Rating:
9,5/10
9,5/10
Showing posts with label zara stoneley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label zara stoneley. Show all posts
7 December 2016
Review: 'The Holiday Swap' by Zara Stoneley (2016)
26 December 2015
Review: 'A Very Country Christmas' by Zara Stoneley (2015)
Rating:9,5/10
9,5/10
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
12 June 2015
Review: 'Stable Mates' by Zara Stoneley (2014)
Rating:8/10
8/10Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
6 June 2015
Blog Tour: 'Country Affairs' by Zara Stoneley (+ giveaway)!
If you loved Stable Mates, follow-up book Country Affairs is going to gallop its way straight into your heart. Yes, Lottie and the other Tippermere residents are back to delight readers with their antics!
We're saddling up and going on a hunt for reviews, excerpts and some lucky giveaway winners, with Zara Stoneley and her Country Affairs blog tour...
Welcome back to Tippermere for the wedding of the year…
Scatty but loveable Lottie Brinkley is famous throughout the village for her disorganised personality so when she steps up to plan the perfect wedding the only likely outcome is disaster.
When her globetrotting, love cheat of an ex, Todd, literally crashes the wedding on a not-so-noble steed, things definitely look set to take a turn for the scandalous. As rumours of why he’s back spread through the village quicker than the stable girl can drop her knickers, is Lottie's future with sexy eventer Rory Steel about to fall at the next fence?
With a wave of unexpected pregnancies, steamy shenanigans in the hay and a farrier with more than shoeing horses on his mind, will Lottie ever be ready to take on the coveted title of Lady of the Manor and restore the Estate to its former glory?
As the heart of the village, Tipping House Estate, makes its move into the 21st Century, pulses start to race in a novel packed full of charm, hunky stallions (the guys that is), and a daring plan that just has to succeed…
A must read for fans of Fiona Walker, Tilly Bagshawe and Jo Carnegie!
I'm really excited to be part of the CandleLit Author Services blog tour for Zara Stoneley's latest novel 'Country Affairs' today! The novel was released by Harper Impulse on the 7th of May and is the sequel to 'Stable Mates'. The book focuses on Charlotte, also known as Lottie, Brinkley who is on the verge of taking over her grandmother Elizabeth Stanthorpe's role as Lady of the Manor, taking the lead on all the estate business. However, they are dealing with a huge debt, so Lottie has her work cut out for her. She will need to focus on the financial side of things and come up with a plan to save the grounds of Tipping House without opening the estate to the public (clear orders from her grandmother). Thankfully, Lottie's friends are all on board to help her out. The only one to make a problem of things appears to be her boyfriend Rory, who doesn't want to change the casual life he leads with Lottie, and things get even more exciting when Lottie's ex Todd shows up completely unexpected. Question is, will Lottie be able to save both the family estate and her relationship with Rory or will she be forced to leave one of the two behind...?
This is the second part of Zara Stoneley's Tippermere series, which is filled with enough scandal, gossip, lords and ladies, horses and dogs to entertain readers for a few hours! I personally loved this sequel more than the first part of the series and enjoyed reading about the colourful group of characters even more this time around. Next to Lottie, there's a whole lot of individual characters who each add their own touch to the story, such as the lovely Amanda, handsome and Irish Mick, hilarious footballer's wife Sam, all the dogs and horses and their antics, and the stubborn Lady Elizabeth Stanthorpe (who has to be my favourite character of all).
The book can be read as a stand-alone, even though I would personally advise to read 'Stable Mates' first, especially since there's quite a big group of characters which can get a bit confusing at times, especially if you don't know their backgrounds and history. Zara Stoneley's writing style is really comfortable; detailed enough, well-paced and easy to get lost in. I am sure 'Country Affairs' will leave many readers with a smile on their face; a thoroughly entertaining read with a good touch of horses and scandal which I really enjoyed!
I'm really excited to be part of the CandleLit Author Services blog tour for Zara Stoneley's latest novel 'Country Affairs' today! The novel was released by Harper Impulse on the 7th of May and is the sequel to 'Stable Mates'. The book focuses on Charlotte, also known as Lottie, Brinkley who is on the verge of taking over her grandmother Elizabeth Stanthorpe's role as Lady of the Manor, taking the lead on all the estate business. However, they are dealing with a huge debt, so Lottie has her work cut out for her. She will need to focus on the financial side of things and come up with a plan to save the grounds of Tipping House without opening the estate to the public (clear orders from her grandmother). Thankfully, Lottie's friends are all on board to help her out. The only one to make a problem of things appears to be her boyfriend Rory, who doesn't want to change the casual life he leads with Lottie, and things get even more exciting when Lottie's ex Todd shows up completely unexpected. Question is, will Lottie be able to save both the family estate and her relationship with Rory or will she be forced to leave one of the two behind...?
This is the second part of Zara Stoneley's Tippermere series, which is filled with enough scandal, gossip, lords and ladies, horses and dogs to entertain readers for a few hours! I personally loved this sequel more than the first part of the series and enjoyed reading about the colourful group of characters even more this time around. Next to Lottie, there's a whole lot of individual characters who each add their own touch to the story, such as the lovely Amanda, handsome and Irish Mick, hilarious footballer's wife Sam, all the dogs and horses and their antics, and the stubborn Lady Elizabeth Stanthorpe (who has to be my favourite character of all).
The book can be read as a stand-alone, even though I would personally advise to read 'Stable Mates' first, especially since there's quite a big group of characters which can get a bit confusing at times, especially if you don't know their backgrounds and history. Zara Stoneley's writing style is really comfortable; detailed enough, well-paced and easy to get lost in. I am sure 'Country Affairs' will leave many readers with a smile on their face; a thoroughly entertaining read with a good touch of horses and scandal which I really enjoyed!
Author Bio:
Bestselling author Zara Stoneley lives in deepest Cheshire surrounded by horses, dogs, cats and amazing countryside. When she's not visiting wine bars, artisan markets or admiring the scenery in her sexy high heels or green wellies, she can be found in flip flops on the beach in Barcelona, or more likely sampling the tapas!
Zara writes hot romance and bonkbusters. Her latest novels, 'Stable Mates' and 'Country Affairs', are fun romps through the Cheshire countryside and combines some of her greatest loves - horses, dogs, hot men and strong women (and not forgetting champagne and fast cars)!
She writes for Harper Collins and Accent Press.
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Win a signed paperback copy of Stable Mates!
Terms and conditions:
Zara Stoneley and CandleLit Author Services reserve the right to cancel and/or amended the giveaway at any time and without prior notification. Zara Stoneley and CandleLit Author Services accept no responsibility for non-delivery of prizes.
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23 October 2014
Blog Tour: 'Stable Mates' by Zara Stoneley (including giveaway!)
Scandalous Stable Mates by best-selling author Zara Stoneley is cantering its way through the bloggersphere. Get ready for lust, love and outrageous goings-on as we bring you romping reviews, exciting excerpts, galloping guest posts and a tip-top giveaway!
I Blame James
Guest Post by Zara Stoneley
When I was younger my mother wanted me to be like James Herriot. Well, I wanted to be like James, a vet. Not, obviously the type who permanently had one arm in the nether regions of a mooing cow, and two feet in very muddy wellingtons. No, more the type that spent a lot of time cuddling puppies and kissing kittens. But my mother had other ideas. She wanted me to write like James Herriot. As in a best-selling very funny and popular book about animals, that is turned into a TV series or a film (I can now see where she was coming from).
I did it my way, I did write a book but it was more James Bond than James Herriot (animals and 007 were my twin obsessions). I sent it to Michael Joseph publishers (because they published my favourite books) and got on with nagging my parents to let me have a puppy, and pay for horse riding lessons.
Time passed, I grew up, and became an IT consultant wearing designer suits instead of wellies, and applying my fingers to a keyboard rather than anything four legged and furry.
And then, one day I decided a sudden career change was in order. I set up a dog grooming business, and bought a horse (no, there isn’t any logic). The dogs were funny (did I tell you about the collie that liked to climb trees?), me and the horse were funnier (ever been towed through a picnicking family by a fat cob?). So I’d come full circle, almost. And I decided to apply those fingers to a different keyboard. And write Stable Mates.
I blame James, and I blame my mother (who definitely knew best) – which is why I dedicated the book to her. Now, anybody fancy turning it into a TV series?
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Enter via the Rafflecopter below to win a £20 Amazon voucher and signed paperback of Stable Mates:
Giveaway UK only. Paperback copy of Stable Mates will be sent upon its 20th November 2014 release. CandleLit Author Services and Zara Stoneley reserve the right to cancel and/or amend the giveaway at anytime, without prior notification.
28 August 2014
September 2014 releases!
The end of summer is getting nearer and nearer as September is almost upon us. September always reminds me of new beginnings; it's going back to school for some, completely back to work after the summer holidays for others, and it's also going to be a new beginning for me since I will be starting my new job which I am really excited about! Of course, the start of a new month also means another list of exciting upcoming book releases. September has some great new reads coming our way so be sure to check out the list below! :)
Sarah Healy - 'House of Wonder' (2nd of September)
When we were little and I needed Warren, I would rub my earlobe. And perhaps it was the alchemy of childhood, a magic that happened because I believed it could, but I swear it worked. He always came.
Theirs wasn’t always the misfit family in the neighborhood. Jenna Parsons’s childhood was one of block parties and barbecues, where her mother, a former beauty queen, continued her reign and her twin brother, Warren, was viewed as just another oddball kid. But as her mother’s shopaholic habits intensified, and her brother’s behavior became viewed as more strange than quirky, Jenna sought to distance herself from them. She is devoted to her career and her four-year-old daughter, Rose. But now, in his peculiar way, Warren summons her back to 62 Royal Court.
What she finds there—a house in disrepair, a neighborhood on tenterhooks over a rash of petty thefts, and evidence of past traumas her mother has kept hidden—will challenge Jenna as never before. But as she stands by her family, she also begins to find beauty in unexpected places, strength in unlikely people, and a future she couldn’t have imagined.
When we were little and I needed Warren, I would rub my earlobe. And perhaps it was the alchemy of childhood, a magic that happened because I believed it could, but I swear it worked. He always came.
Theirs wasn’t always the misfit family in the neighborhood. Jenna Parsons’s childhood was one of block parties and barbecues, where her mother, a former beauty queen, continued her reign and her twin brother, Warren, was viewed as just another oddball kid. But as her mother’s shopaholic habits intensified, and her brother’s behavior became viewed as more strange than quirky, Jenna sought to distance herself from them. She is devoted to her career and her four-year-old daughter, Rose. But now, in his peculiar way, Warren summons her back to 62 Royal Court.
What she finds there—a house in disrepair, a neighborhood on tenterhooks over a rash of petty thefts, and evidence of past traumas her mother has kept hidden—will challenge Jenna as never before. But as she stands by her family, she also begins to find beauty in unexpected places, strength in unlikely people, and a future she couldn’t have imagined.
Why so excited? --> I love the title and book cover of Sarah Healy's upcoming release. I'm not familiar with Sarah's work, but the blurb sounds intriguing and I'm quite curious to find out more about Jenna Parsons and her family.
Trust blooms at Ivy Lane...
Life at Ivy Lane allotments is as hectic as always. With crops to harvest and weeds to tackle, Tilly is busier than ever, but she can never resist chatting with Alf, an elderly widower with top-notch turnips and many a story to tell.
When the announcement of a young offenders project sends waves of suspicion through the allotment, Alf and Tilly must persuade Ivy Lane to trust the newly arrived teenagers . . . but what secrets is Tilly keeping to herself?
With best friend Gemma to support her, Tilly must face up to her difficult memories and finally reveal what happened to change her life for ever. But can she open her heart to love at the Hallowe'en party?
Why so excited? --> The past couple of months we have been treated to the first and second part of Cathy Bramley's serialized novel 'Ivy Lane.' The book tells the story of main character Tilly who is trying to build a new life for herself. I loved the 'Spring' and 'Summer' parts of the series and can't wait for the third part!
Secrets and scandals, love and lust – when the ‘Cheshire Set’ are up against the ‘Footballer’s Wives’ the only common ground is carnal…
Flirting and fun seem the perfect antidote for Lottie's battered heart, and where better to find them than back in tranquil Tippermere, home of sexy eventer Rory Steel, the smiling Irish eyes of hunky farrier Mick O'Neal, and mysterious newcomer, model Tom Strachan?
But when landowner Marcus James drops dead unexpectedly, and the threat of his waggish wife Amanda selling the heart of the village out from under them looms large, things look like they're about to heat up in and out of the saddle.
With tensions running high, and the champagne flowing as freely as the adrenalin, is it any wonder that love catches more than one of them unawares?
Why so excited? --> September also has some great Harper Impulse releases in store for us! Zara Stoneley's 'Stable Mates' promises to be a steamy and entertaining read and I look forward to picking it up!
Feisty Maia Etxeleku is a cleaner for ladies who lunch. She spends her life wiping up spilt Sauvignon and hoovering around handbags before rushing back home to skivvy after her children's feckless father on an estate where survival depends on your ability to look the other way.
But an unusual inheritance catapults her into a different world where no child can survive without organic apricots and Kumon maths classes – and no woman can contemplate a week without Pilates and pedicures.
As she blunders through a middle class minefield, dashing from coffee mornings to her mops and buckets, she is drawn to the one man who can help her family fit in. But is his interest in her purely professional or will her modern My Fair Lady experiment end in disaster.
Why so excited? --> I've been lucky enough to have read and reviewed 'The School Gate Survival Guide' earlier this year and I thought it was a great read (click here to read my review). The paperback version will be released on the 11th of September and I can't recommend it enough!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
The Bonneville Hotel is the best kept secret in Mayfair: its art deco suites and glittering ballrooms a former home-away-from-home for royalty and film stars alike. Recent years haven’t been kind, but thanks to Events Manager Rosie, the Bonneville is reclaiming some of its old cachet as a chic retro-glam wedding venue.
While Rosie’s weddings are the ultimate in romance, Rosie herself isn’t; she’s focused on the details, not the dramas. But when the hotel owner appoints his eccentric son Joe to the Bonneville staff, Rosie finds herself up against an unprecedented challenge: a rival whose predilection for the unconventional could derail not only Rosie’s own career, but the most elaborate, high-profile wedding the Bonneville has ever seen.
Why so excited? --> I love Hester Browne's novels and 'Honeymoon Hotel' sounds like a fantastic read. I already love the sound of events manager Rosie and how she organises the most romantic weddings in the Bonneville Hotel. Can't wait to read this book!
Meet America's Tweet-Heart.
She's network reporter Cassidy Shea, better known as @TwitterGirl, with more than a million followers thanks to her sarcastic tweets. One hundred forty characters that can take anyone down a notch.
But while brevity may be the soul of wit, it can also get you fired.
When a controversial tweet goes viral the snarky redhead finds herself locked out of the career she loves... and watches her boyfriend take a hike.
Alas, no industry values sarcasm more than politics, and Cassidy becomes a marketable commodity for Presidential candidate Will Becker, a squeaky-clean, stone cold lock to be the next occupant of the White House. This candidate is unlike any other; he's the country's most eligible bachelor. He's also looking for a running mate, and we're not talking about a Vice President.
Twitter Girl has caught his eye.
Cassidy finds herself swept up in a whirlwind romance that turns her into the next Jackie Kennedy and becomes the favorite to be the next First Lady. The country can't get enough of America's First Couple... will Cassidy and Will Becker bring back Camelot?
But an anonymous tip triggers her journalistic curiosity. Is Will Becker all that he seems? The search for the answer teaches Cassidy the meaning of love.
Why so excited? --> I've heard lots of positive things about Nic Tatano's work and I can't wait to check out his work. 'Twitter Girl' sounds like a really entertaining read; another promising Harper Impulse release that's coming our way!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Book 3 in the brilliantly witty ‘Psychic Detective’ series from Angela Campbell – perfect for fans of the Sookie Stackhouse & Stephanie Plum books!
Who knew pet-sitting could be so dangerous…or so sexy?!
Socially awkward Emma “Spider” Fisher prefers her laptop to people, so she’s more than happy to oblige her boss when he asks her to pet- and housesit while he honeymoons in London.
But it doesn’t take long for accident-prone Spider to lose a dog, get locked out of the house, and set off the house alarm!
Thankfully, her hot new neighbour is more than happy to come to her rescue. But Noah West is a mystery to Spider—and one she intends to solve.
Why so excited? --> 'Spirited Away' is the third part of the 'Psychic Detective' series. I have to admit I haven't read the first two parts, but the series sounds like a lot of fun and different from anything else I've read before.
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thirty-something Lucy and Luke Harte, have everything – jobs they love, a great home, lovely family and friends – except the one thing they want the most: a baby.
After eight miscarriages and years of disappointment, their luck has finally turned. Lucy is nearly four months pregnant – the furthest she has ever got – and both she and Luke are ecstatic. But fate has another plan for Lucy and, on the day of their fifth wedding anniversary, Luke is involved in a horrific car accident.
As Luke lies in a coma, Lucy tries, with the support of her mother-in-law Patricia, best friend Dee and sister-in-law Nell, to hold everything together.
But life for Lucy and the Harte family is about to change more than they could ever have imagined when Stella, a colleague of Luke’s, turns up at the hospital pregnant with his baby…
Why so excited? --> The e-book version of 'Pieces of You' was released on the 14th of August and the paperback version will follow on the 25th of September. I think the book sounds quite intriguing, and I can't wait to read the review copy I've been lucky enough to have received!
Why so excited? --> The e-book version of 'Pieces of You' was released on the 14th of August and the paperback version will follow on the 25th of September. I think the book sounds quite intriguing, and I can't wait to read the review copy I've been lucky enough to have received!
The second instalment in this hilarious, romantic and unputdownable five-part series. Perfect for fans of Lindsey Kelk's I Heart... novels.
Lily is an actress. At least, that's what she tells people, even though she's currently working in a call centre and her last big part was an ad for Sofa Warehouse. So when she's invited to her cousin Alice's wedding in LA, it's a dream come true. Alice's fiancé Sam is actually a Hollywood agent; how can Lily fail to get talent-spotted? There's only one problem; not only is Lily banned from mentioning acting, parts or producers to Sam, she's expected to spend the entire week doing wedding-related prep (read: chores) with Sam's boring groomsman Jesse. But Lily firmly believes that rules were made to be broken...
Why so excited? --> Nicola Doherty's 'Girls on Tour' series focuses on four friends, 'ordinary girls who have extraordinary fun in faraway places.' 'Lily Does LA' is the second part of the series and I love the sound of it!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
After Polly ends her relationship with the father of her young son, Louis, she is determined to move on. All she wants is to focus on her job, her friends and to be a good mum. No more looking over her shoulder. No more complications...
Then Polly meets Ben.
Ben is guardian of his niece, Emily. They become close, with Polly teaching Ben how to plait Emily's hair, and Ben playing football with Louis. Their friendship is unexpected. Polly’s never been happier.
But when Louis's dad reappears in their life, all Polly’s mistakes come back to haunt her and her resolve weakens when he swears he has changed.
Will she give herself a second chance to love?
Why so excited? --> I think 'One Step Closer to You' promises to be a captivating read. I've heard many positive things about Alice Peterson's writing and I can't wait to check out one of her stories for myself!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Grace and Ted Chapman. Literary power couple. Ted is considered “the thinking man’s John Grisham” and Grace, his wife of twenty years is beautiful, stylish, carefree. All of this is on the surface. Beneath, what no one sees, is Ted’s rages. His mood swings. And the precarious house of cards that their lifestyle is built upon. When Ted’s longtime assistant and mainstay leaves, the house of cards begins to crumble and Grace, with dark secrets in her past, is most vulnerable. To the rescue comes Beth, a new assistant. Someone who will help handle Ted. Someone who has the calm efficiency to weather the storms that threaten to engulf their household. Soon, though, it’s clear to Grace that Beth might be too good to be true. And that this new interloper might be the biggest threat of all, one that could cost Grace her marriage, her reputation, and even her sanity.
Why so excited? --> I thoroughly enjoyed Jane Green's previous release, 'Tempting Fate.' It was an incredible book that was really well-written and I have been looking forward to Jane's newest release for quite some time now; I have a feeling this one will be just as good, fingers crossed!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Teresa Adler is the ultimate Ice Princess, with a heart as frozen as the winter landscape of her beloved home, Westerwald. All her life, she’s belonged to the ‘inner circle’ of wealth, privilege and position.
Christian Taylor: Heartthrob. Movie Star. Bad boy. The mischievous actor sets temperatures soaring in the picturesque baroque principality – and with a wicked glint in his eye and a chip on his shoulder he sets his sights on the one thing he’s told he can’t have. Teresa.
While Tessa holds the ultimate clue to the secret of Christian’s parentage, it is the heat of his touch that will make this Ice Princess feel more alive than she ever has before…
Why so excited? --> We are being treated to another fabulous Harper Impulse read this September and I love love love the sound of this one! 'To Catch a Star' sounds and looks a bit like a fairy tale (the cover is just enchanting) and it has definitely made me curious!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
There is no story of me without the story of you
I want to explain it all to you. How this happened. How that summer – the summer I was 16 – made me the person I am today.
I want to share my memories with you: the happy memories are like sunbursts, sparkling on the sea. But then, like a current dragging me under, there's that summer of 1997.
The summer my life exploded.
The summer I had to grow up.
The summer you came into my life.
And so this is the story of you.
Why so excited? --> The paperback version of 'The Story of You' will be released on the 25th of September and it's one of the books I have been looking forward to reading a lot for quite some time now. Gorgeous cover and the promise of a great story, what more do we need, right?
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thea's parents decide to host a big family Christmas in a house by the sea. even though they are, in fact, about to split up. Thea herself is newly single - her sister and brother are both settled, with children, homes and a future. But Thea's boyfriend has ditched her in favour of his pedigree dogs, and Thea can't decide whether or not she minds.
There will be copious food and drink, holly and mistletoe, lots of bracing walks and a wintry barbecue on the beach. If it seems an odd way to celebrate the final break-up of a marriage and the Moving On to new partners, no- one is saying so. But then no-one had anticipated that the new partners might actually turn up to complicate the sleeping arrangements.
As Cornwall experiences the biggest snowstorm in living memory, the festive atmosphere comes under some strain. Will Thea manage to find some happiness for herself? Will the mistletoe work its magic on them all.
Why so excited? --> Judy Astley has released so many books over the years, but I still get really excited when a new novel of hers is being released. I can't wait to get in the Christmas mood and 'It Must Have Been the Mistletoe' sounds perfect to do just that!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) has stars in her eyes. She and her daughter, Minnie, have joined husband Luke in LA—city of herbal smoothies, multimillion-dollar yoga retreats, and the lure of celebrity. Luke is there to help manage the career of famous actress Sage Seymour—and Becky is convinced she is destined to be Sage’s personal stylist, and go from there to every A-list celebrity in Hollywood!
But things become complicated when Becky joins the team of Sage’s archrival. How will charming and supportive Luke deal with this conflict? Is it possible that what Becky wants most will end up hurting those she loves most?
Why so excited? --> Sophie Kinsella! Becky Bloomwood! Another Shopaholic story! Do I need to say more?!
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