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/

I thought I’d start 2012 with some blogging resolutions. At the end of the year it will be interesting to see how many I managed to keep!

1. Tackle the ‘to read’ pile

At the latest count I have around 100 unread books in my possession. They are a combination of paperbacks and Kindle bargains mainly but my aim for this year is to bring that number down by the end of the year.
Which brings me on to …

2. Say ‘No, thank you’

This will be really difficult for me. I love books and I love reading. As you will have seen from the above, I love to collect books. If I could make a career out of reading, reviewing and blogging about books I would but in reality I have a family and job which take up the majority of my time. My reading and blogging time is precious and scarce at the moment so I’m resolving to be even more selective about the books I accept for review in 2012 and to stick to a strict number of review slots each month. I will find this hard as there are just so many brilliant reads out there.

3. Support debut authors

Eight of my ten favourite books of 2011 were debuts and over a quarter of the 76 books I read last year were debuts. I love discovering new authors and want to continue to support debut authors in 2012.

4. Plan some themed weeks/months

I thoroughly enjoyed my Countdown to Christmas last month and was amazed at the support from authors, bloggers and readers. I’m mulling over a few ideas for future themed events and hope to run at least one during 2012.

5. Find and highlight new book blogs and keep up with the ones I read

The book blogging community is huge and so friendly. I’m very proud to be part of it and this year I look forward to finding new blogs to read and bloggers to share recommendations with.

6. Read more on my Kindle

I read 20 Kindle books last year and I’d like to make that total a lot more this year, especially as I’ve got 52 books on there waiting to be read!

7. Use NetGalley

This resolution links to the one above. I signed up to NetGalley in 2011 but have yet to actually request anything. I’ve heard lots of positive things about NetGalley from other bloggers so I’ll definitely give it a go this year.

8. Join Goodreads

I actually did this one earlier today It’s something I’ve been meaning to do for a while and I’ll start adding my reviews in over the next few weeks. You can find me at: http://www.goodreads.com/onemorepageblog

9. Set up a Facebook page and email subscriptions

Both of these were suggestions from readers of this blog so I’m going to try to set them up. I’m not a huge fan of Facebook but maybe I can be persuaded otherwise this year?

So there you have my 2012 blogging resolutions! What are yours?

This year I read 76 books  – that’s two more than last year! To end the year, I’ve chosen my ten favourite books that were published in 2011 and have provided links to my reviews where possible. I found it really hard to narrow my choice down to just ten books this year and even more impossible to pick an absolute favourite as I enjoyed different novels at different times for very different reasons. This year I’ve expanded on the top ten with some ‘favourites’ categories and a ‘readers’ choice’ section for the most popular (most visited) reviews this year. So without further ado, my books of the year, in release date order are:

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (published in January by Headline)

Vampires, witches and daemons; a magical manuscript, rich historical detail and fascinating characters. This was a brilliant paranormal romance to start the year with and  I can’t wait for the follow up Shadow of the Night to be released in July 2012.

The Taker by Alma Katsu (published by Century in April)

A dark and gripping paranormal romance with no vampires! The Taker is a very original take on the immortal love story with the driving force behind most of the action being unrequited love. I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel The Reckoning in June.

The Beauty Chorus by Kate Lord-Brown (published by Corvus in April)

I love the title for this book which was the nickname given by fighter pilots to the women who volunteered to fly planes like Spitfires from factories to British airfields during World War Two. In The Beauty Chorus Kate Lord Brown skillfully combines the true historical facts (166 women joined the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) risking their lives to ferry planes across the country) with the fictional story of three very different women to create a thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking novel.

From London With Love by Jemma Forte (published by Penguin in July)

A fun summer chick lit read that had me gripped and one of my favourite covers of the year too. The Bond theme adds a touch of A-list glamour to the story and as Jessica ties herself in knots trying to keep her identity a secret, From London with Love has a great message about not judging a book by its over and being who you really are.

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield (published by Harper in July)

Jenny Wingfield’s debut is one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve read it and 11 year old Swan Lake is one of my favourite characters of the year. Set in 1950′s Arkansas, the story is heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measures and beautifully written following the trials and tribulations of the wonderful Moses clan. My full review will be coming in January.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline ( published in August by Century)

A suprise hit for me! Ernest Cline has created a brilliantly thought out and detailed future dystopian world; combined it with a fantastic virtual reality treasure hunt based on music, film and gaming nostalgia from the 1980′s and underlined it all with (the biggest surprise for me as I read) a really sweet coming of age love story.

Netherwood by Jane Sanderson (published in September by Sphere)

Netherwood is a thoroughly enjoyable historical saga and a fantastic debut from Jane Sanderson. I was completely drawn in to the world that Jane has created, loving both the historical detail and the variety and depth of characters that populate this book.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (published by Harvill Secker in September)

A gorgeous book and an amazing debut from Erin Morgenstern. I loved the story of the mysterious black and white Circus which only opens at night. The book is packed with magic and intrigue. I’ve only just finished reading this one but it shot straight into my top ten!

Miracle on Regent Street by Ali Harris (published in October by Simon and Schuster)

Another of my favourite covers of the year. A classy story filled with vintage glamour. Miracle on Regent Street is Ali Harris’s debut novel and what a debut. Heartfelt, warm, romantic and a lovely Christmassy story too.

It Started with a Kiss by Miranda Dickinson (published by Avon in November)

Last but by no means least, Miranda Dickinson’s third novel is Chick lit perfection from the sparkly pink cover to the brilliantly romantic ending and I thoroughly enjoyed every page in between as Romily Parker goes on a year long search for the handsome hero who kissed her and vanished!

2011 Favourites …

The whole package: The Night Circus

Although I love my Kindle, it will never replace physical books for me and books like this are the reason why. I splashed out on the gorgeous hard back when it was published and I love the book design as much as the story!

Cover love: Miracle on Regent Street by Ali Harris

The cover for this book is really striking and picks up the tone of the book perfectly.

Heroine: Gracie Flowers from (Un)like a Virgin by Lucy-Anne Holmes

Gracie had me smiling from the first page with her wry observations on her job, her boyfriend, friends and family and she’s one of my favourite leading chick it ladies of all time!

Hero: Prince Richard from To Marry a Prince by Sophie Page

I thought this book was a real gem of a romantic comedy and I loved Prince Richard who comes across as a fab leading man – by no means perfect, he has some brilliantly funny and romantic scenes but never seems over the top.

Support: Uncle Dudley and Auntie Mags from It Started With a Kiss by Miranda Dickinson

Dispensers of love, wisdom and support from their narrow-boat home to Romily as she undertakes her quest. They are instrumental in keeping Romily going but are also responsible for much of the book’s warm humour and I loved Aunty Mags’ ‘Cake Therapy’!

The perfect ending: Breakfast At Darcy’s by Ali McNamara

Ali McNamara retains her crown for queen of the romantic ending with a beautiful finale to her latest novel that left me with a big smile on my face.

Readers’ choice: Top five most read reviews of 2011

1. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

2. To the Moon and Back by Jill Mansell

3. The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

4. The Taker by Alma Katsu

5. Beautiful Creatures by Lulu Taylor

So that’s my year in books; are your favourites on the list? I’m looking forward to sharing many more reviews with you during 2012 and wish you all a very happy and bookish New Year! x

It’s December 24th and the last day of my Countdown to Christmas feature so I’d like to say a huge ‘Thank You’ to everyone who has taken part, provided giveaways, commented or read my posts. I hope you have all enjoyed the Countdown as much as I have.

Over the last 24 days I’ve blogged 35 posts, including 8 author interviews, 5 guest author posts and 5 festive book reviews. I’ve given away 23 books to 19 lucky readers and I’ve had so much fun getting ready for Christmas. So, as my final post, I thought I’d answer some of my own questions about the festivities and invite you to join in with your answers to any or all of the questions in the box below.

What is your favourite Christmas party tune?

I’m a big fan of Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses to liven up any party

Imagine you are settling down with a lovely Christmas read … what is your perfect Christmas reading setting/scenario?

A real Christmas Tree (can’t beat that smell!), a big cosy chair, a mug of mulled wine and my fleecy slippers and it would be snowing outside.

Which is your must see Christmas film?

Serendipity or The Santa Clause!

What’s your favourite Christmas treat or recipe?

A snowball!

Which two books would you like to find under the Christmas tree this year?

There are so many books on my wish list but two that I’d really like to read soon are The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles and Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore.

What is your favourite Christmas tradition?

As you’ve probably gathered, I love everything Christmassy from decorating the tree to reading festive books, buying and wrapping presents and spending time with my family but my favourite personal tradition is settlling down on Christmas Eve with the anticipation in the air and watching a cheesy Christmas film with lots of treats to nibble then putting out a drink and snack for Santa and Rudolph and tucking myself up to wait for Christmas morning. I still get ridiculously excited and I’m ten times worse now I have little ones to get excited with me!

I’ll be taking a little break after today but will be back on New Year’s Eve with my top ten books of 2011 so please join me then!

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas!

Amanda x

I’ve raided my ‘to read’ pile and pulled together a fab chick lit giveaway today. One lucky winner will receive shiny new paperback copies of:

It Happened One Summer by Polly Williams

After years of romantic drought, Nell is enjoying a thrilling fling with a sexy new man and loving London life, somehow managing to juggle single motherhood with a busy career. Plus, in the city it’s easy to avoid her sister who is about to marry Nell’s ex. (Yes, messy.) Then she gets the news. Please could she return to Tredower, the crumbling old family home in Cornwall for the summer? Disaster. Tredower has no wifi, harbours her big dysfunctional family, and, far worse, memories of her passionate love affair with the man who is about to become her brother-in-law. The past is another county. Can she go there?

Another woman is making her way west too, carrying an explosive secret. Love will be lost, broken, and found, lives changed forever…

Breakfast in Bed by Eleanor Moran

TAKE ONE NEWLY SINGLE WOMAN: At thirty-one, Amber is being bombarded with wedding invitations just as she’s collecting her divorce papers – and her bossy best friend has gone one step further and made her chief bridesmaid. It’s high time Amber regained control of her life. ADD A PASSIONATE AND FIERY CELEBRITY COOK: Amber’s joy at landing herself a coveted role in Oscar Retford’s kitchen soon fades as she discovers Oscar is as famous for his furious temper and addiction to firing people as he is for the legendary meals he creates. TURN UP THE HEAT: But as passions start to run high, and her past catches up with her, it looks like Amber’s cooked up a recipe for disaster . . .

A Question of Love by Isabel Wolff

Sometimes the hardest questions to answer are the ones you ask yourself! When Laura Quick finds herself accidentally hosting a quirky quiz show on national TV, nothing prepares her for one of the contestants — her ex-boyfriend Luke. She’s still coming to terms with the loss of her husband Nick, having just packed up his clothes — and hopefully her memories of him — for good. So what does the still-delicious Luke’s arrival, complete with six-year-old daughter and badly behaved ex-wife, mean? Her sisters think he’s just the ticket: the perfect man for her to move on with and to forget Nick. But Laura finds more questions than answers as she tries to work out whether to risk everything on Luke for a second time, what went so wrong with Nick, and how much she really knows about her nearest and dearest!

Chocolate Wishes by Trisha Ashley

Life is sweet for chocolate maker Chloe Lyon! In the picture-perfect Lancashire village of Sticklepond, Confectioner Chloe dispenses inspirational sweet treats containing a prediction for each customer. If only her own life was as easy to forecast – perhaps Chloe could have foreseen being jilted at the altar! But when a new Vicar arrives in the village, the rumour mill goes into overdrive. Not only is Raffy Sinclair the charismatic ex-front man of rock band ‘Mortal Ruin’, he’s also the Chloe’s first love and the man who broke her heart. Try as she might, Chloe can’t ignore this blast from her past. Could now be the time for her to make a wish – and dare to believe it can come true?

I’m opening this giveaway up internationally! To enter just leave a ‘pick me’ comment in the box below and I’ll pick one winner using random.org after the closing date. This giveaway is open until midnight on Saturday 17th December. Good luck!

I recently posted about the re-release of Pauline Barclay’s Magnolia House with a lovely new cover and now her second novel Satchfield Hall has undergone a makeover with a re-edit and new cover too. Pauline says, “Set during 1942 and through until 1986, Satchfield Hall is an epic saga about love, power and betrayal. If you enjoyed Downton Abbey then you will love Satchfield Hall.” Sounds like a great read for historical fiction fans!

When the news reached Henry Bryant-Smythe about his daughter’s indiscretion, he not only dealt with it, but stamped on it with such a resounding thud, that the consequences ricocheted through the years and well into the future. Henry Bryant-Smythe cared nothing for the consequences of his actions and even less for the feelings of those involved, with the exception of his own, and these he cosseted.

Celia Bryant-Smythe’s disgrace set in motion events that would affect the lives of many people, taking decades to unravel. Lives would be lost and destroyed and it would take until the death of the one man who had callously started it all, Henry Bryant-Smythe, until it was finally over.

Satchfield Hall is not about gentleness, tranquillity and privilege; it is about, power, love, lies and in the end revenge.

Olivia Bellamy has traded her trendy Manhattan life for a summer renovating her family’s crumbling holiday resort. Tempted by the hazy, nostalgic memories of summers past – childhood innocence and the romance and rivalries of her teens – it’s the perfect place to flee after her broken engagement. But what began as an escape, may just be a new beginning… As Olivia uncovers secrets buried thick with dust, one by one her family return, their lives as frayed at the edges as the resort. Her father and the mystery woman in the tatty black and white photograph. Uncle John, who’s trying to be a father again to his teenage kids. Connor Davis, the first love she never forgot. Laughter is ringing around Willow Lake once more. This could be Olivia’s summer of a lifetime!

Summer at Willow Lake is the first book in The Lakeshore Chronicles series and a really relaxing and enjoyable summer read. Originally published in 2006, Summer at Willow Lake has been given a fresh new look for summer 2011 and was re-released earlier this month. The story focuses on Olivia Bellamy as she returns to ‘Camp Kioga’ the summer camp her great-grandfather created in the 1940′s to try to restore it to its former glory in order to celebrate her grandparents 50th wedding anniversary. I liked Olivia immediately; both grown up Olivia who runs her own successful business in Manhattan and the young Olivia depicted in flashback trying to find her place in the world.

As Olivia finds her feet she encounters an old flame from her childhood, Connor Davis which instantly adds a ‘will they/won’t they’ frisson to the story. The book begins in the present but chapters flash back and forth to reveal detail of Camp Kioga and its occupants through the years. From Olivia’s own difficult childhood and teenage years in the late 1980′s and early 90′s and her fledgling romance with Connor, to her fathers summer of love in 1977 and the story of her grandparents who defied opposition to marry at the camp they loved in the 1950′s; the history of the Bellamy family and in particular of Olivia’s childhood, drew me in and kept me gripped for all of Summer at Willow Lake’s 535 pages and I’m so glad this is only the first in a series of stories about the Bellamys and the community in Avalon.

There are a lot of different threads to the story, involving various members of the Bellamy family, residents of Avalon the town where Willow Lake is set and their own families. As well as plenty of drama and romance, there are elements of mystery and plenty of surprises from the residents of Willow Lake. I love family sagas/community dramas and the strong element of community entwined with the life of the Bellamy family in this story reminded me of one of my favourite television series – the Gilmore Girls. The stories of early camp life and the romance element of the plot also reminded me of Dirty Dancing which is another of my favourites so you can see why this book appealed to me so much!

I’d highly recommend Summer at Willow Lake to anyone looking for a summer read that is a little bit different from the usual beach reads. With a perfect mix of nostalgia, romance and drama this is a well written book with characters that will draw you in and have you coming back for more – I’m already looking forward to the next installment!

5/5

Summer at Willow Lake is out now and I’d like to thank Christabel at Midas for sending me a copy to review.

You can find out more about Susan Wiggs and her books at: http://www.susanwiggs.com/

Today is my one year blogoversary (although I only realised this evening – I thought it was tomorrow!) so I thought I’d mark the occasion with a look back at my first year as a blogger and say thank you to everyone who has been so friendly and supportive over the last year by doing a little giveaway.

It’s been quite a year; I started this blog as an online book journal, mainly for me to put my thoughts out there on the books I read and hopefully find some like-minded people who might chat about books with me. I admit that when I wrote my first post I didn’t really know what I was doing or what a huge and wonderful community of book bloggers I was about to become part of. I’m still amazed every time someone follows me on Twitter or here on the blog, comments on my posts or an author or publisher asks me to consider a book for review.

I’ve written 178 posts in the last year and almost 2,500 tweets. I’ve reviewed 81 books Not huge numbers compared to some but impressive to me! I’m hoping I can continue to blog and review just as much in the next year but as some of you already know, I’m expecting my second baby in August so things may slow down for a little while (at least on the blogging front!) at that point but I’m almost as addicted to my blog as I am to books now so I won’t be away for long!

There are so many people I’d like to say thank you to and I don’t want to miss anyone out so ‘thank you’ to everyone who has Tweeted, commented and followed over the last year and a special mention to Keris Stainton and Dot Scribbles – thank you for being the first people to comment on my blog exactly a year ago today!  Thanks also to all of the authors both published and unpublished for writing brilliant books and to the amazingly generous publishers who I’ve come into contact with in the last year. I have discovered so many amazing books because of all of your recommendations that my ‘to be read’ pile is now completely out of control but I wouldn’t have it any other way

Finally, because a birthday should always involve presents and as a little thank you to my followers here and on Twitter, I have a copy of  The Single Girl’s To-Do List by Lindsey Kelk to give away which is one of my most anticipated chick lit books of 2011:

Rachel Summers loves a to-do list:

• Boyfriend
• Flat
• Great job

NOT on the list:

• Being dumped

Best friends Emelie and Matthew ride to her rescue with an entirely new kind of list – The Single Girl’s To-Do List. Rachel doesn’t know it, but it will take her on all kinds of wild adventures – and get her in some romantic pickles too. And then it won’t be a case of what but who she decides to tick off…

• Mr. bendy yoga instructor
• Mr. teenage sweetheart
• Mr. persistent ex
• Mr. deeply unsuitable

The Single Girl’s To-Do List gives Rachel the perfect heartbreak cure – and proves love is out there if you’re willing to take a chance.

This is just for people who follow me already here on One More Page or on Twitter as a thank you for your support over the last year. To enter leave a ‘pick me’ comment in the box below or send me a Tweet and I’ll pick a winner from the entries using random.org after the closing date. This giveaway is open worldwide until midnight (UK) on Sunday 26th June.

April was a busy month on One More Page with eight reviews and two author interviews. I read seven books in total – all in hard copy so my poor Kindle is feeling very neglected! Of the books read, five were new releases for April and the remaining two were new paperback releases:

April Book of the month

Sweet Valley Confidential by Francine Pascal

Hollywood Sinners by Victoria Fox

What Women Want by Fanny Blake

Stand by Me by Sheila O’Flanagan

The Truth About You by Melissa Hill

The Doctor and the Diva by Adrienne McDonnell

The Sweetest Thing by Cathy Woodman (review coming soon!)

My book of the month for April is Hollywood Sinners by Victoria Fox which I loved because it transported me to a completely different world full of glamour and drama – pure five star escapism which had me gripped from the first page to the last. Check out my interview with Victoria for more info on the book and what she’s working on next.

April's most popular book review

The top review on the site for April and search that drew most people to the site was for The Taker by Alma Katsu. Another favourite of mine although I actually read it in March! I was also lucky enough to interview Alma in April and I can’t wait for the next installment in the trilogy.

At the end of April I had a week off which meant very little internet access but I’m pleased to say that my scheduled posts worked and I was really excited to make it to 100 followers on the blog while I was away. Thanks so much to everyone who reads and comments on my little blog – I’m having a lot of fun writing it and I really appreciate your support!

So what can you look forward to in May? I’ll be reviewing three exciting historical fiction novels; The Maid by Kimberly Cutter which focuses on the life of Joan of Arc and Devil’s Consort by Anne O’Brien which has Eleanor of Acquitaine as its main subject and The Beauty Chorus by Kate Lord Brown which tells the story of a group of female pilots, members of the ATA, the civilians who flew Tiger Moths and Spitfires to bases across Britain during World War Two.

On the chick lit front,  I’ll be reviewing Ruth Saberton’s new book Ellie Andrews Has Second Thoughts and interviewing Ruth and I can’t wait to get my hands on Lisa Jewell’s new book. I’ll also hopefully be attending my first blogger event in May!

I watched events unfolding in Japan last week with utter horror and like many, wished there was something I could do for those affected. Author Keris Stainton felt the same way and inspired by Authors for Queensland, has rallied donations from over a hundred authors and others in the publishing industry to launch Authors for Japan – an online auction to raise money for the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal.

The auctions went live on the Authors for Japan website this morning and the bids are already flying in. There are some amazing items on offer so if you fancy starring in your own personal short story written by Miranda Dickinson; having Jill Mansell’s next book dedicated to you, or getting your hands on an early signed proof of Ali McNamara’s next novel, then head over to the website and start bidding. There are 160 items on offer ranging from signed books and proofs, critiques, naming characters in future novels, artwork, writer training and mentoring and more!

Bidding will close at 8pm on Sunday 20th March and all of the details on how to bid and donate can be found at Authors for Japan.

Please spread the word and let’s raise as much as we can!