Book Review: Love Songs for Sceptics by Christina Pishiris

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and of course the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for the advance reading copy of Love Songs for Sceptics, the utterly fabulous debut from Christina Peshiris. You can buy your copy here! And you can read my post on what song I would choose right here, on the blog tour!

The Blurb

"My brother’s getting married in a few weeks and asked for help picking a song for his first dance. I suggested Kiss’s ‘Love’s a Slap in the Face’.

It didn’t go down well."

When she was a teenager, Zoë Frixos fell in love with Simon Baxter, her best friend and the boy next door. But his family moved to America before she could tell him how she felt and, like a scratched record, she’s never quite moved on. Now, almost twenty years later, Simon is heading back to London, newly single and as charming as ever . . .

But as obstacles continue to get in her way – Simon’s perfect ex-girlfriend, her brother’s big(ish) fat(ish) Greek wedding, and an obnoxious publicist determined to run Zoë – Zoë begins to wonder whether, after all these years, she and Simon just aren’t meant to be.
What if, despite what all the songs and movies say, you're first love isn't always all it's cracked up to be? What if, instead Zoë and Simon are forever destined to shuffle around their feelings for each other, never quite getting the steps right . . .

With a smart, relatable central character and razor-sharp wit, Love Songs for Sceptics is perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane, Lucy Vine and Lindsey Kelk.

My Review

I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump recently, but Love Songs for Sceptics brought me back to life.

I can honestly say it was a pleasure to read, from beginning to end. I loved all the characters, especially Zoe, the main character. I love the way she cares so much about the people she works with, and how they are her main concern when the magazine they work on is threatened with closure. A magazine, incidentally I would love to read!

Zoe is brilliant – I love her. She’s a strong woman with her head screwed on right, and has great relationships with everyone around her, except for when it comes to her love life. She’s been holding a torch for childhood friend Simon for years, so when he comes back into her life, she is ecstatic. But life, and love, is complicated…

I love the use of song titles for the Chapters, and the whole book was well-structured and brilliantly executed. It would be amazing to see this transferred to the big screen one day!

I loved it!

About the Author

Christina was born in London to Greek Cypriot parents, who used to bribe her to go to family weddings by promising that George Michael might be there. To deal with the inevitable disappointment, she began making up stories on napkins and has been writing ever since.

Don't forget to check out my choice of song on the Blog Tour for Love Songs for Sceptics!

Blog Tour: The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows by Jenni Keer

I'm delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for Jenni Keer's lovely new novel, The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows, which you can buy here. Thank you to Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to review.

The Blurb

When Maisie Meadows finds herself single and jobless on New Year’s Day, she resolves that this will be the year she focuses on bringing her scattered family back together. Romance is all very well, but it’s the people you grew up with that matter the most. 

But a new job working at an auction house puts her in the path of Theo, a gorgeous but unattainable man who she can’t help but be distracted by. As their bond begins to grow, Maisie finds herself struggling to fulfil the promise she made to herself – but the universe has other ideas, and it’s not long before the Meadows family are thrown back together in the most unlikely of circumstances… 

Can dealing with other people’s treasures help Maisie to let go of the past, and teach her who she ought to treasure the most? 

My Review

Here we have a lovely lot up for your perusal  - a delightful tale set in an auction house where the quirky characters are just as colourful as the items up for sale.

The main character, Maisie, is just out of a job and a relationship. With her life turned upside down, the organised Maisie tries to bring some order by determining to bring her chaotic and fractured family back together. She starts working at the Gildersleeves Auction House, where she meets a delightful array of people, including Theo, whose mismatched clothes and untidiness is at complete odds with Maisie's self-disciplined way of life.

It's an exceptionally well-written story, with some real laugh-out-loud moments (eccentric naked old man!) intertwined with some moments of poignancy (I did have something in my eye when I got to know Arthur).  Plus there's also an element of mystery, involving a magical tea-set...

It's a great, thoroughly enjoyable read!

About the Author

Jenni Keer is a history graduate who embarked on a career in contract flooring before settling in the middle of the Suffolk countryside with her antique furniture restorer husband. She has valiantly attempted to master the ancient art of housework but with four teenage boys in the house it remains a mystery. Instead, she spends her time at the keyboard writing women's fiction to combat the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere with her number one fan #Blindcat by her side. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team. 

The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker was published in January 2019.

The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows is out in July 2019.

Social Media Links –

FB Jenni Keer Writer

Twitter @JenniKeer

Instagram jennikeer

Website - https://jennikeer.co.uk/

Book Review: Then. Now. Always. by Isabelle Broom

The Blurb

Are you ready for an adventure?
Hannah Hodges certainly is. And so when she is offered the opportunity to spend a month filming a documentary in Almeria, a magical village hidden away on the south-east coast of Spain, she grabs it. Almeria was where she spent a large part of her youth; where she made so many of her memories, and her mistakes.

But now she is twenty-eight and this time it is going to be perfect. Because she is not only going with her best friend Tom but also with her gorgeous boss, Theo. And this unforgettable place with its snowy white buildings, mesmerizing sunsets and deep blue sea is the perfect location to make Theo finally fall under her spell.

But Hannah's past is everywhere she looks, Tom is acting strangely around her, and her awful (half) sister appears determined to ruin everything, again. Even from a thousand miles away . . .

Hannah has just a month in paradise to secure the happy future she knows is waiting for her. Will Almeria work its magic? And will that future look exactly as she always thought it would?

My Review

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy. All opinions are my own.

Isabelle Broom's books should come with a warning on the front cover: ADVISORY: READING  THIS BOOK WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO BOOK A HOLIDAY RIGHT AWAY!

Ahh this book is so lovely. As ever, Isabelle immerses the reader in beautiful, warm and sunny surroundings, and reading this is the next best thing to being in the Spanish village of Mojacar. It's descriptive without bogging the story down with too much detail, but enough to evoke the sights, sounds and smells of the setting perfectly.

The characters are written equally well. I felt I was Hannah, and could see why she was so in love with Theo. 

The awkward relationship between Hannah and her half-sister Nancy is very poignant. Despite blaming Nancy for her father's indifference, Hannah still feels the responsibility of an older sister and feels she has to look out for Nancy - even though she annoys the hell out of her.

Then there's another fly in the ointment; the beautiful Claudette, whose flirty French accent and high maintenance winds Hannah up further. But then best friend Tom is always on hand to calm things down, but then he starts acting a bit weird too. 

Of course the main reason for them all being in Mojacar is to film a documentary which could make Hannah's career. She meets the wonderful Elaine, an artist who has adopted the Spanish village as her home. But there's more to her story than the artist's community which existed years ago.

Of course the inevitable happens in the end, but the journey there is not always straightforward, and it is a great fun read that had me pouring wistfully over travel websites.

Isabelle Broom has filled me with wunderlust yet again...

Now. Then. Always. is published on 20th April, and you can pre-order it from Amazon or other retailers. It's the next best thing to an actual holiday!

About the Author

Isabelle Broom was born in Cambridge nine days before the 1980s began and studied Media Arts at the University of West London before starting a career first in local newspapers and then as a sub editor at heat magazine. Nowadays, when she’s not writing novels set in far-flung locations, Isabelle spends her time being the Book Reviews Editor at heat and walking her beloved dog round the parks of north London. 

Her novels My Map Of You and A Year And A Day (published by Penguin Michael Joseph) are out now. The third, Then. Now. Always. will arrive in April 2017.

If you like pictures of dogs, chatter about books and very bad jokes, you can follow her on Twitter @Isabelle_Broom or find her on Facebook under Isabelle Broom Author.

Blog Tour and Review: Dangerous to Know by Anne Buist

Today the Blog Tour for Anne Buist's novel, Dangerous to Know, stops off at mine.

Thanks to Legend Press and Anne Buist for the advanced reading copy. All views are my own.

The Blurb 

Natalie King is back: back from a stay on the psych ward. Her reluctance to live a quiet life has contributed to a severe depressive episode, and now it’s time for a retreat to the country. A borrowed house on the Great Ocean Road; a low-key research job at a provincial university nearby.

But Natalie and trouble have a strange mutual fascination. Her charismatic new boss Frank is friendly, even attractive. But it turns out his pregnant wife is an old enemy of Natalie’s. And when Frank’s tragic personal history is revealed—then reprised in the most shocking way—Natalie finds herself drawn deep into a mystery. And even deeper into danger.

My Review

This is our second encounter with psychologist Natalie King (you can read my review of the first book in the series, Medea's Curse, here). 

Natalie has her bi-polar in hand (for now) after a stay on a psychiatric ward, but she treads a dangerous path when she ends up working for Frank Moreton. Frank is an enigmatic, attractive man, who has the somewhat unfortunate misfortune of losing pregnant wives. He and Natalie are both drawn to each other, but not in the usual way.

Jealousy weaves its way through the story, as wives, ex-lovers and members of an eccentric family all make their presence known. No one appears to be straightforward, everyone has their own hidden agenda, with the exception of the lovely Declan, Natalie's own therapist. I feel sorry for him, and it is obvious that Natalie respects him and wants to please him.

I found this second novel easier to read than the first as there were not as many technical details relating to the mental health profession - as promised by the author!

The plot twists and turns, as family secrets are revealed in this fast-paced thriller. It is a breathless ride along with Natalie as she is at risk of losing control of herself and the complicated situations in which she inevitably ends up embroiled. Natalie is one of the most interesting and complex characters I've ever met in a book, and I hope to be reading about more of her escapades.

About the Author:

Anne Buist is the Chair of Women’s Mental Health at the University of Melbourne and has over 25 years clinical and research experience in perinatal psychiatry working on cases of abuse, kidnapping, infanticide and murder.

She has published ten erotic romance- suspense novels under the pseudonym Simone Sinna. She is married to novelist Graeme Simsion and has two children.

Follow Anne on Twitter: @anneebuist

You can buy Dangerous to Know here (other retailers are available!).

Book Review: Life in a Fishbowl by Len Vlahos

The Blurb

Jackie's life wasn't perfect, but at least it was normal. That is, until her dad received a terminal cancer diagnosis. Then he went and did what anyone faced with mountains of medical bills and a family to support would do: he sold his life to the highest bidder. Which turned out to be a TV station.

Suddenly everyone from psychotic millionaires to cyber-savvy nuns wants a piece of Jackie's family as they become a reality TV sensation. Jackie's life spirals out of control just as her dad's starts to run out, and meanwhile the whole world is tuning in to watch her family fall apart.

Acidly funny and heartbreakingly sad, Life in a Fishbowl is an exploration of the value of life and what memories mean to us. Perfect for fans of Patrick Ness.

My Review

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I don't usually read YA books, but this one grabbed me as these days many people spend their lives watching other people live theirs.

Jared Stone has an inoperable brain tumour, and in an attempt to safeguard his family's financial future, he turns their world upside down with more then just his diagnosis and the prospect of them losing a father and a husband - he sells their lives to a TV station.

The book starts with Jared firstly essentially putting their lives on ebay. Then we meet various people willing to pay, people who are all rather suspect. Desperate, greedy people who will stop at nothing to get what they want. The TV show is probably the safest prospect that the Stone family has to face. 

That Jared would even dream of doing such a thing without consulting his family seems to be a little far-fetched; though this could be an effect of the tumour on his behaviour. This tumour is a character of it's own, as it 'eats' Jared's memories and almost takes on a life of its own.

The book tells of the struggles of a family dealing with the prospect of loss, but all in the public eye, and their lives are coldly manipulated and taken over by the producers. But there is help at hand...

It's a great story, if a little fractured being told from so many different points of view. The behaviour of some of the characters leaves a sour taste, and nothing can really redeem them. 

I would suggest that anyone contemplating going on one of these 'reality' shows reads this book first!

Life in a Fishbowl was published on 12th January by Bloomsbury Childrens, and you can get it from Amazon, Waterstones and other places.

Blog Tour: Beneath the Ashes by Jane Isaac

The Blurb

The floor felt hard beneath her face. Nancy opened her eyes. Blinked several times. A pain seared through her head. She could feel fluid. No. She was lying in fluid.

When a body is discovered in a burnt-out barn in the Warwickshire countryside, DI Will Jackman is called to investigate.

Nancy Faraday wakes up on the kitchen floor. The house has been broken into and her boyfriend is missing. As the case unravels, DI Jackman realises that nothing is quite as it appears and everyone, it seems, has a secret.

Can he discover the truth behind the body in the fire, and track down the killer before Nancy becomes the next victim?

A gripping thriller perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, S.J. Watson, B A Paris and Sophie Hannah.

My Review

Thank you to the author and Legend Press for the proof copy sent in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second in the DI Will Jackman Crime series. I haven't read the first, but this works well as a standalone novel as I think we're filled in with any details we need to know.

DI Jackman is called to deal with a double crime - a woman has been attacked and there is a corpse in a burnt-out barn. But nothing is what it seems.

Nancy, the victim of the attack, finds her world turned upside down. Her boyfriend turns out to be someone else, and she finds herself being followed and intimidated. But is her aggressor linked to the crime or is it something different?

Unfortunately I had to read this book over several days, and I found myself unable to follow the plot particularly easily, and I lost track of some of the numerous characters and the roles they played in the story.

However I very much liked the character of Will Jackman. For once, we have a detective who is not an alcoholic/screwed up/hasn't got a psychotic personality himself. Will is a very likeable character, well-adjusted despite his private life, which is difficult for reasons beyond his control. It is nice to see a policeman who has a great relationship with his daughter. All too often we see these characters as down-trodden, world-weary people who mess up in their personal lives in their bid to catch the bad guy.

It was also nice to learn more about the victim of the story, Nancy. It turns out she didn't know her boyfriend very well at all, and her relationship with her mother is strained to say the least. But she has good friends around her.

This book will appeal to many who enjoy crime novels, and in fact I should probably reread it so I get to know the other characters better.

Beneath the Ashes was published on 1st November by @LegendPress and is available from Amazon, Waterstones, and other retailers.

About the Author

Jane Isaac lives with her husband, daughter and dog, Bollo, in rural Northamptonshire.

Her first novel, An Unfamiliar Murder, was published in the US in 2012 and was nominated as best mystery in the ‘eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook awards 2013’. Jane is also the author of The Truth Will Out, Before It's Too Late and Beneath the Ashes, published in the UK by Legend Press. The Truth Will Out, was selected ‘Crime Thriller of the Month by EThriller.com and ‘Noveltunity Book Club Winning Selection’.

Jane’s next novel The Lies Within - the third in the DI Will Jackman series - will be published by Legend Press on 2nd May 2017.

Follow Jane on Twitter @JaneIsaacAuthor

Book Review: A Year and a Day by Isabelle Broom

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy.

The Blurb:

Welcome to a city where wishes are everywhere.

For Megan, a winter escape to Prague with her friend Ollie is a chance to find some inspiration for her upcoming photography exhibition. But she's determined to keep their friendship from becoming anything more. Because if Megan lets Ollie find out about her past, she risks losing everything - and she won't let that happen again . . .

For Hope, the trip is a surprise treat from Charlie, her new partner. But she's struggling to enjoy the beauty of the city when she knows how angry her daughter is back home. And that it's all her fault . . .

For Sophie, the city has always been a magical place. This time she can't stop counting down the moments until her boyfriend Robin joins her. But in historic Prague you can never escape the past . . .

Three different women.

Three intertwining love stories.

One unforgettable, timeless city.

My Review:

After the beautiful debut, My Map of You, Isabelle's second novel, A Year and a Day, is another delight to read.

It is a story full of vivid descriptions of the surrounding area, proof that the author has well-researched her destination, and her love of the city of Prague is evident on the pages. Often I find that too much descriptive language in a story can slow the pace right down, but Isabelle has it perfect here. It doesn't affect the pace at all, and is vital to the gentle narrative of our three heroines and their partners.

The three main relationships in the story are under the spotlight; vulnerable Sophie, waiting for her fiance Robin to join her in the city which means so much to them; Hope, whose new relationship with Charlie is threatened by Hope's feelings of guilt; and Megan and Ollie, who could be so much more than best friends if Megan would get over her own issues.

Despite the snow lying on the streets, there is lots of warmth and comfort in this book, and I found myself immersed in the story, smelling and almost tasting the goulash and strudel and hot mulled wine. Isabelle has not only written a lovely tale of romance, but she has sold Prague as a weekend break way better than any travel agent!

I'm off to book my ticket right now!

A Year and a Day is available from November 17th and can be pre-ordered here (other retailers are available!) 

About the Author:

Isabelle Broom was born in Cambridge nine days before the 1980s began and studied Media Arts at the University of West London before starting a career first in local newspapers and then as a sub editor at heat magazine. Nowadays, when she’s not writing novels set in far-flung locations, Isabelle spends her time being the Book Reviews Editor at heat and walking her beloved dog Max round the parks of north London. Oh, and she does a lot of laughing, too. Her debut novel My Map Of You, published by Penguin Michael Joseph, is out now, and her second book, A Year And A Day, will follow in November.

If you like pictures of dogs, chatter about books and very bad jokes, you can follow her on Twitter @Isabelle_Broom or find her on Facebook under Isabelle Broom Author.

Blog Tour & Book Review: Medea's Curse by Anne Buist

The Blurb:

Forensic psychiatrist Natalie King works with victims and perpetrators of violent crime. She rides a Ducati a size too big and wears a tank top a size too small. Likes men but doesn’t want to keep one. And really needs to stay on her medication.

Now she’s being stalked. Could it be a hostile former patient? Or someone connected with a current case?

Natalie doesn’t know. And with another missing child case on her desk, the time for answers is running out.

My Review:

Thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC.

This is a fast paced novel which kept me turning the pages. There were a lot of terms relating to the Mental Health profession which I am not familiar with, and I have to admit I found myself skipping over these parts, but the story is excellent. I did wonder how I was going to cope with reading about women who kill their children, but it was dealt with in a very sympathetic way and shows that no one's story is black and white. The tension builds throughout as we try to work out who is stalking Natalie.

Natalie is a fantastic character, with many flaws. She is a unreliable 'witness', dealing with her own demons, and seeing how her moods affect her and those around her is interesting. She doesn't always make the best decisions, and watching her deal with the fall-out is fascinating.

The other characters in the book are equally as well-rounded, from the love interest to the women prisoners. Seeing how some of these women could be seen as victims themselves is heartbreaking.

I look forward to reading more stories about Natalie King.

About the Author:

Anne Buist is the Chair of Women’s Mental Health at the University of Melbourne and has over 25 years clinical and research experience in perinatal psychiatry working on cases of abuse, kidnapping, infanticide and murder.

She has published ten erotic romance- suspense novels under the pseudonym Simone Sinna. She is married to novelist Graeme Simsion and has two children.

Twitter: @anneebuist

You can buy Medea's Curse here (other retailers are available!).

WOW! Blown away by this mascara!

Just a quicky today - my first review of a beauty product.

I just HAD to post this because I was so amazed by this £5.99 Maybelline Volum' Express Lift Mascara. It actually does what it says on the tin; it's incredible!

I usually spend up to 30 seconds per eye clamping my poor eyelashes with my evil-looking eyelash curlers (honestly, they look like an instrument of medieval torture), trying to make my eyes look like I am awake.

Then on Saturday I found this Mascara. I was looking for something non clumpy as I am going to start wearing contacts again, and was in a bit of a rush when I grabbed this miracle in the hellishly busy Westfield Stratford branch of Boots. I tried it this morning - with no other make up so I have used filters in an attempt to blur my poor ravaged skin - and look! Curly lashes! I actually watched them go up as I applied it (ooer!).

Maybe it's Maybelline? Damn right it is!