BLOG TOUR - What Happens in Cornwall by T.A Williams

BLURB

For a very British summer holiday…
When archaeologist Sam realises her relationship is as dead as the skeletons she’s exhuming, she knows it’s time to make a change. But with bills to pay her options are limited…until a discovery on Rock Island in Cornwall gives her a reason to escape…
Head to the Cornish coast!
In Cornwall, questions are thrown up at every turn: who is the glamorous owner of Rock Island that the paparazzi are so interested in? How has the irresistible, but impossibly arrogant, history professor James Courtney managed to get so far under Sam’s skin? And will it ever stop raining so Sam can lose the cagoule and sip a cool drink in the sun? One thing’s for sure: there’s never been a holiday quite like this one!

MY THOUGHTS

I am delighted to be part of the release date blog tour for What Happens in Cornwall. I read When Alice Met Danny last year and loved it, so when I was asked to read and review T.A's new novel I couldn't refuse and I wasn't disappointed!

T.A Williams is a fantastic author, his ability to get you hooked from the first page is brilliant. His writing is very easy to read yet intelligent and entertaining. There are lots of twists in this book so the story flows and stays exciting making you want to keep on reading.
The way he describes the characters, the feelings and the surroundings is perfect. I have been to Cornwall but it was a long time ago. Reading this book and the way the author describes it took me right back there and made me feel like I'd never left.

Sam was such an easily likeable character, it only took me about 2 pages to really like her. She is real and dealing with real life problems and issues that we all have, whether that is university, relationship or family, we can all relate in some way. It is clear that T.A Williams has done a lot of research into Cornwall and everything else he has written about, especially Archaeology, which Sam is studying at University. Everything he writes about it so believeable you actually wonder if you are reading a made up novel!

I knew I liked the writing of T.A Williams after reading When Alice Met Danny but I love it more now. I will be seeking out more of T.A's novels as I need to explore his writing further. This is the perfect summer read that you could enjoy again and again. A proper British read to enjoy during a proper British summer!

Amazon UK | Amazon US 

You can read my review of When Alice Met Danny here:

Live Again (Begin Again Book 2) by Brittney Mulliner

In the sequel to Begin Again, Aubrey Tate finally finds where she belongs.
Living with her brother in California, finding new friends she can trust; things are finally beginning to settle down for Aubrey.
Then she receives the note that changes everything. The past she thought she left behind is still following her.
Now she faces the threat of a stalker who has the potential to unravel her perfect new life.
This time, she has her friends and brother helping her, but will they be enough to save her from her real life nightmare?

Thank you to Brittney for sending me a copy of this book for review, I read Begin Again, the first book in this series, last week and I couldn't wait to start this one.
This is the second book in the Begin Again series and I would definitely recommend reading the first book before this one. I think it is one of those series that you really need to understand and I don't think you would connect with Aubrey and her story as much from reading this book alone.

I read Live Again much earlier than planned because I needed to get back and see what Aubrey was up to and how her life was playing out from the last book. I loved that it started pretty much exactly where it left off, this meant we didn't miss anything that had gone on. I loved every minute of this book and got it read in a day because I couldn't put it down.

I loved Aubrey from the first book but she proved just how brave, strong and mature she is in this novel which made me love her more. I spent the whole book wishing for her to find happiness whilst also being terrified for her. 
There was a guy I was rooting for in book one and I am so happy he was the one she chose in the end! You will have to read the book to find out who though!

There were more twists than that last book had which made this book so good and the way Brittney writes makes it so addictive, so you are hooked from the start. Brittney hasn't just written a story, she has written a novel with morals and lessons for life. She makes you believe everything happens for a reason no matter how terrible that is and proves it to us. She has written a beautiful, easy to read, captivating novel that you don't want to end. I was so excited when I saw that there would be another book in this series because I need to know if Aubrey can now get her happily ever after!

This is the perfect YA novel packed with romance and humour, whilst also exploring the darker side of people and relationships, there are also some terrifying moments that make you heart jump from your chest. I can't recommend this series highly enough!

Amazon UK | Amazon US

You can read my review of Begin Again (Book 1 in the series) here:

 

Don't Tell the Groom by Anna Bell

Bride-to-be Penny discovers that she’s lost £10,000 of wedding savings playing online bingo. So that she doesn’t have to reveal her gambling secret, she convinces her fiancé Mark that they should have a Don’t Tell the Groom themed wedding. Penny then has to plan a wedding fit for a princess on a shoestring budget. But, by the time she discovers that the true meaning of marriage isn’t a Vera Wang wedding dress or Jimmy Choos, will she still have a groom to marry?

I have had Don't Tell the Groom on my bookshelf for a while and now that I am in the middle of planning my own wedding I thought it would be fun to read. With how expensive wedding's are now, a lot more people are going down the budget wedding route. I love how this book is a novel, but also in a way it is a 'how to have the perfect budget wedding' help book.

Penny has always dreamed of having a perfect wedding with everything she ever dreamed of, especially a Vera Wang dress and Jimmy Choos. So when Mark finally proposes, Penny can't wait to start planning their special day. However, when she accesses their wedding fund she's shocked to find their once healthy account balance showing only five thousand pounds. Penny knows she might have played a few too many games of online bingo, but surely she didn't spend £10,000?
Penny knows from the start she can't tell Mark about the missing money or her gambling addiction, so she needs to get help. In the meantime, to keep Mark from seeing the small account balance, she comes up with 'Don't Tell the Groom' and convinces Mark that it would be more fun if she planned the wedding and he knew nothing about it. Everything seems perfect when Mark agrees, but can Penny stay within budget and make sure nobody discovers the real reason behind her plan?

This is the first novel by Anna Bell that I have read and I can't believe it took me so long to pick it up. It is the perfect chic-lit novel and I enjoyed it from start to finish. Anna manages to write such a romantic, funny and easy to read novel with what seems like such ease, the words just flow and it doesn't take you long to become hooked!
I liked to Penny from the very first page and like her I am planning my wedding on a budget, although for very different reasons lol! So it was interesting for me to read the book from the side of a reader, but also a wedding planner, to see what ideas she comes up with to stick to her budget. Although Penny has been quite selfish in the way she has lost the wedding money, she isn't a selfish person at all, you can see she is truly trying to make up for what she has done the best she can. I think most readers will be able to relate to Penny in one way or another, as I'm sure a lot of us have got ourselves into tricky situations, this helps us to really connect with Penny and want the best for her.

Chic-lit fans need to pick up this book, it is an entertaining, romantic, easy to read novel that you won't be disappointed by! I am already looking forward to reading the next book in this series as I am not ready to leave Penny's life just yet.

Amazon UK | Amazon US

Begin Again (Begin Again Book 1) by Brittney Mulliner

Escaping her past, Aubrey Tate moves to Southern California for a fresh start with her older brother, Brandon. Starting over at a new school seems easy with her cousin, Mckayla, and her two best friends at her side, but handling the new guys is another matter. Aubrey ends up in the middle of three rivals that each want her to themselves. Mike claims her first and declare himself her friend and protector. Luke is the school heartthrob that stops Aubrey in her tracks, speechless. Gage is the mysterious, dark outsider that Aubrey can be herself around. How will she navigate her new life while she’s still haunted by her past?


Thank you to Brittany Mulliner for sending me a copy of this book for review. I LOVED it!

For various awful reasons Aubrey is ready for a new start, so she moves from Chicago to California to live with her older brother Brandon. She has to deal with a new school, new friends and a new life whilst also trying to forget her past and the reasons why she moved.

This story is so emotional and you can help but love Aubrey, she is broken but still so strong, she doesn't see how beautiful and kind she is, she is such a likeable character and somebody you can really relate to. When we learn about her past it felt so real and there are a lot of cases like this when nobody believes it, so I found it very intriguing hear her story and how it eventually played out.
We see Aubrey trying to deal with everything herself before realising people do care about her, she attracts a lot of male attention straight away which I thought may change her and make her a bit full of herself but it didn't at all. There was a guy that I was rooting for and hoped he would win Aubrey over in the end but I think we might have to wait for the next book to see who she will choose.

I thought there was going to be a twist throughout the book but this did not come until the very end, usually I don't like waiting for it but with this book I didn't mind. The story was so addictive and well written that you just get completely sucked in and don't want the book to end.

I don't want to reveal too much about this book as I think it is much more powerful if you read it knowing as little as possible, but let me tell you, it is well worth a read!

I would highly recommend Begin Again to anybody that likes an easy to read, YA novel with lots of emotional roller-coasters! I couldn't put this book down and I am so thankful Brittney provided me with  the next book because I NEED to see what happens next for Aubrey. This is one of the best YA books I have read this year!

Amazon UK | Amazon US

The Bookshop on the Corner by Rebecca Raisin

Who said that only real heroes could be found in fiction?

Sarah Smith had an addiction – she was addicted to romance novels. The meet-cute, the passion, the drama and the gorgeous men! Now this wouldn’t have been such an issue if she hadn’t been the owner of the only bookshop in Ashford, Connecticut.

Ever since her close friend Lil, from The Gingerbread Café, had become engaged she had been yearning for a little love to turn up in her life. Except Sarah knew a good man was hard to find – especially in a tiny town like Ashford. That was until New York journalist, Ridge Warner stepped into her bookshop…

Love could be just around the corner for Sarah, but will she be able to truly believe that happy-ever-after can happen in real-life too!

This book is PERFECT! Being a huge book lover myself I knew I would enjoy this book but I had no idea how much. I have seen the hype surrounding Rebecca's books but having never read any of them before I was new to her writing style, description and her storytelling. She is one of those author's that has the ability to suck you in from the first sentence and keep you there until the end. I finished this book in a day because I couldn't put it down!

Our main character, Sarah Smith, is a massive lover of romance novels and lives her life through her books. She somebody that a lot of people will be able to relate to, I know I did straight away but I think that was because she is pretty much me, she is a bookworm, obsessed by romance novels and she blogs about books, see the similarities? She has her own little heaven in her book shop (which I am dying to visit) and is enjoying her daily fictional romances with her book boyfriends. That is until somebody enters her life which makes he question whether romance novels can actually come true!

Having not read any of the Gingerbread Cafe books, I wasn't familiar with the other characters or the town in which the book is set, but that didn't matter. Rebecca still introduced them brilliantly so that newcomers would get to know them and previous readers just get a refresher. Rebecca made CeeCee, Missy and Lil, Sarah's best friends, so fun and easy to like, you want them to be your best friends as soon as you meet them.
The way Rebecca describes Ashford, which is such a quirky and unusual place compared to the big cities, makes it become somewhere magical that you want to hop on a plane, find and never leave!

The thing I love most about this book is Rebecca's writing, she takes you on a journey that you never want to end with her beautiful writing and amazing settings.

After finishing this book I have no idea why I have waited so long to read one of Rebecca's books! This is the perfect summer read that anybody will relate to and enjoy. It is a heart-warming, romantic novel packed with love, fun and friendship. This will definitely not be the last of Rebecca's novels I read, the rest of the series is going straight on my TBR, as will any new releases! What are you waiting for, go and buy this book, now!

Amazon UK | Amazon US

A Flaw in the Mechanism by Jeffery Martin Botzenhart

What would you do for the one you love…when time runs out?

There are some promises that are devastating to keep after a heart has been broken. One such promise made out of his undying love for Victoria sends Trevor on a journey that will lead him across the world. Yet where to begin?

His unexpected discovery of an unburned medical journal found at the Winterhust Estate sends Trevor onward to London. Seeking the consultation of a doctor who is listed on several of the pages, Trevor learns of a conspiracy within the medical community that forced the doctor to flee England.

With the aid of two people familiar with the doctor he seeks, Trevor embarks on a journey that takes him to the unspoiled plains of East Africa. It is there where he experiences how beauty and danger collide…and at times can be one in the same. It is also there where his promise is fulfilled while other promises from both the past and present are revealed with devastating consequences.

Thank you to Jeffery for sending me a copy of this book for review. This is the second book in the Luminosity series, the first being Clockwork Heart which I read last year. I love the first installment so I was very excited when I received this book!

I really liked Trevor in the first book but Clockwork Heart was more about Victoria, so we didn't get to see him develop as much he could have done. After reading this book I think that was a good thing because with him being the main character in this book we got to see who he really is, his emotions. I became a huge fan of Trevor and was rooting for him the whole way through the book.

Although Jeffery's books are short, you feel as though you have been with the character's for much more than 50 pages. The author describes the places, people and actions so effortlessly that you feel like you are there with them. A lot of authors will take a paragraph to describe a scene or situation, but Jeffery manages to do it in only a few words. He is able to stuck you in from just a few pages in and have you hooked right to the end.

About half way through the book I thought I had figured out what was going to happen at the end but there was a huge twist that I did not see coming. The way Jefffery had written the story had made you think one thing, but the complete opposite was actually true! Brilliant writing!

I would recommend this book to anybody that wants a quick, romantic read that shows just how powerful love is. This book can be read as a stand-alone novel but I would recommend reading Clockwork Heart first to understand just how powerful this book is.

Amazon UK | Amazon US

Read my review of Clockwork Heart here: