Editing Emma: The Secret Blog of a Nearly Proper Person by Chloe Seager

Editing Emma: The Secret Blog of a Nearly Proper Person by Chloe Seager
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


When Emma Nash is ghosted by love of her life Leon Naylor, she does what any girl would do - spends the summer avoiding all human contact, surrounded by the Chewit wrappers he left behind.

Seeing Leon suddenly ‘in a relationship’ on Facebook, however, spurs Emma into action. She vows to use the internet for good (instead of stalking Leon’s social media),chronicling her adventures on her new Editing Emma blog.

But life online doesn’t always run smoothly.

From finding her mum’s Tinder profile, to getting catfished and accidentally telling the entire world why Leon Naylor is worth no girl’s virginity… Surely nothing else could go wrong?!



This was a very quick read, I read it in a couple of days. This is aimed at young adults and although I am not in that category anymore I do still enjoy reading these type of books.

Editing Emma is a story that follows Emma, a 16 year old who is struggling to deal with her teenage years and the ins and outs of boyfriends, through social media into the mix and there is a lot of drama. I did feel that the book lost pace in the middle.

The book is entirely told through blog format, which I did enjoy reading, however I found that it was hard to connect with some characters and understand the feelings. I felt that not a lot happened in the book, it was focused on Emma's break up with Leon and then her going out with Greg. As I mentioned Emma is 16, a lot of what I read I would have thought it was a 14 year old narrating, she came across immature at times, which was a bit of a disappointment.

This was an O.K read for the summer holidays. If you like YA linked with social media you will probably like this, for me it wasn't my favourite, however it wasn't terrible either.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.

House of Shadows by Nicola Cornick blog post

Today it is my stop on the House of Shadows blog tour and I have been lucky enough to receive a post from Nicola Cornick‏, I hope you enjoy this post as much as I did. Please don't forget to check out the other stops on this tour. 

A bit about the book: 

London, 1662:
There was something the Winter Queen needed to tell him. She fought for the strength to speak.
‘The crystal mirror is a danger. It must be destroyed – ‘
He replied instantly. ‘It will’.

Ashdown, Oxfordshire, present day: 

Ben Ansell is researching his family tree when he disappears. As his sister Holly begins a desperate search, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to an ornate antique mirror and to the diary of Lavinia, a 19th century courtesan who was living at Ashdown House when it burned to the ground over 200 years ago.

Intrigued, and determined to find out more about the tragedy at Ashdown, Holly’s only hope is that uncovering the truth about the past will lead her to Ben.

Why did you choose to write about Elizabeth Stuart, why she deserves to be recognised?


Elizabeth Stuart, the Winter Queen, has an impossibly romantic name and a history that was both tragic and picturesque, but she was also a strong and influential leader at a time when women in history were frequently excluded from power. I wanted to bring her story out of the shadows and celebrate all she achieved.


Born a Scottish princess in 1596, Elizabeth was the only daughter of James VI and I and came to England as a child when her father inherited the throne of England from Queen Elizabeth I. James had two sons; the role of the daughter was to be charming, preferably beautiful and above all, marriageable. Elizabeth fulfilled this part admirably. She was married to a German prince at the age of sixteen to secure a Protestant alliance and went to live in Heidelberg Castle, on the Rhine.


Yet there was another side to Elizabeth’s life. Her husband was defeated in battle and she and her young family were forced to flee into exile to escape the enemy. She was seven months pregnant during the flight and rode for mile after mile through the snows of winter without complaint. Frederick died young and Elizabeth assumed centre stage, fighting to regain her sons’ patrimony. She was a stateswoman, involved in international politics and diplomacy as well as being an influential cultural figure.


Certainly Elizabeth’s story has inspired me to look below the surface to find the strong and gallant woman beneath. It is this story I explore in my book House of Shadows. It’s the tale of the beautiful princess but also the Elizabeth who has been hidden; the woman who was a diplomat, a leader and an icon and who was also the founder of Britain’s Hanoverian dynasty.

About the author: 

Nicola Cornick studied History at the University of London and has a Masters degree in Public History from Ruskin College Oxford. She acts as a history consultant for TV and radio and gives talks on local history and creative writing. Nicola also volunteers as a guide and historian for the National Trust at Ashdown House, where House of Shadows is based. Her award-winning novels are international bestsellers and have been translated into 26 languages. She lives in Oxfordshire.

This book is out now so make sure you grab a copy. You can do that here

Not Without You - Harriet Evans

Not Without You by Harriet Evans
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you don’t learn from history . . .
You’re destined to repeat it

Not without you, she’d said. And I’d let her down…

Hollywood, 1961: when beautiful, much-loved movie star Eve Noel vanishes at the height of her fame, no-one knows where, much less why.

Fifty years later, another young British actress, Sophie Leigh, lives in Eve’s house high in the Hollywood Hills. Eve Noel was her inspiration and Sophie, disenchanted with her life in LA, finds herself becoming increasingly obsessed with the mystery of her idol's disappearance. And the more she finds out, the more she realises Eve’s life is linked with her own.

As Eve’s tragic past and the present start to collide, Sophie needs to unravel the truth to save them both – but is she already too late? Becoming increasingly entangled in Eve’s world, Sophie must decide whose life she is really living . . .


Not really sure how I felt about this book; it was well written and had some really interesting insights into the Hollywood film world of the 1950's and the fight for aspiring actresses to 'make it' in the industry but I found at times the story line seemed to loose it's way with random sub plots like the stalker which really didn't seem to slot in with the story line. Loved the book cover and would have been attracted to the book because of it.

This a story written from the point of view of two people, one in the past Eve Noel in the 1950's Hollywood, and one in the present Sophie Leigh, both actresses who travel from England to USA to become stars. I liked the story being revealed in parallel so that the reader seemed to unravel things at the same time as the characters but I felt distracted by what I considered to be unnecessary sub plots like the stalker. Eve Noel was a famous actress who at the height of her career suddenly disappears; years later Sophie Leigh (who is a huge fan of Eve's) moves into Eve's old house and while pursuing her own acting career is determined to find out what happened to Eve and hopefully when she finds her she wants to bring her back to the movies.

Of the two characters I wanted to learn more about Eve and felt that Harriet Evans connected better with this character than she did with Sophie Leigh. Eve was more interesting, intriguing and fascinating and believable than Sophie, I felt that Sophie's character was only there as a secondary storyteller rather than having a real purpose and story of her own, and that Sophie's life and experiences lacked credibility on many levels.

It was a shame that Harriet Evans didn't succeed in making both the characters as believable as each other, Sophie sleeping with her director just seemed to make her look cheap and didn't add anything to the story and in fact highlighted for me the differences between these two actresses rather than the similarities - Eve had fewer choices and was naive in an industry that was both artificial and corrupt, whereas Sophie I felt was more in control and should have been more worldly. I did like the way the book alternated between the past and the future stories but it did get confusing at times trying to work out whether it was Sophie or Eve telling their story.

I liked the twist with Eve's sister and I did guess how her story ended but I was not convinced by Sophie's ending, the whole thing seemed contrived and a bit too convenient.

Overall this book was not a winner for me it lacked credibility and depth and after a promising start really didn't deliver - I would give this a 3 star rating.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me this to review. 

Hidden - Barbara Taylor Bradford

Hidden by Barbara Taylor Bradford
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

'On the surface, Claire Saunders has it all. She has a rewarding career in fashion and a talented concert pianist daughter. Her loving husband is one of the country’s most trusted diplomats. 

She thinks she’s hidden her secret from her best friends, but they know her too well. 


Can her friends get her out of harm’s way and protect her from a man who is as ruthless as he is charming and powerful? And along the way, can Claire learn to stop protecting the wrong people?'



I normally really enjoy short stories, and I did enjoy this, however I felt that the story line was a little deep to be covered and it didn't do it as much justice as it could have.

The story centers around domestic violence, Clare is married to Mark - her soul mate and has been for many years. Mark has a high profile job and is regularly away on business. When he is at home he has begun to abuse Clare, she had changed from a confident woman, into a timid one who tries to cover for him.

Clare has been best friends with 3 other girls for many years. They know things have change, and they have seen the bruises. One day they take it upon themselves to control the situation- Clare is too weak too.

In general the idea of the story I thought was good, it is far fetched in places but this could have been down to lack of background/build up which would have been evident in a longer novel.

I did enjoy the story, but I feel it would have benefited from being longer. It was well written, but not enough background was given for me to connect to the characters. This is a good short story that will help pass the time.

The Escape - Lynda la Plante

The Escape by Lynda La Plante
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

'Is a change of identity all it takes to leave prison?
Colin Burrows is desperate. Recently sent to prison for burglary, he knows that his four year sentence means that he will miss the birth of his first child. With his wife's due date fast approaching, he had hoped that the prison authorities would allow him to be present for the birth, but they have said no.
Sharing a cell with Colin is Barry Marsden. Unlike most of the inmates, Barry actually likes prison life because he has come from a very difficult family and been in and out of a series of foster homes. In prison, he has three meals a day and he has discovered a talent for drawing. So he is upset that he will have to leave on parole soon.
Sad to see his cellmate looking depressed, Barry hatches a plan to get Colin out of jail for the birth. It's a plan so crazy that either it will fail and get both men in deeper trouble, or it might just work. 
Bestselling author Lynda La Plante's exciting tale of one man's escape from jail is based on a true story.'


I have never read a book by Lynda La Plante before and I didn't really know what to expect. I didn't think I would enjoy it too much, I must say I was pleasantly surprised.

This is a short little novella that had me hooked from the beginning. Colin is in prison and his wife is due to have a baby, he has asked to be released for the birth of his child but has been refused. He sinks into depression and the guards are worried about him. They move him into another cell where he meets his new cell mate Barry.

Barry is younger than Colin and has some learning difficulties. Colin just wants to be left alone but Barry is under strict instructions to cheer him up. They form a good friendship over the next few months, when Barry hears about Colin's problem with not being at the birth of his baby, Barry wants to do all he can to help.

Together they come up with a plan that if works will allow Colin to be by his wife's side. As the days get closer Colin becomes more anxious but feels he can't back out as Barry has worked hard for him.

Will he see his baby?

I thought I was not going to enjoy the story but I did, I read this in about an hour - I couldn't put it down, I was routing for Colin to visit his wife in hospital and wanted to see them have a happy ending. The way the story is written you flow through it and then look up and realised you have already read half! The characters are described well and you care about them.

This is a brilliant short story that is well worth a read, what made it even better for me was finding out that it is based on a true story at the end.

Rules for Dating a Romantic Hero - Harriet Evans

Rules for Dating a Romantic Hero by Harriet Evans
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

'An absorbing and romantic Quick Read from the Sunday Times bestselling author.

Do you believe in happy endings?

Laura Foster used to be a hopeless romantic. She was obsessed with meeting her own Prince Charming until she grew up and realised real life doesn’t work like that.

Then she met Nick. A romantic hero straight from a fairytale, with a grand country estate and a family tree to match.

They’ve been together four years now and Laura knows that what really matters is the two of them, not everything else around them. She can’t imagine ever loving anyone the way she loves Nick.

Now, though, people are openly asking when they’ll hear wedding bells, and Nick is keeping secrets from Laura. She’s starting to feel she might not be ‘good enough’ for his family.


Can an ordinary girl like Laura make it work with one of the most eligible men in the country?'




This is the first book I have read by Harriet Evans and it was not until I had finished it that I realised that it was a sequel of A hopeless romantic. This I don't think matters, it can be read as a short stand alone story.

The story is chaptered in rules, although they are rules it reads as a good story and flows well. We meet Nick and Laura. Nick has a royal heritage and Laura is your regular girl. Laura finds it hard to 'fit in' to what Nick's family want and she is unsure if she wants all that too.

This is a light hearted, fun little novella, which is easily read in a few hours. It is typical chick lit and if you want a little short story for the beach this one is for you. I personally read in bed with a lovely cup of tea - either way it will leave you feeling a little fuzzy inside.

I would read more from Harriet Evans.