Festive Book Review: Christmas on Primrose Hill by Karen Swan

PURCHASE |GOODREADS 


My Synopsis 

Imagine This: You have an ordinary job that has become mundane. You live with your dad. You still have the old friends you used to play with since your wee ages—and that's not a good thing!

One accident. And you are an internet sensation! Retweets, favourites, and of course a little dislikes on YouTube by the always embittered and unsuccessful. And oh, a follow from an international star!

Except your boss and your colleagues want you to keep up with this accident to raise donations for a charity organisation for testicular cancer awareness.

You think they are crazy. You wouldn't possibly make an attempt once more to off yourself... even for charity... even for a popstar who would probably unfollow you realizing how boring you really are.

Until he DMs you. Suddenly you'd do anything for charity! Twelve days of Christmas. Twelve dares of Christmas. 

Include finding your missing mother who just upped and left four years ago, and you've got yourself one heck of a holiday season to get it (your life—professional, love and life) all together. 

Hold up, readers! It's going to be a very Nettie Christmas! 

My REVIEW. 

I loved this book!

The storyline is good! After one tragic accident in which Girl comes out in one piece, she's all over London, doing stunts behind a laughable costume and gaining the interest of one popstar who's practically chasing her all over London. Cue in the mystery of her missing mother and you have an engaging formula!── ★

Nettie is so cool. When in her costume. And a pretty normal girl-next-door stereotype when she's out of it. But she makes a lovely lead whose story you want to see through till the end!── ★★

Other characters need to be celebrated too. There's Jules, the crazy, albeit one-dimensional friend who loves to party and likes guys with hot-bods. There's Caro, the tech, gum-chewing colleague who can't stand the presence of a guy a few seconds acting normal. There's also Mike, the boss who's having a hard time controlling all the women, that is, all his employees. You'd also love Jamie, the popstar who's always following our lead but making it look so normal you wouldn't call him a stalker. A star!── ★★★

Plus, there's also the two's romance! A feature I kept looking out for.── ★★★★

Though I immensely enjoyed this read (thanks to the romance), I couldn't really shake off the feeling that it wasn't as great as Swan's previous festive-not-quite-festive title, Christmas in the Snow. Karen's novels are known for their sweep-you-off-your-feet romantic plots with an engaging sub-plot of mystery. But this title's sub-plot wasn't engaging enough—as compared to her previous title's, I should add. Judging it as a standalone, like it is, I enjoyed it. But doing a comparative analysis I'm not sure I can give it all the stars it deserves.

So my rating: Four stars (judged with Christmas in the Snow!) but definitely a Five-star read when considered as a standalone.

Christmas on Primrose Hill is available on Amazon. Go get it along with Christmas in the Snow if you haven't read that one too.

I recommend this book to anyone who's a fan of festive novels that are not excuses for authors to just get in a Christmas tree and some mistletoe and just add a bit of a storyline. A book that can be read anytime of the year despite it being a festive read! You should also get it if you are a fan of Karen Swan (or not!)


My work not done here. Off to post my reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads. 

Summer Book Review: Summer at Tiffany's by Karen Swan

      Purchase|Goodreads

My Synopsis

Imagine This: You are almost-married. You have the most-adorable boyfriend in the world. Except, no matter how many times your friends, family are persisting you set a date, you are not ready to get married yet.

You were once married. So even though you love your boyfriend with all your heart, you are not sure you want to risk your freedom for an institution that doesn’t favour the woman.

Meanwhile, your boyfriend’s cousin is getting married in her early twenties. The same age you were before you got married. Would she make a mistake similar to yours? Would she consider her love eternal and ignore the signs of a cheating husband—or more to her situation—a surfer boyfriend who’s sticking with her because he smells an inheritance?

Your best friend, who’s also your boyfriend’s sister, wants you to destroy this marriage. This wedding cannot happen. In your attempts to put sense into the cousin’s head, and prevent her from making your mistakes, you find yourself believing every argument you rake up to put her against marriage. Woah. You had no idea how much you wouldn’t be willing to marry your boyfriend now.

Except your boyfriend has noticed your insecurities, and eavesdropped on all your arguments with his cousin marriage.

And soon he’s giving you an ultimatum: You have three months to set a date for the wedding. Simply saying ‘yes’ isn’t enough. He wants ‘I do’ soon.

This summer you’d find yourself entangled in your friends’ problems, risking falling back into the arms of your ex, and wondering if you are willing to let your freedom go for the love of your life... or keeping your freedom intact and being with Mr. Right. 

Cassie's life summed up for your delight.

MY REVIEW

I loved this book! 

I have never read Christmas at Tiffany’s! But this is my third title from Karen Swan, and as with every author I love, I jump into their latest without reading the blurb. So you could tell my surprise when I found out there was already a prequel. Suddenly, I was worried, I wouldn’t like this book very much. What with a storyline continued from where a previous title left off?

Except, I really, very much loved it because of its ability to adapt as a standalone novel! Summer, commitment issues, wrecking weddings, heart attacks, English summer adventures—a star to the storyline!── ★

You’d love its lead, really. Cassie is amazing, rhymes with Carrie and could also be likened to the iconic lead character of Sex and The City. She’s very girl-next-door, very contemplative when it comes to relationships—she offers lots of insight here. You’d love her for her populated life with exotic friends, extravagant parties and the tendency for drama to follow her everywhere she goes—much like Carrie Bradshaw! A star.── ★★

There are other characters you'd also love. There's Suze and Arch—our lead's boyfriend's sister and her husband, they are my favorite couple in the book! You'd love Suze for her tendency to be overprotective of her husband, and her deprecating wisecracks against him. You'd also love Arch for his tendency to rebel against his wife's orders... when she's out of earshot. There's Kelly, the elegant all-black New Yorker friend hiding news about her pregnancy. There's also Anouk, the hard-hearted Parisian friend who'd kill our lead if she steps out not looking perfect enough. Luke, is the ex boyfriend who seems to have moved-on and causing our lead headaches. Theres's Gem, the cousin who's all about giving yoga lessons for the troubled when she isn't exactly Zen with a Capital 'Z' as she claims. Lovely characters.── ★★★  

Humor is a feature in this title you'd love, and one thing I've noticed about Swan's summer-novels... some ridiculous, audacious summer adventures! Ooh, there's also the appearance of Cold Play. And DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA—without being irritating—that's engaging!── ★★★★

Does reading two of Karen's novels (before this) give me the right to spot a trend to her writing? Unlike her previous releases, there was no brow-lifting mystery in this title. I was a bit disappointed. There was mystery all right, but it would have been nice to have some mystery not entangled with the romantic plot (as with her previous titles).

So my rating: 4.5/5 stars.

Karen Swan's latest is available on amazon.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a summer-title laden with lots of girl-fun! Anyone who wants a romantic title that isn't  irritatingly-harlequin-styled (because that's the reason we all quit Harlequin Romance!) should go for this. Also if you loved Christmas at Tiffany's, then I'm very much sure this would be a winner to you too (because who doesn't love a reappearance of characters they adored!)

My work not done here. Off to put up my review on Amazon and Goodreads. 

Summer Book Review: Nothing But Trouble by Matt Cain

Purchase|Goodreads 

MY SYNOPSIS

Imagine This: You are a pop star! Your base is the UK and your career is about to take off. You have a US record company about to sign you on which means, in no time, you’d be a big star.

But with fame comes Trouble, your new album that’s topping the charts and making your song the in-thing on the lips all girls and gay guys. But you are done with finding a little trouble on your own. Until you are sure it finds you everywhere you go.

You can’t stay away from bad guys who have trouble written all over them. From sexy guitarists, to intense keyboardists and insanely hot drummers. Wherever there’s a bad guy, you latch onto him and his many instruments. ;)

This addiction would get you into a whole lot of trouble than you’ve ever gotten to in the past. And before you have a chance to break out of it, your career would be in tatters for the whole world to see.

Lola Grant’s trouble-laden musical career and life summed up for your delight.

MY REVIEW

Go buy this book if you are up for some non-stop musical fun and trouble—lots of it!

First of all, there’s a great storyline. Matt Cain weaves a story that’s the exact portrait of the entertainment industry laden with sex, drugs and bad guys or just bad back-up singers. You’d love Lola’s story, because just like you’ve wondered why men love bitches, you’ve also probably wondered why you ladies love bad guys. Matt Cain infuses the story of a past drunkard and his gay partner into the mix. He also throws in a revengeful back-up singer who would do anything to stop her moronic swaying and the random ‘Ooh’s and ‘Aah’s in between her lead singer’s songs to ruin her career. Fab storyline.── ★

An entertaining multiple character read. Lola’s perfectly portrayed to be that laidback star with charm who greets everyone with darlin’ and a peck on each cheek. You’d love her for being relatable and not going into the usual eyeroll anorexic phase most celebs are into these days. She eats anything. Just as well as she drinks anything . You’d hate her for being stupid at times committing the same mistakes with her love life over and over again. She’s just your regular pop star who cannot stay out of trouble and stumbling out of clubs wasted. A star to her.── ★★

The other characters are amazing. There’s Harvey, the gay manager who’s always around to save the day. There’s Gloria, the revengeful back-up singer I so much loved, because who doesn’t a girl made as the bad guy. There’s Spike, Harvey’s Nigerian descent boyfriend who also cannot stay out of trouble himself. There’s Freddy Jones, the reporter Lola has an eye for. There’s Jake Hunter, the drummer with a bad boy reputation Lola cannot resist. A star to all these characters and more I can’t mention.── ★★★

The suspense in this book is good. Towards the last hundred pages, you’d be practically at the edge of your seat wishing the author would just put you out of your dilemma. A star.── ★★★★

My rating is a four-point-five star (4.5/5 stars).

Matt Cain’s latest is available on amazon.

I recommend this book for anyone who wants to read fiction based in the music industry. Anyone who needs a title with multiple characters who deliver should pick this. If you are up for a summer filled with lots of trouble and fame go get this book. And if you want something suspenseful, this book is a right pick. This book is very Jackie-Collins, so if you love her too, Matt Cain should be up on your shelf with her.


My work not done here. Off to post my review on Goodreads.

Summer Book Review: The Vintage Guide To Love and Romance by Kirsty Greenwoood

MY SYNOPSIS

Imagine This: Your life has been teetering from one party to another, one tequila shot to another. And off late, you are finding it hard to show up at work in clean clothes and without a hangover. This means, not even your boss can yell at you.

So when you are given the boot by your friend-boss for being ‘less serious in life’, you have nowhere and no one to turn to except for your long-enstranged grandmother.

Your grandmother was quite a famous personality in the mid-twentieth century, charming the whole of London and New York bachelors and being the toast of all functions with her Good Woman Guides that teach women ways to hook a Good Bloke. But these days, your grandmother is kinda broke, even though she’d die before she admits it, and she is relying on reprinting her Good Woman Guides to be able to fend off the bailiffs.

Except the publishers have other plans. They think your gran’s Good Woman Guides happened in the fifties and should stay in the fifties as there’s no modern woman who would hook a man using the ways suggested in her guides.

But your grandmother is resilient, and using you, a modern girl at heart who’s anything but a Good Woman as an experiment to prove whoever uses her guides would end up hooking the bachelor of their dreams.

And your grandmother isn’t helping picking the man of a lot of girls’ dreams and your nightmares, as target of this project.

Jessica Beam’s adventure to prove her grandmother’s Good Woman Guides should be stacked in a corner gathering dust, summarised for your delight.

MY REVIEW

This book was good.

I loved the storyline. It was downright funky. Something you except a classic chick-lit title to entail. Girl loses the best thing in life, her mum, and numbs her pain with parties and casual one-night stands—fab! Girl gets sacked out of her job and bounces back to her grandmother who’s suddenly on a mission to groom her into being the Good Woman—fab! A star to the storyline.── ★

You would love the main character, Jess. Very juvenile at the beginning, if you’d ask me. But her change throughout the novel and her maturity is stunning. She develops from a character you’d wrinkle your nose at from the start, to a character that you could understand and—if not relate to—enjoy reading about. A star to her.── ★★

Other characters make this read lovely as well. There is the Granny, who begins every chapter dropping quotes from her Good Woman Guide you’d mostly always nod in agreement to. There’s Peach, the housekeeper for granny who’s shy and hasn’t ever had sex despite pushing towards thirty. There’s Summer, the jealous bitchy friend you’d hate so much. There’s Leo Frost, the demigod every female seems to have the hots for except our lead who finds him too much of a man-ho and arrogant. There’s one doctor down Granny’s apartment building who functions as a shoulder to cry on, and a shoulder to throw your leg over for a good fuck. A star to all these characters!── ★★★

There’s so much humour in this book you can’t help but keep rubbing your hind head in pain for throwing it back against the wooden head rest of your chair for a good laugh!── ★★★★

I really wished I loved, loved, this book. I wish it wasn’t that predictable. But either way, it was a good read. Not the kind you’d throw out your window and regret buying because it is too predictable you couldn’t take it anymore.

My rating: Four/Five stars (4/5 stars).

Kirsty Greenwood’s The Vintage Guide To Love and Romance is available on amazon.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants something light and quick and enjoying this summer. Anyone who loves their chick-lit laden with character makeovers should pick this. Any woman who wants something that could be a modern-take on a fairytale should rush for it. And anyone who wants a book to keep them laughing and smiling all through.

My work not done here. Off to post my review on Goodreads.

Summer Book Review: Summer at the Shell Cottage by Lucy Diamond

MY SYNOPSIS

Imagine This: The summer holidays are approaching again. But this time around, things are not looking up like they were last year.

Your husband of twenty years is dead. There’s nothing you could do to keep the sorrows away. And not even a much-needed vacation at the Shell Cottage would help since all your most cherished memories with your husband and your two kids live in that house.

You have every right to pull back any plans for summer this year and sit at home and mope. Your daughter tells you a summer vacation would be ideal to help you recuperate, but you have a feeling they, your children, want to keep an eye on you as suicide could be one of the to-dos you’ve planned ahead for this summer.

Things with the other members of your family are not too good this year too. Besides grieving the loss of their hero, your daughter is facing problems juggling the kids and her stressful job as a GP, your son has a secret he cannot afford to disclose to you all.

Surely, summer 2015 at shell cottage wouldn’t be the best of family vacations. But chances are, if you do not pull yourself together and make this summer a memorable one, no one in the family would ever look up to summer at Shell Cottage ever again.

Olivia Tarrant’s story laden with drama, secrets and lots of reckless fun summarised for your delight.

MY REVIEW

Christ it was hard to put up that synopsis without bringing the spoilers and the numerous omg moments right at the start of this title. So for starters, I’m giving the OMG moments in this title a star.── ★

I liked this book.

The storyline was nothing short of Lucy Diamond’s excellence. Telling the stories of one family’s summer after the death of a man they are not sure they could live without. All the characters face individual and joint challenges in making this summer one of the best summers of their lives in the memory of their father and husband. Nothing like an amazing family read full of drama.── ★★

I loved the main characters. Olivia Tarrant, the grieving wife who’s finding it hard to move on after her husband’s death, encounters a friend who will change the idea of a summer vacation for her forever. It’s all about being fun, reckless, and carefree even after sixty! Freya Tarrant, the daughter who’s finding it difficult juggling her three rowdy kids with her super-challenging job and a husband who’s never around would also be admired. Harriet Tarrant-Price, the single-mother who’s had enough of cheating men and is sure is living the dream this time around with a husband who’s landed a huge book deal.── ★★★

Other characters make reading this novel great as well. My very favourite, Gloria, a sixty-year old widow who’s not stopped grieving as well as skinny-dipping. Molly, the teenage daughter of Harriet who’s taking her chance on being a woman this summer. There’s also Libby, Teddy, and Dexter the annoying yet adorable children of Freya with their hilarious peculiar traits. A star to them.── ★★★★

I liked this book. But I wished I could have loved, loved it. I wished it was as fast-paced as Lucy Diamond’s previous, The Year of Taking Chances.

So my rating is a four out of five stars. (4/5 stars).

Lucy Diamond’s amazing latest is available on amazon.

I recommend this to anyone who wants a soothing family vacation read to cosy up to 

this summer. I recommend this to anyone who wants a book with laughing moments and very relatable moments too. I recommend this to anyone who’s a Lucy Diamond fan as she doesn’t disappoint in this title too. It’s all about being fun, reckless and creating a new you this summer!

My work not done. Off to post my review on Goodreads.

Ground-Breaking Titles of 2014: Books That Changed The Face of Chick-lit

I had been meaning to post this way back when I had too much time on my hands but never got around to. So as I have taken a mini-blogging break, I would leave you with my list of:

GROUND-BREAKING Books of 2014: BOOKS THAT CHANGED THE FACE OF CHICK-LIT.

(Not listed in any order)

The List by Joanna Bolouri.

Following the adventures of one shy girl with a naughty list, this book has a plot that sets it apart from all other chick-lit titles you’ve ever read. Told in the form of a diary, this book has lots to keep you engaged and SO MUCH MORE TO KEEP YOU GASPING FOR SHOCK! Not to mention it’s funny as hell, and of course sexy as Helen Mirren.  PURCHASE| READ REVIEW

An Open Marriage by Tess Stimson.

I love Tess Stimson because she’s not afraid to use the letters on her keyboard to talk about issues a lot of society frowns upon (except for the old who are now embracing a YOLO approach to life). Focusing on the much hush-hushed swinging life of older marriages, Tess Stimson pens an emotionally steamy novel stacked with lots of lessons to learn from in our rapidly-changing society blurring the lines between adultery and fidelity as well as morality and immorality.  PURCHASE| READ REVIEW

Christmas In The Snow by Karen Swan.

This book puts down the notion that Chick-lit cannot be fast-paced and very intriguing without guns and women sleuths. Karen Swan speaks on issues of feminism and women in high-ranking positions where male-domination is the opposite of what’s said in a Beyoncé track. Now, a book about ‘dark family secrets’ with dark, twisted family secrets! Absolutely ground-breaking! .  PURCHASE| READ REVIEW

A Husband’s  Confession by Zoe Miller.

This is not your ordinary infidelity book! I never thought the main issue behind a book about infidelity could be something besides the ‘Oh, well, he cheated’ fact. Laced with family rivalry, intrigue, suspense and lots of ‘when the fuck is he going to cheat?’ moments, this book is told in present day and past day narratives that gives it a hallmark character! .  PURCHASE| READ REVIEW

Courting Trouble by Kathy Lette.

Listed as the funniest book of 2014, Kathy Lette’s latest release isn’t all about one big book with so much chemistry between the protagonists and too much to laugh at. Putting across issues such as battling rape and its repercussions for feminists and rape-haters all-alike, Kathy Lette tells a remarkable story laden with suspense and so many issues of sexism swept under the carpet. .  PURCHASE| READ REVIEW

So there you have it. And you can vouch that as it appears on this blog, these books have NEVER, EVER, EVER BEEN DONE in chick-lit/women’s fiction. These titles demonstrate chick-lit is not all about ‘That Pink Book’! And by these titles, CHICK-LIT WOULD NEVER, EVER, EVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!

Book Review: Saving Grace by Jane Green

MY SYNOPSIS

Imagine This: You have the perfect life. The perfect marriage with a best-selling author. The perfect daughter who’s almost engaged to the sweetest guy. A perfect assistant who makes your life looks, um, yes, perfect and seem seamlessly glamorous.

A perfect life. At least on the outside.

You might head charities. You might always be in style sections of magazines labelled ‘Most Stylish’. You might have the weight every woman your age would dream of. The face that keeps anti-ageing as Forties rear its head.

Your perfect life is being held by its perfect seams. Till your godsent assistant leaves.

No one knows the moment you get home and drop your keys on your kitchen counter, you are terrified your husband is still in a fit. No one knows you are scared shitless of your husband’s tantrums and dread the day the vases he flings against a wall might accidentally crush into your face. No one knows your husband is a complete lunatic when he doesn’t get what he wants. And no one knows you are terrified. Terrified, not only by your husband, but by the fear of becoming… JUST. LIKE. YOUR. MOTHER. Terrified by the fear of becoming severely manic.

You need a new assistant quick. Someone to hold it all, so your life seems perfect again.

Fortunately, you get one soon enough.

She’s too perfect she’s a dream come true. But this perfect stranger, wants your perfect life. And you’d bloody go through hell to a) realize, b) stop her before it’s too late and c) convince everyone your mother never passed off her genes to you.

Grace Chapman’s perfect life torn to imperfect shreds for your delight.

MY REVIEW

I loved, loved this book. So you know in my review I’d be yelling at you to go get it, don’t you?

My experience with Jane Green’s style came from Swapping Lives. A book I happily devoured… till it’s owner demanded her book back! (Apparently, it was a taboo to enjoy her book than she would WHEN SHE HAD NOT EVEN BOTHERED READING IT!)

I adore the storyline to this title. Woman is terrified of her husband. Woman’s perfect life is almost dissolved by her husband’s tantrums when their perfect assistant leaves. Woman introduces a new assistant into their home. Assistant might be bent on claiming everything Woman has. Or is Woman just being paranoid like her husband says? Love, love, love it! A star to the storyline.── ★

One thing about Jane Green’s writing, you fans already adore is her approach to the very difficult omniscient point-of-view in present tense(!) It gives this solemn quality to her titles and enhances her communication of the dense themes she seems to portray in her titles. A star.── ★★

You’d absolutely revere Grace Chapman. I do love highly composed women in their forties who exude grace under pressure and do a great job of bottling it all up so no one is privy to what goes on indoors in their homes. But how much more could you take before you finally crack? Amazing character! You would love her poise, her perfect image as society’s perfect wife. You would probably not relate to her, but you’d be enamoured of how she manages to keep it all under control without a flip switching off in her head (yet). A star to Grace.── ★★★

Other characters make this novel the literary engaging masterpiece it is. There’s Sybil, the friend who’s far from perfect, far from a size ten, far from polished and far from looking like she has it all under control like our lead (Grace). There’s also Ted, Grace’s husband who switches from complete jerk and lovely husband in a split second. There’s Clemmie, the perfect daughter who’s engaged to the perfect guy. There’s Lydia, the woman who taught Grace the number one thing that brings her joy: cooking. There’s Patrick, the adorable childhood friend who possibly still carries a torch for Grace (or has Hollywood already done his head in and made him a complete moron? but why would Grace care?). You’d also love-to-hate Beth, the assistant who at one time, Grace considers heavensent, then the next is contemplating if she’s wearing a mask over hellish features. A star to these characters.── ★★★★

Don’t you love Women’s Fiction that’s highly analytical? Women’s fiction that gives you a deeper insight into issues all you women face? Moreover, women’s fiction that offers you recipes for making meals that are sure to make your blood pressure go down a notch when you are feeling intensely worried?── ★★★★★

Suspense, check.

My rating: Five/Five stars (5/5 stars).

Saving Grace is available on amazon. Get it, and while at that, scoop all the other Jane Green titles you haven’t picked up.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a book with a lovable, relatable, enviable heroine. I recommend this book to anyone who wants their Women’s Fiction laced with lessons they could learn and pass on to friends. Anyone who is fan of Jane Green should grab this as she doesn’t disappoint with this title. The perfect book for a group of women to sit around a brunch table and discuss.

My work not done here. Off to post my review on Goodreads. 

Book Review: The Year of Taking Chances by Lucy Diamond

MY SYNOPSIS

Imagine This: It’s New Year’s Eve, your husband has putting down purchase on a massive property which would now be called your new home. And he’s throwing a mega-party inviting all family, friends, acquaintances, and well, everybody.

With lots of booze, canapés and laughter, the party is fun contrary to what you envisaged. There you meet in two newcomers in your tiny, country village and you three bond over fortune cookies and the shitty, crappy messages in them.

Three, two, one. Happy New Year! Resolutions made, you are about to embrace the New Year with style and much more commitment to becoming a size six (not that you have ever seen that weight on you all the forty years of your life).

But who knew the crappy messages in your fortune cookies would turn to reality? Who knew tragedy would strike and your perfect family would crumble? No one to help you restore the hope you had for the New Year, not even your mum dying her hair in Ibiza, getting a tattoo and a nose ring who only shows up when she’s broken up with another boyfriend.

If only your new friends didn’t have problems on their own. On another side of the country, it turns out their fortune cookies also weren’t lying at all.

Gemma’s, Caitlin’s and Saffron’s hellish new year summed up for your delight.

MY REVIEW

I loved, loved this book! So you know in my review I’d be urging you to make your own fortune cookies and wish your life to crumble to the barest so you could pick the pieces all up and learn valuable New Year lessons, don’t you? (Crazy, I know!).

I absolutely adore Lucy Diamond. Sadly, One Night In Italy, her previous work, had only been my introduction to her amazing-ability! Now, I have this book to add to my LUCY DIAMOND TITLES YOU CAN’T FORGET (BUT CAN YOU REALLY FORGET ANY?) shelf.

Brilliant storyline. The whole thing with the fortune cookies. The whole thing with the perfect or remotely perfect lives deteriorating to absolute nothingness. It’s amazing the way Lucy Diamond crafts her stories and star, star, star, star to the storyline(s).── ★

The three main characters are off the hook! Gemma, Caitlin and Saffron! Utterly engaging! I do say I have never read anyone who handles multiple-character third-person point-of-view like Lucy Diamond excels in it. No, this is not your kind of story where all the characters are the same except for different names and different husbands! You would love Gemma for being the take-charge mother coming to the rescue when everything else is broken down. You would love Caitlin for her humorous humour and her ability to doubt what she wants for the New Year and go for it (much like us!). You would also love Saffron the no-nonsense girl in PR who knows how to give a verbal lashing to just about anyone who’s ‘lost the plot’. A star to all the characters.── ★★

Oh, and are there absolutely fantastic supporting cast as well? Karen, Gemma’s mum who loves to put down anyone within a mile radius every time she’s back in town. You would love Spence, Gemma’s husband who’s a moron for most part of the book. There’s also the adorable Darcey, Gemma’s daughter who never fails to point out when her mum is looking and acting weird. Will, Gemma’s sulky teenage son who’s taken up smoking (but really, haven’t they all?). In Saffron’s life, you would hate Charlotte, the PR boss who always takes pride in stealing the accolades of her employees to herself and posting cheerful messages on her wall to boost employee morale {TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE IT (my arse!)}. There’s Bunty, the opinionated D-list celeb who’s always calling non-stop for someone to pick up her laundry and making talk show hosts stay fifty metres from her reach for fear of being slapped for an offensive joke. In Caitlin’s life, you would adore Harry, the hot bloke who is going by a ten-date rule and trying not to begin the New Year for almost marrying someone again (about the tenth time). Loads and loads of fab characters I do not want to lengthen my review about… BUT HELL! It’s my blog! You would love Bernie, the pub owner who’s a total hottie for celebs who’ve ‘lost the plot’.  A star!── ★★★

Humor, check.── ★★★★

Suspense, check.── ★★★★★

Tear-jerking and swoony moments, check.── ★★★★★

My rating: Most definitely a five/five star read! (5/5)!

I feared I was going deep down into the four-star title rut, but this book saved it all! Now I know it wasn’t just me finding I needed a little extra with a book. This book had more than extras!

Lucy Diamond’s fan-freaking-tabulous latest, The Year of Taking Chances is available on amazon.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves an amazing New Year title to get back their groove on! Anyone who wants to read women’s fiction packed with warmth, humour and lots of heart should also get this title! And just about anyone who’s had their lives scammed by a fortune cookie they failed to believe!

My work not done here! Off to post my review on Goodreads!

Festive Book Review: Christmas In The Snow by Karen Swan

MY SYNOPSIS

Imagine This: You are in your thirties––and as one rival puts it, single, lonely, bitter. You are the only female president in a male-dominated environment. You are a workaholic. The only home you know is your office. It’s always jetting to have a meeting in Zurich, having lunch with some potential investors in Paris, and reading the Financial Times on a flight to Vienna. All in one day.

At the peak of your fast-paced career as a hedgie, you are about to make it to the board––the peak that blunts all other peaks, and standing in your way is just this one account you’d have to secure. Except these clients are Chinese and traditional, so although they see, your brilliant pitches and you nursing the strains in your neck every time you curtsy, they are not moved the slightest.

So when on a flight to meet with these clients at Zurich, you encounter a devastatingly handsome guy who you would love to ram against a wall and do all sorts of dirty to. Yet all you can think of is, I can’t afford to be distracted.

Zurich was good. Fun. The meeting with the clients went well. You’re back in London, thinking what happens in Switzerland, stays in Switzerland.

Until a work crisis leaves you haunted by your immediate past. And suddenly all you have worked so hard to achieve is about to fall into the hands of this immediate past. But there’s no way you are going to allow Immediate Past to shatter all you have worked for, you are never going down without a fight. Only the universe can’t think of a right timing for you to receive a call from Swiss police…

And suddenly, you have more skeletons (meant literally) to deal with this Christmas than a one-night-stand turned messy.

Allegra Fisher’s dilemma summed up for your enthralment.  

MY REVIEW

I have never really been a fan of festive holiday reads. I am terrified to open them because if I do end up not liking them so much it would put a damper on my festive mood.  But… but who am I kidding? You sensed a ‘but’ even before I started this review…

I loved, loved, loved, loved, loved this book so, so, so much! So you know in my review I’d be yelling at you to go tell the nearest Barnes and Nobles shop that if they do not have it they should contact their insurance company since they rarely do(because you would be slamming your head against the glass windows)!

(I actually snorted when I read the blurb, then flipped the book to see Karen Swan’s name big and red on it, then I knew I was going to fucking like the way Karen presented an old storyline) I mean, who hasn’t read a book blurb about dark, family secrets and voiced teasingly, “Ooh, spooky.”? But the way Karen wrote this was off the hook! Dark, family secrets my arse! This book was way more than something old. It was something old made refreshingly new and leaving the reader to free-fall into uneasiness and wonder, ‘Oh, when do I break my spine yet?”. Amazing old storyline with so many twists and turns (most reviewers use these two words lightly but I do not) you are marvelled all the way through. And isn’t it amazing a book about dark, family secrets isn’t all about (not-so) dark family secrets? A star! ── ★

(I watched the second instalment to that Spartan movie and I have always fantasized about rough sex––I am human I have needs too!––with cold-blooded ice-princess women) I loved, loved Allegra Fisher. Never have I wanted a character to pick me so badly since watching Angelina Jolie in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. There’s something so sexy about women who have it all under control and are fiercely independent and won’t settle for less (or even settle at all!)… but sometimes I find that majority of my audience are women and do not understand a thing I am saying at all(?) You would love her! Love how she’s a die-hard feminist and wouldn’t stand for the slightest discrimination at her workplace or anywhere (much like you!). Love her whiplash attitude and how brutally blunt she is. Even if you do not, you would understand her reasons for being who she is and show some show sympathy towards her (as I show some sympathy towards you). It’s just so fun that you realize everything she does is what someone who is totally like her would do and no action of hers is really out-of-place. You would realize Karen Swan really did her What Would Allegra Fisher Do? Homework well. A star to the characterization. ── ★★

I love that this book is out of the norm of festive reads. You know, I pictured Karen Swan sitting in that Festive Reads conventional train with her laptop and jumping out when that train was always going there (––no stress on the word, you would have noted the difference if I meant, ‘there’). And I was thrilled she jumped out of that train to produce something totally different! A star to being a nonconformist and succeeding at that! ── ★★★

Oh, the other characters in this book? You might give up thinking there can be no perfect book! (But if you already think there is a perfect book why don’t you pick this title and rate it again when Karen releases another?) All the characters played roles in synchrony to help this title achieve a solid, unifying plot! You would love Isobel, the sister who criticizes Allegra for not owning a toaster and not being homely. You would love Cinzy, the personal stylist who always silently tells Allegra to dress like a woman (with ruffles and feathers––Allegra’s worst fears) with her (Cinzy’s) choices for her. You would love Maasi, the billionaire Italian who went to Harvard yet makes millions out of a shocking trade and gives salient advice from the words spilling out of his mouth at rate of a thousand per minute. There’s also Pasha who’s as thick-headed as the bottle blonde wife of a millionaire would be. Pierre, who reminds you of the boss you admire so much. Lots and lots of characters I really wished I could go on and on about. (But if you corner me too much I would… thanks for your persistence) Julia, Allegra’s Alzheimer’s mum. Barry, Julia’s nurse. And other characters you would love to hate like Sam*. A star to all the characters. ── ★★★★

Humor––sometimes laugh-out-loud, most times find-what-you-should-laugh-out-loud-about. This book isn’t what I’d tag a downright laugh-out-loud read (and you know how particular I am about humour in a title). But I can tell you it’s a downright suspenseful book. I really did take a slight hatred to Karen for this feature. I mean, what’s a book that could give you coronary thrombosis when such disorder isn’t genetic in your family? I don’t quite understand why an author would put so much effort in making your heart stop beating when she needs you to revere the ending of her novel to pieces. It’s not how Karen drops an OMG Moment in this title. It’s how she presents the OMG Moment that makes the OMG Moment actually say an OMG to its OMG Moment. A star! ── ★★★★★

Yet if I do give this book a four/five star-rating you would be so shocked. Because it’s a six/five star-read (and please I have had enough education to assure you this grading oversight is an emphasis of how phenomenal this book is!)

Karen Swan’s latest, Christmas in the Snow is available on amazon. (And you know I am only providing the link just in case B&N in your area runs out of copies AND YOU DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO DRIVE TO ANOTHER STATE TO GET IT).

I recommend this book to anyone who loves not only a good book (because that would be the biggest understatement of the year for this title) but a goooood, goooood book. Anyone who wants something adrenalin-pumping should grab this title too. And just anyone, anyone who wants to read a book about dark family secrets that actually have dark family secrets alongside a sub-plot that brutally competes with a main plot to thrill the reader. Plus if you are ski demon this is your perfect book.

Hurrah (I find this more bourgeois-irritating than ‘hurray’)! I am so glad this book ended 2014 for me. My work not done here. Off to post my review on goodreads.

Book Review: The Italian Girl by Lucinda Riley

MY SYNOPSIS

Imagine This: You are eleven and envious of your older sister. She has everything you want to have but do not. All the men are crazy about her. If someone would just notice you for once. Despite your brother’s encouragement that you are special, you are not seeing it. Except you are hiding an extraordinary talent you’ve not been brave enough to show the world, or your little Italian town.

Until He enters your life. The first day you spot him in your dad’s café. He’s not everything you’ve dreamed about before today but you are certain from this day onwards you would be dreaming about him ALL THE TIME. Then he sings, and you know this is the guy you have to marry. He hears you sing after being shoved into the spotlight. And for once everyone notices you. But who cares about everyone when He notices you. Except he has eyes for your sister and there’s nothing your eleven-year old body has to contest with THAT.

Though he puts down the name of a teacher for you to go train your voice.

Years later, you have mastered the art of opera and can hit the low and high pitches as though a murderer has a death grip on your neck and is alternating between throttling you and losing his hold. It’s off to Milan for you to go sing at La Scada.

He has become quite a big name and finally he notices you when you make your debut. When you two sing it’s magical and even the audience with the toughest tear ducts shed a tear or two. Backstage the chemistry between you two is magical.

Too magical it’s obvious you two must belong together.

But too much chemistry could be dangerous. Especially when He has a reputation with the media that doesn’t fit with your good girl image and a past with a dark secret he might be hiding away from you.

Yet nothing can severe the indestructible bond between you two.

Rosanna Menici’s life involving opera, exotic locations and very obsessive obsession.

MY REVIEW

The worst kind of fiction is fiction that proves to be fact. Fiction that leaves you with that niggling doubt an author can create something so fictitious yet so real. Fiction that would leave you up all through dawn researching characters and pulling titbits from the internet that would prove events described in a title are based on true-life events. But really, it’s this worst form of fiction that stands to be the greatest form of fiction. Fiction that is so believable it crosses the threshold of fact. A star to the storyline. ── ★

Now I am not going to list off all the attributes of this book I loved and give them stars. Because mostly if I do such, it stems from my extreme love for the lead characters. With this title, I didn’t think I loved, loved the main characters (Rossana and Roberto). But not too much the opposite. It’s just that most times I felt like strangling the two for some of their choices, actions and I wondered why an author would want to pen a book with leads that could put readers totally off. But then, I realized there was no way I could bear such loathing towards the main characters without being totally engaged in the story. This love-hate relationship I had with the mains come to think of it, is a part of the author’s intended emotions to invoke in the reader. Not all mains have to be likable. And as long as that’s intended by the author, as much as I hate it, they deserve a star. Brilliant characterization. ── ★★

The supporting cast I did like. From Luca, the very supportive brother whose sub-plot with an Abbi, Rosanna’s best friend, is captivating. There’s also Donatella Bianchi, one scheming cougar you’d love to hate. There’s Carlotta, the sister who keeps a secret she’s battling so hard not to reveal. There’s also Marco, the needy father who craves company to the extent of ruining his children’s futures. ── ★★★

There’ just not enough to say about this book besides the fact that it’s engaging, thought-provoking and brilliantly phenomenal! ── ★★★★

My rating is definitely five/five stars.

The Italian Girl by the talented Lucinda Riley is available on amazon.

I recommend this book to anyone who’s a lover of the opera. Anyone who just loves singing (until their voices peters out into something resembling screeches of chalk on board) should get this title too. If you are a fan of soaps, and very intricate love-stories too you’d adore this.

My work not done here. Off to post my review on Goodreads.

Book Review: The Summer Without You by Karen Swan

MY SYNOPSIS

Imagine This: A pause. That’s all it takes to bring your eleven year fruitful relationship with your super-hot adrenalin junky boyfriend to a halt.

His reason?

He needs to put some distance between you two so you could fall in love all over again and move from the routine both of your lives have become.

But should it be so?

Aren’t you having the best time of your life with him? For crying out loud, you guys were supposed to get engaged then married the next month. This can’t be happening, you keep telling yourself. But he leaves for the airport. And you are left with no option than to go shoot a friend’s wedding in New York.

Things don’t happen as you think it would. You end up in the Hamptons, being heartsick from loneliness sharing a ginormous property with roommates who to be frank, if you still had your entire sense intact you wouldn’t have decided to crush with for half a year.

This pause is putting a strain on what’s left of you and your boyfriend. You can’t get a hold of him when you call because he says so. He’s out there, hiking all over Asia, spending time in monasteries, being hot, shaving his hair bald, and growing a goatee… when all you do is to mop around wearing his clothes everywhere (in replace of a swimsuit!!).

Of course you too can have fun like he is doing, doesn’t matter how reserved you are. You can have the time of your life this summer and leave your ol’ uptight British self where it doesn’t belong in the Hamptons and paaartaaay(!!) as well as work.

But what with your roommate having problems of their own? What with neighbours being electrocuted and boyfriends being clubbed to death? What with the fear of Sandy rearing its head across shores again and the staunch campaign of preventive measures you are a part of? What with the hot thirtyish guy you can’t get out of your mind because… you might be attracted to him, or possibly, frightened of him?

Rowena Tipton’s life summed up for your delight.

MY REVIEW

OK. So maybe summer is over, to hell with summer reads! Who wants to be in the Hamptons at this time of the year anyway with the northeasterners approaching shores? But you can’t let 2014 pass away without reading this book! Chances are Karen Swan would release a new, kicking Summer read 2015 and you’d regret you didn’t get a hold of this!

I enjoyed the storyline. Girl hauls over to the Hamptons leaving London for the summer since her boyfriend pressed the pause button on their relationship, Girl decides she’d have the time of her life without him and make the most of this summer like he is doing, cue in roommates with complicated lives, women who fart and blow their noses all over their faces in yoga poses, neighbours who litter seashores and a new chin-length haircut (the first time in her life!). 

You have the bomb in your lap, flip pages cautiously. Fab storyline.── ★

Rowena Tipton is a must-read character. Too much soul you’d love to befriend a Brit (who has cleaner teeth albeit). Sweet, beautiful and well-developed. You would love her for her penchant to take on the problems of others and help them go through it all. You would love her for sucking at every selfie photo (like every other normal person out there). Oh, her curiosity gives this book the suspense it has. And sometimes, you would just love her for her need to show her boyfriend the dress she wore a night before through Skype cam when someone is being clubbed to death below her window.── ★★

The other characters were also, hmm, ah-mazing!!! There’s Bobbi, the loud, professionally ambitious roommate who always, always wants a selfie moment and is always dragging our lead to a glamorous event! There’s Humphrey, who dropped medicine for waiting at events and shagging every other girl, every other night (no talent wasted there). There’s Greg, the workaholic roommate who’s having a traitorous affair this summer. You would also love Florence, the Town leader of some sorts, spearheading the seed bombing campaign. Melodie, the yoga instructor loved for her melodiously soothing voice and her high flexibility to stay in complex yoga poses for minutes. There’s also Ted, the dark, hot thirtyish guy who won’t stop staring at our lead. Matt, the jackass boyfriend who would leave his girlfriend on her own the whole of summer (because people cannot really cheat in four months… except Rowena!). Lots of other characters I haven’t mentioned for you’d have to quit reading this review and stop procrastinating! A star to all these characters who made this book memorable(––this word has a more scintillating effect when read the French way)! ── ★★★

Humor, check. Suspense: It’s just so, so, hard to still love an author who keeps you on the edge of your seat for over 300 hundred pages. I ate this book up in two days! And I wouldn’t even show that much interest in a cupcake! (Yes, there’s more to life than cupcakes!).── ★★★★

Super-fantabulous ending! Applause, applause, can’t wait for Karen Swan’s next. Because I’d eat anything non-fattening that offers that much excitement (P.S: My persisting food imagery throughout this review might be because I’ve starved for hours––but didn’t realize––in my quest to finish up this book!)── ★★★★★ 

Karen Swan’s fabulous summer read, The Summer Without You, is available on Amazon. While you are at reminiscing your lost summer days, you can also get all of Karen’s Christmassy books to jet-start the excitement to your holiday season! (Would probably get mine also if they do not take a decade to get to this country! In that case, can’t wait for 2024, woo-hoo!)

I recommend this book to anyone who loves their chick-lit sunny, breath-taking (I mean it! Keep your inhaler nearby for the suspense!) and anyone who just wants anything to arm themselves with in case their spouses, partners call a pause on their relationship to go hiking around Asia.

My work not done here. Off to post my review on Goodreads. (And never on shitty Amazon, because I won’t axe part of this review for nothing!)

Oh, forgot my rating: Obviously a five-star book (5/5)