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!

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.

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