BOOK REVIEW: Don't Stop Me Now by Colleen Coleman

Don't Stop Me Now is the debut novel from Colleen Coleman -  a book I'd been excited about for quite some time. It's always fun to discover new authors, and the new novel from Colleen - who scooped the Novelicious Undiscovered People's Choice Award - has been one to watch.

Poppy Bloom - well, Doctor Poppy Bloom, now that she has just obtained her PhD in Psychology - has life planned out. With big dreams of life in academia, Poppy is set on gaining a fellowship at prestigious Banbridge University, a feat she has worked incredibly hard for ten years to achieve, along with her handsome boyfriend Gregory.

However, life doesn't always go as planned - and Poppy's dreams are quashed on graduation day when she doesn't get the top spot. And to make it worse, she's dumped by Gregory.

Poppy has no choice but to head back home to her parents' house, unemployed and with no  backup plan. Faced with the prospect of a future vastly different from the one she envisioned, Poppy takes each day as it comes, gradually breaking free from her moping and reconnecting with old friends. When she runs into old schoolfriend Leanne, she finds herself accepting some much-deserved social time. And not to mention meeting up with Leanne's lovely brother Tom...

When a radio phone-in makes Poppy irate, her response causes a host of comments and feedback from the public, leading Poppy to an internship offer. Soon, she's a radio agony aunt, with new friends - and she even finds herself joining a netball team. It may not be the dream she'd prepped herself for, but Poppy soon realises that things don't have to go as planned to be perfect.

Don't Stop Me Now is an inspiring, feel-good read that I'd personally recommend to anyone who has wondered about their chosen life path. (And let's face it, that's a lot of us!)

At first, I really didn't like Poppy; she came across as quite rude and superior, especially to her mother, who seemed to only want to help. I almost put the book down because I really disliked her, though Colleen's wonderfully witty writing style kept me reading. However, her attitude changed throughout the book, and I did start to like her more, and was extremely glad I gave her a chance. Her attitude quickly diminished, revealing a determined, smart and headstrong character who pushed on through, even when her life was turned upside down in the space of one day. Poppy took it all in her stride, and ended up with a whole new life adventure.

Don't Stop Me Now is a promising debut. Colleen Coleman is a highly talented writer and I look forward to her future books.

Rating: 4/5

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

BOOK REVIEW: Whatever Happened to Vicky Hope's Backup Man? by Laura Kemp

Sometimes, life just doesn't go to plan. For Vicky Hope, life is crashing down very quickly indeed, when she finds herself dumped, jobless and back at her parents' place on her thirtieth birthday.

It wasn't what she expected; at twenty-one, Vicky was preparing for her future, about to jet off around the world to embark on a life-changing experience and a bit of fun with her sensible and privileged friend Kat before real life and study took hold. Worrying about her young single status and what the future holds, Vicky and Mikey Murphy made a pact on the night of her farewell barbecue - that if they were still single at thirty, the pair would marry.

Now, eight years later, Vicky's alone. Something she hadn't envisioned all that time ago. And with her life currently in disarray, she decides to track down her former best pals Kat and Mikey, who she hasn't spoken to for years. Only to discover that life has gone on for the others too. Once-quiet Mikey is now a highly successful app designer. Kat, who was always destined for greatness, didn't exactly achieve the glowing future in finance that she had hoped for, and harbours a big secret. Even though they've been separated, Vicky and her friends still share a bond, and it's up to her to not only get her life back on track, but also get back her friends. Including Mikey - but the Mikey that she once knew.

Whatever Happened to Vicky Hope's Back Up Man was a good read. Sweet, nostalgic and warming. Admittedly it did take me a little while to get into it at first - when I began to read about Kat's story, I felt that the book started to pick up. However, it's obvious from the very beginning that Vicky and Mikey share a close bond that's more than friendship, however much they deny it. The chapters are set both in present-day, and also in the past, as we learn more about Vicky, Kat and Mikey's lives throughout their twenties and what happened after the girls went travelling. I did enjoy the sense of nostalgia.

The book includes more than just romance - there is drama, betrayal and tested friendships. I'm not going to reveal any spoilers here, but there are twists in this book that I did not see coming, even though the main plot is quite a predictable one. One thing I particularly liked about the novel was the development of Vicky's character from the beginning to the end, and the prospect of reality. Let's face it, many of us had big dreams when we were twenty-one. Then the real world gets in the way. Laura Kemp has done an amazing job of portraying that young-adult naivete and combining it with the realities of thirty-something life.

Rating: 4/5

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

BOOK REVIEW: The Girls Next Door by Mel Sherratt

The Girls Next Door is the first in a new crime series by Mel Sherratt, author of Taunting The Dead, Somewhere to Hide and Follow the Leader. When it comes to crime novels I'm quite a new reader, but I was intrigued by the premise of The Girls Next Door when I saw it on Netgalley. The new series focuses on Detective Sergeant Eden Berrisford, working in the town of Stockleigh where, in this novel, she's investigating a series of attacks on young women.

When a teenage girl, Deanna Barker, is mistakenly murdered one night, local youngster Katie is arrested for the crime - even though she didn't commit it. With the upcoming murder trial, the residents of Stockleigh are waiting to hear the results. Including the Barkers, notorious on the Mitchell Estate for their intimidating ways. Deanna was killed that night, and it seems like the family are out for revenge. When three teenagers are brutally attacked, DS Eden Berrisford is called in to investigate.

However, the situation becomes worse when Jess, Eden's own niece, goes missing, leading Eden to search for the truth and locate her before it's too late. With the impending trial it's only a matter of time before whoever is holding her teenage niece attempts to get justice of their own.

The novel takes place over a weekend, and focuses on not just Eden, but the other families and teenagers too, such as Katie and her parents, and Eden's sister, Laura. And it soon becomes clear that it's not just the murder trial that's causing a problem for the Stockleigh teens.

Eden is a great character. She's brave, kind, family-focused and relatable.  She's hard working, determined to serve her community, and I was intrigued by how she tackled the situation when her work life and personal life collided in a huge way. I'm looking forward to more novels in the series, to see how this character develops more.

As for the other characters? I'm not so sure. Jess is extremely unlikeable, and I found it quite hard to warm to Laura, Jess's mother. I think this was due to the fact that there were quite a lot of characters in this novel, so they were not given that much depth. However, I enjoyed reading about the teenagers and their secrets, their actions around the trial, in a town that had already seen so much damage with Deanna's murder.

The only big problem I had with The Girls Next Door was Jess's lack of punishment for what she had done. (Of course, I'm not going to reveal it here, but her actions were not exactly angelic). It disappointed me. It's hard to discuss this without launching into a complete spoiler but if you have read the book, you probably know what I'm referring to.

The Girls Next Door is an intriguing read. It is not, however, a 'gripping, edge-of-your-seat' thriller as its cover promises. I did not find this book 'gripping', nor would I have classed it as a thriller. This isn't so much an issue with the book or the author, more with marketing, and it's not the first time I've seen such descriptions on books that turn out to be untrue.  This novel is paced well, has a great lead character, focuses on more realistic crimes and its 'twist' is not huge, or that shocking. And you know what?  I absolutely loved that about it. It didn't HAVE to be shocking. It was refreshing; there was no huge OTT plot twist just for the sake of it. To me, The Girls Next Door seemed to be more of a gritty crime drama than thriller, and I'd love to read more of these.

I definitely want to read more about DS Eden Berrisford. And I'm in luck, because Mel Sherratt's next novel in the series, Don't Look Behind You, is already available!

Rating: 4/5

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

BOOK REVIEW: Blogger Girl by Meredith Schorr

Okay, so I was super excited about Blogger Girl from the moment I heard about it. It's a novel essentially about a chick-lit blogger. Being one of those myself, and also one with a full-time day job, I figured that heroine Kim and I would get along swimmingly.

Kim Long is a busy lady. By day she's a secretary in a law firm. By night she runs very popular chick-lit blog Pastel is the New Black. Juggling her paid job with her many book reviews, blog posts and emails can be difficult at times, but Kim loves it. Even if she seems to have left behind a big dream somewhere along the way...

But things are about to get even trickier for Kim when the news surfaces that her high school nemesis, Hannah Marshak, has just had a book published. A chick-lit book. With Hannah having made Kim's life miserable back in high school, the last thing she wants to do is give Hannah's new novel a glowing review. But how is she going to get out of it?

Meanwhile, Kim's office relationship with hot colleague Nicholas is starting to progress. After having had a crush on him for quite some time, the pair are getting closer. That is, until bitchy new lawyer Daneen steps in to try and do everything in her power to undermine Kim.

With problems in both of her lives - as a secretary and successful blogger - Kim realises that she has to do something about her predicament. And with the help of her friends, she's about to do what all her favourite chick-lit heroines do - find her own happy ending. But will it be that easy?

I enjoyed this novel; it's sweet, with some fun characters and a bit of revenge thrown in. It's typical chick-lit, complete with the bitchy colleague, office hottie, the big rival, friends to help along the way. That aspect of it made me smile, the way that all of these elements in the formula tie in to Kim's own chick-lit story, with her being such a lover of the genre. It's also quite a short novel, and I finished it within a day. It's very well written and perfectly paced.

Admittedly, despite Kim being a character I figured I'd have a lot in common with, I didn't really relate to her. I found her a bit self-absorbed in places, and at certain points I wanted to yell at her for not standing up for herself. What she does to Daneen is amusing, but I feel she could have rectified the situation a lot earlier by being less weak. I also wanted to punch Hannah for being so smug, and in Kim's defense I could only imagine how horrifying it would be for the high school mean girl to come along and swipe your dreams.

Blogger Girl is a great read if you're looking for a sweet, romantic tale with a good dose of humour and revenge! The sequel, Novelista Girl, is also available. I've heard great things about it so I'll definitely be checking it out.

Rating: 4/5

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

BOOK REVIEW: The Ex Factor by Eva Woods

Would you ever date a friend's ex? Personally I always thought of it as a no-go area, but in The Ex Factor, the new novel by Eva Woods (author of The Thirty List), a group of friends does exactly that.

Marnie, Rosa, Ani and Helen are all unlucky in love. When Marnie returns to London after living abroad, the group reunite for drinks and a catch-up. Rosa has recently split from her husband due to his inability to stay faithful. Successful lawyer Ani steers clear of dating seeing as her day job, dealing with messy divorces, proves just how love can go wrong. Freelancer Helen hasn't dated in a long time. Her somewhat secret job - working on a website for married people looking for affairs - doesn't exactly provide a promising outlook. Plus, she still hasn't completely got over her ex. And when Marnie arrives, she might be in a bit of trouble...

Shocked at their lack of love, and fed up with the annoyances of online dating, Marnie comes up with a plan - to each date a friend's ex. After all - the potential date would be 'pre-screened' by a good friend, thus not coming with the chance of dating a potential oddball from an exaggerated dating profile. It's the perfect plan...or is it? Especially when journalist Rosa is asked to write about her latest project in 'freecycling' exes.

I don't want to go on and risk spoiling the book, but when the four pals begin their dates, things begin to get fun. But what about when it gets serious? As Rosa embarks on her latest article, the group start to realise that along with some rather interesting dates, there can be a risk in actually falling for the ex of one of your best friends.

The Ex Factor was an enjoyable, romantic read that I finished quite quickly. Granted, in my many years of reading chick-lit I have read numerous novels focusing on dating, however this one does come with a very interesting premise! I liked each of the characters, especially Helen, and of course, reporter Rosa with her article, as she worked alongside her cheating ex. If you're looking for a warm, lighthearted read then definitely pick up The Ex Factor. (I'm now going to check out The Thirty List!)

Rating: 4/5

BLOG TOUR: Thoughtful by S.C Stephens - Book Review

Over the past two weeks, the Thoughtful blog tour has taken place over quite a few bookish sites, and it's great to be joining them. Thoughtful is the new novel from bestselling author S.C. Stephens, who has also penned Thoughtless (the first book in the series), Effortless and Reckless.

Every story has two sides, and in this new book, the epic love story between Kiera and Kellan is shown through his eyes. 

All Kellan Kyle needs is his guitar, and some clean sheets of paper. Growing up in a house that was far from a home, he learned a hard lesson: You're worthless. Now his life is comfortably filled with passionate music, loyal band mates, and fast women...until he meets her. 

Kiera makes him ache for more. Makes him feel for the first time that he's worth more. But there's one problem - she's his best friend's girl. 

Just when Kellan thought his emotional defenses were rock solid, Kiera's indecisive heart wreaks havoc on his soul, changing him forever. Losing Kiera is not an option.

Admittedly, I hadn't heard of the Thoughtless series until I was contacted about this novel, though I'm rather happy that it was brought to my attention! Having not read first novel Thoughtful, I did wonder if I would be able to follow the story; after all, the first novel focuses on Keira. However, Thoughtful can be read as a standalone novel, though if you haven't read Keira's tale, it might shortly be a new addition to your reading list, as Kellan's story is a good one.

Upcoming rock star Kellan Kyle is on his way to living the dream. A burden on his parents, teenage Kellan spent his years hiding in his room and learning the guitar. His honed talent has provided him with a life of gigs, great bandmates, and of course, plenty of women to choose from. Though after yet another one night stand, something that's starting to become a normality, Kellan begins to wonder just what he's missing. Until he finally begins to fall in love. The downside? Keira is already with his best friend Denny...

I loved Thoughtful; it was a highly enjoyable book that I just had to keep reading - with the complicated circumstances, will the talented musician Kellan Kyle get the girl he desperately wants? - that's made me curious about the other novels in the series. To find out more about S.C. Stephens, head on over to her website - and do check out the great blogs in the Thoughtful blog tour for more reviews and interviews!

Rating: 4/5

BLOG TOUR: The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera - Review

The Awakening of Miss Prim is the newly-released novel by Spanish journalist and novelist, Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera.

Prudencia Prim is a precocious young woman of intelligence and achievement who finds herself at a cross-road in life. In a rare act of spontaneity, she decides to accept the post of private librarian in the far away village of San Ireneo de Arnois. Once there, however, Prudencia discovers that this idyllic place might contain more than she had anticipated.

You do not simply find yourself in San Ireneo de Arnois; you choose to live there. In every shop or street corner, the philosophies of life and how to live it is continually up for debate. As Prudencia becomes increasingly fascinated, and occasionally at odds, with the villagers' struggles to preserve their community in the face of the modern world, she also finds herself becoming compelled by the dashing yet contrarian intellectual who employed her.

When I was contacted about The Awakening of Miss Prim, I was intrigued; it seemed like a unique story, and inviting; something which I would not normally pick up. And I'm glad that I was sent this novel, because it was fantastic.

Beautifully written, The Awakening of Miss Prim follows Prudencia Prim - a young woman with numerous degrees to her name, from political science to medieval Russian art. When Miss Prim takes the job as a librarian for a man known only as The Man in the Wingchair, in the beautiful village of San Ireneo de Arnois, she is unsure of what to expect. The gorgeous, idyllic village is full of interesting people, including her mysterious new employer.

The library vacancy is a rarilty, as all the villagers know. So even when the highly-accomplished Miss Prim turns up (despite the ad stating that 'graduates and postgraduates need not apply'), she realises that life is going to be a lot different in San Ireneo.

The Awakening of Miss Prim is Natalia's first novel, and it is a delightful read. Even though I found Prudencia quite hard to like at the very beginning, I soon warmed to her character and found her quite charming towards the end of the story. This is a wonderful book; a tale of self-discovery set in a picturesque village, away from modern life, that was a pleasure to read.

Rating: 4/5

BOOK REVIEW: Prime Deception by Carys Jones

I was intrigued when I received a review copy of Prime Deception, the recently-released novel by Carys Jones. Published by Carina in the crime/thriller genre, Prime Deception focuses on Deputy Prime Minister Charles Lloyd, whose affair with an intern is about to be made headline news...

Investigative journalist John Quinn has spent years waiting and working to get a story that will shock the nation. Working for a notorious British tabloid, he finds himself extremely close to the story of his dreams - a kiss-and-tell with the young intern mistress of the Deputy Prime Minister. However, just before the story is printed, John receives a call that quickly puts an end to his dream. The intern, Lorna Thomas, is dead.

Charles Lloyd is devastated when he hears of Lorna's death. However, with his job as the Deputy PM, his feelings have to be kept strictly under wraps. Charles is regretful about the affair with Lorna - mainly because he was never able to admit his true feelings for her. And now it's too late. Having to put on a brave face for his wife, for his colleagues, and for the nation, is a difficult feat, because Lorna won't ever be coming back.

Meanwhile, convinced that her twin's death was uncharacteristic, Laurie Thomas leaves her quiet life behind for a while and heads to London with a mission in mind: to finally find out the truth about her sister.

Successfully getting into the Downing Street internship programme, Laurie puts herself in her sister's shoes in a bid to find out what truly happened. Ambitious, confident and lively Lorna would never have killed herself - so why did it happen?

Knowing about the affair, Laurie gets close to Charles to try and work out her twin sister's motives. Yet it becomes difficult for Charles when, after the initial shock of realising his lover had a twin, he begins to fall for Laurie.

Just what - or who - made Lorna Thomas drive to her death?

When I first started reading Prime Deception, I couldn't put it down. The book begins with reporter John, finding out that the story he's worked so hard on has fallen through. Lorna has been killed, and Charles has no idea why - and no way to find out without being caught out about the affair - a secret that'd make news across the nation if it was ever to be found out...

However, I couldn't help but find that a lot of the book focused more on the feelings of the characters, and less on the mystery of Lorna's disappearance. Throughout the book, the reader is given an insight into the feelings of Charles - his guilt, his love for Lorna, the thoughts that do not seem to go away. And there's Laurie, now an outsider in her family home now that her perfect sister has gone, and unable to let Lorna go until she unearths the truth. Even though I enjoyed reading about these characters and their obvious struggles at the start, I felt that it continued for too many chapters, and that information that could have made Prime Deception an even more addictive read, was left out. I wanted to read even more about John, for example, and more into the life of Faye, secretary to Charles.

I noticed quite early in this book that Prime Deception seemed to be a mix of the crime and romance genres, which I thought would work very well, though about halfway through I found that it was more confusing; there was no real romance besides that of Charles and Lorna. The ending of Prime Deception was surprising and great, although I felt cheated in some way by one of the minor characters turning up right at the end, and having not known that much about him, I was unsure about his motives. (I don't want to say too much as I do not want to spoil this book!) The book ended well, though a lot of the suspense happened mainly towards the end.

I enjoyed reading Prime Deception, and I will definitely read any future novels by this author as I feel that she is a very good writer with a great writing style. As someone who enjoys both the crime genre and romance, this was an interesting read. However, I did get the feeling that it might disappoint those who are looking for a fast-paced crime novel.

Rating: 4/5

BOOK REVIEW: Shot Through the Heart by Matt Cain

I have a certain love for summer reads filled with glitz, glamour (and a bit of scandal!). They're a guilty pleasure, so I was rather excited to pick up a review copy of Shot Through the Heart, the debut novel from journalist and producer Matt Cain.

Mia Sinclair is known worldwide as the 'First Lady of Love', a nickname she's not entirely happy with. Mainly because the beautiful Hollywood actress struggles to find love in real life - a stark contrast to her on-screen heroines; cute, needy types who always end up falling head over heels. Feeling as though she'll be stuck in romantic roles forever, Mia craves a change - or at least, a nice man who is willing to brave the fame and constant paparazzi that comes with being the love interest of an A-List star. A sacrifice that not a lot of guys are willing to take, as Mia has found out - especially with her latest date.

Meanwhile, paparazzi photographer Leo Henderson is waiting for the shot that will earn him big bucks. Having just broken up with his fame-seeking girlfriend, Leo focuses on getting his next big picture, and it looks as though Mia Sinclair is his next target. British-born and living in sunny LA, Leo's the kind of paparazzo that will stop at nothing to get the ultimate, terrible photo that the magazines will pay thousands for, and with gorgeous, thin star Mia about to give in to a certain temptation, he might just get what he's looking for.

That is, until the pair meet. When Mia agrees to go on a date with Leo in exchange for the photos, purely to stop the awful images from going public, it seems like a decent deal. But when the pair begin to fall for each other, things become slightly difficult. Can an A-List actress and a tabloid snapper be a successful couple - especially in LA and in the constant limelight?

Things begin to get even more tricky when Leo becomes jealous of Mia's new co-star - gorgeous Hollywood actor Billy Spencer. Billy may seem like a man who has it all, but deep down, there are issues. And a huge secret that can never be revealed - unless someone digs deep enough to find it...

Shot Through the Heart is a fun, light read; I picked it up one afternoon and couldn't put it down. I enjoy tales of Hollywood glamour with some dark secrets - and this certainly delivered. The only thing that I didn't like about this book was that the chapters are split to focus on each character, but this happens a bit too often, which did become irritating at first. However, I enjoyed each character's story, seeing how Mia and Leo cope with the pressures of fame, their relationship and of course, their Hollywood roles. If you're a fan of novelists such as Victoria Fox and Rebecca Chance, you might like Shot Through The Heart. It's a great debut.

Rating: 4/5

BOOK REVIEW: The List by Joanna Bolouri

Joanna Bolouri’s novel The List hit the shelves today, and it’s a debut I've been particularly excited about. So when I was sent a copy for review, it made my day. New novelists are always intriguing and it seems as though Joanna is definitely going to be even more of a success.

The List focuses on twenty-something Phoebe, whose love life comes to an abrupt end when she catches her boyfriend in bed with another woman. A year later, Phoebe is still reluctantly single and at a loss for bedroom fun, and so with the help of best friend Lucy, she comes up with a way of ending her single days – the list.

Phoebe devises a list of ten things she would like to do in the bedroom, from her own basic desires to the downright kinky. With the intention of a year-long mission for fulfillment without the commitment, she sets out to tick every item off the list, starting with her rather handsome colleague…

The list is an adventure in itself, sending Phoebe on a variety of new, strange and, sometimes, amusing situations, such as arranging a threesome to having sex in the outdoors. First she has to gain the confidence to begin her various ‘tasks’, and of course, find willing participants…

The List is a new kind of read; an even mixture of amusing, light chick-lit and erotica which works exceptionally well. I enjoyed this new concept despite not being a fan of erotic fiction at all – Phoebe is a very real character with her own insecurities, own goals and a work life that I felt I could relate to, which made the novel feel very genuine and even more amusing at times. I liked that it’s fast-paced, fun and not overly-serious, and I wanted to see how Pheobe’s character grew throughout the book. Granted, the ending did feel quite rushed, but it’s still a fantastic read.

The List is a wonderful debut, and I’m looking forward to reading more from Joanna Bolouri in future!

Rating: 4/5