Tuesday 19 April 2016

Truth Or Date - Portia MacIntosh

Ruby Wood dates a lot. Except she isn't having a lot of luck. Ruby is happy enough dating until she has a sex dream about her polar opposite flatmate, Nick. Now Ruby is comparing every man she meets to Nick despite the fact she absolutely, definitely does not want to date him and Nick certainly doesn't want to date her. 

From the minute I saw the lovely cover of this book I just knew it would be one I would enjoy and it did not disappoint. From just a few chapters in and even from the synopsis I feel like the whole plot is fairly obvious. It didn't surprise me one bit how the book played out. Honestly though, that didn't matter. I found the characters engaging and every page was a pleasure to read. It's my first book I've read by this author, but as I loved the way that characters are written/story is told I'm going to definitely be picking up her other novels. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the all of the characters. Ruby is easy to like and her fumbling through life makes a very amusing read. At some points I was literally chucking to myself in public as I found it so amusing. Her best friend Millsy whom she works in a coffee shop with provided some equally funny moments. Although in real life Millsy is the kind of person I'd find very irritating, in Truth Or Date I found his presence to only add to my enjoyment of the book. I even loved the more minor characters such as Ruby's brother who only added to the books many funny moments. My only gripe about the characters really is that I wished we had seen a little more of Nick but other than that they are all wonderful to read about.

What I particularly loved about Truth Or Date that it is set particularly local to me, to the extent I'm fairly certain the characters travel on the same train I do at one point. Did I maybe go on a train to Leeds just so I could feel more like the characters I was reading about...yep that's how obsessed I got with this book!

The romance levels in this book are kept to a minimum in comparison to other novels of this genre. To be honest I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing but if you're wanting a real romance novel this probably isn't for you. However, if you're looking for a book with a independent female lead, that provides some hilarious moments throughout then you must pick up Truth Or Date as your next book to read. 

Synopsis -

Ruby Wood is perfectly happy playing the dating game – until she has a red-hot dream about her very attractive flatmate, Nick. He might spend every day saving lives as a junior doctor, but he’s absolutely the last man on earth that fun-loving Ruby would ever date!

The solution? Focus on all of Nick’s bad points. And if that fails, up her dating antics and find herself a man! So what if she manages to make disapproving, goody two-shoes Nick jealous in the process…

Only, after a series of nightmare first dates, there’s still just one man on Ruby’s mind. Maybe it’s time to admit the truth and dare to ask Nick to be her next date?

Saturday 16 April 2016

How Many Wrongs Make A Mr Right? - Stella Hervey Birrell

How Many Wrongs Make A Mr Right sounded just like my kind of book, I liked the synopsis, the main character is called Melissa and the book cover is wonderful. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy reading it half as much as I expected too.

How Many Wrongs Make A Mr Right? tells the tale of Melissa. Melissa is stuck in a dead end job at a pub and just wants to find her Mr Right. Of course every guy she meets turns out to be no Prince Charming!

I just didn't gel with the characters. I found Melissa to be extremely unlikable and a tiny part of me felt like she didn't deserve to one day find her Mr Right. She doesn't treat potential suitors well and I don't particularly think she's nice to her friends either. Admittedly she does start to change as the book progresses but for me personally I found it too little too late, I already disliked her too much by this point in the story. I don't think her friends are particularly nice either and as much as I didn't like Melissa, I wanted her to get a new friendship group more!

Although slightly confusing at times (however it doesn’t take too long to understand what is going on) I did like how the book glimpses into Melissa's past, future and present. Every few chapters or so alternates between a different time period of her life and I thought it worked really well. The snippets of Melissa's future throughout certainly were enough to keep me reading on. I also really enjoyed the last chapter. It just tied the entire story together perfectly. 

How Many Wrongs Make A Mr Right? Is the author’s debut novel. Her descriptions in this book, particularly of Edinburgh are simply wonderful. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for future books by this author in the future as I think with the right characters I will love any future novels that she writes as I enjoyed her writing style.   

Ultimately How Many Wrongs Make A Mr Right? just wasn't for me. I enjoyed the storyline but personally my hatred of the characters just ruined my overall enjoyment of this book. The storyline is a good one and its fascinating to read past/present and future of characters and I think if you can get on with the characters as people in this book you will absolutely love reading it.  

Synopsis –

A story about frog-kissing, bed-hopping, sliding off your lily-pad with embarrassment, and croaking with joy.

Sneak a look into Melissa’s present, past and future…

Her present: Living in Edinburgh certainly beats working two dead-end jobs, in a dead-end town, and staying with her Mum.

And thank goodness for her friends: Julie – her bestie – always has her back, even if she does have a new, boyfriend-shaped growth. Gerry regularly introduces her to eligible men, so it’s OK to ignore his belief that women belong in the kitchen. And the new guy James…perhaps he could be more than just a friend?

Her past: Melissa can’t stop thinking about things her dad said when he was alive. Re-playing warnings about teenage boyfriends and the over-use of the phone might not help, but it’s all she has left of him. Will obsessing about her past block the path to happy-ever-after?

Her future: Stressful days with a toddler, filled with love, paint, wee (or is it just water?) and ‘I’m not eating that!’ Is every day to be a solo-parenting day for Melissa?

It’s hard work searching for The One when you’re a modern, independent, strident, lonely feminist.

From noisy pub to folk club, from broken heart to new start, you’ll end up rooting for Melissa, despite her despicable decisions and massive mistakes.

Monday 4 April 2016

Billy and Me - Giovanna Fletcher


I've made no secret on this blog how much I enjoy Giovanna Fletcher's novels. They're such enjoyable chick lit novels. Despite this I've never actually reviewed Fletcher's debut novel on here so with the release of the book in America on the 5th April now seems like a great time to write about it. 

Billy and Me is about Sophie. She's about as down to earth as you can get and just keeps herself to herself in a small English village. Then one day world famous actor, Billy Buskin rolls into town and her life as she knows it changes forever.

For those who don't know Giovanna Fletcher is married to musician Tom Fletcher so it makes you wonder how much of this story is based on events/exaggerated events from her own life. Regardless of this, I really enjoyed this story and the characters were a delight to read about. Having read Fletcher's other novels she's certainly improved as a writer since this book was published however the story and characters truly make this book a must read.

Billy and Me is such a cute story. Billy and Sophie are wonderful characters who despite being from completely different worlds gel together perfectly. If you enjoy reading this book, the sequel is published in the UK in June. I know I certainly cannot wait for the sequel to be released as this book is fantastic.

Synopsis -

Billy and Me is a gorgeously romantic debut novel about the redemptive power of love by actress, journalist and blogger Giovanna Fletcher.

Sophie May has a secret.

One that she's successfully kept for years. It's meant that she's had to give up her dreams of going to university and travelling the world to stay in her little village, living with her mum and working in the local teashop.

But then she meets the gorgeous Billy - an actor with ambitions to make it to the top. And when they fall in love, Sophie is whisked away from the comfort of her life into Billy's glamorous - but ruthless - world.

Their relationship throws Sophie right into the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? And most of all, is she ready for her secret heartbreak to be discovered and shared with the nation?

Charming, heartwarming and utterly romantic, Billy and Me will completely capture your heart.

Saturday 2 April 2016

Flawed - Cecelia Ahern

Oh my goodness - this book!!! If you're reading this blog you should stop right now and go and instantly download Flawed by Cecelia Ahern, it is that good of a book you must buy it instantly. I love Cecelia Ahern's other novels and I love young adult books so when I heard that she was writing one I have been eagerly waiting it's release since. Many thanks to Harper Collins UK for allowing me to receive an advanced copy in order to review this book. 

Celestine lives in a world where you have to be perfect, one slip up and you're branded as flawed - an outcast of society. Celestine is basically the definition of perfect, she's a perfect student, dates Art Crevan and she never tows out of line. Then one day all the rules Celestine has learnt go out the window as she helps a flawed elderly gentleman on the bus who is struggling to breathe. Helping a flawed is strictly forbidden so she lands herself in deep trouble which ultimately could lead to her being branded as flawed herself. 

If you can't tell by now, I absolutely adored this book. The idea of living in a world that is perfect and those who disobey the rules are outcasted from society is such an interesting concept for a book. I personally thought that it worked extremely well. In true Cecelia Ahern style the book is so well written and kept me gripped the entire way through. Just a note for people like me who have a slightly sensitive stomach, there is some very intense descriptions of the flawed branding process! These chapters only add to the book but they did make me feel a tad queasy!

The characters are wonderful. I've read mixed reviews with mixed opinions on Celestine but personally I really enjoyed reading about her. The progression she made as a character is fantastic. It's interesting to read about someone who is so certain that the world only has two options, right and wrong and see how she slowly starts realising that's maybe not the case. Celestine's family were also enjoyable to read about, in particularly her grandad. 

The ending of the book though nearly made me throw my kindle out of the window. You just cannot end a book with such a cliffhanger! I am now already eagerly awaiting book number two in the series! 

If you read the synopsis and it sounds like something you would enjoy, you must pick this book up! It's one of my favourite books of this genre that I have read in quite some time so I couldn't recommend it more. 

Synopsis -

The stunning YA debut from internationally bestselling author Cecelia Ahern.

Celestine North lives a perfect life. She’s a model daughter and sister, she’s well-liked by her classmates and teachers, and she’s dating the impossibly charming Art Crevan.

But then Celestine encounters a situation in which she makes an instinctive decision. She breaks a rule and now faces life-changing repercussions. She could be imprisoned. She could be branded. She could be found FLAWED.

In this stunning novel, bestselling author Cecelia Ahern depicts a society in which perfection is paramount and mistakes are punished. And where one young woman decides to take a stand that could cost her everything.