Sunday 18 February 2024

Girl Abroad - Elle Kennedy



⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 4/5

Take Emily in Paris and make it British!

19 year old Abbey gets the opportunity to study abroad for a year in London. She wants to step out from her fathers shadow and get her own life experiences.
Her first test of the British is when she arrives to her new home to find her 3 roommates to be male! Who are all off limits!

When I received the email to say I'd been given the opportunity to review this book before it came out I was over the moon. All I've read this year is pretty much Elle Kennedy.

I'm not typically a person for a love triangle but when it's done right I can enjoy it. I was so happy with the result of the triangle, I felt these 2 where more natural together.

I loved the historical side plot to this book, it kept me hooked and I couldn't wait to see the outcome!

Kindly gifted in return for an honest review via NetGalley!


Availble through Amazon on Kindle edition, Audio book & Paperback



Saturday 17 February 2024

Unmatched - Emilia Reed



🌟🌟🌟🌟 - 4/5 Stars


The Blurb:

If you find your husband on a cheating app, don’t get mad—schedule a hookup.

When Lydia Richie discovers her husband's profile on Unmatched—a "dating" app for married people—her world comes crashing down. Seven years in, their commitment to one another has never wavered, but maybe a few other things have... including the amount of time they spend in the bedroom.

All Anton wants is for Lydia to make as much time for them as she does for her job, but when his efforts to rekindle their romance are met with apathy and outright rejection, he turns to Unmatched hoping someone out there wants him. And it seems like someone does when a sexy stranger proposes an illicit hookup...


Little does Anton know Lydia is behind the profile he's been messaging, and when they finally meet at a hotel, things definitely heat up—just not the way either of them expects. Will this hookup be the end of their marriage, or could it mean a second chance?

My Opinion:

It was refreshing to see a marriage in trouble from the opposite way. Many times, it's the husband creating the 'problems'. Although I loved that she's a strong, successful businesswoman.

This book took me on a journey of wanting to shout at Lydia to open her eyes to sympathising with her. The problems aren't always as easy to fix as they seem.
I really enjoyed her journey not only finding herself but her sexual journey.

Many of the problems in this book are quite common for many couples, and it's nice to see them written maturely with a bit of spice. 

I can't wait for the next book in the series.

*Honestly reviewing after being given an ARC copy via NetGalley*

Available through Kindle Unlimited, £3.99 for Ebook or £8.99 for Paperback.

Find on Amazon




Tuesday 31 March 2015

Divergent by Veronica Roth



The Blurb:
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.



During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

My Opinion:
I'm very late on the Divergent train and have only just read it. What was I waiting for? This book, damn I couldn't put it down. There was many of times where I was half tempted to not get off at my bus stop and just carry on reading this book. I watched the film before I read this book, and I must say apart from the main story line there isn't much that was 'spolit'. There is so much more detail in the book that the film misses out, it like a slightly different story all together. I felt I found Veronica Roth's writing unfaultable and found myself wanted to read more of her writing (yes I know she's only got this series, but for the future). This book is by far my favorite of the dystopian worlds, and I can't wait to know more information about the whole world and each faction. I have yet to find a person who doesn't like this series, and with the films now out I doubt I will find one.
I'm sorry this has been quite a rambly review, I just found myself getting to excited when thinking about this book and the series. I hope I got my opinions across enough ;) about this book, it's amazing and worth a read. Onto to Insurgent next.

My Rating: *****
Release Year: 2011






Book cover and blurb is from Goodreads.

Thursday 26 March 2015

Kindle Ebook Haul




The Duff by Kody Keplinger:
Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper may not be the prettiest girl in her high school, but she has a loyal group of friends, biting wit, and a spot-on BS detector. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of a man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush, who calls Bianca the Duff - the designated ugly fat friend - of her crew.But things aren't so great at home and Bianca, desperate for a distraction, ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a secret enemies-with-benefits relationship with him. Until it all goes horribly wrong. It turns out Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone. 
Perfect Timing by Robin Mellom:
After a break-up with her boyfriend, Tori Wright decides to get her mind off the guy and takes a job running errands for an eccentric couple. Suddenly she finds herself involved in the crazy world of LA nightlife--nightclubs, palm readers, movie stars, and a roving pack of paparazzi. After a misunderstanding lands her in jail, she has one night to clear her name, help a movie starlet avoid the paparazzi, and find Adam...the coworker who is quickly stealing her heart. As she makes decisions that can change the course of her life, Tori discovers just how far she'll go to set the record straight. But is she too late?

If You're Lucky by Yvonne Prinz:
When seventeen-year-old Georgia's brother drowns while surfing halfway around the world in Australia, she refuses to believe Lucky's death was just bad luck. Lucky was smart. He wouldn't have surfed in waters more dangerous than he could handle. Then a stranger named Fin arrives in False Bay, claiming to have been Lucky's best friend. Soon Fin is working for Lucky's father, charming Lucky's mother, dating his girlfriend. Georgia begins to wonder: did Fin murder Lucky in order to take over his whole life?  [Not Available for purchase until Oct 20 2015]

Appaloosa Summer by Tudor Robins:
Sixteen-year-old Meg Traherne has never known loss. Until the beautiful, talented horse she trained herself, drops dead underneath her in the show ring. 
Jared Strickland has been living with loss ever since his father died in a tragic farming accident. Meg escapes from her grief by changing everything about her life; moving away from home to spend her summer living on an island in the St. Lawrence River, scrubbing toilets and waiting on guests at a B&B.Once there, she meets Jared; doing his best to keep anything else in his life from changing. When Jared offers Meg a scruffy appaloosa mare out of a friend’s back field, it’s the beginning of a journey that will change both of them by summer’s end.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas:
Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly. Destined for greatness.

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake. She got caught. Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament - fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin's heart be melted?

The Swimmer by Joakim Zader:
GUILT. ATONEMENT. REVENGE.
On a remote Swedish island, a little girl, Klara, grows up without a father. Now, twenty years later, she discovers a secret: a secret that powerful men will kill to keep hidden.
On the other side of the world, an old spy hides from his past. He used to be the best agent in the field. These days the only thing he lives for is swimming in the local pool.
Then, on Christmas eve, Klara is thrown into a terrifying chase across Europe. Only the Swimmer can save her. But time is running out...

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau:
Do you possess a winning combination of theoretic knowledge, practical skills and raw intelligence? Do you have what it takes to lead others? Are you willing to crush those you stand in your way? 
Every year, the United Commonwealth invites top graduates from each colony to participate in The Testing. Successful candidates will go on to the University and help the government work to rebuild our war-stricken world. This process is not optional. Disclaimer: The United Commonwealth is not responsible for candidates' psychological or physical heath during The Testing.




Sunday 22 March 2015

Dead Lovely By Helen Fitzgerald


The Blurb:

When Krissie joins her best friend, Sarah, on a walking holiday in the Scottish Highlands, it seems like the peaceful balm they both need. But peace turns to betrayal when Krissie seduces Sarah's husband, Kyle - and it isn't long before betrayal turns to murder . . .

My Opinion:
Where I picked this book up from I can't remember, but I'm so glad I did. Being a hopeless romantic when it comes to a book and loving a good mystery program I thought this would be a good mix of the two and how right I was. I have to say the quote from the Sunday Telegraph sold the book to me more than the blurb did. This book can be so far fetched you're sitting there like 'what?' but it also has the makings of a CSI episode. Killing someone for love, makes relationships all that bit more interesting. This book is fast paced and if you had a free day could be easily read within it. I didn't want to put it down out of curiosity with what will happen next, great plot twists which you didn't see coming. 

The main reason this book got a 3 1/2 * is for 2 reasons, the writing style is definitely aimed at a younger audience, which I am so that's great with me, but I feel this book could be so much better if the style was slightly tweaked. The other reason is for how far fetched it is, at times it doesn't even seem real or even in the same story and you could've just switched over to a slasher book.
Apart from that if you love the two main genres of this book, give it a good and i'm sure you'll love it.

Rating: *** 1/2
Release Year: 2006






Bookcover image and blurb are from Goodreads.

Monday 9 March 2015

Ten Things I've Learnt About Love By Sarah Butler


The Blurb:

A uniquely heart-wrenching and life-affirming novel for fathers and daughters everywhere.

Alice has just returned to London from months of travelling abroad. She is late to hear the news that her father is dying, and arrives at the family home only just in time to say goodbye.Daniel hasn't had a roof over his head for years, but to him the city of London feels like home in a way that no bricks and mortar ever did. He spends every day searching for his daughter; the daughter he has never met. Until now . . .Heart-wrenching and life-affirming, this is a unique story of love lost and found, of rootlessness and homecoming and the power of the ties that bind.It is a story for fathers and daughters everywhere.

My Opinion:

There's judging a book by it's cover but with this book for the first time I judged a book by it's title, and boy how wrong was I. The title of this book works with the book once you've read the book, but before you think it's a chick-lit and this is far from. This type of book is one of those where you have to expect nothing majorly exciting or gripping to happen to keep you reading the book, it's a nice relaxing read which at times makes you feel like you're reading for the sake of having a read. The beginning of this book dragged and was boring, hence why it took me a month to read a 276 page book. 

I really liked the way this book was laid out,each chapter was from a different point of view, either Alice or Daniel. Also at the beginning  of each chapter there's a list of 10 things from that person, usually it would be about a subject or topic. The way the author has done this has made the book stand out from others. Although the ending of this book was nice and leaves you guessing to what happened next I still feel there is plenty of unfinished business from these two characters where it could've been carried on or maybe into a sequel. Apart from the slowness of this story the book was well written and I will be checking out more short books from this author.

Rating:***
Release Year: 2013




Image and Blurb from Goodreads.

Monday 16 February 2015

Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern - Review



The Blurb:

What happens when two people who are meant to be together can't seem to get it right?

Rosie and Alex are destined for each other, and everyone seems to know it but them. Best friends since childhood, they are separated as teenagers when Alex and his family relocate from Dublin to Boston.

Like two ships always passing in the night, Rosie and Alex stay friends, and though years pass, the two remain firmly attached via emails and letters. Heartbroken, they learn to live without each other. But destiny is a funny thing, and in this novel o f several missed opportunities, Rosie and Alex learn that fate isn't quite done with them yet.

My Opinion:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, from beginning to end. This whole book is written through either letter, text message or instant messenger, this was one of the main things that appealed to me as it made the book stand out from others and be original. It gave your typical Rom-Com novel a slight twist. Seeing as I read pretty much only on the bus to and from work to some other people I must've looked the sight at times, from laughing to smiling and even a little cry at the end, Yey to public reading! The main plot of this book is will they, won't they and it isn't just the typical teen years to read this through, it's from around the ages of 5/6 up to 60. That's 55 years within the whole book of will they won't they, that's one of the main reasons this book got a 4* rating and not 5*, the conclusion of yes or no dragged a bit too many years for my liking. Although this did happen to make the whole book a little more romantic and swoon worthy. 

Seeing as this book is written in letters, each letter is from the senders point of view and this helps give a better prospective of the story throughout the book. The whole book isn't just about Rosie (which it mainly is) it includes different characters points of views and sections of their life.  

Yes, I loved this book and want to read more from Cecelia Ahern. 
I watched the movie straight after I finished the book and that is a recommendation as well (after reading the book, it's totally different.)

Rating:****
Release Year: 2004/2015


Picture and Blurb from Goodreads