Searching for a Silver Lining - Miranda Dickinson

The Blurb
It began with a promise . . .

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 . . .

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.

Touchingly funny, warm and life-affirming, this is a sparkling story of second chances. Perfect for fans of Cecelia Ahern, Searching for a Silver Lining will take you on a trip you'll never forget.

The Review
As a huge fan of Miranda Dickinson's writing, I was delighted to be sent an early copy of Searching for a Silver Lining 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.

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...

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!

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.

Most of all Searching for a Silver Lining is heart-warming and charming and oozing with everything that makes friendship such a beautiful, beautiful gift. 

I can't recommend this book highly enough.  It's Miranda Dickinson's best yet.

Searching for a Silver Lining is out now in ebook and paperback format.

With thanks to Pan for providing me with a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

Recently I've Read - September 2016

I'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. 

Step Back in Time - Ali McNamara

 

 

The Blurb
How many lifetimes would you travel to find a love that lasts for ever?
When single career girl Jo-Jo 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 Harry and Ellie, two companions from 2013, and George, the owner of a second-hand record store.
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?

My Thoughts
A great read with romance, time travel and a whole lot of Beatles references! 
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.
My first Ali McNamara book, but certainly not my last!

Read Me Like a Book - Liz Kessler

 



The Blurb
The first YA novel from bestselling author Liz Kessler, Read Me Like A Book is a brave, honest and vital coming-out story that follows one girl's exploration of love, identity and sexuality.
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?

My Thoughts
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.

Milkshakes and Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner - Helen Cox

 

 

 

The Blurb

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.

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.

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?

Milkshakes and Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner is a witty, romantic, New York-inspired novel.

 

My Thoughts

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.

I loved how this book tackled some darker plot lines whilst still having a warm humour to add a delightful balance to the novel.

This is the first book in a series and I'm very much looking forward to the next.  Service please!

 

 

Keeping Her Secret - Sarah Nicholas

 

 

The Blurb

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.

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.
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.

 

My Thoughts

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...
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.                   

Miss You - Kate Eberlen

 

 

 

The Blurb

Tess and Gus are meant to be. They just haven't met properly yet. And perhaps they never will . . .
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.
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.
For one day, the paths of an eighteen-year-old girl and boy criss-cross before they each return to England.
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?

My Thoughts
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.
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.
I've recommended this book to everyone I know - if you love a love story (and I absolutely do) then you really must read Miss You.  One of my favourite books of 2016, hands down.

 

The Honey Trap - Mary Jayne Baker

 

 

 

The Blurb

The trap is set – but which one of them is the bait?
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?
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.
But what happens when pretence leads to passion, and a ‘kiss and tell’ becomes something real?

 

My Thoughts

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...
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.
If you've loved the balance of wit and sex in Debbie Johnson's books, you'll adore this one.

 

The One with the Wedding Dress - Erin Lawless

 

 

 

The Blurb

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.

 

My thoughts

Following on from The One with the Engagement Party, The One with the Wedding Dress 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.
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!
I'm loving watching these characters develop and can't wait to find out what happens in part three!  

 

#PleaseRetweet - Emily Benet

The Blurb
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

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.

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?

The Review
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.

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.

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!

#PleaseRetweet is out now in ebook and paperback format, published by Harper Impulse.

With thanks to the publisher who provided me with a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

#boybandlit

Books 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.

During 2016 I've read and reviewed (and loved ) Love Song by Sophia Bennett and Songs About a Girl by Chris Russell, and I've also read...

Kill The Boyband - Goldy Moldavsky

 

 

 

The Blurb

Fangirls get a bad rap all the time - people say we're weird, hysterical, obsessed, certifiable. But those people don't understand.

Just because we're fangirls, doesn't mean we're crazy.

It's important you know that up front. Because everything I'm about to tell you is going to seem . . . well, crazy.

From thrilling debut author Goldy Moldavsky comes Kill The Boy Band, 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'.

The Review



Kill The Boyband 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.

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.

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.

Aimee and the Heartthrob - Ophelia London

The Blurb

 

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…

 

 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…

 

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.

 

But everyone knows that falling for a heartthrob is a backstage pass to heartbreak…

 

The Review

 

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. 

 

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. 

 

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.

 

My Secret Rockstar Boyfriend - Eleanor Wood 

 

 

The Blurb

 

Geeky girl meets famous boy . . . what could go wrong?

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.
So it can't be him that's messaging her on her blog, can it?

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.

Dreams can come true . . .

 

The Review



 

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. 

 

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.

Have you read any books about singer/bands that I really need to read?  I'd love any recommendations!

Songs About a Girl - Chris Russell

The Blurb

Heartbreak, romance, fame and pop music - for anyone who's ever dreamed of saying 'I'm with the band'.

Charlie Bloom never 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.

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 ...

The Review

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.

Chris Russell's debut novel Songs About a Girl 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.

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...

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.

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!

Songs About a Girl is out now in both ebook and paperback.

With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a galley copy of this book in return for an honest review.

One Last Summer at Hideaway Bay - Zoe Cook

The Blurb

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.

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.
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.

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.

I still think about you.

Tom

The Review

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.

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...

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.

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.

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!

This book may appeal to fans of David Nicholls and Jojo Moyes and is a well-crafted debut novel from Zoe Cook.

With thanks to Harper Impulse for providing me with a galley copy of this book in return for an honest review.

How to Keep Writing Romance When Your Life is Far From Romantic - Guest Post from Sarah Harvey

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'. 

 

 

 

Men.  A word that can be said with so many different tones and vocal inflections.  Love them? Hate them? Couldn’t eat a whole one? What would our life be without them?  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”.  Recently divorced, slightly acrimoniously, it wasn’t difficult to see where my marriage had gone wrong.  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.  Our dreams and desires were so different they just couldn’t coexist.  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.  Unfortunately neither would it seem was the German.  So now here I am, single very, disillusioned very.  I aimed for the fairytale and actually ended up turning into the pumpkin.  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”.  So how do you do it?  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.  When your heart is actually really rather broken?  How on earth do you write about romance?

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.  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.  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.  So how can you write when your is broken?  Well when that same heart is still full of hope, anything is possible.

 

How to Hook a Husband is published in ebook by Manilla on July 28th, priced £4.99.

 

Sara Mendes de Costa guest post *Peanuts and Eggcups Blog Tour*

  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...

 

 

I’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!

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 ‘love’ at first sight experience. So a first date was exciting and led to a relationship.

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!

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…

There have been some good experiences too though ☺

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.

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’s table…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’d say)

‘I think my friend would rather like to lick that off you’ !!!!!

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.

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!

Peanuts and Eggcups

For Maggie Parsons there’s only ever been one man: the stunningly delicious Luke Henderson.

Unfortunately, he left her, without explanation, after their ‘first night’ together …breaking her heart

in the process.

 

Now ten years on, without any contact, he’s back and going to her school reunion. Great! And, to

confuse matters…so is his suave, sexy, brother Tony who makes a major play for Maggie, then

turns up with his insufferable - supposedly ex – fiancée!

 

Via the reunion, a black eye, getting the sack (as a result) a madcap girlie holiday and juggling

her confused emotions around the two alluring brothers…Maggie starts to build a picture of what

she really wants in life.

 

Trouble is, Maggie’s a pawn in a game she doesn’t even know she’s playing …and things are

about to get a whole lot more complicated.

 

Available from Amazon UK

 

 

About Sara Mendes da Costa

 

Sara Mendes da Costa is the voice of the BT Speaking Clock; the fourth person to hold this

prestigious title since 1936.

 

A successful, world-renowned voiceover artist, her dulcet tones are easily recognisable on television,

radio, film and across countless media.

 

Never far from the press, she’s known for her appearances on BBC Breakfast, ITV This Morning,

Children in Need, Wake up to Wogan and The Today Programme, and balances her prolific voiceover career with her passion and commitment as a novelist.

 

Peanuts & Eggcups, her debut novel - hotly anticipated by the industry - is “The perfect & highly

addictive reading companion for women’s fiction fans”.

 

A lover of laughter, creativity, great storytelling and a wee dram, Sara adores writing novels and seeks to entertain, uplift and inspire.
 

Her upcoming novels: Time & Time Again & Maggie Ever After, are expected in 2017.

 

Visit: www.saramendesdacosta.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/speakingclock.saramendesdacosta

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BTSpeakingClock

Steel Hawk Blog Blitz!

Introducing STEEL HAWK – a company of alpha-honorable heroes and spirited and strong heroines…

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!

It all starts with an historical romantic suspense set in the birthplace of great engineering and design, The Great Exhibition, London, 1851:

Blurb: To Love a Thief, Steel Hawk, Book 1, by Jane Beckenham BUY LINK: AMAZON

It's one thing to lose your heart. Quite another to have it stolen.

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.

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.

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 not the Pasha Star.

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.

Product Warnings

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.  

And moves to present-day: 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.

 

Blurb: Heart of Steel, Steel Hawk, Book 2, by Eve Devon BUY LINK: AMAZON

Colleague, friend, lover…beautiful liar?

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.

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 definitely shouldn’t start falling for her.

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.

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?

Product Warnings

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!

But with the battle only half-won, STEEL HAWK is about to learn that trust has a price…

 

Blurb: Dangerous Illusions, Steel Hawk, Book 3, by Sarah Balance – publishing August

Keep your lovers close, your enemies closer. Especially if they’re one and the same.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Product Warnings

Contains agonizingly sweet kisses, dirty thoughts, dirtier talk, mutual trust stretched to the limit, and criminal abuse of a thousand-dollar suit jacket.

About the STEEL HAWK Authors:

Take three authors from three different corners of the world…

Jane Beckenham 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!

WEBSITE                   FACEBOOK              TWITTER

Eve Devon 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!

WEBSITE                   TWITTER                   FACEBOOK 

Sarah Ballance 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!

WEBSITE                   FACEBOOK              TWITTER                             

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.

STEEL HAWK – strong as Steel, watchful as a Hawk

 

Recently I've Read...A Whole Lot of Romance

I've read some fantastic romance lately!  Here are the books that have set my heart aflutter - perfect love stories for long summer nights.

 

The One with the Engagement Party - Erin Lawless

 

 

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, The One with the Engagement Party is Erin Lawless at her best.

The Sunshine and Biscotti Club - Jenny Oliver

 

 

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.

The Little Bookshop on the Seine - Rebecca Raisin

 

 

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!  

 

Give them a try - they're the perfect blend of uplifting fun and love-riddled angst.  They're all available NOW.                 

The Girl Who Lied - Sue Fortin BLOG TOUR

Sue Fortin is joining me today to talk about her love of mysteries as part of the blog tour for her new release The Girl Who Lied.  Follow the tour to find out more about both Sue and the novel! 

*

My love of any sort of story with a mystery to it has always been a prominent factor when choosing a book to read, a TV programme to watch or a film to see at the cinema. I have to confess to being an adventure junkie, thrill seeker, code breaker, mystery solver, in fact, anything high-octane with suspense, but all from the safety of my armchair. In particular, is my love for any sort of story with a mystery to be solved.

I blame Enid Blyton for this.

I’ve always enjoyed reading and, like many people my age, I started with Enid Blyton, ‘The Mystery of …’ series being my favourite. I then went onto discover, Agatha Christie, Dick Francis, Minette Walters, Sue Grafton, James Patterson and so on. You can see the pattern.

This love of the mystery extended out into TV shows from gentle Murder She Wrote, Columbo, screen adaptations of Agatha Christie novels to Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, NYPD Blue, The Professionals, Spooks, CIS and more recently Line of Duty, Hinterland and The Bridge.

And, of course, the big screen, where I’m probably more drawn to the action films like Heat, Ronin, Lawless, Last of the Mohicans, Reverend … really the list is endless. Having said that, two of my most favourite mystery films are Sleuth (1972) and The Last of Shelia (1973).

It’s probably not surprising that all these different forms of storytelling have influenced my own writing. Although, initially I wrote a romance, I still couldn’t help bringing in a bit of intrigue and mystery and this is a trend that has seeped more and more into my writing as time has gone on.

My latest novel The Girl Who Lied has lots of secrets and suspense which filters through as the story unfolds. I thoroughly enjoyed writing it and loved adding the twists and turns along the way.

The Girl Who Lied is out now, published by Harper Impulse.