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10:19

What a beautiful month May has been! The sun has arrived to stay here in Barcelona and I've been reading some amazing books. So here's a little wrap up of what I've been doing and reading this month:

What I read:

5 Stars:
Catch Me If You Cannes Part 1 by Lisa Dickenson
The Chateau on the Lake by Charlotte Betts
Catch Me If You Cannes Part 2 by Lisa Dickenson
The Happy Ever Afterlife of Rosie Potter (RIP) by Kate Winter
Catch Me If You Cannes Part 3 by Lisa Dickenson
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
We Are All Made of Stars by Rowan Coleman
Girl At War by Sara Novic
Catch Me If You Cannes Part 4 by Lisa Dickenson
Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella
4 Stars: 
June Jenson and the Shield of Quell by Emily Harper
Bite by Nick Louth
Wellies and Westies by Cressida Mclaughlin
Deliciously Ella by Ella Woodward
Coming Up Roses by Rachael Lucas
To be reviewed: 
Always the Bridesmaid by Lindsey Kelk
Berlin Coffeeshop by Gerlis Zillgens
The Art of Baking Blind by Sara Vaughan 
The Love Shack by Jane Costello

What I cooked:
Alice in Wonderland Red Velvet Cupcakes

Healthy eating with Deliciously Ella

What I was up to:
We have been up to a lot of things during May. The first thing I want to share with you is that I started my new job the 18th. I work in a hospital in the Foreign Patient Assistance Unit, basically acting as a mediator and interpreter for international patients. The first two weeks has been crazy busy as there was a lot to learn but I am enjoying it. Only downside I am reading so slowly now.
This month we went to the cinema to see The Avengers and I loved it. I am really enjoying all the Marvel Universe movies and can't wait for the next one.
One highlight of the month was the trip to London! I went to A Fabulous Night In with Lindsey Kelk, Lucy Robinson and Lucy Holliday and had such a great time! 
As you can see, I cut my hair! I've got a bob now. I think it is the shortest I've had it since I was a kid but it's so good for the summer! It's very hot already and we went for our first ice-cream of the season a couple of weeks ago.
Finally, we bought a new car! I cannot wait to drive it to lots of beautiful places.

What I blogged about: 
I always enjoy taking part in Top Ten Tuesdays because, one, I love making lists, and two, it's a great way to talk about old books, especial authors or characters. Here are the ones I did this month:
Top Ten Book I'll Probably Never Read
Most Anticipated Sequels
Also, the first week of May was Harper Impulse Fortnight so I had the pleasure to interview two of their fantastic author:
Fun Q&A with Wendy Lou Jones
Fun Q&A with Romy Sommer
As I said, this month I had the opportunity to go to the HarperCollins new offices for A Fabulous Night In with Lindsey Kelk, Lucy Robinson and Lucy Holliday, which was such a fantastic night and I met these amazing authors!
Finally, the lovely author Aven Ellis stopped by on the blog to talk about her love for cooking and cook books and how it translates into her fantastic novels. Really worth a read.

10:02

June is almost here and it looks like it is going to be another fantastic month for books with releases and debuts. Here are the ones I am most excited about:


Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella - June 4th 

Blurb: Meet Audrey: an ordinary teenage girl with not so ordinary problems.

Aside from her completely crazy and chaotic family, she suffers from an anxiety disorder which makes talking to her brother's hot new best friend a bit of a challenge.

But Audrey has a plan to help her face her fears and take on the world again. First stop: Starbucks.

A laugh-out-loud romance from the bestselling author of the Shopaholic series.

Why so excited? I have already read Sophie's first YA novel and I can tell you that it is an amazing novel and both new and old fans of Sophie Kinsella. Check my Review.

The Silent Hours by Cesca Major - June 4th

Blurb: An epic, sweeping tale of love and loss inspired by heartrending true events in the Unoccupied Zone of wartime France.
The Silent Hours follows three people whose lives are bound together, before war tears them apart:

Adeline, a mute who takes refuge in a convent, haunted by memories of her past;

Sebastian, a young Jewish banker whose love for the beautiful Isabelle will change the course of his life dramatically;

Tristin, a nine-year-old boy, whose family moves from Paris to settle in a village that is seemingly untouched by war.

Beautifully wrought, utterly compelling and with a shocking true story at its core, The Silent Hours is an unforgettable portrayal of love and loss.

Why so excited? I think The Silent Hours is one of the most anticipated debuts of the year. The story sounds amazing and the first reviews have been ravishing about it. I certainly cannot wait to get my hands on it.

Return to Bluebell Hill by Rebecca Pugh - June 18th

Blurb: Home is where the heart is…
Jessica McAdams has never belonged anywhere; never truly felt at home. Of course, what did she expect from parents who never made her feel welcome in her own house? Leaving her life in London to return home to the charming country village of Bluebell Hill is harder than she thought. Especially as she never considered she’d be returning under such heart wrenching circumstances…

Clearing out the stunning and imposing Bluebell House after her parents’ death is difficult for Jessica—they never had the best relationship and now it’s too late. Yet spending time in the house that was never a home, having afternoon tea with dear old friend Esme—and sharing hot, sizzling kisses with delectable gardener Rueben!—opens Jessica’s eyes to the potential of Bluebell House… Could this big old, beautiful manor really be her forever home? Is Bluebell Hill where her heart is, has always been?

Jessica soon dares to dream of her very own home with delicious Rueben by her side. But when a deep, dark secret of Bluebell House is unearthed, Jessica’s world is turned upside down…

Will Jessica ever find where her heart truly lies?

Why so excited? Another debut I can't wait to discover. Moreover, this one feels really special to me as Rebecca Pugh is one of the most loveliest bloggers there are and she's been sharing her excitement for her book deal with Carina with all of us. I'm sure it'll be a huge success.

The Truth According To Us by Annie Barrows - June 18th

Blurb: There are small towns in America that never seem to change, places where time holds still, and where nothing has or will – ever - happen.This is a lie.

Summer, 1938: the small town of Macedonia, West Virginia, is celebrating its 150th anniversary, to be commemorated with parades, picnics, and most importantly, a book recounting its history. Its reluctant author, the debutante Miss Layla Beck, recently disinherited by her father, arrives in town with one goal – to get out of it as quickly as possible.

Macedonia’s history seems simple enough - brief and uneventful. Then Layla meets the Romeyns: Jottie, Willa, Felix, Emmett, a family at once entertaining, eccentric, seductive, and inextricably bound up in Macedonia’s most well-kept historical secret – a secret yet to be told.

Annie Barrows’ THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO US will spirit you away into a town from a by-gone age, where customs and habits may be different, but where the hearts of its inhabitants, both dark and loving, remain recognisable to all.

Why so excited? The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is one of my favourite books ever so when I heart Annie Barrows was writing a new book I was over the moon. Plus, I have an early review copy, so soon enough you'll hear me raving about it, I am sure of it.

What are the books you are excited about this month? 


08:30

Title: Finding Audrey
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Published: June 4th 2015 by Doubleday
Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Meet Audrey: an ordinary teenage girl with not so ordinary problems.

Aside from her completely crazy and chaotic family, she suffers from an anxiety disorder which makes talking to her brother's hot new best friend a bit of a challenge.

But Audrey has a plan to help her face her fears and take on the world again. First stop: Starbucks.

A laugh-out-loud romance from the bestselling author of the Shopaholic series.

*First of all I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: When one of your favourite authors announces a new book, you get extremely excited, mark the day on the calendar and start counting the days until publication. This is exactly what I did with Finding Audrey. I have read and loved all the books written by Sophie Kinsella. I have to admit though that when she said she was working on a YA book this time I got a bit worried. What if her fun and fresh style didn't translate well to the new genre? But people, worry no more. Finding Audrey is an amazing YA novel. Actually it is an amazing novel. Full Stop. Perfect for both new and old fans of Kinsella's.

Audrey is a fourteen-year-old girl who suffers from anxiety, depression and panic attacks. I think that writing about mental health is always difficult because most people don't really know the extend of these illnesses and this sometimes might lead to wrong assumptions or rushed conclusions on how to treat them. Here, Kinsella has obviously done her research. We really get to understand how Audrey is feeling, she has accepted her illness and is trying with all her might to get better, helped by her therapist and her family. But it's not easy. Not everyone understands why she can't just simply snap out it, as if she hasn't tried that... So I applaud Sophie Kinsella for handling this so tactfully and so well, I am sure that Audrey's story will help a lot of people understand these illnesses better.

Finding Audrey is told in Audrey's point of view and she addresses the reader as if she was having a conversation with them which might not be easy to follow at the beginning, as Audrey (as any other teenager) is not a bit fan of finishing sentences and loves the word whatever. But you soon get used to this style and really connect with Audrey. Plus, as part of her therapy, she has to film a documentary about her family, so some parts of the book are written as the script of this documentary. I really like this idea and I think it worked very well.

I also loved reading about Audrey's family. They are a bit crazy (who isn't?) but so lovely and supporting. I especially liked Audrey's older brother, Frank. He preferred video games to human interactions (which also has a major role in the story, as their mum thinks he might be addicted to video games) but you could tell how he worried about Audrey and how understanding he was. And then, there was Linus, Frank's friend, who little by little starts becoming an important part of Audrey's world too. 

Finding Audrey is a cute quick story that will make you laugh but also think a lot. It handles serious topics with tact and responsibility. I hope Sophie Kinsella will write more YA novels as she has proven that she can write in this genre really well. I highly recommend this read.  

Rating: 

08:30

Title: Catch Me If You Cannes, Part 4
Author: Lisa Dickenson
Published: May 25th 2015 by Sphere
Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: The final part in this hilarious four-part romantic comedy, from the author of You Had Me at Merlot and The Twelve Dates of Christmas - winner of the Novelicious Debut of the Year award.

Just one week ago, Jess was safely tucked away in her quiet seaside home, running her cafe and not really doing much of anything. So what on earth has happened between then and now that has her stealing a superyacht from Cannes marina?

Leo. Leo happened.

Jess doesn't want to believe what everybody is saying about him. He's her Leo, with his lazy smile, soft kisses and firm hugs, and she knows he's a good man. But she can't deny that something isn't quite right so she just needs some time to figure things out. All Jess did was fall in love with a boy who liked Nutella. How has it come to this?

Full of hilarious one-liners, sparkling blue seas and plenty of romantic moments, Catch Me If You Cannes is the story of two friends, a few white lies and one extremely delicious man. WARNING: reading Catch Me If You Cannes may result in embarrassing outbursts of belly-aching laughter on public transport.

*First of all I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: If you have been following my reviews for the previous parts, you might have noticed that I am loving this series immensely. After all the mystery and secrets, we finally find out what was going on with Leo and Harvey, and Lisa Dickenson being one of the most fun writers around, it is quite hilarious. Jess' parents turn out to be a perfect addition to the cast!

Because this one is the last part of the story, I don't want to give anything away but I can assure you that this story couldn't have ended better. And I loved also reading a bit about life A.C. (after Cannes) for our beloved characters.

All in all, I think this series will be a summer hit: laughs, beach, cocktails, sunshine and Cannes (oh! and Nutella!!). What a perfect combination for a lazy afternoon by the pool. And now that all four parts are out, you have no excuses for not getting them all and devouring them.

Take my advice, put some Lisa Dickenson sunshine in your life this summer, you won't regret it!

Rating: 

Check out my review for Part 1 here!
Check out my review for Part 2 here!

Check out my review for Part 3 here!



08:30

Title: Coming Up Roses
Author: Rachael Lucas
Published: May 21st 2015 by Pan
Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Would-be gardener Daisy can’t believe her luck when her parents announce they’re off on a midlife crisis gap year, leaving her in charge of their gorgeous garden. After a turbulent few months, a spot of quiet in the countryside is just what she needs.

A shoulder to cry on wouldn't go amiss either - so when Daisy comes across Elaine and Jo, she breathes a sigh of relief. But her new friends are dealing with dramas of their own…

As Daisy wrestles the garden into something resembling order, her feelings for handsome Irishman George begin to take root. Daisy’s heart’s desire − her parent’s garden − is under threat, and Daisy's forced to confront nosey neighbours and fight greedy developers. Village life is turning out to be far from peaceful.

First of all I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: I loved Rachael Lucas' first book, Sealed with a Kiss, so I was over the moon the get an early review copy of Coming Up Roses. And with that cover! Don't you just love it? I'm happy to say that the story lived up to my expectations. Coming Up Roses turned out to be a lovely read with stunning descriptions of gardening and a beautiful picture of village life.

Daisy, our heroine, arrives at her parents place after a horrible break up and when she has just finished a gardening course. So the opportunity to make her parents beautiful but forgotten garden come back to life while they are away is the perfect project to immerse herself and forget about everything else. At first, she doesn't want to get into the village dynamics. But soon enough she meets the lovely Thomas, an old retired gardener, who becomes a friend and a confident for her. I really liked Thomas and enjoyed a lot reading his interactions with Daisy. He is usually the voice of reason but also loves causing a bit of mischief. I think Rachael Lucas found a winner with Thomas as I'm sure everyone will love him while reading this novel.

But Thomas is not the only new friend for Daisy. She starts hanging out with her new neighbour, Elaine, a successful lifestyle blogger that posts everything from her perfect and posh life, house, husband and food on her blog, and Jo, a single mother and counselor. I found it very interesting how these very different women developed such a strong friendship during the story. They really were there for each other when they needed it the most and both Elaine's and Jo's stories took an important role too. Soon I found myself caring for them too and wishing the best for both of them when their lives turned out to be not so perfect.

During the story there's also a romantic story line, as a dashing Irishman asks Daisy out after bumping into her a few times. He is a total charmer and they start seeing each other. But I liked that this romantic line takes more of a secondary role in the story. The real star of the story is the garden. Daisy finds refuge working in the garden and as we see it flourish, we also see her opening up to new adventures and finding herself again. And with the detailed and generous descriptions, you can really picture all the colours and the smells.

Coming Up Roses is a beautiful novel about finding your place in the world and fighting for it. Also, if you enjoy a bit of gardening, you'll love reading about Daisy's work and the lovely village of Steeple St John, where life is not as quiet and peaceful as you might think.

Rating: 
         
You can follow the Blog Tour for this lovely title here: 

08:30

Title: Girl at War
Author: Sara Novic
Published: May 21st 2015 by Little Brown
Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Zagreb, summer of 1991. Ten-year-old Ana Juric is a carefree tomboy who runs the streets of Croatia’s capital with her best friend, Luka, takes care of her baby sister, Rahela, and idolizes her father. But as civil war breaks out across Yugoslavia, soccer games and school lessons are supplanted by sniper fire and air raid drills. When tragedy suddenly strikes, Ana is lost to a world of guerilla warfare and child soldiers; a daring escape plan to America becomes her only chance for survival.

Ten years later Ana is a college student in New York. She’s been hiding her past from her boyfriend, her friends, and most especially herself. Haunted by the events that forever changed her family, she returns alone to Croatia, where she must rediscover the place that was once her home and search for the ghosts of those she’s lost. 

With generosity, intelligence, and sheer storytelling talent, Sara Nović’s first novel confronts the enduring impact of war, and the enduring bonds of country and friendship.


*First of all I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

It has been a while since a book had made such a strong impression on me. Girl at War is an
extraordinary tale about war, loss and grief but also about love and hope and the need to find your place in the world. With two main story lines, Girl at War tells the story of Ana, a Croatian girl who survived a cruel and violent war but lost almost everything in it, even a part of herself. We follow a ten-year-old Ana in Zagreb, in the midst of the civil war, and a twenty-year-old Ana in New York, on her third year of university. 

It still shocks me that this war happened only twenty years ago. I vaguely remember the news about it as I was quite young still but I remember thinking that those countries had to be far far away. My little mind couldn't conceive that such atrocities were really happening so close and nobody was doing anything to prevent it. Reviving those acts of destruction through young Ana's eyes really got to me. She and her friends, unable to really understand the concept of war and ethnic cleansing and the dangers that it implies, turn the new war elements into a game. Playing with the piles of sacks or fighting over the bike that serves as a generator in the basement they hide during the air raids. But soon, Ana's innocence is cut short and she ends up in an occupied village where she is recruited by the local guerilla. The matter-of-factly and simple narrative make this tale even more raw and shocking. 

When we read about Ana in America, ten years later, we see another version of Ana. She tells everyone she's from New Jersey and keeps her memories and demons in a locked part of her brain, avoiding going there at all costs. But with no real place to call home and with no idea of who she really is she must face the difficult but necessary return to her old town. A real journey of self discovery, I was completely enthralled with the story. Trying and failing to image how she must have been feeling. 

I think that having the chance of reading such a tale is a privilege for us readers. Sara Novic takes us in a raw but truly memorable journey. Making us remember the atrocities of war and wonder why there are still so many conflicts in the world. Sara's voice needs to be heard, loud and clear, and after such an amazing debut, I can't wait for more by this young author. 

Rating: 

 Don't miss any stops of the blog tour for this fantastic title: 

08:30

Title: We Are All Made of Stars
Author: Rowan Coleman
Published: May 21st 2015 by Ebury Press
Amazon | Amazon UK


Blurb: What if you had just one chance, one letter you could leave behind for the person you love? 

What would you write?

Stella Carey has good reason to only work nights at the hospice where she is a nurse. Married to a war veteran who has returned from Afghanistan brutally injured, Stella leaves the house each night as her husband Vincent, locks himself away, unable to sleep due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

During her nights at the hospice, Stella writes letters for her patients containing their final wishes, thoughts and feelings – from how to use a washing machine, to advice on how to be a good parent – and usually she delivers each letter to the recipient he or she has died.

That is until Stella writes one letter that she feels compelled to deliver in time to give her patient one final chance of redemption…


First of all I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: I have waited some days after finishing the book to write this review because after reading the letter that ends this story I was quite overwhelmed with feelings. Now that I have had some time to digest everything I can only wonder at the beauty of it. Rowan Coleman has written a stunning book, heart-wrenching yet inspiring and life-affirming. 

I love letters. My boyfriend and I spent almost seven years of our nine years relationship living in different places so I used to write him lots of letters, mainly professing my love to him (when I was a teen) but basically talking about everything. So I found the idea of writing a last letter before you leave this world really endearing. Stella, a nurse in a hospice, takes on the task of writing these letters for her patients and we get to read them between chapters. Some of these were so emotional that brought tears to my eyes (in public places, more than once) but there were a lot that were cute and fun, making you picture lives full of laughter, love and sunshine. 

But the main stars in the book were Stella herself and her veteran husband, who left a part of him (physical and mental) in Afghanistan, and a 21-year-old patient of the hospice with Cystic Fibrosis, Hope. Stella an ex trauma nurse, took the night shift on the hospice when his husband, Vincent, came back a different man. He spends his nights locked away in his thoughts and regrets and has completely shut out Stella of his life, so they share a roof but not a home. Vincent was such a complex character, thanks to flashbacks, you could read about his old self, fun, lively and completely in love, a picture difficult to conceal with his present self. It broke my heart a little seeing Stella trying to understand and love him and failing. I really had no idea how this story was going to go and end in the book. 

Hope, in the other hand, has always lived without really living, afraid that her illness could take her life away in an unexpected way as it almost did when she went partying with her friend Ben some months before. But her stay in the hospice and her new friendships with a young dying patient and with Stella are making her reconsider the way she is living her life. With the help of lovely and fun Ben we see how she flourishes and starts fighting back. I think by the end of the book I was a bit in love with Ben, he was a joy to read about.

Rowan Coleman writes with her heart in her hand. Her characters feel so real that you feel like you are actually seeing them. She only needs a few sentences on a letter to make you picture the whole story and bring tears to your eyes. Prove of her talent. There was not a thing I didn't love in We Are All Made of Stars, a stunning book that respects death and celebrates life. 

Rating: 

10:25

Title: Deliciously Ella: 100+ Easy, Healthy, and Delicious Plant-Based, Gluten-Free Recipes.
Author: Ella Woodward
Published:  March 3rd 2015 by Scribner
Amazon | Amazon UK

Description: From the founder of the wildly popular food blog Deliciously Ella, 120 plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free recipes with gorgeous, full-color photographs that capture the amazing things we can do with natural ingredients.

In 2011, nineteen-year-old Ella Woodward was diagnosed with a rare illness that left her bed-ridden, in chronic pain, and plagued by heart palpitations and headaches. When conventional medicine failed her, Ella decided to change her diet. She gave up meat, gluten, dairy, sugar, and anything processed and the effects were immediate: her symptoms disappeared, her energy returned, and she was able to go off all her medication. A self-confessed sweet tooth, Ella taught herself how to make delicious, plant-based meals that delight the palette and improve overall well-being.

Deliciously Ella is an essential, how-to guide to clean, plant-based eating, taking you through the best ingredients and methods for preparing easy, exciting meals. This is not a diet, it is about creating a new mindset that embraces fantastic food. From sweet potato brownies to silky chocolate mousse and roasted butternut squash risotto and homemade fries and ketchup, Ella shares 100 brand-new recipes and twenty classics in her signature, elegant style. Packed with vivid photos and simple, foolproof instructions, Deliciously Ella provides a foundation for a pure, unprocessed, unrefined diet, so you can look and feel better while enjoying great food.

*First of all I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: Before getting my hands on this book I already knew Ella from her fantastic blog and had successfully tried a couple of her recipes. But recently, my partner and I have decided to start a healthier and cleaner diet and this book has definitely helped us expand our meals and learn a lot about what we are eating. 

The book not only offers a diverse range of recipes but also explains which ingredients you'll need and gives you tips on how to prepare basic ingredients (like nut butters or milks) and which equipment to use. I found this part very useful and checked it a few times while doing other recipes. Also, I'd like to mention how beautiful the images on the book are. They really make you want to prepare that food.

Then, the recipes are divided by parts depending on the main ingredients, so you find parts like Grains, Nuts and Seeds, Beans and Legumes or Vegetables. I liked that most the recipes could be made with the same basic ingredients so once you had had them you didn't have to buy an endless list of different things for each recipe. 

We have already tried quite a lot of the recipes and some of them more than once as they were a huge success, like the different types of hummus, Black and Kidney Bean Chili (or chili sin carne, as we call it) and Coconut Thai Curry with Chickpeas. 

I also fund very useful the healthy snacks like the raw brownie and the dates with nut butter. Actually, the dates have been a wonderful surprise as they were not part of my diet and now I seem to use them for everything.

All in all, Deliciously Ella is well thought and detailed cookbook that serves as a perfect introduction to a healthier diet. The comments from readers and the beautiful photos make this book very easy to the eye and interesting to read too. I highly recommend it if you are new to the plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free world. 

Rating: 


09:09

Title: The Little Paris Bookshop
Author: Nina George
Published: April 23rd 2015 by Abacus
Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: On a barge on the Seine, Jean Perdu runs a bookshop, or rather a 'literary apothecary', for this bookseller possess a rare gift for sensing which books will soothe his customers' troubled souls.

The only person he is unable to cure, it seems, is himself. For twenty-one years he has nursed a broken heart - and never dared open the letter his love left behind. But the arrival of an enigmatic new neighbour inspires Jean to unlock his heart, unmoor the floating bookshop and set off for Provence, in search of the past and his beloved.

*First of all I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: I always enjoy books about books and The Little Paris Bookshop is an ode to books. Jean Perdu is a joy to read. He owns a literary apothecary and cures his costumer's souls prescribing them books to read. He has quite a simple life that he pretends to enjoy but nothing could be farther from the truth. Living in an empty flat with locked rooms and with no friends, he still misses the love of his life, who left him more than twenty years ago. But when a new neighbour awakes something more in Perdu he decides to take his barge on the trip of a lifetime around France to rediscover himself.

But Perdu doesn't travel alone, from a lost best seller author to an Italian looking for a lost love, the barge becomes a temporary home for a colourful range of characters. They all have their own stories to tell and will help Perdu in his quest to find meaning to his life. With a stunning scenery and detailed and generous descriptions, you feel like one more in the barge. Discovering the beautiful French towns and its unique inhabitants.

The Little Paris Bookshop is a book to enjoy. To take your time reading and rereading. I think you could fill various notebooks with wonderful quotes from this story. Perdu's story is life affirming and warm like a hug but also complex, deep and meaningful. You learn a lot about books, life and living while reading this book and it makes you think a lot about love and death. 

A stunning book for booklovers, one to read over lazy summer evenings. Taking in every sentence and every word. I'd say it reads like a modern fable, the moral being that to have a life you have to live it. Loving, discovering, risking, giving your everything, reading... 

Rating: 


08:50

Title: Catch Me If You Cannes, Part 3
Author: Lisa Dickenson
Published: May 18th 2015 by Sphere
Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: The third part in this hilarious four-part romantic comedy, from the author of You Had Me at Merlot and The Twelve Dates of Christmas - winner of the Novelicious Debut of the Year award.

Things could not be going better between Jess and Leo. Every moment they spend together is lovely and sunkissed and full of anticipation. Jess hasn't felt like this in a very long time and she doesn't want it to end. Sure, Leo is a bit vague about certain areas of his life but that doesn't mean anything . . .

Suddenly Jess's perfect holiday romance isn't looking so great and she has a choice to make - should she ignore what Bryony is telling her and keep living the dream, or should she run the risk of losing Leo in order to prove her friend wrong?

Full of hilarious one-liners, sparkling blue seas and plenty of romantic moments, Catch Me If You Cannes is the story of two friends, a few white lies and one extremely delicious man. WARNING: reading Catch Me If You Cannes may result in embarrassing outbursts of belly-aching laughter on public transport.

*First of all I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: Aaaah! Lisa, what are you doing to us? Who is Leo? These cliff hangers are killing me. In this part we have discovered two things: first, Leo is the loveliest man alive; second, he might not be so lovely. I wish with all my heart that he really is because I really like him and he is perfect for sweet Jess.

I am also enjoying a lot reading about Bryony and her dilemma about her job. Should she just sell herself and expose celebrities (which she hates) to keep her job or should she stand for herself and send her stupid to a certain place? I have a lot in faith in her.

This 3rd part was so packed with drama and so fast paced that I think that I didn't even stop to breath. The plot is getting really interesting and the fabulous vacation on Cannes is turning out to be not so glam.

And because the story wasn't interesting enough, Jess' family has landed in Cannes too! They seem such a fun gang and I'm sure they'll make this hilarious story even more fun.

In case you haven't realise it yet. I am loving this story and  I can't recommend it enough. If you still haven't read anything by the extremely talented Lisa Dickenson, you are missing out. Get this one asap!

Diving into the last part right now, I can't wait to find out how the story ends!

Rating: 

Check out my review for Part 1 here!
Check out my review for Part 2 here!

Follow the tour and stay tuned for my review of Part 4 next Thursday the 28th!



11:55

Title: The Crooked House
Author: Christobel Kent
Published: April 23rd 2015 by Sphere
Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Alison is as close to anonymous as she can get: with no ties and a backroom job, hers is a life lived under the radar. But once Alison was someone else: once she was Esme, a teenager whose bedroom sat at the top of a remote house on a bleak estuary. A girl whose family, if not happy, exactly, was no unhappier than anyone else's - or so she thought.

Then one night violence was unleashed in the crooked house, in a nightmare that only Alison survived and from which she's been running ever since. Only when she falls for the charismatic Paul does Alison realise that to have any chance of happiness, she must return to her old life and face a closed community full of dark secrets.

Utterly beguiling and strikingly atmospheric, The Crooked House will be enjoyed by fans of stylish thrillers such as Apple Tree Yard and The Girl on the Train.

EXTRACT

Thirteen Years Ago


When it starts again she is face down on her bed with her hands over her ears and she feels it more than hears it. A vibration through the mattress, through the flowered duvet, through the damp pillow she’s buried her face in. It comes up from below, through the house’s lower three storeys.BOOM. She feels it in her throat.

Wait, listen: one, two, three. BOOM.

Is this how it begins?

Leaning on the shelf over the desk, wooden letters spelling her name jitter against the wall. They were a present on her seventh birthday, jigsawn by Dad, E.S.M.E. The family’d just moved in, unloading their stuff outside this house they called the crooked house, she and Joe, as the sun went down over the dark marsh inland. Creek House to Crooked House, after the tilt to its roofline, its foundations unsteady in the mud, out on its own in the dusk. Mum was gigantic with the twins, a Zeppelin staggering inside with bags in each hand. We need more space now, is how they told her and Joe they were moving. It was seven years ago, seven plus seven. Now she’s fourteen, nearly. Fourteen next week.

Ah, go on, Gina had said. Just down it. Then, changing tack, You can give it me back, then.

Esme’s been back an hour. She isn’t even sure Joe saw her pass the sitting-room door, jammed back on the sofa and frowning under his headphones: since he hit sixteen he’s stopped looking anyone in the eye. The girls, a two-headed caterpillar in an old sleeping bag on the floor, wriggled back from in front of the TV, twisting to see her. Letty’s lolling head, the pirate gap between Mads’s front teeth as she grins up at her, knowing. She mouths something. Boyfriend. Esme turns her face away and stomps past.

Mum opening the kitchen door a crack, leaning back from the counter to see who it is. Frowning like she can’t place her, she gets like that a lot these days. What are you doing back? Esme doesn’t answer: she is taking the stairs three at a time, raging.

Outside the dark presses on the window, the squat power station stands on the horizon, the church out on the spit that looks no bigger than a shed from here, the village lights distant. Make all the noise you like out here, Dad’s always saying, no one can hear.

Hands over your ears and never tell.

On the bed she lies very still, willing it to go, to leave the house. Whatever it is.

Her hands were already over her ears, before it started. Why? The boom expands in her head and she can’t even remember now. All she knows is, she was standing at the window, now she’s on the bed.

She grapples with detail. She heard a car. There were voices below in the yard and, after, noises downstairs. Something scraping across the floor, a low voice muttering and she didn’t want to deal with it, with his questions; she flung herself down on the bed and the tears began to leak into the pillow. She would have put on her music but she didn’t want him to know she was back.

Now. A sound, a human sound, just barely: a wounded shout, a gasp, trying to climb to a scream that just stops, vanishes. And in the silence after it she hears breathing, heavy and ragged; up through three storeys and a closed door, it is as if the house is breathing. And Esme is off the bed, scrabbling for a place to hide.
BOOM.

On the marsh behind the house there are the remains of an old hut with a little rotted jetty. The tide is beginning to come up, gurgling in its channels, trickling across the mud that stretches inland, flooding the clumps of samphire and marsh grass and the buried timbers. Behind her the house stands crooked in the wind freshening off the estuary.

The lights of the police cars come slowly, bumping down the long track, an ambulance, the cab lit. It is three in the morning but the inky dark is already leaching to grey behind the church on the spit. One of the coldest June nights on record, and it takes them a while to find her. She doesn’t make a sound.

GIVEAWAY

Enter to win a signed copy of The Crooked House by Christobel Kent. This giveaway is open to Europe only and will close in a week. The winner will be contacted via twitter or email and will have 48h to claim their prize. 
a Rafflecopter giveaway


About the author: 


CHRISTOBEL KENT was born in London and educated at Cambridge. She has lived variously in Essex, London and Italy. Her childhood included several years spent on a barge in Maldon, Essex with her father, stepmother, three siblings and four step-siblings, which provided inspiration for the setting of The Crooked House. She now lives in both Cambridge and Florence with her husband and five children.



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08:44

Title: The Happy Ever Afterlife of Rosie Potter (RIP)
Author: Kate Winter
Published: May 21st 2015 by Sphere
Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Falling in love is never simple. Especially when you're dead.

When Rosie Potter wakes up one morning with what she assumes is the world's worst hangover, the last thing she expects is to discover that she's actually dead. With a frustrating case of amnesia, suspicious circumstances surrounding her untimely demise, and stuck wearing her ugliest flannel PJs, Rosie must figure out not only what happened last night, but why on earth she's still here.

Slowly the mystery unravels, but there are many other secrets buried in the quiet Irish village of Ballycarragh, and nobody is as innocent as they first appear. Aided by the unlikeliest of allies in her investigation, Rosie discovers that life after death isn't all it's cracked up to be, particularly when you might just be falling in love...

In this hilarious, life-affirming and romantic journey through Rosie Potter's afterlife, she shares the ghostly tale of how she lived, she died, and she loved (in that order).

*First of all I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: I am not a big fan of paranormal but sometimes a ghost in a story works so incredible well, like in Twenties Girls by Sophie Kinsella (one of my favourites), and The Happy Ever Afterlife of Rosie Potter (RIP) is one of them. Rosie is probably the most hilarious ghost in history. Reading about her shock at discovering that yes, she was actually dead and therefore she must be a ghost, had me in stitches. And her process figuring out how to act, move and go through objects was even better. 

When you pick up this book, you really have no idea what to expect, but I certainly wasn't expecting laughing so much. Rosie Potter might be dead but she is one of the most lively characters I have read in a while. I instantly loved her and was really curious to know more about her life (and afterlife) and how she died as there's quite a mystery surrounding her passing away. But soon, Rosie finds help to investigate in an old friend, who apparently is the only one who can see her. The interactions between these two were priceless. I loved reading the mischief in their relationship, from when they were just kids to the current peculiar situation. 

But as the story unfolds, it starts turning a bit more serious and I found myself shading more than one tear for this lovely girl who got her life cut short. It certainly makes you think a lot about how short life is and how we always must try to grab all of our chances for happiness. I have to say though that the epilogue of the story is just perfect and put a huge grin in my face. As it gives this lovely story the perfect closure.

The Happy Ever Afterlife of Rosie Potter (RIP) is a fun, unique story that I am sure will make you laugh out loud but also will warm your heart. Kate Winter has made an exquisite job creating the perfect balance between humour and grieving. Her style is so fresh and entertaining that I am sure once you start this book, you won't put it down until you're done. If you are looking for a love story with something a bit different, definitely go for this one, you won't be disappointed.

Rating: 

About the author:

Kate Winter is a journalist, novelist and storyteller from the North West of Ireland who was lucky enough to grow up with no TV (although she didn't consider it a lucky break at the time) and lots of books. After graduating from University of Ulster with first class honours and the Ulster Television Award for her BA in Media Studies, Kate promptly forged a glittering career for herself in waitressing. Then one day, beside a swimming pool in Australia, Kate decided it was time to write a book. The Happy Ever Afterlife of Rosie Potter (RIP) is Kate's debut novel.


You can connect with Kate Winter on Twitter or visiting her page winterwritings.wordpress.com


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