Since leaving Polwenna Bay for the bright lights of London, actress Summer Trelawne has tried her hardest to never look back; Jake, her childhood sweetheart, let her down terribly and the beautiful Cornish village holds nothing but painful memories. It’s only when a volatile relationship threatens to destroy all she holds dear that Summer finds herself returning to the place she knows so well.
Jake Tremaine has travelled the world but reluctantly finds himself drawn back to Polwenna Bay to run the family marina and take care of his unruly siblings. While Jake knows his attention should be on the rescuing the business, determined Ella, daughter of a wealthy hotelier, is set on working her way into his affections and beneath his sheets. The last thing Ella will tolerate is the reappearance of a rival…
As the holiday season approaches and seaside life gathers pace, Jake suspects that Summer is keeping a huge secret from him. But Summer is not the only person in the village with something to hide. Is she just an echo of Jake’s past or are there far more important matters at stake?
Why so excited? --> I had the pleasure of being introduced to Ruth Saberton's work last year and I thoroughly enjoyed it, so I already look forward to picking up her next release! 'Runaway Summer' is the first part of the Polwenna Bay series, and I'm curious to check it out!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Two people who have nothing in common...
Max is a high-flying PR exec, a mover and shaker - the man who has it all. Sandy is a runaway who has swapped her unhappy past for a life on the streets.
Every day, Max brings Sandy a coffee. Every day, she looks forward to seeing him.
But then one morning Max doesn't show up. And when Sandy tracks him down she discovers a man who has lost everything: his career, his family, his reputation.
It seems like Max and Sandy have more in common than they realised - including a certain day in June when their lives fell apart.
As Max and Sandy form an unlikely friendship, they discover that moving forward means letting go of the past - and that, sometimes, strength can come from the most unlikely places.
Why so excited? --> I'm not familiar with author Martina Reilly, but I am already quite intrigued by the sound of 'That Day in June.' Max and Sandy's story already sounds really fascinating and I hope to be able to check it out as soon as possible!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Lisa Dickenson - 'Catch Me If You Cannes (Part 1)' (4 May)
Jess has decided it's time to get out of her comfort zone and live a little. So when her best friend Bryony, a journalist on a gossip magazine, is sent to cover the Cannes Film Festival, Jess decides to seize the day and go along for the ride. Two weeks of glitz, glamour and exclusive entry into celeb-filled parties is just the kind of adventure Jess needs.
Reality soon bites though when Jess and Bryony find they're staying in a dingy hotel far away from all the action and Bryony's expenses budget barely covers a glass of local wine. Undeterred, the two women are determined to live like the elite and enjoy one fancy night out to begin their holiday. So what if they have to tell a few white lies along the way? It's just this once. No harm done... right?
Why so excited? --> Lisa Dickenson's books are so incredibly funny and just amazing chick lit reads which I can't recommend enough. I'm so excited she's releasing a new 4-part series and already can't wait to read 'Catch Me If You Cannes' (you've got to love a title like that)!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Jess has decided it's time to get out of her comfort zone and live a little. So when her best friend Bryony, a journalist on a gossip magazine, is sent to cover the Cannes Film Festival, Jess decides to seize the day and go along for the ride. Two weeks of glitz, glamour and exclusive entry into celeb-filled parties is just the kind of adventure Jess needs.
Reality soon bites though when Jess and Bryony find they're staying in a dingy hotel far away from all the action and Bryony's expenses budget barely covers a glass of local wine. Undeterred, the two women are determined to live like the elite and enjoy one fancy night out to begin their holiday. So what if they have to tell a few white lies along the way? It's just this once. No harm done... right?
Why so excited? --> Lisa Dickenson's books are so incredibly funny and just amazing chick lit reads which I can't recommend enough. I'm so excited she's releasing a new 4-part series and already can't wait to read 'Catch Me If You Cannes' (you've got to love a title like that)!
Max Jennings is in a bad mood. It’s not anything you did; it’s just that secrets from her past make it her natural state of being. But she’s not going to talk about it or share her feelings, so don’t bother asking.
Max’s bad mood means that very few people actually truly understand her or know that her secret dream is to be a pastry chef. When a rare opportunity to work for world-famous Avis Phillips presents itself, Max jumps at the chance. Avis and her staff aren’t stingy with the tough love, so Max spends every spare minute practicing her craft. As she bakes brownies and custards, cookies and galettes, she builds an unlikely friendship with a man she once loathed and finds herself falling into something she’s spent the last six years avoiding. Will she let her painful past stand in the way, or will she muster the strength to forgive herself and realize her full potential?
Why so excited? --> I loved loved loved Rachel Hollis' debut novel 'Party Girl' and I have been looking forward to the sequel, 'Sweet Girl', for quite some time. I am keeping my fingers crossed this novel will be just as enjoyable as Rachel's first one, but I have a good feeling it won't disappoint!
Maddie Fraser has never been anything other than the girl in the background: golden boy Dan’s little sister, crazy Shona’s minion, workaholic Sebastian’s ex and now she’s also the girl in the middle of her warring best friends.
Lauren has announced she’s getting married – just as Sarah’s husband asks her for a divorce. Nothing in Maddie’s career in event organising has prepared her for this particular combo of planning and real pain. The news that her ex is also tying the knot is the final straw. While the magazines say she should be leaning in, all she wants to do is sleep in. But whether she likes it or not, everything is about to change for Maddie. For better or worse, this grown-up bridesmaid is taking centre stage…
Why so excited? --> What's not to get excited about, right?! Lindsey Kelk is one of my favourite chick lit authors and so far all of her novels have been fantastic reads. I can't WAIT to read this!
Welcome back to Tippermere for the wedding of the year…
Scatty but loveable Lottie Brinkley is famous throughout the village for her disorganised personality so when she steps up to plan the perfect wedding this can only end in disaster.
Things are set to take a turn for the scandalous when her globetrotting, love cheat of an ex, Todd, literally crashes the wedding on a not-so-noble steed. Rumours of why he’s back spread through the village quicker than the stable girl can drop her knickers!
With a wave of unexpected pregnancies and steamy shenanigans in the hay, will Lottie be ready to take on the coveted title of Lady of the Manor?
As the heart of the village, Tipping House Estate, makes its move into the 21st Century, pulses start to race in a novel packed full of charm and hunky stallions (the guys that is).
Why so excited? --> I've been lucky enough to have received review copies of both 'Country Affairs' and its prequel 'Stable Mates.' I look forward to checking out Zara Stoneley's work and have a feeling I'm going to enjoy visiting Tippermere this May!
Dear Ava,
How do you start writing a letter to someone, six years after breaking their heart?
Ava is unlucky in love as well as in life. The new office bitch has landed the dating column Ava wanted, and she can't remember the last time she had a second date. It's a good thing she has best friends Max and Gwen to pick up the pieces.
Deep down, Ava knows the reason why one date never turns into two - she's in love with someone else. Someone she's never even met.
It all started six years ago, with a letter from a secret admirer, Mr Writer…but then they suddenly stopped and Ava was heartbroken.
Now the letters have started again and Ava knows it could mean winning back the dating column at work. This time she's determined to unmask Mr Writer...and find out once and for all if he's Mr Right or Mr Very Definitely Wrong!
Why so excited? --> I've heard lots of book bloggers talking about Lynsey James' debut novel and I have to admit it has definitely made me curious! I already love the cover and the sound of 'Just the Way You Are', so have my fingers crossed for a great read.
Haven't you ever told a little lie in the name of love?
Vivia Grant couldn’t be happier. She has her dream job and is about to marry her dream man. Does it really matter that she’s led him to believe she’s a virgin? After all, being in love makes every experience feel like the first time anyway! But an unexpected encounter with an ex-lover is about to expose her embarrassing lie…
When Vivia’s fiancé discovers the truth, he ends their engagement—via text—and uses his connections to get her fired. Unemployed and heartbroken, Vivia begins planning her new future—as a homeless spinster. But her best friend has a better idea. They’ll skip the Ben & Jerry’s binge and go on Vivia’s honeymoon instead. Two weeks cycling through Provence and Tuscany, with Luc de Caumont, a sexy French bike guide. Too bad Vivia’s not a big fan of biking. And she’s abysmal at languages. Will she fib her way through the adventure, or finally learn to love herself—and Luc—flaws and all?
Why so excited? --> 'Faking It' sounds like a great read for a sunny May day. Definitely one to add to my TBR-list!
When Imogen returns to work at Glossy after six months away, she can barely recognize her own magazine. Eve, fresh out of Harvard Business School, has fired “the gray hairs,” put the managing editor in a supply closet, stopped using the landlines, and hired a bevy of manicured and questionably attired underlings who text and tweet their way through meetings. Imogen, darling of the fashion world, may have Alexander Wang and Diane von Furstenberg on speed dial, but she can’t tell Facebook from Foursquare and once got her iPhone stuck in Japanese for two days.
Under Eve’s reign, Glossy is rapidly becoming a digital sweatshop—hackathons rage all night, girls who sleep get fired, and “fun” means mandatory, company-wide coordinated dances to Beyoncé. Wildly out of her depth, Imogen faces a choice—pack up her Smythson notebooks and quit, or channel her inner geek and take on Eve to save both the magazine and her career.
Why so excited? --> I really like the sound of 'The Knockoff.' It reminds me a bit of 'The Devil Wears Prada', which I really enjoyed, so I already look forward to checking out Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza's novel!
Meet The Vintage Cinema Club….
Izzy is a wow at making unwanted things pretty, but with three brothers and her shabby chic furniture business to run she doesn’t have time to date. Could a fabulous French proposal change her mind?
Single mum Luce’s vintage bridal dresses are exquisite, but there’s no way she’s ever going to wear one or walk down the aisle for that matter. She’s a strictly no romance, one night kind of woman – or so she thinks…
Dida seems to have it all – a chocolate and banana cake recipe to die for, lovely kids (most of the time!) and a great lifestyle. But what good is a fabulous home, when your marriage has more cracks than a pavlova and your husband is having it off with half of Lithuania?
Three retro fabulous friends, in love with all things vintage, run their dream business from the faded grandeur of a rescued cinema. When that dream comes under threat, they’ll do whatever it takes to save it.
Why so excited? --> I already love everything about this novel. A gorgeous cover, a great blurb, a lovely author... This will be a fabulous read, I can just feel it!
It’s time to get back to where it all began…
Octavia Sheldon thought she’d have a different life. One where she travelled the world with an exotic husband and free-spirited children in tow. But things didn’t turn out quite like that.
Married to safe, reliable Jonathan, her life now consists of packed lunches, school runs and more loads of dirty washing than she ever thought possible. She’s not unhappy. It’s just that she can barely recognise herself any longer.
So as Octavia watches her best friend’s marriage break up, it starts her thinking. What if life could be different? What if she could escape and get back to the person she used to be? Escape back to the island where she spent her summers? And what if the man she used to love was there waiting for her…?
Why so excited? --> Last year I got the chance to read and review Kerry Fisher's novel 'The School Gate Survival Guide' and I really enjoyed it. Because of this, I am really looking forward to picking up Kerry's newest release, 'The Island Escape', which sounds like quite a promising summer read!
My name is Amber Fraser. I've just moved in at Number 40, Lime Park Road. You'll come to think of me as a loving wife, a thoughtful neighbour and a trusted friend.
This is a lie.
When Christy and Joe Davenport are handed the keys to Number 40 on picture-perfect Lime Park Road, Christy knows it should be a dream come true. How strange though that the house was on the market for such a low price. That the previous owners, the Frasers, had renovated the entire property yet moved out within a year. That none of the neighbours will talk to Christy.
As her curiosity begins to give way to obsession, Christy finds herself drawn deeper into the mystery of the house's previous occupants - and the dark and shocking secret that tore the street apart...
Why so excited? --> I must say I am really intrigued by the blurb of Louise Candlish's upcoming release! I can't wait to pick up this novel and have my fingers crossed it'll be as much of a great read as I expect it to be!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
'Before your mother died, she asked me to tell you something …'
When Amber Church was three, her mother was killed in a car accident. A stranger was at the scene and now, nearly thirty years later, she's desperate to talk to Amber.
Living in London and not-so-happily married to Ned, Amber is greeted one morning by two pieces of news: she's to be made redundant from her City job and her beloved father, across the world in Australia where she grew up, has been felled by a stroke. She takes the first plane out to be by his side, leaving Ned uncertain as to when she will return. Reunited with her old friends, Amber is forced to confront her feelings for Ethan Lockwood, the gorgeous, green-eyed man she fell for as a young girl.
And then Amber receives a letter that changes everything …
Why so excited? --> Like many other chick lit fans, I love Paige Toon's works. Her novels never disappoint and I have a feeling 'The Sun in Her Eyes' will be a great summer read!
Actress Libby Lomax has retreated into the world of classic movies, where the immortal lives of her favourite screen goddesses seem to offer so much more in the romance department than her own life.
After a terrible day on set where she embarrasses herself in front of the entire cast and worst of all, it’s sexy bad-boy star, Dillon O’Hara, she plonks herself down on her battered couch to watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s for the trillionth time.
Suddenly, Libby is astonished to find screen icon Audrey Hepburn, complete with little black dress, trademark sunglasses and vintage cigarette holder, sitting beside her and proffering advice.
Has Libby got what it takes to turn her life from a Turkey to a Blockbuster? Perhaps with a little bit of Audrey Hepburn magic, she might just pull it off…
Why so excited? --> I honestly love the sound of this novel and its great cover. Definitely at the top of my TBR-list for this month!
Would-be gardener Daisy can’t believe her luck when her parents announce they’re off on a midlife crisis gap year, leaving her in charge of their gorgeous garden. After a turbulent few months, a spot of quiet in the countryside is just what she needs.
A shoulder to cry on wouldn't go amiss either - so when Daisy comes across Elaine and Jo, she breathes a sigh of relief. But her new friends are dealing with dramas of their own…
As Daisy wrestles the garden into something resembling order, her feelings for handsome Irishman George begin to take root. Daisy’s heart’s desire − her parent’s garden − is under threat, and Daisy's forced to confront nosey neighbours and fight greedy developers. Village life is turning out to be far from peaceful.
Why so excited? --> I'm lucky enough to have a review copy of 'Coming Up Roses' waiting for me and I look forward to picking it up this May. It sounds like a great read, so fingers crossed!
What if you had just one chance, one letter you could leave behind for the person you love? What would you write?
Stella Carey has good reason to only work nights at the hospice where she is a nurse. Married to a war veteran who has returned from Afghanistan brutally injured, Stella leaves the house each night as Vincent locks himself away, unable to sleep due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
During her nights at the hospice, Stella writes letters for her patients, detailing their final wishes, thoughts and feelings – from how to use a washing machine, to advice on how to be a good parent – and posts them after their death.
That is until Stella writes one letter that she feels compelled to deliver in time, to give her patient one final chance of redemption...
Why so excited? --> Oh wow, this sounds like such an amazing read. I know this is going to make me shed a few tears, without a doubt!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Capable, confident and career-driven, Ellen had her dream job and a marriage proposal from boyfriend Ross. Life was good, her future set. Until it wasn’t and everything fell apart…
Whisked off to the beautiful island of Corfu to plan her sister Lacey’s big, fat, Greek wedding, Ellen is hoping some time out will help clear her head and heal her heart. But letting go of her past is not going to be easy.
With Lacey in full on Bridezilla mode, Ellen is soon distracted from her own problems. And when the all-inclusive treats on offer at hotel Blue Vue include one gorgeous, brooding Adonis – Yan – Ellen finds him difficult to resist.
But Ellen isn’t looking for love or lust, or anything involving too much ouzo…or is she?
Why so excited? --> This book is supposed to be the perfect read for fans of Lucy Diamond, so enough reason for me to pick it up! I've heard lots of positive things about Mandy Baggot's writing, so I can't wait to finally pick up one of her novels myself.
What the Dickens is going on?
Edie Dickens is a shark of a divorce lawyer. She doesn’t believe in love and she scoffs at happily ever afters, however she’s agreed to be maid of honour for her oldest friend, Mel in two weeks and she still has the hen night to endure. But she has even more to endure when she’s visited by Jessica Marley’s ghost and finds out she must change her ways or end up being damned to an eternity watching other people’s happiness. Edie is visited by the Ghosts of Weddings Past, Present and Future, every Friday night until the day of the wedding. Can she learn from her mistakes in time? And did the ghosts send the hunky new lawyer, Jack Twist, to distract her?
Why so excited? --> I love the reference to Charles Dickens in the title and description of this new Harper Impulse title. I have a feeling I am going to love this read, so I can't wait to check it out!
