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!

If you fall too fast, you just might crash…Daisy has been dumped, unceremoniously jilted. Not by any ordinary guy, no…Daisy has a secret in her past that she won’t even tell her best friend, Holly. She’s given up on men – and on her own family. But life still has to be lived and where better to recover than as far away from home as possible. Grabbing a chance to see the world, Daisy packs her bags and joins the team catering to the world’s highest-paid, supercharged racing drivers on the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit. From Brazil to Italy, from Melbourne to Monte Carlo, life passes in a dizzying whirlwind. But nothing – and no one – can stop Daisy from falling again…this time for a man who is prepared to risk his life, and his heart, for the sake of speed, danger and ultimate success.

Paige Toon has released four novels to date and Chasing Daisy was the third. I reviewed her latest book, Pictures of Lily earlier this summer and have had Chasing Daisy on my to read pile for a while now. I have loved all of her books and Paige now has a firm place in my favourite author list.  Although they are all great books, Chasing Daisy is my favourite of her books so far.  I also love the way that Paige links the characters of her books together. I’m determined not to publish any spoilers on this one as I really didn’t figure what Daisy’s secret was and how she linked to previous stories – you will have to read it to find out! That said, you don’t have to read the books in order – I didn’t, as you can see. They read perfectly well as stand alone novels and you won’t enjoy Chasing Daisy any less if you haven’t read any of Paige’s other books.

This book starts with Daisy having an explosive run in with a Brazilian driver, only to find that he is actually Luis Castro, the new signing to the Formula 1 team that she works for. We then fast forward five months to the start of the new racing season as Daisy and her friend Holly, working as part of the front of house team, prepare for the Australian Grand Prix and the start of the Formula 1 season. I don’t know a huge amount about F1 - I do watch the odd race but it is clear that Paige Toon knows her stuff when it comes to racing (her Dad was a racing driver after all) and I think this detail makes the book feel very realistic and believable. But don’t worry if you’re not interested in F1 at all, it makes a unique backdrop to the story but any technical terms are explained by Daisy as she goes along.

It is certainly an exotic world and Daisy soon falls for William Trust, one of the drivers on the team. William has a girlfriend though so Daisy tries to fight the feelings she has. She also continues to have a fiery relationship with Will’s team mate Luis which makes for very funny reading. I liked the way that Will and Luis were complete opposites and how each brought out a different side to Daisy. I have to say that Luis was my favourite from the beginning but I didn’t expect the story to take the turn that it did at all. There are certainly lots of twists and surprises in this book and they kept me turning the pages as fast as I could! It really is a roller-coaster of a ride. The story is told in the first person from Daisy’s perspective which makes the roller-coaster ride of emotions very realistic and heartfelt. I like it when a character surprises me and I didn’t expect Daisy’s background to be what it was and as the book prgressed I was really wishing for a happy ending for Daisy as she had gone through so much in her life.

This book is part of my Summer Reading Challenge and is a perfect summer read. I loved the mix of glamourous locations, romance and drama and the Formula 1 setting was something a bit different for a chick lit novel. I would highly recommend this and any of Paige’s books and am already looking forward to her next release!

5/5

You can find out more about Paige and her books on her website: http://www.paigetoon.com/ and at: http://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/

From the back cover:Will travel broaden the mind…or loosen the purse strings?
For Rebecca Bloomwood, life is peachy. She has a job on morning TV, her bank manager is actually being nice to her, and when it comes to spending money, her new motto is Buy Only What You Need – and she’s really (sort of) sticking to it. The icing on the brioche is that she’s been offered a chance to work in New York.
New York! The Museum of Modern Art! The Guggenheim! The Metropolitan Opera House! And Becky does mean to go to them all. Honestly. It’s just that it seems silly not to check out a few other places first. Like Saks. And Bloomingdales. And Barneys. And one of those fantastic sample sales where you can get a Prada dress for $10. Or was it $100? Is Becky too dazzled to care?
Shopaholic Abroad – for the biggest culture shop of your life.

*Spoiler Alert* I’ll try to keep any spoilers to a minimum but as this is a review of the sequel to Confessions of a Shopaholic, you might not want to read on if you haven’t read the first book!

I enjoyed Confessions of a Shopaholic so much that I went straight on to read the second book in the series – Shopaholic Abroad. The book continues Rebecca Bloomwood’s story about a year after the first book ends and it felt like it followed on seamlessly. Having said that, I do think it could be read without having read Confessions first, or after a long break as the story stands well enough on its own and Becky usefully fills in any background details that you need to know or might have forgotten!

So, a year on from the end of Confessions of a Shopaholic, we find Becky still sharing a flat with Suze and dating Luke. Her TV finance advice slot has taken off and her career is going well but despite having paid off all of her debts at one point, she is still a complete shopaholic and has amounted quite a bit of debt again. The story follows a similar plot line to that of the first book with Becky getting herself into increasing debt and ignoring it or weaving a very creative web of tall stories until it all comes back to bite her in spectacular fashion; only this time Luke is along for the ride and her actions affect him too.

The story is pacy and there are times when it was laugh out loud funny, but I have to say that I didn’t enjoy this one as much as Confessions of a Shopaholic. I expected a fun filled trip to New York (have I mentioned that it’s one of my favourite cities?) but it takes 150 pages of the 350 page book for Becky to even set foot in the USA and I found myself just wishing she’d get there! Despite a promising start, all does not go well for Luke and Becky in New York and I was disappointed to see her returning home quite quickly, with the last 90 pages of the book set back in London. I realise that Becky had to face the consequences of her actions at some point and the book does this well, however, I just felt it didn’t sparkle as much as the first book did. As with the first book, I did enjoy the ending though and I have already started the third book in the series – Shopaholic Ties the Knot and I’m pleased to say I’m really loving it so maybe this was just a small blip for me!

Shopaholic Abroad is part of my Shopaholic Reading Challenge and is also on my Summer Reading Challenge list. I think it would make a good summer read as Sophie Kinsella has a very easy writing style and the plot will keep you turning the pages, but it wasn’t what I expected as the focus is more on Becky and Luke and their relationship and Becky’s spending rather than her adventures in New York.

4/5

This is the second review in my Shopaholic Reading Challenge. I’m aiming to read and review all of the books in the series so far by September – just in time for the release of Mini Shopaholic. If you are joining me in this challenge, please do leave a comment below with your thoughts on Shopaholic Abroad or a link to your review. I thought I’d also pose a question to go with each book which you can answer just for fun…

In Shopaholic Abroad Becky has lots of fun shopping  in New York. What’s the best or worst holiday shopping experience you’ve had?

Mine is another shoe-related story but this time the shoes were for my then boyfriend (now husband). I dragged him on a two hour (each way) bus journey to the nearest city on holiday in Spain and he snapped up a bargain pair of trainers only to find, when we had returned to our apartment that night, that he had two right trainers in the box. We had to ring the shop and try to explain what had happened (neither of us speak Spanish) and then do the four hour round trip again the next day (and try to remember where the shop was) to finally get a right and left shoe. At least we can laugh about it now

(From the back cover) Fashion historian Holly Ross often wishes she lived in a simpler time when the clothes were glamorous, the men debonair and the endings happy. But, about to be married and with a big promotion promised, her own happily-ever-after seems assured.

So where does it all go wrong? How, is it that in one day Holly finds herself homeless, jobless, penniless – and fiance-less? Why is she cruising on the ultra-luxurious Tiffany Star in pursuit of  dashing property tycoon Denis King? And how come she’s trying to track down a suitcase full of priceless Audrey Hepburn gowns before Interpol tracks her down?

With the sparkling Mediterranean and the eternal city of Rome as the backdrop, this romantic fashion caper starring calamity-prone Holly is filled with intrigue, comedy and plot twists galore. But it takes a major crisis for Holly to realize that a real-life dream can be more exciting than any fairytale.

Before I write anything about this book you should know that I am a very big fan of Audrey Hepburn and Breakfast at Tiffany’s is one of my favourite films (and very good book) to the extent that I walked down the aisle at my wedding to ‘Moon River’! So the cover illustration of a Holly Golightly style figure coupled with the promise of fashion history, Audrey Hepburn gowns and Mediterranean locations had me almost guaranteed to enjoy Holly Would Dream before I’d even read a page.

And enjoy it I did!  If you are a fan of classic movies (particularly those starring Audrey Hepburn or Carry Grant) this is a must read for you. The story is packed full of references to their films and I had great fun spotting them. Holly is a fashion historian and there are lots of interesting fashion and film facts throughout the book.  I also loved that the chapter titles are all songs from the 50′s and 60′s and cleverly help to set the tone of the book – I found I had the songs going through my head as I was reading.

The plot is whimsical and funny and captures the feel of those old romantic movies where the leading lady has to deal with no end of mishaps, confusion and setbacks before all is put right in the world and she gets her man. Holly certainly has to face an ever increasing mountain of setbacks and failures throughout the book and I have to admit to wondering at one point what more could be thrown at the poor girl. Her fiance dumps her, she doesn’t get the promotion she was promised, she goes on a cruise as guest lecturer with a caseload of priceless Audrey Hepburn costumes and loses them, she almost gets arrested and when she does finally track down the final gown something unimaginable has happened to it! The plot twists and turns go on and on but Holly deals with it all with calamitous hilarity. This isn’t a realistic book – it’s not meant to be. It is 420 pages of pure escapism and fun. Karen Quinn creates a sparkling glamorous world with lots of larger than life characters. Holly’s Dad ‘Pops’ and uber-rich high-society Texan widow Carleen Panthollow with their inappropriate comments were my favourite characters and really made me laugh.

Holly Would Dream was released in 2008 and is the first of Karen Quinn’s books that I’ve read. I will now be adding her others to my wish-list. Fun and lighthearted, it is an ideal choice for reading on the beach or by the pool and as the majority of it is set on a luxurious Mediterranean cruise it will definitely put you in the holiday mood!

You can find out more about Karen Quinn and her other novels at http://karenquinn.net/

4/5

Angela is in the city of love – but romance is taking a nose-dive…

When Angela Clark’s boyfriend Alex suggests a trip to Paris at the same time as hip fashion mag Belle asks her to write a piece, she jumps at the chance.

But even as she’s falling for the joie de vivre of Paris, someone’s conspiring to sabotage her big break. And when she spots Alex having a tête-à-tête with his ex in a local bar, Angela’s dreams of Parisian passion all start crashing down around her.

With London and her old life only a train journey away, Angela can’t decide if should stay and face the music or run away home…

Lindsey Kelk is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.  Her two previous novels in the  ‘I Heart…’ series have been brilliant chick lit reads and Paris continues the trend – I’d even go as far as to say it’s her best book yet. But before I get any further into this review, I have to take a moment to say how much I love the cover of this book – it is gorgeous and sums the book up perfectly.

I Heart Paris is the third book in the series, but I don’t think you need to have read the other two to enjoy it, although if you haven’t read I Heart New York or I Heart Hollywood yet I’d highly recommend them too. (For those of you on the look out for a bargain, there is a free copy of I Heart New York with the August edition of Glamour Magazine.)

The series follows Brit chick Angela Clarke as she creates a new life for herself in New York and tells of her adventures as she writes her blog for ‘The Look’ magazine.  Angela is hugely likeable and her antics often make me laugh out loud as I’m reading. I’m having trouble deciding if she is the luckiest or unluckiest character I’ve ever met – on the one hand, she has a fab job, lives in my favourite city, has a sexy indie band boyfriend and one of her best friends is a stylist; on the other, she’s clumsy, can’t let things go, attracts bad luck and seems to get herself into the most awkward situations imaginable. All of this just makes her character more enjoyable but my favourite thing about Angela? She shares my love of Marc Jacobs bags!

I Heart Paris sees Angela’s boyfriend Alex invite her to Paris for a week. At the same time Angela is offered the opportunity to write for the uber-cool Belle magazine (see what I mean about being lucky?!). Angela clearly loves Paris and as with the other books in the series, this is part novel, part insider travel guide. There is a section at the back called ‘Angela’s Guide to Paris’ which lists recommendations for hotels, bars, restaurants and shops. It’s a long time since I’ve been to Paris but the descriptions of people and places seemed very real and the book made me want to hop on the Eurostar and do some serious shopping!

In true Angela style, all is going swimmingly until she gets off the plane in Paris. Someone tries to sabotage her article for Belle and things go from bad to worse as Alex’s ex-girlfriend appears on the scene and makes it clear that she doesn’t just want to be friends with him. The book is full of snappy dialogue and it moves at such a pace that you just have to keep turning the pages. As everything falls apart, Angela finds herself, one year on from her move to New York, questioning all of her decisions so far. I loved the way the book put Angela in a similar situation to the original plot in I Heart New York and seeing how she reacts compared to a year ago. This novel has a very sweet message about where ‘home’ really is and I’d highly recommend adding it to your summer reading list.

You can read more about Angela and her adventures at: www.iheartparis.co.uk

5/5

Carmen has been feeling the need to break free for Too Darn Long. So when her equally frustrated friend Beth suggests the ultimate escape – dancing their way through a series of scorchingly-hot countries – she can’t resist!

There’s just one catch… they can only go on this adventure if they participate in a reality TV show, one intent on teaching them the mournful tango in Argentina, the feisty flamenco in Spain and the sassy, celebratory salsa in Cuba!

As they travel from Buenos Aires to Seville and ultimately steamy Havana, each dance has a profound effect on the girls – and indeed the sexy gauchos, matadors and dirty dancers who partner them…

But, when the sun goes down, do they have what it takes to go beyond the steps and free their hearts for love?

I loved this book;  Belinda Jones has certainly done her research and her background as a travel writer shows. Her descriptions of Buenos Aires, Seville and Havana had me wanting to jump on a plane and the combination of exotic locations and characters that you really root for kept me gripped until the end. Throw in a dash of romance; a reality TV show; a little tango, salsa and flamenco and a large helping of Girl Power and you have a perfect feel good summer read.

The two main characters are girls I’d like to have as friends and their adventures really did make me laugh out loud. The book starts  with a snapshot of Beth and Carmen aged 8. Both girls escape the realities of their less than perfect lives with a weekly dose of Come Dancing. Beth’s ambition is to be a dancer and Carmen wants to be a costume designer. Over twenty years later, life is still less than perfect for both of them; Beth is a dancer but her big break has proved elusive and Carmen is a costume designer but is having trouble letting go of her abusive and controlling ex-boyfriend. As they commiserate one night Beth comes across an advert for a reality TV series looking for women to learn three dances in their countries of origin. Cue hilarious antics as, with Carmen’s help, Beth reinvents herself to be the ideal reality TV star and both girls embark on a worldwide adventure that teaches them much more than just how to dance.

Underneath the fun and frolics with sexy dancers, the book deals with the serious topic of Carmen’s abusive relationship in a sensitive and truthful way.  Following Carmen as she overcomes her fears and addresses the damage done by her previous relationships really made me care about the outcome for her character.  I loved how Carmen changed as she learned about the dances and their meanings and despite the seriousness of the topic, this is a really positive and life affirming read.

As someone with two left feet, who knows very little about dance, I initially wondered if this book was really for me but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was fascinated by the history of the dances covered and the emotions and meanings of the steps described. I loved the perspective that Carmen as a non dancer gave and the supporting characters (including Matadors,  Gauchos and the TV crew) were varied and interesting too, each adding to the story in a particular way.

This is chick lit at its best and I highly recommend adding it to the top of your holiday reading list. You can read an extract from the book on Belinda’s website at: http://www.belindajones.com/

5/5

The final five books in my summer reads list are:

I heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk

Angela is in the city of love – but romance is taking a nose-dive…

When Angela Clark’s boyfriend Alex suggests a trip to Paris at the same time as hip fashion mag Belle asks her to write a piece, she jumps at the chance.

But even as she’s falling for the joie de vivre of Paris, someone’s conspiring to sabotage her big break. And when she spots Alex having a tête-à-tête with his ex in a local bar, Angela’s dreams of Parisian passion all start crashing down around her.

With London and her old life only a train journey away, Angela can’t decide if should stay and face the music or run away home…

Wish Upon A Star by Olivia Goldsmith

Life in the city isn’t all about sex, shopping and Cosmopolitans! For Claire, a secretary from Staten Island who takes the ferry each morning into Manhattan, it’s spent working 9 to 5 at a law firm, listening to her friend’s disastrous love life and reading romantic novels, desperately wishing that her life could be as full of excitement as the heroines featured. The only highlight is catching an occasional glimpse of devastingly sexy law partner Michael. Until the day Michael offers her the chance of a trip to London — all expenses paid. When Claire sets foot on British soil she falls head over heels in love — with a country. From red double-deckers to afternoon tea, she’s finally found her home. Friends, family and even Michael are abandoned as she rents a room and sets out to make a whole new life as an American in London. But she reckons without the obstructive efforts of a very strait laced Englishman!

Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

Meet Valentine, an unforgettable and passionate woman with a heart and a dream as big as New York City. Her dream? To design the perfect pair of shoes …The Angelini Shoe Company, makers of exquisite wedding shoes since 1903, is one of the last family-owned businesses in Greenwich Village. Now, in the twenty-first century, the company run so devotedly by Valentine and her grandmother Teodora faces financial ruin. Juggling a romantic relationship with dashing chef Roman Falconi, her duty to her family, and a design competition for a prestigious department store, Valentine accompanies her grandmother to Italy in the hope of finding inspiration. There, in Tuscany and on the Isle of Capri, she discovers her artistic voice and much more, turning her life around in ways she never expected.

Chasing Daisy by Paige Toon

If you fall too fast, you just might crash…Daisy has been dumped, unceremoniously jilted. Not by any ordinary guy, no…Daisy has a secret in her past that she won’t even tell her best friend, Holly. She’s given up on men – and on her own family. But life still has to be lived and where better to recover than as far away from home as possible. Grabbing a chance to see the world, Daisy packs her bags and joins the team catering to the world’s highest-paid, supercharged racing drivers on the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit. From Brazil to Italy, from Melbourne to Monte Carlo, life passes in a dizzying whirlwind. But nothing – and no one – can stop Daisy from falling again…this time for a man who is prepared to risk his life, and his heart, for the sake of speed, danger and ultimate success.

Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger

Heartbreak, headlines and Hermes – welcome to Brooke’s new world…

Brooke and Julian live a happy life in New York – she’s the breadwinner working two jobs and he’s the struggling musician husband. Then Julian is discovered by a Sony exec and becomes an overnight success – and their life changes for ever.

Soon they are moving in exclusive circles, dining at the glitziest restaurants, attending the most outrageous parties in town and jetting off to the trendiest hotspots in LA.

But Julian’s new-found fame means that Brooke must face the savage attentions of the ruthless paparazzi. And when a scandalous picture hits the front pages, Brooke’s world is turned upside down. Can her marriage survive the events of that fateful night at Chateau Marmont? It’s time for Brooke to decide if she’s going to sink or swim…

So that’s my summer reading sorted; an assortment of old and new titles to sooth my wanderlust. I’m hoping to review one a week and complete the challenge by 31st August so drop by to see how I get on and let me know what your summer reads are.

When Michael tells Natalie that he ‘needs space’, she’s devastated. She thought he was the love of her life but now Michael’s found himself a new girlfriend. So much for space. Natalie tries speed-dating, but how could she move on when she’s still yearning for Michael? One of her speedy dates is Guy and, despite the lack of chemistry, at least she’s now got a date for her best friend’s wedding. But past indiscretions are about to come to light. Natalie needs to escape. Guy happens to own a flat she can borrow… in Rome! There Natalie makes some fabulous new friends and discovers who puts the Rome into Romeo. She’s falling in love – but is it with Rome, or with someone she finds there?

The cover of this book really drew me in. I thought it was elegant and pretty and I love the use of blues to create a dusky evening in Rome.  The red roses set it off perfectly.  The love birds and roses on the front hint at romance and I just wanted to sit back on that balcony and enjoy the view!

Rome is at the top of my list of places to visit so I was looking forward to getting a feel for the sights and sounds through the book and I wasn’t disappointed. Sarah Duncan conjures up not only sights and sounds but smells and tastes and people and a real sense of place.  I loved seeing Rome through Natalie and Guy’s eyes and the different perspectives brought by the other characters in the book.  The only slight disappointment was that the build up to Natalie going to Rome was a little long and drawn out and I found the beginning of the book a bit slow.  But from chapter seven , as Natalie sets foot in the Eternal City I was gripped and didn’t put the book down until I’d finished it.

The variety of characters in Single to Rome is excellent, from Claudio, the classic Roman male to Natalie’s best friend Jax who tells it like it is (and was my favourite character), Teresa who speaks the language of food and Guy, who I thought was just lovely. I have to admit, I didn’t warm to Natalie at first and wanted to give her a good talking to while she was mooning over Michael but the book very cleverly takes you through the changes in Natalie as she moves on and I loved the way her character developed.

This book will appeal to many readers, it has history, travel facts, a bit of mystery and even a ghost or two not to mention romance and love in buckets. And the ending was perfect!

This is the first book I’ve read by Sarah and I will definitely be adding her others to my wish list. You can find out more about Sarah and her books at:  www.sarahduncan.co.uk

4/5