The Beach Cafe- Lucy Diamond A DIAMOND FRIDAY, PLUS GIVEAWAY!

It's a gloriously sunny day here in South Yorkshire, and what's more- IT'S FRIDAY!  And even better than that, DIAMOND FRIDAYS ARE BACK!!!!!

Yes, after a week off due to the dreaded laptop malfunction I am back with a review of The Beach Café.  This was the first Lucy Diamond book I ever read, and as I reread it a few weeks ago I remembered exactly why I loved it so much.

Firstly, the plot.  Evie is different to the rest of her family.  A bit of a dreamer, some might even go so far as to say flighty, Evie has never really settled at anything.  So when her beloved Aunt dies, leaving her a café in Cornwall, she is doubtful as to whether she can run it.  She couldn't manage it long distance, that's for sure, so would mean a move to the seaside.  And what's more, Evie can't bake.  Surely she can't really make a go of it?

It sounds good, doesn't it?  It is.  The Beach Café is a proper old fashioned story about life, love and dreams.  It makes me feel like good things can happen out of difficult situations.  It makes me believe pie in the sky fantasies can come true. And it makes me long to be on a beach, the waves crashing onto the shore reminding me of the beauty of life.

Lucy Diamond has created a character you will fall in love with in Evie.  She represents everyone who has ever longed for something which seems out of reach and everyone who has failed to live up to the expectations of society, their parts or the world at large.  In short, you'll be aching for her to triumph, in all areas of her life.

The fine line between balancing humour and poignant moments in life is walked with precision, and even though I knew what was coming I had a lump in my throat as Evie made difficult decisions.  The observational humour is brilliant, Lucy could always take her sharp quips about the quirks we as humans possess to the stage as a sideline- she'd give Peter Kay a run for his money!

Overall, this is a wonderful book, heartfelt and touching.  The perfect summer read.

Next week I am going to be sharing my thoughts on Lucy's Me and Mr Jones.  If you would like to win a copy, kindly donated as a prize by the publisher , enter the rafflecopter giveaway below.



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One Night in Italy- Lucy Diamond INCLUDING GIVEAWAY OF THE BEACH CAFE!

It's the first Diamond Friday!  And this feature has been a long time coming.  This time last year I contacted Lucy Diamond and asked if she would be happy to be involved with a week dedicated to her and she was incredibly supportive.  I was delighted- I am such a fan of Lucy's writing and I wanted to share my excitement with the world!  However, life got in the way for me and it has taken until now to organise what has now become Diamond Fridays- one day a week where Books with Bunny shares reviews, author features and giveaways, exclusively about the shiniest gem in the jewellery box of authors, Lucy Diamond.  I was fortunate to meet Lucy recently (read about it here )and I'm pleased to say she was just as wonderful as her books.

One Night in Italy introduces us to a group of adults attending evening classes to learn Italian.  The unlikely group quickly form a strong bond, and as they in turn face challenges in their personal lives, they will come to rely on the friendships more than they could ever have guessed.  Catherine finds herself facing a new life alone as her children leave for university and her husband calls time on their marriage- but she soon discovers her ex is capable of things she never believed possible.  Anna is building up the courage to search for the Italian father she has never met.  And Sophie, the class tutor, is reluctantly back in South Yorkshire after travelling the world, unsure of what she wants from life.

I found myself completely and utterly swept away by this book.  The characters were a diverse bunch, at different stages of life, yet I could relate to them all, which I think proves that Lucy Diamond has an incredibly rare talent for creating characters with depth.  Even the fringe characters are well crafted and left me as a reader wanting to know more about their lives.

The Sheffield setting also appealed to me-I came to University here in 1998 and have never been away for more than a fortnight since.  Lucy Diamond definitely manages to capture the unique vibe of the city- 'the world's largest village' as it is sometimes referred to.  Knowledge of Sheffield isn't necessary to enjoy the book, but I do think it added to the pleasure I got from reading it.  I felt like I was in on a secret knowing all the pubs and coffee shops mentioned (which makes it sound like I have a much more active social life than I do in reality).

The only downside for me was that it ended when it did.  It isn't a short book at almost 500 pages, but I feel One Night in Italy is crying out for a sequel.  I want to know more about these characters!  Please don't let this be the end!

If you like fast paced books of interwoven lives, with both drama and humour, then this one is perfect for you.

One Night in Italy is out now, published by Pan Macmillan.

Next Friday I will be reviewing Lucy's bestseller The Beach Café and if you would like to win a copy then enter the rafflecopter giveaway below (UK only- entrants from outside the UK will sadly be disqualified).

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Meeting Lucy Diamond

I have been a fan of Lucy Diamond for a couple of years now and when I saw that Sheffield was one of the stops on her book signing tour for new release One Night in Italy I just had to pop along.

So last Friday I pootled along to Waterstone's in Orchard Square, excited to meet a writer I admire.  One of the things I love most about blogging is getting to know the authors of my favourite books and I was a thrilled fangirl when Lucy knew that I was 'Katey from Books with Bunny'.  Squeee!

Copies of One Night in Italy were lined up, and this absolutely beautiful cover looks even more stunning en masse.  It is eyecatching and has a grown up, 'classy' feel- proof that women's fiction is not all 'pink'!  Lucy also had some scrumptious cakes on her display and I was encouraged to sample one of the delicious Chelsea buns-not that I needed much persuading!

After getting my copy signed and a lovely chat with Lucy (including much excitement over the upcoming Diamond Fridays on the blog!) we posed for a photo-the colour coordination was pure coincidence!

 

Thank you so much to Lucy Diamond for coming to Sheffield, for taking the time to talk, for the gooey, mouthwatering cake and for her continued support of the book blogging community.  Diamond by name, diamond by nature!

 

Diamond Fridays will be coming to Books with Bunny on (you've guessed it) Fridays from July 11th, starting with a review of the wonderful One Night In Italy.

 

 

2014 on Books with Bunny

Happy New Year!!!!!

 

I can't believe that 2013 is over and here we are in 2014.

 

I discovered some brilliant authors in 2013 and am hoping that this year will be just as exciting.  Over the next few weeks I'll be giving my blog a bit of a tidy up to make it easier to navigate and bring it bang up to date with the books I have to review and those I am looking forward to in 2014.

 

To alleviate the pain of miserable Mondays in January and February, I am delighted to announce Books with Bunny will be running 'Milly Mondays' -reviews of all Milly Johnson's novels.  They are the perfect humorous and touching read to bring a smile to your face.  There will of course also be giveaways to run alongside it...

 

I have set myself a challenge to read 250 books this year. Yes, it's crazy.  But there are a group of book bloggers on twitter who are all striving for this quarter century of reads so we can all encourage each other (not that we need much encouragement, we're all voracious readers).

 

Throughout 2014 I shall also be resurrecting my Incoming posts (Fridays)and A Bookcase full of Treasure posts (sporadically).

 

Plans are also in the pipeline for Lucy Diamond week and there will be a plethora of guest posts too.

 

Bring it on!  I can't wait.