BOOK REVIEW THE WOMAN WHO UPPED AND LEFT BY FIONA GIBSON

**The laugh-out-loud bestseller is back with the only book to buy this Mother’s Day. Perfect for fans of ‘Outnumbered’ and Carole Matthews, Fiona writes about life as it really is.**

Forget about having it all. Sometimes you just want to leave it all behind.

Audrey is often seized by the urge to walk out of her house without looking back – but she can’t possibly do that.

She is a single parent. She is needed. She has a job, a home, responsibilities…and a slothful teenage son’s pants to pick up.

But no one likes being taken for granted – Audrey least of all – so the time has come for drastic action. And no one’s going to stand in her way…

Firstly a big thanks to Helena at Avon books for sending me a copy to review .

Fionas books are amongst my favourite so I never hesitate to delve in to her latest .I have read this in a day and loved it .

Her writing is funny providing some comedy gold moments but also relatable .I am a single mum so could identify with Audrey and that feeling of loss and no identity at times.

Sometimes we cant help but feel we are just MUM ,well this is the tale of a woman who wanted to be more than that again !

There’s so much more to Audrey than meets the eye and she is a great leading lady .

I saw several ways this book could have ended up and who with and I think you will be surprised .

You find yourself cheering Audrey on and grow to love all those close in her life .

A great book to escape with .

 

 

 

BOOK REVIEW LOOK AT ME BY SARAH DUGUID

Lizzy lives with her father, Julian, and her brother, Ig, in North London. Two years ago her mother died, leaving a family bereft by her absence and a house still filled with her things: for Margaret was lively, beautiful, fun, loving; she kept the family together. So Lizzy thinks. Then, one day, Lizzy finds a letter from a stranger to her father, and discovers he has another child. Lizzy invites her into their world in an act of outraged defiance. Almost immediately, she realises her mistake.

Look at Me is a deft exploration of family, grief, and the delicate balance between moving forward and not quite being able to leave someone behind. It is an acute portrayal of how familial upheaval can cause misunderstanding and madness, damaging those you love most.

Firstly thanks to Georgina for sending me a copy to review .Il be honest I wasn’t sure what to expect as the cover and blurb didn’t reveal much but this leads to an even more intriguing read.

I whizzed through this read and it was a delight and pleasure to read .

Very quirky settings and characters but ultimately some serious storylines .

Really enjoyed this book and the dynamics of the family especially when the new arrival comes .You can feel the tension in the house through the pages and you can sense things will not end well ! The new family member behaves quite odd and really disrupts the harmony of the family .

Its dark and suffocating in some parts ,light and breezy in others .

It is quite a dysfunctional family but what’s a functional family these days but it certainly adds to the entertainment value of this book .

A enjoyable read about the aftermath of a family reunion .

Published 25h February

 

 

 

BOOK REVIEWHOW HARD CAN LOVE BE BY HOLLY BOURNE

All Amber wants is a little bit of love. Her mum has never been the caring type, even before she moved to California, got remarried and had a personality transplant. But Amber’s hoping that spending the summer with her can change all that.

And then there’s prom king Kyle, the guy all the girls want. Can he really be interested in anti-cheerleader Amber? Even with best friends Evie and Lottie’s advice, there’s no escaping the fact: love is hard.

Before I review this book let me just say this author can do no wrong In my eyes ,she is the voice of YA and deals with important issues in a fun fresh relatable way .

We see familiar faces in this book but with the focus on Amber this time .

I read this in under 24 hours ,it can be safe to say once I have the latest Holly Bourne book I’m hooked until its read 🙂

It was fun to read her adventures while  in USA but it doesn’t go to  plan and she has to do lot of thinking and crying in-between falling for the hunk and trying to rekindle her relationship with her mum .

I could relate to that situation regarding her mum and her problems ,so like her last book where  I could relate to the mental health topic .  It adds to the enjoyment when you can take something personal from it .

Away from her best friends and in  a new environment one things for certain this summer will be different and out of her comfort zone .

How the summer ends up is down to Amber and we can sure it wont be dull .

Holly deals with all those issues and problems we had when growing up and I just love reading her books .

The only problem is reading them too quickly making the wait between them too long .

 

 

 

 

 

BOOK REVIEW BURNT PAPER SKY BY GILLY MACMILLAN

Rachel Jenner turned her back for a moment. Now her eight-year-old son Ben is missing.

But what really happened that fateful afternoon?

Caught between her personal tragedy and a public who have turned against her, there is nobody left who Rachel can trust. But can the nation trust Rachel?

The clock is ticking to find Ben alive.

WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?

I had been recommended this by a author and a fellow book lover and blogger so couldn’t wait to start .Well I was hooked instantly and could only breathe easy once I had turned that last page .

I loved the dual narrative and the constant element of surprise with not knowing what direction the story was going .

Also who could you trust ?

This for me had all the elements needed for a perfect psychological thriller and especially as a parent you read only imagining the fear of losing a child!

This is dark addictive with lots of twists and turns ,I whizzed through this and I cant wait to read her next book.

I couldn’t believe this was a debut book !

Excellent creepy and disturbing book that will leave you shocked .

 

 

 

BOOK REVIEW DUMPLIN BY JULIE MURPHY

For fans of John Green and Rainbow Rowell comes this powerful novel with the most fearless heroine—self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson—from Julie Murphy, the acclaimed author of Side Effects May Vary. With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine—Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.

Dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom, Willowdean has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American-beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked . . .  until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet Pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

Firstly thanks to Harper 360 for sending me a copy to review .

Everything about what I saw was intriguing ,the title and cover  are very eye catching .

This makes for addictive enjoyable reading that will have you laughing and cheering Will on .

It also deals with a lot of sensitive issues and I think we can all relate to those feelings of insecurity at some point in our lives .

Will is great fun and a fantastic role model so this is perfect for teenagers to read and embrace .

I think even at 32 I need to be living life more like will ,believe In myself !

Her friends are great characters too especially Bo who is mysterious but obviously has a big heart with a lot of time and affection for will if only she believed it .

A fantastic refreshing book with a bold new voice .

 

 

BOOK REVIEW THE STYLIST BY ROSIE NIXON

A fast-paced, fun-packed rummage through the ultimate dressing up box, THE STYLIST is perfect for fans of Lindsey Kelk and Sophie Kinsella.

When Amber Green, a shop assistant in an exclusive London boutique is plucked from obscurity and mistakenly offered a job working with Mona Armstrong, the infamous, jet-setting ‘stylist to the stars’, she hits the ground running, helping to style some of Hollywood’s hottest (and craziest) starlets.

As awards season spins into action Mona is in hot demand and Amber’s life turned upside down. Suddenly she catching the attention of two very different suitors, TV producer Rob and Hollywood bad boy rising star Liam. How will Amber keep her head? And what the hell will everyone wear?

Firstly  a big thanks to Cara at Mira books for a gorgeous proof copy .

I will admit I wasn’t sure I would really enjoy this as I’m not miss fashion lol but how wrong I was .

I have just finished this and absolutely loved it .

This is a fresh voice  of fiction and I think its  going to be a huge success .

Its glamourous and set in exotic worldwide locations which really set the scene of Ambers story .Despite that this is a funny warm book with a great leading lady who I think we can all relate to .Once I started I was hooked to see where this was going !

Then we have Mona who is a excellent enigma of a character and in my mind I had the image of Edna Mode from the kids film The Incredibles 🙂

We meet a variety of highly entertaining charactars along the way .

I loved Ambers ability to get on with what is thrown at her and to get on with most people .

Her story is a case of being in the right place at the right time or wrong time depending on the day .

Hugely entertaining and uplifting book that I hugely recommend .

Published 11th February 2016

BOOK REVIEW PRETTY IS BY MAGGIE MITCHELL

Lois and Carly-May were just twelve when they were abducted by a stranger and imprisoned in a cabin in the woods for two months.

That summer, under the watchful gaze of their kidnapper, they formed a bond that would never be broken.

Decades later, both women have new lives and identities. But the events of that summer are about to come back with a vengeance.

Lois and Carly-May must face the truth about their secret, shared past…

What really happened in the woods that summer?

Firstly thank you to Sam for sending em a review copy .I had already seen a lot of praise for this book and the cover is very eye csatching .

It certainly sounded very intriguing and I couldn’t wait to start it .

It is very dark and mysterious and with the premise of being a great thriller .

Unfortunately for me it didn’t meet my expectations and left me feeling a bit flat . It started great and had a original storyline but I could have quite easily have given up by half way .

Published in paperback in May 2016

 

 

 

 

Time to talk day

Well today is a good a day than any to have a bit of a offload about mental health and in particular what’s been happening to me .

It is nothing to be ashamed of though this last week I’ve certainly felt different .

My thoughts and feelings have ranged from depression ,guilt ,despair and to be honest failure .

As many know ive had a lot on my plate. Though when haven’t I .Well it would seem this pressure cooker has reached its limit and come to a head last week .

I have been having what is called pseudoseizures  or non eplicitic attacks .  yep I hadn’t a clue either what this was .

Its been very scary as my whole body has been affected which has fed into the emotions and feelings I described above .

I had 2 hospital visits and my children had to witness me in a bad way .

There’s a lot more I can say but my head still very fuzzy .

I am now under mental health home intervention team and have upcoming assessments etc .

In short I have reached my limit and as a coping mechanism my mind shut down and experienced dissociation .

It really is quite remarkable  the impact stress has on the body both emotionally and physically .

I have tried to be   supermum for too long and sorry but I need to hand the cape in lol

Its ok to not be ok and reach out for help .

This last week with no kids ive had chance to take stock and breathe .

Changes need to be made and hopefully the wheels are in motion .

I have had years of coping being strong and have managed to control my depression .

But this has shown me we as humans really have our limits.

I don’t know what the future will hold and how much these seizures etc are going to be present but its been a wake up call .

Time to slow down ,prioritise, self care and BREATHE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOOK REVIEW SWEET DECEPTION BY TARA BOND

could just imagine my mother’s face when she saw me – her troublemaking youngest daughter, the university dropout who worked in a bar – turning up hung-over and in a ridiculously tiny miniskirt… Ah, to be the black sheep of the family…

Eight years ago, Charlie lost her brother in a mountaineering accident. She’s come a long way since, or rather has fallen a long way down… A drop out, an alcoholic and promiscuous to boot, she is a constant disappointment to her family.

Eight years ago, Richard Davenport watched his best friend die. Now a successful businessman, he’s never forgotten the promise he made to Charlie’s brother that he would keep her safe. But how do you go about saving someone hell-bent on self-destruction?

One night Charlie goes too far and Richard is her only option for help. Can he break through and stop her lying to herself? Or will Charlie finally succeed in tumbling over the edge…

Firstly a big thanks to the team at Hotbed for sending me a copy of this, I hadn’t received anything from them for ages so it was lovely surprise .

Ill be honest I’ve not read anything in this genre for some time and it provided the perfect escape I needed .

I was hooked …so much so I read it in a few hours 🙂

I wasn’t sure what to expect as hadn’t read or even knew much about this author which just made it even more of a hit for me .

I loved it and I could relate to Charlie so much .

Excellent storyline and characters .

Richard is the perfect hero …swoonsvile !!

Handsome ,loyal ,caring ,sexy and above all sees the real Charlotte hiding under Charlie .

We all need that right ?

I was swept away and made my heart melt and go aww several times .

Great reading to keep you warm on a dark Februarys night .

Off to read anything everything this brilliant author has written .