Review - The Greatest Love Story of All Time by Lucy Robinson

Paperback: 496 pages
Publisher: Penguin 
Publication date: 12 April 2012

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0241952986

It's Fran's thirtieth birthday and things are good . . .

She's bluffed her way into a Very Posh Job and her outlandishly handsome and talented boyfriend Michael is escorting her to the Ritz with a bulge the shape of a ring box in his pocket.

But something has gone wrong. Very wrong. By the end of the evening Fran is howling in bed with a bottle of cheap brandy and one of Michael's old socks.

In her quest to figure out why her life has suddenly gone down the pan, Fran comes up with a failsafe plan: live like a badger, stalk a stranger called Nellie and cancel her beloved Gin Thursdays in favour of drinking gin every night. But then Fran's friends force a very different plan on her and it's nowhere near as fun. How could eight dates possibly make her feel better?

But eventually she agrees. And so begins the greatest love story of all time . . .

This has so many good reviews, I thought I was in for a great read. I was disappointed.

There was a lot of swearing in this one and despite not being bothered by it I did think it was a bit overdone for a Chick-lit read. That's not the reason I didn't warm to this story though...the single defining reason that this was a terrible read for me was Fran's Scottish friend, Dave. Yes, he's funny and yes he's a good friend to Fran but as soon as he called her by the cute little 'nickname' he had for her I couldn't bear him.

I'm Scottish so I've heard that word used plenty, and in it's proper context. It's really NOT a nice name. It certainly isn't a name to be used in affection for a close (female) friend by a man. *shudder*

There's no grey area here, it's just simply not a name anyone would want to be called. It's derogatory. The word might sound harmless to someone who's unsure of it's meaning, but it's really not.

Had it been used once I might have been able to overlook it. Maybe. But it's used over and over and over. If Dave were real he'd find himself without any friends if he persisted in calling them that name.

I can only assume the Author knows the word from a Scottish acquaintance and used it without knowing the connotations. It was a terrible choice of word. Had she checked the Urban Dictionary she'd have been in no doubt that it was a poor choice.

For me, that word just sucked all the joy out of reading this.

Review - Cowboy Take Me Away by Jane Graves

Kindle: 428 pages
Publisher: Forever
Publication date: 28 April 2013
ISBN13: 9781455515196

FIRST LOVE BURNS HOTTER

Rainbow Valley, Texas, has always been a refuge for animals, and Shannon North, director of the local shelter, intends to keep it that way. But with donations drying up and more pets in need of a loving home than ever before, Shannon's beginning to fear she's not the savior the shelter needs. When a tall, dark, and handsome cowboy from her past comes to the rescue, she knows that accepting his help may come with a high price: her heart.

THE SECOND TIME AROUND

Bad boy Luke Dawson shook the dust from this little town off his boots years ago. He walked away from everything...except the memory of the one night of passion he shared with Shannon. Now, a few wins away from becoming the world bull-riding champion, Luke's headed for fame and fortune. But then a crisis calls him back to Rainbow Valley, and Luke is reunited with the good girl who stole--and broke--his heart. As their rekindled relationship deepens into desire, old secrets resurface, and Luke must choose between the future he's always dreamed of and the only woman he's ever loved.

Small Town Romance in Texas ~This was so wonderful! I loved it so much! It's the first book in a series called Rainbow Valley. I can't fault it at all, it's all kinds of awesome! I don't have enough chick lit under my belt to know what's formulaic and what's not but I think if all of them were this kind of perfect I'd have no problem with that and could read them all day long. I'll definitely be looking out for any and all cowboy romance books from now on.

I tried to make it last as long as I could while at the same time wrestling with the urge to race to the last page to see how it ended. I just ate up every word.

It's got a tortured and troubled Rodeo hero (cowboy Luke *swoon*) who shares history with the reluctant heroine (Shannon) who runs the animal shelter, a deluded dentist who also hopes to snag the heroine, an overbearing mother and a kitchy sister who sells found treasures on ebay, a few quirky gal pals and some rescued animals in desperate need of new, loving, forever homes. Did I mention the cowboy? It's just so good! I barely know where to begin to explain how much I loved it. I can't put it into words... It's romantic and funny, sad and touching, exciting and inspiring. It's got it all.

The little side stories are so cute too and I really hope there's another story in the pipeline for Russell the dentist I'd love to know how he gets on. To begin with I just wanted him to get lost and grow a pair but by the end I was rooting for him and I hope he gets a story of his own.

It's just a really, really good story which has been written really, really well. I'll maybe let my thoughts settle and see if I can come up with a more coherent review, at the moment I'm just too gushy and fangirly over it to string a decent sentence together.

My only small gripe is with the ending, it seemed rushed. I wanted to know every little detail but the last chapter was 'this happened' and then 'this happened', The End. What was there was good, but I felt I was being hurried to the exit door with a firm hand on my elbow.

I'm desperate to read the follow on book(s) and I will.  Soon!

SUCH a great read!

Book Review - Winter Wonderland by Belinda Jones

Paperback: 297 pages
Publisher: Hodder
Publication date: November 8th 2012
ISBN13: 9780340994467

First Line - "I'm lying on a bed of ice."

Imagine waking up in a snow globe. . .

That's how travel journalist Krista feels when she arrives in magical Quebec to report on Canada's glittering Winter Carnival.

Over ten sub-zero days Krista's formerly frozen heart begins to melt as she discovers an enchanting world of ice palaces, husky dog-sledding and maple-syrup treats galore. And then she meets Jacques, a man as handsome and rugged as he is mysterious. . .

The two share a secret that could bond them forever, but can they find a way to break through the protective layers around their hearts to warm up this winter wonderland?

. . . let the snow-spangled adventure begin

This was so fabulous!! I loved every second of it!

It's got a Travelogue feel to it and that's one of the pluses for me. Krista runs a travel itinerary website and visits the destinations so she can deliver a first class low-down for the prospective vacationers. She's been unlucky in love and is mending a broken heart so she wouldn't say no to the chance of a holiday romance to cheer her spirits, if it presents itself. On this trip she is visiting Quebec and throughout the book we get to go with her and see first hand all the 'must see/do' things that Quebec has to offer. We also get to tag along on her romantic endevours and misadventures and it's all just so wonderful.

I wasn't sure of the location accuracies while I was reading, but since finishing and Googling everything that was in the book I've found out that it's a all exactly as she tells it - The places, the food, the customs, the activities - it's all there! Bonhomme and the annual carnival sound like so much fun and the restaurants Krista visited sound so yummy. The people sound wonderful, the weather seems inviting and just everything about the book/place drew me in.

The story/romance side of the book was done to perfection too and had all the usual setbacks, misunderstandings and obstacles that comes with good chick-lit. It was funny, it was touching, it had a bit of mystery and it had just the right mix of will they/won't they to keep it interesting.

I just loved it all! It's a keeper and a favourite and I really wish there was a website called Va-Va-Vacation! to see all the wonderful photo's and reportage from Krista's trip! I spent a good couple of hours after finishing the book going over all the travel websites I could find, trying to find the best deal on a package trip to Quebec for next year. Seriously, as soon as I find the best deal I'm booking up!!! :D

Review - Heaven Can Wait by Cally Taylor

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Orion
Publication date: Oct 15th 2009
ISBN13: 9781409103233

First Line - "What would you do if you thought you were about to die?"

'What would I do without you, Lucy Brown?' he said, and kissed me softly. I held his face in my hands and kissed him back. I felt that life just couldn't get any more perfect. And I was right, it wouldn't. By the end of the next day, I'd be dead.

Lucy is about to marry the man of her dreams - kind, handsome, funny Dan - when she breaks her neck the night before their wedding. Unable to accept a lifetime's separation from her soulmate, Lucy decides to become a ghost rather than go to heaven and be parted from Dan. But it turns out things aren't quite as easy as that. When Lucy discovers that Limbo is a grotty student-style house in North London she's less than thrilled. Especially after meeting her new flatmates: grumpy, cider-swilling EMO-kid Claire; and Brian, a train-spotter with a Thomas the Tank Engine duvet and a big BO problem. But Lucy has a more major problem on her hands - if she wants to become a ghost and be with Dan she has to complete an almost impossible task.

How the hell does a girl like Lucy find a girlfriend for the dorkiest man in England? IT geek Archie's only passions are multi-player computer games and his Grandma. But Lucy only has twenty-one days to find him love. And when she discovers that her so-called friend Anna is determined to make a move on the heart-broken, vulnerable Dan, the pressure is really on...

My newly found love of chick lit has brought me to this one by Cally Taylor and I loved it so much! I think maybe I still have one foot in the 'Paranormal' camp though because I seem to be drawn to the one's that have something magical about them. This one has ghostly going's on and despite the fact that the leading lady dies within the first few pages it's really funny. I especially loved the other characters. Stinky Brian was my favourite I think. Bless. He's got a rug in his room that smells like boiled cabbage and a Thomas the Tank engine duvet cover. Loved him!

Anyway, as mentioned Tess dies (on the eve of her wedding) and is given a choice - go straight to heaven or go back down to earth and become a ghost so she can hang around her husband-to-be Dan. She chooses to become a ghost so needs to pass her 'task' first and she's got 21 days to do it in. She shares a grotty bedsit in London with a couple of other Wannabe ghosts who also have their own 'tasks' to complete and it's impossible to not get dragged in to their respective dilemma's and feel for them. The characters are so well written that I pictured them clearly in my mind and couldn't put the book down until I knew how their stories ended. I really felt like I knew them.

Trainspotter Brian has his work cut out for him with his task and has some fantastically funny moments trying to solve it. Damaged Claire's has attitude and has erected a shield of bitchiness around herself to mask how vulnerable she really is (I felt really sorry for her). The IT guys are suitably geeky and it's like watching an episode of 'The IT crowd' when they get going (the boss especailly reminds me of the IT crowd boss). Even the secondary characters are fleshed out and Sandwich Sally is like a little powerpuff girl - cuteness and sass all rolled into one. Love them all.

The only bit I wasn't overly fond of was the last chapter. I didn't care for how it ended. Really, given that this is chick lit it was the only way it could have ended but that doesn't mean I like it. The options were probably limited and another ending would have given a whole different feel to the book but I still wasn't keen on that last chapter.

That said though, I wish this was a series so that I could read more about other wannabe ghosts. I'd auto buy all the others if it was. I might even go back to this one for a re-read some time. I'd definitely LOVE to see this made into a movie!!

Book Review - Don't You Forget About Me by Alexandra Potter

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication date: July 19th 2012
ISBN13: 9781444712117

First Line - "What's on your mind?"

After a bad break up, doesn't every girl want the same things?

* For her ex-boyfriend to stay single forever...
* Or maybe emigrate, to a remote, uninhabited island?
* Better still, that she'd never met him in the first place!

But what if one of those wishes came true?

Tess is heartbroken when Seb breaks up with her and can't help blaming herself. If only she'd done things differently. If only she could make right all her regrets... But she can't. It's over. She has to forget about him. Drunk and upset on New Year's Eve she wishes she'd never met him.

But when she wakes up to discover this dream has come true, she realises she has a chance. To do it all over again. And to get it right this time...

First, a disclaimer: I'm a newcomer to Chick Lit. I read quite a bit but not in this genre so don't have a lot to judge this against.

That said, I thought this was a great read. My usual reads are urban/paranormal and come in black covers or apocalyptic fiction which have slavering zombies on the cover and as a rule anything with a pastel coloured covered doesn't even register when I'm scanning the shelves at the book shop or library. Lately though I'm getting burned out on the whole vampire/werewolf/demon thing and when I was offered a pastel covered book a while back I thought I'd give it a whirl to see what I was missing (that book was Out of the Blue by Belinda Jones) and I really enjoyed it so started checking out other pastel covers. I find that I really like the ones that have cartoony covers and that's what drew me to this one by Alexandra Potter. That, and the fact that Tesco's had it for under £4.

Anyhoo, the book... I liked it. I wasn't sure at the start and got a bit lost with the mechanics of the wish fulfillment but by the end I was hooked and couldn't wait to see how it all came together.

It's the story of Tess who has recently been dumped by her boyfriend and she's heartbroken. She makes a wish on New Year's Eve that she'd never met him so that she doesn't have to suffer the pain of losing him and her wish comes true! It's as if they didn't meet. However, it's everyone else who forgets she ever met him, Tess herself doesn't forget and when she's given a second chance to do it all again, with knowledge of all the mistakes from before she's thrilled.

I have watched my fair share of 'RomCom' in movie form and this book is just like watching one of those. (I think this would transfer really well onto film and I'd definitely pay to watch it). All through the book there are little clues dropped and loose ends and it's not until the very end that they all fit together and tie up and along the way there's plenty of laughs and misunderstandings.

I did guess the ending within the first 3 chapters but that didn't spoil anything for me, I just looked forward to it happening. There are a few other twists throughout and I guessed a couple of those too but it was still a great read. I liked that all the loose ends were tied up nicely.

Some of the characters were hateful and I loved how they were dealt with in the end, likewise I liked how the underdogs were treated too. I just liked it all around really. As a newbie I'm a fan of the genre so far :)

I hope all the pastel covers I read from now on are as good as this!