Killer Affair by Rebecca Chance

Killer Affair by Rebecca Chance
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A shocking betrayal deserves a wicked revenge . . .

Stunning, charismatic Lexy O’Brien is the reigning queen of British reality TV. Her life in front of the camera is planned and manipulated as successfully as any military assault.

But success breeds jealousy. When you’re on top, the only way is down and there’s always someone standing by to give you a shove . . .

Dowdy Caroline Evans, a part-time blogger and writer of erotic fiction, is brought in to chronicle Lexy’s life. Being taken under Lexy’s wing is a dream come true for Caroline. But sampling the star’s lifestyle is like tasting the most addictive of drugs, and it’s not long before she is craving what she can’t possibly have – or can she?

And as Caroline and Lexy’s lives and loves become increasingly entwined, it’s only a matter of time before the hidden rivalry becomes a powder keg waiting to explode . . ."


Very Hollywood wives kind of tale with quite a lot of soft porn included to spice up the read. I sometimes wonder if this is added to compensate for poor writing skills - the amount in this book really didn’t add anything meaningful to the overall ‘story’.

The ‘story’ wasn’t really that good - social climber looking for fame and fortune, rises to top on the back of someone else then proceeds to fall from a great height when revenge is exacted.

Not a great plot line, sex scenes keep this one afloat if you like that kind of writing.

Very average writing skills can’t separate this from a trashy novel. Sorry not for me - 2 stars

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

The Rival by Charlotte Duckworth

The Rival by Charlotte Duckworth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

NOW
Helena is a career woman with no job and a mother without a baby. She blames Ashley for destroying her life. But is what happened really Ashley's fault?

THEN
When Helena hires Ashley to work for her, she's startled but impressed by her fierce ambition. They form a dream team and Helena is proud - maybe this is the protégée she's always wanted to have. But soon Helena realizes that nothing will stand in the way of Ashley's drive to get to the top. And when Helena becomes pregnant, everything she has worked so hard for is suddenly threatened, with devastating consequences...

Billed as a Crime Thriller this is more like woman’s fiction and as such my expectations were to be reading a crime/psychological thriller.

It was a mix of gossip and bitchy office rivalry that culminates in tragic consequences. It was well written but lacked pace and depth. I didn’t jell with any of the characters and because of this I felt indifferent to the outcome.

The ending had a twist of sorts but it was a very ordinary lack lustre read for me and therefore I can only give this 3 stars. Sorry just didn’t keep me interested

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

I Invited Her In by Adele Parks

I Invited Her In by Adele Parks
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

When Mel hears from a long-lost friend in need of help, she doesn’t hesitate to invite her to stay. Mel and Abi were best friends back in the day, sharing the highs and lows of student life, until Mel’s unplanned pregnancy made her drop out of her studies.

Now, seventeen years later, Mel and Abi’s lives couldn’t be more different. Mel is happily married, having raised her son on her own before meeting her husband, Ben. Now they share gorgeous girls and have a chaotic but happy family home, with three children.

Abi, meanwhile, followed her lover to LA for a glamorous life of parties, celebrity and indulgence. Everything was perfect, until she discovered her partner had been cheating on her. Seventeen years wasted, and nothing to show for it. So what Abi needs now is a true friend to lean on, to share her grief over a glass of wine, and to have some time to heal. And what better place than Mel’s house, with her lovely kids, and supportive husband…

This dark, unsettling tale of the reunion of long-lost friends is thoroughly gripping exploration of wanting what you can’t have, jealousy and revenge from Sunday Times bestseller Adele Parks.


Well written but totally too long and drawn out. There were no surprises in this novel, it was all very transparent and predictable.

I felt that although the subject matter was good Adele Parks just never took it to the next level. It was such a predictable tale of jealousy and revenge that it didn’t stand out from any other novel of its kind.

I didn’t particularly bond with any of the characters and felt their individual responses to events in the novel were at best weak and at worst not believable.

I expected more from such an established author and was frustrated with the overly long outpouring of feelings that contributed to make this novel border on boredom. I hate giving such negative reviews but such an experienced author should produce better in my view. It wasn’t awful but just not satisfying enough to set it apart as a great read. Sorry but this can only get a two star rating from me, too long, so predictable and overall disappointing.

I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella

I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fixie Farr can’t help herself. Straightening a crooked object, removing a barely-there stain, helping out a friend . . . she just has to put things right. It’s how she got her nickname, after all. 

So when a handsome stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop for a moment, Fixie not only agrees, she ends up saving it from certain disaster. To thank her, the computer’s owner, Sebastian, scribbles her an IOU – but of course Fixie never intends to call in the favour.

That is, until her teenage crush, Ryan, comes back into her life and needs her help – and Fixie turns to Seb. But things don’t go according to plan, and now Fixie owes Seb: big time.

Soon the pair are caught up in a series of IOUs – from small favours to life-changing debts – and Fixie is torn between the past she’s used to and the future she deserves. 

Does she have the courage to fix things for herself and fight for the life, and love, she really wants? 



I really wanted to enjoy this book, I love Sophie Kinsella novels, however the last few she has written I felt have really let me down. This one unfortunately for me didn't give me the full enjoyment I came to expect from a Sophie Kinsella novel.

There were a few things, which annoyed me in this book. To begin with the main characters name Fixie, it just irritated me, I understood why she is called this and it is only a nickname but it just grated on me the more I read of it.

The second thing was the love affair with Fixie and Seb, how they got together just wasn't very believable for me, one minute he was with Bryony, which I'm guessing he has been her for some time and then literally the next minute Seb is asking Fixie out and they end up staying the night at his.

Fixie is left to deal with her families business while her mum is on holiday with her aunt, there is a lot about family in this book and how you support each other.

This was a very quick read, I read over a couple of plane journeys and it kept me entertained. I just felt it didn't have the humour I have grown accustomed to with Kinsella's novels.

I am hoping that Sophie Kinsella gets the spark back to her writing like she had when she wrote Can you Keep a secret and The Undomestic Goddess as personally I feel these were her best standalone novels.

Sail Away by Celia Imrie

Sail Away by Celia Imrie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The phone hasn't rung for months. Suzy Marshall is discovering that work can be sluggish for an actress over sixty - even for the former star of a 1980s TV series. So when she's offered the plum role of Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest in Zurich, it seems like a godsend. Until, that is, the play is abruptly cancelled in suspicious circumstances, and Suzy is forced to take a job on a cruise ship to get home.

Meanwhile Amanda Herbert finds herself homeless in rainy Clapham. Her flat purchase has fallen through, and her children are absorbed in their own dramas. Then she spots an advertisement for an Atlantic cruise, and realises a few weeks on-board would tide her over - and save her money - until the crisis is solved.

As the two women set sail on a new adventure, neither can possibly predict the strange characters and dodgy dealings they will encounter - nor the unexpected rewards they will reap.

Vividly evoking the old-world glamour of a cruise ship - and the complex politics of its staff quarters - Sail Away is at once a hilarious romp and a thrilling tale of intrigue, from the acclaimed pen of Celia Imrie.

My first novel by this immensely talented actress who now is becoming an immensely talented author!

A light-hearted, fun farce based around the antics of a couple of 60 ish women who both find themselves on a cruise ship for different reasons that lead their lives to be linked together. I liked Imrie's style of writing, obviously dipping into her vast theatrical background and using her great sense of humour to deliver an enjoyable fun read.

Lots happening in this book; likeable characters that work well together, if I have one criticism it would be that it does tend to be strung out a little and does ask that you be patient until it all unravels. I did guess who the mysterious Karl really was fairly early on but it didn't detract from the story that was well thought out and tidied up all the ends satisfactorily.

It was quite refreshing to have the majority of the characters being 60 ish who showed they were certainly not past a bit of fun and mystery a good holiday read. I look forward to reading more novels by Celia Imrie - this one gets a 4 stars from me.

The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements

The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hazel never set out to be a wedding planner. She was just helping her stressed sister Lila with cakes and décor for her big day. But when Lila and Ollie's summer ceremony is a runaway success, with guests raving about the food and styling at the pretty venue, word about Hazel's expertise soon spreads.

But Hazel's clients expect the very best - she's promised lawyers Gemma and Eliot a snow-covered castle in the Scottish Highlands, and laidback couple Josh and Sarah a bohemian beach wedding in a Caribbean paradise. But as weather, in-laws and wilful brides conspire against her, can Hazel get two very different couples to walk up two very different aisles to say 'I do'?

​Having taken on planning her sisters wedding when the original wedding planner cancelled, Hazel finds herself with a success on her hands. Many guests at the wedding congratulate her on an excellent job and through this she manages to get a couple more bookings.

Hazels full time job is a set designer but she is constantly passed over and her ideas stolen by others for their own gain. She is nervous about organising her sister Lila's wedding but approaches it like set design and soon finds she has a flair for it. Tasked to organise a Scottish Highlands wedding complete with a snow covered castle and a Caribbean beach wedding Hazel at times thinks she has taken on more than she can handle. Add bridezillas and unpredictable weather along with a confusing love life and you have a recipe for a pleasant chic lit novel.

Good balanced rounded characters if somewhat flawed gave this a realistic feel and a little dose of humour kept it going. Perfect for holiday reading or round the fire at Christmas - feel good factor novel. 4 stars

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

The Hygge Holiday by Rosie Blake

The Hygge Holiday by Rosie Blake
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The perfect recipe for hygge: make a hot chocolate, draw the curtains, snuggle under a blanket and read your way to happiness!

It's autumn in Yulethorpe and everyone is gloomy. It's cold, drizzly and the skies are permagrey. The last shop on the high street - an adorable little toy shop - has just shut its doors. Everything is going wrong for Yulethorpe this autumn. Until Clara Kristensen arrives.

Clara is on holiday but she can see the potential in the pretty town, so she rolls up her sleeves and sets to work. Things are looking up until Joe comes to Yulethorpe to find out exactly what is going on with his mother's shop. Joe is Very Busy and Important in the City and very sure that Clara is up to no good. Surely no one would work this hard just for the fun of it?

Can a man who answers emails at 3 a. m. learn to appreciate the slower, happier, hygge things in life - naps, candles, good friends and maybe even falling in love?



I've read a couple of Rosie Blake novels before and I'm never disappointed in her work.

The Hygge Holiday is a real 'feel good' factor book, perfect for reading at Christmas time with the warm glow of a welcoming fire, a glass of wine and lots of lovely candles to whisk you away on this romantic journey to Yulethorpe and the little toy shop.

Clara the main character was such a warm genuine character it was easy to like her; in fact all the characters were lovely and believable. It seemed that Clara wove her magic in the little village and by the end of the book everyone had benefited in some way from her being there.

Of course there was the obligatory love story and although it was so very predictable it really didn't matter as the hygge just made you want to have everything turn out right in the end, which of course it did.

Nice to read a really likeable warm comforting book that does exactly what you expect and leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside - perfect winter reading and just a delight. Well deserved 5 stars.

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

New York, Actually by Sarah Morgan

New York, Actually by Sarah Morgan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Meet Molly

New York’s most famous agony aunt, she considers herself an expert at relationships…as long as they’re other people’s. The only love of her life is her Dalmatian, Valentine.

Meet Daniel

A cynical divorce lawyer, he’s hardwired to think relationships are a bad idea. If you don’t get involved, no-one can get hurt. But then he finds himself borrowing a dog to meet the gorgeous woman he sees running in Central Park every morning…

Molly and Daniel think they know everything there is to know about relationships…until they meet each other that is…

Typical chick lit, nothing too serious here, the usual conflicts and happy ever after ending that most of this genre have. Molly is a psychologist who turns agony aunt and has written a best selling book on relationships. She however can't seem to control her own relationships and bad break-ups convince her she is not capable of falling in love.

She meets Daniel a divorce lawyer who has issues of his own around love and commitment but cares passionately about helping those who can't help themselves. He sees Molly often jogging and walking her dog in Central Park and borrows a dog from his sisters dog shelter so that he can have an excuse to meet her.

The story proceeds from there, we meet several supporting characters, Daniels sisters Fran and Harriet, Molly's neighbours and an assortment of work colleagues. Of course the story is predictable as all these genre seem to be; I didn't particularly gel with Molly, for a psychologist and relationship expert she seemed a bit clueless when it came to her own relationships which didn't really stack up. Daniel was well described, powerful, striking, athletic, passionate, selfless, kind, thoughtful - what was not to like but the silly Molly seemed to be confused by all this!!! He did come across as a bit possessive and controlling to me which was a bit disturbing but that's just my opinion.

It fell down because Molly was meant to be the expert and this made her actions, attitude, and lack of self worth really hard to swallow and therefore the whole story seemed pointless and disappointing. I enjoyed to a degree the flirty banter but even this was over worked, sorry I can only give this one 2 stars, OK for reading on the plane or holiday but don't expect fire works.

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

Five Years From Now by Paige Toon

Five Years From Now by Paige Toon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What if you met the right person at the wrong time?
 
Nell and Van meet as children when their parents fall in love, but soon they are forced worlds apart.

Five years later, they find each other.  Their bond is rekindled and new feelings take hold, but once again they must separate.
 
For the next two decades, fate brings Nell and Van together every five years, as life and circumstance continue to divide them. Will they ever find true happiness? And will it be together?
 


I love all of Paige Toon's novels, however this one I felt didn't live up to her usual high expectations. I thought that this was just 'very nice'. I felt she was trying to make this a tear jerker, don't get me wrong, this did touch me a lot, especially in the last few chapters but I felt that I was expecting a little more.

Nell and Van were bought together by their parents love, sharing everything together from the age of 5. Over the years their lives are taken in different directions and they only seem to be reunited every five years.

This book has very big chapters, something, which if I was reading this after a hard day at work I would have struggled with as I wouldn't have been able to get through a chapter a night. Reading this on holiday though I read it in a couple of sittings so it was absolutely fine. That's just something to be aware of, if like me you like to read a chapter at a time...Although not billed as a young adult, this felt very that.

Although this wasn't my favourite novel by Paige, it wouldn't put me off reading her others, I enjoy most of her books and always look forward to her next one. If you like her books I would recommend you give this one ago.

I would give this 3.5* (rounded up to 4* for Goodreads and Amazon)

Anyone for Seconds? by Laurie Graham

Anyone for Seconds? by Laurie Graham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Life has been going downhill for ex-TV chef Lizzie Partridge ever since she spectacularly ended her television career by throwing a chocolate mousse at the host of Midlands This Morning. Her partner Tom has left her, Nigella and Jamie have got the cookery world sewn up, and now her cookery column - her last bit of work - has been axed. Surely the only way is up from here?

In a desperate bid for sympathy and attention she runs away, from the gas bill and the mouse under the sink, and in wet and wintry Aberystwyth she experiences a brush with her past and a glimmer of new prospects. And when her nephew's girlfriend - a TV producer - has the bright idea to reunite her with her former nemesis and target of the mousse attack in a new show, it seems like things could be going Lizzie's way again after all!


I have to admit from the title I wouldn't have chosen this book and that would have been a great shame as I really enjoyed it. I suppose because the lead character was around my age I could relate to her easily and I liked her cynical take on life.

It follows the adventures of Lizzie Partridge who used to be a TV chef but after a spectacular altercation on air she was unceremoniously dumped and replaced by a younger model. Licking her wounds Lizzie decides no one would miss her if she disappears (secretly hoping it wont take long for her family and friends to miss her) she goes to Aberystwyth and has a little adventure.

I liked Lizzy, funny, sarcastic, over weight, jobless, single, quick witted and great one liners she is a survivor and someone who anyone would like as a good friend.

I won't re-tell the story, it's such a good read you need to read it yourself. Funny and poignant at times with good secondary characters that fitted with her so well. Lots of humour in this book and often hilarious things going on in the background. I liked everything about it, the story, the characters and the easy way this was written. It's an easy 5 stars from me and I look forward to reading more from this author.

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

Love Will Tear Us Apart by Holly Seddon

Love Will Tear Us Apart by Holly Seddon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fearing eternal singledom, childhood friends Kate and Paul make the age-old vow that if they don't find love by thirty, they will marry each other.

Years later, with the deadline of their 30th birthdays approaching, the unlikely couple decide to keep their teenage promise. After all, they are such good friends. Surely that's enough to make a marriage?

Now, on the eve of their 10th wedding anniversary, they will discover that love between men and women is more complex, and more precarious, than they could ever have imagined. As Kate struggles with a secret that reaches far into their past, will the couple's vow become the very thing that threatens their future?

Love Will Tear Us Apart is a moving and heart-breaking exploration of modern love and friendship, from the bestselling author of Try Not to Breathe.


After reading the two other Seddon novels, I was really looking forward to starting this one. Her other two have been psychological thrillers and that's what I expected from this one. However, this was very different. We are lead to believe early on that there is a 'secret' threatening Kate and Paul's marriage, however I thought it was disappointing and I was left feeling, 'so what?'

This is told through two time periods, when Kate and Paul are growing up and about their lives and then married with two children, which is the present day. For me the book took a long time to get going and I kept thinking, soon something major will happen, but I never got that.

Although I did enjoy this, I found the pace a little slow, it felt like nothing much was happening for the majority of the book. I did finish it, but I felt a little deflated by it. I would still read Seddon's next novel but I am hoping she goes back to what she is good at and that is writing great thrillers.

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

The Beachside Guest House by Vanessa Greene

The Beachside Guest House by Vanessa Greene
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When Rosa and Bee get together in the run-up to Bee's wedding, they reminisce about the holiday they took together as teenagers to the beautiful Greek island of Paros. They remember the sandy coves, the guest house in the converted windmill where they stayed with their friend Iona, and the gorgeous local men. As memories of that long-forgotten holiday resurface, they are forced to confront the turns their lives have taken - and the guilt they both feel about letting Iona slip away from them.

When they learn that the windmill guest house is going bust they form a plan: why not go back to the island and take it over themselves? And so begins a life-changing journey - because it turns out that opening a guest house and reliving their teenage dreams isn't that easy . . .


Very easy to read novel perfect for holidays a light and simple read. Three friends end up reuniting and revisiting Greece on the island of Paros a place they visited when they were teenagers and take over the guest house they stayed in all those years ago. They plan to renovate and reopen the windmill guest house to try and create the idyllic memories they had for their guests when they stay there proves to be more problematic than they initially thought and with finances running low and the windmill eating money they are soon worrying that they have made a bad decision.

Typical chic-lit novel with all the trials and tribulations, testing friendships and loyalties, building new relationships and characters finding themselves on this beautiful island.

Good atmospheric scene setting and some humour blended well together held this story for me, the characters were a little weak and predictable as was the ending, no fireworks here, very guessable with no real mystery.

If you're after a gentle easy holiday read this will do the trick, don't expect anything more. Three stars from me.

Paris for One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes

Paris for One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nell's boyfriend has deserted her in Paris . . . alone in the most romantic city in the world, can she forget him to find herself?

Eleven unmissable stories from the author of heart breaking Me Before You, including Paris for One - soon to be a major film - about Nell, deserted by her boyfriend minutes before setting off on a romantic weekend away, and a tale of the early days of two marriages, featuring Liv and Sophie from Jojo Moyes' bestselling romance The Girl You Left Behind.


Some nice little gems of stories in this book. I do enjoy short stories as I can dip in and out of the book when I have time. Some of these stories were longer than the average short story, which was nice. Paris for One I had already read as it was featured one year in the Quickreads so this was not a new one for me. It had been a while since I had read it though and I still enjoyed it.

If you are a fan of Jojo Moyes and women's fiction I do recommend you give this one a go. This book is very light and will help you escape for a few hours.

The Beloveds by Maureen Lindley

The Beloveds by Maureen Lindley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An exploration of domestic derangement in the tradition of Daphne Du Maurier s classic Rebecca, that plumbs the depths of sibling rivalry with wit and menace.
An exploration of domestic derangement, in the tradition of Daphne Du Maurier s classic Rebecca, that plumbs the depths of sibling rivalry with wit and menace.
Oh, to be a Beloved one of those lucky people for whom nothing ever goes wrong. Everything falls into their laps without effort: happiness, beauty, good fortune, allure.
Betty Stash is not a Beloved but her younger sister, the delightful Gloria, is. She s the one with the golden curls, sunny disposition and captivating smile, the one whose best friend used to be Betty s, the one whose husband should have been Betty s. And then, to everyone s surprise, Gloria inherits the family home a vast, gorgeous pile of ancient stone, imposing timbers, and lush gardens that was never meant to be hers. 

Losing what Betty considers her rightful inheritance is the final indignity. As she single-mindedly pursues her plan to see the estate returned to her in all its glory, her determined and increasingly unhinged behaviour aided by poisonous mushrooms, talking walls, and a phantom dog escalates to the point of no return. The Beloveds will have you wondering if there s a length to which an envious sister won t go.



Written in the first person from the central character who is our narrator Betty, The Beloveds is a dark sinister story of obsession and sibling jealousy out of control.

When Betty's mother dies she naturally expects to receive the family home, Pipits, as she is the eldest daughter and it is the way of things. She was never her mothers favourite, that honour went to her younger sister Gloria. So when the house is left to Gloria Betty is furious and vows somehow to get what is rightfully hers.

Bettys' jealousy started from the time Gloria was born. Gloria was such a good baby and developed into a charming child who everyone was attracted to. She had a pretty face and such a sweet character that everyone fell in love with. Betty sees has one of the 'beloveds' - those who manage to get everything in life they want and luck is always on their side.

Against Gloria Betty feels plain and never good enough. Every situation Betty sees as a criticism and so through the years she builds such resentment that she becomes to hate Gloria. Matters were made worse when Betty bought home her boyfriend Henry and once he meets Gloria she looses him to her and they marry. Another thing that gets added to Bettys list against her sister.
Gloria even manages to steal Bettys best friend Alice from her.Betty does marry and although Bert is much older than her it is a convenient arrangement on both their parts.

Betty has always loved Pipits and believes the house talks to her and is willing her to take it off Gloria and Henry and she makes it her mission to do just that at any cost.

This is a dark tale and at times a little voyeuristic because the reader becomes Betty and we spy along with her on those on her list that she wants to destroy. Betty is a psychopath where reasoning and acceptable behaviour don't exist, where she can plausibly justify her actions. She's not a likeable character but there's something that draws the reader in about her, possibly the need to know how far she will go to get what she wants.

Cleverly written with enough suspense to keep you reading and I give this one 4 stars.

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

Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella

Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After being together for ten years, Sylvie and Dan have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, beautiful twin girls, and communicate so seamlessly, they finish each other's sentences. They have a happy marriage and believe they know everything there is to know about each other. Until it's casually mentioned to them that they could be together for another sixty-eight years... and panic sets in.

They quickly decide to create little surprises for each other, to keep their relationship fresh and fun. But in their pursuit of Project Surprise Me - anything from unexpected gifts to restaurant dates to photo shoots - mishaps arise with disastrous and comical results.

Gradually, the surprises turn to shocking discoveries. And when a scandal from the past is uncovered, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other after all...

I love Sophie Kinsella/Madeline Wickham chic lits and was eager to read this latest book. I must confess that although usually easy to get into her novels this one seemed to lack something and never really got going until chapter 5. I stuck with it and it did get better.

The premise was a bit silly to start with: after a check up they are told they are both so healthy they will likely live to be over 100. Freaked out as how to keep their marriage fresh, they decide to constantly surprise each other. Predictably these surprises don't always work out as intended and our hapless couple Sylvie and Dan blunder through disasters along the way.

Some humorous and some silly situations arise but I have to say not my favourite Kinsella book. I think mainly the problem was that I couldn't connect with the couple, Sylvie was moany and self obsessed and Dan seemed a little dim and boring. Can only give this 3 stars - it was disappointing.

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

The Beach Wedding by Dorothy Koomson

The Beach Wedding by Dorothy Koomson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Will your past always catch up with you?

Tessa Dannall is excited and happy when her daughter, Nia, arrives at their family’s tropical beach resort to get married.

Tessa is also trying to forget the last time she went to a wedding on this beach and how that day changed her life for ever.

But as the big day draws near, Tessa realises she must face the deadly ghosts from her past – or they may ruin her daughter’s future...

I love the time of year when Quick Reads release their titles for the year. These are perfect for people on the go, who have a little time but really want to feel like they have read and achieved something.

Koomson is a popular women's fiction writer and has written some very popular books. This is less than 100 pages but didn't feel rushed and had many twists and turns in it.

Nia and Marvin are due to be getting married at Nia's family home in Ghana, this was the same place that her mother was meant to marry her father, but something happened on that faithful day that she doesn't like to speak about. Nia's mother is not so sure it is a good idea that her daughter is to marry in the same place, surely it is bad luck? Things look like they are going ahead anyway and when Marvin's parents turn up a few days early, everything changes.

This was a short story that I devoured in a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon, I would recommend this to anyone who wants a small escapism but can't commit to a full length novel.

On a Beautiful Day by Lucy Diamond blog tour

On a Beautiful Day by Lucy Diamond
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Treasure every moment. Life can change in a heartbeat.

What the fans say: 'Wonderful characters and the stories are always great, with twists and turns' Gemma

It’s a beautiful day in Manchester and four friends are meeting for a birthday lunch. But then they witness a shocking accident just metres away which acts as a catalyst for each of them.


I love Lucy Diamond, her books allow you to really get into and get lost in the story, they are such easy reads. I also love that you can always find a character to relate to and this story is no different.

As soon as I began reading this I was lost in the story. Four best friends witness a tragic accident on the street while they are celebrating a birthday, this is an accident that changes their lives forever.

Over the course of the book we find out each individual story of the four friends, Eve, she finds a lump and is trying to ignore it. She doesn't want to go to the doctors about it, but after yet another accident decides she needs to tell someone, she then instantly regrets her choice. Laura is desperate for a baby but isn't sure it is going to happen. India gets reconnected with someone from her past and secrets start to resurface, and finally Jo moves in with her new boyfriend due to problems with her flat but he has a dreadful teenage daughter who won't warm to her.

This is a brilliant read, I always look forward to a Lucy Diamond novel and this was no different. This book has it all, love, friendship and heartache. A wonderfully written novel that I recommend you read. Also if you haven't read any of Lucy Diamond's books, where have you been? Go grab any of her books, you are guaranteed to love them!

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

Killer Diamonds by Rebecca Chance

Killer Diamonds by Rebecca Chance
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After decades in the spotlight as an Oscar-winning film star and famous beauty, Vivienne Winter is one of the most recognizable women on the planet. When she decides to auction her multimillion dollar jewellery collection for charity, there's no shortage of people eager to buy a piece of her incredible history.

Young, ambitious Christine Smith is a jewellery expert working for a centuries-old auction house. But in a world of aristocratic snobs, her working-class origins are holding her back. She's desperate to secure the sale of Vivienne Winter's gem collection: it's set to be the biggest auction since Elizabeth Taylor's. However, meeting the Hollywood star is just the first hurdle Christine has to jump.

Vivienne's handsome, spoilt and sexy playboy grandson Angel is the heir to her fortune. The anger and resentment he feels towards his grandmother for selling what he'd counted on as one day being his inheritance sets in motion a series of events with deadly consequences. Angel is totally unscrupulous, and no one will emerge from his plotting unscathed. For it seems that family secrets cut sharper than diamonds . . .

Wasn’t really into this book – I felt the story line was weak and the characters didn’t gel with each other or with me as a reader. Having opened up with a murder the book then goes back in time with the central character Vivienne living out her somewhat hedonistic life and neglecting her daughter Pearl who goes on to have her own son Angel and is forced by Vivienne to hand him over to her care in exchange for Vivienne hushing up a rather nasty murder. Angel is damaged and grows up to be outwardly the perfect playboy who eventually ends up working closely with a gems curator Christine Smith who has been asked to catalogue Vivienne’s vast jewellery collection. It sounds like a good plot line and it is but it seemed for me to loose its way and I struggled to finish this one. Yes it had all the trade mark raunchy scenes so that should keep fans happy but I felt it lacked the killer punch so can only give this 3 stars.

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

Bad Brides by Rebecca Chance

Bad Brides by Rebecca Chance
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good brides promise to obey. Bad brides wouldn't dream of it… 

Milly Gambleis an up-and-coming actress, and the perfect English flower child. At 23, she's always been cast as the innocent heroine. But looks can deceive. Calculating and fiercely ambitious, Milly is determined to be the most famous star in England. And how better to achieve her goal than by dating Tarquin Ormond, lead singer of the biggest folk band of the moment? Tarquin is madly in love with Milly; Milly is only in love with herself. 

Brianna Jadeis an all-American pageant girl. The daughter of Tamra Maloney, a stunning billionairess, Brianna is a sweet, pretty girl who is more than happy to go along with her mother's ambitious plans for her. Now Tamra's brought her to the UK and hooked her up with an Earl. He has a crumbling stately home and needs a rich wife to help restore it to its former glory. Tamra is as ambitious and determined as Brianna is sweet and innocent - is this more a case of mother-in-law-zilla than bridezilla? 

Both Milly and Brianna's upcoming weddings will be huge, lavish events that garner national press. But with the cover of the biggest magazine in the country to be won, things are about to get very dirty…


If you love Gilly Cooper and Joan Collins you’ll enjoy Rebecca Chance novels. I had not read her before and although there was a lot of raunchy sex surprisingly the story wasn’t at all bad. Two very different girls both vie to be the cover bride of the glossy magazine Style Bride and the story follows their exploits getting there. The characters are rounded and believable even the secondary characters and as they battle to be top dog they discover more about themselves than they perhaps bargained for. Brianna Jade was much the more likeable bride and her mother Tamara ruthless in her ambitions to get her daughter married to an Earl.

There are some very graphic sex scenes but Rebecca Chance is known for her steamy novels. Despite this it was a well-constructed novel and a good holiday read would give it 4 stars

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

When My Ship Comes In by Sue Wilsher

When My Ship Comes In by Sue Wilsher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Keep the family together, that's what her old mum always said. Put up and shut up. And that's what everyone else did around there.

Essex, 1959. Flo earns her money as a scrubber, cleaning the cruise ships and dreaming of a day when she might sail away from her life in the Dwellings, the squalid tenements of Tilbury docks. Then the Blundell family are evicted from their home.

Fred, Flo's husband, finds work at Monday's, a utopian factory town. Suddenly, it seems like everything is on the up for Flo Blundell and her children. Even Jeanie, Flo's sulking teenage daughter, seems to be thawing a little in her shiny new surroundings.

But when Flo's abusive husband Fred starts drinking again, he jeopardises the family's chance to escape poverty for good.

Flo is faced with a terrible decision. Must she fight to keep her family together? Or could she strive for the life of her dreams - the kind of life she could have when her ship comes in?

Set in 1959 in London Tilbury Docks this is a novel about Flo Blundell and her family and her dreams of a better life for them all. Her husband Fred is a drinker and when they are evicted from their home he finds work at Monday's a factory town. They then seem to be on the 'up' and life is getting better for them, trouble is not far away when Fred starts drinking again and becoming abusive and his behaviour threatens all they have gained. Woman in the 50's had a hard life, they married forever and found it difficult to break away from abusive husbands or to be able to make a life without a man. Flo has a choice to stay and try to keep her family together at the expense of her own happiness or to follow her dreams. Flo has the perfect chance to escape, she is a cleaner on cruise ships bound for Australia and it's not long before she dreams of escaping on one of them to start her life overseas. Inevitably she has to make a choice for herself and her children and she does what she has to do.

Good characterisation, very atmospheric and also portrayed well what life was like at the end of the war for women and also for the men who were lucky to come home alive but were scarred by war. A good 4 star read.

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