30.6.11

I haven't disappeared...

I'm still here! I have just been so busy with one thing or another but I have still been reading so do please pop back for some reviews after the weekend!

23.6.11

Book Review: It Happened One Summer by Polly Williams

After years of romantic drought, Nell is enjoying a thrilling fling with a sexy new man and loving London life, somehow managing to juggle single motherhood with a busy career. Plus, in the city it's easy to avoid her sister who is about to marry Nell's ex. (Yes, messy). Then she gets the news. Please could she return to Tredower, the crumbling old family home in Cornwall for the summer? Disaster. Tredower has no Wi-Fi, harbours her big dysfunctional family, and far worse, memories of her passionate love affairs with the man who is about to become her brother-in-law. The past is another county. Can she go there?
Another woman is making her way west too, carrying an explosive secret. Love will be lost, and found, lives changed for ever...
Nell is struggling to juggle a high pressured career as a journalist with life as a single mum whilst also dipping a toe in the dating pool. When her  brother Ethan asks her to relocate to Cornwall over the Summer to look after their mother, Nell can't think of anything worse. However, after a while and a few problems at work, Nell decides that a summer in Cornwall might just be what she and four year old Cass need.
Nell's family life has been a little stressful over the years; she is not particularly close to her mother and barely speaks to her sister Heather after she ran off with her boyfriend Jeremy who is now Heather's fiance.
After agreeing to care for her mother, Nell is looking forward to a Summer in Cornwall and spending some quality time with her own daughter. But Nell's mother has other plans, she feels that she is near the end and wants the children to decide what happens to Tredower, the family home. So the rest of the family, including Jeremy arrive and Nell does not quite get the relaxing environment that she was hoping for.
It Happened One Summer also has a mystery element to it in the form of April James and her daughter Beth, they are down in Cornwall for the summer and seem to have a particular interest in Tredower and the family living there.
It took me a little while to get into this book but once the action had moved to Cornwall, I found myself really enjoying it. Polly Williams explores just how much family relationships can be tested and I found this to be very interesting and realistic. I liked Nell's character and I eventually came to like her mother Valerie, even though I could completely see how annoying she was.
The Cornish setting is just lovely and I loved reading about Tredower, the crumbling family home holding many secrets and desires.
It Happened One Summer is an absorbing read and I did like Polly Williams writing style, I would very much recommend it.

Many thanks to the lovely people at Headline for sending me a copy of the book to review, it is out now!

21.6.11

Book Review: Now You See Me by S.J. Bolton

Despite her life-long fascination with the infamous Jack the Ripper, young London policewoman Lacey Flint has never worked a murder case or seen a corpse up close. Until now...
As she arrives at her car one evening, Lacey is horrified to find a woman slumped over the door. She has been brutally stabbed, and dies in Lacey's arms. 
Thrown headlong into her first murder hunt, Lacey will stop at nothing to find this savage killer.
But when Lacey receives a familiar letter, written in blood, pre-fixed Dear Boss and hand-delivered, it is clear that a Ripper copycat is at large. And one who is fixated on Lacey herself.
Can this inexperienced detective outwit a killer whose role model has never been found?
I read S.J. Bolton's last book Sacrifice for The Great Transworld Crime Caper and loved it so I jumped at the chance to review her latest one.
Now You See Me follows Lacey Flint who is first on the scene at a viscous murder. Feeling as though she could have done more, Lacey throws herself into the investigation. She had no idea just how much she would become involved, she receives a letter pre-fixed Dear Boss and realises that they have a Jack the Ripper copycat on their hands.
Dana Tullock is heading up the investigation and takes Lacey under her wing. The pressure is on Dana as the bodies start piling up and the finger is pointed at police incompetency. DI Mark Joesbury is helping with the investigation , the tension between him and Lacey is palpable and when it becomes clear that Lacey is a target, it only intensifies.
The police believe that the killer is copying the pattern of Jack the Ripper but then events happen out of sequence or have the wrong hallmarks. How are they meant to draw comparisons between the present and a Victorian serial killer whose identity has never been revealed?
S.J. Bolton does not hold back in her descriptions of the murder victims and this makes for gritty and extremely realistic reading. You could feel how terrified these victims were, just like those murdered by Jack the Ripper.
There is a delicious twist at the end of the book that I didn't see coming at all and I love it when that happens. I can't recommend this book enough, Now You See Me has murder, suspense, sexual tension, drama, blood and guts. I really enjoyed the Jack the Ripper element as it had clearly been well researched and executed
Now You See Me kept me up late into the night and I can't wait for S.J. Bolton's next offering.

Many thanks to the lovely people at Transworld for sending me a copy of the book to review, it is out now.

16.6.11

Book Review: Cold Kill by Neil White

When Jane Roberts is found dead in a woodland area, Detective Sergeant Laura McGanity is first on the scene. The body bears a chilling similarity to a woman- Deborah Corley- murdered three weeks earlier. Both have been stripped, strangled and defiled. 
When reporter Jack Garrett starts digging for dirt on the notorious Whitcroft Estate, he finds himself face-to-face with Jane's father and gangland boss, Don who will stop at nothing until justice is done. It seems that the two murdered women were linked in more ways than one and a dirty secret is about to surface that some would prefer to stay buried. 
As the killer circles once more, Jack and Laura must get to him before he strikes again. But his sights are set on his next victim and he's watching Laura's every move...
Cold Kill is a fantastic, page-turning thriller. We have two victims, one the daughter of a gangland boss and the other the daughter of a police officer. Detective Sergeant Laura McGanity is working on the case and is struggling to find how, if at all, these two women are connected.
Laura's fiance is free-lance reporter Jack Garrett. He cannot use the inside information that Laura tells him so she has to find his own angle on the story. However, he was not expecting to be contacted by the killer who makes it clear that Laura could be his next victim. Laura and Jack have to work together as much as possible but both of their careers create barriers that sees them having to go it alone.
Neil White has created a very interesting story by having Laura and Jack as the main characters. They both have very different reasons for pursuing the killer but they know he must be caught before he claims another victim or Laura herself.
The tension is steadily built up throughout the book and there are many twists and turns towards the end which I didn't see coming.
I think that Cold Kill is a really interesting and clever thriller. I found the characters and situation to be entirely believable. Neil White has written four previous books which I am pleased about and I think he is a writer that I want to read more of.

Many thanks to Avon for sending me a copy of this book to review.

14.6.11

Book Review: Sometimes It Happens by Pauline Barclay

Winning the lottery was just the beginning for Doreen Wilkinson, nothing prepared Doreen for her holiday at Villas Bonitas and nothing prepared Villas Bonitas for Doreen Wilkinson. 
Sometimes It Happens is about secrets, deception, lies, love and laughter. Tears will flow because this is one holiday that will never ever be forgotten by many! 
Sometimes It Happens is a really fun book written by the lovely Pauline Barclay. I read it in just two days and seriously felt as though I had been on a little mini-break in the sun.
Doreen Wilkinson checks into Villas Bonitas with her daughter Trisha. She has just won a lot of money on the lottery, eleven million, three hundred and fifty four thousand, two hundred and ten pounds and nineteen pence to be exact. This luxurious holiday in Spain is just the beginning of Doreen's new life.
Villas Bonitas has a fair few guests staying at the same time and they make this book very entertaining. There are gay barristers Simon and Chicky who are just trying to get away from it all; Jack and Sheila Hoskins who like to think they rule the place and are not impressed by Doreen and her 'new' money. Finally we have Frau Hecks, she lives permanently in Villas Bonitas and is still mourning her late husband. Most of the staff and guests are terrified of this officious German lady but we soon realise that she is a teddy bear underneath the hard exterior.
Doreen is trying to adjust to her new found wealth and mix with these people. She feels inferior until she realises that they are no better than her, especially Sheila and Jack who have a huge skeleton in their closet. Add in to this mix, Pat Greenwood, Doreen's first love who has shown up in Spain, is he just after her money or could this be the real thing?
Sometimes It Happens is a really feel-good read. Pauline Barclay writes with a lot of wit and warmth and this book had me smiling long after I had finished it.

If you would like to find out more about Pauline and her other books then check out her blog here. 

10.6.11

Book Review: Never Mind The Botox by Penny Avis and Joanna Berry

Never Mind The Botox is a series about four professional women all working on the sale of high profile cosmetic surgery business the Beau Street Group. Each book reveals how the women cope with one of the of the most glamorous but challenging deals of their careers, and the dramatic impact it has on their personal lives. With a briefcase in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, can they navigate their way through a surreal world of boob jobs by day and intrigue by night- and still keep their own love lives on track?
Alex Fisher is a high flying lawyer close to making partner and busy planning her perfect wedding to Elliott. But life suddenly becomes complicated when she's faced with a hot junior lawyer on her team and an actress threatening to jeopardise the deal by exposing her dodgy cosmetic surgery. Soon Alex is forced into a series of impossible choices that are all inextricably linked and life will never be the same again. 
Penny Avis and Joanna Berry are writing from first hand experience of working in the city as a corporate lawyer and accountant. Their experience of working in  high powered, corporate environments is clear to be seen in the book and makes it particularly realistic.
Alex is the central character in the first book of this four book series, I took to her immediately. She is extremely ambitious and about to make partner at her law firm but she is still very human and likeable. I often find that career-driven women are often portrayed as complete bitches in books so it was refreshing to read about a successful woman with a likable side.
Alex is engaged to Elliott, their marriage is in less than three months and things are already a little rocky. Elliott is in a band still trying to make it in the music industry and he doesn't seem particularly interested in helping Alex with the wedding plans, she even had to buy her own engagement ring!
Alex knows that the Beau Street Group deal could be her last hurdle to partnership. The deal would secure a huge fee for the firm and allow Alex to prove herself in the cut throat corporate world. As Alex and her team begin to investigate the firm, they come across some botched surgery complaints that threaten the whole deal, especially as they involve celebrities who aren't afraid to go running to the media.
Alex includes Dan, a young American lawyer, on her team. She regrets it immediately, her and Dan had a drunken kiss a while back and she has not been able to get him out of her mind. Alex knows that she must be professional though and focus on the deal. Her personal life needs attention too, she has a wedding to plan and thoughts of Dan to banish.
I have really enjoyed reading Never Mind The Botox and I thought that it had a very interesting feel to it. The characters are well created and there is a lot of humour injected into the book by the character of Alex's mum who is convinced that Alex needs both butterflies and unicorns at her wedding.
Penny Avis and Joanna Berry make a good writing team and I look forward to getting to know the next character in the series.

Many thanks to Troubador for sending me a copy of the book to review.

8.6.11

Book Review: Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner

When Sylvie Serfer met Richard Woodruff in law school, she had wild curls, wide hips, and lots of opinions. Decades later, Sylvie has remade herself as the ideal politician's wife- her hair dyed and straightened, her hippie-chick wardrobe replaced by tailored suits. At fifty-seven, she ruefully acknowledges that her job is staying twenty pounds thinner than she was in her twenties and tending to her senator husband.
Lizzie, the Woodruff's youngest daughter, is a recovering addict, whose mantra HALT (Hungry? Angry? Lonely? Tired?) helps her keep her life under control. Still, at twenty-four, trouble always seems to find her. Her older sister, Diana an emergency room physician, has everything Lizzie failed to achieve- a husband, a young son, the perfect home- and yet she's trapped in a loveless marriage. With temptation waiting in one of the ER's exam rooms, she finds herself craving more. 
When Richard's extramarital affair makes the headlines, the three women are drawn into the painful glare of the national spotlight. Once the press conference is over, each is forced to consider their lives, who they are and who they are meant to be.
I thought this book looked great when it arrived but I have to say that I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I have taken my time reading it, not because I was bored or uninterested but instead because I didn't want it to end.
Sylvie Serfer is the perfect senator's wife to her husband Richard. She makes sure that she looks pristine, says the right things and never puts a foot wrong. Which is why it comes as such a shock when she learns that Richard has been having an affair. It's hard enough for any woman in that situation but Sylvie has to endure her private life being played out on national TV for everyone and anyone to pass comment on.
Sylvie decides to get away from it all and heads to the family's house in Connecticut. Here she doesn't have to worry about putting on a few pounds or dying her hair but how long can she shut the real world away for?
Out in the real world are Sylvie and Richard's daughters, Diana and Lizzie who couldn't be more different from each other. Diana is an ER doctor, juggling a stressful career with a husband she no longer loves and a young son that she dotes upon. When one of the interns catches her eye, she can't believe hoe reckless she can be, is her marriage really that bad that she would risk losing it all?
Lizzie is the baby of the family at twenty four, she is a recovering addict who is trying to prove herself to everyone, especially her own family. Lizzie has had her addiction under control for a while but will she survive the latest family drama?
Sylvie is trying to protect her daughters from the humiliation that Richard has caused. But when they come to stay with her in Connecticut, she realises that she may have spent too much time being the perfect wife and not enough time understanding what her daughters were going through. Could this be her second chance to be the mother she always intended to be and where does Richard fit into this new family?
I'm so excited that Jennifer Weiner has written seven other books as I loved her writing style. I am very close to my older sister and I think that the author completely captured the special bond that sisters and mothers and daughters have. The book moved at a really good pace and each chapter focuses on either Sylvie, Diana or Lizzie so we get a good understanding of all of them and their family dynamic.
Fly Away Home was such an enjoyable read, I highly recommend it and hope to bring you reviews of Jennifer Weiner's other books in the future.

Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy of the book to review, it is out now !

6.6.11

Book Review: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time by Yasutaka Tsutsui

One of Tsutsui's best known and most popular works in his native Japan, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is the story of a fifteen year old school girl Kazuko, who accidentally discovers that she can leap back and forth in time. In her quest to uncover the identity of the mysterious figure that she believes to be responsible  for her paranormal abilities, she'll have to push the boundaries of space and time, and challenge the notions of dream and reality. 
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is one of the author's best known stories in Japan and has even been made into an anime film. It is definitely a story or novella rather than a full blown book as it is only 105 pages long in total.
I am a little undecided about this one, I think that sometimes you lose the essence of a book when it is translated. It felt a little disjointed at times and stilted; I may not have felt this way if reading in the original Japanese.
As I have said, it is very short so although I liked Kazuke, I didn't really feel as though I got to know her in any way. It doesn't feel like the book is long enough to allow you to invest emotionally in the characters.
However, I must remember that this is a YA book intended for quite a young audience. I do think that the book would make a great talking point and could be used to explore the idea of time-travel and all of the imaginative possibilities that holds.
I suppose in some ways, I could have done with the book being a little longer but if the book was being used in a YA setting then it would be the perfect length to promote group discussion.
Don't let my review put you off, at 105 pages, it is short enough for you to find out for yourselves.

Many thanks to Alma Books for sending me a copy to review.

2.6.11

Book Review: Persuasion by Jane Austen

Eight years ago, Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth fell head over heels in love. But Anne's snobbish family put a stop to their engagement, believing the young naval captain wasn't good enough for her. Pretty, intelligent Anne soon realises it was a terrible mistake, and spends her twenties in the shadow of her father and her selfish sisters. But she never forgets.
Then Captain Wentworth- by now a successful, wealthy man, looking for a wife- walks back into her life. Can he forgive her? Does he still love her? And could they ever be happy after all this time?
By turns achingly sad and intensely romantic, Persuasion is the ultimate wish-fulfilment novel about love lost and regained. It's a true Cinderella story, for anyone who's ever felt overlooked or anyone who's ever had their heart broken...
Persuasion was the only Jane Austen novel that I hadn't read. I can't say that it has taken the place of Pride and Prejudice as my favourite but I still enjoyed it.
As the blurb says, it is very much a Cinderella story, Anne Elliot is very much put upon and overlooked by her other family members. Her opinion is never sought and her feelings are very rarely considered. Anne Elliot was not allowed to marry Frederick Wentworth as he was deemed below her. She has spent the subsequent years wondering what would have been and feeling the loss of a relationship so it comes as a shock when Frederick Wentworth comes back into her life. He is now Captain Wentworth, having gained both success and a considerable fortune, he is now considered very much a catch. Anne does not find it easy to spend time in his company, especially as it appears that he is on the look out for a wife and several women in her company have their sights firmly set on him.
Persuasion is classic Jane Austen, the path of romance in no way runs smoothly. There are misunderstandings, unrequited love and the dreaded social etiquette of the day. Anne is very different from her family so it seems even harder when they are able to make decisions on her behalf. I was willing Anne to get the relationship that she yearned for. I felt that she truly deserved to be loved by someone who would appreciate who she is and what she had to offer. Captain Wentworth is a good hero, for me he is not as attractive as Mr Darcy but I did like how determined he was and I felt that he and Anne were extremely well matched.
Persuasion is a beautiful story and I am very pleased that I took the time to read it.

1.6.11

COMPETITION WINNERS: Here Come the Girls by Milly Johnson and Die For Me by Amy Plum

Okay I have two competition winners to reveal today! Dr S did his duty and picked the winning names out of my magic cup. So the winner of Here Come the Girls is:

That is Jules from The Great, The Good and The Bad, I shall email you to get your address and also pass this on to the lovely and generous Milly Johnson who will be sending you bag and a bookmark!

The winner of Die For Me by Amy Plum is:

Iffath! Well done, I shall email you two then get everything posted at the weekend!

Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter and the publishers for the fabulous books! I shall hopefully have another giveaway next week so pop back!

All change here!

I have made the decision to stop doing written reviews on here for a little while. I shall keep this page open but for the time being I sha...