Blurb: After Polly ends her relationship with the father of her young son, Louis, she is determined to move on. All she wants is to focus on her job, her friends and to be a good mum. No more looking over her shoulder. No more complications…

Then Polly meets Ben.

Ben is guardian of his niece, Emily. They become close, with Polly teaching Ben how to plait Emily’s hair, and Ben playing football with Louis. Their friendship is unexpected. Polly’s never been happier.

But when Louis’s dad reappears in their life, all Polly’s mistakes come back to haunt her and her resolve weakens when he swears he has changed.

Will she give herself a second chance to love?

Review: In One Step Closer To You we meet Polly, a recovering alcoholic with a son. Thanks to flashbacks, we get to know her from her childhood, through her difficult teen years to her adulthood and it feels like by the end of the book, Polly is like a dear old friend of us. Her story is full of bad decisions, mistakes and pain but Louis, her beautiful son, makes her want a better life for them both so she starts turning her life around. She shows us what a strong woman she can be with a bit of support of her loved ones. 

Reading about her years struggling with her addiction was heart-breaking and emotional, especially when she first had Louis and was still with his dad. I was shocked with her behaviour but I could see that she no longer controlled her life, alcohol did. And then, it was very inspiring to read about her present, how she had made the decision of being a better mother and how she kept going, appreciating the little things of life and always refusing to let alcohol control her again. 

Polly definitely made a great main character and she awoke a lot of emotions in me but I can't forget to mention the secondary characters of this book, all well developed with their own story. There was Hugo, Polly's partially blind brother, and probably my favourite one. With his easy-going attitude towards his disability and his inconditional support to Polly, he was a pleasure to read about. And then, there were also aunt Viv, key to Polly's recovery and with her own dark secrets, and Ben, the shinning star in Polly's present. They all made this book special and worth reading.  

One Step Closer to You is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time, one of those that you tell everyone about. Raw, emotional but also uplifting. Alice's talent keeps on surprising us and she is becoming one of my favourite authors. As I said, a must read. It was actually my last addition to my Top 10 books of 2014 and I highly recommend it. 

Rating:

2014 has been probably one of the best years I've ever had for reading. I am very glad that I started the blog because it was one of the best things I've ever done. I've discovered so many new authors and books and I've met the most lovely bookish people.  I'm already excited to see what 2015 is going to bring. But first, here are the books that had that something special, that have stayed with me long after reading them and that have shone during this year.

10. Desperately Ever After by Laura Kenyon
 

I am a huge fan of Disney and well, fairy tale princesses in general so when I read the blurb of this book I knew it was my kind of book. But wow! I loved it. Laura Kenyon brings the well known princesses to a contemporany fairy tale version of NYC and continues their story ten years later. A real winner.

9. Waiting for Prince Harry by Aven Ellis

8. Love Like the Movies by Victoria Van Tiem

7. One Hundred Proposals by Holly Martin

Holly writes the most romantic stories. I loved The Guestbook and I completely adored One Hundred Proposals. Her stories always have that special thing that makes you get lost in them and hug your kindle when you are done. Beautifully written and with some of the best locations of the planet, this is a story you don't want to miss.

6. What a Girl Wants by Lindsey Kelk

5. One Step Closer to You by Alice Peterson









4. The Judas Scar by Amanda Jennings

3. The Year I Met You by Cecelia Ahern

With The Year I Met You Cecelia has made me fall in love with her all over again. I might even dare to say that it is, for me, the best novel she has written so far.

She has written a thoughtful, captivating and uplifting story that captured me from the first page. I also was quite surprised to see that the second person narrative she uses when she talks about one of the characters worked so well. 

A true tale of friendship and not judging before knowing that I will be re-reading really soon.

Blurb: A thoughtful, captivating and ultimately uplifting novel from this uniquely talented author

Jasmine know two things: one, she loves her vulnerable sister unconditionally, and will fight to the death to protect her from anyone who upsets her. Two, she's only ever been good at one thing – her job helping business start-ups.

So when she’s sacked and put on gardening leave, Jasmine realises that she has nothing else to fill her life. Insomnia keeps her staring out of her bedroom window, and she finds herself watching the antics of her neighbour, shock jock Matt, with more than a casual eye. Matt is also taking a forced leave of absence from work, after one of his controversial chat shows went too far…

Jasmine has every reason to dislike Matt, and the feeling appears to be mutual. But not everything is as it seems, and soon Jasmine and Matt are forced to think again…

Review: I fell in love with Cecelia's writing with P.S. I Love You many years ago. It instantly became one of my all time favourite books and then I loved Where Rainbows End (which is now going to become a movie with the title Love, Rosie) but after that I read a couple more of her books that didn't convince me and I felt a bit out of love with Cecelia. I actually haven't read yet her previous book How to Fall in Love. But I instantly liked the sound of The Year I Met You and the cover caught my attention so I decided to give it a try, and I am really glad that I did because I might even dare to say that this one, for me, is Cecelia's best and has become an all time favourite that I will be re-reading soon.

What I think captured me from this book is that it's not a love story, it's the story of Jasmine, who has been fired and has to wait a year before she can be hired again, and Matt, who has been suspended from his famous radio show for going too far. They live on the same street and even if they don't know each other in person, Jasmine knows very well who he is. She can't help but spying his every move from her window. Especially every night when he arrives late and drunk, way too drunk, and starts banging on the door like a crazy man. When they find themselves in quite a similar situation, they start to see each other more, and talk more. From here, Cecelia could have started a love story, they falling in love and saving each other from themselves but that's not the case. Jasmine and Matt share a quite parallel path during a year and with each month they start seeing the other with a different eye but also seeing themselves with a different eye. They help each other without even realising and their friendship becomes their pillar.

But Jasmine and Matt's story wouldn't be so special without the secondary characters. I loved Jasmine's sister, Heather. She has Down's Syndrome and Jasmine is overly protective of her. I think Cecelia made an exhaustive work of research with her as we see her as woman who yearns for independence and is not afraid to ask for it even if her family is not ready to let her fly. She adds a unique touch to the story and makes you think a lot. And then there are the neighbours in the residential street, mainly pensioners. The retired doctor who lived next to Jasmine was always the voice of reason with both of them and Mr. Malone who lived on the other side of Jasmine made me shed a tear when he was reading to his wife on their garden whe she no longer could. A true love story.

Cecelia writes a story about friendship and support, about not judging before knowing and about life. I trully loved this book and will stay with me for a long while. I fell in love with Cecelia's writing again, with her special way with words that transported me to that residential street where Jasmine and Matt struggled to find meaning in life and made me reconsider the term friendship. 

Rating: 

Blurb: The perfect seasonal tale of how laughter, friends and wacky Christmas jumpers can mend a broken heart. For fans of Trisha Ashley and Jenny Colgan.

Heartbroken after being jilted at the altar, Sybil has been saved from despair by her knitting obsession and now her home is filled to bursting with tea cosies, bobble hats, and jumpers. But, after discovering that she may have perpetrated the cock-up of the century at work, Sybil decides to make a hasty exit and, just weeks before Christmas, runs away to the picturesque village of Tindledale.

There, Sybil discovers Hettie’s House of Haberdashery, an emporium dedicated to the world of knitting and needle craft. But Hettie, the outspoken octogenarian owner, is struggling and now the shop is due for closure. And when Hettie decides that Sybil’s wonderfully wacky Christmas jumpers are just the thing to add a bit of excitement to her window display, something miraculous starts to happen…

*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.*  

 

This month I am going to be completely Lost in Christmas! There will be festive reviews, guest posts, giveaways and more surprises every day. Today's review is the fantastic novella The Reluctant Elf. 

Ah! And don't forget to enter my Christmas Giveaway!

Review: This is my first book by Alexandra Brown but I loved it. I fell in love with the gorgeous cover, with the cute map of Tindledale at the beginning of the book, with the story, with its fantastic characters and with Alexandra's festive and fresh style. It's clear that I adored this book.

The story takes place in the small village of Tindledale, where everyone knows everyone and everything and there's this community spirit and all the people help  and take care of each other. It instantly felt like home for both me and the main character, Sybil. She was dumped at the altar on May the 4th (be with you) by his ex fiancé, Luke, and when she was wearing a Princess Leia costume for the ceremony. I actually laughed out loud with this (I know it's mean but it's hilarious, come on!). So since then she has been getting on with life like a zombie, not really caring about anything. In Tindledale she finally finds a place where she is alive again and there might be a possibility of a better life. 

This is one of the cutest, sweetest and most festive stories I have ever read. The characters are wonderful, from the lovely Laurence, who runs the Bed and Breakfast, the drama group and  the private hairdresser, to the cute doctor Darcy, who all the villagers adore and can't seem to leave alone. And let's not forget the star of this story, Hettie. This old lady has a lot in common with Sybil and through thir love for knitting they start a beautiful friendship. They help each other without even realising.

I highly recommend this book, it is the book you cannot miss these holildays. Alexandra really makes the little village of Tindledale come to life and it captures you from the first page. And the best is that it is a series so we get to go back quite soon (I can't wait to find out more about who the second book is going to be about and to meet with these lovely characters again). 

I have always wanted to learn how to knit but never really found the time but after reading this fantastic story I was left with a huge desire to try it. So I bought the needles and the wool and went to youtube to find some tutorials... and I love it! Sybil was right, knitting gives you peace and it's a fantastic feeling when you create something with your own hands. I have already made a basic scarf and socks for my baby niece and I am now working on a hat. I can't wait to keep practicing!

Blurb: Will and Harmony's seemingly idyllic marriage is left shattered after she loses a baby she didn't realise she wanted. While at a friend's party, she raises the subject of trying again, and Will s reaction leaves her hurt and confused.

Removing herself from the crowd, she encounters an enigmatic stranger whose advances she rejects, only to later discover that the handsome man is Will's childhood friend from boarding school, Luke.

When Will, struggling to confront the culture of bullying that marred his childhood, reveals a secret too painful for her to bear, Harmony is left caught between the husband she loves and the promises made by an obsessive stranger...

Review:  I had heart great things about this book so when I won a signed copy on Sophie's blog Reviewed the Book (check it out, it's a great blog), I was over the moon. And now that I have read it, even more. It is definitely one of the best books I have read this year. The prologue took my breath away and from that moment I was totally hooked to its pages, discovering bit by bit Will and Harmony's story.

Will and Harmony are in a difficult moment, after agreeing on not having children, Harmony fell pregnant and felt somehow complete, with a joy inside her like nothing before, so when she suffers a miscarriage, her world falls apart and Will, with still troubled by demons of the past, is not there to give her the support she needs. Now add Luke to this cocktail, charming, determined, even obsessive. He comes from Will's buried past and is not afraid of unveil it and take Will's present from him. 

Through these characters, Amanda Jennings handles serious topics like bullying and abuse in a very sensitive way but without avoiding the darkness that always surrounds them. There are some twists and revealed secrets that make you wonder where some humans have lost their humanity. One thing for sure, this book awakens strong emotions in oneself. You won't be left indifferent.

And what an ending. Once I finished, I felt numb. Like I had so many thoughts and feelings and my brain wasn't able to process them, questions kept popping into my mind and little bits of the book kept coming back to me. I am sure this book is going to stay with me for a long while. Plus, I reccommend that you read the author's notes because Amanda explains where she came up with this idea and it just reminds you that this might be a work of fiction but it's not far from the truth of this world. The Judas Scar is a must read and I can't wait to read more from Amanda.

Rating:

Blurb: What do you do if you come face to face with a ghost? 

Put it down to a bump on the head and work stress if you’re a respected academic like Cleo Carpenter. With Christmas approaching, professional rivalry afoot and a best friend determined to interfere in her love life the strain is clearly starting to get to her. 

Guilt-stricken and deceased, Alex Thorne is desperate to make amends with his brother, Rafe, a tortured musician trapped in a spiral of destruction. When an encounter with Cleo forges a link between them she becomes his only hope. So what if the only person who can see him is a sceptic? 

As Cleo starts to doubt her sanity, the safe world she takes for granted crumbles around her. Setting out to regain control and prove once and for all ghosts don’t exist, she embarks on a journey of self discovery and surprise, learning that love really does defy science, logic and maybe even death itself…

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

Review: I love Ruth Saberton, she has fantastic ideas and her style is so fun and lively! So when she sent me her latest book, Dead Romantic, I had high expectations. Luckily, on the first chapters I was already enjoying the story and feeling all warm inside and by the end of it I was completely and truly in love with this book. This story is just magical, it captures you from page one and you are glued to its pages for hours without even realizing.

I have to say I am, like Cleo, quite sceptic, so I don't belive in life after death or ghosts but I like to get lost in magical stories, especially if they are so well thought and written like this one. After meeting the ghost of this story, Alex Thorne, I kind of wish I could meet a ghost like him. He is so lovely and so funny too, it had me in giggles all the time. And I loved how matter of factly he was with everything surrounding his kind. Two little stars were the old archeaolist and the little Egyptian kid and his cat, they added the perfect spark to the story!

And what can I say about Cloe? Or Cleopatra, as she is actually called. I have always been curious about Egypt so I found her job fascinating, plus you could tell that Ruth had done lots of research because we learn so much too. She is a great character and I instantly warmed to her. She is very career focused and very analytical and  driven but you can see that she is an old romantic at heart. And I loved her Christmas story.

Dead Romantic is a read you don't want to miss. It is a bit different from what Ruth usually writes about but it just makes it even more special. It is one of the loveliest stories I have read this year and I am sure that Alex Thorne is gonna stay with me for a long time. He is one of those characters you don't forget easily. So go get this book right now and get ready to laugh, giggle, hug your kindle and even get angry with a certain character...

Rating: Dead Romantic gets an extra little heart meaning that it has been one of my favourite books of the year so far.

Blurb: Sally is an incredible singer but she sings only in her wardrobe where nobody can hear her. She'd rather join a nudist colony than sing in public.

That is until she ventures to New York where a wild and heady summer of love and loss changes her forever. No longer able to hide in the shadows, Sally must return home to London to fulfill a promise she cannot break - to share her voice.

But just as she's about to embark on her new life, a beautiful man turns up on Sally's doorstep bearing a sheepish smile and a mysterious hand-written message.

How did he find her? Why is he here? Does he hold the truth to what happened back in New York? And, with him back on the scene, will she still have the courage to step into the spotlight?

Review: I absolutely loved Lucy's debut novel, The Greatest Love Story of All Time, but with The Unfinished Symphony of You and Me, Lucy has completely blown me away. When I finished it some days ago, I thought this is one of the greatest books I have read this year, but now I am actually thinking this is one of the greatest books I have EVER read. I loved it from cover (which by the way is just perfection) to end. It was a unique novel written like an opera and even if I have absolutely no idea about opera, I have ended up loving this world immensely thanks to Julian and especially Sally.

As we start reading the book we learn that something horrible happened one year ago in New York to Sally, her best friend but also cousin Fiona and Julian, the love of her life. But after that, they all have parted ways and Sally is back to London to fulfill a promise: she is going to go the conservatory and sing in public. From that moment, we learn little by little all about Sally's life, her struggles with her parents when she was a kid, her love and support for her wild cousin, her fears, her dreams and her secrets. The opera structure, with its acts and scenes, works perfectly and you find yourself devouring the book for hours.

Sally is a character I instantly warmed to and I totally got her. That she would sing in her wardrove for fear of being heard was just genius. I could imagine her, as a little girl, in her wardrove singing like there was no tomorrow. But during the book she becomes a better version of herself and we have the privilege to do it with her. I was so proud of her at the end! And what about Julian? He was the cutest. Since we met him in New York, I could sense he was someone special and they had the perfect connection, you could sense their love for each other. Even after their separation and his betrayal, I just couldn't hate him. He was the piece of puzzle missing in Sally's life.

As for the secondary characters, they were the cherry on top of this wonderful story. I especially liked Jan Borsos, who walked through half of Europe to get to London so he could attend the conservatory, he even lost one of his shoes in Paris! I mean, how can you not love him! He had a very special role in Sally's life and was one of the funniest!

This book has so many layers. It handles some heavy topics like addiction, eating disorders or betrayal with such wonderful delicacy but at the same time Lucy makes you laugh until you snort. I'd say she writes an epic love story in an epic setting, the world of the opera. I completely forgot about everything else while reading this book and I felt like I learned a lot too. It makes you appreciate a new world, she writes with such a passion that as soon as I finished I begged my boyfriend to take me to the opera. All I have left to say is drop everything you are doing right now and get this book. As I said, it has become one of my all-time favourites and I will be re-reading it quite soon.

Rating: 5 stars plus a little heart, meaning it has been one of my favourites so far!

Blurb: A summer bestseller from the immensely popular Lindsey Kelk Tess Brookes was the girl with a plan. Now she's the girl with a choice. Should she stay in London and start her own advertising agency with her best friend and potential boyfriend Charlie? Or should she head to exciting Milan to pursue both a new career as a photographer and a new man, the enigmatic and elusive (and highly irritating) Nick? For the first time, Tess has to choose between the life she always dreamed of and a future she never imagined possible. With her heart and her head pulling her in different directions, Tess has to make a life-changing decision about What a Girl Wants.

Review: What a Gil Wants was one of my most expected books of the year. I love Lindsey Kelk's books, every one she publishes is even better that her last one and WAGW didn't disappoint at all. Lindsey is one of the best Chick Lit authors I have ever read. Her I Heart series is one of my favourite series and this new one is quickly becoming a favourite too.

Continuing where About A Girl ended, What A Girl Wants can easily be read as a standalone but I'd recommend reading About A Girl first (why reading only one when you can have double the fun reading two fab books?). Tess is the perfect heroine, clever and with a big heart but also a bit naive and lost. In this book though we discover a new Tess, ready to fight for what she wants and for what is fair.

But don't worry, our beloved Tess still manages to live the most crazy adventures, now in Milan, including an opera show, a vespa ride and a night in jail. This perfect summer read will make you laugh out loud for sure. Lindsey has a very unique style that always makes me giggle and smile like a toon. 

If you have read About a Girl, you know about all the #TeamNick and #TeamCharlie. If not, basicly Tess has two candidates for her heart and it is kind of difficult to decide for one (although I was Team Nick from the begining!). But now I'd like to propose a #TeamKepipi, god how I love this man! He is the perfect spark for this amazing book. 

What a Girl Wants is a Must Read, so don't miss it! Now a long wait till the third book of the series is out... (Christmas 2015) Why oh why do you, Lindsey, want to make us suffer? We want the book now!

Rating: 5 stars plus a little heart, meaning it has been one of my favourites so far!

 

Today I am very pleased to take part in the Blog Tour of One Hundrer Proposals by Holly Martin. First of all I would like to congratulate Holly because today is her Publication Day. I hope the best for you and your amazing book! And I would also like to thank her and the Gosling Girls Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Title: One Hundred Proposals

Author: Holly Martin

Published: June 25th 2014 by Carina UK

Blurb: ‘Is there really such a thing as a perfect proposal? Over the next hundred days I intend to find out. I will find one hundred ways to propose to our Chief Proposer Suzie McKenzie and post the results here for your enjoyment. One thing’s for sure, not one of my proposals will be on top of the Eiffel Tower with a dozen red roses.’  

Best friends Suzie and Harry are partners in romance. That is, they run the.PerfectProposal.com, coming to the aid of would-be grooms to create the ultimate marriage proposal. But when Harry decides to catapult the business into the big leagues with a PR stunt all Suzie can see is a hundred days of heartbreak stretching ahead of her. But however exotic the location, or breath-takingly romantic the setting, Suzie has to keep remembering that ‘Marry Me?’ is the one question she can’t say yes to. 

This business proposal should come with one hundred broken heart warnings... One hundred proposals, one hundred chances to say yes. 

Review: First of all I would like to say that I am a huge fan of Holly. I loved her previous book The Guestbook and I was really excited to read this one. I had huge expectations, in fact. And then some of the other bloggers taking part in this tour starting tweeting about how awesome it was and my expectations got even bigger. But don't worry, it did not disappoint! From the begining I could feel this book was something special. I was completely lost in the story and all I could think about were Suzie and Harry. By the end of the book all I could say was WOW, just WOW.

Holly takes you in a trip around the world, to the most amazing and stunning places and with her descriptive ways and ease with words you feel like you are part of the story and are visiting those places too. And what can I say of Suzie and Harry? I think every time Harry proposed I fell a bit more in love with him. And by the end I was completely head over heels in love with him. 

One Hundred Proposals is the perfect read for this summer: packed with emotions, adventures, laughs, some tears and lots of love. It also has some little details that make it so special, for example, if you have read Waiting for Prince Harry by the lovely Aven Ellis, you'll be surprised to read about a very special character being mentioned in the story. Warning: once you start it, it'll be impossible to put it down, this story will capture you and will stay with you afterwards. And if you are expecting a proposal soon, be prepared to be disappointed because after reading about 100 amazing proposals anything your future fiancé does will look like nothing...

First of all I would like to thank Victoria Van Tiem for sending me a copy of her fab book to review. Since I read the blurb of this gorgeous book, I knew I was going to like it. I am a huge fan of romantic comedies and guess what? Not only did I like Love Like the Movies, I adored it! So don't miss the opportunity to WIN an e copy of this gorgeous book here.

Blurb: In this irresistible romantic romp, movie fanatic Kensington Shaw is thrown into love—Hollywood-style—when her gorgeous ex presents a series of big screen challenges to win back her heart.

What girl wouldn’t want to experience the Pretty Woman shopping scene? It’s number two on the list. Or, try the lift from Dirty Dancing? It’s number five. 

One list, ten romantic movie moments, and a handful of shenanigans later, Kenzi has to wonder . . . should she marry the man her family loves, or risk everything for a love like the movies?

Review: Kensington has it all, a good job, a good boyfriend, a good engagement ring... Well maybe not all... because she is about to lose her job if she doesn't convice their new client to stay with them, her engagement ring is big and shiny but not exactly her style and her boyfriend... is he the love of her life? It must be, because her family loves him... but she and her family have never been really close... The problem is that Kensington wants to be in love in a movie. As she says: "There's something so innocent and sweet about romantic movies. The world doesn't always make sense, but in a good romantic comedy, I'm guaranteed a happily ever after."

So imagine her suprise when the new client she cannot lose turns out to be her gorgeous ex boyfriend Shane. He and Kensington shared their love for the movies but after cheating on her, he left for England and she never heard anything else about him. But now he is back with a proposition: he'll work with her agency if she agrees to experience with him scenes from some of their favourite romantic movies. 

Visit her online:
http://victoriavantiem.com
https://www.facebook.com/v.vtiem
https://twitter.com/vtiem