The Night before Christmas by Scarlett Bailey

I received a copy of this book after applying for one from the Ebury Women's Fiction Facebook page last month and very happily I was one of the lucky few to receive a copy.

All Lydia's ever wanted is a perfect Christmas...

So when her oldest friends invite her to spend the holidays with them, it seems like a dream come true. She's been promised log fires, roasted chestnuts, her own weight in mince pies - all in a setting that looks like something out of a Christmas card.

But her winter wonderland is ruined when she finds herself snowed in with her current boyfriend, her old flame and a hunky stranger. Well, three (wise) men is traditional at this time of year...

Christmas is just about my favourite time of year and so when I saw this book and read the synopsis I just had to get a copy and read it. It has all the elements that you'd expect from a Christmas story, lots of family troubles, arguments and the odd stolen kiss. Alongside the main story there are some nods made to the more traditional Christmas stories, there's the boyfriends (past, present and possibly future too) there's the heavily pregnant woman due to give birth and the modern favourite of being snowed in at a remote location.

The description of the setting is wonderful, a remote house outside a village in the Lake District with a colourful history all of it's own! But, what made this book such a page turner for me was that all the characters are so well written, you get to feel as if you know them and can sympathise with them and what they are all going through. You want to keep reading just to make sure that everything turns out OK and that our Heroine gets together with the right man in the end and that all is well with all of her friends and their relationships too.


It all works together to make for a great read and I really do recommend this for anyone especially with Christmas fast approaching us now, it's a great Feel Good tale

Legacy by Danielle Steel

I was sent this book as I'm part of the Transworld book group (see here for details)

I have to say right here that I chose this book purely because of who the author is, I have read many Danielle Steel novels and have loved each and every one of them and being given the opportunity to read this one as part of the book group was not something I could pass up.

A tale of love, courage and family, interweaving the lives of two extraordinary women - a writer working in the heart of modern academia, and a daring young Sioux on an unforgettable journey in the eighteenth century.

Someday is Brigitte Nicholson's watchword. Someday she and the man she loves, Ted, will clarify their relationship. Someday she'll have children. Someday she'll finish writing her book. Someday she'll stop playing it so safe... Then something happens that changes Brigitte's life completely.

Struggling to plot a new course, Brigitte agrees to help her mother on a genealogy project - and makes a discovery that reaches back to the French aristocracy. How did Brigitte's ancestor, Wachiwi, a Dakota Sioux, travel from the Great Plains to the French court of Marie Antoinette? How did she come to marry into Brigitte's family? Brigitte decides to travel to South Dakota and Paris to follow the path of this exceptional young woman who lived so long ago. And as she begins to solve the puzzle of Wachiwi's journey, her quiet life becomes an adventure of its own.

A chance meeting and a new opportunity put Brigitte back at the heart of her own story. And with family legacy coming to life around her, someday is no longer in the future. Instead, someday is now.

As with all her other books this is a novel about overcoming adverse situations, about being totally knocked out of the life you're living and overcoming the odds that have mounted against you, doing your best to rise to the challenge and seeing where life takes you next.

When everything in her life changes Brigitte is a lost soul, not knowing what she wants to do nor being as engaged in writing the book she was so passionate about before. With this lack of enthusiasm and motivation she goes home to her Mother who enlists her help with tracing back how their family arrived in the America's and who came. After visiting the Mormon Family History Library she discovers Wachiwi in her ancestors and so begins her fascination with this young Sioux woman and how she came to go to France and seem to live out her life there.


Part of this book shows Brigitte's travels and how she finds out about Wachiwi and changes the course of her own life in the process and alongside this we also get to read about Wachiwi and how she came to go to France and what her life had been like all those years ago. We follow these two strong women who forge their own destiny once their formerly safe lifestyle is stripped away from them, the similarities between these relations separated by many generations is striking but maybe this courage to keep going is a family trait that Brigitte inherits from Wachiwi.

Even though I am slightly biased due to loving all of Danielle Steel's books I really have to say this one is amazing, such a strong storyline and as well written as all of her novels are. You easily get swept away with the plot, eager to see where the next twist will take you and hoping always for the happy ending which doesn't always come for the characters in her books and I'm not going to spoil anything by saying if either of the women in this story get their happy ending!

The Watchtower by Lee Carroll

After having read Black Swan Rising I just had to get hold of a copy of this book and read it to find out what happened next with Garet and Will. You should note right here that you really do need to read these books in order, reading this one before the first will spoil elements in that one for you but they are so well written that I know you will love both and like me be eagerly anticipating the third one in the series (The Shapestealer due for release June 2012) to find out how this love affair that has endured through the generations will end and if they can ever get over their differences successfully.

The last in a long line of women sworn to guard our world against evil, jeweller Garet James is struggling to come to terms with who – or what – she really is.

Will Hughes, the alluring four-hundred-year-old vampire who tasted her blood and saved her life, could help, but he’s disappeared. Garet believes he’s in France, searching for the Summer Country, the legendary land of the Fey where he might be freed from his vampire curse.

Desperate to understand her legacy, Garet follows Will. In Paris, she encounters strange, mythic beings – an ancient botanist metamorphosed into the city’s oldest tree, a gnome who lives beneath the Labyrinth at the Jardin des Plantes, a dryad in the Luxembourg Gardens – meetings that convince her she is on the right path.

But Garet is not the only one trying to find the way in to the Summer Country – and the closer she gets, the more dangerous it becomes...

As with the first book this is exceptionally well written, it's very easy to read and find yourself lost in the plot as it twists and turns. I found the switching by chapter between Garet's and Will's stories a little distracting at first but after a couple of chapters I found myself in the rhythm of how it was going and never really noticed it again.

In this book we learn a lot more about who Will was before he became a Vampire and the reasons why he made that choice, we also as the description above indicates, follow along with Garet's attempts to gain entry to the Summer Country so that she can find Will. At this point I'm not quite sure if she wants to find will to get her box back, because she believes she loves him or a bit of both but whichever it makes for interesting reading and for a thrilling ride. Again in this book, like the first, we delve into mythology we meet characters of legend and fairytale and see how they aide or hinder Garet and Will in their searches for happiness.

I am really trying to be careful with this book to not give too much away of the storyline as I really don't like that myself when I read reviews and find that I've read half the book's secrets within the review but it's so difficult with this one to not say much as it is an amazing book and I really want to encourage everyone to go get yourself copies of both of them, they are fantastic and you'll enjoy every minute you spend engrossed in their pages!

Nothing but Trouble by Rachel Gibson

I was sent this book as I'm part of the Transworld book group (see here for details)

This is the third of the books I have chosen to review and I was so happy to receive this one, I've not read any by this author before but I've really grown a passion for these frothy chicklit books over recent years which has made quite a difference to my previous favourite of gruesome horror novels!

Chelsea Ross knows she's a great actress. Which is lucky, as she's just got the toughest role of her life!

Washed up from Hollywood and in serious need of some cash, Chelsea jumps at the $10,000 opportunity to act as 'carer' to famous hockey player Mark Bressler, currently injured after a car crash. After all, how hard can it be to play nice and pick up after an incredibly hot invalid in need of her tender loving care?

Just three months of playing nurse and the cash is hers.But Mark Bressler doesn't need help. The moody hockey player's glory days may be over, but he has no intention of letting anyone aid his recovery, least of all the maddeningly cheerful Chelsea. He's determined to get her to quit – and Mark isn't the type to give in. But then again, neither is Chelsea...

I picked this one out mostly because it sounded like a fun read and it was, infact it was that good that once I started it I hardly put it down and had read it in a day, thankfully I didn't have much I had to do that day and my Fiance enjoyed the P&Q to watch his sports on TV!

The story flows well and you get to see different parts through both Chelsea's and Mark's eyes with the narration switching between both characters so you get to understand both sets of issues and the characters motivations throughout the book. 

Hearing how Mark is coping with the enormous changes to his life, dealing with the shock of his accident and the ending of his career. Enjoying his tricks and schemes as he tries to get Chelsea to quit and also understanding her motivations in dealing with all that he throws at her and keeping on going back day after day. Her driving need to complete her contract and gain the bonus so she can get something she desperately needs to be able to feel better about herself and who she is. There are also some wonderful secondary characters around these two which give the story a lot of colour and keep the plot moving ever forward onto the climax.



Yes there are those who criticise this type of book, yes a lot of them are based on the Mills&Boon style (man & woman meet, fall in love, split up, work it out & live happily ever after) but there is so much more to them than there used to be. The characterisation and style of writing in this one is superb, the side stories which fill out the battles between Mark and Chelsea and make for a whole story rather than just a romance. That we have a strong female lead must be the biggest break from the traditional romance that we see in this genre these days. Gone are the swooning, simpering females and income the women who know how to enjoy their life and get the most out of it but are still prepared to compromise when they can see it will get them a boon.

I really loved this book and would encourage anyone and everyone to read it, even if you think you don't like Chicklit books, give this one a go, you might just surprise yourself!

Presumed Dead by Shirley Wells

I received this book from the Author as part of the First Reads promotion on the Goodreads website.

Having developed a taste for crime mysteries lately I was very happy to hear that I would be receiving a copy of this book to read and review. It's the second in the Dylan Scott Mysteries, the first being  'Dead Silent' which I have yet to read but this was not a problem in picking up the story and characters involved in it.

Dylan Scott has problems. Dismissed in disgrace from the police force for assaulting a suspect, he has no job, his wife has thrown him out and-worse luck-his mother has moved in. So when Holly Champion begs him to investigate the disappearance of her mother thirteen years ago, he can't say no, even though it means taking up residence in the dreary Lancashire town of Dawson's Clough for the duration.

Although the local police still believe Anita Champion took off for a better life, Dylan's inquiries turn up plenty of potential suspects: the drug-dealing, muscle-bound bouncer at the club where Anita was last seen; the missing woman's four girlfriends, out for revenge; the local landowner with rumored mob connections-the list goes on. But no one is telling Dylan all they know-and he soon finds that one sleepy Northern town can keep a lot of secrets.

So when I read that I thought it sounded interesting and I was curious about which track the author would take as there aren't really that many reasons for someone to go missing like this are there?

The storyline switches between Dylan's efforts to reunite with his estranged wife Beverley while spending time with his son and away from his mother and his time involved in trying to discover Anita Champion's last movements and what may have happened to her. We follow his movements up and down the country and even a visit abroad or two. Each location described well and full of characters that are easy to read about and a few that become favourites as you read more about them, both who they are and, for some, why they are the way they are now.

We learn more and more about Anita's lifestyle and although the ending was a cliche, it wasn't one I saw coming, I totally missed a very subtle hint about what had happened to Anita which made the reading of this book very enjoyable as it wasn't at all obvious what had happened.

There's a great flow to the writing and it's a great read which I thoroughly enjoyed, now I guess I should go find myself a copy of 'Dead Silent' to read as well!

The Colour of Death by Michael Cordy

I was sent this book as I'm part of the Transworld book group (see here for details)

When I was selecting the books I would read as part of this group I decided to pick a favourite author, 1 from each of my favourite genres and the last would be something new to me but which appealed in some way and this is that book.

In a residential neighbourhood of Portland, Oregon, an unknown young woman uncovers a shocking crime scene by inexplicably sensing the evil within its walls. To the police, she is a mystery. She can’t even tell them her own name. They christen her Jane Doe.

Suffering terrifying hallucinations, Jane is assigned to Nathan Fox, a forensic psychiatrist struggling with his own demons. Together they must piece together the jigsaw that is Jane’s identity.

Then a sequence of brutal killings terrorizes the city and Fox learns Jane is the only cryptic link between the unrelated victims. To solve the murders, Fox must discard his black and white preconceptions, look beyond the spectrum of normal human experience and confront the dark truth of her past…and his own.

Having read this book I found a lot of similarities in the plotlines between this and another book I have reviewed this year, Ultraviolet. They both deal with a young woman suffering from memory loss and synaesthesia who has been admitted to a mental health facility (People who have synaesthesia sense things in a different way to the rest of us, words can have a taste or smell, letters and numbers can have different colours even when all written with the same pen) but from this similar starting point the two books vary greatly.

The heroine, Jane Doe presents with not just one form but ALL forms of synaesthesia and even one that has not previously been documented. As we travel with Jane in her journey of discovery it's easy to understand just how terrifying the world around us could be should we suddenly loose our self in the way she has. We see Fox struggle to deal with his own personal demons which re-surface from this case as well as his inability to let anyone close to him again while also trying to keep what little family he has left safe. And then on top of all this is the horrific fact that there is a killer in the city who seems to be fixated on Jane.

I really don't want to give anything away from this book at all, I found it to be an amazing story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story moved along at a good pace, there were lots of details to make it easy to follow along from scene to scene and to understand the characters and their motivations. The writing flows so well that I am going to look at getting some more books by this author very soon.

Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll

I was sent this book as I'm part of the Transworld book group (see here for details)

So lets start up by showing you the blurb that made me pick this book out as my first choice to read and therefore the one I was most interested in

New York jeweller Garet James has her fair share of problems: money, an elderly father, a struggling business. One day she comes across an antiques shop she’d never noticed before. The owner possesses an old silver box that’s been sealed shut. Would she help an old man and open it, perhaps? She does...and that night strange things begin to happen. It’s as if her world – our world – has shifted slightly, revealing another, parallel place that co-exists without our knowledge: the world of the Fey…

Garet learns that one of her ancestors was 'the Watchtower': an immortal chosen to stand guard over the human and the fey worlds – a role that she has, it seems, inherited from her mother. But the equilibrium between these two existences is under threat. The 16th-century magician and necromancer Dr John Dee has returned, the box has been opened and the demons of Despair and Discord released. In a race against time and impending apocalypse, it is Garet who must find Dee...and close the box.

It sounded fascinating to me having read that and I'm so pleased to say that it hasn't disappointed me at all. In fact it has been a far better read than I could have hoped for. The description that I've copied in above does give a little of the basis to the storyline but there is so much more to it. I've found it to be a wonderful fantasy adventure set in the real world but also in a world where there are many more possibilities than most people suspect.

How would you cope if you suddenly found out that the world around you wasn't  what you always believed it to be? What about if you discovered that your Mother had kept the biggest of secrets from you? And that in that revelation the past, and even the very distant past, show just how much of an influence they have had over your life, to the extent that events that had happened were not only what they seemed to be at the time but also a portent of what was to come.


All these secrets Garet seems to take in her stride, she accepts so many new ideas in such a short time that it's so easy to get caught up with all her new experiences as well as discoveries about the past and the people around her, both new and old. The writing is very expressive and descriptive, allowing you to follow the story easily, eagerly awaiting the next development in the tale and enjoying the depth of storytelling that kept me riveted until the last page was turned. I have to say I did enjoy that the climax happened and then we got to see what happened to most of the characters for a while afterwards as well, so many books end with a climax and leave you wondering what happened next, was everyone really OK. Black Swan Rising is not one of those books, you're left at the end knowing a little of what happened after all the drama while the storyline is set up magnificently for book 2 (which I really cant wait for I just need to order my copy now!)


It is worth noting finally that "Lee Carroll" is actually a pseudonym. This wonderful book was actually written by award-winning novelist Carol Goodman and her poet husband Lee Slonimsky. After reading this, I'm eagerly anticipating getting my hands on the second book and I've also added a few Carol Goodman books to my wish-list in the hope that I find them as absorbing as I have this one.

I’m part of the Transworld Book Group!

I've just heard that I'm being included in the Transworld Book Group and I'm so excited! I know some of you wont understand what that is but it's like any book group, you read books and talk about them. The difference with this one is that it's all online and those lovely people over at Transworld actually send you the books! To identify ourselves as being part of this reading challenge/book group there is this logo which you may have noticed on the right of my blog as well. Anywhere you see this image means someone is a part of this group as well.

 

So basically over the next 3 months I will get sent a series of 4 books which I have chosen from the 15 they have on offer, I read them and then will review them on here and Amazon. Once I've reviewed one, they'll send me the next. It really does sound too good to be true doesn't it? Free books but it's real and if you want to get involved too, here's where I found out about it and applied myself. It took a few days for me to hear back, I'm guessing they have quite a few applications to go through and reply to so good luck if you decide to do it as well. 

I cant wait to get my first book!

EDIT:

Here are the reviews I've completed through taking part in this (links will appear once written)

Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll

The Colour of Death by Michael Cordy

Nothing but Trouble by Rachel Gibson

Legacy by Danielle Steel

Hit or Missus by Gayle Carline

I received this book from the Author as part of the First Reads promotion on the Goodreads website.

When I applied to read this book, I didn't realise that it was the second in the series of Peri Minneopa Mysteries but I have to say that my not having read the first volume didn't affect anything on reading this one. The writing style is very descriptive and although there may be more behind the scenes that I wasn't aware of having not read the first book, I didn't feel that I had missed much, if anything.

The information that lead me to choose to request this book was:

Private Investigator Peri Minneopa is hired to investigate a wealthy, possibly cheating wife, but the wife's girlfriends have other ideas. After all, a friend will help you move - a good friend will help you move a body.

That's quite a worm to bait a hook with really isn't it and I'm happy to say that the book didn't disappoint in any way. The story is well thought out and the characters are well written and mostly very likable.

The plot twists and turns around the day-to-day living of Peri and her long term boyfriend Skip. Skip is a Detective with the local police department, and the relationship is very serious for them both although they don't live together, they just stay over with each other whilst still maintaining their own space.

When Peri is approached to tail the trophy wife of a local business magnate it would appear like a normal routine case, but that's where the trouble begins. At first it could appear like some bad luck but when looked at deeper a conspiracy appears which steamrollers through Peri's life and that's not her only problem. She's not only trying to figure out who's trying to kill her but also if she's imagining one of Skip's colleagues has begun to take more than a little interest in him, some women just wont accept a man is taken unless he has a ring through his nose .... and even that doesn't stop all of them!

As we follow this roller coaster to it's conclusion we're introduced to many other people around the two main characters, all of which are well rounded characters who add their own bit to the story to make it a very enjoyable read. The story itself has a natural flow to it, it doesn't rush to the end like some books do, it takes it's time and builds up in layers until you can almost see the answer and when it's revealed it's as if you almost expected it but not quite so it was still a little surprising which is a great way to end a book.

Darkhouse by Karina Halle

I received this book from the Author as part of the First Reads promotion on the Goodreads website.

When I read the description of this book, I just had to apply to read it and luckily I got picked, here's what was dangling on the hook that snared my interest so much:

There’s always been some­thing a bit off about Perry Palomino. Though she’s been deal­ing with a quarter-life cri­sis and post-college syn­drome like any other twen­tysome­thing, she’s still not what you would call “ordi­nary.” For one thing, there’s her past which she likes to pre­tend never hap­pened, and then there’s the fact that she sees ghosts. Luck­ily for her, that all comes in handy when she stum­bles across Dex Foray, an eccen­tric pro­ducer for an upcom­ing web­cast on ghost hunters. Even though the show’s bud­get is non-existent and Dex him­self is a mad­den­ing enigma, Perry is instantly drawn into a world that both threat­ens her life and seduces her with a sense of impor­tance. Her uncle’s haunted light­house pro­vides the per­fect cat­a­lyst and back­drop for a hor­rific mys­tery that unrav­els the threads of Perry’s frag­ile san­ity and causes her to fall for a man, who, like the most dan­ger­ous of ghosts, may not be all that he seems.

I have to say right off that as keen as I was to read this book, once I started I found it a bit hard going, it was almost like trying to wade through treacle to get into it BUT after the first couple of chapters I found it got easier as I got used to the style of writing and was caught up by the plot. 

I didn't find Darkhouse particularly frightening but there were moments when I just had to keep reading to find out what happened next and to make sure that everyone was OK! The interaction between Perry and her family gave more understanding to the choices that we're told she's made in the past and why she's doing what she does through the book. She's easily likable as are her Sister and Cousins, even Uncle Al has his moment to star when he tells her the history of his lighthouse.

As a first book I'd say this sets up the interaction between the major characters very well, at the end you are left wanting more, to know what happens not just in the work between them but also in their personal life. That Perry is attracted to Dex is painfully obvious to all but his feelings towards her seem confused to me and I cant wait to discover what they really are and how that relationship will develop. Also I really hope to find out more about 'Creepy Clown Lady'. Who she is, what she is even and what she knows about our two protagonists. 

I cant wait to get my hands on Red Fox and see what happens next!

Books Books Books Books! :-D

Time for another diet update, I've just passed the 2 stone weight loss mark, I'm so impressed with Slimfast right now. I know I'm losing it very slowly (average 1 lb a week) but that's the right way to do it and I'm seeing vast improvements in my fitness and flexibility which will help me to exercise more and keep it off and get rid of more as time goes on.

I have an agreement with Dave that for each stone I lose I can order some more books from Amazon and this time I added to it with a voucher I won and ordered 6 that I've been wanting a while, just checking with them and the books are in Bristol right now, hopefully I'll get them tomorrow

    

I was going to write a review this week but I find it really hard to write a review on a product I really didn't like, especially when I know others do like them, it makes me think there is something wrong with my taste buds!lol All I will say is that I'm sticking to my slimfast, it's working and doesn't taste like unflavoured sawdust like a certain other companies diet bars do.....

  

Those in Peril By Wilbur Smith - WINNER

Thank you very much to those who entered my giveaway here, I have just entered all the names into a random generator and here is the winning selection: (all names were added it only shows 6 but the double entries were there)

Congratulations Tracey! I will be in touch shortly to get your address from you to send off your book (and maybe a little something else too!lol)

Ultraviolet by R J Anderson

I was sent this book recently by the lovely people at Books with Bite on Facebook and it's finally hit the top of my "to read" pile.

When the opportunity arose for me to gain a copy of this book I jumped at the chance after reading the description online:

Once upon a time there was a girl who was special.
This is not her story.
Unless you count the part where I killed her.

Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison's condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can't explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori - the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that's impossible. Right?

It sounds irresistible doesn't it? Well it did to me anyway, I love a good mystery and for the most part this is a great one.

It's well written and the characters are believable. You can understand Alison's motivations and empathise with her for most of what she's going through and the secondary characters personalities and motivations come through really well too which makes the book all the more engrossing

The twist in the book I almost saw coming but dreaded the idea and so didn't give in to the thoughts but when I was proven correct in my assumption I felt let down. I actually put the book down for over a day before going back to it and trying to resume. I'm not going to say what the twist is nor say which genre I feel this book really belongs in, that would give far too much away but I urge you to return to it again if like me it puts you off. The writing is excellent still and it really does turn into such a wonderful tale even if it's not a genre you read much of.

Ultraviolet is released on June 2nd 2011 and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys mystery, paranormal, romance type books so go find it in the Children's/Young Adult section :-)

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

I was recently sent this book to read and review, after picking it up the day before yesterday I found it very hard to put it down again and I finished the entire 405 pages already!

It's 1999 and for the staff of one newspaper office, the internet is still a novelty. By day, two young women, Beth and Jennifer, spend their hours emailing each other, discussing in hilarious detail every aspect of their lives, from love troubles to family dramas. And by night, Lincoln, a shy, lonely IT guy spends his hours reading every exchange. At first their emails offer a welcome diversion, but as Lincoln unwittingly becomes drawn into their lives, the more he reads, the more he finds himself falling for one of them. By the time Lincoln realizes just how head-over-heels he really is, it's way too late to introduce himself. What would he say to her? 'Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail - and also, I think I love you'. After a series of close encounters, Lincoln decides it's time to muster the courage to follow his heart . . . and find out whether there really is such a thing as love before first-sight. Heartwarming, witty and unforgettable, ATTACHMENTS is an irresistible romantic comedy that has it all.

I admit I started this book with a little trepidation, I was concerned that the emails would be long epic ones like in some other similar novels but there I had a very pleasant surprise. The emails concerned were short quippy ones, like those we've all shared with friends at some point when having a conversation through email. They tell the stories of Beth and Jennifer well and we understand them, their lives and motivations far easier through these conversations than we would do through conventionally written chapters which means we get to share in more of their lives, past and present and learn who they are really and their hopes, dreams and fears rather than what they look like and long descriptive passages of where they are.


This is also somewhat true of Lincoln, although the chapters which involve him are conventionally written. Because the girls side is so abridged we get to spend more time with him, his family and friends learning about how his life has been and how it has led to him living with his Mother and working as an I.T. guy and yes, he is one of those who plays D&D as well but don't hold that against him, at least D&D players have friends!lol

It really is hard to try and explain why I loved reading this book without giving away too much of what happens so I'm going to have to leave it here and let you know that this is a fabulous read, perfect for lazing with on the beach this summer (or cosy by the fire if it's a typical British summer!lol) It's released on the 12th of May and is well worth picking up a copy as it's not just a romance story, there are some really funny moments in there as well.

Those in Peril By Wilbur Smith (Giveaway)

I have to say first off that I've never read any Wilbur Smith books before as I've always felt they would be far too masculine for my tastes. When the opportunity presented itself for me to read this new one, I did some research first to discover more about the book itself and to not be put off by my impression of the type of books this author writes. I really am happy that I did so as it made me think that this sounded an interesting read and I wasn't wrong!

We mostly follow the story through Hazel Bannock, an ex tennis player who wed and was widowed by an oil magnate. We see what happens when her teenage daughter is kidnapped and tortured by Somalian pirates and yes, it is quite graphic on some scenes involving both torture and rape but this IS the reality of what happens to the unfortunates who get caught up in this situation so I consoled myself with the fact that the victim I was so concerned over was fictitious.

We see snippets of the political hand wringing that must happen in these situations in the real world and we meet Hector Cross. Long time contractor of Hazel's late Husband, Hector provides security for Bannock Oil Corp in most countries but predominantly the Middle East. Even though he owns Cross Bow Security, Hector fights on the front line with his men to defend the companies property and in this case the family behind the company as well.

I really don’t want to give too much of the storyline away, it's masterfully woven together with some humorous moments amongst the horrors that we witness as we follow the characters. I laughed, I cried, I was nauseous and I cheered on each victory that came till I turned the last page!

PLEASE NOTE:

This giveaway has now ended and a winner has been selected

And now for the bit you're really interested in, the giveaway! Well, I have a second copy of this book to offer to my blog readers. To enter please:

A) Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect and comment here when you have

B) Subscribe by email via the Feedburner link and comment here when you have

You can do either or both, if you do both, please make 2 comments, current followers/subscribers are free to enter, you just need to comment. 

This draw is open to the UK only and closes on the 18th April 2011 when a winner will be selected by using a random number/name generator and comparing the number/name it selects with the list of posted entries.

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The Woman He Loved Before By Dorothy Koomson

After reading the hype and other reviews about this book I was genuinely excited to be getting a copy to review. I've not read any of Dorothy Koomson's other works but do enjoy both a good romance and a good mystery story and that it what I found this book to be, good but not great.

The story begins with the main characters being involved in an accident and in flashbacks you discover more about them, how they met and their relationship together.

Jack is a man who seems to constantly be trying to crawl out of the shadow of his Father. Libby is Jack's insecure second wife constantly worrying that Jacks deceased first wife means more to him than she ever could. Finally there is Eve, Jack's first wife who has been dead for some time and yet her ghost lives on all around the characters. There are many other characters around these three but these are the main ones and those most important to the story.

After the accident we mostly follow Libby as she recuperates and watch as she uncovers Eve's diaries. We learn along with Libby about who Eve really was and what her life was like before she met Jack and during her relationship with Jack. We learn all the little secrets in her life and see the repercussions once it is made known the diaries have been found.

Like I said before, this is a good book, the storyline has a lot of positives to it but the main supposed twist was easy to spot coming chapters before it happened, it was more a case of "OK I was right" than "Oh I never saw that coming" and I found that the book just didn't grip me. When I find a book I love reading (and there have been many) I have trouble putting it down but with this one I had trouble picking it up so even though it is a good book, don't be swayed by the hype, it might not live up to it for you either!

Happy Birthday to me!

Thank you so much to my friends and family who have wished me a happy birthday today. It really means a lot that you've thought of me today and I do appreciate it :-)

I'm having a lovely day so far, Dave's spoiled me rotten with gifts:

and he's said he's going to take me out for a drive in a bit, there are some lovely parks round here as well as the New Forest and the seaside a short drive away and it's always good to get some fresh air when he's about :-D

He's also cooking for me today, I've made it as easy on him as possible, I'm having my favourite M&S ready meal a chicken & broccoli pie (more on this subject to come at a later date!lol) He did ask if I wanted to go out for a meal today and at first I did but I've done so well with my diet I don't want to fall too far back in one day, although I will a bit ..... I have birthday cake (OK swiss roll) in the cupboard!lol

Encore Valentine (AKA Brava, Valentine) By Adriana Trigiani

I was recently sent this book by the authors page over on Facebook and when I received it I just had to dive right in after seeing the cute cover even though having read the synopsis (below) I knew this was the second book to one I haven't read.

It really proved not to be an issue as the characters are written so well you get to know them here as much as you would do in any book so don't be put off if you haven't read 'Very Valentine' either although I am going to now!

As Encore Valentine begins, snow falls like glitter over Tuscany at the wedding of Valentine's grandmother. Meet the Roncalli and Angelini families, artisans of handcrafted shoes in Greenwich Village since 1903. Valentine's dreams are dashed when her grandmother names her brother and nemesis Alfred her partner at Angelini Shoes. A long-distance romance with the sexy Gianluca who lives in remote Tuscany seems impossible so Valentine tries to devote herself to her work. A once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity takes Valentine to Buenos Aires, where she finds a long-buried secret hidden deep within a family scandal. Once unearthed, the truth rocks the Roscallis, but Valentine is determined to hold her family together. More so, she longs to create one of her own, but is torn between a past love that nurtured her, and a new one that promises to sustain her.

When I first started to read this I was a bit discouraged by a couple of longish passages in Italian and a discussion which included a list of (famous?) names I'd mostly never heard of but I decided to ignore those very minor irritations for now and carry on as what I'd read about the book intrigued me.

I'm so glad I did, not long after that decision was made I was hooked, learning about the relationships and traditions between Valentine's family and friends and seeing how they all relate to each other. Cheering Gianluca on with his wooing of our heroine and yes, I did shed a few tears when events called for them, I had got that caught up with everyone and everything going on!

I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but in this case I think you should. The more I look at the cover on this book, the more details I see and that's just how this storyline works as well, the longer you read it the more details you pick out and the more you can understand the motivations of the characters involved. Yes, this is definately a Chick Lit novel but there really is nothing wong with that and if a few of the people so prejudiced against them would pick up and read some of the better examples (like this one) they would discover that for themselves.

Oh and right at the back there is a lovely bonus, some recipies inspired by the characters of Very Valentine!

Shopping for Free!

Towards the end of last year I was lucky enough to win a £200 shopping voucher, it took a while to sort out between them getting lost in the post and address problems but it turned up a few weeks ago. £200 to spend at the West Quay shopping centre in Southampton ..... YAY!

My first thought was to treat myself to a 3DS when they come out but after hearing so many negative points about them recently I've decided against that for now (but I really wouldn't complain if I won one!lol) so instead I decided to get a DSi XL, I looked at which shops have a branch at West Quay and priced the console up and today off we went. After buying the console and game bits that I wanted there was a tiny bit left so I also got a nice new pair of slippers as well

Shopping is so much more fun when someone else has paid for it for you :-D

My magnetic bookmark

Quite some time ago now I was lucky enough to have been chosen by thatcompanycalledif (@IFgifts) as a winner of one of their twitter competitions. I had won a bookmark and yes I can already feel you all switching off and not being interested but I really hope you'll hear me out on this one :-)

I confess to being a very disorganised reader, apart from with my ereader (which bookmarks pages for me) I have tended to use whatever comes to hand to mark my page and so since I also happen to be incredibly clumsy I tend to lose my place very often but no more, not with the wonderful bookmark I have now! As you can see from the image it is shaped to fit over the page and clips together through the page with the magnets on the lower edges. The bookmark itself is quite sturdy and feels like it will last a long time for me.

They come in a wide variety of designs but unfortunately they only sell trade amounts themselves from what I can see, I have seen a few on Amazon and I'm sure if you wanted one the company themselves would be able to point you in the right direction :-)