Review of "The Moon and More"

Sarah Dessen was pretty much my heroine in the chic lit world during my teenage years, and definitely introduced me to the idea that romance and chic lit for teens isn't all trash. So, when I was looking for a new read last week I figured: why don't I go back and see if her writing's as fab as I remember? And it definitely was. Say goodbye to simple plot lines, and the belief that teen fiction about relationships should either be all or nothing on the physical front, here we have a book that effortlessly blends complex characters with beautiful settings and rigorous plot twists. 

It's Emaline's last summer in her tiny town on the coast before she heads out to college. She imagines everything will change when she leaves, but what if it all comes before she expects? Her and Luke have been dating for what feels like forever, but as things get rocky and NY city boy Theo turns up, a break up may be on the cards far sooner than she ever thought. Plus, living and working with her two step-sisters and mother seems a bit unbearable at times, but when Emaline's invisible father turns up in town with her ten year old half-brother in tow, the notion of 'family' gets complicated too. Will this summer of change make her long to escape the tiny town she lives in? Or cling to it more than ever?

Have you read it? What did you think?

Steph x

Review of "Too Charming"*

I have to say, I was a bit disappointed by this read. I'm not sure if it's simply because I've read so many amazing novels recently (check out my recent posts for more details!), or whether this book was not that great; likely a mixture of the two. I really enjoy actually liking - or occasionally hating - the protagonists in a book, but this time I found both Megan and Scott utterly tedious. Whether it was her insistence on not dating him because of something that happened in the past, and her incessant need to be a bit of a bitch to him as a result, or his misunderstanding of everything she wanted, this book really missed the mark with me. Perhaps fewer descriptions of what the pair think about each other's bodies, and more of a plot, would have made this a great read, as it was well written and captivating at times.

Megan and her three-year-old daughter, Sally, have learnt not to trust all men after what Sally's father did to them. When a lawyer starts flirting with Megan she can't help but hate him: despite hoe gorgeous he is, his arrogance still reminds her of her past flame. As a Detective Sergeant, moreover, why would Megan want to hang out with a defense lawyer who tries his best to set free the criminals she racks up evidence against. But, can he charm his way into her good books, and more importantly her pants, despite his profession?

Have you read it? What did you think?

Steph x

Review of "The Wedding Cake Tree"*

(image taken from Goodreads)

A couple of days ago I came across the phrase "book hangover" on Instagram and that is the best way I've ever heard the idea being described. You know when you finish a book and can't pick up a new one for a day or two because you're still contemplating the world of the old one? Well that's what I had with this. There were so many important messages in it about love and identity, but I think the most important one was that expressed in the quotation I picked out above.

Grace Buchanan is hit hard by her mother's seemingly sudden death, but she isn't exactly prepared for the conditions of her will either. Rosamund, Grace's late mother, has insisted she take ten days off of work to go on a mysterious trip with hunky military man Alasdair. Despite Grace's extreme reluctance to go, her mother's desire to have her ashes spread in the places she will travel to means that she can't exactly say no. However, was this Rosamund's only intention for the journey? And how will Grace deal with having to put her life in the hands of a man she's never met before?

I pretty much figured nothing could ever make me want to travel to Scotland as much as this did. As someone who lives in the south of England, concepts about the environment of Scotland are usually filled with "HOW much snow?!", so it's never seemed too appealing. However, the descriptions of the beautiful landscape here make me want to pick up a camera and go travelling up there myself. There was so much chemistry between Alasdair and Grace that I was practically begging for them to get together the entire time. I don't think I've ever rooted for a couple as much as this since Dexter and Lumen!

Have you read it? What did you think?

Steph x

Review of 'The Soft Whisper of Dreams'*

This has definitely been my favourite book of 2015 so far. I am a big fan of Christina Courtenay, and all of her books which I've been lucky enough to read so far have been pretty fab (Monsoon Mists was one of my top reads of the summer, and you can check out the review for it here). Also, I don't think I've seen London so accurately described in one sentence before as it was in the above quotation.

Maddie's parents die suddenly, and now the only family she has left is her bitch of a sister. That is, until the will tells them that Maddie was adopted, and so, unless her sister displays some heart (highly unlikely) she's now inheritance-less. Needing to get away from the city and the shock of all that's happened, Maddie takes a break in the country at her best friend Kayla's. She expects peace, quiet and a chance to see Kayla's kids. What she doesn't expect is Kayla's hunk of a brother-in-law to be staying there, nor to recognise a resident from the nearby town. When things start to get scary, Maddie is forced to question everything she thought she knew.

This plot had so many strands coming into it that there was never really a dull moment in the book. Courtenay once again creates realistic, believable and over-all humanity-affirming love interests. There's no ridiculous sex scenes (hello one I read where a tampon was whipped out by a guy ... on the first time?!), and the characters all have a great deal of depth to them. Moreover, if you like a bit of a thriller, The Soft Whisper of Dreams has that for you too!

Have you read it? What did you think?

Steph x

Review of "Never Too Late"* | Q + A with Christina Courtenay

I love love love this quote, and haven't found another description quite so accurate in a while! Christina Courtenay earnt a little soft spot in my heart when I read Monsoon Mists (review here), which was my favourite book of the summer. Never Too Late was kindly sent by Choc Lit to me and I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to have a mini interview with Christina Courtenay herself! This novella is a really quick, easy read which you can finish in a couple of days, or is brilliant for a long coach/plane journey.

Maude and Luke, young lovers, seek to elope, but their plans are thwarted at the last moment. Set during a period in which Maude's father can control her life, their plans are discovered and she is locked up at the last moment, a fact that Luke remains unaware of. Forced to marry his older brother Edward, who is the inheritor of the family estate, Maude lives a miserable life until he dies and Luke must move in. Despite their rocky past, can their feelings overcome their fate?

Question and Answer with Christina Courtenay

1.) What time period is Never Too Late set in? And what were your inspirations for writing a novella set during this period? 

It is set during the Regency period, in about 1812-13. I didn’t have an exact year in mind but the hero has fought in the Peninsular War which lasted until 1814 and has had to sell his commission to come home and take over the running of his late uncle’s estate so it’s before the end of the war. My main inspiration was the incomparable Georgette Heyer – I have loved her books from the moment I first found one in my school library. She made the Regency period come alive and that’s what I tried to do too, although my story is a bit more provincial than most of hers.

2.) Having read Monsoon Mists, what are the benefits of mixing romance with crime//mystery?

I think having a mystery as well as a romance adds depth to a story and hopefully makes it more enjoyable for the reader. You don’t just have the “will they-won’t they” questions of the romance, but also “will they even survive to have a romance” added to the mix. I didn’t actually set out to have a crime/mystery in this particular story, it just sort of evolved that way once the idea of the stolen talisman entered my mind. I figured it was the sort of object that was bound to cause greed, corruption and envy.

3.) I've noticed that your sex scenes are quite realistic and tend to steer away from the "50 Shades of Grey" bandwagon that a lot of contemporary authors have jumped on. What do you think of this craze? 

Thank you, I’m glad you think they are realistic! I have to admit I haven’t yet read 50 Shades – I know, shock, horror! I just haven’t had the time – but apart from the sex it obviously has some very special characters to have attracted so many readers. Jumping on any bandwagon is never good though – publishing tends to move quite slowly so if I were to write a story like that now, it wouldn’t be published for at least a year, if not more, by which time that craze will almost certainly be over. It’s been great for those authors who already had similar stories ready, but now it’s too late. I think it’s better to write the kind of stories you want to write, as well as you possibly can, and hope it’s what your readers will like.

4.) Where do you seek inspiration from to create such diverse books?

I find inspiration from lots of different things and anything can spark a scene in my mind – a house, a person, an object. I can’t remember what made me write Never Too Late, but Monsoon Mists came about because the hero, Jamie, had seemed to be one of the bad guys in the previous book in the Kinross trilogy (Highland Storms), but in reality he wasn’t. So I wanted him to be allowed to tell his version of events. Some of my other stories have been inspired by for example a ghost in a house I used to stay in (I never saw it but the owners did), an extraordinary painting in the National Gallery and a replica of an old sailing ship.

5.) Who are your favourite male and female characters that you've created and why? 

I have a soft spot for Killian Kinross, Jamie’s father (and the hero of Trade Winds) because he’s

gorgeous, has a great sense of humour and is very mischievous – he’s the archetypal “bad boy” I suppose you could say and I love those! I like his wife Jessamijn too – she stands up her step-father who tries to bully her. But I also really like Nico Noordholt and Midori Kumashiro, the hero and heroine of The Gilded Fan. It’s difficult really because as an author you are usually totally into whichever hero/heroine you are working on at the moment. Right now I’m writing about a Cavalier with long dark hair and green eyes … 

Thank you!

Thank you very much for inviting me!

Any comments/questions are always very welcome :)

Steph

Review of Getting The Picture*

So, a little email from Dean Street Press brightened my day (let's face it, week), when they offered me the chance to review one of their new releases. I'm so thankful they did as Getting The Picture, which you can buy here, did not disappoint. Written entirely in letters, notes, emails and answering machine messages, this book is full of touching reminisces of a life that once was, or could have been. I personally love authors who toy a little with your feelings, getting you to turn this way and that in terms of who you trust - believe me (oh the irony), this book does test you a bit.

Martin Morris, a retired pornographer, moves into Pilgrim House and is delighted at the prospect of getting to know his ex-lover, Mo's, husband. Having always imagined that she would not leave her husband for him because this husband was a wonderful person full of positive characteristics, he is somewhat perturbed to meet the grumpy, obsessive George. The book centres around letters from Martin to the dearly missed Mo, but features communication from different residents to one another, the care workers and George's family. 

This is only going to be short, as I think over-analysing this book would take away from some of it's charm. At first reminding me of 'The Notebook' (one of my top favourite films), it really explores what it's like to grow old and feel unfulfilled in your love life. The manner of writing which the author develops here really allows for a multiplicity of perspectives to be displayed, whilst the true identity of the character is somewhat concealed - after all, if you're writing a letter to someone you are presenting them with a version of your life that you want them to see. All the little snippets of information the reader gets build up until all of them start to come together and you really start 'Getting the Picture'. I would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in romance who's getting bored of the cliched boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back narrative.

What do you think of books that are written in non-conventional forms?

Stephanie

"You Think You Know Me"* Review

It feels like forever (presumably because it has been!) since I've done a review. The last few weeks have been massively hectic - essay writing, seemingly endless amounts of family Christmas dos and illness meant that reading got put on the back burner. But, I'm back, and hopefully with more frequency. I was lucky enough to be sent You Think You Know Me by Choc Lit and I have to say it lived up to expectations! Suspense-filled, with a little bit of Bond-esque drama, you never knew who to trust .... Believe me, the quote above was how I felt for the majority of the novel.

Anna, a freelance journalist, moves to London in the hope of securing more work. Her university contacts triumph and she ends up securing an interview with Zachariah Shakespeare, an artist whose work is being shown at Seb Rice's (an old uni friend) gallery. However, when she attends a gallery showing she is watched by a mysterious man who provides a false name and appears to take a photo of her. She soon has to question everything: who is this man, and why is she so attracted to him? Why is her old friend Seb so interested in becoming close? And, most importantly, who can she really trust?

I really really cannot say very much about this one without providing a whole host of spoilers, and I want all of you lovelies to enjoy the book! But, I will say that if you have trust issues, beware: this novel will make you evaluate and overevaluate every impression of anyone you ever meet. However, it is a fab book; well-written, intense and hey, if good literature doesn't make you evaluate your life in a new light what does it do?

Have you read it? What did you think? 

Steph

P.S. Check out my 100 follower giveaway here

Review of "Follow Me Follow You"*

This was my favourite line from the whole book. Although this doesn't directly give details of the plot of the book, it does actually speak true to what the characters are dealing with: the past. Now, although everyone says "never judge a book by it's cover", I'm a sucker for a book with intriguing cover art. So, when I first received this from Choc Lit I was quite put off. However, once I started reading I realised that (thankfully) the cover did not do justice to the contents of the novel.

Without giving too many spoilers, and going too deep into the plot, I'm going to give a quick summary of the book. The key protagonist is Victoria Noble, a recent divorcee with a four year old son (Seth) who hates her. She is co-owner of a social media firm called EweSpeak, and is slightly hung up over her past with actor Chris Frampton. In an effort to go "back to basics" to repair her relationship with her son, Victoria moves back to the town in which she grew up. Once there, she discovers that her past could just be the key to creating her and Seth's future ...

When I first started reading I got really worried. We Need To Talk About Kevin is my all-time favourite  book and it looked like Follow Me Follow You was going to go down the same plot route. However, the tension between Victoria and Seth was not the only plot strand of the novel. Chris and his son Ricky made a touching pair in the face of their tragedy. Plus, not only was it well written, but contained many narrative ideas and styles which I hadn't really come across. I personally loved the whole idea of EweSpeak, which is effectively twitter. The "bleats" (aka tweets) at the start of each chapter were such a unique and funny addition to the book. Also, the way in which certain key issues were handled (*ahem* I did warn no spoilers) was realistic and touching.

All in all, I loved this book, and after the first couple of chapters I couldn't put it down!

Have you read it? What did you think?

Get it here!

Steph x

Review of The Atlas of Us

Sometimes when I'm picking a quote to put with my review I pick one which I think sums up a key component of the book well, but this time I've picked the quote which I think most spoke out to me from the book. This actually happens at a fairly inconsequential part of the novel, and is a fairly unimportant conversation. However, it does speak volumes about a very important message behind the plot of the text.

I actually won this book in a twitter competition with Avon Books. This was the first book I've ever won, so I've been pretty excited to read it. Initially I thought this book was going to be largely about the 2004 tsunami (I read the prologue and had to put it down for a number of weeks, ugh). This particularly intrigued me as I haven't really found any literature about this before, so at first I was rather disappointed that it didn't continue in the same strain.

So now for what it's all about. The book travels along two stories. One follows the adventures of Claire Shreve, a barren journalist who is seeking to discover how to define herself as an adult woman who cannot become a mother. The other is all about a woman named Louise, who can only define herself through her loving relationship with her children and stale one with her mother. Louise's content marital life at home in the UK is suddenly put under the weight of the news that her mother was in the area in which the 2004 tsunami hit. She must fly out in an attempt to discover whether her enstranged mother is alive or has been lost to the sea. Once she gets there, she realises that her mother knew Claire Shreve, but how? Claire is trapped in a life determined by the fact that she cannot have children, and her husband is upsettingly optimistic about yet another round of IVF. She needs to learn how to be happy with her life as it is, and the best way to do this seems to be "stepping off the map" and travelling the world. The book follows the attempts these women make to discover their own path to happiness, and mothers and those without children alike may benefit from taking some lessons from this book.

I have to say, although I enjoyed the book in the end, at first I didn't like it a great deal. I felt that the plot was too simplistic and obvious. It was incredibly clear that the subject was personal to the author, and whilst that allowed for an authoritative take on some of the issues in the book I felt that certain ones in particular were stressed too much. The reader was aware that Claire was barren, they didn't need to be reminded every chapter. Saying that, perhaps that was the point - infertility is a problem that doesn't just go away, so why should the reader be allowed to forget about it if Claire couldn't? As I said before, the book grew on me. I thought that the ending was one of the most realistic I've read in a while. The realism of this novel was perhaps its strongest point. At the heart of the novel is a complex issue (trying not to give any spoilers), which could have simply seemed unbelievable if the novel were written badly, but the fact that Buchanan allowed the other components of the plot to be realistic made it work.

Have any of you read it? What did you think?

Steph