Click. Date. Repeat. by KJ Farnham

These days, finding love online is as commonplace as ordering that coveted sweater. But back in 2003, the whole concept of internet dating was still quite new, with a stigma attached to it that meant those who were willing to test the waters faced a fair amount of skepticism from friends and family. Such is the case for Chloe Thompson, a restless 20-something tired of the typical dating scene and curious about what she might find inside her parents’ computer. With two serious but failed relationships behind her, Chloe isn’t even entirely sure what she’s looking for. She just knows that whatever it is, she wants to find it. Based loosely on author K. J. Farnham’s real-life online dating experiences, Chloe’s foray into online dating involves a head-first dive into a world of matches, ice breakers and the occasional offer of dick pics, all while Chloe strives to shake herself of the ex who just refuses to disappear. Will she simultaneously find herself and “the one” online, or will the ever-growing pile of humorous and downright disastrous dates only prove her friends and family right? There’s only one way to find out… Click. Date. Repeat.

Thank you to KJ Farnham for sending me a copy of this book for review. It is exactly the type of book I would pick up and it did not disappoint.

With online dating very popular this book is something that I think would appeal to a lot of people. We join Chloe on her journey through the ups, downs and strange occurrences of online dating. When we first meet Chloe she has just begun online dating and we see her still finding her feet with it. We meet the different men online with her and join her on the phone conversations and first dates. The first date Chloe has is hilarious so I thought this book would be a light hearted chic-lit novel, but it is much more than that!

I did find that the book had a bit of a slow start but this quickly changed once we learn a bit more about Chloe and she starts going on dates and learning about the different men, after that it picks up and you find it hard to put down.

The author never gives us too much information when telling us about Chloe, we learn just the right amount about her family, friend and her past, without it being too much. She takes us inside Chloe’s head so we get to see her thoughts and feelings throughout every date, argument and situation she ends up in, through this we get to feel like Chloe's best friend and confidant. 

I love how KJ portrays the different types of people on the internet, the different relationships that we can build with them and also the dangers there can be. She never gives her too much information about any story or

Chloe is a character that you can really connect with and like straight away, you really want her to find happiness. You feel sad for her when it doesn't work out with the ones that seem like good guys, scared for her when she finds herself in worrying situations.

About half way through the book I thought I had the ending pretty much figured out, then I thought maybe I hadn't and thought it would be something else instead but I was wrong about that too. I think after everything that happens to Chloe throughout the book it was nice to see what looks like a fresh start for her.

If you love chic-lit with a twist and with lots of laughs this is the perfect summer holiday read that you won't be able to put down. This is the first book by the author that I have read and it definitely won't be the last.

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Isabella's Last Request by Laura Lawrence

"It’s been two weeks Isabella. How can you love him? This is going to be another Stuart again.’
I actually feel like I’ve just ripped her heart out. I hate to see her like this, but I feel as her best friend and sister figure, I should try and keep her grounded."

Olivia and her best friend Isabella are travelling the world completing their bucket list of 100 things to do before you die. The reason being that Isabella is seriously ill and doesn't know how much longer she has left.

Will they manage to complete their list in time or will they get distracted by cute boys and tourist spots? Join them on their mission and feel their strong friendship shine through at the hardest times.

Thank you to Laura for sending me a copy of this book for review. This is the first of Laura's novels that I have read but it definitely won't be the last.

From the title of the book, you can kind of guess what it is going to be about, but it took me a while to realise what the reason behind their list was, and just how serious it was.
Isabella's Last Request is based around two best friends, Olivia and Isabella, who have complied a bucket list of things to do before they die. They travel, meet boys, fall in love and have fun, all while ticking things off of the bucket list.

The way Laura has written this book just makes you want to keep on reading, you want to find out what the problem is but also want to join in on the fun the girls are having on their travels. Laura writes so beautifully and has the power to engage you right from the start.
I finished this book in a day because I couldn't put it down. You start to feel like you are with Olivia and Isabella on their journey and become emotionally attached to them.

This book reminds me of A Fault In Our Stars by John Green, which is one of my favourite books ever, so I think that made me enjoy it so much more.

After finishing this book I have noticed that there is a sequel, Isabella's Last Gift, so that will definitely be one to add to my list! I would recommend this book to anybody that love chic-lit novels with lots of emotion, I will warn you though, make sure you have tissues at the ready!

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Blue Tides by Jeffery Martin Botzenhart

Welcome home, lost fragile souls. Find solace in casting worldly troubles away to my blue tides…so sayeth the Ocean.

Attending the wedding of two close friends, as well as seeking to cleanse her troubled thoughts, Lauren is drawn back to her beloved beach house, just north of Cape Hatteras, by the lure of the ocean’s blue tides. Spellbound by the echoes of crashing waves and the unexpected sight of a soaring kite, she makes her way down to the beach. There, she encounters a message in a bottle in the form of a carefree younger man.

Drawn in by Brody’s free-spirited presence, Lauren forgoes her intended solitude by inviting him in. As their weekend together passes, to each other they reveal how carelessly they were “cast away” by those they loved. Their mutual attraction fuels cravings to be desired once more, yet the depths of a secret she initially withholds from him, clouds their future together.

Will she accept salvation from his message in a bottle…or cast him back to the blue tides?

Thank you to Jeffery for sending me a copy of this book for review. I read Jeffery's debut novel Clockwork Heart last year and loved it, so I was looking forward to the next installment from him and it did not disappoint.

I love how although Jeffery's novels are so short, you get to see so much into the character's lives as he straight away makes you engage with them, like and support them. By the end of the novel you feel like you have been on a 300 page long journey with them in just 40. Although this is essentially a love story, Jeffery touches on a quite difficult subject but such a powerful way that you don't feel sad, you just support the characters more and want them to get through it.

In a way I do wish the book was slightly longer as I hadn't seen enough of Lauren and Brody, but at the same time we see the perfect amount, we see their love beginning and we see events that shake them and how they recover from it. 

I don't want to give too much away as it is one of those books you just need to read and as it is so short even the busiest of people can find time to read it. I am already looking forward to ready Jeffery's next novel. 

Amazon UK | Amazon US

Read my review of Clockwork Heart here:

All I Know Now by Carrie Hope Fletcher

We all know that growing up is hard to do, and sometimes the only thing that makes it better are the reassuring words of someone who has walked that bumpy road just a few steps ahead of you and somehow ended up as a fully-functioning adult. Carrie Hope Fletcher is that person. Thanks to her phenomenally popular YouTube videos, Carrie has become an 'honorary big sister' to hundreds of thousands of young people who turn to her for advice, friendship and, most of all, the knowledge that things will get better.

Carrie has created a safe and positive space for young people to connect and share their hopes and concerns online, and now she will share her most personal thoughts and experiences in her first book, ALL I KNOW NOW. It includes Carrie's thoughts on some of the topics she's asked about most regularly: bullying, body image, relationships and perhaps the scariest question of all: what does the future hold for me?With warmth, wit and a sprinkling of hard-won wisdom, Carrie will provide the essential tools for growing up gracefully . . . most of the time.

Ok so after reading this book I am pretty sure that to write it Carrie jumped inside my head, pulled out my teenage years, my thoughts and my feelings and wrote them down. Her story of growing up is pretty much exactly the same as mine. 

Although I am not a teenage girl looking for answers for everything from school and relationships to the internet, I really do think that this book is the perfect companion for growing up, finding yourself and dealing with life. In writing this book Carrie is living up to her name of 'honorary big sister' and I think a lot of girls (and boys) will take comfort from this. 

I read this book as somebody who, like Carrie, has already gone through everything, but still with a lot of life ahead. It was interesting to me to see her thoughts looking back and whether they were the same as mine. They were. I think everybody that has now hit their twenties and beyond, and seen the light at the end of the tunnel they thought they would never see, we all feel the same feelings of anger, embarrassment and at times humour, when realising what we should have done in the situations we were faced with.

What I like about this book is that it is divided into 'acts' in reference to Carrie's theatre career. So if at a particular time you are having relationship trouble, you can find that 'act' and read that part. Carrie has also managed to get the mix of advise and humour perfectly balanced, which means even when reading the more serious stuff you always have a reason for a bit of a giggle. She has written this book completely honestly and as herself and that shines through every page.

I would recommend this book mainly to teenagers but also young adults that want a look back on their former years, as they will make you remember every aspect of them and probably give you a good giggle along the way!

Amazon UK | Amazon US

The Truth About Ellen by Sarah Louise Smith

It’s every girl’s dream to date a pop star...

When Ellen starts dating Tom, a member of the band she adored as a teenager, she can’t believe how lucky she is.

She neglects to mention that she's a huge fan because that just wouldn’t be cool, would it?

Ellen also keeps quiet about how she once spent an evening with Tom’s ex-bandmate/ex-best friend Jasper, her long-term celebrity crush. Tom doesn’t need to know about that, it’s all in the past.

That is until Tom and Jasper get back in touch… and the truth threatens to ruin everything Ellen has ever dreamed of...

Thank you to Sarah Louise Smith for kindly providing me with a copy of this book for review, this is the first of Sarah's novels I have read and it won't be the last. I loved it!

Every teenage girl (past and present) has or had a celebrity crush, whether it was a TV personality, a boyband member or a film star, we all had one! I was a huge fan of boybands and had a few crushes myself, so when I read the plot of this book I knew it was one I would love reading.

Even though not many of us will have been in the situation Ellen finds herself in, Sarah has somehow made this book so relate-able. By appealing to anybody that has had a celebrity crush she manages to draw us in right from the start. We are able to feel the way Ellen feels, lucky, star-struck and in awe of meeting Tom Green, a member of her favourite band Four Ape. Whilst she also realises she is an adult now and needs to 'play it cool', which is easier said than done.

I loved Ellen, she was a likeable character and one you are right behind from the very start. You want the best for her. She was a strong and independent woman and although she has had her heart broken, she doesn't let it hold her back from life.

With a few chapters of the book left I thought I had predicted the ending, but of course I hadn't, at first I was a little disappointed that it didn't go the way I was expecting but that disappointment didn't last long. I don't want to reveal too much about this book because I know if I would have read spoilers it would have ruined the excitement of the story for me slightly. So that is all I am going to say!

I would recommend this book to anybody that is in the mood for a light hearted, romantic novel that will take you back to being 13 years old. The perfect holiday read and definitely one that you will pick up again and again.

Amazon UK | Amazon US