Category Archives: E-Books

The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan

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Addition: E-book
Genre: Chick-Lit
Rating: 4 out of 5
Synopsis:

As dawn breaks over the Pont Neuf, and the cobbled alleyways of Paris come to life, Anna Trent is already awake and at work; mixing and stirring the finest, smoothest, richest chocolate; made entirely by hand, it is sold to the grandes dames of Paris.

It’s a huge shift from the chocolate factory she worked in at home in the north of England. But when an accident changed everything, Anna was thrown back in touch with her French teacher, Claire, who offered her the chance of a lifetime – to work in Paris with her former sweetheart, Thierry, a master chocolatier.

With old wounds about to be uncovered and healed, Anna is set to discover more about real chocolate – and herself – than she ever dreamed.

I have now read several books by Jenny Colgan – namely the ones with food in the title – Welcome to Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop of Dreams and Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe - and really enjoyed them. When I saw that this book, The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris – was being released this year, I was very excited and eager to read it. I have to say, it didn’t let me down!

This book is different to the other two I have mentioned however as the story has two protagonists. We meet Anna, a girl who had a horrible accident at the chocolate factory she worked out which led her to be hospitalised and Claire, her old French teacher who is in hospital with cancer. The two of them strike up a friendship and Claire persuades Anna that once out of hospital she should go to Paris and work for Thierry as a fresh start. We follow Anna’s journey – both physical to Paris and personal as she discovers herself and we flash back to Claire’s past as she discovered Paris and love for the first time.

I always like the characters Colgan writes about, and Anna and Claire are no different. I really liked their friendship. It shouted that age doesn’t matter when it comes to friendship and that the younger can always learn from the older generation. I thought that Anna was incredibly brave – heading to Paris on her own for the summer and I liked that despite what was thrown at her she didn’t give in. I admired Claire but also felt sorry for her. She fell in love in Paris and had a glorious summer as a young adult, and she never found a love that matched her first love. It was sad that she was in her late fifties, seriously ill and still in love with the man she met in Paris all those years ago.

The storyline itself was a little predictable – although it did take me a little by surprise the first time we jumped back in time to follow Claire as a teenager. However, this was a typical love story. I wasn’t surprised by who fell for who, nor was I surprised by the ending. I don’t mean to sound negative here – I don’t read these sorts of novels for the surprise factor and I would have been disappointed if the love stories panned out differently – I just think it is important to point out that if you are a regular chick-lit reader then you will find this book familiar and predictable.

Colgan did make living in Paris sound very glamorous. I loved how she described the winding streets hidden from the tourists and the secret restaurants. The night life and the crazy things Anna witnessed and joined in with sounded like a lot of fun. Is it all realistic? I have no idea but it made great reading!

I really enjoyed this book. It was exactly what I wanted from the story – with the added bonus of recipes at the end of the book. Jenny Colgan didn’t let me down and I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

4 star

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The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury

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THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
Addition: Review e-book from Netgalley
Genre: Christian chick-lit
Rating: 4 out of 5
Synopsis:

Molly Allen lives alone in Portland, but her heart is back in Franklin, Tennessee, where five years ago she walked away from a man she cannot forget, a rare sort of love she hasn’t found since.
Ryan Kelly lives in Franklin and spends plenty of time at The Bridge-the oldest bookstore in historic downtown Franklin-remembering the long hours he and Kelly once spent there.
Now, Ryan and Molly’s favorite bookstore is in trouble. For thirty years, Charlie and Donna Barton have run The Bridge, providing the people of middle Tennessee with coffee, conversation, and shelves of good books-even through dismal book sales and the rise of eBooks. Then in May a flood tore through Franklin and destroyed nearly every book in the store. By Christmastime, the bank threatens to pull the lease on The Bridge and is about to take the Bartons’ house as well. Despondent, Charlie considers ending his life. And in the face of tragedy, miracles begin to unfold.

I received this book from Netgalley to review. I love Karen Kingsbury books – I recently finished the Above the Line series and fell in love with Kingsbury and how she writes. I will definitely be reading more books by her!

The novel focuses around The Bridge bookshop. It is owned and lovingly run by Charlie & Donna, who named the place The Bridge because they saw books as a bridge to people and their problems. This is where many friends and couples spend many an hour hanging out and reading. This is true of Molly Allen and Ryan Kelly. When they were at college they would spend hours in The Bridge reading and falling in love. But it seems life has different plans for them and Molly ends up finishing college at home at her Father’s request; leaving them both heartbroken. Several years later a flood hits Nashville, destroying The Bridge. For 18 months Charlie & Donna try to find the funds to rebuild and restock but to no avail. In a desperate act, Charlie drives down country lanes in thick snow and straight into a tree. His accident brings Molly and Ryan back as they seek to help Charlie & Donna rebuild and as they pray for Charlie to survive.

This is chick-lit with a twist. The book is full of love, hearsay and misunderstandings. But the twist is this: the characters all believe in God and hear His voice during the book. When Charlie is in despair, he cries out to God. Unbeknownst to Charlie, as he is driving down that road, Donna is seeking God to keep him safe. Friends of the bookshop, Molly & Ryan all cry out for Charlie to come through the coma on Christmas Eve – and they see the miracle of that. God answers His children in this book, He speaks clearly sometimes and always is He there. I loved that element of the book.

This was a lovely read. It was a bit predictable – like all chick-lit really, but it was a quick and engaging read. This is one of those books I read in a matter of hours. It isn’t long but it is really enjoyable. I love reading storylines that involve books – no surprise there! – and I loved the idea of The Bridge. I really liked Charlie & Donna. Although they had faced many hardships they were still madly in love and cared for others over themselves. I really admired them and felt so bad for Charlie as he fought to save the bookshop, and thought that he had lost. All he wanted was to serve others, including Donna, and that was so touching.

The storyline between Molly and Ryan was fairly standard for a chick-lit novel. Molly wasn’t allowed to date at college and she certainly wasn’t allowed to bring them home, even as friends, so their friendship grew in the bookshop. They spent one magical evening at Molly’s, while her staff were out, but one of them was back in time to witness their first kiss. Molly assumed they weren’t spotted as she never heard anything of it, but in fact her Father called Ryan and made it clear she was in love with someone from home. Ryan backed right off, which helped Molly make the decision to go home. Years later, both assumed the other one was married due to what others had said yet they were still in love with each other. Charlie’s accident drew them back to Nashville and after a few awkward encounters, back into each other’s arms. I didn’t mind the predictability of this storyline, although I did roll my eyes in places! I liked them both and it was sad to see how other people can influence us when it comes to making decisions.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and will read more Kingsbury novel. Thank you Netgalley for letting me review it! I am rating this 4 out of 5 because it was a bit predictable and it didn’t completely blow me away, yet I did enjoy it and will recommend it to others. This is a nice, fun read – a good novel to read in an afternoon.

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Moonstone by Marilee Brothers

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Addition: Review e-book from Netgalley

Genre: Young adult, fantasy

Rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis:

A sickly mom. A tiny house trailer. High school bullies and snarky drama queens. Bad-guy dudes with charming smiles. Allie has problems. And then there’s that whole thing about fulfilling a magical prophecy and saving the world from evil. Geez. Welcome to the sad, funny, sometimes-scary world of fifteen-year-old Allie Emerson, who’s struggling to keep her and her mom’s act together in the small-town world of Peacock Flats, Washington. An electrical zap from a TV antenna sets off Allie’s weird psychic powers. The next thing she knows she’s being visited by a hippy-dippy guardian angel, and then her mysterious neighbor, the town “witch,” gives her an incredible moonstone pendant that has powers only a good-hearted “Star Seeker” is meant to command. “Who, me?” is Allie’s first reaction. But as sinister events begin to unfold, Allie realizes she’s got a destiny to live up to. If she can just survive everyday life, in the meantime.

I really enjoy young adult, fantasy novels. I loved the Twilight series, the Iron Fey series and I’m currently enjoying the Trylle series. This book had a lot of pressure on it, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it.

This is a review book from Netgalley and is the first book in the Unbidden Magic series by Marilee Brothers. The star of the book is Allie – a normal girl who receives magical powers after getting an electric shock. She has mind control powers – something she discovers when she stops a bull from trampling her just be thinking “please stop” in a panic. She is visited by a guardian angel, who seems more hippy than angel, who tells her of her power and about a prophecy. Later, she is given a beautiful pendant – a moonstone pendant – by her friend Kizzy. With it comes responsibilty and power – but also jealously and danger. She soon learns that people are greedy and will try and steal the stone; and some are evil, her arch enemies, who want the moonstone for disaster. She has to learn to fight, to use her power and to trust those close to her.

This was a good book. I am reminded a little of Charlaine Harris’ Harper Connelly Series, where Harper is struck by lightening and develops physic powers. This novel has excitement, danger, humour and love. We have heroes and villians and a plot that is fast paced and engaging. Very quickly into the book key events happen – Allie received the electric shock and meets her guardian angel – and the story moves on and develops at a good rate. I didn’t lose interest in this book, it kept me reading as I wanted to know what was going to happen. I liked that there were other stories running alongside the main story of the moonstone. We learnt about Allie’s Mum and the life they were living. We saw how events changed her Mum and the attitude she had to life. We also met Allie’s Father, a man she knew nothing about and at the end of the book we learnt about the significance he is going to have in the following books. There is of course a love story as well. Allie meets Junior – an ex-gang member who has reformed his ways and is intent on looking out for her.

I liked Allie. She was smart, quick-witted and when she needed to be, fearless. I loved that even though her Mum drove her insane, she was prepared to fight for her and their lives. I really liked Kizzy, a lady the children all thought was a witch. She was caring and loving towards Allie. I found Junior an interesting character. For an ex-gang member he was awwfully nice! I like a book with villians too – I like a book where the characters spark reactions from me, and this book had just that. I didn’t like Revelle, the guy who wanted to use the moonstone for evil and I didn’t like Carmel, Kizzy’s daughter, who wanted the moonstone for greed. Neither of them were nice and both of them bothered me!

This was an enjoyable book and I will definiately be reading the next book in the series. This is a young adult fantasy novel which I really enjoyed. It was gripping – I wanted to know what Allie was going to face and how she would overcome things; I liked the characters – they were engaging, even if I didn’t like some of them; and it had everything I want in a book: excitement, adventure, a good plot and good characters. This isn’t a hard read but it was enjoyable. There were some things that were predictable, but it was a good read nevertheless and I’m looking forward to book 2!

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Silas Marner by George Eliot

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REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
Addition: Illustrated e-book
Genre: Classics
Rating: 3 out of 5
Synopsis:

Wrongly accused of theft and exiled from a religious community many years before, the embittered weaver Silas Marner lives alone in Raveloe, living only for work and his precious hoard of money. But when his money is stolen and an orphaned child finds her way into his house, Silas is given the chance to transform his life. His fate, and that of the little girl he adopts, is entwined with Godfrey Cass, son of the village Squire, who, like Silas, is trapped by his past. Silas Marner, George Eliot’s favourite of her novels, combines humour, rich symbolism and pointed social criticism to create an unsentimental but affectionate portrait of rural life.

This book was recommended to me by a friend – she described it as her “favourite book ever”. Of course, this added pressure to the book – along with the fact it is a classic, which I always find slow reads as the language is so different.

The story follows Silas Marner, a weaver who was accused of theft in his hometown, by his closest friend. Leaving the town, friend and love of his life behind, he moves to the countryside, to live a solitary life. He falls in love with money, which he hordes under a floorboard. But one fitful night he is robbed. His life is once again empty, until a toddler with gold hair wanders into his cottage and falls asleep on the hearth. The little girl, who he names Eppie, is believed to be an orphan, as her mother is found frozen and dead outside the cottage. What Silas and the village don’t realise is that Eppie is in fact the daughter of Godfrey Cass, one of the Squire’s son. Godfrey had been keeping his marriage to Eppie’s mother a secret as he was so ashamed of it and he sees this as a chance to give up that life – he senses freedom, until 16 years later he is married and childless, and wants nothing more than to have Eppie back from Silas Marner.

I have to be honest and say that this has taken me a long time to read. Partly that is because I have only be reading on my lunch break, and partly because I struggled with a lot of the story. This is a classic, 19th century literature, so the language is very different to most of the books I read. I found there were long sections of the story that I didn’t follow. I remember one whole chapter in a pub based around a cow! A big part of my problem with this book was that the one of the main characters, Eppie, didn’t appear in the story until I had read over half of it! I found the story got much more interesting after the arrival of Eppie and I read it a lot quicker after that point!

I found Silas Marner an interesting character. I felt sorry for him when things went wrong for him – being wrongly accused of theft and then being robbed. I also felt sorry for him that he sunk to a place where money was the most important thing in his life. He really came alive with Eppie, and it was a lovely read. I liked Eppie, she transformed Silas and she was full of love. My favourite moment was probably at the end when, faced with Godfrey’s revelation, she passed up the chance to live in luxury to stay with Silas.

Once Eppie arrived in the story this book picked up and I really enjoyed the second half of the book. If you like classics, you will probably like all of this book! I found the language a big barrier for me and to be honest I also felt the story was slow. However, with the arrival of Eppie all that changed, so I would give this 3 out of 5 because I didn’t think it was all bad!

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A Perfect Proposal by Katie Fforde

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THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!
Addition: Kindle e-book

Genre: Chick-lit

Rating: 4 out 5

Synopsis:

Sophie Apperly’s family has never taken her seriously. Fiercely academic, they see her more practical skills as frivolous whilst constantly taking advantage of her. So when her best friend Milly invites her over to New York, she jumps at the chance. It’ll do her ungrateful family good to do without her for a while. What s more, she’s on a quest America holds the key to solving her family’s financial woes, even if they don’t deserve her help.

From the moment Sophie hits the bright lights of Manhattan she’s determined to enjoy every minute of her big adventure. So when an evening at an art gallery throws her into the path of Matilda, a spirited old lady who invites her to Connecticut for Thanksgiving, Sophie willingly accepts, much to the dismay of Matilda’s grandson Luke. Undeniably attractive but infuriatingly arrogant, he is very protective of his grandmother and seems to doubt Sophie’s motives for befriending her. No match for the formidable Matilda, he eventually admits defeat, but first he has a proposal to make. He’ll help Sophie in her quest to save her family from financial ruin if she repays the favour. But just what does she have to do in return…?

I really enjoy Katie FForde books, and this one did not let me down. The story follows Sophie, a young woman who is bossed around and taken advantage of by her family. Although clever, she is the only member of her family that has not gone into further education so her family think less of her. She is expected to cook, clean and run around after them. Her family are gold-diggers, desperate to get their hands on more money. They have a rich uncle – an older man called Eric, affectionately known as “Evil Uncle Eric” to the family. They ship Sophie off to look after him in the hope to make it into his will, but when she gets there she discovers he isn’t evil at all. Before she goes makes the decision to go to New York afterwards, and while she is at Eric’s she discovers that the family might be intitled to money from drilling-rights, but that will mean she has to do some investigating in New York. When she gets to New York, she meets Matilda, an elderly lady originally from Cornwall. She befriends Matilda, who invites her to spend Thanksgiving with her and her family. The problem is her suspicious grandson Luke, who doesn’t trust Sophie as far as he can throw her. Yet Matilda has a little mission for Sophie when she gets back to England – to find a house she used to love as a child. Luke has to come across the Atlantic for some work so he helps Sophie look. sparks start to fly until Amy, Luke’s assistant turns up and whips him away with lies about Sophie’s love life. Sophie finds the house and spends several weeks emailing Matilda and trying to forget Luke, until she is summoned to Cornwall – along with him – to look at the house again. Matilda makes a surprise visit to Cornwall to ensure that her crafty plan of getting them together works!

This is a lovely book – well written and gripping. I couldn’t put this book down, and read most of it in a day! Katie Fforde is a brilliant author – she writes characters that you enjoy reading about, or get very angry at and she writes plots that keep you gripped. This is a typical chick-lit novel – the main characters start to fall for each other, something drives them apart, and then they make up and end up together. I didn’t mind that at all – once you have read enough chick-lit books I find it stops being about the fact they will end up together, it is more about how they get to that point. I like the lead up to the conclusion and this one was full of adventure and fun characters! Sometimes chick-lit can be bland, but this one had adventure – like flash floods and getting stranded in storms – events which increased the pace of the read to keep the reader on their toes and hooked to the story.

What I especially liked about this book is that I found myself getting emotionally involved. I liked Sophie – I felt for her as she pandered to her family’s demands and felt such sympathy when they were rude and condescending towards to her. I loved Uncle Eric! What a brilliant character! He was old and not politically correct – saying some outrageous things! He also had a soft side and loved Sophie, which was lovely to read. I loved Matilda as well – a strong-willed older lady, but so affectionate. I particularly loved that she was an old lady who used email! Luke had to grow on me, but by the end I liked him too. What I particularly liked about this book is that I found myself disliking some of the characters too! I really didn’t like Amy – I so wanted to shout at her!! I enjoy a book where I find myself involved and not always liking the characters – it feels more realistic.

I really enjoyed this book. I was gripped from the beginning and read this almost in one sitting. I was satisfied with the ending and liked the twists and turns that led up to it. I was surprised that the majority of the story was based in England, I was expecting it to mostly be in New York – but I didn’t mind that. This is a well written chick-lit novel – a really good read.

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Six Geese A-Laying by Sophie Kinsella

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Addition: Free e-book from Amazon

Genre: Short stories, chick-lit

Rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis:

In Six Geese a-Laying, Christmas is approaching, and Ginny is looking forward to the birth of her first baby. It’s a pity her partner Dan is so useless, and she has to keep reminding him where he’s going wrong. Luckily she’s enrolled into the most exclusive antenatal class going – all the highest achieving, smartest mothers-to-be aspire to be taught by the legendary Petal Harmon. Like the other five women in the class, Ginny already knows exactly what she wants, and how she’s going to handle motherhood.But when they turn up for the final class it isn’t quite what they expect. As Ginny discovers what parenthood is really going to be like, she begins to realize the things that really matter…

I do enjoy Sophie Kinsella, and I like Christmas books – so this is a great combination! I’m not a huge fan of short stories, although I do like reading them quickly and adding them to my Read List!

This is an interesting read – a twist on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Ginny is one of a selective few chosen to attend Petal Harmon’s antinatal classes. There are 5 others in the class, and although she claims she doesn’t gloat – she does! There is someone in the group, Grace, who she can’t work out why is in the group as she is young and scared. In their final class they have an extraordinary experience – the Ghost of the Pregnancy Future. The Ghost teaches them a lot about themselves, with great outcomes.

It is hard to judge characters in short stories as the book isn’t long enough for their characters to form, but to be honest the only person I liked was Grace! She didn’t seem full of herself, didn’t have any plans and although scared, probably the wisest person in the room! I found Ginny annoying – she was arrogant about being in that class and always criticising her husband, which I didn’t like.

This is a nice Christmas story. It was a light, very quick, easy read. I liked the outcome of the story and although this is short – I enjoyed reading it!

 

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Character Interview – Henry Tobler from The “What-If” Guy

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Brooke Moss, author of The What-If Guy is guest-posting for us! She is talking to the guy himself – Henry Tobler. To read my review of the book click here.

Thanks for having me here today! I’ve invited Henry Tobler, Autumn’s what-if-guy in my new novel, to talk to your readers today, I hope that’s Ok? He was very excited for the chance to meet some of his fans. So without further ado…let’s meet Henry!

So Henry, tell me a little about yourself:

Well, I’m Henry Tobler, I grew up in the San Francisco area of California, but now I live in Fairfield, Washington.

What are your hobbies?

I play the violin, though I’m a bit rusty. I’m working on forming a strings group at the school, so I can work on some fine arts with the kids. I also love art history, and could spend hours walking around an art show or a museum. There is something to be said about spending time with my dog, Sal, who is absolutely the worst fetch player you will ever meet.

What is your job and how did you come to do that?

I am a history teacher at Palouse Plains Junior High, and I absolutely love my job. I love the students I work with, and I am having a blast getting to know each of their families. I actually studied to be an art history professor, but changed my major during the last quarter of my senior year. I decided I wanted to work with kids, and I haven’t regretted that decision once. I love what I do.

Do you have an enemy or nemesis?

Naw….I don’t have enemies. I had a thorn in my side towards Autumn for a number of years, but that was because I never quite got over her. I was still harboring some pretty strong feelings for her.

What is the biggest challenge you face in the story?

I am going through an ugly divorce that has been dragging on for quite a while, and just ran into the one woman I never stopped loving. I want to be with Autumn, but I feel like I need to finish up my divorce before I do. But there is this magnet pull between the two of us that is damn near impossible to resist.

What is the one event that you feel has helped to shape your personality?

I’ve always wanted to work in a small school in a small town. For years, I resisted the urge, citing that the better money was in bigger schools in more lucrative cities. But my heart was in those smaller schools. When I made the decision to move to Fairfield and pursue work with a smaller school, I felt more alive than I had in years.

What is your earliest memory from your childhood?

I was fascinated by my mom’s print of a Jackson Pollock print. I would spend hours and hours looking at it. When I got older, I wanted to know about the artist. Where he was from, when did he die, stuff like that. I guess that inspired my fascination with historical art, and ultimately took me to Seattle to study after high school.

Are you involved in a romance?

That’s hard to say….sort of. I mean, I’m trying to resist, but I can’t. My heart belongs to Autumn. It always has.

Beer or wine?

There’s nothing better than a Samuel Adams after coming home from a long day of student’s passing notes and trying to text message during class.

Favorite Sports Franchise? (if applicable)

Well, don’t tell old Billy Cole this, as he is pretty obsessed with the Seattle Mariner’s, but I am a die hard 49ers fan.

What is the one thing you want the most in the whole world?

I want Autumn, Elliott, and I to be a family.

If you could say one thing to your readers, what would it be?

Never pretend to love someone. If your heart belongs to someone, replacing them with the nearest willing body will not take the longing out of your heart. Your heart wants who it wants, period.

If you could say one thing to your author, what would it be?

Does Brooke Moss really think I resemble Gerard Butler so much? I’ve always thought I resembled Eric Bana.

It sure was cool to revisit my character today. I’m thrilled to be sharing my debut novel, The What If Guy with the world! It tells the tale of single mother, Autumn Cole, who is returning to the miniscule town of her youth, to reluctantly reclaim her role as daughter of the town drunk. Her life becomes even more complicated when she realizes that her son’s history teacher is the college sweetheart she dumped but never forgot. I look forward to hearing from all of my readers, to find out what they think of The What If Guy.

The What If Guy is available at Amazon, B&N, Books On Board, and at your local bookseller. A special thanks goes to Entangled Publishing for their amazing prizes and giveaways. Thanks guys!

 

Find me on the web at Website, Blog, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. 

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The “What-If” Guy by Brooke Moss

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Synopsis:

What would you do if your “what if” guy showed up at the lowest point of your life?

(Autumn Cole clocked hers with an encyclopedia.)

After losing her job at a swanky Seattle art gallery and finding out her father has been hospitalized, single mother Autumn Cole reluctantly returns to her tiny hometown of Fairfield, Washington, to put the pieces of her life back together.

Her disgruntled twelve-year old son isn’t thrilled about going from hip to hick, but Autumn’s got it worse. She resumes her role as the daughter of the town drunk, promptly facing a crisis with her father that’s been decades in the making.

Running into Henry Tobler, and nearly breaking his nose, is almost more than she can handle, but can rediscovering love-and herself-with her “what if” guy teach Autumn to forgive before it’s too late?

I am fortunate to be part of the blog tour for Brooke Moss and her novel The “What-If” Guy. I really enjoyed this book. It only took me a day to read it. I curled up and was drawn into the small-town life of Fairfield and the goings-on of Autumn. She has had to give up everything, having lost of her job and because of her father’s illness. She returns to the town she grew up in and there finds the man she has always loved yet gave up many years ago. Is this the chance she needs to get him back?

I liked Autumn – she was clumsy and caring. I laughed every time she clocked Henry with an object! She seemed realistic and was easy to read. I empathised with her and found myself wanting to know her! I felt for her as she watched her father decline and her son deal with bullying. I liked Henry too – her “what-if” guy – he was a likeable teacher who looked out for his students. My problem with him was that he wouldn’t make up his mind – one minute kissing Autumn, the next avoiding her. It was frustrating and mildly irritating!

This is a book that looks at sensitive issues too – it isn’t just a romance novel. Brooke was sensitive about alcoholism and bullying. She was realistic but gentle. It was enlightening but heart-breaking. I loved this added detail to the story – it gave it depth and added to the story.

I found this an enjoyable read and will be looking out for more books by Brooke.

Coming soon: a character interview with Henry!

Author information:

Brooke writes complex, character‐driven stories about kismet, reunited lovers, first love, and the kind of romance that we should all have the chance at finding.
She prefers her stories laced with some humor just for fun, and enough drama to keep her readers flipping the pages, and begging for more!
When Brooke isn't spinning tales, she spends her time drawing/cartooning, reading two books a week (ask her who her faves are), watching movies then comparing
them to books, and, of course, wrangling four kids, one hubby she lovingly refers to as her "nerd", and attempting to conquer the Mount Everest of laundry
that is the bane of her existence.
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Turn in the Road by Debbie Macomber

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Addition: E-book, review copy from NetGalley

Genre: Chick-lit

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

In the middle of the year, in the middle of her life, Bethanne Hamlin takes a road trip with her daughter, Annie, and her former mother-in-law, Ruth. They’re driving to Florida for Ruth’s 50th high-school reunion. A longtime widow, Ruth would like to reconnect with Royce, the love of her teenage life. She’s heard he’s alone, too…and, well, she’s curious. Maybe even hopeful. Bethanne herself needs time to reflect, to ponder a decision she has to make. Her ex-husband, Grant — her children’s father — wants to reconcile now that his second marriage has failed. Bethanne’s considering it…. Meanwhile, Annie’s out to prove to her onetime boyfriend that she can live a brilliant life without him! So there they are, three women driving across America. They have their maps and their directions — but even the best-planned journey can take you to a turn in the road. Or lead you to an unexpected encounter — like the day Bethanne meets a man named Max who really is a hero on a Harley. That’s when Bethanne’s decision becomes a lot harder. Because Grant wants her back, but now there’s Max…. From Seattle’s Blossom Street to the other end of the country, this is a trip that could change three women’s lives.

Review:

This is number 8 in the Blossom Street series. The story follows a Grandmother, ex-daughter-in-law and granddaughter as they travel across America, from Seattle to Florida on a road trip to Ruth’s 50 year school reunion.  There is more going on with all of them though – Ruth wants to see her first love again and apologise for breaking his heart, Bethanne needs to decide if she wants to reunite with her ex-husband Grant – Ruth’s son and Annie’s father. But he had an affair and left her broken – can she forgive him and trust him again? And Annie is heart-broken. Her boyfriend didn’t propose, he told her he was off to Europe on a trip with his mates that they had been planning for months. Annie wants to go on this trip to have her own adventure and prove she does not need him. She also wants to convince Bethanne that getting back with Grant is the best way forward. But then they meet some bikers and Bethanne starts to fall for Max –  the most unlikely biker, with a heartbreaking story of his own. What will she decide?

Let’s get the negatives out the way first:

  • I miss the original Blossom Street characters – people such as Lydia and Alex – I think Macomber should write about them again
  • As ever, this book was predictable – I don’t mind this, I just enjoy reading the story that leads the ending I already know is coming but others won’t like this
  • These books started out set around knitting, that seems to have faded out somewhat – I used to love following the woman’s lives as they knitted.

These aside, I do love Macomber’s books and this is no exception. I find them engaging and I get drawn into the story. I empathise with the characters and want to know what path they will chose to take. I found this story fascinating as it looks also at the different areas of America, a country I have never been too. I felt like I was experiencing some of the charm of these places too.

I find Macomber is good at writing characters that I like and want to read more about. I liked these three girls, although at times I found they all bugged me! Annie was a bit needy and controlling, yet I wanted her to experience some of life and learn to forgive not seek revenge. Bethanne I liked the most and really sympathised with her when Grant and Annie were putting the pressure on her, yet her pining bugged me a little. Ruth was great. She was feisty for an older woman and determined, and I was thrilled with how her story turned out. Grant really annoyed me. I didn’t like how he felt he could just walk back into Bethanne’s life and be controlling – checking up on her etc. Max I thought was lovely and I found myself supporting him throughout this book. His heart was kind and he was learning to heal and love again.

I really enjoy Macomber’s books. I always know what I am going to get and I always come back for more. She is one of my favourite authors because she writes stories that I enjoy, characters I empathise with or spark emotions off in me and she draws me in and makes me feel like I am there in the story. I am yet to be disappointed with her writing.

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The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

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Addition: Review e-book from Netgalley

Genre: Young adult, fantasy

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.
Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.
With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.
To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.
And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Review:

This is number four in the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa – and although perhaps not as good as the others, still a great read. I have been waiting what seems like an age for this book, and squealed when I received an email telling me it was available from Netgalley. This time the book is written from Ash’s point of view, not Meghan’s and we follow his story – barely getting a glance at what was happening in the Iron Realm. At the end of book three Meghan banishes Ash for his own safety – as fey he can’t survive in the Iron Realm. Yet he made her a promise: to be her knight. He loves her and is determined to keep this promise and the only way to do that is to become human. There is only one way to do this – go to the End of the World and complete the tasks. With the aid of Puck, Grim, the Big Bad Wolf and a seer, Ash sets off; but will he succeed? And if he does, will Meghan still love him?

I really enjoyed this book – although I missed Meghan. She does feature in the story, but not heavily. We walk with Ash and only glimpse Meghan and her world occasionally. I found this book to be more graphic and gory than the others – there seems to be more bloodshed in this adventure. Yet the book was exciting and fast paced. There doesn’t seem to be a dull moment in this story – once one foe is defeated, another seems to come along quite quickly. There is a lot of energy in this book which kept me hooked.

All the way through this series I have been Team Ash – and that didn’t change in this book either. It was nice to get a better look at Ash, although at times that was a touch heartbreaking. One trial he has to go through is examining his conscience and relieving everything he had ever done – all the hurt he had caused people. There were a few incidents described and it was sad that Ash is not the perfect prince I imagined him to be. This was an honest portrayal though and we saw his struggle with the anger and hate that come from being part of the Unseelie Court.

I loved Puck as well. Although I was always rooting from Ash, I loved that Puck stuck around and was there to help Ash because he loved Meghan so much. He is funny and kept me entertained throughout the book. There were other characters I liked too – Grim is fabulous. He is sarcastic, clever and I love how when trouble arises he vanishes! The Big Bad Wolf was entertaining too – I enjoyed the attitude between him and Grim.

There is a big surprise halfway through the book that I wasn’t expecting. It added to the book and Ash’s torment and made for some great reading! I won’t add in a spoiler but suffice to say – it was good and added another dimension to the story.

There were a couple of things I didn’t like about the book – I missed Meghan – she is a key character and we didn’t see a lot of her – and Kagawa’s writing seemed different – simple and sometimes not completely engaging. However, the good completely overthrows the bad, and this is a great read and a great instalment to this series.

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