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:

Buy it from Amazon



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BLOG TOUR: Confetti & Confusion (Paradise Cookery School Book 2) - Daisy James

The Paradise Cookery School is officially open!

Stepping in for a celebrity chef, Millie Harper is feeling the pressure to make the first ever Paradise Cookery School classes a dazzling success and ensure that bride-to-be Imogen and friends have an unforgettable experience.

Meanwhile, Millie is trying to play it cool around handsome estate manager Zach Barker. But whenever he is near Millie cannot fail to notice the chemistry between them – until someone from Zach’s past arrives and any potential romance seems out of the question.

When disaster strikes and the wedding is in jeopardy, Millie realises she may have to go above and beyond to make sure the school is a success. Can Millie manage to create a day that dreams are made of, and will she find a way to tell Zach how she feels?

Allow yourself to be transported to the balmy St Lucian sunshine by his uplifting summer read – perfect for fans of Jenny Oliver and Sarah Morgan

What did I think?

Sunshine and Secrets was my first Daisy James book and I enjoyed it so much that I couldn’t wait to slap on my factor 50 and head back to St Lucia for another instalment of the Paradise Cookery School.  Although Confetti & Confusion is the second book in the series, it can definitely be read as a standalone as Daisy James makes sure to include superb colourful introductions to all of her fabulous characters.  As I have read the first book, Sunshine and Secrets, I greeted these warm and friendly characters like old friends.

Confetti & Confusion picks up right where Sunshine and Secrets left off as the shiny new kitchen of the Paradise Cookery School opens for business.  Amelia (Millie) Harper and St Lucian native, Ella, worked so hard to get the kitchen ready and now the fun can begin.  The first customer is a bridal party, and while Imogen and the hens are cooking up chocolatey creations in the kitchen, Alex and the stags partake in some testosterone fuelled events like quad-biking.  Anything can happen, and often does, with Mishap Millie around but luckily hunky estate manager Zach is around to pick Millie up when she falls (literally).

Millie’s feelings for Zach have become more intense in Confetti & Confusion and every day she spends with him mends her broken heart a little more.  Millie’s stay on the island is only temporary and she is adamant that she doesn’t want a holiday romance but maybe Zach doesn’t either, only Millie is too insecure to find out.  As they spend more time together it is clear to the reader, if not to Millie, that Zach has feelings for her too but just when you think ‘the moment’ is approaching, Zach’s ex appears on the scene.  Millie retreats at the speed of light when it appears that Zach is back with Chloe and my heart sank for her but sometimes appearances can be deceptive.

When a fire in the hotel kitchen destroys the wedding cake and the wedding planner is nowhere to be found, Millie is determined to make sure that Imogen and Alex’s dream wedding goes as planned.  Well I say dream wedding, but it’s more Imogen’s mum’s dream wedding as Imogen and Alex would have been happy to get married at home in their local parish church.  As more things go wrong for the couple it looks like someone is out to sabotage their wedding…but why? 

Although I would have liked a bit more scheming and intrigue around the mystery of the wedding sabotage, this unexpected addition does manage to add more depth and drama to the story and sets Confetti & Confusion apart from a twee hearts and flowers chick-lit book.  It’s testament to the way that Daisy James writes a book so full of heart without leaving an overly saccharine taste in your mouth and that’s no easy feat when there are delicious recipes being described so beautifully that I could almost smell the chocolate!  Thankfully, Millie's story is far from over so I can't wait to jet off to St Lucia again soon. 

Confetti & Confusion is a mouth-watering, sunny delight; definitely a book to pack in your suitcase for your summer holiday this year!

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

My rating:

Buy links:

Amazon (UK)

Kobo (UK)

Google Books (UK)

Apple Books (UK)




About the author:

Daisy James is a Yorkshire girl transplanted to the north east of England. She loves writing stories with strong heroines and swift-flowing plotlines. When not scribbling away in her summerhouse, she spends her time sifting flour and sprinkling sugar and edible glitter. She loves gossiping with friends over a glass of something pink and fizzy or indulging in a spot of afternoon tea – china plates and teacups are a must.

Twitter: @daisyjamesbooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daisyjamesbooks/

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BLOG TOUR: Between the Lies - Michelle Adams

What would you do if you woke up and didn't know who you were?

Chloe Daniels regains consciousness in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. She doesn't recognise the strangers who call themselves family. She can't even remember her own name.

What if your past remained a mystery?

As she slowly recovers, her parents and sister begin to share details of her life. The successful career. The seaside home. The near-fatal car crash. But Chloe senses they're keeping dark secrets - and her determination to uncover the truth will have devastating consequences. 

What if the people you should be able trust are lying to you?

What did I think?

I really enjoyed Michelle Adams' debut, My Sister, so I was very excited to read her new book, Between the Lies, and I am delighted to say that I was not disappointed.  The story is intriguing, the pacing is fast and I read it cover to cover one sunny weekend (yes, we do get the odd sunny day up here in the North East).

I loved the idea of Chloe Daniels waking up from a coma and not knowing who she is.  She has no alternative but to believe the people who say they're her family, even though she doesn't like the smell of them.  Chloe thinks her family is lying to her; I know they are, as I've seen the title of the book, so I was suspicious of everything and everybody.  Her dad is controlling, her mother is an alcoholic and her sister is afraid of their dad.  What are they all hiding?  Little gasp-out-loud landmines of truth are exposed at regular intervals to keep the pages turning rapidly and I was completely riveted.

The police are waiting to speak to Chloe about the accident that left her with a brain injury but she can't remember anything about it.  Chloe's dad is a neurologist so he has put himself in charge of her therapy and uses hypnosis to try to help Chloe regain her memory.  I really worried that he may have been inserting false memories as there are certainly some things that he doesn't want Chloe to remember.  I really wanted some things that happened to Chloe to be false memories but life can indeed be cruel.

Between the Lies is a riveting fast-paced thriller that had me completely hooked from the start and didn't disappoint.  I will definitely be recommending this book to my nice-smelling family and friends.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

Michelle Adams grew up in the UK and now lives in Cyprus, where she works as a part- time scientist. She read her first Stephen King novel at the tender age of nine, and has been addicted to suspense fiction ever since. 

BETWEEN THE LIES is her second novel following the acclaimed psychological thriller MY SISTER.

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BLOG TOUR: Artful Eating - Karina Melvin

This book can change your life forever!

Rediscover the magic of eating for pleasure and enjoy a life of balance with the freedom to eat the foods you want without dieting.

Artful Eating will take you on a journey filled with stories, life lessons, practical tools and strategies all rooted in the most up to date scientific and psychological research. Learn how to reprogram your mind to lose weight and achieve the body you desire, by changing your thoughts, behaviours and approach to pleasure.

Successful weight loss is not about what you eat, it's about why and how you eat. We are missing the most vital ingredient in the weight loss battle: the mind. It is our mind that fuels every decision we make about food and by focusing solely on the symptom, the excess weight, we have lost sight of the cause.

There is no strenuous exercise regime, no food elimination, no strict meal plan, just powerful psychological tools and strategies which will create lasting change. You will be amazed at how easy it is to achieve the body you desire and truly deserve.

What did I think?

As a life long dieter, I am always looking for the next amazing diet book to be published.  I do always follow the plan and get varying results but one thing is constant: I always morph back into Miss Blobby as cutting out all my favourite food and drink just makes me want them more, resulting in the inevitable binge when I fall off the diet wagon.

So I opened Artful Eating feeling motivated and ready to try anything.  It wasn't long before I was nodding my head as everything Karina Melvin has written makes perfect sense.  Just making a simple conscious effort to eat half of everything is sure to make the pounds drop off.  As Karina says, the flavour and enjoyment is in the first few bites so if your body is crying out for a doughnut, simply have half of one and share the other half with a friend.  Your body will be satisfied and you'll feel good sharing too.

Any dieter will know that you have good days and bad days.  It's almost its own worst enemy; you have a good day so you reward yourself with a treat, meaning that you have a bad day.  This can sometimes result in falling off the wagon completely as you feel so bad that your diet has failed.  Karina doesn't encourage us to be good all the time, just good enough.  This completely removes the guilt out of eating so you can keep following the Artful Eating plan even when you have what traditional diets call a bad day.

I read Artful Eating with the purpose of reviewing it, so I didn't manage to complete all of the exercises which I think are pivotal to embedding this way of eating in your life.  I am definitely going to go back through the book to complete the exercises as Karina Melvin has completely inspired me to become an artful eater.  I have already begun trying to listen to my body and eat when I'm hungry - it's actually a lot harder than you think!

The hardest thing for me will be leaving food on my plate.  I think back to when we are young: as a baby being a 'good girl' or 'good boy' for eating everything and as a young child being rewarded with a pudding for clearing our plate.  We are taught from an early age to eat all of our food in order to get a treat, so no wonder so many people hoover up their meals as if it's a race.  This is going to be the hardest habit for me to break but I am absolutely determined to do it.

I love the way the book is set out in sections representing parts of a meal: starter, main course, dessert and digestif.  It really helped to instil the mindset that food is there to be enjoyed and therefore eating something you enjoy isn't bad.  Although she doesn't profess to be the greatest cook, Karina Melvin has included some amazing recipes in her book that I can't wait to try.  Some that caught my eye: four-bean chilli (I love beans and anything spicy), courgette cake (to satisfy my sweet tooth), kitchen sink brown bread (there's nothing better than fresh homemade bread) and mini scones (the perfect treat and super-quick to make).

For me the key things in Artful Eating are:

• Listen to your body and eat when you're hungry
• Respond to your body's cravings by eating what type of food you want
• Taste and savour all of the flavours in your food
• Halve anything you eat
• Always leave food on your plate
• Be 'good enough' and remove guilt from eating
• Think of quality over quantity when buying food

Artful Eating is not like any diet book I have ever read before; you really can have your cake and eat it.  It isn't so much a diet plan as a way of life that will change the way you eat forever.  Artful Eating is so inspirational and I have every confidence that this amazing book will change my life.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

Karina Melvin is a Psychologist, with an MSc in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy from the UCD School of Medicine, an MA in Addiction Studies and over ten years of formal training within the field of mental health, she has dedicated her work to helping people feel more at ease in themselves. She lectures in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy in University College Dublin and practices from her clinic in Sandymount. Her first book, Artful Eating: The Psychology of Lasting Weight Loss, became a bestseller in Ireland.

Karina currently runs an online program ‘Artful Eating: At The Table’ (www.artful-eating.com), and hosts the Artful Eating podcast which is available to download from itunes.

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BLOG TOUR: Needle Song - Russell Day

I am thrilled to be taking part in the damppebbles blog tour for Needle Song by Russell Day and I am sharing my review of this eagerly anticipated crime fiction debut (as it says on the amazing cover).

Spending the night with a beautiful woman would be a good alibi, if the body in the next room wasn't her husband.

Doc Slidesmith has a habit of knowing things he shouldn’t. He knows the woman Chris Rudjer meets online is married. He knows the adult fun she’s looking for is likely to be short lived. And when her husband’s killed, he knows Chris Rudjer didn’t do it. 

Only trouble is the police disagree and no one wants to waste time investigating an open and shut case.

No one except Doc.

Using lies, blackmail and a loaded pack of Tarot cards, Doc sets about looking for the truth - but the more truth he finds, the less he thinks his friend is going to like it.

What did I think?

I'm not usually drawn first to a book by its cover but Needle Song has one of those covers that you can't take you eyes off.  It strongly reminds me of Sons of Anarchy and apart from the lead guy having a motorbike, that's where the similarity ends.  Needle Song is something else entirely with Doc reminding me of Sherlock Holmes; a modern day whodunnit with clues just waiting to be found.

The story is told from the point of view of Yakky (real name Andy, which he hates) who is an apprentice tattooist working with the very unconventional Doc Slidesmith, kind of like Anakin and Obi Wan.  Doc isn't just a nickname, as he has a PhD in psychology so he knows how to read people which helps with his tarot card readings.  When Chris Rudjer, one of Doc's customers, is arrested for murdering his girlfriend's husband, Doc is determined to prove that Chris is innocent.  With Chris's girlfriend, Jan, turning to Doc and his tarot cards, this  gives Doc the perfect opportunity to winkle out everything that Jan knows about the events surrounding her husband's death.  I was so sure that she definitely knew more than she was letting on!

Although Doc is a great character with a lot of dry humour and Holmes-like deduction skills, I really liked Yakky.  Yakky is an ex-nurse and doesn't have the happiest life now that he's living with his dad, who absolutely cracked me up at times.  He is a master game-player and can play the sympathy and helpless card when he wants but I think he knows exactly what he's doing.  Yakky's dad reminded me of my Grandad who had to turn the TV up to earsplitting levels but could hear the phone ringing before any of us.

With such colourful characters in play, you could be forgiven for forgetting that there's a crime to investigate and what a criminal masterpiece that is.  Doc sniffs out the truth like a bloodhound and I really didn't know what was going to come next from page to page.  Hopefully this won't be the last we hear about Doc and Yakky, this modern day Holmes and Watson.

Needle Song is as unconventional as it is brilliant, Russell Day has played an ace and said to the crime genre: I'll see you and I'll raise you.  This is a riveting and completely astounding debut that I highly recommend.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Fahrenheit Press
Buy it from Amazon UK
Buy it from Amazon US



About the author:

Russell Day was born in 1966 and grew up in Harlesden, NW10 – a geographic region searching for an alibi. From an early age it was clear the only things he cared about were motorcycles, tattoos and writing. At a later stage he added family life to his list of interests and now lives with his wife and two children. He’s still in London, but has moved south of the river for the milder climate.

Although he only writes crime fiction Russ doesn’t consider his work restricted. ‘As long as there have been people there has been crime, as long as there are people there will be crime.’ That attitude leaves a lot of scope for settings and characters. One of the first short stories he had published, The Second Rat and the Automatic Nun, was a double-cross story set in a world where the church had taken over policing. In his first novel, Needle Song, an amateur detective employs logic, psychology and a loaded pack of tarot cards to investigate a death.

Russ often tells people he seldom smiles due to nerve damage, sustained when his jaw was broken. In fact, this is a total fabrication and his family will tell you he’s has always been a miserable bastard. 

Russell’s Social Media Links: Twitter https://twitter.com/rfdaze

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Half The Lies You Tell Are True - C.P. Wilson

In a world where internet rumour becomes real-world fact, do we ever really know anyone?

High school teacher Dougie Black is brutally attacked in school. Stabbed in front of his class by a pupil with no apparent motive, Dougie fights for his life in ICU whilst DS Lewis Gilmour attempts to unravel the events leading up to the attack.

As the doctors struggle to save Dougie’s life, social media is rife with rumours about his private life. Mr Black’s friends and family begin to question everything they thought they knew about him. 

Who is Dougie Black? Why did a child attempt to murder him? How did so many years of lies lead to an horrific moment of violence?

What did I think?

I read this dark and disturbing novel in one day as I just had to find out the whole story behind the terrible events at Cambuscraig High School in Edinburgh.  With news reports and social media postings, it felt very realistic and so true to life that I found myself shocked and horrified at the beginning and quite emotional towards the end.

We are launched straight into the action as Frankie Malone witnesses her fellow teacher and friend, Dougie Black, struggling to restrain one of his pupils.  What Frankie sees next will stay with her forever as 16 year old Harry Jardine thrusts a knife into Mr Black over and over again.  The pupils and teachers who witnessed the attack are interviewed by the police but the public aren't too interested in facts as the rumour mill starts churning and Mr Black's relationships with his students are called into question.  After all, he must have done something to make Harry Jardine attack this popular teacher.

This is such a thought-provoking book as I find it fascinating how quick we are to jump to conclusions and always see the worst in people.  As the rumours start to circulate, even Frankie begins to doubt her friend.  Everyone seems to have an opinion about Harry's motive but some people know more than they're letting on.  When Dougie's private life is put under the microscope, people see what they want to see to add fuel to the fire as Dougie has been spotted spending time with a young woman.  After all, what would a man in his sixties be doing with a woman in her twenties?

Half The Lies You Tell Are True is very cleverly written to entice the reader to believe the rumours and although I thought I was firmly in Dougie's corner, I even doubted his innocence at one time or another.  The book is written in three excellent parts: part 1 being the attack in the school, part 2 takes a step back and shows us Dougie Black and Harry Jardine before the attack and part 3 is the aftermath, which left me struggling to hold back tears.  I didn't realise how emotionally invested I was in the story until I felt the lump in my throat; with the reason behind the attack laid bare I found it so tragic how lives can be irrevocably altered by one thoughtless act.  An act that may have seemed like a harmless spark but once it caught, the flames were fanned by the mob mentality of social media.  It is so scary how easy it is for people to hide behind a screen and throw virtual stones at people.

A compelling read and a brilliant psychological thriller for the digital age that examines how very different the human psyche can be on and offline.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Woolgrower's Companion - Joy Rhoades

Australia 1945. Until now Kate Dowd has led a sheltered life on her family's sprawling sheep station but, with her father's health in decline, the management of the farm is increasingly falling to her.

Kate is rising to the challenge when the arrival of two Italian POW labourers disrupts everything – especially when Kate finds herself drawn to the enigmatic Luca Canali.

Then she receives devastating news. The farm is near bankrupt and the bank is set to repossess. Given just eight weeks to pay the debt, Kate is now in a race to save everything she holds dear.

What did I think?

You could be forgiven for thinking that The Woolgrower's Companion would be what I call a 'Mammy's book' from looking at the cover but it has so much depth and emotion that it is far from the family saga I was initially expecting.  Each chapter starts with an extract from a sheep farmer's manual published in 1906: The Woolgrower's Companion; this is so authentic that I thought it was a real book and I was astonished to find that it was Joy Rhoades' very own creation.  

The story revolves around Kate: a woman in a man's world.  As her father becomes more and more incapable of running the farm, the responsibility falls to Kate but a lot of the men aren't willing to work for a sheila.  Some men don't have any choice, as they are Italian prisoners of war and have been shipped to Australia to work on the land until the war is over.

Unbeknown to Kate, her father has been running up debts with local traders and more importantly with the bank.  Now the bank are knocking at the door and demanding their money back.  Kate sells what little items of value that she has but she still falls short; there's only one thing of value left, a rare yellow sapphire, but Kate's father doesn't know where he has hidden it.  With time running out, Kate is set to lose more than the farm as she finds herself getting closer to Luca, one of the POWs.  With a husband she barely knows away at war, Kate could easily lose her heart to Luca if she's not careful.

This book is so beautifully written that it creeps into your heart so slowly at first but it very quickly takes root, culminating in an emotional explosion as events around Kate unfold.  I found the plight of the aborigines very moving and it's something I haven't thought about before but the way they were treated is shocking, after all, Australia was their country first.  I absolutely love learning something whilst I am reading fiction books and I found it fascinating that so many Italian prisoners of war were sent to Australia.  I suppose returning home after the war must have been daunting for the Italian soldiers, with many having no families left, so some Australians sponsored the Italians to return; it's so lovely to think that those who were once enemies became friends. 

What an exceptional debut from Joy Rhoades and an absolute joy to read.  The Woolgrower's Companion is a beautiful, authentic and multi-faceted historical novel that has more depth than the Pacific Ocean.  I am delighted that this is only the beginning of Kate's story and I am already looking forward to the sequel.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




About the author:

About me? I grew up in a small town in the bush in Queensland, Australia. I spent my time with my head in a book, or outdoors – climbing trees, playing in dry creek beds, or fishing for yabbies in the railway dam under the big sky. Some of my favourite memories were visiting my grandmother’s sheep farm in rural New South Wales where my father had grown up. She was a fifth generation grazier, a lover of history, and a great and gentle teller of stories. My childhood gave me two passions: a love of the Australian landscape and a fascination with words and stories.

I left the bush at 13 when I went to boarding school in Brisbane. I stayed on there to study law and literature at the University of Queensland. After, my work as a lawyer took me first to Sydney and then all over the world, to London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and New York. But I always carried in my head a strong sense of my childhood: the people, the history, the light and the landscape. Those images have never left me and they would eventually become The Woolgrower’s Companion. It’s a story I’ve felt I had to tell.

I currently live in London with my husband and our two young children. But I miss the Australian sky.

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