Chronicles of a Lincoln Park Fashionsita by Aven Ellis

As a lover of chick-lit and all thngs girly, the draw for this book had the be the title.

Avery Andrews, fresh out of college and working as an assistant in a role she isn’t looking to make a permenant career is suprised when she is offered a role on a reality show documenting her daily life both at home and at work. Of course she jumps at the chance as she is tired of being labelled as a “fashionista looking for a husband”.

Deke is assigned as her videographer. This is chick lit, so of course this man is, as Avery would descirbe DPG (drop dead gorgeous) and of course things don’t go as smoothly as they should.

Avery is in love with another man. Deke is involved with another woman. Avery, although working for Premier Airlines, is afraid of flying, which alomst stops her from making a life-changing decision.

So, does the author hear the cries of chick-lit lovers across the land and create of happy ending for two equally loveable characters? Does Avery make that life changing decision? Well, I’m not going to spoil the surprise now am I? You’re just going to have to read it to find out for yourself. I will tell you I was NOT disappointed and look forward to reading more work from this author. So, now the evenings are turning longer and chillier, why not grab a cupppa and curl up on the sofa with this book. Make sure you lock the door and take the phone off the hook as you will not want to be disturbed. I finished this book in two evenings as I found it impossible to put down.

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A Single Step by Georgia Rose

I found this book through reviews on Twitter and am happy I did.

I am a sucker for romance and mystery and I loved this book as it had both in equal measures. The characters and plot are believable and original. I felt myself warming to the main characters as their turbulent and complex (and often tear-jerking) back stories were explained. Unexpected romance unfolds throughout the story and the mystery and twists at every turn means this is certainly not a predicable, mushy, boy-meets-girl love story.

Told in the first person we see protagonist, Emma Grayson, start a new life after suffering a terrible time in her life. As she starts a new job running the stables on a huge manor estate she is introduced to a number of male colleagues and has to make it clear that she has not interest in romance of any kind. Soon after her arrival, we meet handsome and somewhat stern and standoffish Trent. It is obvious from the start that Trent is a complex character and that there is a lot Emma doesn’t know, or even wants to know. It is perfectly clear that they are not going to be best of friends. However, things turn sinister and they both have to swallow their pride and let each other in a little. I will not spoil this book revealing too much more.

There are some points in the story that are a little slow and maybe not entirely necessary but did not take away from my enjoyment of the story and I am definitely looking forward to reading the next two books in the trilogy.

Round and Round by Terry Tyler

Many thanks, first of all, to Terry Tyler for sending a copy of Round and Round for review.

Life begins at forty? Not if you listened to Sophie Heron’s mother. After years of listening to her mother declaring that it’s all downhill after hitting the big four-o, she was dreading the big milestone.

After losing weight her confidence rocketed. Her relationship with Chris is steady, apart from a fling with his ex, and she is promoted at work.

Her job takes her away from home through the week and she meets a variety of new people.

Valentine’s Day 1998 sees Sophie receive four Valentine cards. Who should she choose? How can she make this choice? Auntie Flick of course. Sophie’s auntie promised on her death bed that she would always be watching over her as her guardian angel. Now she needed her more than ever.

Years later, with her relationship with Chris on its last legs, she has a series of dreams. Dreams that show her how life may have been had she made a different choice.

As a big believer in fate and guardian angels I loved this book. The twist at the end made it all the more believable. Terry’s talent for writing about believable characters in believable situations really shines through in this book. Let’s face it we’d all like to think there’s someone watching over our every move and guiding us through life.

This is a great weekend read if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary with a twist.

Bootcamp Bride by Lizzie Lamb

Bootcamp Bride is a real must-have for the beach this summer.

Charlee Montague, a feisty rookie reporter, desperate for her big break, is paired with experienced, and not unattractive, photographer Rafa Fonsecca-Ffinch for an assignment she cannot refuse.

Posing as an engaged couple, Charlee is sent to a bridal bootcamp in the Norfolk marshes to get the gossip on model Anastasia Markova and her husband-to-be, while Rafa gets some juicy snapshots.

Rafa makes it quite clear from the start that the engagement is purely for show and as soon as the assignment is over, so is the “engagement”.

Charlee has more intelligence that she is given credit for and realises early on that there is more to this story than a few photos and candid quotes from Anastasia. She is smart enough to figure out that there is something Finch isn’t telling her. Something about his past that he hasn’t quite been able to put to rest and she is determined for find out exactly what it is, even if it means putting herself in danger.

This novel pulls you in right from the start and the mystery and intrigue keeps you hooked and guessing right to the end. With characters you can believe in and a fast paced storyline, I promise you, once you pick up Bootcamp Bride you will not want to put it down.

Ignoring Gravity by Sandra Danby

I received an advance copy of Ignoring Gravity by Sandra Danby in exchange for an honest review. So here goes. 

Drama? Check. Suspense? Check. Romance? Check. Will-they-won’t-they? Check. Great twists? Check, check, check! I am please to say this story has them all and then some.

 Think you know who you are? So did journalist Rose Haldane until she uncovered a heartbreaking secret when clearing out her late mother’s possessions.

 Rose and Lily have grown-up as sisters, until Rose finds her mother’s diary and discovers that she was adopted. She embarks upon a mission to find her birth parents, but nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover.

 Her sister has her own problems. She is desperate for a baby, so desperate in fact that she has planned pregnancy friendly meals for herself and her husband, is taking vitamins and coffee is a definite no-no, but how is she ever going to fall pregnant when her husband is rarely around.

Then there’s Nick Maddox, a debonair businessman who Rose has been lucky enough to interview for a feature in the magazine she works for and can’t stop thinking about. Blowing hot and cold has her mind spinning. As if it wasn’t spinning enough. The will-they-won’t they aspect kept my interest as well as the main story.

Secrets and lies are uncovered at every turn, making this novel a real page turner.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend to anyone who enjoys family drama/women’s fiction.

Author: Sandra Danby

Book title: Ignoring Gravity

Publication date: September 2014 [prov]

Genre: women’s fiction

Author’s website: http://www.sandradanby.com/

Desperately Ever After by Laura Kenyon

And they all lived happily ever after…..or did they?

Desperately Ever After is like a Disney version of Sex and the City.

We catch up with the Disney princesses to find that the immortal final line of so many of our favourite fairy tales is in fact completely false.

Belle has seen her Beast turn into a cheat. Cinderella, now a mother to four young children is bored with royal life and, as she approaches her 30^th birthday starts to wonder what she has actually done with her life. Penelopea, she of multiple mattress fame, is keeping a massive secret from the world, whilst trying to live up to her mother-in-law’s standards.

Then there’s Rapunzel, a strong, independent woman who has built up so many barriers that she can’t let in her very own Prince Charming.

It took me no time at all to re-engage with the characters I loved as a child, and actually felt as though they have grown up with me. I felt as though I was reading an adult version of the fairytales I have read over and over.

This story has it all, humour, adventure, drama, suspense all mixed in with a touch of fairytale magic.

I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait for the sequel.

If you love chick-lit, you cannot miss this.

Holding Paradise by Fran Clark

The Blurb
On a grey and miserable morning in 2008, London businesswoman, Angelica Ford boards a plane and flies off to the blues and greens of her mother’s island in the Caribbean. Angelica is desperate. She is looking for a way to save her marriage and win back her daughter. A web of lies has torn a hole into her seemingly perfect world and she is convinced that only her mother, Josephine Dennis, can help her turn her life around.

Josephine Dennis arrived in England by ship on a cold winter’s morning as a young mother joining her husband. She weathers a lifetime of secrets and betrayal, as she raises her family in 1960s London. A matriarch with strong family values, she told her children colourful stories to guide them through life. It is the wisdom of one of these stories that Angelica seeks. Josephine has one last story to tell – the story that could change both of their lives.

Review
I have to admit this it took me a couple of chapters to really get into this book, but I am happy I persevered.

Written from two different viewpoints we find out why Angelica Ford feels the need to board a plan to the Caribbean to visit her mother, Josephine Dennis.

We learn that her marriage and family life is in trouble as a result of secrets, lies and misunderstandings. Can Angelica’s mother’s advice help?

Josephine followed her husband to England in the 1960s. Raising a young family and dealing with other family issues, Josephine is a strong woman. Strong enough to deal with her husband’s infidelities. Josephine is the strong woman sought out by Angelica.

I would have liked a little bit more drama in this story. Both women were a little to understanding and forgiving for me. However, I did like the plot line and Fran Clark’s storytelling style.

The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

Jess is a struggling single mother living on the south coast. Making ends meet working two jobs to provide for Nicky, her loner stepson whose life is being made miserable by local bullies and Tanzie, her maths whiz daughter.

Ed has made a big mistake and is now being investigated by the FSA and has been advised to leave London for a while.

Nicky’s life is being made a living nightmare by local bullies for daring to be different. His long dark hair and mascara making him an easy target.

Tanzie is offered a scholarship in a top school. Jess knows this is a massive opportunity for Tanzie but there is now way she can afford the fees. That is until Tanzie is told of an Olympiad offering a £5000 prize. It seems all their prayers have been answered, but how will they get there. Jess cannot afford the train fares and the car sitting in the garage is untaxed, uninsured and barely even roadworthy.

Ed becomes an unlikely knight in shining armour and offers to take them and their huge bear of a dog to Scotland in his new car.

The journey begins and a tale of love, hurt, betrayal, fear, disappointment and hope unfolds with a few laughs and a few tears along the way. A real page-turner which proved difficult to put down.

If you liked Me Before You, you will love this brilliantly written hear warming tale.

Kings and Queens by Terry Tyler

Having read all of Terry’s books to date I was really looking forward to her latest novel. I am pleased to say I was not disappointed.

This novel mirrors the life of Henry VIII (minus the beheadings!) and his six wives. Set between the years of 1971 – 2007 we see the life and marriages of Harry Lanchester, Chairman and MD of Lanchester Estates, a property developer firm inherited from his late father. We are told the story from the perspectives of each wife and also his life-long friend, Will.  

We follow Cathy, his first wife. Loyal and stubborn she was his longest serving wife, until the arrival of the stunningly beautiful and ballsy Annette Hever, a character you know you should hate but cant help but fall in love with. Sweet and caring Jenny, everyone’s favourite, bears him his first son before a tragic accident. Hannah comes along at the “right time” and Harry is soon back to his womanising ways. She is followed by gold-digger Keira, whose young head is turned by an older, richer man. The final section of the novel is dedicated final wife, Kate, two-times divorcee and psychiatric nurse.

I felt like I should dislike sexist and chauvinistic Harry but I couldn’t help but fall in love with the character. A true testament to Terry’s wonderful story telling.

The novel also ends neatly and paves the way for the sequel, which I for one am really looking forward to.

The novel ends neatly and paves the way for the sequel, which I for one am really looking forward to.

You don’t know the story of Henry VIII? No matter, Terry has put a helpful mini guide at the beginning of this book for those interested, though this book can be read without any prior knowledge of our most married monarch.

Cannot recommend this book enough.

How To Fall In Love by Cecelia Ahern

I have read most of Cecelia Ahern’s novels and I am yet to be disappointed.

Although the title may suggest a happy, fluffy love story, it is far from being the same old boy-meets-girl-falls-in-love-and-everyone-lives-happily-ever-after chick lit.

Yes, boy and girl do meet and yes there is indeed a love story running throughout but this is also a dark and moving tale.

What would you do if you saw a man threatening to throw himself from a bridge? Dial 999? Walk on by pretending not to have noticed? Stand with other onlookers waiting for the inevitable?

Christine Rose does none of these and instead decides to try and help this man. After managing to talk down the devastatingly attractive Adam from his place on the ledge she strikes a deal with him. She promises to show him how wonderful his life can be before his thirty-fifth birthday, in twelve days. He in return promises not to kill himself before then.

Christine starts on the journey not realising how serious Adam’s problems are, but she is determined not to give up on him.

Christine has other problems to deal with; an estranged husband, a bereaved friend and two less than sympathetic sisters and their father.

Cecelia Ahern’s talent for writing about believable and loveable characters really shines through in this latest novel and also managers to inject a little humour into what is ultimately a dark subject.

Highly recommended.