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!

       

Review: 'The House We Grew Up In' by Lisa Jewell (2013)

Meet the Bird Family.

All four children have an idyllic childhood: a picture-book cottage in a country village, a warm, cosy kitchen filled with love and laughter, sun-drenched afternoons in a rambling garden. But one Easter weekend a tragedy strikes the Bird family that is so devastating that, almost imperceptibly, it begins to tear them apart. The years pass and the children become adults and begin to develop their own quite separate lives. Soon it's almost as though they've never been a family at all.

Almost. 
But not quite.

Because something has happened that will call them home, back to the house they grew up in - and to what really happened that Easter weekend all those years ago.

Lisa Jewell has been one of my favourite authors for several years now. Her novels ‘Thirty-nothing’ and ‘One-Hit Wonder’ were some of the first chick lit books I bought, and ‘Vince and Joy’ is one of the first chick lit novels I fell head over heels in love with. Through the years, Lisa Jewell’s books have been of a constant quality, and I know whenever I find a new novel with her name on the cover, it must be a good read. So, when I was contacted by Random House about a review copy of Lisa Jewell’s latest release, ‘The House We Grew Up In’, I couldn’t shout ‘YES’ quick enough. I love the new covers of Lisa Jewell’s latest books, and I couldn’t wait to get stuck in another promising story!

In the year 1981 the Bird family seems to have it all. Lorelei and Colin are happily married, and their children Megan, Bethan and twins Rory and Rhys have the perfect childhood growing up in a lovely house in a small country village. But then, one Easter weekend, tragedy strikes and from that moment on, life will never be the same again for each member of the family. As time passes, the children grow up and everyone goes their separate ways. Until another event brings them all back together again, back to that house filled with memories of a happy family, and that one moment that changed absolutely everything.

‘The House We Grew Up In’ focuses on a period of 30 years in total, namely from 1981 until 2011. Each chapter provides the reader with details of what happened each Easter weekend, slowly bringing all the pieces of the Bird family puzzle together. At the centre of it all, is the Bird house, which at first comes across as a simply beautiful place, filled with sunshine, love and laughter, but later on also shows the darker side of the people who lived there. The great mix of characters and storyline had me hooked from the start, and I felt myself entirely gripped by it all. The novel deals with numerous sensitive topics, such as keeping secrets from one another, cheating, mental illness, hoarding; but relationships, in their various fascinating and complex ways, are at the core of it all.

I personally loved how the story switched from present to past and back again, which resulted in me slowly managing to piece all the details together. All the Bird family members managed to speak to me in a different way, all with their own personal flaws and experiences. Every family has their own secrets, and I loved how Lisa Jewell portrayed this one particular group of people. It wasn’t always easy to read, because there are many painful scenes in the book, but at the same time the book was just incredibly fascinating and I was unable to put it down. With the beautifully written, simply gripping and poignant ‘The House We Grew Up In’, Lisa Jewell has once again shown what a brilliant storyteller she is, and I eagerly await her next release.

Rating:8,5/10

Review & Giveaway: 'Conditional Love' by Cathy Bramley (2013)

All her life she has dreamed of a home of her own, so what’s holding her back?

Sophie Stone, thirty-something serial procrastinator, lover of Take That, Tesco knickers and tea with two sugars, rarely steps out of her comfort zone. So when an unexpected inheritance from a great aunt she’s never met forces her to meet her father, it threatens the very foundations of Sophie’s world.

What did the old lady want her to discover? Was there more to her parents’ break up than she was lead to believe? Sophie will have to face some startling home truths before she can finally build a future on her own terms.

Today, I’m happy to be a part of the Fiction Addiction book tour for Cathy Bramley’s debut novel ‘Conditional Love.’ I instantly loved the cover of the book as soon as I saw it (the pretty red umbrella and the rain consisting of little hearts, too cute!) and the blurb promised a good chick lit read, so I couldn’t wait to get stuck in!

Sophie Stone is a thirty-something who is pretty content with her life. She has a job at a newspaper, the Herald, which she isn’t too excited about but pays the bills; she has a boyfriend Marc, who seems to be fonder of her money than of her as a person, but he’s really fit and good-looking; and she still lives in the same flat she has been living in for years, together with her roommates Jess and Emma.
Sophie isn’t the type of person who likes to step out of her comfort zone, but when she is dumped by Marc on Valentine’s Day and is unexpectedly confronted with a family inheritance, Sophie realises it might be time for a change. Her great-aunt Jane, whom Sophie didn’t even know existed, has left her a part of her inheritance, namely a bungalow. The trick is, though, that she can only receive her part of the inheritance if she meets up with her father, who abandoned Sophie when she was just a little baby. Sophie will have to make some life-altering decisions, and this time around, she can’t simply hide away in a corner and hope everything will fix itself...

I had absolutely no trouble warming to the main character of this novel, Sophie. I instantly liked her, (except for the few moments where I wanted to just scream at her for still liking her ex, Marc) and the same goes for most of the other characters. Sophie’s roommates Emma and Jess, who are sisters, made me laugh out loud with their constant bickering and I think I fell just a tiny bit in love with Nick Cromwell, the architect Sophie gets into touch with. I really enjoyed the different storylines of the novel and the various topics that are focused on, specifically Sophie’s struggles with her family. She is trying to decide whether to meet her father, who abandoned her and her mother when she was just a baby, but at the same time she is quite curious to hear her father’s side of the story. Sophie is forced to make some really important life-changing decisions, and it was great to see Sophie develop as a person because of everything going on in her life.

When first reading the blurb, I can imagine some people thinking that the plot of this book is perhaps a bit clichéd and has been done many times already. However, I definitely think Cathy Bramley managed to give it her own twist, and I personally loved this tale and the characters at its core. This is her debut novel, and I am definitely looking forward to hearing more from her. ‘Conditional Love’ is a warm, well-paced, fun novel, which I am sure any chick lit/romance fan will enjoy!

Rating:8,5/10 

Be sure to enter Cathy Bramley's fabulous giveaway to win some amazing prizes!

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Review: 'Henry and Rachel' by Laurel Saville (2013)

Brought to live with the George family as a child, all anyone knew about enigmatic Rachel was that she worked hard, making herself indispensable to the plantation. And she remained a mystery until the day she disappeared…even to her husband. Especially to her husband.

Henry was Rachel’s opposite—gregarious where she was quiet, fanciful where she was pragmatic. After years of marriage, Rachel left Henry and their oldest son without explanation and set off on a steamer for New York City with their other four children. Was her flight the ultimate act of betrayal or one of extraordinary courage? Eight characters connected by blood and circumstance reconstruct Rachel’s inexplicable vanishing act.

Thanks to Sarah Hall Productions, I received a review copy of Laurel Saville’s historical novel ‘Henry and Rachel’, which was published on the 15th of October 2013. I hadn’t read anything by Laurel Saville before, but the fact that the novel is based on real letters written by her own family, more specifically her great-grandparents, sparked my interest. I even received a folder with some extra background information on Laurel Saville, her family, and the novel, which only made me more curious to read the novel and find out more.

After his first wife died in childbirth, Henry was devastated and did not see himself falling in love with someone else. However, as soon as he lays eyes on Rachel, he is captivated by her. Rachel was brought to live with the George family, but she has always been the quiet and pensive type, hiding in corners and not making herself noticed. The two end up together, but their marriage is not a happy one. One day, Henry and his oldest son come home to an empty house; Rachel has taken the four other children with her and has left to go to New York. This novel tells the story of what exactly happened, and how things turned out this way for Henry, Rachel and their family.

Henry and Rachel’s tale is at the core of this novel and is told from the perspective of eight characters that each play a significant part in the story. The background setting is an island in the West Indies in the early twentieth century, a time in which race and class distinction played important roles. The basis for a fascinating and strong narrative is definitely there, but unfortunately somehow this did not result in an intriguing read I did not want to put down. This probably partly had to do with the fact that I thought that Rachel, one of the main characters of the book, was really difficult to read. She’s a distant woman, who eventually decides to flee to New York in order to give her children a better life including an education, but throughout the story I found it difficult to decide whether I liked her or not. Next to her, there weren’t any other characters I specifically liked or disliked, so I kind of missed an emotional link with the people at the core of this novel.

It’s really too bad that the novel is not heavy in plot, because Laurel Saville’s way of writing is captivating. I wasn’t surprised to find out that she has won several awards with her specific lyrical voice, and I’m quite curious to read more of her work. I am positive that others will enjoy ‘Henry and Rachel’, it’s an atmospheric and undoubtedly well-written novel, but personally I wasn’t able to connect with the characters and had expected more, based on the blurb and background information.

Rating:6/10

Review: 'The Blackheath Seance Parlour' by Alan Williams (2013)

In 1842, two drunken sisters debate their future. Business at the family chocolate shop has ground to a halt, and change is needed. For once, domineering elder sister Maggie doesn't get her way, and a month later Judy, Maggie, and Netta Walters—a medium with big hair and a bigger secret—open their séance parlor. The locals are shocked, but soon the shop is crammed with people wanting to contact the dead. Despite their change in fortune, a rift grows between the sisters, as Judy gets her gothic novel published, finds a man, and proves to be more capable of contacting spirits than Maggie. Spurred on by jealousy, Maggie tries harder, and soon the Church decides they must be stopped.

Several weeks ago I was contacted by the lovely Laura from Laura’s Little Book Blog to write something for the Halloween feature on her blog. I had a good think and realised I haven’t actually read any Halloween related or scary books. I’m not a fan of horror stories, mainly because I’m a sucker for and simply love happy endings (which usually do not include scary killers, monstrous animals, and at least half of the characters finding an untimely death). Unfortunately, I couldn’t take part in Laura’s feature, but when I was contacted to review Alan Williams’ novel ‘The Blackheath Séance Parlour’, I straight away saw this as the perfect opportunity to not only finally take a sneak peek into the world of spooky stories, but also to at least celebrate Halloween on my blog in a small way by posting the review of this book on the 31st of October. 

‘The Blackheath Séance Parlour’ is set in the 1840’s and tells the story of two sisters, Maggie and Judy Cloak, who own a chocolate shop in Blackheath. Times are hard, though, and in order to keep themselves fed and supplied with enough alcohol to get through the day, they need to come up with a plan for a new business. Judy, who is also busy writing her first Gothic novel, wants to set up a séance parlour, but Maggie isn’t too sure about this. With the help of medium Netta Walters, who teaches the sisters how to read tea leaves and stare into crystal balls, the girls eventually decide to give it a shot. The shop exceeds everyone’s expectations and becomes an instant success, attracting visitors from all over the country. Maggie and Judy’s lives are turned upside down, but it doesn’t take long before the success starts to influence the sisterly bond between them in the worst way…

What a read! I honestly had no idea what to expect from this novel, but after a few pages I was hooked by the unusual and original storyline, the strong female characters, and the enthralling writing style of Alan Williams. I loved the fact that the book basically has two different storylines: one that focuses on Maggie and Judy, and one that tells the story of Judy’s novel (which focuses on a beautiful count and countess hiding a horrible dark secret). Both storylines were just as intriguing, and every time the book switched from one story to another, I didn’t want to put the novel down because I simply needed to know what would happen next.

The book is a mix of horror and historical fiction, with a definite Gothic touch to it that reminded me of dark Victorian novels like ‘Sherlock Holmes’ or Charles Dickens’ work. This is also linked to the descriptive scene setting, which is apparently very true to the real Blackheath, and I could easily imagine myself walking around the town with its pubs and shops. Overall, ‘The Blackheath Seance Parlour’ is an extremely enjoyable, unusual, and gripping novel and the ideal Halloween read. As soon as I opened this book I had no idea what to expect, but it undoubtedly surprised me with its originality and addictiveness and is like nothing I’ve read before. I will definitely recommend Alan Williams’ debut novel to others, and honestly can’t wait to see what he will come up next!

(Be sure to check out the brilliant website that was made for the novel, which includes facts about the book and some great background information: www.blackheathseanceparlour.com!) 

 Rating:9/10 

 

November 2013 releases to look forward to!

Yes, the time has finally come to snuggle up on the couch with a blanket and a large cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream without feeling too bad about it, because November has arrived! This not only means the weather getting even colder, but also Christmas decorations taking over shop windows and perhaps even the first bit of snow... Who knows? One thing that's for certain, though, is that November has to be one of the most exciting months of 2013 when talking about book releases, because some amazing novels are coming your way! Be sure to have your wish-list ready, because after reading this post you will undoubtedly have some things to add to it!

Fiona Harper - Make My Wish Come True (1st of November 2013)

 

Family-orientated and Christmas-dinner cook extraordinaire Juliet is trying to keep it together in the wake of her marriage breakdown two Christmases ago, but the cracks are beginning to show.

Bright and vivacious Gemma was always the favourite daughter…So she has no qualms about leaving Christmas in her sister Juliet’s capable hands; and escaping the pressures of her glamorous job, and the festive madness by jetting off to somewhere warm.

When Gemma shirks responsibility once too many and announces she’s off to the Caribbean (again!); Juliet finally snaps. Gemma offers her sister the perfect solution - to swap Christmases: she’ll stay home and cook the turkey (how hard can it be?) and Juliet can fly off into the sun and have a restorative break.

Will the sisters abandon caution and make this a Christmas
swap to remember?

Kristina Riggle - 'The Whole Golden World' (5th of November 2013)

To the outside Diana and Joe have a perfect family-three lovely children, a beautiful home, and a café that's finally taking off. But their world is rocked when it's discovered that their oldest daughter, 17-year-old Morgan is having an affair with her married teacher, TJ Hill.

Their town rocks with the scandal. When the case goes to trial, the family is torn further apart when Morgan sides not with her parents-as a manipulated teenage girl; but with TJ himself-as a woman who loves a 30-year-old man.

Told from the perspectives of Morgan, Diana, and TJ's wife, Rain, this is an unforgettable story that fully explores the surprising, even shocking, events that change the lives of two families.

Cecelia Ahern - 'How to Fall in Love' (7th of November 2013)

She has just two weeks. Two weeks to teach him how to fall in love – with his own life.

Adam Basil and Christine Rose are thrown together late one night, when Christine is crossing the Halfpenny Bridge in Dublin. Adam is there, poised, threatening to jump. Adam is desperate – but Christine makes a crazy deal with him. His 35th birthday is looming and she bets him she can show him that life is worth living before then.

Despite her determination, Christine knows what a dangerous promise she’s made. Against the ticking of the clock, the two of them embark on wild escapades, grand romantic gestures and some unlikely late-night outings. Slowly, Christine thinks Adam is starting to fall back in love with his life.

But has she done enough to change his mind for good? And is that all that’s starting to happen?

Sue Moorcroft - 'Is This Love?' (7th of November 2013)

When Tamara Rix's sister Lyddie is involved in a hit-and-run accident that leaves her in need of constant care, Tamara resolves to remain in the village she grew up in. Tamara would do anything for her sister, even sacrifice a long-term relationship.

But when Lyddie's teenage sweetheart Jed Cassius returns to Middledip, he brings news that shakes the Rix family to their core. Jed's life is shrouded in mystery, particularly his job, but despite his strange background, Tamara can t help being intrigued by him.

Can Tamara find a balance between her love for Lyddie and growing feelings for Jed, or will she discover that some kinds of love just don't mix?

Jenny Colgan - 'Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop' (7th of November 2013)

Rosie Hopkins is looking forward to Christmas in the little Derbyshire village of Lipton, buried under a thick blanket of snow. Her sweetshop is festooned with striped candy canes, large tempting piles of Turkish Delight, crinkling selection boxes and happy, sticky children. She's going to be spending it with her boyfriend, Stephen, and her family, flying in from Australia. She can't wait.

But when a tragedy strikes at the heart of their little community, all of Rosie's plans for the future seem to be blown apart. Can she build a life in Lipton? And is what's best for the sweetshop also what's best for Rosie?

Ali McNamara - 'Step Back in Time' (7th of November 2013)

How many lifetimes would you travel to find a love that lasts for ever?

When single career girl Jo-Jo steps onto a zebra crossing and gets hit by a car, she awakes to find herself in 1964. The fashion, the music, her job, even her romantic life: everything is different. And then it happens three more times, and Jo-Jo finds herself living a completely new life in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. The only people she can rely on are Harry and Ellie, two companions from 2013, and George, the owner of a second-hand record store.

If she's ever to return from her travels, Jo-Jo must work out why she's jumping through time like this. And if she does make it back, will her old life ever be the same again?

Trisha Ashley - 'Wish Upon a Star' (7th of November 2013)

The perfect gift isn’t always under the tree…

Single mum Cally’s life is all about her little girl Stella. She’s resigned to the fact that the only romance she’s going to get is from the rom-coms she watches, and with her busy job and her daughter, she doesn’t have time to even think about love.

But life gets very tough when Stella gets sick. Balancing her job as a recipe writer and looking after Stella is all consuming, so when Cally meets handsome baker Jago the last thing she wants to do is fall in love, especially when she’s been badly burned by a Prince Charming from her past. Can laid-back, charming Jago unlock Cally’s frozen heart and help her find true love and magic under the mistletoe?

Scarlett Bailey - 'Just for Christmas' (7th of November 2013)

When Alex Munro learns that the love of her life is getting married to another girl, all she wants is to be alone - and as far away from Edinburgh as possible.

Moving to a Cornish cottage, which comes complete with the world's scruffiest dog, Alex finds that her new neighbours are determined to involve her in their madcap Christmas festivities.

Then she meets her sexy neighbour Ruan - and somehow Alex doesn't want to be alone this Christmas after all. But having lost one fiance, Ruan has no intention of letting anyone get close to him again...

Dorothy Koomson - 'The Flavours of Love' (7th of November 2013)

'I'm looking for that perfect blend of flavours; the taste that used to be you. If I find it, I know you'll come back to me.'

It's been 18 months since my husband was murdered and I've decided to finish writing The Flavours of Love, the cookbook he started before he died. Everyone thinks I'm coping so well without him - they have no idea what I've been hiding or what I do away from prying eyes. But now that my 14-year-old daughter has confessed something so devastating it could destroy our family all over again, and my husband's killer has started to write to me claiming to be innocent, I know it's only a matter of time before the truth about me and what I've done is revealed to the world.

My name is Saffron Mackleroy and this is my story.

Karen Swan - 'Christmas at Claridge's' (7th of November 2013)

‘This was where her dreams drifted to if she didn’t blot her nights out with drink; this was where her thoughts settled if she didn’t fill her days with chat. She remembered this tiny, remote foreign village on a molecular level and the sight of it soaked into her like water into sand, because this was where her old life had ended and her new one had begun.’

Portobello – home to the world-famous street market, Notting Hill Carnival and Clem Alderton. She’s the queen of the scene, the girl everyone wants to be or be with. But beneath the morning-after makeup, Clem is keeping a secret, and when she goes too far one reckless night she endangers everything – her home, her job and even her adored brother’s love.

Portofino – a place of wild beauty and old-school glamour, and where a neglected villa has been bought by a handsome stranger. He wants Clem to restore it for him and it seems like the answer to all her problems – except that Clem has been there once before and vowed, for her own protection, never to return . . .

Tasmina Perry - The Proposal (7th of November 2013)

When Amy Carrell's wealthy boyfriend ends their relationship just before Christmas, she's left to nurse her broken heart alone. With nothing to lose, she replies to an advertisement requesting a companion for a mysterious 'Manhattan adventure'.

Whisked off to New York with eccentric British aristocrat Georgia Hamilton, Amy experiences a glamorous side of the city that she's never seen before. Along the way, Georgia initiates her protegee in the arts of old-school elegance.

But as Georgia shares her life lessons, Amy discovers a painful secret in her mentor's past. A secret that shattered her future. A story of love and betrayal that only Amy has the power to put right.

Clare Dowling - 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' (7th of November 2013)

Clara's been away for too long. So, after ten great years in London, and with boyfriend Matthew in tow, she arrives home in small-town Castlemoy. The family welcomes her with open arms: her diet-shy mother, her closet-living sister and her actor brother who scratches a living doing voiceover ads for chicken. Not everyone is delighted to see her, though. Jason, her long-ago ex, seems to have old scores to settle. Soon Clara finds herself being watched, followed and manipulated from afar. How can she make him stop? And as Clara's dreams of happily-ever-after begin to shatter, will she be able to wrestle her life back?

Katherine Webb - 'The Misbegotten' (7th of November 2013)

Bath, England, 1821. Rachel Crofton escapes the binds of her unhappy employment as a governess by marrying a charming self-made businessman. She sees a chance to create the family and home she has so long been without, but her new life soon takes an unexpected turn.

Through her new husband's connections, Rachel is invited to become the companion of the reclusive Jonathan Alleyn, a man tortured by memories of the Peninsula War, and tormented by the disappearance of his childhood sweetheart, Alice.

Starling, foundling servant to the Alleyn family, is convinced that Alice, the woman she loved as a sister, was stolen from her. Did Alice run away? Or did something altogether more sinister occur? Starling is determined to uncover the truth. Others want only to forget, and will go to extreme lengths to do so.

Rachel's arrival has an unsettling effect on the whole Alleyn household, and suddenly it seems that the dark deeds of the past will no longer stay contained.Shattering truths lurk behind Bath's immaculate facades, but the courage Rachel and Starling need to bring these truths to light will come at a very high price.

Paige Toon - 'Johnny's Girl' (7th of November 2013)

Meg's life has taken a turn for the perfect. She is the envy of millions with her drop dead gorgeous husband, their two beautiful sons and her new mansion in Henley. Her celebrity PA days are over. But desperate to keep up with her rock star husband, Johnny Jefferson, she uproots her perfect family and moves back to LA.
Meg has to learn to live with her new celebrity status and the insecurities of her old life, which keep reappearing. Under the paparazzi flash of an A-List party, complete with red carpet, champagne and canapés, Johnny's rock star past catches up with him and Meg's worst nightmare becomes a reality…

Allison Winn Scotch - 'The Theory of Opposites' (12th of November 2013)

Willa Chandler-Golden's father changed the world with his self-help bestseller, Is It Really Your Choice? Why Your Entire Life May Be Out of Your Control. Millions of devoted fans now find solace in his notion that everything happens for a reason. Though Willa isn’t entirely convinced of her father’s theories, she readily admits that the universe has delivered her a solid life: a reliable husband, a fast-paced career. Sure there are hiccups – negative pregnancy tests, embattled siblings - but this is what the universe has brought, and life, if she doesn’t think about it too much, is wonderful.

Then her (evidently not-so-reliable) husband proposes this: A two-month break. Two months to see if they can't live their lives without each other. And before Willa can sort out destiny and fate and what it all means, she’s axed from her job, her 12 year-old nephew Nicky moves in, her ex-boyfriend finds her on Facebook, and her best friend Vanessa lands a gig writing for Dare You!, the hottest new reality TV show. And then Vanessa lures Willa into dares of her own - dares that run counter to her father’s theories of fate, dares that might change everything…but only if Willa is brave enough to stop listening to the universe and instead aim for the stars.

Rowan Coleman - 'The Runaway Wife' (12th of November 2013)

Remembering the letter that says, “You are a remarkable woman and you deserve all the happiness, contentment, and love in the world. I, for one, know that I have never met anyone quite like you,” Rose Pritchard turns up on the doorstep of a B&B in England’s lake district. It is her last resort, as she and her seven-year-old daughter Maddie have left everything behind. They have come to the village of Millthwaite in search of the person who once offered Rose hope.

Almost immediately Rose wonders if she’s made a terrible mistake—if she’s chasing a dream—but she knows in her heart that she cannot go back. She’s been given a second chance—at life, and love—but will she have the courage to take it?

Lindsey Kelk - 'I Heart Christmas' (21st of November 2013)

Angela’s planning her very own fairytale of New York…

• Enormous Christmas tree
• Eggnog
• Eccentric British traditions
• Gorgeous man

But Santa’s throwing her a few curveballs – new job (as if it’s not mental enough already), new baby-craze from her best friend Jenny, and Alex determined they should grow up and settle down. Once friends start turning up uninvited on her doorstep (and leading her astray), can Angela really have a merry little Christmas? So much for happy holidays – something’s got to give…

Alison Lucy - 'The Runaways' (21st of November 2013)

It should be the perfect wedding... A blushing bride, an American hero. Rachel has the happy ending she always wanted. So what's holding her back from saying 'I do'?

Rachel ran away once before, just after her father died. This time she's washed up in sunny California and she's blissfully in love. But before she can marry Judd, there's a chapter of her past that she needs to resolve. A chapter that goes by the name of Seth.

Janey, Rachel's godmother, is a successful New York high-flyer but being single in her mid-thirties is starting to make her feel like a failure. When her goddaughter asks her to find an old friend called Seth and make sure he comes to her California wedding, she agrees to help her out.

Can a road trip with a stranger help steer Janey in the path to love? And will Rachel realise that when it comes to escape plans, is getting married ever a good idea?

Kirsty Greenwood - 'Yours Truly' (21st of November 2013)
 

Newly engaged Natalie Butterworth is an easy-going girl. She’ll do anything for a quiet life and if telling a few teensy white lies keeps her friends and family happy, then so what? It’s not like they’ll ever discover what she’s really thinking…
 
Until one night, thanks to a pub hypnotist, Natalie’s most private thoughts begin to bubble up and pop out of her mouth. Things get very messy indeed. Especially when some sticky home truths offend her fiancé.

Natalie must track down the hypnotist before the wedding is officially cancelled. So along with bad influence bestie Meg, Natalie finds herself in the Yorkshire Parish of Little Trooley - a small village bursting with big secrets, nosy old folk and intriguing Wellington-wearing men.

When the girls get stranded in the village with no means of escape and no way to break the hypnotist's spell, Natalie is forced to face the truths she has been avoiding her whole life...