Book Review - Reading Upside Down ~ Jo Platt

TITLE - Reading Upside Down

AUTHOR - Jo Platt

Pages - 253

Buy Link - Amazon UK // Amazon US

SYNOPSIS
Happiness could be just around the corner…

“…perfect setting, perfect dress, perfect flowers, one hundred and eight guests – and one, total and utter, rat.”

Abandoned at the altar, Rosalind Shaw descends into the kind of depression which involves watching too much daytime TV and not bothering to shower as regularly as her mother would like.

Relocating, she begins a new life at antiquarian bookshop “Chapters”. Here Ros finds herself working alongside the intellectual, and intensely private, Andrew; the kind-hearted, sartorially splendid, Georgina; and Joan, a free-spirited, loose cannon of a pensioner, with a penchant for amateur dramatics and outdoor nudity.

But just when life might be starting to improve, Ros’ rather hairy neighbour, Daniel, knocks on her door with a bunch of flowers, a nervous grin and some rather distressing news…

Reading Upside Down is funny, intelligent and fast-paced – a feel-good novel of mistaken assumptions and misread intentions; of feelings hurt and forgiveness.



MY REVIEW

Rosalind seemed to have it all and is just about to get married when she is dumped at the altar. Her Friends and Family then watch as she spirals into a state of depression. She is a mess; she loses pride in her appearance and lets herself go.

One of her Friends then gets her involved in a business. It's an old bookshop and there's a real mixture of people working there. In fact the whole book has a great mix of characters. Ros makes good friends with all those working in the shop. The author makes it feel like they become a little "Family". I love the way the author is very descriptive with her characters as it brings them alive and I could picture each of their faces and believe all their quirky ways.

Then there's Daniel, who lives at the bottom of the garden. Ros meets him initially through an unfortunate "incident" with her guinea pig, and there the strange but awkward friendship begins, with Ros making a fool of herself on more than one occasion.

It really is a comical read. My favourite quote from the book is - "she thanked him with a smile and a look so intense that I wondered if she was attempting to convey the sat-nav co-ordinates of her bedroom telephathically".

I loved the way the author had intertwined the relationships of all the characters, giving it a small town feel where everyone knows everyone. It made it a comforting read and a book that will make you laugh out loud.

This book will certainly lighten any mood that you are in. I recommend it.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Jo Platt Blog
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Book Review - If They Could See Me Now ~ Denise Welch

TITLE - If They Could See Me Now

AUTHOR - Denise Welch

PUBLISHER - Sphere

PAGES - 400

Buy Link - Amazon UK Amazon US

SYNOPSIS - 
Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered exactly how the choices you've made have brought you here? Harper Clarke has....

They all think her life is perfect.
Harper is a beautiful woman, pampered by her attractive, wealthy Husband, living in a gorgeous home. From the outside, everything looks wonderful. 

But they don't see what happens behind closed doors.
Harper is fifty three. Her perfect Husband is a bully, who criticises her looks, her housekeeping and her parenting. Then a nasty anonymous letter makes her question everything she knows about her family.
Harper has never had to strike out on her own. But she doesn't recognise the downtrodden woman looking back at her in the mirror.
Can Harper find the strength to start her life over again? 

MY REVIEW

When I saw this book, my instant thought was "Denise Welch, an Author?". I had no idea she wrote books and I didn't quite know what to expect as I only knew her as the actress and Loose Woman. Well I have to say I was thoroughly surprised as I thoroughly enjoyed this book! 

The main character is Harper, a beautiful actress, or rather she was. She's married to a wealthy man. She has everything. A gorgeous Husband and a gorgeous home. Her friends think she has it all and are quite envious. What they don't see is what goes on behind closed doors.

Domestic violence doesn't necessarily show itself as physical abuse, but includes emotional abuse too. It's a very emotive subject and if not carefully handed can come across as very crass and demeaning. Well I think Ms Welch handled it very delicately and it was superbly written. 

Harper is a beautiful person and very well liked and adored by some, and you instantly warm to her. She is not materialistic and pompous despite her wealth and success. I was definitely on her side. Her Husband on the other hand was a manipulative control freak. I instantly detested him. It's really good how the author draws you into their lives and makes you take sides.

I was intrigued about how the author would release Harper from her inwardly miserable life. Would she even be able to? Where was she going to go with this character? Could she remove her from the relationship she was trapped in?

I won't include any spoilers, but I loved the depth the Author went to and how delicately she managed the whole situation.

This was a moving, emotional and enjoyable read. I would thoroughly recommend it. I'd like to thank Little Brown for allowing me to read and review the book. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Denise Welch was born in Whitley Bay, UK, in 1958. She is an award winning actress, TV presenter and author of two Sunday Times bestselling autobiographies. Her many credits include Coronation St, Soldier Soldier, Waterloo Road and Boy Meets Girl, to name but a few. She is also an accomplished theatre actress. 

Denise was a panelist on popular daytime show Loose Women for several years.

She is married to artist Lincoln Townley, and has two sons, Matthew and Louis, and stepson Lewis. She now lives a quiet, party-free life in Rural Cheshire.

Find Denise on Facebook Twitter Web Page

BOOK REVIEW ~ Believing again - A tale of Two Christmases by Martin Crosbie - Cosy read

TITLE - Believing Again ~ A tale of Two Christmases

AUTHOR - Martin Crosbie

KINDLE EDITION - 183 pages

BUY LINKS - Amazon UK Amazon US

SYNOPSIS -

Two weeks before Christmas, Becky gets what she always wanted. James proposes to her and promises that they’ll have lots of Christmases together.
When Stephen returns home after serving overseas all he wants is to spend Christmas with his new wife, Myra. All he can think about is her touch, her warmth.

A compelling story of two couples, traveling their separate paths, building their lives together, until one day a secret is revealed that changes all of their lives.
And, afterward, nothing will ever be the same again.

Believing Again: A Tale of two Christmases is a heart-warming tale of love, commitment, family, and, of course, Christmas.

MY REVIEW 

This book is two tales intertwined. It starts just before Christmas. There's Becky and James; Stephen and Myra.

Becky and James are college sweethearts who have a romantic courtship and eventually marry.

Stephen is in the Army. Myra is his Sisters Friend and work colleague. Their's is more of a whirlwind romance, and although they hardly knew each other, they married before he headed off to Afghanistan.

The two couples do not know each other, however their worlds collide when tragedy strikes. Then the lies and deceipt appear and their lives change forever.

This wasn't a very long book, in fact it was only about 180 pages log, however the author packed a lot of story lines into this book, and it made for a great read. It was well structured and the author managed to build up the characters with ease in just a few pages.

It only dropped a star rating for me, as towards the final pages, I felt it jumped quite a bit and I would have liked a little more dialogue between the characters which could have been achieved by adding just a few extra pages to the book.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born in Aberdeen, UK

Website http://martincrosbie.com/

Twitter martinthewriter

In a press release, Amazon called Martin Crosbie’s debut novel My Temporary Life one of their success stories. His self-publishing journey has been chronicled in Publisher's Weekly, Forbes, and Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper. Martin’s recent release The Dead List (A John Drake Mystery) was awarded a publishing contract by Kindle Press.

He’s also the author of My Name Is Hardly - Book Two of the My Temporary Life Trilogy, Lies I Never Told - A Collection of Short Stories, How I Sold 30,000 eBooks on Amazon's Kindle - An Easy-To-Follow Self-Publishing Guidebook, 2016 Edition, and Believing Again: A Tale Of Two Christmases.

Martin was born in the Highlands of Scotland and currently makes his home just outside Vancouver, on the west coast of Canada.

Book Review ~The Christmas Cake Cafe by Sue Watson - Cosy Read

TITLE - The Christmas Cake Cafe

AUTHOR - Sue Watson

KINDLE EDITION - 258 pages

BUY LINKS - Amazon UK
SYNOPSIS - Heart-warming and hilarious, a story that will make you laugh, cry and bring a smile to your face. Get ready for another deliciously amazing Christmas treat from Sue Watson….
As the Prosecco chills and Bing Crosby croons, Jen Barker just knows that her long-term boyfriend is about to propose. But instead of a diamond ring nestled in her champagne flute, Jen finds cold flat rejection. Her once perfect life and dreams of a husband and family seem even further from reach.

A working holiday to the Swiss Alps with her younger sister Jody might not be the Christmas Jen had it mind, but it offers her the chance to recharge her batteries and recover from heartbreak.

When Jen meets handsome ski instructor Jon Zutter her hopes for a happy-ever-after seem within her grasp again. Jon is kind and gorgeous and as they bond over Sachetorte at the picturesque Cake Café, Jen thinks he might just be her perfect man. But a relationship with him comes with a catch – and there are some things even cake can’t fix.

As the snow falls and Christmas approaches, could this be the place that restores Jen Barker’s faith in love?

MY REVIEW

I got into the cosy Christmas read mood, after reading books by Sue Moorcroft and Mandy Baggot, and someone happened to recommend this.

It mainly centres around Jen; Librarian and long term girlfriend. Just when she thinks that her Boyfriend is going to propose, he actually leaves her. She faces a lonely Christmas.

Her Sister Jody, who is her Dad's younger Daughter from his second marriage, tries to persuade Jen to go on a working holiday with her and her friends in the Swiss Alps. Reluctantly she goes, knowing that her Sister and her friends will be on the lookout for ski instructors and parties.

She manages to find herself a job in a little cafe. At night she went to clubs with Jody and her friends and getting into the spirit of things, she clumsily fell about drunk. Then the unexpected happens and a victim of her clumsiness is a handsome ski instructor. The rest you'll have to read for yourself.

This was a great read; light hearted; funny; warm and with a feel good factor. The characters were well written and descriptive with the most amusing personalities. Although the plot line was a little unbelievable and romantic, it was nonetheless most enjoyable.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.


Sue Watson was a TV Producer with the BBC who combined motherhood and family life with a busy career. However, one day it dawned on Sue that Cosmo magazine may have been telling porkies about 'having it all,' and her life had become a slightly crazed juggling act.

So after much soul searching (and comfort eating) Sue abandoned her TV career, bought a pink laptop and wrote a novel. 'Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes,' tells the story of Stella Weston, whose life is a constant struggle with a nasty boss at work, the weighing scales and being a mum, wife and daughter.

Originally from Manchester, Sue now lives with her husband and teenage daughter in Worcestershire. When she's not toiling over her latest novel, Sue bakes (and eats) cake and enjoys very large tubs of Caramel Chew Chew ice cream all to herself while watching 'The Biggest Loser USA.'

Sue's second book, 'Younger, Thinner, Blonder' was released in October (2013) and her third book 'Love, Lies and Lemon Cake' is released on June 27th 2014.

https://www.facebook.com/suewatsonbooks

Follow Sue on Twitter @suewatsonwriter

Book Review - Dead Secret by Janice Frost - Police Procedural

TITLE - Dead Secret

AUTHOR - Janice Frost

PAGES - 302

BUY LINKS - Amazon UK Amazon US

SYNOPSIS - Who killed Amy Hill?Amy Hill, a nineteen-year-old student, is strangled and her body dumped on open ground in the city. New police partners, D.I. Jim Neal and D.S. Ava Merry are called in to investigate this brutal crime. The last person to see Amy alive was Simon, the son of a family friend, but before he can be properly questioned he disappears.

Detectives Neal and Merry are led on a trail of shocking family secrets and crimes. Can this duo track down the murderer before anyone else dies? Stopping this tragic cycle of violence will put D.S. Merry’s life at risk in a thrilling and heart-stopping finale.

If you like Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott, Ruth Rendell, or Mark Billingham you will be gripped by this exciting new crime fiction writer.

DEAD SECRET is the first in a new series of detective thrillers featuring D.S. Ava Merry and D.I. Jim Neal. Ava Merry is a young policewoman, recently promoted to detective sergeant. She is a fitness fanatic with a taste for dangerous relationships. Jim Neal is a single dad who juggles his devotion to his job with caring for his son.

Set in the fictional Northern city of Stromford, this detective mystery will have you gripped from start to shocking conclusion.

MY REVIEW 

This Author was recommended on a Facebook page I follow. When I read that it was a crime series featuring the same detectives, I thought I'd invest in the series as I'm always look for new authors/crime series to try. I wasn't disappointed.

The main two characters are DCI Jim Neal and DS Ava Merry. Their new case is to investigate the murder of a student, Amy Hill.

As with all crime novels there are several suspects; all of them have secrets. Different families become intertwined with lies and deceipt.

I liked how the author developed the new working relationship of the DI and the DS, and I can see them being a formidable duo in the following books.

It was well put together and an imaginative plot, with lots of twists and turns. It left you guessing and just when you thought you knew who the murderer was, you were thrown in the opposite direction. Just how a good crime novel should be. I'm certainly looking forward to the next book in the series.

Also in the Series are Dark Secret and Husbands Secret.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

"I am the author of three crime/mystery books featuring Detectives Jim Neal and Ava Merry. All three, Dead Secret, Dark Secret and Her Husband's Secret are set in the imaginary East Midlands city of Stromford.
Jim and Ava pairing up to investigate the murder of a teenage girl. It is their first major case together and the two soon discover that they have very different personalities. Neal is

intellectual and considered, Ava clever and occasionally reckless. Both are passionate about the job they do but have to work hard at being an effective team.

Dead Secret reached #13 in the Amazon Kindle Store and Dark Secret reached #10. Both books spent several weeks in the Top 100. Her Husband's Secret was published in November 2016.

I was born and grew up in West Lothian, Scotland. I spent several years living and working in London before moving to Lincolnshire where I currently live with my husband and two grown-up sons. When not reading or writing, I enjoy walking in the hills absorbing the scenery.

I am delighted to be published by the wonderful Joffe Books."

Follow Janice on Goodreads - Click here

Book Review - A Mothers Confession by Kelly Rimmer

TITLE - A Mothers Confession

AUTHOR - Kelly Rimmer

LENGTH - 354 Pages

PURCHASE LINK - Amazon UK ; Amazon US

SYNOPSIS -

Your husband took his own life. Tell the truth and destroy what’s left of your family. Or keep a secret that will tear you apart. What would you do?

Olivia and David were the perfect couple with their whole lives in front of them. When beautiful baby daughter Zoe came along, their world seemed complete.

But now David is dead and Olivia’s world is in pieces. While she is consumed with grief, her mother-in-law Ivy is also mourning the loss of her son. Both women are hiding secrets about the man they loved. Secrets that have put the family in danger.

Something was very wrong in Olivia and David’s marriage. Can Olivia and Ivy break their silence and speak the truth? A mother should protect her child, whatever the cost… shouldn’t she?

From the bestselling author of The Secret Daughter and Me Without You comes another emotionally gripping and gut-wrenching read about love, loss and the strength of a mother’s love. 

MY REVIEW





I had heard a lot about this book and when I had the opportunity to read and review it, I jumped at it.

This book really packs a punch. It's a very hard hitting novel, told from the aspects of two women. Two women who played a big part in the life of David; a man who it seemed on the surface, had it all.
There's Olivia the Wife and Ivy the Mother. It started off as a good marriage (although David was controlling before they married) but then it changed.

It was easy to get embroiled into their lives. I got annoyed with David's parents as they couldn't see what he was like. Either that or they just turned a blind eye.

I enjoyed the way the story was told from the eyes of each women, as it gave a different perspective to the world around them. I wanted to shake Olivia though and give Ivy a piece of my mind!

This was a well written and emotional portrayal of life in an abusive relationship and what happens when it comes to an end. As you would expect there is a twist.

This was one of my favourite reads of 2016 and I look forward to reading more books by this author.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
"When my childhood friends grew out of make-believe games, I realised that I’d have to become a writer (or join the real world with them, but that seemed far too dull).

Several decades later, I live in rural Australia with my husband Daniel and our two young children, and when I’m not reading, writing, or daydreaming about reading and writing, I have one of those unfathomable IT jobs which no one outside of the industry really knows about."

Contact the author
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