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29 September 2013

October 2013 releases to look forward to! (Part 1)

The 21st of September has passed, which means Autumn has officially arrived! And so has the craving to sit down on the couch with a comfy blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, and a lovely book to keep me distracted from all the rain and cold outside! The month of October has some fabulous releases coming up, including some of the first Christmas novels of 2013! I'm a big Christmas fan, so I personally can't wait to pick up one of these novels and get into the spirit. But even if you're not quite ready for the festive winter season yet, this list of upcoming releases will definitely include one or two books to add to your wish list! 


Katie Cotugno - 'How to Love' (3rd of October 2013)

This is a love story. But it's not what you think. This is not a first kiss, or a first date. This is not love at first sight. This is a boy and a girl falling in messy, unpredictable, thrilling love. This is the complicated route to happiness that follows.

This is real. This is life. This is how to love.

Before:

Reena has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember. But he's never noticed her, until one day... he does. They fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town, leaving a devastated - and pregnant - Reena behind.

After:

Three years later and there's a new love in Reena's life: her daughter Hannah. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again. After everything that's happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer again? 

Why so excited? --> 'How to Love' is Katie Cotugno's debut novel and I've already read some good things about it. This Young Adult novel promises a messy and unpredictable love story, and don't we all enjoy reading about those kind of romances? I look forward to reading more about Reena and her daughter Hannah, and what happens as soon as Sawyer comes back into their lives... Will this be a recipe for disaster or will we get a happy ending?


Cathy Bramley - 'Conditional Love' (4th of October 2013) 

Sophie dreams of building her own grand design, she just hasn’t got round to it yet... 

Meet Sophie Stone, a thirty-something serial procrastinator. Tesco knickers, Take That and tea with two sugars is about as exciting as it gets. Sophie’s life is safe and predictable, which is just the way she likes it, thank you very much. But when her boyfriend dumps her on Valentine’s Day and a mysterious benefactor leaves her an inheritance, even Sophie has to accept that change is afoot. There is a catch: in order to inherit, Sophie must agree to meet the father she has never seen. Not a fan of surprises, Sophie would rather not; why not let sleeping dads lie? Besides, her mother would kill her. With interference from an evil boss, bickering flat mates, warring parents and a sexy ex-boyfriend, Sophie has plenty to contend with without an architect who puts his foot in it every time he opens his mouth. But it soon becomes clear that she will have to face the past and learn some uncomfortable home truths before she can finally build a future on her own terms.

Why so excited? --> I was lucky enough to get a spot on Cathy Bramley's upcoming blog tour for her October release, 'Conditional Love.' I fell in love with the stunning cover (the couple under the pretty umbrella, the hearts falling down... too cute!) as soon as I saw it and the blurb has definitely got me interested as well. I can't wait to meet Sophie Stone and read more about her!


Jenny Hale - 'Coming Home for Christmas' (4th of October 2013)

Allie Richfield loves Christmas, so when she lands a job as House Manager for the amazing Ashford Estate—which includes organizing the Marley family festivities—she is in her element. With a budget bigger than her life savings and a team of staff, how hard can it be?

As one-by-one she meets the Marleys, she’s about to find out…

Allie’s new boss, Robert, might be gorgeous, but he’s also colder than the snow outside and refuses to come home for Christmas.  Robert’s playboy brother, Kip, flirts with her relentlessly; and his sister, Sloane, arrives home with baggage—both the divorce-kind and the Louis Vuitton kind. Their ninety-two year old grandmother, Pippa, spends her day grumbling at them all from her mobility scooter.

With Robert intending to sell Ashford, it’s the Marley’s last chance to create some happy memories in their family home—and Allie is determined to make it happen… even if it takes a little Christmas magic! With the festive spirit in full swing, she might even discover a little happiness of her own…

Why so excited? --> And there's our first October Christmas release! The cover of Jenny Hale's novel is already making me long for a large cup of hot chocolate (with whipped cream, obviously) and pretty colourful scarves to get wrapped up in! Next to that, the story also sounds brilliant: a heroine that loves Christmas, who works at an amazing estate with a fascinating family behind it (including a grandmother on a mobility scooter, oh yes)... This one is definitely going on my wish list!


Sarah Morgan - 'Sleigh Bells in the Snow' (4th of October 2013)

Kayla Green's Christmas Survival Strategy! Once upon a time, Christmas was Kayla Green's favourite time of the year. Then family heartbreak shattered that fairytale. Now all marketing expert Kayla wants for Christmas is for it to be over - as fast as possible! So spending the holidays working to put a family resort called Snow Crystal on the map, is a dream come true. Jackson O'Neil left a thriving business behind to return home and salvage Snow Crystal - it's in his blood, and he'll never turn his back on it. Now he's got Kayla Green working with him, success is on the horizon. The fact they strike enough sparks off each other to power all the Christmas lights in the town is just an added bonus! Kayla might be an expert at her job, but she's out of her depth with Jackson - he makes her crave the happy-ever-after she once dreamt of, and it's terrifying. As the snowflakes continue to fall, will the woman who doesn't believe in the magic of Christmas finally fall under its spell..?

Why so excited? --> We already slowly managed to get into the Christmas spirit with the previous release, so why not another Christmas story to add to the list? 'Sleigh Bells in the Snow' by Sarah Morgan has a pretty, Christmassy cover including snow, Christmas trees and lights, and the blurb promises everything romance fans could want from a fabulous holiday novel!


Poppy Dolan - 'There's More to Life Than Cupcakes' (10th of October 2013)

Ellie Redford has a husband, a job and a home. According to the rest of the world, it’s baby o’clock already. Shame life doesn’t come with a recipe...

Ellie knows that starting a family with lovely husband Pete would be an amazing adventure. Pete would make a brilliant dad and she’d have an excuse to eat shed loads of Cherry Bakewell. But Ellie’s bestie would rather she was up at 3am with a bottle of Malibu, not formula. And with redundancies looming, Ellie’s boss isn’t exactly going to throw her a shower if she disappears for a year, with pay.

While Ellie juggles her feelings (and everyone else’s) as competently as a drunken clown, she finds herself signing up for a baking class, alongside the young, free and sizzling hot Joe. As they work buns and shape tarts, is there more to their friendship than a shared appreciation of Paul Hollywood?

Ellie’s soufflés may be rising, but her personal life is one big soggy mess. If she doesn't make a decision soon, she may just lose everything that matters to her. Maybe it's time to take off the pinny and face up to the truth: there’s more to life than cupcakes... 

Why so excited? --> The first novel that will be published by Novelicious books will be released on the 10th of October and I honestly can't wait to read 'There's More to Life than Cupcakes'! Poppy Dolan's novel sounds like a brilliant read, and the cupcake on the cover looks simply too yummy. I already love the sound of Ellie, the baking class she is going to follow, and hot guy Joe... A must-read for any chick lit and/or cupcake fan!

Alexandra Brown - 'Me and Mr. Carrington' (10th of October 2013)

Georgie Hart can’t believe her luck. It looks like Tom, the hunky boss of Carrington’s Department Store, in the picture-postcard town of Mulberry-on-Sea, is as hot for her as she is for him. After a romantic Italian get-together leaves her on Cloud Nine, Georgie is brought back down to earth with a bump when she has to get back behind the counter of the Luxury Handbags section.

But when Georgie is left open-mouthed by a revelation from one of her well-heeled customers, it seems like Tom hasn’t been entirely honest with her. Has Georgie done her usual trick of adding two and two together to make five?

Ever wondered what happened when Georgie first got together with Mr Carrington himself? This deliciously funny short story is perfect for anyone who loved Cupcakes at Carrington’s, and for those discovering the lovable Georgie Hart for the first time. The story also features an exclusive peek at the next book, Christmas at Carrington’s.

Why so excited? --> I adored Alexandra Brown's novel 'Cupcakes at Carrington's', it's an absolute must-read for any chick lit fan, and I have been excited about the upcoming sequel, 'Christmas at Carrington's' for several months now. While we wait, Alexandra has been so friendly to keep us entertained with this short story, which is a prequel to 'Christmas at Carrington's'! I look forward to finding out more about what has happened to the lovely Georgie and her hunky love interest Tom and I will definitely be downloading this short story as soon as it's available!


Helen Fielding - 'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy' (10th of October 2013)

Bridget Jones is back!

Great comic writers are as rare as hen's teeth. And Helen is one of a very select band who have created a character of whom the very thought makes you smile. Bridget Jones' Diary, charting the life of a 30-something singleton in London in the 1990s was a huge international bestseller, published in 40 countries and selling over 15 million copies worldwide. Its sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, published soon after was also a major international bestseller. Both were made into films starring Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth.

Set in the present, the new novel will explore a different phase in Bridget's life with an entirely new scenario. As Helen Fielding has said: "If people laugh as much reading it as I am while writing it then we'll all be very happy."

Why so excited? --> I think the third Bridget Jones novel has to be the book people have been talking about the most for the past few weeks in chick lit land. Obviously, Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones novels belong to the classics of the chick lit genre, and who hasn't seen the film versions starring Hugh Grant and Colin Firth? Not much is known about the plot of the third book, except that is set in the future, a couple of years after the end of the second novel, 'The Edge of Reason'... What will Bridget get up to this time around? Definitely one of the most exciting releases coming up this Autumn!

Be sure to keep an eye on this blog for more amazing October releases!


2 comments:

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    1. Hi Jody, thanks for the lovely mention in this post. Looks like I'm in good company this month! These are definitely books to put on my TBR pile!
      Cathy x

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