Is love at first sight too hot to handle?

After a decade in love with dashing Francis, Allegra North thought that the grass was greener on the other side of the fence and they parted. But a year later she returns to the beautiful Devon coast where romance first blossomed, believing she must rekindle the old flame to save her sanity, her family and her career.

But childhood sweetheart Francis has a ravishing new girlfriend, Kizzy, and he only seems interested in faking romance with Allegra to settle family politics. As summer storms circle, the exes juggle badly behaving parents, vengeful family members, and a very reluctant celebrity who holds the key to everybody’s future. When a chance encounter threatens to spark something that could burn bridges as fast as she can build them, Allegra faces a dilemma: Should she rekindle her old flame, or trust in love at first sight . . .?

I really enjoyed Sealed With a Kiss, Fiona Walker’s short story prequel to The Love Letter – it left me wanting to find out what happened next and learn more about main character Allegra (Legs) North and her love life! The Love Letter certainly delivers on that front, giving our heroine not one, not two, but three very different love interests during the course of the novel. This is a big caper of a novel filled with a huge cast of eccentric characters and lots of romance and comedy and despite a slow start, I found it an enjoyable read.

Allegra came across as a fun and funny character. She works for a literary agency and her emails to reclusive super-author Gordon Lapis made me laugh out loud. She’s certainly a lady who says what she thinks! Allegra manages to get herself into a number of awkward situations during the course of the novel, not least having to return to Farcombe, the home of her childhood sweetheart (and recipient of the title love letter) Francis to try to persuade him to allow Gordon to reveal is true identity at the highly selective Farcombe festival.

The story takes off as Allegra arrives in Farcombe with a complex web of family feuds, affairs and double crosses. At times I found it hard to keep all the characters and their histories in my head but the descriptions of the fictional village in which the story is set are lovely and through its varied inhabitants, I felt like I knew the place. I loved the local pub/restaurant/B&B, The Book Inn and thought the literary references throughout the book were nicely done.

At almost 700 pages, there is a lot of plot in The Love Letter and several key story lines. The reveal storyline for Gordon Lapis, author of a bestselling Children’s magical adventure series was my favourite thread and I loved the twists to the tale as his real identity was revealed. The love letter story line also kept me guessing as I wondered who Allegra would eventually end up with and I was surprised by the turns that the romantic side of the book took, especially as the mysterious Mr Byrne entered the frame.

The Love Letter is a fun, lighthearted romp of a read with a gorgeous Devon setting, an entertaining cast of characters and a romantic storyline that will keep you guessing to the end. I was pleased to see in my interview with Fiona earlier that she plans to revisit some of the other characters from Sealed with a Kiss in her next book and I’m looking forward to reading more from Fiona in future.

3/5

You can find out more about Fiona and her books on her website at: http://www.fionawalker.com/

Today One More Page is celebrating the publication of The Love Letter by Fiona Walker. I hope you enjoyed my interview with Fiona earlier. Thanks to fab publisher Sphere I have five copies of The Love Letter to give away to lucky readers.

To enter just leave a ‘pick me’ comment in the box below and I’ll draw five winners using random.org after the closing date.

UK entries only please. Entries will close at midnight on Saturday 5th May.

Is love at first sight too hot to handle?

After a decade in love with dashing Francis, Allegra North thought that the grass was greener on the other side of the fence and they parted. But a year later she returns to the beautiful Devon coast where romance first blossomed, believing she must rekindle the old flame to save her sanity, her family and her career.

But childhood sweetheart Francis has a ravishing new girlfriend, Kizzy, and he only seems interested in faking romance with Allegra to settle family politics. As summer storms circle, the exes juggle badly behaving parents, vengeful family members, and a very reluctant celebrity who holds the key to everybody’s future. When a chance encounter threatens to spark something that could burn bridges as fast as she can build them, Allegra faces a dilemma: Should she rekindle her old flame, or trust in love at first sight . . .?

Today I’m very pleased to welcome Fiona Walker to the interview spot as part of the blog tour for her new novel The Love Letter which was released last week. Welcome Fiona!

The Love Letter is your twelfth novel; how do you keep coming up with new ideas and what was your inspiration for this book?

I’m incurably nosy, and a very active imagination adds fuel – I only have to hear a snatch of overheard conversation to want to fill in all the gaps, whether by fact or fiction. I find stories everywhere, and have more issues trying to limit the number I put into each book than wondering what to write about. I rip pages from magazines and newspapers all the time, bookmark web features or see a new face across a room that I know has to belong to a book character. The initial idea for The Love Letter came from a magazine article about an eccentric and feuding family that runs an arts festival in their stately home, and when I added in the imaginary characters and romantic plot twists that had been queuing up in my head, it took off.

We’ve had a sneak preview of some of the characters in The Love Letter with the release of your first e-book short story, Sealed With A Kiss, which came out in March. Do all of the characters from Sealed With a Kiss feature in The Love Letter?

The star of the story is definitely the main book’s heroine Legs, but as I wrote it, I realised I had the makings of a new novel springboard in there too and two of the minor characters in Sealed With A Kiss actually go on to feature in my next book.  I always love the idea of characters walking from one book to another, which is why I sometimes write in series, although each book always has a stand-alone storyline, and The Love Letter is peopled with entirely new characters. Similarly, Sealed With A Kiss is intended to be a ‘mini bonkbuster’, so while it introduces The Love Letter cast, it has its own world.

Leading lady, Allegra (Legs) North really made me laugh as I was reading. For readers who have yet to meet her, please could you sum her up in five words?

Headstrong, compassionate, inquisitive, romantic and coffee-loving.

I loved eccentric and reclusive author Gordon Lapis and his emails and messages to Allegra made me smile; who was your favourite character to write?

I always relish writing the wild-men, so brooding Jago Byrne and misbehaving roué Hector Protheroe were huge fun to bring on, particularly the latter who was always half naked and carrying a bassoon, an image which cheered me through many a late night writing session.

The coastal Devon setting for The Love Letter is lovely; why did you choose this setting and do the places described actually exist?

Years ago when I was struggling to finish a book in the midst of a house move that was being held up by the Foot and Mouth outbreak, I rented a holiday ‘writing retreat’ cottage very cheaply and discovered the Hartland peninsular, where The Love Letter is set. I wrote by night and walked the dog by day and fell in love with the area. Fictional Farcombe village and its estate and coastline is an amalgamation of several places along that peninsular, but it became totally real in my imagination and I drew maps and sketched the houses to pin around the desk as writing aids.

Allegra sends a love letter explaining her regrets; what’s the most exciting piece of mail you’ve received?!

I have shoeboxes crammed with old letters dating back to university and beyond, and I’d love to say I had a wildly romantic correspondence with a lover, one side of which is still bound up in red ribbon in one of those boxes, but my taste in pragmatic, gung ho men has resulted in lots of postcards from adventurous spots and a few Valentine’s cards featuring gorillas in bras. The most exciting letter I ever received was probably from the (then) literary agent Carol Smith back in pre-email days when she replied to the unsolicited submission of my first novel with a letter that started ‘I LOVE the way you write!’ I must have read it a hundred times before I dared believe it.

What do you like to read when you’re not writing?

I prefer laughing out loud to crying or screaming into the pages, so I love Sadie Jones, Marian Keyes, M C Beaton and Marina Lewycka, and I read an awful lot on recommendation which has led me to discover wonderful writers like Esther Freud and Bella Pollen. I always have a teetering pile of books by my bed (and now that I have a Kindle, I have a stack of downloads queuing up to be read too), and I’m also a devoted re-reader, so a year will never go past when I don’t read a favourite Angela Carter, Jilly Cooper, Georgette Heyer or Tom Sharpe. Since the advent of small children and annual deadlines, I read far less than I used to, which I find hugely frustrating, but I will still stay up all night finishing a good book, and know of nothing to beat that total absorption.

And finally … what can we expect next from Fiona Walker?

My next book has no official title yet although I’ve nick-named it ‘Hot Air’ because it features hot air balloons on steamy summer days. It’s another big-hearted, big-cast romp, this time set between The Chilterns, LA, Andalucia and Kenya, focusing on a group of friends who studied drama together at university twenty years ago and share secrets that start to unravel when a daughter decides to get married. I’ve just delivered the first draft, packed full of eccentric characters, gorgeous Spanish horses and high jinx, and will edit it through summer ready for release next spring.

Many thanks Fiona!

Look out for my review of The Love Letter coming later today. I’ll also be launching a giveaway to win one of five copies of The Love Letter this afternoon so please stay tuned

You can find out more about Fiona and her novels and read an extract from The Love Letter on her website at: http://www.fionawalker.com/

Talli Roland’s latest newsletter included very exciting news about a new novel scheduled for release in November. The Pollyanna Plan sounds like another hit for Talli and I love the title and the cover.

Thirty-something Emma Beckett has always looked down on ‘the glass is half full’ optimists, believing it’s better to be realistic than delusional. But when she loses her high-powered job and fiancé in the same week, even Emma has difficulty keeping calm and carrying on.

With her world spinning out of control and bolstered by a challenge from her best friend, Emma makes a radical decision. For the next year, she’ll behave like Pollyanna: attempting to always see the upside, no matter how dire the situation.

Can adopting a positive attitude give Emma the courage to build a new life, or is finding the good in everything a very bad idea?

Thankfully we don’t have to wait until November for more from Talli. Her new novel, Construct a Couple, the sequel to the excellent Build a Man  is out as an ebook in June!

Find out more about Talli and her books at: http://talliroland.blogspot.co.uk

In celebration of the paperback publication of her debut historical novel, The Last Summer, I’m very excited to welcome Judith Kinghorn to One More Page today. The Last Summer is my favourite of the books I’ve read so far this year – a beautiful and heartbreaking story of the First World War and its aftermath, telling the story of a lost generation. You can read my full review here. Welcome Judith!

I absolutely loved The Last Summer and felt it really captured the story of the survivors of the First World War. What drew you to the period and why did you decide to tell this particular story?

Thank you, Amanda. I’m delighted to hear that!

A few things came together to give me the idea for The Last Summer. Firstly, I’d recently reread Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca and decided that I’d like to write a first person narrative. Also, I’d been researching – and was immersed in – the years leading up to and including the First World War. And I knew I wanted to write a love story, because I believe all the greatest stories have that at their heart.  I realised that although there have been many books written about that time, and any number of novels set around the actual war – in the trenches, there are very few told from a single female perspective. So I decided that this book would offer a different perspective, and would tell the story of the war – and its effects – from very personal point of view, and from home.

This is your debut novel; how does it feel to finally see your words in print?

It feels great, but I haven’t had a lot of time to think about it yet, because I’ve been so busy working on my second novel. The most rewarding aspect of it all is hearing from readers. I’ve had messages and emails from all over the world, and that’s been wonderful.

I thought Clarissa was a wonderful character and really enjoyed watching her develop through the book. For readers who haven’t met her yet please could you describe her in one sentence.

Naive and vulnerable, a product of her background and time, Clarissa is tested when the world she knows collapses, and proves herself a survivor.

The descriptions of Clarissa’s childhood home, Deyning Park, are beautiful. Is it based on a real location?

No, Deyning Park is fictitious, but I know setting, the landscape, because it’s not far from where I live, and I very quickly saw the house and grounds in my mind’s eye. I think it’s an amalgamation of places I’ve visited or read about, or seen photographs of. And the more I thought about the place the more vividly it came to me.

At the heart of the last summer is a sweeping and heart-breaking romance; who are your favourite literary romantic figures?

Anna Karenina was one of the first great love stories that had an impact on me, along with Lady Chatterley’s Lover and The Great Gatsby. I also recently reread L P Harltey’s The Go-Between, which is a sublime read and chronicles the doomed love affair of Marian and Ted. And I’d have to include Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre and Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I think Mr Darcy remains pretty unbeatable as far as romantic heroes go.

Some of the events in The Last Summer are quite shocking and many of the social mores and cultural impacts of the war that are drawn out were a surprise to me; how did you go about your research and what was the most interesting part for you?

I’ve always read a lot of historical biographies and I returned to some of them during my research for The Last Summer. Whilst I was writing the book I limited my reading to biographies and novels specifically from that time. I also kept old postcards, images and photographs around me to act as visual prompts and reminders. I wanted the story to be seen as much as read, for the reader to be transported to that time. I wanted the book to be historically accurate without being too turgid or bogged down by detail, and for the voice to be authentic but at the same time not alienate the twenty-first century reader.

Almost everything I learned during the course of my research shocked me in one way or another, and often reduced me to tears. Over and over I was struck by the scale of loss, and grief, and the extraordinary bravery, not just of the men at the front, but of the mothers and families and those left at home. I have a teenage son, and so to read about boys as young as fourteen or fifteen who went off to fight was heart wrenching. And reading first hand accounts of mothers who lost not just one son, but – two, three, four – all of their sons, drove home the enormity of that loss, and of a nation crippled and brow-beaten by grief.

It’s a very emotional novel. Which character did you find hardest to write? 

Clarissa: because it is her story. And although at first I wasn’t sure if I liked her, she proved she could survive. Her journey was definitely the hardest, emotionally. When we first meet her she is very much a product of her background: naive and cosseted and destined to be married off. Three years later, her world and expectations have changed. She copes – the best way she can, in a time when women of her class were considered mere trophies, and whose main purpose in life was to produce an heir and a spare. In many ways, and according to the conventions and expectations of that time, she failed. Because she did not become the person she was destined and brought up to be.

For readers with a particular interest in the period which books and novels would you recommend as further reading?

Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain

The Perfect Summer by Juliet Nicolson

The Great Silence by Juliet Nicolson

Ettie by Richard Davenport-Hines

The Duff Cooper Diaries edited by John Julius Norwich

The Edwardians by Roy Hattersley

Forgotten Voices of the Great War by Max Arthur

Lost Voices of the Edwardians by Max Arthur

Daisy: the Life and Loves of the Countess of Warwick by Sushila Anand

Born 1900 by Hunter Davies

And finally … what can we expect next from Judith Kinghorn?

Well, I can tell you that the next book is set in the same era, but this time a few years before the outbreak of World War One. It’s a story about memory, and duplicity, and obsessive love.

I’m already looking forward to it! Many thanks Judith and happy publication day.

You can find out more about Judith and her writing at: http://judithkinghorn.blogspot.com/

Daisy Dangerfield has been brought up in the lap of luxury. Her father, Daddy Dangerfield, has given her the best of everything, she’s not known a moment’s doubt or worry. Until a shocking secret is revealed, and she is thrown out of the family with nothing but her dreams of revenge.

Meanwhile on a rough council estate in East London, Chanelle has wanted to be a dancer her whole life. Dancing is the one thing that takes her out of the grim reality of her life with her alcoholic mother and she is determined to use any means possible to become successful, no matter how underhand her methods.

Born on the same day Chanelle and Daisy’s lives could not be more different. Until everything changes, and they discover they have more in common than they could ever have imagined.

I read my first Lulu Taylor book last year (Beautiful Creatures) and I really enjoyed it, so I was very much looking forward to this new release. Having read it, all I can say is – wow!! Outrageous Fortune is a brilliant read that kept me up way past my bedtime and in my sleep-deprived state, it takes a lot to keep me up reading at the moment!

The story starts in 1985 with two very different births; at the exclusive Portland Hospital Daisy Dangerfield is born into luxury, doted upon by her father and destined for a wealthy, pampered future. In stark contrast on the other side of London, Chanelle Hughes is born addicted to heroin, to a drug and alcohol addicted mother and left to struggle for a chance for a better life. As they grow up, their lives are poles apart but some dramatic twists of fate find them both taking on new lives and having a lot more in common than they could ever have imagined! I love stories like this and Outrageous Fortune has everything you could wish for from a blockbuster novel; big bold dramatic story-lines, shocking twists, glamorous locations, very sexy men and two feisty and determined heroines.

The book is split into four parts and follows Daisy and Chanelle as they grow up and as their lives change dramatically. Just as the two girls’ fortunes change in the course of the novel, so did my opinion of them. I started off with a lot of sympathy for Chanelle and marveling at Daisy’s wonderful lifestyle. As Daisy grew up I thought she became quite spoiled and I found myself less taken by her character but as the big plot twist took place and Daisy’s world crashed down around her I was impressed by the way she picked herself up and moved on and she ended up being my favourite character in the novel. I also changed my opinion of Chanelle several times during the book and I love the way Lulu Taylor used the girls’ changing situations to bring out their full personalities. The mystery of the connections between Daisy and Chanelle makes Outrageous Fortune a real page turner and I was completely drawn into the story and their lives.

I enjoyed the romance aspect to the book a lot too. Both Daisy and Chanelle have chances at love and romance and in both cases, their relationships bring out a softer side in them. Outrageous Fortune has a much lighter feel to it than Beautiful Creatures which tackled some quite dark themes and I thought it was great that both girls got to have some romantic fun in amongst all the drama! That’s not to say that their love lives run smoothly – both girls find their pasts catching up with them as they are forced to keep secrets from the men they love.

I always imagine Lulu has great fun researching the wealthy glamorous sides of her books and creating the worlds of her uber-rich characters. I know I certainly enjoy escaping there but as well as being highly entertaining, the detail is also believable and very well researched with Outrageous Fortune taking us on a journey that encompasses luxury hotel empires, country estates, the sink estates of London and an iron ore mine in Russia!

As the book reaches its conclusion, the twists and turns had me turning the pages as fast as I could and despite its size, this was a quick read. Outrageous Fortune is a riches to rags to riches  story that had me completely engrossed for all of its six hundred plus pages. Glamorous, sexy, fun and gripping, I can’t recommend it highly enough as a wonderfully escapist read and am already eagerly anticipating Lulu Taylor’s next novel.

5/5

You can find our more abot Lulu Taylor and her books at: http://www.lulutaylor.co.uk/

Outrageous Fortune is out now and I’d like to thank Amelia at Random House for sending me a review copy.

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks has been re-released with a new cover to coincide with the release of the film version starring Zac Efron (out on 2nd May).

In more exciting news for UK based fans, it was announced yesterday that Nicholas Sparks will be appearing at Foyles, Charing Cross Road for a discussion of The Lucky One  and signing on 28th April. This is his first UK event for seven years and you can find out more on the Little Brown website and purchase tickets on the Foyles Website.

Is there really such a thing as a good luck charm? Ex-soldier Logan thinks he just might have found one. Haunted by memories of the friends he lost in Iraq, Logan knows how fortunate he is to be home. He believes that a photograph he carried with him, a picture of a smiling woman he’s never met, kept him safe. Even though he knows nothing about this woman, he hopes she might hold the key to his destiny.

Resolving to find her, Logan embarks on a journey of startling discovery. Beth, the woman whose picture he holds, is struggling with problems of her own: her volatile ex-husband won’t accept their relationship is over and threatens anyone who gets too close to her. And, despite a growing attraction between them, Logan has kept one explosive secret from Beth: how he came across her photograph in the first place . . .

Giveaway!

To celebrate the release I have one copy of the book to give away. To enter just leave a ‘pick me’ comment below and I’ll draw a winner using random.org after the closing date. This giveaway is open until midnight on Tuesday 24th April. UK entries only please. Good luck and look out for my review coming soon!

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.

Vivian Lawson’s fantasy of being the perfect 1950s suburban housewife is shattered when an uncontrollable event changes her life forever.

Destitute and left to fend for herself in a man’s world, she searches her New England town unable to find a job. With nowhere to turn, Vivian takes the advice of her wisecracking best friend, Babs, and reluctantly becomes a Tupperware lady.

Vivian struggles with low self-esteem as well as stage fright but with the support of Babs’ lovesick brother, Stew, and the creator of Tupperware’s Home Party Plan system, Brownie Wise, she may just find the strength to conquer her inner demons and take control of her life.

Set in 1950′s suburban America, Leftovers tells the story of Vivian Lawson and the ups and downs of her life. This is the first novel I’ve seen described as a ‘romantic dramedy’ but the description fits perfectly and Leftovers ticked all the right boxes for me by combining elements from my favourite genres to create a memorable story that really stands out.

Initially, Leftovers is a sad tale as we meet the downtrodden Vivian who is trying her best to be a domestic goddess but failing at every turn. Aside from her domestic failings Vivian is desperately trying to please a husband who is less than interested, longing for a child and has a fraught relationship with her own mother. As the story progresses a dramatic turn of events sees Vivian hit rock bottom. It’s at this point that the story really took off for me. I love a good transformation tale and Vivian’s is one of the most entertaining and enchanting that I’ve read. To say that Vivian becomes a Tupperware lady is an understatement as she meets Tupperware goddess Brownie Wise and starts to turn her life around.

I loved the historical detail that Arthur packed into the novel. Wooten is a very visual writer and I could easily see a film or TV series based in Vivian’s 1950′s world. The Tupperware events in particular had me fascinated and I was surprised to find that Brownie Wise and her annual ‘Jubilee’ were actually historical fact. Although Leftovers  is a fairly lighthearted quick read it’s also a nice commentary on the roles and chances that were opening up to women at the time and the changes that have come about in society in the last 60 years.

The characters are well drawn and I loved the contrast between mousy Vivian and her outgoing friend Babs. As well as helping her friend out of an awful situation, it is Babs that brings a lot of the comedy element to the novel. Leftovers also has a quirky romantic side as Vivian flatly refuses to see what’s right in front of her own eyes (both the good and bad) for much of the novel. I thought the ending to the story was really sweet and although not preachy, this is a novel that puts a high value on friendship.

Leftovers is the second of Arthur’s novels that I’ve read and he’s fast becoming one of my favourite indie authors. With wonderful characters and a thoroughly entertaining story, I highly recommend having some Leftovers as soon as possible!

5/5

Leftovers is officially launched today and I’d like to thank Arthur for sending me a copy to review.

You can find out more about Arthur and his writing on his website at: http://www.arthurwooten.com

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/