Chasing the Sun by Katy Colins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Georgia Green is on the conveyor belt to happiness. Live-in boyfriend, perfect career and great friends, it seems like Georgia is only a Tiffany box away from her happily ever after. But when she arrives in Australia for her best friend’s wedding and is faced with the bridezilla from hell, she starts to realise that she might not want the cookie-cutter ending she thought.
What was meant to be a trip full of sunny days at the beach and wedding planning over cocktails, has turned into another problem for her to fix – just like the ones she’d left behind. With hardly any time for her boyfriend, let alone herself, it feels like there is just too much to juggle. It might be time for Georgia to step off the conveyor belt to find the balance in life and see if she really can have it all…
I absolutely loved this book! I have found it difficult to find a book this year that I have really truly enjoyed, that has given me the escapism that I need. Katy Colins is quickly becoming one of my 'go to' authors for light relief and her books have a firm place on my shelf to be read time and time again.
This is the second book I have read by Katy Colins, although I haven't read them in order it has made no difference to my enjoyment of the book. From reading Destination Thailand I knew Georgia and it was nice to be back with her for this book.
Georgia has stopped her regular backpacking and is working in the travel industry in the U.K with her boyfriend Ben. Georgia is heading over to Australia for her friends wedding, thinking everything is going to plan she is in for a shock along the way, starting with the hen do!
This is a laugh out loud read, it was nice to really get into Georgia's world and I enjoyed every moment of it. One of my favourite parts has to be on the plane over to Oz, I felt I was with Georgia and willing things to get better for her. I still have a smile on my face as I read this as it was very amusing. I raced through this and now can't wait to go back and read Destination India followed by Chile.
This is the perfect holiday read for the summer, it will leave you wanting more and you won't want to put it down. Katy Colins is a very talented author who really draws you in and makes you want to stay in her world forever, I really do hope she has her next book up her sleeve as I can't wait to get my hands on it.
If you haven't yet read any Katy Colins books I recommend you start with one this summer, you won't be disappointed.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review and really helping my find one of my favourite books of the year so far.
I am so excited to be able to bring you an extract from Chasing the Sun, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Extract:
CHAPTER 6
Odious (adj.) – Extremely unpleasant; repulsive
I let the familiar thrum of the busy airport wash over me as I padded through the check-in hall‚ narrowly sidestepping floor polishers and rows of trolleys. I felt a funny pang in my chest as I walked past amorous couples kissing goodbye. Forget the arrivals hall scene from Love Actually‚ saying farewell to your loved ones was just as emosh. Ben was late for a breakfast meeting‚ so our own goodbye was more of a peck on the cheek as he rushed out the door than a heartfelt profession of love. I’d tried not to feel too disappointed he couldn’t see me off at the airport‚ I knew that I’d see him soon‚ but a small part of me felt like he was still sulking over us losing the investment‚ probably thinking that he could have done a better job if he’d been there. I shook away these negative emotions and made my way through security‚ deciding to treat myself to a new perfume in duty free to cheer myself up and get into holiday mode.
I wasn’t nervous about the long flight that loomed ahead of me; the fact that I was going to be travelling for the next twenty-four hours on my own actually filled me with excitement at having some well deserved me-time. My out-of-office was on‚ I’d filled my e-reader up with beach reads‚ loaded up my iPod‚ and found this mini travel facial kit that the beauty pages of a magazine Kelli had been reading raved about.
I plodded patiently down the aisles of the plane‚ waiting for others to faff around with squeezing their bags in the overhead lockers ahead of me. A queue had blocked the path to my seat as the couple in front decided that this would be the perfect moment to have a detailed debate with their travel partners over who should take the window seat before taking off layers and bundling up jackets into the lockers.
I eventually got to my row‚ where a middle-aged woman wearing a hijab was ensconced in the window seat‚ rabbiting on a mobile phone in a language that I didn’t understand or recognise. The middle seat was empty and‚ in my seat – the aisle seat – sat an overweight man who looked about late thirties. The type who would linger around the buffet table at a party and who shopped at Big and Mighty; his fleshy rolls hung over the armrests like uncooked pastry on a pie tin.
‘Oh‚ excuse me. I think you’re in my seat‚’ I said to him politely‚ noticing flakes of eczema around his scrunched-up‚ piggy eyes.
He creased up his round‚ bowling-ball-shaped face into a look of disgust that I’d deigned to pull his attention from the inflight entertainment channels.
‘What? This is 24C.’ He said this as a statement rather than a question. ‘My seat is 24C.’
He had one of those nasally voices that grated on you with every heavily articulated syllable. I hastily looked at my boarding card‚ even though I’d memorised it enough times in the wait to board. ‘Yep‚ that’s 24C but 24C is actually my seat.’ I flashed him my card to prove that I wasn’t lying.
‘Well‚ that’s just great. Great‚’ he said through gritted teeth‚ glaring at me as if I’d been in charge of the flight seating plan and messed up on purpose just to piss him off and ruin his day.
I flashed him an apologetic shrug as I waited for him to swap seats. He huffed loudly but still didn’t make any effort to move and let me sit down‚ leaving me standing like a lemon. Passengers began tutting behind me now that I was the one blocking the aisle. I felt my cheeks heat up as I appeared to be in a stare-off with this flaky lump of lard.
‘Everything okay here?’ A pretty blonde-haired flight attendant with a crispy high quiff fluttered over‚ flashing us both megawatt smiles on her expertly contoured face.
‘Oh‚ erm‚ well‚ I think this gentleman is in my seat.’ I hurriedly passed her my ticket.
She flicked her camel-length eyelashes at my boarding card and looked at the seat blocker. ‘Sir‚ this lady is correct. Do you have your boarding card so I can check where your seat is?’ she asked‚ filling my nose with a heavy rose-scented perfume which made my stomach flip with nausea.
He huffed once more then pinged open his seat belt to get up‚ acting as if it took all the effort in the world. He half stood‚ half bent over to rummage in his sagging jeans pocket‚ flashing us all a glimpse of his hairy arse crack. I glanced at the passengers waiting behind me and threw them my best apologetic face. They all glared back.
‘Ah‚ sorry sir‚ you’re actually in 24B‚ so if I could ask you to move over one?’ The flight attendant took his crumpled-up boarding pass that proved me right. Hah. In yo face‚ Fatso!
‘I specifically remember requesting the aisle seat.’ He scowled at the pair of us as if we were in this together, conspiring against him and his inflight needs. ‘I can’t sit in the middle seat. I need to be able to move around frequently. Gout problems‚’ he replied as an afterthought.
‘Madam‚ would you mind taking the middle seat?’ The flight attendant turned to me. Her previously perky voice now had a hint of irritation at how long this was taking. Well‚ yes‚ I did bloody mind. I hated sitting in the middle seat anyway‚ but trapped between Mr Rude and Mrs Chatterbox‚ it would make an already long flight even longer.
‘Well …’ I paused‚ trying to work out how to politely but firmly stand my ground.
‘Great! Thank you‚’ the flight attendant said cheerfully‚ before I’d finished‚ and bundled me into my place to let the queue move on. Fatty bum-bum simply manoeuvred his legs to the side so I could squeeze past‚ not even bothering to say thanks.
Soon after‚ the pilot gave his welcome speech (that no one appeared to pay attention to) and the now flustered flight attendant told the woman next to me for the third time that she needed to end her call and put her phone in flight mode. Suddenly‚ I was gassed with the most noxious‚ eggy-fart smell coming from my right. I flung my hand up to my mouth to cover it with the sleeve of my jumper and cast a serious‚ pissed-off look at the man next to me. He had his eyes fixed on the small TV set in the seat back in front of him‚ pretending that it wasn’t him with the bowels of a sewage plant. Then‚ as if to make matters worse‚ I felt something thump the top of my head.
‘Ow!’ I cried and glanced around‚ rubbing my crown. A grinning gap-toothed boy was standing on the seat behind me‚ holding a plastic toy train and looking pretty proud of himself. His mother in the seat next to him was too busy flicking through a magazine to apologise or even acknowledge the assault.
Great. Just great.
Katy Colins (@notwedordead) is a best-selling author and award-winning travel blogger (www.notwedordead.com) with over 44K followers on Instagram.
After Katy’s wedding was called off in 2010, she made the life-changing decision to travel solo around South East Asia, leaving behind her successful career and selling everything that wouldn’t fit into a backpack. As she travelled, Katy finally put her adventures and thoughts into words and secured a six book deal with Harper Collins.
Chasing the Sun is Katy’s fourth novel featuring the inimitable Georgia Green, and the perfect beach read for this summer.
Don't forget to stop by at the other stops on the tour!
Blue by Lisa Glass
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Surfing is sixteen-year-old Iris’s world, and when the ultra-talented Zeke walks into her life, it soon becomes her passion.
Over one amazing summer, as she is drawn into his sphere, she experiences love, new friendships, but also loss, with an intensity she never dreamed of.
But is Zeke all he seems? What hides beneath his glamorous and mysterious past? When Iris decides to try for her own surfing success, just as her ex-boyfriend comes back into her life, she will test her talent, and her feelings for Zeke, to the limit…
Let me say what a beautiful cover this is! It really drew me into this book before I had even started! It made me want to be where ever the book was set on the beach, looking at that beautiful sunset and to finish it off a great looking guy on the cover!
Blue is set down in Cornwall, this is a place close to my heart as I spent most of my childhood summers there visiting grandparents, so I felt that straight away I had a loose connection with the book, which was an instant positive for me. I also loved the fact that it was set in the U.K as so many books of this style are set abroad, which don’t get me wrong is lovely! But they often make everything seem out of reach, this however being on my door step made me realise that some beautiful and unusual moments can happen at home, which I think if I was a teenager this would appeal to me.
The theme of the book was unlike anything I have read before and to be honest I have not been interested in reading about surfers and stuff, however I am so glad that I took the opportunity to read this book. I enjoyed it immensely and although I didn’t think it was going to be my cup of tea, I am so glad it changed my mind.
To be honest when reading the beginning of the story I thought, so this is another girl meets boy romantic story, I could not have been more wrong, there were twists and turns in the story that I never saw coming, which kept the spark of the book alive. I thought the pace of the story was brilliant – I couldn’t believe how quick I read the book.
The characters were great in the story, all were developed well and I loved the side line story with Wes, I thought that opinions were expressed well, I thought that Zeke was an absolute sweety, this part of his character developed more the further in the story you became. I was shocked by Daniel on more than one occasion and I loved how Iris was not your typical surfer.
I found that this book took me on a journey of different emotions. I loved the kindness and sadness I felt with nanna, the anger I felt with Daniel and the love I felt with Zeke. This is a perfect all round novel that will capture all your emotions. It is a brilliant for a beach read or even for a rainy day, when I read it – I wanted to be transported to somewhere lovely and this book did that for me.
This is one of those books that when you pick it up, you know instantly you are going to finish it in record time as it is such an easy read and addictive, I was so pleased that I had found a book that made me feel like this, lately I have struggled to get into books so this was a joy to read. I was a little sad when it was drawing to a close as I enjoyed it so much. Who knows though? Maybe there will be a sequel at some time? I do hope so!
I would like to thank the publisher for sending me this in exchange for an honest review.
The Island Hideaway by Louise Candlish
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
'How far would you follow him before you accept it's over?
Eleanor Blake, distraught after breaking up with her fiance Will, decides to do what most would scarcely dare: secretly follow him to the island hideaway where he's on holiday with the woman who took her place. But on the shimmering, sun-drenched Sicilian island of Panarea, distractions come in many forms - including her fellow hotel guest Lewis, an enigmatic Englishman with secrets of his own to protect. And then there's Frannie, a young Italian actress on the island to prepare for her first film role, who is as charming as she is beautiful. Can she really be so perfect? And shouldn't Eleanor be the first to suspect that things might not be as they seem?
The Island Hideaway is a surprising, insightful and compelling novel from the bestselling author of Since I Don't Have You.'
I had previously read a short story by Louise Candlish and enjoyed it so much that I bought this one.
Since reading the book I have found out this was published a few years ago under a different name - Prickly Heat. Since then it has been updated to fit into the world today. Things such as technology have changed which the author updated. Was this necessary? I am not sure, however the cover of the book also was update, which I think has been for the better. It appealed to me more and I am sure some others would feel the same.
The book follows Eleanor, she pursues her ex- fiance to an island. I found the story very hard to get into, it starts straight in what felt like the middle of the story. I found it hard to work out who was who and build up the scene/plot. This eventually became apparent and throughout the story we go from the past to the present so understanding the characters became clear. This was something else that I found hard to follow.
The plot of the story is an unbelievable one, Eleanor follows her ex - fiance to an island to 'spy' on him, she spends her days trying to look out for him but at the same time trying not to be seen. The likely hood of this actually happening is slim to non. But it is chick lit in style and relatively easy to read. At the beginning of the book, I was wondering how this was going to pan out and what Eleanor was going to do when she did spot Will. I felt that actually little happened, she watches him from various places and even meets up with his now current partner but nothing surprising happens. This I felt was a bit disappointing and at the end of the story I actually felt a little flat.
We also meet the other characters in the book who are staying at the same hotel as Eleanor and actually I enjoyed reading about them more and what they got up to. This created a diversion in the book at kept it moving.
This is a good beach read for you to pack in your case, as it has the holiday feel while reading it. Overall I found the book to be O.K - nothing taxing but perfect for the beach.
View all my reviews
He's the One by Katie Price
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
'Can you ever forget your first love?
Liberty Evans hasn't. She has a beautiful daughter, a successful career as an actress, and she's married to one of Hollywood's most powerful directors.
But behind the glamour, things are not what they seem. Her daughter Brooke is turning into a spoiled teenager, her husband controls everything she does, and Liberty longs for Cory, the man she loved before she became famous.
Unable to live a lie any more, Liberty returns to England with a reluctant Brooke, to start a new life. While her daughter has to cope with a massive lifestyle change, Liberty finds that she cannot get Cory out of her head.
But will he want her any more? Or will she have to accept that her first love belongs to the past?'
I have read all of Katie Price’s books and I must say I felt a little let down by ‘In the Name of Love’ and was hoping that this would not follow suit.
‘He’s the one’ follows Liberty a young girl, thriving to become an actress and working in an Italian restaurant to get by for her and her daughter Brooke. One day a handsome guy comes into the restaurant with his mates, he is American and takes a shine to Liberty. For the next couple of months Liberty and Cory are inseparable, he is then due to return to the States and Liberty must accept this. Things change quickly for Liberty though and she gets the offer of a lifetime and moves to LA with Brooke; Cory remains in the U.K.
The book then splits into part two, this has been fast-forwarded 14 years and then each chapter is dedicated to either Liberty or Brooke, who is now almost 18. I felt at this part in the book the plot really picked up and I began whizzing through the pages. I enjoyed the story and the drama’s that came along with it. (For anyone who has read Katie Price novels before, you will know there are always many dramas!)
I thought the characters were developed well throughout the book, Liberty is perceived to be a generally lovely person, and at times you really feel for her. Brooke begins as a spoilt brat, having all the money she could ever want and getting what she wants, when she wants it. When Liberty drops a bombshell on Brooke she begins to change as a person and you realise she wasn’t once the girl she was in LA. The characters are well liked and I think this helped massively while reading it.
I also thought that this book was a little more down to earth than Katie’s previous books; we see both characters working in a restaurant, something that many of us do and I feel that this allows the reader to connect better to the book. It is nice to read about celebrities and their lives etc, but us mere mortals have to go a long way to be able to connect to it.
The book is an easy, holiday read and not very taxing – just the type of book I enjoy when I am back at work and things become busy. I thought that this was one of Katie Price’s better novels and it was nice to see returning characters. This does not make a difference, however if you have not read her previous novels.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy, this has not affected my review in any way.
Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
'Lottie just knows that her boyfriend is going to propose during lunch at one of London’s fanciest restaurants. But when his big question involves a trip abroad, not a trip down the aisle, she’s completely crushed. So when Ben, an old flame, calls her out of the blue and reminds Lottie of their pact to get married if they were both still single at thirty, she jumps at the chance. No formal dates—just a quick march to the altar and a honeymoon on Ikonos, the sun-drenched Greek island where they first met years ago.
Their family and friends are horrified. Fliss, Lottie’s older sister, knows that Lottie can be impulsive—but surely this is her worst decision yet. And Ben’s colleague Lorcan fears that this hasty marriage will ruin his friend’s career. To keep Lottie and Ben from making a terrible mistake, Fliss concocts an elaborate scheme to sabotage their wedding night. As she and Lorcan jet off to Ikonos in pursuit, Lottie and Ben are in for a honeymoon to remember, for better . . . or worse.'
I have read all of Sophie Kinsella's books and I am a huge fan. I was so excited when I knew she had bought out this new book - Wedding Night, I thought it had been long awaited and was so excited when I was sent it from the publisher to review.
Sophie Kinsella has a unique way of writing, she is the queen of chick lit and can link hunour with serious issues, this book was slightly different; it had laugh out loud moments but some of the storylines within it I felt were a bit false.
This story is written in the perspective of two sisters, Fliss and Lottie. This way of writing was new for Sophie Kinsella as each chapter was from the perspective of one of the sisters. To begin with in chapter 1 where you meet Lottie,it was funny and I thought the writing style was excellent. I was laughing out loud, this then I felt let down by Fliss in the following chapter. As time went on I began to enjoy the way it was written but this I feel is not one of Sophie Kinsella's best books in the writing style.
Lottie is at a turning point in her life, she is 33 and has been with her long term partner Richard for a few years, so when they go out for a romantic meal Lottie assumes that this is the time, he is going to propose to her. Things do not exactly go to plan and they end up going their separate ways.
Fliss is Lottie's older sister, she has been married, got a child and now is currently going through a divorce. She is feeling bitter about this and is constantly trying to get her lawyer to realise how bad of a husband and father her partner was. Fliss is very close to Lottie and knows that now everything isn't plain sailing with her, she is vulnerable and could go off the rails (this is something she always seems to do after a break up.)
When Lottie calls Fliss to tell her, her good news about bumping into an old flame and them getting marries. Fliss feels it's her duty to protect her, and she will go to any means to do this, including following her across the world to try and put a stop to their 'wedding night'.
All characters in the story are well written, you really feel for them, Fliss that she is deranged and insane, the men are written well, you begin to sympathise with Richard and actually hate Ben for being selfish and rude.
Although the story was well written I feel there was something missing, Sophie Kinsella has a spark when writing and this was not present. I really hope it returns as she writes wonderful books. The story has been left open ended so perhaps we could see more from Richard, Lottie, Fliss and Ben? Over all I did enjoy the story, just not as much as her others.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending me the copy.
I have decided that as I am going away in 8 days on holiday, I would create a list of summer themed/travel books. So I have decided that these are books that I have read or are on my TBR and that include some type of travel, or in a holiday destination.
I feel that my holiday cannot come soon enough - I have been waiting ALL summer and our summer vanished long ago. (I am currently sitting typing this in jeans!)
These books are not in any order, just ones that come to mind - If i have left any out or you that thought of better (perhaps I haven't read them, please comment - I need a holiday read :D)
1. Shopaholic Abroad - Sophie Kinsella
2. I heart New York - Lindsey Kelk
3. About a Girl - Lindsey Kelk
4. Save the Date - Allie Spencer
5. Sleeping Arrangements - Madeleine Wickham
6. L'Amour Actually - Melanie Jones
7. SOS! I love you - Katina Jones
8. One Perfect Summer - Paige Toon
9. Postcard Killers - James Patterson
10. Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop - Abby Clements
