Blog Tour: 'Catch Me If You Cannes' by Lisa Dickenson!

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!
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?
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. 
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!

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.

Exciting Release: 'Mistletoe on 34th Street' by Lisa Dickenson!

Olivia has never experienced a snow-covered, 'traditional' Christmas before. Having grown up in a family that chose winter sun over decking the halls, she's not sure what all the fuss is about. So when she and her co-workers are stranded in New York after a work trip, Olivia is perfectly happy spending the holiday season in The Big Apple.
John, Olivia's friend, on the other hand is so upset and is desperate to get home in time for his big family get-together. Nevertheless, determined to make the best out of the situation he sets out to show Olivia how enchanting Christmas in New York can be. And when she adds handsome New Yorker Elijah into the mix, could the magic of the season finally be working its charm on Olivia? As December 25th draws closer, Olivia suddenly finds herself with a decision to make: who does she really want to kiss under the mistletoe this Christmas?
I'm so incredibly excited that we are being treated to a sparkling new Lisa Dickenson read this month! I've had the absolute pleasure of reading all of Lisa's works so far and fell in love with her writing when I first read her debut novel 'The Twelve Dates of Christmas' a few years ago. She now has a completely new festive novel to share with all of us and I honestly can't wait to read 'Mistletoe on 34th Street.' I love the cover and the book description and I just know this book will be one of my 2016 Christmas favourites... CAN'T WAIT! 
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Blog Tour: 'You Had Me at Merlot' by Lisa Dickenson!

Elle and Laurie are the last ones standing: they're single, they're not having babies any time soon and their weekends aren't filled with joyful meetings about mortgages. For Elle, this is fine - she likes her independent life, she loves her job, and she has no desire to walk down the aisle anytime soon. But Laurie wants love and she wants it now.
So when Laurie begs Elle to come with her on a singles holiday to a beautiful vineyard in Tuscany, Elle is reluctant. You Had Me at Merlot Holidays promises crisp sunshine, fun and a chance to stir up some sizzling romance. Elle has no intention of swapping her perfectly lovely life for someone else's idea of her Mr Perfect, but ten days under the Italian sun with her best friend and lashings of wine? How bad could that be? I am SO incredibly excited to be part of the blog tour for Lisa Dickenson’s ‘You Had Me at Merlot’ today! As some of you might know I have been a big fan of Lisa's novels ever since her first book 'The Twelve Dates of Christmas' was released in 2013. Lisa has a brilliant and incredibly funny writing style and I seriously can't get enough of her books. So when I heard the paperback release of 'You Had Me at Merlot' was coming up and there would be a blog tour, I was willing to go pretty far to be a part of it...! I managed to get a spot and can't wait to share the excitement of a new Lisa novel with all of you today! 
Elle and Laurie are two best friends who have one important thing in common: they are the only ones of their group of friends who are still single and not worrying about planning a wedding or having babies. Elle is absolutely fine with this; she loves being on her own and making her own decisions without having to worry about someone else, but Laurie needs love and she has found the perfect way to get it. With the promise of lots of sunshine and delicious wine, Laurie convinces Elle to join her on a singles holiday to Tuscany, organised by You Had Me at Merlot holidays. Elle and Laurie both know what they want and expect from their ten-day trip, but Italy has quite a lot of unexpected things in store for them...
Honestly, where do I start? I just want to say: Lisa Dickenson has done it again, what an absolutely fantastic read! I loved everything about this book. Yes... Everything. I just tried to think of something, even something small, I didn’t like, but I can’t think of anything. Elle and Laurie are fabulous characters; they make a great duo, both with their own individual personality and their own issues. There’s also a great supporting cast of characters; I particularly loved Sophia and Sebastian, the elderly couple who run You Had Me at Merlot holidays, their hunky son Jamie, and Elle’s boss Donna. 
The plotline had me entertained from the first until the last page, and it even managed to surprise me every now and again. Lisa’s writing style flows so easily; I could honestly just keep on reading and reading, and she is incredibly funny. I have to admit, there aren’t many authors who manage to make me literally laugh out loud while reading a book, but I had several moments while reading this book when other people in the train or bus looked at me because I was laughing so hard. The book is divided into four separate parts, which also makes it an easy read, for example when you don’t have that much reading time, but also works perfectly as one novel which you finish in a day. ‘You Had Me at Merlot’ is an incredibly funny, feel-good, sunny romantic comedy which is the perfect summer read. I hope publishers are standing in line to give Lisa Dickenson a never-ending book deal, because she is undoubtedly one of the most exciting new voices within the world of chick lit and I can’t wait to read more of her work in the years to come!  

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.

Review: 'The Twelve Dates of Christmas' by Lisa Dickenson (2015)

 At thirty, Claudia's life is stale and the romance with long-term boyfriend, Seth, has disappeared. Determined to inject some festive spark back into their love life, Claudia and Seth go on their first date in a very long time. But when the night ends in disaster, Claudia suddenly finds herself facing life - and Christmas - alone.

Life alone is exciting, scary and full of soon-forgotten exercise regimes and ill-advised attempts at crafting sexy underwear. It's also filling up with dates, surprisingly. With best friends Penny and Nick at her side, a surplus of festive markets, mulled wine and Christmas tunes, Claudia attempts to face all this change with gusto. One thing's for certain: this year, Christmas is going to be very different...
This is the story of Claudia and her twelve dates of Christmas. Hilarious, uplifting and romantic, it's a story about losing love, finding love, and discovering what's been there all along. Expect Christmas sparkle, butterflies-in-your-stomach romance and a lot of very funny moments in 'The Twelve Dates of Christmas.'
A couple of years ago, I met a lovely person through Twitter named Lisa Dickenson. She was busy with her upcoming Christmas novel while tweeting about the fierceness of Beyonce, the amazingness of Pacey Witter and everything else ‘Dawson’s Creek’, and the fabulousness of book series like ‘The Babysittersclub’ and ‘Sweet Valley High’. Since then, a lot has happened, including the release of several absolutely amazing Lisa Dickenson novels which I can't recommend enough to any chick lit fan out there! However, Lisa is still her amazing self, spreading the Dawson's Creek and Christmas love whenever wherever. Christmas 2015 wouldn't be complete without Lisa's stunning novel 'The Twelve Dates of Christmas' which is probably one of my favourite ever Christmas books, so be sure to straight away get your own copy if you don't have one already! 
Claudia loves her boyfriend Seth, but after several years of being together the spark has somehow left their relationship. So, when they have an exclusive date planned at the Royal Opera House, Claudia wants to give it her best shot to find back that missing spark. However, her first December date doesn’t exactly go according to plan, and at the end of the night she finds herself alone, not knowing what to do with herself or her life. However, with the help of her amazing best friends, Penny and Nick, Claudia is ready to face the upcoming Christmas holidays. The most wonderful time of the year, which will present Claudia with twelve dates that will surprise and inspire her to find that spark in her life she has been missing. 
Wow, what an amazing read! I expected I would really enjoy this novel, but I have to say it managed to exceed my already high expectations. Lisa Dickenson’s writing style is fantastic: the story flows easily, the scene setting makes it so easy to picture it all in your mind (there’s nothing like the city of London at Christmas time, I absolutely loved all the places Claudia visited and the way Lisa described it all in perfect and festive detail), and I found myself laughing out loud so many times (which resulted in quite a few strange looks from other train passengers). The humour in this book is definitely one of its main strengths, and also one of the reasons why I enjoyed the story so much.
Claudia is a funny, sweet, loyal and relatable heroine; I think every single female reader will be able to recognise herself in Claudia one way or another. Next to her, there are some brilliant other characters as well like Penny, Claudia’s best friend, and Nick, who made my heart beat just that tiny bit faster every single time his name appeared on the page (I want one just like him underneath my Christmas tree this year, please!). There’s honestly nothing negative I can say about this book, because I really loved it and it’s without a doubt one of my favourite Christmas releases ever. ‘The Twelve Dates of Christmas’ is an incredibly funny, magical, and simply brilliant read which will undoubtedly get you into the Christmas spirit. Pick it up... NOW!  

Rating:10/10

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

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

Review: 'Catch Me If You Cannes' by Lisa Dickenson (2015)

Jess has decided it's time to get out of her comfort zone and live a little. So when her best friend Bryony, a journalist on a gossip magazine, is sent to cover the Cannes Film Festival, Jess decides to seize the day and go along for the ride. Two weeks of glitz, glamour and exclusive entry into celeb-filled parties is just the kind of adventure Jess needs.
Reality soon bites though when Jess and Bryony find they're staying in a dingy hotel far away from all the action and Bryony's expenses budget barely covers a glass of local wine. Undeterred, the two women are determined to live like the elite and enjoy one fancy night out to begin their holiday. So what if they have to tell a few white lies along the way? It's just this once. No harm done... right?
I'm so excited about the review I have to share with all of you today! One of the best new chick lit authors of the past two years is undoubtedly Lisa Dickenson. I fell in love with her writing as soon as her first e-book series 'The Twelve Dates of Christmas' was released (click here to read my review) and fell even more in love with her second novel, 'You Had Me At Merlot' (click here to read my review). So, when I was asked to review her latest four-part romantic comedy series, 'Catch Me If You Cannes' (don't you just love the title?) I couldn't shout 'YES' quickly enough. I definitely had high hopes for this one, but I also already had a good feeling Lisa would be able to meet them!
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?
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. 
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!

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.

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!

Blog Tour: 'You Had Me at Merlot' by Lisa Dickenson

Elle and Laurie are the last ones standing: they're single, they're not having babies any time soon and their weekends aren't filled with joyful meetings about mortgages. For Elle, this is fine - she likes her independent life, she loves her job, and she has no desire to walk down the aisle anytime soon. But Laurie wants love and she wants it now.
So when Laurie begs Elle to come with her on a singles holiday to a beautiful vineyard in Tuscany, Elle is reluctant. You Had Me at Merlot Holidays promises crisp sunshine, fun and a chance to stir up some sizzling romance. Elle has no intention of swapping her perfectly lovely life for someone else's idea of her Mr Perfect, but ten days under the Italian sun with her best friend and lashings of wine? How bad could that be?
You Had Me at Merlot is the kind of love story that will have you crying with laughter one moment and nodding your head in agreement the next. Full of sultry summer nights, hilarious moments and plenty of wine, it will warm even the most cynical of hearts and have you believing in the magic of romance (and the power of a decent glass of Merlot).
I am SO incredibly excited to be part of the blog tour for Lisa Dickenson’s second novel, ‘You Had Me at Merlot’, today! Not only is Lisa one of the loveliest authors around, her debut novel ‘The Twelve Dates of Christmas’ was one of my favourite reads of 2013 and a book I can’t recommend enough to others (click here to read my review). Lisa has a brilliant and incredibly funny writing style and I couldn’t wait to read more of her work. Thankfully, the first part of ‘You Had Me at Merlot’, which is a four-part digital romantic comedy, was released on the 14th of July and the second part is now also available! I was lucky enough to receive an early review copy (I already got incredibly excited when I heard the title, I love it) and I can’t even describe how much I looked forward to sitting down with one of Lisa’s stories again!
Elle and Laurie are two best friends who have one important thing in common: they are the only ones of their group of friends who are still single and not worrying about planning a wedding or having babies. Elle is absolutely fine with this; she loves being on her own and making her own decisions without having to worry about someone else, but Laurie needs love and she has found the perfect way to get it. With the promise of lots of sunshine and delicious wine, Laurie convinces Elle to join her on a singles holiday to Tuscany, organised by You Had Me at Merlot holidays. Elle and Laurie both know what they want and expect from their ten-day trip, but Italy has quite a lot of unexpected things in store for them...
Honestly, where do I start? I just want to say: Lisa Dickenson has done it again, what an absolutely fantastic read! I loved everything about this book. Yes... Everything. I just tried to think of something, even something small, I didn’t like, but I can’t think of anything. Elle and Laurie are fabulous characters; they make a great duo, both with their own individual personality and their own issues. There’s also a great supporting cast of characters; I particularly loved Sophia and Sebastian, the elderly couple who run You Had Me at Merlot holidays, their hunky son Jamie, and Elle’s boss Donna. 
The plotline had me entertained from the first until the last page, and it even managed to surprise me every now and again. Lisa’s writing style flows so easily; I could honestly just keep on reading and reading, and she is incredibly funny. I have to admit, there aren’t many authors who manage to make me literally laugh out loud while reading a book, but I had several moments while reading this book when other people in the train or bus looked at me because I was laughing so hard. The book is divided into four separate parts, which also makes it an easy read, for example when you don’t have that much reading time, but also works perfectly as one novel which you finish in a day. ‘You Had Me at Merlot’ is an incredibly funny, feel-good, sunny romantic comedy which is the perfect summer read. I hope publishers are standing in line to give Lisa Dickenson a book deal, because she is undoubtedly one of the most exciting new voices within the world of chick lit and I can’t wait to read more of her work in the years to come!  

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.

Upcoming release: 'You Had Me at Merlot' by Lisa Dickenson

Elle and Laurie are the last ones standing: they're single, they're not having babies any time soon and their weekends aren't filled with joyful meetings about mortgages. For Elle, this is fine - she likes her independent life, she loves her job, and she has no desire to walk down the aisle anytime soon. But Laurie wants love and she wants it now.
So when Laurie begs Elle to come with her on a singles holiday to a beautiful vineyard in Tuscany, Elle is reluctant. You Had Me at Merlot Holidays promises crisp sunshine, fun and a chance to stir up some sizzling romance. Elle has no intention of swapping her perfectly lovely life for someone else's idea of her Mr Perfect, but ten days under the Italian sun with her best friend and lashings of wine? How bad could that be?
You Had Me at Merlot is the kind of love story that will have you crying with laughter one moment and nodding your head in agreement the next. Full of sultry summer nights, hilarious moments and plenty of wine, it will warm even the most cynical of hearts and have you believing in the magic of romance (and the power of a decent glass of Merlot).
YES! Lisa Dickenson is back and I couldn't be more excited about it! Lisa's debut novel 'The Twelve Dates of Christmas' was released last year and was one of my favourite reads of 2013. She really has her own amazing and funny voice and I've been looking forward to her next release for ages. 'You Had Me at Merlot' will be released in four different parts, with the first part being available from the 14th of July. I just know this is going to be a fantastic read, and can recommend it already without having read a word of it. I'll also be part of the blog tour for the book later this month, so be sure to keep an eye on this blog!
Click here to pre-order the first part of the series on Amazon now!

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! 

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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'!

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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'!

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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'!

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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'!

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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'!

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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'!

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 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'!

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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'!

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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'!

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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'!

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

Blog Tour: 'The Twelve Dates of Christmas' by Lisa Dickenson

Claudia is a girl in a rut. At 30, her life is stale and the romance with long-term boyfriend, Seth, has disappeared. Determined to inject some festive spark back into their love life, Claudia and Seth go on their first date in a very long time to the Royal Opera House. But when the night ends in disaster, Claudia suddenly finds herself facing life - and Christmas - alone.

Life alone is exciting, scary and full of soon-forgotten exercise regimes and ill-advised attempts at crafting sexy underwear. It's also filling up with dates, surprisingly. With best friends Penny and Nick at her side, a surplus of festive markets, mulled wine and Christmas tunes, Claudia attempts to face all this change with gusto. One thing's for certain: this year, Christmas is going to be very different . . .

A couple of months ago, I met a lovely person through Twitter named Lisa Dickenson. She was busy with her upcoming Christmas novel while tweeting about the fierceness of Beyonce, the amazingness of Pacey Witter and everything else ‘Dawson’s Creek’, and the fabulousness of book series like ‘The Babysittersclub’ and ‘Sweet Valley High’ (yes, I desperately wanted to start my own babysittersclub and have an amazing twin sister, didn’t we all back in the 90’s?). How could I not like this person?! So, ever since I heard about Lisa’s upcoming book ‘The Twelve Dates of Christmas’, I’ve been excited about it and couldn’t wait to read it. Luckily, I managed to get a spot on Lisa’s blog tour and I’m so excited to not only review her novel today, but also have a special feature for all of you in which Lisa talks about her own favourite Christmas books!

Claudia loves her boyfriend Seth, but after several years of being together the spark has somehow left their relationship. So, when they have an exclusive date planned at the Royal Opera House, Claudia wants to give it her best shot to find back that missing spark. However, her first December date doesn’t exactly go according to plan, and at the end of the night she finds herself alone, not knowing what to do with herself or her life. However, with the help of her amazing best friends, Penny and Nick, Claudia is ready to face the upcoming Christmas holidays. The most wonderful time of the year, which will present Claudia with twelve dates that will surprise and inspire her to find that spark in her life she has been missing. 

‘The Twelve Dates of Christmas’ is released in quite an original and exciting way, namely in six different parts. The first part, Dates 1 & 2, was released on the 11th of November and the last part, Dates 11 & 12, will be available from the 16th of December. I was lucky enough to receive all parts bundled together in one paper copy to review, so I read the story as a whole, without wanting to put it down! Wow, what an amazing read! I expected I would really enjoy this novel, but I have to say it managed to exceed my already high expectations. Lisa Dickenson’s writing style is fantastic: the story flows easily, the scene setting makes it so easy to picture it all in your mind (there’s nothing like the city of London at Christmas time, I absolutely loved all the places Claudia visited and the way Lisa described it all in perfect and festive detail), and I found myself laughing out loud so many times (which resulted in quite a few strange looks from other train passengers). The humour in this book is definitely one of its main strengths, and also one of the reasons why I enjoyed the story so much.

Claudia is a funny, sweet, loyal and relatable heroine; I think every single female reader will be able to recognise herself in Claudia one way or another. Next to her, there are some brilliant other characters as well like Penny, Claudia’s best friend, and Nick, who made my heart beat just that tiny bit faster every single time his name appeared on the page (I want one just like him underneath my Christmas tree this year, please!). There’s honestly nothing negative I can say about this book, because I really loved it and it’s without a doubt one of my favourite releases of 2013, and my absolute favourite Christmas-related release of this year. ‘The Twelve Dates of Christmas’ is an incredibly funny, magical, and simply brilliant read which will undoubtedly get you into the Christmas spirit. I’m already excited about 2014, because I honestly can’t wait to read more of Lisa Dickenson’s work! 

Rating:10/10 (with a special dose of glitter and sparkly Christmas lights!)  

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As I already mentioned above, I'm so excited to welcome the absolutely lovely Lisa Dickenson to 'A Spoonful of Happy Endings' today to entertain us with her favourite Christmas books! :)

 

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My Favourite Christmas Books
Let me set the scene for you. Close your eyes. No WAIT! Open them, because otherwise you can’t read this. Oh, what a crap start. Can we begin again?

Let me set the scene for you. It’s six in the evening and you’ve just got in from work. In the dead of winter, the world outside has been inky black for nearly two hours already. It’s also bloody cold. You’ve thrown on the heating, showing festive spirit and blatant disregard for the electricity bill. The [insert favourite meal here] is in the oven. The Christmas lights are on and your cosy home is twinkling. Pour yourself a Baileys. A bit more. Come on, there’s plenty more in Tesco, pour yourself a proper one. Now you can submerge yourself into that fabulous festive read you’ve been saving. It’s all yours, and by the end you know you’re going to feel ten times, a hundred times, more Christmassy than you do now.

 

Picking the perfect Christmas read is hard. You know that absolute horror of spending Christmas with a different family for the first time, perhaps because you’re staying with your partner this year, or you’re with friends, or all your relations have merged into one uber-Christmas which seemed like a fab idea until someone got the party games out? And suddenly you’re aware that not everyone does Christmas Day Exactly Like You. In other words, they do it wrong. And that’s why picking a perfect festive read is hard because you need to read what makes you feel the most festively festive.

 

I guess what I’m rambling on about is just to say that my choices of favourite Christmas books aren’t a definitive list of what are The Best Christmas Books Of All Time. You might think they’re rubbish. You might love every one of them (in which case, I think we should spend Christmas together!). But the important thing is that from now on your favourite Christmas book is The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Lisa Dickenson.

 

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens 

Charles Dickens totally started the Christmas fiction trend, as far as I’m concerned. And as much as I love the Muppet adaptation, the book is *nearly* as good. The evocative language completely enfolds you into a Dickensian London at Christmas, and the story of grump-bag Scrooge and his Bah Humbug-ways as he’s visited by three ghosts (four, including Jacob Marley) make perfect dead-of-winter reading.

Winter Wonderland, by Belinda Jones
This is a lovely, heart-warming and original Christmas book which is as much about the magical, wintery setting of Quebec as it is about the budding romances between the characters. It follows Krista (sidenote: love that name) who embarks on an unexpectedly life-changing trip to Canada for her travel writing website. While she’s there we read all the twinkling Christmas loveliness we’d expect from a rom-com, but with added dog-sledding, ice hotels, Cirque du Soleil and hunky French-Canadian gents. It’s no secret that I’m a bit of a Belinda Jones fangirl (I just LOVE books set abroad) but this has to be one of my faves.

 

Big for Christmas (Sweet Valley Twins), created by Francine Pascal

Don’t judge me. It’s just… I “used to” read this a lot when I was younger. I mean, it’s basically a rip-off of the movie Big, but with those Californian blondies with the ‘blue-green eyes the colour of the pacific ocean’. If that alone doesn’t make you want to spend the 1p it costs to buy it from Amazon right now, here’s the storyline: Jessica and Elizabeth, are like soooo prepping to go to the Christmas party of the year when their parents say they’re too young! Then some magic stuff happens and they wake up to find themselves as twenty-somethings with BOOBS and HIGH HEELS and stuff. It’s amazing.

 

 

The Night Before Christmas, by Scarlett BaileyFirstly, I love the cover. Secondly, I think this is a fab idea for a Christmas story – one girl, going to the idyllic Christmassy cottage with her friends over yuletide, who ends up torn between three men – her current boyfriend, her ex-boyfriend who’s lumbered over to join them, and a hunky new chap. It’s funny and festive and as warm and mulled wine!

 

The Jolly Christmas Postman, by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
This is such a good Christmas book, and I thoroughly recommend anyone with kids, or nieces, nephews, godchildren, nearby schools that need books, etc. to buy this. It’s basically a children’s story book about a cheerful postman who delivers Christmas parcels and letters to the local fairytale folk (i.e. Red Riding Hood et al) but the VERY BEST THING is that you get to open real envelopes and inside are real letters and real presents! It’s just… I can’t… it’s awesome.

 

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. MooreTechnically this is more a poem than a book, but it’s been turned into books so many thousands of times that it counts. The last thing that’s read in millions of homes around the globe before going to sleep on Christmas Eve means there’s no way I could leave this off the list.

  Happy Christmas everyone!