GIVEAWAY - I Listened To My Heart By Rosemary Louise Gallagher

You may have seen a few months ago I reviewed I Listened To My Heart by Rosemary Gallagher and I absolutely loved it. Rosemary has very kindly given me a copy of the book to give away, so if you would like a chance to win it just enter below. The giveaway will run from 11th - 19th December and the winner will be contacted within 24 hours of the closing date.

To find out what the book is about and my thoughts, you can read my review here.


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It's December...

Which means only one thing.. It's nearly Christmas! 

Christmas is my all time favourite time of the year! At the first sign of Christmas cards, trees and gifts in the shops I usually start getting festive (even if that means it's August)! I just love it! Although, one thing I never get around to doing and it shocks me a lot, is to read Christmas books!
So, this year I have decided to challenge myself to read 5 Christmas books before Christmas. I have already read Christmas With Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher which was amazing, so the books I am planning to read are.

I have chosen these books because based on the blurb they are just the types of book you can curl up with on a cold winter night and get a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Perfect!

I'd love to hear from you if you are planning to read or have read any Christmas books, or if you have read any that I am going to read. 

Nightfall by TK Lawyer

Tamara’s spicy scent, thrills, seduces, and weakens him like no other. She is his and he wants her. Unfortunately, she is done with men. Tamara has been burned too many times in the past, and she’s not looking for a relationship…ever. But when she finds a stray dog on her doorstep, she decides she wants a relationship with a male, after all—that of pet and pet owner.

Josh is not a dog, and he has no interest in staying her pet. He has one burning desire—Tamara—in his bed, nightly and permanently. He will stop at nothing to convince Tamara they are better together, and that he needs her, forever.

Their paths are intertwined and their future is inevitable, but will Tamara allow Josh to love, cherish, and protect her? Or will she say goodbye to the amazing, dedicated man, whose loyalty and sweet promises could shatter her walls completely, and consume her with desire?


Thank you to T K Lawyer for sending a copy of this book for me to review. 

This novel was so strange, that I don’t even know where to start with explaining it. It was like nothing I have ever read before, the blurb gives absolutely nothing away and you actually get a shock when you find out what the book is about. I loved that you are kept guessing until almost half way through the book and I loved the whole plot and story, it kept me hooked. 

I liked the way TK has written Tamara as plus sized woman, this is something we rarely find in novels and it teaches young (and older) women that you can be attractive, sexy and loved to somebody no matter what you look like or what size you are, and that it doesn’t matter. She was such a down to earth, kind, caring woman that you couldn’t help but love. She just wanted to live her life and finally find somebody to love her and be faithful to her.

I had mixed feelings about Josh the whole way through. At first I hated him, I hated the way he straight away claimed Tamara as his own, didn’t like her talking to or doing anything with anybody but him. Then as they developed their relationship I did start to warm to him as he would do whatever he could to protect and make her happy, even if that meant hurting himself emotionally and physically. He still however had times when he annoyed me by being too protective over Tamara, although you do see why he does this and understand a little more. 

I don’t want to say too much about this book because you could never guess what it is about and I don’t want to ruin it! I would definitely recommend this book to anybody that wants a romantic, thought provoking, suspense building and at times scary book. I cannot wait to read more from TK Lawyer as I think her books will just get better and better.

Amazon UK | Amazon US

The Boy Who Loved Rain by Gerard Kelly

Colom is the teenage son, and Fiona the wife, of David Dryden, pastor of a high profile church in London, who is admired for his emphasis on the Christian family. But all is not well. Colom's erratic behaviour causes a great deal of family stress. When a commitment to die is discovered in Colom's room after the suicide of a school friend, David finds himself out of his depth - and Fiona, in panic, takes Colom and flees . . . A wonderful, intelligent and searching novel about the toxic nature of secrets, and the possibility of starting again.

Thank you to Lion Fiction for having me as part of the blog tour for this book. I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would!

This novel is about Colom, a teenage boy who is having dreams he can’t understand and has secrets he feels are there but has no knowledge of. Colom felt so real and I started to feel like I had to protect him in some way. You root for him throughout the whole book and want him to be able to live a normal teenage life.
I loved that something as simple as rain was the theme of this book, it is something that I have never seen before and it worked brilliantly. It is explored so well and although you might think ‘what? A story about rain?’it is written so beautifully that you can't not enjoy it. This book makes you think but without knowing you are doing so, it is so powerful, intriguing and has the power to take over you completely. I loved how at the beginning of each chapter he gave us a quote about rain, I didn't think there could be so many! 

Gerard Kelly is a brilliant writer, he has the ability to keep you hooked on the story and make it impossible to put down. There is so much emotion in his novel that you can’t help but feel like you are living it.

I don’t want to say too much more about this book because it is so good that I want everybody to read it and don’t want to ruin it, so if you want to know more you will have to buy the book!
I would highly recommend this book to anybody, it is a thought provoking, engaging and intriguing novel that you just can’t put down. I loved this story and I cannot wait to read more of Gerard’s novels.

Amazon UK | Amazon US

Clockwork Heart by Jeffery Martin Botzenhart

Until the end of time…and then beyond…

Would it be a crime against nature to help those in need by the use of unusual and possibly illegal medical procedures? Victoria begs her father, a brilliant physician, to commit such a crime for the man who she has forever fallen in love with. Trevor was critically injured by enemy artillery while fighting on the Western Front. Victoria hopes that through the restoration of his damaged body, their love will flourish once he is well again.

Unforeseeable revelations and unimaginable confrontations create havoc for the lovers. Will Victoria and Trevor find a place where their love will last for eternity…or has time run out?


Thank you to the author for sending a copy of this book to me for review. This book is so short I got through it in about an hour, it is the perfect book to start reading when you want a bit of a break from longer books.

I really enjoyed Clockwork Heart, it is such a simple story yet so magical and full of love. Jeffery Martin Botzenhart is a brilliant writer, he makes you feel as though you are in the story and really connects with the characters. The way he so brilliantly describes everything in the book means that you can close your eyes and put yourself everywhere the characters go.

I loved Victoria and Trevor, there love happens so fast, but I loved seeing how much they cared for each other before actually properly knowing one another. It was a 100 year old story of love at first sight.

One of the characters I didn't really understand was Victoria's father, there was just something about him that I found very strange. He was so over-protective of Victoria and didn't seem like he was letting her live her life, you could see that he cared for her but he took away her freedom. He then all of a sudden completely changed and seemed to be happy for Victoria and Trevor, I would of liked to learn a little bit more about him and get inside his head.

You can't really guess much of the novel from the blurb and I liked that because you just don't know what is going to happen. I don't want to say to much more about this book because I want people to read it the way I did, completely unsure of what is going to happen.

I do wish this book was a bit longer as I wanted to see more from Victoria and Trevor but it did end perfectly and made me a bit teary! I would recommend this book to anybody looking for a short, easy to read, romantic novel.

Amazon UK | Amazon US

Connectivity by Aven Ellis

Overachiever Mary-Kate Grant (who is indeed named after an Olsen Twin) has followed every rule to the letter to pursue her dream of working in TV programming. Ripping a page from the “hard work pays off” playbook, she takes an assistant level job at a Chicago sports network to break into the industry.
MK has no time or desire for a relationship right now—she is totally focused on her career and being independent, unlike the other women in her family.

But MK’s plans are run through the shredder when she finds herself working for William Cumberland, a British media mogul who made his fortune with Connectivity, a social media site. William blows into Chicago just like the winds off Lake Michigan and purchases the group of networks MK works for—and makes her his personal assistant in the process.

Suddenly MK finds her career plans in jeopardy. William makes her question everything she has ever thought and has the uncanny ability to see right through her. And for the first time in her life, MK finds herself not only questioning what she wants for her career but for her personal life as well…


Thank you to Aven Ellis for gifting this book to me. I have become addicted to Aven’s novels and this one was no different. I read this book in a day, as I have with pretty much all of Aven’s books, I just devour them. After reading all of Aven’s other books you can tell that this is her first novel, but it is not a bad thing, she has developed as a writer from this book to her others and you can see how this one led her into writing them. Having said that though this book is still brilliantly written and you can't help but love it!

Mary-Kate (MK) is an assistant working at a sports media company, which she hates, but it in the same building, so a step closer, to her dream job on Beautiful Homes Network. When William Cumberland, a British media mogul, takes over the company and makes MK his personal assistant, both of their lives change.

I loved MK, she was so down to earth, loyal, smart and you could so easily relate to her and she was SO clumsy, just like me! Learning that she was named after an Olsen twin took me right back to my childhood and made me instantly love her. There was nothing I didn't like about MK, she wasn't arrogant like you find in some girls in books and she wasn't selfish, she just wanted to do her job well and get her dream job. Also, even though she knows how rich and successful William is, she is not bothered about his money, she just loves him for the William he is away from being Mr Cumberland, successful business man. She reminded me a lot of Lucy from Aven’s other novel Waiting for Prince Harry (which I absolutely loved)!
Yet again Aven has written a gorgeous, smart, generous and kind male character in William who you fall in love with as quickly as MK does. I loved how he treated MK and how protective of her he was and it had me laughing out loud when he went into 'badass mogul' mode when standing up for MK.
I didn't take to MK’s friends Reese and Emily at all, they never seemed to have a good word to say to MK and were always bringing her down. I could see that they were concerned about her but they didn't give her a chance to be happy. 

I love how Aven added some banter between Mary-Kate and William by having them call each other names and laugh over English and American words, like trunk/ boot, cell/ mobile and especially aluminium, that is something that makes me cringe when I hear Americans say it haha! Sorry!

This book is not your typical romance novel, it is about finding love in an unexpected place. I loved how although MK was being warned off William nothing stopped her, she wasn't being stupid, she just knew it was worth the wait and the disapproval of her friends. The way Aven has the characters really develop and get to know each other before anything happens is what I love about her books, she never has her characters rush into sleeping together.

I liked how Aven wrote William and his and MK's trip to London. She seemed to have done a lot of research into Britain and the British and wrote about it so well. Aven is a brilliant writer and you can’t help but get sucked into her novels, they are just so cute, heart-warming and you find yourself smiling while reading them. Her writing style is just so intriguing and engaging and she makes you have to carry on reading.

I am so sad that this is the last Aven Ellis book I have on my pile to read, but I can’t wait for her next novel to be released! If you are looking for a light-hearted, cute, funny, romantic read I would definitely pick up this book!

Amazon UK | Amazon US

Finders Keepers by Kris Lillyman

Jake Sawyer has lost everything. His wife has left him for another man and taken their two young children with her, his business is in ruins and he is sinking under the weight of serious debt. He is at breaking point and ready to end it all. But as he prepares to jump from a bridge into oblivion, his fortunes suddenly change. A car crashes right beside him killing the driver instantly but in the wreck Jake finds a case full of priceless diamonds. Immediately seeing salvation and temporarily abandoning his sanity, he takes the case and escapes to Europe without barely considering the consequences of what he has done. A worldwide hunt for the diamonds ensues in which Jake has to evade both the police and the vicious mercenaries who are the true owners of the stones. Along the way, Jake encounters murder, heartache and love in his desperate quest to find redemption.

A breathtaking roller-coaster of a read that rattles along at blistering pace.

Thank you to Publishing Push for sending a copy of this book to me for review.

This is the first book by Kris Lillyman I have read but on doing some research I noticed that he has written many books, both thrillers and children’s books. So I had high hopes about this book before reading it, and I was not disappointed!

I have never read a book like this before, it is definitely not the usual type of thriller but that’s what makes it so great and definitely worth the read. It shows how one spare of the moment decision can change so much. I am not going to say too much about it because I want everybody that reads it to go into it knowing as little as possible about it, I did and it made the book so much better for me. 

This novel is about Jake Sawyer who has lost everything. His wife left him for someone else and took their two children with her, he is in a huge amount of debt and his business has failed. Things have gotten so bad for Jake that he is thinking about ending his life, he decides to do this by jumping off a bridge, Before he gets the chance he witnesses a car accident and Jake’s life changes. How? Why? You will have to read the book to find out.

I really liked Jake and connected with him and what he was going through, he is one of those characters that you’re not sure if you should like but you end up liking anyway. In the end you are really rooting for him.

Kris Lillyman is an incredible author, he has you hooked from just a few pages in and the story keeps changing that you just don’t know what is going to happen, just when you think you have worked out what is happening, Kris changes the story. This is so annoying yet so brilliant as you just have to keep on reading to see what actually happens.

I am definitely going to pick up other books from Kris as I need to experience more of his writing. If you are looking for a fast-paced, exciting, thrilling, attention grabbing book then this is it!

Amazon UK | Amazon US

Christmas With Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher

Join Billy and Sophie for the next chapter of their story by bestselling author Giovanna Fletcher.

Christmas has come to Rosefont Hill and it's destined to be a particularly special festive season for Sophie May.

When a smitten stranger emails Sophie to ask her if he can propose to the woman he loves in her little teashop, the romantic in her finds it impossible to refuse. Even though Christmas is her busiest time of year she has her own sweetheart, Hollywood actor Billy Buskin, to lend a helping hand. How could she say no to making someone's dream come true?

As Sophie and Billy work together to plan the perfect fairytale proposal for this couple, excitement in Rosefont Hill is mounting. Who is this mysterious man? And who is the lucky lady he's about to get down on one knee for?

Since reading Billy and Me in 2013 I have longed for another look at what Sophie and Billy are up to and here it finally is! I couldn't wait to start reading this book! It is a short novella that you can get through in an hour and it is the perfect book to get you in the Christmas spirit! I love Christmas but wasn't quite in the Christmas spirit yet, I most definitely am now and I'm not even ashamed!

It is good to be able to catch up with one of my favourite book couples again further into their relationship and it's Christmas so its even more exciting! I am not going to say too much about this book because you have to have read Billy and Me to truly understand and appreciate this book, and I want everybody to feel the magic of the story without knowing too much.
I did think I had figured out the ending of this book about half way though and I have to say I was a little disappointed that this didn't happen but it was still so magical and I did have tears in my eyes, so it is definitely not a criticism!

Yet again we see what a talented author Giovanna is, she gets you hooked from the first page. Her writing is so beautiful and makes you so happy. She has the power to make you cry with anything she writes and I think that's why I love her books so much, you get so emotionally attached so easily and you feel as though you are in the book with the characters.

If you are looking for a brilliant, romantic, heart-warming, festive read I would recommend you pick this up!

Amazon UK 

You can read my review of Billy and Me here:

Mr Innocent by Angel Ray

Lexi Gifford is the editor-in-chief of a popular women’s magazine named Innocent. Lexi needs a new assistant and a new lover, and she finds both in Theodore Logan—a rather naïve and virginal farm boy from Iowa. 

At first, Lexi is hesitant about getting involved with Theodore—who goes by Theo—because of a bad previous relationship. There’s also the age difference, because Lexi is thirty-two and Theo is eighteen.

However, any hesitation on her part flies out the window when he winds up modeling for an upcoming issue of Innocent, when a model doesn’t show for the shoot. Unable to resist seeing his hunky farm boy frame clad only in a pair of form-fitting bikini bottoms, she ravishes Theo.

Their relationship blossoms both in and out of the bedroom, and eventually Lexi realizes that her passion for Theo goes beyond the merely sexual and that she has genuine feelings for him.

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this book for review. I read this book in less than an hour as it is only 37 pages long and it is definitely worth a read. 

I didn't read the blurb before I started reading this book, I went into it blind and I'm glad I did as I wasn't sure what to expect, which was much more exciting. 

I did enjoy this book, however I would of liked it to give us more of a background on Lexi and Theo as it just jumped straight into their relationship. I would of like to see them working together first and developing a friendship and working relationship. Having said that though this book isn't one where the characters relationship develops, it just happens so fast. So the author has purposely jumped straight in with them. Looking at it from this point of view it is a brilliantly written and thought out book. 

I didn't particularly like Lexi, she seemed so self obsessed and thought she could have any man she wanted. She seemed to me that she took advantage of people that she knew couldn't or wouldn't say no to her. I did warm to her at the end of the book though when she seemed to show a different side to her and her true feelings towards Theo, I wish the book had gone on a little bit longer for us to see more of this. 

I loved Theo from the start, he was so innocent and there were times in the book where I wanted to shake him for being so naive and times when I just wanted to scoop him up and give him a big hug. 

Angel Ray's writing keeps the book exciting, it is fast-paced and easy to read. He puts a lot of description into the scenes and characters that you feel like you are in the room with them (although it would be pretty awkward if you were most of the time haha)!

I would recommend this book to anybody looking for a short, sexy read. It is a book that you can immerse yourself in for an hour when you need a bit of a break from life. 

Amazon UK | Amazon US

An Imaginary House by the Sea by Cecily Gates

“Love is a messy thing. That hopelessly devoted, deep-in-your-bones kind of love we used to dream about when we were kids—it turns out that it’s hard. It aches. It takes time. Like a house that weathers the ages, it must be built, brick by brick.”

Snarky and ambitious Dawn Campbell almost had it all: a job producing lavish celebrity events, a hip downtown apartment, and a studmuffin of a boyfriend. But after losing all three in one fell swoop, Dawn finds herself resorting to the unimaginable: returning home to Bridgeport, an oceanside town where the air smells sweet but not much happens.

When a chance encounter brings her into the sturdy arms of John Brown, her childhood best friend, old feelings come rushing back. As the sparks fly, life finally starts to look up for Dawn...until she meets his wife.

Marguerite Brown has everything that Dawn doesn't a killer fashion sense, a breathtaking beauty, and a French accent—oh, and the kind of temperament that makes great white sharks seem docile in comparison. Determined to release John from an unhappy marriage, Dawn turns on the charm and makes a plan to finally win back her one-that-got-away.

But after Dawn stumbles upon a secret that, up until now, Marguerite has meticulously kept hidden, the two women are thrust into an unexpected friendship. An Imaginary House by the Sea follows Dawn’s journey towards self-rediscovery, finding purpose, and building a more complex, steadfast kind of love than she could have ever imagined.


Thank you to Cecily Gates for sending me a copy of this book for review. I ran a giveaway of this book on my blog a while ago and wished I had some way of winning so I could read it haha! So when Cecily contacted me asking me to review her novel I jumped at the chance. I thought it sounded exactly like my kind of book and the title and cover are so intriguing!

We join Dawn Campbell as she is packing up her life in the city to move back home to her childhood town of Bridgeport, after losing her job, apartment and life there. Straight away she reconnects with her childhood best friend and crush John Brown. hoping to start where she left off and thinking she feels the sparks flying again, Dawn thinks she will finally end up with John, that is until she sees the shiny wedding ring on his finger, and meets his beautiful French wife and two children to go with it.

I loved that at the beginning of each chapter we went back in time to Dawn’s childhood in what seemed like letters to John telling us what had happened but him how she felt. It was great to see a younger Dawn and be able to see how although some things have changed for her since then, a lot of things are still the same. Everything we see from the past is an important event and they shape the story and make us understand more.

At first I wasn't sure what to make of Dawn, she seemed nice but also had her selfish ways about her but I think as she got her life back in Bridgeport and after a few words with Marguerite, she started to see where she was going, she changed and I loved her.

Dawn and Marguerite’s relationship was great to read, at first they hated each other, which was understandable as anybody could see how Dawn and John felt about each other (or so we thought that was the reason), but as they got to know each other and Dawn learned Marguerite’s secret they formed a heart-warming relationship. Dawn makes some mistakes when it comes to John and his family but they shape the person she ends up becoming. Dawn was real and you could really connect with her, she wasn't perfect, but who is?
John I did like from the start, the love he had for his family was lovely to see, everything he did he put them first. As well as Dawn he makes mistakes but he does everything he can to try to fix them.

I thought the ending was going to be quite predictable and I thought I had guessed it from very early on in the book, but I was wrong! There are so many twists and turns that by the end of the book you actually have no idea what is going to happen.

Cecily is a brilliant author, her writing seems so effortless, the story just flows and you are hooked from just a few pages in. This story has a bit of everything, sadness, romance, anger, heart break, humour and drama, so you it keeps you hooked right the way through. It is the perfect emotional read that you can’t help but love. If you are a lover of chic-lit, romance, comedy or drama then I would recommend you pick up this book. I can't wait to read the next book in the Bridgeport series.

Amazon UK | Amazon US

The lovely Cecily Gates has given me 2 ebook copies of An Imaginary House by the Sea to give away, enter below for your chance to win!

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The Emerald Comb by Kathleen McGurl

One afternoon, Katie takes a drive to visit Kingsley House, the family home of her ancestors, the St Clairs. She falls in love the minute she sees it. It may be old and in desperate need of modernisation, but it is her link to the past and, having researched her family tree extensively, she feels a sense of belonging to the crumbling old estate.

When it suddenly comes up for sale, she cannot resist persuading her family to sell up and buy it, never telling them the truth of their connection with it. But soon the past collides with the present, as the house begins to reveal the secrets it has hidden for generations. Does Katie really want to discover what she has come from?

Thank you to Girls Love To Read for asking me to take part in the blog tour for this book. I didn't really know too much about it before I started reading it but I had seen some of the hype around it so I was very much looking forward to reading it. 

This is a time slip novel, which is not something I have read much of before, but I loved it! The way we get to see two stories both from completely different time's but overlapping was brilliant. This book was essentially two different books, a historical fiction and a contemporary novel, it was great to be able to see these two genres mixed as we don't often see this, it is good to compare the characters and their lives then and now and see how differently they lived. I loved that we got to read two different stories, about two different families (although technically the same family), both with their secrets. 

I thought at first that switching between different characters and time zones might confuse or complicate the book for the reader, however, this is not the case at all. Kathleen tells us which time zone we are in at the beginning of the chapter and stays in that time until the next, this makes it so easy to read and the novel just flows.

The parts that were written in the past I think I enjoyed more than the present and I found myself intrigued as to what was going to happen. What I loved about this is that we learn about everything through letters that are being written from Bartholomew St Clair to his son Barty, this is a much more personal way of telling us his story and we feel so much more connected to it as we become Barty reading his father's letters. When Katie Smith (formerly St Clair), a descendant of Barty's brother, buys their house the past becomes the present and Katie ends up caught in the middle of a murder mystery case that is over 100 years old.

I don't want to say too much more about this book because I went into it pretty blind and I am so glad I did because not knowing what to expect made it so much better. Plus there are so many stories going on within this book I couldn't possibly tell you them all, some of them you don't expect which is so exciting!

Kathleen has written a brilliant novel, the research she has put into it to allow us to feel as though we are back in the early 1900's is amazing, I could picture everything in front of me as if I was actually there. It is one of those books that you get hooked on straight away and just can't put down. I would recommend this book to anybody as I don't think there will be many people that won't enjoy it. If you want a book that is exciting, fast-paced and impossible to put down, with plenty of twists and turns, then you need to buy this book! I can't wait to read more of Kathleen's novels.

Amazon UK | Amazon US

BLOG TOUR - Guest Post by Kathleen McGurl

On Settings

Good settings are critical in a novel. There’s the overall setting – where do your characters live? And then there are the small, scene by scene settings to decide on. All the action has to take place somewhere.

The Emerald Comb is set mostly in Brighton and a village in Hampshire. When I first planned the novel, the historical strand was going to be set in Bath rather than Brighton. I needed somewhere that was fashionable in 1840 and Bath was the first place which came to mind. But then I realised I would have to do a lot of research, as I don’t know Bath very well at all. But Brighton – well, I used to live there. Although of course it has changed a lot over the last 150 years, I’m well aware of the basic layout, and can picture the beach and the promenade and some of the old, grand houses, squares and terraces which still exist. A bit of Googling found maps of Brighton from my chosen time period, which were really helpful. I love the sea so it was wonderful to be able to set some of the scenes on the beach there.

The Hampshire parts are set in a fictitious village I named North Kingsley. It’s described as being just north of Winchester and if you look at a map, in my mind it is pretty much where real-life Micheldever is. I had a good idea of what my village looked like, and sketched rough maps in a notebook showing where Kingsley House, the pub, the church and Irish Hill were. Irish Hill, incidentally, is named after a hill in Berkshire, which I transplanted to Hampshire for my novel. (Oh the power of the novelist! I can move mountains!)

In some books, the setting sometimes becomes a character in its own right. Whether it’s dark, foggy Victorian London streets, a beautiful stately home, or a creepy haunted house – a wonderful location can add so much more to the story. Kingsley House was crucially important in The Emerald Comb – it is the main link between the two timelines and most of the action takes place in or around the house. That’s the reason why I wanted to start chapter one with Katie arriving at Kingsley House for the first time. I wanted the reader to see it through her eyes right at the start, and hopefully fall in love with it the way she did.

The house itself is based partly on a house in the Avon valley outside Christchurch which I have cycled past many times, and partly on one near Penrith in Cumbria, which belongs to a friend’s parents. When planning the book, I drew floor plans of it and labelled each room twice – once showing how the room was used by Bartholomew and Georgia in the historical story, and once showing how Katie’s family used it in the contemporary story. Although every reader will picture it differently (and that’s the joy of reading compared to watching TV) I hope that I’ve given enough impressions so that their imagined house is at least a bit like mine.

When I was in the final stages of editing The Emerald Comb, I spent a weekend in Brighton. As we walked past Brunswick Terrace, I found myself telling my husband, ‘look – that’s where Georgia Holland lived with her uncle!’ He gave me a Look. Sometimes I live in my novels far too much!

Blurb

One afternoon, Katie takes a drive to visit Kingsley House, the family home of her ancestors, the St Clairs. She falls in love the minute she sees it. It may be old and in desperate need of modernisation, but it is her link to the past and, having researched her family tree extensively, she feels a sense of belonging to the crumbling old estate.

When it suddenly comes up for sale, she cannot resist persuading her family to sell up and buy it, never telling them the truth of their connection with it. But soon the past collides with the present, as the house begins to reveal the secrets it has hidden for generations. Does Katie really want to discover what she has come from?

About the author

Kathleen McGurl lives near the sea in Bournemouth, with her husband, sons and cats. She began her writing career creating short stories, and sold dozens to women’s magazines in the UK and Australia. Then she got side-tracked onto family history research – which led eventually to writing novels with genealogy themes. She has always been fascinated by the past, and the ways in which the past can influence the present., and enjoys exploring these links in her novels.

When not writing or working at her full-time job in IT, she likes to go out running or sea-swimming, both of which she does rather slowly. She is definitely quicker at writing.

You can find out more at her website, http://kathleenmcgurl.com/, or follow her on Twitter @KathMcGurl.

Waiting for Prince Harry by Aven Ellis

Twenty-four-year-old Kylie Reed has always been a rule follower. Organized and cautious to a fault, her dreams for life are often filed away for future use—when she has a house, when she meets her future husband, when she has been at her visual display job at a chic Dallas boutique longer...Kylie always has a reason for living her life in the future, not in the present, and not living her life to the fullest and reaching her dream of becoming a fashion designer. 

The only exception to rules, of course, would be running away with Prince Harry—Kylie’s ideal man. A hot, fun ginger boy would be worth breaking all the rules for, of course. And Kylie is sure Harry just needs the right, centering woman to settle him down. But living in Dallas and not knowing Prince Harry make this a non-option.

Or does it?

Because when Kylie accidentally falls into the lap of a gorgeous ginger boy—yes, even more gorgeous than the real Prince Harry—all bets are off. Could this stranger be the one to show Kylie how to take a chance, to face her fears, and live in the present? And could this stranger be the Prince Harry she has been waiting for? Kylie’s life takes some unexpected twists and turns thanks to this chance encounter, and she knows her life will never be the same because of it..

Firstly, a massive thank you to Aven Ellis for gifting this book to me, I absolutely adored it! This is the second Aven Ellis novel I have read and when I think they can't get any better, each one I read I love more than the last. I read this book in a day and a half because I got hooked straight away.

I was intrigued by this book just from the cover, the title, straight away had me wondering what could possibly happen. Is Prince Harry in this book? How could Kylie be waiting for him? And of course it has the Union Jack on the front, so what’s not to love about the cover image?

I loved Kylie, she was a down to earth, clumsy, selfless, normal girl who was slightly OCD, had to live her life by rules and had to be organised with everything planned, even the decoration of her house in the future (which she doesn't have and isn't making any steps to get). When we first meet her she is completing a pop quiz (which she lives her life by) on her iPhone, whilst trying to avoid being set up with a groomsman, at her brother’s wedding, by her mum. She sees her chance and sneaks out of the wedding party, finding a quiet bar to grab a few moments to herself, that is until she gets caught in her dress and ends up in the lap of gorgeous Harrison, drenching him with wine in the process. Although she has a rule to never pick up a guy in a bar, after hours of chatting, Kylie knows Harrison could be the love of her life – her Prince Harry. He’s gorgeous, intelligent, caring, red-haired and generous and Kylie can’t just let him walk away, but she can't go against her rule, will this feeling be mutual and who is Harrison?
Although I loved Kylie I really wished she would stand up for herself sometimes, I saw a lot of myself in her when she let herself be told what to do and walked all over. Seeing her eventually stand up for herself made me very happy as I had been hoping she would, especially with her work colleagues, it actually made me think that I should be a little bit more like Kylie at times!

When we find out who Harrison is, we see Kylie struggle to handle the life she has been thrown into, we see the troubles it causes between Kylie and Harrison even though there is so much love between them, it does look like the power of his star status will take over and ruin their relationship. It gives us an insight to the celebrity world and what it is like for them trying to have a normal relationship, being bothered by press and fans everywhere you go and having to deal with reading things about yourself on the internet. I thought this was great because it is not something we would see and it makes you feel sorry for them, because it is completely different for us ‘normal’ people who can have a normal life, without having to worry about any of that.

Harrison is everything you want in a book boyfriend. Very much like Deke in Chronicles of a Lincoln Park Fashionista (although in no way did they look alike), he is caring, protective and you can see he likes Kylie a lot and will do anything to keep her around. I think there is a pattern emerging here with the guys in Aven’s books! I do hope there is!

Kylie and Harrison are the perfect couple, Kylie is afraid of the now and is incredibly planned for the future, whereas Harrison is living in the now and is afraid of his future. By them both having their issues they help each other and through this they are both able to face their fears. I also found it great that Kylie didn't know who Harrison was at first as it meant we got to see him as Harrison instead of Harrison the celebrity and she fell in love with who he really is.

This is another brilliantly written novel by Aven. She writes so effortlessly and gets you hooked within the first few pages. I loved that she put pop quiz questions at the beginning of every chapter, It was a great added bonus into Kylie’s life and we could see that she really does live her life by them, we also kind of see the answers being played out in each chapter and as you get further into the book you can guess which answer Kylie will choose. Aven has the ability to make me feel all warm inside just by adding one hugely romantic line into her book, this makes me adore her books so much more and remember them just because of a few lines. Cute, romantic lines make books for me!

I think everybody should go out and buy this book! I cannot recommend it enough! It is such a heart-warming, laugh out loud funny, romantic novel that you just can’t put down. I am very sad to be finished with Kylie and Harrison’s story as I feel that a part of me is still with them, however, Aven did tell me the other day that they do pop up in her new book The Definition of Icing, which is out in May, so I am definitely going to be reading that! I have Connectivity on my TBR so that will definitely be being pushed up the list as I don't want to part with Aven's writing just yet!

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Dead Gorgeous by Elizabeth Flynn

 

Kirsty Manners is young, beautiful, and ambitious. And dead. 

Kirsty was trying to make it in the fashion world. As the in-house model for Ivano King and having dated the great designer himself, she believed she was well on her way. But Kirsty is found dead in her flat one Sunday afternoon, and D.I. Angela Costello is called to the scene.

Kirsty has left behind a lovesick ex-boyfriend and a jealous flatmate. And what about King’s new girlfriend, who openly admits she has a reason to wish Kirsty dead? Behind the flawless make-up and gleaming catwalks, Angela’s enquiries uncover theft, drug addiction, prostitution – and suddenly her own life could be in danger…

I have recently expanded my reading and started to read more crime novels, so when I was asked to take part in the blog tour for Dead Gorgeous I jumped at the chance. Just from the blurb this book sounded so interesting. This is the second in a murder mystery series, however it can be read as a standalone novel. It is the perfect book to get hooked on and feel like you are part of.

Kirsty Manners is an ambitious young woman who longs to be a model, she works for Ivana King, a top fashion house. She isn't a particularly nice woman and doesn't mind using people to get what she wants. When she is found dead in her flat D.I Angela Costello is called to investigate. This book has so many twists and turns and you are always kept guessing, exactly how a murder mystery should be. At first I was a little confused but when the book really gets started and when D.I Costello comes onto the scene it becomes a book that you just can’t put down.

I loved how none of the characters are actually like-able, this gave me a whole new experience when reading as I have never really found that I don’t like any of the characters before. What is great about this book is that none of the characters in the story were having an easy life, everybody had their problems and they all worked within the story. All of the characters worked well together and bounced off each other brilliantly, there was something entertaining about each one of them and this made you like them (yet still dislike them) so much more. Each character is capable of lying and cheating, which is perfect for this type of book, and it keeps you on your toes because you just don't know what they will do next.
There are so many characters and there is a lot going on in the book, which worried me slightly at first but as you read on you see that it is not too much at all but the perfect amount to make the book brilliant. What I love most about books that have a lot of characters with different stories is when we find out that they are all connected, which is exactly what this book does.

There were so many times in this book that I thought I knew what was or was going to happen and where the story was going (I didn't), this novel well and truly keeps you guessing. This is brilliant writing from Elizabeth as she manages to make you think something different to what is actually happening, just by releasing little bits of information, then adding a huge twist. Elizabeth constantly changes the pace of the novel at exactly the right times, which I thought was absolutely brilliant. She allows you to try to figure out the case along with D.I Costello, whilst also allowing you to feel the tension throughout. I read this book in no time at all and I think anybody would struggle to put it down.

Elizabeth is a wonderful writer who has the power to write such a detailed, elaborate story but have you able to keep up. I would definitely recommend this book if you want a flowing, easy but fascinating read that will keep you on your toes and up late at night because you can’t stop reading. Fans of crime or chic-lit will love this book as it covers both genres, I'm a massive chic-lit fan and I loved it!

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The first book in the D.I. Costello series, Game Set and Murder, is on sale until October 24th, so you can buy it for only 99p! I will be posting a review for this shortly but I would deifnately recommend buying this, how can you say no to this great price? Find it on Amazon here.

About the author

Elizabeth Flynn is a Londoner of Anglo-Irish parentage. She has a background in the theatre both as an actress and in stage management, and has experience in broadcasting. She has more recently worked as a hospital bereavement officer and managed a mortuary so she ‘knows the drill’ and has used some of this experience in her writing. This is her second novel and the second in the series: A Mystery for D.I. Costello. The first book in the series is Game Set and Murder.

I Listened My Heart by Rosemary Gallagher

Rose O’Carroll has been single for most of her 40 years. In her search for love she bravely decides to pack up her comfortable life in Australia and move to London. Guided by her special friends — her angels — she quickly settles in her new life; lands a great job; makes new friendships and begins her spiritual journey. It doesn't take long until Joe DeMarco, the handsome American, turns Rose’s world upside down and changes it forever. Rose intuitively knows she has met her twin soulmate. But how does she cope when he tells her “it’s just the wrong time”? Everything happens for a reason and soon Rose discovers why she had to meet Joe DeMarco when the timing was wrong. She had someone else to meet first...and it wasn’t only the dishy Dr St. Claire. I feel my story will attract woman from the age of 30+ who are looking for love and opening up more to the spiritual side of life, (although not saintly) and who are romantics at heart. If you enjoyed Bridget Jones' Diary and Eat Pray Love, then you will enjoy 'I Listened To My Heart'.

Thank you to Rosemary Gallagher for sending me a copy of this book for review. This is a beautiful story that captures your attention and heart from the start.

I Listened My Heart is the story of Rose, a 40-something year old Australian woman who decides to move to London. She has deep spiritual beliefs and is guided through life by her ‘angels’, she is also a gifted Tarot reader. She is waiting for her angels to inform her of the man of her dreams, the man who is ‘the one’. We learn about Rose and her friends and the trouble, heartache, happiness and confusion that comes with finding and trying to keep ‘the one’.

The book is written as though Rose is talking to us as she would her friends or a diary. It was like the author, Rosemary, was telling us her life story, rather than it being a biography of sorts it is written into the life of Rose. This is brilliant as it feels so much more real and you can believe the story. I liked that there was a short poem and a letter to Rose’s angels at the beginning of each chapter, it gave us something different and you could see what she was actually asking them for and saying to them.

I loved Rose, she made me want to laugh and cry with her throughout the book. I felt so sorry for her that she was holding out for Joe and I actually didn't want her to, I wanted her to let him go and find somebody better that would treat her right, even though Joe was supposedly ‘the one’. Although she is in her 40’s so a lot older than me, she was young at heart and I still felt I could relate to her in some ways, this was great as I think women and men of any age would relate to her, meaning that a lot more people will enjoy this book.

I didn't know what to make of the spiritual element to the story at first, I don’t dislike it, it is just something I am not really into and don’t know much about, so I don’t know if I believe it. I thought I would find it a bit far-fetched and hard to believe, and yes it is hard to believe that Rose has angels guiding her, but it is a possibility, and the way Rosemary has written this book shows that she is trying to teach us and make it easy for us to believe. The way she has also shown us that Rose's friends all accept that she has angels is brilliant as it makes us not straight away think she is crazy! By the end it has you thinking that maybe we all do have angels guiding us throughout life, there are just some people that can hear them.

It is a heart-warming story with the perfect lead character who you just can’t help but feel for. I have heard there will be a sequel to this book so I am very much looking forward to that! I read this book in 2 days and although I read it in cold, rainy October, it is the perfect holiday read.

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