Review: FROM LONDON WITH LOVE by Jemma Forte *****

Can you run from James Bond?
Jessica Granger is desperate to know: her father is one of the most famous actors to tackle the part and, as Heavenly Melons, her mother was voted sexiest Bond girl. But for Jessica it's an embarrassment too far . . . she simply wants to be a person in her own right.

So she flees Hollywood for London, seeking independence in a city where nobody knows her name. But when she finds a job as a celebrity booker on a chat show she realizes the more friends she makes, the harder it becomes to keep up the lies about who she is. And when Jessica falls for Paul, a writer on the show, her life as a double agent puts him in double trouble.

When the truth explodes like a thunderball, can she convince Paul to live and let live rather than live and let die? Perhaps a sprinkling of the 007 magic might spice up her love life after all ...

First of all, GORGEOUS COVER ALERT!!! Yes, I know you Pink Fluffy Cover Haters out there are rolling your eyes, but I personally adore this cover. The font itself is boring, but the cover illustration is what my dreams are made of so well done to Adrian Valencia who designed this cover! It's actually even more gorgeous in real life and you can see a picture of it here. I was kindly sent a copy of this, but if I randomly saw it in a bookshop, I would most definitely grab it, pet it and take it straight to the cash register. It would just have to be mine, regardless of what's inside!

Luckily, what's inside doesn't disappoint either! I know it's a bit of a far fetched story, but again it's the stuff of my dreams, haha. The daughter of two very rich & famous James Bond film actors has never been able to do anything on her own without her doting father interfering so she decides to go to London, pretend she's just a normal person. She gets a job working behind the scenes of a talk show, she starts enjoying herself and she even falls in love - with a man who is all about straight up honesty and despises fakes. She dreads people learning about her real identity and yet she knows she can't keep it a secret forever ...

Seriously, what's not to love about this book? I adored Jessica as a character - she could easily be an airhead like so many other daughters of super rich parents, but she wanted to escape this and prove herself. She was so down to earth and so kind and normal. She's the complete opposite of her best friend Dulcie, who's just outrageous and hilarious. I also loved all her new work mates, one funnier than the other, and the scenes when she first joined them cracked me up so much, haha. All the characters in this book were just so wonderful.

The book tackles some more serious topics too, like depression and broken homes, but overall it's mostly just a modern fairytale. It's all about giving people a chance instead of judging them based on your assumptions of who they should be. It's a fantastic, lovely and funny read - definitely recommended if you need some TLC or cheering up!

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

Review: WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW? *****

Absence makes the heart grow fonder…doesn’t it? What happens when two people decide to give themselves the year off … from each other?

Annie and Dan were the perfect couple. But now the not-so-newly weds feel more like flatmates than soul mates and wonder where all the fun and fireworks went …
When Annie lands her big break in a smash-hit show that’s heading for the bright lights of Broadway, she’s over the moon. Goodbye remote Irish village of Stickens, hello fabulous Big Apple! But with their relationship already on the rocks, how will Annie and Dan survive the distance?
They’re hitting the pause button on their marriage. One year off from each other – no strings attached, except a date to meet in twelve months at the Rockefeller Centre to decide their fate.
Will they both turn up? Or is it too late for love?

I really, really enjoyed Carroll's previous book Personally, I Blame My Fairygodmother and I couldn't wait to read her latest! Then I learned that it's actually more of a romance story than a proper comedy and I admit I was a little worried as I prefer comedy to just romance, but Carroll pulled it of really well actually!

At the beginning, we're introduced to Annie and Dan, a young couple who have completely drifted away. Annie is absolutely miserable living with his intrusive family in the middle of nowhere and her once oh-so-caring husband is always working and forever letting her down. He's so distant that she can't even tell him how she feels and she feels so trapped. Then finally she gets her chance to escape by starring in a Broadway show - but that would mean moving away for a whole year ...

I must admit I was appalled by how Dan was treating Annie at the beginning. He felt he needed to work so much to help his family that he didn't want to let anyone down, but at the same time he completely failed his wife. Part of me understood Dan, as I'm a bit of a workoholic too, but part of me just wanted to really wanted to give him a very good talking to! Based on his behaviour, I could easily symphatize with Annie and her pain, after being let down SO many times, was tangible. After all that's happened, I can't say I blamed her for escaping to the Big Apple and enjoying her independence for a bit, although I did think the idea itself was a bit drastic, heh.

Once Annie starts enjoying her freedom in NYC, the romance part really starts. Sparks start flying between her and the director Jack, who is a very charming man indeed who could easily sweep Annie off her feet. At the same time, Dan starts missing his wife and he starts reaching out to her again, showing his softer side. I absolutely adored their lovely 'meetings at the moon'.

I loved the gentle romance between Annie and Dan, and on the other hand I quite enjoyed the sparks flying between Jack and her. There were so many twists and turns that I had no idea how the book would end, but I'm pleased to say that I really liked the ending, which made me go all AWWWWWW. :)

There is a fair bit of comedy in this book, which is mostly due to Carroll's narrative, which is typically Irish and thus hilarious in itself - as I've said before, I love Irish authors write, it just cracks me up! Jules was another funny character and I really enjoyed her scenes.
On the other hand, there was plenty of sadness and heartbreak, on top of other serious topics, like drug addiction and alcoholism. Altogether, I thought it was well balanced, plus it was set in the acting world, which I was not very familiar with and so I quite enjoyed reading about it.

Overall, this book isn't just rainbows and butterflies, which turned out to work really well in the end. It features an interesting story with believable, real characters and so many twists and turns to make your head spin, but it ends up making you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Plus the cover is absolutely gorgeous, which is yet another massive plus!
I really can't fault it and while I have almost the whole Carroll's backlist to read, I also cannot wait to see what she comes up with next - it's bound to be a good one!

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

Review: CRYSTAL BALLS by Amanda Brobyn **** + GIVEAWAY

Tina Harding is a successful and ambitious estate agent. All is going according to plan and her painful past as a failed actress has been well and truly buried. Now she's a down-to-earth and hard-headed businesswoman ... Life, however, is full of surprises.
While accompanying her more wide- eyed colleague, Chantelle, to a psychic fair, Tina herself falls victim to the lure of the Crystal Ball. She is warned that she must learn to trust her own decisions, and assured that the arrival of her soul mate is imminent. An elated Tina feels she has discovered a shortcut to fulfilment her very own life's SatNav.
Enter the gorgeous sex-on-wheels property-developer Brian Steen, who is very keen indeed to get up close and personal with Tina. But, call it fate, call it karma or just sheer bad luck, their steamy encounters are destined to fizzle out every time. But Brian is a patient man ... up to a point ... and, with help from Tina's psychic guides, things are sure to pan out just fine ... aren't they?

Before I get into the actual review, can we please discuss the most obvious thing? THE COVER, of course! Oh my gosh, isn't it AMAZING? I swear I fell in love with it the moment I saw it and I've honestly been staring lovingly at it after I closed the book. I mean, WOW!!! The picture, the fonts, the little stars, the colours - everything is damn near to perfection! I think it would be even better if the cover was actually sparkly and the letters were embossed and if the tagline wasn't an ugly green colour, but overall you won't hear me complain! As far as I'm concerned, this is one of the best covers ever so mad props to whomever designed it. Sadly it doesn't say at the back, but dammit they did a brilliant job!

Now that my cover gushing is done, it's time I talk about the book itself. Well, I'll admit I found it a bit slow at first, but then the plot really picked up, got rather dramatic and I ended up loving it! It's basically just about this girl Tina, a failed actress but now a very successful business woman, who doesn't believe in fortune telling and such, but after one reading, the gypsy's words keep echoing in her mind and she can't stop thinking about them ... She has another reading and many more over the phone (at one pound fifty a minute!) and by following her 'inner voice' (inspired by the voices of fortune tellers), she manages to turn her nearly perfect life into a huuuuuge mess and is left to pick up the pieces. Like I said, the story was a bit slow and it took forever for Tina to become interested in this fortune telling business, but then it really picked up and I found myself totally engrossed in it.

The book is well written for a chick lit and there are several hilarious scenes. For example, Tina falls for this this tycoon Brian and there is awesome chemistry between them, but they just cannot seem to actually get it on - something (ridiculous) always comes up and prevents them right before they get down to business. I was seriously thinking, "Jeeeez, will these two ever do it or what?!", but whatever prevented them each time really made me laugh because it was just unbelievable, haha. So did they or didn't them, you wonder? Read the book to find out. :p

All in all, I really quite enjoyed the book with its little twists & turns and hilarious bits. There were some serious moments involved, but overall it was a light and entertaining read I definitely recommend!

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

If you're interested in reading this book, then this is your lucky day as I have an extra copy that I am now giving away! This giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE and it closes on July 3rd, 2011. All you have to do is fill out this little form here and tell me why you'd like to read this book. The winner will be picked with the help of random.org and emailed shortly after the deadline. Good luck! :)

Review: SWEPT OFF HER FEET by Hester Browne *****

The steps of a charmingly complex dance—Scotland’s famous reel—are at the heart of Hester Browne’s enchanting contemporary novel of two very different sisters whose dreams may come true at a romantic Scottish ball.

Evie Nicholson is in love . . . with the past. An antiques appraiser in a London shop, Evie spins fanciful attachments to Victorian picture frames, French champagne glasses, satin evening gloves, and tattered teddy bears—regardless of their monetary value.

Alice Nicholson is in love . . . with Fraser Graham, a dashing Scotsman whom Evie secretly desires. As crisply neat and stylish as Evie is cheerfully cluttered, Alice is a professional organizer determined to pull her sister out of her comfort zone—and who presents her with an irresistible offer.

As a favor to friends of Fraser’s family, Evie jumps at the chance to appraise a Scottish castle full of artifacts and heirlooms. What could be more thrilling than roaming the halls of Kettlesheer and uncovering the McAndrews’ family treasures—and dusty secrets?

But crossing paths with moody heir Robert McAndrew has Evie assessing what she wants the most . . . and at an upcoming candlelight gala, a traditional dance will set her heart reeling.

Last year, I read my first Hester Browne book, The Finishing Touches, and I absolutely loved it! That's why I was over the moon when I heard about Hester's 2011 book Swept Off Her Feet, which sounded fantastic too and I rushed to read it as soon as I could since I knew I was in for a treat!

If I had to sum up the book in one word, it would be: romantic. A stately home, snow, dashing men, secret compartments, a love story from the past, an upcoming ball - what's not to love? I'm not an overly romantic girl myself, but I happily allowed myself to see the world through Evie's eyes, where romance is everywhere and I have to admit I found it quite enjoyable. She's an antique appraiser so it's a dream come true for her when she's invited to find to the Kettlesheer castle in Scotland to help its residents find something valuable that they could sell in order to cover the massive bills. Though she's supposed to be working, she also has plenty of opportunities to daydream and she even gets the chance to learn the Scottish reels herself, which results in several hilarious situations since Evie is meant to be the clumsiest person ever, haha.

I just loved getting lost in the snowcovered Kettlesheer - I thought there was just something magical about it. I was rooting for Evie to find something valuable (goodness knows that proved to be more difficult than it seemed at first) and to find some romance of her own. I'm not telling if she did or not, but the chemistry between her and a certain dashing male character was certainly off the hook! I also loved reading about the Scottish reels, which took me by surprise. I admit I wasn't too familiar with them before, but since Evie's lessons were described in so much detail, I decided to look up of videos of the particular reels (Hamilton House, The Eightsome, 51st Division) so I could picture them more easily, and surprisingly I found the far more fun and endearing than I thought I would! I'll attach one of the many videos below so you can see how adorable these dances are!

All in all, like I said, what's not to love? The plot was wonderfully romantic, the characters were a bit quirky and positively lovely, plus there was several lough-out-loud scenes. I loved the setting itself and the little twists & turns. I'll admit a few coincidences were perhaps a tad too coincidental (certain things are discovered just in the nick of time), but I wasn't too bothered by that at all since to book was just such a delight to read!

Yes, this is a very fluffy read, but luckily not in the way that would make you roll your eyes, but more in a way that will leave you feeling all warm & fuzzy inside and you'll close the book with a smile on your face. Sometimes it just feels goooooooood to read books that take you away from the stress of everyday life, am I right? Well, if you need a bit of romance in your life or some cheering up, then give this book a try - you'll love it!

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

Review: REDHEAD REVEALED by Alice Clayton *****

As their careers catch fire, Grace and Jack -- everyone’s favorite foul-mouthed, funny, and feisty couple -- find themselves on opposite coasts. Grace has landed in New York City, where she loves being onstage again, particularly because she’s playing a fabulous character in a musical written by her old college flame, Michael. Their rekindled friendship makes exploring the city that much more fun.
Wait, it’s just friendship, right?

Meanwhile, in L.A., Jack can scarcely keep up with the swirling throngs of women who track him everywhere he goes, the endless press appearances, and the ridiculous rules his manager, Holly, keeps concocting for him -- all part of the buildup to the release of Time, his steamy new film.
Thank goodness for phone sex.

But even when their schedules allow them to connect, Grace and Jack must keep their relationship off the radar and away from paparazzi cameras. Sure, the sex is sensational, but can this duo survive swirling rumors, the demands of their chosen professions, Grace’s raging internal battles, and a whopping nine-year age difference?
Tick-tock, the clock is ticking. Isn’t it?

Alice Clayton brings the second installment of a tale told with her magical mix of humor and heat, so cuddle up under the sheets and flip on the Golden Girls. Grace and Jack are at it again.

I'm honestly head over heels in LOVE with this crazy hot couple!
This is the second book in the so-called Redhead series and some of you may remember how much I enjoyed the first one, The Unidentified Redhead - well, that one was AMAZING, but this one was EVEN BETTER! Yes, caps are necessary because this books deserve them because they are SO GOOD!

Anyway, in my review of the first book I mentioned that while I really enjoyed reading about G&J's hott relationship, I also thought it was a very superficial one - they hardly knew each other outside the bedroom and they seemed to only 'exist in their sex bubble'. Well, in the second book, reality hits and all Grace's unresolved issues and insecurities from the past come back to haunt her. They're both making it big on the opposite sides of the country so they don't get to see each other very often and even when they do, things don't always go according to the plan ... Can they make it through the crazy times and is there a future for them? Do they want a family? Do they even know what they're getting themselves into? Will the passion ever wear off?

Talking about the characters - Grace is fantastic and I grew even fonder of her after this book, but Jack, Jack, Jack ... Oh, Jack, why do you have to be so SWOONWORTHY?! I mean, not only is this man BRITISH (!!!), he's also rich and has an amazingly kind and understanding personality and he's fun and oh oh OOH! Luke Brandon (from Shopaholic) used to be my #1 book crush, but Jack is soooo close to stealing that title, lol.

So yes, I loved that this story was a bit more complex and had some downs and not just ups (life ain't a fairytale, yo), but at the same time it kept its trademark (raunchy) humour and hotness and adorable characters! Quick warning though: this book doesn't shy away from sex or swearing so if you're sensitive about that, then this might not be quite the book for you - but I still strongly recommend it because it's so much FUN to read!

Overall, I have nothing but praise for this gem of a book and I cannot wait for further hothothot adventures of Grace & Jack, whom I absolutely adore! I hear the third book is already in the making and you best believe I'll gobble it up as soon as it's available!

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

ps: Oh and did I mention that the first book contains the best line e-v-e-r: "TALK BRITISH TO ME." My girl Grace knows what's up! ;)

Review: YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I DON'T WANT by A. Potter ****

How do you know he's The One? Are you getting butterflies just thinking about him? Have you dreamt of marrying him? Do you just know?

When Lucy meets Nate in Venice, she knows instantly he's The One. And, caught up in the whirlwind of first love, they kiss under the Bridge of Sighs at sunset. Which – according to legend – will tie them together forever.
But ten years later, they’ve completely lost contact. That is, until Lucy moves to New York and the legend brings them back together. Again. And again. And again.
But what if Nate isn't The One? How is she going to get rid of him? Because forever could be a very long time ...

A funny, magical romantic comedy about how finding The One doesn't always have to mean happily ever after.

In case you haven't heard yet, I love me some Alexandra Potter! Be Careful What You Wish For is the first book I read by her and I absolutely loved it! I also read Who's That Girl?, which I really enjoyed too, and Me & Mr Darcy, which was less amazing but still very funny. And that's what I love about Ms Potter - her books are just so funny she can easily compete with the likes of Sophie Kinsella and Jenny Colgan, two other great wit lit authors!

Anyway, this book isn't quite my favourite by Ms Potter, but I still really enjoyed reading it! In it we meet Lucy, a 28-year-old English girl who's just moved to New York and works at an art gallery. One day during work she comes Nate again - her true love who she never got over with. They spent a magical summer together in Venice ten years ago and then their long distance relationship didn't really work out. Lucy has had several boyfrinds since, but her heart was still with Nate ... When they meet again, they decide to re-start their relationship. At first everything seems perfect and Lucy is over the moon, but the cracks start to show slowly enough ... But have changed significantly in the past decade and they have a completely different outlook on life now. So they break up, but nonetheless they keep meeting and keeping in touch, due to the fact that they kissed under the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, which tied them together forever. They don't like this one stinking little but so they're forced to try all sorts of hilarious things to keep apart in order to be able to move on ...

That, in a nutshell, was the plot, which I admit wasn't exactly mindblowing and a bit silly at times, but the story flew nicely so it was enjoyable enough, plus it had me laughing a few times so that's always a plus. I found Lucy a tad too stereotypical chick lit heroine and had her ditzy moments, but overall she was incredibly loveable and easy to relate to with all her imperfections. Other than that, the characters and their relationships felt real and I really warmed up to them.

Also, can we talk about the cover, please? I must confess I was very disappointed with this one and I think it's the worst out of Ms Potter's covers. Her other recent UK ones have been positively goooorgeous, but I find this one horrible - there's far too much green and blue going on and I personally can't stand those two colours. Maybe that's why it took me so long to pick this book up - I was so put off by this cover, but luckily it was worth putting up with because the story inside was really cute!

So yeah, don't be put off by the cover (if you're a crazy particular git like me :p) and give this book a try if you're looking for a very, very light and occassionally funny read with a lovely set of characters. If you're not familiar with Ms Potter's books yet, then I suggest starting with Be Careful What You Wish For, which was hands down my favourite by her, but don't dismiss one either - it is a lovely read that will brighten up your day!


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

Review: STAR STRUCK by Anne-Marie O'Connor ****

All Catherine wants to do is sing, but a TV show is about to make her a star . . .
Catherine Reilly is 24, single and still lives at home with her dad and two of her sisters. The only thing Catherine’s ever been any good at is singing, but she has no connections, low confidence and isn’t exactly glamorous.
However, when she sees a TV ad for the latest series of Star Maker, the biggest talent show on national television, she decides to enter . . .
Catherine now has the best voice coach in the business, a team of sadistic trainers and stylists and the world’s number one music mogul on her side . . . Can an ordinary girl's dreams really come true?

I've been wanting to read this book ever since it came out nearly two years ago - whoa, time flies ... I'm a fan of rags-to-riches type of stories and this one certainly didn't disappoint!

The star of this book is Catherine, a completely unremarkable girl who has sacrified everything to care for her dad, who is a bit of a hypochondriac and is having a hard time coping with the fact that his wife left him, so Catherine can't help staying at home and looking after him. The only thing she's ever been good at is singing and one day she decided to enter the hit TV show Star Making: Transatlantic ... She attends the auditions, where things go horribly wrong thanks to her kooky dad and her two sisters. She gets through to the next round, but once the audition part is broadcast, her whole family becomes famous - and things can only go downhill from there! Catherine is quite a success on the show, but her life is a mess - her family is involved in a public scandal, she doesn't know who she can trust and she seems to be falling in love for the first time ...

This was such a cute read! I really enjoyed getting a glimpse behind the scenes of a type of shows that are really popular today and how things are run. I can't say that that these descriptions of really shows are accurate as I obviously haven't a clue, but I certainly found those scenes believable and I'm sure reality shows really aren't as 'real' as they're meant to be, but that's no secret anyway.

The characters were great too! Catherine was a great heroine and I liked how she remained grounded despite the so-called transformation (although the sadistic trainers and stylists made an appearance much later than I expected them to) and all the madness that went on around her. She was a fab character, as was her hi-larious family, her love interest and Star herself, of course!

I can't say I was blown away by this book, but it was enjoyable and entertaining enough. Maybe it was a bit slow at times, but overall it was a good read - and a very topical too, with all the madness of reality talent shows! I believe this was the author's debut, but I do hope she writes more books in the future as I'd certainly like to read more by her!

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

Review: MIDNIGHT GIRLS by Lulu Taylor *****

From the prestigious dormitories of Westfield to the irresistible socialite scene of present-day London: everywhere Allegra McCorquodale goes, scandal follows her. And in Allegra’s shadow are her closest friends since school, the Midnight Girls.
Romily de Lisle: super rich, brilliant and bored. She’s as blessed as Allegra when it comes to looks, but she’s a force to be reckoned with.
And Imogen Heath: pretty, timid and hopelessly drawn to Allegra’s reckless charm. She longs to be a part of the glitzy high-society world where her friends move with such ease.
Once free of the cloistered worlds of school and university, the Midnight Girls face new and different challenges, but they are for ever bonded by a terrible secret they’ve sworn never to break. Bitter rivalries arise as their professional lives soon cross paths. Greed, tragedy and sinister passions threaten their allegiance and each of them stand to lose what they love most ...

Wow, what an amazing bonbuster! A couple of weeks ago, I was in the mood for something glamourous and scandalous so I picked up this book on a whim - then got completely sucked into it and I literally couldn't stop reading! It was the very last book I read in 2010, but it made it straight into the top 5 of my favourite reads of last year!

Despite its massiveness, which might be off-putting at first, there isn't a single dull page in the book. There is a looooot going on, but everything seems to be relevant - like, if that character hadn't done that (which may have seemed random at first), then they wouldn't meet that character and then blah blah. I found the novel really well-structred and for such a long book it really was incredibly thrilling and engrossing.

Plot-wise, this is the story of three rich girls: Allegra, Imogen and Romily - best friends who call themselves the Midnight Girls because they often hold forbidden meetings at midnight at their the exclusive boarding school. One night they're involved in a tragedy and they swear to never tell anyone what really happened. After their school years, Imogen and Allegra enroll into university and Romily becomes a proper socialite, dabbling in this and that. On top of their own story, we also follow Mitch (aka Ted Mitchell), a struggling chef who seems a bit random at first, but plays a very important role later on ...

I don't really want to go into plot details too much because a) I don't even know where to begin, there is SO much going on, and b) I don't want to spoil anything for those who are planning to read this. All I'm saying is that this is a very glamurous read with a lot of super wealthy people, their relationships, sex, drugs, tragedy, revenge etc. There are numerous surprising twists and by the end I felt like I was reading a thriller or something - I was bitting my nails (figuratively speaking) and afraid to read on because the book was becoming so intense! I really liked the ending though and I put the book down with a satisfied sigh.

I absolutely adored being sucked into the lives of the incredibly rich and reading about the amazing lifestyles of these girls (especially Romily's!) was like the ultimate fantasy (minus all the drugs, please). It seems like anything goes in that world and nothing is impossible - the highs and lows are as extreme as they come and Ms Taylor shows both sides very well. It's not all glitz & glamour all the time, but I really truly loved reading about that kind of lifestyle!

I thought the characerization was incredibly well done - I thought the characters were believable and especially the four main ones (the girls and Mitch) have undergone quite a transformation, which, I suppose, is not terribly surprising since they've been through quite a bit: tragedy, rape, robbery, drug addiction, crazy parties, love affairs, backstabbing etc. But nonetheless, I really admirated how the characters evolved and the people they became by the end.

Overall, as you can see, I simply cannot praise this book highly enough as I loved every single minute of it! My boyfriend even said he had never seen me so engrossed in a book, especially when the dramatic conclusion took place and I was terrified to turn the page because I expect terrible things to happen to the characters I grew to love, heh.

I absolutely loved this book and I strongly recommend if you're looking for a great story, set in the world of the incredibly rich. I've read a few bonkbusters in the past, but this has to be my favourite of them all.
I'll be sure to read more by Ms Taylor - I already have a copy of her debut novel Heiresses and I've already pre-ordered her upcoming title Beautiful Creatures, which sounds fantastic and I'll probably devour it as soon as it shows up!

ps: Oh and the cover - gorgeous much?!?! Yeah, I think so!

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

Review: DOWN TO EARTH by Melanie Rose ****

One ordinary day,
one extraordinary experience …

When Michaela Anderson signs up for a parachute jump she gets more than a case of vertigo… Suffering last-minute panic, Michaela’s three colleagues go first. But just as she takes her leap of faith, an almighty gale blows up from nowhere. When she returns to the ground, she finds the airfield deserted, her car gone and the seasons mysteriously changed. Posters nearby proclaim Michaela to have been missing for the last six and a half years…

But Michaela is determined to find out the truth. Was she kidnapped? Is she now suffering amnesia, or has something even more extraordinary occurred? With the help of handsome pilot Matt, Michaela sets out to find the truth. And what she discovers rocks everything she has ever believed in to the core…

A magical tale that will enchant and enthral fans of Cecelia Ahern and Sophie Kinsella.

I've heard so much praise for Melanie Rose that I just had to give her books a try and for some reason I decided to start with this one, I guess mainly because I was intrigued by the mystery at heart. And whoa what a mystery it was! I found most of the book incredibly gripping and I just could not stop reading it as I couldn't wait to find out what happened to Michaela after she jumped from the plane and landed six years in the future ...

As I said, I found the premise oh so engrossing. It's similar to either Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella or What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty, where both main character suffer an accident of some sort and when they come to, years have passed and their lives have changed drastically. These three books have quite a few similarities, but I'd say Down to Earth is the darkest one of them since Michaela actually disappeared during the 'missing' years and this was an actual tragedy that dramatically altered the lives of her closest friends and family ...
So when Alice suddenly reappears after 6 years, she has a LOT to deal with. Her parents' lives have been literally destroyed by their frantic search for their daughter, her once loving boyfriend almost hates her for causing him so much pain, her best friend has hit rock bottom and turned into a completely different person, the pilot who saw her last was suspected of killing her and she can't even prove she's really Michaela Anderson since she was presumed dead years ago.

So yeah, Michaela has an awful lot to come to terms with since her life seems to have changed for the worse in just a few hours, all while trying to figure out what on Earth happened to her and where has she been for the past six years if she hasn't been abducted by aliens, like some people presumed. I found myself racing through the book, hoping that there was a good explanation for the mystery. And was there, you might ask? Well, I'm can't say really since I'm not quite sure what to make of the ending (was it just me or was that a bit confusing?), but I guess it wasn't quite as satisfactory as I had hoped. Part of me knew there couldn't possibly be a good enough and reasonable explanation for Michaela's situation (no idea what though), but I kept hoping I'd be blown away and I wasn't really. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed following this story - the mystery was fantastic and there were quite a few twists and turns along the way too!

I also found myself really connecting to the characters in this book. Their pain was so real to me and I really symphatized with Michaela and her broken mother, her ill boyfriend Calum, his lonely daughter Abbey and others. I like it when books can achieve that - when I don't feel like I'm just observing the characters, but also sharing their pain.

All in all, this was a thrilling and a slightly darker chicklity read with an intriguing premise and a great set of characters! I can definitely understand all the hype surrounding Ms Rose and I'll definitely be reading her other two books too - it's a good thing they're already sitting on my shelf (I bought them as soon as they came out because I simpy couldn't resist the covers - I mean, aren't they GORGEOUS??)!

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