she watches them from above.
In many ways this is quite a sad novel but it's focused more on Susie than anyone else so the extreme sadness the family must have been feeling is not really covered and therefore the author missed an opportunity to invoke emotion within the reader.

I think I would have liked a bit more of a tearjerker if I'm honest, especially because of the nature of the plot line covered in here! This is a brilliant story and I enjoyed reading, I just expected to feel a bit more for the characters.

Three men in a float...

2011-07-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

By Dan Kieran and Ian Vince

This book was free with a magazine we purchased so not my typical read. Three men in a float documents the journey made by 3 men as they attempt to travel from England's most Eastern point to England's most Western point. To make things interesting they make a milk float their vehicle of choice, and electric milk floats only go so many miles before they need a battery recharge to be on their way...

The account of their 3 week journey is amusing in places and full of little facts and interesting points learned along the way. I could imagine the top gear boys pulling such a stunt if milk floats were their thing!

I enjoyed the journey through the British countryside and recognised many of the small villages mentioned as the gang drove through Oxfordshire. I also couldnt resist looking milk floats up on ebay and discovered there are actually quite a few around for sale!!

Once in a lifetime

2011-07-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

By Cathy Kelly

This is a truly amazing story with passionate characters who will allow you to sink your teeth into their world and fall in love with them at the same time. Once in a lifetime follows the theme of motherhood and 3 women's different experiences of it as they struggle to deal with various aspects of life. We meet Ingrid, (wife of David Kenny who owns Kenny's the department store) who is a mother about to discover a devastating secret that will shatter her world, Charlie, a worker at Kenny's department store who has issues with a mother who just doesn't like her, and Natalie, a friend of David's daughter who's mother died when she was 3 leaving her with plenty of unanswered questions.

The women all need help to come to terms with their emotional situations, and the person to help with that is Star, a free spirit who's at one with nature and the universe and who understands the importance of connecting with mother earth and living in the present...

Star is probably the character with the most important message to share and she's able to help each woman as they come into her life whilst sharing her wisdom with the reader. This book is very much about being in tune with the world around you and spreading love for everyone far and wide. I loved the messages and little quotes in this novel. Not only is it the story of 4 women learning to grow - it's a reminder of how precious life is. 'Once in a lifetime' isn't at all preachy though and the new age/spiritual ideas are handled with sensitivity.

My favourite character was Kitty, Charlie's mum. She's the type of person that really should never have become a mother but she isn't all mean despite her behaviour twards Charlie. There's a side to her that is vulnerable and aware that she's never been truly loved...

Cathy Kelly is an amazing writer with gorgeous characters to share. If you're a fan you're naturally going to love this.

The long and lonely road

2011-07-04T11:36:00.000-07:00

By Katie Flynn

If you love sagas then I think you'll like this one, and if you like Katie Flynn in particular, then I believe you'll adore this book for it's so easy to become absorbed in.

The long and loney road follows Rose during the years of world war two. Rose is married to Steve and has 2 children, Daisy and Petai. Before the war life is fraught with anxiety because her husband is a drinker and a violent one at that, but war time takes Steve away to sea for weeks at a time and at first, with the children evacuated to a beautiful farm in Wales, life takes a turn for the better for Rose.

As the war progresses things start to unravel. The children are posted with a less loving family and husband Steve finds himself aboard a sinking submarine. Rose realises just how short life is and joins the war effort as a WAAF where she meets Luke, the potential new love of her life...
But the war is long and dangerous. Will Rose and Luke live to enjoy their happily ever after?

This book is full of emotion. It really is a rollercoaster ride with plenty of ups and downs that will keep you turning pages. My favourite characters were actually the children though. I felt more for them than I did for Rose, who was portrayed as strong and independent. Daisy and Petal loved the farm in Wales so much that I just wanted them to be able to stay in the country! I was so thrilled to read of Daisy's plans at the end of the novel and would love it if Katie Flynn wrote a sequel to this book picking up on Daisy's new life!

As far as Katie Flynn novels go, this is one of the best ones I've ever read. If you enjoy war sagas you'll enjoy this too.

Where are you now

2011-07-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

By Mary Higgins Clark

Mixed feelings about this one though I am swayed a little more to the positive because of the concept of the book.

Where are you now picks up on the story of a missing person named Mack. Mack is a man now in his 30's who disappeared without a trace 10 years earlier. He calls home every year on mother's day but other than that he has no contact with his family whatsoever and nobody knows why he ran away or where he's been since. Just before his disappearance there were other disappearances in the form of young women going missing after nights out...

Fast forward to present day and another young woman has gone missing. When it's suggested to the police that she too will call home next mother's day the police begin to investigate the disappearance of Mack once more, believing that Mack might have had something to do with the girls being snatched. His family want to help him and keep the police away but since they have no idea where Mack is, they must launch their own investigation into why he walked away from his own life...

I loved the concept of this novel and I also loved the conclusion - how the story evolved, how the missing girl's case was investigated and how the police worked to tie the kidnapping to Mack whilst at the same time, his sister worked to clear his mane.
I loved how things tied up in the end and how the mystery was solved, with the last chapter being dedicated to the sister giving a final account on how everyone has moved on following the revelations.
What took away from this novel a little however was the number of characters. I don't think I connected with everyone and remembered who everyone was even after I turned the last page. Maybe all the characters were necessary but unless they are super different from one another I struggle with the who's who!

I'm give this a 7/10. An enjoyable read, but I have read better suspense novels.

To the moon and back

2011-06-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

By Jill Mansell

This is a little bit of a tear jerker for it features Ellie, a young widow who lost her husband Jamie in a car crash. We meet her as she's desperately trying to claw a life back for herself despite still feeling so sad and lonely and missing the love of her life Jamie desperately...
Her father in law Tony believes it's time for Ellie to move on in the love stakes and as luck would have it, Ellie does have a secret admirer in the form of her new boss Zack, but since she's still in love with Jamie it takes Ellie a while to realise what's in front of her. By the time she does realise a bit of a crush has formed on Zack Ellie isn't all that sure that Zack will welcome her advances...

Basically this book is a 'will they won't they' type book, your typical chick lit read. Ellie and Zack are clearly made for each other but will Ellie's tragic loss prevent her from loving again?

Whether it's the pregnancy hormones or whether this novel is a real tearjerker is up to you to decide but it had me blubbing, especially when Ellie talks to Jamie and says goodbye. Jamie's ghost is portrayed as a spirit who just wants to encourage Ellie on her way and I thought it was a moving touch. Jamie's voice is the kind of inner voice we all want to hear when we need a little encouragement. The happy ending made it for me. I wept through the last chapter!

I also loved the references to social networking. Twitter, youtube and facebook are all mentioned in here - how modern!

The Closers

2011-06-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

By Michael Connelly

This is my first venture into the world of Michael Connelly and whilst I enjoyed the book, you can definitely tell it was written by a man! Techinical detail seems to make up the bulk of the novel and the characters sort of slot in around the cases. I didn't connect with any of the characters in here too well and I wonder if that was because they were too busy solving crimes!

In The Closers we meet 2 LA police who are assigned to work in the open unsolved unit - a unit dedicated to looking into cases that police before them have struggled to solve. Bosch and Rider are assigned a case from back in 1988, when a young woman was killed with the killer attempting to make the death look like a suicide. New evidence has come to light and it's up to the partnership to get closure this time, for the family and for the police force...

This book reads as you'd expect a TV episode of Cold Case to. The evidence and story is slowly presented to the reader, with the crescendo coming during the last 150 pages as the case hots up and Bosch goes in for the final arrest. Once Bosch started chasing his man I really couldn't put this novel down - the pace speeds up and it's exciting to read. The plot slowly unravels as the reader turns the pages and the conclusion is a surprising and clever one though also very believeable. Reading this I think probably crime novels are the hardest to write well because there needs to be so many twists, but Michael Connelly clearly has buckets of talent.

I'm hooked on him now. I'm desperate to read more!

Evening Class

2011-06-22T10:52:00.001-07:00

By Maeve Binchy

Maeve Binchy is known for addictive novels and thought provoking short stories, and Evening class is a mixture of the two.

An Italian evening class running at a local school is what brings our characters together, but each character has their own reason for attending the class and their own story to tell, so each person is given a chapter of around 50 pages to share their lives with us as readers.
The book starts off a little slow but it doesn't take long to realise just how interesting some of the secrets are within these pages and how addictive the book is. Because of the individual sections though this is the type of book you can put down and return to weeks later - you don't necessarily have to read this from start to finish in order to keep up with the plot line for there is only one major theme - the desire to learn Italian.

I don't normally enjoy short stories so this was a brilliant compromise. I felt I really got to know the characters and was pleased with so many happy endings the book offered in conclusion. Definitely a must for any Maeve Binchy fans!

Family Betrayal

2011-06-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

By Kitty Neale

What an amazingly gripping book. I honestly couldn't put it down and if you're a fan of Gilda O'Neill or Martina Cole than I think you'll love this too, for Family betrayal is set in 1960's East End London and features the notorious Drapers family, a family feared and respected in their part of London.

Initially the Drapers are united. 5 brothers and their father live on the same street in a row of houses, working together to rule the roost, but after venturing into the business territory of a rival gang things turn nasty and one by one the family find themselves injured, running away, or even dying...
The beginning of the novel tells us that the street eventually empties of the tennants bar one, but what leads to the break down of the family unit? Why do this dangerous family swap a life of crime in favour of a life out of the limelight?

There is so much going on in this book that it really is difficult to put down. The characters might not be the best behaved but they are so family orientated that it's hard not to care about them as they are forced to chose between family safety and control of the East End. I liked the little twist with Chris too! (Though it wasn't relevant to the storyline!)

This is Martina Cole without the 'F' word. There is gang territory, fighting, respect fot the criminal underworld and respect for the family unit. Definitely worth a read!

Girl in the shadows

2011-06-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

By Virginia Andrews

This is my first Virginia Andrews read, and right from page one I knew that Andrews was going to be a real story teller.

Girl in the shadows is book 2 in a 2 part series. I'd not read book one and was initially concerned that the book might suffer from me not having read the first novel in the series but actually, it didn't matter. Any references made to an earlier story were so subtle they passed easily as part of the current plot lines.

'Girl in the shadows' tells the story of April, who purely by accident finds herself moving in with an elderly woman and becoming a companion to her deaf granddaughter who has been abandoned by her mother.
Within weeks of moving in, April finds herself having to defend the family when the unruly, ruthless and money grabbing daughter comes home to stake her claim on the old woman's inheritance. April must ensure the old woman is protected and the daughter leaves before too much trauma is caused to the household, but the daughter will stop at nothing to get her hands on money she believes is rightfully hers...

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading a book which I believe had been written purely to tell a story. There were no amazing twists and turns to the plot yet the story flowed making it easy to pick up each evening before bedtime. The characters were edgy and interesting. April in particular got me curious. Why did she end up living with people she barely knew? Perhaps I should read book 1 in the series and find out!

Definitely want to read more Virginia Andrews novels and will be heading straight to the A's next time I'm in the book store!

A body of evidence

2011-06-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

By Patricia Cornwell

The cover of this novel states that 'a body of evidence' is a hide under the covers type read but actually, it's not scary at all. Although there are a few detailed descriptions of murder victims and crime scenes, there is nothing too graphic for the reader to endure and it's for this reason that I thought the book was a winner.

The novel is part of a series featuring the same medical doctor attending the crime scene but you don't have to have read any of the other novels to follow Dr Scarpetta in here.

In a body of evidence we pick up the crime scene involving the murder of a female author. As circumstances are being investigated further murders take place, and the team must then piece together the last movements of the first victim whilst also figuring out how the other deaths fit into the mystery. Why would anyone want the author dead? And why go after her friends too?.. If they don't find the murderer quickly, it's looking like Dr Scarpetta could become a victim too...

I loved the way this book was written and how the mystery weaved itself around various characters. Nothing was too far fetched and there was nothing too complicated plot wise yet the detail was second to none. The conclusion isn't an obvious one and as a reader, I was left guessing right til the end!

If you love your crime/mystery/thriller novels but don't want anything too gory then this is the novel for you. I only hope her other books are just as good!

No price too high

2011-06-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

By Annie Wilkinson

This is a bit of a war time drama featuring a young woman named Lizzie who despite declaring herself sworn off men in favour of furthering her career in London theatre, finds herself falling for a soldier fighting in France during world war one.

The title of this novel refers to how they meet. Determiend that she will never fall in love again Lizzie accepts an indecent proposal to sleep with a soldier for £100. From there she decides she ought to marry him so that she might be provided for and live in comfort, but little does she know that along the way she's going to fall in love...

Although I'm normally a fan of loved up war time dramas and love a happy ending, this one I struggled with just a tad. Lizzie's character has been shaped by past experiences with men, and whilst I completely understand why she is like she is with Captain Ashton, her character and her beliefs and the barrier she's placed around herself to stop herself getting hurt make it very difficult for the reader to see her as anything more than selfish and cold. It's only the war time descriptions and the easy readability of this book that saves it. Lizzie isn't somebody you'll dislike, but I don't think you're going to fall for her either. Definitely worth a read though if you enjoy novels set in the early 1900's and are running out of other options!

Rough Justice

2011-06-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

By Gilda O'Neill

This book reminds me of something Kitty Neale or Meg Hutchinson might write for it's gritty, and rammed full of page turning chapters.

In Rough Justice we meet Nell, who as a child is abandoned in an orpanage. As she grows her luck refuses to change, and as an adult she experiences life with an abusive man who treats her no better than an unpaid skivvy. Somehow she must endure what life throws at her without losing face to the neighbours, but the bruises she constantly sports make it impossible to truly hide her cruel husband's treatment of her.
It's not at all difficult to fall for Nell because despite her hardships and endless pain she refuses to become beaten down. Always fighting to keep a smile on her face for the sake of her children Nell is the type of kind hearted character we all warm to.

The book is part of a 2 series set and is written so that the book ends with very few conclusions. This especially pushes me to pick up book two, which is apparently secrets of the heart. I can't wait to read more, I want to know if Nell ends up with Martin or not!

Yesterday's Houses

2011-06-13T12:31:00.001-07:00

By Mavis Cheek

Yesterday's houses is a light hearted and humorous account of married life, a life which begins when 2 people meet by chance at a house party. We follow Marianne as she patiently follows her first husband Charles as he navigates across the property ladder in a quest to achieve DIY success. All Marianne wants is a decent bathroom but it soon becomes apparent that maybe she's asking a little too much of life...

Each house Marianne moves into marks a chapter of her life, from marriage to divorce to fertility issues to achieving her dream of becoming a writer and proving to the world she's not just 'thick Marianne Flowers.'

I loved this novel because it's different. It's different to your normal women's fiction offerings and it's super easy to identify with lead character Marianne, especially when she realises that whilst she adores being a mother, she needs something more in the way of a career to feel fulfilled.
There's nothing at all complicated about this plot line and I found it perfect bedtime reading. It's not quite laugh out loud comedy but it will make you chuckle in places.
If you're bored of the usual chicklit choices, try Mavis Cheek. It's a little more grown up than standard chick lit fiction yet it's still an easy read.

Score

2011-06-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

By Jilly Cooper

In 'Score' we meet a film cast and crew who are filming an updated version of a famous opera, lead by director and super successful composer Rannaldini. We follow the chatacters as they make their movie and enjoy their own little dramas along the way. Because the characters are so theatrical, there are plenty of amusing and over the top adventures, feuds, sexual tensions and romps in the hay to be shared, and the reader is never bored because there is so much going on.
What I struggled so much with however is the number of characters there are to follow. It's near impossible to know 'who's who' in relation to everyone else and for me this lessoned the enjoyment of the novel slightly, particularly during the first half of the book. I need to know everything about a character to feel involved with them and I really hate having to concentrate in order to understand a character list.
If knowing everything about everyone isn't something you insist on or you have more of a memory for following a complex plot though then you'll probably adore this novel for you don't actually need to understand who everyone is exactly in order to enjoy some of the amusing sub plots.

Once you reach around page 300 the book really picks up pace. A murder has been committed and the book then turns into a big 'who dunnit', the complex motives and alibi's of various characters making for page turning reading. I flew through to the end of the novel I became so engrossed.

The book style is a cross between a Jackie Collins and a Penny Vincenzi - think of a slightly toned down posh version of a Jackie Collins novel and you're not far off what's in here. Overall I'd give this a 7/10. Not quite as amazing as I'd imagined such a popular author's work would be but definitely worth a second look!

Nobody's Girl

2011-06-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

By Kitty Neale

I now know Kitty Neale is a gritty writer who writes very much in the style of Gilda O'Neill. This isn't quite Martina Cole, but some of the graphic detail in here might be a little hard to absorb if you haven't read Cole before.

In 'Nobody's Girl' we meet Pearl, an orphan who upon leaving the orphanage tries to make her way in 1950's East End London. At first she's chuffed to bits to land herself an affordable bedsit and a job in the local cafe, but it's not long before she realises her neighbour has a sinister secret and her boss a very sharp tongue and bossy attitude. Before she really understands what's happening innocent and quiet Pearl finds herself mixed up in a world in which she really doesn't belong, turning a blind eye to criminal activity and the ways of the lcoals...

This book is an incredible page turner but in my opinion it does have two small downsides. The first is the level of graphic violence. Some of it is obviously designed to shock and envoke emotion within the reader but I would have preferred less shock value and something a little more toned down. The second niggle is that the blurb states a big secret is being hidden from Pearl. Instead of the secret revelations coming in a big crescendo however, the secret barely creates a ripple in the water! I felt the secret the orphanage hid from Pearl was actually only a small part of the book. The secret shaped Pearl's character, but it didn't add a whole lot to the story.

Overall though I adored this book and am super keen to read more Kitty Neale.

Echoes across the Mersey

2011-06-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

By Anne Baker

It took me a little while to get into this novel but once I did, the pages were quickly ploughed through. The story features around the start of world war one and factory worker Sarah, who shuns her childhood sweetheart when she falls in love with the factory owners son. Everyone is against the relationship from the start since both families believe that class barriers should not be broken, but the loved up couple fight to defy the odds. When world war one begins however, the challenges really start for Tody signs up to fight without really knowing what he's letting himself in for, and Sarah is left trying to run the factory without really knowing what she's doing.

Together they must face the challenges of both war time factory production and fighting on the front line, but desperate to do the right thing by Sarah it's not long before Toby gets himself into big trouble with the British Army and finds himself being tried for desertion...

Although Sarah is the lead character Toby was by far my favourite. He clearly adored Sarah and would stop at nothing to look after his family. He wasn't your typical hero and he wasn't portrayed in a romantic way but his heart was in the right place and I think everyone secretly wishes for a Toby to love them.

If this book were a soap it would be Emmerdale. Soft for the most part but with enough action and twists in the tale to keep a reader keen to read more. It starts slowly but picks up when Toby goes to war. The book focuses more on factory life and the cheacters within it rather than the war era, and my only complaint is that more war time details were not included within the pages. I still enjoyed this gental saga however. Perfect bedtime relaxing reading!

Getting There

2011-05-31T02:47:00.000-07:00

By Gilda O'Neill

I didn't enjoy the last O'Neil novel too much but the blurb of this one caught my eye so I figured she was worth a second chance. Now I've finished the novel, I can honestly say my opinion of O'Neill has changed for the better. This was a real page turner and if I had to compare the style, I'd say Getting there is a cross between a Lesley Pearse and a Martina Cole book.

In 'Getting there' we meet Lorna, a teen who basically gets in with the wrong person when she falls for the local bad boy. Things go from bad to worse for her when she falls pregnant and marries him, and the marriage follows a rocky road. The bad boy husband is Richie, a thug who has only two loves - money and women. Lorna fears she's stuck living with thr bully for good, but then Richie is murdered, and a police investigation follows.

What makes this book special is there are quite a few colourful characters to get to know within the novel so whether you're interested in Richie's dodgy dealings, Lorna's quest for a quiet life, or protective mother Shirley who just wants to see her daughter settled before she dies from a terminal illness, there's something to keep your attention. Set in 1960's East End London this novel is blunt and to the point, though there isn't anything too graphic that might upset.
I did figure out the 'who dunnit' before the end of the novel and I think you will too, but either way you're not going to be disappointed by this fabulous book!

The sea lady

2011-05-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

By Margaret Drabble

The sea lady is a bit of a love story spanning many years and featuring two characters who initially meet as children, then reunite as adults and embark on a brief love affair. We join them both as pensioners as they meet for a third time and remember not only their childhoob but their romance as younger adults.

My first impressions of the book were a little unsure, and that uncertainty sadly didn't waver. The text appears almost too grown up for me because the setting descriptions span pages and I struggled to hold my attention on memories that just weren't all that exciting.
The book is written in the form of memoirs, and the idea is that the reader sees how the characters were shaped over the years. The idea works but I think the book just wasn't to my taste. I didn't identify with the characters or care for them at all...

All in all I thought this was a readable text but not all that interesting. A lot of the pointless descriptions filled pages unnecessary and as a reader I want more of a story than this offered. The book is supposed to represent the passing of time and I completely agree that it did. Just a shame it was so bland.

The Darkest Hour

2011-05-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

By Katherine Howell

The darkest hour is by far the best crime thriller I've read in a long long time and I think this is because the author has been able to draw on her own life experiences to make this an amazing novel.

In The darkest hour we meet Lauren, a paramedic who finds herself being blackmailed into keeping quiet about a murder. Her blackmailer (and the man responsible for the murder she's witnessed) is her sister's ex Thomas, who says he'll come after them if Lauren ever talks...
Then Lauren finds herself being called to treat another stab victim - a second victim of Thomas Werner. The victim dies, but not before naming his attacker and planting Lauren right in the centre of a murder investigation whether she likes it or not...

In charge of the investigation is Ella. She's feisty and determined to put Thomas Werner behind bars. But at what cost to Lauren? Can Ella protect Lauren and her family?

This is a gripping read right from the start, and it's super detailed, in part probably because the author used to be a paramedic herself and is able to draw on the emotions the job brings to the surface. I adored this book because it contains everything. It's a real page turner and Lauren is a likeable main character. She's secretly in love with her work colleague and I think this leaves her a little vulnerable to the reader.

I would have liked a tiny bit more closure at the end of the book, after all we never really get to know whether Lauren gets her man, but that's the only tiny complaint I have. Katherine Howell is a talented writer and I'm really keen to read more.

Dover Beach

2011-05-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

By Leslie Thomas

This is a work of fiction following soldiers fighting during world war two. What makes this novel different to my usual reads however is that the author is a man, and the war drama is lead by two male main characters. Both of these characters are in active service and both meet lovers amid the fighting but if you're looking for romance then you'll find none in here!

If you normally enjoy a good war time saga then I think you'll be interested in this novel as a bit of a variation to the normal offerings but you'll probably not be quite as hooked as you normally are. The reader can definitely tell this novel was written by a man - it's more factual than character based and the majority of the book covers descriptions of the war rather than the lives of the characters. The setting and events of the 1940's definitely seemed more important to the author than the actual characters. I believe as well as getting some interesting characters to follow the reader also gets a blunt account of the darker side of the war, not just the fighting but the soldiers playing away from home and the breakdown of marriages as partners are forced to live apart.

It was super interesting to read a second world war novel from a mans point of view. I possibly didn't connect so much with the characters since there wasn't too much emotion in here but all the same, it was a good read covering an interesting time period!

One day at a time

2011-05-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

By Danielle Steel

This is a typical Danielle Steel romance, with a girl who needs saving and who luckily, finds her hero within the pages. This is soft romance, it's all very loved up and gentle - a book that isn't too exciting but isn't too taxing either.

In 'One day at a time' we meet Coco, a twenty nine year old woman who's suffered heartache in her past. Imagine her shock then, when she falls in love with a British Hollywood movie star! Coco must quickly decide whether to follow her heart and allow herself to enter the world of Hollywood, or whether she needs to walk away in order to protect her solitaty lifetstyle as a beach loving dog walker to the stars...

Because of the Hollywood connection and the celebrities in this book, this novel reads like a very calm and soft Jackie Collins novel. This is very much Collins without the sex and drugs! The glamour is in here, and Steel makes the homes and the beach sound gorgeous but if you're looking for something to make you hot under the collar then this isn't it!

My one complaint would be that Steel had her characters answering 'quietly' one too many times for my liking. (I'm not sure why I noticed that or why it bugged me!)

It's still worth a read though. The author has aimed to make this book a chick lit movie in novel form and it's worked big time! The soft romance will put a smile on your face and since the text just calmly flows, you'll find yourself losing an hour as you read on :)

The money makers

2011-05-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

By Harry Bingham

This is quite an exciting read considering it's not a crime or thriller. In 'The money makers' we meet 3 brothers who upon the death of their father come to learn that the families 30 million pound fortune is not automatically going to be passed down to them as an inheritance.
Instead, in an attempt to get his sons working hard and valuing his business efforts, the father has set the brothers a challenge. He wants his sons to compete for the full inheritance over a 3 year period. The winning son must have earned at least a million pounds during this time as well as having earned the most money. We follow the family as each brother sets out to be the sibling that earns the most, and with each brother chosing a different way, this is a fun read.

There is nothing really to dislike about this novel other than the fact that the money race is the main focus and there isn't much else to bulk out the characters. If you happen to not like the brothers then you're going to be bored silly!
However, even with the plot line being so narrow I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and thought the concept behind the plot was a clever one. It was an exciting read without being over the top complicated!

If you do read 'The money makers' then I'd advise you to pick the novel up on a regular basis and read a few chapters at a time - this isn't really the type of book you can dip into for a page or two and if you try, it might never actually get into the story since it builds momentum the more you read. Take this book on holiday and read buy the pool. You'll be engrossed and time will fly by.

And once you've finished reading maybe you'll ask yourself if you could earn a million in 3 years?!

Look who it is!

2011-05-20T12:48:00.001-07:00

By Alan Carr

Being a biography I don't want to say too much about what's in here, because if I did I'd be taking away the whole point of reading the book! What I can say though, is that this is a book that lacks the normal scandall of a celebrity biography. If you're looking for the normal confessions of sex, drugs and rock and roll then I think you'll be disappointed as there really isn't anything as exciting in Alan Carr's background.

Don't get me wrong, Mr Carr comes across as a really nice chap as he describes the events that lead him to achieve success, but he's just a normal chap doing normal things so there's nothing to keep you interested in the 300 pages.

There isn't even enough humour to make you laugh - quite disappointing when you know how funny he is on screen!

I guess if you're a hardcore fan then you might enjoy this one but otherwise, I'd give it a miss.

Family of women

2011-05-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

By Annie Murray

This novel is a real family affair. The book has three main lead characters and the novel spans 3 generations of the same family. The purpose of the book is to share the lives of the three generations and to discover whether history will repeat itself since the women are so similar or whether a generation will be able to break free of Bessie's legacy.
We open with Bessie, a woman widowed by 26 and left with 4 children to look after. Second we follow her daughter Violet, and lastly we catch up with Violet's daughter Carol who as a 7 year old suffers from the killer disease Polio and is left fighting to regain her health once more.

This is a book which shares the social pressure and prejudices of the Victorian era and introduces a family who continue to be influenced by the social attitudes of the time, right up to the 1950's. These social pressures shape our characters and form the back bone of the book, and since the settings and time era's are so descriptive, the times will hook your attention just as much as the characters do. Speaking of characters though, I have to admit to not liking Bessie or Violet very much. Both are hard women who are often short tempered and selfish. It's hard to feel any compassion for them even though there are times of hardship for each woman and events have lead them to be hardened people. I did love Carol though. She was a ray of positivity to enjoy against some of the gloom.

What I adored about this novel is how the reader is invited to follow the family right through the ages. When we first meet Bessie she's a young woman, but by the time Violet has grown up and had three children of her own, Bessie is an old woman. As Bessie ages Violet takes over as the lead character and we learn more of her and her daughters lives as they grow older and experience life.
The lead characters were obviously portrayed as strong, stubborn and often bullying for a reason but I think because the characters were as they were I struggled to bond with the novel as I have other Annie Murray novels. I enjoyed this one and would give it a 7/10 but sadly I didn't love it.

Of woman born

2011-05-09T22:46:00.001-07:00

By Gilda O'Neill

This is a Martina Cole style book though the level of violence is dramatically toned down in this author's work. Set in the East End of London and featuring two feuding families, this novel tells the story of a gang making money from the illegal sex trade, namely shipping foreign women into England against their will and putting them to work in dodgy London lap dancing clubs.
Lisa is the main character we follow outside of the gangs. Lisa wants to get herself on the straight and narrow yet her past and her family name prevent her from really being free of the dangerous undergrond crime scene of the East End. The reader learns of her quest to set herself up in business and find love with a kind, honest man. Will Essex boy Jason Carter be the one to make her complete? Or is he not as straight as he first seems?

Whilst I enjoyed this novel and found it very quick and easy to read, it wasn't quite on the level of Martina Cole or other authors I've read such as Jessie Keane. It wasn't as exciting or as grippy as I'd hoped, and because the book floats between Lisa and Jason, Lisa's mum, the brothers running the club and a couple of the girls forced into dancing and prositution, the reader never actually gets to fall too deeply for any character in particular. I wanted to feel empathy for the girls forced into such a horrible life but we just don't get to spend enough time with them. Even main character Lisa stayed cold - I just didn't connect with her.

This particular novel earned only a 6/10 from me. When it comes to gang crime novels. Roberta Kray, Jessie Keane, Martina Cole and Kevin Lewis all do it better!

Tara

2011-05-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

By Lesley Pearse.

As with any Lesley Pearse novel, this is gripping right from the start and the action starts from page one.

Set in modern day 1960's Cockney London, 'Tara' tells the story of a family down on their luck after a family unit breaks down leading to a father and husband beating his wife to near death in front of his children.
We follow the mother Amy, the daughter Tara, and the son Paul as they move to Somerset to escape the abuse and violence of their father and husband, and try to build new lives with new identities. Here they mostly set upon the road to recovery but the journey is never smooth and eventually tragedy follows them strikes them here too...

As Tara grows up and outgrows the sleepy Somerset village she decides she will move back to London and pursue a caree in fashion, and it's mostly Tara's life we follow as she grows into a successful adult who's still just a little bit vulnerable because of past experiences.
Along with Tara's career the book is focused on three generations of battered women within Tara's family and the cycle of abuse Tara must break if she's to find more happiness than previous generations. Tara's mother, grandmother and great grandmother all suffered abusive husbands so when young East End bad boy Harry catches Tara's eye the family are horrified that Tara might also fall into the cycle of abuse....
The reader is invited to follow Tara as she not only embarks on a fashion career but falls in love for the first time also. Will she find happiness with Harry? Or will her boss Josh charm her instead? And which bad boy will change for her and love and protect her?

For me Tara wasn't the character that kept me turning the pages - Harry was. Harry is your typical loveable bad boy rogue. He's just a little bit dangerous, especially when it comes to protecting those he loves, and he offers the kind of attention, protection, passion and excitement that every woman on earth dreams of having in her lover. He's also got competition for Tara's heart so it's hard not to find yourself siding with his efforts to win the girl he loves.

I absolutely adored this novel. It's rammed with exciting twists including one right at the very end. I didn't see the final twist coming at all but thought it was a brilliant conclusion to what was a very addictive read. If you're a Pearse fan, this novel is a must when you're next book shopping!

Any old iron

2011-05-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

By Lynda Page

'Any old iron' is set just after world war two and features Kelly and her family. Kelly's family are poor, and they substitute their income with petty crime. They are down on their luck and times are miserable. Kelly's mother is dying of cancer, and her father is struggling to get back to normal life following the end of fighting in the war.
But Kelly wants nothing more than to get on the straight and narrow and build a decent future for herself so when the opportunity to marry Rod comes up, she decides that getting wed is the best solution for everyone. Her brother Mickey also marries and the couples settle down to live quietly alongside their father. Mickey refuses to give up the crime though, and it's not long before everything comes crashing down around Kelly, leaving her fighting big time for her survival.

Circumstances leave Kelly and her sister in law Glenda with no choice but to work together to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, and it's now in the story that the book starts to get interesting. Kelly has hit rock bottom, yet her positivity and determination to look after her family is what makes her special and what makes the reader feel compassion for her. She's also been unlucky in love, and it's hard not to hope she'll eventually get together with one of the other characters, Alec!

I loved this book. It's easy reading that is character driven, and whilst the story isn't too exciting, the characters grow in personality with each chapter so the reader is drawn in. You'll want to turn the pages just to make sure Kelly really does get her happy ending!

The good, the bad and the dumped

2011-05-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

By Jenny Colgan

I love an easy chick lit read now and again but I am slowly beginning to get tired of the same old scenario being published. Thank goodness then, that this novel is a little different and poses a question we all might ask now and again, especially in an unhappy relationship - did Mr Right get away? Posy isn't sure she's the marrying type. Her Mum advises never to get married, Posy knows she met her fiance on the rebound, and she knows modern internet means everyone is online and only a click away...

In 'The good the bad and the dumped' we meet Posy, who after becoming engaged to her partner decides to go on one final trip to reconnect with some old boyfriends so she can be sure she's marrying 'Mr Right.' In chick lit style these exes are all wrong for her yet all completely different, but these far fetched differences and the antics of Posy when she tracks her exes down on facebook are what makes the novel laugh out loud amusing. This book is fun, but since Posy is a little vulnerable you'll find yourself caring for her too and willing her to wake up and see the 'Mr right' under her nose. The leading man in question is fitness trainer Matt, and although the reader doesn't learn too much about him, he's clearly the sexy man that Posy deserves and the one you'll hope everything comes right with.

This is a fun, modern book based on the theory that near enough everyone is on facebook and that sometimes it's tempting to do some online spying. This is probably the best Jenny Colgan book I've read. It's amusing and it's clever. A fun book for summer!

The Legacy

2011-04-28T13:06:00.001-07:00

By Katherine Webb

If you love Kate Morton (The house at Riverton) then you're going to love Katherine Webb for she writes in much the same style and is just as addictive. I am completely and utterly hooked on this author now!

'The legacy' is split into 2 parts, The first part of the novel is set in 1902 and we meet Caroline, a woman living in Oklahoma USA. She left New York to marry a cowboy thinking herself in true love, but is then horrified to find herself living in the heat of Oklahoma with no plumbing or modern conveniences. Sometime later she moves to England with a baby in tow and lives there until she dies an old woman.

Part two is set in modern day Britain and features two sisters who have inherited a big old manor house after their grandmother's death. The reader discovers Caroline is the sister's great grandmother, that Caroline once lived in the house with her daughter Meredith, and that there are two mysteries surrounding the family...

Mystery one is that Caroline was once pictured with a baby that is unaccounted for in the family tree. Who is this baby and why are there no records?
Mystery two is that the sister's cousin Henry disappeared when the sisters were children. Police never found him or any evidence that he'd been taken or killed. So what happened to him? One of the sisters seems to know something, whilst the other is in the dark...

These mysteries, spanning two countries and two generations are what keep the reader turning the pages. The build up to the revelations are brilliantly written. The suspense builds and you'll find yourself staying up late in the hope of learning the truth surrounding Caroline and Henry. The characters are deep and interesting, and in particular the reader gets to know Erica since her part of the book is written in the first person and it's her quest to solve the mysteries that the reader learns of. The descriptions of the settings bring to life the atmospheric house and the passing of time which spans generations of the family. It's also quite special meeting Caroline both as a young woman in her troubled twenties and an old woman of nearly of 100 who's haunted by her past. It makes you think of your own family tree and those that have gone before you. Did they have a story to tell also?...

I adored this book. If you're a lover of books, you're missing out by not reading this one.

Secrets of the sea

2011-04-26T00:30:00.000-07:00

By Jessica Blair

It was really hard not to become hooked on this novel for it's the type of book that drags you in. Secrets of the sea tells the story of two fairly well off families who've both made their money from the sea. One of the families (The Coulsens) has 3 sons, whilst the other (The Campions) has daughters. It's thought that a marriage between one of the sons and one of the daughters will bring the families together and increase their joint wealth but before that can happen tragedy strikes.

Also in Whitby lives a third family. This family is made up of a sea captain and his 5 children. One of the daughters Ruth, is in love with one of the Coulsen sons and it's this love interest that really gets the book going and makes it exciting for the reader. The love is a forbidden love since the families fell out over a tragedy that occured at sea and are near enough enemies. Ben's father also wants him to marry into the Campion family so that the business interests might be merged, but Ben wants to marry for love and is determined to go against his father's wishes.

Ben is the main character within Secrets of the sea in my opinion. It's his actions that shape the novel and him that we learn the most about. He's not just a lover, there's an edge to him. He likes to gamble and he's keen to succeed in business in order to provide for his wife. He's not quite an irresistable hero that will leave you hot under the collar but he is a likeable man.
Usually it's a female that takes the lead in a saga so a male lead was an enjoyable difference.

If I had one complaint about this novel it would be that the ending was a little far fetched! This is fiction though so I guess it's allowed to be! Otherwise the book is well written, the characters are easy to identify, and the description of the whaleling trade taking place in Whitby in the early 1800's makes for a different edge to a saga novel.

This is easy non taxing reading. It's not desperately exciting but it's comforting and enjoyable to cuddle up with.

The weight of silence

2011-04-22T11:55:00.001-07:00

By Heather Gudenkaut

This is kind of confusing initially but it's also an amazing read. The weight of silence tells the story of two seven year old girls who disappear one morning. It's assumed the girls have disappeared together, especially as one of the girls is a selective mute and doesn't speak. It's also assumed that the mute girl's father is involved somehow since he's known to have a drink problem, but the plot thickens as the searches for the girls begin and others are thrown into suspicion...
The whole book centres around where the girls might have gone and who they might have gone with. Were they taken? Or did they just go off together for some reason?

I believe this book to be a little confusing because it's told from several different viewpoints, it's told in both first and third person, and the chapters float back and forth between current events and past events leading to present day. Once you're a hundred or so pages in though you'll have a clear grasp of who everyone is and how they're linked, and you'll be hooked on turning the pages in the hope you'll read the girls have been found safe and the culprit (if there is one!) caught.

The author has written with such detail that it's super easy to get to know the characters well. I actually had a lot of sympathy for Griff, even though as the local drunk he was effectively the bad guy and stirred up a lot of fear and upset. I wanted his name to be cleared when the fingers started pointing at him... I really felt as though he couldn't help drinking, that he struggled with his drink demons...
It was his story and that of his mute daughter Calli that I was most interested in and I couldn't wait to read the book's conclusion.

On the cover of this book it's suggested that the author writes in a similar style to Jodi Picoult and I'd have to agree. In fact, I think Heather Gudenkaut has the edge! This is her debut novel but it's definitely worth a read! (And I've just seen it on amazon for £1.08!)

Carousel of secrets

2011-04-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

By Anne Baker

Carousel of secrets follows young Greta, a beautiful woman in her late teens who falls in love with a bit of a rogue called Mungo. Mungo is a rich man in his 40's who's made his fortune running fun fairs, but he's not exactly honest and he has a bit of a past that includes a marriage to a woman whom he used to beat.
Greta is young and her head is turned easily by Mungo's smooth spoiling of her. When others try to warn Greta of Mungo's womanising and violent ways she refuses to listen. She even forgives Mungo when she realises he's been seeing her whilst still being married to his first wife!

Soon after becoming Mungo's second wife however she learns for herself that Mungo isn't quite the catch she thought he was and perhaps her happily ever after is further away than she once thought...

Meanwhile, the first wife is still on the scene and is intent on gaining some revenge on her ex husband...

I quite enjoyed the setting of this book and found the vast number of characters interesting to read about. The funfairs give the book something different from other saga novels set around thr 1920/1930's, and despite there being several important characters in here they're all quite different so easy to follow.
What perhaps spoilt this book for me just a touch was that none of the characters were explored in depth. I think there were just too many characters interlinking within the storyline and the reader never actually gets to fall in love with any one lead. I think Greta was supposed to be the lead character, although Mungo took up most of the pages with the high number of people obsessing over him for one reason or another!

This is a typical Anne Baker saga. If you're a fan you're not going to be disappointed but if you're just looking for some bed time reading then if I'm honest, I've read better by her.

Fallen Angel

2011-04-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

By Kevin Lewis

This was recommended to me as an author similar to one of my favourites Martina Cole. Whilst I'll agree that the level of graphic detail rival's Cole's desire to shock, the writing style is nothing like that of Cole. In fact I thought it better! It's just as hard hitting and Lewis's criminal characters are just as dark and violent but you can't help thinking Lewis has taken more time over his writing. The killer's motivation is more detailed and his dark mind is explored further than you'll ever get in a Cole novel.

In Fallen Angel we follow D I Stacey Collins as she solves a case involving the murder of an 8 year old boy who is initially kidnapped and held to ransom. Collins must find the killer before he strikes again, yet she has no leads to aid her.

As a parent I initially really struggled with this plot line. Although it's fiction the storyline focuses on every parent's nightmare and I was almost put off reading by the blurb. If you do read on though, you'll find that the majority of this book is written with clever detail that isn't actually too gory. The book is very much led by the crime investigation taking place, followed by Stacey Collin's personal involvement and private life. The profilling of the killer and the investigation the police launch to find him is fascinating and Stacey Collins is a strong female lead who despite being fantastic at her job as a tough D.I struggles to juggle work and family life just as the rest of us do.

You'll love this book if you love crimes and thrillers with a bit of an edge. Kevin Lewis reminds me a little of Nicci French, only better! I read this within 24 hours and am keen to read more. I found this gripping enough to keep me turning the pages without being gory enough to give me nightmares. Definite 10/10 and definite gem of a new author for me!

Right to the edge

2011-04-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

By Charley Boorman

You might remember the TV series 'by any means' in which Charley Boorman and his crew travelled between Sydney and Tokyo using any means of transport they could get their hands on. If you do, then this is the book which details this particular adventure.

The book is set in chapter form and details each and every stop Charley made when he embarked on his quest to travel between Sydney and Tokyo using as many different transport methods possible. Charley Boorman is bike mad and there is plenty of bike chat in here if that's your thing, but what kept me reading on is his vivid descriptions of the places they passed through and the people he met and often stayed with. We aren't just talking brief descriptions here either. He patiently describes to the reader not only the political influences of the countries he's passing through but the history of them too, often explaining why places are as they are in modern day. Some of these places I'd not even heard of so as well as being entertained, I was truly fascinated by what I was learning about these faraway shores.

If you're a fan of geography, travel, bikes or even tv documentaries then you too are likely to be fascinated by this work of non fiction. The modes of transport used are important to Charley's adventure and are an interesting extra, but they aren't the most important aspect of the book - the adventure is what keeps it exciting.

You can almost explore too from the comfort of your armchair! Even if you watched the TV series this is still worth a read, for it's far more detailed than the TV show was and Charley Boorman has written the text in such a casual friendly tone that it's an easy read to sink into and enjoy. I'm not a bike fan and couldn't care less about dodgy trains and boats, but I did adore this book and believe there is something in here for everyone.

The people next door

2011-04-15T03:39:00.000-07:00

By Roisin Meaney

This one was a new author for me, chosen because the title sounded interesting. This novel is easy read chick lit and in my opinion it's pure people watching in novel form.

The book is set around 3 houses and we enter the lives of the various residents living there. In one house 44 year old Katherine is trying to make her marriage work despite the best efforts of her meddling and evil minded mother in law. She wants nothing more than to have a baby, but life hasn't been kind to her and it's looking like she'll never be a mum.
In the middle house lives Dan. On the surface he looks to have a fairly decent life, but then his wife announces she's fallen in love with somebody else...
And in the end house lives Yvonne and her grown up daughter. Neither woman has a successful love life and both have secret fears and regrets, but will internet dating prove fruitful and change Yvonne's luck?

Despite the plot line looking quite placid on paper, this book really does draw you in. The characters are brought to life so well by the author that it's hard not to start caring emotionally for the people you're reading about. The characters are all so very different but there wasn't one person featured in this book that I didn't like! The evil mother in law is a spiteful witch prepared to go to any lengths to keep her son to herself but her wicked behaviour gives the book an edge and adds sympathy and likeability to Katherine's character. If you don't get on with your own inlaws read this - you'll probably realise how lucky you are!
I think possibly my favourite sections of the book featured Dan and Clara (Yvonne's daughter) because as you read you realise there's a chance they might get together - sparks fly even off the page! I truly loved all the characters though and savoured every page regardless of who featured.

This one was definitely 10/10. It wont leave you in tears but it definitely pulls on the heart strings. The book is not set in chapter form but in sections broken up depending on time spans and the house being featured. I'm sad to have to say goodbye to the characters now I've finished the book and I'd love a sequel in 5 years time to catch up with how everyone's doing!

A Liverpool Lullaby

2011-04-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

By Anne Baker

In A Liverpool Lullaby we meet Evie as a young woman living with her father, and we follow her as she grows older and meets and marries her husband Ned.
This is a typical saga of family life set in the early 1900's but despite the era spanning the first war, day to day war time life is not much of a feature in this novel. Instead it's very much family focused. Evie finds herself with 3 children to raise by 2 different men, as well as living as a mistress. During this time it really wasn't the done thing to look so unrespectable to peeping neighbours and Evie faces a lot of judgement as a result of her choices.

The book is set into several different sections. Part one covers Evie's childhood with a bulling controlling father who she eventually runs away from. This section is fascinating because the father is a chemist and it's interesting to read about methods used to cure 100 years ago!
Part two covers Evie meeting and marrying Ned. We really didn't get to learn too much of Ned. I liked what I did read about him but would have adored a bit more of the young love being covered before the author killed him off!
Then in the final section we see Evie move on with another man and build up a lifestyle which will become the majority of her adult life.

In my opinion there is nothing majorly exciting within this novel and sadly nothing that will keep you turning pages. There is supposed to be a bit of a mystery surrounding Evie's mother which isn't solved until the very end of the novel, but whilst I did enjoy reading Evie's mother's diary entries and eventually found the revelations surrounding Evie's mother to be quite shocking and exciting, the anticipation of the upcoming revelations wasn't enough to keep me gripped by the story
A Liverpool Lullaby is like a well loved episode of Emmerdale - comforting and familiar yet not likely to keep you reading til 2am. Having said that though I've not been well this week and it was soothing curling up in bed with this novel. It's my kind of read when I'm looking for something not too taxing. 7/10

The House

2011-04-07T12:38:00.001-07:00

By Danielle Steel.

This was an average read for me, but perfect for anyone looking for a non taxing novel that isn't full of soppy loved up couples!
Once again we meet a 30 something independent lawyer, and it's refreshing for the focus of the novel to be something other than finding love!

In 'The house' we meet Sarah, a woman who's main focus in life is her career and part time boyfriend. She isn't exactly pleased at being with a man who only wants to see her on weekends but she's independent enough to live with the situation and has a very busy work life that keeps her satisfied.
Things change for Sarah however when she finds herself owning a huge falling down house that once belonged to her great grandmother. The reader follows Sarah as her huge restoration project encourages her not only to explore her own family history, but evaluate her own life and future too.
Sarah allows herself to feel real passion for the house she's lovingly restoring and as she realises there's more to life than the office, her defenses drop and the chance of her happily ever after starts to show itself in the form of the architect she employs to work on the project.

Never fear though, for even though Sarah does become a little loved up the reader is spared a lot of the detail and the pages are mostly filled by Sarah and her family.

I didn't love this book but I did enjoy it. This is the type of thing I believe to be typical of Danielle Steel so if you're a fan, no doubt you'll love this one.

Out of the blue

2011-04-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

By Belinda Jones

This reads as your typical chick lit novel, independant single girl falls in love type stuff. What appealed about this book though is that it's set in the sunshine of Greece since that's where the love interest is from. If nothing else, this book gets you in the mood for summer and beach holidays because the beautiful scenery and heat of the summer is described in detail in here!

The leading lady is Selena, a nomad who earns her living working on cruise ships. Selena finds herself meeting a Greek man and taking a spur of the moment trip to Greece where she eventually falls in love with a Greek God, but not before having her heart just a little bit broken by said Greek God, and in turn doing a runner to Athens to get away from what she views as a sad time.

This story might lack a little bit of originality when it comes to chick lit but the book is a perfect read if you're a dreamer. Who hasn't dreampt of living a life of no responsibity where your address can be year round sun and sea?!

This is the perfect summer read to get you in the mood for your own beach holiday!

Sow the seeds

2011-03-31T12:02:00.000-07:00

By Margaret Dickinson

This is your typical world war two saga featuring ill fated young love and two people who despite the war and the yearning to be together must face a future apart. The main focus of this book is that two young people are madly in love yet can't have a future together.
Our main character is Katie but this book is very much family and community themed so there are plenty of people surrounding Katie that the reader gets to know. Danny and Katie are the ill-fated lovers and this book so pulls at the heart strings as Katie learns who Danny really is to her and why, despite their love for each other, they can never be together. There is a super strong connection between Katie and Danny and it's very easy for the reader to fall into the sadness these two obviously feel at being torn apart. You find yourself wishing things were different for them both, especially when Danny moves on and gets married leaving a devestated Katie behind.
In respect of what keeps them apart, I felt the storyline was a little obvious. The reader is drawn to the correct conclusion before the character's learn the truth themselves but having said that, the predictable outcome doesn't take away any enjoyment for the reader.

What sets this book apart from other saga novels in particular is the descriptions. The settings are described so vividly that it's impossible not to be drawn in to the back drops of the novel. The Dunkirk rescue effort is particularly detailed and brings to life the horror of war like no other novel I've read has managed to do before.

Sow the seed is book two in a 3 part saga and at the end of the novel the reader is left in the dark as to the future of Katie. This is clearly to lead the reader on to book 3 and having read this novel, I can't wait to get my hands on it!

Born to serve

2011-03-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

By Josephine Cox

Another novel my mum gave me and not one of my usual choices! This book I have mixed feelings about compared with the previous Steel novel she shared with me.
'Born to serve' has two main characters, housekeeper to the rich Marshall family Jenny, and evil daughter Claudia. Claudia is a heartless and vile woman who lives for men and trouble, whilst Jenny is a quiet and hard working servant put to work within the family.

The novel really kicks off when Claudia causes Jenny heartache by sleeping with Jenny's future husband, then accidently falling pregnant by him. Jenny's intended runs away in shame and Jenny is left to face a lonely future.
Disowning her daughter after a difficult labour she leaves Jenny to raise the baby, threatening all the time to take the child away because she see's Jenny falling in lvoe with her and knows the threats cause her pain. Whilst it's true that Jenny loves the child dearly the tie means she's forced to stay unhappily serving Claudia in order to be near Claudia's daughter.

As she reaches her late twenties Jenny resigns herself to never marrying, and makes it her quest to raise Katie as best she can but when Claudia's husband is killed, Jenny is convinced there is more to the death than meets the eye...

Whilst I did enjoy this novel I think it would have been doubly special to have been written from Claudia's point of view. Because she's so mean Claudia is the exciting character of the novel, bringing excitement, glamour and sex to the novel. (There are a couple of steamy references in here!) Jenny is kind but she's bland with it and without Claudia I think I would have put the book down after a chapter or two. It really didn't interest me whether Frank and Jenny would get back together and I wasn't too fussed about Katie's future either - it was Claudia that had my attention all the way.

This is definitely readable though and there's enough in here to keep your interest. Do not read if sex scenes offend though - some of the text is quite graphic!

Matters of the heart

2011-03-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

By Danielle Steel

There is only one way to describe this novel and that's addictive. The plot is fast paced and exciting to follow with 2 main characters who initially fall in love before the female side of the partnership realises she's fallen for a psychopath!

We follow writer Finn and photographer Hope as they meet, and we watch Finn turn on the charm and cause Hope to fall for him hook, line and sinker. But Finn isn't exactly who he seems and as readers you'll quickly be willing Hope to open her eyes and realise Finn is playing some major mind games! He isn't too interested in Hope, he only wants her money, but he's a ruthless man and will stop at nothing to get his hands on Hope's bank balance...
Hope on the other hand is a bit of a romantic who's fallen hard for Finn's charm and amazing love making. It's clear to everyone but Hope that Finn is dangerous and is likely to think nothing of killing Hope for his own gains. In fact, he's already had 2 previous partners die in mysterious circumstances...

You'll be hooked on turning pages to see whether the love Hope feels for Finn causes her to lose everything or whether she manages to get strong and get out of the relationship before it's too late.

If you've never read a Danielle Steel novel before, try this one. It's more of a thriller than a romance and I enjoyed every single page.