REVIEW

Summer Nights at The Moonlight Hotel

by

Jane Costello

Review

I have read every one of Jane Costello’s books and always eagerly await the publication of the next one and so as soon as I received a copy of this I couldn’t wait to get stuck in! I have read some of the author’s books whilst lounging on a sun bed and have had many laugh out loud moments, but just couldn’t wait that long to read this one!!

Lauren, Cate and Emily are friends who have lived in the Lake District all their lives. As much as they love living there, they are always trying to find things to do. So when a dance class starts up in the local hotel called The Moonlight Hotel, what could possibly go wrong!

Lauren is a teacher who longs to pack her bags and go backpacking around Australia, whilst fellow teacher Edwin (who Lauren has fancied forever) is secretly planning to teach in Singapore. Will Cupid fire his arrow in their direction?

The girls love their dance class, especially when some fit guys called Joe and Will turn up! Things start to get interesting!! Emily takes a shine to Joe and Cate and Will become more than just dance partners!! Little did they all know that things were about to take a downward turn when they find out that the Moonlight hotel is to be sold – and worse still, who the new owner is!!

There was a great mix of characters in this book and I can honestly say, I liked all of them for different reasons! It never failed to disappoint with the LOL moments and I might even put my neck out to say I think this is the author’s best novel yet!!

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED IT! Hurry up with the next one please Jane!

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I'm SO excited to reveal the cover for Julia Williams new book Make A Christmas Wish

Last Christmas, when Livvy was knocked down in the supermarket car park, she certainly wasn’t ready to actually be dead! For months now she’s floated on the edge of the afterlife, generally making a nuisance of herself.

And she’s not ready to go just yet! She’s furious about the new woman in her husband’s life and she’s worried about her beloved son who doesn’t seem to be adjusting to life without her at all.

This Christmas, Livvy is given one last magical chance to make everything right. Will she take it and give her family the perfect Christmas?

Perfect for fans of CAROLE MATTHEWS, TRISHA ASHLEY and JENNY COLGAN.

Author bio:

Julia has always made up stories in her head, and until recently she thought everyone else did too. She grew up in London, one of eight children, including a twin sister. She married Dave, a dentist, in 1989, and they have four daughters. After the birth of the second Julia decided to try her hand at writing. Since then she has written 8 hugely popular novels, selling over a quarter of a million copies in the UK alone, and hitting the Sunday Times bestseller list.

Reviewer in the Spotlight............

The utterly brilliant Brook Cottage Books have very kindly taken me on as a reviewer since starting my blog and have chosen me to be their Reviewer in the Spotlight this week! Why not take a look and you never know, you might find out something interesting about me!!

http://brookcottagebooks.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/reviewer-in-spotlight-julie-boon.html

My sister's Secret by Tracy Buchanan Blog Tour 

Willow’s memories of her parents are sun-drenched and full of smiles, love and laughter. But a mysterious invitation to a photographic exhibition exposes a secret that’s been buried since a tragic accident years ago.

Willow is forced to question everything she knew about Charity, her late mother, and Hope, the aunt she’s lived with since she was a child.

How was the enigmatic photographer connected to Willow’s parents? Why will Hope not break her silence?

Willow cannot move forward in her life without answers. But who can she really trust? Because no one has been telling the truth for a very long time.

ADDICTIVE, GRIPPING and EMOTIONALLY POWERFUL, this is the perfect read for your summer holiday escape.

About the Author

Tracy Buchanan is a web journalist and producer who lives in Milton Keynes with her husband and daughter and their one-eyed Jack Russell. Tracy travelled extensively while working as a travel magazine editor, sating the wanderlust she developed while listening to her Sri Lankan grandparents' childhood stories - the same wanderlust that now inspires her writing.

Review

This is the first book of Tracy Buchanan's I have read. I do have The Atlas of Us on my TBR pile, but am embarrassed to say I haven't got around to reading it yet! so when I was asked to review My Sister's Secret for a Blog Tour I jumped at the chance. 

The cover straight away got me excited! I do love a good thriller and stories that get the pulse racing and this book doesn't disappoint.

It is the story of the lives of three sisters Faith, Hope and Charity! All have different personalities and different outlooks on life and as the book progresses secrets unravel and it is so clever how the characters weave in and out of each other's lives. Later on in the book Charity's daughter Willow tries to find out more about her parent's lives and the reasons why her aunt kept secrets.

I really don't want to give too much away, but I loved most of the characters (but the few that I didn't quite like were justified!!) and I thought the author described them brilliantly and how they all came together was really quite believable.

I am a bit of a slow reader, but I managed to finish this book in a couple of days it was that unputdownable! Definitely had a bit of a book hangover when I finished this one. Well done to the author and The Atlas of Us has just shot up my TBR pile!!

I found it quite difficult to write this review, as I didn't want to give too much away, but wanted to let you know what a great read it is!

Thank you to Avon Books for letting me review and be a part of the Blog Tour for this wonderful book.

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Why not enter Tracy Buchanan's Competition!

The Doctor's Daughter

by

Vanessa Matthews 

Blog Tour

 

 

 

A prominent psychiatrist's daughter realises insanity can be found much closer to home when she unlocks secrets from the past that threaten to destroy her future.

 

It's 1927, women have the right to vote and morals are slackening, but 23-year-old Marta Rosenblit is not a typical woman of her time. She has little connection with her elder sisters, her mother has been detained in an asylum since Marta was born and she has spent her life being shaped as her father Arnold's protégé.

 

She is lost, unsure of who she is and who she wants to be. Primarily set in Vienna, this dark tale follows her journey of self-discovery as she tries to step out of her father's shadow and find her identity in a man's world. Her father's friend Dr Leopold Kaposi is keen to help her make her name, but his interest is not purely professional and his motivations pose greater risks than she could possibly know. Marta's chance encounter in a café leads to a new friendship with young medical graduate Elise Saloman, but it soon turns out that Elise has some secrets of her own.

 

When Marta's shock discovery about her family story coincides with her mother's apparent suicide, Marta can't take anymore. Nobody she has grown to love and trust is who they seem. Her professional plans unravel, her relationships are in tatters and her sanity is on the line - and one person is behind it all.

 

 

 

 

Review

 

I was asked by the author herself to read and review The Doctor's Daughter and gladly agreed to review and be a part of the Blog Tour. It's really lovely and very humbling for me when an author contacts you direct after seeing you on Twitter, or hopefully seeing my Blog!!

 

Before I read it I had a few Twitter conversations with the author and she said that whether or not I liked the book, it will make me mad, glad and sad. It certainly did that!!

 

The book is mainly based in Vienna and is about a young woman called Marta who is the daughter of a Psychiatrist. Her father, as with most of the male characters in this book, is domineering, egotistical and (for want of a better word) sly!

 

Marta herself, is trying to be her own woman in a man's world, but has to deal with her own demons. I felt the author dealt with some often taboo subjects very well and it mad me sympathetic towards Marta as she felt very confused towards her family as her Mother was in an institution because of Mental Health and she had her own dealings with the illness going on.

 

This was a very dark story, but one I enjoyed reading and the author was right. I didn't like the male characters (who made me mad), the way in which Marta beat her demons to get on in life (made me glad) and the story of her poor Mother and how she was treated (made me sad)!!

 

Well done Vanessa for a stunning story and I absolutely love the book cover!

 

Thank you for letting me read this lovely book.

 

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About the Author

 

 

In 2014, the first draft of my novel The Doctor's Daughter was fortunate enough to be selected for a Free Read by The Literary Consultancy (TLC), a manuscript assessment that is awarded on merit and received interest from a number of literary agents and publishing houses.

My debut poetry collection 'Melodies of my Other Life' was published by indie press Winter Goose Publishing in 2013. Since then I have been featured in several poetry publications and have developed my fiction writing skills through training with the Arvon Foundation.

I have been writing since my teens and during my career have penned several feature articles printed in the national media. In 2012 I started a 30-day writing and blogging challenge during which I won two poetry contests. I regularly update my blog www.ordinarylifelessordinary.wordpress.com with poetry, short stories and author interviews.

I live in Cornwall, England with my husband and four children. I am 38 years old.







This book post made my day.......

Yesterday I received in the post a copy of Kate Rhode's latest book in the Alice Quentin series which is due to be published on 18th June (my birthday!!). So can you imagine how delighted and overwhelmed I was to not only receive a copy hot off the press, but to find out that Kate has mentioned me on page 323 in her acknowledgements!! 

I love Kate Rhode's work and came across her books quite by accident when I was researching about the Crossbones Cemetery in South East London and by Googling the name I saw her first book in the series Crossbones Yard on Amazon and promptly bought it! From then on I have been hooked on her work and always eagerly await her new books. 

I constantly badger her on Twitter, asking when the next instalment is due (sorry Kate!) and have even made a few Twitter friends in the process!! 

Thank you Kate for writing such gripping, spine tingling novels that have me gripped from beginning to end and always leave me wanting more. I love them!

Bride Without A Groom Blog Tour

I am delighted to be hosting this Blog Tour as part of the "Wedding Season" during May and June on my blog. I mentioned to the author Amy Lynch that I wanted to read as many wedding themed books as I could during May and June and she very kindly agreed that I could take part in the blog tour! Thank you Amy!!

About the Author

Amy Lynch is an author of women’s commercial fiction and writing is her passion. She loves to write humorous romantic fiction, but not always with fairy tale endings! She has published fiction in magazines, and has worked in the charity sector for twelve years. She is married with two young children. When she is not writing, Amy can be found juggling school lunches and two Shetland pony-sized rescue dogs. Now, how’s that for multi-tasking? Amy is the author of two novels, Bride Without A Groom and Does My Bump Look Big In This? Her third novel is in progress. 

Sypnosis

Single, coupled-up or married, this laugh-out-loud summer read is the perfect anecdote for the wedding season!

Rebecca has chosen the most luscious, five tiered, wedding cake. The engagement ring that she has selected is celebrity inspired. The wedding singer is on speed dial. He doesn’t usually do Michael Bolton, but as it’s for a first dance he’ll make an exception. Father Maguire is checking dates for the parish church as we speak. The deposit on the white sand honeymoon is paid for in full on Barry’s card. She has fallen for an ivory lace couture gown that is to die for. The down payment may require her to sell a left kidney, but it will be worth it. Isn’t that why you have two?

There’s one teeny tiny problem. It’s nothing, really. No need to panic! It’s just that Barry has yet to propose. Says he’s not ready! He can be a bit of a kill joy that way. It’s time to face the harsh reality – Rebecca is a bride without a groom!

Review

Well, what can I say about Rebecca, other than she would win any award for “Bridezilla of the Year” hands down but surely you should wait until you are asked first!! Although saying that, my husband never proposed to me properly so sometimes you have to take the bull by the horns (so to speak!).

There were some really funny bits in the book and one of my particular favourites was when Rebecca goes to a zumba class with her Mum. I love the way the author tells the story using Irish language and “feck” does pop up now and again and this always makes me laugh!

I did feel the middle of the book sometimes repeated itself but on the whole it was a light hearted, funny look at a woman who is just desperate to get married. Her intended, Barry seemed a bit of a drip, but in the end he did things his way and on his terms, which made Rebecca realise what she was doing and to slow down a bit!

I didn’t warm to Rebecca at all and found her quite irritating and the fact that she is so untidy would drive me mad! 

Even though Rebecca drove me potty sometimes, I did enjoy this book and it had some great laughs in it and would definitely like to read Amy's next book!! Well done Amy and thank you for letting me read it.

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As part of "Wedding Season" on my Blog, I am delighted to be a part of Bride Without A Groom Blog Tour. Join me on 21st May for my review.....................

There have been a few clues along the way!!

Will Rachel get her Groom? You'll just have to wait and see.....................

The Day We Disappeared by Lucy Robinson

Annie has a secret. But if she's not going to tell, we won't either. It's a heart-breaking secret she wishes she didn't have - yet Annie isn't broken, not quite yet. Especially now there's someone out there who seems determined to fix her.

Kate has run away. But she's not going to tell us why - that would defeat the point of running, wouldn't it? It's proving difficult to reinvent herself, however, with one person always on her mind.

Scratch beneath the surface and nobody is really who they seem. Even Annie and Kate, two old friends, aren't entirely sure who they are any more. Perhaps you can work it out, before their pasts catch up with them for good . . .

Review
I had heard so many great reviews of this book that I just had to buy a copy and find out what all the fuss was about! I wasn’t disappointed. The Prologue alone got my heart racing and “the twist” that everyone kept talking about was exceptional and I admit, I had to go back and re-read a few pages as I thought I had missed something!!

I am not going to delve into the storyline too much because I just don’t want to give any spoilers, but it tells the story of Annie who loses her Mum at such a young age and how she has to cope with that growing up and how her world changes when she meets Stephen Flint, who seems too good to be true………

Then there’s Kate who is running away to start a new life in a riding stables even though she doesn’t know the first thing about horses! As you read you just want to know why and what she is running away from and why she is so nervous and agitated all of the time.

The way the story comes together is just brilliant. I won’t say any more than that, other than you will only find out if you read it as I am giving nothing away!!

This is my first Lucy Robinson book but if this one was anything to go by, it certainly won’t be my last!!

*****

Welcome to the month of May and it's the time of year where I always start to think of weddings (I do love a good wedding!!) and so I hope to read as many "wedding" themed books during May and June as I can. I have a couple of Blog Tours this month, one being Amy Lynch's debut novel Bride without a Groom. So come along as..................

One week to go...............

The Lie by C L Taylor Book Launch Party

Last night I went to the wonderful new Harper Collins buildings in London Bridge for my very first "Official" book launch as a Book Blogger! It was to launch C L Taylor's 2nd thriller The Lie and I will be reviewing it on my blog on Friday 24th April 2015.

I was really excited (but also nervous) as I was going to meet several fellow bloggers for the first time even though I have had numerous conversations with them on Twitter! I needn't have worried though, as they were all really lovely and a couple in particular have been very helpful in giving me advice whilst getting my blog up and running and for that I am truly grateful.

The author, Cally Taylor, is absolutely delightful and I was captivated when she read an excerpt from The Lie. I absolutely loved her first thriller The Accident, so this one had a lot to live up to and it certainly didn't disappoint (I won't say any more, you will just have to read my review!!).

The new Harper Collins building is fab, with gorgeous views over London, but as someone who suffers from Vertigo, I couldn't go near the edge of the windows, but the views were magnificent all the same!!

Thank you to Avon Books and Cally Taylor for inviting me to the book launch. All I can say is you must read this book.......................and roll on thriller number 3!!!

All the Dark Secrets by Jennie Felton 

I begged the author and her publisher constantly for a copy of this book and boy am I glad I did!! The author also writes under the name of Amelia Carr and I have read most of her books and loved them so I knew I would feel the same about this one. 

All the Dark Secrets is the first novel in a series, mostly about the Donovan family who live in a mining community in a row of houses where the majority of the men in the family work down the pit. Maggie Donovan is the only daughter of Patrick and Rose and she has 3 brothers. Billy is her youngest brother and I really fell in love with his character, as he was so gentle and sensitive, but always getting picked on by the other boys in the street.

Sometimes with family sagas you can get confused as there seem to be a lot of characters, but the author expertly explains who each character is and I totally admired Maggie and could just imagine what she looked like with her dark hair and “Irish eyes”!

Sometimes with books if there is a dark, nasty character, it makes me really anxious (but I think that is extremely good as it means the author has done a good job in describing what the character is like!!) and this book was no exception! Reuben is a spoilt, selfish, nasty, manipulative (need I go on!!!) excuse of a man and it made my heart race whenever I was reading about what he was getting up to, but I loved the suspense of it all!

This book has everything a family saga should have – happiness, extreme sadness, love, death, births etc but above all it was a real page turner and even though I am not a particularly fast reader, I read it in a couple of days. The only thing now is that I will have to wait until September for the next instalment which will be called The Miner’s Daughter. Thank you Jennie for writing such a wonderful book. The only down side now is that I am having a serious book hangover!! 

*****