Christmas with Miss Austen by Laura Briggs

Julia Allen is a waitress by day, painter by night, and…a famous 1800s authoress on weekends?

Moonlighting as Jane Austen for a historical open house is a strange hobby for a contemporary artist, but Julia loves the role–until she falls asleep and gets locked inside after all the visitors are gone! Rushing home from the dark, historical mansion, she collides with a stranger in the snowy park, and discovers later her shortcut cost her the rare copy of Austen’s Northanger Abbey borrowed from a friend’s treasured collection.

Book historian Eliot Weston thinks he imagined the Regency-era figure, but the book he finds in her wake proves otherwise. The first edition of Jane Austen’s novel is authentic and incredibly rare, but he fails to find any trace of its owner. Reminders of the unusual encounter keep popping up, however, like the pretty modern artist eager to buy an identical volume. Coincidence? Or Divine intervention making it clear this is anything but an ordinary Christmas for these two hearts?

A huge thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book for review. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I am one of those people that wants Christmas to be all year round and loves nothing more than Christmas trees, lights, wrapping presents and winter days, so reading a wintry, Christmas book in August is just what I needed to get me looking forward to this years festivities!
This is a very short novella that combines, contemporary and chic-lit fiction with the plot of old fashioned Christmas films to give you a warm festive feeling and a book that you just can't put down.
As a big Jane Austen fan, the book intrigued me just from the blurb and I wanted to see how Laura wrote her into the modern day, the way she does is brilliant but very unexpected!

Julia is a character I really liked, she is a real woman and I think a lot of women could relate to her. She is kind, caring and is trying to make up for her mistake. She is a waitress to pay the bills, an artist to fulfil her love of painting and for extras, and spends her free time dressing up as Jane Austen and reads a borrowed first edition of Northanger Abbey. When she falls asleep and is left in work late at night, she rushes home dressed as Jane, being in a hurry Julia bumps into a handsome stranger. This is when everything changes.
Eliot is the handsome stranger who bumps into a women that he is sure is dressed as Jane Austen. When she runs away and disappears so quickly, Eliot starts to convince himself he has seen a ghost, until he discovers that she’s dropped a valuable first edition of Northanger Abbey.
This starts the beginning of a beautiful love story that we see develop so wondefully in front of us, you begin to wonder if it is real.

I was hooked on this book from the first few pages and finished it in a hour, it is a perfect novel to get you into the Christmas spirit (even this early) and I give you permission to read this whilst listening to Christmas songs..go on you know you want to! I would recommend this to anybody, young or old as there is something for everyone in this book, history, fiction and a lot of romance.

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The Aubrey Rules by Aven Ellis

Some of the Aubrey Rules to Live By:
*If I’m going to indulge in French fries, I must add extra time to the treadmill the next day.
*Always keep your work and private life separate.
*Being open to new experiences will never involve eating kale.
*Never, ever date a professional athlete.

For Chicago social media professional Aubrey Paige, the rules are everything. So much so that Aubrey has painstakingly written her rules for living into a polka-dot Kate Spade notebook that she carries with her at all times. It’s her personal guidebook to living her life. These rules are the Holy Grail—ones never to be broken. They guide her actions for everything, from dealing with workplace drama to finding a great guy to date. After all, these are her own rules, built from her life experiences and observations. So they have to be perfect, right?

Or are they?

Because when Aubrey meets a cute Canadian, she suddenly finds her rules being tested and challenged in ways she never dreamed possible. Beckett Riley is the shy, quiet, determined captain of the Chicago Buffaloes, a hockey team on the verge of turning the corner to becoming a winning organization. He’s Aubrey's opposite, with so many qualities that Aubrey had listed as ones she’d never want in a man. 

Yet Aubrey finds herself drawn to Beckett in ways she’s never known. And when she unexpectedly finds herself working with Beckett, she wonders if rules are meant to be broken after all . . .

Regular readers of my blog will know how much I love Aven Ellis and her novels. Each time a new one arrives in my inbox (which I can't thank Aven enough for) I do a little squeal, so I fear I may be a bit biased in writing this review, but if like me you love romantic, chic-lit novels with hot guys, then you'll love it no matter what I say!
Yet again I read this book in a day because I find Aven's novels so enjoyable and addictive that it's impossible for me to put them down! I do kind of wish I hadn't though because I get so sad when they end! 

I loved Aubrey! She is so confident which I thought I would find annoying but it is in such a good way, she is in no way arrogant she just doesn't let herself be walked all over! She is real and somebody that I could relate to so easily. She has fat in places we all wish we didn't, she says the wrong thing, makes a fool of herself and eats too many fries, but what girl doesn't?! She is hilarious and the perfect lead character for this type of novel.
She has a rule book, written by herself, that she lives her life by and we get to see some of her rules at the beginning of each chapter, I loved how they were amended more and more throughout the book as we see Aubrey allow herself to break them, as we all know rules are meant to be broken!

As we know by now, Aven's novels are full of cute guys, a lot of them Hockey players and this one is no different, enter Beckett, who I am now completely in love with! We saw so many different sides to him throughout the book, the shy and awkward side in front of the camera but also the strong, determined side that made him a leader as the Captain of the Chicago Buffaloes. The side of him I fell in for was the way he was around Aubrey, we saw his sweet, romantic, nerdy side come out and how fantastic he is at planning date!
I love how Aven made him so awkward and shy in front of fans and interviews as it made us realise that although people are famous athletes or celebrities they are still just normal people trying to live their lives, they don't always know what to do with all of the attention they get.  You really feel for him and want to help him come out of his shell, but of course he has confident, doesn't-care-what-she-says Aubrey to do that for him. They are the perfect match, they accept each other's flaws and help each other to grow.

There is always a line in every one of Aven's books that makes me melt and I think after a lot of thought the one that has that effect in this book is when Beckett says:
"I guess the question is, do you still love me? Because I love you. I love you so much, and I’ve never loved anyone this way in my life. I love you, exactly the way you are, inside and out."
What girl doesn't want that said to her? Especially if it is coming from a hot athlete!

I absolutely loved the Breakfast At Tiffany's scene in the book, I ADORE Audrey Hepburn and the film so this made me love this book so much more! And of course the amount of romance in it made me want to jump into the book and take Aubrey's place! Jealous much!!

As always this book gets a massive 5 stars from me and I can't stress to you enough how much you need to read it! It is by far one of the best books I have read this year! It is released on 26th August so not long to wait at all! It is the perfect summer read and happily ever after seekers will adore this book!

Thank you Aven and I can't wait to see who and what book you make me fall in love with next!

Amazon UK | Amazon US

See my reviews of Aven's previous novels here:

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

A debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people’s lives.

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

A compulsively readable, emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller that draws comparisons to Gone Girl, The Silent Wife, or Before I Go to Sleep, this is an electrifying debut embraced by readers across markets and categories.

This book is EVERYWHERE at the moment and I have heard so many good things about it that I had to grab a copy and see for myself what it was about. After reading it I understand  why everybody loves it and I just couldn't put it down!

Paula's writing grabbed me from the very beginning, it is infectious but so easy to follow, whilst keeping you on edge from beginning to end. I know this book is going to be made into a film but to me it felt like a film whilst reading it, the images of the characters, situations and surroundings were so vivid in my mind that it made it so much more than a book. The plot is so strong and the way Paula is able to deliver us three different points of view with such ease is brilliant.

Rachel—the girl on the train— is our main protagonist, she has lost her job, her husband, her dream house and spends her days going back and forward on the train in a drunken stupor. To escape her unwanted reality, she revels in a fantasy where two people live an idyllic life. Two strangers, whom she has named Jason and Jess, that she sees every day as she glimpses out of her window on the train. But one day, everything changes and she finds herself caught up in a chilling mystery where her past, present and fantasy worlds collide.

I did like Rachel from very early on in the book, I think at first what you feel towards her is sympathy but as you read on you actually start to get behind her and want her to get herself together. She makes some horrible and stupid decisions but it is interesting to see how she deals with their consequences and how this changes her. I don't think she is somebody you would particularly like if she was a second character in a normal story, but I think the fact the we hear her side of everything makes us able to understand her reasons for drinking, and letting her life become the way it has. 

Megan and Anna are our other protagonists, Megan, the real name for 'Jess' of 'Jason and Jess', the couple Rachel sees from the train. Megan is happily married to Scott, or that is how it would seem from Rachel's perspective. But in reality, Megan’s life is not what it seems, and chapter by chapter, we learn just how much her facade hides. Megan is the one we hear from the least with her narration but she is spoken about a lot from other peoples perspective's and whilst you are not supposed to like her and she does a lot of things to make you not, she does have some redeeming qualities and you feel for her and wish you could help, she is broken and is just looking for somebody to fix her.

Anna lives down the street from Megan, Anna just so happens to be the wife of Rachel’s ex husband Tom, who is living in the house he and Rachel bought. 

I didn't like Anna at all, she was self centered, arrogant and all she seemed to think of was herself and how she thought all men wanted her. It wasn't until the very end that I started to feel for her, she seemed to start to show a different side to herself and you could see that there was a kind person underneath, but I still could not warm to her and always expected her to be plotting something. 

As we get further through the novel we see that they are more than neighbours and strangers, their lives are connected in ways they could never imagine. I thought I had the mystery figured out half way through the book but then Paula adds a twist at the end that I did not see coming! 

This is one of those books that will keep you up late at night, that you will reach for again and again and that won't leave your head for a long time. I would recommend this book to lovers of thriller and those that may want to see what all the fuss is about, this book deserves the fuss! You would never believe this was a debut novel due to the brilliance of the writing. I can't wait to see what comes next from Paula. 

Amazon UK | Amazon US

BLOG TOUR - What Happens in Cornwall by T.A Williams

BLURB

For a very British summer holiday…
When archaeologist Sam realises her relationship is as dead as the skeletons she’s exhuming, she knows it’s time to make a change. But with bills to pay her options are limited…until a discovery on Rock Island in Cornwall gives her a reason to escape…
Head to the Cornish coast!
In Cornwall, questions are thrown up at every turn: who is the glamorous owner of Rock Island that the paparazzi are so interested in? How has the irresistible, but impossibly arrogant, history professor James Courtney managed to get so far under Sam’s skin? And will it ever stop raining so Sam can lose the cagoule and sip a cool drink in the sun? One thing’s for sure: there’s never been a holiday quite like this one!

MY THOUGHTS

I am delighted to be part of the release date blog tour for What Happens in Cornwall. I read When Alice Met Danny last year and loved it, so when I was asked to read and review T.A's new novel I couldn't refuse and I wasn't disappointed!

T.A Williams is a fantastic author, his ability to get you hooked from the first page is brilliant. His writing is very easy to read yet intelligent and entertaining. There are lots of twists in this book so the story flows and stays exciting making you want to keep on reading.
The way he describes the characters, the feelings and the surroundings is perfect. I have been to Cornwall but it was a long time ago. Reading this book and the way the author describes it took me right back there and made me feel like I'd never left.

Sam was such an easily likeable character, it only took me about 2 pages to really like her. She is real and dealing with real life problems and issues that we all have, whether that is university, relationship or family, we can all relate in some way. It is clear that T.A Williams has done a lot of research into Cornwall and everything else he has written about, especially Archaeology, which Sam is studying at University. Everything he writes about it so believeable you actually wonder if you are reading a made up novel!

I knew I liked the writing of T.A Williams after reading When Alice Met Danny but I love it more now. I will be seeking out more of T.A's novels as I need to explore his writing further. This is the perfect summer read that you could enjoy again and again. A proper British read to enjoy during a proper British summer!

Amazon UK | Amazon US 

You can read my review of When Alice Met Danny here:

Live Again (Begin Again Book 2) by Brittney Mulliner

In the sequel to Begin Again, Aubrey Tate finally finds where she belongs.
Living with her brother in California, finding new friends she can trust; things are finally beginning to settle down for Aubrey.
Then she receives the note that changes everything. The past she thought she left behind is still following her.
Now she faces the threat of a stalker who has the potential to unravel her perfect new life.
This time, she has her friends and brother helping her, but will they be enough to save her from her real life nightmare?

Thank you to Brittney for sending me a copy of this book for review, I read Begin Again, the first book in this series, last week and I couldn't wait to start this one.
This is the second book in the Begin Again series and I would definitely recommend reading the first book before this one. I think it is one of those series that you really need to understand and I don't think you would connect with Aubrey and her story as much from reading this book alone.

I read Live Again much earlier than planned because I needed to get back and see what Aubrey was up to and how her life was playing out from the last book. I loved that it started pretty much exactly where it left off, this meant we didn't miss anything that had gone on. I loved every minute of this book and got it read in a day because I couldn't put it down.

I loved Aubrey from the first book but she proved just how brave, strong and mature she is in this novel which made me love her more. I spent the whole book wishing for her to find happiness whilst also being terrified for her. 
There was a guy I was rooting for in book one and I am so happy he was the one she chose in the end! You will have to read the book to find out who though!

There were more twists than that last book had which made this book so good and the way Brittney writes makes it so addictive, so you are hooked from the start. Brittney hasn't just written a story, she has written a novel with morals and lessons for life. She makes you believe everything happens for a reason no matter how terrible that is and proves it to us. She has written a beautiful, easy to read, captivating novel that you don't want to end. I was so excited when I saw that there would be another book in this series because I need to know if Aubrey can now get her happily ever after!

This is the perfect YA novel packed with romance and humour, whilst also exploring the darker side of people and relationships, there are also some terrifying moments that make you heart jump from your chest. I can't recommend this series highly enough!

Amazon UK | Amazon US

You can read my review of Begin Again (Book 1 in the series) here:

 

Don't Tell the Groom by Anna Bell

Bride-to-be Penny discovers that she’s lost £10,000 of wedding savings playing online bingo. So that she doesn’t have to reveal her gambling secret, she convinces her fiancé Mark that they should have a Don’t Tell the Groom themed wedding. Penny then has to plan a wedding fit for a princess on a shoestring budget. But, by the time she discovers that the true meaning of marriage isn’t a Vera Wang wedding dress or Jimmy Choos, will she still have a groom to marry?

I have had Don't Tell the Groom on my bookshelf for a while and now that I am in the middle of planning my own wedding I thought it would be fun to read. With how expensive wedding's are now, a lot more people are going down the budget wedding route. I love how this book is a novel, but also in a way it is a 'how to have the perfect budget wedding' help book.

Penny has always dreamed of having a perfect wedding with everything she ever dreamed of, especially a Vera Wang dress and Jimmy Choos. So when Mark finally proposes, Penny can't wait to start planning their special day. However, when she accesses their wedding fund she's shocked to find their once healthy account balance showing only five thousand pounds. Penny knows she might have played a few too many games of online bingo, but surely she didn't spend £10,000?
Penny knows from the start she can't tell Mark about the missing money or her gambling addiction, so she needs to get help. In the meantime, to keep Mark from seeing the small account balance, she comes up with 'Don't Tell the Groom' and convinces Mark that it would be more fun if she planned the wedding and he knew nothing about it. Everything seems perfect when Mark agrees, but can Penny stay within budget and make sure nobody discovers the real reason behind her plan?

This is the first novel by Anna Bell that I have read and I can't believe it took me so long to pick it up. It is the perfect chic-lit novel and I enjoyed it from start to finish. Anna manages to write such a romantic, funny and easy to read novel with what seems like such ease, the words just flow and it doesn't take you long to become hooked!
I liked to Penny from the very first page and like her I am planning my wedding on a budget, although for very different reasons lol! So it was interesting for me to read the book from the side of a reader, but also a wedding planner, to see what ideas she comes up with to stick to her budget. Although Penny has been quite selfish in the way she has lost the wedding money, she isn't a selfish person at all, you can see she is truly trying to make up for what she has done the best she can. I think most readers will be able to relate to Penny in one way or another, as I'm sure a lot of us have got ourselves into tricky situations, this helps us to really connect with Penny and want the best for her.

Chic-lit fans need to pick up this book, it is an entertaining, romantic, easy to read novel that you won't be disappointed by! I am already looking forward to reading the next book in this series as I am not ready to leave Penny's life just yet.

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Begin Again (Begin Again Book 1) by Brittney Mulliner

Escaping her past, Aubrey Tate moves to Southern California for a fresh start with her older brother, Brandon. Starting over at a new school seems easy with her cousin, Mckayla, and her two best friends at her side, but handling the new guys is another matter. Aubrey ends up in the middle of three rivals that each want her to themselves. Mike claims her first and declare himself her friend and protector. Luke is the school heartthrob that stops Aubrey in her tracks, speechless. Gage is the mysterious, dark outsider that Aubrey can be herself around. How will she navigate her new life while she’s still haunted by her past?


Thank you to Brittany Mulliner for sending me a copy of this book for review. I LOVED it!

For various awful reasons Aubrey is ready for a new start, so she moves from Chicago to California to live with her older brother Brandon. She has to deal with a new school, new friends and a new life whilst also trying to forget her past and the reasons why she moved.

This story is so emotional and you can help but love Aubrey, she is broken but still so strong, she doesn't see how beautiful and kind she is, she is such a likeable character and somebody you can really relate to. When we learn about her past it felt so real and there are a lot of cases like this when nobody believes it, so I found it very intriguing hear her story and how it eventually played out.
We see Aubrey trying to deal with everything herself before realising people do care about her, she attracts a lot of male attention straight away which I thought may change her and make her a bit full of herself but it didn't at all. There was a guy that I was rooting for and hoped he would win Aubrey over in the end but I think we might have to wait for the next book to see who she will choose.

I thought there was going to be a twist throughout the book but this did not come until the very end, usually I don't like waiting for it but with this book I didn't mind. The story was so addictive and well written that you just get completely sucked in and don't want the book to end.

I don't want to reveal too much about this book as I think it is much more powerful if you read it knowing as little as possible, but let me tell you, it is well worth a read!

I would highly recommend Begin Again to anybody that likes an easy to read, YA novel with lots of emotional roller-coasters! I couldn't put this book down and I am so thankful Brittney provided me with  the next book because I NEED to see what happens next for Aubrey. This is one of the best YA books I have read this year!

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The Bookshop on the Corner by Rebecca Raisin

Who said that only real heroes could be found in fiction?

Sarah Smith had an addiction – she was addicted to romance novels. The meet-cute, the passion, the drama and the gorgeous men! Now this wouldn’t have been such an issue if she hadn’t been the owner of the only bookshop in Ashford, Connecticut.

Ever since her close friend Lil, from The Gingerbread Café, had become engaged she had been yearning for a little love to turn up in her life. Except Sarah knew a good man was hard to find – especially in a tiny town like Ashford. That was until New York journalist, Ridge Warner stepped into her bookshop…

Love could be just around the corner for Sarah, but will she be able to truly believe that happy-ever-after can happen in real-life too!

This book is PERFECT! Being a huge book lover myself I knew I would enjoy this book but I had no idea how much. I have seen the hype surrounding Rebecca's books but having never read any of them before I was new to her writing style, description and her storytelling. She is one of those author's that has the ability to suck you in from the first sentence and keep you there until the end. I finished this book in a day because I couldn't put it down!

Our main character, Sarah Smith, is a massive lover of romance novels and lives her life through her books. She somebody that a lot of people will be able to relate to, I know I did straight away but I think that was because she is pretty much me, she is a bookworm, obsessed by romance novels and she blogs about books, see the similarities? She has her own little heaven in her book shop (which I am dying to visit) and is enjoying her daily fictional romances with her book boyfriends. That is until somebody enters her life which makes he question whether romance novels can actually come true!

Having not read any of the Gingerbread Cafe books, I wasn't familiar with the other characters or the town in which the book is set, but that didn't matter. Rebecca still introduced them brilliantly so that newcomers would get to know them and previous readers just get a refresher. Rebecca made CeeCee, Missy and Lil, Sarah's best friends, so fun and easy to like, you want them to be your best friends as soon as you meet them.
The way Rebecca describes Ashford, which is such a quirky and unusual place compared to the big cities, makes it become somewhere magical that you want to hop on a plane, find and never leave!

The thing I love most about this book is Rebecca's writing, she takes you on a journey that you never want to end with her beautiful writing and amazing settings.

After finishing this book I have no idea why I have waited so long to read one of Rebecca's books! This is the perfect summer read that anybody will relate to and enjoy. It is a heart-warming, romantic novel packed with love, fun and friendship. This will definitely not be the last of Rebecca's novels I read, the rest of the series is going straight on my TBR, as will any new releases! What are you waiting for, go and buy this book, now!

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A Flaw in the Mechanism by Jeffery Martin Botzenhart

What would you do for the one you love…when time runs out?

There are some promises that are devastating to keep after a heart has been broken. One such promise made out of his undying love for Victoria sends Trevor on a journey that will lead him across the world. Yet where to begin?

His unexpected discovery of an unburned medical journal found at the Winterhust Estate sends Trevor onward to London. Seeking the consultation of a doctor who is listed on several of the pages, Trevor learns of a conspiracy within the medical community that forced the doctor to flee England.

With the aid of two people familiar with the doctor he seeks, Trevor embarks on a journey that takes him to the unspoiled plains of East Africa. It is there where he experiences how beauty and danger collide…and at times can be one in the same. It is also there where his promise is fulfilled while other promises from both the past and present are revealed with devastating consequences.

Thank you to Jeffery for sending me a copy of this book for review. This is the second book in the Luminosity series, the first being Clockwork Heart which I read last year. I love the first installment so I was very excited when I received this book!

I really liked Trevor in the first book but Clockwork Heart was more about Victoria, so we didn't get to see him develop as much he could have done. After reading this book I think that was a good thing because with him being the main character in this book we got to see who he really is, his emotions. I became a huge fan of Trevor and was rooting for him the whole way through the book.

Although Jeffery's books are short, you feel as though you have been with the character's for much more than 50 pages. The author describes the places, people and actions so effortlessly that you feel like you are there with them. A lot of authors will take a paragraph to describe a scene or situation, but Jeffery manages to do it in only a few words. He is able to stuck you in from just a few pages in and have you hooked right to the end.

About half way through the book I thought I had figured out what was going to happen at the end but there was a huge twist that I did not see coming. The way Jefffery had written the story had made you think one thing, but the complete opposite was actually true! Brilliant writing!

I would recommend this book to anybody that wants a quick, romantic read that shows just how powerful love is. This book can be read as a stand-alone novel but I would recommend reading Clockwork Heart first to understand just how powerful this book is.

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Read my review of Clockwork Heart here:

Click. Date. Repeat. by KJ Farnham

These days, finding love online is as commonplace as ordering that coveted sweater. But back in 2003, the whole concept of internet dating was still quite new, with a stigma attached to it that meant those who were willing to test the waters faced a fair amount of skepticism from friends and family. Such is the case for Chloe Thompson, a restless 20-something tired of the typical dating scene and curious about what she might find inside her parents’ computer. With two serious but failed relationships behind her, Chloe isn’t even entirely sure what she’s looking for. She just knows that whatever it is, she wants to find it. Based loosely on author K. J. Farnham’s real-life online dating experiences, Chloe’s foray into online dating involves a head-first dive into a world of matches, ice breakers and the occasional offer of dick pics, all while Chloe strives to shake herself of the ex who just refuses to disappear. Will she simultaneously find herself and “the one” online, or will the ever-growing pile of humorous and downright disastrous dates only prove her friends and family right? There’s only one way to find out… Click. Date. Repeat.

Thank you to KJ Farnham for sending me a copy of this book for review. It is exactly the type of book I would pick up and it did not disappoint.

With online dating very popular this book is something that I think would appeal to a lot of people. We join Chloe on her journey through the ups, downs and strange occurrences of online dating. When we first meet Chloe she has just begun online dating and we see her still finding her feet with it. We meet the different men online with her and join her on the phone conversations and first dates. The first date Chloe has is hilarious so I thought this book would be a light hearted chic-lit novel, but it is much more than that!

I did find that the book had a bit of a slow start but this quickly changed once we learn a bit more about Chloe and she starts going on dates and learning about the different men, after that it picks up and you find it hard to put down.

The author never gives us too much information when telling us about Chloe, we learn just the right amount about her family, friend and her past, without it being too much. She takes us inside Chloe’s head so we get to see her thoughts and feelings throughout every date, argument and situation she ends up in, through this we get to feel like Chloe's best friend and confidant. 

I love how KJ portrays the different types of people on the internet, the different relationships that we can build with them and also the dangers there can be. She never gives her too much information about any story or

Chloe is a character that you can really connect with and like straight away, you really want her to find happiness. You feel sad for her when it doesn't work out with the ones that seem like good guys, scared for her when she finds herself in worrying situations.

About half way through the book I thought I had the ending pretty much figured out, then I thought maybe I hadn't and thought it would be something else instead but I was wrong about that too. I think after everything that happens to Chloe throughout the book it was nice to see what looks like a fresh start for her.

If you love chic-lit with a twist and with lots of laughs this is the perfect summer holiday read that you won't be able to put down. This is the first book by the author that I have read and it definitely won't be the last.

Amazon UK | Amazon US

Isabella's Last Request by Laura Lawrence

"It’s been two weeks Isabella. How can you love him? This is going to be another Stuart again.’
I actually feel like I’ve just ripped her heart out. I hate to see her like this, but I feel as her best friend and sister figure, I should try and keep her grounded."

Olivia and her best friend Isabella are travelling the world completing their bucket list of 100 things to do before you die. The reason being that Isabella is seriously ill and doesn't know how much longer she has left.

Will they manage to complete their list in time or will they get distracted by cute boys and tourist spots? Join them on their mission and feel their strong friendship shine through at the hardest times.

Thank you to Laura for sending me a copy of this book for review. This is the first of Laura's novels that I have read but it definitely won't be the last.

From the title of the book, you can kind of guess what it is going to be about, but it took me a while to realise what the reason behind their list was, and just how serious it was.
Isabella's Last Request is based around two best friends, Olivia and Isabella, who have complied a bucket list of things to do before they die. They travel, meet boys, fall in love and have fun, all while ticking things off of the bucket list.

The way Laura has written this book just makes you want to keep on reading, you want to find out what the problem is but also want to join in on the fun the girls are having on their travels. Laura writes so beautifully and has the power to engage you right from the start.
I finished this book in a day because I couldn't put it down. You start to feel like you are with Olivia and Isabella on their journey and become emotionally attached to them.

This book reminds me of A Fault In Our Stars by John Green, which is one of my favourite books ever, so I think that made me enjoy it so much more.

After finishing this book I have noticed that there is a sequel, Isabella's Last Gift, so that will definitely be one to add to my list! I would recommend this book to anybody that love chic-lit novels with lots of emotion, I will warn you though, make sure you have tissues at the ready!

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Blue Tides by Jeffery Martin Botzenhart

Welcome home, lost fragile souls. Find solace in casting worldly troubles away to my blue tides…so sayeth the Ocean.

Attending the wedding of two close friends, as well as seeking to cleanse her troubled thoughts, Lauren is drawn back to her beloved beach house, just north of Cape Hatteras, by the lure of the ocean’s blue tides. Spellbound by the echoes of crashing waves and the unexpected sight of a soaring kite, she makes her way down to the beach. There, she encounters a message in a bottle in the form of a carefree younger man.

Drawn in by Brody’s free-spirited presence, Lauren forgoes her intended solitude by inviting him in. As their weekend together passes, to each other they reveal how carelessly they were “cast away” by those they loved. Their mutual attraction fuels cravings to be desired once more, yet the depths of a secret she initially withholds from him, clouds their future together.

Will she accept salvation from his message in a bottle…or cast him back to the blue tides?

Thank you to Jeffery for sending me a copy of this book for review. I read Jeffery's debut novel Clockwork Heart last year and loved it, so I was looking forward to the next installment from him and it did not disappoint.

I love how although Jeffery's novels are so short, you get to see so much into the character's lives as he straight away makes you engage with them, like and support them. By the end of the novel you feel like you have been on a 300 page long journey with them in just 40. Although this is essentially a love story, Jeffery touches on a quite difficult subject but such a powerful way that you don't feel sad, you just support the characters more and want them to get through it.

In a way I do wish the book was slightly longer as I hadn't seen enough of Lauren and Brody, but at the same time we see the perfect amount, we see their love beginning and we see events that shake them and how they recover from it. 

I don't want to give too much away as it is one of those books you just need to read and as it is so short even the busiest of people can find time to read it. I am already looking forward to ready Jeffery's next novel. 

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Read my review of Clockwork Heart here:

All I Know Now by Carrie Hope Fletcher

We all know that growing up is hard to do, and sometimes the only thing that makes it better are the reassuring words of someone who has walked that bumpy road just a few steps ahead of you and somehow ended up as a fully-functioning adult. Carrie Hope Fletcher is that person. Thanks to her phenomenally popular YouTube videos, Carrie has become an 'honorary big sister' to hundreds of thousands of young people who turn to her for advice, friendship and, most of all, the knowledge that things will get better.

Carrie has created a safe and positive space for young people to connect and share their hopes and concerns online, and now she will share her most personal thoughts and experiences in her first book, ALL I KNOW NOW. It includes Carrie's thoughts on some of the topics she's asked about most regularly: bullying, body image, relationships and perhaps the scariest question of all: what does the future hold for me?With warmth, wit and a sprinkling of hard-won wisdom, Carrie will provide the essential tools for growing up gracefully . . . most of the time.

Ok so after reading this book I am pretty sure that to write it Carrie jumped inside my head, pulled out my teenage years, my thoughts and my feelings and wrote them down. Her story of growing up is pretty much exactly the same as mine. 

Although I am not a teenage girl looking for answers for everything from school and relationships to the internet, I really do think that this book is the perfect companion for growing up, finding yourself and dealing with life. In writing this book Carrie is living up to her name of 'honorary big sister' and I think a lot of girls (and boys) will take comfort from this. 

I read this book as somebody who, like Carrie, has already gone through everything, but still with a lot of life ahead. It was interesting to me to see her thoughts looking back and whether they were the same as mine. They were. I think everybody that has now hit their twenties and beyond, and seen the light at the end of the tunnel they thought they would never see, we all feel the same feelings of anger, embarrassment and at times humour, when realising what we should have done in the situations we were faced with.

What I like about this book is that it is divided into 'acts' in reference to Carrie's theatre career. So if at a particular time you are having relationship trouble, you can find that 'act' and read that part. Carrie has also managed to get the mix of advise and humour perfectly balanced, which means even when reading the more serious stuff you always have a reason for a bit of a giggle. She has written this book completely honestly and as herself and that shines through every page.

I would recommend this book mainly to teenagers but also young adults that want a look back on their former years, as they will make you remember every aspect of them and probably give you a good giggle along the way!

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The Truth About Ellen by Sarah Louise Smith

It’s every girl’s dream to date a pop star...

When Ellen starts dating Tom, a member of the band she adored as a teenager, she can’t believe how lucky she is.

She neglects to mention that she's a huge fan because that just wouldn’t be cool, would it?

Ellen also keeps quiet about how she once spent an evening with Tom’s ex-bandmate/ex-best friend Jasper, her long-term celebrity crush. Tom doesn’t need to know about that, it’s all in the past.

That is until Tom and Jasper get back in touch… and the truth threatens to ruin everything Ellen has ever dreamed of...

Thank you to Sarah Louise Smith for kindly providing me with a copy of this book for review, this is the first of Sarah's novels I have read and it won't be the last. I loved it!

Every teenage girl (past and present) has or had a celebrity crush, whether it was a TV personality, a boyband member or a film star, we all had one! I was a huge fan of boybands and had a few crushes myself, so when I read the plot of this book I knew it was one I would love reading.

Even though not many of us will have been in the situation Ellen finds herself in, Sarah has somehow made this book so relate-able. By appealing to anybody that has had a celebrity crush she manages to draw us in right from the start. We are able to feel the way Ellen feels, lucky, star-struck and in awe of meeting Tom Green, a member of her favourite band Four Ape. Whilst she also realises she is an adult now and needs to 'play it cool', which is easier said than done.

I loved Ellen, she was a likeable character and one you are right behind from the very start. You want the best for her. She was a strong and independent woman and although she has had her heart broken, she doesn't let it hold her back from life.

With a few chapters of the book left I thought I had predicted the ending, but of course I hadn't, at first I was a little disappointed that it didn't go the way I was expecting but that disappointment didn't last long. I don't want to reveal too much about this book because I know if I would have read spoilers it would have ruined the excitement of the story for me slightly. So that is all I am going to say!

I would recommend this book to anybody that is in the mood for a light hearted, romantic novel that will take you back to being 13 years old. The perfect holiday read and definitely one that you will pick up again and again.

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