Blog Tour: 'The Lonely Hearts Travel Club - Destination: India' by Katy Colins!

I'm incredibly excited to be part of the blog tour for the second part of Katy Colins' 'The Lonely Hearts Travel Club' book series, 'Destination: India', today! Several months ago I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of the first instalment of the series, 'Destination: Thailand' (click here to read my review), and I immediately fell in love with the book and was really curious to discover whether the second part would be just as good. I was, once again, lucky enough to be asked to review the book as a part of the blog tour, and I couldn't wait to see whether Katy would once again treat us to a fantastic chick lit read. Be sure to read on to check out my review and check out some of the other stops on the tour as well (see the tour banner for the blog names)!

After her backpacking adventures in Thailand to deal with her break-up, Georgia Green is back in Manchester again where she is incredibly busy with her successful travel agency, The Lonely Hearts Travel Club, together with her business partner Ben. After months of relaxing, Georgia can't help but give it a 110% to make the business a success, but she's taking things a bit too far, turning into a workaholic who doesn't have time for any of her friends or family. When the opportunity arises for Georgia to travel all the way to India to check on a tour they've got going on over there, she isn't too sure she can leave everything in the UK behind, but in the end she's convinced, especially with all the bad reviews of this India tour they've been receiving. But Georgia has no idea what India has in store for her, and it's quite something...

Sometimes sequels can disappoint, especially when the first book was really quite amazing and there's the chance of building up your hopes a bit too high. This is, however, definitely not the case with Katy Colins' 'The Lonely Hearts Travel Club' series, because the second instalment, 'Destination: India' is just as much of a fantastic read as the first book of the series was. Katy Colins really found her calling because I honestly think she's an amazing author; her writing style is so captivating and comfortable to read. Each chapter has new elements that keep you guessing and interested, and I think I could have actually finished this whole book in just one sitting, which is quite rare for me!

Georgia is a great heroine; she's relatable and realistic, and just like in the first part of the series there's a good and fun collection of secondary characters, such as the people who are part of the tour group Georgia joins in India. The storyline includes several different elements and I wasn't bored for even one second thanks to everything that was going on. I also want to specifically mention the vivid descriptions, because it almost made me feel as if I was walking around India myself, even though I've never been there. 'Destination: India' is a wonderful second instalment of Katy Colins' 'The Lonely Hearts Travel Club' series; a well-written, captivating and thoroughly entertaining chick lit read I can't recommend enough, and I can't even begin to explain how much I'm looking forward to part 3, Destination: Chile!
Rating:10/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Guest Post by Katy Colins!

I'm both honoured and excited to welcome Katy Colins to the blog today to celebrate the release of her latest novel, 'The Lonely Hearts Travel Club - Destination: India'! Below you can find a special guest post from Katy herself in which she tells us a bit more about how her travels in India inspired her latest book.

There is something magical about India. It is this country that tends to get under your skin, for many, many reasons. From the pollution, noise and staring men to stunning scenery, kind strangers and incredible food – a trip to India won’t be forgotten easily. I felt so inspired after my brief time in this colourful and chaotic country that I knew one day I’d try and bring this setting to life for others, who may not have experienced it themselves. 
Destination India, the second novel in the Lonely Hearts Travel Club series, follows Georgia Green as she makes her way from the overwhelming bustle of Delhi to the chilled out beaches of Goa trying to find answers to some of her current life problems. I wanted readers to get a sense of the Indian way of life and how many backpackers feel when they first set foot over there and that it is ok (and totally normal) to go through a whole range of emotions during your time in India. In fact, I’d be surprised to meet someone who didn’t go on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster during their stay in India!
As well as the beautiful locations, I also wanted food to play a large part in the story, the many spices, unpronounceable ingredients and exotic fruits that you taste without really knowing what you’re about to tuck into! I think when you travel to a new country it is important to use all five senses to get a feel for the place and I really hope that I have done a good job of bringing this incredible destination to life through the pages of Destination India.
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Destination India, the second instalment in The Lonely Hearts Travel Club series by Katy Colins, is published by Carina UK on 2 June  You can find out more about Katy Colins on her blog www.notwedordead.com. She is also on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook – just search Notwedordead – and she is also a little bit addicted to sharing her travel adventures via Snapchat (TheNotwedordead).  

Blog Tour: 'Searching for Steven' by Jessica Redland!

When Sarah Peterson accepts her Auntie Kay’s unexpected offer to take over her florist’s shop, she’s prepared for a change of job, home and lifestyle. What she isn’t prepared for is the discovery of a scarily accurate clairvoyant reading that’s been missing for twelve years. All her predictions have come true, except one: she’s about to meet the man of her dreams. Oh, and his name is Steven.

Suddenly Stevens are everywhere. Could it be the window cleaner, the rep, the manager of the coffee shop, or any of the men she’s met online?

On top of that, she finds herself quite attracted to a handsome web designer, but his name isn't even Steven...

During this unusual search, will Sarah find her destiny?

On the 3rd of June, Jessica Redland's novel 'Searching for Steven' was released by So Vain Books and I am really excited to be part of the blog tour for this new release today! When I was contacted by So Vain Books about 'Searching for Steven', I straight away looked forward to reading the book because based on the lovely colourful cover and the book description I already had a good feeling I would end up enjoying it. I am always up for checking out a fun romantic comedy read and I hoped 'Searching for Steven' would end up to be just that. Next to a review of the book I also have a guest post by Jessica herself to share with all of you today, so be sure to scroll down to read it!

Sarah Peterson has just turned thirty and when her hopes of a proposal from her boyfriend Jason are smashed, she decides their relationship hasn't been going anywhere and it's time for them to go their separate ways. When her aunt Kay contacts her with the news she is going to travel the world and wants to give her flower shop to Sarah to run by herself, the timing couldn't possibly be more perfect. Sarah packs her bags and moves back home, closer to her family and friends, ready to start afresh. When she suddenly finds a tape of a clairvoyant's reading from when she was 18 (and too drunk to remember what she was told), she listens to it again and discovers the clairvoyant predicted almost everything that would happen to her in the upcoming years. So when she hears the love of her life is called Steven, Sarah decides to trust the clairvoyant's message and start the search for her very own Steven...

'Searching for Steven' turned out to be a really enjoyable and light chick lit read; another great release by So Vain Books. I straight away really liked the storyline; Sarah turning her life upside down, starting her own flower shop, and searching for her Mr. Right who has to be named Steven. Sarah is a lovely heroine who I instantly warmed to and started rooting for. I loved reading about the flower shop and how Sarah starts up her own business, and of course her search for Steven based on the clairvoyant's reading she finds on an old cassette tape, and all the people who help her along the way. From her friends Elise and Clare (who can't stand each other), Sarah's aunt Kay, and the handsome Nick who helps Sarah settle in as a business owner. 

Jessica Redland's writing fits the romantic comedy genre really well. It's light, easy to get through, and well-paced. I got the feeling the story became a bit too slow towards the ending of the book and perhaps this could have been written more compactly with a bit of extra editing. However, this didn't ruin the novel or reading experience and I already am excited to see what else Jessica Redland will bring us in the future. Overall, 'Searching for Steven' is a light-hearted, warm, fun romantic comedy that will leave you with a smile on your face; a worthwhile read for chick lit fans!

Rating:8,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Guest post by Jessica Redland!
I'm really excited to have a special guest post from Jessica Redland herself to share with all of you today!

I’m thrilled that my debut novel, Searching for Steven, is now available in paperback and eBook formats. I also have an eBook novella, Raving About Rhys, which came out last month. Rhys is set a few years before Steven but is a standalone prequel featuring a different heroine. Steven is the first in a trilogy of novels featuring the same cast of characters in the same seaside town setting, but it didn’t start life as a series. I only ever planned to write it as a stand-alone novel yet I’ve developed a trilogy and a novella. So how did that happen?
The heroine, Sarah Peterson, has two best friends. Elise has been her best friend since her first day at primary school and Clare has been her best friend since her first day at university. Unfortunately for Sarah, they don’t get on, so she often finds herself stuck in the middle of their squabbles.
It took me a long time to write Steven as I had many life changes during this time (marriage, baby, moving house twice, opening and closing a business, changing job several times) and therefore had huge gaps without writing. When I wasn’t writing, though, I was thinking about my characters and my plot and Elise and Clare quickly developed back stories that made their part in my story so much more significant than ‘just the best friends’. Giving them a sub-plot in Sarah’s story didn’t seem right as I didn’t want to detract from her story and I didn’t want to cover their stories in too little detail. A trilogy was born with a different friend being the main focus of each.
As soon as I made this decision, it felt like the characters of Elise and Clare really grew. It was almost as if they knew they were going to have the opportunity to take centre-stage and couldn’t wait to give me more to work with. The challenge at that point was to hint at their back stories in Steven but not give away too many spoilers. Not an easy task!
The second book in the series, Getting Over Gary, is Elise’s story. It picks up from the same point in time that Steven ends although everything is nicely wrapped up at the end of Steven; no cliffhangers to frustrate the reader! We get to follow Sarah into her happily ever after whilst Elise’s marriage falls apart. There’s a teaser chapter at the end of Steven if you want to know more.
The final book in the series is Clare’s story. This has a working title of Discovering David but this is likely to change as it doesn’t quite fit with the three-word titles of the other books. Clare’s a fascinating character with a mysterious past and we find out all about it in book three. Of course, we still follow what’s happening with Sarah and Elise as Clare’s story unfolds.
All three books include a romance as that’s the genre I write, but I attended a workshop on theme run by Julie Cohen at a Romantic Novelists’ Association conference a couple of years ago. It was an excellent session in which Julie shared that she tends to have identity as a theme in her novels, albeit in many different guises. I realised that my theme is friendship. It was very important for me that, as well as exploring the romances, I explored the relationships between the three women. I’ve always been fascinated by friendships and how some friends can come and go yet others are around forever. The strength of friendships can change depending on what’s going on in each person’s life at the time. Having a trilogy allowed me to explore this theme of friendship in a lot more depth than I’d have been able to in a stand-alone novel.
Last September, I received offers of two publishing deals. This was a very happy dilemma to be in, but I had to ‘do a Sarah’ (you’ll know what I mean if you read Steven) and get my post-it notes out to help me make my decision. I’d had quite a lot of email conversations with the publisher who gave me the first offer and I was a bit concerned at the suggestion that they wanted the books to be purely about the romance and perhaps lose the theme of friendship. In my heart of hearts, I didn’t want to do this as that took me away from what I was trying to achieve with my writing. So Vain Books loved the stories as they were with both themes so that was one of a number of reasons why I chose to accept their offer instead.
So Vain were keen for me to write a couple of short stories to help promote the launch of Steven, ideally based around characters in the book. I chose a character called Callie who is the sister of one of the main characters. She gets married at the start of Steven and I decided to tell the story of how she met her husband. Exactly as it had done with Elise and Clare, Callie’s character grew and grew and soon I had a novella instead of a short story! Raving About Rhys is available now, but in eBook format only with it being a novella. Thankfully, it only took me a month or so to write; nothing like my decade for Steven!
I’ve really enjoyed writing a series. It gives such a great opportunity to develop characters and their stories. I have ideas for a fourth full-length novel set in the same seaside town but with a new cast of characters. It will probably be a stand-alone novel, but I’m sure I’ll return to writing another series.
Thank you so much for having me as your guest. Happy reading everyone!
Twitter: @JessicaRedland Website: www.jessicaredland.com

Thanks so much, Jessica!

Guest Post by Lisa Dickenson!

One of my favourite authors of the moment has to be Lisa Dickenson. I don't know if you have read her novels 'The Twelve Dates of Christmas' and 'You Had Me At Merlot', but if you haven't you need to go out and read them straight away, because you've been missing out on something! Lisa's novels never disappoint and always make me laugh. Her latest release 'Catch Me If You Cannes' is out now and I'm both honoured and excited to have a special guest post from Lisa herself on the blog today in which she talks about locations for her books!
***  Setting the scene By Lisa Dickenson

Why do you read?  Is it to fill in time?  To relax you before you sleep?  To brighten a dreary commute?  To keep you company on a well-deserved holiday?  Or just so you sink into the lovely feeling of being on a new journey with some with some wonderful new people?  All of these reasons have one thing in common: reading takes you somewhere.  And whether you’re reading or you’re writing, it’s all about Location, Location, Location.
I think Chick Lit does this especially well.  You walk into Waterstones, head for the rom-coms, and it’s like standing at the shelves of a travel agent.  Fancy a city break?  How about the Big Apple with I’ll Take New York (Miranda Dickinson)?  Try some luxe LA-living with Shopaholic to the Stars (Sophie Kinsella), or relax in the UK countryside with Ivy Lane (Cathy Bramley).  An ocean-view can be found in the pages of The Paradise Room (Belinda Jones) or Catch Me If You Cannes (me :)).  I could go on, and on, and on…
To truly transport you lovely readers, I like to try and evoke smells and feelings and sounds as well as the look of a place.  When writing The Twelve Dates of Christmas I wanted people to read it and feel unabashedly, categorically Christmassy.  I picked London because it’s so steeped in history you can practically hear Charles Dickens stamping his feet on the cobblestones and blowing into his fingerless gloves beneath a gas lamp.  For You Had Me at Merlot I wanted readers gagging for a glass of wine and dripping in imaginary Tuscan sun sweat!  Which is a lovely image.  For Catch Me If You Cannes I wanted everyone to see, like I did, how accessible, charming and pretty a place it was, whilst also having that air of Hollywood charm.  For this book, the holiday came first and the story after.  I needed a few days away, and had always fancied Cannes and its glamour, and by the end of the trip, and the end of several bottles of the local rosé, I’d decided I didn’t want to let this place go.  I had worked out a story based at the Cannes Film Festival, and how a couple of ‘normal girls’ may struggle to fit in.  Belinda Jones once wrote in Divas Las Vegas something that’s really stayed with me, about how sometimes a location you love can feel like another room in your house; you may not go in there for a while but when you do it still feels like home.  When I love a place I want to keep it alive and reachable in my mind; I want to live there through my characters, and I want readers to love it in just the same way I do.
I have a lot of locations in mind to write about in the future, including New York, LA, a coastal town in Devon and hopefully many more places around the world.  How about you?  Where do you want to go today?

Thanks so much, Lisa!