A Blogging Break …

Hello lovely book people,

Just a very quick blog to let you all know that I’m going on a blogging break. I usually go on a break at this time of the year for my holiday, however, this year I’ve decided to take it a bit earlier and for a bit longer. This is for various reasons, but the main one being that, my son is home on leave and want spend some time with him and I’m also off on my holidays. So I’m going to be a bit busy, this doesn’t mean that I won’t be reading, there is sure to be some fabulous new books coming up.

I will be back at the end of September fully recharged with a shiny new review for you all to read 🙂

So thats all from me for now folks,

Happy reading

xxx

The Inheritance – Katie Agnew.

 

Back of the book : 

I can still recall how the cold pearls felt on my bare neck as Mr Fitzroy secured the clasp, and how heavy they were. I also remember that they were far, far too long for me. But, oh how mesmerising I found those pearls …

Sophia Beaumont-Brown was an IT girl. But now she’s in the papers for all the wrong reasons. Single, sofa-surfing and not speaking to her family, only her Grandmother has any faith left in her. From her hospital bed, Tilly Beaumont sends Sophia letters about her life: dispatches about wartime England, about family and finally, about the most beautiful thing she has ever owned – a necklace of the most incredible pearls. If Sophia’s prepared to listen, she’ll unlock the secret story of generations of incredible women, from the pearl-divers of Japan, to high society in pre-war England, and find that the necklace has changed the lives of all who have worn it. The only problem ? No one knows where it is. Sophia must find out if she’s ready to take on the search for something so perfect it can change a life. Wouldn’t a girl do anything to hold that in her hands … ?

 

What I think : 

Lady Sophia Beaumont-Brown, everyone knows who she is, She’s been in the papers more than she’d care to remember, however, its for all the bad things that she’s done, not the good. She lives in a shared house in Hackney with her bestfriend Hugo, she’s known him since childhood and he’s the only one of her ‘friends’ that has stuck around. Even her parents have washed their hands of her. Lady Matilda Beaumont is Sophia’s grandmother and she was also a well known actress, Tilly as she is known, is the only member of the family that still talks to Sophia and for the last couple of weeks has been sending Sophia letters from her hospital bed. In these letters she writes of her teenage years in wartime England of when she meets her beloved husband screen star Frankie. Sadly Tilly has cancer and its terminal so its very important that Sophia goes to visit Tilly very soon. When Sophia visits she discovers that Tilly was given a pearl necklace by her father for her eighteenth birthday, however the necklace has gone missing and she wants Sophia to find it again so she can see it and hold it again once more before she dies. Where does she start looking ?  Is there something that Tilly isn’t telling her ?

We also meet Dominic And Aiko. Dominic lives in Manhattan and is a film maker, we don’t find out how he fits into the story until right at the end, and Aiko, she is a business woman with a huge electronics company in America. Her story is slightly different as it was her humble beginnings that make the pearl necklace come about, as it was her family, as pearl divers in Japan, that actually find the pearls in the first place.

This is such a brilliant book, and it has such a wonderful cast of characters. I also liked the way that the story was made up of different chapters for the different characters and the way that it weaves back and forth from past to present.

I really felt for Sophia as her father, Philip is a truly awful man and her mother, Alice just lets him get away with it. Hearing about early Tillys life is lovely, you can just imagine yourself there by her side.

I loved Aiko’s story, it is so interesting to find out about the pearl divers in Japan in the 1920’s, I didn’t actually realise that it was only the women that dive not the men and that they did on a single breath.

So, yes I really enjoyed reading this book, I couldn’t put it down. I have been such a fan of Katie’s books and have read them all. I thought that there was quite a large gap between the last book and this one, but this book is so good it was worth the wait. I also thought it was quite different from her other books, but that is no bad thing its just goes to prove how versatile Katie’s writing is. The ending of this book is lovely and I must admit I did shed a tear or two.

I give this book 10/10 (5 Stars)

Published by Orion on 14/07/16.

A huge Thank you to Netgalley for the digital copy of the book to read and review.

All About the Hype – Paige Toon.

Back of the book : 

A lot can change in a year ….

As the daughter of a global superstar and lead singer in one of the coolest new bands in LA, Jessie Jefferson’s life is pretty  interesting. Especially now she’s seeing her gorgeous, guitar-playing bandmate in secret …

But its not all gigs and glamour.  Even in a high school full of celebrities. Jessie’s finding the rock star lifestyle isn’t all its cracked up to be.

Is Jessie finally ready to be a Jefferson ? or is the spotlight proving too much for this wild child … ?

 

What I think : 

Jessie’s mum, Candy, died on her fifteenth birthday, a year ago. She was getting Jessie’s Birthday cake when a window pane fell straight onto her and killed her instantly. It had always been just Jessie and her mum since she was little. After she died, Jessie’s step-dad, Stu told her the truth about who her father is. It turned out to be none other than Johnny Jefferson – rock star !!! In the past year Jessie has been travelling back and forth from the UK to America. After spending quite a bit of time with her new family, Dad Johnny, Step-mum Meg and two gorgeous little half brothers Barney and Phoenix, she’s decided to make her move permanent and settle in America. She’s loving life in America to start with, she has new friends, best friend Agnes and even a secret boyfriend Jack. But as times goes on she begins to realise that maybe she might not be cut out for this life after all, is this the life she really wants … ?

Wow !! Another fab read from Paige. I always really look forward to Paige’s books and this one was brilliant, I was quite sad to finish this one, as it is the third and last in the Jessie/Johnny series, I’m really hoping that we haven’t seen the last of Jessie, Johnny and the others. I would be lovely to go back in a year or so to see what she’s up to.

I really loved all the familiar characters and all the new ones too, I actually read this book in an afternoon, I just couldn’t put it down. Reading one of Paige’s books is like stepping into another world, its almost like you are sat in Megs kitchen or at a really posh Hollywood party. her storytelling is first class, this one will definitely be on my ‘Books of 2106’ list.

I give this wonderful read a really well-earned 10/10 (5 stars)

Published by Simon and Schuster on 28/07/16

I purchased my copy from Waterstones (£7.99)

The Santiago Sisters – Victoria Fox – Blog Tour.

 

 

Back Of the Book : 

Bound by blood . Separated by scandal.

Growing up on a ranch in  Patagonia, twins Calida and Teresita Santiago have never known a world without each other. Introverted Calida can’t imagine life anywhere else but feisty Teresita dreams of fame and fortune. World-famous English actress Simone Geddes believes her profile would benefit from a PR boost and has decided to adopt. A potential family are identified in Argentina and Simone and her driver takes a wrong turn and she ends up at the Santiago ranch. There she becomes enchanted by the beautiful 14 year-0ld Teresita and makes an offer to Julia, the sisters mother who has struggled to cope since the death of her husband. Without either twin knowing the truth, Teresita is whisked to a life of luxury in London with Simone. Soon her old life is but a distant memory and all she feels is hatred towards her sister who believes abandoned her. Meanwhile Calida tries to understand how her beloved sister could have turned her back on them and left without a word. As the years pass, where the sisters were once connected by love, now it is a shared hatred that fuels them as each one vows revenge …

 

What I think : 

Twins Calida and Teresita have always been together, never apart. They live quite a sheltered life in Argentina on a Ranch with their parents. They don’t need anyone one else they have each other. Where Calida is quiet, Teresita is loud and leads the way. One day, by chance, English actress Simone Geddes and her husband and entourage accidentally turn up at the ranch. As soon as Simone sees Teresita, she falls in love with her. Julia, the twins mother is a weak woman, all she seems to do, since the death of the girls father is lay in bed all day. She allows Simone to take Teresita with her back to London. Not knowing the truth of why Teresita has left her, she feels abandoned and vows to get revenge …

I was really pleased receive an ARC of this book from the publishers. Im a real fan of a bonkbuster, and was hoping that this book would live up to my expectations and I’m really glad to say, that for the most part it did. I liked the well written cast of characters and thought that the descriptions of the surroundings were pretty good too, not to mention the pretty fast-paced sex scenes. It starts in the present, with a prologue, then the first part goes back to when the twins are growing up.  However in some places I did think that it was slightly far-fetched, for instance, whatever awful things that be-fallen me in my life, I wouldn’t ever give away one of my children, even if it was to a famous english actress !! Having said that, I really liked the story and thought the twist was pretty decent too !! Yes, all in all a fab read that I read in a couple of good sittings.

This is a good Holiday read that i would recommend to my friend and family.

I give this book 8/10 (5 stars)

Published by Mira on 28/07/16

A very big Thank you to Cara Thompson at Mira and to Netgalley for the review copy of the book.

 

No Turning Back – Tracy Buchanan.

Back of the book : 

She only wanted to save her daughter. 

She didn’t mean to kill anyone … did she ? 

When Radio presenter Anna Graves and her daughter are attacked on the beach by a crazed teenager, Anna reacts instinctively to protect her baby.

But her life falls apart when the schoolboy dies from his injuries. The police believe Anna’s story, until the autopsy reveals something more sinister …

The evidence seems to connect Anna to a decades-old serial murder case. Is she really as innocent as she claims ? And is killing ever justified, if it saves a child life ?

 

What I think :

Anna is a single parent to eight month old Joni, she and her husband split a few months ago and is still finding it quite hard to manage. She works at the local radio station as a DJ. She’s just, that day, come back after her maternity leave. That night after work she’s walking along the beach with Joni when a teenager that looks high on drugs, tries to attack her and her baby. Anna does what any parent would do, she protects her child. But, sadly in doing so she actually kills the boy by stabbing him in the neck with a comb. At first the police believe her version of events and don’t charge her, but then some awful things start to happen and she doesn’t look so innocent anymore. Slowly but surely her life starts to fall apart. Its the last straw for her when she starts to receive emails from the so-called “Ophelia Killer” who twenty years ago, murdered teenage boys by poisoning them, then drowning them in a pond. The murderer suddenly disappeared as quick as they arrived, the police never caught them. Anna’s dad, a top reporter, who was investigating the murders himself, suddenly killed himself around that time so for Anna its dragging up awful memories. Is it really the killer or a copy cat ? Will Anna ever get her life back together again or will she lose everything … ?

I absolutely loved this book, it gripped me from start to finish it’s so intense, I couldn’t put it down. I especially loved all the twists and turns, I was always trying to be one step ahead and thinking I’d got it all sorted out, then something would happen and its turned it all on it’s head and I was back to square one again ! I thought the big ‘twist’ at the end when it came was brilliant. I didn’t guess and was barking up completely the wrong tree !

I felt really sorry for Anna a lot of the time, if you had to go through all the stuff she had to I think you’d have a nervous breakdown in the very least !

I really enjoyed this book and I’m really looking forward to the next one.

I give this book 10/10 (5 stars)

 

Published by Avon Books on 28/07/16.

A big Thank you to Avon Books from whom I won my copy of the book from in a competition on Twitter.