tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61404645514906348092024-03-11T23:01:18.949+00:00Books with Bunny- Bunny Lovell reads...There's more to life than books you know, but not much more...Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.comBlogger538125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-18074401558339436692017-08-02T19:07:00.000+01:002017-08-02T19:07:34.533+01:00I Know It's OverThe title for this post sounds a touch melodramatic, I know, but I started this blog back in June 2013 with nothing more than a URL and a Smiths lyric, so it kind of feels like a natural way to bring Books with Bunny to a close. <br />
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Yes, the time has come for me to officially say goodbye to this blog. I've not posted in months now, mainly because although I'm still reading (and reading brilliant books that deserve shouting about) I've been busy writing my own books. Over the past two years I've written three novels and two novellas, and am currently beavering away on a fourth book which I hope will be the first of a trilogy. Put simply, my focus has shifted and the time I dedicated to blogging is now devoted to crafting fiction.<br />
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There's a tinge of sadness ebbing within me as I write this post, because this blog has been a huge part of my life. Really huge. <br />
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It gave me purpose when I was at my most poorly.<br />
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It brought me friendships with fellow bibliophiles, authors and readers alike.<br />
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It drew me into a circle of wonderful bloggers who are passionate about books (and subsequently trebled the amount of books on my TBR pile).<br />
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It gave me the confidence to organise and co-ordinate online events such as #HIFortnight and the #HIReadathon.<br />
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Also, it was through blogging that I first met Charlotte Ledger, commissioning editor at HarperImpulse - the very person who offered me my first publishing contract.<br />
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I have dearly loved Books with Bunny, but the time is right to say goodbye. Instead of blog posts here I'll be sharing the book love on my social media channels (see below) and hope to use my author blog (which you can find <a href="http://www.kateylovell.blogspot.co.uk/">here</a>) to talk about what I've been reading as well as my writing projects.<br />
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Thank you to all the readers, bloggers, publishers and authors who've supported Books with Bunny over the past four and a bit years, whether that's been by sending ARCs, giving exclusive content, retweeting reviews (the day Johnny Marr replied to my tweet about his autobiography was the ultimate highlight), leaving comments or sharing recommendations of 'must read' books. <br />
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It's been a pleasure. Please don't be a stranger.<br />
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Twitter - @katey5678<br />
Instagram - @katey5678<br />
Facebook - <a href="http://www.facebook.com/kateylovell">www.facebook.com/kateylovell</a><br />
Website - <a href="http://www.kateylovell.blogspot.co.uk/">www.kateylovell.blogspot.co.uk</a><br />
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xxx<br />
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Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-53312477729559949022017-03-06T21:32:00.000+00:002017-03-06T21:32:04.103+00:00What I Read... February 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong><u>Love at Second Sight - Cathy Hopkins</u></strong></div>
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A cute romantic read about teenager Jo's search for the boy she fell in love with in a past life. I loved the London setting, especially the rich imagery of Highgate Cemetery. </div>
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If you enjoy light-hearted YA, this could be one for you.</div>
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<strong><u>Unknown Pleasures - Inside Joy Division - Peter Hook</u></strong></div>
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<span id="freeTextreview1901783160">This is a difficult one to review, because although I read the whole thing within 24 hours, I didn't find it easy. <br /><br />The opening sections were probably my favourite, where he's going to punk gigs and first taking a serious interest in music. These sections also capture a sense of Manchester and the north in the late 1970s and make fascinating reading.<br /><br />There was a lot of the dry humour I'd expected, and Hooky doesn't hold back with his opinions which makes it feel as though he's sharing his secrets directly with the reader. The stories of Joy Division on the road and in the studio were interesting, and the recollections of individual performances were entertaining and evocative, but the way he writes about the dynamic within the band creates the tension that made this a compulsive (and at times draining) read.<br /><br />This volume of Peter Hook's memoir was always going to be very much about Ian Curtis and I found myself waiting uncomfortably for the section I knew was coming - Ian's death. I liked how Hooky went to great pains to paint the Ian Curtis he knew - someone who was one of the lads, and at times downright crude. Everyone knows about the epilepsy, the affair, the suicide, the artsy Ian... the way he's been frozen in time by the fans and the media. Hearing what he was actually like from bandmate makes him more 3D somehow, less of a caricature. <br /><br />I'm definitely going to read the New Order book very soon and imagine that'll be equally as gripping (if not moreso to me personally as that's the music I prefer).</span></div>
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<strong><u>The Unmumsy Mum - Sarah Turner</u></strong></div>
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<span id="freeTextContainerreview1903356426">I'm not sure if part of the reason this didn't speak to me as much as it has some of my friends is because I'm well past the baby stage. <br /><br />There were definitely scenes from their family life I could relate to, and I did find myself giggling along at the comments about the challenges of parenthood, but personally I feel the short, sharp blog posts have more of an impact than a full-length book.</span> </div>
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<strong><u>This Beats Perfect - Rebecca Denton</u></strong></div>
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<span id="freeTextreview1901780139">Amelie doesn't like boybands. She'd rather be listening to her diverse collection of original vinyl. However, because of her dad's job in the music industry, she finds herself surrounded by the biggest pop band of the moment 'The Keep'. <br /><br />This is a book I'd been really looking forward to, and it was a quick YA read. The plot wasn't complex, but didn't need to be as it was still very readable. <br /><br />My main issue was that I didn't always like Amelie and her ways. Yes, she is a teenager, but she came across as a bit brattish at times. However, I really liked the character Maxx and his motivations and story were very believable.<br /><br />I'd have loved this book in my teens and I'm sure many fangirls will be hooked by this story of romance, the music industry and being true to yourself.</span></div>
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<span><strong><u>Why Pamper Life's Complexities? - Essays on The Smiths - Ed. Sean Campbell and Colin Coulter</u></strong></span></div>
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<span><span id="freeTextreview1901784414">Interesting collection of essays relating to The Smiths and their place in society, politics and musical history.<br /><br />Some essays were more interesting to me than others, with particular praise going to Joseph Brooker's ' Has the World Changed or Have I Changed?- The Smiths and the Challenge of Thatcherism', Cecelia Mello's 'I Don't Owe You Anything - The Smiths and kitchen-sink cinema' and particularly Karl Maton's 'Last Night We Dreamt that Somebody Loved Us - Smiths fans (and me) in the late 1980s'. This is partly due to the content relating to areas that appeal to my own personal interest, but also because I felt they were most accessible and original.<br /><br />One area which could have been stronger for me was a wider use of sources - many essays referred to the same key interviews and lyrics which made this book repetitive at times when read as a collection.</span> </span><br />
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Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-50948395316237315192017-02-03T23:56:00.000+00:002017-02-03T23:56:54.146+00:00What I Read... January 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I completed six books in January 2017, and they were all fantastic. Here are my thoughts...</div>
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<strong>The Legacy of Lucy Harte - Emma Heatherington</strong><br />
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<span id="freeTextreview1858066334">I loved this story! Maggie, the recipient of a donor heart, knows that she's not making the most of her life. A run-of-the-mill job, a brother she doesn't talk to, a fondness for drinking more than she really should...None of it is enough any more. Maggie's knows she's lost all sense of herself, but it's only when she makes contact with the family of Lucy Harte, the girl whose heart she was gifted seventeen years ago, that she truly realised how little living she's actually been doing.<br /><br />It was an absolute pleasure to follow Maggie on her journey, and Emma Heatherington has done a brilliant job in balancing a serious (and at times heavy) plot with witty one-liners. The Irish flavour will appeal to fans of Marian Keyes and there's overseas travel for those readers with wanderlust. There's a hint of romance, but this is as much a love story between Maggie and Lucy as it is between her and the potential partners. <br /><br />If you're looking for a January read which will inspire you to live for the moment, The Legacy of Lucy Harte could be it.</span><br />
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<strong>Under Rose-Tainted Skies - Louise Gornall</strong><br />
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<span id="freeTextreview1864419064">Although I am not agoraphobic, Under Rose-Tainted Skies brought back painful memories of my own darkest moments. I found Norah's story so easy to relate to, and I'm sure many readers who have experience of depression, anxiety or other mental health issues will recognise the awful surge of panic Norah experiences in what she feels should be 'normal' situations.<br /><br />Louise Gornall's book is so very necessary as well as being beautifully written; and it's wonderful to see such an honest portrayal of a character with agoraphobia hitting the shelves (especially from an #ownvoices author). I can see why so many people have raved about this book and predict it'll be an enormous success across the water now it's been published in America.</span><br />
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<strong>You Know Me Well - Nina LaCour and David Levithan</strong><br />
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<span id="freeTextreview1868528647">Kate and Mark have been sitting next to each other in class for a whole year, but until they meet in a bar at the start of San Francisco's Pride they barely know each other.<br /><br />What follows is a week-long adventure of love and friendship set against the glorious backdrop of the beautiful city of San Francisco.<br /><br />It's fantastic to see a YA book with a whole cast of LGBT characters, but more than that the high hopes I had for the book were met. The plot isn't complex, but it doesn't need to be. This is the epitome of a character driven novel, and from the moment I finished the book I was left longing to know what was in store for Kate, Mark, Violet, Ryan and the rest of the gang. I really, really hope we'll get to see more of them in the future.</span><br />
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<strong>Radio Silence - Alice Oseman</strong><br />
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Frances is a fan of the Universe City podcast. In fact, some might say she's more than a fan. She used the podcast as inspiration for her artwork, the one thing she has besides her A levels.<br /><br />When Universe City's creator reaches out to her via the internet, Frances is shocked to discover the person behind her favourite podcast lives in close proximity. <br /><br />This is a book about secrets, fandom, societal expectations and friendships. I loved the diverse, believable characters, the plot and most of all the beautiful writing. Alice Oseman - this is wonderful. Thank you. <a data-text-id="review1880032677" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25322449-radio-silence#"></a><br />
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<span id="freeTextContainerreview1886657976"><strong>Saturday, 3pm - Daniel Gray</strong></span><br />
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A slender volume of fifty vignettes examining the everyday pleasures of life as a football fan. <br /><br />Beautiful, heart-felt prose evokes a sense of nostalgia for a by-gone era whilst reminding the reader of the simple delights not yet erradicated from the modern game. From club shops to floodlights to the excitement at passing a team bus on the motorway, Daniel Gray's book is as much about society, sociology and history as it is about football.<br /><br />Saturday, 3pm is a joy to read. <br />
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<strong>Set The Boy Free - Johnny Marr</strong><br />
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Read my review <a href="http://bookswithbunny.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/set-boy-free-johnny-marr.html">here</a>.<br />
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What have you read this year so far?Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-50224010413259586832017-01-23T07:37:00.003+00:002017-01-23T07:37:24.554+00:00Set the Boy Free - Johnny Marr<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<em>I've been waiting a long time for this book. You can read my 'Hooray! Johnny's writing an autobiography!' post </em><a href="http://bookswithbunny.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/johnny-marrs-autobiography-to-be.html"><em>here.</em></a><br />
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I love Johnny Marr. <br />
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His life story proves that the heady combination of hard work and natural talent pays off. Set the Boy Free follows Johnny from humble beginnings on inner-city Manchester estates to global fame and acclaim. It's partly a 'rise of the underdog' tale, but it's also a love story between Marr and music. As a creative person myself, I couldn't help but be inspired by his drive, his ambition, his self-belief, and also his ability to do things his own way.<br />
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I love Johnny Marr.<br />
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His total commitment to guitar and continual desire to bettering his playing, writing and producing is obvious through his musical catalogue, and although I'm a huge fan of The Smiths, there is so much more to Johnny Marr's career. I read a review that complained there was too much music lingo in this book. Erm ... hello? This is Johnny Fuckin Marr, a man who's dedicated his whole life to music. What did you expect?!<br />
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I love Johnny Marr.<br />
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His style and the influences he has drawn on in terms of clothes and image fascinate me. From roll-necks and beaded necklaces to well-chosen knitwear, his style has evolved yet never deviated from something that is totally 'Johnny Marr'. There's something comforting in that. Familiar. And the way Johnny talks about clothes and style in the book is highly evocative.<br />
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I love Johnny Marr.<br />
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He comes across as very introspective and self-aware, constantly reassessing what he wants from not only his career, but also other areas of his life. Reading Set the Boy Free, particularly the sections about Johnny's lifestyle change to a tee-total, marathon-running vegan, has encouraged me to think about the life I want for myself. <br />
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I love Johnny Marr. <br />
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I've always been fascinated by his relationship with wife Angie. They are a rarity - a couple who met young, knew they wanted to be together and still are over thirty years on. I loved the chance to learn more about their relationship, although the romantic in me would have liked to have more of this and also his relationship with Nile and Sonny covered in the book.<br />
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I love Johnny Marr.<br />
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I love Johnny Marr's autobiography. It's insightful and easy to read and although I'd heard a lot of the stories before, it was nice to have a chronological version of events from Johnny's viewpoint. <br />
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I love Johnny Marr.<br />
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I love Johnny Marr.<br />
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And did I mention I love Johnny Marr?!<br />
Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-84893434498093761762016-12-30T23:55:00.001+00:002016-12-30T23:55:26.684+00:00My Favourite Reads of 2016I've been a pretty rubbish book blogger in 2016. There have been times this year where I've come close to calling time on Books with Bunny, because my life has changed beyond measure since I wrote my first post for this blog three-and-a-half years ago. But I'm not ready to give it up yet. I still love books and reading and spreading the literary love, so although there might not be regular updates any more, this little corner of the internet will remain my bookish space into 2017 (although if you want to know what I'm reading, Twitter is the best place to find me - @katey5678).<br />
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I've read some cracking books again this year and (this is the bit I love!) it's time to share them with you - here are my favourite reads of 2016!<br />
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If you like stories about secrets within families and communities, you need to read ... A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams<br />
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If you like thought-provoking non-fiction, you need to read... Girl Up by Laura Bates<br />
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If you like sweeping romances that make your heart pang, you need to read ... Miss You by Kate Eberlen<br />
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If you like stories of friendship, roadtrips and nostalgia, you need to read ... Searching for a Silver Lining by Miranda Dickinson<br />
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If you like intriguing young adult fiction about boybands you need to read ... Songs About a Girl by Chris Russell <br />
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If you like books about forbidden love against a political backdrop, you need to read ... The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne<br />
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If you like romantic books about travel and adventure, you need to read ... Just One Day by Gayle Forman<br />
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If you like uplifting books about fandom and finding yourself, you need to read Love Song by Sophia Bennett<br />
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If you like chilling psychological thrillers that will have you hooked from the off, you need to read ... Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris<br />
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If you like young adult books with a gothic influence, you need to read ... Darkmere by Helen Maslin<br />
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If you like a good old-fashioned mystery stories or books set at boarding schools, you need to read ... Jolly Foul Play by Robin Stevens<br />
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If you like amusing manga about misfits and obsessives, you need to read ... Princess Jellyfish by Akiko Higashimura<br />
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If you like romcom books with an original twist, you need to read ... Please Retweet by Emily Benet<br />
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If you like your romance kooky with a hint of spooky, you need to read ... Melody Bittersweet and the Girls' Ghostbusting Agency by Kitty French<br />
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What have you read and loved this year? I'd love you to share your favourite reads in the comments!Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-57126441702922087862016-12-07T20:51:00.000+00:002016-12-07T20:51:50.818+00:00Christmas Q&A with Caroline Roberts!
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>I'm delighted to welcome Caroline Roberts to the blog today for a Q&A session.</strong> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hello Kate, thanks so much for featuring me and The Cosy
Christmas Teashop on your blog!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">The Cosy Christmas Teashop is a follow up to
your previous novel The Cosy Teashop in the Castle. Did the fact that it's a
sequel make a difference to your writing process? How long did it take to
write?</span></b><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">In a way, it was easier to write as I
already had the main characters and setting in mind. But I also wanted to
freshen it all up, so I added some new characters and situations. I had fun
with it, as well as exploring the more difficult times they had to face. I felt
I knew everyone so well by the end, like the castle team had really become firm
friends.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">It took me four months to write The Cosy
Christmas Teashop. A bit of a miracle as the first book took over a year. But I
had a deadline to meet, so got my head down and kept going. It was hard work,
but also fun.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQ9XtyntcK6IRY2fcvEZm_3Kh3qMnlrNJIS2UR4HY5KE7NhiinEhhnqXhWTSj52kv_ue9SMLefSalbzvFvgFpyk2AksPmugtoFzuhneXXTix_HQwU8Fo7saTFe5_d6N7A9TVTKARgG_Y/s1600/Cosy+Christmas+Final+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQ9XtyntcK6IRY2fcvEZm_3Kh3qMnlrNJIS2UR4HY5KE7NhiinEhhnqXhWTSj52kv_ue9SMLefSalbzvFvgFpyk2AksPmugtoFzuhneXXTix_HQwU8Fo7saTFe5_d6N7A9TVTKARgG_Y/s320/Cosy+Christmas+Final+Cover.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">2) This is your first festive novel. Do you
envisage writing another in the future?</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes, I enjoyed writing about
Christmas and all the lovely festive build up to that – Christmas markets,
craft fairs, snow, tinsel, Christmas trees, Christmas cupcakes, mince pies and
more. I’d happily write another Christmas-themed novel. In fact, I might be
working on that right now!</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">3) What are your favourite Christmassy reads?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I loved Debbie Johnson’s romantic
comedy “Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a warm and funny story, unique and
rather sexy. </span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">And, on Christmas Eve, I
always used to read to my children “Twas the Night Before Christmas” in a fabulous
pop-up version, and we also loved The Jolly Christmas Postman. </span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white;">4) What
are your own plans for Christmas? Do you have any special family traditions?</span></b></span></div>
<div class="yiv4787984104gmail-msolistparagraph" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I love the tradition of Christmas stockings, hanging
them up by the fire, and then them “magically” being filled </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">– I
still have them for my grown-up children even now! And we always have a real
tree, it looks so pretty all decorated and twinkly, and you get that gorgeous
smell of pine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyypxacRuTtgb5SS4akMS1pAWKy5whvP_eShZTvXCsBoI6ZgLDG7IbUI3CV8r-Elp5xhh-QWPkyaTV69lhdylhWtWagFvl7ydWXJ4BCy3EV4jWycjVqiVW5C4vaByARyq1r57LpBOWl5A/s1600/carolinetree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyypxacRuTtgb5SS4akMS1pAWKy5whvP_eShZTvXCsBoI6ZgLDG7IbUI3CV8r-Elp5xhh-QWPkyaTV69lhdylhWtWagFvl7ydWXJ4BCy3EV4jWycjVqiVW5C4vaByARyq1r57LpBOWl5A/s320/carolinetree.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div class="yiv4787984104gmail-msolistparagraph" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">On Christmas day, we have a glass of champagne around ten am (mid-parcel
opening) with cheese and ham croissants, a fresh fruit platter, or chocolate if
you fancy, after all, anything goes - it’s Christmas! Then there’s the
traditional Turkey Roast. I’m chef as I enjoy cooking, though I have to be well
prepared as after a couple of champagnes and a G&T, it can all get a bit
out of sync!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="yiv4787984104gmail-msolistparagraph" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">For me, Christmas is all about family and friends and having a
lovely, sociable time with some fabulous food and drink.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGmJHiBtJ57hRUQXqpOuyTYvyv7D-STwVMKIKku0KH7jbeVLRMOCZbkIvBhc_j6Sanptjut3ECwWs1VrWLWhYwIFyI2nrbTfE22gZ1C6RouvYIhRMeke38qkYLZ9jmZ_8zheQiIYPRZY/s1600/caroline+dog+meg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGmJHiBtJ57hRUQXqpOuyTYvyv7D-STwVMKIKku0KH7jbeVLRMOCZbkIvBhc_j6Sanptjut3ECwWs1VrWLWhYwIFyI2nrbTfE22gZ1C6RouvYIhRMeke38qkYLZ9jmZ_8zheQiIYPRZY/s320/caroline+dog+meg.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white;">5) What
can your readers look forward to next?<o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I have a summer book coming
out around April/May time. A gorgeous and poignant love story<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>about hurt and healing and making the most of
those simple special moments in life. It’s set on beautiful Bamburgh beach in
my home county of Northumberland (one of my favourite places to walk the dog).
In fact, the family might have a wander down on the beach there on Boxing Day!</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">And by this time next year,
there may well be another Cosy Christmas novel! Watch this space…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Have a really lovely
Christmas everyone!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<strong>The Cosy Christmas Tea Shop is out now, published by Harper Impulse.</strong></div>
Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-30215304677883919772016-11-29T00:30:00.000+00:002016-11-29T00:30:14.249+00:00Talking As Fast As I Can - Lauren Graham blog tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pJd9JDsaYge6IboUrALgsqOiHkqg6PUUBdDqC9iSEP22o1mknOaBQqxLbv1FKdZJCuqyRM9MdAbEaxPCC90ber2U-2LH9015DvS_N1uGAAqbaymDdYsQWJPSqWP68w_X92Z84r09GeM/s1600/29th+November.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pJd9JDsaYge6IboUrALgsqOiHkqg6PUUBdDqC9iSEP22o1mknOaBQqxLbv1FKdZJCuqyRM9MdAbEaxPCC90ber2U-2LH9015DvS_N1uGAAqbaymDdYsQWJPSqWP68w_X92Z84r09GeM/s400/29th+November.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>
As a recent convert to Gilmore Girls (how on earth did I miss it for so long?!) I'm very excited to be part of the blog tour for Lauren Graham's <em>Talking As Fast As I Can.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
I'm one of many women out there who can relate to Lorelai Gilmore and how she says whatever's on her mind without really thinking it through. That's part of her charm.<br />
<br />
Picking a favourite Lorelai moment for the blog tour was tricky. I could have gone for a mother/daughter moment (Lorelai's graduation left me with a lump in my throat) or her epic fangirling with Sookie at The Bangles gig despite being at the back of the venue, but I'm going with the one liner that makes me giggle every time I think of it, when Lorelai says to Rory - "Hey, maybe instead of going to college, you should drop out and I could quit my job and we can form an all-girl band with Lane, you know, like Bananarama. We could call it Tangerinarama or Banana-fana-fo-fana-rama…or something." <br />
<br />
Why does that tickle me so much? Mostly because that sounds like a band I'd really like to be part of. <br />
<br />
<b><u>The Blurb</u></b><br />
<b>In this collection of personal essays, the beloved star of <i>Gilmore Girls</i> and <i>Parenthood </i>reveals stories about life, love, and working as a woman in Hollywood-along with behind-the-scenes dispatches from the set of the new <i>Gilmore Girls, </i>where she plays the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore once again.</b><br />
<br />
In <i>Talking as Fast as I Can,</i> Lauren Graham hits pause for a moment and looks back on her life, sharing laugh-out-loud stories about growing up, starting out as an actress, and, years later, sitting in her trailer on the <i>Parenthood </i>set and asking herself, "Did you, um, make it?" She opens up about the challenges of being single in Hollywood ("Strangers were worried about me; that's how long I was single!"), the time she was asked to audition her butt for a role, and her experience being a judge on<i>Project Runway</i> ("It's like I had a fashion-induced blackout").<br />
<br />
In "What It Was Like, Part One," Graham sits down for an epic <i>Gilmore Girls </i>marathon and reflects on being cast as the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore. The essay "What It Was Like, Part Two" reveals how it felt to pick up the role again nine years later, and what doing so has meant to her.<br />
<br />
Some more things you will learn about Lauren: She once tried to go vegan just to bond with Ellen DeGeneres, she's aware that meeting guys at awards shows has its pitfalls ("If you're meeting someone for the first time after three hours of hair, makeup, and styling, you've already set the bar too high"), and she's a card-carrying REI shopper ("My bungee cords now earn points!").<br />
<br />
Including photos and excerpts from the diary Graham kept during the filming of the recent <i>Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life,</i> this book is like a cozy night in, catching up with your best friend, laughing and swapping stories, and-of course-talking as fast as you can.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Talking As Fast As I Can is released on December 6th in hardback and ebook formats, and available for preorder now.</em></strong>Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-78561259039147463982016-11-02T12:05:00.002+00:002016-11-02T12:05:50.919+00:00SeQuence - Lorraine M.L.M Publication Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Happy publication day to Lorraine M.L.M! SeQuence, the first book in her new fantasy young adult series 'The Heart of the Ocean' is out now!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VyKjcNMgZGdZi50AgafMc5gI2VfvpPRLke8UWq4E__UqrgjBimXfY3LwT_nLKDexI5z_iIYC4u0FqybwCY75HH3NSSJSS59RZ2u0fVD67aLB_y1iow3GOXTgV8zCIae1vYmmklRi-lc/s1600/Sequence+Cover+LARGE+EBOOK-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VyKjcNMgZGdZi50AgafMc5gI2VfvpPRLke8UWq4E__UqrgjBimXfY3LwT_nLKDexI5z_iIYC4u0FqybwCY75HH3NSSJSS59RZ2u0fVD67aLB_y1iow3GOXTgV8zCIae1vYmmklRi-lc/s400/Sequence+Cover+LARGE+EBOOK-1.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Blurb<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">From chaotic
voices on Earth…<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Haunted by voices inside her head, seventeen-year-old
Alessia Appleton is incarcerated in a mental asylum. In her flight to sanctuary,
she’s transported to Zeneshia, a breathtaking world under the sea filled with
colourful forests and gigantic glowing moons. Here, she discovers the unique
power of her mind—and how an entire kingdom’s survival is dependent on it. As
she finds her true self, she falls irrevocably in love with Dante Erajion. </span></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To the
tranquillity of the Kingdom under the Moons…</span></i><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Determined to avenge his mother’s murder, Dante isn’t
looking for love until he meets Alessia. Together they unravel the past,
inevitably kindling the Foretold Sequence of Hearts. In a world where Sequence
takes precedence over chance, powerful forces manipulate the future and
redesign Sequences, using Alessia as an unwitting cat’s paw in the Four
Kingdoms’ Game of Sequence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Love might not be
enough to save them…<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With Alessia and Dante’s destinies intertwined, their love
is under threat…and so is the future of their people. As players of the Game
make their first move, can young love survive the ordeals of a shifting
Sequence to Life, Love, and Death?</span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;">SeQuence is AVAILABLE
NOW in paperback and E-book from all AMAZON stores<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Paperback<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2Fdp%2F1539189422&h=KAQE19kWyAQGWpGEoc-OQ1-GHF_nZjaj3OpmowgdEMQi21w&enc=AZOQb4ow8ex6HscT_bLOq1_-xqD9_Grtz7SU-Qq0wMSbRrgrSV9QUDTLMzJUQaSgFb9MrnrBu-LxZmDeaDZGzc1Bf_AhRgoeyg4MiBWOCtkKAW_7z98yLOxO-5V1hCBwMMeR_MLDHp95rA9wBFaxq5ClRNXcr1AuL8bC2Nkuj53x7CPwcl3tT0tCu2_QAZZEVhNjrPjIq0Y6KYaYBsiJ5Vs7&s=1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1539189422</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;">E-book<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Amazon:
</span><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LXOQU5H"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LXOQU5H</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kobo:
</span><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/sequence-8"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/sequence-8</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Smashwords:
</span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/669199"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/669199</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sequence-lorraine-mlm/1124742819?ean=2940153759678"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sequence-lorrai…/1124742819…</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Youtube SeQuence Book
Trailer<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FLrzfW9q6mHs&h=gAQF-WRlVAQGKLImF4BEHI7Vevm4UvfSmqvmAaZKPCyn79g&enc=AZNenUKaUX1KZ1ltb1bQtAM5t46rmvNH3_X31nEVJz13r6w3Ex0QCpYrP_xXge61kTZJ2AWrjz7x2DifMvmjGSEXv0WvGnJLwv4S1srST_G5iZdtKWpDlIOH6S-Ux3l8uvKL0aL_Bd16wRJyysPr4LjPXJB57TmTm9szaDmQ0CwaiRGs_VVmh4sRyYUAu-dNiHGYdq0JmEsUFxvHKlp2n6z7&s=1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://youtu.be/LrzfW9q6mHs</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p>And the cover for the second book in the series is also being revealed today - SeQuence Aligned is coming soon.</o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-40436664116961593292016-10-20T00:30:00.000+01:002016-10-20T00:30:06.875+01:00Searching for a Silver Lining - Miranda Dickinson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHX4PwYHgV8m10SQ9f9nGRwHmnEFi4faMNTHjymiHpdCuc47zmpu8vjCDaAqxaTjFYUBRrsfrK3s67Y4lWQqcgprAr2vVTtqWxIuyc6pidjWdXcxI1jbnHCGh4kltvh53mVnY3jNO8sEY/s1600/seacrhing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHX4PwYHgV8m10SQ9f9nGRwHmnEFi4faMNTHjymiHpdCuc47zmpu8vjCDaAqxaTjFYUBRrsfrK3s67Y4lWQqcgprAr2vVTtqWxIuyc6pidjWdXcxI1jbnHCGh4kltvh53mVnY3jNO8sEY/s320/seacrhing.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<u>The Blurb</u><br />
<em>It began with a promise . . . </em><br />
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Matilda Bell is left heartbroken when she falls out with her beloved grandfather just before he dies. Haunted by regret, she makes a promise that will soon change everything . . . <br />
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When spirited former singing star Reenie Silver enters her life, Mattie seizes the opportunity to make amends. Together, Mattie and Reenie embark on an incredible journey that will find lost friends, uncover secrets from the glamorous 1950s and put right a sixty-year wrong.<br />
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Touchingly funny, warm and life-affirming, this is a sparkling story of second chances. Perfect for fans of Cecelia Ahern, <i>Searching for a Silver Lining</i> will take you on a trip you'll never forget.<br />
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<u>The Review</u><br />
As a huge fan of Miranda Dickinson's writing, I was delighted to be sent an early copy of <em>Searching for a Silver Lining</em> to review. I always love how Miranda is able to create warm characters that I root for from the off, and Mattie Bell is yet another wonderful protagonist - I immediately took her to my heart.<br />
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Mattie is grieving for her grandfather. She throws herself headfirst into an adventure when she meets the wonderful livewire octogenarian Reenie Silver, a former starlet and performer with popular 50s band The Silver Five who were also a favourite of her grandfather 'back in the day'. What follows is a crazy quest for one last hoorah which involves amongst other things a campervan, a memorable performance of Wheatus' Teenage Dirtbag and the rather lovely club owner Gil...<br />
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This book is a reminder that age is irrelevant when there's a bond between two people, and as positive friendships/relationships across the generations is something which is still relatively unexplored in fiction it was lovely to see this portrayed so well. Reenie and Mattie were a perfect and believable duo and I was willing them on to their own happy endings. Reenie's stories were an absolute highlight of this book, she was like Tom Jones on an episode of The Voice with her continual name dropping!<br />
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I also loved how each chapter was given a 'soundtrack', a song from the 1950s that linked into the themes explored in that section of the book. It brings another element to the story and introduced me to some new tunes along the way.<br />
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Most of all <em>Searching for a Silver Lining</em> is heart-warming and charming and oozing with everything that makes friendship such a beautiful, beautiful gift. <br />
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I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's Miranda Dickinson's best yet.<br />
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<em>Searching for a Silver Lining is out now in ebook and paperback format.</em><br />
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<em>With thanks to Pan for providing me with a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.</em>Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-188374650004332242016-10-15T16:18:00.000+01:002016-10-15T16:18:17.911+01:00Recently I've Read - September 2016I'm incredibly late posting this monthly round up and that's mainly because September was a pretty fruitful month when it came to reading. It's fair to say I was looking for love in my September reads, with lots of commercial romantic fiction, but I also enjoyed a fair amount of manga too, which I'll wrote about in a separate post. <br />
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<strong><u>Step Back in Time - Ali McNamara</u></strong></div>
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<u>The Blurb</u><br />
<b>How many lifetimes would you travel to find a love that lasts for ever?</b><br />
When single career girl <b>Jo-Jo</b> steps onto a zebra crossing and gets hit by a car, she awakes to find herself in 1963. The fashion, the music, her job, even her romantic life: everything is different. And then it happens three more times, and Jo-Jo finds herself living a completely new life in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. The only people she can rely on are <b>Harry</b> and <b>Ellie</b>, two companions from 2013, and <b>George</b>, the owner of a second-hand record store.<br />
If she's ever to return from her travels, Jo-Jo must work out why she's jumping through time like this. And if she does make it back, will her old life ever be the same again?<br />
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<u>My Thoughts</u><br />
A great read with romance, time travel and a whole lot of Beatles references! <br />
This was a fun and original story which had me chuckling along as protagonist Jo-Jo found herself leaping between the decades. The attention to detail in each era made this perfect for book for anyone with a nostalgic bone in their body, and I absolutely adored record shop owner George.<br />
My first Ali McNamara book, but certainly not my last!<br />
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<strong><u>Read Me Like a Book - Liz Kessler</u></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNAfv49OiIXNwO0FgSvDyHn5xyHDipmJX5BxmTKQeb661YTH_fNE_bXd504G5K5NHJTGVCRDA_Hn-oFdQcRJ3bqGJoe50GPpHh8adoPsw-p-XxPgcBrsDwUwrGQU91o3Bp0F_rYpkJS0/s1600/liz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNAfv49OiIXNwO0FgSvDyHn5xyHDipmJX5BxmTKQeb661YTH_fNE_bXd504G5K5NHJTGVCRDA_Hn-oFdQcRJ3bqGJoe50GPpHh8adoPsw-p-XxPgcBrsDwUwrGQU91o3Bp0F_rYpkJS0/s320/liz.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<u>The Blurb</u><br />
The first YA novel from bestselling author Liz Kessler, <i>Read Me Like A Book </i>is a brave, honest and vital coming-out story that follows one girl's exploration of love, identity and sexuality.<br />
Ashleigh Walker is having a difficult year. She's struggling at school, and coming home to parents who are on the verge of divorce. She knows she should be happy spending time with her boyfriend - but, for some reason, being around him just makes her worry more. It's only in her English teacher, Miss Murray, that she feels she's found a kindred spirit. Miss Murray helps Ashleigh develop her writing skills and her confidence - but what happens when boundaries begin to blur? What will the repercussions be for Ashleigh? And how will she navigate her own sexuality?<br />
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<u>My Thoughts</u><br />
An engaging and relevant coming of age story which will appeal to both YA and adult readership. This was an extremely readable tale and I rooted for Ashleigh as she explored her own sexuality. There have been more LGBT+ books published again lately, and if they are all of this quality then I'm sure they'll be a welcome addition to bookshelves everywhere.<br />
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<strong><u>Milkshakes and Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner - Helen Cox</u></strong></div>
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<u>The Blurb</u></div>
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Esther Knight is sharp, sarcastic – and hiding something. She waitresses at The Starlight Diner: a retro eatery where Fifties tunes stream out of the jukebox long into the night, and the tastiest milkshakes in New York are served.</div>
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Nobody at the diner knows why Esther left London for America – or why she repeatedly resists the charms of their newest regular, actor Jack Faber.</div>
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Esther is desperate to start a new life in the land of the free, but despite the warm welcome from the close-knit diner crowd, something from her past is holding her back. Can she ever learn to love and live again?</div>
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Milkshakes and Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner is a witty, romantic, New York-inspired novel.</div>
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<u>My Thoughts</u></div>
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I really enjoyed Milkshakes and Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner. The cover and the blurb and mainly cheery and uplifting, but don't be fooled, this isn't all ice cream sundaes and eggs sunny side up. Esther is a far more enigmatic character than that.</div>
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I loved how this book tackled some darker plot lines whilst still having a warm humour to add a delightful balance to the novel.</div>
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This is the first book in a series and I'm very much looking forward to the next. Service please!</div>
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<strong><u>Keeping Her Secret - Sarah Nicholas</u></strong></div>
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<strong></strong><u>The Blurb</u></div>
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The last person Riya Johnson expected to run into at her new summer camp is Courtney Chastain—her childhood best friend and the girl who broke her heart after a secret, mind-blowing, life-altering kiss. She definitely didn’t expect to be sharing a bunk bed with her for four long weeks.</div>
Courtney has what every girl wants—she’s beautiful, rich, and the object of every boy’s desire at Camp Pine Ridge. Too bad none of them make her feel an iota of what Riya’s kiss did all those years ago. But Courtney needs to uphold appearances at all costs—even if it means instigating an all-out prank war with Riya as her main target. <br />
Neither girl can stop thinking about the other…but that doesn’t mean they can give up past hurts and take a chance on a future together.<br />
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<span id="freeTextContainerreview1754064518"><u>My Thoughts</u></span></div>
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<span>Riya and Courtney used to be friends. Then they kissed and everything changed. Now their paths have crossed at camp and it's time to assess if they are friends or if there's something more between them...<br />Full of angst, camp pranks and f/f romance, this is a cute book from Entangled, but I'd have liked more of the romance and 'aww' of the later sections earlier on.</span> <strong><u></u></strong></div>
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<strong><u>Miss You - Kate Eberlen</u></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjgsmLaVOwydBfV4hlgV2feOeYdRGQauBvJts6dF_g4tElBfEsm2xS7-9vXIfmExUFYIw4kXOU1o3iaISQFTPtvbgyPg7cuBOsBU6qrFyMqjBBN7DnXsjeoSVKvlIwXC9zLhDDu-nGb8/s1600/miss+you.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjgsmLaVOwydBfV4hlgV2feOeYdRGQauBvJts6dF_g4tElBfEsm2xS7-9vXIfmExUFYIw4kXOU1o3iaISQFTPtvbgyPg7cuBOsBU6qrFyMqjBBN7DnXsjeoSVKvlIwXC9zLhDDu-nGb8/s320/miss+you.png" width="197" /></a></div>
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<span id="freeText15331813898607027142"><u>The Blurb</u></span></div>
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<span>Tess and Gus are meant to be. They just haven't met properly yet. And perhaps they never will . . . <br />Today is the first day of the rest of your life is the motto on a plate in the kitchen at home, and Tess can't get it out of her head, even though she's in Florence for a final, idyllic holiday before university. Her life is about to change forever - but not in the way she expects. <br />Gus and his parents are also on holiday in Florence. Their lives have already changed suddenly and dramatically. Gus tries to be a dutiful son, but longs to escape and discover what sort of person he is going to be. <br />For one day, the paths of an eighteen-year-old girl and boy criss-cross before they each return to England.<br />Over the course of the next sixteen years, life and love will offer them very different challenges. Separated by distance and fate, there's no way the two of them are ever going to meet each other properly . . . or is there?</span></div>
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<u>My Thoughts</u><br />
I adored this book! The near-misses of Tess and Gus had me hooked from the very first page. Kate Eberlen has created two characters that I genuinely cared about, with a supporting cast of interesting periphery characters to back them up. None of them were two dimensional, they were real and flawed and utterly believable.<br />
As well as wonderfully rich characters, this book had me longing to be back in the beautiful city of Florence, encapsulating the magic of place perfectly.<br />
I've recommended this book to everyone I know - if you love a love story (and I absolutely do) then you really must read <em>Miss You</em>. One of my favourite books of 2016, hands down.<br />
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<strong><u>The Honey Trap - Mary Jayne Baker</u></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZA8kEYySaMw3svd7eI1NojgaPjRxclu2natyErnBdICzMD4YeTsZjTqjPak9Q8-ZNUQPZ81zfQNBNQClBYmNhddIH902g_mAHTo5sZ2fCRQwp6OwEBDhTBtXyXOSribL7F3czloAmIvE/s1600/honey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZA8kEYySaMw3svd7eI1NojgaPjRxclu2natyErnBdICzMD4YeTsZjTqjPak9Q8-ZNUQPZ81zfQNBNQClBYmNhddIH902g_mAHTo5sZ2fCRQwp6OwEBDhTBtXyXOSribL7F3czloAmIvE/s320/honey.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<u>The Blurb</u></div>
The trap is set – but which one of them is the bait?<br />
Journalist Angel Blackthorne is looking for her next big scoop. When her sleazy editor asks her to use her charms on super successful – and married – film director Sebastian Wilchester for a juicy exposé, Angel thinks what the hell? There’s a staff job on the horizon, and, let’s be honest, no one can make a cheater cheat if they don’t want to, right?<br />
After the scandal breaks, Angel tries to put the story – and Seb – behind her, but fate seems to have other ideas. A near miss at a premiere after-party and a shared love of vintage film brings the honey closer to the trap.<br />
But what happens when pretence leads to passion, and a ‘kiss and tell’ becomes something real?<br />
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<u>My Thoughts</u></div>
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Fun, flirty and at points downright filthy, The Honey Trap is the story of Angel, who works for a tabloid newspaper, and big name film producer Seb. When Angel's boss asks her to act as a 'honey trap' in order to get compromising photos and a sensationalist headline, sparks begin to fly between the two of them...<br />What I loved most about this was the balance between humour and sexiness - it was a red hot read in places! There were also tender moments and little twists which made me eager to keep reading. Although to be honest I fell a little bit in love with Seb along the way too, and once I love a hero I'm always hooked. If this book is anything to go by Mary Jayne Baker definitely knows how to write a delicious male lead! I'm looking forward to what's to come next from this debut author. <br />If you've loved the balance of wit and sex in Debbie Johnson's books, you'll adore this one.</div>
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<u><strong>The One with the Wedding Dress - Erin Lawless</strong></u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_7tphc64rQZZmBMQIF6x6kH9hhX842FS0sgRRuMq-0Z1-RNQIfsC7LgXkKaSOqUDWz_Z0ZTS89zrndBupOnhQpRB-P-lDieM4YvqtieUXzFxA18nwpigzFF9G5iOiTD8-1tVM_KpwS8/s1600/wedding+dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_7tphc64rQZZmBMQIF6x6kH9hhX842FS0sgRRuMq-0Z1-RNQIfsC7LgXkKaSOqUDWz_Z0ZTS89zrndBupOnhQpRB-P-lDieM4YvqtieUXzFxA18nwpigzFF9G5iOiTD8-1tVM_KpwS8/s320/wedding+dress.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
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<u>The Blurb</u></div>
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For fans of romantic comedies like Bridesmaids and Four Weddings & a Funeral, and bestselling authors Mhairi McFarlane and Jenny Oliver, this is a hilarious new romantic comedy series about one bride and her four best friends. </div>
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<u>My thoughts</u></div>
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<span id="freeTextreview1552793944">Following on from <em>The One with the Engagement Party</em>, <em>The One with the Wedding Dress</em> reintroduces bride to be Nora and her flock of bridesmaids as they head to the Cotswolds in search of the perfect wedding day attire. Of course, in true romcom fashion there are hitches along the way and that combined with the wit and pun-tastic humour I've come to expect from Erin Lawless makes for a fun second instalment of the Bridesmaids series.<br />I love books that are centred around a group of friends and these girls have totally captured my heart - I can't help noticing flickers of my own pals in their character traits and I'm wondering which of the wedding party I myself have most in common with!<br />I'm loving watching these characters develop and can't wait to find out what happens in part three!</span> <a data-text-id="review1552793944" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28504434-the-one-with-the-wedding-dress?from_search=true#"></a></div>
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Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-13032719891751072712016-10-08T16:16:00.000+01:002016-10-08T16:26:19.269+01:00My Month in Manga - September 2016<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
Ooops. This post is rather late this month...so without further ado, here's a quick look at the manga I read during September.</div>
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<u><strong>Fall in Love Like a Comic vol.1 - Chitose Yagami</strong></u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEc0JuoWJGLsEE96dYwhAdvpzpxqJ1WrIbSC7GLy0iOnz5wrYaKzznDRCqu1lbQlx3rVSBnzhxPkbYaVELts0Q36_HsGPvVzmy6EklB8044ugddmXeHaJu6aMwshykMzTxS_WyBByu6Vg/s1600/fall+in.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEc0JuoWJGLsEE96dYwhAdvpzpxqJ1WrIbSC7GLy0iOnz5wrYaKzznDRCqu1lbQlx3rVSBnzhxPkbYaVELts0Q36_HsGPvVzmy6EklB8044ugddmXeHaJu6aMwshykMzTxS_WyBByu6Vg/s320/fall+in.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<u>The Blurb</u></div>
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Rena Sakura is a high school student with a secret: she's a professional mangaka. And although she's never been on a date, that doesn't stop her from drawing steamy shojo scenes for Chami magazine. But when the gorgeous Tomoya Okita finds out her secret, she finds herself asking him out to get some real-life experience in love! </div>
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Rena asks Tomoya to be her boyfriend, hoping that gaining some experience in dating will help her improve her manga. Rena is positive that Tomoya is only dating her to help her out, but that doesn't stop her from falling in love...</div>
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<u>My Thoughts</u></div>
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This was a fun shojo manga following the well-used manga theme of a mangaka living out her life through her art. This was an easy read and I enjoyed it for what it was, but I'm not in a hurry to find out what happens next so don't think I'll be reading the rest of the series any time soon.</div>
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<strong><u>Citrus vol. 1 - Saburo Uta</u></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1GuHwrSkdE9oEoV3lRrOSgKsjGBNbS0BO4IZ7Dgr9s2amPZ_MavEWdya1k7e_eMvnsPi_SpKqrjDRA4jBDljfq6GSmr8pk9D-sFci7W938E55dpTvAVyHE4fZ4x1yU4NHMnDfbU0izo/s1600/citrus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1GuHwrSkdE9oEoV3lRrOSgKsjGBNbS0BO4IZ7Dgr9s2amPZ_MavEWdya1k7e_eMvnsPi_SpKqrjDRA4jBDljfq6GSmr8pk9D-sFci7W938E55dpTvAVyHE4fZ4x1yU4NHMnDfbU0izo/s320/citrus.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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<u>The Blurb</u></div>
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Yuzuko Aihara, a high school girl whose main interests are fashion, friends and having fun, is about to get a reality check. Due to her mom's remarriage, Yuzu has transferred to a new, all-girls school that is extremely strict. Her real education is about to begin. From Day One, happy-go-lucky Yuzu makes enemies, namely the beautiful yet stern Student Council President Mei. So what happens when a dejected Yuzu returns home and discovers the shock of her life: that Mei is actually her new step-sister who has come to live with her? Even more surprising, when Mei catches Yuzu off-guard and kisses her out of the blue, what does it all mean?</div>
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<u>My Thoughts</u></div>
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Two girls who find themselves as step-sisters are unsure of their relationship. That's pretty much the whole plot. The art in this book is exquisite, and the quality of the book itself was excellent and included some glossy colour pages at the front. It's just a shame the story let this one down for me - I'm not sure whether or not I'll read volume 2.</div>
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<strong><u>We Were There - Yuuki Obata</u></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaAAjEn6zNS2RN2v9e3mBuaI7na1WsfvhC7c4WGMgUSD8aKwMW8teg4GuEUP1O4FF6zSaKaWrsQjksxnzxX10AiCRTshLUE8fkTJ7c1aX2vjP_D24QmLotcasrHTFtGbXwqXp2GHj1Hpo/s1600/wewere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaAAjEn6zNS2RN2v9e3mBuaI7na1WsfvhC7c4WGMgUSD8aKwMW8teg4GuEUP1O4FF6zSaKaWrsQjksxnzxX10AiCRTshLUE8fkTJ7c1aX2vjP_D24QmLotcasrHTFtGbXwqXp2GHj1Hpo/s320/wewere.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<u>The Blurb</u></div>
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Nanami Takahashi falls for Motoharu Yano, the most popular, carefree boy in class. For Nanami, it's first love, but Yano is still grieving the death of his girlfriend who died the year before. <br />
Nanami starts high school with high hopes of making lots of friends. She develops a crush on the enigmatic Yano, but he may have too many secrets for her to handle. </div>
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Nanami Takahashi falls for Motoharu Yano, the most popular, carefree boy in class. For Nanami, it's first love, but Yano is still grieving the death of his girlfriend who died the year before.</div>
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<u>My Thoughts</u></div>
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There was a bit at the beginning of this book where I thought I'd be putting it down and not picking it back up (when Nanami is grabbed by the throat - I found this incredibly disturbing). That said, for an angsty will they/won't they romance it held my attention, and I found the art visually appealing. This is an old manga now, and I was given this by a friend who found it in a charity shop, but I'll probably try to get hold of the next instalment to find out what happens next.</div>
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Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-44877836718429159272016-09-04T02:00:00.001+01:002016-09-04T02:00:25.960+01:00My Month in Manga - AugustI've not been reading as much manga lately, but I've been introduced to some new mangaka.<br />
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<strong>Idol Dreams #1</strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepXlijvXx7yqAMKT09DUkCTX81J6BznKupHmCubyrt-aaKeRvRXlTP6HDRaEBFDWNllpQzeLiAa0dEcQeA_FKyz9tpzkn3l_HU0FDakOHpGSiZpP83whDDvD5ubh7bzhyphenhyphenAlUbPpVtUZo/s1600/idol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepXlijvXx7yqAMKT09DUkCTX81J6BznKupHmCubyrt-aaKeRvRXlTP6HDRaEBFDWNllpQzeLiAa0dEcQeA_FKyz9tpzkn3l_HU0FDakOHpGSiZpP83whDDvD5ubh7bzhyphenhyphenAlUbPpVtUZo/s320/idol.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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I read part 1 of Idol Dreams, a manga with echoes of <em>Big</em> where 31 year old virgin Chikage wishes she could go back to her teens. When her wish comes true, she finds herself thrust into a world of fame and sharing her first kiss with a teen idol. <br />
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I liked Tanemura's art style and found this an easy, entertaining read - I'll definitely be continuing this series.<br />
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<strong>Kisses, Sighs and Cherry Blossom Pink</strong></div>
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This f/f manga collection is set at Sakuraki High, an all girls' school and follows the relationships of the pupils and staff based there. Nana and Hitomi's relationship is the main focus of the collection, and in many ways I felt the other couples were surplus to requirements. I loved the bond between the two girls and especially that it had the ups and downs of any partnership. Full of angst, romance and emotional turmoil, I couldn't read this book fast enough! <br />
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Milk Morinaga's art is absolutely beautiful and exactly the style I find most visually appealing. I will definitely be looking out for more of her manga. Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-63788499777657231832016-09-03T13:03:00.000+01:002016-09-03T13:03:04.186+01:00Recently I've Read - August 2016<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Searching for a Silver Lining - Miranda Dickinson</strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYibqtgokL15NmTxX-QBAMDGbEez1B60K4niWb3xDxHfZizwQcn6lpcAJgX_gJt_T2G4-XE6pOCpxxW_EyBhToFJni_yfmncHRCZjb681ySDPwMqBjRNmmKbQFtaIlfYbfWpdgSMsV24/s1600/seacrhing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYibqtgokL15NmTxX-QBAMDGbEez1B60K4niWb3xDxHfZizwQcn6lpcAJgX_gJt_T2G4-XE6pOCpxxW_EyBhToFJni_yfmncHRCZjb681ySDPwMqBjRNmmKbQFtaIlfYbfWpdgSMsV24/s320/seacrhing.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<u>The Blurb</u><br />
<em>It began with a promise . . . </em><br />
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Matilda Bell is left heartbroken when she falls out with her beloved grandfather just before he dies. Haunted by regret, she makes a promise that will soon change everything . . . <br />
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When spirited former singing star Reenie Silver enters her life, Mattie seizes the opportunity to make amends. Together, Mattie and Reenie embark on an incredible journey that will find lost friends, uncover secrets from the glamorous 1950s and put right a sixty-year wrong.<br />
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Touchingly funny, warm and life-affirming, this is a sparkling story of second chances. Perfect for fans of Cecelia Ahern, <i>Searching for a Silver Lining</i> will take you on a trip you'll never forget.<br />
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<em>My review of this book will be posted on publication day on October 20th...but I loved it!</em><br />
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<strong>Aimee and the Heartthrob - Ophelia London</strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2APtoRPOLNPHUp2Yl6T6mUa7I7dLXjLj20BDjaTZJwQg7JyAlS_4Vsi08sa1EebgC05Ufy2dX5QpTNdL9C-Jtph31k5V4wcK2R1B1xMp_yIMI_fIAMKWIevr0UxNK8qg3K0ti7L_QJ0/s1600/aim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2APtoRPOLNPHUp2Yl6T6mUa7I7dLXjLj20BDjaTZJwQg7JyAlS_4Vsi08sa1EebgC05Ufy2dX5QpTNdL9C-Jtph31k5V4wcK2R1B1xMp_yIMI_fIAMKWIevr0UxNK8qg3K0ti7L_QJ0/s320/aim.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<u>The Blurb</u></div>
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This Entangled Teen Crush book contains references to drug use, drinking, some sexual content, and lots and lots of kissing. Its swoonworthy hero may ruin all others for you. He never noticed her before, but now she's all he can see… </div>
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Miles Carlisle is every teen girl’s fantasy. His rugged good looks and exotic British accent have helped catapult his boy band, Seconds to Juliet, to super-stardom. But after two disastrous and very public breakups, Miles isn’t interested in dating just any girl; he wants The One. And the only girl he’s interested in is not only his best friend’s little sister - and off-limits - but won’t even give him the time of day… </div>
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As a kid, Aimee Bingham had a huge thing for Miles…until he made fun of her for always tagging along. Now that she’s outgrown both him and her pigtails, the prospect of spending two weeks on tour with the childhood crush who broke her heart isn’t exactly enticing. Except now Miles seems interested. Very interested. And no matter how hard Aimee tries to resist him, her crush is definitely making a comeback. </div>
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But everyone knows that falling for a heartthrob is a backstage pass to heartbreak…</div>
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<em>I blogged about this book in my post #Boybandlit which you can find <a href="http://bookswithbunny.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/boybandlit.html">here</a>.</em></div>
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<strong>#PleaseRetweet - Emily Benet</strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXxHzvecDY2NsbhtnYKnNL5Qydsyeb4Thay2VlNpEHnwEFadUipYWF_XpllxM2wQREBUVEPKsNwQyd_iBniIVoyEIGnmdLXu-DqbdU9HF7t2hS8veLewYEzshI470jPVcCwon5iMN5AY/s1600/retweet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXxHzvecDY2NsbhtnYKnNL5Qydsyeb4Thay2VlNpEHnwEFadUipYWF_XpllxM2wQREBUVEPKsNwQyd_iBniIVoyEIGnmdLXu-DqbdU9HF7t2hS8veLewYEzshI470jPVcCwon5iMN5AY/s320/retweet.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<u>The Blurb</u><br />
Social media whizz kid, May Sparks has landed her dream job. Well, not quite, but the salary is great and all May has to do is handle the online profiles of C – list celebrities who have the tendency to say inappropriate things. Easy, right? #wrong<br />
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May’s clients include an ex big brother star (who she's definitely not going to sleep with #neversaynever), a disgraced TV presenter (who wants May to sort out his marriage as well as his Twitter account), and a woman who once flashed her boobs on X-factor. They're all relying on her to turn them into stars. But they're not going to make her job easy.<br />
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Sucked in to her virtual world, May loses grip on her real life. Friendships suffer and romance looks increasingly unlikely. If she doesn't log off soon, will there be any one real left?<br />
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<em>I read this book as part of the #SummerImpulse reading challenge. You can read my full review of it <a href="http://bookswithbunny.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/pleaseretweet-emily-benet.html">here.</a></em><br />
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<strong>A Library of Lemons - Jo Cotterill</strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJxXBwu4v8lFFnhY1-XhGrqu0lLImSmIsknNAR6vriSSEp2AtN5_FpZfBT21tr8h-zc92wyPjgbz25OcRjCJlfzxatRnMrZKCHkwXismcO8zQrPKQ4_v9JJhLTPv9awXoz4kzYkkYihs/s1600/lemons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJxXBwu4v8lFFnhY1-XhGrqu0lLImSmIsknNAR6vriSSEp2AtN5_FpZfBT21tr8h-zc92wyPjgbz25OcRjCJlfzxatRnMrZKCHkwXismcO8zQrPKQ4_v9JJhLTPv9awXoz4kzYkkYihs/s320/lemons.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<u>The Blurb</u></div>
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A poignant story about dealing with grief through the magic of reading and friendship. </div>
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Calypso's mum died a few years ago and her emotionally incompetent Dad can't, or won't, talk about Mum at all. Instead he throws himself into writing his book A History of the Lemon. Meanwhile the house is dusty, there's never any food in the fridge, and Calypso retreats into her own world of books and fiction. </div>
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When a new girl, Mae, arrives at school, the girls' shared love of reading and writing stories draws them together. Mae's friendship and her lively and chaotic home - where people argue and hug each other - make Calypso feel more normal than she has for a long time. But when Calypso finally plucks up the courage to invite Mae over to her own house, the girls discover the truth about her dad and his magnum opus - and Calypso's happiness starts to unravel.</div>
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<em>My review of A Library of Lemons will be online soon.</em></div>
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<strong>Idol Dreams - Arina Tanemura*</strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlZUUXioSBZWuT-l5JAw1CHrXq3HhhN3o2mHuF1_WZM2YEc0MkGusH4P0M-o3l-v8TkPxUqYo4XC8cLhXi6ujCjgSwtBmPNbtaAQdeMgwvf61qu5zmUIzdbVJaWvsef9o4rTxXVjIqe0/s1600/idol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlZUUXioSBZWuT-l5JAw1CHrXq3HhhN3o2mHuF1_WZM2YEc0MkGusH4P0M-o3l-v8TkPxUqYo4XC8cLhXi6ujCjgSwtBmPNbtaAQdeMgwvf61qu5zmUIzdbVJaWvsef9o4rTxXVjIqe0/s320/idol.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<u>The Blurb</u></div>
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At age 31, office worker Chikage Deguchi feels she missed her chances at love and success. When word gets out that she's a virgin, Chikage is humiliated and wishes she could turn back time to when she was still young and popular. She takes an experimental drug that changes her appearance back to when she was 15. Now Chikage is determined to pursue everything she missed out on all those years ago--including becoming a star! </div>
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For teen audiences.</div>
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<em>You can read my thoughts on Idol Dreams in my post My Month in Manga - August, coming soon.</em></div>
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What have you been reading recently? I'd love to know!</div>
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Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-60509666680098704902016-08-27T15:45:00.000+01:002016-08-27T15:45:10.305+01:00#PleaseRetweet - Emily Benet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTb11EElTRGRHUyFxPPLKM4vn2mKcqiBVhcfszcj936hu7YJLUQbgRqXvUK-cKrNFt7tE0rhzhjpf37ojq6B5eAbg7zyqR9B40xVwd4Us5Z5PEj6Luog9NQj1yVV9YKi0VhM9pSWDsIJc/s1600/retweet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTb11EElTRGRHUyFxPPLKM4vn2mKcqiBVhcfszcj936hu7YJLUQbgRqXvUK-cKrNFt7tE0rhzhjpf37ojq6B5eAbg7zyqR9B40xVwd4Us5Z5PEj6Luog9NQj1yVV9YKi0VhM9pSWDsIJc/s320/retweet.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<u>The Blurb</u><br />
Social media whizz kid, May Sparks has landed her dream job. Well, not quite, but the salary is great and all May has to do is handle the online profiles of C – list celebrities who have the tendency to say inappropriate things. Easy, right? #wrong<br />
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May’s clients include an ex big brother star (who she's definitely not going to sleep with #neversaynever), a disgraced TV presenter (who wants May to sort out his marriage as well as his Twitter account), and a woman who once flashed her boobs on X-factor. They're all relying on her to turn them into stars. But they're not going to make her job easy.<br />
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Sucked in to her virtual world, May loses grip on her real life. Friendships suffer and romance looks increasingly unlikely. If she doesn't log off soon, will there be any one real left?<br />
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<u>The Review</u><br />
This was such a fun read! Emily Benet has capitalised on Twitter's world domination and centred #PleaseRetweet around May Sparks, a snappy media-savvy young woman whose job it is to manage the Twitter accounts of washed up celebrities who need all the help they can get to stay in the public eye.<br />
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I loved the zippy dialogue, the sharp wit and the colourful characters, and although poor May was working 24/7 to keep her clients out of mischief I must admit I was crying out for the celebrities to make more faux pas because they were so entertaining! Authors, reality stars, boyband members with unpronounceable names...they all needed May's guidance to keep in touch with both technology and their fans. <br />
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This contemporary novel is exceptionally well written and will act as a sharp warning to anyone who finds themselves spending more time online than in the outside world. I loved it!<br />
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<em>#PleaseRetweet is out now in ebook and paperback format, published by Harper Impulse.</em><br />
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<em>With thanks to the publisher who provided me with a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.</em>Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-74945561773676955002016-08-26T22:44:00.001+01:002016-08-26T22:44:04.357+01:00#boybandlitBooks about music are one of my major weaknesses so when I found about #boybandlit chat on Twitter I was in my element. A group of likeminded readers and authors chatted about anything and everything to do with boybands and books for an hour (although it felt like five minutes, it was one of those strange time-twisting moments) and it made me desperate to devour even more books about music.<br />
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During 2016 I've read and reviewed (and loved ) <em>Love Song</em> by Sophia Bennett and <em>Songs About a Gir</em>l by Chris Russell, and I've also read...<br />
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<strong><u>Kill The Boyband - Goldy Moldavsky</u></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfAdpCIiwROaX_CQroDaHOCslslQuqTtoTYwVibGIkptfJrn8tXFuKHvYt5lxdXPOAXE_V1jvDizXzKNa4NErTh-ReEVhT1YDYrCmARChyphenhyphenaLzgyBITlVaUPqqbUhALXDLabFqXCZ8a7M/s1600/kill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfAdpCIiwROaX_CQroDaHOCslslQuqTtoTYwVibGIkptfJrn8tXFuKHvYt5lxdXPOAXE_V1jvDizXzKNa4NErTh-ReEVhT1YDYrCmARChyphenhyphenaLzgyBITlVaUPqqbUhALXDLabFqXCZ8a7M/s320/kill.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
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<u>The Blurb</u><br />
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<i>Fangirls get a bad rap all the time - people say we're weird, hysterical, obsessed, certifiable. But those people don't understand. </i><br /><i></i><br /><i>Just because we're fangirls, doesn't mean we're crazy. </i><br /><i></i><br /><i>It's important you know that up front. Because everything I'm about to tell you is going to seem . . . well, crazy. </i><br /><i></i><br />From thrilling debut author Goldy Moldavsky comes <i>Kill The Boy Band,</i> a pitch-black, hilarious take on modern fandom and the badass girls who have the power to make - or break - the people we call 'celebrities'.<br />
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<u>The Review</u><br />
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<em>Kill The Boyband</em> has been a big YA book in 2016 and as such I had high hopes for it. As an out and out fangirl I was especially interested in how the girls were going to be portrayed.<br />
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I need to clarify that this is a very different book when it comes to bands and fandoms, exploring the obsessive (and possessive) nature of the fangirl. I was a bit confused as to whether it was meant to be satirical, especially as the digs being made were predominantly at The Ruperts fans, when I imagine many of the target readership are likely to be fans of boybands themselves, or if it was supposed to be funny - either way something was lacking. I also had some issues with sweeping generalisations about groups within the novel, the overweight, the gay, the rich kids...which again I assume were satirical but didn't quite come across that way.<br />
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There were elements of this book I liked - the language and dialogue and the dynamics between the band members were done especially well - and it has stayed with me since reading it in the spring. However, I'm not sure it's a book I'd return to again because of the issues I mentioned above.<br />
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<strong><u>Aimee and the Heartthrob - Ophelia London</u></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrEUoACfOmwzOwwr7ZiBkeDJUuj0O_ADlFGnUMQCXRgzZ3bGwVLce8bCJpNESFXV1rwwqev_OoRpD8Vha0qoSQaUdrrF5ZIPXeMzy-k16ZgSHW6MFcS-zZj3VJN3zxvWGUV7MUU-x3ZSQ/s1600/aim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrEUoACfOmwzOwwr7ZiBkeDJUuj0O_ADlFGnUMQCXRgzZ3bGwVLce8bCJpNESFXV1rwwqev_OoRpD8Vha0qoSQaUdrrF5ZIPXeMzy-k16ZgSHW6MFcS-zZj3VJN3zxvWGUV7MUU-x3ZSQ/s320/aim.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<u>The Blurb</u></div>
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This Entangled Teen Crush book contains references to drug use, drinking, some sexual content, and lots and lots of kissing. Its swoonworthy hero may ruin all others for you. He never noticed her before, but now she's all he can see… </div>
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Miles Carlisle is every teen girl’s fantasy. His rugged good looks and exotic British accent have helped catapult his boy band, Seconds to Juliet, to super-stardom. But after two disastrous and very public breakups, Miles isn’t interested in dating just any girl; he wants The One. And the only girl he’s interested in is not only his best friend’s little sister - and off-limits - but won’t even give him the time of day… </div>
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As a kid, Aimee Bingham had a huge thing for Miles…until he made fun of her for always tagging along. Now that she’s outgrown both him and her pigtails, the prospect of spending two weeks on tour with the childhood crush who broke her heart isn’t exactly enticing. Except now Miles seems interested. Very interested. And no matter how hard Aimee tries to resist him, her crush is definitely making a comeback. </div>
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But everyone knows that falling for a heartthrob is a backstage pass to heartbreak…</div>
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<u>The Review</u></div>
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I sometimes find the thought of starting a series daunting, especially at the moment as I've not got as much time for reading recently as I've had in the past. However, I read this book as part of a readalong with another blogger (Hi Sofia!) and quickly found myself immersed in Aimee and Miles' story. </div>
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It's unapologetically romance, and I loved that it didn't try to be anything else. It reminded me a lot of the Sweet Dreams books I devoured as a teenager - a sprinkling of angst, a forbidden romance and a lot of kissing. </div>
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I'm definitely interested in reading the rest of this series and finding out more about the rest of the band. If you're looking for all-out boyband romance, this could be the series for you.</div>
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<u><strong>My Secret Rockstar Boyfriend - Eleanor Wood</strong> </u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotrCS971lo3wTXbXjL63O1MTb4cvGPwNtgWGPuAhlBaknqnwT3fTCKdBNNjIqatAQJvYUCMT5kaaDz7JfAr9lawZ7kHO5lm0U9XDgZKDziEzBUN2VWoHArv86lcPWhNvSbZsA-XusLBs/s1600/secretrock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotrCS971lo3wTXbXjL63O1MTb4cvGPwNtgWGPuAhlBaknqnwT3fTCKdBNNjIqatAQJvYUCMT5kaaDz7JfAr9lawZ7kHO5lm0U9XDgZKDziEzBUN2VWoHArv86lcPWhNvSbZsA-XusLBs/s320/secretrock.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<u>The Blurb</u></div>
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<i>Geeky girl meets famous boy . . . what could go wrong? </i></div>
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<br /><i>Tuesday Cooper is happy being normal -doing her a-levels and indulging in her twin obsessions: buying weird vintage clothes in charity shops and writing her beloved music blog (which nobody ever reads). Her love for music started when she was thirteen and had a massive crush on Jackson Griffith, teen rock god and SUPER HOT LOVE OF HER LIFE. Now Tuesday's eighteen and has moved on to fancying boys in real life and Jackson went off the celebrity radar years ago. </i><br /><i> So it can't be him that's messaging her on her blog, can it? </i></div>
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<br /><i>From one girl's computer to the pyramid stage at Glastonbury Festival, this is a love story for anyone who has ever wished that someone would sing a love song just for them. </i></div>
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<br /><i>Dreams can come true . . . </i></div>
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<u>The Review</u></div>
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This was a book I stumbled across at the library and picked up on a whim - and I'm so glad I did! Eleanor Wood has done a brilliant job of writing a fun, romantic, quirky novel about an ordinary girl who meets a superstar band member. Tuesday and Jackson end up in a complicated situation where fame and normality collide, resulting in a story far more poignant than I would have expected. </div>
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I laughed out loud on more than one occasion and had a lump in my throat during the darker moments - this YA book had it all. If you love books about bands, you really need to give this one a try.</div>
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<strong>Have you read any books about singer/bands that I really need to read? I'd love any recommendations!</strong>Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-38651557984707314182016-08-16T21:40:00.000+01:002016-08-16T21:40:35.975+01:00The Ones I Didn't Blog - What I've Read This SummerIt's been a crazily busy summer for me, with both my day job and writing/editing my first full length novel taking up a lot of my time and energy. There's not been much time for reading, let alone reviewing, but I've been logging my reading history for so long that it feels strangely alien not to be doing it!<br />
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I'm not going to get the chance to fully review everything I've read recently, and I imagine this lack of time to blog will continue through Winter 2016/2017 as I write my second full length novel (due out next summer). However, I do plan to keep writing reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, no matter how short they are, as I know firsthand how important reviews are to authors. The long and short of it is this - I'm going to have to change the way I blog. <br />
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There will be guest posts and cover reveals and (of course) I'll still be writing reviews, but I'm planning on a monthly 'what I've read' post being a staple feature. I'll post the cover, blurb and a few short thoughts on each book I've read that month, linking to a full review if it's a book I'm particularly passionate about.<br />
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However, for today I'm making a list. I know it's not an exciting read, but it is what it is and all I can do right now.<br />
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Recently I've read...<br />
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<strong>All Aboard - Cressida McLaughlin</strong><br />
<strong>Casting Off - Cressida McLaughlin</strong><br />
<strong>Picture Perfect - Holly Smale</strong><br />
<strong>First Class Murder - Robin Stevens</strong><br />
<strong>Kindred Spirits - Rainbow Rowell</strong><br />
<strong>Kiss Him, Not Me - Junko (vol 1,2)*</strong><br />
Hot Gimmick - Miki Aihara (vol 1,2,3)*<br />
Paradise Residence - Kosuke Fujishima (vol 1)*<br />
Nehigo - Ken Akamatsu *<br />
<strong>Sailor Moon - Naoku Takeuchi (vol 1)*</strong><br />
Flowers and Bees - Moyoco Anno (vol 1)*<br />
Agatha - The Real Life of Agatha Christie - Anne Martinetti*<br />
Maid-sama! - Hiro Fujiwara (vol 1,2)*<br />
Big Magic - Elizabeth Gilbert<br />
Your Lie in April - Naoshi Arakawa (vol 1)*<br />
<strong>If I Was Your Girl - Meredith Russo</strong><br />
Princess Jellyfish - Akiko Higashimura (vol 2)*<br />
Playing the Player - Lisa Brown Roberts<br />
Always with Love - Giovanna Fletcher<br />
London Belongs to Us - Sarra Manning<br />
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And I do have a few other reads I plan to write full blog posts for over the next few weeks. <br />
Books with a * are manga/graphic novels.<br />
Books in bold are ones I particularly loved.<br />
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Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-74281233697940507322016-08-07T12:17:00.002+01:002016-08-07T12:17:49.421+01:00Songs About a Girl - Chris Russell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuYdZx5PF4mq2LAtf8tbOTROinCDsJUseDhPFl3eaj0U0sIOAaJHdFelLT4DuL0t4cjQ9XD2tm6x1CyZV5TokIFyteuZM0uaJP8PpnBchZJocmhR27sIMAXryxCZldwtNxS7SH_wZ0nQ/s1600/songs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuYdZx5PF4mq2LAtf8tbOTROinCDsJUseDhPFl3eaj0U0sIOAaJHdFelLT4DuL0t4cjQ9XD2tm6x1CyZV5TokIFyteuZM0uaJP8PpnBchZJocmhR27sIMAXryxCZldwtNxS7SH_wZ0nQ/s320/songs.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
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<u><strong>The Blurb</strong></u><br />
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<i>Heartbreak, romance, fame and pop music </i>- for anyone who's ever dreamed of saying 'I'm with the band'.<br />
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Charlie Bloom <b><i>never</i></b> wanted to be 'with the band'. She's happiest out of the spotlight, behind her camera, unseen and unnoticed. But when she's asked to take backstage photos for hot new boy band, Fire&Lights, she can't pass up the chance. <br />
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Catapulted into a world of paparazzi and backstage bickering, Charlie soon becomes caught between gorgeous but damaged frontman Gabriel West and his boy-next-door bandmate, Olly Samson. Then, as the boys' rivalry threatens to tear the band apart, Charlie stumbles upon a mindblowing secret, hidden in the lyrics of their songs ...<br />
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<strong><u>The Review</u></strong><br />
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It's no secret that I'm a total fangirl. Bands, especially boybands, are my thing, and I'm not ashamed of that. I also adore YA books with a musical element so I'm delighted there's been a bit of a boom in 'Boyband Lit' during 2016.<br />
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Chris Russell's debut novel <em>Songs About a Girl</em> follows Charlie Bloom as she becomes a backstage photographer for Fire&Lights. She knows they're ordinary lads in an extraordinary situation - she sort-of-knew band member Olly before he became famous as they went to the same school - but although Fire&Lights are the hottest group on the planet right now, Charlie has no desire to be a groupie. All she wants is the opportunity to improve her photography skills.<br />
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As the novel progresses Charlie learns more about each band member, discovering both their flaws and strengths as she sees them in and out of the spotlight. Yet it's only as secrets reveal themselves that she realises just how bound she is to Fire&Lights...<br />
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I loved the themes in this book - friendship, trust, finding youself - and thought Russell did a brilliant job of capturing the essence of what it means to be a fan. As a musician himself, I'm sure he drew on his own experiences of being on stage and also watching live bands when writing the scenes where Fire&Lights perform - these are some of the strongest in the book, perfectly encapsulating the unique experience of gathering with likeminded people to enjoy the shared experience of a gig.<br />
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This book is a mustread for any fangirl and is one of my books of the summer. I'm already bursting for the next book in the series to be released to find out what's in store for Charlie and the boys!<br />
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<em>Songs About a Girl is out now in both ebook and paperback.</em><br />
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<strong>With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a galley copy of this book in return for an honest review.</strong>Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-43420517374349144842016-08-06T19:49:00.001+01:002016-08-06T19:49:19.701+01:00One Last Summer at Hideaway Bay - Zoe Cook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlu8PcRNgpVBniO2qlRHFoiPZie9PTnozzyQpZI_7qUXpn88v4gdn2E-zDLrXntU2TezDpZb5x55nFwgdIYiCe7oPeaOvsfhnyX0wQyYTB4DWcgKHaxIG-_3pUG0nvGuFLlLWb1s8zeVk/s1600/one+last.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlu8PcRNgpVBniO2qlRHFoiPZie9PTnozzyQpZI_7qUXpn88v4gdn2E-zDLrXntU2TezDpZb5x55nFwgdIYiCe7oPeaOvsfhnyX0wQyYTB4DWcgKHaxIG-_3pUG0nvGuFLlLWb1s8zeVk/s320/one+last.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<strong><u>The Blurb</u></strong><br />
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Secrets lie waiting beneath the Cornish waves in this moving and unforgettable love story. Perfect for fans of Nicholas Sparks, Kelly Rimmer and Jojo Moyes.<br />
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Lucy, hi. It’s Tom. How are you? It’s been a while. I’ve been meaning to get in touch but it’s hard to know how to after so much time. I hear you’re doing really well up there. I knew you would be.<br />
You should come here, you know, back to Hideaway bay. Come and see everyone, see how little it’s all changed. Feel the sand between your toes, the Cornish sea breeze on your face. When the sun hits the surf in that way it does, it’s as magical as ever.<br />
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That’s why I’m writing to you, actually. I want to get the gang back together again, one last time before…well…just one last time. You should come too. The four of us, a summer on the beach, like old times. We all want you here for it. I want you here for it. It’s been so long since I saw you.<br />
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I still think about you.<br />
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Tom<br />
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<strong><u>The Review</u></strong><br />
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I read this book as part of the Harper Impulse #SummerImpulse readathon and was very keen to get stuck in. Bloggers and reviewers have been speaking highly of this debut novel from Zoe Cook and I was excited to see if it lived up to the hype.<br />
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The story starts with Lucy living the high life in London. Outwardly, it looks like she's got the lot - a glamorous job, a party lifestyle, and a group of friends who share her recreational drug use habit - but as she reflects on life following contact from her childhood sweetheart Tom, she realises that maybe it's all a façade. As Lucy heads home to Cornwall's Hideaway Bay, she's unprepared for the life-changing summer that lies ahead...<br />
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The first section of the novel set the scene and gave an overview of Lucy's chaotic London lifestyle, which contrasted well with the quieter pace of Cornwall life depicted later in the book. Personally, I felt the London section could have been slightly shorter and still amply given the juxtaposition between the two settings. I think I was ready to be whisked to Cornwall earlier in the story given the summery cover and blurb.<br />
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Lucy is not always a likeable protagonist, but that didn't detract from the empathy I felt towards her. If anything it made her seem a rounded, 'human' character and more believable. Tom was definitely the easier to warm to of the two main characters. I liked the periphery characters too, and would love to find out more about their backstories in sister novels.<br />
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I'd heard other readers say they'd sobbed at the ending and I'd prepared myself to crumble as I reached the final pages, but although moved by the end of the book, I didn't actually shed a tear. I think maybe I'd prepared myself for a devastating tear-jerker ending and had steeled myself up before reaching the end!<br />
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This book may appeal to fans of David Nicholls and Jojo Moyes and is a well-crafted debut novel from Zoe Cook.<br />
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<strong>With thanks to Harper Impulse for providing me with a galley copy of this book in return for an honest review.</strong><br />
<br />Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-26207517752741500052016-07-18T21:17:00.000+01:002016-07-18T21:17:07.554+01:00Paola Pica talking Italian culture and society<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPfw8c6BlqnQQGRUMVgF3dAxDOBomBr2iixyuR5nG7OTj23fZqm14nQmEe8FfuL4mxWBaeQ5zEdQRTbB9f02FBk13IgdlPWwZPpX87KUg398lkpJJev_pqdDEdhvtWx772KrR6AGfDzA/s1600/eBook+FINAL+26.4.16++Errors+of+Evaluation+++9781911110323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPfw8c6BlqnQQGRUMVgF3dAxDOBomBr2iixyuR5nG7OTj23fZqm14nQmEe8FfuL4mxWBaeQ5zEdQRTbB9f02FBk13IgdlPWwZPpX87KUg398lkpJJev_pqdDEdhvtWx772KrR6AGfDzA/s320/eBook+FINAL+26.4.16++Errors+of+Evaluation+++9781911110323.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I love
everything about<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Italian Culture<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and almost everything about<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Italian Society, even if the two of them are
strictly linked to each other, of course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, being Italian, I can say that the Society I belong to doesn’t
live up to its simply fabulous Culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let’s take,
for example, the enormous amount of historical remains scattered all over the
country, small villages included, and let’s see how underestimated the most
part of them is. Both Politicians and citizens seem to take all that beauty and
value for granted and don’t do enough to protect and (why not?) make the right
profit from them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone might object
that there simply are too many and it would be impossible to give each of them
the due consideration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is actually
what I am trying to say, that is, our Culture is not profit oriented enough, in
this respect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why shouldn’t we get money
from one of the greatest resources that we have?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems to me that the Italian Society is
not talented for making money in the easiest way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything must be a little difficult…to
make Italians appreciate it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And here I
come to a second feature in my Culture, that is its attitude to money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Italians sometimes think that “pecunia olet”
(money stinks), according to a honor code which dates back to a far past, when
people had to show more interest in the cultural aspects of things and places
than in their money value. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the contrary, I appreciate what I see in
Northern Europe, where each single historical remain, even the smallest stone
from a Roman “castra” or a piece from a Viking weapon, is encircled by a fence
or encased in a glass box, for paying visitors to look at.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course, as
each medal does, the Italian attitude to money has the opposite cultural side,
which is our generosity and that I like very much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not speaking of large cities, like Rome
or Milan, where people don’t live according to their traditional lifestyles any
longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s an aspect of
globalization and it is all another story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let’s go into the countryside or to a small town and ask people in the
street for an information or some help; or let’s simply watch what happens if
you are clearly in need for it. People are ready to help and don’t expect
anything in return.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Something
else that I don’t like in Italian Society is the way our Politics works and how
distant it keeps from us citizens and the enormous bureaucracy we have to put
up with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again, all this dates back
to our historical past, which has shaped our Society and Culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Italy didn’t exist yet and its territory
was divided into several small different “states” and Ambassadors were the only
means of communication<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>among them, all
had to be bureaucratically worked out and taxes and duties had to be paid just
for travelling across territories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
part of Italian Society should be deleted completely and as soon as possible,
in order to make Italians’ lives easier.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One more
thing that I like in Italian Culture and Society (I couldn’t separate the two
in this respect) is the conviviality and good cooking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The worldwide reputation of the latter doesn’t
need any explanation; but I like to say some words about how nice and simple
Italians find to enjoy the “pleasures of the table”. Even the simplest plate of
“penne all’arrabbiata” (a typical kind of pasta enriched with very spicy tomato
sauce), together with the less expensive glass of local (actually from any
place) wine will be turned into a banquet, when friends get together and share
the end of a Winter or Summer day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What else,
could I say about my everyday surroundings and environment?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can add that, as Arts are part of our life,
even the simplest and less wealthy people know how to match colours in their
clothes and like to be surrounded by nice things at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the smallest places are decorated with
items from our handicraft, which is so much varied from the North to the South
of Italy, due to the historical fragmentation at which I hinted above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the smallest window in the smallest
village has its handmade lace curtain and its pot of geranium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that lace is usually blown up on a sea
background or a mountain one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is my
Italy, the one I really love, made up with Culture and Society strictly linked
together. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span> </div>
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<strong><em>Paola Pica's novel Errors of Evaluation is published on 26th July 2016 and available to preorder now.</em></strong><br />
<br />
<u>Blurb</u><br />
Francesca's presence pervades the lives of those she meets. She leaves an indelible mark, the true nature of her personality revealed through other people's encounters with her. Her boldness as a spoilt child. Her temporary (and just) suffering as the victim of a shrink - an ambiguous and even more unscrupulous person than her in grasping anything graspable. And the more than explicit revelation of her blind egocentrism, because of which she ignores the one person who has tried tirelessly to help her. Three very different characters tell the same story about the enigmatic woman who has entered the lives, each one illuminating who Francesca really is, from their own point of view. Each character has made an error of evaluation which they realise has prejudiced their lives and their relationships. An omniscient narrator will have the final say. This is the first version in English of Errors of Evaluation by the Italian writer Paola Pica.Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-28888448138400988492016-07-12T01:00:00.000+01:002016-07-12T01:00:28.949+01:00How to Keep Writing Romance When Your Life is Far From Romantic - Guest Post from Sarah Harvey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Sarah Harvey - welcome to Books with Bunny! It's a pleasure to have a guest post about writing romance ahead of publication of Sarah's novel 'How to Hook a Husband'. </div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "cambria";">Men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A word that can be said with so many different tones and vocal inflections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love them? Hate them? Couldn’t eat a whole
one? What would our life be without them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well actually the phrase “a whole lot easier” springs to mind straight
away, which shows you the state of my love life at the moment, “state” being
the operative word, even more so when paired with and following the word “right”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently divorced, slightly acrimoniously, it
wasn’t difficult to see where my marriage had gone wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted a partnership, he wanted a
dictatorship, I wanted Prince Charming he wanted Cinderella, but still covered
in ashes and shackled to the kitchen sink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our dreams and desires were so different they just couldn’t
coexist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted children, he didn’t, I
wanted to travel, he didn’t, I fell madly in love with a seriously sexy younger
German man, oddly enough he wasn’t terribly keen on that idea either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately neither would it seem was the
German.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So now here I am, single very,
disillusioned very. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I aimed for the
fairytale and actually ended up turning into the pumpkin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet my whole working life, my calling I
suppose, is dependent on having a serious affinity with love and a firm belief
in “happy ever after”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So how do you do
it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you just want to spend your
days weeping into the warm furry shoulder of your long suffering and constantly
damp pet dog, when the sight of happy couples skipping down the street hand in
hand, makes you want to pull out a large anti tank gun and blast them into an
emotion free oblivion, when picture perfect happy families strolling in the
park, make you mutter “bah humbug” like a miserable Scrooge of romance who’s
allergic to love instead of Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
your heart is actually really rather broken?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How on earth do you write about romance?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "cambria";">Well I think to be a romance novelist, you
have at heart to be a romantic, and there is something in us romantics that
never seems to be completely lost, no matter how lost we feel ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even when your own love life is a disaster, there
is actually something rather wonderful and cathartic in writing a beautiful love
story, with a perfect happy outcome for your hero and heroine, because it
reminds of you the something that still remains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see whilst there is still blood in your
veins, and your old romantic heart is still beating, even though its as limp as
a week old stick of celery, whilst you are writing story where love conquers
all, it gives you hope, hope that your own story will turn out just as well,
that you can write your own life in a way that will be just as wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So how can you write when your is
broken?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well when that same heart is
still full of hope, anything is possible.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<strong>How to Hook a Husband is published in ebook by Manilla on July 28th, priced £4.99.</strong></div>
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<br />Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-61187285424348455332016-07-07T00:30:00.000+01:002016-07-07T00:30:00.187+01:00Sara Mendes de Costa guest post *Peanuts and Eggcups Blog Tour*<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h3 pg-1y2 pg-1ff1 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0">
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I'm welcoming Sara Mendes de Costa to Books with Bunny today as part of the tour for her new release Peanuts and Eggcups. Sara's talking dating
today...</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">I</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’ve never really been a dater. My
general reaction is…dating? Yeeeech! Scary! OK, I guess what I mean is, I’ve
never been into regularly dating lots of guys to see how things pan out – great
if you can do it, good on you! Might as well keep going until that guy or gal
who’s fabulous comes along, I’m just not very good at it! – or rather, I use up
so much energy and adrenaline, and come back in a heap! All that small talk and
nerves!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">For me, in the
past, I’ve generally either got to know someone so that by the time we went out
it was likely to be a sure thing, or I’ve had that ‘</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">love</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’ at first sight experience. So a first date was
exciting and led to a relationship. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">I remember
agreeing to go out on a date when I was a lot younger. I don’t know what made
me say yes; I guess I was quite chuffed he’d shown an interest, but when it
came to it I couldn’t go through with it! I was really anxious and didn’t
actually fancy him at all. My mum had to go out and tell him I wasn’t well and
lie on my behalf – she wasn’t best pleased I can tell you! In the end my friend
and I had a double date with him and his friend – safety in numbers and all
that - but when he turned round from the car’s passenger seat to talk to us
sitting in the back, he had the most AWFUL bad breath! I mean seriously bad!!
My friend and I were helpless in fits of (trying to be silent) giggles in the
back seat as we’d both caught a whiff and spent the rest of the journey holding
our noses!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">There was
another guy some years later who was seriously gorgeous!!! (and he knew it)
However, after a few dates, one night when things were getting pretty eh hem – shall
we say – intimate, he walked naked into the room I was in and, in the darkness,
managed to bang his head on the door frame! I laughed so hard – I couldn’t help
myself! Oops! Apparently it really hurt! He wasn’t very happy with my reaction.
But I couldn’t stop laughing cos all I could see was a rather graphic
silhouette in the doorway clutching his head. Things didn’t last too long after
that…</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">There have
been some good experiences too though </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">☺</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Going back
just a few years, I was single and so was my best friend Annie so we decided to
go out, um, looking around (if you see what I mean) She fancied a cocktail so,
off we went to a nearby place and outside there was a guy who I later found out
was called Michael (I won’t tell you the comments Annie and I made when we saw
him, it’s far too naughty for here!) Anyhow I fell for him on the spot. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Having sat on
a table right by him (and eaves-dropped on all his conversations) Annie decided
to go to the loo which meant going past Michael’</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s
table</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">…and right
past Michael. However, on her way, her big handbag knocked his pint all over
the table and on to his lap! Poor guy! But he was really sweet about it. And
then – AND THEN - she proceeded to say, without thinking, (and it’s not the
sort of thing she’</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">d say) </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">‘I think my
friend would rather like to lick that off you’ </span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">!!!!!
</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Oh my god!
Seriously?? Cheers mate!! But, hey, it worked, so who am I to complain? That
was the start of a beautiful friendship. After that Michael and I kept bumping
into each other on the way to the loo and in the end he plucked up the courage
to come over and ask me out on a date.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">That was seven
years ago and we haven’t looked back. Thankfully, I won’t have to do any dating
anytime soon I’m not so sure I’m cut out for it!</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<u></u><br />
<u>Peanuts and Eggcups</u></div>
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For Maggie Parsons there’s only ever been one man: the stunningly delicious Lu<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>ke Henderson. </div>
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Unfortunately<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>,<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> he left her<span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>, wit<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>hout explanation, after their ‘first night’ <span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>together …breaking her heart</div>
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in the process<span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">.</span> </div>
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</div>
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Now ten years on, without any contact, he’s back and going to her school reunion<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>. Great! A<span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>nd, to </div>
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confuse matters…so is his suave, sexy<span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>, <span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>brother T<span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>o<span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>ny <span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>who makes a major play for Maggie, then </div>
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turns up with his insufferable - suppo<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>sedly ex – fiancée!<span class="_ pg-1_2"></span> </div>
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</div>
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Via the reunion, a black eye, getting the sack (a<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>s a result) a madcap girlie holiday and juggling </div>
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her confused emotions around the two alluring brothers…Maggie starts to build a picture of what </div>
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she really wants in life. </div>
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</div>
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Tr<span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>ouble is, Maggie’s a pawn in a game she doesn’t even know she’s<span class="_ pg-1_1"></span> <span class="_ pg-1_2"></span>playing …and things are </div>
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about to get a whole lot more complicated.<span class="_ pg-1_2"></span> </div>
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</div>
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Available from<span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0"> </span><span class="pg-1fc2"><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">A</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">m</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">a</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">z</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">o</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">n</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0"> </span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">U</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">K</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgiyiTKI8LlqpsKOBdOTi-RovTKej4IPf_XzwZ_ZMha6G2i-Xk1f3Vap9_FmsSfdvxzHKcN7zf3MwircUvazZ9u4mt2KwfvR1UGR0bb6yqCbwR5_CjNcZXUrvPSUJJYaNYX5-yRb4kBDE/s1600/Peanuts+and+Eggcups+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgiyiTKI8LlqpsKOBdOTi-RovTKej4IPf_XzwZ_ZMha6G2i-Xk1f3Vap9_FmsSfdvxzHKcN7zf3MwircUvazZ9u4mt2KwfvR1UGR0bb6yqCbwR5_CjNcZXUrvPSUJJYaNYX5-yRb4kBDE/s400/Peanuts+and+Eggcups+Banner.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
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<span class="pg-1fc2"><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0"></span></span> </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h3 pg-1yf pg-1ff1 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0">
<u>About Sara Mendes da Costa</u></div>
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</div>
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Sara Mendes da Costa is the voice of the BT <span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>Speaking Clock; the fourth person to hol<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>d this </div>
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prestigious title since 1936.</div>
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</div>
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A<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> <span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>successful, world-renowned voiceover artist, her dulc<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>et tones are easily recognisable on television, </div>
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radio, film and across countless media.</div>
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</div>
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Never far from the press, she’s<span class="_ pg-1_1"></span> <span class="_ pg-1_2"></span>known for her appe<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>arances on BBC Breakfast, ITV This Morning<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>, </div>
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Children in Need, Wa<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>ke up to Wo<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>gan and T<span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>he T<span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>o<span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>day Programme, and balances her proli<span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>f<span class="_ pg-1_2"></span>ic voiceover career with her passion and commitment as a novelist.</div>
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</div>
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Peanuts & Eggcups, her debut novel - hotly anticipat<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>ed by the industry - is “The perfect & highly </div>
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addictive reading companion for w<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>omen’s fiction fans”. </div>
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</div>
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A<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> <span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>lover of laughter<span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>, creativity<span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>,<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> great storytelling and a wee dra<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>m, Sara adores writing novels and seeks to entertain, uplift and inspire. <br />
</div>
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Her upcoming novels: T<span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>ime & T<span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>ime <span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>Again & Maggie Ever <span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>After<span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>, are <span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>expected in 2017.</div>
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</div>
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Visit:<span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0"> </span><span class="pg-1fc2"><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">w</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">w</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">w</span><span class="_ pg-1_1"></span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">.</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">sa</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">r</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">a</span><span class="_ pg-1_0"></span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">m</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">e</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">n</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">d</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">e</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">s</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">d</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">a</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">c</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">o</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">st</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">a</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">.</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">co</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">m</span></span></div>
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Facebook:<span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0"> </span><span class="pg-1fc2"><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">h</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">t</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">t</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">p</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">s:</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">/</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">/</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">w</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">w</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">w</span><span class="_ pg-1_1"></span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">.</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">f</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">a</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">c</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">e</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">b</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">o</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">o</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">k.</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">c</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">o</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">m</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">/</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">sp</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">e</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">a</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">ki</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">n</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">g</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">cl</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">o</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">ck.</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">sa</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">r</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">a</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">m</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">e</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">n</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">d</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">e</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">sd</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">a</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">c</span><span class="_ pg-1_0"></span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">o</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">st</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">a</span></span></div>
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Tw<span class="_ pg-1_1"></span>itter:<span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0"> </span><span class="pg-1fc2"><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">h</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">t</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">t</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">p</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">s:</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">/</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">/</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">t</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">w</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">i</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">t</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">t</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">e</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">r</span><span class="_ pg-1_1"></span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">.</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">co</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">m</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">/</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">B</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">TS</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">p</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">e</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">a</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">ki</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">n</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">g</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">C</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">l</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">o</span><span class="pg-1fc3 pg-1sc0">ck</span></span></div>
</div>
Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-16264057736409904142016-07-03T01:00:00.000+01:002016-07-03T01:00:13.331+01:00The Museum of You - Carys Bray<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEizy4UgB6Q_iT6sEzgDQUfSE_TfycpqyjDSiHUkFIhL4V-fFJg0PnyaeUVtQ74sY5_vpij6sB3oaOenGtmF8JVdHlFWTthvCU5NjwJhdbi3luxhEG1iMfEil551HKs8lIC4tnCmLlUY/s1600/museum+of+you+HB+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEizy4UgB6Q_iT6sEzgDQUfSE_TfycpqyjDSiHUkFIhL4V-fFJg0PnyaeUVtQ74sY5_vpij6sB3oaOenGtmF8JVdHlFWTthvCU5NjwJhdbi3luxhEG1iMfEil551HKs8lIC4tnCmLlUY/s320/museum+of+you+HB+front.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
<br />
Last week Carys Bray visited Books with Bunny as part of her blog tour for The Museum of You and told us about one of her own <a href="http://bookswithbunny.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/guest-post-by-carys-bray-author-of.html">favourite museums</a>. I'm very fortunate to have a second date on the blog tour too, which gives me an opportunity to talk about this wonderful book!<br />
<br />
<strong><u>The blurb says -</u></strong> <br />
<br />
Clover Quinn was a surprise. She used to imagine she was the good kind, now she’s not sure. She’d like to ask Dad about it, but growing up in the saddest chapter of someone else’s story is difficult. She tries not to skate on the thin ice of his memories. <br />
<br />
Darren has done his best. He's studied his daughter like a seismologist on the lookout for waves and surrounded her with everything she might want - everything he can think of, at least - to be happy.<br />
<br />
What Clover wants is answers. This summer, she thinks she can find them in the second bedroom, which is full of her mother's belongings. Volume isn't important, what she is looking for is essence; the undiluted bits: a collection of things that will tell the full story of her mother, her father and who she is going to be. <br />
<br />
But what you find depends on what you're searching for.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>My Thoughts</u></strong><br />
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I've not read anything by Carys Bray before, but <em>The Museum of You</em> was an absolute treat. The exquisite writing immediately draws you into Clover and Darren's world, the evocative descriptions pulling you in and the observational humour gave me many a wry smile - you'll see flashes of people you know in the quirky cast of characters. The writing is absolutely beautiful - think of Seamus Heaney's talent for conveying the senses and you'll be along the right lines - and although the pace is slow that added to rather than detracted from this book's charm.</div>
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The plot itself follows Clover's desire to find out more about her mother through the belongings her dad has shut away in the spare room. Taking it upon herself to be the curator of the 'museum', studying anything which may give her a glimmer of insight into the woman her mother was, Clover digs up the past. It is a heart-achingly touching subject matter which Bray conveys perfectly through gorgeous, glorious glimpses into Clover's life and thoughts. As someone who lost a parent at a young age, I certainly related to the way Clover felt a need to connect with her mum and that she didn't know how to do it other than through the items stored in the bedroom. Although I loved Clover, without Darren's contrasting view this book wouldn't have worked as well. The juxtaposition of daughter/father, younger/older, innocence/knowledge is what made it.</div>
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<em>The Museum of You</em> would make an excellent reading group read and will appeal to anyone who likes their books uplifting and life-affirming. Clover Quinn - you gorgeous girl. You're a character who'll stay with me for a very long time. And Carys Bray - thank you for writing a book which spoke to me more than you'll ever know.</div>
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<strong>Out now in ebook and hardback, published by Hutchinson.</strong></div>
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<strong>With thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.</strong></div>
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<br />Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-13029016753754261112016-06-25T01:00:00.000+01:002016-06-25T01:00:12.992+01:00Guest post by Carys Bray, author of The Museum of You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<strong>Welcome to Carys Bray, author of <em>The Museum of You</em>. As part of her blog tour, Carys has kindly written a guest post about one of her favourite museums.</strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13-WwGQQVQqfGfxWQaDcx8tPRgcCy1uel7d0UbmluDR-Zaq8TVJoRZXAorrSj-tY63SeBfVZgsYY62GMVkrsioXMo5Kg-PeHYmWHY5MHJglHlXMt9vJDs1Q853M4A-CSmPCCaSIkj_qU/s1600/museum+of+you+HB+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13-WwGQQVQqfGfxWQaDcx8tPRgcCy1uel7d0UbmluDR-Zaq8TVJoRZXAorrSj-tY63SeBfVZgsYY62GMVkrsioXMo5Kg-PeHYmWHY5MHJglHlXMt9vJDs1Q853M4A-CSmPCCaSIkj_qU/s320/museum+of+you+HB+front.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">In my new
novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Museum of You</i>, twelve year
old Clover Quinn sorts through her mother’s belongings and curates an
exhibition in the second bedroom of the house she shares with her Dad, Darren.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">As part of
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Museum of You</i> blog tour, I’m
writing about some of my favourite museums. In recent months it has been
frustrating to read of the museum closures which appear to be
disproportionately affecting the north of England. Museums are a great place to
learn about our heritage; they’re often a testament to the efforts and
dedication of working people, the men and women who built and made many of the
things we take for granted today. </span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">World
Museum</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">When my
children were small this was our favourite museum. It’s possible to spend a
long afternoon there, even with several tiny, easy bored people in tow. It’s
such a popular museum that the </span><a href="http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/handy-guide-visiting-world-museum-8868972"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">Liverpool Echo</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> produced this handy guide for
families who would like to visit.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYLwYoTGWU1lPEFqmrZ0fz7i9vLuSV0DnDzvi5W2v9GIShsM0GGNbSPYz5HM-OjDDST48XlNxeoaTQliP1vQbHMAJIO9CpPoq1r_fPeVinheikZBAWjyEFMJTuTYDSz7vZWFg_-SQtiw/s1600/dino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYLwYoTGWU1lPEFqmrZ0fz7i9vLuSV0DnDzvi5W2v9GIShsM0GGNbSPYz5HM-OjDDST48XlNxeoaTQliP1vQbHMAJIO9CpPoq1r_fPeVinheikZBAWjyEFMJTuTYDSz7vZWFg_-SQtiw/s320/dino.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">I have a
picture of my children, wide-eyed and rosy-cheeked, standing beside these
dinosaur skeletons, but they wouldn’t let me use it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The World
Museum is full of exciting and creepy objects: a child mummy, a meteorite from
Mars and Samurai armour. You can learn about space and see a display of clocks
and watches from the 1500s onwards. There are over a million insects and other
invertebrates at the museum. I love the drawers full of butterflies, moths and
beautiful beetles; bees, wasps and ants. Each drawer opens like a beautiful
surprise. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">In the bug
house there’s a giant model spider on the ceiling which wobbles every so often,
as if it is about to climb down. One of my sons insists that frequent visits to
the museum were the catalyst for my daughter’s terrible fear of spiders. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Sometimes
the things we see in museums scare or discomfit us. Clover Quinn finds
something unexpected in the bottom of the wardrobe in the second bedroom. An object
with a sad story. That’s the thing with the past, once it is uncovered it may also
need to be confronted. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIqykD2zeO9bXEgVzuCfM1mfNbsgBZWB1mIX97jU5Qm_2HJQVh_eazcoLRF9ZLtyta5G33wrnc2sTasoIvUND_I9EksEpNoOUTIfmnf_sqpF6Y-dVVukSBTYBe7ZnwguODUZGnTQGb20/s1600/Blog+tour+banner+carys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIqykD2zeO9bXEgVzuCfM1mfNbsgBZWB1mIX97jU5Qm_2HJQVh_eazcoLRF9ZLtyta5G33wrnc2sTasoIvUND_I9EksEpNoOUTIfmnf_sqpF6Y-dVVukSBTYBe7ZnwguODUZGnTQGb20/s640/Blog+tour+banner+carys.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-86313476825512209232016-06-13T02:30:00.000+01:002016-06-13T02:30:23.246+01:00Steel Hawk Blog Blitz!
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Introducing <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">STEEL HAWK</b> – a company of alpha-honorable heroes and spirited and
strong heroines…</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Heart-pounding romantic suspense set in a
world of high-tech security, feuding royals, and missing diamonds. Strap in for
sizzling chemistry and fast-paced, thrilling action all the way!</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It
all starts</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> with an historical romantic suspense set
in the birthplace of great engineering and design, The Great Exhibition,
London, 1851:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTf9VQgaATlzxts4jD0R0k3MSN05jg4RnqKrlWg-Sbq-J1m3ek0TTzjMOzD-vdot5a6ih7HfAUupDMtp3ytaNhTTUY4xzMSuO6VRD4guuZarhVo96AH9cgrIUpvJSZvrxWdROrVzgyrx0/s1600/TLATCover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTf9VQgaATlzxts4jD0R0k3MSN05jg4RnqKrlWg-Sbq-J1m3ek0TTzjMOzD-vdot5a6ih7HfAUupDMtp3ytaNhTTUY4xzMSuO6VRD4guuZarhVo96AH9cgrIUpvJSZvrxWdROrVzgyrx0/s320/TLATCover.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Blurb:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
To Love a Thief, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Steel Hawk</i>, Book 1,
by Jane Beckenham BUY LINK: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://amzn.to/1Tpmk1m"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">AMAZON</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It's one thing to lose your heart.
Quite another to have it stolen.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Years ago,
notorious jewel thief “The Raven” vanished into the shadows. In 1851, Nathan
Hawk emerges into a life of respectability, determined to make up for past
sins. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He and his
business partner are introducing a lock they’re so sure can’t be broken,
they’re displaying a priceless diamond, the Pasha Star, at the Great
Exhibition. It’s bad enough catching a light-fingered young man trying to steal
the stone. Worse when he realizes it’s the daughter of his old mentor.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rose
Valetta’s father has been kidnapped, and she needs the Star to buy his freedom.
She never expected to come nose-to-nose with Nathan. Their reunion is fraught
with tension, especially when they discover the diamond in Nathan’s impregnable
case is <i>not </i>the Pasha Star. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With
Nathan’s reputation in tatters, they race to find the real stone before it’s
too late for Rose’s father. Too late to save the empire from a usurper. And too
late to keep from losing their hearts.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Product Warnings</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Contains a woman who
dreams of a world with a level playing field, and an ex-thief who can run from
his past but can’t hide from it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And
moves to present-day:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
Steel Hawk has prospered for 150 years, securing some of the world’s most
treasured possessions. But now a secret from the past threatens to destroy the
company and a new generation must take up the fight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2SG8H40l1jV0izuLrcFZalfSnQxGxOTpVTNMpUAO7f5UdXfHBiUoY08axKLnNwjiZ34wbR6UDxwMa4b3YUAHzKaAJUaOq6EwgXPOwMmkN-PPj70mHdKJFZEjqTAp33hV3VnUnJmnE6g/s1600/HeartOfSteel72lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2SG8H40l1jV0izuLrcFZalfSnQxGxOTpVTNMpUAO7f5UdXfHBiUoY08axKLnNwjiZ34wbR6UDxwMa4b3YUAHzKaAJUaOq6EwgXPOwMmkN-PPj70mHdKJFZEjqTAp33hV3VnUnJmnE6g/s320/HeartOfSteel72lg.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b> </div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Blurb:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Heart
of Steel<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">, </b></span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Steel Hawk</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, Book 2, by Eve Devon BUY LINK: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://smarturl.it/HeartofSteel"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">AMAZON</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Colleague, friend, lover…beautiful
liar?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Adam Steel
is in crisis mode. A recent exposé claims a founder of Steel Hawk was actually
The Raven, an infamous jewel thief. Amid the ensuing damage control, all eyes
are on his ability to develop a prototype to secure and protect the royal Pasha
Star diamond.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He’s further
blindsided when he learns his assistant, Honeysuckle Hawk, has a sordid past he
never knew about. Proving he never really knew her, never should have trusted
her, and <i>definitely</i> shouldn’t start falling for her.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With her
dirty laundry flapping in the media storm, Honeysuckle’s first instinct is to
run. Two things make her stay: Adam’s insistence it’s better to show the world
a united front, and her heart’s insistence by his side is where she belongs.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">High
stakes and long hours ignite passion…until the diamond is stolen and Adam’s own
prototype shows Honeysuckle is a thief. Dare he trust her to help him expose
the real criminal—before the mastermind wreaks havoc on the royal family?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #d1373c; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Product Warnings</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #d1373c; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Contains an über-hot,
alpha-geek who’s good with his hands, a sassy reformed-rebel determined to
prove she’s not a flake, romantic castles, gorgeous jewels, sleek and sexy technology,
heart-pounding suspense…oh, and nipple tassels!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But
with the battle only half-won</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">, STEEL HAWK is about to
learn that trust has a price…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidVMEGfK6zWhYiCrQAdjZf1rI-jgKgykxmchA3kPjof2mHL-Oz4Jjb539Rum7QjmBaRd5QqzK4ZltlEIOMrpBkcuGzEwV2H0OWOFY1PUmU7twLiKqafjU05px2bIr37j2Os1JfDPCHvmw/s1600/DICover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidVMEGfK6zWhYiCrQAdjZf1rI-jgKgykxmchA3kPjof2mHL-Oz4Jjb539Rum7QjmBaRd5QqzK4ZltlEIOMrpBkcuGzEwV2H0OWOFY1PUmU7twLiKqafjU05px2bIr37j2Os1JfDPCHvmw/s320/DICover.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b> </div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Blurb:
</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Dangerous Illusions, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Steel Hawk,</i> Book 3, by Sarah Balance – publishing August<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Keep
your lovers close, your enemies closer. Especially if they’re one and the same.
<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">With Steel Hawk still reeling from
explosions at Zarrenburg Castle and at its own headquarters, company lawyer
Edward Long’s legendary stoicism has been severely tested. It’s clearly an
inside job, and no one is deeper inside than Edward—which leaves him squarely
in the center of a frame.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Someone is using him to bring down the
company he loves. Worse, the PI that Adam Hawk sends to investigate…there’s
something off about her. And something that seriously turns him on. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Operating under an assumed name, Sophie
Hawk aims to dig deeper into the company’s systems than any other investigator
would dare. Especially with the prime suspect’s hot-chocolate gaze tracking her
every move. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As their dueling intellects strike sparks,
the rising heat threatens the trip wires Edward has set up around his heart—and
the secret that ties him to a man who’ll stop at nothing to claim his right to
rule the house of Zarrenburg. Or, if he can’t have it, destroy it—and everyone
connected to it. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Product Warnings</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Contains agonizingly sweet
kisses, dirty thoughts, dirtier talk, mutual trust stretched to the limit, and
criminal abuse of a thousand-dollar suit jacket.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">About the STEEL HAWK Authors: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Take three authors from three different
corners of the world…</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Jane
Beckenham</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> writes historical and contemporary romance
after falling for stories about love and hope. Inspired by happy ever afters
she found her own true love and together they adopted and raised two daughters.
She lives with her family in New Zealand where writing is her addiction – and
sure beats housework!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://janebeckenham.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">WEBSITE</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Jane-Beckenham/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">FACEBOOK</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://twitter.com/janebeckenham"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">TWITTER</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Eve
Devon</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> writes romantic comedy, contemporary fiction and romantic suspense with sexy
heroes, sassy heroines, and happily ever afters… She lives in leafy Surrey in
the UK, a book-devouring, slightly melodramatic, romance-writing sassy heroine
with her very own sexy-hero husband!</span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.evedevon.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">WEBSITE</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://twitter.com/EveDevon"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">TWITTER</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/EveDevonAuthor"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">FACEBOOK</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Sarah
Ballance</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">lives on the US mid-Atlantic coast with her husband
and children. She writes in many genres and loves creating unforgettable
stories while putting her characters through an unkind amount of torture—a
hobby that has nothing to do with living with six children! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.sarahballance.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">WEBSITE</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/sarah.ballance.author.news"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">FACEBOOK</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://twitter.com/sarahballance"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">TWITTER</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So if you love historical romance or
contemporary romance, steam-punk elements, inventors, royalty, diamonds,
bad-boys, alpha-geeks, co-workers-to-lovers, revenge, and psychological
suspense with your mystery; then immerse yourself in the world of STEEL HAWK…
and let the seduction begin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">STEEL HAWK – strong as Steel, watchful as a Hawk<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140464551490634809.post-61131343465903273692016-06-11T20:19:00.000+01:002016-06-11T20:19:41.185+01:00Recently I've Read...A Whole Lot of Romance<div align="center">
<span class="a-size-base review-text">I've read some fantastic romance lately! Here are the books that have set my heart aflutter - perfect love stories for long summer nights.</span></div>
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<span class="a-size-base review-text"><u>The One with the Engagement Party - Erin Lawless</u></span></div>
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<span class="a-size-base review-text"><u></u></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizr_mkTs52OD4WMgUt4vhs_DWBWhdqnuGfU3LuR5FKG3UHvN9P1k7-3w-tlXo5FRKmEwe9LyIgZFX55cnuKXeIFSRF1jd5UePXu-2nzaMoNLEZ0Fwu40Fsikvi6ORA3bdEe3LwxEVZCw0/s1600/theonewiththeengagementparty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizr_mkTs52OD4WMgUt4vhs_DWBWhdqnuGfU3LuR5FKG3UHvN9P1k7-3w-tlXo5FRKmEwe9LyIgZFX55cnuKXeIFSRF1jd5UePXu-2nzaMoNLEZ0Fwu40Fsikvi6ORA3bdEe3LwxEVZCw0/s200/theonewiththeengagementparty.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
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<span class="a-size-base review-text">Nora and Harry have just got engaged and so of course, it's time to celebrate! With their friends by their side they can start planning for the big day, but they each have their own hurdles to overcome. Perfect summer reading which left me gagging for more. Heartwarming and humorous, <em>The One with the Engagement Party</em> is Erin Lawless at her best.</span><br />
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<span class="a-size-base review-text"><u>The Sunshine and Biscotti Club - Jenny Oliver</u></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn4u4iv7PC_vRVFet8YsVq02woQ6XJej7Rq19IT6xs2SYypqTWU3rA63jotsZIQl1y51_Iu7n18ubn61EEMBTVIKkdvLUYx7gyImYR6lJQX2xhSVCDQtnUS57hqWDcZtH_HgLpy8gq9zg/s1600/sunshine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn4u4iv7PC_vRVFet8YsVq02woQ6XJej7Rq19IT6xs2SYypqTWU3rA63jotsZIQl1y51_Iu7n18ubn61EEMBTVIKkdvLUYx7gyImYR6lJQX2xhSVCDQtnUS57hqWDcZtH_HgLpy8gq9zg/s200/sunshine.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>
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<span class="a-size-base review-text"><span id="freeTextreview1651435384">Jenny Oliver whisked me away to the sun with this story of a group of friends helping to set up a baking holiday resort. As ever Oliver's descriptions of the food - aroma, taste, texture - are fantastic. Each character grows as the story progresses which makes this a satisfying romantic read. The only reason I didn't give this 5* is that it took me a long time to differentiate between the characters, especially the males, which meant I was referring back to make sure I wasn't getting muddled. All in all, a delightful summer read.</span></span></div>
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<u>The Little Bookshop on the Seine - Rebecca Raisin</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaB_AV_kMKAj3b2OGyj6r3zD1aVaU5QuIbH2WJ6rWcXCRefcvF3dHAsvcT_QnunVZm2kberJi2eZHxWMGQgCD8LXY9SyvteR3dNZlDaNuBt8utdNadLRekgHpD65gKspqamzxwvANemg/s1600/bookshop+seine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaB_AV_kMKAj3b2OGyj6r3zD1aVaU5QuIbH2WJ6rWcXCRefcvF3dHAsvcT_QnunVZm2kberJi2eZHxWMGQgCD8LXY9SyvteR3dNZlDaNuBt8utdNadLRekgHpD65gKspqamzxwvANemg/s200/bookshop+seine.jpg" width="124" /></a></div>
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I loved this book! A story of self discovery and long distance romance set in a Paris bookshop. Rebecca writes setting and description beautifully - and creates characters that are easy to relate to through common themes of friendship, love and trust. A comforting read which I quickly became engrossed in - Rebecca Raisin has come up trumps again! </div>
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Give them a try - they're the perfect blend of uplifting fun and love-riddled angst. They're all available NOW. </div>
Katey Lovellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661738950248010672noreply@blogger.com0