The Chic Boutique On Baker Street by Rachel Dove . Review

This is the gorgeous debut novel by Rachel Dove and it is fabulous!

The story centers around Amanda, she has  moved to the beautiful village of Westfield and opens a  craft business there . Starting a completely different life in this small village is a real eye opener, but almost everyone is very welcoming making the move easier. 

Like most small villages it's not long before residents start taking an interest in her for one reason or another and there is quite a bit of tongue in cheek meddling going on , often with the help of Agatha, the prickly most domineering female in the community. This was a gorgeous story , set in an idyllic village with a fun plot and very likeable characters. I will definetly be looking forward to more books by this author. 

I received this book from the lovely people over at Mira UK .

This book is going to be published on the 21st of April ,and will be available from all good bookstores then .

Below please find the links.

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29409003-the-chic-boutique-on-baker-street

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Chic-Boutique-Baker-Street/dp/0263922022

Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica . Review

This was a mixture of mystery and unease . The main characters are Quinn telling us one part of the story and Alex telling us another . When Quinn leaves her friend alone in their apartment when she goes out one night when she returns her friend is missing and Quinn immediately feels something is wrong . Not too far away is a young man called Alex who encounters a beautiful young woman and he is completely entranced by her. It's not apparent straight away what's going on , in fact the book keeps you guessing for a long time making the mystery all the more sweeter when you get all the answers . This is one of those books you think of long after you finish reading it. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Netgalley.

Thai book is being published by Harlequin / Mira UK 

This book is being published 17th May and will be available where all good books are sold.

Below please find the links:

Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27821486-don-t-you-cry

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Dont-You-Cry-Mary-Kubica/dp/0778319059

Mary Kubica:

http://www.marykubica.com/

The Swimming Pool by Louise Candlish. Review

This is a dark and eerie story about one summer at the new Elm Hill Lido club that has a glorious swimming pool . The main character is Natalie, a school teacher on her summer holidays who is encouraged along to this seemingly idyllic place by the glamourous Lara. The place is great fun , and Natalie is drawn to it even more because of Lara , but not everything in this bright shiny world is at it seems and the darker side of it is just waiting to come out and cause plenty of hurt. 

I really loved this story , the twists were surprising , and kept me on my toes .

The characters are not all as they seem ,making the plot twists all the more surprising . I really enjoyed this!

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk.

This book is being published May 2016 and will be available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores then.

Below please find a link to this book:

http://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/15768/The-Swimming-Pool-by-Louise-Candlish.html

Six Tudor Queens by Alison Weir . Review

This is the story about Katherine of Aragon who became queen of England . Katherine was married to Henry VIII and reading the story about their notorious marriage was impossible to put down. 

Katherine was a very devout and dignified young woman when she moved from her home of Spain to England where she was destined to many dark moments in her life . You have to admire her strength , losing so many children and her husbands behaviour towards her would be enough to destroy most other  women. Her belief in her faith seemed to be the one thing she could rely on and turn to when she was shaken and unsure of what life had in store for her . 

I thought about how daunting it must have been for her and other future queens at that time, as very young girls , and women,  to leave their homes and families and go and get married and perhaps not see their family again  . They were all terribly brave. I recommend this wonderful book for all fans of history . 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk

This book is being published in May 2016 and will be available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores then .

Below please find a link to this book:

http://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/15699/Katherine-of-Aragon-the-True-Queen-by-Alison-Weir.html

Why I Went Back by James Clammer. Review

The main character of the story is a teenager called Aidan. Aidan is having a tough time in his life right now as his mother has been admitted into a psychiatric unit and his father has taken it bad by failing at his postman job by taking the post home . This all terrifies Aidan and he lives in fear on a daily basis that he will be put into care. When pushed to the limit one day when something happens to him he does not hesitate to go and try and sort the problem out but it manages to add to his problems . If you like a feel good story about friendship , family and hope then this is the  story for you. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading4kids.

 This book is going to be published April 2016 and will be available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores then .

Below please find a ink to this book on the Lovereading4kids website. 

http://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/9781783443772/isbn/Why-I-Went-Back-by-James-Clammer.html

Kelly Florentia / Publishing Day

Tomorrow , Thursday the 24th March is publishing day for this awesome book , The Magic Touch by Kelly Florentia ,published by Accent .

Having recently read this I can tell you it's fabulous ! I will leave a link below to where you can find out some more about this book and some information about this awesome author and all round cool human. 

Blurb: Marriage isn’t high on 39-year-old Emma King’s list of priorities; after all, she’s been there and done it once. So there are no big surprises when, yet again, she turns down her long-term partner Harry’s marriage proposal. They’re a solid, secure couple – a piece of paper won’t make any difference. That is until she accidentally stumbles across a flirtatious text message from one of his female colleagues on his phone. Overcome with suspicion and an impending fear of losing Harry, Emma goes on a quest to get to the bottom of his secret affair with the help of her ninety-three-year-old neighbour, Alistair, her best friend Ola, and Harry’s sister-in-law’s psychic app, The Magic Touch.

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Magic-Touch-Kelly-Florentia-ebook/dp/B01A71UKT2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1457972874&sr=8-2&keywords=kelly+florentia

http://www.kellyflorentia.co.uk/

Kelly's bio:

Bio: Kelly Florentia was born and bred in north London, where she continues to live with her husband Joe, and where her novels are set. The Magic Touch is her debut. 

Before writing her first novel, Kelly wrote short stories, many of which have been published globally in women's magazines and featured in charity anthologies. To Tell A Tale Or Two... is a collection of 12 of her short tales. 

When she isn't tapping away on her keyboard, Kelly enjoys jogging, reading, and long walks. Hobbies include eating cakes, scoffing crisps, chatting on social media, and the odd game of Candy Crush Saga! She is currently working on her third novel.

My own review of this book:

http://edelwaugh.blogspot.ie/2016/03/the-magic-touch-by-kelly-florentia.html?m=1

Dear Amy by Helen Callaghan . Review

This is the story about an agony aunt called Dear Amy. Amy's real name is Margot . When Margot receives mail one day for her newspaper column claiming to be from a missing girl asking for help, it opens a can of worms more disturbing then could ever be imagined .

The story is gripping from the opening pages and stays that way throughout the story , you are never certain if the letters are real , sent my a sick joker or by someone even more depraved . 

The story is a very interesting one  as you are never quite sure how reliable the main character is , the story is also terrifying and thought provoking , seeing inside the head of the victim just before the kidnap made me get goosebumps . I had to admire Amy , she is a gutsy female in a subtle but very effective way and she makes a great main character . I recommend this if you liked books like The Girl On The Train and Gone Girl. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk

This book is going to be published in June 2016 and will be available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores then. Below please find a link to this book:

http://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/9780718183752/isbn/Dear-Amy-by-Helen-Callaghan.html

Love Song by Sophia Bennett . Review

When teenage girl Nina accompanied her younger sister to meet her sisters favourite band,  little did she know that it was going to turn her world upside down . The point are a hugely successful band with a huge fan base so when Nina helps a band members girlfriend in a crisis it leads to some very exciting opportunities . Leaving her own life behind for a while she sees the ups and downs of the life of those celebrities in the public eye and it is quite the eye opener .

This was a fun and sweet story . Nina is a sensible , reliable and down to earth character making her the perfect person to keep an eye on male band members while keeping her own feet on the ground. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading4kids. This book is now published and is available from Lovereading4kids and all other good bookstores now. 

Below please find a link to this book :

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/book/9781910002728/isbn/Love-Song-by-Sophia-Bennett.html/noredirect

My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith. Review

This is the story about a food writer called Paul. Paul has recently been dumped by his wife and needs to immerse himself into work if he is to move on with his life. When he gets the chance to travel to Montalcino in Italy he jumps at the chance to get away from his recent breakup ,see this beautiful place and get some inspiration for his book. This was a delightful story about the ups and downs of love, the power of a fresh start and the delightful people and scenery of the Italian countryside told with plenty of humour. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk. 

This book is being published May 2016 and will be available from Lovereading.co.uk and all other good bookstores then.

Below please find a link to this book o the Lovereading website:

http://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/15698/My-Italian-Bulldozer-by-Alexander-McCall-Smith.html

The Magic Touch by Kelly Florentia . Review

This is the story about a thirty something woman called Emma. Emma is a book illustrator and in a long term relationship with the lovely Harry who is a nurse ,and comes from a large loving Greek family. The book is set in London , and just as Emma's life is on the up there it is badly shaken when she finds texts from another woman on Harry's phone. Not being one to sit idly by she tries to get to the bottom of it with the help of her friends. 

I really enjoyed this story of love , friendship ,family  ,and with a dash of magic and mystery thrown in. There was some unexpected twists in the story that I did not see coming and I thoroughly loved them , there was also some laugh out loud moments curtesy of Harry's family . I loved them! If you want a real feel good story then check this out! 

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is being published March 24th by Accent Press and will be available from all good booksellers .

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Magic-Touch-Kelly-Florentia-ebook/dp/B01A71UKT2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1457972874&sr=8-2&keywords=kelly+florentia

Kelly's website:

http://www.kellyflorentia.co.uk/

A Quiet Life by Natasha Walter . Review

This is a story about a woman called Laura who moves to England. While living here she finds herself moving in different circles then she is used to and following an unusual path in life. A secret one. 

Laura is a hard  character to understand , she does not give away much about how she feels and is almost emotionless , making her perfect in some ways for some of the things she does. Her relationships seem more functional then anything else and her mannor is cool. The story is interesting , the discription of Laura at that time in history is believable and the ending was very satisfying . I recommend this to all fans of books about war time told from an unusual perspective .

I received this book from review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk

This book is being published June 2016 and will be available from Lovereading and all other food bookstores then. 

http://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/9780008113759/isbn/A-Quiet-Life-by-Natasha-Walter.html

Chasing The Stars by Malorie Blackman

Set in space , this is the story about Aidan and Vee. They are siblings and the only occupants left on their own space craft.  The book opens with them trying to save a group of people in trouble . We see soon after that when these people come on board their ship that it begins a whole lot of trouble for these space travellers. Trust is shaky on board and it is becoming increasingly hard to know who to believe when the peaceful life Vee and Aidan once had has now altered so much on board their ship. It was fascinating seeing their life on board the ship, the ships history and the way they coped when things went wrong . Nathan and Vee were my favourite characters , I loved how capable Vee was of travelling in space , running a ship, yet she could remain very vulnerable too when it came to personal matters making her more human. If you enjoy books about space then I think you will really enjoy this book. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading4kids. This book is being published in April 2016 and will be available from Lovereading4kids and all other good book shops then.

Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading4kids website.

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/book/9780857531414/isbn/Chasing-the-Stars-by-Malorie-Blackman.html/noredirect

The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner. Review

This is the story about a young guy called Dill and his two best friends , Travis and Lydia. These guys live in a small town in Tennassee where religious beliefs are strong in some families and the aim of most of the young is to get out of the town when they finish school . These three friends come from very different backgrounds but somehow their differences make their friendship solid . This is a bittersweet story about friendship, family, tragedy and hurt and how these kids stood by each other through it all . The way books and friends got them through hard times and gave them hope and saved them from the harshness of reality really touched me and the plot left me in tears at times. This is one of those books that you remember long after finishing it. I recommend this to everyone as I can't praise it enough. Beautiful!

I received this book for review from the lovely folks over at Lovereading4kids. This book has been  published and is available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores now.

Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading4kids website.

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/book/12363/The-Serpent-King-by-Jeff-Zentner.html

Kook by Chris Vick . Review

Sam and his mum and sister leave the bright lights of London for his grandmothers home in Cornwall . Sam does not have high hopes for this new home until he meets the exciting and beautiful Jade who is a free spirit with a hint of danger about her. Jade is a surfer and along with her group of friends they enjoy riding the waves of this scenic area , each hoping for that big wave. Sam has little experience with this sport so his new group of friends are going to show him the ropes much to the fear of his mother who lost Sam's dad to the water here. 

The story is about growing up , friendship and loss , and enjoying every little minute of life that you have because it is very precious . I recommend this to anyone but especially if you are interested in surfing as the description of  the waves makes this a really fun filled adrenaline ride .

I received this book for review from the lovely folks over at Lovereading4kids.co.uk

This book is being published in April 2016 and will be available from Lovereading4kids and all other good bookstores then.

Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading4kids.co.uk website

: 

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/search?advselect=0&indsearch=Kook

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrick Backman. Review

Britt-Marie a loyal wife up until the time she found out her husband was up to no good. Keeping house for many years and looking after his children were part of daily life so when the kids grew up and her husband was a swine Britt-Marie finds herself at a bit of a crossroads in her life with a bottle of disinfectant close to hand . Britt -Marie is 63, has very exact ideas about how things should be and she does not like to stray far from those ideas.  Headstrong and determined,  she is in desperate need to change her life before she fears she will fade from this world without anyone noticing. Life, death and friendship are the main topics in the story and there was many moments I spent smiling and sobbing throughout the book. The author makes you think about the important things in life like family, friends, life , and death in such a way that you keep thinking about the story long after you have finished. I recommend this book to everyone it's another remarkable story from this brilliant author. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk

This book is going to be published in July 2016 and will be available from Loveeading and all other good bookstores then. 

Below please find a link to the Lovereading website:

http://www.lovereading.co.uk/

Fire Damage by Kate Medina . Review

When Dr Jessie Flynn is asked to help out on a case involving a child it quickly becomes a bigger more complex case then she first imagined. There is deep trauma  here and it is up to her to win the trust of the four year old boy called Sami if she wants to help him. Not getting much information from his family she is struggling to know exactly what is causing this boy so much stress. This was a fascinating look into families who have family in the army , the stress and trauma , worry and life afterwards . I loved Jessie's character , she is brave and thorough , and really does care for those she comes into contact with through her work . This case really pulls at her heart strings and I had a lump in my throat reading it. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk

This book is going to be published March 2016 and will be available from Lovereading and all other good bookstores then. 

Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading website:

http://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/15582/Fire-Damage-by-Kate-Medina.html

Hitman Anders And The Meaning Of It All by Jonas Jonasson. Review

When thug for hire Anders is released from prison yet again , he is tired of this line of work he has done all his life. Now staying in the Sea Point Hotel he meets Per Persson the receptionist and an atheist female Protestant vicar. This is a truly dreadful hotel these people are in and when Anders suddenly finds a conscience he could not find two more helpful people to help lead him on his new path with hilarious consequences and many tongue in cheek moments. 

I really liked Anders, he was a hitman with his very own unique sense of values and work ethic , but his ability to judge people and alcohol are sorely questionable. I recommend this book to everyone who likes an unusual main character to root for. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at lovereading.co.uk

This book is being published in April 2016 and will be available from lovereading and all other good bookstores then.

Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading website

http://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/15583/Hitman-Anders-and-the-Meaning-of-it-All-by-Jonas-Jonasson.html

Plain Jane by Kim Wood . Review

This is the story of one family's heartbreaking story of having a family member with cancer told through the eyes of the daughter Jane. Jane is really struggling with seeing her younger sister Emma suffer and her whole family life is shaken and unsteady, my heart went out to them all, you really feel for each character as they are all individually effected as well as a whole family. 

Seeing how even the small details of life can be altered when a family member is seriously ill is very thought provoking and at times I had tears in my eyes. Although the story is primarily about a family member with cancer it is also about mental health . I think it was sensitive to the issues as well as being informative .This is a must read !

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading4kids.

This book is going to be published In April and will be available from Lovereading4kids and all other good bookstores then.

Below please find a link to this book on the lovereading4kids website .

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/book/9781847177841/isbn/Plain-Jane-When-Does-Being-Stuck-Become-...-Unstuck--by-Kim-Hood.html/noredirect

The Square Root Of Summer by Harriet-Reuter-Hapgood. Review

When Gottie's grandad dies and the love of her life lets her down at the same time then moves away without telling her it all becomes a little too much for her and she immersed herself in the only thing that makes sense to her , physics and space. It felt like whenever Gottie became overwhelmed with her life it sucked her through a worm hole in time to a time she was happier . I felt really sorry for Gottie, it felt like she was barely keeping her head above water , that too much bad stuff happened to someone so young and she was struggling to find ways to cope and understand .  It was an interesting book that any fan of maths, physics and space would be interested in  .

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading4kids. This book will be published in May 2016

and will be available from Lovereading4kids and all other good bookstores then. 

Below please find a link to this book on the Lovereading4kids website :

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/book/9781509817948/gd/The-Square-Root-of-Summer-by-Harriet-Reuter-Hapgood.html