BLOG TOUR: The Self-Made Saint - Alexandra Addams

Judith Drainger has always played life by her own rules. But these days life seems to be playing her right back.

Divorced, orphaned and forcibly retired, 59-year-old Judith is determined to seize the opportunity to leave her broken home in London and move across the world to Australia. Here she reunites with her estranged adult daughter Cassandra - only to land smack bang in the emotional quagmire of her daughter's anger and abandonment issues. To make matters worse, Judith can see her new granddaughter Emily has a serious health issue, but her offers of help are ignored and rejected.

When an accident knocks her off her feet, Judith is swamped by the kindly care of her nosy new neighbors. Yet, when given a chance to become a part of their community, Judith shocks even herself by making a series of unforgivable blunders. Realizing if she's to have any hope of reuniting her family, this well-meaning but stubborn curmudgeon must learn the power of saying 'sorry' - and what it actually means to be a good person.

A tender and uplifting novel championing the complex realities of family, solidarity and friendship. 

What did I think?

I really enjoyed this fabulous debut novel from Alexandra Addams that has family, in its different guises, at its heart.

59 year old divorcée Judith Drainger has moved halfway around the world to be near her daughter Cassandra.  Cassandra now has a baby with 'That Andrew' but for the life of her, Judith can't remember her granddaughter's name.  So Judith isn't the type of person you immediately warm to but she definitely grew on me.

Judith may have moved from London to Australia but she can't escape her mother's vicious tongue, even though Marigold has passed away.  This constant sniping (in Judith's head) from her mother is what made me warm to Judith as it helps to explain why she is the way she is.  I thought Cassandra could have been a bit more welcoming but she has does have her hands full with baby Emily.

My favourite character was Judith's neighbour Martha, who you immediately think is incredibly nosy but she has a heart of gold.  I really enjoyed reading Martha's story and I loved the whole community spirit of Martha's circle of friends who welcome Judith with open arms.

With a focus on family, The Self-Made Saint is a very heartwarming and entertaining novel that I would highly recommend.

I received a gifted paperback to read and review and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: An Academic Affair - Jodi McAlister

 

The Love Hypothesis meets The Hating Game in a new standalone romcom from New York Times acclaimed author and romance academic Jodi McAlister.

From rivals in the classroom. . . to partners in real life? 

Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have known each other for fifteen years – and they’ve disliked each other for every one of them. It started with a minor altercation in an undergrad literature class, but as their academic careers developed, so did the intensity of their arguments. By the time they graduate with their doctorates, they’re embroiled in a full-on rivalry.

So when a position comes up that Sadie and Jonah are both perfect for, their ongoing enmity explodes into a red-hot competition. But as Sadie fights to secure her future, she realises there might be a way for both of them to get their dream job. There's just one catch – they'll have to get married first.

When things get personal, though, Sadie will have to keep her eye on the prize. A fake marriage isn't worth jeopardising her real career over, is it?

What did I think?

An Academic Affair is the first Jodi McAlister novel I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I really enjoyed the academia setting and the longstanding rivalry between the two main characters who are clearly meant to be together.

Sadie and Jonah are rivals who can't seem to escape each other.  The hand of fate is working overtime to push them together but their academic brains are refusing to see what is meant to be.  When they both go for the same job, Sadie has an idea that means they could both get what they want and she goes one better than fake dating by coming up with a fake marriage plan.

What Sadie doesn't know is that the reader is privy to Jonah's thoughts (and cute footnotes) and he loves her!  The footnotes do interrupt the reading flow a little but it makes the academia theme more authentic. Whilst Jonah is being honest about his feelings for Sadie (on the page, at least), Sadie is keeping her cards close to her chest.  Of course the fake marriage puts them in such close proximity that they have to accept their feelings for one another, but who will be the first to show their hand?

The author has an academic background which makes the way that Sadie and Jonah are treated in the workplace quite shocking.  Their intellectual property is brazenly stolen and I was absolutely furious on their behalf.  Just as well Jodi McAlister has written such a lovely love story to put out the flames of my fury.

Completely charming and incredibly romantic, An Academic Affair is a delightful novel that had me rooting for the main characters to be honest with each other and to grab hold of their happy ending.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Homecoming - Kate Morton

 

Adelaide Hills, Christmas Eve, 1959. At the end of a scorching hot day, beside a creek in the grounds of a grand and mysterious mansion, a local delivery man makes a terrible discovery. A police investigation is called and the small town of Tambilla becomes embroiled in one of the most shocking and perplexing murder cases in the history of South Australia.

Sixty years later, Jess is a journalist in search of a story. Having lived and worked in London for almost twenty years, she now finds herself laid off from her full-time job and struggling to make ends meet. A phone call out of nowhere summons her back to Sydney, where her beloved grandmother, Nora, who raised Jess when her mother could not, has suffered a fall and been raced to the hospital.

At a loose end in Nora's house, Jess does some digging into her past. In Nora's bedroom, she discovers a true crime book, chronicling the police investigation into a long-buried tragedy: the Turner Family Tragedy of Christmas Eve, 1959. It is only when Jess skims through the book that she finds a shocking connection between her own family and this once-infamous crime – a crime that has never been truly solved. And for a journalist without a story, a cold case might be the best distraction she can find . . .

An epic novel that spans generations, Homecoming asks what we would do for those we love, and how we protect the lies we tell. It explores the power of motherhood, the corrosive effects of tightly held secrets, and the healing nature of truth.

What did I think?

At 628 pages long, you can see why Homecoming is described as an epic novel and although it might be weighty to hold, it is easy to read.  With a dual timeline set in 1959 and 2018, this is the story of the Turner family and the devastating event in their family history that Nora Turner-Bridges has done her utmost to protect her granddaughter Jess from.

In 1959, the residents of the small town of Tambilla in Australia are preparing for Christmas but this is a Christmas Eve that they will never forget.  Nobody knows what happened to the Turner family that day and it is a mystery that gripped the nation.  Fast forward to 2018 and Jess had no idea that this happened to her ancestors until she found a book about the tragedy.   Through reading excerpts from the book, we, along with Jess, relive that fateful Christmas Eve in 1959.

This really is an epic novel and I think it's absolute genius to have a book within a book to relive the timeline in the past.  I love family secrets so I very quickly found myself immersed in the story and the only reason I had to put the book down was from my arms aching.  I loved the theme of 'home' running throughout the novel, it really made me think about what 'home' means to me.

Beautifully written with a very intriguing mystery at its heart, Homecoming is a compelling novel that swept me away to Australia and I thoroughly enjoyed my virtual visit.  I thought I had it all worked out but this is a multi-faceted mystery with so much to be uncovered.  

I received a beautiful hardback copy for the Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Bay - Allie Reynolds

The waves are to die for. It's a paradise they'd kill to keep.

There's a darkness inside all of us and The Bay has a way of bringing it out. Everyone here has their secrets but we don't go looking for them. Because sometimes it's better not to know.

Kenna arrives in Sydney to surprise her best friend, shocked to hear she's going to marry a guy she's only just met. But Mikki and her fiancé Jack are about to head away on a trip, so Kenna finds herself tagging along for the ride.

Sorrow Bay is beautiful, wild and dangerous. A remote surfing spot with waves to die for, cut off from the rest of the world. Here Kenna meets the mysterious group of people who will do anything to keep their paradise a secret. Sky, Ryan, Clemente and Victor have come to ride the waves and disappear from life. How will they feel about Kenna turning up unannounced?

As Kenna gets drawn into their world, she sees the extremes they are prepared to go to for the next thrill. And everyone seems to be hiding something. What has her best friend got involved in and how can she get her away? But one thing is rapidly becoming clear about The Bay: nobody ever leaves.

 

What did I think?

Don't be misled by the gorgeous cover; something dark and dangerous is lurking inside The Bay.  I really enjoyed it; it's action-packed, gripping and hugely entertaining.

Kenna and Mikki have a puzzling relationship; they've been best friends since school in England but Mikki is not exactly thrilled when Kenna turns up on her doorstep in Australia.  Kenna is determined to stop Mikki from rushing into marrying Jack, although Kenna didn't even receive an invitation to the wedding.  Strange - something is definitely afoot!

Jack invites Kenna to join him and Mikki on a trip to Sorrow Bay, a secret part of the coast that only a few people know about.  The tension really begins to mount when Kenna meets other members of the group who really don't like sharing their waves with strangers.  Just what has Mikki got herself tangled up in?

I absolutely loved all of the different characters in this book; everybody is hiding something and I couldn't read fast enough to uncover all of their secrets.  The surfing and extreme challenges they partake in had my heart racing and I even found myself holding my breath at certain points as if I was underwater too.

The characters and the scenery are so vividly drawn by Allie Reynolds that I felt as if I was on the beach with them.  The Bay is one of those books that you can easily imagine being made into a film or series and I would definitely want to watch it.

Tense, gripping and thrilling, The Bay is a brilliant thriller that not only has you on the edge of your seat, it has you gripping the armrests and holding your breath.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: WAKE - Shelley Burr

EVERYBODY THINKS THEY KNOW MINA McCREERY.

EVERYONE HAS A THEORY ON WHAT HAPPENED TO HER SISTER.

NOW IT'S TIME TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH...

Mina McCreery's sister Evelyn disappeared nineteen years ago. Her life has been defined by the intense public interest in the case. Now an anxious and reclusive adult, she lives alone on her family's destocked sheep farm.

When Lane, a private investigator, approaches her with an offer to reinvestigate the case, she rejects him. The attention has had nothing but negative consequences for her and her family, and never brought them closer to an answer.

Lane wins her trust when his unconventional methods show promise, but he has his own motivations for wanting to solve the case, and his obsession with the answer will ultimately risk both their lives.

 

What did I think?

WAKE by Shelley Burr is a brilliant debut novel and a worthy winner of the CWA Debut Dagger award 2019.  The writing is so accomplished that it's hard to believe it's a debut, but it definitely is - it's got the award to prove it, after all.

The mysterious disappearance of one of the McCreery twins in Australia remains unsolved, with many people speculating about what really happened to Evie McCreery.  People can be so cruel as all of the McCreery family comes under the public spotlight.  It's no wonder that the remaining twin Mina dislikes people so much!

Evie's case is still fascinating to many and a stranger rolls into town who convinces Mina to let him investigate Evie's disappearance.  Lane thinks he knows what happened to Evie but he needs to gather evidence to prove it.  What does Lane know that Mina doesn't?

WAKE is so cleverly plotted that I couldn't have predicted any of it.  I was completely hooked by Evie's disappearance and intrigued by Lane's obsession to solve the case.  The characters are flawed and complex, making them so multi-dimensional that I felt as if I could have reached into the book and touched them.  I also loved reading the excerpts from the 'MyMurder Forums' and it adds another dimension to the story.

Completely gripping and hugely atmospheric, I will be very surprised if WAKE isn't made into a film or series.  Highly recommended.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Island - Adrian McKinty

IT WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A FAMILY VACATION.

A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT CHANGED EVERYTHING.

YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF UNTIL THEY COME FOR YOUR FAMILY.

After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter. A working vacation overseas seems like the perfect way to bring the new family together, but once they're deep in the Australian outback, the jet-lagged and exhausted kids are so over their new mom.

When they discover a remote Dutch Island, off-limits to outside visitors, the family talks their way onto the ferry, taking a chance on an adventure far from the reach of iPhones and Instagram.

But as soon as they set foot on the island, which is run by a tightly knit clan of locals, everything feels wrong. Then a shocking accident propels the Baxters from an unsettling situation into an absolute nightmare.

When Heather and the kids are separated from Tom, they are forced to escape alone, seconds ahead of their pursuers.

Now it's up to Heather to save herself and the kids, even though they don't trust her, the harsh bushland is filled with danger, and the locals want her dead.

Heather has been underestimated her entire life, but she knows that only she can bring her family home again and become the mother the children desperately need, even if it means doing the unthinkable to keep them all alive.

SOON TO BE A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES

 

What did I think?

The Island is so tense and gripping that I couldn't put it down.  It's the first book by Adrian McKinty that I have read, although I do have The Chain in my bookcase so I'll be bumping that up the queue now.

Tom brings his family along on a trip to a medical conference in Australia.  Heather is his second wife and she has a strained relationship with Tom's children.  The children are grieving for their mother who died under tragic and mysterious circumstances.  Tom has moved on quickly and I didn't like him at all; he seems to treat his family as his possessions.  On a rare occasion where Tom agrees to do what the kids want, they find themselves trapped on an island with no escape.

From the minute they set foot on the ferry, there is a deep sense of unease.  The O'Neill family are the only people on the island and they don't like outsiders.  They are a scary bunch, none more so than the matriarch Ma, and you don't know what they will do  next as they're playing by their own rules.  They didn't bank on Heather stepping up to defend her family though.

I can totally see why this is being made into a series; it's a thrilling survival story and there's so much action that I couldn't tear my eyes away from the page.  The tension is palpable throughout and I really couldn't predict what was going to happen. 

The Island is a fantastic action-packed survival thriller that really keeps the reader on their toes.  It's an unpredictable rollercoaster of a read and one I'd definitely recommend.  I can't wait to see it brought to life on TV.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: You Had It Coming - B.M. Carroll

 

WOULD YOU SAVE THE MAN

WHO DESTROYED YOUR LIFE?

When paramedic Megan Lowe is called to the scene of an attempted murder, all she can do is try to save the victim. But as the man is lifted onto a stretcher, she realises she knows him. She despises him. Why should she save his life when he destroyed hers?

Jess Foster is on her way home when she receives a text from Megan. Once best friends, the two women haven't been close for years, not since the night when they were just the teenage girls whom no-one believed; whose reputations were ruined. All Jess can think is, you had it coming.

Now Megan and Jess are at the centre of a murder investigation. But what secrets are they hiding? Can they trust one another? And who really is the victim?

What did I think?

It's really unusual to have a paramedic as a main character and I loved the moral dilemma that Megan is faced with in You Had It Coming.  You can't help but wonder what you would do in the same circumstances and as tempting as it would be to put a pillow over his face and press down, a paramedic is there to save lives not end them.

When barrister William Newson is despised by so many people, it's impossible to guess who killed him and I didn't even try to work it out as I was so engrossed in the story anyway.  The chapters are told from three points of view: paramedic Megan who is first at the scene, Megan's old friend Jess who swore to kill William Newson at the end of their trial and detective Bridget whose job it is to find out the truth.  

There are excerpts from Jess and Megan's trial scattered between the chapters and I loved these although it did make me rather incensed at the way defence lawyers turn the tables on the victims.  It made me wonder how defense lawyers can do that job, it must be difficult to defend someone when they know they're guilty so they must really have to distance themselves and just do their job.  Personally, I couldn't do it but it did give me pause for thought and I love it when books have points like this that make me continue to think about it long after I have turned the final page.

It felt like a number of professions were put under the microscope in You Had It Coming; not only paramedics and lawyers but also the police.  Bridget constantly puts her job before her family and she's so lucky to have such an understanding husband.  It's just a shame that Bridget's work/life balance is so top heavy as she is missing out on so much family time but her job is never ending as crime never sleeps.  

The well developed, strong female characters carry the story effortlessly and I found myself completely engrossed in this extremely well-written novel.  Filled with tension and suspense, You Had It Coming is an incredibly intriguing murder mystery that invites so much discussion that it would be perfect for book clubs.  It's a book I will continue thinking about for a very long time.

I received an ARC from the publisher to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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About the author

B.M. Carroll was born in Blarney, a small village in Ireland. The third child of six, reading was her favourite pastime (and still is!). Ber moved to Sydney in 1995 and spent her early career working in finance. Her work colleagues were speechless when she revealed that she had written a novel that was soon to be published. Ber now writes full-time and is the author of ten novels, including Who We Were, published by Viper in 2020. Find her on Twitter @bmcarrollauthor.

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BLOG TOUR: The Hidden Hours - Sara Foster

Arabella Lane is found dead in the Thames on a frosty winter's morning after the office Christmas party. No one is sure whether she jumped or was pushed. The one person who may know the truth is the office temp, Eleanor.

Having travelled to London to escape the repercussions of her traumatic childhood in Australia, tragedy seems to follow Eleanor wherever she goes. To her horror, she has no memory of the crucial hours leading up to Arabella's death - memory that will either incriminate or absolve her.

Caught in a crossfire of accusations, Eleanor fears she can't even trust herself, let alone the people around her. And soon, she'll find herself in a race against time to find out just what happened that night - and discover just how deadly some secrets can be.

 

What did I think?

Once I picked up The Hidden Hours I couldn't put it down; it is filled to the brim with suspense and intrigue.  With a dual timeline that gives the reader a glimpse into a past tragedy in Eleanor's life, I positively raced through the pages to uncover all of its secrets.

Eleanor has to be the most unreliable narrator I have ever come across.  Not only is she burying her memories from her past in Australia, but Eleanor may be the key to finding out what happened to Arabella Lane, if only she could remember.  It's an interesting thought: to be unable to remember something you desperately want to remember compared with being unable to forget something painful that you don't want to remember.  

Having recently travelled from her home in Australia, Eleanor is new to London so she doesn't know who she can trust and Sara Foster has surrounded Eleanor with a right bunch of characters to make the reader question everybody's motives.  Uncle Ian who is completely under the thumb of his frosty wife Susan and Eleanor's colleague Will who seems to be a bit too friendly.  I had everyone under suspicion at one time or another, including Eleanor, so I wasn't terribly surprised when I found out what had happened to Arabella as any one of them could have done something, if anything was done to Arabella at all.  Sara Foster has woven so much intrigue and mystery into her story that anyone could have done something and anything could have happened.

The format of the book is excellent and adds to the suspense, not just the dual timeline but a little paragraph at the start of many of the chapters that give a wider view of what is going on after Arabella's death.  I really liked this touch as it kept Arabella at the forefront of my mind as unravelling her life would be the key to solving the mystery of her death.

Rather strangely for a page-turner, I found the pacing quite slow but at the same time it really did help to build up the tension.  Eleanor's lack of memory added an extra dimension to the story as she really had no idea what had happened and she even doubts herself.  I couldn't help but feel sorry for her as it seems like death follows her around so I'm surprised she wasn't a gibbering wreck.

The Hidden Hours is such an addictive read, filled with tension, suspense and intrigue.  It so very well written and I will definitely be looking out for more books by Sara Foster.

Thank you to Legend Press for my review copy; all opinions are my own. 

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Ash Mountain - Helen Fitzgerald

Fran hates her hometown, and she thought she’d escaped. But her father is ill, and needs care. Her relationship is over, and she hates her dead-end job in the city, anyway.

She returns home to nurse her dying father, her distant teenage daughter in tow for the weekends. There, in the sleepy town of Ash Mountain, childhood memories prick at her fragile self-esteem, she falls in love for the first time, and her demanding dad tests her patience, all in the unbearable heat of an Australian summer. As past friendships and rivalries are renewed, and new ones forged, Fran’s tumultuous home life is the least of her worries, when old crimes rear their heads and a devastating bushfire ravages the town and all of its inhabitants…

Simultaneously a warm, darkly funny portrait of small-town life – and a woman and a land in crisis – and a shocking and truly distressing account of a catastrophic event that changes things forever, Ash Mountain is a heart-breaking slice of domestic noir, and a disturbing disaster thriller that you will never forget…

What did I think?

For such a short book, at only 210 pages long, there's an awful lot going on in Ash Mountain.  It just shows the quality of Helen Fitzgerald's writing that she can cram so much in over so few pages.  It is written so beautifully that it feels like every single word has been carefully chosen and crafted into this deeply disturbing and haunting story.  

The main character of Fran is very damaged, and it's not shown how damaged until much later in the story, but she gets on with her life thanks to her dark humour.  The way that Fran takes her Dad places had me absolutely howling with laughter at times and I have to applaud Helen Fitzgerald's genius for adding some humour to an otherwise sobering subject. 

I wasn't really sure in what direction the story was going to take me as we flick back and forth in time but when past and present collide I actually had to choke back a sob.  The writing is so vivid and filled with emotion that I felt completely drained at the end of the book; I felt as devastated as the scorched earth when past crimes were laid bare.  I feel so sad just thinking of it now; even though the characters are fictional it feels so very real to me.

Ash Mountain is a horrifying, beautiful and mesmeric story of a completely devastating event; I can't stop looking at the hypnotic photo on the cover, which is a real photo from the Australian bushfires of 2019 which brings terrifying authenticity to this already vivid story.  This haunting and evocative story is not one that I will easily forget.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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About the author:

Helen FitzGerald is the bestselling author of ten adult and young adult thrillers, including The Donor (2011) and The Cry (2013), which was longlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and is now a major drama for BBC1. Her 2019 dark comedy thriller Worst Case Scenario was a Book of the Year in both The Guardian and Daily Telegraph. Helen worked as a criminal justice social worker for over fifteen years. She grew up in Victoria, Australia, and now lives in Glasgow with her husband.

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BLOG TOUR: The Mummy Bloggers - Holly Wainwright

Meet three Mummy Bloggers - each of them followed, idolised, imitated, taunted and trolled online. 

Elle Campbell is a glossy, lycra-clad mum with washboard abs, a ten-year plan and a secret past. Abi Black has quit sugar, moved to the country and is homeschooling her kids. Leisel Adams slogs away at her office job each day before rushing home, steeped in guilt, to spend precious moments with her kids before bedtime. All three share a label that they simultaneously relish and loathe mummy blogger. And the connections don't stop there... 

When all three women are nominated for a prestigious blogging award with a hefty cash prize, the scene is set for a brutal and often hilarious battle for hearts, minds, and clicks. As the awards night gets closer, their lies get bigger, their stunts get crazier - and some mistakes from the past become harder and harder to hide. 

What did I think?

Although I'm childless, I am a blogger so I was intrigued by a book about blogging.  I have to say that it does feel a bit weird to be blogging about a book about blogging!  I really must express my thanks to Holly Wainwright for writing this book as finally readers can see how much work goes into blogging, which is ultimately a hobby.  Thankfully, I'm not obsessed with blogging like the three characters in The Mummy Bloggers though!

I love the differences in the characters that Holly Wainwright has created and the surprising links between them.  Elle is 'The Stylish Mumma' and I took an instant dislike to her; this is a woman who sees something, wants it and gets it, whether it's someone else's husband or an advertising contract for her blog.  It annoyed me that it's clearly all smoke and mirrors with Elle but people follow her and try to emulate her, thinking that her life is perfect because that is the illusion she portrays.  Abi is 'The Green Diva' and her strong opinions make her a bit of a target online.  Abi tries to be true to her online image but she doesn't always practise what she preaches.  Liesel is 'The Working Mum' and the only honest one among them, probably because she works full time and doesn't have time to create a fake persona.

When all three blogs are nominated for the Blog-ahhs, the gloves come off and it's blogger against blogger as they fight for the prize.  Some of the tactics used had me in absolute fits of laughter but I also found the falsity rather thought-provoking.  It really highlighted the fact that anyone can be anything online - what is actually hiding behind those glossy pouts or the mouthwatering non-wheat, non-dairy cupcakes?  Remember that life is 3D; don't believe everything you see on a 2D photograph!

I also thought the trolling aspect was very well done.  Abi naturally attracts a lot of trolls with her strong beliefs but it was Liesel that I really felt for.  Liesel is just trying to share her thoughts and feelings with others as some kind of validation that she is a good mother, despite the demands of her job.  There's always someone out there who will take exception to something that is posted online, but to make that conscious decision to incite negativity and shoot someone down in flames always shocks me.  We can't all have the same opinions and healthy debate is fine but it saddens me that it does seem to spiral into hatred quite quickly on social media these days.

It surprised me how much I enjoyed The Mummy Bloggers; it's good lighthearted fun with some thought provoking points.  You often see in reviews that this book is perfect for fans of so and so, but I'm going one step further in saying that this book is perfect for anyone who has a social media account; that should cover pretty much everyone, right? 

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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About the author:

Originally from Manchester Holly lives in Sydney, Australia. She is a journalist and editor, originally working in travel and celebrity magazines and now online as Head of Entertainment at Mamamia. Holly hosts a parenting podcast and has two small children. 

Follow her on Twitter @hollycwain and on Instagram @wainwrightholly

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BLOG TOUR: She's Having Her Baby - Lauren Sams

Georgie Henderson doesn’t want to have kids, but her best friend, Nina, has wanted to have a baby for as long as she can remember. Sadly, Nina’s uterus refuses to cooperate. One drunken evening, Nina asks Georgie for the ultimate favour: would she carry a baby for her? Georgie says yes and spends the next nine months wondering why.

With intense bacon-and-egg roll cravings and distant memories of what her feet look like, Georgie tries to keep it all together in her dream job as the editor of Jolie magazine. Her love life’s a mess – and sauvignon blanc’s off the menu – leaving Georgie to deal with twists in her life she never expected.

Sams has created the Australian Bridget Jones in this hilarious story, an emotive trajectory that pushes the boundaries of rom-com fiction.

What did I think?

I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did.  It sounds like chick-lit with a serious storyline when Georgie agrees to be a surrogate for her best friend Nina, but it has a hilarious twist in the tale.  I laughed so much that I felt as if I'd had an intense tummy workout.  She's Having Her Baby is the best kind of exercise for those out of shape tummy muscles.

Georgie is a brilliant character; I absolutely loved her.  As a career woman with an aversion to babies, she somehow manages to be both selfish and selfless when she offers to carry a baby for her best friend.  Georgie's complete denial when she finds out that she is pregnant is so funny, it's only when she practically bursts out of her bra that it really hits home for her.  I almost choked with laughter when Georgie got fitted fitted for an F-cup and said that the F stands for 'fark me, your tits are massive'. 

Being friends from school, I loved the history that Georgie and Nina have.  Their school reunion is hilarious when Nina tells Kelly, the school bully, what everyone really thought of her.  Never mind rapturous applause from the people in the book, I was punching the air and applauding too.  It's funny how people remember the past differently and I wanted to smack Kelly in the face when she was being all sickly nice to Georgie and Nina but Nina saved me by giving her a well-deserved and well-overdue tongue lashing!

Georgie's job as editor of Jolie magazine reminded me of The Devil Wears Prada with all the minions running around while Meg The Big Boss swishes in and out issuing instructions.  Georgie might thinks she's friends with Meg but I've always said that you don't have friends at work and Georgie finds this out the hard way.  I enjoyed the trips to Georgie's office, as it gave us a little insight into the world of magazine publishing.

With her inimitable Aussie humour, Lauren Sams writes like an Australian Marian Keyes, as she manages to put an amusing slant on everyday observations.  The unbreakable, but often tested, thread of friendship is woven throughout the book so I knew that Georgie would 'get by with a little help from her friends'.  See what I did there?  Lauren Sams adds a few song references now and again and I bet I didn't even spot all of them but it was good fun seeing how she slipped them in there.

Both witty and heart-warming, She's Having Her Baby is as fresh as it is funny.  I loved every single page of it; fans of Lauren Weisberger, Marian Keyes and Helen Fielding should definitely not miss this one!

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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