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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

California Dreamers - Belinda Jones

Stella is nursing a broken heart after boyfriend Jonathan chooses the Navy over her. Unable to let go of the past, she is offered a make-up artist job for famous actress, Marina Ray, in California, and the two of the become good friends. Yet, can leaving her old life really help her to move on, and does Stella really want to move on in the first place?

This is a great, witty story with a very likeable main character in Stella, and you really want her to find happiness as she starts her journey to find out what she really wants from life. It could be argued that she never moves on from her past relationship, but in the end, her journey leads her to find out what is most important in life, and it is truly interesting to read. California Dreamers provides a great insight into the world of Hollywood, the pressures of enlisting in the Navy and how a love so strong can withstand any barriers. The characters that Stella meets are fascinating too, especially Bodie the dog! My only gripe is the sudden change in Milo, who changes from dream guy who seems to genuinely have feelings for Stella to a drunken playboy only interested in a fling. This change seems very sudden, and paves the way for a predictable, although lovely, ending.

All in all, California Dreamers is a dream of a story! 4 stars!

Bridesmaids - Jane Costello

Evie is a serial bridesmaid who has never come close to tying the knot herself - her relationship rarely last that long and she has never fallen in love in all her 27 years. At Grace's wedding, Evie meets Jack, who could change all that, except there is one problem - he is her friend Valentina's date. Yet their paths keep crossing: are Jack and Evie destined to be together?

Evie seems to be a popular name for the chick lit books I have read recently (Molly Hopkins, Jenny Colgan...). I thought that this was a fantastic read. The blurb hints significantly at Jack and Valentina's relationship but it seems to be a minor point in Bridesmaids. Nevertheless, I thought that this was a fantastic read. There is always the issue that the "misunderstanding" could have been avoided - if Evie didn't like about Jimmy and revealed her past to Jack, I'm sure he wouldn't have stopped falling for her, but I guess it doesn't make as good a story. I like the relationship between Evie and Jack, and the ending where they reunite was sweet. The storyline surrounding Charlotte's affair was no surprise but the fallout was well crafted. Bridesmaids is a well written, smart, hilarious read which highlights the importance of relationships between friends, family and lovers. It more than makes up for the disappointment of The Nearly-Weds. 4 stars

Smart Casual - Niamh Shaw

Olivia Anderson loves her job and believes she is in line for a big promotion, which has been long overdue. When she is passed over, she beings to rethink all things career related, and to throw into the mix, her handsome new manager, Luke, seems to complicate things further. Soon Olivia discovers that all is not well at the company she has given so much to in the past – someone is trying to sabotage one of their big projects, and unfortunately for her, Olivia is being framed for it! Can Olivia bring the guilty party to justice and clear her name?

This is a fun story which reminds me of Operation Sunshine in that industrial espionage plays a key part in the plot. Whilst Colgan rather haphazardly slapped all of the different strands of the narrative in her novel, this is a more well thought out, developed story that kept me gripped. Some of the narrative voice was a bit odd but overall it is an enjoyable read and the dialogue is witty, and the plot is great. I don’t know where the title comes from though! 3.5 stars

Rockstar - Lexi Adair

Summer is a journalist seeking to gain the scoop of her life – an interview with rockstar Anthony Perkins. He denies the privilege, but the first encounter has left a lasting impression on each other, and they are soon pulled together by their strong chemistry. Is it just a fling or something more serious?

There isn’t really much of a plot or character development, and most of the story is about sex. It depends on what you want from a story, and if that is sex, this is the book for you, but it’s not really my cup of tea. And the ending is strange. 2 stars 

Millie's Fling - Jill Mansell

After preventing successful author, Orla Hart, from committing suicide, Millie couldn’t imagine how much her life changes after that. She loses her boyfriend, her job and her dignity after playing an unintentionally insensitive joke on the owner of a lost wallet she found. When Orla decides to base her next novel on Millie’s life, it marks a surprising turn of events, in more ways than one.

It is a well written story but it is largely uneventful for me. The relationship between Hugh and Millie was nice to read but ultimately bogged down by Hugh clinging on to his guilt and grief. The storyline between Hester and Nat seemed like a big anti-climax, and the way that the storyline was resolved was unbelievable. Hester’s one night stand with Lucas didn’t seem to have a big impact at all on matters. I liked the ending when Hugh and Millie were reunited but it felt like the ending was a bit rushed, leaving behind a lot of unanswered questions: did Con ever reveal the truth to his parents about his sexuality? How would Orla react to Millie concealing such a big secret about her love life? What happened to the book that Orla was writing about Millie?

A nice read, but there are some major weaknesses which mean that this isn't one of Jill Mansell's best works, 3 stars.

Operation Sunshine - Jenny Colgan

For Evie Kennedy, holidays have always been a bit of a nightmare, whether it was caravanning in the UK with her family or a girls’ holiday/disaster in Spain. Invited on a work conference in France, perhaps this will be a chance to rectify all the bad holidays she has had, and it starts off pleasantly enough, until Evie finds herself caught up in a world which she least expected to…

Well…this is very different to other chick-lit novels that I have read. Unbelievably, it centres around espionage, spies, animal activism and the murky world of medical ethics. You have to take things with a pinch of salt (or the whole shaker) but weirdly, I was gripped by the story. The book is a bit of a mess with cardboard characters (Evie is an average character – you neither hate or love her. Lydia is your stereotypical bitch and Dr Bennet turns from nice doctor to evil doctor so quickly it is hilarious. And who knows about Tom?!) and a ludicrous plot, which feels tacked on to the traditional chick-lit story and not executed properly. The story felt incomplete with too many loose ends, and the boat storyline itself was a bit confusing. That being said, the dialogue was well written and I couldn’t help but read on to see which farfetched turn the story would take next.

A farce of a story but a good bit of escapism. 2.5 stars.

A Perfect Proposal - Katie Fforde

Sophie is treated as a dogsbody by the rest of her family. She is practical, resourceful and ever so helpful, perhaps too helpful. Soon, she is sent by the rest of her family to care for Uncle Eric, who they describe as a cantankerous old man, with the ulterior motive of gaining his money. Sophie finds that Uncle Eric is far from evil, and soon finds out that he is involved with oil drilling shares that could make him quite a bit of money, which sends her to New York to track down an old relative. In New York, she also meets with best friend, Millie, and an old, wealthy British woman called Matilda, whom she gets on very well with. Her grandson, Luke, is wary of Sophie’s motives for becoming Matilda’s new friend. Can she persuade him that she is a genuine person?

This is a competent read. I thought that the oil-drilling story was a bit of a drag to read about and some of Sophie’s family are very horrible. There are some nice moments between Luke and Sophie, although I thought the latter stages of the story were a bit rushed. Luke doesn’t think to question Sophie about her “boyfriend”. Having behaved so coolly after Ali told him about the text, he seems to accept Sophie’s explanation a bit too readily. Also, Sophie seems to forgive him too easily. The proposal at the end seems a bit odd given that Luke and Sophie haven’t been together for too long. The idea of it becoming a “perfect proposal” is a bit nonsensical.

It’s an ok read but not one of Fforde’s best works. 2.5 stars.

Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married - Marian Keyes

Lucy Sullivan and her co-workers go to vist Mrs Nolan, a fortune teller, and Lucy is stunned to hear that she is going to get married! She soon meets Gus, a wandering, charming but penniless musician whose views on life interest Lucy…and that’s not all she is interested in…Could Gus be the one? It soon transpires that nothing is as it seems…

This is a generally good story – I thought the way that Lucy’s depression and her father’s alcoholism were detailed was excellent. Lucy does have a tendency to be slightly overbearing and over-obsessive, especially when it comes to Gus, and a bit too willing to please everyone, which although it is connected to her personality, does come across as annoying, as is the fact it takes her to realise who she should really be with. On the whole though, Lucy is a likeable character, although it is questionable as to why she is friends with Karen (who needs enemies, eh?). Her best friend Daniel is a great character – he is the only one who is truly there for Lucy and their relationship and sparky interchanges was nice to read. Gus was a confusing character as the reader never got to learn much about him except that he was a crazy sponger. As you read on, it is hard to see the attraction of Gus, which Lucy is so blindly caught up in. It is a relief when she finally sees him what he is. The ending was happy and everything was resolved nicely. 3 stars.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin - Free Ebook from Kobo!

For fans of Emily Giffin, Kobo is offering Something Borrowed for free for a limited time only!

Rachel White is the ultimate good girl. A hardworking lawyer at a large Manhattan law firm and a diligent maid of honor to her childhood best friend Darcy, Rachel has always played by all the rules. Since high school, she has watched Darcy shine, quietly accepting the sidekick role in their lopsided friendship. But that suddenly changes the night of her thirtieth birthday when Rachel finally confesses her feelings to Darcys fiancé, and is both horrified and thrilled to discover that he feels the same way. As the wedding date draws near, events spiral out of control, and Rachel knows she must make a choice between her heart and conscience. In so doing, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings arent always neat, and sometimes you have to risk everything to be true to yourself.

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