There are so many fab new releases coming this month that I’ve had a terrible time narrowing down my ‘hot picks’ choices but here are the seven books that I’m planning to add to my shelves in September.

Watching Willow Watts by Talli Roland
E-book Released September, Paperback November
Published by Prospera Publishing
Website: http://www.talliroland.com

I loved Talli’s debut novel The Hating Game and have been looking forward to her next release for a long time! Look out for the official online launch ‘If I Could Be Anyone, I’d Be…’ party! on September 14th:

For Willow Watts, life has settled into a predictably dull routine: days behind the counter at her father’s antique shop and nights watching TV, as the pension-aged residents of Britain’s Ugliest Village bed down for yet another early night. But everything changes when a YouTube video of Willow’s epically embarrassing Marilyn Monroe impersonation gets millions of hits after a viewer spots Marilyn’s ghostly image in a frame.

Instantly, Willow’s town is overrun with fans flocking to see the ‘new Marilyn’. Egged on by the villagers — whose shops and businesses are cashing in — Willow embraces her new identity, dying her hair platinum and ramming herself full of cakes to achieve Marilyn’s legendary curves.

But when a former flame returns seeking the old Willow, Willow must decide: can she risk her stardom and her village’s newfound fortune on love, or is being Marilyn her ticket to happiness?

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Released 5th September
Published by Bloomsbury
Website: http://bloomsbury.com

I’ll be indulging my interest in Greek mythology with this one – it sounds brilliant!

Greece in the age of Heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia. Here he is nobody, just another unwanted boy living in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles.

Achilles, ‘best of all the Greeks’, is everything Patroclus is not – strong, beautiful, the child of a goddess – and by all rights their paths should never cross. Yet one day, Achilles takes the shamed prince under his wing and soon their tentative companionship gives way to a steadfast friendship. As they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something far deeper – despite the displeasure of Achilles’s mother Thetis, a cruel and deathly pale sea goddess with a hatred of mortals.

Fate is never far from the heels of Achilles. When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows Achilles into war, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they have learned, everything they hold dear. And that, before he is ready, he will be forced to surrender his friend to the hands of Fate.

Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.

Unlike a Virgin by Lucy Ann Holmes
Released 15th September
Published by Sphere
Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Britain-Sings/162133383864884?sk=wall

I’m reading and thoroughly enjoying this one at the moment  – laugh out loud funny; Gracie Flowers is fab!

Is Gracie in love for the very first time? You know that bit in The X Factor, when the singer tells everyone about the rocky road they travelled to pursue their dream? Well, that’s Gracie Flowers’ story. Gracie is very focused for a woman of almost twenty-six. Her favourite book is ‘The 5-Year Plan: Making the Most of Your Life’. And her five-year plan is going very well. That is, until she is usurped from her big promotion by a handsome, posh idiot; she is dumped by her boyfriend; and discovers her loopy mother is facing bankruptcy. Hormones awry and ice cream over-ordered, a dream Gracie thought she’d buried ten years ago starts to resurface. A dream that reminds her of the girl she used to be and everything she wanted to become.

The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory
Released 15th September
Published by Simon and Schuster
Website: http://www.philippagregory.com/work/plantaganet/the-lady-of-the-rivers/

Philippa Gregory is one of my favourite historical fiction authors and this is another book that I’ve been looking forward to for a long time; the story of Jacquetta, mother of Elizabeth Woodville, The White Queen and the third book in The Cousin’s War Series.

Jacquetta, daughter of the Count of Luxembourg and kinswoman to half the royalty of Europe, was married to the great Englishman John, Duke of Bedford, uncle to Henry VI. Widowed at the age of nineteen she took the extraordinary risk of marrying a gentleman of her house-hold for love, and then carved out a life for herself as Queen Margaret of Anjou’s close friend and a Lancaster supporter – until the day that her daughter Elizabeth Woodville fell in love and married the rival king Edward IV. Of all the little-known but important women of the period, her dramatic story is the most neglected. With her links to Melusina, and to the founder of the house of Luxembourg, together with her reputation for making magic, she is the most haunting of heroines.

The Very Picture of You by Isabel Wolff
Released 15th September
Published by Harper Collins
Website: http://www.isabelwolff.com/

I’ve been a fan of Isabel Wolff since I read The Trials of Tiffany Trott many years ago so I’m really looking forward to her latest release.

Ella Graham is a portrait painter, whose luminous and insightful likenesses are beginning to gain her widespread recognition. But when her younger sister, Chloe, asks her to paint her American fiance, Nate, as a wedding present, Ella is dismayed. She loathes Nate, and she distrusts him – painting him is the last thing she’d like to do. But Ella wants to make her fragile sister happy, and so she puts aside her misgivings and reluctantly accepts. As they start to spend time together in the intimacy of the studio, Ella realises that there is more to Nate than meets the eye.

At the same time Ella is learning about her other sitters’ lives: there’s an elderly widow with a wartime secret, a beautiful French woman who’s dreading turning forty, and a handsome politician who has a confession to make. Then, out of the blue, comes a message from Ella’s father John, who abandoned her and her mother when Ella was five.

In the meantime Chloe is planning her dream wedding: and as the day draws ever nearer Ella realises, to her horror, that she is falling in love with the one man she shouldn’t. She now faces a choice: to tear her family apart by revealing her secret, or to let the wedding tear her apart instead…

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Released 15th September
Published by Harvill Secker
Website: www.nightcircus.co.uk

Magic, mystery and romance – what more could you want?

In 1886, a mysterious travelling circus becomes an international sensation. Open only at night, constructed entirely in black and white, Le Cirque des Rêves delights all who wander its circular paths and warm themselves at its bonfire.

Although there are acrobats, fortune-tellers and contortionists, the Circus of Dreams is no conventional spectacle. Some tents contain clouds, some ice. The circus seems almost to cast a spell over its aficionados, who call themselves the rêveurs – the dreamers. At the heart of the story is the tangled relationship between two young magicians, Celia, the enchanter’s daughter, and Marco, the sorcerer’s apprentice. At the behest of their shadowy masters, they find themselves locked in a deadly contest, forced to test the very limits of the imagination, and of their love…

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Released 29th September
Published by HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks
Website: http://www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com

I’m very excited about Maureen Johnson’s new series set in London.

Sixteen-year-old American girl Rory has just arrived at boarding school in London when a Jack the Ripper copycat-killer begins terrorising the city. All the hallmarks of his infamous murders are frighteningly present, but there are few clues to the killer’s identity.

“Rippermania” grabs hold of modern-day London, and the police are stumped with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. In an unknown city with few friends to turn to, Rory makes a chilling discovery…

Could the copycat murderer really be Jack the Ripper back from the grave?

Which new releases are you most looking forward to this month?

Baby Sam

August was a very exciting month for me as my baby boy, Samuel, arrived nine days early on 17th! The last two weeks have been very busy as we all got to know our new family member and it really feels like we’ve never been without him now. I’m hoping to get back up to speed with the blog and catch up with the reviews I missed at the end of August during September but if it does go quiet you know I have a good excuse

I read four books in August and really enjoyed all of them!

Bad Sisters by Rebecca Chance

A Kiss At Midnight by Eloisa James

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

August Book of the Month

Although I haven’t had chance to review it yet my book of the month is Ready Player One by Ernest Cline; my favourite because it was a complete change from my usual reads and one of the most original books I’ve come across in a while. It appealed to the geek and the romantic in me and I loved all the 80′s references!

The three most popular reviews on the site in August were:

Baby Be Mine by Paige Toon

To The Moon and Back by Jill Mansell

Incubus by Carol Goodman

I really can’t believe we’re in September already – the year seems to have flown by. There are still so many exciting autumn and winter releases to come though an we’re heading into my favourite time of year so I’m looking forward to lots of good reads in the lead up to Christmas! This month I’ll be reviewing Jane Lovering’s new book Star Struck; Unlike a Virgin by Lucy Anne Holmes and Sue Watson’s debut novel Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes. I’m also hoping to take part in the launch for Talli Roland’s new novel Watching Willow Watts on September 14th – check out Talli’s blog for the full details and do let me know which books you are looking forward to reading in September.

July was a busy month in terms of reading and the huge number of fab releases that came out. I managed to pack in nine books which is my monthly record for this year! My ‘to read’ pile is still huge but I’m steadily and happily working my way through it!

The nine books I read were:

July book of the month

The Raising by Lauren Kasischke

Working it Out by Nicola May

All For You by Sheila O’Flanagan

From London With Love by Jemma Forte

Maidens’ Trip by Emma Smith

Baby Be Mine by Paige Toon

Incubus by Carol Goodman

Lessons in Laughing Out Loud by Rowan Coleman

Sometimes it Happens by Pauline Barclay

All but one of these were paperbacks with just one Kindle book … I need to spend more time with my Kindle! Six of these were new releases for July. I’ve found it really difficult to choose a book of the month for July; I rated four of the books I read with my top 5/5 rating and I’ve been in a total dilemma trying to pick a favourite but I’ve finally chosen From London with Love because I think it’s such a lovely summer read and it made me laugh out loud!

As well as reading lots I was lucky to be invited by the lovely Headline team to interview Sheila O’Flanagan on Twitter which was great fun and I also interviewed Nicola May on the blog.

July's most popular review!

The top three most popular reviews on the site for July were:

Baby Be Mine by Paige Toon
About Last Night by Adele Parks
To the Moon and Back by Jill Mansell

‘Paige Toon’ was top search closely followed by Adele Parks. This month I thought I’d take a look at the more unusual search terms that brought people to the site. My favourites are: “book black page edges”, “female antique appraiser discovers secret”, “book about a girl who loses her job and moves to Brighton” and “prom queen dies in car crash” – extra kudos to readers who correctly identify the books from those

August is going to be an interesting month for me as my baby is due at the end of the month so I might have to take a little blogging break at any time … or I could still be waiting to meet the little man in September! I’ll keep you posted but look out for reviews of Bad Girls by Rebecca Chance, A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James and What You Don’t Know by Lizzie Enfield. I’ll also be interviewing the lovely Keris Stainton very soon!

Happy Reading!

‘This is where all stories start, on the edge of a dark wood…’

Dr. Callie McFay’s travels to the small college town of Fairwick in New York State for a job interview. Despite it being her second choice she finds herself talked into accepting a job offer from the Folklore Department to teach a class on demons and vampires. She also finds herself drawn to an old house in the woods where Gothic novelist Dahlia LaMotte used to live and buys it on a whim, despite the seeming reluctance of the estate agent to sell it to her.

But on the night of her job interview, she had a very vivid erotic dream about a man made out of shadows and moonlight, and this dream becomes a regular occurrence when she moves into her new home. Callie starts to feel like a heroine in one of the gothic novels she teaches as slowly it dawns on her that things at the college – and in her home – are not what they seem. She learns that her house is supposed to be haunted by LaMotte’s former lover and her new – and rather strange – colleagues tell her an unfamiliar fairy tale about an incubus-demon with a human past who was enchanted by a fairy queen…

It’s been a while since I read a paranormal novel so I was very excited to recieve a copy of the first book in Carol Goodman’s new series The Fairwick Chronicles. Incubus tells the story of college teacher Callie McFay as she takes up a job in the small town of Fairwick near New York. Callie is a student of folklore and has built her career on the study of Gothic novels, legends and fairytales.

The first part of the novel follows Callie as she attends her interview at the college and is drawn to an old Gothic house at the edge of a forest. I enjoyed seeing the town of Fairwick through Callie’s eyes and the first chapters of the book set the scene well for what is to come with Callie being mysteriously drawn to the old house; having a strange experience as she goes for a run in the woods and the return of Callie’s dreams about a lover made out of shadows. On the surface, all of these occurrences are explainable and Fairwick seems to be a fairly ‘normal’ college town but there is of course much more to Fairwick and it’s residents than an initial glance might reveal.

On accepting the job offer and deciding to buy the house by the woods, Callie discovers that the house belonged to Gothic novelist Dahlia LaMotte. As Callie settles into her new life she finds a treasure trove of Dahlia’s original manuscripts, complete with erotic scenes that were edited out before publication. As Callie ponders Dahlia’s prolific writing and the inspiration for it, her own dreams become more regular, vivid and strikingly similar to Dahlia’s written encounters.

As Callie gets to know her new colleagues better and they reveal the local legends surrounding the gate to Faerie, she begins to question whether her dreams and the shadow man who occupies them could actually be real. Potential readers should note that the dream/sex scenes are quite a feature at the beginning but become less so as the book progresses and although there is what would be described as ‘Adult’ content in the book, I think it would be suitable for the majority of young adult readers too.

The book changes pace dramatically when three of Callie’s colleagues realise that she is under the infulence of an Incubus and stage an intervention. The story really takes off once Callie is accepted into the magical community and begins to learn the truth about the town’s residents, her own heritage and role. At some points I felt that Incubus read like an adult version of Harry Potter with a fascinating cast of magical beings to get to know including witches, fairies, succubi, vampires and more! The characters in Incubus provide great variety and each has a strong depth with plenty of scope for expansion in future novels; Goodman has created a whole new magical and sometimes dangerous world for her characters to inhabit and her readers to enjoy.

Paranormal romance fans will certainly get their fix as Callie tries to work out her feelings for boyfriend Paul, the Incubus who haunts her and new tutor on campus, Liam. There are numerous references  to the recent obsession with vampires and the paranormal and  I enjoyed the way this book looks at the trend through the eyes of an outsider, acknowledging the great Gothic novels whilst not taking itself too seriously. Incubus feels very different in style to Goodman’s recent collaboration with her husband, Black Swan Rising and although I enjoyed both, Incubus definitely has the edge for me.

As the book ends, several new threads open up leaving plenty of scope for further novels in the series. After a slow start, this book pulled me in and wouldn’t let go. I’m pleased to have found another paranormal series to get myself hooked on and am already looking forward to the next installment of The Fairwick Chronicles. I haven’t found any information on the release of book two yet so if anyone knows, please shout! There is a fab interview with Carol at the back of the book and if you liked A Discovery of Witches this might just be the next book for you – a paranormal series with lots of potential!

4/5

Incubus is out now and I’d like to thank Emma at Ebury for sending me a copy to review.

You can find out more about Carol Goodman and her books at: http://www.carolgoodman.com/

Here are my August wish list choices – everything from romance to sci-fi next month! What are you looking forward to reading?

Bad Sisters by Rebecca Chance
Released 4th August
Published by Simon and Schuster
Website: http://www.rebeccachance.net/

Rebecca Chance is a new author for me but I think this sounds like a great read!

Three ambitious, rivalrous sisters. And a deadly secret, which one of them is determined to keep buried at any cost …Deeley is the fake wife of a Hollywood TV hunk, who is secretly gay. But Deeley’s five-year contract is up, and his cut-throat publicist wants Deeley out. So, dejected and penniless, Deeley wends her way home to London, hoping to re-establish links with her two estranged elder sisters …Devon is married to the nation’s-favourite-rugby-hunk Matt, and has her own highly successful TV career, as the sexy hostess of her own cookery show. But behind her buxom facade, Devon is lonely and frustrated, and when a live celebrity cook-off shows her up as a fraud, she leaves sweet Matt and runs off to Tuscany, to learn a few lessons – not just in cookery – from an Italian master. Lastly, there’s Maxie: a politician’s wife, Maxie is fiercely ambitious. She’s furious when Deeley, hard on her luck, sells the sisters’ childhood story to a tabloid newspaper, revealing their impoverished roots and unsavoury parentage. The story undermines Maxie’s carefully cultivated image, and the fallout threatens to be devastating. But Maxie is only too aware that there is much more Deeley could yet reveal. What murderous secret lies in the sisters’ past? And just how far will Maxie go to keep it buried?

A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James
Released 4th August
Published by Piatkus Books
Website: http://www.eloisajames.com/

Combining two of my favourites; fairytales and the Regency period, this is the first in a series of classic fairytales reworked and sounds like a fun read.

Miss Kate Daltry doesn’t believe in fairy tales …or happily ever after. Forced by her stepmother to attend a ball, Kate meets a prince, and decides he’s anything but charming. A clash of wits and wills ensues, but they both know their irresistible attraction will lead nowhere. For Gabriel is promised to another woman – a princess whose hand in marriage will fulfil his ruthless ambitions. Gabriel likes his fiancee, which is a welcome turn of events, but he doesn’t love her, and knows, he should be wooing his bride-to-be, not the witty, impoverished beauty who refuses to fawn over him. Godmothers and glass slippers notwithstanding, this is one fairy tale in which destiny conspires to destroy any chance that Kate and Gabriel might have a happily ever after – unless one kiss at the stroke of midnight changes everything.

What You Don’t Know by Lizzie Enfield
Released 18th August
Published by Headline Review
Website: http://www.headline.co.uk/

I love the cover for this book and the synopsis has me really intrigued!

You’ve been together for fifteen years. You’ve got two gorgeous kids and a great career. All the boxes are ticked. You wouldn’t be tempted by a plain, slightly balding man called Graham… Would you?

When Graham Parks walks into Helen Collins’ life, the last thing she expects is to fall for him. He’s nothing like her handsome, successful husband, Alex.

But fifteen years is a long time and Helen can’t help wondering what it would be like to sleep with someone else. Has Alex secretly been thinking the same thing? As harmless flirtation develops into something far more complicated, Helen’s perfect world begins to look shaky.

It’s exciting, alluring, all-consuming. But is it worth the risk?

Idol by Carrie Duffy
Released 18th August
Published by Harper
Website: http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/Titles/63189/idol-carrie-duffy-9780007421503

It was cover love at first sight for me when I saw Idol so it had to go on my wishlist!

Meet Jenna Jonsson and Sadie Laine: two gorgeous, glamorous twenty-somethings fighting to make it to the top of their chosen professions. Beautiful and talented, Jenna is an international pop star, determined to take her career to the next level. And when a chance meeting leads to an opportunity for Jenna to work with world-famous rock band Phoenix, Jenna is quick to agree – although her decision is somewhat influenced by Nick Taylor, the drummer with Phoenix and the most gorgeous man Jenna has ever met…Meanwhile, Sadie is a struggling dancer and a childhood rival of Jenna’s. Ambitious and passionate, she is determined to fulfil her dreams. And a move to Las Vegas yields an unmissable career opportunity and a chance at true love.Jenna and Sadie’s lives are about to collide but will sparks fly? Or will they be able to put the past behind them?

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
Released 23rd August
Published by Michael Joseph
Website: http://www.iamnumberfour.co.uk/

I read I Am Number Four last year and had really mixed feelings about it but I can’t resist finding out what happens next.

We are the last defence.

I’ve seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened to John Smith. To the world he’s a mystery, but to me … he’s one of us. Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us, if we all still believe in our mission.

There are six of us left. We’re hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another, but our Legacies are developing and soon we’ll be ready to fight. Is John Number Four – and is his appearance the sign I’ve been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who might be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia. Number Two in England. And Number Three in Kenya. They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio … and failed. I am Number Seven. And I’m ready to fight.

Here are my six ‘hot picks’ from the July releases:

The Raising by Laura Kasischke
Released 1st July
Published by Corvus
Website: http://www.corvus-books.co.uk/

This book sounds so intriguing – I can’t wait to read it!

A sudden death.
In Godwin Honors Hall, the walls are draped in black. The college is in mourning for Nicole Werner, a blonde and beautiful prom queen who died in a car crash last semester. She was a straight-A student, and a prized member of the Virgin Sisters, the most powerful sorority on campus.

A feverish obsession.
Nicole’s boyfriend Craig was at the wheel that night. He has no memory of the crash, but he is plagued by guilt. For as winter sets in and the nights darken, Nicole’s death dominates college life. Candlelit vigils and fetishistic rituals become nightly events –and then the hauntings begin.

A flicker of suspicion.
Craig’s roommate, Perry, doesn’t believe in ghosts. A no-nonsense type who always thought Nicole was as manipulative as she was charming, he refuses to be swept up by the hysteria. But when he and his fellow sceptics join forces, he too sees Nicole’s spirit in the crumbling college halls.

Something very strange is going on…

David by Mary Hoffman
Released 4th July
Published by Bloomsbury
Website: http://www.maryhoffman.co.uk/

I haven’t read anything by Mary Hoffman before but I intend to change that with David!

Michelangelo’s statue of David is renowned all over the world. Thousands flock to Florence to admire the artistry behind this Renaissance masterpiece, and to admire the beauty of the human form captured in the marble. But the identity of the model for this statue that has been so revered for over five hundred years has been lost . . .

In this epic story Mary Hoffman uses her persuasive narrative skills to imagine the story of Gabriele, an eighteen-year-old who, by becoming Michelangelo’s model, finds himself drawn into a world of spies, politicking, sabotage and murder. Set against the backdrop of Florence, this is a rich, colourful and thrilling tale.

All For You by Sheila O’Flanagan
Released 7th July
Published by Headline
Website: http://www.sheilaoflanagan.net/

I really enjoyed Sheila’s last book, Stand By Me and this one sounds like another great read.

As TV’s favourite weather forecaster, Lainey is good at making predictions. But what she doesn’t foresee is that her own life is about to hit a stormy patch. With a string of failed relationships behind her, surely history isn’t about to repeat itself with her beloved Ken? To add fuel to the fire, her estranged mother announces that she’s returning to Dublin. Deanna has always been dismissive of Lainey’s choices – particularly in men. And Deanna’s lectures are the last thing Lainey needs now.

Yet is there more to her mother than she knows? Uncovering some long-concealed family secrets, Lainey begins to reassess her life. Is the happy-ever-after she’s always dreamed of really what she wants after all?

California Dreamers by Belinda Jones
Released 21st July
Published by Hodder
Website: http://www.belindajones.com/

I’ve always wanted to go to California and I loved Belinda’s last book Living La Vida Loca. This sounds like an ideal summer read.

Ever wished you could make-over your life?

Make-up artist Stella is an expert at helping other people change their images, but when it comes to transforming herself, she doesn’t even know where to start.

So when her new friend, glamorous Hollywood actress Marina Ray, summons her a movie set in California, Stella can’t resist the chance to start afresh – it is the land of sunshine and opportunity after all!

But are they really friends or does Marina have an ulterior motive? What is the secret that both women are hiding about the nautical (but nice) men in their lives? And what will it take to really make both of their California dreams come true?

Baby Be Mine by Paige Toon
Released 21st July
Published by Simon and Schuster
Website: http://authors.simonandschuster.co.uk/Paige-Toon/62701361

I don’t really need to say much more about this do I? I’ve been looking forward to the release of this book for so long!

‘He’s not mine, is he?’
That’s the question I fear the most.
You see, I have a secret. My son is not fathered by my boyfriend, but by one of the most famous rock stars that ever lived. And he doesn’t even know it.
One-time celebrity personal assistant to wild boy of rock Johnny Jefferson, Meg Stiles is now settled and living in the south of France with her doting boyfriend Christian and their son Barney. But they’re living a lie – a lie that will turn their lives upside down and inside out – because as Barney reaches his first birthday, Meg can no longer deny that her son is growing to look more and more like his rock star father every day, and less and less like Christian, and sooner or later, the world is going to realise . . .

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
Released 26th July
Published by Atom
Website: http://www.andreacremer.com/

Another eagerly awaited sequel (to Nightshade) – I can’t wait to find out what happens next to Calla, Ren and Shay!

‘You’re an alpha, a leader. That’s what we need. It’s what we’ve always needed.’ When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she’s certain her days are numbered. Then the Searchers make her an offer, one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save her pack – and the boy – she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? Will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials love can endure.

This week’s book news has taken on a paranormal theme …

New covers from Meg Cabot

I’m a big fan of Meg Cabot and was very excited when she announced she was writing an adult paranormal series last year. Meg announced the new covers for the series on her blog recently and the title of the sequel to Insatiable! Overbite will be released in the US on 5th July. I’ve had Insatiable on my ‘to read’ pile since my birthday in January so I’d better get reading.

Blue Bloods news from Melissa de la Cruz

Atom has done it again with a fab cover for the UK release of Lost in Time, the sixth book in the Blue Bloods series which is released in October this year. This is my favourite vampire series and I’m equally excited about the adult spin off series Witches of the East released later this month. Melissa has also announced that book seven in the Blue Bloods series will be the last in the series. You can find out more about Melissa and her books at: http://melissa-delacruz.com/index.php/site/

New Series from Carol Goodman

I enjoyed Black Swan Rising By Carol Goodman and her husband Lee Slonimsk when it came out last year so I was excited to see a new series by Carol launching next month. Incubus is released on July 21st:

‘This is where all stories start, on the edge of a dark wood…’

Dr. Callie McFay’s travels to the small college town of Fairwick in New York State for a job interview. Despite it being her second choice she finds herself talked into accepting a job offer from the Folklore Department to teach a class on demons and vampires. She also finds herself drawn to an old house in the woods where Gothic novelist Dahlia LaMotte used to live and buys it on a whim, despite the seeming reluctance of the estate agent to sell it to her.

But on the night of her job interview, she had a very vivid erotic dream about a man made out of shadows and moonlight, and this dream becomes a regular occurrence when she moves into her new home. Callie starts to feel like a heroine in one of the gothic novels she teaches as slowly it dawns on her that things at the college – and in her home – are not what they seem. She learns that her house is supposed to be haunted by LaMotte’s former lover and her new – and rather strange – colleagues tell her an unfamiliar fairy tale about an incubus-demon with a human past who was enchanted by a fairy queen…

There are lots of fab summer books being released in June but I’ve narrowed it down to six of my favourites …

Love and Freedom by Sue Moorcroft
Released 1st June
Published by Choc Lit
Website: http://www.suemoorcroft.com/

I absolutely love the cover for this book and the story sounds great too!

New start, new love. That’s what Honor Sontag needs after her life falls apart, leaving her reputation in tatters and her head all over the place. So she flees her native America and heads for Brighton, England. Honor’s hoping for a much-deserved break and the chance to find the mother who abandoned her as a baby. What she gets is an entanglement with a mysterious male whose family seems to have a finger in every pot in town. Martyn Mayfair has sworn off women with strings attached, but is irresistibly drawn to Honor, the American who keeps popping up in his life. All he wants is an uncomplicated relationship built on honesty, but Honor’s past threatens to undermine everything. Then secrets about her mother start to spill out … Honor has to make an agonising choice. Will she live up to her dutiful name and please others? Or will she choose freedom?

The Beach Cafe by Lucy Diamond
Released 2nd June
Published by Pan
Website: http://www.lucydiamond.co.uk/

I’ve not read anything by Lucy Diamond before but I’ve heard lots of good things about her books and I love Cornwall so this sounds like a good summer read.

Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors

The Single Girl’s To-Do List
Released 9th June
Published by Harper
Website: http://www.lindseykelk.com/

The third book on my ‘Most Anticipated Chick Lit Books of 2011‘ list. I’ve been looking forward to this one for a long time – it sounds like a perfect summer read

Meet Rachel Summers: a twenty-something make-up artist whose life is very much going to plan. She has a job she loves, a lovely long-term boyfriend, a great flat in north London and some fabulous friends. The next phase in her masterplan is to buy a house, have a baby, move to a bigger house, have another baby, get a 4×4. Simple.

Well, not quite as Simon, Rachel’s boyfriend, suddenly decides that they should take a break. Rachel’s convinced it’s just a three-year itch but, four months later, they are still living under the same roof but sleeping in separate bedrooms.

It’s time for an intervention as Emilie and Matthew, Rachel’s best friends, can no longer bear to watch Rachel suffer anymore. As they try to convince her to move out and move on, they come up with the ultimate break-up cure – the single girl’s to-do list. A list of of all the things Rachel should see and do in her newly single life.

But nothing could have prepared them for the hilarious adventures that are about to unfold as the to-do list takes them around London and abroad, and proves to them all that love is out there if you’re willing to take a chance on it…

Witches of the East by Melissa de la Cruz
Released 21st June
Published by Sphere
Website: http://www.melissa-delacruz.com/

I’m a huge fan of Melissa’s Blue Bloods series so was very excited when she announced a spin off adult series about witches set in the same world.

It’s the beginning of summer in North Hampton, and beautiful Freya Beauchamp is celebrating her engagement to wealthy Bran Gardiner, the heir to Fair Haven and Gardiners Island. But Freya is drawn to Bran’s gorgeous but unreliable brother Killian, and sparks fly when the two decide to play a dangerous game, following an ancient story of love, betrayal and tragedy that harks back to the days of Valhalla.

Witches of East End follows the Beauchamp family—the formidable matriarch Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid. Freya, a sexy bartender, has a potion to cure every kind of heartache, while Ingrid, the local librarian, solves complicated domestic problems with her ability to tie magical knots. Joanna is the witch to see when modern medicine has no more answers; her powers can wake the dead. Everything seems to be going smoothly until a young girl, Molly Lancaster, goes missing after taking one of Freya’s irresistible cocktails. As more of the town’s residents begin disappearing, everyone seems to have the same suspects in mind: the Beauchamp women.

About Last Night by Adele Parks
Released 23rd June
Published by Headline
Website: http://www.adeleparks.com/

The plot for this book has me really intrigued – I can’t wait to read it!

For thirty years, best friends Stephanie and Philippa have been practically inseparable. There’s nothing they would not do for one another. Until a few simple words change everything. I need you to say that I was with you.’ Steph, eternally solid, considerate and dependable, is begging her best friend to lie to the police as she’s desperately trying to conceal two shocking secrets to protect her family. Pip, self-consigned to the role of scatty, frivolous hot-head is overwhelmed; she’s normally the one asking for help in a crisis although never anything as catastrophic as this. Both women have always believed that friendship is built on mutual selflessness, compromise and trust. Are those beliefs now to be tested beyond endurance?

Those are my hot picks for June – what are you looking forward to reading next month?

I loved Nightshade by Andrea Cremer and am eagerly anticipating the release of Wolfsbane in July. UK publishers Atom announced a complete cover change for the books this week. I was a huge fan of the original Nightshade cover and thought the proposed green cover for Wolfsbane was gorgeous too but I also think the new covers are really striking and I can’t wait to see them in the shops.

There are also new US covers for the series which are very different to those for the UK. I have to admit I prefer the UK ones but I thought I’d do a little cover compare to see what you think. Which do you prefer?

Original covers:

New UK Covers

New US Covers

Cover crush part one …

Victoria Connelly announced the release of the cover for her next book, The Perfect Hero this morning and what a lovely cover it is. I love the seaside theme with the pretty beach huts and I’m really looking forward to reading it.

The circus has come to town…

Die-hard romantic, Kay Ashton, uses her inheritance to open a B&B in the seaside town of Lyme Regis and is dumbstruck when the cast and crew of a new production of Persuasion descend, needing a place to stay. Kay can’t believe her luck – especially when she realises that heart throb actor Oli Wade Owen will be sleeping under her very own roof!

Meanwhile, co-star Gemma Reilly is worried that her acting isn’t up to scratch, despite landing a plum role. She finds a sympathetic ear in shy producer, Adam Craig, who is as baffled by the film world as she is. Kay thinks the two are meant for each other and can’t resist a spot of matchmaking.

Then, when Oli turns his trademark charm on Kay, it seems that she has found her real-life hero. But do heroes really exist?

What’s in a name?

As I was browsing Amazon today, I noticed that a couple of my wishlist books had undergone subtle name changes. Paige Toon’s follow up to Johnny Be Good which is one of my top five most anticipated chick lit books of 2011 has changed from Baby Be Mine to Be My Baby.

Melissa de la Cruz’s new adult series set in the same world as the brilliant Blue Bloods has a new UK title Witches of the East. It will still be published under the original title Witches of East End in the US.

Cover crush part two …

Lisa Jewell revealed the cover for her next book on her Facebook page this week and she is releasing extracts from the book over there too I love the cover – especially the colours and cannot wait to get my hands on this book!