Mr Commitment - Mike Gayle

Mel and Duffy have been in a blissful relationship for 4 years, but that all changes when Mel proposes to Duffy. Duffy loves Mel, but he can’t bear the idea of committing to her. Can he ever change his mindset or will he risk losing the “one” because of his refusal to marry her?
 

It is another well written guy-lit book from Mike Gayle, but I preferred My Legendary Girlfriend. Although Gayle tries to present Duffy as being a character that you should sympathize with, he comes across as idiotic at times, with an obsession to his bachelor-like lifestyle and his TV. I feel a bit sorry for Mel! In the end, Duffy realises his error and he reconciles with Mel, and proposes to her. It is an adequate tale but I found the story a little lagging, and the other side stories e.g. his sister’s baby, Dan’s ex getting married and Mark and Julie didn’t really add anything to the narrative. 2.5 stars.

50 Ways To Find A Lover - Lucy Anne Holmes

 

Struggling actress Sarah Sargeant is cynical about love, and is put forward by her father to enter a dating reality show. Sarah misses out on a spot in the show, but soon comes up with the idea of setting up her own blog as she details her 50 ways to find love, and the results on her love life. Her blog garners widespread interest but will it do more harm than good, or can she find love through her blog and find the one?

I enjoyed reading this, the main story was very god and I like the Eamonn/Marcus twist. It was a hilarious read and the friendships between Simon, Julia and Sarah are a joy to read. They seem real and very honest. I did however feel that Holmes overdwells on sex during the novel – the narrative, Simon’s business and Sarah’s blog. It may suit some people but for me it did get a bit much at times. It was a better read than Unlike A Virgin and the ending was great: romantic with some hilarious moments. 3.5 stars

The Beach Cafe - Lucy Diamond

Evie Flynn is a bit of a black sheep in her family – the one who can be counted on to disappoint everyone – never having to manage to hold down a successful career, get married, have children nor own her own house. Tragedy strikes when her aunt Jo dies in a car accident, and everyone is shocked when Jo leaves her cafe in Cornwall in her will. Everyone expects Evie to sell the cafe but she has fond memories of her aunt, the cafe and the beach but can she prove to her family and to the other villagers, and herself, that she can make the cafe a continued success?

This reminds me of Meet Me At Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan: unfavoured child in stale relationship and career decides to be adventurous by running her own cafe, despite never having run a business before, and making new friends, overcoming big obstacles and forging new relationships in the process. However, I think that The Beach Cafe is a far better read: it is well written, emotional, romantic and funny. Evie is a likeable character and her attempts to carry on her aunt’s legacy, thus changing everyone’s opinion of her, are inspiring to read.Her burgeoning relationship with Ed was sparky and lovely to read (he hides a secret but his situation seemed to be resolved rather quickly, but it paved the way for Ed and Evie to reunite). Phoebe’s story and the way she connected with Evie was good, and Evie’s encounter with her first love Ryan is memorable – they say you never forget your first love but this is one she should definitely move on from!

The story is consistently engaging and the descriptions make the village an ideal place to live. A great read! 4.5 stars

The Perfect Audition - Kate Forster

This is a short story that serves as a sequel to The Perfect Location in which director TG is auditioning actresses for the main roles in his new movie, and we meet the three women who will play a big part in the movie and in the The Perfect Location: Rose (who similar to her role also has romantic troubles of her own), Sapphira (who longs to prove that she can be a serious actress after being stereotyped as an action star) and Calypso (who has the potential to be a fantastic actress but is stifled by the influence of her pushy mother, Leeza). There isn’t much to this apart from introducing the main characters and hence, there isn’t much to this short “story”, but it presents an adequate intro for the full novel. 2 stars.

The One You Love - Paul Pilkington

It should have been the happiest day of her life as Emma Holden is about to get married to the love of her life, Dan. However, on her hen night, she discovers at their flat that Richard, Dan’s brother, has been brutally beaten and is close to death, and Dan is nowhere to be seen. On the day that Emma should have been getting married, she is now trying to fit the pieces of her shattered life together. Is Dan really responsible for nearly killing his own brother? Is it simply that Dan didn’t want to get married and has left her? Or is there something more sinister going on?

This is a fantastic read – I was constantly gripped by the story, which was full of twists and turns that made it really hard to put the book down! Pilkington’s strengths lie in his ability to create so many complex plot strands and back stories and manages to weave them into a novel that retains its suspense throughout. It kept me guessing as to who was responsible for Richard’s attack and what happened to Dan. I think that I had suspected everyone apart from Emma by the end of the story! The ending was unexpected and once again, Pilkington manages to pepper in a few more surprises. I have a few quibbles in that the ending, although done well, seemed to end on an abrupt note (possibly because I wanted to read more as it was a great story!) and although Pilkington’s style of writing is meant to conceal the true identity and the truth, it did get a little confusing in a few places, but these are only minor problems in what was otherwise an excellent story. As a reader, one really gets involved with Emma’s plight and gets absorbed in her quest to find out the truth to the very end. 4.5 stars.

*This book is currently free on Amazon Kindle and I would recommend downloading it!

With Or Without You - Carole Matthews

Lyssa and Jake have been together for 4 years and are trying for a baby, something that Lyssa desperately craves. However, countless unsuccessful IVF attempts and big lifestyle changes put pressure on their relationship. One morning, Jake drops a bombshell on Lyssa – he is unhappy with their relationship and he is leaving her. Lyssa is devastated and even more so when she discovers the secret that Jake has been hiding. Lyssa attempts to rediscover herself by going to Nepal, and soon realises what is truly important in life.

This is a great story, some of the IVF and trying-to-conceive description is a bit graphic, but it is inspiring to read about Lyssa and her journey, and her acceptance with not being able to conceive. Jake seems like a cruel character although a little down that line, you feel some sympathy for him too. The expedition to Nepal was fascination – reading the descriptions and about the culture was great. The comparisons that Lyssa makes between Nepal and England are interesting although she does overdwell on the consumerism culture of our nation a little too much for my liking.

Pip’s role is a bit unknown – what purpose is he meant to serve, but you feel sorry for him as the one who has fallen in love with doesn’t reciprocate his feelings. In addition, the abortion that Lyssa had is depicted as something that will become a major bombshell to be revealed later on, but is quickly forgotten in the narrative. That being said, overall, this is a great read. 4 stars!

Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris

This is the first of the True Blood book series, where Harris presents us with Bon Temps, a small town where vampires and humans co-exist freely but not easily. Sookie Stackhouse has a gift, or something she labels a curse: to be able to read the minds of other people. One person she cannot read the mind of is Bill Compton. There is more to Bill that meets the eye and it isn’t long before she starts falling for him, but will the uniqueness/strangeness of their relationship get in the way of their love? Or perhaps it will be the unwelcome attentions of another vampire, or the fact that he brother has been arrested for committing several murders, which are associated with vampire-hate crime, that poses a great obstacle?

This was an enjoyable read, a much better written version of the vampire-human romance genre made famous by Twilight. Some of the narrative and plot is a little odd but that could be due to the new vampire world that Harris has created. It is a good introduction to the series and I am looking forward to reading the other stories! 3.5 stars

RSVP - Helen Warner

It’s Toby and Rachel’s wedding day on 17th July 2010 and you are cordially invited to celebrate their special day with them.

Clare, Anna and Ella are surprised to receive their invitation. For Anna, Toby was the love of her life, but something awful happened in the past that drove the pair apart. Clare is Anna’s best friend and encourages her to attend the wedding to get over Toby. Clare doesn’t subscribe to Anna’s belief of “The One” but it made to rethink this later on…Ella is a maneater, but the one man she wanted didn’t want her – Toby. The story is told through the viewpoints of Clare, Anna, Ella and Rachel, who is having doubts about her upcoming nuptials. Will any of these women find the happiness that they are seeking, and will the wedding go ahead without any hitches?

The wedding day itself actually takes place mid-way through the story, which was a surprise as I was expecting it to provide a climax to the story. However, it leaves a lot of room for the characters’ development although the pace of the story drops off slightly. Warner’s way of writing takes some getting used to – she writes as an outside observer commenting on the characters’ actions and thoughts, which feels a little detached. For the characters, you don’t really engage with them, which can be possibly attributed to Warner’s style. Yet, the choppy way in which she retells the story (using flashbacks and constant switching between the characters’ viewpoints and their stories) is something that keeps the reader captivated and longing to read how the rest of the story unfolds.

Characters
ANNA: at first, I sympathised with the character who has to deal with her feelings for Toby and the way Ella destroyed her relationship and happiness in her life. At the wedding, she finally gets her happy ending, and it feels like her story has been resolved far too early. Yet later on, it appears that things haven’t been fully resolved between Toby and Anna in terms of the past. Anna has trust issues in terms of Rachel and her “realisation” at the end when Toby fails to show up at the church on time. This isn’t addressed properly which gives the impression that their marriage isn’t going to be easy. From feeling sympathy for Anna and liking her, she ends up annoying.

RACHEL – her story was a little dull but you do feel sorry for the way Toby treats her, and yet she behaves with dignity and grace, which is admirable. It is also good that she finds love at the end.

CLARE – a great friend to Anna, you feel for her when she has her own troubles in life and love. Straight-talking but a compassionate character, she seems to be the best character out of the four.

ELLA – totally unlikeable as she is a bitch to start off with, and this continues later on in the book. It is only after her husband dies that she changes character (whether this is Warner’s attempt to redeem Ella and make more likeable remains to be seen) and she goes through tragic events, but her story ends on an optimistic note.

A riveting story, although there are a few issues with some of the events, the characters aren’t particularly likeable and the pace drops off towards the end, but worth the read. 3.5 stars

All The Single Ladies - Jane Costello

Sam Brooks thinks she has it all but is left stunned when her boyfriend Jamie suddenly announces that he is dumping her as he wants to move to South America. Jamie insists that he still loves her but this is something that he has to do. Sam sets her sights on trying to win him back using seduction, a little bit of stalking, a fabulous makeover and sighing up to a dating agency to find men to make him jealous. Jamie soon decides that he has made the wrong choice and wants Sam back, but is that what she really wants?

This is a hilarious read as Sam enters mishap after mishap in her quest to win Jamie back. Jamie is a frustrating man and it becomes incredulous as to how Sam is over-focused on winning him back. Jamie is a selfish ditherer and coupled with another revelation later on in the novel, make you sympathise with Sam, which is testament to what a great character she is. She is warm, funny and real. Sam’s encounters with her dates were also great to read, and she meets one date in particular who changes her outlook on life. The ending was fantastic as Sam decides what she wants, and the final scene is sweet. The concurrent storylines about Julia’s parentage and Ellie’s alcoholism provides a serious contrast that also complements that frivolity and light heartedness of the main narrative.

A good read, although Bridesmaids still ranks as Costello’s best novel. 4 stars.

The Accidental Proposal - Matt Dunn

Edward Middleton is finally getting married, or so he thinks. He cannot be sure whether the night before was a true proposal or simply an informal talk about his feelings on marriage with Sam. Needless to say, Edward perseveres with the wedding, and things only get much tougher from thereon. Their ideas of the perfect wedding clash (with Edward wanting a wedding with all-the-frills and Sam wanting to keep it a more low-key affair), Edward’s ex-girlfriend Jane returns, Sam may be cheating on Edward, and Edwards wakes up the morning after his stag night to see a mystery woman leaving his side in his hotel room. Will Edward and Sam’s wedding ever take place, or will their relationship survive?

Having enjoyed the previous 2 books in the series, The Accidental Proposal was a disappointing read. It felt overlong and Edward’s constant rambling and obsession about his love life is ever more present this time around. He jumps to conclusions, and refuses to listen to sensible advice (although it does come from Dan). Edward is a more frustrating and annoying character this time around. Dan’s story is that he wants to change who he is to win “The One Who Got Away” Polly back at Edward’s wedding. Apart from that, there isn’t much of a plot. Actual events are few and far in between as most of the text is taken up with Edward’s obsession about his relationship.

Although the book is overlong, the story ends at an odd place as it leaves many things unresolved (is there another sequel in the pipeline? Could I take another sequel?). Edward has so many insecurities and trust issues that it is questionable whether his marriage can be a success. If things are this bad now, they can only be amplified later. Sam is far too good for him, and whether Dan reforms his character and manages to win back the girl remains unanswered.

Not the best of sequels to a promising and funny series. 2 stars.

How I Escaped My Certain Fate - Stewart Lee

Comedian Stewart Lee takes a look at the highlights and lowlights of his long career, from his early stand up shows to the Jerry Springer Opera to Edinburgh to his promised BBC TV series to his career as we know it today.

Lee presents a detailed account of his life, and varies it with articles he has written, and transcripts of his live shows. As well as his life, he also writes about the alternative comedy scene, and the lives and his views on other comedians, so I learnt a lot about this! Lee is a great writer but whilst there are some funny, intelligent moments, at others, the book feels a little dull in places. The idea to include his live shows is unusual, as is the use of footnotes to add additional information or his feelings about a certain event. However, in some places, there can be an over reliance, and it can interrupt the flow of the main text, especially as some times the footnotes last over a page!

This is a great book for Stewart Lee fans, and I found this book an enjoyable read on the whole. Although I haven’t really seen much of Lee’s material, after reading this, I wouldn’t mind watching a show of his… 3.5 stars.

Ex-Girlfriends United - Matt Dunn

Dan Davis is not a happy chappy – he is finding it hard to meet women, and it is all thanks to new website Slate Your Date, where he has truly been slated. Dan knows that this is not good – for his sex life and his career, in which he has just won the part of aptly-named Wayne Kerr in the new ITV5 soap, Close Encounters. He hatches a plan with his best friend Edward to get rid of these bad reviews before he starts appearing on-screen. Meanwhile, Edward has troubles of his own: things with his girlfriend, Sam, couldn’t be better, but he didn’t account for the return of his ex, Jane, and it seems that she wants him back…

A sequel to The Ex-Boyfriend’s Handbook, Matt Dunn presents another easy reading tale featuring the characters we got to know in the first books. Dan is still as obnoxious and arrogant as ever, Edward is still naïve and manages to land himself in the most luckless of situations but both provide good entertainment.

Although the blurb suggests it is more about Dan, the story actually focuses on Edward more, who has to deal with Jane’s return ever since she suddenly left him in the first book. It becomes plainly obvious that Edward should cut off all ties with his ex, but this doesn’t seem to enter his head, and the situation escalates until it reaches the heights of arghhhhhh! Soon, Edward is in danger of losing his smart, funny and beautiful girlfriend. We also see another depth to Dan’s character. At first glance, he appears shallow and heartless but there is one woman whom he truly loved…and lost: Polly. Dunn’s development of the characters and their relationships (for instance, Edward’s friendship with Dan, his relationship with Sam) is excellent, and this is a great read. It waivers slightly when Edward dithers about Jane and what he wants but I enjoyed reading this, although it wasn’t as good as the first book in my opinion. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, The Accidental Proposal. 3.5 stars

Best Man by Matt Dunn

Adam is shocked to learn that best friend Nick is getting married and even more shocked to meet Nick's fiancee, Sandra. Clearly she is far from suited to Nick and only interested in his money but how can Adam persuade his best friend to see this, especially as he is asked to best man for their upcoming wedding?

Best Man is a well written, funny and crude story. Although the story is centred around Nick's wedding, it takes a closer wedding at Adam and his views on love & commitment, & how his world is turned upside down after meeting Charlie, an applicant for a PA role at his internet porn company. Adam's story is witty but emotional as he is faced with deciding what he wants from life. Although the themes and events are nothing new, this is a solid read from Dunn. 3 stars

Unlike A Virgin - Lucy Anne Holmes

Gracie Flowers has always been organised thanks to her 5 year plan but things start to go awry as she reaches her 27th birthday – she loses out on a big promotion at work, her boyfriend gets his mother to dump her over the phone and her own mother has great big money worries. And things only get worse. This soon leads Gracie to realise that nothing should stop  her from achieving her dreams in life…

This is a funny, laugh-out-loud, crude (a bit too crude sometimes) novel which also weaves in the poignancy and sadness of Gracie and her relationship with her father and the plotline about her baby. I was kept captivated by Gracie, who is a fantastic and fabulous character, and the other characters, such as Wendy, probably the best friend a girl could ask for. The romance storyline with Anton, who is twice Gracie’s age, is a bit uncomfortable to read, but Holmes makes clear that these two are meant to be together – their likes, their past and the way in which events draw them together. Gracie finally gets what she has been chasing in her life, something she has long forgotten, and you really cheer her  on as a reader. 3.5 stars.

Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop of Dreams - Jenny Colgan

Rosie Hopkins is 31, working a series of temp jobs in nursing and is living in a stale relationship with Gerard. She loves London and is surprised to hear a call which takes her to the countryside, a small village called Lipton, to care for her ill great aunt Lilian and get to grips with Lilian’s old sweet shop. Things get off to a frosty start between the pair, but the two women soon bond and it is soon clear that they are quite similar in many respects: both are headstrong, quick witted and both are having trouble in love…

At first, the story begins quite slowly as Colgan initially sets up the plot. Gerard is very frustrating – he is very attached to his mother (perhaps too attached), and doesn’t seem to love Rosie genuinely. He is extremely hesitant and treats her as a dogsbody to cook and clean for him. It is a wonder that Rosie has put up with him for 8 years, puzzling her friends and the reader.

The story really picks up when Rosie arrives in Lipton as she gets to grip village life and the residents of Lipton. She meets Moray, the handsome doctor, and Jake, a local farm worker. Rosie’s sparky relationship with both of these men was fantastic to read. As a reader, I was guessing that Rosie would fall in love with one of these guys but sadly not. Jake falls in love with someone else and Moray turns out to be gay (slightly inexplicable and disappointing). Stephen’s story is interesting as it is clear that he is traumatised but I just didn’t take to his character as well as I did to Moray and Jake. At the scene where Stephen collapses in the pub was a clear indicator that he would end up with Rosie, which was a bit disappointing and from them on, I slightly felt that I lost interest in Rosie’s story – it all seemed a bit formulaic and bland by then.

One character I thought was constantly engaging was aunt Lilian – she is vibrant, funny and sarcastic, and her story in the 1940s which is told bit by bit kept me gripped. It was heartbreaking and tragic, and really made you feel for Lilian losing her love. The way it is juxtaposed with Rosie’s story later on in the novel was clever, although Lilian’s story was more interesting and had greater impact.

Similar to Meet Me At Cupcake Cafe , this is a sweet story that makes you pander for sweetshops of the past. Colgan’s narrative has some fantastic moments earlier on, but drops off as the focus turns to Rosie falling for Stephen. Other characters such as Edison and the stereotypical villain, Roy Blaine – the dentist (!), provided entertainment in the novel, but Lilian’s story is excellent and serves as the highlight of the book. 3.5 stars.

My Boyfriend's Back - Chrissy Olinger

Jack is on his way to a school reunion, where he hopes to reunite with Rori, whom he has loved for ages. Unfortunately, his plans are cut short when he is apprehended by nemesis and former bully, John Lydon. And their car crashes. An angel Norman descends to Earth to tell Jack that he has a second chance at life due to his previous virtuous behaviour, but things go wrong when Jack’s soul returns to the wrong body and he is now John Lydon! The only way Jack can make things right is to make Rori fall in love with him in 3 days as John Lydon (and he can keep his life and John’s body), or he faces returning to his normal body, losing Rori forever and John dies. Can Jack make Rori fall in love with him before it is too late?

It is a smart idea, and I like the scenes with the angels, but overall, the idea doesn’t really get executed properly – there are so many plotholes and things that are glossed over. A major one is the deal that is made where Jack has to get Rori to fall for him. Why would Jack want to keep John’s body? After all, Rori wants Jack, not John. If Jack returns to his normal body, why does he face losing Rori forever? This isn’t really explained, but there are major issues. The story all gets tied up too quickly for my liking. 2 stars.

Jenny Lopez Has A Bad Week - Lindsey Kelk

This is a short story following Jenny Lopez, best friend of Angela Clark in the popular I Heart Series. Set after I Heart Paris, Jenny is feeling disillusioned with life, love and career. Things soon look up with the prospect of a new job, and potentially a new lover…

It is an average tale, although I am still not convinced by Jenny’s character. She provides the voice of reason to Angela but often, she seems to be hypocritical, fickle and selfish. To read a book entirely from her point of her view therefore, can be frustrating to read (thankfully it is a short story). As it is a short story, not much really happens, but it ends on a nice note, and provides a adequate bridge and set up between I Heart Paris and I Heart Vegas. 2.5 stars.

Desperately Seeking... - Evelyn Cosgrave

Hurt by men in the past, Kate finds herself settling for Keith – a generous, nice kind man deeply in love with Kate and willing to care for her and be with her for the rest of their lives. Despite this, there is a major problem – Keith just doesn’t ignite that special spark within Kate’s heart. Nevertheless, Kate is determined to press on with a life with Keith and soon finds herself in the midst of planning her wedding to Keith. Everything would be fine, except  she soon has her head turned by someone she really shouldn’t…

It is an ok read, but the story feels a bit predictable and non-eventful. I was interested to see how Kate and Keith’s relationship would develop, and in the end, you feel quite sorry for Keith. Whilst Kate is a witty character, she can come across as selfish and irresponsible, and doesn’t know what she wants. The rest of the characters aren’t really developed enough for the reader to be engaged and fascinated with their stories. Another thing I would take issue with is that Kate and the man she ends up are meant to have been in love for ages, but this is only really established towards the end of the story, although there is obvious reference towards the man’s feelings earlier on in the novel. The man’s situation is bizarre and his love for Kate feels a bit forced, which is possible due to lack of development of the characters and narrative.

It’s an adequate read and I was interested to see how Kate’s situation would resolve itself, but Desperately Seeking is nothing special. 3 stars.

Passionate Chef, Ice Queen Boss - Jennie Adams

Scarlett returns to Italy to help save her uncle’s ailing restaurant. Whilst she is excited at getting involved in such a project, there are a few reasons which make her feel uneasy about returning, namely, the handsome chef who broke her heart 5 years ago, Lorenzo. She is adamant that she has moved on from their relationship but is she blind to her true feelings?

I thought that this was a well written book looknig at the feelings on both sides of the relationship, and the secrets that were hidden that cause misunderstandings. It did get a little frustrating that Scarlett kept telling herself that she didn’t love Lorenzo constantly, but I thought the story worked well, and the side stories such as Jackie’s story and the restaurant rivalry complemented the main story. 3.5 stars

I Heart Paris - Lindsey Kelk

Angela is feeling very lucky right now – she is happy in her relationship with Alex and plans to move in with him very very soon, has been whisked away to Paris, the city of love, by said amazing boyfriend and she has been headhunted to write an article about the city for Belle magazine. Yet as soon as she arrives in Paris, she starts to feel very very unlucky, as her suitcase is blown up, she soon meets Alex’s former girlfriend in Paris and sabotage is afoot in her job. How can Angela reverse her misfortune?

I was disappointed by I Heart Hollywood but I Heart Paris, I really enjoyed. I thought it was really funny, especially the scene at the festival when Angela confronts Solene. I also liked the way that Alex and Angela’s relationship developed and deepened, and managed to survive all the obstacles thrown their way. The way Paris was described was beautiful and  glorious, painting a vivid background for Angela’s story. One thing that I thought was a bit strange is the large amount of times that Angela seems to get herself injured, even after tripping over some shoes she manages to acquire a gift of one black eye. Surely no one can be that clumsy?!

Nevertheless this was a great read, although I still prefer I Heart New York, but this is almost as good. Almost. 3.5 stars