Review: 'A Girl's Best Friend' by Lindsey Kelk (2015)

First Tess was a girl with a plan.
Then she was a girl with a dream.
Now she’s a girl who’s come back to earth with a bump.
When the opportunity arises to join her best friend, Amy, in New York for Christmas, Tess jumps at the chance. The only fly in ointment is that Nick, the man who broke her heart, lives there. And Charlie, the man she turned down, has just started talking to her again. And she has just four days to take a photo for a competition that could save her career.
But aside from that, everything is going to be great: it’ll be the best Christmas ever. Won’t it?
What better way to start the new year than with the latest novel written by one of the best chick lit authors out there? That’s exactly what I was thinking when I received a copy of Lindsey Kelk’s ‘A Girl’s Best Friend’ for Christmas and was looking for my first read of 2016. I’ve loved all of Lindsey’s novels so far and her ‘I Heart…’ series is one of the best chick lit book series out there, if you ask me. ‘A Girl’s Best Friend’ is the third part of the ‘About a Girl’ series and was published by Harper Collins on November 5th 2015. The previous parts ‘About a Girl’ (click here to read my review) and ‘What a Girl Wants’ (click here to read my review) were both fantastic reads, so I already had a feeling I would enjoy ‘A Girl’s Best Friend’ as well… A definite good read to start off the new year!
It seems like nothing in Tess' life is going right at the moment. After having a great time in fabulous places such as Hawaii and Milan, she's back in grey and rainy London, and all alone. So, when her best friend Amy tells her to book a ticket to come and see her in New York, Tess knows she has no other choice but to get on that plane to find some excitement in her life. Spending the festive season in the Big Apple is of course already quite special, but Tess soon manages to find other opportunities to make her time in the USA count and start working on her dream of becoming a photographer. But when she is suddenly given a great chance to prove just what she can do and the love of her life makes a surprise appearance, the stakes are suddenly pretty high and Tess realises this trip might be more life-changing than she originally expected it to be...
Another great romantic comedy read by Lindsey Kelk; I'm really starting to think this woman will never be able to disappoint me with her novels! 'A Girl's Best Friend' is another fantastic instalment of the 'Girl' series, with the same great characters, a captivating storyline, and Lindsey Kelk's funny distinctive writing style. Tess is a relatable heroine, trying to follow her dreams but meeting a lot of obstacles along the way. I can honestly say I've never come across a character like Amy, Tess' best friend, before, but she just cracks me up and the friendship between her and Tess is just great. 
All the other characters really make the story even better, such as Al and Kekipi, and I personally loved the fact that some familiar faces from the 'I Heart...' series made an appearance in this book. Because of this reason, I also think this novel is definitely the most fun to read if you're familiar with the author's other novels, especially the earlier parts of this series. However, the book can be read as a stand-alone as well, I just wouldn't recommend it. The book is promoted as a Christmas read, but I personally thought it wasn't that Christmassy, not as much as I had hoped it would be. Overall, though, 'A Girl's Best Friend' is another sparkling, fun and fresh read from brilliant chick lit author Lindsey Kelk; I loved it!

Rating:9,5/10

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

Weekly Meme: Do Judge a Book By Its Cover!

The lovely Gill over at The Book Magpie started a new weekly book meme a few weeks ago, Do Judge a Book By Its Cover! I love weekly memes, and this one focuses on pretty book covers, which I can never get enough of!
The basic idea is to write a post each week with a picture of your favourite book cover following the theme of the week, which can be found on Gill's blog. The theme for this week is: 
FREE CHOICE!
Okay, I think I definitely need a specific theme because I just spent way too much time looking up all kinds of lovely book covers! I decided to go with one of my absolute favourite book covers of all time for this week's pick:

One of the best chick lit book covers has to be the cover for Lindsey Kelk's classic chick lit novel 'I Heart New York.' I remember falling in love with this cover as soon as I saw it for the first time and luckily the story inside turned out to be just as amazing! I still love everything about this cover from the colours to the pretty pink dress blowing in the wind to the gorgeous font of the title... Love it!
If you plan on joining in with the 'Do Judge a Book By Its Cover' meme, be sure to leave a comment because I'd love to see your picks! :)

Review: 'What a Girl Wants' by Lindsey Kelk (2014)

Tess Brookes was the girl with a plan. Now she's the girl with a choice. 
Should she stay in London and start her own advertising agency with her best friend and potential boyfriend Charlie? Or should she head to exciting Milan to pursue both a new career as a photographer and a new man, the enigmatic and elusive (and highly irritating) Nick? 
For the first time, Tess has to choose between the life she always dreamed of and a future she never imagined possible. With her heart and her head pulling her in different directions, Tess has to make a life-changing decision about What a Girl Wants.
In July 2014 Lindsey Kelk’s latest novel ‘What a Girl Wants’ was released by Harper Collins and don’t ask me why, but somehow I didn’t manage to pick up the book earlier than last Christmas (horrible, I know!). I love Lindsey’s work, and I thoroughly enjoyed the first part of this new series, ‘About a Girl’, which was released in 2013. ‘What a Girl Wants’ is the highly anticipated sequel and I looked forward to seeing what would happen to main character Tess and her friends. While the first part was set in Hawaii, this book is set in Italy (Milan to be exact), and promised to be a great summer read to get me through the last few cold and wintery December days!  
After her crazy adventures in Hawaii (which included impersonating her roommate Vanessa and pretending to be a photographer), Tess Brookes is back in London and she has an important decision to make that will affect her future in a big way. On the one hand, she has the chance to finally get together with her best friend Charlie, whom she has had a big crush on for years, and to start their own advertising agency together. However, on the other hand, she is also offered the chance to go to Milan to work as a photographer, which has always been her secret passion, where she will be closer to Nick, the handsome but annoying journalist she met during her stay in Hawaii. It is one of the most difficult and impossible decisions Tess has ever had to make; one that will require her to choose between following her heart and doing the sensible thing… 
After finally finding time to read this book, I instantly regretted not picking it up any sooner. Any book with the name ‘Lindsey Kelk’ on the front ends up being a thoroughly entertaining and funny read, and ‘What a Girl Wants’ isn’t any different. Lindsey Kelk’s writing is amazing, as always; she really has an incredibly funny and individual voice which I personally can’t get enough of. This new series has a great heroine at its core in the form of Tess, who is relatable, funny, and inspiring. There is also a simply fabulous group of secondary characters which I honestly couldn’t get enough of, from Tess’ hilarious and crazy best friend Amy to the wonderfully loud and unique Kekipi who managed to steal every single scene he is mentioned in. Then there are the two male characters, of course: Charlie and Nick. If I’m completely honest, I’m on neither team at the moment. As the novel progressed, I warmed to Nick a bit more, but I remain partial for now, hoping I will be swayed to one of the teams in the third part of the series!
In order to really understand the story and everything that has already happened, I do advise reading ‘About a Girl’ before picking up this novel. The storyline is completely based on everything that has happened before, so reading it as a sequel instead of a stand-alone will make the reading experience more enjoyable, I think. The setting of the novel (Milan) is once again stunning and it immediately made me long for lovely long summer days. The ending didn’t really feel like an ending to me; the story just suddenly stopped and at first I thought I was perhaps missing a few chapters. However, this certainly has to mean we can expect another part of the series, which hopefully will be released as soon as possible because I can’t wait to find out how everything will end with Tess. Fingers crossed! While I didn’t love ‘What a Girl Wants’ as much as I loved ‘About a Girl’, it’s still an incredibly funny, summery, entertaining chick lit read; another great Lindsey Kelk read!

Rating:9/10

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

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Authors I Own the Most Books From

'Top Ten Tuesday' is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. 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!  

  Ten Authors I Own the Most Books From
I couldn't join in with the Top Ten Tuesday fun last week, but I'm back again with this week's new top 10 list which includes the 10 authors I own the most books from. There are a few authors which I could straight away add to the list, but I have to admit I found myself counting books to see which other authors would make the list! I'm curious to see who are some of your favourite authors, so be sure to leave a comment or a link to your own Top Ten Tuesday list!    

---

1. Jane Austen

I'm a big Jane Austen fan, and even though I already have multiple copies of each of her books, I can't help myself whenever I see a pretty new edition I don't have yet. Austen's name is definitely one that appears a lot of times in my book collection, whether it's different editions of her own work or adaptations or retellings of her stories!
 

---

2. J.K. Rowling 

I own all the Harry Potter books, so that already makes 7 J.K. Rowling titles. I do own several editions of some of the parts, and I also have her other books, including the ones she wrote under a different name, which I think at least counts for half in this list! 
 

---

3. Lindsey Kelk

I love love love Lindsey Kelk's books. Her 'I Heart...' series is simply fabulous, but next to the 6 parts of that particular series I also have copies of all the other books Lindsey has released so far. 
 

---

4. Carole Matthews

Carole Matthews has become one of the household names within the world of chicklit. She has released more than 24 books, and I think I own at least half of them, and am still adding to that collection!
 

---

5. Meg Cabot 

I fell in love with Meg Cabot's 'The Princess Diaries' book series when I was young and over the years I've continued to read her amazing books. She has some great series for all ages, and I still can't get enough of her writing.
 

---

6. Ann M. Martin 

There were no books I loved more than the Babysitters Club series by Ann M. Martin when I was a little girl. I've saved all the copies I ever bought and there are quite a lot of them!
 

---

7. William Shakespeare 

 During my time as an English Literature student I think I've had to read every single Shakespeare poem and play that exists. I have all kinds of different Shakespeare books lying around the house, so he definitely deserves a place on this top 10.

---

8. Alexandra Potter

Alexandra Potter was one of the first chick lit authors I fell in love with when I was a teenager, and I remember walking around book shops, searching her novels. I have all of them (11 in total, I think), which gives her a place on this list as well! 
 

---

9. Nicholas Sparks

My Nicholas Sparks book collection is almost complete, but I'm still missing a few titles. He's one of those authors whose books I pick up without even looking at the description, because I know I'll end up loving it.
 

---

10. Sophie Kinsella

Another chick lit author whose novels I can't get enough of. I have almost all Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham books, and soon a new Shopaholic book will be added to it... I can't wait!

Upcoming Release: 'What a Girl Wants' by Lindsey Kelk

Tess Brookes was the girl with a plan.
Now she’s the girl with a choice.
Should she stay in London and start her own advertising agency with her best friend and potential boyfriend Charlie? Or should she head to exciting Milan to pursue both a new career as a photographer and a new man, the enigmatic and elusive (and highly irritating) Nick?
For the first time, Tess has to choose between the life she always dreamed of and a future she never imagined possible. With her heart and her head pulling her in different directions, Tess has to make a life-changing decision about What a Girl Wants.
Of course we all know Lindsey Kelk from her absolutely amazing and laugh-out-loud funny 'I Heart...' series. Last year, 'About a Girl' was published and the book introduced us to heroine Tess Brookes. On the 17th of July, we will be able to join Tess on the rest of her adventures as the sequel 'What a Girl Wants' will be released! I honestly can't wait to read another Lindsey Kelk novel; her stories never disappoint and I think this will be a great summer read, perfect for a day at the beach!
Click here to pre-order your own copy on Amazon now!

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten All Time Favourite Books in Chick Lit

'Top Ten Tuesday' is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Lately I've seen some other book bloggers being quite enthusiastic about this weekly meme, so I decided to join in with the fun and try it out myself as well!  

  Top Ten All Time Favourite Books in Chick Lit   Today's Top Ten Tuesday had to be a top 10 of your all time favourite books within a particular genre. Well, the genre wasn't too difficult for me because I mainly read chick lit and I could probably make a top 100 of my favourite chick lit reads to share with all of you. It's quite a challenge to only pick 10 favourites, but I'll try my best! 

---

1. Emily Giffin - 'Something Borrowed' (2004)

I know this is a chick lit classic loved by numerous readers and it definitely had to be part of my list as well. I actually saw the film version starring Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin before I read the book, and I immediately fell in love with the story and the characters. The novel definitely didn't disappoint and since then I've been recommending it to others. Undoubtedly a must-read for any chick lit fan!

---

2. Sophie Kinsella - 'The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic' (2000)

I think a lot of people will automatically think of the immensely popular Shopaholic series when you ask them to name a chick lit novel. The first part of Sophie Kinsella's wonderful best-selling series, 'The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic' introduces us to the funny and loveable Becky Bloomwood who has a serious shopping addiction which gets her into all kinds of trouble. A chick-lit classic!  

---

3. Cecelia Ahern - 'Where Rainbows End' (2004)

 Cecelia Ahern is one of my favourite authors; she really has her own amazingly captivating and magical writing style and I love all of her work. However, if I have to pick just one of her novels it has to be her second book, 'Where Rainbows End.' It tells the story of the continuously changing relationship between close friends Rosie and Alex, and all of this is done in the form of letters, e-mails and short messages. It's a great love story and I can't wait to see the film version of it which will be released later this year. 

---

4. Lisa Jewell - 'Vince and Joy' (2005)

When I was in my teens I started reading my first chick lit books and for a long time, Lisa Jewell's 'Vince and Joy' was my absolute favourite. The book tells the story of teenagers Vince and Joy who fall in love in the 1980s, but their relationship ends abruptly. Twenty years later, both of them are starting to wonder whether that long-ago romance might have been much more than just a teenage infatuation. The book still means a lot to me which is why it definitely has to be a part of this top 10!

---

5. Lindsey Kelk - 'I Heart New York' (2009)

Lindsey Kelk is one of the most popular and well-loved chick lit authors of the past few years and her 'I Heart... series' is one of the main reasons for that. The first part titled 'I Heart New York' introduces the reader to Angela Clark who decides to escape from her entire life in England, including her cheating boyfriend, and buys a one-way ticket to New York City. The book is incredibly funny and a feel-good read, and just the beginning of Angela's entertaining adventures which I personally can't get enough of!

---

6. Miranda Dickinson - 'When I Fall in Love' (2012)

Miranda Dickinson's stories never fail to make me smile (and shed a tear every now and again!) and it was quite tricky to pick just one of her novels for this list. In the end, I decided to go for 'When I Fall in Love' because it is a book that really made an impression on me and which I absolutely loved from the very first page. Elsie Maynard's story is an amazing one, and in my personal opinion one of Miranda's absolute best.

---

7. Lauren Weisberger - 'The Devil Wears Prada' (2003)

Another classic that deserves a place on this top 10! I actually hadn't heard about this book until I was asked to read and review it within three days because of the upcoming film release (starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway). I ended up enjoying the book much more than I expected I would and it became one of my all-time favourites. Last year a sequel was released, 'Revenge Wears Prada', and I'm curious to see whether it lives up to the first part!

---

8. Alexandra Brown - 'Cupcakes at Carrington's' (2013)

The most recent release on this list and a book I can't recommend enough to chick lit fans. 'Cupcakes at Carrington's' tells the story of Georgie Hart (such a fabulous name!) who loves her job working at the luxury handbag concession at Carrington's department store in small town Mulberry-On-Sea. Not only is Carrington's a fabulous setting, but the book also includes a brilliant cast of characters including Georgie's GBF Eddie. A Christmas sequel was released at the end of last year and a third part will follow this summer; can't wait!

---

9. Meg Cabot - 'Size 12 Is Not Fat' (2005)

I used to devour every single Meg Cabot book when I was younger (I loved 'The Princess Diaries' series and continuously wished someone would come up and tell me I was actually also secretly a princess) and I'm still a big fan of her work, especially this particular series of which 'Size 12 Is Not Fat' is the first part. Heather Wells is a former popstar who now works as an assistant dorm director at one of New York's top colleges. When one of the students is found dead at the bottom of an elevator shaft, Heather decides to solve the mystery herself. This book is extremely funny and thoroughly enjoyable; Meg Cabot's writing is simply brilliant and I'm sure she will continue to be one of my favourite authors for years to come.  

---

10. Olivia Goldsmith - 'Wish Upon a Star' (2004)

Olivia Goldsmith is most well-known for her novel 'The First Wives Club.' However, it is one of her other books, 'Wish Upon a Star', that managed to capture my heart several years ago. This romantic comedy tells the story of secretary Claire, who desperately wishes her life could be as exciting as the books she reads. When she is offered an all-expenses-paid trip to London, she can't say 'yes' quickly enough, which is the start of a wonderful British adventure. One of the first chick lit books I read and which made me fall in love with the genre, which is why it needs to be a part of this list! 
If I've left out any of your favourite chick lit novels, please let me know! Or perhaps you would have gone for a different genre? I'd love to hear your thoughts! :)

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Favourite Books of 2013!

'Top Ten Tuesday' is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Lately I've seen some other book bloggers being quite enthusiastic about this weekly meme, so I decided to join in with the fun and try it out myself as well!  

  Top Ten Favourite Books of 2013   For Today's Top Ten Tuesday all bloggers got the chance to pick one of the previous Top Ten topics we'd like to do again or may have missed. Since I joined the Top Ten Tuesday club just a few weeks ago, there are quite a lot of fun and challenging lists to choose from. However, I decided to go for my 10 favourite books of 2013! I never got around to making a list of my favourite books of last year, and this is the perfect chance to do this, even though I might be about two months late, oops! 

---

  

Giovanna Fletcher - 'Billy and Me'

 
Giovanna Fletcher released her debut novel 'Billy and Me' in May 2014 and it was a release I was really looking forward to. As soon as I read the title and the blurb and saw the cover of the book, I knew this would be chick lit I'd instantly fall in love with, and that is exactly what happened when I read the book. I can't wait to read Giovanna's second novel, 'You're The One That I Want', which will be released in May 2014!

Click here to read my review of 'Billy and Me'!

---

 

Lindsey Kelk - 'About a Girl'

Lindsey Kelk is without a doubt one of my favourite chick lit authors. Her 'I Love...' series is an absolute must-read for any chick lit fan, but 2013 introduced us to a new Lindsey Kelk series! 'About a Girl' tells the story of new heroine Tess, and was everything I had hoped for: thoroughly entertaining, incredibly funny, and simply sparkling! In 2014 the second part of the series will be published, 'What a Girl Wants', and I can't wait to pick it up!

Click here to read my review of 'About a Girl'!

---

 

Kirsty Greenwood - 'Yours Truly'

Kirsty Greenwood's debut novel 'Yours Truly' was one of the best chick lit debuts of 2013 and I couldn't simply not mention it on this list. 'Yours Truly' tells the story of Natalie Butterworth who manages to get hypnotized, which completely turns her life around. The novel's not just funny and a definite page-turner, but also has a lovely handsome male character at its core... I'm looking forward to reading more of Kirsty's work in 2014!

Click here to read my review of 'Yours Truly'!

---

 

Diane Chamberlain - 'Necessary Lies'

I unexpectedly received a review copy of Diane Chamberlain's novel 'Necessary Lies' and was completely blown away by it. The book is set in America in the 1960's and tells the story of Ivy and Jane, who both lead completely different lives but are brought together, which results in a simply wonderful tale. Diane Chamberlain is an amazing author and I definitely plan on reading more of her work in 2014. 

Click here to read my review of 'Necessary Lies'!

---

 

Kim Izzo - 'My Life in Black and White'

Kim Izzo is another author I was introduced to in 2013, and I really fell in love with her novel 'My Life in Black and White.' I can honestly say it's a book unlike anything else I read before, and I simply did not want to put it down. The book is a time-travel romantic comedy, in which the reader is transported from the present day to the 1950's, and is suitable for any reader, not just fans of chick lit. A read I still recommend to others every chance I get!

Click here to read my review of 'My Life in Black and White'!

---

 

Miranda Dickinson - 'Take a Look at Me Now'

One of the queens of chick lit, Miranda Dickinson, treated us to another brilliant read in 2013 in the shape of 'Take a Look at Me Now.' I love love love Miranda Dickinson's novels, they are always filled with amazing characters, a wonderful storyline, and a good dose of romance. This one definitely did not disappoint; Nell's story is one I thoroughly enjoyed and the book earned a well-deserved place on my favourites list!

Click here to read my review of 'Take a Look at Me Now'!

---

 Emily Liebert - 'You Knew Me When'

 

Next to 'A Spoonful of Happy Endings', I'm also a book blogger for Chick Lit Club and that is how I got into touch with a publisher about Emily Liebert's 'You Knew Me When.' Sometimes you read a book and just after a few pages you already know you've fallen in love and don't want the book to end. That's exactly what I felt when I read this novel. I loved absolutely everything about it, and it is undoubtedly one of my favourite reads of the past year.

Click here to read my review of 'You Knew Me When'!

---

  

Charity Norman - 'The Son-in-Law'

 

Another book I was asked to review and was completely blown away by. Charity Norman's 'The Son-in-Law' is an incredibly emotional and realistic read; a story that has stayed with me up until this day. It's a book that looks at a rather serious topic from two different points of view, which really captivated me and proved once again that there are always two sides to every story. A must-read!

Click here to read my review of 'The Son-in-Law'!

---

  

Alexandra Brown - 'Christmas at Carrington's'

 

 

 At the start of 2013, I read Alexandra Brown's novel 'Cupcakes at Carrington's' and I instantly loved the storyline and the characters at its centre. At the end of last year we were treated to the Christmas-themed sequel, 'Christmas at Carrington's' which was definitely one of my favourite Christmas releases of 2013! I loved travelling back to the world of heroine Georgie Hart and Carrington's department store. A wonderfully festive novel, and I'm already really looking forward to the third part in the series which will be released this year!

Click here to read my review of 'Christmas at Carrington's'!

---

 

Lisa Dickenson - 'The Twelve Dates of Christmas'

Another Christmas read which I enjoyed SO much it had to be the one to end this list with! Lisa Dickenson's 'The Twelve Dates of Christmas' was released at the end of 2013 as an e-book series, with 6 different parts focusing on 2 of the 12 dates as mentioned in the title. The story is incredibly funny, magical, and simply brilliant, and I honestly can't wait to see what else Lisa has in store for us. Even if it means I have to start a petition in order to have more of her work published!

Click here to read my review of 'The Twelve Dates of Christmas'!

---

 

I'd love to hear what YOUR favourite reads of 2013 were!