In My Mailbox #83

Sorry I've been so quiet here, this year really is incredibly busy for me! :\
While I was away, I also attended the Frankfurt Book Fair, which was very exciting, but sadly I was too busy rushing around and meeting people to take any proper pictures. :( It was lovely though!

Anyway, I've received so many fantastic books in the past two weeks that I just couldn't resist showing them off. :)

LETTER FROM A STRANGER by Barbara Taylor Bradford
SOMETHING FROM TIFFANY'S by Melissa Hill (review copy)
MIRACLE ON REGENT STREET by Ali Harris (review copy)
WHAT'S NEW, PUSSYCAT? by Alexandra Potter
SOPHIA'S SECRET by Susanna Kearsley
THE LEGACY OF EDEN (ARC) by Nelle Davy
THE MISTAKEN WIFE by Rose Melikan
A GATHERING STORM by Rachel Hore
THE LANTERN by Deborah Lawrenson
LEGEND by Marie Lu
ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE (UK ARC) by Gabrielle Zevin

I'm soooo excited about these and I wish I could read them NOW!!! *sigh*

In My Mailbox #82

In the past couple of weeks or so I got theeeese beauties below!

• THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern - I've been waiting for this one for ages and I adore the cover and the black edges and everything! I've heard some incredible things about it so I really must read it asap!
• SAPPHIRE BATTERSEA by Jacqueline Wilson - I haven't read Hetty Feather yet (this is the sequel), but I do have a soft spot for Ms Wilson and I keep buying her books, hehe.
• AN AUTUMN CRUSH by Milly Johnson - Review copy, thanks S&S! I adoooore Ms Johnson's covers, they're always so pretty and they match, that's always a plus!
• THE GIRL ON THE CLIFF by Lucinda Riley - A finished copy for review. I already have the proof so I'll be giving one of these away. I looooved Hothouse Flower so I cannot WAIT to read this one, it sounds sooo good!

The last two items are not strictly book related, but they were so cute that I just had to include them in my little haul! :)
The first one is Juicy Lucy slim diary for 2012 and it's just sooooo adorable, it brings a smile to my face everytime I look at it. I'm not huge on writing stuff down in diaries/agendas or whatever, but this one I just had to have! I love Juicy Lucy, their stuff is just so lovely!
The last big things is a 2012 his & hers wall planner by Love Is ... - I looove those cartoons and I have three books full of them! This one was just too cute to miss! :)

That's all from me & I can't wait to see what you all got!

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

In My Mailbox #81

I'm BACK with another FABULOUS installment of IMM. So happy because I got some AMAZING books!!!

FALLEN ANGELS by Tara Hyland - Isn't this gooooorgeous?!?! I loved Tara's debut Daughters of Fortune and I was over the moon to receive a review copy. Cannot wait to read it!

THE LADY OF THE RIVERS & THE WOMEN OF THE COUSINS' WAR by Philippa Gregory - Haven't read anything by PG yet, but I've heard sooo much praise that I really have to!

LIESL & PO by Lauren Oliver - A lovely shiny finished copy! Lauren Oliver is amazing and this book looks brilliant with all the illustrations inside. I'll be giving my ARC away when I review this (someday) so stay tuned for that.

BEAUTIFUL DAYS by Anna Godbersen - Woohoo! Loved The Luxe series and I can't wait to read BYT as well, I know it will be brilliant, but I'm saving it cos I want to read the whole series back to back!

THE GIRL ON THE CLIFF by Lucinda Riley - Yaaaay!!! Loved Hothouse Flower and this one sounds absolutely fantastic and I cannot wait to read it!

FINDING MR FLOOD by Ciara Geragthy - Review copy. Sounds good, although the cover's a bit boring ...

THE SECRET PRINCESS & ORDINARY GIRL IN A TIARA by Jessica Hart - These look like fun reads and I really like the Riva covers.

I'm SO pleased with this haul! Can't wait to get lost in these! :)
What did YOU get?

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

In My Mailbox #80

Errr, remember me? :)
It's been a while, eh ... What can I say, in case anyone still cares? Well, I've had a very, very busy summer and I guess consequently I just lost my online mojo for a bit. :( I was online, just not very active, I'm afraid. I've been reading a bit and I have a few reviews to post, but I just can't seem to find the energy to write them, although I really want to ... Hopefully soon! I just really need to get my blogging mojo back first! Any tips? :)

I did receive quite a few lovely books though ... Check 'em out:
ESCAPE by Barbara Delinsky - I'll read it one of those days when I just want to escape ... It appeals.

FROM LONDON WITH LOVE by Jemma Forte - I'm halfway through and it's BRILLIANT so far. Hilarious! Plus the cover is absolutely gorgeous! Thanks, Jemma!
BAD SISTERS by Rebecca Chance - Review copy. Apparently it's a good bonkbuster!

WHAT THE NANNY SAW (ARC) by Fiona Neill - I really am intrigued by what she saw, yes ... Sounds good!
THE FIRST WIFE by Emily Barr - Review copy. Oooh, mysterious! I've heard good things about this one so I really have to read it!

DEAD MAN'S COVE by Lauren St John - A Famous Five-type like adventure story. I was a major sucker for this back when I was a lot younger. Still can't get over them at the ripe ol' age of 26, haha! Haven't read one of these in well over a decade, but as soon as I spy one, the kid in me gets all excited and I have to have it, heh!

THE MYSTERY OF THE WHISTLING CAVES & THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT GHOST by Helen Moss - Same as above applies. I wrote more about these books here.
Not a massive haul, but still an impressive one, methinks!

I look forward to seeing what you all got, darlings!

In My Mailbox #79 + Harry Potter Friday parody!

It's been a while since my last IMM so here are the goodies I've received lately!

• WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW? by Claudia Carroll - Massively excited about this one!!! I love Carroll's previous book (although I have since heard it's been heavily plagiarised) so I'm really looking forward to her newest too! Thanks, Harper Collins UK!
• ALWAYS ON MY MIND by Colette Caddle - I've been wanting to read this ever since it came out in hardcover, but I wanted to wait for the paperback. I was a bit sad the cover was changed, but now I quite like this one too. Thanks, Simon & Schuster UK!
• CALIFORNIA DREAMERS by Belinda Jones - I was quite disappointed by this cover (it has nothng on her previous cover!!), but I like the story and I can't wait to read the book! Thanks, Hodder!
• LOVE ALWAYS by Harriet Evans - Sounds intriguing! I was waiting for the paperback! Also not super impressed with the cover (her previous ones were much better IMHO), but oh well, it's nice enough.
• THE SHADOWS by Jacqueline West - I really like the sound of this one. I think I saw the trailer somewhere and just got in on a whim. Haunted Victorian mansions? Yes, please!
• LIESL & PO by Lauren Oliver - Squeeee! I saw that a lot of others bloggers got an ARC and I never thought I'd be one of them so imagine my surprise when I open an unexpected package and inside I find *this book* along with the cut out theatre! Amazing! Made my day! I mean, it's Lauren Oliver! Thank you, Hodder!

On a slightly unrelated note, who's excited about the final Harry Potter film? I know I am! I was a bit disappointed by part 1, but I still can't wait to see the final installment, although I will undoubtedly bawl my eyes out about it all ending ... But like DanRad said, the story lives on. I can't wait to re-read the whole series at some point - if you've read it, then you know how incredibly amazing the books are! Long live Queen Rowling!
Speaking of amazing, have you seen the Harry Potter Friday parody by The Hillywood Show? I must've watched it about 20 times (seriously) in the past week and it cracks me up each & every time, it's just SO spot on! See for yourself! :)

Review: MY LAST DUCHESS by Daisy Goodwin ****

Beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, the wealthiest debutante in America, is spirited away from the glamour and comfort of her Park Avenue mansion and suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, mistress of Lulworth Castle, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England. As Cora is soon to discover, nothing in this strange new world is quite as it seems. Her handsome new husband is withdrawn and secretive; the English social scene is stuffed with pitfalls and traps; and there are increasingly dangerous forces at work, people who wish she'd never met Ivo in the first place.

THE AMERICAN HEIRESS is a dazzling debut novel from Daisy Goodwin, whose brilliant new voice is reminiscent of Henry James, Edith Wharton, and Kate Morton.

The other day I was just in the mood to read something lovely and historical, which I haven't done in quite a while and I really missed it. I don't know why, but I just felt drawn to this book - maybe it was the cover, or simply the promise of getting lost in the 1890s, which is my absolute favourite historical period to read about ...

I really loved the book at first. The amazing ridiculousness of the Gilded Age simply blew me away, as always, haha. I really warmed up to Cora (the richest girl in the world!) and was really excited about the prospect of her journey to England, meeting her husband etc. Overall, I absolutely adored the whole atmosphere of the book, but I just thought the story itself was a bit ... boring? Don't get me wrong, it was beautifully written, but I just felt nothing was happening. I was waiting for a huge mystery or a big scandal to happen, but nothing. Well, there was this thing towards the end, but it was far less exciting than I expected it to be.

Oh and don't even get me started on the ending, which I thought was left far too open. I really wanted to know what happened to all the characters and then all I got was ... a rushed mess with loose strings. I don't think there's enough material for a sequel, but surely this can't be the end? How did T react? And what happened to B&J? I just felt there were pages missing and ultimately I was left unsatisfied.

All in all, I loved loved LOVED getting lost in the lifestyles of the rich and the famous of the late 19th century. So delightful! The atmosphere was magical, the language was magnificent and the characters were lovely, but I just wished there was more to the story; nonetheless, I enjoyed reading it immensly.

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