Book News: The Beach Holiday by Anita Hughes

Anita Hughes' debut novel The Beach Holiday is one I've been looking forward to for a while, because it sounds so good! The cover is gorgeously summery and is perfect for a great beach read. It's out on July 19th through Ebury, and I can't wait to read it!

"Have you ever wanted to escape?

When Amanda finds her French husband wrapped around his sous-chef, her perfect life comes crashing down. Worse, Andre seems to think she should just accept his infidelity and carry on as normal for the sake of their young son, Max. 

Devastated by his betrayal, Amanda accepts her mother's offer of an holiday and runs away with Max to an exclusive resort in Laguna Beach. 

The St. Regis Hotel is heaven on earth and Max is having the time of his life. But while Amanda knows she should be using the time to think about what she wants, her life gets more complicated by a meeting with a handsome older man..."


You can pre-order The Beach Holiday as a paperback or an eBook now.

Book Review: The Summer of Secrets by Alison Lucy

"One heady summer. Three big secrets. 1989: Newlyweds Danny and Harriet arrive at their honeymoon paradise in the Caribbean. Days later Harriet returns home. Danny is left distraught but finds comfort in the arms of two women. Nine months later, three baby girls are born... 2010: Megan leaves her childhood sweetheart behind in the UK to go in search of her long-lost father. Miles from home and temptation is at every corner - not least in the arms of the gorgeous Ray... Esmé, a Mexican beauty, married Miguel at fifteen. In unlocking the secrets of her past, can she shed the shackles of her enforced marriage? Claudia has led a life of privilege but she's never really known what it feels like to be loved. Could David be the answer? Or will he disappoint her, just like her mother always did? Three women set off on an adventure to uncover the secrets surrounding their missing father. It may be the only way to lay their demons to rest but seeking out the truth could tear their lives apart."

Rating: 4/5


I've been excited to read this new book from Alison Lucy for a while now. I've loved her previous titles released under the name of Alison Bond, so I knew that even though she's changed to her married name, the stories would still be as good and really enjoyable. The cover for this book is gorgeous, really summery and evocative, and the story inside sounded like it was going to be an interesting read as well! Mexico isn't a setting I have read much about in chick lit before, so I was curious to see how Lucy would portray the place, and if she could make it sound like a summer paradise in my mind, something I always love when reading a seasonal book to get me in the mood for summer!

Danny and Harriet's honeymoon doesn't go to plan, and when Harriet returns back home to England just a few days into their Mexican holiday, Danny is left heart-broken and doesn't know what to do. Nine months, 3 baby girls are born and all grow up with not much idea about their father. Fast forward to 2010 and the girls are grown up. Esmé is unhappily married to Miguel, and feeling that there must be more to life than supporting her husband and brother Ray. Claudia grew up in a privileged background, but isn't close to her family, with her mother living in the UK, and Claudia in Mexico. When she finally meets a man, David, she thinks she'll finally get her happily ever after. Finally, there's Megan who grew up battling with her mother over everything, and decides on a whim to flee to Mexico to find her long-lost father. Will any of the girls meet their father, or are their journeys of discovery destined to end in tears?

I really loved the prologue to this book with Danny and Harriet - it's only short but sets the book up nicely and really lets us get to know the character of Danny well enough to care about him and his three children. I love that no secret is made of the fact he has three children too. Instead, the tension comes from wondering when and if the girls are going to meet their father, and indeed each other, as none of them realises their half-sisters exist. The book whizzes across the world, from the UK with Megan, and later Esmé and Claudia, over to Mexico again which was fantastic as it kept the book fresh and me really involved in the reading. I loved Lucy's descriptions of Mexico, it was written so vividly from the poorer parts where Esmé lived, to the more sumptuous resorts with Claudia, and I could imagine the beautiful sunshine and people in my mind easily.

The characters were really well written as well. There are quite a few of them to get your head around, especially as it's not just the main 3 girls, but the friends and family of those as well, yet I didn't really struggle  to keep up with who was who at all. I don't necessarily think I had a favourite, as there were good and bad things about each of them, but they were all as good as each other and had interesting stories that really added to the book in their own way. I loved how Lucy kept us guessing as to whether the girls would meet up or not, and I kept reading, waiting for the moment to happen and I really enjoyed that tension! The story surrounding their father Danny was a bit of a mystery too, and when you put all of these things together, it does create a fantastic book that I didn't want to put down.

With gorgeous descriptions of Mexico, and dynamic young characters that keep the book fresh with their adventures across the world, The Summer of Secrets is definitely a title you'll want to be flinging into your beach bag for your summer holidays! The hours will melt away as you devour the book, puzzling out the story, and enjoying the story that unfolds for us. I found Lucy's writing extremely easy to read and the pages flew past because I didn't want to stop reading - I needed to find out how it was going to end! The alternating chapters kept it fresh, and allows the story for each character to unfold at a good pace, and keep you guessing. This is a super beach read, and one I would highly recommend, I really enjoyed every page!

You can buy The Summer of Secrets as a paperback or an eBook now.

The eBook of The Summer of Secrets: The Early Years is currently available for free on Amazon.co.uk.

Book News: All That Glitters by Ilana Fox

Ilana Fox is back this summer with her brand new book All That Glitters, and I love the gorgeous purple cover! It's out on 30th August 2012, and sounds like it's going to be a good read, I'll be looking out for this!

"Ella Aldridge seems to have it all. Married to Danny Riding, one of the Premiership's leading goal-scorers, she lives the dream - the mansion, the car, the freebie designer clothes. But Ella and Danny have a secret. Their marriage is not what is seems. Between them, it takes a lot of hard work to fool the press and the nation that they really are Love's Young Dream, when deep down Danny's desires lie elsewhere. With Ella's star in the ascendant, the world is at her feet - a TV show, a fashion column. But then she meets Johnny Cooper, the bad boy of British television. He's ruthlessly charming and sexy, and he can see through Ella's sham of a marriage in a heartbeat. Drawn into a risky, high-octane affair, Ella suddenly realises how much she has to lose and how quickly it can be taken from her?"


You can pre-order All That Glitters as a paperback now!

Book Review: The Charm Bracelet by Melissa Hill

"Every charm bracelet tells a story and Holly O'Neill knows this better than most.

Many years ago she was sent one mysteriously, just a single charm attached. Some time later another charm appeared, and the same happened until the bracelet was almost full. Each charm proved significant, as if her anonymous benefactor knew she needed a little bit of magic in her life.

So when Holly stumbles across another bracelet - one that somebody else has lost - she recognises a lifetime spelt out through the charms, and knows she must try to reunite it with its owner. 

Using each charm to help discover more about the bracelet's owner, Holly gradually begins to piece together details of this other charmed life. And her quest leads her somewhere she never expected..."

Rating: 5/5


I am, and have been since I started reading chick lit, a huge Melissa Hill fan. I think I've read every single book she's published, and considering this is her 11th book and I'm still hooked, she must a pretty damn good writer! I love the way her plots unfold slowly and carefully, always giving me a surprise by the end, and how evocatively she writes, drawing you into the book with ease and making you whizz through the pages until there are none left and you have a year to wait for the next one! I was thrilled to receive a copy of her new The Charm Bracelet, it's purple cover is beautiful and the design once again really complements the title of the book which I love, it's perfect!

Holly O'Neill is living in New York, and loves her job working at a vintage store. She adores the clothes, and the stories each of them holds, and loves nothing more than making up tales for her customers about the clothes. When she finds a charm bracelet in one of the items, she's intent on reuniting it with its owner - not least because she has a charm bracelet herself which is very precious to her. Holly doesn't know who sends her the charms for her bracelet but each one represents something in her own life that is significant to her. Holly sets about the impossible - giving the bracelet back to its rightful owner without any real information to help her. Are the charms going to be the clue to giving it back to the person it belongs to?

I was thrilled straight away to see this book was set in New York, one of my favourite places in the world. Readers of Melissa's books will know her last book, Something From Tiffany's, was partly set in NYC so clearly it's a fond place for Melissa too. What I really loved about this book was the complete focus on the two charm bracelets that are so important to the stories - Holly's own bracelet, and the one she finds in the shop. Holly's story is told both in the present day, but also through the charms she has on her bracelet. Each one represents an event that is significant in her life, and as she ponders the charms, we are told more about her story, and her bringing up her son alone. It really allows us to get to know Holly well, and she was such a well created character, she was a joy to read about. She's a great, positive role model as a single mother as well which I really enjoyed reading.

Hill has a way of writing that really draws you in, and I love her descriptions of not only the intricate charms and their stories, but the setting of New York, the people and the adventures Holly gets up to on her quest to reunite the bracelet. Though Holly is the main focus of the book, we also meet another character who crops up too with his own story, and that's Greg. It isn't immediately clear how Greg factors in to the book, but he has his own story developing as the book progressed, and soon enough I was hooked into this one too, wondering what he had to do with Holly and her story, yet intrigued by his relationship with his fiancée, and the more touching one with his elderly father. In fact, I found the relationships the characters had with others in the book, Greg with his dad and fiancée, Holly with her son, her boss and her mother, all to be very realistic and well written, and Hill manages to tap perfectly into their emotions through her writing.

The book was amazing from start to finish and I loved every single page. Melissa Hill manages to keep you guessing all the way through about the charm bracelet, and the way she weaves the tale will leave you wanting more and more, until you reach the end! I've actually got a charm bracelet of my own that I haven't really worn for years, and reading this book has made me want to start collecting them again and reminiscing on the old charms. I found the storytelling to be marvellous, the way Hill flits between Holly's present day and past tales, to Greg being interwoven throughout the book, it reads smoothly and easily, with a cast of fantastic characters you will love, and not want to leave behind. I think this is one of my favourite Melissa Hill books, and is certainly one I will come back to again, and there aren't many books I can say that about. Simply a delight to read, I loved it all.


You can buy The Charm Bracelet as a hardback or an eBook now.

Picture This, Picture That: Fallen Angels by Tara Hyland

Tara Hyland's second novel Fallen Angels came out yesterday, and I have to say I really like the cover change for the new release (right)! While I liked the cover for the original publication (left), I felt it was trying too hard to be like the historical fiction covers we get, whereas the new lighter, brighter look for the paperback is far nice and would appeal to me much more. Having already read the book, I feel it suits it better too. Tara has been lucky getting 2 such pretty covers, but which is your favourite? Vote on the poll below and let me know!

surveys & polls

Blog Tour Guest Post: Helen Rochfort

For the second part of Carole Matthew's blog tour at my site today, I also have a guest post from the woman who inspired Summer Daydreams, Helen Rochfort. Carole wrote the book based on Helen's life, family and designer handbags, and Helen kindly agreed to write a short piece for me! Thanks Helen.

"The idea for the book all started over a couple of glasses of wine (or three!). Carole and I had become firm friends after initially meeting over Facebook. My status picture was a snap of Barbara Cartland and Carole thought I would be a romance writer - but it was just my wacky sense of humour. She fell in love with my handbags and, over the months, we kept in touch through the internet. Then Carole asked  me to create a limited edition handbag for The Chocolate Lovers’ Club.  When we got chatting about life in general, Carole picked up on the fact that I’d had quite a lot colourful experiences as I’d tried to get my business off the ground and she felt that it would be a great story for one of her novels.  Sometimes, life really is a lot stranger and more crazy than fiction!

Carole then approached me about the idea of featuring my story in a book and I was blown away. Life was - and still is  - a crazy rollercoaster of juggling motherhood, the busy Helen Rochfort company, family, friendships and  handbags. I am still pinching myself now that a novel has been written by Carole, one of my favourite romantic comedy authors, reflecting  our experiences big and small, good and bad. It’s really weird seeing it on the page, but I’m also really pleased with it.

As the novel developed, we met up at a local Pizzeria in Hitchin - where I live - to chat through everything that I had experienced. We talked about when I’d first started out as a Fashion and Textile student right up to current experiences and stories. It was quite an emotional and therapeutic  process for me. The last ten years have been incredibly tough - we’ve had a lot of ups and downs along the way and the book is a fantastic mirror of our experiences but on a much shorter timescale. It’s great that something so wonderful and positive has come out of it. Thank you, Summer Daydreams!"


You can buy Summer Daydreams as a paperback or an eBook now.

Author Guest Post: Carole Matthews

Today I am delighted to welcome the lovely Carole Matthews as part of her blog tour for the publication of her new book Summer Daydreams. Carole kindly agreed to write a post for me on how to be a writer, and it makes for great reading! Thank you Carole, and please enjoy the post :)

"I think the process of becoming a writer starts very early in life. If you’re an only child, painfully shy and are blessed with some sort of affliction that means your peers at school can tease the buggery out of you morning, noon and night - terrible buck teeth in my case - then you are, quite frankly, off to a flying start. If your parents divorce in a hideous manner when you’re still young and, on top of that, you’re taught by nuns in an all-girl convent school, then you’re really starting to hit pay dirt. Not going on to achieve your full potential, dropping out of education to get engaged at seventeen because you think it’s ‘true lurrrve’ and then going on to suffer wide-ranging romantic loss, humiliation and, preferably two divorces of your own under your belt by the time you’re thirty, is all grist to the mill. If you wander in and out of a series of unchallenging jobs where you spend most of your time looking out of the window, thinking what might have been, I have a lot of hope for you. And, finally, if you write all this on scraps of paper, secreted round your house and your person as if your life depends on it - yet it’s never to be seen by anyone else -  or tell your tales of woe to your girlfriends at every possibly opportunity and never let the facts stand in the way of a good story, then the chances are that you are destined to become a writer.  

If you use humour to deal with difficult situations, often inappropriately, then you could well become a chicklit writer.  You don’t want to be too tortured throughout your life or you’ll end up writing misery stories and that’s well... miserable. 

The bad news is, if you’ve had a idyllic childhood, perfectly well-balanced parents, a satisfying and successful career and lovely homelife with  your first boyfriend, Steady Eddy from down the street, then  I’m sorry to say that, in the writer stakes, you are a complete loser. 

I think it helps if to ease all this suffering that you don’t go to counselling or invest of years of expensive therapy, instead you let it brew to a lovely stew inside you whilst, at the same time, pretending everything’s fine if you just stick your nose in a book. To escape into the fantasy world of novels, I have found, is a marvellous coping mechanism. Though it does sometimes result in a lot of burned dinners. 

I have Little Women and Black Beauty to thank for getting me through primary school and Holden Cauldfield  from Catcher in the Rye for letting me know I was not alone. Jackie Collins and Sidney Sheldon helped considerably with my teenage angst - or possibly gave me a lot more things to worry about. I read my way through my working day and, when I was a beauty therapist, had a book group before book groups were invented where we all swapped reading matter and my taste became more eclectic. Through the long nights of loneliness after yet another failed relationship I turned to Stephen King and Dean Koontz to make absolutely sure I was wide-eyed and terrified until dawn. 

Then with all the turmoil of angst, glamour, romance, loss and horror swirling to boiling point in my brain, along came Bridget Jones. She was funny, flawed and wore big pants. And seemed an awful lot like me. Women instantly fell in love with her and her quirky diary. For the first time in my life, I could read about someone I could relate to. Someone who wasn’t called Blaze Champagne and had diamonds dangling from every appendage. Also, for the first time, it felt as if someone might actually be interested in what I too had to say. I had an ordinary life. Now, ordinary could be funny. Now  it wasn’t just women who lived in penthouse apartments and spent their weekends on yachts that filled books. It was women like me.  

Suddenly all my years of sitting on the sidelines watching, all the troubled relationships, all the hurts and disappointment, all the dodgy jobs became very useful indeed! I poured it all out onto the page at breakneck speed. And haven’t really stopped since. 

I had a very quick route to publishing and within a year, my first book, Let’s Meet on Platform 8 came out. Now my twentieth book - Summer Daydreams -  is about to be published. The shy little girl they called ‘Bugs Bunny’ has come quite a long way. 

I feel as if my whole life, including all the wrong turns, led up to me being a writer and I believe I’ve found my proper place in the world. How many people are lucky enough to say that? Still, every day, I thank God for Bridget Jones and for orthodontics. "