Monday 28 March 2016

Cin Wikkid - Mary Hughes

Cin Wikkid is a modern day version of the popular fairytale Cinderella so I’m certain most people will be well aware of the storyline. Cin’s mum dies, dad remarries, stepmum hates Cin and favours her two children, Cin’s dad dies and she’s forced to live with her stepfamily. The story is exactly the same as the original story, except what makes Cin Wikkid different is the fact that it is set today. 

I like the fact that although the story is a spin on Cinderella, it still has a little bit of originality. Like how the prince’s identity is a mystery to Cin, whereas in the classic tale it’s the other way around. I also loved how the glass slipper was weaved in to this story too. I felt like these differences made the story somewhat unique and they kept me slightly on my toes whilst reading. 

The characters and story were well written. My personal favourite character was the prince, as it was interesting to read more about his story than you hear in other tales of the story. 

I read this book on the train home one day so it is a very quick read. Yes, the story is predictable as you know the classic tale so well, and yes I read it very fast but if you’re looking for a quick enjoyable read then Cin Wikkid fits in the bill well. Just as an aside, this book has some sex scenes in it so it is definitely not a book for children! 

Synopsis - 

From award-winning bestselling author Mary Hughes comes a fairytale romance with a twist. 

THE WRONGED DAUGHTER 
Cinderella hungers to escape from under Widow Wikkid's grinding thumb. But to snare a plum job at Prince Industries, Cin desperately needs her degree, and she can't wrap her mind around tax accounting. 

Then scarred but sexy Rafe Montoya ignites her imagination with his brilliant tutoring—and, as they work together in his cozy apartment, he sets her body on fire. She thinks he's the one for her, until he starts pushing her to attend Gideon Prince's marriage-mart ball. 

THE HANDSOME PRINCE 
Rafe is really Gideon Prince, head of Prince Industries. He must name his bride by his April first birthday or suffer the loss of his family fortune. 

Rumors say he's still single because women love his money and looks, not him. Is he lonely or just another duplicitous tycoon? 

THE GLASS SLIPPER TEST Hopefuls flock to Prince's birthday ball, but only the woman who is kind, wise, and generous will win his heart. Is it Cin, or will her stepmother, as she always does, snatch the prize for her own daughters? 

And on the night of the ball, when Cin discovers Rafe’s true identity, can she even accept his final test? 

Warning: Rags-to-riches fairytale meets the texting generation. Stepsisters who are a blush-brush shy of a full makeup set, and a ball gown built like a tank. Contains material intended for mature audiences. Reader discretion advised. 

For anyone who has ever been persecuted or hidden their light under a bushel.

Sunday 27 March 2016

The Wedding Date - Jennifer Joyce

The Wedding Date tells the story of Delilah. She was happily in love with Ben, that is until 9 months ago when he turned around and told her that he didn't want to be with her anymore. Delilah thought they were happy together so it came very out of the blue for her. Now, she's discovered that unlike her, Ben has moved on pretty quickly and in only nine months he's now engaged to another woman. With both Delilah and Ben attending a mutual friends wedding she realises she can't bare to go alone and look like she isn't over Ben, which commences operation wedding date!

When just a few chapters in this book mentions Harry from McFly and McBusted, I knew I was going to enjoy reading this book. Then towards the end of the book a minor character is called Melissa is mentioned giving me another reason to love this book! 

I found the story thoroughly enjoyable and Delilah, her best friends Lauren and Ryan and work colleague Adam were all really likeable characters which only added to the enjoyment of the book. Although  Delilah's plan is insane, all her friends stick my her and actively try to help her. Perhaps a little too much at times! Adam is a great potential love interest too. He's such a likeable character so you're constantly routing for them to end up together.

The more Delilah tries to get a boyfriend in time for the wedding the more twisted up in lies she gets. My stomach was in knots at times during The Wedding Date as I was just waiting for the moment it all blew up in her face. If you don't like books which revolve around a story of lies then perhaps this isn't the book for you as Delilah does end up telling a lot of lies. 

The story was realistic and a real page turner. The cover is also beautiful. I absolutely loved the authors writing style and in my personal opinion The Wedding Date is her best book so far! I really did enjoy reading The Wedding Date and I would highly recommend others to read this book! All I want now is a sequel to this book as I enjoyed reading it so much...

The Wedding Date is out 28th March.

Synopsis -

Delilah James, singleton and smoothie-addict, has six months to find a date for her oldest friend’s wedding. Oh, and to prove to her ex, best man Ben, that she has totally moved on since he dumped her out-of-the-blue nine months, eight days and seventeen hours ago…

So, with her two BFFs playing Cupid, Delilah launches herself into the high-tech, fast-paced and frankly terrifying world of dating. Luckily there’s the hot new guy at work, Adam Sinclair, to practice her flirting on – even if, as a colleague, he’s strictly off-limits!

Yet time’s running out and date after disastrous date forces Delilah to tell a little white lie – and invent a fake boyfriend! But will her secret crush on Adam ruin everything? Does she even care about Ben anymore? And is it too late to untangle her web of lies and take a real date to the wedding…?

Tuesday 22 March 2016

School Of Rock Musical

Unless you live under a rock you'll be well aware of Andrew Lloyd Webber with his most notable work being Phantom Of The Opera which is one of the West End and Broadway's longest running musicals. His new venture, School Of Rock debuted on New York's Broadway last December with an anticipated West End debut early 2017.

This is a big statement but School Of Rock is one of my favourite films of all time. I think everyone must love this film, Jack Black is brilliant in the film. I wasn't too sure how it would come across on stage but all I've listened to since I've seen the show almost a week ago now, is the soundtrack and I went to see it twice on consecutive nights so it is safe to say the musical was extremely good. 

Andrew Lloyd Webber has done it again with the music, bringing unbelievably catchy songs to the show which work so perfectly with the well known story. It's been a couple of days now since I saw School of Rock and I've literally only listened to the same three songs on repeat from the show that I just can't get out of my head.

If you haven't seen the School Of Rock film therefore are unfamiliar with the story it is about wannabe rockstar Dewey Finn. He loves music and is convinced he's going to make it big one day, that is until he gets kicked out of his band. His roommate, Ned (and his roommates girlfriend) are constantly asking him for the money for the rent so when he answers the phone one day and it's a call asking if Ned can start teaching at Horace Green school immediately, Dewey steals Ned's identity and starts teaching. Dewey soon discovers his class of kids are incredible musicians which sparks off his rock band enthusiasm once more.

In my opinion, Alex Brightman is by far the stand out performer of the School Of Rock Musical. The energy he brings to the role of Dewey is like nothing I've ever seen in a musical before. He certainly pulls off the role extremely well, perhaps even better than Jack Black himself does in the film!Interestingly I found that Brightman brought a different element to the film character which in my opinion worked extremely well in the stage version. I'm very much hoping that Brightman comes to the UK with the show, when it transfers over next year, as I honestly cannot think of anyone else who would do half as much justice to the role.

I'm a huge fan of Sierra Boggess who plays Rosalie Mullins in the show, which is the nearest character School Of Rock has to a female lead. The character is very different to anything I have seen Boggess do before which just goes to show what an incredible actress she is. 

The children performers of the show definitely need a mention too. Having looked at the playbill many of the young members of the cast are making their Broadway debuts in this role and every single one of them plays an incredible part. The fact that many of them are playing instruments live on stage too just goes to show how talented they all are. Not one of the kids on that stage is ever stood around doing nothing, they're all constantly doing something and contributing to the show. I'm certain the Broadway stars of the future are currently staring in School Of Rock.

The sets effortlessly flowed from one scene to another. At one moment you're in Dewey's bedroom then the next you're at Horace Green school or even in the middle of a rock concert! The costumes are so well done too, in particular the outfits for the battle of the bands. 

If you happen to be in New York City in the near future you must make time to go and see School Of Rock. If you love the film, I think you will love the musical even more. It's funny, full of catchy songs and just an all round great musical which family members of all ages will really enjoy.

On a side note, I went to the stage door after show, a first for me on Broadway as I really wanted to meet one of my favourite performers Sierra Boggess. If you see the show and want to get your playbill signed the cast here were wonderful. Huge credit to every member of the cast for taking the time to meet everyone who was waiting at stage door, in particular Alex Brightman who stayed until long after the safety barriers were put away just to make sure everyone got a few seconds with him. Getting my playbill signed was just the icing on the cake to an incredible evening at School Of Rock.  

Monday 21 March 2016

Backstage - Jacqueline E Smith

Backstage is book number two in the series and picks off exactly where book one, Boy Band leaves off. Backstage is a little bit more complex than Boyband as so many secrets are being kept between every member of the band, The Kind Of September. Secrets that could potentially tear the band apart.

I wasn't expecting too much from Backstage as I tend to find I never enjoy sequels as much as the first novel but thankfully it certainly wasn't the case this time. In fact it was quite the opposite, I was so upset when I hit the final page that the book was over! 

Melissa and Sam's relationship is still one of the most adorable relationships I've ever read about in a book and it's only improved even more since they're become a couple. Without spoiling anything the ending of this book is just too darn sweet for words. They're rapidly becoming some of my favourite characters in a book. Backstage features a lot more on Sam's band mates too which I find a delight to read as it goes to show that even if you're the best of friends, if you're with each other so much strains can begin to form. 

Like with book one I just didn't want this book to ever end so I'm keeping my fingers crossed another book is going to be added to the series. I haven't even been able to bring myself to pick up another book for a week as its all that I have been thinking about since the second I finished this book! If you enjoyed the story of book one you will absolutely love reading Backstage and I would highly recommend you pick it up. 

Synopsis -

Melissa Parker might just be the luckiest girl on the planet. 

She’s just turned twenty-one.
She’s best friends with The Kind of September.
And she’s dating Sam Morneau, everyone’s ultimate celebrity crush. Of course, no one is supposed to know about that. 

As it turns out, no one is supposed to know about a lot of things that happen behind the scenes of life with the planet’s most popular boy band. Now, what should be Happily Ever After for Mel and Sam is turning into a series of secrets, manipulation, and potential heartbreak... Just in time for The Kind of September’s world tour.

Saturday 12 March 2016

Boy Band - Jacqueline E Smith

Earlier this week I downloaded a lot of books to keep me amused during an eight hour flight this weekend. I started reading a chapter to see if I was going to like it and as I don't go on holiday until tomorrow and I've already finished the book it's safe to say I absolutely adore this book!

Boy Band is essentially my perfect book, it ticks every single box in things I love reading about. Dating a famous person - tick! Lead character with the same name as mine - tick! From the very first sentence it made me laugh, it made me frustrated at times and mainly it was a book that when I wasn't reading the book it was all I could think about. I just wanted Boy Band to never end!

The book tells the story of Melissa who is hopelessly in love with her best friend Sam  Morneau, which would be great if he felt the same/knew how she felt and wasn't a member of the hottest new band The Kind Of September. Melissa follows the band around, who wouldn't want to spend their day in a whirlwind life of a top boy band with there best friends?

The book delves into the world of what I imagine it's like to be in a famous boy band completely. I am someone who was obsessed with a boy band (and still somewhat am...) when I was a teenager so the setting really appealed to me. The characters were so great to read about too. I can't imagine anyone finishing reading this book and not want a relationship like Melissa and Sam. There friendship is just far too adorable to be true. 

Boy Band was such a perfect book for me I don't know if I'm excited or nervous to read book number two in the series in case it doesn't reach the high expectations I now have for it. The ending of Boy Band just made me want to scream! How could it end of such a cliffhanger! Thankfully I have already downloaded book number two onto my kindle already to crack on with reading on the plane.

If you love stories that revolve about boy band and have a really cute friendship in it. You will absolutely love this book, I couldn't recommend it more! Now I'm off to board my plane to get cracking on book two....

Synopsis -

Sam Morneau is Melissa Parker’s best friend. He’s also a member of The Kind of September, basically the hottest boy band on the planet. 

After two and a half years, Mel is all too familiar with the day-to-day occurrences that come with being a member of the band’s inner circle, including hectic schedules, passionate fans, and gossip-mongering celebrity girlfriends. 

Now, with the release of the group’s third album just weeks away, their lives have never been crazier and Mel is doing everything she can to keep up, all the while trying to cope with the ridiculous rumors that follow the band everywhere they go and pretending that she isn’t harboring a secret and hopeless crush on Sam. 

It’s weird enough being in love with your best friend. It’s even weirder when the rest of the world is in love with him, too.

Sunday 6 March 2016

Accidental Superstar – Marianne Levy


I have been desperate to read Accidental Superstar since I first read the blurb – it sounded just like my kind of book and thankfully it does not disappoint. Accidental Superstar tells the story of Katie. Katie’s parents are divorced, her dads moved far away and her mum has found a new man. Katie, her sister, mum and new man, Adrian, move into a new house together, except it isn’t a picture perfect house. It is falling apart and even has the odd mouse running around. Then one day a video of Katie, her friends and Adrian performing is put up on YouTube and suddenly Katie turns into an internet sensation overnight.

I really liked Katie. Ok, she’s not the most perfect character as she certainly as her flaws, but what teenager doesn’t? At the end of the day she has to live with her mum’s new boyfriend who she doesn’t particularly like, move around from her best friend, live in a dump and worse of all travel on the busy to school! Overall though I found her a sheer delight to read about. Her family and friends are all fantastic characters and at the end of reading it really makes you appreciate how important it is to have good friends/family as they really do always have your best interests at heart. 

Accidental Superstar transported me back to the naivety of being a teenager which only added to my enjoyment of reading this book. You’re completely involved in Katie’s enthusiasm, a single, a record deal, a tour! You just get more excited with Katie as the book progresses. It really meant that the twists and turns throughout the book came as a complete surprise.

I thoroughly enjoyed Accidental Superstar. If you’re ever thought about uploading a video onto YouTube and it going viral then you will love reading Katie’s story in this book! Roll on book number two in the series!

Synopsis – 

If I'd known that two million people were going to be watching, I'd probably have done a bit of tidying up.

Katie Cox is used to going unnoticed, by her mum, her dad, even her best friend. But when a video of her singing in her bedroom goes viral, she becomes a superstar overnight. As the views skyrocket and a recording contract beckons, the real world starts to feel very far away. 
 
And now Katie's riding high on her newfound fame. But the higher she goes, the further there is to fall... 


Accidental Superstar by Marianne Levy is the first in a hilarious series about a girl who accidentally finds fame singing online.