Review: MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins ***

Hi there! As you can see, there will be no IMM as I only got one book this week and it seems a bit silly to feature just that (although I've done it before). So I've decided to save that for next week and post a review instead!
Things are still pretty boring around here, but that's because I'm just finishing up the book I'm translating. It's due in a week (massive eeeeeeeek, still so much to do) so I have to focus on that to make it happen, which means I have to neglect blogging and reading for the time being, sorry. But I promise to be back very soon! :)

Anyway, moving on to the review ...

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge... The thrilling final instalment of this ground-breaking trilogy promises to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.

As you may remember, I absolutely LOVED the first two installments in The Hunger Games trilogy (my reviews here and here). The Catching Fire ending was spectacular and I couldn't wait to read Mockingjay – there was just so much potential, but I'm afraid that Mockingjay left me a tad disappointed and I made me go ''HMMMMM …'' instead of the usual ''WHOOOA''.

Why, you might ask? Well, I'm afraid I can't answer that without SPOILERS so please don't read any further if you don't want to know what happens in the book. Consider yourself warned!

So you're OK with spoilers? Right, well, the main reason why I didn't enjoy the book as much as I expected to is that it just felt too … different. Nothing like the other two books, which had a strong psychological element to them, but this one was far too military to my liking. It reminded me of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – another book where everything changes and it's all about war. Mockingjay certainly portrays the physical and emotional effects of war very convincingly and realistically, but somehow the book just felt too different from what I was used to.

Another thing this book has in common with HP7 is that everyone dies. That's not a massive surprise when there's war going on, but I felt that these deaths were brushed off too quickly … For example, Cinna was one of my favourite characters and I was convinced he was still alive and I kept waiting for him to show up – but he never did. I really disliked how death was never properly explained and it really touched me the most. Overall, there were too many important deaths too quickly and the author just made them feel unimportant when I was like, HELLO, something major happened here, why aren't we paying it more attention?! I honestly didn't like that at all and I would've prefered more respect to be paid to the deceased characters that I grew so fond off (Finnick & Prim among others). I know this is nothing new for Collins since the deaths before (e.g. of the tributes) were always quickly brushed off, but those were some random people and this were actually important characters ... But I guess that's my problem since I'm too sentimental whereas Collins handled this the proper way without dwelling on what you can't change.

Not only did the story feel different, but the characters were changed too, which was to be expected based on what they've all been through and I suppose that made them even more real. But somehow I couldn't warm up to them and I just felt like I was following the whole thing from a distance rather than being engrossed in the action like in the previous two books, which was a shame. I honestly can't explain it, all I can say is that it was all too different. It was a logical shift from the previous books, but I struggled a bit to adapt to it.

As for the ending … I've always liked both Peeta and Gale so I didn't really care who she ended up with, they were both nice guys (well, for the most part). I was surprised by Gale's move and sorry that their story ended so abruptly – this was again another thing I wanted more closure and explanation on. I suppose the ending was nice and bittersweet (I'm talking about the epilogue here, the scenes before that were quite horrendous, yes), but not quite as mindblowing as I expected.

On the plus side, the novel was typically realistic - perhaps even too much so if you're squeamish like me. It's brutal and not a single gory detail is spared and there's no place for sentimentalism. As I said before, these books are definitely not my typical reads, but they're just so well written that they just suck you in, take you on one hellouva ride and then don't let you go easily once you're done with them - oh no, these are the kind of books that stay on your while for a loooong time ...

All in all, this was an OUTSTANDING series, it's just the final installment that didn't really live up to my very, very high expectations, but I still think it was a spectacular and a very powerful read, just different to what I expected. You'll find a lot of people who were completely blown away by the conclusion and thus I urge you to give this series a go if you haven't already as it's most definitely worth reading!

overall rating:
plot: 3/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 4/5 | cover: 3/5

Review: SCANDALOUS by Tilly Bagshawe ***

Sasha Miller comes to Cambridge with a dream and leaves on a mission. After falling for the lies and charms of her Director of Studies ‘Theo Dexter’ she finds herself betrayed, humiliated and nursing a bundle of broken dreams. Heading to the US she is determined to rebuild her life.
Years later, Sasha emerges from Harvard Business School with one thing on her mind, the downfall of the now famous Professor Theo Dexter.
Meanwhile Theo’s long-suffering wife Theresa also finds herself betrayed and cast aside for a younger and prettier model. Unable to cope she returns to Cambridge a broken woman and tries to rebuild her life away from the scheming Theo Dexter.
One night Sasha turns up at Theresa’s door, she wants revenge at any cost, will Theresa help her?
From the deepest betrayal comes a shocking alliance. Two vengeful women, one very unlucky man…

Tilly Bagshawe has written several blockbusters and although I own most of them, I've only read one before this book - Do Not Disturb and I couldn't help loving it! Thus I expected great things from this one too, but sadly and surprisingly I found it less enjoyable than Do Not Disturb ...

I really liked the opening few chapters, the naive and innocent Sasha arriving to Cambridge, falling in love and then the ultimate betrayal ... I felt for her and I expected her to get some cruel revenge, but after the first part the book just went downhill for me ... Sasha is a successful business woman, Theo is still the cheating scumbag and somewhat of a celebrity, his ex-wife is lonely etc. But quite frankly, I just felt that nothing was really happening and the story just wasn't going anyway, we were just following the characters through the years. I was waiting and waiting for Sasha to finally get her massive revenge, but when it happened, it was just like, "Blah, that's it?" I expected something far more epic than something so basic, something that would make up for the slow story, but the ending just felt rushed and a big anti-climax.

Luckily, the story was quite well written and I did want to find out what happened next (although not much did), but I wasn't too keen on the characters either. To me they just liked dimension. I felt Sasha was at first too naive and then too hell-bent on revenge, it was like one extreme to another. Theo had no redeeming qualities whatsoever and just too easy to hate. I suppose I found Theresa to be the most complex, but for some reason I didn't grow too fond of her either, she was just too boring.

Some of my criticism may be attributed to the fact that it took me weeks to read this book - and honestly NOT because I didn't enjoy it (because I did and I was very excited to read it), but I was just soooo busy that I had hardly any time for reading so maybe that's why I couldn't get properly absorbed into the story.

Not my favourite from Ms Bagshawe, but I'm certainly not giving up on her as I really loved Do Not Disturb and I still have Adored and Flawless to read! This was an enjoyable read, it certainly didn't annoy me or anything, but I guess I just felt it wasn't scandalous enough to live up to its title.

overall rating:
plot: 2/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 2/5 | cover: 3/5

Review: GETTING OVER MR RIGHT by Chrissie Manby ***

Have you ever had your heart broken? How did you get over it? Did a tub of ice cream cheer you up? Did you delete his number and start again? Are you now friends with your ex? Perhaps you’re godmother to his children?
In which case, you’re a weirdo and this book is not for you.
But if you reacted with denial, begging or a spot of casual witchcraft, then you’ve come to the right place. This is one woman’s journey from love to lunacy and back again . . .

I've heard great things about Chris(sie) Manby, but I've never had a chance to read any of her books - until the lovely Book Chick City offered me her copy of Ms Manby's latest book to review. I was more than happy to accept to see what the fuss over Ms Manby was about, and I have to say that I got pretty much what I expected - a funny romcom. I wasn't disappointed, but I wasn't really blown away either.

This novel is pretty much about Ash, our heroine, coping with her sudden breakup with her boyfriend Michael and boy oh boy, does she do some craaaazy things. Yes, I know it was all exaggerated for the comedy effect - and yet, as silly and annoying and childish as Ash could be, I could help but chuckle at the things she came up with, heh. Although I couldn't help but agree with Ash's best friend as she tried to knock some sense into her, but it just didn't work, argh. I also couldn't understand what she saw in her boyfriend, who was a complete git and it simply felt wrong for her to be so madly upset over such an idiot.
I just couldn't hate her and I started to feel for her after her life *really* went downhill - she lost her job, destroyed a wedding and nearly burned her place down so she had to move back in with her parents, eeek! I liked her more and more as she slowly learned to have fun again - she may not be my favourite heroine ever, but overall she was pretty charming.

As I said, this is the first Manby book I've read (certainly not the last though) and I have to say that it was quite well written and certainly downright hilarious occassionally. The cover is alright, I suppose, but I supposed the characters could have a bit more dimension, especially Michael ...

All in all, this was a fab quick read and a cute romcom. It should certainly comfort those nursing a broken heart (I do hope your breakup reaction wasn't this bad, heh) or just cheer you up if you're looking for a funny read - I thought it couldn't *quite* compete with Sophie Kinsella or Jenny Colgan, but it was still a cute and enjoyable read!

overall rating:
plot: 3/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 3/5 | cover: 3/5

Review: A RELUCTANT CINDERELLA by Alison Bond ***

Samantha Sharp turned seventeen, left her old life behind and moved to London, determined to make her fortune.Ten years later and she’s a super-agent to the stars, with her name in the papers, millions in the bank, and one success after another. Love has taken a back seat because her past has put her off relationships for good.
Everyone's got a history but Samantha’s is particularly murky. What’s more, she hasn’t got to the top of her game without collecting a few enemies along the way. So when she meets a man who might be a little bit dangerous, someone she’s finally close to loving, is there anyone to tell her what a terrible mistake she’s making?
Will Samantha find her happy ever after? And if her carefully hidden past comes into the light,will her fairytale coach turn back into a pumpkin? Samantha Sharp needs to find a way to cling onto her sparkle …

After you look at the cover and read the blurb above, what do you expect this book to be about? My lovely boyfriend suggested, "A girl looking for her Prince Charming?" Yep, that's what I thought too, but after I finished the book, I just stared at the cover for a while, wondering what the hell just happened, heh. The cover is gorgeous and I can easily admit that it's the main reason why I was so eager to read the book, but WHOA - the cover, the title and the blurb couldn't possibly be more deceiving ...

Firstly, this is no fluffy chick lit story - it's far darker and more serious. There's no ditzy heroine, no comedy scenes, but instead the story tackled foster homes, death, alcohol, drugs, prison, revenge etc. Overall, it's not depressing and I quite liked these themes though, they made the book more gripping than the usual chick lit novel. However, there was another very prominent theme that I wasn't too keen on, but we'll get to that later.

Secondly, there is no love story whatsoever (apart from a couple lusty affairs) - our main character Samantha Sharp isn't even remotely interested in looking for her Prince Charming or her happy ending, she's out there to succeed and to make money and that's it. She been through some tough times and is hiding quite a few dark secrets, but when we meet her at the beginning of the novel, she's at the top of her game. She's very driven and she uses every single moment she can to succeed. When her life starts to crumble and someone's obviously out to get her, she doesn't break down, but she's determined to clear her reputation and get back to the top again. I thought she was a fantastic character and I really admired her determination, plus she quite a refreshing change from the typical chick lit characters!
Sam is many things, but she certainly has nothing in common with the drawing on the cover. After reading the story, I still have no idea or explanation where this cover came from?! As I said, this is not your typical chick lit read, even though the cover screams otherwise. However, I'm convinced that this book deserves a far more powerful cover - I'd imagine something black and red and white and strong, not this romantic thingy, which is completely wrong (albeit pretty). I'm honestly wondering if there's been a mix up and they've stuck the wrong cover on the book??
And I can't explain the title either - where did the Cinderella bit come from? Reluctant or not, Sam and Cinderella have about as much in common as a tiger and a kitten. To top things off, the blurb doesn't do the book justice either - it doesn't sum up the book and it doesn't even remotely hint what the book is about. Which brings me to my next point ...

Thirdly, based on the cover and the blurb, would you ever in a million years expect the main topic of this book to be FOOTBALL - in Poland??? Nope, me neither, LOL. The blurb describes Sam as an agent to the 'stars' - well, as it turns out, those are all *football* stars and Sam earns big bucks discovering and representing them. Actually, Sam is only one of the main characters - the other two very prominent characters are Gabe and Joe, two more or less professional footballers, and quite a big portion of the book is dedicated to their misadventures on and off the football field (*yawn*) in Poland (where they play and Sam represents them). I'm not football fan by any means so if someone told me that there was SO much football in this book, I'd never pick it up - I'm sorry, but that's just not what I signed up for. Just look at the cover again - and then imagine that this book revolves mostly around football - how on Earth did that happen? I'm still baffled.

The basic story was rather good (although the twist was slightly predictable and the ending felt a bit rushed) - Sam's secret past, her relationship with her brother, someone trying to ruin her etc., but I could really do without Gabe and Joe's subplots. I could even handle Sam's job as such (I'll admit it was quite fascinating to read about such a strong woman in a typically male profession), but with these two footballers there was just TOO MUCH FOOTBALL TALK - in my supposedly chick lit book ... QUE? *still confused*

All in all, this was honestly NOT a bad read and I finished it in one day, but unfortunately it just wasn't the book I expected. The only problem I have with this book is that the marketing for it is completely wrong and very deceiving - the exterior is very pretty so the book will sell, yes, but it just won't read the target audience. With the World Cup approaching, this would be the perfect time to give the book the cover it deserves and maybe boldly stick a football on it or something to do it justice. Granted I personally maybe wouldn't pick it up, but I'm sure many others would and with this cover they might just miss it. Or maybe they'll be pleasantly surprised - that's what Chloe thinks so go read her review to see another point of view on this book.

I can't help but laugh at my WOW post from a few months ago, when I described this as "another silly romcom" - ha, how wrong was I! As I said, the exterior of the book is very deceiving and after reading the book, what I personally imagine on the cover is a fierce business woman (or a silhuette) with one foot on a football and standing next to her office desk, and the title would read something like She's Got Balls (pun is related to a scene in the book). It could even be quite chicklity looking - maybe something like what I put together in 2 seconds (see picture on the right), LOL. Does that look and sound stupid? Possibly (well, it was just an idea, heh), but at least it's a tiny bit more true to the book itself. ;) As pretty as the original cover may be, I just think this book ~needs moar fierce~ ... and definitely a football on the cover, whether I personally like it or not. ;)

overall rating:
plot: 3/5 | writing: 3/5 | characters: 3/5 | cover: 3/5

_____

A good company deals with cell phones & breitling watches when you will buy two packages either polar watches or the bundle of gold watches and pulsar watches.

Review: THE OVERNIGHT SOCIALITE by Bridie Clark ***

In this beguiling retelling of the classic Pygmalion, we meet Lucy Ellis, a Manhattan transplant who dreams of making it as a fashion designer but instead toils away on a Garment District assembly line.
Road-blocked each time she tries to score a break, Lucy is beginning to think the unthinkable: maybe it's time to pack it in and move home to Minnesota. Then, during a torrential downpour, at her most bedraggled and disheartened, Lucy meets Wyatt Hayes IV.
Wyatt--man-about-town and bored Ph.D. anthropologist--has just been publicly dissed by New York's reigning socialite, Cornelia Rockman, whom he'd been dating. When he meets Lucy, he boasts to his best friend Trip that he can transform any woman, even a trailer-born nobody like Lucy into this year's "It" girl.
She'll make the rest of the pack look like dim little tea lights. If Wyatt can fool the East Coast aristocracy into thinking Lucy's the real deal, he can reveal the farce behind of Cornelia's social superiority complex and score a career-boosting book deal.
Headstrong Lucy challenges her teacher at every turn, but armed with a made-up pedigree and a wardrobe costlier than most studio apartments, she's soon navigating a world in which the most photographed socialite takes all. Can Lucy survive in a wilderness where no girl wears the same gown twice, the Astors are considered Johnny-come-latelies, and weddings are more lavish than the coronation of Louis XIV? Will she forge the connections needed to make a name for herself in fashion? And can she surmount the schemes and suspicions of her newfound rival, Cornelia?
Three months of rigorous prep and test runs culminate in Lucy's showdown at the Fashion Forum Gala, where she and Wyatt confront the ne plus ultra of society and their unexpected feelings for each other. But the gaps between them as well as Wyatt's secret agenda may make this improbable couple an impossibility.
Set against the gold-plated world of Manhattan's social elite, The Overnight Socialite puts a witty twenty-first-century spin on a timeless story of transformation and unlikely love.

I absolutely loved the author's debut novel BECAUSE SHE CAN (The Devil Wears Prada set in the world of publishing) and I was thrilled to learn that she had a new book coming out. I pre-ordered it immediately and I finally got to read it during my short trip last weekend. The novel is said to be a modern retelling of PYGMALION (which I also really, really enjoyed) and my expectations for it were quite high, but sadly I was slightly disappointed ...

Somehow it all just fell flat for me, although the beginning was quite promising. I really felt sorry for Lucy as her whole world came crashing down in one single evening and I thought the scene when she first met Wyatt was quite funny and made everything sound so promising. I love a good makeover story, but this one was hardly exciting - I felt like everything was just briefly mentioned and Lucy's life changed too quickly whereas I would've preferred a more detailed description of the makeover. On the other hand, I thought there were too many characters and side stories that I could do without. On the whole, the plot was just too simple and I found the twists to be slightly predictable and the ending was just cheesy.

Sadly I couldn't connect with the characters either. Lucy should be someone I should love as a characters, but she just didn't jump off the page for me and I felt like I didn't get to know her enough. Maybe it was because I couldn't get into her mind due to the third person narration? Either way, I was surprised to be left quite indifferent to her, I didn't expect that to happen. The other characters seemed rather one dimensional to me too, especially Cornelia and Wyatt as far as main characters go. I felt that generally the characters were assigned a role and they played along, there were no surprises, which is quite a contrast to the original play of Pygmalion where the characters (namely Eliza and Professor Higgins) were a delight!

What I enjoyed about the novel though was the writing itself, which I thought was lovely and made the book easy to read. I have to say I was expecting another comedy by Ms Clark, but this book was more of a satire of the excess and the glamorous lives of the Manhattan elite, which I enjoyed reading about, even though I find it hard to believe that some people actually live like that, heh?!

All in all, the book was a nice, average read - it made me chuckle a few times, but on the other hand it also made me roll my eyes a couple of times. It wasn't a bad book, far from it, just not as great as I had hoped or expected it to be based on the author's debut BECAUSE SHE CAN, which I strongly recommend! This book is also a spin off of PYGMALION, but it has nothing on the original - it's okay, but it lacks the spark, the humour, the characterization of Shaw's work, which you definitely should read if you haven't already, it's brilliant and oh so funny! You can read it online for free or even watch the lovely film based on the play (it's just one of the many variations).

The final judgement - the book is worth reading, but I'd wait for the paperback. Until then, entertain yourself with BECAUSE SHE CAN or PYGMALION. :)

overall rating:
plot: 3/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 2/5 | cover: 4/5

Review: HOUSE RULES by Jodi Picoult ***

Jacob Hunt is a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject -- in his case, forensic analysis. He's always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do...and he's usually right.
But then his town is rocked by a terrible murder and, for a change, the police come to Jacob with questions. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger's -- not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, flat affect -- can look a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel. Suddenly, Jacob and his family feel the spotlight shining directly on them.
For his mother, Emma, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it's another indication of why nothing is normal because of Jacob. And over this small family the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?
Emotionally powerful from beginning to end, House Rules looks at what it means to be different in our society, how autism affects a family, and how our legal system works well for people who communicate a certain way -- and fails those who don't.

I've read most of Jodi Picoult's books and I like to say she's one of my favourite authors so naturally I was excited to read her latest offering too. I wasn't sure if I was in the mood for it, but after seeing reviews everywhere, I just couldn't resist it. I found the first half of the book absolutely gripping and I just couldn't put it down; I just wanted to read on and on as I really wanted to know what actually happened on that day. But then the obligatory Picoult courtroom scenes came and the book really slowed down. I kept reading as I was expecting some major twist in the end, but little did I know that the only thing this novel had in store for me was The Lamest Twist in the History of Plot Twists, which was quite an unpleasant surprise since Ms Picoult is famous for her shocking plot twists. And here, there wasn't even a twist, just the final explanation which just made me roll my eyes. I just kept thinking, "Is *that* even possible? Wouldn't a medical examiner have spotted that? Why didn't they just *ask* Jacob what actually happened?" So yeah, this book sadly went from a very promising opening to a rather disappointing conclusion.

While I did enjoy reading it, especially the first half or so, I thought the book was far too long and full of fillers. Ms Picoult has a trademark writing style, which is lovely and full of metaphors and I would recognize it immediately, even if I didn't know something was written by her. I can't fault it and Picoult definitely knows how to write, but now I feel that she always uses the same techniques, plus to me it feels like all her characters have a similar narrative voice so I find it difficult to tell them apart without being told who's narrating the story (there are always multiple narrators), which obviously affects the characterization as well. I wasn't particularly annoyed by any of the characters in this book, but sadly I didn't really connect to them either. They were basically just the standard Picoult characters: the child with an issue, the mother who will do anything for that child, the resentful sibling, the distant significant other, the lawyer, the detective, the prosecutor, the judge and yadda yadda, so basically nothing new really.

Picoult tackles a topical issue in each of her novels and this time she picked Asperger's Syndrome, "a highly-functional form of autism". At first I found the subject fascinating and it was interesting to see the world through the eyes of an Aspie, but after hearing the definition of Asperger's Syndrome and all the symptoms for like the twentieth time, I did feel slightly beaten over the head with the subject of autism and I think I could probably recite the definition in my sleep, which is slightly annoying.

As for the covers, I posted both the UK and US ones above. I can't say I'm a fan of either (too much green *shudder*), but in this case the UK one is definitely the winner - well, at least it's relevant to the story (the rainbow quilt plays an importan part), whereas the US one feels completely random. I've no idea what a small child is doing on the cover since Jacob, the main character, is supposed to be 18?

One last thing, and this is slightly off-topic, but I'm afraid I'm not a fan of Ms Picoult's use of sexist language. I've noticed it in several of her works actually and I'm quite surprised that she still uses the male pronoun to specify the indefinite pronoun, which is a pet peeve of mine; e.g. (p. 466 of my ARC):

"So someone with Asperger's might be smart?"
"Someone with Asperger's might even have a genius level IQ. However, when it comes to small talk, he'll be completely inept. He has to be taught social interactions [...]"
&
"A person with Asperger's desperately wants to fit in but simply can't understand social behaviour [...] He won't be able to read gestures or facial expressions [...] He won't be able to intrepret a non-verbal clue [...]"

Sadly, these are not lone examples; they appear all over the place and it really ticks me off so I'd like to take a moment and invite everyone to read this excellent article on Why Sexist Language Matters. Thank you and I hope I'm not the only one who feels so strongly about this issue? :)

All in all, I admit I was slightly disappointed with the latest Picoult offering, which is quite the opposite of how I felt about her previous novel, Handle with Care, which I gobbled up in one day. I'm afraid that despite a very promising and gripping opening I can't rate this one among my personal Picoult favourites (The Pact, Mercy, My Sister's Keeper, Nineteen Minutes etc.), but I expect her 2011 novel, Sing You Home, will turn out far better - I can't wait for it!

If you're not familiar with the Picoult phenomenom yet, then I wouldn't really suggest you start with this novel as I personally don't think it shows the best of what Picoult can do. But don't be discouraged by my review - despite all the compaints I had, I enjoyed reading this novel so definitely give it a try if you're a Picoult fan, it might tickle your fancy more than mine, who knows. :) Watch the official trailer below to learn more about the book!

overall rating:
plot: 3/5 | writing: 3/5 | characters: 3/5 | cover: 3/5

Review: I WAS JANE AUSTEN'S BEST FRIEND by Cora Harrison ***

It is a truth uniersally acknowledged that a single girl in possession of a journal must write all her secrets in it ...

When shy Jenny Cooper goes to stay with her cousin Jane Austen, she knows nothing of the world of beautiful dresses, dances, secrets, gossip, and romance that Jane inhabits. At fifteen, Jane is already a sharp observer of the customs of courtship. So when Jenny falls utterly in love with Captain Thomas Williams, who better than Jane to help her win the heart of this dashing man? But is that even possible? After all, Jenny’s been harboring a most desperate secret. Should it become known, it would bring scandal not only to her, but also to the wonderful Austen family. What’s a poor orphan girl to do?

In this delicious dance between truth and fiction, Cora Harrison has crafted Jenny’s secret diary by reading everything Jane Austen wrote as a child and an adult, and by researching biographies, critical studies, and family letters. Jenny’s diary makes the past spring vividly to life and provides insight into the entire Austen family—especially the beloved Jane.

A quick note before I begin - the US edition above isn't out yet, but I decided to post both covers as they're both lovely and yet so different. Which one do you prefer? Personally I like the US one, but I absolutely adore the UK cover and I fell in love with it the moment I saw it at Frankfurt (report here) and that's the cover I'll be rating at the end of my review.

Quite frankly, I don't think I would've read/bought this book if it weren't for the cover. I must confess that while being an admirer of Ms Austen's works, I'm not really the biggest Austen fan and I haven't re-re-read her works and I'm not all that familiar with her life story so this book gave me some insight. It's not really about Jane though, she's just a side character, but the main story is told mainly through the diary entries of Jenny Cooper, Jane's 16-year-old orphan friend who lives with them in Steventon.

The story takes place in 1791 and in the opening scene, Jenny commits a terrible offence by braving the streets of Southampton in the middle of the night in order to post a letter addressed to Jane's mother, informing her that Jane (aged 15) is terribly ill at boarding school (you can read about this here). Thus Jenny may have saved Jane's life, but this scandalous act has a great effect on Jenny's life later on, mainly because she met Captain Thomas Williams on that fateful night.
After that, Jenny and Jane were pulled out of that dreadful boarding school and went to live with the Austen family in Steventon. There Jenny meets all of Jane's numerous siblings (including the disabled brother George who is not allowed to live with the family), develops a crush or two, attends her first few balls in wonderful gowns, learns the language of the fan and falls head over heels in love with a dashing man ... There are a few twists and turns, but you know there's a happy ending in store. :)

This was a truly lovely and romantic little book and I rather enjoyed it. I had great fun reading about the life in the 18th century when the world was oh so different and this book sort of makes you want to experience it first hand, le sigh. While I enjoyed reading about Jenny's love troubles, I found myself far more touched by the sub-story of Jane's brother George and how Jenny and Jane tried to help him and didn't shun him just because he was disabled.

I quite enjoyed this book and I really can't fault it, but it just didn't amaze me. It was an incredibly and a very romantic read, but I felt I didn't get to know the characters well enough (perhaps that's due to the fact that everyone was so ... rigid back then?) and the writing could've been more flowerly or old-fashioned for a diary that was written in the 18th century.

What makes this book even more adorable are the oh so pretty illustrations that are featured all through the diary. They were meant to be Jenny's sketches of things that she talked about in her diary, but actually they were done by Susan Hellard and I thought they were the perfect addition to this lovely novel. I've posted a few examples below (click to enlarge) - aren't these just the cutest things ever? :)

I expect most people who will be reading this are fans of Austen's work and are probably wondering what this book has to do with her. Well, as it turns out, a lot of it is actually based on real events and people - if you want to know more, please read the author's note on what is fact what is fiction, but I have to say I found the book to be a wonderful mix of both.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and while I was not amazed by it, I'd still recommend it to all the Austen fans or to anyone who enjoys a lovely romantic read. Quite frankly, I think it's worth owning just because it's so darn cute! :)

overall rating:
plot: 3/5 | writing: 3/5 | characters: 3/5 | cover: 5/5

Review: THE DRESSKEEPER by Mary Naylus ***

"Have you ever pretended to be someone else? Picky Robson thought things couldn’t get any worse. Her life is a boy-free zone, she’s being bullied at school, then Mum announces she has to look after Gran every weekend for the foreseeable future. One night, unknowingly tempting fate, Picky slips into a flouncy old dress from the depths of an ancient chest and finds herself back in 17th Century London. But she is not alone. A weirdo in a wig is trying to kill her - mistaking her for a girl called Amelia. Who is Amelia? Can Picky change the past by exposing the murdered? And will she make it back alive?"

I've seen sooo many great reviews for this book everywhere and since it sounded like a great read, I was delighted to be offered to read it (many thanks, Prospera Publishing!). I'm pleased to say it did turn out to be a cute little read, but I couldn't help thinking that the story or the characters were slightly underdeveloped ... This could partly be due to the fact that this book is mostly suitable for younger readers and I don't read too many of those so it's hard for me to give an objective review since I'm not an expert on the genre ... Nonetheless, it's an enjoyable read.

It's narrated by Picky (whose real name is Penelope), who is actually a rather flawed character (she's certainly no beauty queen), but she really brings the story to life and she's really funny most of the time. I really loved her narration and even though I rolled my eyes at her a few times, the truth is that I was probably just as silly or even worse when I was 13, hehe. Our Picky travels through time when she puts on an old dress in her granny's attic and soon she's on a mission to save a girl called Amelia from being killed on her wedding day. So she travels back and forth, from the 21st century to the 17th, trying to find a way to save Amelia, who happens to be her in the 17th century. It may sound complicated, but trust me, it's really not.
During her time travels, Picky gets to learn about the life in London at that time, which was interesting to read, even though things were sometimes a bit on the TMI side - let's just say London back then didn't quite smell of roses, hehe.

I enjoyed the narration and reading about London back then, but I'm afraid I found the characters slightly cartoonish ... I just thought they were all overly simplistic and I couldn't really feel for any of them. My favourite, apart from Picky, was probably Ollie, Picky crazy little brother who comes up with such randoms insults, haha. Probably not too pleasant to be around, but fun to read about. ;)

I wasn't entirely convinced by the plot either - I just felt there were loopholes and not everything quite worked for me. I didn't really find it fast paced or anything, but it was exciting enough to keep me reading for sure! There's a twist at the end that I didn't see coming, but I can't say I was really blown away by it either.

But do you know what I really, really dislike about this novel? The cover! This book could've had such a cute cover if it featured any of the pretty dresses described in the book, but instead this poor ended up with this dark thing. You can't even see what's on it unless you look really closely and see that it's supposed to be big dresses. I don't like the font either. Am I the only one who's not a fan?

Anyway, please don't get me wrong, this is actually a really good read and I think I would've loved it if I was younger, but now I couldn't help looking at it from a different perspective. It's an original novel that covers several other subjects (including bullying, being different, dementia, family problems, friendship etc.), not just time travelling. I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for a quick enjoyable read! The good news is that you can get your copy at the Prospera Publishing with free international shipping, woo!

overall rating: 3/5
plot: 3/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 3/5 | cover: 2/5


ps: Book Chick City has just published a very interesting interview with the author so do check that out! Also, feel free to read what other lovely book bloggers have to say about The Dresskeeper: The Bookette; Juju at Tales of Whimsy; So Many Books, So Little Time; Wondrous Reads; Book Chick City; The Sweet Bookshelf; I Want to Read That, Another Book Blog Whore. Several of these bloggers are running a contest too so visit them if you'd like a copy!

Review: TIME OF MY LIFE by Allison Winn Scotch ***

"Jillian Westfield has a life straight out of the women’s magazines she obsessively reads. She’s got the modern-print rugs of Metropolitan Home, the elegant meals from Gourmet, and the clutter-free closets out of Real Simple. With her investment-banker husband behind the wheel and her cherubic eighteen-month-old in the backseat, hers could be the family in the magazines’ Range Rover ads.
Yet somehow all of the how-to magazine stories in the world can’t seem to fix her faltering marriage or stop her from asking "What if?"
Then one morning Jillian wakes up seven years in the past. She’s back in her Manhattan apartment. She’s back in her fast-paced job. And she’s still with Jackson, the ex-boyfriend, and star of her what-if fantasies.
Armed with twenty-twenty hindsight, she’s free to choose all over again. She can reconnect to the mother who abandoned her, she can use ad campaigns from her future to wow her clients, and she can fix the fights that doomed her relationship with Jackson.
Or can she?"

I generally quite enjoy these time travelling stories - everyone wonders "what if" every now and then, and I like how these type of books actually explore the "what ifs" and sort of make you think as well. There are just so many possibilities ...

I this novel Jillian is dissatisfied with her picture perfect life. She adores her daughter Katie, but her marriage is falling apart - she and her husband Henry seem to have drifted apart as many couples do as time goes by. When she hears that her ex-boyfriend Jackson is getting married, she remembers their spontaneous relationship and wonders what would have been if they hadn't broken up. She gets the chance to find out after she is (rather unbelivevably) transported 7 years back, into the year 2000 when she was still with Jackson, had a job, before she met Henry and before her best friend died. Since she knows what will happen, she can correct the mistakes she did the first time around and even though she tries to alter the course of her life, she starts to reflect back on her life in 2007. Seeing things in a new light, she finally decides what really matters.

Firstly, I must admit the book failed to meet the high expectations I had for it, but that might be because I've been so busy lately that it took me too long to read and get properly engrossed into it. Perhaps that's why I didn't really connect with any of the characters, not even Jillian herself. I just couldn't feel for her enough, even though I enjoyed reading her story and did rather wonder where this trip back will lead her to.

Speaking of which, I found the ending quite rushed. I understand how Jillian made her decision, but I thought it all happened too quickly and drastically, making it seem like it was all a dream and she was simply waking up from it. I was pleased with the outcome as such, but I still think the book was quite complex and should thus be longer since I thought some subjects weren't explored in depth enough and the book left me wanting more.

What I liked most about the novel was the writing - I thought the language was beautiful and the language flowed easily, which is more than I could say for the plot, which I found rather slow-paced.

All in all, I thought this was a well-written and interesting novel that explores some rather complex topics, but to meet its potential it should be at least one hundred pages longer. But wahey, that's just silly ol' me - everyone else seems to have loved this book!

Have you reviewed it? Let me know and I'll add your review to this post. :)

overall rating: 3/5
plot: 3/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 3/5 | cover: 4/5

Review: PLAYING THE FIELD by Emma Heatherington ***

Donegal lass Cara McCarthy has always been a tomboy type of girl, who wouldn't care how to spell Versace, let alone have any desire to wear it. On a career break in London, she lands a job as a cleaner which is right up her street just then. Her new boss is Sophia Brannigan the fashionista girlfriend of gorgeous Fulton FC Premiership star, Dylan Summers, and her new place of work is their luxurious home, Summer Manor. Cara is determined to stay in the background, but life has other plans. Before she can say 'Manolo', she finds herself plunged in at the deep end of high fashion and posh parties. With a friendly father figure in gardener Sam and a delightful new arrival called Lola, Cara's new life is set to be both fun and challenging. But as Sophia's hunger for celebrity grows, so does Cara s bond with Dylan Summers and soon everything she does at Summer Manor seems destined to land her deeper and deeper into trouble ...

I've been wanting to read this book ever since I saw the cover posted at Chick Lit Reviews a few months ago. The plot sounded quite interesting too, but sadly the book didn't quite live up to my expectations.

The novel tells the story of Cara ("Irish for friend"), who moves to London to escape her "shady past" and start afresh. She lives in a flat with her friend Natalie and her brother Liam. One day, she gets a job as a cleaner/housekeeper of a hot football star Dylan and his fame-crazy girlfriend Sophia. The latter is determined to become a star WAG and uses Cara on her way to stardom and Cara mostly puts up with it since she benefits from it too. On the other hand, Dylan is a very nice guy and not too keen on being in the spotlight. Sooo the inevitable happens - Dylan and Cara find out that they have a lot in common ... Can you guess what happens next? ;)

Yeah, that's pretty much it. There are a couple of minor twists and turns and so called scandals, but very little actually happens. However, despite the fact that this book is not particularly exciting, I still found it enjoyable and read it quite fast. It's nicely written and there are a few witty scenes and I mostly liked reading about the luxurious lifestyle Cara found herself in.

What I disliked most about the novel were the characters, who I found quite one dimensional. Maybe Cara, Liam and Natalie were better portrayed, but I found especially Sophia rather cartoon-like (she was always acting like a textbook bitch - boring) and I thought Dylan was underdeveloped too (he was like an angel among footballers and we only got to see his nice side). I'm afraid none of the characters impressed me and sadly I remained quite indifferent to them.

All in all, I'd recommed this if you're looking for a very simple and an enjoyable quick read with a pretty cover. :)

overall rating: 3/5
plot: 3/5 | writing: 3/5 | characters: 2/5 | cover: 4/5

Review: THE BRIDE's FAREWELL by Meg Rosoff ***

"On the morning of her wedding, Pell Ridley creeps out of bed in the dark, kisses her sisters goodbye and flees - determined to escape a future that offers nothing but hard work and sorrow. She takes the only thing that truly belongs to her: Jack, a white horse. The road ahead is rich with longing, silence and secrets, and each encounter leads her closer to the untold story of her past. Then Pell meets a hunter, infuriating, mysterious and cold. Will he help her to find what she seeks? With all the hallmarks of Meg Rosoff's extraordinary writing, The Bride's Farewell also breaks new ground for this author, in a nineteenth century, Hardyesque setting. This is a moving story of love and lost things, with a core of deep, beautiful romance."

This is the second Rosoff book I've read; the first one was How I Live Now, which unexpectly blew me away. Oh yes, it was disturbing, but still quite powerful and definitely a book that will haunt me forever. I was excited to learn that this author had a new book coming out and since the story sounded fantastic, I had really high hopes for it, but alas I was a bit disappointed.

The story takes place in the 19th century and for me it had a very dark feel to it, which is not a bad thing as such, but I didn't enjoy it in this novel, there was just too much misery. I know life back then was different, but this story really was more grim than I'd expected (I can assure you I wasn't hoping for a fairy tale). As for the writing, I found it very fitting to the time period it was used in, but sadly that made the book a bit more difficult to read for me, especially at the beginning, but luckily things improved after the story picked up.

To quickly recap: Pell runs away before her wedding because she wants to escape the kind of life her mother leads. She's not in love with her groom so she takes her horse and sets off to leave when she is joined by her adopted brother Bean. She tries to find work at some fair and when she does, she gets ripped off and loses everything. In order to find her brother and her horse, she travels around the country and eventually moves in with a hunter she's met before. But she's determined to find what she's lost and on her quest she finds out some tragic news about her family, which changes her life, but eventually she finds her place in the world.

I did admire the main character Pell for running away on her own and being a truly independent woman in the 19th century; I thought she was a nice role model for young girls since she was a strong character who always provided for herself and never gave up on her quests, however hopeless they may be. On the other hand, it seemed to me that the she was being punished since the tragic family news and all the troubles that occurred were actually her fault in a way. So I'm not too sure what the author was trying to say here, but I still think Pell is an inspiring character.

I wouldn't describe the love story in the book as "deep, beautiful romance" - personally, I could hardly feel there was anything going on. Maybe it was the third person narration, but at times I felt that this book lacked the emotion I would expect in certain situations.

All in all, it's not a bad novel, it definitely has its advantages when it comes to the main character and writing and so on, but it just didn't strike a chord with me like her debut novel, even though I can't quite pinpoint why. Most of the reviews so far have been glowing though so it's probably just silly ol' me again. :)

overall rating: 3/5
plot: 3/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 3/5 | cover: 2/5

Review: HENS REUNITED by Lucy Diamond ***

"Katie, Georgia and Alice were at each other’s hen nights but now the chickens have come home to roost: their marriages have fallen apart and their friendships have been tested to the limits.
Control-freak Katie has become a commitment-phobe – there’s no way she wants to get married again. Is there?
Ambitious Georgia always puts her career first. If anyone gets hurt, it’s their look-out – right?
And faithful Alice wants to make a fresh start, but can’t get over her cheating ex – and Georgia’s betrayal.
Hearts have been broken, and feathers ruffled … can the hens ever be reunited?"

I was kindly sent this book to review after I said somewhere that the story seems interesting, but I don't like the cover - and I still don't. The whole concept is nice and simple, but I'm afraid I just cannot get past *those horrible clothes and shoes* the women on the cover are wearing! No offence to the designer, but I shudder every time I look at them and I'm afraid those outfits for me ruin what could've been a really nice cover.

But let's not dwell on that, shall we? The books are (mostly) not about the covers, it's the plot that matters! Speaking of which, I'm afraid I wasn't completely blown away by the story in this case either; I thought there was not much going on and the plot was quite simple, at times even a bit predictable. There's this thing that I've noticed in far too many chick lit novels and it sort of bugs me - I mean, the first guy who shows up (in this case in the hospital or on the doorstep) on the scene is bound to be The One by the end of the novel and real life just isn't like that - plus that would really take all the fun out of life, hehe.

The hens were all lovely women, but I'm afraid I just couldn't relate to any of them, possibly because I'm about 10 years younger than them and haven't been terribly wronged by men *touch wood*. Nonetheless, I can't deny that the characters were nicely developed and I found it interesting to read how they've changed since their hen nights and how they progressed throughout the story. My favourite character was probably Georgia - goodness knows I wouldn't really dream of being her friend, but her sassyness was fun to read about and I enjoyed reading about her soft side too. In the end, you could see that she was still a caring person deep down, despite her ruthless attitude at the beginning. I didn't particularly like Katie personally, but I could really feel for Alice, I thought her situation was by far the worst and actually worth moaning about.

What I really liked about the novel though was the writing itself, minus the third person narrative, which I'm generally not a fan of. As I said, I may not have been amazed by the plot and the characters, but I still enjoyed reading the book because it was nicely written and witty and fun to read. I can tell the author can write and I attribute the lack of enthusiasm about the story and the characters mainly due to my youth and thus the inability to relate to them enough to appreciate them properly. Personally, I also like my books a bit more complex, but I'd definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a nice, easy read.

overall rating: 3/5
plot: 3/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 3/5 | cover: 2/5


ps: If you'd like to read more about this novel, then you can also read two other great reviews over at Chick Lit Reviews and Book Chick City. If you'd like to learn more about the lovely author, then head over to Novelicious and Book Chick City to read the fantastic interviews they've done with her. The author has written two other books under this nom de plume and I'd definitely like to read Over You sometime in the future - the plot sounds like something I could relate to more, hehe.

Review: ME AND MR DARCY by Alexandra Potter ***

"After a string of nightmare relationships, Emily Albright has decided she's had it with modern-day men. Shed rather pour herself a glass of wine, curl up with Pride and Prejudice and step into a time where men were dashing, devoted and honourable, strode across fields in breeches, their damp shirts clinging to their chests...
So when her best friend invites her to Mexico for a week of margaritas and men, Emily decides to book a guided tour of Jane Austen country instead.
She quickly realises she wont find her dream man here. The coach tour is full of pensioners, apart from one Mr Spike Hargreaves, a foul-tempered journalist sent to write a piece on why Mr Darcy's been voted the man most women would love to date.
Until she walks into a room and finds herself face-to-face with Darcy himself. And every woman's fantasy suddenly becomes one woman's reality. . ."

(summary)

This is my third Alexandra Potter book and while both other two (Be Careful What You Wish For & Who's That Girl?) were brilliant (I'd rate them 5/5 and 4/5 respectively), I'm sad to report that I found this one slightl disappointing, especially in terms of plot, which was slow paced and too far fetched. It started off really well, but I'm afraid I thought it all went downhill eventually. Maybe I would've liked the whole Darcy thing more if I fancied him too, but sadly he never was my dream date or my fantasy, far from it ...

Let's start with the bad news first. Firstly, I don't usually mind the cute little paranormal effects in Ms Potter's books, but I thought all the magic things in this novel were completely far fetched and underdeveloped. As you can tell from the title, Emily meets the real Mr Darcy, which could be fun, but I'm afraid that in this book it just ends up being sort of silly - review might get a bit spoilerish now so skip this paragraph if you don't want to know. He shows up wherever she happens to be and he falls in love with her after only a handful of brief meetings. Obviously, Emily is crazy about him too and even thinks they're in a relationship somehow, but all of a sudden she realizes that she doesn't really like him at all and then ponders how to break things off with him?! What's even worse an explanation for Mr Darcy's appearances is never given as even Emily herself can't decide whether it was all real or if she just imagined everything. Nonetheless, she believes that she has solved the mystery of what he was doing during the period of a few months when he was absent in Pride and Prejudice - he was meeting her. Huh? Besides, wasn't this whole story about meeting the real Mr Darcy really quite pointless?
Another thing that really made me roll my eyes is the mysterious tour guide and her role in the book - that was just ridiculous, sorry to say.

Another complaint that I have about this book is that the story was very predictable - you could tell from the first few chapters who Emily will end up with (there's not much choice really). And when it actually and finally happened, I found it implausible and pretty silly. After all, the two have only met a few times and then all of a sudden - bang - they're together. Despite all the things that were presented in the book, I just couldn't picture Emily falling so fast for the guy, it all felt rushed and unreal, as if she only fell for him because of all the silly parallels to P & P. I usually like a nice love story, but this one was just far to cliché and unreal, more annoying than anything.

On the other hand, what I really really enjoyed about this book was Emily's narrative voice, which I found very witty and she had me chuckling almost non-stop. At first she seemed like someone I could really relate to as there are plenty of things we seem to have in common, but as the story progressed, Emily just got too silly to my liking. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed her narration and I thought that was by far the strongest point of the novel.

Despite all the negative things that I mentioned above, I have to say I still enjoyed the book - not surprising at all since Ms Potter is a wonderful author, plus her book covers are too beautiful for words! I'll definitely be reading the rest of her books - I still have Calling Romeo to read, which I bought a while ago, and I'm reeeeally looking forward to her novels due next year - one of them (Do You Come Here Often? - most gorgeous cover or what?!?!) was supposed to be published this October, but it appears that it's been pushed back and will now come out in January 2010, boo. Calling Romeo will be reprinted in February and then Ms Potter is set to publish a brand spanking new novel sometime in June 2010. All in all, there's lots to look forward to!

overall rating: 3/5
plot: 3/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 3/5 | cover: 5/5

Review: HOW NOT TO SHOP by Carmen Reid ***

"Her passion is fashion ... but she's on a budget! Personal shopper Annie Valentine is about to hit the big time: presenting a glamorous TV makeover series! But too late, Annie discovers this is TV on a shoestring. They're paying her buttons and her budget is zip. Can she make do with Primark when all she wants is Prada? While Annie performs miracles with the minimum, boyfriend Ed is left at home with one son (deeply green), one daughter (deeply teen) and one sexy, Russian blonde (don't ask). He's not happy. He wants more together-time. He wants a dog. He may even want...a baby! But could non-stop, fame-seeking Annie ever handle that?"

(summary)

I've read Three in a Bed by Carmen Reid a couple of years ago and I remember I quite enjoyed it (minus e.g. the birth scene, which will haunt me forever, hehe) so I was interested to read more by the same author, plus I admit I was instantly drawn to this book because of the cover. I was kindly sent a copy of How Not to Shop (many thanks to the publisher!), which is apparently the third installment in the series about Annie Valentine, but I'm afraid the book sadly didn't live up to my expectations.

The first thing that bothered me is that I couldn't relate to Annie at all: she's 37 and has two grown up children, which is just not my cup of tea - sounds more like my mother than a female friend I'd like to read about. Perhaps that spoiled my enjoyment of the book slightly as I usually need to relate to the character at least a bit to get absorbed in the book, but I'm afraid I couldn't be more different from and indifferent to Annie. However, I did appreciate that she was a genuinely lovely and kind woman and I really liked how she always stood up for the poor people who were taken advantage of. I may not exactly look up to Annie, but I definitely cannot hate her either as she's a really loveable and sweet and an endearing character. The blurb above describes her a "non-stop fame seeking" character, but I didn't get that impression at all.

As for the other characters, I personally thought they were rather one dimensional, underdeveloped and completely unreal. Annie's boyfriend Ed is a nice guy, even a tad too nice - he's like the epitome of a Feathery Stroker (those of you who've read Anybody Out There? will know what I'm talking about) and I found him completely undesirabable and too corny. Furthermore, I was terribly annoyed with Svetlana, who is possibly the most irritating character ever with her horrendous attitude towards life and her unrealistic foreign speak (also super annoying). I didn't get a chance to warm up to any of the side characters either since, as I mentioned before, they were all underdeveloped.

The plot didn't really blow me away either. I mean, what is this book about anyway? I'm afraid I can't say it was very well structured as there was really nothing going on or the action wasn't presented well enough, in my opinion. I was also bothered by the title - I was nearly done with the novel and still had no idea what the title refered to. If that show was so important that it deserved to be featured in the novel title, why did it only appear at the end of the book and was barely described at all? Sure, there were things going on, but they all seemed kind of random and didn't captivate me, apart from the troubles that Annie's mother and sister were facing, their struggles did quite move me. Moreover, the writing was quite average and the editing process wasn't too brilliant either as there were lots of commas missing (sorry, but that just annoys and distracts me). Plus I really didn't find the book funny?

As I said, part of my dissatisfaction with the novel could be attributed to the fact that I couldn't relate to the main character at all and I don't think I was the target audience for this book anyway as my lifestyle and interests are completely different. Furthermore, perhaps I would enjoy the book more if I had read the other two books first, maybe then I'd find it easier to understand the characters more. The novel works as a stand alone book, but I admit that certain references were lost on me. I'm also curious what happened to Annie's husband - anyone care to enlighten me why he passed away? Was just wondering.

By far the best thing about the book is the cover - it's gorgeous and it would definitely catch my attention in a bookshop, I'd definitely pick it up and possibly buy it just because of the pretty cover!

All in all, I thought the book was pretty average, but that's just silly ol' me and I often find faults with books that most people have enjoyed just because they don't strike a chord with *me* (keep in mind that I'm a strange person). I'd recommend this book if you like a reeeeally light and quick read. If you're interested in finding out more about this title, then please read the reviews by Chloe and Jenny, who both really liked the book!

overall rating: 3/5
plot: 3/5 | writing: 3/5 | characters: 2/5 | cover: 5/5

Review: LUCY IN THE SKY by Paige Toon ***

"Settling down for a 24-hour flight to Australia, Lucy finds a text message on her phone - not from her boyfriend James, as she fondly hopes, but from a woman claiming to have slept with him four times in the past month. Trapped on the plane, she questions everything about her relationship with James. She finally calls him and he reassures her: it was only his mates playing a silly joke. James is a lawyer, persuasive and gorgeous and Lucy adores him. So why, at the wedding in Sydney of her best friend Molly, does she have niggling doubts, and find herself attracted to Molly's brother-in-law Nathan? The sooner she gets back to her regular life in London, the flat she shares with James, her job in PR, the better. Nathan is a happy-go-lucky surfer boy, with no prospects, no place to live, an almost-girlfriend in tow. And the other side of the world ... Lucy - a girl caught between two distant continents - and two very different men ..."

(summary)

I've been hearing so much praise for this novel and I quite enjoyed it myself, I just wasn't blown away like I expected to be, but please don't hate, I'm just a silly girl with a strange book taste. ;)

Firstly, I liked how the novel was set in Australia and London, two destinations that I adore so it was interesting to read about those two places. Furthermore, I thought the jokes between Lucy and Nathan were a cute addition and even if most of them were plain silly, some of them really cracked me up! On the other hand, that seemed like a cheap way of entertaining the reader and personally I prefer to be amused by the writing and the dialogue. I just appreciate that more because it's harder to achieve, but nonetheless these little jokes were a lovely touch and made the budding relationship even cuter.

I didn't quite warm up to Lucy, I thought she wasn't the best narrator ever (even though she had her good moments), but I quite liked the two guys. Obviously Nathan had more good points going for him, but I found James quite well-portrayed (he had the most dimension, I think) so I could understand Lucy's dilemma, at least at the beginning and then it was just plain obvious where her heart was. Speaking of which, I found the relationship between Lucy and Nathan a bit too sudden and too convenient, albeit cute, but by the end it was simply too corny, shame. All in all, I thought the theme itself (being caught between two men aka emotional cheating) was very interesting, but I just don't think this was the most interesting executing I've ever read (a similar theme was occured for example in Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier and I thought it was more emotional and 'real', same for Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin, both excellent books). Oh and also, is it just me or was the topic of cheating underdeveloped? It was supposed to be a life changing thing, but I thought it was too quickly brushed aside and not investigated enough.

Personally, I found the novel to be sort of badly written, firstly because the writing itself was really simple and also because I thought there were several events and characters that contributed hardly anything to the main story. I also thought certain things were too detailed for no apparent reason. Sometimes I just had this feeling that the author was just trying to fill the pages ...

What I liked by far the most about this book is the cover, which is simply goooorgeous! That's why I'll most likely be buying Ms Paige's other two novels, simply because I feel the urge to own such beautiful books, can't resist them (yes, I know this is silly, but I don't care, must have these books). I'm just hoping the other two novels will be better. I'm not saying this was a bad book, far from it, it's a lovely summer read, but very very light and simple and not particularly funny (apart from the jokes). It's a cute read, but I think there's definitely room for improvement. :)

overall rating: 3/5
plot: 3/5 | writing: 3/5 | characters: 3/5 | cover: 5/5

Review: LOVE LIES by Adele Parks ***

"Fern is glaring thirty in the face and can't ignore the love lies any longer. Life with Adam was amazing once - although these days swinging from the chandeliers means D.I.Y not S.E.X. She believes a romantic wedding should be the next step but Adam just won't go down on one knee. Then a chance meeting with Scottie Taylor - the UK's sexiest pop star - lights fireworks in Fern that won't stop exploding. It's mind-expanding love at first sight for them both so when he proposes in front of a sell-out crowd at Wembley Stadium, there's only one answer. Yes, yes, yes! Before you know it, Fern is living the celebrity dream in LA and a wedding planner is arranging designer shoe fittings. But isn't it all happening a little too fast? Why is this modern day Cinderella homesick for a rented two-bedroom flat in Clapham? How do you know whether love is telling the truth? Fern must choose which version of this fairy tale is hers."

(summary)

I've been excited about this book for months, but sadly it didn't quite deliver. The beginning was kind of boring, but the story quickly picked up once Fern was whisked off to Scottie's world. I admit I nearly drooled over the descriptions of his fabulous house and his wealth - hey, that's what dreams are made of (mine especially, hehe). Reading about the life of the rich and the famous really was the best bit, possibly because I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff (I wonder how the author researched it though?). I found it quite fascinating, especially since you quickly learn that their lives are not all rainbows and butterflies and that they basically lose their identity, quite tragic. I found it quite creepy how fake and staged and manipulated everything was, but it's easy to see how one could get lost in that world.

The story is narrated mostly by Fern with occassional narrations by Scottie. I quite enjoyed the latter as they gave important insight into his mind, which was important for the story. Fern really idolizes her, but Scottie himself presents himself as the bastard he really is, no pretense. And while I appreciated that, I can't say that I liked him as a character, he was just too selfish and seriously lacked backbone - he couldn't think or speak for himself, everything was done for him by other people. I didn't like Fern either, I thought she was a silly girl since she actually thought a man like Scottie was marrying her for love. She wasn't annoying all the time, but mostly just too naive to my liking and I found it hard to feel her "pain".

Despite the surprisingly very average writing, I quite enjoyed the book, especially the middle part where Fern (what kind of a name is that btw?) was sucked into Scottie's crazy world. But what really ruined the book for me was the ending (if you're interested, you can read it in the summary linked above) - I felt like the author was taking the softest possible option and wasn't even trying to end the book properly. The "discovery" is supposed to be this twisty twist, but it just made me roll my eyes, I mean come on! And then it just gets worse with a big cliché and lots of cheesyness and then the book ends in the middle of nowhere. As a reader, I'd expect at least an explanation on how all the people took the news and what the consequences were (they're bound to be huge in a situation like that), but the author just closes the curtain halfway through and expects us to believe that everyone lived happily ever after or what? Maybe it's just me, but I thought the ending was an incredible rip-off.

This was my first Adele Parks book and I can't say I was overly impressed. I've already got two of her previous books (Still Thinking of You & Husbands) waiting to be read so I'm hoping those will be better. But wahey, at least the cover for this book is stunning and the ads are pretty gorgeous too (clever, huh). ;)

overall rating: 3/5
plot: 3/5 | writing: 3/5 | characters: 3/5 | cover: 5/5