BOOK REVIEW: My Sweet Revenge by Jane Fallon

Having been a fan of Jane Fallon's novels for years (ever since Getting Rid of Matthew), I've excitedly awaited each new book. Jane's novels are the perfect combination of drama, intrigue and humour, and her latest offering, My Sweet Revenge, is no different.

When Paula discovers that her husband Robert is cheating on her with his co-worker, naturally she's heartbroken. Not only had they been married for years, but Paula had given up her dreams of acting when their daughter came along, taking a backstage role in life taking care of the family and working a regular job in a cake shop while Rob took the spotlight. Only to have it thrown back in her face.

Robert is one of the country's most beloved actors, on hit TV drama Farmer Giles. A heartthrob for the nation's ladies. And Paula's determined not to let him get away with his cheating ways.

But she's not going to leave him. Dumping him for cheating with his attractive co-star Saskia would provide the perfect escape route for Robert, and Paula doesn't want to make it easy for him. In fact, she wants to make it as difficult as possible.

So Paula hatches a plan to turn herself into the perfect wife. The first step? To get fit again. Her once-content life had led her to neglect her weight, but now she wants the excess fat gone. She turns to exercise, hiring a personal trainer to get her back into shape and restore her lost confidence. She also becomes more attentive, suddenly choosing to attend the TV parties and events she's always avoided - much to Robert's surprise (and horror). As Paula works on improving herself, she's also plotting ways to make Robert pay.

Starting with his career...

This is where I'm going to stop, because I feel that if I continue, I'll be spoiling some of the great twists and moments that prevail later in this novel. However, I will say that this is a fantastic book, and one that I found impossible to put down. Once I was into Paula's plan, there was no going back.

(Plus, I'm a big fan of revenge stories, and in My Sweet Revenge, it's served perfectly. Well, the title says it all!)

It has a wonderful plot, which made me think, at the start, 'this could so be a recipe for disaster...'. But it kept me hooked. Paula is a great character who I admired from the beginning. She isn't a typical 'wronged woman'; she goes about her plan in the best way possible. Not willing to be treated badly any longer, Paula is calm, witty, relatable, sensible, and determined, taking the needs of her family into account before she acts.

My Sweet Revenge is a great read - it's fast-paced, full of drama and some unexpected twists! It's probably my favourite of Jane Fallon's books so far.

Rating: 5/5

BOOK REVIEW: Strictly Between Us by Jane Fallon

Jane Fallon has remained one of my favourite authors ever since reading Getting Rid of Matthew. The novels which followed, including Got You Back and The Ugly Sister, were just as addictive (although I have yet to read Foursome - why haven't I read Foursome?!) and so I'd been looking forward to Strictly Between Us for some time.

Tamsin and Michelle have been best friends since their teenage years. Now in their thirties, and in varying stages of relationship (Tamsin single, Michelle happily married with the dream of soon starting a family), they still remain incredibly close. Pretty, sweet Michelle and handsome, confident TV exec Patrick appear to be the perfect couple. That is, until Tamsin hears a workplace rumour that Patrick is having an affair. It’s a rumour that she simply can’t forget about.

Willing to find out the truth behind the office gossip, Tamsin quickly confides in Bea - her incredibly loyal assistant - about the situation. Soon, Tamsin is hatching a plan to catch out her best friend’s husband, using (a very reluctant) Bea.

When Bea reports that nothing at all happens, it’s a relief for Tamsin. Until she does something unforgivable, landing herself in a situation that proves very, very hard to get out of.

Meanwhile, Bea has a plan of her own. And why would Tamsin suspect anything? Tamsin can trust Bea with her life…

What follows is a fantastic story that’s extremely hard to put down, though that’s to be expected of Jane Fallon. She has a real talent for witty yet dark novels with brilliant twists. Which is why it’s hard to review this novel fully – I don’t want to spoil the story. That said, at first I didn’t quite like Tamsin. However as the story continued, and I grew to like her. A bit of an anti-hero, if you will. Initially her selfishness was evident, and even more so through the eyes of Bea. However, later I started to like her, and figured that she learnt her lesson in the end.

If you like an edgy read full of secrets, then I would definitely recommend this book. Strictly Between Us is a great read – I finished it very quickly and then wished I’d paced myself a bit. I’m already waiting for Jane’s next offering.

Rating: 5/5

UNCOVERED PICKS: Five January Releases - 2016!

It's a brand new year, which means brand new books - and there will be plenty to choose from in January! Here's our selection of five, including new reads from Julie Cohen, Michele Gorman and Carole Matthews...

The Day of Second Chances by Julie Cohen
Can you imagine keeping a secret so devastating, you couldn't even tell the people you love? Honor's secret threatens to rob her of the independence she's guarded ferociously for eighty years. Jo's secret could smash apart the 'normal' family life she's fought so hard to build. Lydia's secret could bring her love - or the loss of everything that matters to her. One summer's day, grandmother, mother and daughter's secrets will collide in a single dramatic moment. Is it too late for second chances? 

Match Me if You Can by Michele Gorman
What if Mr Right was just a click away?. Ever thought about recycling your ex? Best friends Catherine, Rachel & Sarah are fun, smart, successful and single - just like millions of women with a low tolerance for idiocy in their dates. Mr. Right hasn't turned up yet, and Mr Right-Now isn't worth booking a wax appointment for. So when Catherine, London's finest matchmaker, gets Rachel and Sarah to join her dating site where they can recycle their ex-boyfriends in exchange for an upgrade, they soon realise that anything could happen ...Three best friends, proving that sometimes it really isn't you...it's him.

The Chocolate Lovers' Wedding by Carole Matthews
The ladies of The Chocolate Lovers' Club should be gearing up for the wedding of the year but life keeps getting in the way ...Lucy is worried about her financial situation and it keeps distracting her. Should she accept an offer of help from an untrustworthy source? Nadia may have a real chance at finding love but other areas of her life aren't so rosy. Something needs to change - but what? Autumn can't wait to meet someone she hasn't seen in a very long time. She's full of hope for the future but then things don't exactly go to plan ...Chantal has been through so much and she's finally starting to feel settled. The last thing she needs is the kind of bad news that could change her life all over again. And yet, despite all the ups and downs, the Chocolate Lovers' ladies know they can get through it all as long as they have each other. They're not going to let anything get in the way of their happy-ever-afters in ...The Chocolate Lovers' Wedding.

Holding Out for a Hero by Victoria Van Tiem
The problem with first love is that it never truly dies...

Libby London fell in love with the eighties, came of age in the nineties, and now the twenty-first century is baffling her. Her New York City style is more, erm, vintage tragedy than retro babe, and her penchant for All Things Eighties might just be what's holding her back in matters of life and love...

At least that's what her well-meaning friends think. They've staged a #80sIntervention in an effort to bring Libby bang up to date. What with her dreaded birthday party, friends' madcap ambush, and being forced to relocate her vintage shop, Libby's nearing breaking point!

Will she ever be able to move on when the one she loves keeps her in the past?

Strictly Between Us by Jane Fallon
Rumours, secrets and lies. It's all in a day's work. Tamsin and her best friend Michelle have been inseparable since they were teenagers. Even now they spend all their time together, along with Patrick, Michelle's handsome husband. So when Tamsin hears a rumour that Patrick is having an affair, she is furious. Unwilling to ignore it, Tamsin plots a scheme to catch Patrick in the act, using her assistant Bea as live-bait. It should be fool proof. After all, Tamsin can trust Bea with anything. From her daily coffee order to fetching her dry-cleaning, writing reports and doing all the filing - Bea does everything with a smile on her face. Except Tamsin never considered Bea might have her own agenda. And if she does, then Tamsin really needs to watch her back...

BLOG TOUR: Skeletons by Jane Fallon (plus giveaway!)

Thursday saw the release of Skeletons, the latest novel by Getting Rid of Matthew author Jane Fallon. We thoroughly enjoyed this book, and courtesy of publishers Michael Joseph, have two copies to give away!

To be in with a chance of winning, simply email the editor with 'Skeletons' as the subject header by April 5th.

BOOK REVIEW

Jen Masterson has always adored her husband Jason's family - his large, loving, home with his happily-married, proud parents has always been a welcoming fixture in her life. Jason's siblings are her best friends; a huge difference to the family she was brought up in. And with the couple's two children having grown up and ventured away to university, the extended Masterson family unit with their weekly visits and family dinners keeps Jen involved.

However, Jen accidentally discovers a secret. And a rather big secret, at that.

A secret that has the potential to tear the entire Masterson family apart.

Letting Jason know what she's found out would only upset him and possibly drive a wedge between Jen and the family. So she decides to keep it quiet, continuing with life as normal and trying remarkably hard to keep up the pretence in the presence of the Mastertons.

Though it can only last for so long. Soon, the secret is catching up with Jen; following her, demanding that she comes clean about what she knows.

And if she doesn't confess, then someone else will...

The longer Jen keeps the secret, the harder it becomes. With family events looming, there's only so much time before she has to come clean about what she knows, And when it happens, she tells not only Jason, but the entire Masterson family.

Jen is soon forced to deal with the consequences of confessing all to the family that's trusted her, enveloped her in love and let her be one of them. And when her world comes crashing down around her, Jen has to decide what to do next in order to pick up the pieces.

It's quite hard to write a review without giving too much away - after all, one of the things I enjoyed most about this book was discovering the secret, and I really don't want to post any spoilers! Sometimes in life, we come across things that could be kept to ourselves; secrets that could cause harm when revealed. But is it best to keep these secrets? What would happen if we told? Jane Fallon explores this concept wonderfully, and tells a fantastic, highly addictive story about a woman placed in terribly predicament - one that could potentially break up a family.

Skeletons is a very intriguing novel of secrets, scandal and family dilemma, which Jane handles brilliantly (her novels Getting Rid of Matthew and The Ugly Sister are some of my favourites), and I was very excited about the release of Skeletons. Such a great book - I'm already looking forward to Jane Fallon's next offering!

Rating: 5/5

Check out The Friendly Shelf for tomorrow's stop on Jane's blog tour!

UNCOVERED PICKS: Five new novels for March

There are plenty of great new chick-lit novels heading our way in March, from authors including Jane Costello, Fiona Gibson, Collete Caddle and Rebecca Chance. Here are our five picks for the month - what are yours?

Take Mum Out by Fiona Gibson
“What do you need a boyfriend for? You’re a mum.”

Fiona Gibson’s eagerly awaited new novel is full of dating disasters. Sharply observed and laugh-out-loud funny, its perfect for fans of Tracy Bloom, Kate Long and Tess Stimson.

Three blind dates
Two teenage boys messing up her plans
And one man who'll melt Alice's heart.

'You need to get back in the saddle…' Alice despises that phrase. She's fine being single – with two slothful teenage boys and a meringue business to run, she has enough on her plate without negotiating the troublesome world of modern dating.

However, Alice's three best friends have other ideas. Each one will present her with an utterly delicious, eligible man – all Alice has to do is pick her favourite.

Skeletons by Jane Fallon
Jen has discovered a secret.

It's not hers to share, but is it hers to keep?

If she tells her husband Jason, he might get over the shock but will he forgive her for telling the truth? She might drive a wedge through their marriage.

If she tells someone else in Jason's family - the family she's come to love more than her own - she'd not only tear them apart but could also find herself on the outside: she's never really been one of them, after all.

But if she keeps this dirty little secret to herself, how long can she pretend nothing is wrong? How long can she live a lie?

Jen knows the truth - but is she ready for the consequences?

Ghostwritten by Isabel Wolff
A childhood mistake. A lifetime of regrets.

Jenni is a ‘ghost’: she writes the lives of other people. It’s a job that suits her well: still haunted by a childhood tragedy, she finds it easier to take refuge in the memories of others rather than dwell on her own.
Jenni has an exciting new commission, and is delighted to start working on the memoirs of a Dutchwoman, Klara. As a child in the Second World War, Klara was interned in a camp on Java during the Japanese occupation – she has an extraordinary story of survival to tell.

But as Jenni and Klara begin to get to know each other, Jenni begins to do much more than shed light on a neglected part of history. She is being forced to examine her own devastating memories, too. But with Klara’s help, perhaps this is finally the moment where she will be able to lay the ghosts of her own past to rest?

Gripping, poignant and beautifully researched, Ghostwritten is a story of survival and love, of memory and hope.

The Divorce Papers by Susan Rieger
Twenty-nine-year-old Sophie Diehl is happy toiling away as a criminal law associate at an old line New England firm where she very much appreciates that most of her clients are behind bars. Everyone at Traynor, Hand knows she abhors face-to-face contact, but one weekend, with all the big partners away, Sophie must handle the intake interview for the daughter of the firm’s most important client. After eighteen years of marriage, Mayflower descendant Mia Meiklejohn Durkheim has just been served divorce papers in a humiliating scene at the popular local restaurant, Golightly’s. She is locked and loaded to fight her eminent and ambitious husband, Dr. Daniel Durkheim, Chief of the Department of Pediatric Oncology, for custody of their ten-year-old daughter Jane—and she also burns to take him down a peg. Sophie warns Mia that she’s never handled a divorce case before, but Mia can’t be put off. As she so disarmingly puts it: It’s her first divorce, too.

The Time of Our Lives by Jane Costello
Three best friends. One five-star hotel. Will it be the holiday of a lifetime ...? Imogen and her friends Meredith and Nicola have had their fill of budget holidays, cattle-class flights and 6 a.m. offensives for a space by the pool. So when Meredith wins a VIP holiday at Barcelona's hippest new hotel, they plan to sip champagne with the jet set, party with the glitterati and switch off in unapologetic luxury. But when the worst crisis of her working life erupts back home, Imogen has to juggle her BlackBerry with a Manhattan, while soothing a hysterical boss and hunting down an AWOL assistant. Between a robbery, a run-in with hotel security staff and an encounter on a nudist beach that they'd all rather forget, the friends stumble from one disaster to the next. At least Imogen has a distraction in the form of the gorgeous guy who's always in the right place at the very worst time. Until, that is, his motives start to arouse a few suspicions ...