White Lies and Wishes - Cathy Bramley

About the book...

What happens when what you wish for is only half the story...?

Flirtatious, straight-talking Jo Gold says she’s got no time for love; she’s determined to save her family’s failing footwear business.

New mother Sarah Hudson has cut short her maternity leave to return to work. She says she’ll do whatever it takes to make partner at the accountancy firm.

Bored, over-eating housewife Carrie Radley says she just wants to shift the pounds – she’d love to finally wear a bikini in public.

The unlikely trio meet by chance one winter’s day, and in a moment of ‘Carpe Diem’ madness, embark on a mission to make their wishes come true by September.

Easy. At least it would be, if they hadn’t been just the teensiest bit stingy with the truth…

With hidden issues, hidden talents, and hidden demons to overcome, new friends Jo, Carrie and Sarah must admit to what they really, really want, if they are ever to get their happy endings.

A feel-good romantic comedy that's guaranteed to make you smile - perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Trisha Ashley and Katie Fforde.

Your favourite authors have loved reading bestselling Cathy Bramley:

‘Delightfully warm with plenty of twists and turns’ Trisha Ashley

‘Engaging characters and a sweeping romance. This is delightful!’ Katie Fforde

‘A witty, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy’ Miranda Dickinson

‘The perfect romantic tale, to warm your heart and make you smile.’ Ali McNamara

About the author...

Cathy Bramley is the author of the bestselling romantic comedies Ivy Lane, Appleby Farm, Wickham Hall and The Plumberry School of Comfort Food (all four-part serialised novels) and Conditional Love. 

She lives in a Nottinghamshire village with her family and a dog.

Cathy loves to hear from her readers. 

You can get in touch with Cathy Bramley via:

Website: www.CathyBramley.co.uk, 

Facebook: Facebook.com/CathyBramleyAuthor 

Twitter: twitter.com/CathyBramley.

Buy Link:

Amazon UK

My thoughts...

It's no secret I'm a big fan of Cathy's and when I heard she had a new book coming out I waved my hand madly and was fortunate enough to receive an ARC for reviewing - huge thanks to Becky Hunter.

There are a handful of authors that I always pick up their latest book and read without even reading the blurb - from the very first book I read of Cathy Bramley's she was added to this list.  I had no idea what to expect with White Lies and Wishes and my expectations of a 'Cathy' book were met and then some.

Three women, Carrie, Jo and Sarah find themselves drawn together at the funeral of a mutual friends husband.  In my experience the normal conversations at funerals turn to our own lives and vowing not to put things off and fill our days because life is too short etc.  The girls chat and decide not to create a bucket list as such but to voice what their life wishes would be if they could be granted and agree to meet up to try and help support each other towards their goals.

This book is about the strength of friendship, how it's alright to aim for the impossible and that as we change and grow our hopes and dreams might change too and that is okay too.

The girls all tell each other their wishes but, it's soon very obvious that they haven't been entirely honest with either themselves or each other.  It isn't that they tell out and out lies more that they hold back.  It made me think, we all have an inbuilt need to protect ourselves laying your sole bare for others to see isn't easy - feeling mocked or having our ideas thought as stupid isn't top of anybodies list.

I loved the way that the girls true characters came out in the end - being drawn and repelled to each other like magnets.  There's always a mother type, the friend we know will sort our problems and point us back in the right direction - in this case it was Jo.  Although it has to be said she probably wouldn't have cast herself in the role - it's funny what others see in us that we don't.

As the story progressed they re-evaluated what they wanted from their wishes and surprisingly it wasn't always what they thought. I really loved the drive and determination of all three and when they each sat back, re-evaluated and went for their real dreams it was fab.

White Lies and Wishes made me think, how often do I open up and tell even my closest friends the whole story?   It also re-iterated something I already knew - friends , particularly close friends are important and friendship is two-way.

This is a book that makes you sit up and think, dreams are good but why not go for them, the reality might not be what you dreamt of, it could be better.  With the support of friends and family anything is possible.  I am going to suggest to my friends we put some wishes/goals in a jar and support each other to do them - such a fun positive way to start the year.

I can't recommend this book enough it was just lovely. Thank you Cathy for another book that I was sad to finish, characters that I could empathise with and a story that was up-lifting and thought provoking - you are the best :)

Little Girl Lost - Carol Wyer

(Detective Robyn Carter crime thriller series Book 1) 

About the book...

A perfect family hiding disturbing secrets. A killer who wants the truth to be told. 

A teacher is found dead, close to the school where he works. 

A millionaire is murdered at a local reservoir. 

For Detective Robyn Carter, there’s no obvious link between the victims. Apart from one thing. The bodies both have the same grisly trophy beside them - a bloodstained toy rabbit. 

As Robyn starts to delve into the lives of the two dead men, her investigations lead her to Abigail, perfect wife and mother to beautiful little Izzy. What was Abigail’s connection to the victims? And why is she receiving threatening messages from an anonymous number? 

But as Robyn starts to inch closer to finding the killer, Izzy is abducted. 

Unless Robyn gets to the twisted individual in time, a little girl will die …

Gripping, fast paced and nail bitingly tense, this serial killer thriller will chill you to the bone. Discover Carol Wyer’s new series – at a special launch price.

Buy Links: 

UK: http://amzn.to/2eMFrTu 

US:http://amzn.to/2e69S7l 

About the author...

A humorous writer and blogger whose light hearted novels and articles encourage others to laugh at life and grow old disgracefully.

Her best selling novels have won several awards for humour and her witty non-fiction book, Grumpy Old Menopause won The People's Book Prize Award in 2015.

She has been interviewed on numerous BBC radio stations including BBC Radio 2 Simon Mayo and on BBC Breakfast television and Sky.

Carol writes for magazines and websites and also blogs for the Huffington Post HUFF/50.

As a child Carol Wyer was always moving, and relied on humour to fit in at new schools. A funny short story won her popularity, planting the seed of becoming a writer. Her career spans dry cleaning, running a language teaching company, and boxercise coaching. Now writing full-time, Carol has several books published by Safkhet and journalism in many magazines.

Carol won The People’s Book Prize Award for non-fiction (2015), and can sometimes be found performing her stand-up comedy routine Laugh While You Still Have Teeth.

Connect with Carol Wyer:  tp://www.carolewyer.co.uk

My thoughts...

Huge thanks to Bookouture for an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Something which I'm more than happy to give.  

Wow, where do I begin? I began this book knowing it was a psychological thriller but at the same time expecting it to be a little bit light hearted because it was written by Carol Wyer - she writes humorous, laugh out loud books - something this absolutely was not!  

I'm amazed as the ability to switch genre and produce a book that is both captivating and gritty making me want to read on and on - if only lunch breaks were endless, yet at the same time aspects of it were difficult to read.

Robyn Carter is working at a detective agency whilst taking a recuperating break from the police where she is a detective - she finds herself embroiled in a private investigation that she quickly realises can only be dealt with by the police.  Due back at work shortly she returns early to take on the case.

Carol has woven the lives of the many characters intricately into the plot.  It took me a little bit of keeping up with at first - we have the missing person, an ex music teacher who Robyn was initially commissioned to look for as part of a Private Investigation.  Then a murder made to look like an accident whist out jogging.  A child is abducted and the realisation that all of them are connected in someway to Abigail who is being blackmailed by an anonymous source makes for many chest tightening moments.

The story is told in both the present and the past and by the victims and the murderer - how Carol Wyer kept all those balls in the air I don't know but I'm thankful she did.  This is a fast paced book with short snappy chapters that leave no time to ponder as the plot unravels at an alarming rate.  A grippingly, captivating story that is just that little bit too awful for words - a story that made me want to read between my fingers at times. To say this is Carol Wyer's first foray into the thriller world is beyond amazing and Little Girl Lost is just the first in a series.

Thank you Carol for such a brilliant debut thriller, I look forward to book 2.

Watch Me - Angela Clarke

About the book...

YOU HAVE SIX SECONDS TO READ THIS MESSAGE…

The body of a 15-year-old is found hours after she sends a desperate message to her friends. It looks like suicide, until a second girl disappears.

This time, the message is sent directly to the Metropolitan Police – and an officer’s younger sister is missing.

DS Nasreen Cudmore and journalist Freddie Venton will stop at nothing to find her. But whoever’s behind the notes is playing a deadly game of hide and seek – and the clock is ticking.

YOU HAVE 24 HOURS TO SAVE THE GIRL’S LIFE. MAKE THEM COUNT.

About the author...

Angela Clarke is an author, playwright, columnist, screenwriter and broadcaster. Her debut crime thriller Follow Me was named Amazon’s Rising Star Debut of the Month January 2016, longlisted for the Crime Writer’s Association Dagger in the Library 2016, and shortlisted for the Dead Good Reader Page Turner Award 2016. Watch Me is the second instalment in the Social Media Murder Series. Angela’s memoir Confessions of a Fashionista is an Amazon Fashion Chart bestseller. 

Her play, The Legacy, enjoyed its first run and rave reviews at The Hope Theatre in June 2015. She hosted the current affairs show Outspoken on Radio Verulam for six months in 2014, and has appeared on the BBC World Service, BBC Radio 4, BBC Three Counties and more. Her journalist contributions include: The Guardian, Independent Magazine, The Daily Mail, Cosmopolitan, and Writing magazine. 

In 2015 Angela was awarded the Young Stationers' Prize for achievement and promise in writing and publishing. She volunteers with Womentoring, and the RSA Meet a Mentor scheme, and others, to help encourage and support marginalised artists into the industry. 

A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Angela lives with her husband and far too many books

My thoughts...

Avon books have just the best marketing campaigns and when I received an advance copy of Watch Me along with a mirror, giving me 24 hours to tweet a photograph I was intrigued.  I wasn't disappointed, Watch Me is a gripping, emotionally charged read that at times is so fast paced you don't have time to think and then slows just enough to grab a breathe before hurtling straight back int the abyss.  To say I was totally hooked is an understatement.  Angela Clarke pulls no punches, reading the story set over a 24 hour period was a pure adrenalin rush.  

D S Nasreen Cudmore is part of the investigating team, investigating a suicide note that was circulated by snapchat just before a teenage girl killed herself.  It all kicks off when their phones start pinging.  Snapchat again - this time an ultimatum.  It would appear another girl, a bit too close to the team has been taken hostage and the potential killer has given just 24 hours to find her or he'll kill her. Are the two linked is the question immediately on everyone's lips?

Nasreen drags childhood friend Freddie Venton into the investigation.  She helped with a previous case known as the #hashtagmurders - where the killer taunted the police via twitter.  Are the two cases connected? So many questions rattled around my brain as I raced around London on the hunt for a potential murderer with them.

I admire Angela Clarke's ability to produce characters that are hard and gritty, who get right under your skin.  Her ability to cut to the chase with sentences devoid of excess words - straight to the point and unambiguous then switching back with just a few words that showed the softer, more human side to each and every one of the team.  From Nasreen and Freddie, to top dog DCI Jack Burgone, DI McCain and even DI Pete Saunders. The latter and Nasreen butting heads at every turn with DI McCain playing good cop to his bad cop image.

My one regret is that I didn't log my bpm on my Fitbit - it went through the roof, especially in the final chapters - a total captivating read that I haven't stopped telling everyone about.  It's not often I can't make several stabs in the dark as to who the 'guilty party' or what the motive is but this time, I hadn't a clue. There are some revelations that left me thinking WOW I didn't see that coming and I don't know anyone who wouldn't be captivated and gripped by Watch Me.  

Huge thanks to both Avon Books for the opportunity to read Watch Me and a special big thanks to Angela Clarke - this book was blimmin brilliant! 

Angela Clarke Guest post...

How to find Your Writing Muse

Finding that creative spark to keep you motivated can be tricky, when ultimately the writing buck stops with you. Some call it Writer’s Block, I prefer to think of it as merely a passing trip hazard. Block sounds so immovable, right? Whatever you call it, we all panic when we think we’ve lost our writing mojo. So here are some ways I’ve found to help you calm and tap back into your creativity. It’s time to get your muse back on side: 

Go for a Walk

Get your coat and get outside! A change of scenery can help clear your mind and let your subconscious get back to working on your story. Plus, you never know what you might see that can help you untangle that messy plot point.

Have a Shower or a Bath

Many authors I know have confessed that the perfect idea just popped into their head while they were washing their hair. Something about being in the water just does it for your writer brain and gets those creative juices flowing. Have a soak. Play with your rubber ducky. And watch your muse float to the surface. 

Read a Book

Taking a break and reading someone else’s story for a while can help your mind relax and unwind. It’s also a good way to “refill the creative well” so to speak, since you’re not going around in circles on your own story. The same can be said for watching telly, or a film, or checking out an art gallery or museum. Ideas are all around us, sometimes we’re just looking in the wrong place.

Do Something Fun

When you’re frustrated by the words not coming, or you just can’t get the plot to fit together, you need to take a mental break. Removing yourself from your stress is the best way to get your muse to sit up and pay attention. Start a new hobby, or simply carry on with something you already do (see below) and you’ll find those words will start creeping back into your mind.

Spend Time Doing Other Creative Things

A lot of writer’s I know have multiple creative outlets. Whether you take photographs, crochet, knit, scrapbook or paint (I took up painting and drawing last year) - doing other creative tasks helps when your writing when it’s going slow. Your inner muse still gets the fulfilment of creating something, and you also get the benefit of productive relaxation. You can even tie it into your book itself.  Stuck on how to choreograph a fight scene? Draw some stick figures or play with some action figures to work it out. Can’t work out how to describe your heroine’s hair? Go through some magazines and cut out all the ones that look like her and stick them on a piece of paper. 

Write Something Entirely Different

A lot of the ideas above help when you’re mid-book, but what about that initial inspiration? You might have an idea but you’re just not quite sure how to implement it. So shake it up and write something completely random. There are dozens of ways of doing this. You can look up prompts online and write a paragraph based on it. Or open a journal or notebook and just start writing anything that comes to mind (even if it’s “I don’t know what to write!”). Fill two or three pages with a stream of consciousness. Get your brain engaged in the act of writing even if you’re not actively working on your story. The results may just surprise you.

There are countless ways to find your inner muse, but don’t come to rely on it. Sometimes you just gotta sit down and get on with it. That way, when the muse shows up, they’ll find you already working. And that’s the best position to be in. Good luck! 

Safe With Me - K L Slater

About the book...

Thirteen years ago someone did something very bad to Anna. Now it’s her turn to get even … 

Anna lives a solitary existence, taking solace in order and routine. Her only friend is the lonely old lady next door. She doesn’t like to let people to get too close – she knows how much damage they can do. 

Then one ordinary day Anna witnesses a devastating road accident and recognises the driver as Carla, the woman who ruined her life all those years ago. Now it’s Anna’s chance to set things straight but her revenge needs to be executed carefully … 

First she needs to get to know Liam, the man injured in the accident. She needs to follow the police investigation. She needs to watch Carla from the shadows… 

But as Anna’s obsession with Carla escalates, her own secrets start to unravel. Is Carla really dangerous or does Anna need to worry about someone far closer to home? 

A compelling, gripping psychological thriller, perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train and The Sister. 

About the Author...

KL Slater went back to university at the age of 40 where she studied for an English & Creative Writing degree and also an MA in Creative Writing.

She lives in Nottingham with her husband, Mac, and has one grown-up daughter, Francesca.

Her first psychological thriller, Safe With Me, is published by Bookouture

Connect with the author:

Twitter: @KimLSlater 

Website: www.klslaterauthor.com

My thoughts...

I was offered an ecopy of Safe With Me by K L Slater as part of a Blog Tour organised by Kim at Bookouture in exchange for an honest review, something which I'm more than happy to give.

I don't know how they do it but Bookouture keep producing debut authors like rabbits out of a magicians hat - each one more fantastic than the last!

This book was no exception we are introduced to the main character Anna who for reasons we're not sure of straight away has chosen to live a solitary existence, keeping everyone at arms length having no friends to talk of other than her elderly, next door neighbour.

As seems to be the normal at the minute the chapters are spit between the present day and  thirteen years previous - each telling a story of now and then until they collide in the middle in a way that made me want to read with my eyes shut - if that made sense.

Anna witnesses an accident that sets off a train of events that had me running down blind alley's and barking up the wrong tree time and again as she plans the perfect execution of REVENGE against the woman who she holds responsible for ruining her life thirteen years ago.  

This is a story where obsession and revenge are played out in such a way that you find yourself sucked into the moment with Anna as she befriends Liam and his family.  Liam being the victim of an RTA caused by Carla - the woman from Anna's past.  The way she ingratiated herself into his and his families lives was something else.  I kept having to shake my head and tell myself it was just a story.  She really was a smooth operator. How an apparently quiet loner can turn into an unbalanced psychotic nutter whilst appearing normal on the outside was most un-nerving. It was so subtle and gradual I think any of us would have be blinded by her.

A fantastic debut with so many twists it'll keep you guessing til the end - I just loved it- if that's a phrase you can use?  Perhaps hypnotised by the words would be better, thank you so much Kim for suggesting I might love this book, you know me so well I did and some! I shall be looking closely at any approaches from seemingly lovely, quiet people and firmly keeping my distance in the future.

This is a book that readers of psychological thrillers will love, watch this space K L Slater is heading to be one of those must read authors, the ones you just buy the book just because it's written by them - forgetting the cover or the blurb.  A definite debut author with a buzz.

The Secret - Katerina Diamond

About the book...

When Bridget Reid wakes up in a locked room, terrifying memories come flooding back – of blood, pain, and desperate fear. Her captor knows things she’s never told anyone. How can she escape someone who knows all of her secrets?

As DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles search for Bridget, they uncover a horrifying web of abuse, betrayal and murder right under their noses in Exeter.

And as the past comes back to haunt her, Grey must confront her own demons. Because she knows that it can be those closest to us who hurt us the most…

About the author...

Katerina Diamond was born in Weston in the seventies, and her parents owned a fish and chip shop in the Greek community. She moved to Thessaloniki in Greece and attended Greek school where she learnt Greek in just 6 months. After her parents’ divorce, they relocated to Devon. After school, and working in her uncle’s fish and chip shop, she went (briefly) to university at Derby, where she met her husband and had two children. Katerina now lives in the East Kent Coast with her husband and children. This is her first novel.

Author post...

Songs I Love with a Secret Theme

Being a bit of a vanilla goth I like a lot of dark music and secrets are often at the heart of that darkness: something no one is allowed to know about, a confidence. I like songs that make me feel a bit uncomfortable – much like anything else in life I like to be challenged, particularly with regards to aspects of my own character that I would ordinarily try to deny. Plus, songs about secrets are a bit sexy.

The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret – Queens of the stone age

Well, the whole tone of this song really pulls you in: you listen out for the secret, wait for it, but it never comes. It’s just making sure we know there is a secret to be told and if anyone finds out there will be a problem. Queens of the stone age have a few songs with this general feeling, but another along the same lines is the cracker ‘No One Knows’ – with comes with a great video (and Dave Grohl - Foo Fighters/Nirvana - on drums)

Somewhere Only We Know – Keane

This is more a nostalgic notion of a secret, something shared and personal – something that’s known by two people. It could be a place or it could be a feeling. Whenever I hear this song I think of the children’s book The Secret Garden which was one of my favourite stories as a child. I imagine fingers foraging through walls of ivy to find a hidden latch to a hidden door.

Dirty Little Secret – All American Rejects

It’s worth looking for this video if you haven’t seen it. A group of people have written their secrets on notecards and are holding them in front of their face. Some of the secrets there I can really identify with, things I wouldn’t necessarily even think to admit about myself. I think it’s fascinating the things people are ashamed to admit about themselves.

Just – Radiohead

Well, the song itself isn’t about secrets but the video is just brilliant. A man walking down the street stops and lies down, people walk past, each demanding to know what’s wrong with him and why he is lying down, he says he can’t tell them, but they push and push until eventually he does. Then more and more people lie down as they find out the secret; it leaves them debilitated and unwilling to carry on and people keep asking, knowing that they might also lie down if they find out the answer – even knowing that, they still ask. I think it demonstrated perfectly the need to know secrets and answers, even if we know the truth will hurt us.

My thoughts...

First off I received some interesting book post - a cup cake with a severed finger and then the book - The Secret by Katerina Diamond.  My first thoughts were how cool, brilliant marketing I can't wait to read the book, closely followed by I'm a bit freaked out - I know it's not a real finger - least I hope it's not but..... So when Helena at Avon asked if I'd like to be part of a very 'secret' blog tour for The Secret I jumped at the chance.

This was one of those books that took only pages to sink into.  Within eight pages there was three brutal murders and the tension was palpable.  The story beginning in a brothel with one prostitute escaping murder but quite quickly it's apparent it was her the killers were looking for and now she's on the run.

The Secret is fast paced, gritty and a breathe holding read. Based around an undercover police investigation in Exeter with links to another case and the the Plymouth police force. An undercover officer has gone missing and the clock is ticking for Inspectors Imogen Grey and partner Adrian Miles to find DS Bridget Reid.  They need  to infiltrate the gang responsible for some of the most serious crime in the area.  We're talking serious bad boys, drugs, weapons, prostitution, human trafficking and money laundering headed by the most corrupt villains in the UK.  The story is told from many angles and swings back and forth between the present day and Plymouth two years earlier. The advantage with this is that we glean some back history about Imogen and the reasons behind her transfer to Exeter along with some cross over of characters.  People she thought she had left behind appear here as if to taunt her and remind her of some of her darkest times and the reason she spent a year on the sick! 

This was one of those stories that I was glad I read in the daytime - scenes so graphic and gory I wanted to close the book, but the story was such I couldn't leave it alone.  Katerina Diamond doesn't waste time padding out and fluffing up the story she just dives straight getting to the point and leaving nothing to the imagination - her descriptions are graphic and to the point and will leave you open mouthed and 'Oh My Godding' every other page.

This book is a like a game of cat and mouse, with the protagonist changing with each chapter.  My thoughts and feelings changed more times than in any other book I've read. I worked things out in my own head only to have my opinions changed in the next chapter - knowing who to trust was difficult to decide, made more difficult by some of the police working under cover - what was real and what was not became blurred.

Life should be about discovering new things, pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and trying different things.  I liked the synopsis for this book and really wanted to read it yet I sit here now a couple of weeks after finishing it and I'm still trying to process my thoughts. The content was definitely more graphic than I usually read but was so compelling I just had to read on.

Would I recommend it? - absolutely.  It has to be one of the best written books I've read in a long time. It's darker than most of my friends would read, and when asked if I enjoyed it I'm almost hesitant to say yes, it feels wrong for so many reasons - anyone who has read it will know what I'm talking about. 

I'd urge anyone who enjoys a really good book, that'll make you think, is happy to be shifted outside of their comfort zone to give it a go.  It'll stay with you long after the final page but that's a good thing.  The best kind of book in my opinion is a book that makes you think, that keeps you guessing and Katerina did this with panache.  There are several twists in virtually every chapter that had me virtually talking to myself, silently praying and almost too scared to read on in case I didn't like the outcome, I'm so glad I did and urge you all to read it too.

Christmas Under a Starlit Sky - Holly Martin

About the book...

Step inside a beautiful winter wonderland where love, laughter and cosy nights by the fire will make this Christmas one to remember. 

Neve Whitaker loves managing the Stardust Lake hotel. She gets to work alongside her wonderful family and she’s spending Christmas on the most enchanting, snow-covered island in Scotland. So why is her heart so heavy this festive season? 

It might have something to do with the gorgeous actor Oakley Rey, the man she finished with before he left for California and the man she loves more than anything. With Oakley’s career in Hollywood soaring, Neve is convinced she’d only hold him back. She had to end it with him – at least that’s what she keeps telling herself. 

But now she has a secret she’s struggling to keep, and when Oakley arrives on Juniper Island determined to win her back, Neve is thrown off balance. Will Neve’s fear of having her heart broken again push Oakley away for good, or is it time for her to take a leap of faith? 

Get swept away by this deliciously sweet and heartwarming tale, and spend an unforgettable Christmas on Juniper Island. 

About the author...

I studied media at university which led to a very glitzy career as a hotel receptionist followed by a even more glamorous two years working in a bank. The moment that one of my colleagues received the much coveted carriage clock for fifteen years service was the moment when I knew I had to escape. I quit my job and returned to university to train to be a teacher. Three years later, I emerged wide eyed and terrified that I now had responsibility for the development of thirty young minds. I taught for four years before History Off The Page came to my school to do a Tudor day. I now drive round the country in my little white van, dressing up as a Viking one day and an Egyptian High Priestess the next.

I love to write. The characters do exactly what I want them to do, most of the time. Sometimes they do seem to go off and do their own thing without my permission. It is complete escapism into a world where I have full control.

I've been writing for four years now, every spare second I have, I'm scribbling ideas in a notebook or typing a scene on my laptop. I have written three romantic fiction books. Changing Casanova and The Chainsaw Masquerade were recently shortlisted for the Festival of Romance New Talent Award. My short story, One Hundred Proposals, won the Belinda Jones Travel Club short story competition and was published in the Sunlounger anthology.

My thoughts...

I received an ecopy of this book from Holly's publishers Bookouture in exchange for an honest review - something which I'm more than happy to give.

Christmas Under a Starlit Sky is book two in The Town Called Christmas Series and seamlessly picks up where book one, Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky ended.  This book sees the focus shift to Neve Whittaker - Gabe's sister and manager of the Stardust Lake Hotel and her estranged boyfriend, hunky actor Oakley Rey.

I literally couldn't wait to head back to Juniper Island and the idyllic Town Called Christmas - I have totally bought into the whole package and have spent fruitless hours scouring the internet for this dream location - it's perfect in every way.

In Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky Holly wove a story that wrapped itself around my heart and with Christmas Under a Starlit Sky she's just pulled the strings a little bit tighter - it has it all.  Misunderstandings, secrets, drama, surprises, love and romance - all in a setting to die for.  

Whilst the main focus is on Neve and Oakley and their relationship, which Neve ended because she didn't want to hold him back in his career as an actor we always get to catch up with Gabe, Pip and the the cutie-pie Wren as they are fast becoming a tight knit, little family.  There is also an insight into the softer side of Luke, Gabe and Neve's brother as love  quietly blossoms between him and Audrey.  We also see assistant manager Adam falling in love with Ivy, an artist living and working in A Town Called Christmas after he is part of the search party when she goes missing after a morning walk.

Book two is has slightly more drama than book one and love doesn't run quite as smoothly but Juniper Island has a way of sucking you in and blinding you to any flaws.  The characters all feel like people I'd really like and I was rooting all the way for each and everyone of them.  I quietly oohed and ahed and wished for happy endings and trust me Holly Martin delivers with bells on top - my only disappointment is I haven't been able to book a trip to Juniper Island and the Stardust Lake Hotel yet!  Send me a link please Holly :)

Cupcakes & Confetti (The little Wedding Shop by The Sea - Book 1) - Jane Linfoot

The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea - Book 1

About the book...

The perfect romance to take on your summer hols! For fans of Milly Johnson, Jenny Oliver and Lucy Diamond.

Brides by the Sea, the cutest little wedding shop in all of Cornwall, has it all, including cake baker Poppy who lives upstairs. But wedding planning is not the piece of cake Poppy thought it would be, and when her best friend Cate’s wedding planner walks out, Poppy has to tie up the loose ends so her bestie can tie the knot.

Double-booked venues, ‘rustic’ locations and gorgeous but grumpy farmer Rafe have this wedding pro feeling like she could be Cate’s ‘something blue.’

Will the wedding, the shop and the cake all come crashing down on her? Or will Poppy pull it off to give Cate – and herself – the happy ever afters they deserve?

About the author...

I write happy fiction, with feisty heroines and lots of heart. 

Writing is cool, because I get to wear pretty shoes instead of wellies. I live in a mountain kingdom in Derbyshire, England, where my family and pets are kind enough to ignore the chaos – happily, we’re in walking distance of a supermarket.

I love hearts, flowers, happy endings, all things vintage & most things french. When I’m not on facebook or twitter, and can’t find an excuse for shopping, I’ll be walking, or gardening. On days when I want to be really scared, I ride a tandem.

Author links:-

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Website: http://www.janelinfoot.co.uk

My thoughts...

This is the first book in the Cupcakes & Confetti series and what a delightful read it was.  It has it all happy bits, sad bits, hopeful bits, hopeless bits but most of all it'll make you smile and at times laugh out loud as the story unfolds. 

The main character Poppy, once a successful marketing guru, responsible for some of the best known food marketing campaigns is back in Devon mending a broken heart whilst baking cakes living and working above a wedding emporium owned by her straight talking, honest and organised, friend Jess.  Her heart having been broken by ex, Brett - an actor who led her to believe marriage was on the cards before suddenly and abruptly heading into the sunset with someone else.

Poppy is joined in the story by childhood best friends Immie and Cate and somehow finds herself applying for a job as a wedding co-ordinator at Daisy Hill Farm after the previous planner suddenly upped and left.  And all because she wants to save Cate's wedding which is booked there later in the year.

Interview day dawns and a nervous Poppy finds herself confronted by the grumpy, non-communicative, farm owner, Rafe.  He's grumpy, bad tempered and just wants someone to get them through the existing bookings, the plan then is to close the wedding business down - he hasn't read her CV but Immie who also works for him, managing and cleaning his holiday cottage lettings has recommended her so that's good enough for him.  

Jane Linfoot has created characters you'll adore - Poppy is low, dis-interested in her own life but loves her friends and is easily coaxed into doing things to help them out - her character has been sapped by the domineering Brett and she is definitely off romantic relations.  Being around all the loved up couples wasn't easy, reminding her of what she had lost. 

Daisy Hill farm owner Rafe is fierce and moody but clearly reliable, determined to see out his obligations with the pre-booked weddings and then wants nothing more to do with them - he's not very communicative and sparks fly when Poppy finds she has to share an office with him and madly for her, his chickens!  

Cate is marrying for the second time, has three children by her first husband a fourth with Liam her husband to be.  She wants everything to be perfect this time around and her wedding is fast turning into a circus - literally. She's so lovely though you can't help but smile as she adds more and more outlandish things to the wedding with no regard of the cost.

Immii is a bit dippy, free spirited and just lovely - she firmly has Poppy's back and knows this job is just what Poppy needs to pull herself out of the doldrums and remember how to live for herself not someone else.

Enter the gorgeous, blue eyed photographer Jules who quickly makes himself indispensable and all of a sudden Poppy finds herself on the receiving end of his attentions - something she definitely wasn't expecting or wants.

The chapters of this book are split into months and the year begins in February and quickly speeds to October as Poppy wings it, organising wedding after wedding that is hampered by chaos, mishaps and mistakes - all successfully hidden from the happy couples who just get to see and feel love and romance all around them.

This is a proper feel-good book.  Perfect for a lazy afternoon curled up on the sofa.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading and watching like a voyeur as the story unfolded, all the characters opening up and growing in confidence and stature.  Poppy and Rafe pushing each others buttons - both fiery and hot-headed then remorseful and calm.  The wedding couples some lovely, some not, unexpected births both human and animal and the chaos that ensues because of them.  Not everyone is what they seem though and when the chips are down it's surprising to see who steps up to the mark.  A gentle romantic, easy read with plenty of fizz - a book that's not all gooey but has depth without being too deep.  Jane gives just enough insight and background into characters to make you feel a connection and I most loved Jess's attitude to any problem - prosecco or gin - often both!  I for one cannot wait until book 2 - Sequins and Snowflakes.