It’s a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen knew more about marriage than anyone else. (Never mind that she never got married herself…)

It’s in the midst of the recession when Kate, a freelance journalist and self-professed Jane Austen addict, finds herself single, unemployed and soon-to-be homeless (not to mention about to turn 40).

In desperation she accepts a writing assignment to prove a theory that in the toughest economic times a wealthy man is the only must-have accessory. So, with just Jane Austen’s advice for company, she sets off to see if Mr Rich can ever become Mr Right.

Her mission takes her to Palm Beach, St Moritz and London. Where, in keeping company with the elite, she meets billionaires, oil tycoons, and generally men who make Mr Darcy look like an amateur. But will rubbing shoulders with men of good fortune ever actually lead her to love?

As a long time fan of Jane Austen’s work I’m often drawn to books that feature her in some way so when I read about and saw the fab cover for The Jane Austen Marriage Manual, I knew I had to read it! From the start, this novel wasn’t what I was expecting; I don’t know why but I’d assumed an English setting and heroine so it was a surprise to find American Kate from Scarsdale as leading lady.

The book starts with a prologue introducing Kate on her wedding day and then steps back six months to introduce Kate properly. I liked ‘six months earlier’ Kate straight away – her sense of humor comes across with her wry observations on her pregnant colleagues and her commentary made me smile. Kate has strong views on marriage and motherhood; she wants neither and it made a refreshing change to find a character in a book that had decided that marriage and children weren’t for her but was happily supportive of her friends that had married and had children.

The second surprise for me was that the novel tackles some heavy topics from the start;  Kate loses her job, her home and suffers a close family bereavement all within the first 70 pages. As she looks for work, Kate accepts an assignment for a high end magazine to examine the possibility that the women Austen wrote about had the right idea in trying to land a rich husband to provide wealth and security for their futures. I loved the premise for the story; in the modern recession hit world is a rich husband the answer? Kate comes across as a mixture of Bridget Jones, Carrie Bradshaw and occasionally her own favourite heroine, Elizabeth Bennett.  She’s certainly an interesting character and more complex than I’d expected initially. It was interesting to watch the fight between what I saw as the real Kate and the persona of Lady Kate that she creates as part of her act to lure a rich husband.

I loved the little Austen references throughout the novel, for example, Kate’s best friends are called Marianne and Brandon and each chapter starts with an appropriate quote from on of Austen’s classics. This isn’t a modern re-write of an Austen novel and although certain characters and elements of the plot reminded me of Pride and Prejudice I don’t think you need to be an Austen fan or have ever read any of her books to enjoy The Jane Austen Marriage Manual.

As Kate puts her plan into action, I enjoyed reading about exotic locations and the jet set lifestyle and my need to find out what happened to Kate and her quest kept me gripped. Kate’s adventures soon see her meeting a bevy of rich and handsome men and there is definitely more than a little of Mr Darcy in one of the key male characters in the book. Kim Izzo kept me guessing to the very end as to whether Kate would find love or wealth (or both). Her debut is Austen with a kick and I loved the ending and the overall message of the story.  An excellent choice for a grown up chick lit read.

4/5

You can find out more about Kim Izzo and her writing at: http://kimizzo.com/

The Jane Austen Marriage Manual is out now and I’d like to thank publisher, Hodder for sending me a review copy.

Take one aspiring cook, one judge, and a spoonful of romance…

When Zoe Harper wins a coveted place in a televised cookery competition she’s thrilled. It’s a chance to cook her way to fame and fortune and the little delicatessen she’s set her heart on.

The first task has hardly begun when she finds herself with rather too much on her plate. Not only has she got to contend with the fiercely competitive and downright devious Cher, but she’s fast developing an inconvenient crush on one of the judges – the truly delicious Gideon Irving.

All too soon there’s more than canapés, cupcakes and cordon bleu at stake. Will Zoe win the competition or is Gideon one temptation too far? And is Zoe really prepared to risk it all for love?

I read my first Katie Fforde book last year and loved Katie’s warm and easy writing style, likeable characters and the lovely summery romance of the story. I’m pleased to say Katie has done it again in Recipe for Love which is a must read for lovers of TV cookery programmes like The Great British Bake Off and Masterchef as it is set during a cookery competition.

The cooking challenges Zoe and her fellow competitors face make an excellent backdrop for the novel giving the plot plenty of variety and pace. I felt like I was being given a behind the scenes look at the contest and its contestants as I read about Zoe and her progress through the competition. Of course , this wouldn’t be a Katie Fforde novel with out the romantic element and this book has it in spades as Zoe finds herself attracted to Gideon Irving, one of the competition judges.

The chemistry between Zoe and Gideon is apparent immediately and there is a wonderful ‘will they/won’t they?’ tension to the book which is compounded by the fact that Zoe could jeopardize her place in the competition by being anything other than strictly professional with Gideon. I loved that Katie kept me guessing right to the end as to how their flirtation would turn out and as the story took some twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting, I didn’t want to put the book down!

I liked Zoe very much and although she has a tendency to be helpful to the point of putting her own chances in the competition at risk, she came across as a genuinely likeable and nice person. I found myself rooting for her not just to do well in the competition but also for all the other aspects of her life and her dream of owning a deli to work out too.

The supporting cast are well written and bring a lot of humour to the novel; Zoe’s fellow competitor Cher acts as a wonderfully underhand spanner in the works throughout the story and I loved the sub plot involving Rupert and Fenella, the owners of Somersby House where the main part of the competition is being held; Rupert’s parents in particular are brilliant and scarily believable over the top characters.

Recipe for Love has a wonderful summery feel to it and is the perfect novel to curl up with as the days (hopefully) get warmer and summer approaches. A delicious read and tasty romance – top marks from me!

5/5

Recipe for Love is out in hardback now and I’d like to thank Amelia at Random House for sending me a review copy.

You can read an extract of Recipe for Love and find out more about Katie and her books on her website at: http://www.katiefforde.com/

It is a truth universally acknowledged that all mothers want to see their daughters happily settled.

But for Lara, mother to Maudie and stepmother to Jasmine and Eve, realizing this ambition has not been easy.

With an ex-husband embarking on a new marriage, and the surprising and late blooming developments in her own love life to contend with, Lara has enough to worry about, especially with Eve’s upcoming wedding.

And when she begins to fear that Eve is marrying a man who will only make her unhappy, and Maudie reveals something that shocks the entire family, Lara faces the ultimate dilemma. Does she step in and risk the wrath of her daughters? Or does she stand by and watch them both make what she fears will be the biggest mistakes of their lives?

Daughters is a novel about relationships, particularly family relationships and their varied complexities. Although primarily the story of Lara and her three daughters; Eve, Jasmine and Maudie, Daughters also examines issues surrounding marriage, divorce, loss, grief, infidelity and complex blended families. Buchan narrates in the third person and I loved her writing style which combines elements of mystery with drama and real character depth resulting in a novel that will really make you think.

Lara is the lynch pin of the novel and her story and relationships are far more complex than I had imagined reading the blurb on the back of the novel. Lara is ‘mum’ to Jasmine, Eve and Maudie, having cared for all of them from when they were babies but she is actually step-mum to Jasmine and Eve whose mother died giving birth to Eve. As the story progresses, the dramas and often fraught relationships of the present are punctuated with flashbacks to events of the past, hinting at secrets that Lara has kept from the girls and slowly revealing the actions that brought about her divorce from their father and their repercussions as the girls grew up.

I love the cover for this novel and the matryoshka dolls image really captures the relationships of Lara and her daughters. The novel opens with Eve’s wedding announcement and the wedding acts as a catalyst for a lot of the action and drama of the novel as the wedding preparations show the three daughters’ true personalities well. Eve is super organised and efficient and outwardly her personality is very contained. She came across as quite highly strung at times and I didn’t really take to her for much of the novel; I thought her treatment of Lara at times was awful. Jasmine, Eve’s sister is a highly successful business woman and is often the one smoothing the waters in one way or another. Maudie, the youngest of the group and just finishing her A levels was my favourite of the sisters; I really admired her independence. The sisters’ lives make for interesting reading on their own and there are a number of sub-plots, particularly relating to their own relationships that kept me turning the pages! Their relationships with Lara are brilliantly captured and certainly made me think about my own relationship with my mum and how I am (and hope to be) seen as a mum myself.

By far the most complicated and to me, heartbreaking, relationship of the novel is between Lara and her ex-husband, Bill. I found it fascinating to see how the events of the past had a continuing effect on the present and had a lot of sympathy for them both as the full truth was revealed. Given the intricacies of the plot, I thought the ending to Daughters was very well done and tied up a lot of loose ends nicely. Elizabeth Buchan has really got to the heart of her characters and to many of the issues facing mums, dads and families today. Highly recommended to readers looking for a believable and thought provoking read.

4/5

Daughters is out now and I’d like to thank the publisher for sending me a review copy.

You can find out more about Elizabeth Buchan and her novels at: http://www.elizabethbuchan.com/

Giveaway!

Thanks to lovely publisher Penguin I have one copy of Daughters to give away to a lucky reader. To enter this giveaway just leave a ‘pick me’ comment in the box below and I’ll use random.org to choose a winner after the closing date. This giveaway is open until midnight on Friday 16th March. UK entries only please. Good luck!

Jo is a 16-year-old paparazzo who’s desperate to get out of the game, but needs the money.  When she’s offered a week-long job with fantastic pay, it seems like the perfect solution to her problems.  But this particular job is low and dirty and will mean betraying the only star she’s ever liked…

Jo or Zo Jo as she is know on the paparazzi circuit is a streetwise sixteen year old living in LA. Jo trades on her youth and ability to look younger than she is to get into places that the average paparazzo can’t and as a result has achieved a certain level of fame and notoriety for getting the shots that no-one else can get. In Shooting Stars we meet Jo as she’s offered the chance of a lifetime to gain access to a hot male star in an undercover assignment which will allow her to earn the  money she needs to go to study towards her dream career as a portrait photographer.

I liked Jo a lot; she’s independent, strong-minded, feisty and fun. The novel launches straight into the action as she sneaks into the venue of the moment in pursuit of teen music star Ned Hartnett. I did find myself wondering how she got away with running all over town in pursuit of the rich and famous (I don’t think my parents would have let me do that at 16!) but Jo’s Dad is a famous paparazzo too and fully supportive of his daughter’s after school job. Both the glam and nasty sides of Jo’s job are shown in full as the novel progressed and I was in turn impressed by Jo’s ability to hold her own in a largely male domain and surprised by the life she leads and the impact that her photography has. Shooting Stars will certainly make you think about the relationship between the famous, the media and the public.

As Jo finds herself stalking Ned undercover at a retreat in Boston, the story becomes even more interesting as she is forced to confront some of her own demons and faces a major dilemma about the task she’s been set as her friendship with Ned deepens. But all isn’t what it seems and it soon becomes clear that Jo isn’t the only one with secrets. I loved the twist in the story and thought it was really nicely done and not entirely what I was expecting. The romance element to the novel is so cute and I also thought the supporting cast were good believable characters and I especially liked failed ballerina Katrina. The novel raises a number of deeper issues that I’m sure many readers will empathise with; feelings of failure, difficult relationships with parents, bereavement and loss and also touches on mental health issues, striking a good balance between the serious and lighter moments.

Allison Rushby gets extra kudos from me for ending her novel with a fab epilogue that rounds up what happened to the main characters after the main story ended – I love knowing what happens next to the characters I read about, so thank you Allison! Shooting Stars is the first of Allison’s novels that I’ve read and I really enjoyed her style of storytelling. I’m very excited that she is currently working on an e-serial set in 1920′s London called The Honourables, where triplets, estranged since birth, are suddenly brought together and forced to compete for their inheritance! Look out for the first installment in the summer.

There are so many exciting debuts being released in 2012 and The Book of Summers by Emylia Hall is one that I’ve been seeing lots of buzz about. I was already in love with the beautiful cover and then I saw the book trailer below, released earlier this week and am completely intrigued!

Beth Lowe has been sent a parcel.

Inside is a letter informing her that her long-estranged mother has died, and a scrapbook Beth has never seen before. Entitled The Book of Summers, it’s stuffed with photographs and mementos complied by her mother to record the seven glorious childhood summers Beth spent in rural Hungary.

It was a time when she trod the tightrope between separated parents and two very different countries; her bewitching but imperfect Hungarian mother and her gentle, reticent English father; the dazzling house of a Hungarian artist and an empty-feeling cottage in deepest Devon. And it was a time that came to the most brutal of ends the year Beth turned sixteen.

Since then, Beth hasn’t allowed herself to think about those years of her childhood. But the arrival of The Book of Summers brings the past tumbling back into the present; as vivid, painful and vital as ever.

The Book of Summers is released in hardback on 1st March and in paperback in June. Find out more and read an extract at http://www.thebookofsummers.co.uk/

‘Am I dead? I don’t feel dead…’

Sophie cannot leave the people she loves. Her husband, Ollie – a man who once watered a houseplant for a year before realising it was plastic – is lost without her. Their son Freddie is so little. And her friend Jenny? There’s something she desperately needs to know before it’s too late.

Sophie is only thirty-five when she gets hit by a bus on Regent Street, leaving her husband Ollie, six year old son Freddie,  her best friend Jenny and the rest of her family and friends shocked and grieving. But Sophie hasn’t quite left them yet; she’s still floating around, watching over her nearest and dearest.  The Angel at No. 33 is the story of Sophie and her loved ones in the year following her death. You might be forgiven for thinking this would be a real tear-jerker of a novel and of course, in places it is (Sophie’s little boy Freddie got to me every time) but as well as being incredibly moving The Angel at No. 33 is also funny, insightful and ultimately uplifting.

Sophie tells us much of the story herself with heartfelt, often amusing commentary on her life and death that strikes just the right emotional balance. If I met someone like Sophie in real life I’d probably be quite intimidated (gorgeous, amazing husband, life and soul of every party, clever and funny) but as a ghostly presence, Sophie becomes more reflective about her life and what was actually important and I loved the observations that she came up with as she watched over the people she loves most.

Alternating with Sophie’s thoughts, the rest of the novel is told in the third person and focuses on key characters trying to cope without Sophie. Predominantly Ollie and Jenny but also the Muswell Hill mums; Sophie’s quirky, eclectic and slightly frightening local support network. The Muswell Hill mums cover a multitude of mummy categories with Tash, the hot divorcee, Lydia the emotional one and Suze, the ultimate organiser and as they launch into committee mode in a bid to rescue Ollie from self destruction and domestic neglect this storyline brings a lot of the humor to the book! Jenny is also roped into their plans as the person who knows Sophie, Freddie and Ollie best and the coming together of the different friends in Sophie’s life made me think about my own friends and the ways I mix them or don’t!

Jenny has her own set of problems in the form of fiance Sam who is reluctant to set a wedding date and Sophie’s death also makes her step back and evaluate her life. I liked Jenny a lot, perhaps because she seems to be the most ‘normal’ of the female characters in the book but also because she tries so hard to be there for everyone and genuinely cares without going overboard.

As Ollie and Freddie’s lives become open to scrutiny, Williams addresses issues of bereavement, grieving and moving on, truthfully and I only had one small gripe about one of Ollie’s actions as he tries to come to terms with Sophie’s death. I liked the way Sophie is used as the detached observer to bring wry observations and humor to sensitive issues without belittling them.

Well written with engaging characters, I liked Polly William’s style and found The Angel at No. 33 to be a real page turner. Thanks to a mysterious box of hidden letters and a cryptic ‘to do’ list left by Sophie there is also an element of mystery to the plot. Although the subject matter is sad and very moving, it’s not depressing and  The Angel at No. 33 is a bittersweet, romantic and enjoyable read.

4/5

The Angel at No. 33 is Polly’s sixth novel and is out now. You can find out more about Polly and her books at: http://www.pollywilliams.com/

Does every relationship deserve a second chance?

When chief romantic Rose Delaney scores her dream job at London’s quirkiest new attraction, The Museum of Broken Hearts, she thinks she’s got it made. Sure, it’s a little depressing dealing with relics of failed relationships each day, but Rose is determined not to let it break her ‘love conquers all’ spirit. After discovering the museum’s handsome curator is nursing a broken heart of his own, Rose steps in to fix it. Can Rose heal the rift, or will this happy ending go awry?

Regular readers will know that I’m a big fan of Talli Roland’s novels so whilst I’m waiting eagerly for her next book to be released, I thought I’d read her novella Miracle at the Museum of Broken Hearts. For those who haven’t read any of Talli’s writing yet, this novella is the perfect opportunity to get a feel for her books. The story is full of Talli’s trademark warmth, humour and romance and I thought the idea of a Museum of Broken Hearts was quirky and original.

Rose is a hopeless romantic and very much an optimist and was a girl after my own heart from the beginning. As we meet her she’s working in the basement of the British Museum and thoroughly fed up with her fossil cataloguing job so when she sees the advert for a job at The Museum of Broken Hearts she has to apply! Despite the protestations of her best friend Mel who tells it like it is, Rose heads into the job full of enthusiasm and quickly decides that she needs to help her new (and very handsome) boss mend his own broken heart. Talli has created two lovely characters in Rose and Heath and the story is a clever take on both relationships and love with a couple of fab twists in the tale.

Some short stories are just that – a nice quick read but not much to them but I was impressed by the substance of this one. It’s an excellent read and very much worth the pennies that it cost to download.

*STOP PRESS* Miracle at the Museum of Broken Hearts is FREE to download on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com today so grab it quick!

You can find out more abou Talli and her books at: http://talliroland.blogspot.com/

Thirty-something Elyse is happy with her life. That is to say, she’s not actively unhappy. She’s got a perfectly nice husband, child, home and life and knows she should be grateful. Returning home one day from a work trip, she meets an attractive married man on a plane who forces her to question her life – and ultimately find it wanting. There are consequences for Elyse, her husband, her child and her circle of close friends, all of whom have an investment in her life continuing as normal. But things will never be the same again – and is ‘normal’ what she really wants after all?

Love in Mid Air dives straight into the story with an opening chapter that triggers events for the rest of the book as Elyse meets a stranger on a plane and feels an instant attraction to him. Confessing her unhappy marriage, she returns to her husband and family and the remainder of the novel examines the change this encounter brings about in Elyse’s life and the knock on impacts on her family and friends.

I have really mixed feelings about this book. It’s well written and the story held my attention as I really wanted to know what the outcome would be for Elyse, but I really didn’t like her as a character and I disagreed with many of her actions throughout the book. Elyse came across to me as quite a selfish person who was very much caught up in her own issues, which is perhaps understandable in the context of her unhappiness with her marriage but it was her judgements and condemnation of her friends that I found difficut to understand, particularly poor Belinda who is pitied because her clothes aren’t fashionable and her children seem to get into a lot of accidents.

I expected Love in Mid Air to be a story of strong female friendship and support. On the surface Elyse has a close group of friends who meet regularly for walks and lunches, have a book group and are active church and community members, supporting each other with their lives and children. Under the surface though, none of the women in the book are happy in their relationships. Their dissatisfaction seems to go further than a good moan over a glass of wine and the implication for much of the story is that women are the ones that stay and the group are quite willing to just carry on in the bubble they have created. I’m a very optimistic person and while I understand that everyone can’t always be happy, I found the deptiction of suburban life in Love in Mid Air a little depressing.  In fairness, Elyse is the one to say that she doesn’t accept the status quo but as I’ve already said, I wasn’t keen on the ways that she went about making changes to her life and I mainly ended up feeling really sorry for her little girl whose reaction to events wasn’t really explored.

Love in Mid Air is very much Elyse’s story. It’s written in the first person so has a very immediate and intimate feel to it. Kim Wright has certainly given voice to Elyse warts and all and I admire her for creating a character that will challenge readers. This wasn’t the book for me but if you’re looking for a fresh voice and a thought provoking take on marriage, relationships and aspects of female friendship this could be the book for you.

3/5

I’d like to thank Sam at Allen and Unwin for sending me a copy of this book for review.

You can find out more about Kim Wright and Love in the Air on her website at: http://loveinmidair.com/

Joanne Kavanagh and best friend Suzie pack their bags and swap dreary, depressing Dublin for the cool Californian coast. Both are determined to start a new life in the land of opportunity, leaving behind the recession and their complicated families.

They make a pact at the airport to stick religiously to the ‘LA Commandments’, a list of ten ‘Thou Shalt Nots’ for their new life in LA, including ‘Thou Shall Not Fall in Love,’ but when Jo befriends sexy, shy musician Marc, and Suzie falls for womanizing bar-man Chris, not only are the commandments at risk of being broken, but also the girls’ hearts…

With all California has to offer —sunshine, shopping, killer nightlife, and drop-dead-gorgeous men, will the girls stay faithful to the LA Commandments?

The LA Commandments was a surprising read. Having read the synopsis, I was expecting a lighthearted chick lit novel about two friends jetting off for fun and sun in California; what I found was a gripping story with lighthearted moments but also a much more serious side than I expected. Once I started reading I couldn’t put this book down and the final twist really surprised me.

The story begins on the day that Jo and Suzie leave for LA and is told in the first person from Jo’s point of view. I enjoyed the excitement as the two girls headed off for their new beginning and I thought the idea of the LA Commandments (a set of rules that the girls would follow as they enjoyed their trip) was fun but I was surprised to find that the book mainly just focuses on one of the commandments “Thou shalt not fall in love”. To say that the pair don’t stick to that commandment is a bit of an understatement with Suzie especially having an eye for the men from the off and soon developing a major crush on bar-man Chris. Jo’s romance is more slow burning and both girls encounter their fair share of romantic drama as the story progresses and the ups and downs of their relationships had me hooked!

I thought Jo and Suzie were both interesting characters and the relationship between them as best friends was realistic and well developed. My only minor criticism is that they both came across to me as a bit too fixated on their weight/looks at times despite it being clear that neither of them had anything to worry about! The supporting cast are also interesting and varied and between them raise a number of more serious issues including cancer, depression and alcoholism. Duffy certainly isn’t afraid to tackle some hard hitting issues and their repercussions on loved ones, family and friends and does so in a sensitive and thought provoking way.

The story ambles along quite gently to begin with as the girls get to know their new surroundings, find somewhere to live and try to find jobs but it really picks up pace as Jo and Marc’s relationship develops and this was my favourite part of the book. I thought Marc was a lovely character and his up and coming star status added a fab touch of LA cool to the story. The sunny California setting is vividly described and Duffy certainly knows her locations.

Overall, The LA Commandments is a romantic and bittersweet novel that I really enjoyed.  This is a story of love, friendship and family and the ending in particular is one that I won’t forget. A strong debut from Gillian Duffy and I’m already looking forward to reading her next novel which should be out later in the year.

4/5

I’d like to thank Gillian and her publisher for sending me a copy of this book for review.

You can find out more about Gillian and her writing at: http://theduffydiary.wordpress.com/

The paperback of Lisa Jewell’s The Making of Us is out in May with a lovely new cover. It’s a complete change from Lisa’s previous covers and gives a very different impression to, not only to her other books, but also the original cover release.  I loved the original striking turquoise cover, which is the edition I have, but I also think the new cover is beautiful. What do you think?

Either way, I’ve had this one on my ‘to read’ pile for far too long so plan to read it very soon!

They say friends are the new family. But what happens when you can no longer ignore the invisible ties that bind us all, in the end, to our biological family?

Lydia, secure in her controlled, successful and organised London life, thinks that she’s better off alone. But a mysterious letter is about to change everything…

Dean thinks his life is going nowhere, until a terrible tragedy forces him to reassess everything and turn his life around.

And there’s Robin – young, ambitious and independent, but starting to question who she really is and what she wants from life.

Lydia, Robyn and Dean don’t know each other – yet.

But they are bound together by a secret. A secret that will bring them together, turn their lives upside down and show them what friendship, love and familyreally mean …