Alba in bookland

After absolutely loving the first part of The Year of Saying Yes, I was really looking forward to follow Izzy in her new dares and I can already tell you that she did not disappoint at all:

Title: The Year of Saying Yes Part 2

Author: Hannah Doyle

Published: January 12th 2017 by Headline

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Join Izzy on her journey from January blues to joy. Hannah Doyle's THE YEAR OF SAYING YES will make you dirty-laugh, feel warm and fuzzy, and rediscover life's magic - all thanks to one little word: yes. Fans of Lindsey Kelk, Mhairi McFarlane and Lucy-Anne Holmes, you're in for a real treat.

The second of four exclusive part-serialisations of THE YEAR OF SAYING YES by Hannah Doyle. Izzy's one-in-a-million story continues...

Dear Readers

Welcome back! It's Izzy (or should I say New Izzy) reporting for duty. It's time for Part Two of my 'Year of Saying Yes'.

Thanks to your amazing challenges and fabulous feedback, I've been up to all sorts over the past few months. Drumroll please...

- I asked a total stranger for his number (what can I say, he was hot and wearing a pirate's hat)

- I modelled for a life drawing class (yes, starkers!)

- And somehow I performed on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury *gulp*

All this gallivanting around means that the new, improved me is in full flow. And guess what? For the first time in forever I have an actual LOVE LIFE, with a real-life man! But in between the fun and frolics there's been a whole lot of #drama.

Buckle up, guys, we're in for a bumpy ride...

Love

Izzy x

Review: Izzy's story has been such a great surprise! I first downloaded the first part because it was free and I had so much fun following her first dares that as I soon as I finished reading it, I immediately pre-ordered the other 3 parts. I was a bit afraid that the second part would not keep the fast paced and super fun writing of the first part but I had no reason to be afraid. The story progresses at the perfect pace with us getting to know the New Izzy and enjoying her latest adventures.

In this part, Izzy's love life gets a bit more complicated. She went from no men in three years to kind of juggling two at the same part. I definitely have a favourite on this combo but after the ending of this part I really have no idea how the story will go. And I cannot wait to discover it!

I really enjoy reading about Izzy and her group of friends. She is such a positive presence, with the perfect touch of naiveté, which makes her end up in the most hilarious situations. I also like how their friends support her with her challenges but also with her new more confident persona. It really inspires me to say yes to new things, you never know what's waiting for you around the corner.

Rating: 5 stars

Today's is my stop for White Lies and Wishes, Cathy Bramley's latest book. A feel-good romantic comedy that's guaranteed to make you smile - perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Trisha Ashley and Katie Fforde.

Title: White Lies and Wishes

Author: Cathy Bramley

Published: January 26th 2017 by Corgi

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: What happens when what you wish for is only half the story...?

Flirtatious, straight-talking Jo Gold says she’s got no time for love; she’s determined to save her family’s failing footwear business.

New mother Sarah Hudson has cut short her maternity leave to return to work. She says she’ll do whatever it takes to make partner at the accountancy firm.

Bored, over-eating housewife Carrie Radley says she just wants to shift the pounds – she’d love to finally wear a bikini in public.

The unlikely trio meet by chance one winter’s day, and in a moment of ‘Carpe Diem’ madness, embark on a mission to make their wishes come true by September.

Easy. At least it would be, if they hadn’t been just the teensiest bit stingy with the truth…

With hidden issues, hidden talents, and hidden demons to overcome, new friends Jo, Carrie and Sarah must admit to what they really, really want, if they are ever to get their happy endings.

Review: Cathy Bramley is one of my favourite authors and her stories are always something special, so I was really excited for White Lies and Wishes. The first thing I noticed with this novel is that, for the first time, the story had three main female characters instead of only one. So I was really curious to see how the author told their separate stories but also how she intertwined them. After reading it, I can tell you that this new concept worked really well. We got to know these three different women at the right pace and after a few chapters I became really involved with their lives and I also felt very inspired by their support of each other and their joie de vivre.

Basically we've got Jo, the business woman who doesn't have time for romance; Sarah, the workaholic new mum with a stay at home husband; and Carrie, the stay at home wife who feels inferior and unworthy for her husband. They all meet a bit by chance at a funeral and when they get talking, they realise they are not happy with their lives. So they decide to make a wish and then help each other to achieve it. The wishes are a bit silly but we soon realise that there's a real wish to completely change their lives behind them. I found it a really inspiring and up-lifting idea and it really made me thing about my own life and what wish I would make and how far I would go to make it come true.

At the beginning, it was a bit difficult to like these women as characters. Basically because they didn't really like them themselves. But as I got to know them and found out what made their hearts tick, it was difficult not to warm to them and root for them. I specially liked Jo, with her fighting and superwoman suit but with a huge heart in search for a bit of love. The one that took me the longest to like was Carrie. I could not really understand the dynamics with her husband, especially as we discovered more about him too.

One thing for sure though, Cathy Bramley managed to keep me glued to the pages of White Lies and Wishes for hours. The story is a big celebration of friendship and also about learning to love yourself. I also think that it will inspire many, included me, to dream and dream big and then, actually go for it. It might not be my favourite story by Cathy Bramley but it's a great and up-lifting story that I'm sure everyone will enjoy.

Rating: 4 stars

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Today I review Historical Fiction Tale, Before the Rains: a romantic, heart-wrenching tale of love against the odds from the Number One Sunday Times bestselling author Dinah Jefferies.

Title: Before the Rains

Author: Dinah Jefferies

Published: February 23rd 2017 by Penguin

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Blurb: 1930, Rajputana, India. Since her husband's death, 28-year-old photojournalist Eliza's only companion has been her camera. When the British Government send her to an Indian princely state to photograph the royal family, she's determined to make a name for herself.

But when Eliza arrives at the palace she meets Jay, the Prince's handsome, brooding brother. While Eliza awakens Jay to the poverty of his people, he awakens her to the injustices of British rule. Soon Jay and Eliza find they have more in common than they think. But their families - and society - think otherwise. Eventually they will have to make a choice between doing what's expected, or following their hearts...

Review: Dinah Jefferies is one of my favourite historical fiction authors. Her stories are always so rich in detail and so interesting and thanks to her I always discover so much. With Before the Rains she takes us to India in the twenties. With her generous and mesmerising descriptions, it's easy to picture that era, with its rich royal families contrasting with the extreme poverty of its people.

The story focuses on Eliza, a British photographer who is assigned by the British government to spend a year photographing one of the royal families for their archives. Eliza though is not new to India, she spent her childhood there until her father's death. So as soon as she arrives there, she instantly feels a connection to that land and tries to understand the people and its customs and traditions. Some of them are completely shocking and impossible to understand but it's difficult for her (and for us) not to fall in love with this place.

The love story between Eliza and Jay, the younger brother of the Indian prince, plays a big role in the book. It's obvious from the beginning that there's something special between them but their fate is already decided by their different backgrounds and cultures. Nevertheless, you can't help but root for them. They both, as the other characters in the story, are complex and layered characters that I enjoyed getting to know immensely. Theirs is definitely a story I won't forget in a long time.

Before the Rains is not only a story about love though. There are many emotions key to the story and secrets and betrayals have a very important role in the story. The author certainly keeps some surprises in the store for us.

As usual, I can only praise Dinah Jefferies' writing. The story unwraps at the right pace, giving us enough time to take all the little details in and keeps us wondering what is going to happen next. All in all, a very complete and mesmerising read.

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a digital copy via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

Today's review is for a really special novel: A Song for Tomorrow, Alice Peterson's new book. I love Alice Peterson and her books are always unforgetable, but this one is something else. Amazing story. Read my thoughts here:

Title: A Song for Tomorrow

Author: Alice Peterson

Published: February 9th 2017 by Simon & Schuster

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Tom fell in love with Alice the moment he saw her. He realises that being with her will not be easy, but she is a force of nature, a burst of sunlight in his otherwise ordinary world.

Some people might look at Alice and think she has everything, but Alice knows she is not like other women. Her life is complicated, unpredictable, difficult. Alice does not like pity. All she wants to do, has ever wanted to do, is sing.

Alice has been told not to follow her dreams. So has Tom. But when fate has already dealt a tough hand, it’s time to stop listening to everyone else and only follow their own hearts.

Review: Since discovering Alice Peterson a few years ago, I've fallen in love with every single book she has written. Her stories always make me cry but somehow, she always manages to make feel better about life. And A Song for Tomorrow is no different in this sense, an unforgettable heart-breaking and uplifting story. But it's also so much more. I'd might even say that A Song for Tomorrow is Alice Peterson at her best.

As soon as I read the blurb, I knew this was a story like no other. It's based on the true story of Alice Martineau, whose biggest dream in life was to become a singer. Circumstances though were all against her and her dream: she had Cystic Fibrosis and a life expectancy of ten years when she was born. From the beginning of the book, you can tell how much research and care Alice Peterson put into this book. Alice is one of the most wonderful characters I have ever read and her story is definitely one not to be missed.

I really cannot imagine how hard it must be to live with CF but I do think that this book shows us a fair portrayal of it and I'm sure that it will raise awareness on this horrible disease. One thing that I found extremely inspirational and brave about the character of Alice, was how she did not let CF rule her life. It reminded me how important it is to live at the full, follow your dreams and keep fighting.

But this story was not about Alice and her disease. Far from it. It was about Alice and her life, her family, her friends, the love of her life and her music. I loved how supportive her family was and how we got to read entries from her mother's diary; this gave us a great insight on the family dynamics and how it affected them all since the beginning. And the love story between Tom and Alice was perfectly imperfect. She really deserved a good worthy man and I think she found him.

I could keep going on and on about how beautiful and amazing and up-lifting this story is but I'm gonna stop now and let you discover it for yourself. Let me tell you one last thing though, it's only January and I'm quite sure I've already found a firm contender to book of the year. Also, having read this story, I can easily understand why everyone who knew Alice Martineau was absolutely enchanted with her. What a woman, what a story!

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book to review. This is my honest opinion.