The Perfect Match by Katie Fforde

 

Three years ago, Bella Castle fled her hometown with a broken heart over Dominic Thane. Now three years later, her life couldn't be better, she loves living with her godmother, she has a great job and she's engaged to Nevil, her boss. But then Dominic shows up unexpectedly and Bella begins the question if Nevil really is her perfect match after all. 

I found that Bella and Nevil had a very strange relationship. I felt that it was a relationship of convenience for both characters. I found the characters, especially Jane, Alice, Bella and Dominic to be very likeable and real. I thought that the characters of Bella and Alice really made this book. I liked how there was two stories to read, as it kept me interested.  

The story moved along at a fast pace, but it didn't leave anything out. I found that once I picked this up I couldn't put it down. It was quite descriptive, so it was easy to imagine the story while reading it. 

This is the first book I've read by Katie Fforde, but it certainly won't be the last. While it was the beautiful cover that attracted me to this book, the story definetly kept me entertained. It is a beautifully written feel good book, that will keep you entertained until the very last page. 

       4/5 stars

Christmas For One by Amanda Prowse

In Christmas For One, we're taken back to Plum Patisserie in Mayfair. But this time, we're hearing Meg's story. Meg grew up in foster care, she always dreamed of the perfect Christmas, but never got one. Now that she has a little boy of her own, she is determined to give him the perfect Christmas turkey with all the trimmings, a huge glittering Christmas tree and a stocking hung up over the fire. She knows that she and Lucas, will be fine on their own, who cares if there's no man in the picture.

But when Meg is sent to New York and has a chance meeting with a perfect stranger. Suddenly she is planning a completely different Christmas to the one she always dreamed of! Will Meg get anything she wishes for, or will her Christmas turn out to be nothing but a disaster?

I was delighted to get to read Meg's story after being introduced to her in A Little Love. Although this novel is set at Christmas time, it can be read at anytime of the year. I found it to be totally captivating. I loved the descriptions of not only the cakes, but also winter time in New York! This was a book, that I didn't put down once, I read it from cover to cover in one sitting.

Christmas For One, for me, was like a modern day fairy tale. It's heartwarming from the very first page. Full of festive magic, that be enjoyed at anytime of year. I found this book to be utterly uplifting.

Amanda Prowse is fast becoming my favourite author, and with every one of her books I read, I fall more and more in love with her writing.  A wonderfully captivating story that I can not recommend enough!

                                                                       5/5 stars

A Little Love by Amanda Prowse

Pru Plum didn't have the best start in life. Her family were poor and they didn't have very much, but they were happy. Sharing a bed with her cousin, Milly, they had a dream that they would get out of this life and open there very own bakery, Plum Patisserie, and now, all these years later, that dream has become a reality.

Now, Plum Patisserie is thriving, her cakes are world famous and her clients are well known. She has a niece that she dotes on, life couldn't get any better. Then it seems that love is knocking on Pru's door. But when tragedy strikes, and Pru's past comes back to haunt her, she finds that true love never does run smooth. Can Pru prove that what happened in her past is behind her, in order for her to enjoy her future.

What I loved about this book, was that it got into the story from the start! I liked how Pru's was hinted at, just the right amount, which made it totally unpredictable. The character's were well balanced and the story moved along at good pace. The book is so descriptive, especially when describing the cakes, that I found my mouth was watering at times, while reading it.

Amanda Prowse found a great balance between light heartedness and the more serious issues in the book. The book proved that you can find love at any age, although at times I found myself forgetting the Pru and Christopher were in their sixties. This novel gave across a strong message, that it is never too late to start living.

I got lost in this novel. I found myself forgetting that I was reading a book, and found myself in Mayfair with Pru more often than not while reading her story. Another great story from Amanda Prowse. It deserves  nothing less than 5/5 stars!

You, Me and Other People by Fionnuala Kearney

Beth and Adam Hall used to be happily married, until Beth caught Adam cheating for the second time. Now Beth, a songwriter, finds herself in the big beautiful that she used to share with Adam. She knows only how to be a wife and mother, and now she has to find out what it's like be independent of Adam and try to live her life on her own. Beth is left wondering at various times throughout the book if she has done the right thing by kicking Adam out. She has to either learn to forgive and forget or carry on without Adam in her life.

Adam soon realises that the prospects of a younger are not as good as he thought and he is missing Beth and his home comforts. Just when Adam doesn't think it can get any worse, a bombshell is thrown at him and he now faces leaving many skeletons out of the closet.

I have nothing but praise for Fionnuala Kearney, who has written such a suburb debut novel. I found myself sucked into Adam and Beth's story from the very first page. The characters are extremely likeable. but they are characters that people can relate to. Adam and Beth's daughter Meg, shows what it's like for a child when the parents seperate. Beth shows us how many people have to try to pick up the pieces when they find themselves alone. Adam is the perfect example of someone who regrets the decisions that they have made, but must now live with the consequences of his actions.

I was hooked on this book from the very first page. It is a genuine book, that is real throughout. There was nothing far fetched about this book, and it was one hundred percent believable from start to finish.

I was lucky enough to win this book and I couldn't wait to get stuck in. Once I did I wasn't disappointed. I hope that it will get the praise and recognition it deserves in 2015 and I don't think it'll be too long before it's hitting the best seller list.

Couldn't recommend this book any more highly and it deserves nothing less than 5/5 stars.

The Curvy Girls Club by Michele Gorman

The Curvy Girls Club follows four friends, Katie, Jane, Pixie and Ellie on their quest to shed the pounds. However, they are sick of attending their slimming class and decide to get together one night  week to do something fun together instead. Word quickly spreads about what they are doing, and the night's out quickly grow into a club, where they can do anything from going to see a show, to wine tasting, to speed dating.

We know that the girls are overweight, but we don't know the details about their weight or their sizes, so it was hard to relate to them in that sense. I would also have liked to see the point of view if all of the girls and not just Katie. I also had a huge dislike to the character of Pixie, I felt that she was very annoying at times. However, saying that I really did enjoy this book and I think that it's a great idea for a book.

The book kept me interested throughout and I really liked the story line. I think that weight is an issue for so many women the world over and I thought that this book held the message to love yourself and that it doesn't matter what size you are.

I feel that Michele Gorman should be applauded for doing a great job in dealing with such a sensitive issue.

                                                                          4/5 stars

What Would Mary Berry Do? by Claire Sandy

When Marie Dunwoody fails at making a showstopper for the school fete, she is adamant that next year will be different. Then a Mary Berry Cook Book falls into her lap and what follows is a hilarious year of cake making. Her neighbour Lucy, however is good a baking and never fails to make a good shopstopper, and soon becomes Marie's arch nemisis. Even Marie's husband, Robert, jumps onboard and soon it seems that everyone is better than Marie at baking. But as the year goes on, Marie realises that the people she thought she should hate are the people that she becomes closest to. And the big question is....is Marie going to be able to pull off the showstopper by the time the school fete comes around again?

There wasn't one thing that I didn't like about this book. It kept me interested and entertained throughout. I found the characters to be funny and likeable. This book is laugh out loud funny. It combines two of my favourite things, reading and baking.The minute I laid eyes on this book, I knew it would be a winner. A book about cake....what's not to love?

Meet and Delete by Pauline Lawless

Meet and Delete follows, Megan, Viv and Claire in their search for true love.

Megan comes home one night to find her fiance packing his bags and he tells her that her wedding is off, just eight weeks before the wedding. Viv is unlucky in love and tires if the men in her life after a very short period of time. Claire gave up her chance of happiness to take care of her dying mother. 

Now all three girls are living together and are trying their arm at online dating, in the hopes of finding Mr. Right. But is Mr. Right closer than they think?

This book is laugh out loud funny and is also very serious at times. It deals with a lot of issues from online dating to death and even stalking. I feel that it gave a good indication of what online dating could be like.

This book kept me interested from the first page to the very last and I found that the characters were mostly likeable, however I did find Viv to be quite annoying at times throughout the book. I found that the book moved along at a good pace, not too fast and not too slow. What I really liked about this story was that it was 100% believable. Even though a lot happened in the book it didn't seem far fetched.

This is the first book I've read by Pauline Lawless, but it certainly won't be the last. I loved everything about this book from start to finish and I can't wait to read more books by Pauline Lawless. 

5/5 stars

Clover's Child by Amanda Prowse

Meet Dot Simpson. She works at Selfridge's three days a week. She's Barb's best friend and she's the daughter of a cook. She's an ordinary girl, whose happy with her lot. Then she meets Sol and her life changes forever!

Sol is the son of a rich army Major from St. Lucia. When Sol arrives in London and sweeps Dot off her feet, they both feel that as last Love has arrived. They do everything together, they even get to dance together in front of the Etta James. But they soon discover that life has other plan for them and suddenly Dot's life comes crashing down around her. 

We follow Dot as she tries to build her life back up and watch her make heart breaking decisions about her future.

This book deals with a lot of topics and really shows what life would have been like in 1961 for a eighteen year old girl. It had the ability to make me laugh one minute and cry the next. Once I opened the book I found it very hard to put down again until it was finished. It kept me interested throughout the story and the story started immediately.

By the end of the book the characters felt like friends and I wanted nothing but the best for them. I found that I was crying when they cried and I laughed when they laughed. Dot was the perfect main character for the book and was extremely likeable throughout. She is a character that will stay with me for a long time. Likewise, I found myself really warming to Sol as the book went on and wanted nothing but the best for him.

I thought this story was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. It was almost bittersweet. A superbly written book, that will stay with me long after the finishing pages. This is must read, especially if you're a fan of Amanda Prowse's other books and even if you've never read her books before, I think that this is great one to start with. 

5/5 stars

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