Cover Reveal: 'The Secrets of Ivy Garden' by Catherine Ferguson

I'm really excited to be part of a big cover reveal today for a book that already sounds and looks quite amazing...! I've had the pleasure of reading several of author Catherine Ferguson's reads up until now, most recently 'Four Weddings' and a Fiasco', which was a brilliant novel, and I am really looking forward to picking up her next book, 'The Secrets of Ivy Garden'! So, without further ado, please check out the gorgeous book cover below:

  When Holly breaks up with her boyfriend Dean, she’s at a loss as to what to do next. But things go from bad to worse when her beloved grandmother Ivy dies – and Holly is left in charge of sorting out Ivy’s house and garden. As she sorts through her grandmother’s belongings and makes her way through the wilderness outside, Holly soon finds that there is more to Ivy than meets the eye, and uncovers a surprising family secret that changes everything…
This is a heart-warming and hilarious story from Catherine Ferguson about starting over, learning to garden and most of all learning to love.
The novel will be released in e-book form on 3rd April, so be sure to note that date down on your schedules and start counting down the days...!

Blog Tour: 'Four Weddings and a Fiasco' by Catherine Ferguson!

Meet Katy Peacock. She has a fun-filled life as colourful as her name, and you can always rely on her to be the life and soul of any party. And it’s a good job too, given she spends her weekends photographing other people’s weddings.
Yet underneath it all, things aren’t so good. Her wedding photography business has fallen on tough times, and she’s had her heart broken more times than she cares to remember.
But she’ll get through it, she knows she will. She just needs to avoid best men, bad men, and ushers of any variety. Oh dear…
Today I'm incredibly excited to be part of the blog tour for Catherine Ferguson's newest novel 'Four Weddings and a Fiasco'! I was introduced to Catherine Ferguson's work when I got the chance to read and review her Christmas novel 'Humbugs and Heartstrings' (click here to read my review) and was really curious to check out this latest novel of hers which already sounded like a really promising romantic comedy. As part of the blog tour I also have an extract from an exclusive short story written by Catherine Ferguson herself as a sort of prequel to 'Four Weddings and a Fiasco', so be sure to scroll down and check it out and don't forget to visit the other book blogs taking part in the tour to check out all the other exclusive content!
Katy Peacock loves her job as a wedding photographer, but behind the scenes of her photography business she has quite a lot on her plate and finding it more and more difficult to deal with it all. When her sister and business partner unexpectedly fled the country, Katy was left to deal with the pieces, including trying to keep the business afloat all by her herself, which she is still struggling with. To make matters worse, her ex-boyfriend won't leave her alone until she has paid back the money he borrowed her several years ago, and no matter how hard Katy tries to avoid all men (she simply doesn't have time for any kind of romance), she can't get handsome Gabe out of her head. Will Katy be able to keep all balls in the air this wedding season or are things simply getting too much...?
If you love romantic novels by authors such as Cathy Bramley, Jenny Hale and Ali McNamara and romantic films like ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ and ‘Notting Hill’, you will undoubtedly enjoy Catherine Ferguson’s ‘Four Weddings and a Fiasco’. I was introduced to the author’s writing when I read her novel ‘Humbugs and Heartstrings’, but it is definitely this book that has convinced me of Catherine’s great writing style and ideas. Katy Peacock is a lovely heroine; she’s determined, caring and a bit stubborn, and I was rooting for her to find a way to solve the issues she’s running into. The plotline in the novel involves different aspects and together with the quite fast-paced writing style I was constantly entertained and curious to keep on reading to see what was going to happen next.
As the title already suggests the book takes place during the time of four weddings and one fiasco, of which I’m not giving to give any more details because I don’t want to give too much away about the story. I love books about weddings and Katy’s job as a wedding photographer results in her getting caught up in quite a few funny situations. Next to Katy there is a good mix of supporting characters such as her lovely mother, unique best friend, and dishy men in the form of Gabe and Harry. Overall, the novel just really had everything I look for in an entertaining romcom read and I am incredibly excited to see what Catherine Ferguson has in store for us next. Overall, ‘Four Weddings and a Fiasco’ is a simply great and thoroughly enjoyable feel-good romantic comedy read; perfect to pick up this summer or any day of the year, really, especially if you’re a chick lit fan!

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.

---

Exclusive Extract!
As part of the blog tour for 'Four Weddings and a Fiasco' I have an exclusive extract to share with all of you. Catherine Ferguson has written a brilliant short story featuring the main character Katy Peacock, set before the novel starts. Each blog tour stop includes part of the story, and I've got part 8 ready to go below!

ONE BRIDE AND A BOMBSHELL   8 Next morning, I was up with the lark. The sun was shining. A perfect June day for a wedding. I sensed Camilla would be hot on punctuality, so Dad dropped me at the wedding venue – the Greshingham Hall Hotel – a full twenty minutes before I was due to meet her there. Camilla, in a lilac dress and jacket, looked surprised to find me waiting. She’d already been up to the bride’s room to take the ‘getting dressed’ shots, which she’d said she didn’t need me for as it tended to be quite an intimate occasion. She looked me up and down and seemed to approve of my summery flower-sprigged shift dress and low-heeled sandals. I breathed a sigh of relief. It had taken me ages to decide what to wear. But so far, so good... ‘Right, I need to make a phone call,’ she said. ‘Go and check out the room where the ceremony will be and I’ll join you there.’ I nodded, eager to get started. ‘Oh, by the way, I think you might know the bride.’ Camilla looked down her long nose at me. ‘She went to the local school and I noticed from your CV that so did you.’ ‘Oh. Gosh. Right,’ I said politely, thinking it was unlikely. It was a big school... Camilla was flicking back through her photos. ‘I took her engagement shots. Here we are.’ I leaned in to look at the photo she showed me. It was the profile of a woman with sleek blonde hair, elegantly curled into a chignon, smiling into the camera. I stared. I had a feeling I knew her. She definitely looked familiar, although I couldn’t quite place her. According to the notes Camilla had given me, she was called Keesha. But the name didn’t mean anything. Then my heart gave a huge thump. My God, it couldn’t be. Could it? I peered closer. Bloody hell, it was! Keesha Dixon. Known to all at school (even a few of the teachers) as ‘Crusher’ because she had a penchant for wrestling weaklings like me to the ground and sitting on them. I swallowed hard, feeling slightly sick. ‘Yes, I do know her,’ I said, surprised by the strength of my reaction, all these years later, to a simple photo. She nodded. ‘Stunning girl. And she’s done so well for herself. Jonathan, her husband-to-be, is a real catch. He’s a commercial airline pilot.’ I nodded and forced a smile. I almost hadn’t recognised Keesha. I couldn’t believe the transformation from horrible bully to sleek blonde bombshell. Smiling out of that photo, she looked like butter wouldn’t melt. Ha, I knew the truth! But that was ridiculous, I thought a second later. Crusher was probably totally different now she was all grown-up... Be sure to visit the other blogs that are part of the blog tour to read the rest of this short story by Catherine Ferguson!

Cover Reveal: 'Mistletoe & Mayhem' by Catherine Ferguson!

I'm really excited to be part of a wonderful cover reveal today! A festive-themed cover reveal, that is, namely for Catherine Ferguson's upcoming novel 'Mistletoe and Mayhem'! 
I got the chance to read Catherine Ferguson's Christmas-themed novel 'Humbugs and Heartstrings' last year and really enjoyed it (click here to read my review). This year, she is once again treating us to a lovely holiday read and I already can't wait to pick it up (it will be available from October 15th)!
So, here is the lovely and colourful cover!

Lola Plumpton can’t believe her luck. Christmas is coming and her gorgeous boyfriend, Nathan, has offered up his swanky apartment to host the Plumpton family’s festive celebrations. It looks set to be a Christmas to remember. And it is – but for all the wrong reasons. As the 25th December draws closer, Lola unexpectedly finds herself missing some key components: 1. A job (but who needs one of those anyway, when you’ve got the ultimate family Christmas to prepare for?) 2. Money (no job equals no money, it turns out.) 3. A boyfriend (yup, Nathan the hunk has said adios to Lola – and in the *most* embarrassing way possible…) 4. Somewhere to host her fabulous family Christmas (because of course, no Nathan means no des res apartment.) Lola’s at a loss about what to do. But one way or another, she’s going to make this the best Christmas her family’s ever had… If that doesn't get you in a Christmas mood, I don't know what will! Like I said, I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this book; let the Christmas reading begin! :)

Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Review: 'Humbugs and Heartstrings' by Catherine Ferguson (2014)

Two ex-friends. One Christmas to remember …
Bobbie's boss Carol is a real misery-guts, dedicated to making the lives of everyone around her unhappy in pursuit of every last penny. What makes it worse is that the two women have history: once they were best friends.
When handsome hotelier Charlie steps into the frame the two women go to battle as one sees a romantic future ahead and the other a possible lifeboat for her business. With wonderful warmth and humour, and the odd mince pie fight, the women are forced to confront their shared past, the turbulent present and, most importantly, the potential of the future.
The moment I first saw the lovely festive cover of Catherine Ferguson's debut novel 'Humbugs and Heartstrings', I straight away knew this was a read to be added to my TBR-list. I just love the colours (the pink combined with the green and red) and the Christmas feel of it, and I was quite curious to check it out! So, I was really glad when I was contacted about a possible review copy, which provided me with the chance to sit down with another Christmas read to get into the holiday spirit and to check out a new author's work at the same time!
Bobbie works for cleaning company 'Spit and Polish', a job which doesn't make her happy but she knows she can't give up. Her younger brother suffers from scoliosis and needs an expensive operation in order to lead a normal life, which is something Bobbie is busy saving for. This means holding onto her job and dealing with her bitchy boss, who also happens to be her ex-best friend Carol. The two of them used to be really close, but over the years things changed and especially Carol can't seem to stand Bobbie. When the two of them fall for the same guy, hotel-owner Charlie, things get even worse between the two of them. Both Carol and Bobbie have their own reasons for falling for Charlie, and during their battle they are forced to confront past events and what happened to their friendship...
What I really liked about this novel is the fact that it's a Christmas/December read (which is already a great start in itself), but one that not only mainly focused on romance but also on the broken friendship between two women. Caroline Ferguson's novel deals with three things that are not just important during Christmas time, but all year round, namely family, friends, and love; all topics that make for an entertaining read. Bobbie is an easily likeable main character who really cares about the people around her and is quite easy-going. In contrast, Carol was really easy to dislike, thanks to her moody behaviour and general bitchiness. I really liked how aspects of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' were used in the novel, but with a different twist.
While the story started off great and quite quick-paced, there appeared to be a bit of a low dip after the middle and near the end. Things suddenly developed a bit slower, which didn't necessarily spoil the reading experience but I definitely noticed. Next to that, I also have to be honest and say that Carol was a bit too mean for my personal liking. I was rooting for her and Bobbie to make up, but she was just so mean and unlikeable, and it didn't really get any better as the story progressed. This book is a promising one, though, and I do have high hopes for Christine Ferguson's next release. Overall, 'Humbugs and Heartstrings' is an easy-to-read holiday tale, based on one of the classics by Charles Dickens, and all about friendship, family and romance.

Rating:7,5/10

  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.