Tag: Best friends

Posted in New Adult

Choose Us – Caylie Marcoe

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

Final Cover Round 2Synopsis

Riley Logan and Travis Grayson have been best friends for the last fifteen years. She would do anything for him, go anywhere for him…and she has, countless times. Except now. Now he’s asking for too much. Their friendship has reached a breaking point and she doesn’t know how to go back. But as Travis’ personal assistant, Riley spends her every waking moment by his side. 

When a fractured ankle puts Travis’ BMX career on hold he’s given more downtime than he knows what to do with. Always one for excitement, he agrees to become the bachelor on a televised dating show, but only if Riley goes in undercover to help weed through the girls. 

What was supposed to be eight weeks of freedom has turned into eight weeks of hell surrounded by desperate girls all vying for Travis’ attention. He promised her the show would be smooth sailing. He promised he would listen to her advice on which girls should be eliminated. But now he’s breaking those promises and getting way too close to the girl Riley despises the most. 

She shouldn’t care. Except she does. Much to her surprise there is one girl she wants Travis to choose…

Her. 

Will she get what she wants, or will Riley lose her best friend along with getting her heart broken on national television?

4.5 out of 5 stars

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My Review

I stumbled across Choose Us whilst browsing Amazon for new books to download. Spotting the hand holding cover, I had to know what the book was about. A famous BMX’er, his best friend as his PA, a Bachelor type reality dating show and a lot of confusion, jealousy and love mixed all together. Yupp, I had to get this book into my life asap.

It’s safe to say I literally devoured this book, from front to back. I started it on my journey to work and by the time night fell, I was crying, smiling and in love with everything Travis and Riley. Caylie has a writing style that wins you over. You cant stop reading no matter what (I was on edge all throughout work wanting to get back to Travis and Riley) and I had so many emotions, feeling what Riley was feeling, my heart twinging and breaking and sighing at every page.

You will hang on to every page, especially when there are girls competing and fighting for Travis’ attention, none of them knowing that Riley is undercover and reporting back to Travis about them. Friends to lover stories are always my favourite, mainly because of the deep connection they characters have and Travis and Riley are no different.

Choose Us is about Travis and Riley. They have been best friends r 15 years and spend every day together – Riley being Travis’ PA. When an injury forces Travis to rest for 8 weeks, he gets a proposition for be on a dating show. He has one condition to agreeing though, that Riley is one of the girls and reports back to him on the girls. Riley is pissed but she agrees after some hard work.

But as the show goes on and the girls are dwindling, there is one girl who is just out to get Travis for his status and that doesnt go down well at all with Riley. Travis isn’t listening to her and her feelings for him are coming on strong. Now she wants him to pick her but what does Travis do?

Will this cause 15 years of friendship down the drain along with a broken heart of national TV or will Travis pick Riley after all?

I truly loved Riley. She is the type of girl who doesnt have many girl friends but that doesnt seem to bother her. She has Travis and that is enough for her. She’s not the girly type either, but as long as she has her coffee in the morning she can deal with anything. Riley can banter, she can keep up with Travis and she always there for him throughout everything. Not just as his PA but his best friend too. So when he’s injured and his only condition for going on the dating show is if Riley gets to be one of the girls, I could understand her fear, her anguish over being surround by girls wanting Travis’ attention. In one way, she doesnt have any girl friends and isn’t good being friends with girls and secondly, deep down, unconsciously, she was afraid that A) she might loose him to a girl from the show and B) Fall in love with him and C) the girls would find out who she really was.

I enjoyed watching all these feelings rush over Riley though. From actually seeing herself as a ‘girl’ for the first time, feeling like she actually is a beautiful girl and dressing like one too. I liked her friendship with Taylor, one of the girls on the dating show and I liked how close they became. It wasn’t like a competition for them. It didn’t matter who ‘got’ Travis, they actually formed a fully-fledge friendship and I love that Riley had a girlfriend like Taylor. But most of all, seeing Riley’s feelings for Travis creep up on her. Really seeing him for the first time gave her confused feelings for him and I know just how she feels feeling her for best friend. But mix in the other girls, the confusion over what was happening between them and jealousy she felt when he went on one-on-one dates, its enough to push anyone over the edge especially after her birthday in the house and what came after that.

You slowly saw Riley fall for Travis, watched her actually begin to fight in the dating show, fight for Travis even through the pain of carrying on the show and him going off on ‘dates’ still. I felt the uneasiness, the pain of witnessing and hearing about the dates, the fear of losing and loving her best friend and then the heartbreak – god that sucked me right up. How she came undone and the pain shot through my heart whilst I was reading about her walking away. God, I even felt the awkwardness and the heartbreak at the end too, but yano what, I also felt the lightness and the love and the cage being ripped from Riley (and my heart) and I felt the radiating love that both Travis and Riley have for one another.

I told Caylie on Twitter that I want my own Travis. I really really do. There is just something about him that draws you right in and he wont let you go. Travis is sweet and caring and is boisterous – well he is a BMX’er, and he adores his best friend Riley, whom he will do whatever for. When an injury stops him for a few weeks, he becomes the main focus on a reality TV show, along with the help of Riley. He wants her to wig out the bad nuts so he gets the best girl in the end. You know everyone will end up loving him, he’s cheeky and flirty and smirky all wrapped into one and you know you will love him too.

He’s considerate and you know that, like Riley, deep down he has got to have thought about them as more than friends, so to me, it was no surprise when something happened. You watch their relationship change, you see Travis start to confuse himself over Riley, despite her being the one for him and then you watch their banter slow down, watch the drama unfold between them and it hurts to see Travis still go on dates. But fair play to him, he never backs out of contracts and although I wanted him to, I understood why he didn’t, even if it did end up hurting Riley and him and breaking both their hearts.

At times you will want to wring his bloody neck. You will shake your head at him for not listening to Riley, to not believing her when she told him about a certain young lady and shout at him for how he handled everything. But you will cry at the ending, at how much you want them to be together, at how much you need Travis to explain his action and you know, know you will forgive him because what he tells Riley? I wanted to jump into the book and hug him tight and make him say the words to me.

I truly loved reading Choose Us. It’s so refreshing from other books I have read recently. It sucked me in, had me feeling every emotion and I felt connected to Riley and her growing feelings for her best friend but most of all? This is a book I need to buy in paperback and have it on my bookshelf.

Posted in Erotica

Dirty Trick – Christine Bell

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

18403068Synopsis

Grace Love is lousy with men. She can spot a match for someone else a mile away, and her balls-on instincts are why her matchmaking business is thriving, but finding her own Prince Charming? The only guy who makes her sixth sense tingle is her playboy best friend, Trick, and no way is she risking their friendship, no matter how hot she knows the sex will be.

SWAT officer Trick Matthews is a patient guy, but Grace’s inability to see what’s right in front of her is grinding on his last nerve. Yeah, he blew his shot at breaking out of the friend zone when he tamped down the urge to lick her from head to toe the day they met, but he’s got a plan that’ll change her mind. Incognito at Salem’s hottest Halloween party, he’ll show her exactly how good they could be…and that he’s the man for her.

4 / 5 stars

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My Review

So I was in the mood for something sexy, something porny. Scouring Amazon for Brazen books, I stumbled upon Dirty Trick. Sounding like something I knew I would like (HELLO hot SWAT Officer), and loving  friends to lover books, 1-click called me and that instant it downloaded, the file was opened and my porny sex urges were fulfilled 😉

This is the first book I have read by Christine Bell but I will be checking out her other books now! Dirty Trick is dirty, it’s fun and sexy and you root for all the characters in there. You will root for Trick to get his girl, root for Gracie to really see Trick, and just blooming love Serena because she is spunky, flirty and awesome and protective, of not just Gracie but Trick too.

Gracie and her best friend Serena have a matchmaking business which is going from strength to strength. But despite being a matchmaker, her love life hasn’t gone very well. Her fiancé cheated on her and made her believe she wasn’t good enough, both in and outside the bedroom, making her self-confidence plummet and thinking she is not good enough. Trick is her neighbour. He’s a SWAT member and gorgeous and hard built and he loves Gracie yet she doesn’t know. She finds her attractive but in her mind he’s a player and she just won’t go down that road. But after one night with a sexy stranger, everything changes in her and she’s ready to unleash herself into the world.

Gracie is a character that can definitely match you up with the person you *may* marry. Her business is growing and she and Serena are doing great. But shouldn’t matchmakers have partners? Gracie thinks so but she can’t stay with a guy as they always seem to leave her. She’s fed up, insecure and doesn’t rate herself highly, but after a night with a mystery man at one of her client’s parties, she’s awaken that sexual desire that was always in her. She feel more confident in herself, despite not knowing who this guy is, let alone his name. She’s not worried though, she’s having fun with him and because of that, experiencing new things and then some. She’s beginning to see her neighbour in a new light. But what happens when she finds out that mystery man IS Trick, and he’s been tricking her?

I loved watching Gracie grow with confidence. From being shy and insecure about herself to blossoming into a sexy butterfly, she really did need Trick to wake her up, even if she didn’t know it was him. They really are good for each other and I loved how she saw him differently but was still scared. She took a leap though and overcoming the revelation, she knew he was the one for her.

Trick is a SWAT team member and Gracie’s neighbour. He’s is or was a man whore, different girls back to his every night until one day it all stopped. He noticed Gracie as more than a friend and then his whoring around stopped in the hopes she would notice and start to think of him in a romantic way, as he has been in love with her for a while now. But he knows about her past, how much she doesn’t really believe in herself and after one of his SWAT members paints him, and makes him look nothing like himself he has an idea – he can use this to make Gracie see that Trick is the guy for her, and so by pretending to be someone else, he brings out her sexuality, makes her feel more alive and sexy and hopefully will make her see him in a different light after it. Hiding behind this mask though, he’s not only lying to Gracie but betraying her trust too so what happens when it comes to light?

I really liked Trick. I love reading about sexy, hardworking men who dominate in the bedroom and also are the ones who are in love with the girl, doing whatever they can to make them really ‘see’ them, to see them as a potential boyfriend. Also Trick went around it the wrong way, he did bring Gracie out of herself – made her feel things, made her really see, and you could see, in his own way, why he did what he did, because it did make Gracie see him different after she experienced all these things with ‘mystery man’.

Trick did whatever he could to make Gracie see him, for him. To make her feel the same way for him as he did for her. He did little things, to prove he was right for her and she took the leap, as ive mentioned. It broke him when she found out his was mystery man and he decided to leave her be, to let her realize why he did it and hopefully come back to him. He knew she loved him but what he did, even if he did it for the best, it really hurt her but I’m glad it ended how it did. You really root for the both of them to be together, because they are so well suited.

This goes without saying but the sex between the two of them was steamy and hot. Trick certainly knew what he was doing and he knew exactly how to wake Gracie’s sexuality up and make her wanting more from him. Where are these guys? I really need one hahah.

It was a fast feed, with sexy scenes and a nice story behind it.

Posted in L.M Augustine, Promotional Events, YA

CHARACTER INTERVIEW: West from Click To Subscribe (+GIVEAWAY)

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

So this is the third post of the Click To Subscribe and its an interview with the dorky guy we all love – West.

If you have yet to read my interview with L.M Augustine or my review you can find the interview HERE and the review HERE.

Now, have fun getting to know more about West in this interview with him. I love him even more!!!

17285743Synopsis

1,135,789. That’s how many subscribers sixteen-year-old West Ryder has on his web vlog series. But he only has eyes for one of them.

As one of the internet’s most prestigious video bloggers, West talks about high school relationships under the name “Sam Green.” As far as he knows, no one from school, not even his best friend, Cat, has seen his videos. But the highlight of the whole thing is Harper Knight, who comments every day at exactly 2:02 in the afternoon. He doesn’t know anything about her aside from the occasional deep philosophical messaging on why pizza tastes so delicious, but as stupid as it sounds, he might be falling for her. So when they finally agree to meet in real life, West’s hope for romance seems more and more in reach. But that all changes as soon as he arrives at their meeting spot and sees Cat walking toward him, wearing the same “I ❤ Sam Green” T-shirt Harper promised she’d have on.

To his alarm, West realizes he is falling in love with the best friend who has always been a sister to him

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West’s Interview

For someone who likes ice-cream, West is sure as hell late to this meeting. Sitting facing the door, I look around and see mothers and their young children happily munching away on the cold stuff, sprinkles all down their tops and ice cream around their face.

Checking the time on my watch again, West is now 10 minutes late and I really want an ice cream. Debating whether or not to wait, I decide that ice cream is just too tempting and lean down to take my purse out of my bag when the bell on the door rings and in walks West, looking around until he spots me and begins to head over.

Standing up from the chair, I hold my hand out to greet West and give him a smile back.

Hi West, thanks for coming.

Of course! I was promised ice cream.

Okay before we get started, fancy an ice cream?

Yes, yes I do. 🙂 I honestly feel bad for anyone who would turn this down.

With our ice creams in our hands, we take a seat back at the table, and after a lick, I get down to business.

Right, first things first, are you still vlogging? I know you said you were too busy, but I’m sure everyone is missing your videos.

I am, I am. I’m not as into it, though. I have a life now, a real life, and I want to enjoy it as much as possible–if there is one thing I’ve learned from my mom dying, it’s that the happy times are short sometimes–but vlogging means too much to me to totally ignore.

You said you videoed to feel closer to your mother, that you pretended it was her you were speaking to. How much did that help you?

I never got to say goodbye to her. She was always proud of my vlog, of my taking initiative of my life, and it only felt right to tape vlogs to her. I was talking to her, really talking, because that’s the thing about her I miss most: our conversations. This felt like the perfect solution.

No one knew about your hobby, but didn’t you think somewhere along the lines you would be found out?

I worried, of course, but I’m not exactly the most well-known kid in my tiny town, so I knew the chances were minimal.

You and Harper were pretty close, despite only talking over the internet; just what exactly was it about her that you were drawn to?

She just kind of got me. Between her cow riding a bicycle while simultaneously eating pizza avatar and her complete overall dorkiness, I knew we were meant to be with each other.

Cat is your best friend and you two are pretty awesome together. Did you never think of her in a girlfriend sort of way or did it just never cross your mind at all?

I mean, of course I did. I’m not blind. But I always assumed that what Cat and I had was a pure friendship, and even though I knew I connected with her, I was too happy where we were together, as support systems, as best friends, to even consider anything more.

When Harper turns out to be Cat, your reaction is completely understandable, yet didn’t you even draw up a conclusion that Harper acted a bit like Cat?

Maybe I should’ve noticed, but Harper isn’t anyone I ever really questioned. She made me happy, she was the one bright spot in a tough time, and that’s all that mattered to me.

 Cat quite literally put her heart on the line when she told you she loved you. Didn’t you ever feel guilty about the way you reacted towards that revelation?

I did. I really did. I was an idiot, but I was just too taken by surprise. I was already pissed at my father that day and desperate because what felt like the one good thing in my life at the time–Harper–turned out to be a fake. I lashed out. I was weak. I didn’t know what to do. I’m just so grateful that Cat believed in me enough to stay friends with me until… we became more.

Cat is such a strong person. I loved how she just never gave up on you and her feelings for you. How did that make you feel? I know you didn’t like that she kept doing little things to try and make you feel something for her, but you had to know that in the end, you would inevitably fall for her?

I didn’t really think I would fall for her, actually. I knew I loved her–in the friend sense–but it took me a while to realize that my self-categorized “friend” love for her was real love all along. I always loved her, it turns out, and I just never realized it. And she showed me that I did. I’m so grateful for that, because I’m happier than ever with her now.

What is it about ice cream that you and Cat are just so obsessed with?

Ha. Haha. HAHAHA.

Taste it. Eat it with vanilla and rainbow sprinkles. You will find the light.

We know the point in which your feelings changed for Cat, but how did you get to that point?

I guess I just found myself looking at her differently after she admitted her feelings to me. I noticed things about her, about her appearance, about her laugh–things I never noticed before. And we already meshed so well, so I couldn’t help but think… that we belong together. Forever.

You and your father didn’t exactly get on after the death of your mother, but we see him change towards the end. How is your relationship with him now?

I like to keep that to myself. We’re working on it; that’s all I feel comfortable saying.

Cat told you that she wanted to spend a week away with a guy she loves at a beach house, and she did exactly that. What did you get up to during that time?

Let’s put it this way: there were numerous times when her lips were covered with ice cream, and whenever her lips are covered with ice cream, I, being the awesome gentleman I am, kiss it off for her.

Also, there was A LOT of strolling around the beaches, sunglasses on, heads bobbing, trying to look as cool as possible. We are badasses, did I mention that?

And how are you and Cat now? How is it having her as your best friend and girlfriend?

It is awesome! I swear she’s the only girlfriend who shares my idea of a date: eating ice cream while simultaneously making fools of ourselves to everyone around us. Multitasking, am I right?

Thanks so much for the interview West. Now before I go, fancy racing to see who can finish another ice cream first? You can buy the next lot when I win!

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About L.M Augustine

L.M. Augustine is a YA romance author who is obsessed with writing about dorky teenagers, love, and happy endings. He currently lives in New England, where he spends far too much time reading books and screaming at his computer, and he believes that the solution to the world’s problems can be found in chocolate cake. Click To Subscribe is his first novel, but it won’t be his last.
Find L.M. on:

Email: authoraugustine@gmail.com

Links to buy Click To Subscribe (Which ya’ll should!)

(And all other Amazon stores)

GIVEAWAAAAAAAAAAAY

And now for your chance to win TWO Ecopies of Click To Subscribe. It’s open internationally, so good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted in Book Tours, New Adult, Rachel Brookes

BOOK TOUR: Just Breathe – Rachel Brookes

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Synopsis

For Savannah Rae, living life without her parents was unimaginable. But being blamed for her first love’s suicide? That destroyed every part of who she was.

Gone were the days of innocence, happiness, and dreams. Now her days simply meant attempting to survive. In her mind, her only means for that was replacing her grief with men, booze and the fast life. And for five years, it worked.

When an opportunity to leave the nightmares of her past in Australia opens up, she takes it. Los Angeles beckons – with hopes of late nights, new beginnings, and the promise of a string of endless men to distract her, she can’t wait to dive in.

One thing she didn’t count on was meeting her match.

In the eyes of outsiders, Tate Connors has it all; the ultimate LA bachelor who is content with his lifestyle of wild nights, women and one night stands. He’s Mr. Unpredictable with looks that could destroy any woman with one glance.

The craziness of Los Angeles throws them into the chaotic path of each other. Savannah becomes the perfect game, and Tate becomes the ultimate prey. Lines are crossed, emotions are smashed, and the idea of who they truly are begins to be tangled.

However, one thing will become clear.

They are more alike than either one could ever have imagined

5 /5 stars

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My Review

“Yes, I don’t own you, Savannah, but you know what? You fucking own me. You have since the first time I met you…”

I’ve known Rachel for a few months now, and I have been utterly peeing my pants over wanting to read Just Breathe, I even made her send me small teasers – okay, that’s a lie, she voluntarily sent me teasers in a DM during the countdown to me getting an ARC of Just Breathe. I’m such a lucky girly! I got more Tate 😉

I’m not sure if I should be telling you this but blah…a few days before I got my ARC, Rachel sent me the prologue and chapter 1 and 2 to tide me over until I got the little gem in my inbox. LIKE WHATTTT, I need more. But I didn’t get anything more. I was and still am under the Tate Connors effect and dear god, all you will too when you read Just Breathe. It’s hard to resist.

As a debut novel, Ms. Brookes has written a cracker of a book. Seriously, it is amazing, and if you haven’t yet downloaded it, I’d get right on it!! From the prologue you will become hooked. You may cry – I sure as hell did and you will swoon because the prologue is just so sweet. It pours with love and Rachel does a brilliant job of making you feel the emotions of the characters involved, especially Sav and Tate.

Rachel’s writing flows, the plot flows and once you start, you will neeeeed to get to the end, to see what happens. If there is a cliff-hanger or if it ends perfectly so book two will carry off from there? If you follow me on twitter, you will know from my posts how much I was loving this book, how much I was loving the characters and how every time I was reading in public, it was like Rachel knew I was surrounded by people so a sex scene had to come alone and get me all hot and bothered.

But because I love Rachel, I could let that go and just focus on the beauty of all the characters, the way they all love each other and of course, the love between Tate and Sav.

Savannah ‘Sav’ Rae hasn’t had the best life; it’s been hard to say the least. Losing her parents at a young age, and then being blamed for the suicide of her ex-boyfriend can turn anyone’s life upside down and so because of this tragedy so doesn’t want to give her heart away again, so she rebels, she becomes a player, she drinks away the pain and uses guys. That’s who Sav is now and it’s how she copes. But when an opportunity to leave Australia and start afresh in LA calls, she jumps at the chance to leave everything behind.

Tate Connors is the ultimate playboy. The ultimate bachelor who is completely content with his ways; booze, girls and wild nights. With one glance of those blue eyes and he can have girls dropping their panties in an instant. Then one spot of Sav and he knows shes a challenge. He wants her and it seems that from the looks of things, she wants him too.

But there’s more to them than meets the eye. What started as a challenge has turned into more, for both of them and with emotions and lines being crossed and tangled, one this is clear, they are more alike than either of them imagined.

Uhh Tate. The blue eyed sex-on-a-plate guy, who you would literally just want to devour, even if it was just for one night. You would definitely get a fix of him and one look and you will be under the Tate Connor’s effect and drop your panties and mumble incoherent words while he smoulders you with his eyes. NO, I am not overreacting, just you wait and see. Tate will surprise you throughout the book. He surprised me a hell of a lot and I loved that about him. He really is unpredictable. One minute hes douche then the next hes all lovely. Much like Sav, hes a broken man, his past still haunts him but he drinks and sleeps around as a persona, to hide away the pain. That is until Sav walks into his life. Once a to him, she switches him upside down until he doesn’t know what the hell he is doing, apart from wanting to be with Sav.

Despite his playboy nature at the beginning, you really do see Tate blossom. You see his protective side, his possessive side, his sweet side, his sexy side but also his vulnerable side, a painful side where we learn about his past too. We see him journey, from playboy to falling in love and it was so nice to see Tate find someone he could love so much and who reciprocated the feelings. He is a jealous boy and at times I wanted to smack him around the head because he was being a silly fool but he got there in the end and you just fall in love with him. Here is to book two and seeing how he and Sav progress with their relationship. DO NOT hurt my boy Rachel, or I will hunt you down in Aussieland and force you to change the book…but you already know this as I have told you I will do this!

Sav is such an awesome character too. Despite her past and her pain, she is strong. She has to be, she can’t let it get to her, so the drink and the partying and the guys become the norm for her.

She is the female equivalent of Tate and when she spots him, she notices all the moves he does, because she does them too. She sleeps with guys then leaves but something about Tate makes her insides fuzzy and she feels. She doesn’t want to though and not feeling helps her with to not deal with her past and the pain.

Despite her being a strong, independent character, you slowly watch Sav break – in a good way – and watch her develop feelings – for her best friends and for Tate. They scare her as she has never really had a girlfriend before and she doesn’t want to love after being told shes the reason her ex killed himself. But it was refreshing to see this side to her. The side where she was vulnerable to love and how her strong persona cracked a bit when a certain event happen on a day where it was such a big night for her.

Despite all this, Sav can really hold her own against everyone, especially Tate and I loved their bickering and banter and their fights. It all added into the sexual tension and the need for one another when they were resisting. But of course, with two gorgeous people wanting to jump one another, it was inevitable that it was going to happen sooner or later.

Tate and Sav have this connection. Like this super sexy and magnetic connection. It’s instant, the moment their eyes meet and you can see they are both affected by one another. Their sexual tension was just holy hell. Their chemistry was electric and you could literally feel it when you read about the two of them together. The banter they gave each other was hysterical, the cute moments were adorable and they were both just made for one another. They had both been dealt the same shitty cards in their life that together, they knew what the other was going through and could begin to help one another out. I loved Sav and Tate together.

I absolutely adore all the secondary characters. Seriously they are the bomb. The bond they have is just unbreakable. They are there for each other; they love one another unconditionally and have each other’s backs. I love friendship groups like this, who can just relax and make fun of each other and banter like hell. Tanzi, Jack, Lucas are just all brilliant and they welcome Sav with open arms.

Now, I can’t forget my love – Mr Davenport. He is swoon worthy and had me from the get go. I went a bit mad to Rachel over him when I first read him because he is bleeding awesome. This line from him just confirmed how bloody brilliant he is and I knew that my love for him would jus grow throughout the book and it did. Simon Baker is my Mr. Davenport.

“For the last fucking time, please call me Simon. You make me sound like some kind of pimp when you call me Mr. Davenport”

Can you see how much I love this guy?! Just remember, I have dibs on him. Yupp, I really do.

Now, after my swooooooning, I have to talk about the sex. C’mon, would you expect anything less from me? No? That’s better. You all know I love sex in books, and by god, Rachel got me all hot and bothered with the sex scenes between Tate and Sav. There a quite a lot and by god, you literally lap them up. Rachel knows how to write a sex scene that is intense and steamy and wants you just want to fan yourself and then search for your own Tate to jump on. They sizzle, burn, pop and where they have sex is just another thing. I love water hahaahha 😉

As I’ve said, Just Breathe is an amazing book. Its full of banter and angst and heartache but its filled with love  and friendship and it was a great book to snuggle up in bed with and read on the way to work…baring in mind most of the sex scenes occurred on the way to work.

I would highly recommend Rachel’s book to you lovely lot, you will not be disappointed. I just wish book two was out now so I can carry on Tate and Sav’s journey.

Hurry up Aussie 😉

Posted in Family, Romance

Billy and Me – Giovanna Fletcher

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

16112830Synopsis

Sophie May has a secret.

One that she’s successfully kept for years. It’s meant that she’s had to give up her dreams of going to university and travelling the world to stay in her little village, living with her mum and working in the local teashop.

But then she meets the gorgeous Billy – an actor with ambitions to make it to the top. And when they fall in love, Sophie is whisked away from the comfort of her life into Billy’s glamorous – but ruthless – world.

Their relationship throws Sophie right into the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? And most of all, is she ready for her secret heartbreak to be discovered and shared with the nation?

4 /5 stars

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My Review

*Thanks to Katie Sheldrake and Penguin for sending me and Advance copy in return for an honest opinion*

Billy and Me is about Sophie May and Billy Buskin. Sophie is a shy girl, having grown up with a secret that she would very much like to keep secret.

When a film is being made in her hometown, she meets the star – Billy Buskin. At first she doesn’t recognise him, wondering why he is in the small village. They start up a friendship, spending time together when he comes into the teashop. When she eventually knows who is he, nothing changes. Yes hes famous but he’s not egotistical, hes sweet and kind and really likes Sophie.

When they fall in love, Sophie is whisked into his world, surrounded by famous people, bitchy people and paparazzi; her life is thrown into the spotlight, after years of shying away from it. With comments and the scrutiny of being with Billy, can she handle it all? And is she ready for her secret to be exposed to the nation?

What will become of Billy and Sophie?

So I have known about Giovanna Fletcher for many years. Being a McFly fan, it was kind of hard not to know who she was. I really admire her and she is a great role model, so when I found out she was writing a book, well that baby was going straight on my TBR list and the countdown was on for the release date.

I obtained a review copy and when it came through my door, I just KNEW that is was Billy and Me and ripped open the package, gleaming that I had this book in my hand and I was staring at the most gorgeous cover. I proceeded to read it everywhere; on the bus, on the train, in bed, at the bus stop, I could not put it down. No matter how much I needed to eat etc, the book was etched in my hand the whole time.

Mrs Fletcher has written an amazing debut novel. Being married to a famous musician, you would expect her to have encountered many of the things she writes about in Billy and Me and write about her experiences. Either way, if she did, or didn’t experience the paranoia and the paparazzi and the comments, she still wrote the story to perfection. She makes you love her characters, feel their emotions, feel the pressure and paranoia and everything that comes from being in a relationship with a famous person.

I was crying, I was laughing, I felt paranoid, I was smiling so hard and I also had to put the book down at times to take deep breathes because I didn’t want things to happen, or read on to find out what was going to happen. Emotions, people, you feel!

I really did like Billy. He wasn’t like all the other ‘famous’ actors whom are high maintenance, only think about themselves and throw money around. He was down-to-earth, wasn’t in it for the fame, and was genuine, and completely loveable and romantic. It was hard not to fall for him at first read.  He was the famous guy who you would love to be with simply because he loved the acting side and didn’t care for the fame and money. He liked his home necessities, his love for him family and the love he had for Sophie was lush to witness. He would do anything to be with her, to make her happy and feel loved.

Sophie is independent. She never used to be but a trauma in her life made her push people away. She doesn’t really have any friends, apart from Molly, the old lady she works for and her mother. She has a warm and caring aura about her. You want to be friends with her, for her to be your best friend and to confide in. She hates gossip, as she has been the subject of it, so she keeps to herself. She’s very comfortable in her ways, there aren’t many people who live in her village, and most of them are older women, she shes not really used to dating or seeing anyone her age around. When Billy comes into the shop, you can see that she finds him attractive, yet she holds her own, despite the lack of men, she can talk to him, make him feel at ease, make him laugh, and that is what is so great about Sophie is that she just has this aura about her that you want to spend time with her, want to know her and have to love her because she is true to herself.

Molly. Oh Molly. I absolutely loved this gem of a woman. She was Sophie’s boss but also her best friend. She was such a brilliant character to read about and you just want her as your own friend or your grandmother because she was funny and caring and gave the best advice. She looked out for Sophie, didn’t like anyone hurting her and pushed her in the right direction. She was the perfect character, and I really loved her throughout Billy and Me.

My favourite scene has to be the first date. I’m not going to say what happens, but seriously..Billy is the perfect romantic and I loved what he did. I really want my boyfriend – when I get one – to replicate this date because it is something that seems so intimate and sweet to come up with and make for a first date. You will be swooning over this date and over Billy, no question about it!

Giovanna Fletcher has written a great first novel. I know I am slightly late in reviewing it….well writing my review as I read this about a week or so ago, but damn work commitments. But seriously, if you are looking for a great love story, then Billy and Me is it. It’s hard to put down; you will fall in love, swoon, cry and generally savour every single page. So what are you waiting for, go grab your copy now and see what I am talking about.

Posted in Music, Romance

Sound Bites: A Rock & Roll Love Story – Rachel K. Burke

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

13452847Synopsis

Renee Evans has a knack for trouble. After walking in on her best friend and boyfriend in bed together, twenty-five year-old Renee flees sunny Los Angeles and her dream job as a music journalist and returns to her hometown of Boston – only to meet Dylan Cavallari, the mysterious, aspiring musician who lives in her apartment building. Dylan’s piercing gaze and womanizing demeanor make him exactly the type of guy that Renee should steer clear of – which is most likely the reason she falls for him. But when Renee’s troublesome ex comes back and threatens to drive her and Dylan apart, Renee is forced to face her past and save her relationship with Dylan before it’s too late.

Sound Bites dramatizes what happens when Renee finds herself caught between a painful past and an uncertain future. Happiness turns out to be within her grasp, but it all depends on whether she can trust herself enough to make the right decisions. Sound Bites is a novel about love, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness, and the power of music to help you find your way

4 / 5 Stars

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My Review

*I’d like to thank Rachel K. Burke for sending me a review copy in return for an honest opinion*

After walking in on her best friend and boyfriend betraying her, Renee Evans flees LA and her dream job as a music journalist and returns back home to Boston.

Upon her return home and moving into her new flat, she meets her neighbour Dylan Cavallari. Dylan is mysterious, he’s gorgeous and an aspiring musician who lives in the flat above Renee. To Renee he is the typical womanizer and someone who she shouldn’t get involved with but she can’t help it. Despite a misunderstanding when they first meet, Renee and Dylan become friends fast, and over due course, they fall for each other.

But when all seems great for the pair, Renee’s ex comes back; begging for her back and his appearance threatens to drive her and Dylan apart. Can they figure it out or is it too late for them? In order to move on, Renee must face her past to save her relationship with Dylan.

Rachel K. Burke emailed me asking me if I would like a review copy of Sound Bites and after reading the synopsis, I emailed back, jumping at the chance. It sounded like a great book and one that I especially love reading. Hot musicians? Oh hells yes, give me some of that.

Ms. Burke’s writing style made the book flow from scene to scene. It was hard to put it down once I started, engrossed with every scene and every word on the page. She makes you care for the characters as they develop throughout the book, watching them grow up, go through their own problems and insecurities and watching them all care for one another throughout the different scenes that occurred.

As you all should know by now, my emotions tend to range when reading great books. It’s much the same with this one, I was smiling, frustration, panicky, laughing but I didn’t kindle throw as I was reading on my phone. I might have thrown my phone down though haha and shook my head over what was happening but that’s the sign that a book gets to me!

To briefly outline the book, 24 year old Renee went to LA with her best friend for college, but after walking in on her best friend Justine and her boyfriend, David getting down and dirty, she leaves sunny LA and heads back home to Boston to escape the pain of what she just saw.

Moving into a small building complex, one day she crashes into a hottie, quite literally crashes as she reverses into his car. Hes a bit of a douche with an attitude but she gets over it as she knows she probably won’t see him again. Oh uh, she does. Apparently he lives in the building complex.

As a diehard music fan, one night she hears someone playing an acoustic version of her favourite Jeff Buckley song so she goes out to investigate who the culprit is. What she doesn’t count on is the guy behind the door being the douche from outside.

Over time, the two of them become friends over their shared interest in music. Despite Dylan being confident and cocky, he sure is shy and nervous to play his music in front of people, preferring to confine his talent to his flat. But Renee knows awesomeness when she hears it and so she tries to persuade Dylan to join her friend’s band and after weeks of rehearsals, Dylan pushes through his nervousness and performs…in front of people…for the first time. This makes Renee so proud of him and her feelings for him become even stronger.

Throughout the weeks between hanging out and Dylan gigging, a big gig in New York arrives and Dylan asks Renee to go with him. Sharing a room, Renee tries to gauge a reaction from Dylan but nothing is working. She doesn’t know his feelings until she meets a guy and spends the night talking to him, which pisses Dylan off whom in turns storms off. When returning to the hotel, Dylan spills his guts about wanting to be with Renee, whom reciprocates the feelings, and they end up together.

Spending the days and nights together, their little love nest progresses to love and they decided to rent a house and have put a deposit down when Renee’s lease on her apartment is up but one night screws up everything they had going and their relationship is broken. It’s now up to Renee to face her past and look into her future before even attempting to try and win back Dylan’s heart. Can she do this or is it too late for them?

I think at some point in our life we can all relate to Renee’s character. She’s been heartbroken, had to give up her dream job, had to move back to her home town and then end up in a job she doesn’t want to be in. Renee could be deemed as stuck-up, strong, a music whore and although she was heartbroken, she just got up and dealt with it which takes courage to not let it stew in your mind. Despite her hot-headedness, she was a great character apart from when she began to get insecurities about her relationship with Dylan. I felt so sad for her to go from this strong woman to this woman who was questioning everything.

Dylan even picked up on that, and it tore me about how she was feeling as he did nothing to make her feel this way. But I suppose there is a point in ones relationship where it all gets to you and the love you feel for that person is so consuming that you wonder if it’s just you? Even though it’s obvious they love you too.

She could be immature and childish in parts and I got frustrated but then I thought about it and to be completely honest with you, I would be acting this way too if it was me. I got frustrated because she was pushing Dylan too far but in the end, I reckon that would be me too. Pushing him to succeed in something that he obviously loves and pushing him to get over his fear and become something amazing. She does grow up, she faces so much in this book from finding love to finding forgiveness and its all thanks to the power of music.

When we are first introduced to Dylan, he is a bit of a douche – but to be fair to him, you would be giving attitude if someone reversed into your van. But there is something about Dylan that you just cant help but love. It’s the mystery about him, the way he loves music (much like Renee) but doesn’t show anyone due to his intense bout of stage fright. He is confidence and cocky and attidtudy in his ‘real life’ but throw him on stage in front of people and make him sing? No way, he would pass out before he played the first chord.

I loved his growth of confidence throughout the book. Thanks to a massive push from Renee, he grow as a character comfortable enough to stand on stage and sing; relish in the audiences reaction to his songs and voice. I was so proud of him for building up the courage to do this as I knew that it took a lot for him to broadcast his talent. He finally got over his stage fright and began to love singing to the audiences, even if he still was petrified each time the crowd got bigger, he carried on. I think Renee was his rock, that he kind of needed her there at the beginning to push him into singing and calm him down, make him know she was proud of him.

Despite the mystery, we get to see a loveable side to Dylan, a side which is cute and sweet. You really do see the connection between the two of them and you can see just how much they love each other. When Renee suggests going back to her own flat to sleep, Dylan is having none of it and after Renee hints at moving in together, Dylan asks her and its all flowers and hearts for them. The perfect couple. I loved this side of Dylan. The confident, in love guy who would do anything for Renee.

When the shit hits the fan and there is a massive misunderstanding, we never really see Dylan’s side but we know he is hurting. He’s been betrayed – or so he thinks – by the one person he loved and trusted the most and he doesn’t know what to do. Music is now his therapy while he heals.

Music is basically what brings Renee and Dylan and will it bring them back together? You will have to wait and see what happens. Renee needs to forgive before getting to her present and when a surprise happens, she now needs to see Dylan and let him know exactly what is going on.

I reallllly loved the ending; it was a great way to end Sound Bites. You see both characters grow-up and go through a journey, together and alone. You see the characters forgive, characters love, characters bond, and characters get their happily ever after.

My favourite scene has to be when they tell each other their feelings. I’m a sucker for a sappy love spillage and you could see just how much Dylan was hurting over Renee going out with that guy after his show. You could see that he felt the same way and it hurt him to think of Renee with anyone other than him. The way he acted just tore my heart open and it was so great to see him – someone who is closed up – express himself and tell her his feelings. I loved it!

All in all thank you for sending me your book Rachel, I really enjoyed every second of it and hello Dylan, you can be a new book boyfriend for me. Everyone grab your copy of Sound Bites and be like me in turning the pages at lightning speed because you cannot put it down!

Posted in Romance, YA

The Kissing Booth – Beth Reekles

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

13410943Synopsis

Meet Rochelle Evans: pretty, popular – and never been kissed. Meet Noah Flynn: badass, volatile – and a total player. And also Elle’s best friend’s older brother… When Elle decides to run a kissing booth for the school’s Spring Carnival, she locks lips with Noah and her life is turned upside down. Her head says to keep away, but her heart wants to draw closer – this romance seems far from fairy tale and headed for heartbreak. But will Elle get her happily ever after?

2/5 stars

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My Review

I had wanted to read The Kissing Booth for a while now but when my computer crashed one night, I forgot what the book was called, seeing as I had a whole load of books in different tabs. But when I was browsing on NetGalley, this book appeared and reading the synopsis, I knew this was the book.

So thanks to NetGalley for approving me to read The Kissing Booth.

I really started out liking this book. The whole good girl/bad boy, best friend’s brother scenarios really catch my attention and I love reading them!! You’ve got to love a bad boy and how deep down he’s not really that bad, he’s just been ‘looking’ for the right girl.

Elle started off great. She’s popular, had the same best friend, Lee, all her life and has harboured a crush on Lee’s brother for years – even if she denies it to everyone and herself. She’d never been on a date, let alone kissed a guy, but it’s never seemed to bother her. She seemed content in her life, going to school, hanging out with Lee and their friends, life seemed great. Then The Kissing Booth came along and she kisses Noah – Lee’s brother – and that changes everything about her. And that is when Elle changes too. When her crush grows once again for Noah and he starts to harbour feelings for her too.

But then I started to get bored. It started to get tedious and Elle started to grind on me really badly. After the kiss, it was all back and forth, hiding this ‘relationship ‘which wasn’t even a relationship really. I’d describe it more as hook-ups – even though all they did was kiss. She never acted like she was taken, but I suppose you wouldn’t if you were keeping it a secret from your BFF, but still! She got pissed at him like all the time. I literally wanted to shake her and be like ‘GIRL! Just tell Lee so you can stop acting so goddamn bitchy and irritating.” If I was Noah, I’d tell her to grow the F up and tell Lee they were together. If my BFF and brother got together, I’d be more than happy they were both happy with one another. Although her reasoning was because she didn’t want to lose Lee, if he was any kind of best friend, he’d support they relationship, even if he didn’t really approve of it.

Okay so Noah. It seemed that he had always liked Elle, seeing as he warned off every guy from going near her or asking her out. Okay, so that would majorly have annoyed the hell out of me if my BFF’s brother did that, but Elle didn’t know he was doing that until someone tells her. I never really understood why Noah did that, because it’s just immature. She’s a big girl, she can date whomever she wants, but each to their own I suppose.

I didn’t actually think Noah should have been blamed for everything that happened. Elle should have taken the blame too. She seemed to let Noah take the blame, which annoyed me so much. He wasn’t even a player, like everyone dubbed him. We never saw that side. What we did see was a hot, overprotective, caring and sweet guy who truly liked Elle, even if he went a weird way of showing her at times. I never really understood why he wanted Elle though. She was just so irritating. But you can’t help who you fall for.

I did love the friendship that Lee and Elle had. It was great to see BFF’s that didn’t fall in love. Their friendship withstood anything thrown their way AKA the Noah fiasco. They were protective of one another, spent all their time together and were just there for each other, through the happy and sad times. I truly did love their relationship and it did show you the value of friendship, being there for one another when you don’t actually approve. (Even though Lee did get over the fact his BFF and brother were together in the end.)

I have to say, when I was sixteen and in 6th form, I was going to 6th form parties hosted by people in our school and getting drunk beforehand as we knew we wouldn’t get served alcohol. I was also going to house parties and drinking. I know many people are moaning about that fact, but most people who are 16 are drinking and having sex, so this didn’t bother me in the slightest.

The ending. Yeah it was okay. It did end on a way where there could be another book but if there isn’t, then it’s a nice way to finish it. We, as the readers, can think about what happens to Noah and Elle and if they do stay together or not. I, for one, would like to see another book, to see how they manage the relationship, but if there isn’t, then I can only imagine.

I’d also like to say that before reading The Kissing Booth, one of my friends mentioned that a girl from our (old) secondary school wrote it (This was before she knew I was about to read it) and when I googled Beth Reekles and the book, it really made me proud that someone local wrote this book and also acknowledged my old English language teacher at the end. He was a great teacher, got to be said!

So would I recommend it? I’m going to say yes. It probably wasn’t the book for me but it may be the book for you.

 

Posted in Colleen Hoover, New Adult, Romance, Suspense

Hopeless – Colleen Hoover

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

15717943Synopsis

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

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My Review

Seventeen year old Sky has been homeschooled all of her life. She doesn’t have a TV, internet or a phone but it doesn’t seem to faze her, until she begs to go to public school for her senior year.

Everything changes for her after school when she goes to get her secret hit of sugar from the supermarket. That is when she meets Dean Holder who has a reputation bigger than her but also stuns her into silence as with just one look he causes her body to feel things she’s never felt before.

Although he scares her, she’s captivated by him and the more time they spend together, the more he seems to bring out so many emotions but then he also brings out memories that she seems to have forgotten to the service. Ones that she has seemed to forgotten for a reason.

Holder is harbouring a secret and although he wants to stay away from Sky, he can’t. He needs to know everything about her but this secret he has will break Sky but when it’s finally revealed, it changes everything in Sky’s life forever. Thankfully Holder is there to catch Sky throughout it all.

Sky never knew why she didn’t feel attracted to any guy she made out with. She just went along with live thinking she’d never feel attracted or feel lust with anyone, but one look at Holder in the supermarket she was stunned. He was the first guy EVER to make her feel these things and he literally made her heart skip a beat which confused the hell out of her as she has NEVER felt anything for any guy before! Although she had been home schooled, she seemingly has a reputation around the town they live in. She and her best friend Six know the truth but Sky plays along with everyone’s opinions on her when she goes to school.

You can see she’s strong, sarcastic and bluntly honest girl who can definitely hold her own against Holder when they argue. But she’s also a girl who has started to feel new emotions that are foreign to her but she acts questions and Holder answers her as honestly as he can. They are the perfect match for each other and although they got together fairly quickly, it seemed to right for them to do that and I love that they didn’t hold back.

The first time Dean Holder is introduced, he’s smoking hot and a little intense. He blows hot and cold the first few times he is around Sky, which only makes her assumption about him being intense all that more truthful. With her attraction to him, she gets pissed off numerous times over his ‘tantrums’ he seems to pull every so often until there is a period where he stays away from her. But Holder is harbouring a secret that he cannot and will not tell Sky as it will break her but staying away from her is something he cannot do. He needs to be with her and needs to know everything about her. There’s just something about her he can’t pinpoint…

I loved Holder from the beginning. You get to understand why he acted the way he did further along in the book and why he just couldn’t stay away from Sky. He’s been on a mission for the past few years and he was beginning to give up until he found Sky. He’s also very attracted to her and even though they hadn’t known each other long, their chemistry and their charge just kept pulling them together. In the short time, they seem to become everything to each other and to me, it didn’t seem all that strange that they were falling in love quickly, especially when they secret comes out.

Everything that came out of Holder’s mouth was just perfect. He seemed to know what to say in the darkest of moments and also in the lightest. He’s not like any boy I’ve ever known and it was such a relief to read about a guy who felt so many emotions and had me hanging on his every word. He just knew what to do and say to make Sky and himself try to forget everything that was going on and he would do anything for her. Just you read and find out yourself!

There is one scene, okay quite a few, but this one, I KNOW everyone has probably written about it in their review and I’m just another person who will too. The scene where it was the best first kiss, that wasn’t a first kiss. HA you will have to read the book to see what I mean. I was getting so flustered over that scene and it makes it much more intense and sexually charged that my heart was pounding so fast in my chest, it felt like I was experiencing this too – that sounds pretty weird I know, but holy moly, that scene!!

Also the scene where I felt all panicky like Sky was a scene near the end where she’s in the shower. I felt all her emotions and my heart was beating with how much I would be like her if that had happened to me. I kept running a hand through my hair while reading that scene.

I really liked reading all the flashbacks. They are an important part in the story and you see how they integrate into Sky’s life and how they mould her into the person she is today. Since her adoption at 6 years old, she has seemingly forgotten everything about her childhood but slowly she starts to remember things she has pushed away from memory and the dreams are just the click into remembering everything before the adoption. She has never emotionally or physically been attracted to any guy until Holder enters her life and down the line you will see why that is…The flashbacks are essential to the plot.

I had many different theories about the secret, some which I were hoping were not true – I have to say, some of them were – but when the BIG secret was revealed , HOLY SHIT, that secret hadn’t even crossed my mind. That was a complete shocker to me and I’m glad I didn’t figure it out because I sat up in bed, mouth open, rereading that sentence. I don’t think anyone saw that coming!

The ending was a flashback and it kind of pulls the whole story together and makes you think back over the whole book, putting the final finishing thoughts to it as a whole. It took me a while to sleep after I read it as tears were continually falling down my face and I couldn’t stop them. Hopeless is now one of my favourite books and I don’t know why it took so long for me to read it.

Colleen Hoover has made me fall in love with her! Her writing style was refreshing, the book had me hooked from the very beginning and I was captivated until the very end, needing to know what was going to happen next to Sky and Holder. From the Sky and the stars to the pinky holding, it all made complete sense to me as to why they felt so familiar and this book is definitely real. It will drag your emotions out and make you feel things for the characters involved; you will feel connected to them.

A book with so much depth, so many emotions, so much love, and one big secret is definitely a book that needs to be read. Seriously, if you haven’t read the amazing Hopeless, download your copy now and understand why this book is now one of my favourites.

Posted in Romance

ARC: A Passionate Love Affair with a Total Stranger – Lucy Robinson

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

16148167Synopsis

A Passionate Love Affair with a Total Stranger by Lucy Robinson, author of The Greatest Love Story of All Time, is a hilariously funny and gorgeously romantic story about falling in love when you least expect it. Charley Lambert has put considerable effort into achieving a perfect life. She has The Job. The Wardrobe. And The Flat. Her womanising, junk food-loving housemate Sam lowers the tone a bit but that aside, things are peachy. Then she breaks her leg in three places, watches her unrequited love propose to someone else and – worst of all – is forced to hand over her job to her nasty deputy while she recovers. Workaholic Charley fears that she will soon go mad. Desperate for something to do, she discovers her talent for helping the lovelorn online. And then William arrives in her inbox. Within hours of his first email, her world starts to change. Helpless, she watches herself fall in love with this man and begins to realise that she’s not who she thought she was. But will she be brave enough to turn her back on her old life – all for a total stranger?

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My Review
To sum up Charley Lambert in one word, it would be ‘Workaholic.’ Whether it’s her job, or her extra-curricular activities, she never stops and hardly ever sleeps, that’s how busy her life is. You can see how much she wants her life to be perfect for her and she seems okay with being so busy she never really has time for anything else. Her diary is completely filled up.

But when she ends up breaking her leg in three places after an accident and has to give up her job for a few months while she heals, added in the fact that the guy she’s had a major crush on for seven years – Her boss John – has just got engaged, she feels her life is crashing down before her and she will go mad having to ‘relax’ and not keep busy.

After matchmaking many of her friends up and reading an article her best friend Hailey gave her about Ghost-writers on dating sites in America, she decides to start her own site up in the UK. Little does she know how much it was going to change her own life.

Oh GOD! I’m so glad I received an ARC copy of this book because sweet Jesus, when it’s out at the end of this month, you all need to go and buy yourself a copy! This is the first book I have read by Lucy Robinson (and her second book) and I LOVED her writing style. It sucked me in and this book is so SO funny, the swearing adds to the magic of the story and the twists and shocks throughout had be turning the pages at high speed making the plot exciting for the reader. I loved that it’s a story about internet dating because I know people who have set up a profile and I know it must be a bit difficult to convey yourself in messages to the person you’re speaking to. Ghost-writing must be such a fun job to do!

As I’ve said, Charley is a workaholic. She never stops but once she’s had her accident, it’s like her whole world has fallen apart. But starting up the dating website, it seems that she has a knack for helping people find their ‘soul mate.’ I don’t want to give away spoilers, but throughout her emails, they seem to make her think about her own life and whether she is satisfied with the way her life is going. She’s work-focused but now she’s completely frazzled over what to do, whether her work is important to her now and her relationship. It is a journey for Charley and one that ends fantastically for her.

I absolutely loved the secondary characters. Sam, Hailey and Granny Helen especially. They all stole my heart and had me laughing at their actions and comments throughout the book. I felt more drawn towards Hailey, but that’s maybe because I see a bit of myself in her, so I definitely liked reading about her and all her swearing! I could picture me and my best friend being exactly like her and Charley. She tells its straight when Charley because a bit obsessed with her dating site and I think everyone has been there, both in Charley and Hailey’s shoes, which made me relate to her. I especially loved all the swearing! Oh gosh, such a potty mouth.

Sam I adored with all my heart! Although a womanizer in some ways, he was especially caring and sweet to Charley when she broke her leg and after, when they began First Date Aid and became business partners. I loved that they had known each other since university and lived together but recently they have things come out, for both of them which neither knew about one another. I loved that! They seemed to bring out something in each other and make them think about their own life. I was completely rooting for them to get together because they actually seemed so right together. It was a journey for these two as well, but one that was well deserved in the end!

Seriously, pre-order this book right now! It will have you laughing, gushing, gasping and shouting at your book over several of the scenes – in a good way, especially near the end. It’s a great chick-lit and I’m so glad I got to read an ARC copy of it! I finished it curled up in bed, watching the snow fall down today and it made me heart go all gooey when it came to the end. I will definitely be reading more books by Lucy Robinson, starting with her first book “The Greatest Love Story of All Time”

Posted in Family, Suspense

The Seeds of a Daisy – Alison Caiola

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

17194127Synopsis

From the outside looking in, Lily Lockwood, popular star of the hit TV show St. Joe’s, has it all. Recently nominated for an Emmy, her star is definitely on the rise. She shares her gorgeous Malibu beachfront home with her even more gorgeous actor boyfriend. Perfect, right? Not so much! Within a matter of just a few days, it all falls apart. The wind is knocked out of her when she finds out that her boyfriend, on location shooting a western, is riding horses all day and his curvy co-star all night. Before Lily can catch her breath, she gets word that her mother, best-selling author Daisy Lockwood, is in intensive care after a near-fatal accident. Lily flies across the country to be by her side. The girl, who has a hard time deciding if her Chai Latte should be Grande or Venti, is now faced with making crucial life and death decisions. While rifling through Daisy’s papers, she comes across shocking information about her mother that threatens to shake her very foundation. Lily embarks on a journey of self-discovery and closure as she seeks to unlock the mysteries of her mother’s past.

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My Review

Lily Lockwood seems to have it all. She’s a famous actress on a TV show called St. Joes, she’s got the perfect boyfriend, her mother is her best friend and she’s just become nominated for an Emmy. All seems completely perfect to her. BUT within a few days everything turns upside down. Her boyfriend is cheating on her with his busty co-star and her mother, best-selling author Daisy Lockwood has been in a fatal car accident and is in a coma. Everything has fallen apart and now Lily has the crucial decision over what to do. While trying to sort out Daisy’s papers for the hospital, she discovers things about her mother’s past that she never knew of and it takes her on a journey of self-discovery and closure as she starts to unlock the secrets of her mother’s past.

The story starts off with Lily at her mother’s hospital bed, sobbing and asking her to wake up. As she waits for the doctors to tell her the news of her mother’s condition, Lily begins to reflect on her life and relationship with her mother, who brought her up single-handedly and supported and helped her into the Hollywood world – always being there for Lily throughout everything in her life. As the days pass by, and with tests and operations being done on her mother, Daisy’s close friends come to be with her and Lily to await the news of Daisy’s condition and to support Lily.

I really felt for Lily, because Daisy, although her mother is her best friend and the only person that she can lean on, and for her to be in a coma – it was so sad to read as she just wanted her to be okay and wake up. My mum is one of my best friends too and I would be completely lost without her if anything happened to her, which I’m sure everyone can relate to as well, so yes, I definitely felt for Lily having to go through this. As much as she’s a famous TV star, she’s still a scared, vulnerable little girl inside; scared about what is happening to her mum.

Although this book is focused on Lily and her self-discovery, it’s all centered on Daisy, You never get to read Daisy speaking in the present, but you do in the flashbacks and stories that Lily thinks about throughout the book. You do get a feel that you know Daisy as her voice is pretty strong and even if she is in a coma, I did fell like I knew her, regardless of her not speaking. You also get to know more about Daisy in her diary entries, which Lily finds and reads. They give Lily and the reader an insight into Daisy’s childhood – one that she has never told Lily. You find out many a secret about Daisy and there’s a huge shock of a secret which I was not expecting at all!

It was great to see the supporting characters coming to the hospital to visit Daisy and support Lily throughout the ordeal of the accident. The friends were completely special to read about and definitely felt like a small family to Lily and Daisy to me. Her Auntie D, who is childhood friends with Daisy, was such an amazing character to read. She was there for Lily when she was younger and is still there for Lily years later. Her and Daisy have been through a lot in their past and they are still best friends to this day. It was brilliant to see so much support and love coming from Donna, even when she was hurting because her best friend was in a coma. You can see that Donna will always be there for lily, no matter what happens.

Alison’s writing style comes to life. You can see she has really researched all the hospital scenes and the jargon used in this book. She writes about a colourful and lovely mother-daughter relationship that you just want for yourself and it’s the bond of the two that really gels this book together. It’s the heart of the book. It seems exceptionally realistic, especially the hospital scenes as you could really feel yourself acting the way Lily was with the Doctors (Who was a bit of an arsehole) and just wanting to know what was happening with her mother. I felt every single emotion she conveyed and this book actually got me thinking about if I was in Lily’s position. The story really did make Lily stronger, in a way, and really make her see life as being precious. It’s a great book to read and I would definitely recommend it as it was difficult to put down once I started it!