There’s a danger in knowing a little bit about a subject portrayed in a book you’re reading. Disbelief becomes hard to suspend and every mistake feels like a personal insult. If the book is one that you’re fairly neutral about in the first place it leads to frustration..
The Olive Tree
8 August 2016 by Leave a Comment
Regular readers will know that I’ve read a couple of Lucinda Riley books recently and absolutely fallen in love with their scope and romantic themes. These are big books that feel light and summery and whisk the reader away into glamourous new worlds…
The Seven Sisters
2 June 2016 by Leave a Comment
A couple of years ago I read Lucinda Riley’s cracking novel The Midnight Rose. I was swept away by the romance, beauty and scope of the novel but I promised that any future Lucinda Riley books I read would be on the Kindle…
The Birthday That Changed Everything
5 March 2016 by Leave a Comment
I turned 40 a couple of months ago. Between Christmas and New Year I hit my fifth decade and you know what? It was fine. No trauma, no tears, no wailing about getting old. Just a lovely day with friends and family, lots of champagne and an absolutely fabulous cake…
Strictly Between Us
13 January 2016 by Leave a Comment
One of the first books I read last year was Jane Fallon’s Getting Rid of Matthew and in an unintended coincidence the third book I’ve read in 2016 is the new Fallon novel Strictly Between Us, published on January 14th this year…
Turkey Seconds
17 December 2015 by Leave a Comment
Yesterday in my mini-focus on Christmas books, I reviewed Mandy Baggot’s One Wish in Manhattan – my initial reservations about the novel were overcome when I got to like the main characters. Today I have exactly the opposite issue. I couldn’t stand the main character …
One Wish in Manhattan
16 December 2015 by Leave a Comment
I’m continuing my brief focus on Christmas books this week with Mandy Baggott’s One Wish in Manhattan, a New York set romance between a British girl and an American billionaire – thankfully one without a red room. Single mum Hayley Walker is spending Christmas with her brother Dean in New York…
Never Kiss A Man In A Christmas Jumper
15 December 2015 by Leave a Comment
This week I’m pretty much focusing on Christmas books. I’ve spent the past few days reading nothing but Christmas stories and I might actually be overdosing on sweetness and festive fun. I’m taking a break for a bit after this week for Christmas, my 40th birthday, New Year and a holiday to Egypt…
Top Ten: Christmas Present Books
14 December 2015 by Leave a Comment
A few days ago I published my top ten books of 2015, these are the books that appealed to me most during the year. I am aware though that these aren’t ten books that will appeal to everyone else. Here are ten books that I think would make brilliant Christmas presents for various family and friends…
The Winter Wedding
23 November 2015 by Leave a Comment
I’m in a quandary about my review of Abby Clements’ The Winter Wedding. I’m not sure this has ever happened to me and it’s hard to discuss without getting into spoiler territory. I enjoyed the writing and read the book in just a couple of days but I hated the morals of the story …