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.

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.

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. 

Accidental Superstar by Marianne Levy is out now. Click here to buy from Waterstones.

Glass Sword - Victoria Aveyard

I have been desperate to read the sequel to Red Queen every since I finished reading it. Thankfully Glass Sword does not disappoint although on again the author, Victoria Aveyard has left me desperate to read the next book in the series.

Glass Sword picks up exactly where Red Queen finishes. It may be worth have a quick read through Red Queen again just to bring you back up to speed as it took me a few chapters to get back into the story. Everything is different in Glass Sword. For one we are now following the Scarlett Guard around the world rather than staying within the perimeters of the castle. We're finally visiting the places that the silvers made Mare study in book one and they’re all such fascinating, well written worlds.  

Mare changes a lot in this book and frankly it isn't for the better. I would've liked to have read more about Cal than Mare this time around as her changes irritated me at times. People seemed to forget that Cal is the exiled prince and although his blood may be silver, they want him dead just as much as Mare. I feel that at points in this book I would’ve really enjoyed reading from Cal’s point of view, I genuinely emphasised with him more in this book than Mare at times. Glass Sword has a distinct lack of Maven, so I’m very excited at the prospect of him appearing more in future books, especially from the ending of this book.

I absolutely love this series of books but in my opinion I do prefer book one, Red Queen. Although Glass Sword still made me experience every emotion that Mare did, Red Queen completely tore me apart emotionally and I just didn’t feel such emotion with this book – but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an enjoyable book! If you loved Red Queen, you will still absolutely love Glass Sword and I can guarantee it will leave you with desperation to read the next book in the series. 

Synopsis -  

If there's one thing Mare Barrow knows, it's that she's different.
Mare's blood is red - the color of common folk - but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from the prince and friend who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.
Pursued by the Silver king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The Number One Rule For Girls - Rachel McIntyre

The Number One Rule For Girls tells the story of Daisy. Daisy has a great group of friends and the perfect boyfriend. Except her perfect life can’t last forever and her boyfriend moves to Spain and finds a new girlfriend. Daisy decides that she needs a fresh start so enrols in the local college instead of following her friends to sixth form. It’s at college she meets on the service perfect boyfriend, Toby who makes her question all the rules she’s ever known.

I found Daisy likeable overall. She is a bit of a twonk at times particularly when it comes to Toby. Toby in the surface seems to be the perfect boyfriend except in reality he is extremely erratic and puts Daisy's life in danger. I found myself constantly wanting to go and shake Daisy to make her see sense about Toby which is exactly what the book wants you to do. I really liked the very little bits of Matt that we see in the book too, I would've loved to have read more about him.

I’ve never read one of Rachel McIntyre’s books before but I shall certainly be checking her other book out. I absolutely loved her writing style. Throughout the book it is always focussing on Daisy’s thoughts which I loved. I think everyone can relate to her as some of the things she thinks are so unfiltered and I liked that. I also thought that the story wasn’t just a typical romance story it had a strong message weaved in. 

I read The Number One Rule For Girls insanely fast as I just enjoyed reading it. It's not my favourite book but it was a fantastic read regardless. I loved the ending and I would love to read another book about Daisy. For the £2.99 kindle price this book is certainly worth reading. 

Synopsis – 

Daisy knows a thing or two about love and romance. She’s surrounded by it – in fact, there’s no escape! Not only are her parents childhood sweethearts turned soulmates, they also run the very successful wedding agency 'Something Borrowed', helping couples to tie the knot in whatever frilly, quirky, tasteful, outrageous way they choose. So it's no surprise that Daisy has a pretty clear vision of how her life with boyfriend Matt is going to pan out.

There’s one major flaw in this plan – Matt and Daisy have split up! Determined not to brood, Daisy sets out to re-invent her life and her dreams. And that’s when Toby enters the scene, who appears to be perfect, but is turning all the Rules upside down...

An irresistible exploration of post break-up life featuring Rachel McIntyre's trademark wit and observation.

When Everything Feels Like The Movies - Raziel Reid

When Everything Feels Like The Movies tells the story of Jude aka Judy. He pretends his life is like a movie to get through the traumas of his day to day life but unfortunately his life is difficult.

Truthfully I've never read a LGBT book before but I loved the blurb so much that I knew I just had to give it a read. I didn't gel with the characters at all. Although some of the things the main character Jude goes through are truly horrendous I just didn't like him enough to care. He's a well written character I just unfortunately found it difficult to connect with him which made it a real effort at times to pick up my kindle and read more. 

I so badly wanted to like this book. I've heard so many people rave about it lately but unfortunately it just wasn't for me. A lot of discussions are happening as of late about this book which can only be a good thing with the topics that it is based around. If you read the blurb and think it sounds like your kind of book you should give it a read, I like this book is like marmite, you'll either absolutely love it or won't be fond. However, the themes around the book are simply wonderful and it's fantastic to have a book that highlights the struggles LGBT individuals have on a daily basis. 

Synopsis -

School is just like a film set: there's The Crew, who make things happen, The Extras who fill the empty desks, and The Movie Stars, whom everyone wants tagged in their Facebook photos. But Jude doesn't fit in. He's not part of The Crew because he isn't about to do anything unless it's court-appointed; he's not an Extra because nothing about him is anonymous; and he's not a Movie Star because even though everyone know his name like an A-lister, he isn't invited to the cool parties. As the director calls action, Jude is the flamer that lights the set on fire.

Before everything turns to ashes from the resulting inferno, Jude drags his best friend Angela off the casting couch and into enough melodrama to incite the paparazzi, all while trying to fend off the haters and win the heart of his favourite co-star Luke Morris. It's a total train wreck!

But train wrecks always make the front page. 

Match Me If You Can - Michele Gorman

Match Me If You Can follows the individual stories of best friends Catherine, Rachel and Sarah. All of them are having no luck in their love lives, Catherine's ex husband (and business co owner) is getting married to an extremely young woman, Rachel's office romance ended badly and Sarah hasn't had a date in years. Catherine manages to persuade them to join her dating site where you have to join with an ex partner. Can all three of them finally get their happily ever afters?   

Usually I hate books that follow different narratives but I felt that it worked very well in Match Me If You Can. All three of the characters were instantly likeable and you enjoyed reading more about all of them. I usually find you're drawn to a character more and although I preferred Rachel's chapters I still eagerly wanted to find out what happened to Catherine and Sarah too. 

Personally I thought Match Me If You Can was ever so slightly too long. At times I did find myself skim reading a few of the chapters. However, overall it was a enjoyable read and I did thoroughly enjoy the authors writing style. 

I had high hopes for this book as it the story really appealed to me when I read about it. The idea of having to join a dating site where your ex fills in a questionnaire about when you were dating is a great premise for a book. I can see some people absolutely loving this book but for me, I enjoyed reading it but it unfortunately wasn't the best book I've read. 

Synopsis - 

Three friends upcycle their exes through London’s most popular boyfriend recycling website, but haven’t bargained on the consequences of the exchanges they make.

Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Lindsey Kelk.

Meet best friends Catherine, Rachel and Sarah. Yet to find Mr Right, they’ve been settling for Mr Right Now. But when Catherine, London’s finest matchmaker, gets the girls to join her dating site where they can recycle their ex-boyfriends, they soon realise that anything could happen.

Rachel's office romance James was a big fat mistake and she's more than happy to upcycle him… Or is she? Homebody Sarah hasn't had a date in years but when her transformation finds men falling at her newly-pedicured feet, will her popularity be worth the sacrifices she’s making? And Catherine falls asleep more often on her desk than on a man, so when she builds the perfect partner who ticks all her boxes, surely it's a recipe for love . . . not disaster?

There’s someone for everyone, right? These best friends are about to find out for themselves . .