Weekly Feature - Once Upon a Story...

 'Once Upon a Story' is a weekly feature in which we go back in time and focus on a specific novel that was released in the same month we're in right now (in this case May), but a few years back! It can be a women's fiction classic from the 1990's or perhaps a great chick lit read from 2011. I thought it would be nice to not just focus on recent releases, but also take the chance to jump back in time once a week and look back at wonderful reads that have been released over the years!
This week, we're travelling not so far back to May 2013 to look back at...

Charley Summers doesn’t have a care in the world as she hands her gold-plated credit card over at the hair salon, where her wild curls have been transformed into a gleaming satin curtain. She lives in the lap of luxury, supported by a rich, successful husband and surrounded by a loyal group of friends.
Alarm bells don’t even start to ring when her card is declined twice. Some silly mistake, she thinks – and pays in cash. But it is no mistake. Charley’s world is about to collapse, as the business goes bust, the bank forecloses and bailiffs move in to take every one of their disposable possessions. Even her marriage cannot survive.
Charley has nothing – no house, no money, no qualifications. Just shame and sorrow – and the knowledge that she must get a job. Any job. And she must find somewhere to live – no matter how squalid and depressing. Then she must start repaying some of the money which her husband has so recklessly squandered.
But how on earth is she to do that?    On the 9th of May last year, Arrow published Alison Sherlock's wonderful novel 'The Desperate Wife's Survival Plan.' I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of the book and it's a truly delightful read (click here to read my review). Charley Summers' world suddenly is turned completely upside down when her husband's business goes bankrupt and she is left without a home, any money, or a husband. She needs to start again from scratch, with all the trouble and frustration that comes with it! Alison Sherlock is a fabulous writer and I'm looking forward to her next release. If you're looking for an enjoyable chick lit read, then I'd definitely recommend this one!    Be sure to visit the blog next week for another blast from chick lit past with 'Once Upon a Story...'!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Book Covers I'd Frame As Pieces of Art

'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!  

  Top Ten Book Covers I'd Frame As Pieces of Art    So, this week's Top Ten Tuesday is a really fun one! I know people always say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but a cover definitely plays a very important role when picking out a book to read. Or am I the only one who can be persuaded by the cover of a book? If a book has a gorgeous cover or a cover that manages to attract my attention straight away, there's a big chance I'll end up reading it. Over the years, there have definitely been a lot of covers I've fallen in love with and I look forward to sharing my top 10 favourites with you today!  

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1. Sarra Manning - 'It Felt Like a Kiss'

I fell in love with the cover of Sarra Manning's novel 'It Felt Like a Kiss' the second I saw it and every time I look at it I fall in love with it a little bit more! I honestly adore everything about it: the pink and blue colours, the romance of the couple holding hands, the London skyline in the background... It's just perfect!  

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2. Jane Austen - Collection of Seven Novels
 

As a big Jane Austen fan I immediately knew I needed to add this particular item to my Austen collection as soon as I saw it; without a doubt one of the prettiest Austen covers I've ever seen. I was lucky enough to get it as a gift from my lovely sister and it's even more gorgeous in real life. 

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3. Nicholas Sparks - 'A Walk to Remember'

 I love the colours of Autumn and this cover of Nicholas Sparks' novel 'A Walk To Remember' really manages to catch that Autumn feeling. It's a really pretty image and even though it might at first glance not look like anything special, I think it's simply gorgeous.

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4. J.M. Barrie - 'Peter Pan'

 Ever since I was a little girl I've loved the story of Peter Pan and I always wanted to be like Wendy. Just the idea of flying through the air to another world, 'second star to the right and straight on till morning', is a magical feeling and this book cover manages to capture that thought perfectly. 

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5. Neil Gaiman - 'Stardust'

Anoter pretty, not too complicated, cover with a couple of trees. I love the way the sunlight appears to be like stardust, the title of the novel, and how this gives the image something magical, like something amazing might be hidden behind these trees.  

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6. L. Frank Baum - 'The Wizard of Oz'  

I'm a sucker for cute things and I love this incredibly cute cartoonish book cover for L. Frank Baum's 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz', one of my favourite children's stories.

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7. Jane Sanderson - 'Ravenscliffe'  

I'm a big fan of gorgeous country houses like you can find a lot in the UK, which is why I also love the cover of Jane Sanderson's 'Ravenscliffe.' Pretty colours, lovely country house in the background, the way the gate decorated with flowers is seen from up close... Love it!

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8. Louisa May Alcott - 'Little Women'

Penguin has a whole series of classic tales with embroidered book covers. I really like this 'Little Women' one because it has lots of bright and lovely colours and the cover seems to tell a story with all these small images and quotes from the book. I think this would look great on my wall!  

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9. Ali Harris - 'The First Last Kiss'

Another chick lit cover which is just simply breathtaking. The colours, the lanterns, the couple holding each other, the font... Amazing!

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10. P.L. Travers - 'Mary Poppins'

And last but not least, a really pretty cover of another one of my all-time favourites, 'Mary Poppins.' I love the colour combination of the red, blue, black and white and I think this would look brilliant as a poster in my appartment.

Which book covers are you in love with? I'd love to hear about your personal favourites!

Review: 'The Best Thing That Never Happened To Me' by Laura Tait & Jimmy Rice (2014)

Everyone remembers their first love. 
Holly has learnt that life isn't about seizing the moment. She might have harboured dreams about travelling the world as a teenager, but she let go of those - just as she let go of Alex.
But what if the feelings never really went away? 
Alex wants to make every moment of his new job count. It's a fresh start in a new city, and he knows that moving to London has nothing to do with Holly. Well, probably.
How do you know if it was meant to be, or never meant to happen at all?
I was SO incredibly excited when I found a review copy of ‘The Best Thing That Never Happened To Me’ in my mailbox! As soon as I heard about Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice’s debut novel, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I continued to only hear positive things from other bloggers and everyone was just incredibly excited about this recent e-book release (the paperback will be available from the 3rd of July). Thankfully, I was lucky enough to receive a review copy as well and now it’s my turn to share in the excitement!
When they were teenagers, Holly and Alex were really good friends. Whenever Holly got herself into trouble, Alex would be waiting by the phone for her call. Yet, the two never realised that they both secretly wanted their friendship to turn into something more. Now, 11 years later, Holly has a slightly boring job working as a PA for her boss Richard, whom she is also sleeping with. Alex has decided to leave his hometown behind and move to London to start a challenging job as a teacher at a secondary school. He gets into touch with Holly to catch up now that they are both living in the same part of the country again. But can the two of them get back to their friendship after all this time or are there still traces of their true feelings for one another...?
L-O-V-E. That’s not just the main topic of this fabulous read, but also the only thing I felt while reading this book: pure and unquestionable love. I honestly loved every single thing about it, from the storyline to the characters to the writing to the gorgeous cover. From the flashback on the first page, I liked both Holly and Alex and warmed to both of them as the story progressed. Holly is a bit more carefree and spontaneous, while Alex is the more serious and loyal one and it was great to see both of them as teenagers and adults. Next to the main characters, there’s also a wonderful cast of secondary characters such as Holly’s colleague Jemma (who managed to make me laugh out loud continually) and Alex’s best friend Kev.  
The fact that the book is written by two authors actually convinced me even more that I needed to check out this novel. It immediately reminded me of Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees whose books I love and used to read over and over again when I was younger. Just like them, Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice prove that a book written by two authors can work brilliantly. I loved the fact that the book was written from both a male and female point of view, and the writing style in general was well-paced and managed to keep my complete attention page after page. I could continue gushing about this novel, but I hope I’ve managed to make my opinion quite clear: ‘The Best Thing That Never Happened To Me’ is a sparklingly captivating, funny, warm and feel-good read, filled to the brim with love. Without a doubt a duo to keep your eye on, I honestly can’t wait to see what they come up with next! 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.