Friday 28 July 2017

Book Review: The Summer of Impossible Things by Rowan Coleman



The Blurb
If you could change the past, would you?
****This summer, get ready to believe in Impossible Things with the brand new book from international bestseller, Rowan Coleman. ****
How far would you go to save the person you love?
Luna is about to do everything she can to save her mother's life.
Even if it means sacrificing her own.
My Review

Thank you to the publisher, Ebury Press, and Netgalley for the ARC. I apologise now for the lateness of this review - I did read the book before it was published on 29th June, but then I got distracted by life. Bad book blogger!

The Summer of Impossible Things is a beautiful story about a strong, determined young woman trying to right the wrongs of the past. Not her past, but that of her mother's.

Luna and her sister have lost their mother to depression. They travel to the place she grew up in Brooklyn, NYC, and Luna discovers a way she can maybe save her. Time travel may be impossible, but the author writes with such sensitivity and depth that suspends all disbelief, and she draws you into Luna's life. From the way Luna's transitions through time are described, to the heat of the summer; the atmosphere and the smell of the old properties; the story is brought to life in the reader's mind. 

The theme of depression is handled well, and it shows how those around the sufferer suffer too. There is also an element of whodunnit, which I got totally wrong (I don't like it when I do get it right as that would mean it is far too obvious!). The story is heart-breaking in parts, but ultimately uplifting. 

You can buy the book here, or from other good bookshops. It's available as an ebook, of course, but the hardback edition is beautiful.

Thursday 27 July 2017

Book Review: Single for the Summer by Mandy Baggot


The Blurb

Tess Parks is on the rise. A high-flying marketer before her thirtieth birthday, she puts work before life, content with flings and dates – and once a relationship survives six weeks, she ends it. Tess has made up her mind: love isn’t for her.
 So when her heartbroken best friend Sonya invites her to Corfu for a girls’ holiday, Tess is happy to throw herself into sampling the local delights – except Sonya makes her promise to stay single for the summer. It starts to look like a really bad decision when she meets sizzling, divorced restauranteur Andras.
To keep his overbearing mother off his back, Tess agrees to pretend to date Andras, but as the two spend time together, Tess begins to realise that this fake relationship is starting to feel like the best one she’s ever had…
Single for the Summer is a feel-good escapist beach read full of family drama, dating disasters, real-life issues and a heart-warming romance, all set against a beautiful Greek island backdrop.

 My Review

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Ebury, for the ARC. This review is my honest opinion and I was not paid for it. No money or baklava exchanged hands.

Mandy has done it again. She's written another sun-soaked Greek tale of mythical proportions which had me howling for my Retsina. The sights, sounds and smells of the Greek Island of Corfu are brought to life in this hilarious tale of one woman and her fear of commitment.

It's normally the guys who are the commitment-phobes in most books; it's refreshing to meet Tess, who loves romance, sex, hot guys... just as long as it doesn't progress into a relationship. Cos Tess doesn't do relationships - she simply can't.

When Andras blurts out to his mother that Tess is his girlfriend, for some mad reason Tess goes along with it. It's just a bit of fun, after all - and Andras is hot! Not that she's looking, of course - she promised Sonya she would stay away from men. She is there for Sonya, after all.

The physical attraction between Tess and Andras is obvious to them, but they know it cannot go any further. To watch - sorry, read - as they do everything they can to avoid falling for each other is hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud in several parts of the book.

The characters of Andras's bossy mother and sister are brilliant; endlessly conniving to pair Andras off with his pretty cousin, and treating Tess, a non-Greek girl, with disdain and distrust. If only they knew... 

Mandy writes with a down-to-earth humour that just makes you feel good reading her books. You'll also want to book a Greek holiday after reading this. 

Single for the Summer is available here for pre-order - it is published on 27th July.

About the Author

Mandy Baggot is an international bestselling and award-winning romance writer represented by The Kate Nash Literary Agency. In 2017 she was signed by Ebury Publishing (Penguin Random House).

The winner of the Innovation in Romantic Fiction award at the UK’s Festival of Romance, her romantic comedy novel, One Wish in Manhattan, was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year award in 2016.

Mandy loves the Greek island of Corfu, white wine, country music and handbags. Also a singer, she has taken part in ITV1's Who Dares Sings and The X-Factor.

Mandy is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and the Society of Authors and lives near Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK with her husband and two daughters.

Visit Mandy’s website at http://www.mandybaggot.com/. Follow her on Twitter: @MandyBaggot