BLOG TOUR: Natalie's Getting Married

I absolutely loved Natalie's Getting Married - it has the perfect mix of laughter and tears with a little bit of magic sprinkled throughout. I couldn't put it down once I had started to read as I was completely under its spell and gave it a 5 star review in January 2016.

I am delighted to take part in the blog tour and have an excerpt from this wonderful book to share with you.

Want to win your very own e-book of Natalie's Getting Married?

Make sure you enter the giveaway further down this page.

October 1990

Some girls dream of the perfect wedding. I was never really one of those girls. I'd set my sights on a career in media. I worked hard at school, achieved good grades and decided to go to university. I'd had boyfriends up until then, the first serious one was when I was sixteen, but the idea of marriage never once crossed my mind. I'd never been in love, yet my girlfriends fell in and out of it so easily, you'd think they were exchanging one pair of must have shoes for another.

They'd all either been swept off their feet, or claimed to have met “the one”, or bored everyone senseless by walking around love struck and starry eyed. But not me. I had plans and I wasn't going to let a little thing like never having fallen in love stop me.

So, off I went to university and that's where I met Jackson Humphries.

It was Fresher's Week on the day I first saw him. He was so cool and self-assured I never would have guessed that, like me, he was a Fresher too. He was out in the quadrant where new students were signing up for various clubs and societies. He was wearing a navy polo shirt, a pair of jeans and had his bag slung across his shoulder. He wasn't very tall for a guy but he had a perfect body; dark hair and chocolate brown eyes. And that day, I fell in love.

Little did I know it would take two years for Jackson to notice me and that he'd surprise me with a wedding proposal on graduation day.

I stood gazing at Jackson from the far side of the quadrant, doing that thing I do with my curls, twiddling the ones that fall to my shoulders. In my misty-eyed state, I signed up for the Poetry Society. I didn't mean to. I was staring so hard at Jackson I hadn't realised I'd joined a queue of poetry lovers.

'Thanks,' the Poetry Society girl said to me. 'Our first meeting is next Friday. It's just a welcome night. You won't need to bring your poems. We probably won't read until the next time.'

'Fine,' I said, collecting a Poetry Society Handbook and tucking it into my bag, all the time keeping my eyes on Jackson. He seemed to know everyone; he was relaxed and chatty. But, as I followed Jackson's every move around the quadrant, I almost joined the Rowing Club. Finally coming to my senses, I moved well away from the society reps.

I sat on a low wall and watched Jackson walk up to a bunch of sporty types who were dribbling a basketball and shooting hoops. Jackson scored a basket every time he got the ball. Somehow, I knew he would.

'You like basketball?' a voice from thin air said to me.

I turned around and saw a tall guy standing next to me. He was smiling. He had sandy hair that was uncombed, a wrinkled t-shirt under an un-ironed checked shirt, and jeans that were fraying at the knees. His smile was warm, big and white. He had hazel eyes that seemed to change from green to light brown by the second. He rubbed his hand over his messy hair.

'Um,' I stuttered. How was I to tell a complete stranger I was eyeing up some hunky guy? 'No, I'm not a fan, not really. I'm just taking it all in.'

'Where are you from?' he asked.

'London,' I told him.

'Ever been away from home, London?'

'First time. And you?'

'I'm from Manchester so Sheffield isn't so far. You'll find it very different up here, though.'

'I've been up a few days already, sorting out halls,' I said. 'Do you travel in from Manchester?'

'No, I've got a house with a bunch of students. This is my second year. How about you?'

'First year and my name is Natalie. Spencer.' I put my hand out, immediately thinking that was too formal a gesture and decided to wave at him instead. He seemed to stifle a laugh but grabbed my hand to shake it anyway.

'Nice to meet you, London. I'm Gabriel Miller.'

'Gabriel … like the angel?'

'Yes, but only without wings. Fancy a coffee?'

Gabriel Miller and I became instant best friends. For me it was good to have someone with at least one year's experience of university life to draw on. He showed me the ropes, introduced me to all his friends and convinced me to stay with the Poetry Society; he was an English Literature student, wrote poetry and he was a member himself.

'But I'm hopeless,' I told him. 'I don't know my Keats from my Emily Dickinson's.'

'That doesn't matter, London.' He was very convincing. 'They're a great bunch of people and you don't have to read your poems if you don't want to.'

'Believe me when I say, I won't be writing any either.'

'Come on, you never know what you might get inspired to do.'

'What you really mean is, you want me to come along so I can listen to your poems,' I joked. But I did stick with it and, I have to say, Gabriel's style of poetry blew me away. I could listen to him read for hours.

It wasn't until a couple of months after term began that I revealed to Gabriel my secret crush on Jackson.

'You're joking, right?' he laughed. We were sitting in the Student Union bar.

'Why do you say that?' I asked.

'Because, he's a jerk.'

'Why is he a jerk?'

'Because – he's just some stuck up rich kid who couldn't get into one of the posh universities but wants to bum around until he takes up his guaranteed executive position in Daddy's firm.'

'But he's a first year,' I said. 'What do you know about Jackson? Have you ever spoken to him?'

'Not as such. But I know people like him. You wait, he'll get a mediocre degree and end up making three times what you and I do, even if we come out of here with Firsts.'

I knocked back the last sip of my watery beer. 'You can't begrudge people their inheritance Gabe. He can't help being rich. Hey, don't tell me you're jealous?' I grinned at him.

'I'm not jealous. I'm just saying, be careful. But you're a big girl. You date who you like.'

'Thank you, Dad. I'm glad I have your blessing. Anyway, he's got no idea who I am. We've never actually spoken.'

'So how do you know you'll even like him?'

'Don't spoil it, Gabriel. If I never get to talk to him, at least I can say I fell in love for the first time in my life.'

'You surprise me, London. I can’t believe you've never been in love. Has that been your dream? To meet a rich guy and fall in love? Is that all you want from life?'

'Of course not. What's gotten into you today? You're acting weird and I don't like it. Why don't you just buy me another drink?'

'Coming right up.'

And that pretty much summed up what Gabriel was like any time I brought up the subject of Jackson Humphries. Although, I had to learn to put up with him slagging Jackson off because I talked about Jackson – a lot!

For a whole year I obsessed about Jackson, observed what he was wearing, who he hung out with and who he dated. He became the object of my affection and everyone in my halls of residence knew I was a lovesick fool. They started calling me Mrs Humphries. Jackson had no idea and Gabriel remained disgusted.

I'd be chatting to Gabriel and catch a glimpse of Jackson walking around campus, and I'd completely lose focus. Gabriel would do this thing of grabbing a bunch of my curls and waggling it in my face to snap me out of my Jackson trance.

With the end of my first year fast approaching, I started getting ready for the summer ball.

'No,' Gabriel said.

'What do you mean, 'no'?'

'You're not going to the summer ball so you can spend all night dribbling into the punch bowl and staring at that idiot.'

'But I was looking forward to it,' I whined.

'No, I'm taking you to an alternative party instead. Do you trust me?'

'Um...'

But Gabriel was right, if I went to the summer ball I'd probably end up drunk, sitting in a corner, crying: 'Why? Why? Why doesn't he love me?' I knew, because that was what I did most weekends.

So I accompanied Gabriel to a party in a sleazy part of Sheffield. I found myself in a house with all the curtains closed and a room that was so dimly lit I managed to knock over a bowl of chilli, spill an entire pint of beer down Alison Neuberg's leggings and sit in the lap of a blonde girl I'd never met in my life.

Granted, it was a great party. The music was brilliant and no one minded that I was a clumsy wreck. But, Jackson wasn't there and with as much fun as I was having with my new found, barely visible friends, I still kept wondering who Jackson had taken to the ball.

'Where are you, London?' Gabriel asked me. He noticed I'd glazed over.

'What?' I shouted back into his ear because the music was so loud.

'You look like you're having a good time but you've got a faraway look in your eyes.' Gabriel leaned close to reply. He smelled of soap and aftershave with a hint of whisky on his breath.

'How can you even see my eyes?' I shouted back.

'Who could miss those great big baby blues of yours? All that wide-eyed innocence is quite charming.' He brushed my curls away from my shoulders and rested his hands on them for a brief moment. Maybe he wanted to shake me out of my daydream.

I didn't hear what else he said but he gave me a warm smile and I tried to forget about my aching heart and the misery that being in love with Jackson Humphries brought with it.

I spent my first year at university loving Jackson from afar and he never even looked at me once.

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About the author

Rosa Temple began writing romantic comedies and chick lit because of her passion for what she calls the 'early chick lit films', like: Sabrina, Barefoot In the Park and Breakfast at Tiffany's. She honed her skills as a ghost writer, gaining experience writing romantic novellas, both sweet and on the slightly steamy side. In her notebooks, she constantly jotted down story ideas of her own and she eventually completed her first novella Sleeping With Your Best Friend and now, the full length novel, Natalie's Getting Married.

Rosa Temple is a Londoner and is married with two sons. She is a reluctant keep fit fanatic and doer of housework and insists that writing keeps her away from such strenuous tasks. She spends her days creating characters and story lines while drinking herbal tea and eating chocolate biscuits.

To find out more about Rosa and to catch up on all her musings please join her here on Rosa Temple Writes...

Buy Natalie's Getting Married:

Amazon UK : CLICK HERE!

Amazon US : CLICK HERE!

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Giveaway Time!

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The Darkest Secret - Alex Marwood

Apologies for the general email, but I desperately need your help.

My goddaughter, Coco Jackson, disappeared from her family's holiday home in Bournemouth on the night of Sunday/Monday August 29/30th, the bank holiday weekend just gone. Coco is three years old.

When identical twin Coco goes missing during a family celebration, there is a media frenzy. Her parents are rich and influential, as are the friends they were with at their holiday home by the sea.

But what really happened to Coco?

Over two intense weekends - the first when Coco goes missing and the second twelve years later at the funeral of her father - the darkest of secrets will gradually be revealed...

Taut, emotive and utterly compelling, an unputdownable 'ripped from the headlines' novel that you will want to talk about with everyone you know.

What did I think?

I would never have thought that I would have enjoyed a book so much with so many intensely selfish and obnoxious characters.  It's testament to Alex Marwood's writing that the vileness of the group of friends is the main ingredient for such a dark mouthwatering recipe for disaster that is The Darkest Secret. 

Sean Jackson changes wives almost as often as he changes his address.  He marries them, has a couple of daughters then moves on to the next woman who catches his eye.  When Sean dies suddenly in a compromising position, most befitting his character, we are taken back to 2004.  It is Sean's 50th birthday weekend and his friends have gathered with their families for the celebration.  During the drinking and debauchery, friendships are tested, relationships are ended and Coco, one of Sean's twin daughters, goes missing.

As the same friends gather for Sean's funeral 12 years later, the strain of keeping secret what really happened to Coco starts to show. With alcohol flowing and reporters hanging round, to what lengths will the friends go to keep the secret buried?  Do they all really know what happened to Coco, or do they only know half of the story?

The Darkest Secret is a deliciously dark page turner; there are so many lies and cover-ups that I wasn't even sure what to believe at one point.  I would never have guessed what really happened and completely missed the psychopath in the room.  I would definitely be checking out Alex Marwood's previous novels and will certainly be looking out for more from such a talented author.

I received this e-book from the publisher, Little, Brown Book Group, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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You Sent Me a Letter - Lucy Dawson

What if your worst enemy found out your darkest secret?

At 2 a.m. on the morning of her 40th birthday, Sophie wakes to find an intruder in her bedroom. The intruder hands Sophie a letter and issues a threat: open the letter at her party that evening, in front of family and friends, at exactly 8 p.m., or those she loves will be in grave danger.

What can the letter possibly contain?

This will be no ordinary party; Sophie is not the only person keeping a secret about the evening ahead. When the clock strikes eight, the course of several people's lives will be altered forever.

What did I think?

This started with a heart-stopping moment on the very first page as Sophie discovers an intruder in her bedroom.  From that moment on, the book is impossible to put down as Sophie struggles to keep her family and her secret safe.  

I absolutely loved this book, it had me on the edge of my seat as I tried to guess who was behind the letter and threat that Sophie received.  I felt like I absorbed some of her anxiety as the 8pm deadline approached and my palms started to sweat.  What is in the letter?  What will happen at 8pm?  Will Sophie's party go ahead or will her whole evening be ruined?  So many questions were flying around my brain as I raced through the pages and I couldn't read fast enough to get to the breathtaking conclusion.

This is such a good psychological story, examining how we act and react to stressful events.  I loved the interaction between Sophie and her sisters and also her boyfriend Marc, as I wondered if he was too good to be true.  I don't think a single character escaped my suspicious glare as I thought any of them could be playing with Sophie's mind.  I even thought at one point that it could all just be a bit of a wind-up but it was only the eye of the storm!

You Sent Me a Letter is so very well written and easy to read, casting suspicion over multiple characters and ensuring that the reader won't rest until the final page has been read.  It's tense, gripping and full of suspense - I loved it!

I received this book from the publisher, Corvus, in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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The Cosy Teashop in the Castle - Caroline Roberts

Can Ellie bake her way to a happy ever after? A deliciously heartwarming novel for fans of Lucy Diamond and Milly Johnson.

When Ellie Hall lands her dream job running the little teashop in the beautiful but crumbling Claverham Castle, it’s the perfect escape from her humdrum job in the city. Life is definitely on the rise as Ellie replaces spreadsheets for scones, and continues her Nanna’s brilliant baking legacy.

When Lord Henry, the stick-in-the-mud owner, threatens to burst her baking bubble with his old-fashioned ways, Ellie wonders if she might have bitten off more than she can chew. But cupcake by cupcake she wins the locals over, including teashop stalwart, Doris, and Ellie’s showstopping bakes look set to go down in castle history!

Now all that’s missing in Ellie’s life is a slice of romance – can Joe, the brooding estate manager, be the one to put the cherry on the top of Ellie’s dream?

What did I think?

As soon as I realised this was set in Northumberland I couldn't wait to read it and quickly bumped it up to the top of my reading pile.  It is absolutely jam-packed with Northern-isms from our unrivalled hospitality to the famous cup of tea before bed (us Northerners don't pay any attention to caffeine).  Cosy is the right word for this book, it is so warm and lovely, wrapping the reader in a huge hug that they never want to be released from.  

Ellie is a great character, taking a risk and following her dream with the help of Nanna Beryl's old Be-Ro recipe book - I think every house had one in the 70's, and we've still got ours.  I could almost smell the scones cooking and I drooled over the wonderful sounding choffee cake, emitting a squeal of delight when I spotted the recipe in the back of the book.

Not content with just drooling over the cakes, we have hunky Joe to keep our pulses racing.  He's dark and moody at first but you just know he's got a heart of gold underneath those pecs of steel.  As their courtship began, I crossed my fingers and hoped that Ellie could scale his battlements and become Queen of his castle.

Lots of laughs and lots of fun, The Cosy Teashop in the Castle is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and melt even the coldest heart.  The famous Northern hospitality is described so perfectly and warmly; it is pure escapism into the wilds of Northumberland and I can't think of a better place to escape to.

I received this e-book from the publisher, Harper Impulse, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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An Angry Orange Sky (Gordan Hudde #2) - Mark Hudson

Gordan Hudde was a tough soldier on the battle field, a problem solver of the most difficult situations for the CIA; risking everything for the country he loves. A hard life has created a hard man, now how does operative Gordan Hudde learn to take a vacation? A beautiful, exotic woman, a harsh street gang, the brutal cartels, and the uncaring/corrupt government he worked for represented by the CIA and the DEA come together at a beach resort in Mexico. The woman wants to love him; everyone else may want to kill him. Sexual tension, suspense and incredible violence will make it impossible to put down An Angry Orange Sky. 

What did I think?

Having thoroughly enjoyed A Deep Purple Hue last month, I was eager to immerse myself once again in the life of Gordan Hudde.  An Angry Orange Sky sees Gordan Hudde taking a well earned rest in Mexico.  Although Hudde by his nature is never at rest and is constantly on high alert.

I found this book a little harder to get into as I'm not terribly interested in Mexican drug cartels and always find it hard to identify one Juan from another; needless to say there is lots of shouting and shooting as rival gangs go up against each other.  There is also a lot of detail as every hour, mile and metre is specified - I found it a bit off-putting at first but I soon got used to it as my brain adjusted to not having to remember every single number stated.

About half way through we start to see the sensitive side to Hudde as a pretty Mexican lady catches his eye.  He is soon drawn into the bosom of her family and considers putting down roots south of the border.  He just has a few Mexicans to sort out before he and Isabella can live happily ever after.  Will they drive off into the sunset or get caught in the crossfire?

With plenty of shocks and surprises, An Angry Orange Sky does not disappoint and I have no doubt that we will be hearing a lot more from Gordan Hudde, at least I certainly hope so!

I received this e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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Cara's Twelve - Chantel Seabrook

Raised in the backwater province of Crowthorne, Cara finds her fate bound to a system she despises and a goddess she no longer believes in. When it becomes clear that the heir to the Elbian throne has found disfavor in the eyes of the goddess, Cara is ordained by blood to take her cousin's place as heir apparent. 

One man from each twelve provinces are chosen by the royal council to pledge their lives and swords as champions and consorts of the future queen. From these men, Cara must choose the future king of Elbia. Before she is able to take her place on the throne, Cara and her Twelve must visit each province and perform a sacred ceremony, one that will make Cara question everything she thought was real.

Cara soon realizes that not all of the men who swore to protect her are what they seem, and that there are those who would use her as a tool to gain power.

Cara's Twelve is a refreshingly different, romantic fantasy story of fair maidens and fearless warriors in a medieval land.

What did I think?

I have to be in the mood to read something in the fantasy genre, so it took me a little while to push Cara’s Twelve to the top of my reading list but I’m so pleased that I did.  It really was a page-turner of a medieval fantasy, like a cross between Game of Thrones and the Hunger Games, as I raced through it at lightning speed.

Cara’s aunt is Queen and names Cara as her heir due to her daughter, Maeve, being barren.  Cara has to leave her district of Crowthorne and travel to the City of Annul where she is introduced to the court and twelve eligible men, one from each district, pledge their allegiance to the future queen.  Before Cara is officially crowned, she has to travel to each of the twelve districts where a ceremony is carried out and Cara has to spend the night with the relevant one of her twelve consorts.  At the end of the tour, she must choose one of them to be king so, with such a prize on offer, we are treated to backstabbing, jealousy and treachery amongst the men.

Will Cara choose bad-boy Tahdaon, lovely Finn or will she be coerced into choosing evil Edmund?

There are some steamy scenes as Cara explores her choices and some bloody battles as rebellion sweeps the land, resulting in a perfectly blended and riveting story.  With a wicked queen, a daughter cast aside and evil lurking in every corner, Cara’s Twelve has the feel of an adult fairy tale…although not everyone is destined to live happily ever after.

I received this e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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As If I Were a River - Amanda Saint

When we discover the truth about others, we find ourselves... Kate has a safe, happy, ordinary existence. Or so she thinks. When her husband Jimmy goes missing she is forced to re-evaluate every aspect of her life, and must confront the past to find a future. Kate hasn t seen her mother, Laura, for 25 years, and she cannot seek solace from her estranged father. Can Una, her paternal grandmother, provide answers about those who have seemingly abandoned her, and help her come to terms with the loss of those she loves? 'As If I Were a River' is the emotional story of three generations of women and the impact of their actions upon each other...and themselves. It is a story of buried secrets, and of finding the courage to question the life you lead. Are we forever shaped by our past, or can we find redemption in making our own future?

What did I think?

It is rare that I find a book outside of the thriller genre so compulsively addictive, but As If I Were a River was so beautifully written that I found it virtually impossible to put down.  It is the story of three women whose stories flow together exquisitely as we untangle the threads of their lives throughout the book.  Although there are three interwoven stories, they are not at all confusing and it all comes together perfectly in the end like a well followed recipe.

The story starts with Kate on the night that her husband, Jimmy, pops out to the corner shop for some cigarettes and never returns.  Kate is understandably distraught at Jimmy’s disappearance and even more so when Jimmy’s family almost appear to be gloating that he has left her.  Kate’s sister, Julie, returns from Japan to offer support as Kate’s life spirals dangerously out of control.

Between Kate’s chapters we learn about Laura.  Laura appears to have led quite a sheltered life and one day meets Ken.  Although she’s not quite 18, Ken takes her to the pub for a drink and there’s a really lovely moment when she doesn’t know what to order and gets her first taste of a pint of bitter, described in a way that made my beer-loving mouth water.  As tragedy strikes, Laura has to grow up quickly and soon finds herself married with two children at the age of 20 and feeling like she has missed out on her life.  Struggling to make sense of her life, Laura makes some decisions that have serious repercussions for herself and her whole family.

Finally, we are introduced to Una.  Una is the oldest of the three ladies and holds the key to some surprising family secrets.  Secrets that can provide answers for Kate and Julie and take them on a trip around the world to New Zealand, with an ending that brought a tear to my eye, confirming how emotionally invested I was in the characters.

As If I Were A River is an absolutely outstanding debut from Amanda Saint.  It is written so beautifully that I couldn’t help but form an immensely strong emotional link to the characters as their journey unfolded.  As If I Were A River is something so completely out of the ordinary that it warrants every single one of the five stars that I have awarded it.

I received this e-book from the publisher, Urbane Publications, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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Released 11th April - preorder now from Amazon