I was very excited to hear that Phillipa Ashley was writing a new series and I'm thrilled to be able to share the cover for book one, Summer at the Cornish Café, today!
The book, the first in the Penwith trilogy, is due to be published by Avon on May 5th. I can't wait! It promises to be the perfect slice of summertime reading.
It's the final day of Advent-ures in Fiction 2013! It's Chriiiiiiiiisssssstmmmaaaassssss! (In Noddy Holder style).
Today I am fortunate enough to have an exclusive piece by Trisha Ashley and a review of her most recent book Wish Upon a Star.
Blurb
The perfect gift isn’t always under the tree…
Single mum Cally’s life is
all about her little girl Stella. She’s resigned to the fact that the only
romance she’s going to get is from the rom-coms she watches, and with her busy
job and her daughter, she doesn’t have time to even think about love.
But
life gets very tough when Stella gets sick. Balancing her job as a recipe writer
and looking after Stella is all consuming, so when Cally meets handsome baker
Jago the last thing she wants to do is fall in love, especially when she’s been
badly burned by a Prince Charming from her past.
Can laid-back, charming Jago
unlock Cally’s frozen heart and help her find true love and magic under the
mistletoe?
Come home for Christmas with this gorgeous festive treat,
perfect for fans of Katie Fforde and Jill Mansell.
Review
Trisha Ashley writes cosy books which appeal to a slightly older chicklit audience. This is another heart warming read about the village of Sticklepond, somewhere that community spirit still reigns and the same families have lived for generations. I found it really uplifting how the village pulled together to raise money for Stella to have a much needed operation. It is especially poignant at Christmas when so much pressure to consume and 'have' is all around- a reminder that all the fuss is unimportant and what really matters is family, hope and love.
I really like Cally as a character, she is easy to relate to and I expect all mothers will be able to see aspects of themselves in her. The desire to help her daughter in whatever way possible and provide for her as well as possible shines out from the pages and I loved the romance between her and Jago. Infact, I think Jago was just about perfect as a romantic hero and developed a bit of a book crush on him myself!
This isn't an out and out Christmas book, but it is a touching, emotive read that warms the heart.
Wish Upon a Star is out now, published by Avon.
8/10
With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Trisha very kindly agreed to share some of the special gifts she has received in Christmases past...
When I was young and just married
and we were hard-up, my ex husband always seemed to buy me practical woolly
hats, gloves and scarves, when what my heart craved was something pretty,
sparkly or frivolous.Much later he
redeemed himself with the inspired gift of the unabridged audiobook of Natalie
Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones read by the author, which I still have.
My son chooses the most wonderful gifts –
quirky, lovely, amusing – and, knowing my tastes so well, usually puts in some
chocolate violet creams and Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans – in fact, I now
associate the smell of freshly ground Blue Mountain coffee with Christmas!
I am a huge fan of Miranda Dickinson, and find her books comforting and inspiring. Her characters are full of drive and verve and the settings are always described so evocatively that you can immerse yourself in a place that you have never actually been. I also love how the importance of a supportive family is portrayed in her books.
Take a Look at Me Now has been highly anticipated by fans. It was one of the books I have been most impatient for during 2013 and I desperately wanted to love it. And love it I did. Once I started I couldn't put it down, I was captivated.
Nell has a nightmare day-not only does she lose Aidan, the man who has captured her heart, but she is made redundant. Yes, she had been wishing for change, but this wasn't what she was expecting! Nell decides to throw caution to the wind and spend her redundancy money visiting her cousin Lizzie in San Francisco. Whilst there Nell finds herself surrounded by quirky, kooky people living their dreams- can she take inspiration from them and make her own dreams a reality?
Take A Look at Me Now is a read that makes you believe anything is possible. San Francisco sounds amazing and I am even more keen to visit there than I was before after reading this book. Most of all I found myself willing for Nell, rooting for her to strive for her dreams and find happiness.
Miranda Dickinson is an author bursting to the brim with talent. She creates characters that readers care about and her writing is infused with humour and romance. Fabulous. You can follow her on twitter, @wurdsmyth.
Take A Look at Me Now is available as a paperback and ebook, published by Avon, and imprint of Harper Collins.
8.5/10
With thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Wicked Wives is Anna-Lou Wetherley's second adult fiction title. Packed to the rafters with wealthy women and charming yet caddish men, this is a sizzler of a book perfect for the beach.
Tom Black is the ultimate playboy. His dream is to own a luxury casino, but the dream slips through his fingers as he gambles away his millions in Las Vegas. Old flame Loretta seizes the opportunity to help Tom out, but only at a price....
Meanwhile friends Ellie and Tor are also linked to Tom Black. A tangled web of lies and passion soon spirals out of control. Can any of these women tame him? Or is Tom playing with the heart and mind of each and every one of them?
At first I found it difficult to keep track of the characters. There are quite a few and their lives are all intertwined, which took a while to get my head around. However, once I did I was completely hooked- this was escapism pure and simple. Follow the rich and the powerful as they all fight for attention and vie for all their hearts' desire-these women are used to getting what they want and they don't care how they get it! Loretta in particular deserves a mention. She is just the kind of woman I love to hate in fiction- selfish, manipulative and bitchy beyond belief.
I was in the mood for a proper romp of a book and Wicked Wives fitted the bill perfectly. It was like a soap opera in a book-compelling and addictive, sometimes reassuringly predictable yet with the odd curve-ball that left my jaw gaping in disbelief.
It reminded me very much of Tasmina Perry's books, but I think I preferred Wicked Wives. The women were sharp, cunning and devious, which I loved, and although far from the perfect man I must admit Tom Black was exceedingly attractive (helped along by the fact I visualised him as looking like Chris Noth-yum!), all the women falling at his feet is testament to the fact I'm not the only one feeling the heat!
If you like your fiction challenging and thought provoking this probably isn't the book for you, but if you are after an entertaining, easy read full of glamour, lust and competitive women then you'll love it.
Wicked Wives is out now, published by Avon, and imprint of HarperCollins.
8.5/10 With thanks to Avon for providing me with a review copy of this book in return for an honest review.
A struggling café. A new reading group. A rather naughty reading list...
Estelle, a single Mum running the struggling Café Crumb, is keen to bring customers back to her business. When the local bookshop closes, Estelle sees an opportunity- starting a book group at the café. Estelle advertises locally and a small but select group is formed. We meet Sue who feels stuck in a marriage rut, vintage fan and staunch feminist Gracie, Rebecca who wishes to spice up her sex life with husband Andy, and studious Reggie, attending only to gain material about book clubs for his thesis.
Starting with Tess of the D'Urbervilles and progressing to a bestselling erotic novel, the book group explore a saucy reading list covering Marquis de Sade, Jilly Cooper and Shirley Conran. Inspired by the books they read, the members of the book club are soon having adventures of their own with romances blossoming and self confidence renewed.
I must admit that when I first saw the cover of The Naughty Girls' Book Club I was doubtful as to whether it would be my kind of thing. I've not really bought into the boom in erotic fiction, not for any reason other than I tried Fifty Shades of Grey and found it so badly written that I couldn't continue with it. I have read other 'naughty' books in the past and am certainly not snobbish about them. Riders, one of the books the book club read, was a favourite of mine in my student days. I just haven't found much of the new wave of erotica that appeals to me.
However, The Naughty Girls' Book Club is not really erotica. It does have some sexy scenes, but is actually more about the friendships that grow between the members of the group and their lives away from Café Crumb. The characters really grow throughout the book and are a diverse group- I am sure readers will be able to see aspects of themselves in Estelle, Gracie, Rebecca, Sue and Reggie. Plus, a book about books is always a success for me. Fans of erotic fiction will find plenty of suggestions for future reads, both in the novel itself and the additional recommended reading at the back. My edition also had a list of questions for book groups reading and discussing The Naughty Girls' Book Club.
Sophie Hart has written a book that is fun and flirty, frothy and frivolous, frank and forthright. It strikes a perfect balance between naughtiness and niceties, and reading The Naughty Girls' Book Club reminded me just how important true friends, those who accept you warts and all, really are.
A perfect holiday read for those seeking a story of romance, friendship with a touch of extra spice.
8.5/10
With thanks to Avon at Harper Collins for sending me a review copy of The Naughty Girls' Bookclub in return for an honest review.
Midsummer Magic landed on my doormat just a few days after Midsummer's Night. Pretty much perfect timing!
Julia Williams has taken inspiration from A Midsummer Night's Dream by giving Shakespeare's characters and storyline a modern twist. Described as 'a captivating modern day tale' that will 'delight fans of Katie Fforde and Veronica Henry', Midsummer Magic is an entertaining novel.
The plot is split between two time frames. Entertainers Tatiana and Bron and TV hypnotist Freddie Puck are followed through both these stories, mainly set in the present day but with regular flashbacks. Their 80s heyday now long past, Bron and Freddie visit Cornwall to make a TV show based around local myths and legends. The standing stones are believed to have magical qualities, providing true happiness to couples that spend the whole night there on Midsummers' Eve.
Newly engaged Josie and Harry are staying with family in Cornwall along with their future bridesmaid Diana and best man Ant. Impressed by meeting Freddie, they agree to being hypnotised as part of the show. How will they behave under Freddie's magical influence?
Inspired by one of Britain's best, Williams also portrays Britain at its best. The descriptions of the landscape and flora are beautifully written so that the reader can visualise the scene, the characters are either realistic in their flaws (Ant, Diana, Josie, Harry) or caricatures based on celebrity culture (Bron, Freddie and especially washed-up has-been Tatiana).
I found this book to be an easy read- funny, with elements of farce and characters that are likeable. Knowledge of A Midsummer Night's Dream (one of the plays I studied for A level English Literature!) helped my enjoyment as I was able to anticipate what would happen next, but is certainly not necessary to enjoy Midsummer Magic- ultimately a readable, humorous book which I am sure will be found by many a sun-lounger over the summer.
Midsummer Magic by Julia Williams is released on July 4th 2013, published by Avon, an imprint of HarperCollins.
7.5/10
Many thanks to Avon at HarperCollins for providing me with a review copy of this title. You can find out more about Julia Williams and her previous books at her website here.
