BOOK REVIEW: My Favourite Manson Girl by Alison Umminger

I'm not normally a big reader of YA fiction, but now and again I'll delve into it. Over the past few months however, I've come across some titles that have been hard to pass up. one of them being My Favourite Manson Girl by Alison Umminger, in which a teenager experiencing family issues heads to Hollywood and finds herself researching the girls of the notorious Manson family.

Ever since my younger years, hearing about Charles Manson and the killing spree of his 'family' in the 1960s, I've been intrigued by the girls that followed him, and often found myself interested in how the girls that followed Manson so adoringly allowed themselves to become killers. This is what attracted me to My Favourite Manson Girl - it made for a a VERY interesting plot.

Fifteen-year-old Anna, after some trouble at home in Atlanta, steals the credit card of her mom's new wife and heads to LA to visit her older sister Delia. Delia is a young actress, a star in the making (or so she would like people to believe), living a charmed life in glamorous Hollywood.

Anna's plan is to stay with Delia until her mom ceases being mad, and also until she can pay back the stolen cash for her plane ticket. When Delia's ex Roger, an eccentric film producer, offers to pay her to research the Manson girls for an upcoming movie, Anna can hardly turn it down.

As the weeks pass, Anna spends her summer reading and hanging out on set with the actors of Chips Ahoy! - a cheesy kids' sitcom of which Dex, Delia's new boyfriend, is one of the writers. There she meets Jeremy, star of the show alongside his brother Joshua, and they start to hit it off. However, as her life is going relatively well for a change, Delia's may be at risk - from a stalker who keeps appearing at the house, leaving notes. Delia is secretive about most things in her life, leading Anna to believe that the Hollywood dream she seems to live in may be far from reality.

Admittedly I have mixed feelings about this book. I'll start with the cons: first of all, pretty much all of the characters were awful (besides Dex and Lynette. Jeremy too, maybe). Don't get me wrong, this isn't necessarily a bad thing - this is Hollywood. The book explores the reality behind the glitz. I hardly expected every character to be lovely and sweet. However, Anna herself was incredibly selfish, often mean, generally unlikable. It was just hard to relate to her at all.

Secondly, the plot didn't really go anywhere. I guess I felt that, due to the Manson research Anna was carrying out (I really enjoyed these parts), that the Manson plot would inevitably lead somewhere. But it didn't. Nothing really happened in this book, even though the blurb seemed (to me, anyway) to hint at a bit of a mystery, and I felt a bit let down at the end. It wasn't too compelling either - I found it easy to put down and didn't feel excited about picking it back up again. I'm glad I finished it though.

As for the pros? Well, this book doesn't focus heavily on romance, which is something I really liked about it. It's refreshing in that way. There is no big love story here.

And it's unique. Like I mentioned before, I'm not a big YA reader. But this did stand out as a very different, very real novel. It's not a glam tale of Hollywood life; it focuses on the reality. I did like the idea that Hollywood isn't perfect, that you have to be careful who to trust. Just like the Manson girls; girls who were once normal, who had parents, who went to Homecoming and wanted to be pretty, to be loved. And eventually, they killed for it.

This seemed like a promising read, and there were elements I enjoyed, but in the end it was just 'okay'. However, that's just my verdict. This is one of those books that I'd strongly urge you to check out for yourself.

Rating: 3/5

BOOK REVIEW: The Inheritance by Angie Coleman

The Inheritance is the new novel by Angie Coleman, published by Aria. I'll start by saying I'm not normally one for primarily romance-focused novels, but the premise of this one pulled me in.

Ashley Morgan has her life already planned out after graduation. She'll return to the family home and take the reins of the family business. However, things don't seem to go her way. Instead, her father hands over the management of Morgan & Hall to his protegee, Jamie Standley. Upset, Ashley storms out, tearing up a gift from her father in the process.

Three years later, after her father's death, Ashley is forced to return to the family home for the reading of his will. There, it's revealed that both Jamie and Ashley will receive a share in the business. That is, under one condition...that the pair work and live together for a year.

Faced with the prospect of losing to Jamie, Ashley reluctantly agrees. Even though it means she'll be forced to live under tha same roof as Jamie, the man who effectively ruined her future, for an entire year...

Ashley is convinced that Jamie has always had other motives. That he cannot be trusted. And now she's going to get her own back. If, of course, she can manage to ignore Jamie's charm...

Okay, so the plot of The Inheritance is rather exciting. Guy takes over girl's dream, girl gets angry, they're forced to live together, she vows to get revenge. Even though the romantic aspect sounded (and was) entirely predictable, the rest of the premise was what interested me. However, I felt a bit let down by this book.

The main issue? Ashley. Ashley comes across as a spoiled, immature teenager throughout this novel, constantly throwing tantrums. At the beginning of the novel I was starting to warm to her, until she tore up her father's gift and stomped out. Whilst cohabiting with Jamie, she is incredibly stubborn and often quite nasty. I was expecting more from the 'revenge' aspect of this book, but instead, all I seemed to read was Ashley throwing another tantrum, or doing something incredibly childish. (For example, texting Jamie's staff and arranging for the lab to be closed for three days, thus risking lack of pay for the employees and risking missing an important deadline.) And why?

Because Jamie dared to sleep on her favourite sofa.

Due to this, halfway through the book I could see her father's point. And Jamie's, for that matter. I wouldn't trust Ashley to run a business either. So I found it hard to sympathise with her.

She came across as friendly to Jamie one minute, mean the next, constantly holding a grudge even when he was trying to be friendly. Thus, there were quite a few arguments throughout the novel that really weren't needed. I could have forgiven this had the characters been teenagers, but they were not. Ashley is a twenty-four-year-old woman, but acts like a spoilt thirteen-year-old. Her behaviour was a huge distraction from the plot, which I felt had a lot more potential.

That said, this is my own personal opinion, and other readers could think differently. (And like I mentioned before, I'm not a huge reader of romance). Angie Coleman has a nice writing style, and I'd love to read more from her in future. I certainly wouldn't let this one put me off reading her future novels, but this particular book just wasn't for me.

Rating:  3/5

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW: Wrong Number by Carys Jones

Wrong Number is the first in a series by Carys Jones (author of Prime Deception). The sequel to Wrong Number, titled Last Witness, is already out and receiving great reviews, so admittedly I'm a little late to the party here!

Amanda, a successful web designer, leads a happy  life with husband Will. Until one day, she receives a strange phone call, asking for a Jake Burton. The mysterious caller is adamant that Jake lives at the property. Amanda puts it down to a simple wrong number.

But then Will disappears.

Leaving without so much as a note or call is extremely out of character for her normally meticulous husband Will. Worried and frantic about his whereabouts, she contacts the police. Meanwhile, using her skills as a former hacker, Amanda starts to look into Will's online presence. And things just don't seem to add up...

When will is officially declared missing, the police officer on the case is none other than Amanda's ex boyfriend Shane. A man who knows everything about Amanda's past. Shane is now in a new relationship, but with the pair working closely on the investigation of Will's disappearance, will Shane and Amanda fall for one another again?

When I saw this book on Netgalley I had to request it, because I love a good thriller, and the premise of Wrong Number sounded gripping. It is...but not straight away. The action and suspense seems to pick up in the second half. It's quite slow at first, but I carried on, and was glad because the story does get better.

I particularly enjoyed the darkweb element of the book. It was original, and made for an interesting glimpse into the past of Amanda, who isn't the perfect wife that she initially seems. I liked that Amanda has a secret past, one she's not particularly proud of.

Wrong Number seems, to me anyway, to be less of a fast-paced thriller and more of a mystery with a bit of romance. I found this with Carys's previous novel, Prime Deception. Now, I am partial to a romantic sub-plot, however this book seems to be marketed as a thriller, which may mislead some readers who are looking for something more gripping and psychological. The ending was, in my opinion, a little bit hurried.

I don't want to spoil too much, but I enjoyed Wrong Number; Carys Jones is a great writer, and even though this book is slightly predictable and a bit slower than I had expected, it's still a good read overall!

Rating: 3/5

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW: Stuck With You by Carla Burgess

What's can be more scary than being stuck in a lift? (Okay, okay. Many things. But still.) How about being stuck in a lift with the college crush you stalked adored?

This is exactly what happens to Elena in Stuck With You, the new novel from Carla Burgess (author of Marry Me Tomorrow). Can we just appreciate the prettiness of this cover for a moment?

The cover and premise are what attracted me to this novel. It seemed quite fun, even though I'm not normally one for overly-sweet romances. 'But,' you may ask, 'you blog about chick-lit. How can you not like romance?!' This is true, and I do enjoy romance in my reads - I just like more to a story than two people falling in love.

Which is probably why I didn't enjoy this novel quite as much as I'd expected.

Elena has fantasised over colleage heartthrob Daniel Moore for years. In fact, she constantly replays in her mind the moment of his prom-night kiss to this day, even though she's older and in a long-term relationship with boyfriend Alex.

However, things haven't been too good with Alex for some time, and this lack of passion is confirmed when Alex, quite horribly, dumps her. Forced to live with her parents again in her teenage room (which amusingly contains the 'Daniel Box' full of colleage mementoes...), Elena intends to embark on a new Alex-free life.

But things soon change when she gets trapped in a supermarket elevator...with none other than Daniel Moore.

The chance encounter leads to some interesting conversation and reminiscing (after the initial awkwardness) - after all, which girl didn't fancy the sexy, confident aspiring rock star Daniel? Soon they're meeting up, and on a journey that'll determine whether or not their lift experience was a crafty act of fate...

This was a sweet book. If you like boy-meets-girl, getting-to-know-you stories, then Stuck With You should be on your reading list. To me, however, it was just 'okay'. I think I just expected more from it, maybe more humour or events - something other than a predictable romance. I found myself skim-reading a lot of chapters, and only because I wanted to find out what happened at the end - mainly with Alex (who, I have to say, is horrible. Almost TOO horrible. I don't think I've ever wanted to punch a chick-lit character more than this guy). I wanted to know if he might get some sort of comeuppance, if just for the way he treated Elena. At first I felt that she could have stuck up for herself a bit more, but I know that sometimes it's best to just move on.

I liked Elena, and after her lack of luck at the beginning of the book, I wanted her to find happiness. I found her lift encounter with Daniel to be sweet and a bit funny (I think for some of us, bumping into your teenage crush would be horrifying!)

Stuck With You is a good read for romance fans. I wish I could say I enjoyed it more, but I just think it fell flat after a certain point, and there wasn't much to the story besides the two of them getting to know each other as they went about their day-to-day lives. That said, I don't think this was an issue with the book or the author (especially seeing as most readers have loved the novel, and it's gained some great reviews). I think it was just down to personal preference - I only took a chance on this obvious love story because it seemed more interesting than others. I know this may seem like an odd review, but I aim to be fair to both readers and authors in my reviews, and I truly feel that this was not a bad book, it just wasn't my kind of thing.

Rating: 3/5

BOOK REVIEW: Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

When I found out that Liane Moriarty had released another novel I was excited; I've been a fan since reading The Husband's Secret back in 2014, so was looking forward to Truly Madly Guilty.

The novel opens with well-known cellist Clementine presenting a talk at a local community centre. It's a talk about a significant day in her life, which started as any normal day. Clementine resides in suburban Sydney with husband Sam and their two young children. When they agree to meet up with Erica, Clementine's best friend since childhood, Clementine and Sam have no idea just what Erica and her husband Oliver are about to ask of them. Of her.

It's a life-changing question. And before Clementine fully has time to consider her answer, the two couples are invited to a barbecue by overly-friendly, outgoing neighbours Vid and Tiffany. A barbecue, during which something supposedly goes very wrong.

Now this sounds like a great premise, and the suspense in Liane Moriarty's novels is one of the reasons why I enjoy them so much. Truly Madly Guilty is full of suspense, which is why I'm trying not to give away too much of the plot (I hate spoilers with a passion.) However, the suspense and drama-filled hinting about what happened at the barbecue was, for me, this book's downfall.

The novel focuses on the three couples in the days leading up to the barbecue, which is the focal point of almost every chapter. The book provides a glimpse into the relationships of the three women and their husbands and friends; successful Erica, whose seemingly perfect life is not as complete as people think, leaving her forced to turn to Clementine for help. Creative Clementine, with her happy family, having had to play sister to Erica for most of her life. And Tiffany, wife of bright and loving Vid, with her slightly colourful past and the worry it's causing now that she's a wealthy suburban mother. All of the women are facing their own problems and insecurities, which are due to collide at the barbecue.

My main issue with this novel was that it focused so heavily on the events of the barbecue, that when the incident finally occurred, it was nowhere near as shocking as the build-up throughout the book made it out to be. I was expecting a vastly dramatic event so life-changing for all three couples that there would be no going back from it. Admittedly I felt a bit cheated, as though I had potentially missed something. It was disappointing, mainly because Truly Madly Guilty would have been a great read without the promise of a huge event (which, sadly, didn't arrive). I enjoyed delving into the lives of the three families, with their emotions, secrets and personal struggles. For example, I was particularly interested in the relationship between Erica and Clementine, how they were as children, and how their somewhat forced friendship led Clementine to her own self-doubt, and fear of being seen as selfish. I loved that part of the book, and Tiffany's story also kept me reading.

Though the premise of Truly Madly Guilty kept me hooked, this novel was spoiled a bit for me by the barbecue issue/supposed 'event'. If you're expecting a huge twist in this book then you may well be disappointed. However, it was still quite enjoyable and as a fan of Liane's other works, I won't let this deter me from reading her future releases.

Rating: 3/5

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW: Rebound by Aga Lesiewicz

I'm a fan of thrillers and was intrigued when I received a copy of Rebound by former TV producer Aga Lesiewicz. Published by Pan Macmillan last month, Rebound is Aga's debut novel.

Anna has an enviable life; a brilliant job as a media executive, a house in London. Best friend Bell. Freedom. Having just ended her relationship with boyfriend James, Anna focuses on work - especially with the big changes that are ahead - her best friend Bell, and her hobby, running on the Heath with beloved dog Wispa.

One evening she meets a mysterious stranger whilst out jogging, leading to an encounter that makes her question her own morals. And it doesn't stop - Anna can't seem to keep away from the unnamed man she dubs 'the Dior Man' - someone she can't stop thinking about, even though she knows that the whole situation is not only wrong, but very dangerous.

Especially when there's a sudden influx of crimes around the Heath.

Meanwhile, Anna meets some new neighbours, which is when things start to get creepy. It soon becomes apparent that Anna is not safe, but with no idea as to who is responsible for the recent goings-on, Anna seemingly has nowhere to turn.

I'll stop before I go into any potential spoilers, but I will say that Rebound was an enjoyable read, apart from one thing - I didn't like Anna at all. I didn't from the start, which is why it took me a couple of chapters to really get into the novel, although I'm very glad I did. Anna comes across as an extremely shallow individual. The decisions she makes throughout the book are dangerous and rather unbelievable for an apparently intelligent individual; she doesn't seem to realise that she's risking her own life. Her attitudes and decision-making after a shocking event in the book (I won't spoil it, but it's very intense) made me sigh with disbelief. Not only that, but Anna seems to believe that every male she comes into contact with is attracted to her. It got to a point where I wanted to find out who was behind what was happening to her, but as for Anna herself, I didn't really care.

The ending was, for me, a bit disappointing, however in terms of pace and plot, Rebound is rather addictive - I soon found it hard to put down. This is Aga's debut and I would certainly read more of her work.

Rating: 3/5

BOOK REVIEW: His Other Life by Beth Thomas

I had been looking forward to His Other Life by Beth Thomas for some time, especially as I had heard good reviews about Beth's other novel, Carry You. Other reasons? The cover is spellbinding, and I love a good mystery, so the synopsis really pulled me in.

Grace’s new husband Adam seems like the perfect package. Good looking, great job, completely charming – almost too good to be true... 

So when Adam suddenly disappears from Grace’s life, she is left bewildered and heartbroken. And with a lot of unanswered questions.

As she tries desperately to find him, Grace opens a Pandora’s Box of secrets and lies – and starts to learn that Adam wasn’t so perfect after all.

Grace is leading a seemingly happy life with new husband Adam. In fact, she still can't believe how lucky she is. With his great job as an estate agent and his charming demeanor, Grace is looking forward to a cosy life with her lovely husband. That is, until he receives a mysterious text - and a strange voice message from a man called Leon. Just what is Adam hiding?

But before she can question him about it, Adam disappears. When he doesn't return from picking up a takeaway, Grace begins to worry, because Adam is gone. Completely. With no clues as to why her husband has vanished (besides the mysterious Leon), Grace is determined to solve the mystery. With the help of her best friend Ginger and  Ginger's police officer brother Matt, Grace begins her search, with a key found in Adam's belongings leading her to a safe. A safe that is about to uncover her 'perfect' husband's big secret...

I had high hopes for this book, especially at the beginning. The first chapter begins with Grace seeing a text on Adam's phone, and I was instantly intrigued. However, I found that the story became quite slow after Adam's initial disappearance, and often throughout the book. Another odd thing I found is that after the anger at the start of the book, Grace didn't seem too bothered about Adam shortly afterwards, which seemed a bit out of character given that her love for her apparent Mr Right was implied since the start of the book. It didn't take long for Grace to turn her attentions to Matt, and even though people deal with grief in various ways (and Adam's faults were becoming clearer throughout the story), there was just something strange about Grace's behaviour.

In addition, Adam's big secret was a bit of a let-down. I won't elaborate due to the obvious risk of spoilers, but even though it was unpredictable, it was just a bit disappointing.

His Other Life did convey elements of a crime novel, and I really enjoyed this, no doubt because I am a fan of both crime fiction and chick-lit, and sometimes this mixture works extremely well. And it did here, somewhat. I just found that it had more potential.

That said, I enjoy Beth's writing style, and definitely would not hesitate to read her future novels.

Rating: 3/5