tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80093572699314439562023-11-16T16:54:12.743+00:00A Spoonful of Happy EndingsJody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.comBlogger1144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-53434015241333832142017-06-01T18:27:00.001+01:002017-06-01T18:27:35.208+01:00Review: 'The Bluebell Bunting Society' by Poppy Dolan (2017)<center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>At twenty-nine, Connie isn’t quite where she thought she’d be. When her beloved gran died Connie returned to Hazelhurst, the village she grew up in, and took over her gran’s old job as caretaker at the village hall. It might not be the stuff of dreams, but Connie loves working at Bluebell Hall – the heart of the community fuelled by copious cups of tea.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>So when Bluebell Hall is threatened with closure, Connie is determined not to let greedy property developers get their hands on it. She hatches a plan bonkers enough that it just might work. All it takes is a needle and thread, scraps of old material and willing hands.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Can Connie convince the people of Hazelhurst that their village hall is worth saving? And will she save herself in the process…?</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can’t quite believe it, but the moment has finally arrived: it’s time for my very last book review on this blog! Ever since I made the decision to stop blogging a few months ago, I’ve been both looking forward and dreading this moment. I’ve loved having my own book blog, but at a certain point it was simply taking up too much of my time and I couldn’t combine it anymore with my life and full-time job. I’m incredibly happy I managed to reach the last book on my to-review pile, making sure I’ve honoured all review requests I’ve received over the past few months. So, here we go… One more review to share with all of you, and one more set of spoons to give away!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Twenty-something Connie loved her grandmother, and when she passed away Connie immediately returned to the town of Hazelhurst, where she grew up, to take over her grandmother’s responsibilities as caretaker at the local Bluebell Hall. Connie has come to love her job as caretaker, but unfortunately the hall has seen better days. A lot of maintenance work needs to be done and there are certainly not as many visitors these days as there used to be in the past. When Connie discovers the hall is under threat of being closed, she decides to do everything in her power to stop this from happening. With the help of her friends and the Bluebell Bunting Society, Connie is determined to save her grandmother’s legacy, but will it be enough…?</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘The Bluebell Bunting Society’ was actually my very first Poppy Dolan read. I straight away liked the colourful book cover (it reminds me of sunny days and that lovely holiday feeling) and the description promised a lovely story, which I’m glad to say it was! Connie is a great main character; I found myself rooting for her and her mission to save Bluebell Hall straight away, but was also curious to learn more about her, since it is quite clear she’s struggling with what it is she wants to do in life and whether her job as the caretaker is really what she was meant to do. There are some great secondary characters in the story as well (such as Connie’s best friend Steve and his wife Lucy, and new mum Flip), even though I did feel we didn’t get to read as much about the secondary characters as I personally would have liked. However, this obviously also has to do with the fact that the read is quite a short one, with just 200 pages, while it could also have made a great full-length novel, I think.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m a sucker for reads that have that lovely comfy village and community feel at its core, and that is definitely the case with this read. All the people in the village of Hazelhurst come together to try and save Bluebell Hall, and I just loved that aspect of the story. The read was a bit slow-paced at times, in my opinion, but I still really enjoyed it and it has certainly made me want to check out more of author Poppy Dolan’s work in the future. All in all, ‘The Bluebell Bunting Society’ is a warm, light and cozy read that is great to pick up on a sunny day when you have a few free hours to yourself. A recommended read for any chick lit fans out there, or if you’re just looking for a read that will cheer you up!</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rating:</b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" /></a>8,5<b>/10</b></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For more information about this book: </i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bluebell-Bunting-Society-Poppy-Dolan-ebook/dp/B06VWFLF85" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk </a>/ <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bluebell-Bunting-Society-Poppy-Dolan-ebook/dp/B06VWFLF85" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34450248-the-bluebell-bunting-society" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><i>Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></i></span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-58818538531613893802017-05-28T11:04:00.000+01:002017-05-28T11:04:05.137+01:00Review: 'When We Danced at the End of the Pier' by Sandy Taylor (2017)<center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Brighton 1930: Maureen O’Connell is a carefree girl, but her family is on the brink of tragedy, war is looming and life will never be the same again. </i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Jack and Nelson have always been dear friends to Maureen. Despite their different backgrounds, they’ve seen each other through thick and thin. </i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>As Maureen blossoms from a little girl into a young woman, the candle she’s always held for Jack burns bright. But just as she’s found love, war wrenches them apart. The man she cherishes with all her heart is leaving. </i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>When the bombs start to fall, Maureen and her family find themselves living in the most dangerous of times. With Jack no longer by her side and Nelson at war, Maureen has never felt more alone. Can she look to a brighter future? And will she find the true happiness she’s dreamt of?</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Last year I was introduced to author Sandy Taylor when I received a review copy of her novel 'The Girls from See Saw Lane', the first part of her Brighton Girls Trilogy. I really thoroughly enjoyed the novel (click <b><a href="http://spoonfulofhappyendings.blogspot.nl/2016/10/review-girls-from-see-saw-lane-by-sandy.html" target="_blank">here</a></b> to read my review) and was already looking forward to the other instalments. I haven't been able to read the second part, 'Counting Chimneys', but I did manage to get a review copy of the third and final part, 'When We Danced at the End of the Pier', which was released by publisher Bookouture in March 2017. As soon as I saw the book on NetGalley I had to request a review copy, not just because I was curious to read more by Sandy Taylor, but I immediately fell in love with the gorgeous title and cover. I really love the title, especially; it's gorgeous and I really hoped the story inside would manage to match it...!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Set mainly in the 1930s, Maureen O'Connoll grows up in the city of Brighton. Her father takes care of her and her younger sister Brenda, while their mother goes to work to take care of her family. Luckily Maureen also has her good friends Jack, Nelson and Monica with whom she experiences all kinds of things. As they grow up, the friends go through a lot, but at the core of it all Maureen continues to believe in the love for Jack she has felt since she first laid eyes on him; the two of them are meant to be together, no matter what. But when the Second World War looms, the future is no longer certain for any of them; will Maureen and her family and friends make it out alive, and what exactly does the war and life in general have in store for them?</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After reading 'When We Danced at the End of the Pier' I can say with certainty that author Sandy Taylor is definitely a born storyteller. Just like with the first instalment of her Brighton Girls Trilogy, 'The Girls from See Saw Lane', I was immediately intrigued by the characters in the novel and captivated by their story until the very end. Sandy Taylor really manages to find the right balance between dialogue and scene setting, and mastered the art of writing a truly compelling war time story that will make you both smile and perhaps even shed a tear here and there. Maureen, Jack, Nelson, Brenda, Monica... The book is filled with characters that all have something to add to the story, and I loved learning more about them and their lives.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Even though this novel is the third part of a trilogy, I do not think it is necessary to read all books before picking up this one; it can definitely be read as a stand-alone, in my opinion. As with most war time stories, the novel deals with quite a few serious and sad issues, but at the same time the author managed to add a layer of fun to the story, and she really combines the different factors and emotions in a convincing way. I'm definitely adding Sandy Taylor to my list of authors to watch, and if you love war time fiction and haven't checked out one of her novels yet, I urge you to do so. Overall, 'When We Danced at the End of the Pier' is a captivating and emotional war time story about friendship, family, love and how to get through difficult times together; a great read!</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rating:</b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" /></a>8,5<b>/10</b></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For more information about this book: </i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Danced-End-Pier-heartbreaking-ebook/dp/B01MS4446F" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-Danced-End-Pier-heartbreaking-ebook/dp/B01MS4446F" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33807869-when-we-danced-at-the-end-of-the-pier" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><i>Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></i></span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-38641117194030873292017-05-25T14:35:00.000+01:002017-05-25T14:35:15.775+01:00Review: 'Summer at the Little Wedding Shop' by Jane Linfoot (2017)<center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The third book in the bestselling series, ‘The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea’.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Summer fun comes to Brides by the Sea and there’s love in the Cornish sea breeze as the girls tackle their busiest wedding season yet. There’s plenty of bunting, bubbly and baking – but who is going to catch the bouquet?</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm so glad author Jane Linfoot contacted me a few weeks ago with the question whether I was interested to review the third part of her lovely series about the Little Wedding Shop by the Sea. Both Jane and her novels have been some of my favourites during the past few years, and even though I actually stopped accepting book review requests because I'm closing down the blog, I couldn't possibly say no to her. When I read 'The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea' I immediately loved everything about it and I'm so glad to have been given the chance to check out this third and latest instalment of the series. I was more than ready to dive back into the world of weddings and once again meet up with some familiar faces...!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wedding dress shop Brides by the Sea is doing better than ever, and when boss Jess decides to open a special section for styling weddings she immediately knows whom she wants as her stylist. Lily is mainly used to working with flowers, but as she finds herself out of a job she decided to take Jess' offer with both hands and make the best of it. But then Kip Penryn, a familiar face from Lily's past, unexpectedly shows up in Cornwall and sets up a rival wedding business in a gorgeous country mansion down the road. Without even a second to worry about her new job, Lily is sent to investigate and check out the enemy; what are Kip's plans and how will this affect Lily and her friends and their wedding business...?</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As soon as I picked up this novel I knew Jane Linfoot wouldn't let me down, and as expected: she didn't! 'Summer at the Little Wedding Shop' is the third part of this book series, published by Harper Impulse, and it's a series I honestly can't get enough of. The first part already made me fall in love with Brides by the Sea (the wedding shop that's central to the story), the different characters (Poppy, Sera, Jess, Rafe, Immie, Lily...), the setting and the engaging and simply great storylines. The second part of the series was just as great, and I can say the third part follows the exact same line. While the novel can be read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend starting at the beginning of the series, because you won't be disappointed (especially if you're a chick lit fan).</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This novel focuses on Lily, who is a great and easily likeable main character, and some handsome man candy is added to the novel in the form of Kip Penryn. I loved the fun banter between Kip and Lily and felt myself rooting for them from the start. There were several different aspects to the story and I really loved how the pace of the book was great and all the different storylines kept me captivated and entertained at all times. All in all, I think 'Summer at the Little Wedding Shop' is a simply fabulous, sweet and delightful wedding-filled story by author Jane Linfoot; a fantastic third part of this series, and the only thing left for me to say is: when can we expect part four...?! </span></center>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rating:</b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" /></a>9,5<b>/10</b></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For more information about this book: </i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Summer-at-Little-Wedding-Shop/dp/0008197113" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Little-Wedding-Shop-Bouquets-ebook/dp/B01N977OM7" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32172619-summer-at-the-little-wedding-shop" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><i>Thanks to the publisher & author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></i></span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-13613837805515927032017-05-22T19:35:00.001+01:002017-05-22T19:35:25.162+01:00Review: '#Love London - The Complete Collection' by Nikki Moore (2015)<center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Six couples. One city. A year to remember.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Now you can get all of Nikki Moore’s gorgeously romantic stories from the #LoveLondon series in one book! This is THE book to fall in love with …</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Includes the short stories:</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Skating at Somerset House</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>New Year at the Ritz</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Valentine’s on Primrose Hill</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Cocktails in Chelsea</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Strawberries at Wimbledon</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>and the full length novel:</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Picnics in Hyde Park</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">London is undoubtedly one of my favourite cities in the whole world. It really is a magical place and I’ll never say no to a trip to visit the city, even if it’s just for a day. So, when I first heard about Nikki Moore’s short story collection focusing on London, I immediately knew this was going to be a book I wanted to check out. When the separate short stories were released by publisher Harper Impulse I unfortunately never managed to get any review copies, but when the complete collection appeared on NetGalley, I was one of the lucky reviewers to get a review copy. Unfortunately, it took me way too long to finally sit down with this particular read, but as I’m now slowly coming towards the end of my TBR-list, I finally had a chance to check out this lovely London collection…!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The ’#Love London’ collection is an anthology of author Nikki Moore’s writing and the thing all stories have in common is that they’re all set in the lovely city of London. As we are invited to check out short stories ‘Skating at Somerset House’, ‘New Year at the Ritz’, ‘Valentine’s on Primrose Hill’, ‘Cocktails in Chelsea’ and ‘Strawberries at Wimbledon’, we meet several characters, visit different sides of London, and experience different festive times of the year, including Christmas and Valentine’s Day. After these five short stories, there is also a full-length novel included in the collection, namely ‘Picnics in Hyde Park’, which focuses on yet another set of characters, but also brings back some of the characters we’ve already had the pleasure of meeting along the way. A great collection for any chick lit/romantic comedy fan, especially if you have a soft spot for the UK capital…!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From her ‘#Love London’ collection it straight away becomes clear that author Nikki Moore has quite a bit of knowledge to share when it comes to some special places in the wonderful city that is London, but also knows how to tell a captivating romantic story. I loved all these different short stories, set in the same city, but all focusing on a different time of year, a different collection of characters and a different captivating storyline. The fact that the stories are set in London gives them that extra special something, and I loved visiting Wimbledon, Somerset House, the Ritz, Primrose Hill… I also really enjoyed getting to know all the characters and I love short stories, because they’re great when you’re commuting or have a free hour all of a sudden. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With more than 550 pages, the collection is quite a long read. While I really enjoyed the short stories, I struggled a bit with the full-length novel, ‘Picnics in Hyde Park.’ I think this would have perhaps also worked better as a short story, because it seemed quite slow-paced and just didn’t grab my attention as much as the short stories did. If I have to choose a favourite, it has to be a tie between ‘Skating at Somerset House’ and ‘Strawberries at Wimbledon’, which I can both highly recommend. I’m really glad I got the chance to be introduced to author Nikki Moore’s writing and I am curious to see what the future will bring. All in all, Nikki Moore’s ‘#Love London Collection’ is a great collection of short stories; quite a long read, but one which I’m sure many chick lit & London fans will thoroughly enjoy.</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rating:</b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" /></a>8<b>/10</b></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For more information about this book: </i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-LoveLondon-Collection-Love-London/dp/0008167842" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk </a>/ <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Complete-LoveLondon-Collection-Love-London-ebook/dp/B015W1D3TQ" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27859104-the-complete-lovelondon-collection" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><i>Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></i></span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-54465386486731267012017-05-17T07:30:00.000+01:002017-05-22T19:31:47.705+01:00Review: 'Blood Sisters' by Jane Corry (2017)<center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Three little girls set off to school one sunny May morning. </i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Within an hour, one of them is dead.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Fifteen years later, Alison and Kitty are living separate lives. Kitty lives in a care home. She can't speak, and she has no memory of the accident that put her here, or her life before it.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Art teacher Alison looks fine on the surface. But the surface is a lie. When a job in a prison comes up she decides to take it - this is her chance to finally make things right.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>But someone is watching Kitty and Alison.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Someone who wants revenge for what happened that day. </i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>And only another life will do...</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As some of you might know by now (or might have guessed by the name of my blog): I do like my happy endings. It’s not that I run away from books with definite unhappy endings, but books without a lot of sadness and despair quite simply make me a happier person than books where one character after the other is killed or the main character can’t stop sharing his/her thoughts about what a horrible place the world is. That being said, I do try to keep an open mind when it comes to the books I review, so when I was invited to read and review Jane Corry’s thriller ‘Blood Sisters’ I decided it was once again time for me to move out of my comfort zone. I have to admit the story sounded quite intriguing, so I was curious to give it a go (while secretly still hoping for some kind of at least semi-happy ending…)!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After a horrible event in their past, in 1991 when they were just little girls, Alison and Kitty now lead completely separate lives, roughly sixteen years later. Alison works as an art teacher; when she gets the opportunity to teach art lessons in a prison, she decides to take the job, hoping it will somehow ease her mind about everything that has happened. Kitty, however, lives in a care home; she can no longer speak and has no memory of what happened all those years ago. But even though Alison might like to leave the past for what it is, circumstances won’t let her. Recent events bring Alison and Kitty back together, and it soon turns out there is an extra person in the picture, someone who is looking for revenge for what happened all those years ago…</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">‘Blood Sisters’ was my first Jane Corry read and one of the very few psychological thrillers I decided to pick up this year so far. Luckily I can say I’m glad I did, because the book definitely made an impression on me and I enjoyed it much more than I initially expected. The story is told from alternating perspectives of female characters Alison and Kitty; two completely different people. The main difference is that Kitty is mentally disabled, and looks at the world, and therefore also everything that happened to her and Alison in the past, in a completely different way. I think the author did a great job incorporating this in the story and it provided me, as reader, with the opportunity to learn more about this and also made me see things in a different light.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As with most psychological thrillers, the tension is clearly present in the novel, but it is well built-up throughout the story (perhaps a bit too slow-paced at times). It kept me guessing until the end, which is one thing I do like; not knowing what is going to happen and being surprised by the author. The story is filled with lies and good dialogue that had me captivated; and I personally also really liked the fact that the book consisted of relatively short and quick chapters. Jane Corry is a name I’m adding to my list of authors to read, especially because I’m curious to check another one of her works, hopefully soon. All in all, ‘Blood Sisters’ is a gripping, original and enthralling story focusing on the relationship between two sisters and how one single event can impact many lives for years to come… A big thank you to the publisher who provided me with a copy, since I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have checked out this book otherwise!</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rating:</b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" /></a>8,5<b>/10</b></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For more information about this book: </i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Sisters-addictive-thriller-bestselling/dp/0241976723" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Sisters-Jane-Corry-ebook/dp/B01G3NW68G" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30523199-blood-sisters" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><i>Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></i></span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-87677985216972855172017-05-14T11:52:00.001+01:002017-05-14T11:52:38.889+01:00Review: 'Invisible Women' by Sarah Long (2017)<center>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Tessa, Sandra and Harriet have been best friends through first crushes, careers, marriage and the trials of motherhood. After twenty years of taking care of everyone else's every need, they've found themselves hitting the big 5-0 and suddenly asking themselves: 'what about me?!'</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Sandra has a sordid secret, and Harriet is landed with her ailing mother-in-law. Tessa is looking for something to fill the gaping hole left by her youngest daughter's departure for uni, where it seems she's now engaged in all sorts of unsavoury activities, if Tessa's obsessive late-night Facebook stalking is anything to go by.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>When Tessa impulsively responds to an online message from an old flame, she soon finds herself waiting at Heathrow Airport for The One That Got Away. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>But what will the plane from New York bring her? The man of her dreams, or a whole heap of trouble? </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>And could this be the long-awaited moment for Tessa to seize her life, for herself, with both hands?</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Another unexpected review copy landed on my doorstep a few weeks ago and I decided to squeeze it in just before I’m closing down the blog by the end of this month… (I can’t believe how fast time has flown by and my review pile only consists of one or two titles left to read and review)! ‘Invisible Women’ was released by publisher Bonnier Zaffre at the start of May, and I’m glad I received a surprise review copy of the novel. Not only did I like the sound of the story, but I also liked being provided with the opportunity to check out author Sarah Long, who I wasn’t yet familiar with before picking up this latest release of hers!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Tessa, Sandra and Harriet have been good friends for years and as they are getting closer to hitting 50, the three of them take a close look at their lives and ask themselves whether they are really happy where they are at right now. Now their kids are taking care of themselves and their husbands no longer seem to pay attention to them, it might be time for some significant changes. Tessa’s husband is more focused on making money than her, so when an old crush of hers suddenly pops up in her life again, she can’t help but love the attention. Sandra is dealing with the aftermath of her husband’s mental breakdown, and Harriet is being treated by her husband as a servant, having to take care of her sick mother-in-law. Will the three women decide to make some drastic changes in their lives and is hitting 50 the trigger they needed to start thinking about themselves for a change; or perhaps some of the recent events will make them see what it is they really want from both their husbands and life in general.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Sarah Long’s ‘Invisible Women’ is a read I think especially female readers between the ages of 40 and 60 will be able to really enjoy and relate to in one way or another. However, as a twenty-something female reader I also enjoyed reading about best friends Tessa, Sandra and Harriet and what they are going through in their lives. The women are all reaching the milestone of becoming 50 and they are getting tired of feeling as if things don’t matter anymore. This leads to some more risky behaviour; the question is, is this really what will make them happier in the end? I liked how the story focused on the three different storylines, while at the same time linking all of it together because the three characters are best friends and share everything with each other.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I think there were just a few things in the novel I didn’t particularly like, and the combination in the end resulted in me giving the book a 7,5. First of all, I did find it difficult to put myself in the shoes of the characters, mainly because of their situations and age. However, that is something I can definitely put aside; the main thing was the male characters in the novel were just all pretty horrible, and I couldn’t understand why the women were still married to them or interested in them. I like it when there is a romantic and happy element to a novel, where I really root for the characters, and I just missed that here. Therefore, I do think ‘Invisible Women’ is an enjoyable read about women hitting middle age and trying to deal with this in their own way, but in the end it just wasn’t entirely the read for me.</span><br />
<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rating:</b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" /></a>7,5<b>/10</b></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For more information about this book: </i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Invisible-Women-Time-Talk-About-ebook/dp/B01MG86MRZ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Women-Time-Talk-About-ebook/dp/B01MG86MRZ" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> / <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34459814-invisible-women" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><i>Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></i></span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-40182499135132813812017-05-10T07:30:00.000+01:002017-05-14T11:49:16.594+01:00Blog Tour: 'Catch Me If You Cannes' by Lisa Dickenson!<center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Today I'm really excited to be part of the blog tour for the amazing Lisa Dickenson's latest novel 'Catch Me If You Cannes'! I've been a big fan of Lisa's novels ever since I got the chance to read and review her Christmas-themed book 'The Twelve Dates of Christmas' several years ago, and I can highly recommend any of her novels to any chick lit fans out there. Be sure to scroll down to read my review of 'Catch Me If You Cannes', and also to check out the blog tour poster so you can visit some of the other book blogs taking part in this tour!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jess and Bryony have been best friends since they were little girls; back then it was them against the world and that still seems to be the case. Jess owns her own cafe but feels it's time to do something to spice up her life a bit. Bryony works as a journalist for a gossip magazine and is sent to France to find some juicy stories at the Cannes Film Festival. Jess immediately spots a chance for an adventure and decides to go with Bryony. However, their hopes for a glamorous holiday are quickly shattered; their average hotel is far away from all the action and they don't have anywhere near enough money to be able to party with all the celebrities. Jess and Bryony decide they will make the best of things, they're in Cannes after all! So, telling a few lies here and there won't hurt anyone and will help them have a good time... Or not?</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's relatively easy to write a review of one of Lisa Dickenson's novels because I just seem to love every sentence that she gets onto paper, and 'Catch Me If You Cannes' is no exception to that! It has an entertaining storyline, great characters, a fabulous setting, and it's really funny. Lisa Dickenson really has her own distinctive writing style; a style that's easy to get lost in and one that even seems to be a bit addictive, because I didn't want to put the book down (but also didn't want it to end!). It's also perfect for the chick lit genre and I dare to say that anyone who is a chick lit fan will love this e-book series. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Bryony and Jess are great characters. I loved their friendship; the two are each other's opposites which is probably what makes them work together so well. From the first chapter I was already rooting for them and just wanted to jump into the novel and join them on their Cannes adventure. Of course there's also enough man-candy to swoon over and a captivating plotline that made me both laugh and wonder what was going to happen next. I personally got to read this as a novel, instead of having to wait for the next part to be released, which resulted in me being really immersed in the story. Overall, 'Catch Me If You Cannes' is another chick lit hit for Lisa Dickenson; a feel-good, thoroughly funny, and amazingly entertaining romantic comedy which you need to add to your suitcase right now. Your summer holiday won't be complete without it!</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rating:</b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" /></a>10<b>/10</b></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For more information about this book: </i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Catch-Me-You-Cannes-Complete-ebook/dp/B01M1R7TTT/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Catch-Me-You-Cannes-Complete-ebook/dp/B01M1R7TTT/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32940978-catch-me-if-you-cannes" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><i>Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></i></span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-88203670523265538842017-05-09T07:30:00.000+01:002017-05-14T11:48:52.619+01:00Review: 'Evie's Year of Taking Chances' by Christie Barlow (2017)<center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Evie’s job has always been her safe haven. As a librarian in the little town of Becton she loses herself in books - after all it’s far easier to read about other people’s problems than set about solving her own. </i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Then, one birthday, everything is turned upside down. A mysterious parcel containing a beautiful book with a poignant inscription arrives for Evie. It’s the beginning of a new chapter for Evie and she’s inspired to try and find her real mother. </i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Evie’s search leads her to meet handsome author Noah Jones. Charming and intelligent, Noah seems the perfect catch but what Evie doesn’t realise is that he is hiding something – a key to Evie’s past. </i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>As Evie gets closer to Noah and discovering her mother, she must take a giant leap of faith. Can she embrace the new and make this her year of taking chances? And if she does, will she get her heart broken?</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Over the past year and a half or so I’ve had the pleasure of reading several of author Christie Barlow’s novels. I’m a big fan of publisher Bookouture, which is how I was introduced to Christie’s works, namely when I requested a review copy via NetGalley of her novel ‘Kitty’s Countryside Dream.’ I ended up really loving the book, and since then I’ve been looking out for other reads by this author. Since that first novel I’ve also read ‘Lizzie’s Christmas Escape’ and her ‘The Misadventures of a Playground Mother’ series. I have to admit I wasn’t too big a fan of the last one mentioned there, but I was definitely curious to check out Christie’s latest release, ‘Evie’s Year of Taking Chances’, which promised to be a great chick lit read…</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Twenty-something Evie has a pretty good life; she loves her job as a librarian and she has some great people around her in the town of Becton, particularly her best friend and colleague Clara and her foster mother Irene. Yet, every single year on her birthday Evie can’t help but wonder whatever happened to her real mother; why was she unable to take care of her and where could she be now? One year, Evie decides it’s time to finally start searching for some answers to her questions so she tries to find her birth mother. At the same time, however, there is someone else who makes an unexpected reappearance in Evie’s life; eight months ago she developed a crush on author Noah, but never bumped into him again after that. Now he’s back in town and, most important of all, seems to be interested in her… Will Evie be able to make the best of this new year, full with chances, or will it all just be a bit too much in one go?</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I read my first Christie Barlow novel, ‘Kitty’s Countryside Dream’, I immediately developed a liking for the author’s writing style and loved the story she had come up with. However, the books I’ve read since then just didn’t quite manage to live up to that very first novel I picked up, in my opinion. However, I’m happy to say ‘Evie’s Year of Taking Chances’ did manage to capture that same feeling, and really was another captivating and warm-hearted chick lit read I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish. The book has realistic characters at its core, and also ones that are easy to warm to and root for. I liked Evie from the start, and also thought there were some wonderful secondary characters that really added their own touch to the story as a whole (I especially liked Clara, Evie’s best friend and colleague).</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I quite like it when the main storyline of a novel consists of several different aspects and different things are going on. This was also the case for this book and I was really curious to see how everything would work out, even ending up being a bit surprised by some of the events (don’t want to give anything away!). Christie Barlow’s writing style also fits the chick lit genre really well, so if you’re a chick lit fan and curious to check out one of her reads, don’t hesitate to start with this one. All in all, I’m really happy to say I was once again convinced by Christie Barlow’s writing with her latest release; ‘Evie’s Year of Taking Chance’ is a lovely and wonderful story filled with smiles, love and friendship; a thoroughly nice feel-good read!</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rating:</b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" /></a>8,5<b>/10</b></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For more information about this book: </i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N6Q9O82" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Evies-Year-Taking-Chances-romantic/dp/1786811391" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33889655-evie-s-year-of-taking-chances" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><i>Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></i></span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-67163802770698983052017-05-07T12:50:00.003+01:002017-05-07T12:50:52.198+01:00Review: 'Lady Cop Makes Trouble' by Amy Stewart (2017)<center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>In 1915, lady cops were not expected to chase down fugitives on the streets of New York City. But Constance Kopp never did what anyone expected.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Bergen County’s Sheriff Heath has appointed Constance as one of the nation’s first female deputies. He knows she’s a powerful addition to his force, and she knows she can do the job, but when the wiles of a German-speaking con man threaten her position and her hopes for this new life — and risk the honourable sheriff being thrown into his own jail — Constance is forced to prove herself again.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>'Lady Cop Makes Trouble' sees Constance on the trail of a fugitive, helping runaway girls taken in by unscrupulous men, and sorting out why an old woman is taking the fall for a murder she couldn’t have committed. Cheering her on are her sisters Norma and Fleurette — that is, when they aren’t, respectively, training pigeons for the war effort or fanning dreams of a life on the stage.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was really excited to pick up and check out ‘Lady Cop Makes Trouble’, author Amy Stewart’s sequel to her fantastic read ‘Girl Waits with Gun’, which I had the pleasure of reviewing a few weeks ago (click <b><a href="http://spoonfulofhappyendings.blogspot.nl/2017/04/review-girl-waits-with-gun-by-amy.html" target="_blank">here</a></b> to read my review). I loved the mix of historical fiction, women’s fiction and detective/mystery novel, and was really curious to read more about the Kopp sisters. I was lucky enough to have also received a review copy of the second part of this book series, which was released in 2016, and I already had a good feeling I was hopefully going to enjoy it as much as the first part…!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Set in the 1910s, Constance Kopp finds herself making history when she is appointed as one of the country’s first female deputies. Constance is determined to do a good job, especially since she loves what she does, but not everyone supports her and sheriff Heath’s decision to appoint a woman as deputy. When Constance accidentally lets a German immigrant criminal escape on her watch, she not only brings her own career at risk, but also sheriff Heath, who has always supported her. There is only one thing that can save both of them and that’s tracking down the German criminal and putting him behind bars once again, but Constance has quite a job ahead of her…</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After having read Amy Stewart’s novel ‘Girl Waits with Gun’ I promised myself I’d keep an eye out for any other books by this author, and I’m really glad to say the sequel in the series, ‘Lady Cop Makes Trouble’, managed to live up to my expectations; it’s definitely another engaging and well-written detective read I couldn’t get enough of. The oldest of the Kopp sisters, Constance, has managed to be appointed as deputy and she takes her job very seriously. When something unexpected happens, she is suddenly forced to prove her worth, no matter the stakes. I really liked how we not only follow Constance, but we also learn more about her sisters Norma and Fleurette. I love the three different female characters, and wouldn’t have minded if perhaps even more attention had been paid to Norma and Fleurette and their activities. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just like with the first part of this series, I really enjoyed how the author tackles various genres (women’s fiction, historical fiction, a detective element) and both fiction and non-fiction (the storyline is based on actual events). Amy Stewart has a great and comfortable writing style and I am counting the Kopp sisters novels to some of my favourite reads of this year so far, and I sincerely hope there will be more adventures to come. All in all, another stunning and convincing read by author Amy Stewart; ‘Lady Cop Makes Trouble’ is an entertaining and original work of fiction that I loved from start to finish.</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rating:</b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" /></a>9<b>/10</b></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For more information about this book: </i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/cka/Lady-Cop-Makes-Trouble-Amy-Stewart/1510052089" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Makes-Trouble-Sisters-Novel/dp/0544409949" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28114478-lady-cop-makes-trouble" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><i>Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></i></span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-72739389385065472652017-05-03T07:30:00.000+01:002017-05-07T12:28:17.831+01:00Upcoming Release: 'See You in September' by Charity Norman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Cassy smiled, blew them a kiss. 'See you in September,' she said. It was a throwaway line. Just words uttered casually by a young woman in a hurry. And then she'd gone. It was supposed to be a short trip - a break in New Zealand before her best friend's wedding. But when Cassy waved goodbye to her parents, they never dreamed that it would be years before they'd see her again. Having broken up with her boyfriend, Cassy accepts an invitation to stay in an idyllic farming collective. Overcome by the peace and beauty of the valley and swept up in the charisma of Justin, the community's leader, Cassy becomes convinced that she has to stay. As Cassy becomes more and more entrenched in the group's rituals and beliefs, her frantic parents fight to bring her home - before Justin's prophesied Last Day can come to pass.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I've had the pleasure of reading several of Charity Norman's novels during the past few years and I love her stories. She has such a compelling writing style and her stories never disappoint. They always make me think about different topics and issues, and tug on my heartstrings. I already am intrigued by the description of 'See You in September' and I am pretty sure this will be another great and captivating read by this author... Fingers crossed it will live up to my expectations!</span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-69744300779229719552017-05-02T07:30:00.000+01:002017-05-07T12:27:56.732+01:00Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Book Covers I'd Frame As Pieces of Art<center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'Top Ten Tuesday' is an original feature/weekly meme created at <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/"><b>The Broke and the Bookish</b></a>. I love making lists, so this feature fits me perfectly! If you also take part in this feature or have any additions to my lists, please get in touch; I'd love to hear from you!</span></center>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Top Ten Book Covers I'd Frame As Pieces of Art</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This week's Top Ten Tuesday list has to somehow be related to book covers, so I decided to go with a list I actually already posted quite some time ago, but which I really loved, namely: top 10 book covers I'd frame as pieces of art. I think it would be great to have a room with all kinds of book covers on the wall... Perhaps in my future amazing library room..?! I found some lovely covers, but would love to hear if anyone else has some other great covers to share!</span></center>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. Sarra Manning - 'It Felt Like a Kiss'</span></b></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I fell in love with the cover of Sarra Manning's novel 'It Felt Like a Kiss' the second I saw it and every time I look at it I fall in love with it a little bit more! I honestly adore everything about it: the pink and blue colours, the romance of the couple holding hands, the London skyline in the background... It's just perfect!</span></center>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2. Jane Austen - Collection of Seven Novels</span></b></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As a big Jane Austen fan I immediately knew I needed to add this particular item to my Austen collection as soon as I saw it; without a doubt one of the prettiest Austen covers I've ever seen. I was lucky enough to get it as a gift from my lovely sister and it's even more gorgeous in real life. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>3. </b></span><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Nicholas Sparks - 'A Walk to Remember'</span></b></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> I love the colours of Autumn and this cover of Nicholas Sparks' novel 'A Walk To Remember' really manages to catch that Autumn feeling. It's a really pretty image and even though it might at first glance not look like anything special, I think it's simply gorgeous.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>4. </b></span><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">J.M. Barrie - 'Peter Pan'</span></b></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Ever since I was a little girl I've loved the story of Peter Pan and I always wanted to be like Wendy. Just the idea of flying through the air to another world, 'second star to the right and straight on till morning', is a magical feeling and this book cover manages to capture that thought perfectly. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>5. </b></span><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Neil Gaiman - 'Stardust'</span></b></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Anoter pretty, not too complicated, cover with a couple of trees. I love the way the sunlight appears to be like stardust, the title of the novel, and how this gives the image something magical, like something amazing might be hidden behind these trees.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>6. </b></span><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">L. Frank Baum - 'The Wizard of Oz'</span></b></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm a sucker for cute things and I love this incredibly cute cartoonish book cover for L. Frank Baum's 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz', one of my favourite children's stories.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>7. </b></span><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jane Sanderson - 'Ravenscliffe'</span></b></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm a big fan of gorgeous country houses like you can find a lot in the UK, which is why I also love the cover of Jane Sanderson's 'Ravenscliffe.' Pretty colours, lovely country house in the background, the way the gate decorated with flowers is seen from up close... Love it!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>8. </b></span><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Louisa May Alcott - 'Little Women'</span></b></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Penguin has a whole series of classic tales with embroidered book covers. I really like this 'Little Women' one because it has lots of bright and lovely colours and the cover seems to tell a story with all these small images and quotes from the book. I think this would look great on my wall!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>9. </b></span><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ali Harris - 'The First Last Kiss'</span></b></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Another chick lit cover which is just simply breathtaking. The colours, the lanterns, the couple holding each other, the font... Amazing!</span></center>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">10. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">P.L. Travers - 'Mary Poppins'</span></b></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And last but not least, a really pretty cover of another one of my all-time favourites, 'Mary Poppins.' I love the colour combination of the red, blue, black and white and I think this would look brilliant as a poster in my appartment.</span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-50319244041684089232017-05-01T07:30:00.000+01:002017-05-07T12:27:27.384+01:00Review: 'Lost for Words' by Stephanie Butland (2017)<center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>You can trust a book to keep your secret . . .</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Loveday Cardew prefers books to people. If you look closely, you might glimpse the first lines of the novels she loves most tattooed on her skin. But there are things she'll never show you.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Fifteen years ago Loveday lost all she knew and loved in one unspeakable night. Now, she finds refuge in the unique little York bookshop where she works.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Everything is about to change for Loveday. Someone knows about her past. Someone is trying to send her a message. And she can't hide any longer.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have to admit I hadn’t heard or read anything about ‘Lost for Words’ when I found an unexpected review copy on my doormat. However, the cover of the novel immediately got me excited, and when I realised the story is all about a female character working in a bookshop, I was definitely sold. I also loved the fact that the publisher sent me a physical review copy of this book; I hardly ever receive physical review copies anymore; it’s all about e-books these days, it seems. However, I am still one of those slightly old-fashioned people that can’t help but prefer an actual copy of a book that I can smell and hold in my hands, and if that book is actually all about books as well, then that physical copy has just even more of that special extra touch…!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Loveday Cardew has had a difficult time in her life; a difficult time she prefers to hide away from others and definitely not talk about, even though it still has its impact on whatever she does. Luckily her job entails working in a second hand book shop in York and luckily, books don’t ask questions and are really the perfect companions when you’re not the most social person. Yet, while Loveday has managed to find some people who keep an eye on her, she also continues to meet ones that do not necessarily mean well. Loveday’s life is about to change and she will be forced to finally share her secret with the world, no matter the consequences…</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Wow; I love it when I already know I will really enjoy a read and it still manages to surprise me, to blow me away. ‘Lost for Words’ is a brilliant novel and I am sure any true book lovers out there, like me, will hopefully enjoy this as much as I did. Loveday is unlike any character I’ve encountered before in other books; she’s not the easiest to warm to at first, but when you discover what makes her tick you’ll fall head over heels in love with her. The book really has some great characters at its core; all of them with their own personality and touch, such as flamboyant second hand bookshop owner Archie, who always looks out for Loveday, and Nathan, a magician and poet who unexpectedly appears in Loveday’s life. I was really captivated by the different characters and the storyline and couldn’t get enough of the book, which is also why I finished it in just two sittings.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Stephanie Butland’s writing really is quite unique and managed to stand out for me. There’s a bit of quirkiness to it, and a dark element as well, and just a special touch, I don’t really know how to describe it, but I liked it. I personally found Loveday’s tendency to use books as an escape extremely relatable, and I think many readers will recognise this feeling, and I loved how the author showed that you cannot keep on running away from real life, no matter how hard you try. Yes, I really loved everything about this novel and it’s one of my favourite releases of 2017 so far. All in all, ‘Lost for Words’ is a compelling and lovely read that will warm your heart and leave you with a smile on your face. If you love books about book shops, then definitely do not miss out on this one!</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rating:</b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" /></a>9,5<b>/10</b></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For more information about this book: </i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Words-Stephanie-Butland-ebook/dp/B01K4SRGE0" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Words-Stephanie-Butland-ebook/dp/B01K4SRGE0" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34320324-lost-for-words" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><i>Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></i></span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-46702709239868045762017-04-28T07:30:00.000+01:002017-04-30T11:14:49.729+01:00I Never Book Tag<center>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This week I felt like taking part in another book tag, so I had a look around and found the following one, the 'I Never' tag, on <a href="http://abookloversplaylist.blogspot.nl/2017/04/i-never-book-tag.html" target="_blank"><b>A Book Lovers Playlist</b></a>. If you feel like joining in with the fun, be sure to leave your link to your list in the comments section below! :) </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>1. "I never read that!" </b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Name a book that you've never read, that everyone else has.</b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For a really long time it used to be 'Me Before You' by Jojo Moyes, but I actually managed to sit down with that one earlier this year! However, that does mean I need to come up with a new book for this particular question... Let's go with 'Eat, Pray, Love' by Elizabeth Gilbert.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>2. "I never read anything so awesome!" </b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Name your favorite book.</b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At the moment it's a tie between 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen and 'Little Women' by Louisa May Alcott. But I think Jane is going to win. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>3. "I never thought I would get through it." </b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Name a book that you didn't like, but powered through it anyway.</b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Anything by J.M. Coetzee. I had to read quite a number of his novels while I was at university and I just couldn't get through these stories... It really was quite the struggle!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>4. "I will never finish that!" </b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Name a book or a series that you don't plan on finishing.</b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'The Lord of the Rings.'</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>5. "I will never regret reading that." </b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Name a book you read solely on a recommendation that you ended up really liking. </b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'Twilight'.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>6. " I would never do that!" </b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hmmmmm, tricky tricky. There are quite a lot of book characters who make choices I don't agree with, so I don't know why I can't think of one right now...</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>7. "I never wanted to admit it." </b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Without a doubt the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' books.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>8. "I never read anything so heartwarming." </b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Name a book or a series that really touched your heart.</b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'A Walk to Remember' by Nicholas Sparks.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>9. "I never laughed so hard!" </b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Name a book that made you laugh out loud.</b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'No-One Ever Has Sex in the Suburbs' by Tracy Bloom. SO funny.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>10. "I never could have made it through childhood without it." </b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I loved The Babysitters Club; those books really gave me hours of fun and turned me into the avid reader I still am today.</span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-34259576922759749862017-04-26T07:30:00.000+01:002017-04-30T11:14:22.993+01:00Review: 'Poet of the Wrong Generation' by Lonnie Ostrow (2016) <center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>“It’s not that I don’t love you, and my tears are yet to dry. But you can’t go back and forth forever and we’ve already said goodbye.”</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Through these words, a young poet unearths his musical soul while severing ties with the woman he loves after her stunning betrayal. Unknowingly, in writing this ballad of liberation, he will soon evolve as one of the fastest rising stars on the pop music landscape.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>The year is 1991; the place, New York City. Here we meet Johnny Elias, a college student from Brooklyn with boundless adoration for two things in life: timeless popular music, and the heart of a sweet, complicated young woman who is clearly out of his league.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Megan Price not only is the object of Johnny’s affection, but also the only daughter of New York’s most powerful PR woman: the indomitable Katherine Price.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Projecting that her daughter’s boyfriend will never live up to the family standard, Katherine cleverly perpetrates a series of duplicitous schemes to rid Johnny from her high-class world. But in her callous disregard, she inadvertently sets him on a determined course to his improbable musical destiny - while sending her own daughter spiraling down a path of devastation.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In November 2016 author Lonnie Ostrow’s debut novel, ‘Poet of the Wrong Generation’, was released. Shortly afterwards I was contacted by Lonnie himself to see whether I’d be interested in reviewing his novel. I liked the promising sound of the book and how the story almost sounded like a kind of ‘saga’ I couldn’t possibly miss out on. It took me a bit of time to finally pick up the novel, but before I did I was almost blown away by the numerous five-star reviews I found on Goodreads while doing some initial research. These reviews and positive words only made me more curious and eager to check out this read, so I was glad when I finally took the time to sit down with it several weeks ago….!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Set in New York in the early 1990s, ‘Poet of the Wrong Generation’ tells the story of college student Johnny Elias who lives in Brooklyn and has a big dream of performing his own songs to a large audience someday. With the heart and support of his girlfriend Megan Price, Johnny feels he doesn’t need much more, until Megan’s powerhouse mother Katherine decides Johnny is definitely not right for her daughter. With her efforts she manages to separate Megan and Johnny, but this also happens to be the start of Johnny’s promising music career… The question is, will music and fame really bring Johnny what he wants from life, or does it all mean nothing without the love of his life by his side?</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Wow; you really don’t find a lot of books like this one anymore. At least I don’t! I don’t know exactly what Lonnie Ostrow did in his previous life, but he was obviously born to be a storyteller and his debut novel ‘Poet of the Wrong Generation’ is a wonderful example of this. The book tells the story of college student and musician Johnny Elias who dreams of becoming a famous star someday, especially with his girlfriend Megan by his side. However, different obstacles block their path to happiness, and as a reader we get to join Johnny on his way to stardom. I loved how this book seemed to combine it all; there’s a clear storyline focusing on the music industry and building up a music career, but at the same time there is also a great romance at the core of this book, and a focus on themes such as family, friendship and following your dreams.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The book has some great and fascinating characters at its centre. Main man Johnny is definitely the kind of guy you find yourself rooting for, and there’s also a good group of secondary characters that complement the story, especially Johnny’s best friend Andy and his girlfriend Jacqui. If I’m completely honest I did feel the book was really quite long (it has over 450 pages), and slightly too slow-paced at times. However, the fantastic writing definitely made up for this. All in all, ‘Poet of the Wrong Generation’ is an engaging and memorable novel about the ups and downs of the music business, family, love, friendship, finding yourself… Life in general, really. There’s something in this book for everyone, and it’s an incredibly promising debut novel. Lonnie Ostrow is a name to look out for, without a doubt.</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rating:</b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" /></a>9<b>/10</b></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For more information about this book: </i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Poet-Wrong-Generation-Lonnie-Ostrow-x/dp/0997404205" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Poet-Wrong-Generation-Lonnie-Ostrow-ebook/dp/B01KOIE63O" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31675691-poet-of-the-wrong-generation" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><i>Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></i></span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-24055227421586691922017-04-25T07:30:00.000+01:002017-04-30T11:14:00.836+01:00Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Things That Will Make Me Instantly NOT Want To Read A Book<center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'Top Ten Tuesday' is an original feature/weekly meme created at <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/"><b>The Broke and the Bookish</b></a>. I love making lists, so this feature fits me perfectly! If you also take part in this feature or have any additions to my lists, please get in touch; I'd love to hear from you!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Top 10 Things That Will Make Me Instantly NOT Want to Read a Book</u></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I love it when Top Ten Tuesday lists match each other, and last week's list is the complete opposite of this one. Last week we looked at things that make me want to straight away pick up a particular book, while this week we're going the other way by looking at things that make me want to NOT read a book. Slightly more difficult than last week's list, I have to admit, but still not too tricky to get to a list of 10 things...!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Be sure to share your own Top Ten Tuesday lists by leaving a comment in the comments section below! :)</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">1. Unhappy endings</b></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I didn't just randomly pick the name of my blog; I really love a happy ending, so much that I actually can't really enjoy an unhappy ending. There is already more than enough misery in the world, why would I want to read a book or see a film that only makes me feel even more of that misery...?</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yeah. Poetry just really isn't for me. I didn't enjoy it at university, and still just can't see the fun of it. If anyone is willing to convince me otherwise, please go ahead!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">No. Just no.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4. Serial killers</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Another big no. I really do not understand why people want to read something that focuses on someone killing lots of other people... Why? Seriously: why?</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">5. Glorifying partying/drinking/drugs</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I really can't deal with novels that somehow want to show how incredibly 'cool' it is to party hard/drink too much/use drugs.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Why are people so fascinated with zombies? Vampires I can still kind of understand somewhere, but zombies...?!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Also can't deal with cheating being turned into something acceptable. There are a few rare novels out there who managed to tackle the topic in an interesting way, but for the majority it's a no from me.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Oh my, just thinking of spiders makes me shiver. I definitely couldn't deal with reading a novel about spiders or spiders on the cover... *brrr*</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm an atheist and don't feel comfortable reading novels with an overkill of religion in them. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I've never understood the attraction of epic battles. Especially in novels. What's fun about reading about a lot of people getting into fights and killing each other...?</span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-84443437595504563162017-04-24T07:30:00.000+01:002017-04-30T11:13:25.406+01:00Review: 'The Other Half of Happiness' by Ayisha Malik (2017)<center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Sofia Khan is just married. But no-one told her life was going to be this way . . .</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Her living situation is in dire straits, her husband Conall is distant, and his annoyingly attractive colleague is ringing all sorts of alarm bells.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>When her mother forces them into a belated wedding ceremony (elopement: you can run, but you can't hide), Sofia wonders if it might be a chance to bring them together. But when it forces Conall to confess his darkest secret, it might just tear them apart.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I found a paperback review copy of Ayisha Malik’s on my doorstep several weeks ago, I immediately recognised the name of the author. In 2015 I was asked to read and review her debut novel ‘Sofia Khan Is not Obliged’, which I really quite enjoyed (click <b><a href="http://spoonfulofhappyendings.blogspot.nl/2015/09/review-sofia-khan-is-not-obliged-by.html" target="_blank">here</a></b> to read my review). At the start of April, the sequel was released by publisher Twenty7 and I was really happy to see the publisher had kept me in mind with the review copy I received. The book has a lovely cover which fits Spring really well, if you ask me, and I couldn’t help but smile every time I took the book out of my bag. However, it’s also important to see what was inside of that lovely outside, though, so be sure to scroll further down to check out my opinion on the book!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>**Please be advised this review will contain spoilers for readers who are still planning to read Ayisha’s Malik novel ‘Sofia Khan Is not Obliged’, to which this new title is the sequel**</b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When Sofia Khan married Conall, her Irish next-door neighbour she couldn’t help but fall in love with, she had no idea what to expect of marriage. However, reality definitely does not fit the hopes she had for life as a married woman. Conall is more focused on finishing his documentary, which requires a lot of travelling and spending time with his attractive female colleague, and Sofia’s family is constantly minding her business. When she is asked to write her second book, this one about her experiences of marriage, she is keen to take on this next challenge, especially since her new editor thinks it will be a success. But what happens when Sofia discovers Conall has been hiding something from her, something quite big, something that could change their entire lives, and especially their marriage…?</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I really liked how author Ayisha Malik seemed to pick things up where her debut novel ‘Sofia Khan Is not Obliged’ ended; after just the first chapter I had once again become a part of protagonist Sofia’s life, and I loved stepping back into her world, populated by the familiar faces of her friends and family. There’s also the same comfortable and well-paced writing style and form of the book, which is written in relatively short chapters/diary entries, spread over the four seasons. Because of this I also highly recommend reading the other book first, before picking this one up. While this novel can be read as a stand-alone, it really will influence your reading experience if you’re not yet familiar with these characters and what they’ve been through together, and Ayisha Malik’s debut novel is worth picking up.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I was quite surprised by the direction of the story; I was surprised by Connall’s secret and how this influenced the rest of the characters and the plotline of the book, and I was especially surprised by the ending of the novel, which I have to admit I wasn’t a big fan of. However, I don’t want to give too much away in this review, because I can imagine other readers might actually really enjoy how this was written and worked out. I understand the comparison that is being made to Bridget Jones, but at the same time I also feel Ayisha Malik deserves to not be labelled like that; this book is something fresh and new, and deserves to be read like that as well. All in all, I found ‘The Other Half of Happiness’ to be a compelling modern-day read with some fascinating characters and mixing of cultures at its core; a promising new voice within women’s fiction and a read certainly worth checking out.</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rating:</b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" /></a>8,5<b>/10</b></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For more information about this book: </i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Other-Half-Happiness-Sofia-Khan/dp/1785760734" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Other-Half-Happiness-Sofia-Khan/dp/1785760734" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33223206-the-other-half-of-happiness" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><i>Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></i></span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-62867009898962880202017-04-23T09:00:00.000+01:002017-04-30T11:12:48.232+01:00Upcoming Release: 'Four Bridesmaids and a White Wedding' by Fiona Collins <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Don’t tell the bride!</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Rose, Sal and JoJo have been looking forward to their best friend Wendy’s hen party for ages. A relaxing spa break is the perfect way to escape their crazy careers, grumpy husbands and stroppy children – even if the groom’s straight-laced sister, Tamsin, is coming too.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Until they realise that there’s been a mistake in the booking and instead of sipping prosecco in fluffy white dressing gowns they’re off to bridesmaid bootcamp!</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Squeezing themselves reluctantly into tiny shorts and sliding through the mud, it’s only a matter of time before secrets emerge that could change everything…</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Forget about saving the date, these four bridesmaids need to save the day – otherwise will there even be a white wedding at all?</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I love myself some wedding lit; I will definitely check out any book that's a combination of chick lit and weddings, there are hardly any exceptions...! Combined with a lovely author such as Fiona Collins, you can certainly count me in which is why I'm really excited about the upcoming release of her 'Four Bridesmaids and a White Wedding.' This promises to be a great read, whether you're in need of something to distract you from your busy times at work or something to relax with in the Spring sunshine... This is on my April to-read list and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy! </span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-36836384866253991262017-04-21T07:30:00.000+01:002017-04-21T18:04:22.707+01:00Review: 'The Choir on Hope Street' by Annie Lyons (2017)<center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>The best things in life happen when you least expect them</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Nat’s husband has just said the five words no one wants to hear – ‘I don’t love you anymore’.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Picture-perfect Caroline has to welcome her estranged mother into her house after she was forced out of an exclusive nursing home.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Living on the same street these two women couldn’t be more different. Until the local community centre is threatened, galvanising Caroline and the people of Hope Street into action. But when the only way to save the centre is to form a community choir – no one, least of all Nat, expects the results…</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>This spring, hope is coming!</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I saw ‘The Choir on Hope Street’ popping up on my NetGalley overview page, I just couldn’t stop myself from requesting a review copy of the book even though I am trying my very best to get my review book pile down to 0. I wasn’t familiar with author Annie Lyons before picking up this latest title of hers, but was definitely curious to check out this particular novel because the title, blurb and cover immediately got me excited. I just can’t ignore a promising chick lit read…! ‘The Choir on Hope Street’ was released by HQ on 6 April, and it was undoubtedly one of the April releases I was most looking forward to checking out, so as soon as I received my review copy I sat down with it….</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Natalie is trying her best to pick up the pieces of her life after her husband Dan completely unexpectedly told her he isn’t in love with her anymore, even though she had the feeling things were going quite well between the two of them. Now, Nat not only needs to take care of herself, but also need to make sure her son Woody doesn’t get stuck in the middle of her problems with Dan. At the other side of Hope Street, perfect mum Caroline is dealing with some unexpected troubles of her own when she has to take in her estranged mother, who has been turned away from the nursing home she was staying at. Even though Nat and Caroline don’t seem to have a lot in common at first sight, their love for the Hope Street Community Centre is what brings them together. The local council has plans to demolish the centre, so the locals decide to get together and start a choir to try their best to save this important place in their community…</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Oh, I’m such a sucker for novels in which communities get together to work towards a common goal, such as starting a choir to save the local community centre… I loved ‘The Choir on Hope Street’ and am so glad I got the chance to check out Annie Lyons’ writing. This really is a great chick lit read; one with some interesting characters at its core and even a focus on some quite serious topics (which I wasn’t expecting at first). The chapters in the books are told from the points of view of Natalie and Caroline, alternating between them. The two female leads couldn’t be more different: where Natalie is quite sarcastic and chaotic, Caroline is bossy and organised, but the two are thrown together due to circumstances, which ends up in some great reading material.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I really liked the idea of starting a community choir and loved how this brought different kinds of people together, all fighting for the same goal. I wouldn’t have minded if the choir had played a slightly bigger role in the novel, really adding that musical touch to the story, but I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The author’s writing flowed really well, provided a good mix of description and dialogue, and fit the genre. I know I will definitely look out for Annie Lyons’ name the next few months and hope she will be treating us to another read soon. All in all, ‘The Choir on Hope Street’ is an uplifting, hopeful and warm-hearted romantic comedy read which I’m sure any chick lit fan will enjoy just as much as I did!</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rating:</b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" /></a>9<b>/10</b></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For more information about this book: </i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Choir-Hope-Street-Annie-Lyons-ebook/dp/B01ESC8MEQ" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Choir-Hope-Street-Annie-Lyons/dp/0008196079" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34113984-the-choir-on-hope-street" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><i>Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></i></span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-28178205950312757632017-04-19T07:30:00.000+01:002017-04-21T18:04:00.079+01:00Review: 'The Possessions' by Sara Flannery Murphy (2017)<center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>In an unnamed city, Eurydice works for the Elysian Society, a private service that allows grieving clients to reconnect with lost loved ones. She and her fellow workers, known as “bodies“, wear the discarded belongings of the dead and swallow pills called lotuses to summon their spirits—numbing their own minds and losing themselves in the process. Edie has been a body at the Elysian Society for five years, an unusual record. Her success is the result of careful detachment: she seeks refuge in the lotuses’ anesthetic effects and distances herself from making personal connections with her clients. </i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>But when Edie channels Sylvia, the dead wife of recent widower Patrick Braddock, she becomes obsessed with the glamorous couple. Despite the murky circumstances surrounding Sylvia’s drowning, Edie breaks her own rules and pursues Patrick, moving deeper into his life and summoning Sylvia outside the Elysian Society’s walls. </i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>After years of hiding beneath the lotuses’ dulling effect, Edie discovers that the lines between her own desires and those of Sylvia have begun to blur, and takes increasing risks to keep Patrick within her grasp. Suddenly, she finds her quiet life unraveling as she grapples not only with Sylvia’s growing influence and the questions surrounding her death, but with her own long-buried secrets.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Earlier this year I received a fantastic book box from publisher Scribe which made me a very happy book blogger. The box included the great ‘Girl Waits with Gun’, which I reviewed a few weeks ago (click <b><a href="http://spoonfulofhappyendings.blogspot.com/2017/04/review-girl-waits-with-gun-by-amy.html" target="_blank">here</a></b> to read my review), and the straight away intriguing ‘The Possessions’ by Sara Flannery Murphy. I had already read some things about this novel, which was released in February 2017, and have to say I was straight away fascinated by the description of the story and curious to discover what the book would be like. It is not the type of read I usually go for, but I always like to step outside my reading comfort zone every now and again, and ‘The Possessions’ seemed like the perfect read to do just that…!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Twenty-something Eurydice has quite a unique job, working as a body for the Elysian Society. Being a body means she is able to provide a link between people and their deceased loved ones. By taking a ‘lotus’, Eurydice is able to become a channel for the afterlife, giving customers a chance to make contact with people they’ve lost. Eurydice has been successfully doing this for several years now, mainly thanks to her ability to detach herself quite easily from it all. Until she meets widower Patrick Braddock, who wants to get in touch with his deceased wife Sylvia. Eurydice can’t help but develop feelings for Patrick, but the more she gets to know him and the more she channels Sylvia, the more difficult it becomes to let her go again. As her own life and Sylvia’s seem to become one, Eurydice is forced to deal with some of her own secrets and Patrick’s, having to decide how far she is willing to go for love and whether she wants to risk losing herself along the way…</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">‘The Possessions’ is author Sara Flannery Murphy’s debut novel and to me personally it was the first time reading a book with this particular kind of storyline. Main character Eurydice, also known as Edie, has a rather unique job; she works for the Elysian Society as a body, making it possible for the deceased to once again get in touch with their still living family and loved ones. I have to admit this idea immediately intrigued me and I was incredibly curious to see what the author would do with it, since it can be the base of all kinds of fascinating stories, I think. However, perhaps I was expecting a bit too much, because I couldn’t help but feel a bit let down by the novel. Especially the fact that there was no real big climax or ending which the story was working towards was slightly disappointing.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I also had difficulty connection with main character Edie; it was tricky to really feel for her, since she didn’t really seem to have a lot of personality, in my eyes. Perhaps if the novel had a bit more background information on its characters, I would have been able to understand their actions better. I want to point out I did enjoy Sara Flannery Murphy’s writing, and thought it was quite an impressive debut; it just wasn’t as much of an original and great read as I was expecting it to be, which also has to do with my personal expectations, obviously. Overall, ‘The Possessions’ is a thought-provoking and intriguing novel; not exactly what I had hoped it would be, but it has definitely made me curious for what else this author will bring us in the future.</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rating:</b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" /></a>8<b>/10</b></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For more information about this book: </i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Possessions-Sara-Flannery-Murphy/dp/191134403X" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Possessions-Novel-Sara-Flannery-Murphy/dp/0062458329" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30256250-the-possessions" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><i>Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></i></span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-61144022370377643612017-04-18T07:30:00.000+01:002017-04-21T18:03:38.442+01:00Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Things That Will Make Me Instantly Want to Read a Book <center>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'Top Ten Tuesday' is an original feature/weekly meme created at <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/"><b>The Broke and the Bookish</b></a>. I love making lists, so this feature fits me perfectly! If you also take part in this feature or have any additions to my lists, please get in touch; I'd love to hear from you!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Oh, this week's Top Ten Tuesday list is a fun one! I'm definitely a reader that is easily influenced by book covers or particular topics or authors... If a book has a specific something I love, then it's almost 99% sure I will want to pick it up. This week's list focuses on just that; those things that immediately make me want to pick up a book, so here we go!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Be sure to share your own Top Ten Tuesday lists by leaving a comment in the comments section below! :)</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">1. A certain author's name on the front</b></center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfw32l4ZASftkiarM1adknsSmupOGM2htwdjPdLX7n2_76hxZ8kRpQuuic_Gj1LK26VuHOB-Z_TkGRM_80v4zt5n2M1Y_jCTO4UvbFW2RgYXi31dWI1vNZ5BjnqVdDkqPV38tUFw9Mfb7/s1600/Book1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfw32l4ZASftkiarM1adknsSmupOGM2htwdjPdLX7n2_76hxZ8kRpQuuic_Gj1LK26VuHOB-Z_TkGRM_80v4zt5n2M1Y_jCTO4UvbFW2RgYXi31dWI1vNZ5BjnqVdDkqPV38tUFw9Mfb7/s320/Book1.jpg" width="314" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are some authors whose work I've fallen in love with over the years (such as Cecelia Ahern) and whenever I see their name on the front of a book, I don't need to read the blurb or even like the cover... It's a definite must-read.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>2. Anything related to Jane Austen</b></span></center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1ivFbKVr9uHAp6MpgZuCVCHG20XDLawZGIDPb9i3p6O24FvAcDHvc3PU4kuGSw7NUZqp9h9KnmKkubQnGJqLS7x8fiQdB1zFq9hPT_2lZ4SVIe4NLMkONMkr0mquvtC2M0OjfAzPoDmw/s1600/Book2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1ivFbKVr9uHAp6MpgZuCVCHG20XDLawZGIDPb9i3p6O24FvAcDHvc3PU4kuGSw7NUZqp9h9KnmKkubQnGJqLS7x8fiQdB1zFq9hPT_2lZ4SVIe4NLMkONMkr0mquvtC2M0OjfAzPoDmw/s320/Book2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I will literally pick up anything that has to do with Jane Austen. I've even read the zombie novels and I <b>hate</b> zombies. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>3. Anything referring to chick flicks/rom coms</b></span></center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuztWGtutVIuRQ083DlU2E-K1LGDBZMJ6VdMJJTYnWmKZB0IoIay9PQkTm0Iow064nZQCimpKJWZ1a6ymMw8Xq6UYRhnSjFcczDjKKkh9FwKdom_-n_Tvsnpg-ZJq3AJ3Fvszb1kqLUX0/s1600/Book3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuztWGtutVIuRQ083DlU2E-K1LGDBZMJ6VdMJJTYnWmKZB0IoIay9PQkTm0Iow064nZQCimpKJWZ1a6ymMw8Xq6UYRhnSjFcczDjKKkh9FwKdom_-n_Tvsnpg-ZJq3AJ3Fvszb1kqLUX0/s1600/Book3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm a big fan of romantic comedy films, also known as chick flicks, and I love books that somehow refer to any of these films, such as Ali McNamara's amazing 'From Notting Hill with Love... Actually.'</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>4. A gorgeous book cover</b></span></center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_t9L5m0gpanSS-i2DY4m_KsMqWXNffTbKBBC_kPYxwcit1SQ1mek4Qd-4sznII1tYLkEMzosqewWrzAPilVwLtaU_XW7_mD8vPaopckpOaW8KobERMvfh2C2B2pAVHfs3olHscXFJ_fg/s1600/Cover5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_t9L5m0gpanSS-i2DY4m_KsMqWXNffTbKBBC_kPYxwcit1SQ1mek4Qd-4sznII1tYLkEMzosqewWrzAPilVwLtaU_XW7_mD8vPaopckpOaW8KobERMvfh2C2B2pAVHfs3olHscXFJ_fg/s200/Cover5.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTBJf_cuImXy-KWqAJ9K3OfxQRf9pghXVGFDAhG0wxCTb3rnTOIU0U3K0zS7ofHNUWEsmm89VOE5T514EK4QtX5e8X_MSWnwy741O3K0OgK81DXy0QwlrtNXez6xaPwRL26t3IKjN-2A7/s1600/Cover2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTBJf_cuImXy-KWqAJ9K3OfxQRf9pghXVGFDAhG0wxCTb3rnTOIU0U3K0zS7ofHNUWEsmm89VOE5T514EK4QtX5e8X_MSWnwy741O3K0OgK81DXy0QwlrtNXez6xaPwRL26t3IKjN-2A7/s200/Cover2.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DU24yep0qg7ods_XtKCAlpICAM5NrSrrYZcswr7ZDAe8FpUgZHyVWbJKGEoC26STpaSuQHKfIHcdWGgKvhOtGawkigVdL-B7kcReZOaxtMAjJV91TE7fYT_nbZddtk47Ep55iv8rmvwq/s1600/Cover4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DU24yep0qg7ods_XtKCAlpICAM5NrSrrYZcswr7ZDAe8FpUgZHyVWbJKGEoC26STpaSuQHKfIHcdWGgKvhOtGawkigVdL-B7kcReZOaxtMAjJV91TE7fYT_nbZddtk47Ep55iv8rmvwq/s200/Cover4.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As mentioned many times before, I'm a sucker for a lovely book cover, it really is enough for me to want to pick up a book...!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>5. Anything having to do with princesses, castles, fairy tales...</b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I love fairy tales, and any books about princesses or castles... You can count me in.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>6. Recommendations by my favourite authors</b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Whenever a book has a quote from one of my favourite authors on the front, recommending to read it, I am definitely more willing to give it a chance than if I hadn't seen the quote.... Another publisher trick I have to admit really does work on me!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>7. Retellings of my favourite classic novels</b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have a few favourite classic novels, such as Louisa May Alcott's 'Little Women', and I love reading adaptations of these famous stories, discovering what other authors decided to do with these tales.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>8. The promise of a good love story</b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I love love love a good love story; a good dose of romance and you can count me in.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>9. Books written by celebrities I like</b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm always willing to check out a novel if it was written by a celebrity I personally really like, such as when actress Lauren Graham wrote her book 'Someday, Someday, Maybe.'</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">10. Books set in Wales/London</b></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm also a bit of a sucker for setting; whenever a novel is set in London, or in Wales, I'm more likely to pick it up because of my love for the location.</span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-21581560112750306912017-04-17T13:29:00.001+01:002017-04-17T13:30:40.449+01:00Upcoming Release: 'Slightly South of Simple' by Kristy Woodson Harvey<center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx20EFNNe9k8vRwNEUFBCVtzq0cbBaZUssky8s1djq3FJ0UsF89RtHedVHBLwRbMyFiu84zGpTApHlwsLwJqoY2VS8soymmLJXdXDdXckYcNHFApVX3qRzYcNmEDihfwpmZOwkrcevHdAa/s1600/Book9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx20EFNNe9k8vRwNEUFBCVtzq0cbBaZUssky8s1djq3FJ0UsF89RtHedVHBLwRbMyFiu84zGpTApHlwsLwJqoY2VS8soymmLJXdXDdXckYcNHFApVX3qRzYcNmEDihfwpmZOwkrcevHdAa/s400/Book9.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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<i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Caroline Murphy swore she’d never set foot back in the small Southern town of Peachtree Bluff; she was a New York girl born and bred and the worst day of her life was when, in the wake of her father’s death, her mother selfishly forced her to move—during her senior year of high school, no less—back to that hick-infested rat trap where she'd spent her childhood summers. But now that her marriage to a New York high society heir has fallen apart in a very public, very embarrassing fashion, a pregnant Caroline decides to escape the gossipmongers with her nine-year-old daughter and head home to her mother, Ansley.</i></div>
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<i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Ansley has always put her three daughters first, especially when she found out that her late husband, despite what he had always promised, left her with next to nothing. Now the proud owner of a charming waterfront design business and finally standing on her own two feet, Ansley welcomes Caroline and her brood back with open arms. But when her second daughter Sloane, whose military husband is overseas, and youngest daughter and successful actress Emerson join the fray, Ansley begins to feel like the piece of herself she had finally found might be slipping from her grasp. Even more discomfiting, when someone from her past reappears in Ansley's life, the secret she’s harbored from her daughters their entire lives might finally be forced into the open.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I've had the pleasure of reading both of Kristy Woodson Harvey's novels up until now. Both 'Dear Carolina' and 'Lies and Other Acts of Love' were great books filled with that distinctive southern touch that comes with the author's writing, and I am really excited that Kristy's third novel, 'Slightly South of Simple' (a fantastic title, I love it), will be released this week, on the 25th of April to be exact. I have a feeling this is going to be her best one yet, and I honestly can't wait to get my hands on a copy of the book!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Slightly-South-Simple-Peachtree-Bluff/dp/1501158058" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Slightly-South-Simple-Novel-Peachtree/dp/1501158058" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30753568-slightly-south-of-simple" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></div>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-36664702192836004212017-04-15T08:27:00.000+01:002017-04-15T08:27:27.077+01:00Review: 'Summer at Rose Island' by Holly Martin (2016)<center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Darcy Davenport is ready for a fresh start. Determined to leave a string of disastrous jobs and relationships behind her, she can’t wait to explore White Cliff Bay and meet the locals. </i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>When Darcy swims in the crystal clear waters of the bay, she discovers the charming Rose Island Lighthouse. But it’s not just the beautiful building that she finds so intriguing… </i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Riley Eddison doesn’t want change. Desperate to escape the memories of his past, he lives a life of solitude in the lighthouse. Yet he can’t help but notice the gorgeous woman who swims out to his island one day. </i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Darcy is drawn to the mysterious and sexy Riley, but when it seems the town is trying to demolish his home, she soon finds herself having to pick sides. </i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>She’s fallen in love with White Cliff Bay. But is that all Darcy’s fallen for?</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Over the past few years author Holly Martin has really made a name for herself within the romantic comedy/chick lit world. I’ve had the pleasure of reading several of her novels up until now, mainly her Christmas titles such as ‘Christmas under a Cranberry Sky’, ‘Christmas under a Starlit Sky’, ‘Christmas at Lilac Cottage’ and ‘Snowflakes on Silver Cove.’ In 2016, ‘Summer at Rose Island’ was released, and while I straight away managed to get a review copy of the novel via NetGalley, it took me quite a bit of time to finally sit down with it. Nevertheless, I know by now that a book with Holly’s name on the front is definitely worth giving a try, so I was keen to finally get started and discover more about Darcy’s story.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Darcy Davenport has moved to beautiful White Cliff Bay with a mission. Even though she loved her work as a marine biologist, she is determined to have a fresh start and make something of herself, and hopefully finally make her parents proud of her. When she first spots Rose Island lighthouse, she immediately falls in love with the beautiful building, but when she discovers there are actually plans to demolish this piece of Rose Island history, Darcy wants to do whatever she can to stop this from happening. Lighthouse-owner Riley Eddison seems to have the same goal and Darcy can’t help but fall for his rugged good looks. However, Darcy can’t forget what she came to White Cliff Bay for, and this ultimately puts her in an incredibly difficult situation where she is forced to pick sides…</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Summer at Rose Island’ really is one of those chick lit novels that makes you long for warm lovely days on the beach and walks outside in the sunshine… Setting the scene is something author Holly Martin is known for and she certainly manages to do just that in this particular book; I wish I could actually visit White Cliff Bay and its lovely locals! While this novel is actually the third part of a series, it can undoubtedly be read as a stand-alone and no prior knowledge of any characters is needed. That being said, I did really enjoy seeing some familiar faces again and discovering how they are doing, such as Libby and George.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Darcy is a great main character; I loved how feisty she was, but also struggling to deal with some issues in her life, and it was wonderful to join her during this new step in her life. White Cliff Bay is a lovely village with a great sense of community; all locals know each other and seem to know everything about each other as well, but in the end they all mean well, and it resulted in this lovely atmosphere and feeling to the whole book. There is definitely a pattern noticeable in Holly Martin’s books and storylines, but I have to admit I personally still enjoy it every single time and I’m already excited to see when I will be able to pick up her next read. All in all, ‘Summer at Rose Island’ is a sweet, heart-warming and romantic read, and definitely a good one to pick up if you’re longing for a bit of sunshine in your life!</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rating:</b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" /></a>9<b>/10</b></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For more information about this book: </i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Summer-Rose-Island-perfect-romance-ebook/dp/B01BTEBK9A" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Rose-Island-perfect-romance-ebook/dp/B01BTEBK9A" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29155233-summer-at-rose-island" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><i>Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></i></span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-854635855716696502017-04-14T08:00:00.000+01:002017-04-15T08:22:42.178+01:00Upcoming Release: 'The A to Z of Everything' by Debbie Johnson<center>
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<i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">P is for Paris where it all began. J is for Jealousy where it all came undone. But the most important letter is F. F is for Forgiveness, the hardest of all.</i></div>
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<i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Sisters Poppy and Rose used to be as close as two sisters could be, but it’s been over a decade since they last spoke. Until they both receive a call that tells them their mother has gone – without ever having the chance to see her daughters reunited.</i></div>
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<i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Andrea, though, wasn’t the kind of woman to let a little thing like death stand in the way of her plans. Knowing her daughters better than they know themselves, she has left behind one very special last gift – the A-Z of Everything.</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On the 20th of April we are going to be treated to something quite amazing; I can feel it. Over the past few years I've fallen in love with author Debbie Johnson and her novels. Her stories are the best; they always make me feel good, leave me with a smile on my face, and have me craving for more, so I don't even know where to start to explain how excited I am about this new novel of hers. 'The A to Z of Everything' sounds like a fantastic read already and I've only seen the book description and book cover (which is gorgeous, by the way)... Can't WAIT!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Z-Everything-Debbie-Johnson/dp/0008150192" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Z-Everything-Debbie-Johnson-ebook/dp/B01N05WLT2" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33216522-the-a-z-of-everything" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></div>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-76013502660968621082017-04-12T07:30:00.000+01:002017-04-15T08:22:13.526+01:00Review: 'Bourbon Creams and Tattered Dreams' by Mary Gibson (2017)<center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Frank Rossi promised Matty the world. The Cockney Canary would become a world famous movie star. As his wife, she would be one half of a power couple, feted and adored by all. But the Wall Street crash puts paid to that and as Frank becomes more violent and unstable, Matty knows she must escape and so she flees at dead of night.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Once home in Bermondsey, she goes into hiding and starts desperately looking for work. But only the hated biscuit factory, Peek Frean's, is hiring. Then, as a secret from her past comes back to hurt her, Matty learns that Frank is on the move, determined to find her and get her back.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Last year I had the pleasure of being introduced to author Mary Gibson; her novel ‘Gunner Girls and Fighter Boys’ was a great read (click <b><a href="http://spoonfulofhappyendings.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/review-gunner-girls-and-fighter-boys-by.html" target="_blank">here</a></b> to read my review), so when I was contacted about possibly reviewing her latest book ‘Bourbon Creams and Tattered Dreams’ I didn’t have to think twice about my answer. This latest read by Mary Gibson was released in January 2017 and tells the story of main character Matty. I immediately liked the sound of the story and was curious to give it a try, keeping my fingers crossed for a just as enjoyable reading experience as with the author’s previous novel!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Matty Gilbie has always loved to sing and there’s a reason she is known as the Cockney Canary. When she met Frank Rossi, she couldn’t help but fall head over heels in love with him and his promises to make her a big star. But now, after following Frank to America, these promises have lost their shine and especially with the Wall Street Crash making everything more difficult, Matty only wants to get away from Frank and return back home to Bermondsey. One evening she just decides to leave and tries her best to build up a quiet life back in the UK. But she knows Frank is looking for her; will she be able to leave behind her singing career and stay away from the spotlight? And can a new life in the UK, working in a factory, really offer her what she always wanted…?</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you enjoy historical and/or women’s fiction, I can recommend picking up a Mary Gibson novel. I thoroughly enjoyed her book ‘Gunner Girls and Fighter Boys’ and now got the chance to read ‘Bourbon Creams and Tattered Dreams’ which focuses on main character Matty Gilbie. Her singing voice brought her to America, but due to circumstances she now finds herself back home with her family in Bermondsey, trying to lead a quiet life, not drawing any attention to herself. As a reader I thoroughly enjoyed joining Matty during this particular time in her life; at the start of the novel she is basically forced to start all over again, and we follow her and get to see how she continues to be brave, trying to find happiness while not losing sight of who she is as a person and discovering what really makes her happy.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One of the strengths of the novel, and the author’s writing, is the ability to create that feeling of community; people coming together and caring about each other. I loved the Bermondsey community and getting to know the different secondary characters in the book, and how they all come together to help and support Matty. While I personally thought the story became a bit slow-paced and too much of the same towards the middle of the book, I still really enjoyed it and Mary Gibson is certainly on my list of authors to keep an eye on. All in all, ‘Bourbon Creams and Tattered Dreams’ is a heartfelt and well-written historical/women’s fiction read with a determined and brave leading lady at its core; a thoroughly enjoyable read!</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rating:</b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWx4v8v7-POBDqRO7HxHqdkDjCASDOSQ56ZCgEJlCNDzNIrFT2NqKy05Hglzf9lqi-H39lKyRqsu-6l_ti4iFuJU-xLsMJtVFWpSEOQ9jGTsu2iqJYTuYJByxr1llF1HCmd9H4xtOPwWT/s1600/spoon.png" /></a>8,5<b>/10</b></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For more information about this book: </i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bourbon-Creams-Tattered-Dreams-Factory/dp/1784973335" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bourbon-Creams-Tattered-Dreams-Factory-ebook/dp/B01DMCBARO" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32729512-bourbon-creams-and-tattered-dreams" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><i>Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></i></span></center>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009357269931443956.post-32089280284586523722017-04-11T07:30:00.000+01:002017-04-15T08:21:44.918+01:00Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 of the Most Unique Books I've Read<center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Top 10 Of The Most Unique Books I've Read</u></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm back with a lovely Top Ten Tuesday list this week; this Tuesday we're focusing on unique books. I had a good think about this, because I usually am a reader that goes for books I know I will enjoy, or at least reads I wouldn't necessarily call 'unique.' However, over the years I've had the pleasure of reading and reviewing so many different titles that I'm sure there must be a few original ones in there, so check out my list below!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>1. 'Harry Potter' series - J.K. Rowling</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I think the 'Harry Potter' novels are definitely unique because since I read this series I've never come across a series that managed to blow me away in the same way as these books did....!</span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>2. 'The Book of Tomorrow' - Cecelia Ahern</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I think Cecelia Ahern is one of those authors that really has her own unique writing style. She always adds a touch of magic to her stories, which make her stories easily recognisable, and unlike anything else, in my opinion.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>3. 'The Complete Persepolis' - Marjane Satrapi</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I had to read this book at university and it's one of the few reads that really made an impression and has stayed with me. I hardly ever read any graphic novels, which is why this one probably made this list, but I do feel it is quite original and worth the read.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>4. 'Something Borrowed' - Emily Giffin</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This book might be just like any other chick lit novel to some readers, but to me it's one of the only reads in which I actually somehow kind of 'approved' cheating. I always have a problem with any form of cheating/adultery, but this novel really convinced me and it's still one of my favourite books.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>5. 'Me Before You' - Jojo Moyes</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In my eyes also a unique read because it's one of the only incredibly popular novels that actually managed to live up to the hype. It took me a really long time to finally check out this novel and when I did, I understood what all the fuss was about, and completely understood the big hype around this particular novel.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>6. 'No-One Ever Has Sex on a Tuesday' - Tracy Bloom</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Another read which I'm sure not many people will call 'unique', but it is to me. I hardly ever laugh out loud while reading, but I just couldn't stop with this book. Tracy Bloom is a genius, and her writing is so incredibly funny... I love it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>7. 'The Seasoning' - Manon Steffan Ros</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A great and touching read, unlike anything else I've ever read.</span></div>
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<b>8. 'The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper' - Phaedra Patrick</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Same as the book above; isn't like any other novels I've read and a simply lovely original read.</span></div>
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<b>9. 'The Dress' - Jane L. Rosen</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I loved how this author managed to use one specific object and have it come back in multiple storylines, all of them just as captivating. Quite impressive and quite unique in my eyes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>10. Any Nicholas Sparks book</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Because there really are no love stories that manage to captivate me just like his ones do <3</span></div>
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Jody - A Spoonful of Happy Endingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035519235921880965noreply@blogger.com0