Blog Tour: Erotic Fiction? by Hannah Lynn

I'm delighted to be part of the blog tour run by Rachel's Random Resources for Hannah Lynn's hilarious novel, Erotic Fiction? Click here to buy your copy!

The Blurb

Sarah’s mind-numbing housewife existence is turning her brain to mush. With her
third bun in the oven, this British mum is drowning under a mountain of playdates,
bills, and head lice checks. But her man’s get-rich-quick idea of writing steamy
novels isn’t her ideal way to dial up life’s passion.  

Drew desperately wants a break from Sarah’s whinging. And if that means
researching how to write racy books all by himself, then he’ll make the sacrifice. But
as he finally warms Sarah up to the sultry side hustle, their R-rated private project
gets publicly exposed…  

With an office scandal brewing, it’s only a matter of time before gawking workers
and a perfectly nosy PTA president turn them into social pariahs. 

Can Sarah and Drew earn some extra income from sizzling lit without falling prey to
stiff gossip?  

Erotic Fiction is a charming comedy for fans of humorous fiction. If you like sweet
love stories, endearing characters, and dry British humor, then you’ll adore Kindle
Storyteller Award Winner Hannah Lynn’s delightful tale.

Buy Erotic Fiction to slip into something a little more lovable today!

My Review

Having made my own attempt at writing something that made my own mother blush, I relished the chance of hopping on the blog tour for this novel.

Sarah and Drew are fed up and broke, and expecting a third child. Sex is the last thing on Sarah's mind now, but Dan needs a distraction and a way to make money. How hard can writing an erotic novel be?

Sarah and Dan are relatable as exhausted parents. Sarah seems to be the more pessimistic of the two, constantly worrying about the size of their house and the impending birth, and the last thing she wants to do is think about sex, let alone write about it. Dan takes matters into his own hands, so to speak, and decides he can do it himself. Write the book, that is. 

Of course it's not as easy as that... especially when faced with an incompetent colleague. How Barry was still employed is quite amazing. 

There were some genuine laugh-out-loud moments in this story, making it an enjoyable read.

About the Author

Hannah Lynn is an award-winning novelist. Publishing her first book, Amendments - a dark, dystopian speculative fiction novel, in 201

5, she has since gone on to write the multi award winning The Afterlife of Walter Augustus - a contemporary fiction novel with a supernatural twist, Fiona and the Whale – a thought provoking romantic comedy and the delightfully funny and poignant Peas and Carrots series.

While she freely moves between genres, her novels are recognisable for their character driven stories and wonderfully vivid description.

She is currently working on a YA Vampire series and a reimagining of a classic Greek myth.

Born in 1984, Hannah grew up in the Cotswolds, UK. After graduating from university, she has spent twelve years as a teacher of physics, first in the UK and then around Asia and Europe. It was during this time, inspired by the imaginations of the young people she taught, she began writing short stories for children, and later adult fiction. Now as a teacher, writer, wife and mother, she is currently living in the Jordan.

You can find Hannah on social media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HannahLynnAuthor/
Twitter @HMLynnauthor
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13830772.Hannah_M_Lynn
Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/profile/hannah-lynn

Book Review: The Sunday Lunch Club by Juliet Ashton

Thank you to Sara Jade Virtue and everyone at Books and the City, Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy. The Sunday Lunch Club will be available to buy on 19th April. 

The Blurb

The first rule of Sunday Lunch Club is … don't make any afternoon plans.

Every few Sundays, Anna and her extended family and friends get together for lunch. They talk, they laugh, they bicker, they eat too much. Sometimes the important stuff is left unsaid, other times it's said in the wrong way. 

Sitting between her ex-husband and her new lover, Anna is coming to terms with an unexpected pregnancy at the age of forty. Also at the table are her ageing grandmother, her promiscuous sister, her flamboyantly gay brother and a memory too terrible to contemplate.

Until, that is, a letter arrives from the person Anna scarred all those years ago. Can Anna reconcile her painful past with her uncertain future?

Juliet Ashton weaves a story of love, friendship and community that will move you to laughter and to tears. Think Cold Feet meets David Nicholls, with a dash of the joy of Jill Mansell added for good measure.

My Review

Ah, Sunday lunch. The bringing together of family and friends. That one meal where we all get to catch up; where the news can be as varied as the menu.

They are not quite the traditional meat, roasties and two veg type of family. There are other ingredients, more exotic influences which make the meal much more appealing. On the whole, the Pipers are a close family; with the exception of the absent parents, an intriguing rift in the  family dynamics. Everyone else gets along, even the ex-husband and wife, who get on even better now than when they were married. 

The characterisation is perfect. I loved Anna, slow-cooking her own special recipe, who along with with elder brother Neil (whose husband is delicious - I think he might just be the most perfect man alive...) takes care of the two younger siblings; Maeve, a spicy, heady mix, and the delicate Josh. Not forgetting the Granny Dinkie, the basic robust ingredient no dish can do without.

And the delectable, perfect Italian, Luca... bellisimo!

The secret ingredient, common in each menu, is love and warmth, whatever happens. Subtle secrets flavour the main course throughout with a hint of the unexpected, but never spoil the meal.

The literary equivalent of a glorious roast you haven't had to cook yourself. With dessert. And lashing of lovely warm custard. If only every Sunday Lunch was this good.

You can read my reviews of other books by Juliet - The Woman at Number 24 and These Days of Ours.

About the Author

I enjoy writing almost as much as I love reading. Books are constant friends; no fall-outs about borrowed shoes, no lusting after the same man. The books I write are about love in all its colours. Romantic love, of course - it makes the world go round, after all - but also family love, the way we feel about our friends and children and colleagues and the woman we see every day on the bus but never say 'hello' to.

There's no end of inspiration. Most authors are baffled by that commonly asked question, "Where do you get your ideas from?" The answer is simple: YOU. People are inspiring, with all their niggling faults and shimmering virtues. The tangles we get ourselves into, and the ludicrous ways we attempt to untangle ourselves, are a never ending source of material. In fact, most authors daren't use too much real life in their books because it would sound too much like fiction.

I've just remembered that this is supposed to be a biog, so here's some info about me. I live just outside London with my daughter, Niamh, who's 12, and my husband, Matthew, who's considerably older than that. The house hums with creativity, as I scribble downstairs and Matthew composes music for theatre and TV upstairs. We have two dogs, one of whom is wildly energetic, one of whom was born an old lady and prefers to sleep all day.

Hmm, what else? I'm Irish, but you wouldn't know that from my accent. I can't sing. My favourite crisp flavour is Roast Chicken, but I reserve the right to change that at short notice.

I hope you enjoy my books. They are the way I speak to the world.

Book Review: The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse

With her fortieth birthday approaching, Lucy Carpenter thinks she finally has it all: a wonderful new husband, Jonah, a successful career and the chance of a precious baby of her own. Life couldn’t be more perfect.

But becoming parents proves much harder to achieve than Lucy and Jonah imagined, and when Jonah’s teenage daughter Camille comes to stay with them, she becomes a constant reminder of what Lucy doesn’t have. Jonah’s love and support are unquestioning, but Lucy’s struggles with work and her own failing dreams begin to take their toll. With Camille’s presence straining the bonds of Lucy’s marriage even further, Lucy suddenly feels herself close to losing everything…

This heart-wrenchingly poignant family drama from bestselling author Amanda Prowse asks the question: in today’s hectic world, what does it mean to be a mother?

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, Lake Union Publishing, and the author, Amanda Prowse for the review copy.

The desperation of one woman to have a baby is the overriding theme of this heartbreaking story. Lucy has the perfect life; a wonderful husband, Jonah, a cosy home, and a great career. The only thing missing is a baby.

Unfortunately Lucy seems to be unable to carry a baby to term; and we feel her sheer heartbreak when she miscarries. Miscarriages are fairly common, we are told, but the grief and despair felt by would-be parents can be all-consuming. The author writes with a great deal of sensitivity, with no mawkishness or huge drama, depicting Lucy as a strong, capable woman who has to suffer what so many women go through.

Her life is further complicated when Jonah's daughter. Camille, comes to stay with them. Lucy struggles to bond with the girl, who is so dismissive of her stepmother, but of course Jonah cannot see how cruel and rude his daughter is, alienating Lucy and making her feel even more useless in her ability to be a mother.

Her relationship with her own mother is a complicated one too, and their story shows how much families need to communicate.

The author has created a great character in Lucy; I just wanted to give her a hug! Jonah and Camille are both great in their supporting roles, the latter being wholly understandable as a stroppy teenager. It is undeniably an emotional read, but heartwarming too.

Motherhood can be so important to a woman, sometimes the very essence of being female, and when that is held back from you, it's hard not to feel inadequate. But there are other ways to realise your potential, even if it's not quite what you had mapped out.

You can buy The Idea of You from Amazon or other retailers.

Amanda Prowse is an International Bestselling author who has published sixteen novels in dozens of languages. Her recent chart topping No.1 titles ‘What Have I Done?’, ‘Perfect Daughter’ and ‘My Husband’s Wife’ have sold millions of copies around the world.

Other novels by Amanda Prowse include ‘A Mother’s Story’ which won the coveted Sainsbury’s eBook of the year Award and ‘Perfect Daughter’ that was selected as a World Book Night title in 2016. Amanda’s latest book ‘The Food of Love’ went straight to No.1 in Literary Fiction when it was launched in the USA and she has been described by the Daily Mail as ‘The Queen of Drama’ for her ability to make the reader feel as if they were actually in the story. 

Now published by Lake Union, Amanda Prowse is the most prolific writer of contemporary fiction in the UK today; her titles also score the highest online review approval ratings for several genres.

A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda Prowse is a regular panellist on the Channel 5 show ‘The Wright Stuff’ and numerous daytime ITV programmes. She makes countless guest appearances on BBC and independent Radio stations where she is well known for her insightful observations of human nature and her infectious observational humour. 

Become friends with Amanda on Facebook: AmandaProwseAuthor and follow her on Twitter: @MrsAmandaProwse or Instagram: MrsAmandaProwse. For more information on her books, lifestyle and inspirational advice see www.amandaprowse.com

Amanda's ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them and tales that fill your head so you can't possibly read another book until the memory fades...

Book Review: The Cows by Dawn O'Porter

COW [n.]
/kaʊ/
A piece of meat; born to breed; past its sell-by-date; one of the herd.

Women don’t have to fall into a stereotype.

Tara, Cam and Stella are strangers living their own lives as best they can – though when society’s screaming you should live life one way, it can be hard to like what you see in the mirror.

When an extraordinary event ties invisible bonds of friendship between them, one woman’s catastrophe becomes another’s inspiration, and a life lesson to all.
Sometimes it’s ok not to follow the herd.

The Cows is a powerful novel about three women – judging each other, but also themselves. In all the noise of modern life, they need to find their own voice.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, HarperCollins, for the ARC. All opinions are my own - I don't follow the herd.

The three women in this novel are very different to each other; Tara is a single mother, determined to balance caring for her child with carving an outstanding role within a male-dominated industry; Cam is a successful blogger, who finds herself vigorously defending a woman's right not to have a child; and Stella, who has always lived in the shadow of her twin and cannot escape it even after her death.

It's a sassy, sharply, written novel with predicaments every woman can probably identify with in some way or another. OK so most women wouldn't dream of doing what poor Tara is caught doing, but the repercussions should fill everyone with fear and dread that social media has such power in our lives.

Stella is grieving for her sister and mother, who died within months of each other from ovarian cancer and breast cancer. Stella needs a hysterectomy and mastectomy after discovering she has the same deviant genes. Her eggs, and therefore her chances of becoming a mother, are on borrowed time.

Cam is the opposite - she rejects the very idea of motherhood and relationships, but her views aren't popular with everyone.

These three women are brought together under the strangest of circumstances in a story which will have you laughing, crying, and raising your fist and yelling 'Hell Yes!' Or maybe that's just me...

The Cows was published on 6th April and can be bought from Amazon or other retailers.

Dawn O'Porter is a broadcaster, novelist and print journalist who lives in London with her husband Chris, cat Lilu and dog Potato. She has made thirteen documentaries about all sorts of things including polygamy, childbirth, geishas, body image, breast cancer and even the movie DIRTY DANCING.

Dawn has written for various UK newspapers and magazines including GRAZIA and STYLIST. Her first novel PAPER AEROPLANES was published by Hot Key Books in 2013. Although Dawn lives in London she spends a lot of time in LA and travels a lot. You may have seen her dragging two huge pink suitcases with broken wheels and a Siamese cat (Lilu) in a box through international airports. At some point she plans to get new suitcases - the cat, however, has a few years left in her yet. Follow Dawn at www.dawnoporter.co.uk or on Twitter: @hotpatooties

Book Review: How Not to Fall in Love, Actually by Catherine Bennetto

The Blurb

A hilarious debut for all fans of Mhairi McFarlane and Lisa Owens. The perfect antidote for Valentine's Day! 

Life is 10% planning, 10% design and 80% totally winging it... 

Join Emma as she guides you through How Not to become accidentally knocked up at the age of 27, How Not to unceremoniously dump the father of your child, and then How Not to lose the job that (even though you hate it) is the only thing between you and being homeless...

Hilarious and heart-warming, How Not to Fall in Love, Actually will make you laugh, make you cry, and will reassure you that perhaps your life is not that bad, actually...

My Review

Thank you to the publishers Simon & Schuster for the review copy.

Emma's life isn't great. At the beginning, she has a job she hates but needs in order to support herself and her daydreamer boyfriend, Ned, who is full of wonderful ideas for the next best thing, but is actually pretty useless when it comes to working/housework/being a great boyfriend. Then she discovers she is pregnant, which is the catalyst for changing ...

She dumps Ned, walks out on her job and invites a random guy who turns up drunk on her doorstep to stay the night.

The book has a wonderful supporting cast. A self-obssessed mother, a sister doing charity work in faraway lands, one friend who eats men for breakfast and another who betrays Emma. Not to mention a psycho chaperone working on zombie-bra movies and the stranger who finds himself embroiled in Emma's chaotic world.

It's a genuinely funny book that had me spitting my tea out and laughing out loud. Emma is a hugely likeable character, and I was able to sympathise with her all the way through. None of the characters are annoying; even the 'villains' are so well written I relished their bad behaviour. 

It's a light-hearted read, despite the main character's predicament; any chance for self-pitying wallowing is blown out of the water by the crazy people and events going on around her.

It's a perfect rom-com and a highly enjoyable read. I think I have found a new author to love.

You can buy How Not to Fall in Love, Actually here.

The Author

Catherine Bennetto has worked as an Assistant Director in the film and television industry, working on shows such as The Bill, Coronation Street and Death in Paradise. She can generally be found travelling the world and spends her time reading healthy cookbooks (not necessarily cooking from them) or at the beach. How Not to Fall in Love, Actually is her first novel.

Follow Catherine on Twitter @cathbennetto.

Book Review: All That is Left of Us by Catherine Miller

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the Advanced Reading Copy.

The Blurb:

Dawn loves being a mother. No matter how Archie came into her life, or the fact he's a little different from other children, he is precious and loved. He is hers, after all. Especially because she’s never told anyone who the father of her son is.

So when Dawn’s twin brother David and his wife Rebekah are struggling to have their own child, Dawn agrees to become their surrogate, as it is the one thing she can do to help.

However, creating the perfect family doesn’t always go to plan and when Dawn realises just how much her nephew needs his mother, she begins to wonder if the time has finally come to confront the past she has kept secret for so long.

From the author of Waiting for You comes a story of friendship, motherhood and hope.

My Review:

A very well deserved 5 out of 5 stars for this stunning second novel from Catherine Miller.

I loved her first book, Waiting for You, and Catherine has smashed aside that 'difficult second book' syndrome.

The author's love of being a mother shines through in her writing. Actually that sounds a bit lame - absolute love, devotion and selflessness is more like it.

Surrogacy is probably one of the most amazing things a woman can do for someone else; to carry a baby to full term and then hand that baby over must be heartbreaking. Catherine writes with raw emotion, without falling into the trap of being of being twee or overly dramatic, creating a strong main character in Dawn.

The character of Archie is wonderfully written with sensitivity and empathy, giving us a great insight to someone who is slightly 'different'. His relationship with Joel is beautiful; everything about this book is beautiful!

Even Rebekah's behaviour in the story is wholly believable; even if I did want to shake her. But the emotions felt by everyone involved in the story are true and captured here with great skill, drawing the reader into the lives of Dawn and her family.

Thank you Catherine, for a truly mesmerising read.

You can buy All That is Left of Us here and at other retailers

About the Author:

When Catherine Miller became a mum to twins, she decided her hands weren't full enough so wrote a novel with every spare moment she managed to find. By the time the twins were two, Catherine had a two-book deal with Carina UK. There is a possibility she has aged remarkably in that time. 

Catherine was a NHS physiotherapist, but for health reasons (Uveitis and Sarcoidosis) she retired early from this career. As she loved her physiotherapy job, she decided if she couldn't do that she would pursue her writing dream. It took a few years and a couple of babies, but in 2015 she won the Katie Fforde bursary, was a finalist in the London Book Fair Write Stuff Competition and highly commended in Woman magazine's writing competition. Soon afterwards she signed with Carina. Soon after that, she collapsed in a heap and was eventually revived by chocolate.