Book Review & Blog Tour - Perfect on Paper by Gillian Harvey ~ #OrionFiction

 

TITLE - Perfect on Paper

AUTHOR - Gillian Harvey

PUBLICATION DAY - 13th May 2021

PUBLISHER - Orion Fiction

BUY LINK - Click here

SYNOPSIS -
Clare's life might look 'perfect on paper', but she's ready to shake things up and put herself first for once... A fun and uplifting novel from Gillian Harvey, author of Everything is Fine.

It's time to shake things up a little...

Clare Bailey's life is perfect. Successful career, loving husband, two kids and a gorgeous townhouse. At least, that's how it looks like from the outside.

In fact, she's never felt more invisible. Her boss barely remembers her name, her husband is distracted by his new TV job and her daughter has never found her more embarrassing!

But when she's given a chance to turn her life upside-down she wonders whether she should risk everything she loves for a life that's more than just 'perfect on paper'...?

PRAISE FOR GILLIAN HARVEY:

‘Just the escapism we need right now' EVENING STANDARD

'A perfect weekend read' GRAZIA

'Funny and uplifting' BELLA

‘Hilarious and relatable’ WOMAN

'Made me laugh out loud so many times!' LUCY VINE

'Feel-good, funny, and very relatable' ANNA BELL

'Funny and honest' ELIZABETH BUCHAN

Every now and again you need to read a book which has a feel good factor and this book was one of those. 

This is the story of Clare. She sounds like so many women of today who you hear talk about how they are not appreciated by their family and employers, and feel like they are going through the motions. This was a plausible and also a funny read with a few laugh out loud moments. 

She encounters an opportunity, albeit a bit of a bizarre opportunity, and although hesitant at first, she grasps it with both hands. You keep willing her on throughout the book. 

I laughed a lot reading this book and it was almost as if it was someone's autobiography, as it was so believable. It was a lovely easy read. 

The writer has created some great characters in this book and has given them all really distinct personalities. So much so that you are able to connect really easily with them. Maybe some of us can see ourselves in Clare a little bit and that's what makes her so easy to connect to. 

So if you are looking for a nice cosy read to curl up to then this is the one for you. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gillian Harvey always dreamed of being a writer, but it took a while for that dream to come true. She started her career as an English teacher, before moving to France in 2009 with her husband Ray.

In 2012, she started freelance writing for magazines and newspapers, and in 2018 she signed a book deal with Orion for her first novel 'Everything is Fine,' which was published in May 2020.
'Everything is Fine' was longlisted for the Guardian's 'Not the Booker' prize in 2020.
Gillian's second novel 'Perfect on Paper' was released on the 13th May 2021.

Gillian lives in France with husband Ray and their five children.

FOLLOW THE BLOG TOUR TO SEE WHAT OTHER BLOGGERS HAVE TO SAY. 

Christmas Wishes by Sue Moorcroft ~ Cosy Christmas Read. Book Review. ~ Pre-Order now

 

TITLE - Christmas Wishes

AUTHOR - Sue Moorcroft

BUY LINK - Pre-order here

SYNOPSIS - 
A sparkling Christmas read from the Sunday Times bestseller - perfect to snuggle up with this winter!

Hannah and Nico are meant to be together.

But fate is keeping them apart...

As soon as Hannah bumps into her brother Rob's best friend Nico in Stockholm, the two rekindle a fast friendship. But Hannah has a boyfriend - and Nico has two children to look after.

When Hannah loses her beloved shop in Stockholm, though, she is forced to move back to the little village of Middledip - only to find Nico has just moved in too. Under the same snowy sky, can the childhood friends make a romance work - or are there too many obstacles standing in their way?

A heartwarming story of love, friendship, and Christmas magic, perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley and Jill Mansell.

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 9780008392994
Number of pages: 400
Weight: 270 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 mm

Firstly, who could not instantly fall in love with this book, just by looking at the charming cover. It invites you in to the cosy house, where there may be a log fire burning to keep you warm from the snow outside. A book cover can often sell a book to me.

Now to the book. This was another captivating and engaging read by the Author. I've never been disappointed by her winter reads, but to me this was the best by far. 

Enter Hannah, the protagonist. A real family girl; warm, caring, likeable and hardworking. The sort of friend you would love to have in your life. She's also fall of dreams, living in Stockholm and running her little shop, full of amazing gifts and treasures. The sort of shop I could spend ages in. 

The Author's description of Stockholm, makes you feel that you have been there. From the sights and sounds of the shops and cafes with their chatter. From the delicious sounding food, that draws you in to the restaurants.

Then there's her Boyfriend Albin. I didn't like him. Obnoxious, and to me self centred. Hannah was too good for him. He's a partner in the shop but leaves Hannah to run it. Sadly though, Hannah ends up losing her much loved shop, thanks to Albin, and heads back to her old life in England.

Enter another loveable character, Nico, her Brother Rob's best friend from school, who Hannah knows well. Single Dad to Josie, hardworking, and with a complicated ex-wife, who brings a lot of drama with her! However, could there a spark between Hannah and Nico? I hoped so. You'll have to read it to find out!

 For any of you that have not read any Sue Moorcroft books, firstly where have you been? For those that have, this is a wonderful return to the fictional village of Middledip, and a visit to some of the wonderful characters we have encountered previously. But don't worry if you haven't visited Middledip before, as this is a perfect standalone read too. I couldn't put this book down, and didn't want it to end.

Visit Stockholm. Click here. 

Holding by Graham Norton - Book review ~ @grahnort

TITLE - Holding

AUTHOR - Graham Norton

PUBLISHER - Hodder and Stoughton

PAGES - 320

Buy Link - Click here

Synopsis -

The remote Irish village of Duneen has known little drama; and yet its inhabitants are troubled. Sergeant PJ Collins hasn't always been this overweight; mother of­ two Brid Riordan hasn't always been an alcoholic; and elegant Evelyn Ross hasn't always felt that her life was a total waste.

So when human remains are discovered on an old farm, suspected to be that of Tommy Burke - a former­ love of both Brid and Evelyn - the village's dark past begins to unravel. As the frustrated PJ struggles to solve a genuine case for the first time in his life, he unearths a community's worth of anger and resentments, secrets and regret.

Darkly comic, touching and at times profoundly sad. Graham Norton employs his acerbic wit to breathe life into a host of loveable characters, and explore - with searing honesty - the complexities and contradictions that make us human.

Graham Norton's masterful debut is an intelligently crafted story of love, secrets and loss.

https://shereadstoomuch.com

When I saw there was a book to be reviewed by Graham Norton, I assumed that it would be a comedy, as that is what Mr Norton is best loved for. Although having the odd comedic line here and there, nothing could be further from the truth. It's a family drama, full of secrets, a lot of lies and a great deal of heartache. 

With all that aside there are some warm hearted moments, mixed with crime and intrigue. There's the lovable PJ who is the SGT from the local Garda, with the setting being the Irish hamlet of Duneen, who lives in the police house, watched over by Mrs Meaney who cooks and cleans for him. Life seems easy and laid back in this quiet part of Ireland, that is until the local developers unearth some bones on a new development. What or who do they belong to? Time to open a whole can of worms. You must pick up the book to find out more. 

It is descriptive in that it helps you picture the locations of each chapter and each character . It's an intriguing debut novel; written with some simplicity rather than a hard hitting gritty crime novel, but nonetheless it was not predictable and did keep the reader guessing. It was a surprisingly good read, and I look forward to what else there is to come from the author. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I was thrilled to be able to review this book as Mr Norton is my favourite TV chat

show hosts. He took over the prestigious Friday Night slot on BBC1 in 2010. He is also an Irish Radio host and also a DJ, Comedian and author. 

He regularly presents on Radio 2, and is also the BBC television host for the European Song Contest. 

Catch up with Graham on Twitter and YouTube. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the opportunity to review this book. 

Guest Blog, Giveaway & Book Review ~ The Christmas Promise - Sue Moorcroft

 

I'd like to welcome Author Sue Moorcroft to my blog today. Sue has her new book out The Christmas Promise, so I invited her to come a long and be a guest on my blog. I've also read and reviewed the book and have shared it below. Her blog post is an interesting one about something that happens just twice a year. Please read on .....................

TITLE - The Christmas Promise

AUTHOR - Sue Moorcroft

PURCHASE LINK - click here

BOOK BLURB from Amazon

‘I love all of Sue Moorcroft’s books!’ KATIE FFORDE

Countdown to Christmas with your new must-have author, as you step into the wonderful world of bespoke hat-maker Ava Bliss…

For Ava Bliss, it’s going to be a Christmas to remember…

On a snowy December evening, Sam Jermyn steps into the life of bespoke hat maker Ava. Sparks fly, and not necessarily the good ones.

Times are tough for Ava – she’s struggling to make ends meet, her ex-boyfriend is a bully, and worst of all, it’s nearly Christmas.

So when Sam commissions Ava to make a hat for someone special, she makes a promise that will change her life. She just doesn’t know it yet…

Curl up with this gorgeous, festive read – the perfect treat for fans of Katie Fforde, Carole Matthews and Trisha Ashley.




MY REVIEW

I'm not a big Christmas lover. I hate the commercialism of it all. I do however love the Family closeness of the day itself (when I'm not working). One thing I do love though is a cosy Christmas novel, and this book was no exception. 

This book centres around Ava Bliss, who I instantly warmed to. She lives with her best friend Izz, who has a successful job, whereas life isn't going too well for Ava. Ava is trying unsuccessfully to have her couture Millinery business taken seriously, and is struggling financially. 

This book has several different aspects to it. There is the modern day crime of Sextortion, which to me was well researched; then there is the subject of terminal illness (several tears shed here); then there is the world of the couture milliner. I learnt a lot about millinery from the book, and again it shows a lot of research must have gone into this book.;

So many different emotions were packed into this book and I couldn't put it down, reading it until the early hours.

I won't say what the Christmas Promise was for fear of spoiling the story, so you'll have to find out for yourself, however it's a promise you'll want to be a part of.






GUEST BLOG by Sue Moorcroft. 

The Changing of the Clocks

Did you have an extra hour in bed on Saturday night? Or add an extra hour to your day on Sunday?In the UK, as in many parts of the world, twice a year ‘our clocks are changed’. Now it will be lighter earlier in the mornings but darkness will come sooner in the evenings. To celebrate this official beginning to wintertime I thought I’d share a few facts:

The UK has just left British Summertime and we’re now on Greenwich Mean Time.

The other name for British Summertime is Daylight Saving Time.

As if to celebrate the onset of Winter along with the clocks, The Christmas Promise entered the Kindle Top 100 on Sunday morning!

We’ll get British Summertime back at 1am on March 26th 2017. (I’m looking forward to this already. I’m a summertime person).

Changing the clocks was first suggested by William Willett in 1907 and he campaigned for his scheme to be implemented until his death in 1915. Germany went first, in April 1916, and we followed suit in May after passing The Summertime Act 1916. WWI was underway, of course, and making use of daylight helped the economy.

The first short story I sold was to The People’s Friend in 1996 and concerned the clocks going forward in spring. It just took one person to forget to change his watch and I had a plot! Luckily, mobile phones that change automatically were not in every pocket at that time.

 

 

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