UNCOVERED PICKS: Ready for Christmas!

It may seem as though Christmas is quite some time away, but news of festive novels is already starting to make its way to readers. Which means that my Christmas to-be-read pile is becoming even longer - not that I'm complaining! I always love a good winter tale to snuggle up with on a cold evening, and so here are five upcoming festive treats from authors such as Chrissie Manby, Aimee Duffy and more.

A Winter Affair by Minna Howard
With a recent divorce and empty nest Eloise Brandon is facing Christmas alone until a harried phone call from her godfather changes everything.

Accepting his challenge, Eloise finds herself en-route to Verbier and to her godfathers chalet in the beautiful Swiss Alps to help cater for some seriously rich, high rolling guests.

What ensues makes it a Christmas to remember. A heady alpine mixture of old friends, ex-husbands, mega-rich, super demanding guests, a dishevelled proprietor and Bert the dog.

A Fairy Tale for Christmas by Chrissie Manby
What could be more magical at Christmas than a fairy tale come true?

It's the festive season and the members of the Newbay Theatre Society, more commonly known as the NEWTS, are preparing to put on a show. Being cast as Cinderella is the realization of a dream for newcomer Kirsty, not least because she hopes starring in a panto under the direction of her boyfriend Jon will bring them closer together.

But Kirsty soon learns that it's not all glitter and good cheer behind the scenes at the amateur theatre as bitter rivalries nurtured through decades, wardrobe mishaps and suspicious near-fatal accidents threaten to derail the production. And then there's Prince Charming himself. Will working together with Jon bring Kirsty her happy ever after... or reveal their love to be nothing but a 'showmance'?
With Christmas just around the corner, it's going to take more than a Fairy Godmother to get Kirsty and her cast-mates to the ball.

The Office Christmas Party by Aimee Duffy
Natalie Taylor and Dean Fletcher are serial Christmas party crashers. But when they start crashing the same parties, the mittens are off!

As much as she loves Christmas, after her mother’s death, events planner Nat can’t face the jolly season anymore. So to get her festive hit she crashes everyone else’s party. It’s a sweet gig, until she meets her competition, tech empire millionaire, Dean, under the mistletoe…!

When it comes to relationships, Dean doesn’t do serious―being left at the altar will do that to a guy. So when he meets feisty Nat, the first woman in ten years to pique his interest, he’s tempted to break his one-night rule…just for the holidays!

Nat and Dean might get more than they bargained for in their stockings this Christmas!

Christmas in Paris by Anita Hughes
Isabel Lawson is standing on the balcony of her suite at the Hotel de Crillon as she gazes at the twinkling lights of the Champs-Élysées and wonders if she’s made a terrible mistake. She was supposed to be visiting the Christmas tree in the Place de la Concorde, and eating escargots and macaroons with her new husband on their honeymoon. But a week before the wedding, she called it off. Isabel is an ambitious Philadelphia finance woman, and Neil suddenly decided to take over his grandparents' farm. Isabel wasn't ready to trade her briefcase for a pair of rubber boots and a saddle.

When Neil suggested she use their honeymoon tickets for herself, she thought it would give her a chance to clear her head. That is until she locks herself out on the balcony in the middle of winter. 

Thankfully her neighbor Alec, a French children’s illustrator, comes to her rescue. He too is nursing a broken heart at the Crillon for the holidays. With a new friend by her side, Isabel is determined to use her time in the "city of lights" wisely. After a chance encounter with a fortune teller, and a close call with a taxi, she starts to question everything she thought was important.

Anita Hughes's Christmas in Paris is a moving and heartwarming story about love, trust, and self-discovery. Set during the most magical week of the year, the glorious foods and fashions of the most romantic city in the world are sure to take your breath away.

Lizzie's Christmas Escape by Christie Barlow
A gorgeous country house hotel, a liberal dusting of snow, a cosy weekend away…what more could Lizzie ask for at Christmas? 

Every Christmas Lizzie promises herself that things will change and she will leap into the new year a new woman. And yet here she is again, at the beginning of December and nothing is different. Her girls have grown up and left home, her husband Henry is slumped in front of the TV and she is alone in the kitchen, seeking refuge in the cooking sherry and talking to her Gary Barlow calendar. She’s also been very diverted by handsome new neighbour Marcus and she knows she shouldn’t be … 
So when best friend Ann suggests a weekend away in the country, Lizzie jumps at the chance. Will this Christmas escape give Lizzie some much needed perspective and allow her to mend her marriage? Or will Marcus prove to be too much of a distraction? 

UNCOVERED PICKS: Five travel-themed chick-lit novels

Seeing as summer is upon us, it has been fun to take a look at some of the holiday-themed chcik-lit releases that are available. From a dancing holiday in Spain, to a family cruise, the celebrity-filled Cannes and idyllic Greek villages, here are five summer books that would be perfect to transport you to a sun-filled, faraway location!

Summer Flings and Dancing Dreams by Sue Watson
Dance like nobody's watching. Love like you'll never get hurt... 

Laura Watkin's heart isn't broken, she's just forgotten how to use it.   After years on her own, the highlight of single mum Laura's week is watching Strictly Come Dancing with a glass of Pinot Grigio and a large helping of imagination.  With her daughter Sophie going travelling, Laura knows the time is right to do something for herself for a change.  One disastrous Zumba class later and Laura ends up at the feet (literally) of gorgeous dance instructor Tony Hernandez.

A natural dancer and inspiring teacher, Tony rekindles in Laura a passion she inherited from her ballroom dancer father - and with it comes a dream... to make him proud. But when Tony enters them to perform at the National Dance Festival, can Laura's new-found confidence survive the test?  And with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn Flamenco in Spain, could Laura truly learn to dance like nobody's watching... and love like she'll never get hurt?  

A laugh-out-loud, uplifting comedy about finding the courage to be yourself, the importance of dreams, and learning to grab life by the glitter balls.  

A Proper Family Adventure by Chrissie Manby
Could you spend two weeks at sea with your family?

Thanks to an unexpected windfall, the Bensons are treating themselves to a luxury cruise. With stop-offs in Barcelona, Rome and Marseilles, plus constant entertainment onboard, it's a dream come true...Or is it? Last time Chelsea Benson went on holiday with this lot she nearly went crazy.

Her mum and sister are convinced Chelsea's boyfriend Adam will propose on the ship. Chelsea's sure he won't, but she can't help feeling butterflies as they set sail. Is Adam going to pop the question, or will the only thing to pop be Chelsea's ego?

Onboard dramas, family upheavals, memories and sunshine . . . Fall in love with the Benson family, and treat yourself to a five-star family cruise, all without leaving your sofa.

Catch Me if You Cannes by Lisa Dickenson
Jess has decided it's time to get out of her comfort zone and live a little. So when her best friend Bryony, a journalist on a gossip magazine, is sent to cover the Cannes Film Festival, Jess decides to seize the day and go along for the ride. Two weeks of glitz, glamour and exclusive entry into celeb-filled parties is just the kind of adventure Jess needs.

Reality soon bites though when Jess and Bryony find they're staying in a dingy hotel far away from all the action and Bryony's expenses budget barely covers a glass of local wine. Undeterred, the two women are determined to live like the elite and enjoy one fancy night out to begin their holiday. So what if they have to tell a few white lies along the way? It's just this once. No harm done...right?

Truly Madly Greekly by Mandy Baggot
Sun, sea and a sexy stranger - a whole lot of fun just got a whole lot more complicated...  
Capable, confident and career-driven, Ellen had her dream job and a marriage proposal from boyfriend Ross.  Life was good, her future set. Until it wasn't and everything fell apart...  Whisked off to the beautiful island of Corfu to plan her sister Lacey's big, fat, Greek wedding, Ellen is hoping some time out will help clear her head and heal her heart.  But letting go of her past is not going to be easy.   

With Lacey in full on Bridezilla mode, Ellen is soon distracted from her own problems. And when the all-inclusive treats on offer at hotel Blue Vue include one gorgeous, brooding Adonis - Yan - Ellen finds him difficult to resist.  But Ellen isn't looking for love or lust, or anything involving too much ouzo...or is she?  

A Game of Scones by Samantha Tonge
Growing up, Pippa Pattinson’s summers were spent in the idyllic Greek island fishing village of Taxos. There she spent many long hazy days determinedly ignoring thoughts of the life her parents had mapped out for her (a dreary-but-secure accounting job and obligatory sensible husband!) Instead she daydreamed of running her own tea shop – serving the perfect scones – with mocha-eyed childhood friend Niklaus by her side… 

Arriving back in Taxos for the first time in years, with suave boyfriend Henrik, Pippa barely recognises the tired little town – but is relieved to catch glimpses of the quaint, charming village she’s always loved. Together Niklaus and Pippa put together a proposal to save Taxos from tourist-tastic ruin, and at the heart of their plan is Pippa’s dream project: The Tastiest Little Tea Shop in Taxos. It’s time for Pippa to leave her London life behind and dust off her scone recipe that’s guaranteed to win over both locals and visitors. And amidst the rolling pins and raisins, it seems romance is blossoming where she’s least expecting it… 

BOOK NEWS: A Proper Family Adventure by Chrissie Manby

Chrissie Manby's hilarious Benson family will be returning in July for the next novel in the series, A Proper Family Adventure. In the latest installment, which follows on from A Proper Family Holiday and A Proper Family Christmas, the Bensons are off on a luxury cruise...

Thanks to an unexpected windfall, the Bensons are treating themselves to a luxury cruise. With stop-offs in Barcelona, Rome and Marseilles, plus constant entertainment on board, it's a dream come true . . . Or is it? Last time Chelsea Benson went on holiday with this lot she nearly went crazy.

Her mum and sister are convinced Chelsea's boyfriend Adam will propose on the ship. Chelsea's sure he won't, but she can't help feeling butterflies as they set sail. Is Adam going to pop the question, or will the only thing to pop be Chelsea's ego?

Chick Lit Uncovered Book Awards 2014!

As 2014 is coming to an end in a matter of hours, we decided to look back on some of the many great chick-lit novels of the year and show appreciation to some great authors.

There were so many much-loved books to choose from throughout the past twelve months; books from well-established authors and first-time novelists alike, with some wonderfully funny, addictive, inspiring and heartwarming books. As you can probably imagine, selecting just eight winners was a hugely difficult task.

Here are the Chick Lit Uncovered Book Award winners of 2014. And here's to a brand new year full of brand new reads! Congratulations to not just the below winners, but to all those who released books this year. It's been wonderful to get the chance to read so many great titles.

Happy New Year!

Book Cover of the Year

The New Mrs D by Heather Hill

There were many beautiful book covers in the running this year, but we fell in love with the colourful and wonderfully-designed cover image from Heather Hill's debut novel The New Mrs D, in which forty-something Bernice decides to leave her relationship and heads off on the trip of a lifetime alone, four days into her honeymoon.

Festive Novel of the Year

The Christmas Party by Carole Matthews

There were plenty of festive novels to choose from this year, but we particularly loved The Christmas Party by Carole Matthews. The Christmas Party is Carole's second novel of 2014, following A Place to Call Home in January. This year's Christmassy tale focused on various characters, centred around a large oil company and its employee - mainly three women whose lives and secrets are at risk of colliding at the annual office Christmas party. The book had a great premise, very fun characters (and plenty of scandal!)

Series of the Year 

A Proper Family Holiday and A Proper Family Christmas by Chrissie Manby

Chrissie Manby's funny, loveable Bensons appeared in June in A Proper Family Holiday, as the family set off for a package holiday in Lanzarote, much to the dismay of daughter (and Society magazine writer) Chelsea. The end of the book implied an exciting sequel, and in November, A Proper Family Christmas arrived, introducing a few new (and rather unexpected!) new Bensons. The novels were a lot of fun and a treat to read.

Comedy of the Year

Mother of the Year by Karen Ross

Karen Ross's novel Mother of The Year was hilarious as well as heartwarming. Released in February, Karen's tale of Juliet, and  relationship with her overbearing celebrity mother who has a penchant for revealing all of life's details to her adoring public, was one of the best reads of 2014. Karen has a great, witty writing style that made this novel very hard to put down, along with the laugh-out-loud moments and great characters.

Most Inspiring Novel of the Year

Good Sam by Dete Meserve

Dete Meserve's Good Sam was published in June and every chapter was intriguing. What's more, it was Dete's debut, and it is now being developed into a film and TV series. A gripping, fast-paced romance, Good Sam is about Kate, an ambitious reporter for a TV news station who, though generally covering crime and tragedy in the area, is tasked with a story about random people who have each found $100,000 on their doorstep. Kate is determined to find out the identity of the mysterious 'Good Sam', even when the story is starting to interfere with her personal life. Dete Meserve's first book is an inspiring read and full of mystery.

Debut of the Year

The Anti-Ageing of Harmony Richards by Fiona Jane Collins

The Anti-Ageing of Harmony Richards was released in November, by new novelist Fiona Jane Collins, and after reading just a chapter it became clear that this book was going to be a great! The novel is about 40-something Harmony who, along with her dismay at her ageing face, discovers that her husband has a secret - in the form of a young, stunning former fiance who's back in town to reclaim him. Fiona has a brilliantly witty writing style similar to authors such as Fiona Gibson and Chrissie Manby, and her talent as a chick-lit writer is very clear in her debut.

Author of the Year

Sue Watson (Love, Lies and Lemon Cake and Snow Angels, Secrets and Christmas Cake)

Sue Watson is the author of Younger Thinner Blonder and Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes, and in 2014 released two more novels, both of which were fantastic reads. Love, Lies and Lemon Cake was published in June, and festive book Snow Angels, Secrets and Christmas Cake was released in October. Sue is highly talented, bringing us some wonderful stories that you can easily spend hours curled up reading, and her two new latest novels were both highly entertaining and rather hard to put down!

Book of the Year

Don't Tell the Boss by Anna Bell

There were so many fantastic releases throughout 2014 that it was hard to choose an overall winner. However, one read that specifically stood out this year was Anna Bell's latest book, Don't Tell The Boss. Following on from her 2013 novel Don't Tell The Groom, Don't Tell the Boss once again focuses on Penny; a former gambler who, after successfully planning her own low-cost wedding and writing a popular blog for brides on a budget, accidentally finds herself moonlighting as a wedding planner alongside her full-time job. Anna's first novel was brilliant, but Don't Tell The Boss even more so. It's such a well-written book, with relatable characters and a great story that I became lost in until I had finished it. Penny will be returning next year in the third book of the series, Don't Tell the Brides-to-Be.

BOOK REVIEW: A Proper Family Christmas by Chrissie Manby

Back in June, I reviewed Chrissie Manby's long-awaited - and much loved! - summer novel A Proper Family Holiday, in which the Benson family head off for a family trip abroad to Lanzarote, much to the dismay of magazine writer Chelsea. To Society writer Chelsea, a package holiday in a rather unglamorous resort with the rest of the Benson clan, including moody sister Ronnie, is the stuff of nightmares. That is, until Chelsea - and her sister - begin to learn a few things about life and family. Including their parents' big secret...

Now the Bensons are back, in festive tale A Proper Family Christmas. And the family might just be expanding.

In the Great House in a country village, Annabel Buchanan is preparing to open her home, a stunning manor house seeped in history, to the public for a local event, much to the annoyance of teenage daughter Izzy and doting husband Richard. Annabel has the perfect life; wealth, an enviable upbringing, a loving husband, a wonderful daughter. Not to mention her beautiful house. Privately-educated Annabel has it all. Though she, too, is keeping a secret.

When seemingly perfect daughter Izzy makes a devastating mistake at a festival, Annabel's life is turned upside down. Izzy's health is rapidly deteriorating, and she won't improve fully until she receives a new kidney. And with Annabel and Richard both unable to donate, Annabel is forced to do something she was never planning on ever doing, if it will save her daughter's life - admitting her secret - that she was adopted - and seeking out her biological family.

Annabel was once named Daisy, the daughter of two teenage parents. The Bensons.

Annabel soon learns that her birth parents are Jacqui and Dave Benson, and compared to her own upbringing, the Buchanans and the Bensons appear to be worlds apart. Annabel is dismayed when faced with her real roots, although she'll do anything possible to help Izzy - even if it means spending time with her overly-loving birth parents and the unruly Ronnie. The Bensons, on the other hand, are overjoyed that their first child Daisy has come back into their lives. But it's only a matter of time before they realise the Buchanans' true intentions...

With hilarious and heart-warming scenes that made the first novel so charming and fun, the slightly dysfunctional yet loving Bensons are back, along with the Buchanans, and I loved this novel. Most of the book takes place after the Lanzarote trip of A Proper Family Holiday, and it's wonderfully addictive. Those familiar with the first book will remember Chelsea, Ronnie, teenager Sophie, six-year-old Jack and of course, Grandad Bill - however, if you haven't read A Proper Family Holiday, not to worry - events are described throughout the book so it can be read as a standalone novel. The characters are great in their own ways - even Annabel, who I easily disliked at the beginning, though later in the book, I began to sympathise with her. Husband Richard is a lovely character, as is Izzy. Each chapter focuses on a different character and their lives, such as Chelsea, and her growing relationship with widower Adam (and his precocious daughter, Lily).

A Proper Family Christmas is a warm, fun and festive read that I would definitely recommend.

Rating: 5/5

BLOG TOUR: A Proper Family Christmas by Chrissie Manby

Today we're delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for Chrissie Manby's new festive novel A Proper Family Christmas. We absolutely loved summer novel A Proper Family Holiday, and now the Bensons family's back, this time with some Christmas drama!

As part of her tour, Chrissie has shared with us a memorable Christmas experience - receiving a rather disappointing present. Read on for more...

Merry Cringemas

By Chrissie Manby

One of the most enduring yet least spoken about Christmas traditions has to be the receiving of disappointing presents.  I know it’s churlish to call any present ‘disappointing’, but, let’s face it, we all know that sinking feeling when you open the doll’s house-sized box to discover a typewriter inside.  (Actually, Mum and Dad, that typewriter and the ‘Learn to touch type’ book turned out to be one of my best presents ever. I’m thankful for my resulting super-fast typing speed every time I have to produce a 500 word feature in less than a day).
     A few years ago however, my dear friend Janet in Utah sent me the most hideous Christmas present imaginable.  It was a 'handmade' patchwork waistcoat from an ‘artisan’ craft shop.  Packaged in a recycled cardboard box (of course), lined with tissue paper that reminded me of the rough pink stuff we had in the loos at school, the waistcoat did indeed look very handmade. By someone with hooves instead of actual hands. Worse than that, it smelled as though it had been stitched together from old quilt covers that hadn't been cleaned since the corpse they covered was carted off to the mortuary and the bed-clothes were sent down to Oxfam. In fact, when my flat-mate walked into the house the day I received and opened the parcel, the first thing she said was 'what on earth is that terrible smell?'
     Shutting the eco-friendly box and resealing it would not contain the waistcoat’s 'eau de second hand shop'.  But it was obviously expensive – as handmade things always are - and I was sure my friend had thought long and hard before buying it.  So, of course, I thanked her effusively.  I got out a handmade note-card – the type that costs a pound more than an ordinary note-card because someone has pritt-sticked a chicken feather on the front – and I filled it with praise for the waistcoat’s loveliness.  Totally original, I assured her. I will be thinking of you as I wear it on Christmas Day.
And then I put the waistcoat on E-bay.
     You can sell anything on E-bay - I’m continually astonished by the amount of money people will spend on used shoes – so I wasn’t at all surprised when the waistcoat received a couple of bids.  However, I was surprised to discover that, because I had thanked her so effusively, my dear friend Janet logged onto E-bay to look for an item by the same designer for my birthday.  And that’s how she found out that I was flogging not just her Christmas present but the present she had sent me the Christmas before (a bracelet made out of old spoons)... Fortunately, she claims she found it quite funny and we are, incredibly, still friends.  I suppose that's the spirit of Christmas for you.  Or perhaps it’s just the generosity of Janet.  This year, one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to try to be as open-hearted and forgiving as my pal.

A Proper Family Christmas by Chrissie Manby
Take one Queen Bee: Annabel Buchanan, with a perfect house in the country, a rich husband and a beautiful daughter, Izzy ...and one large, loud family: the Bensons. What happens when their worlds collide? When Izzy suddenly falls dangerously ill, adoptee Annabel has to track down her biological family to see if they can help her daughter. But can she see past the Bensons' brash exteriors to the warm, loving people they are at heart? With December just around the corner, is it too much to hope that the Bensons and the Buchanans can have a proper family Christmas?

Author photo by Michael Pilkington.

UNCOVERED PICKS: Ready for Christmas

Even though we're still in the midst of a surprisingly hot summer, it hasn't stopped us from getting a little excited about news of winter chick-lit releases. So when the time comes to swap beach reads and cocktails for Christmassy tales to enjoy curled up with a hot chocolate and blanket (bliss, yes?) here are five festive novels.

The Christmas Party by Carole Matthews 
Louise Young is a devoted single mother whose only priority is providing for her daughter, Mia. Louise has a good job in a huge international corporation and she's grateful for it. The only problem is her boss who can't keep his hands to himself, but Louise can handle him. What she really doesn't have time for is romance - until she meets the company's rising star, Josh Wallace. Louise usually says no to evenings out but she's decided to let her hair down tonight. It's the office Christmas party, she has a pretty dress to wear and she's looking forward to some champagne and fun. She's completely unaware that others around her are too busy playing dangerous games to enjoy the party - until she's pulled into those games herself ...Romance is in the air and secrets are about to be uncovered. It's going to be a night to remember at The Christmas Party. 

A Proper Family Christmas by Chrissie Manby 
Annabel Buchanan has it all. A privileged life. Pots of cash. Looks and manners born of generations of fabulous breeding. At least, that's what she likes people to think. But Annabel's carefully created image is about to come crashing down. With her beloved daughter Izzy in need of a kidney transplant, Annabel is desperate to find a suitable donor. That's how she comes to admit that before Annabel Buchanan there was Daisy Benson, given up for adoption by her teenage mum and dad. Hoping her biological family will be able to help, Annabel traces the Bensons and is horrified by the embarrassing, chavvy bunch she discovers. They're definitely not her kind of people. And she is equally baffling to them. But as Christmas approaches and Izzy's situation brings the Benson and the Buchanan families closer, will Annabel discover at last that blood is thicker than water? 

The Christmas Surprise by Jenny Colgan 
Rosie Hopkins, newly engaged, is looking forward to an exciting year in the little sweetshop she owns and runs. But when fate strikes Rosie and her boyfriend, Stephen, a terrible blow, threatening everything they hold dear, it's going to take all their strength and the support of their families and their Lipton friends to hold them together. After all, don't they say it takes a village to raise a child? 

Confetti at Christmas by Abby Clements
Holly Madison never set out to be a wedding planner. She was just helping her stressed sister Lila with cakes and décor for her big day. But when Lila and Jack's summer ceremony is a runaway success, with high-profile guests raving about the food and styling at the pretty treehouse venue, word about Holly's expertise soon spread. 

A year on, Holly has a fast-growing business on her hands, and she is struggling to keep up. 

Boyfriend Marco worries that with so little experience she could be heading for a fall. After all, Holly's clients expect the very best - she's promised lawyers Mia and Eliot a snow-covered castle in the Scottish Highlands, and laidback couple Josh and Sarah a bohemian beach wedding in a Caribbean paradise. But as weather, in-laws, and wilful brides conspire against her, will she be able to deliver? 

I Will Marry George Clooney (by Christmas) by Tracy Bloom 
There comes a time in every woman's life when the only answer is to marry George Clooney. 

For Michelle, that time is now. 

Slogging her guts out in a chicken factory whilst single-handedly bringing up a teenager who hates her is far from the life that 36-year-old Michelle had planned. 

But marrying the most eligible man on the planet by Christmas could change all that, couldn't it?

Sometimes your only option is to dream the impossible - because you never know where it might take you.

COVER NEWS: A Proper Family Christmas by Chrissie Manby

Having loved Chrissie Manby's latest book, hilarious and heartwarming summer read A Proper Family Holiday, we were thrilled to discover that the Benson family will return in November for A Proper Family Christmas. (And the cover is just perfect!) Read on for the synopsis...

Annabel Buchanan has it all. A privileged life. Pots of cash. Looks and manners born of generations of fabulous breeding. At least, that's what she likes people to think. But Annabel's carefully created image is about to come crashing down. 

With her beloved daughter Izzy in need of a kidney transplant, Annabel is desperate to find a suitable donor. That's how she comes to admit that before Annabel Buchanan there was Daisy Benson, given up for adoption by her teenage mum and dad. 

Hoping her biological family will be able to help, Annabel traces the Bensons and is horrified by the embarrassing, chavvy bunch she discovers. They're definitely not her kind of people. And she is equally baffling to them. 

But as Christmas approaches and Izzy's situation brings the Benson and the Buchanan families closer, will Annabel discover at last that blood is thicker than water?

BOOK REVIEW: A Proper Family Holiday by Chrissie Manby

Given that summer has finally arrived, it's been the perfect opportunity to indulge in some holiday reading. As a fan of Chrissie Manby (bestselling author of many novels including Spa Wars, Getting Over Mr Right, and previous holiday-themed novel What I Did on My Holidays), I've been waiting for A Proper Family Holiday for quite some time, and was excited to finally receive it (on a lovely sunny weekend, too!)

Magazine writer Chelsea Benson isn't best pleased at the prospect of a family holiday. It may sound harmless enough - fun, even - to most, but a week in not-so-glorious Lanzarote with her parents, sister that she hasn't spoken to in two years, a grandad with dementia and her stroppy fifteen-year-old niece - as well as her overly-excitable 6-year-old nephew - is Chelsea's idea of pure hell. Forced into an all-inclusive package holiday that would make her uber-posh co-workers on Society magazine recoil in horror, Chelsea has to face up to the reality of heading off to an unglamorous destination with the Benson clan to celebrate mother Jacqui's 60th birthday.

Meanwhile, Ronnie Benson isn't enjoying herself either. What is supposed to be a relaxing week in the sun isn't relaxing for Ronnie, who seems to be doing exactly what she does back home - cleaning, fretting, and dealing with the constant demands of partner Mark and their two children. The arrival of stuck-up sister Chelsea could only make things worse. After all, Chelsea and the posh London ways that she's become accustomed to can only rub salt in the wounds of Ronnie, who had to give up her own big-city dreams when she fell pregnant with Sophie.

Jacqui has been looking forward to this holiday for ages and hopes that the sisters can stop their feud and finally get on - after all, there's a life-changing announcement that's soon to be made...

While Chelsea is trying to make the best of an unfortunate situation with the family she now seems completely unrelated to, she finds herself in the presence of handsome Adam, though sadly, with him is his terribly spoilt daughter Lily. Lily could give Veruca Salt a run for her money, and she really dislikes Chelsea, doing anything she can to get her out of the way. And when Chelsea finds herself forced to babysit nephew Jack, the competition can only get worse. Perhaps a trouble-free holiday for the Bensons was a bit too ambitious an idea?

I absolutely loved A Proper Family Holiday; it yet another fast-paced, fun and hilarious summer read from Chrissie Manby. The idea of being trapped on holiday with a feuding family is just too fun a premise to pass up. The book focuses on Chelsea, Ronnie, Sophie and Jacqui - and even Grandad Bill (whose part of the story is extremely funny indeed). I liked, and disliked at times, each of the sisters in equal measure, and so it was fun to see how their holidays, and own stories, began to unfold.

If you're looking for some great summer reads, definitely add this one to your beach bag!

Rating: 5/5

Also, the Benson family will return in A Proper Family Christmas, which is due for release in November.

UNCOVERED PICKS: Five June Releases

Summer is finally here, so it's time to start stocking up on some great reads for the sunny days (okay, and the not so sunny ones!) June is full of exciting new releases, and it's difficult to pick just five. Here's a quick look at what's out in this month...

The Unfinished Symphony of You and Me by Lucy Robinson
Sally is an incredible singer but she sings only in her wardrobe where nobody can hear her. She'd rather join a nudist colony than sing in public. That is until she ventures to New York where a wild and heady summer of love and loss changes her forever. No longer able to hide in the shadows, Sally must return home to London to fulfill a promise she cannot break - to share her voice.

But just as she's about to embark on her new life, a beautiful man turns up on Sally's doorstep bearing a sheepish smile and a mysterious hand-written message.

How did he find her? Why is he here? Does he hold the truth to what happened back in New York? And, with him back on the scene, will she still have the courage to step into the spotlight?

A Proper Family Holiday by Chrissie Manby
Could you survive a week-long holiday with your entire family? Newly single magazine journalist Chelsea Benson can't think of anything worse.

Your grubby small nephew torpedoing any chance of romance with the dishy guy you met on the plane...

Your eighty-five-year-old granddad chatting up ladies at the hotel bar...

Getting nothing but sarcastic comments from your older sister, who's always been the family favourite...

And all this is before your parents drop their bombshell.

Is a week enough time for the Bensons to put their differences aside and have some fun? Or is this their last ever proper family holiday?

OMG Baby! by Emma Garcia
This ISN'T a book about babies. It's not about sleepless nights, nappies or nurseries. It IS about two people, one unexpected pregnancy and a question...

Viv and Max were best friends for years, then they were lovers and then it all went wrong. Now finally they are to be reunited. Viv feels sick. Not just with nerves at seeing Max again, but because there's a small chance she might...quite possibly...most definitely...be pregnant.

It's thrilling. But also terrifying. Most of the time they can hardly look after themselves, let alone a baby.

And then Viv's estranged mother reappears on the scene and they all end up sharing a bedsit...and hell breaks loose.

The No-Kids Club by Talli Roland
At almost forty, Clare Donoghue is living child-free and loving it.

Then her boyfriend says he wants kids, breaking off their promising relationship. And it’s not just boyfriends: one by one, her formerly carefree friends are swallowed up in a nonstop cycle of play dates and baby groups. So Clare decides it’s time for people who don’t have children to band together. And so the No-Kids Club is born.

As the group comes together—Anna, who’s seeking something to jumpstart a stale marriage, and Poppy, desperate for a family but unable to conceive—Clare’s hoping to make the most of the childless life with her new friends.

Will the No-Kids Club be Clare’s route to happiness, or will the single life lose its sparkle?

Don't Tell the Boss by Anna Bell
When newlywed Penny turns her hand to some casual wedding planning she only wants to help other women afford the big day of their dreams. 

But taming bridezillas turns out to be a full-time occupation, and what began as a hobby becomes a personal and professional nightmare. 

Soon Penny is struggling to keep her day job and prevent her own marriage from collapsing under the strain: tired, stressed and knee-deep in ivory satin, is Penny's life and livelihood hanging by a thread?

BOOK NEWS: A Proper Family Holiday by Chrissie Manby

Chrissie Manby, author of many novels including Spa Wars, Crazy In Love and the hilarious Getting Over Mr Right, will be releasing a new book in June titled A Proper Family Holiday - and it looks set to be a fantastically funny read! Hurry up, summer...

Fashion journalist Chelsea Benson can't think of anything better than going on a week-long package holiday in Lanzarote with her entire family. No, scratch that - she can't think of anything worse.

Your small nephew wiping his sticky hands all over your (borrowed) designer dress, and pestering you to play for days on end...

Your eighty-five-year-old granddad chatting up ladies at the hotel bar...

Getting nothing but sarcastic comments from your older sister, who's always been the family favourite and hasn't spoken to you in two years...

And all this is before your parents drop their bombshell.

It's certainly shaping up to be a holiday Chelsea and the rest of the Benson family will never, ever forget...