Those Pleasant Girls by Lia Weston ~ Review

Evie Pleasant, nee Bouvier, is back in town. In a figure-hugging skirt, high heels and a pin-up hairdo, she's unrecognisable from the wild child who waged war on Sweet Meadow in her youth.

She's made a promise to herself: 'No swearing. No drinking. No stealing. No fires.'

Trailing a reluctant 16-year-old daughter and armed with cake making equipment, Evie's divorce and impending poverty has made her desperate enough to return to Sweet Meadow to seduce her former partner-in-crime and start again.

But the townsfolk have long memories and the renegade ex-boyfriend is now the highly-respected pastor. Evie's cakes have a job to do. 

Those Pleasant Girls is one cool, ridiculously smiley, seriously funny, absolute blast of a book. Lia Weston is gifted at creating disastrously perfect comedic scenarios, delivering snappy, witty observations and capturing the quirky side of small town country life. 

This book reminded me of The Gilmore Girls ~ following both Evie (in her 30's) and Mary (aged 17 years). I loved Evie, whose wild child/teen memories of mishaps, shenanigans and outright bedlam-ish nature endeared her to me straight away. She is in the process of reforming herself, but is (to her chagrin) still so wickedly-inclined (the best kind of accidentally Anne Shirley kind of wicked). Mary is just as awesome ~ more pragmatic and with a wry sense of humour ~ she was a delight to read. With dual POVs of mother and daughter, Those Pleasant Girls is really accessible for fans of both YA and contemporary adult literature. Of course, there's a full cast of quirky and lovable characters ~ including some swoony goodness from one dude in particular, haha.

There were so many small lines of dialogue, sneaky introspective thoughts and mini comedic scenes that had me chuckling my way through this. I could see this as a perfect rom-com flick on the Big Screen, and like most chick flicks ~ it was a perfectly cruisey, feel good, fun read. My only drawback was a kind of mid-book lag where the plot seemed to slow down a little, but then it picked up again and I was finishing it off in the squeaky hours of the morning, grinning like a Cheshire cat into the darkness of my bedroom.

Weston has her own astute, ridiculously awesome and wicked sense of humour ~ but if I had to pair her with similar authors I would say she has a blend of Sophie Kinsella/Meg Cabot/Ellie O'Neill and a touch of the Moriarty sisters* wild whimsy. And you all know that's a winning combo for me :). Such a happy making, sunshiney, delicious book ~ perfect for those lazy days when you need to relax, smile and swoon along with the craziness and delight that Those Pleasant girls are. 


* I'm grouping those 3 faves together ~ I love them all so (Liane Moriarty, Nicola Moriarty and Jaclyn Moriarty)


Those Pleasant Girls @ goodreads

The Night That Changed Everything by Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice

Rebecca is the only girl she knows who didn't cry at the end of Titanic. Ben is the only man he knows who did. Rebecca’s untidy but Ben doesn’t mind picking up her pieces. Ben is laid back but Rebecca keeps him on his toes. They're a perfect match.

Nothing can come between them. Or so they think.

When a throwaway comment reveals a secret from the past, their love story is rewritten.

Can they recover from the night that changed everything? And how do you forgive when you can’t forget?

The Night That Changed Everything is a funny, feel-good and bittersweet story, told in alternate chapters by Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice. 

This was so, so good! I loved the characters, the leads and all their crew, and the overall storyline, which felt fresh and unexpected. This book had the perfect mix of levity, humour, and heart-in-stomach moments. I was completely swept up, equal parts swooning and bereft. 

Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice are really onto something with their alternating chapters (each author writing their male/female counterpart POV). I enjoyed their combo in their previous work as well ~ they have the right blend of humour and realism without ever getting too soppy or over-the-top ridiculous. It's authors like these and Mhairi McFarlane that have ruined me for other books in this chick-litty genre. 

I have a real love for these kinds of cruisey chick-lit novels set in the UK and spend considerable time sampling so many authors in the genre. So far these two authors and Mhairi MacFarlane are my faves! They both have a cruisey addictive feel, and manage to give real depth to their characters and stories (plus plenty of humour, swoon and unpredictability).

Also! I could not put this book down. A very addictive, unpredictable and immersive reading experience. That ending! 

Waiting for news of Jimmy Rice and Laura Tait's next novel is killing me (please let it be soon!). If you're in a romantic comedy/drama kind of mood I absolutely recommend this to you! Especially if you favour spending bookish time in the UK. This was a stand-out read of 2016 for me and a new fave - so much love for this!

The Night That Changed Everything on goodreads

Also very good and completely recommended is their (2014) debut title The Best Thing That Never Happened To Me :Everyone remembers their first love. 

Holly certainly remembers Alex. But she decided ten years ago that love wasn't about mix tapes and seizing the moment - though she's not exactly sure it's about secret dates with your boss, either. 

But what if the feelings never really went away? 
Alex wants to make every moment of his new job count. It's a fresh start in a big city, and he's almost certain that moving to London has nothing to do with Holly. Almost. 

How do you know if it was meant to be... Or never meant to happen at all? 

The Fifth Letter by Nicola Moriarty

How do you know if your friends actually like you?

Joni, Deb, Eden and Trina try to catch up once a year for some days away together. Now in their thirties, commitments have pulled them in different directions, and the closeness they once enjoyed growing up seems increasingly elusive. This year, determined to revive their intimacy, they each share a secret in an anonymous letter to be read out during the holiday. But instead of bringing them closer, the revelations seem to drive them apart. Then a fifth letter is discovered, venting long-held grudges, and it seems that one of the women is in serious danger. But who was the author? And which of them should be worried?

THE FIFTH LETTER examines the bonds of women's friendship groups, and the loyalty and honesty they demand, along with letting go of relationships that once seemed essential but are now outgrown.

A new Nicola Moriarty! I have read and loved Nicola's previous two novels. Free-Falling was charming and whimsical and Paper Chains was mysterious and emotional and both have been highlights of my reading life. I have been hanging out for Nicola's latest, even more so when Mands from The Bookish Manicurist emailed to say she was loving it and it was Nicola's best book yet. 

The Fifth letter has a captivating opener which grabbed my attention and then held it resulting in me having to stop everything I had planned for the next 24 hours until I had finished the book. It is one of those up-all-night, can't-put-it-down books, the pacing and reveals sprinkled throughout only adding to the tension and need-to-know-answers vibe. The Fifth Letter has a much stronger mystery/suspense angle than Nicola's previous novels. It definitely sucked me in (evidenced by the speed in which I tore through it) but I did miss the more character-driven aspect that I loved in her first novels. I enjoyed reading about these characters, but I didn't fall in love with them. 

I love that amongst the twists and suspense and reveals, Nicola still writes with a touch of whimsy and smiley surprise. She has a flair for sneaking in little details which play out in deliciously satisfying ways. The novel touches on some heavier topics and humour is used in all the right places to add levity and charm. 

I thought I had things figured out a few times throughout the novel, but the rabbit's hole always went deeper and I love how I thought things were headed one way and then they perfectly maneouvered somewhere else ~ somewhere better, more interesting and unexpected. It really was the mystery and reveals that kept me glued to the pages. 

The novel centres around four women who have been friends since high school and as the story unfolds there are numerous flashbacks to teenage years, making this a perfect novel for fans of both young adult and adult fiction.

The Fifth Letter is brilliantly plotted with sneaky reveals and a really fun (unexpected) climax and ending that left me smiling and content with time well spent. I am so happy Australia has fun and unique authors such as Nicola Moriarty and am (as always) looking forward to what Nicola has for readers next.

The Fifth Letter is available everywhere now :)

The Fifth Letter @ goodreads
The Fifth Letter @ HarperCollins Australia (including free excerpt)
Nicola Moriarty's website

The Fifth Letter: Australian, US and UK editions. Available everywhere now.

Many thanks to HarperCollins for my gorgeous review copy!

3 Mini Reviews (a thriller, a chick lit & a YA)

3 Mini reviews: a thriller, a chick lit and a YA ... walked into a bar, haha. Ahh, amusing myself :)

The Girl on the Train

'Gripping, enthralling - a top-notch thriller and a compulsive read' S J WATSON, bestselling author of Before I Go To Sleep

Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She’s even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. ‘Jess and Jason’, she calls them. Their life – as she sees it – is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough.

Now everything’s changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she’s only watched from afar.

Sometimes you know a book is objectively very good but it is not the book for you. 

This is not one of those times. 

I was so bored while reading The Girl on the Train I am genuinely baffled at how most people have found this to be suspenseful and riveting. I read on, hoping for a plot twist or something that would blow my mind. I anticipated up-all-night reading and a deliciously satisfying book hangover. 

Instead I got (mostly unlikable) unreliable narrators, a sprinkling of red herrings and carefully doled out information (held back by a main character having selective amnesia) and a very ordinary reveal that made me wish I had listened to my gut and abandoned this 25% in (which is when I could no longer deny I was finding things tedious and boring).

Hawkins does do a good job at setting things up and at making you glad you are living your ordinary suburban life and are not one of her heroines. I genuinely felt for Rachel and the depiction of alcoholism was painfully bleak and harrowing. as far as psychological thrillers go, my fave author remains Honey Brown.

I am obviously the outlier on this, so you should probably still give it a go (it is one of the biggest buzz books capturing people's attention so far this year).

Written in the Stars by Ali Harris
Bea Bishop is horrible at making decisions. Forget big life ones, even everyday choices seem to paralyse her. She's learned to live with this because experience has taught her that it doesn't matter what you do, no one has the power to control destiny. Anyone who believes they can is a fool. 

But as her wedding day approaches, her years of indecision are weighing heavily on her, and she can't help but wonder, 'What if, what if, what if….' 

What if she hadn't upped sticks and moved to London? What if she hadn't grabbed the first job that came along and settled down with the first guy who showed an interest? But all of her questions are silenced when she slips while walking down the aisle and is knocked unconscious. In this split second her life splits into two: in one existence, Bea flees back down the aisle and out of the church. In the other she glides blissfully towards her intended.
But which story will lead to her happily ever after?

Ali Harris handled the logistics of Written in The Stars so amazingly. It is a 'Sliding Doors' concept where we get to see two future timelines played out: one where Bea marries the guy, the other where she leaves him standing at the altar (and explores the possibility of love with an old flame). It was always clear to me which timeline I was following and I loved the creativity in the way the story lines crisscrossed, not just for our MC, but also for her family and friends (whose lives unfolded differently in each timeline). It could not have been easy to map out this concept yet Harris makes it an effortless read. It was also not predictable as to how it would all end (which was a huge drive for reading on).

Having said all that ~ I personally just didn't connect to the characters and the overall writing style. I love the idea of the chick lit genre* but am ridiculously bored or fickle with it, liking the beginning and then fizzing out part way through (not specifically talking about this book here as boring).

If the premise of Written in the Star intrigues you, and you love this genre, it's definitely a book you should scout out and see what you think (the ratings on GR are high, you guys)

* I gotta say, I don't even know if I am applying the classification chick-lit correctly half the time. Is that a thing? And, if so, should it be hyphenated (lol ~ but seriously, that part's important)? I am so clueless here. 

Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

Jersey Cameron has always loved a good storm. Watching the clouds roll in and the wind pick up. Smelling the electricity in the air. Dancing barefoot in the rain. She lives in the Midwest, after all, where the weather is sure to keep you guessing. Jersey knows what to do when the tornado sirens sound. But she never could have prepared for this.

When her town is devastated by a tornado, Jersey loses everything. As she struggles to overcome her grief, she's sent to live with relatives she hardly knows-family who might as well be strangers. In an unfamiliar place, can Jersey discover that even on the darkest of days, there are some things no tornado can destroy?

In this powerful and poignant novel, acclaimed author Jennifer Brown delivers a story of love, loss, hope, and survival.

The set-up, opener and first half of this book is stunning and mesmerising. The storm (hurricane) is captured so powerfully as a massive force of nature and it was brilliant to be in this electrifying and all-encompassing wild weather event alongside our teen MC, Jersey. Who doesn't love a good storm, hey? It wasn't just the storm that drew me in: the writing is nuanced and engaged all my senses. 

Then there's the storm fall-out. Jersey was alone during the storm and she sets out to see if her mum, sister, step-dad and friends survived. There were a lot of casualties and this was heart-in-your-mouth heartbreaking, to see the wreckage and grief of an entire community. 

No spoilers here but midway the book changes direction as Jersey's life is turned upside down from the events of the storm and she can no longer live at home so she is sent to live with her estranged maternal grandparents. 

This is where things fell apart for me. I felt muddled as if I was reading two books ~ one where there is an amazing natural disaster and heartbreaking fall-out. The other (second half) where there was some over-the-top villainous style family issues that had me scratching my head (metaphorically, haha) and disengaging as a reader. The relationships felt bizarre, the character were caricatures with motivations I could not fathom and the pacing and general story arc felt really confusing to me at this point (where was all this headed and what is this book even about!!?!). I wish the book had focused more on Jersey and the storm and picking up the pieces after and not added all these weird family dynamics and theatrics.

I don't often review books that don't work for me. I really like shouting-out about all my faves and sharing the book love. But, I also like to have bit of book chat when books don't work for me, for whatever reasons. 

What's the last book you read that you just couldn't connect to?

Reluctantly Charmed by Ellie O'Neill

Kate McDaid is listing her new-year’s resolutions hoping to kick-start her rather stagnant love life and career when she gets some very strange news. To her surprise, she is the sole benefactor of a great great-great-great aunt and self-proclaimed witch also called Kate McDaid, who died over 130 years ago. As if that isn’t strange enough, the will instructs that, in order to receive the inheritance, Kate must publish seven letters, one by one, week by week.

Burning with curiosity, Kate agrees and opens the first letter – and finds that it’s a passionate plea to reconnect with the long-forgotten fairies of Irish folklore. Almost instantaneously, Kate’s life is turned upside down. Her romantic life takes a surprising turn and she is catapulted into the public eye.

As events become stranger and stranger – and she discovers things about herself she’s never known before – Kate must decide whether she can fulfil her great-aunt’s final, devastating request ... and whether she can face the consequences if she doesn’t.

Witty, enchanting and utterly addictive, Reluctantly Charmed is about what happens when life in the fast lane collides with the legacy of family, love and its possibilities … and a little bit of magic. 

Did you read that blurb? lovelove. First the cover (and title) snatched me and then the blurb had me hooked. I love finding books that I've heard nothing about and taking them home with me along with the promise of finding something special.

This Irish chick-lit(ish) tale has small elements of magical realism and a fun vibe that's a smidgen reminiscent of Sophie Kinsella/Meg Cabot (that's the best I can think to describe the style, with it's humour and quirky protag and her family and friends, but it's still not quite the perfect descriptor as O'Neill has her own distinct flavour going on). 

Reluctantly Charmed is whimsical with a plot that is wild in it's vision and escalating drama. I loved that about it (the unharnessed charm, marching along to it's own Irish beat). The setting is charming (Dublin! and then countryside Ireland!). 

I loved the off-beat vibe that felt distinctly Irish (and otherworldly to this Aussie girl here) ~ from it's rowdy pubs to it's superstitious folklore of eras gone by. Who wouldn't want to be charmed by the possibility of fairies. But not all fairies are good, or are they even real? There's an element of the unknown with foreshadowing on certain characters and there's also manic momentum as each successive letter is published, bringing with them more bedlam, uncertainty and promise.

There is a hot Irish-charm-swoon guy (which I would have welcomed more pages devoted to him, haha). He's a little elusive but brings all that sexual tension and leaves it in his wake.

My one criticism, for me as a reader, is even though the plot was always moving forward and all elements/scenes felt essential, there was just so many threads going on that it really cluttered things up towards the end and seemed to make the ending drag out a little and events take forever to finally unfold. Although, this could have been reader's anxiety ~ desperate to power through and see how the climax explodes all over the place and how the resolution would tie up (you will not guess it, guys). 

I love how unexpected the whole book is and it's effortless smiley, breezy style with a wholly original premise (although some elements touched on chick-lit tropes). And that wicked ending! Woah ~ beautiful mix of surreal and real, perfect and painful, sexy and surprising. One minute I was grinning away, smashing through the pages and the next I was startled and genuinely touched...

I liked it, truly, a lot. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about getting back to reading it. And when I was reading it, often post-midnight and drowsy in bed, I was forcing my eyelids open to keep going in true book-addict-just-one-more-page style. Pumped to see what Ellie O'Neill has next and so glad to have found a new fave author <3

Australian cover

International cover

Both covers are stunning! The Aussie one even has little 3D sparkly fairies on it (which you can't see through your screen, haha ~ they are not the white fairies you see, they're even tinier and sprinkled about) 

Which cover do you like best?

Kristan Higgins: Three Reviews

I've talked about Kristan Higgins on the blog before (Reviews of My One and Only, Too Good To be True, Until there Was You). She's a kind of rainy day, feel good, swoony romance author. The first book in the Blue Heron series, The Best Man, is my fave book of hers so far -- I really surprised myself with how much I loved it last year.

She's a prolific writer, there's lots to choose from in her backlist. Here's reviews of her two most recent titles, and a 2010 title.

The Next Best Thing

Lucy Lang isn't looking for fireworks...

She's looking for a nice, decent man. Someone who'll mow the lawn, flip chicken on the barbecue, teach their future children to play soccer. But most important: someone who won't inspire the slightest stirring in her heart...or anywhere else. A young widow, Lucy can't risk that kind of loss again. But sharing her life with a cat named Fat Mikey and the Black Widows at the family bakery isn't enough either. So it's goodbye to Ethan, her hot but entirely inappropriate "friend with privileges," and hello to a man she can marry. 

Too bad Ethan Mirabelli isn't going anywhere. As far as he's concerned, what she needs might be right under her nose. But can he convince her that the next best thing can really be forever?

I was suddenly ridiculously excited to see a new Higgins book on netgalley. It wasn't until I was a little way in that I realised this is an older book (2010) repackaged with a more contemporary cover (I am definitely liking the new cover schemes a lot more than Higgins earlier work). 

I really liked how Higgins detoured from her usual set-up here. The Next Best Thing felt fresh and different and, perhaps, less of a romantic set-up and more of a contemporary novel with romance. Lucy is a young widow grieving her husband -- and Ethan is her brother-in-law. This set-up has all kinds of tension but Higgins takes her time laying the groundwork. She takes her sweet time -- everyone (readers and characters) can see the way Ethan feels, everyone except for Lucy (who casually, blindly uses Ethan for sexytimes). 

It's Ethan that got to me in this one. He's such a genuine guy who's been shafted so many times. And he stoically bears it all. Well, most the time :) He's also cute, swoony, cheeky and sweet (just an FYI) I loved watching their relationship, from present day, to the beginning, flashbacks and memories. I really wanted more from Lucy. She was grieving, sure, but she was so blind and clueless! Ethan was the highlight of this story and I found my attention wandering when he didn't have any page time. I felt he should forget about Lucy and find someone else who is completely into him. And it's never a good sign when the reader (me) is no longer rooting for the heroine (sorry!).

I did enjoy this for the most part, but am super hopeful for more of Higgin's future work -- she's was so impressing in The Best Man that I feel she's grown tremendously as a writer since this book :)

The Next Best Thing @ goodreads

The Next Best Thing is available now

The Perfect Match (Blue Heron #2)

Honor Holland has just been unceremoniously rejected by her lifelong crush. And now—a mere three weeks later—Mr. Perfect is engaged to her best friend. But resilient, reliable Honor is going to pick herself up, dust herself off and get back out there… or she would if dating in Manningsport, New York, population 715, wasn't easier said than done. 

Charming, handsome British professor Tom Barlow just wants to do right by his unofficial stepson, Charlie, but his visa is about to expire. Now Tom must either get a green card or leave the States—and leave Charlie behind. 

In a moment of impulsiveness, Honor agrees to help Tom with a marriage of convenience—and make her ex jealous in the process. But juggling a fiancé, hiding out from her former best friend and managing her job at the family vineyard isn't easy. And as sparks start to fly between Honor and Tom, they might discover that their pretend relationship is far too perfect to be anything but true love….

The Perfect Match is the classic 'fake marriage' set-up. I love the tension and scenarios that can crop up from this set-up. Especially when there is one gorgeous British guy on the scene, Tom. 

Look, straight up, it's hard from me to review this one because I have some mixed feelings, some of which may come from how much I loved the first book in this series, The Best Man. Honor is introduced in The Best Man -- and not in the most favourable of ways. I wanted to get under her skin, though, and believed in Higgins ability to work her magic. 

Even being inside Honor's head, I still found her slightly stand-offish and hard to know (although I felt quite familiar with her aging eggs, haha *eye roll*). I found Tom even more of an enigma. He cared a lot for his son, and had an English accent (always appealing, IMO) but I never truly believed his love for Honor was real and true and deep (lust, sure, love, I don't know?)

On one hand, The Perfect Match ticks all the boxes of a satisfying and fun chick-lit romance. It was swoony and fun and the pages flew by. Sexual tension was rampant. It was cute, for sure. On the other hand, I really wanted to be emotionally invested in Tom and Honor. Perhaps unfairly of me as I was coming off a real emotional connection in Faith and Levi's story in the first Blue Heron book so I raised my expectations higher than what I normally expect of this genre. 

The end result is: I had fun reading this book, there were some great swoony moments and it delivered as a rainy afternoon smiley romance but I still felt a bit let down as I wanted more, somehow. 

The Perfect Match @ goodreads

The Perfect Match is available now

Waiting on You (Blue Heron #3)

Does being nobody's fool mean that you're nobody's love?

Colleen O'Rourke is in love with love... just not when it comes to herself. Most nights, she can be found behind the bar at the Manningsport, New York, tavern she owns with her twin brother, doling out romantic advice to the lovelorn, mixing martinis and staying more or less happily single. See, ten years ago, Lucas Campbell, her first love, broke her heart... an experience Colleen doesn't want to have again, thanks. Since then, she's been happy with a fling here and there, some elite-level flirting and playing matchmaker to her friends.

But a family emergency has brought Lucas back to town, handsome as ever and still the only man who's ever been able to crack her defenses. Seems like maybe they've got some unfinished business waiting for them—but to find out, Colleen has to let her guard down, or risk losing a second chance with the only man she's ever loved.

Waiting on You is the third book in the Heron series. I was excited (started the moment it downloaded on my kindle) but cautious on beginning. My fave ever Higgins book is the first book in this series (The Best Man) but I didn't connect all that strongly with the 2nd book in the series (maybe a case if suddenly too high expectations?). As for this one -- Higgins is back in fine form. It doesn't rival The Best Man for my fave spot (Faith and Levi are just too awesome) but it delivers so much of Higgins trademark swoon and readability. 

Colleen has a strong personality. She's tough and friendly and seemingly indestructable, but underneath that she's still harbouring hurt from her first real love -- ten years on and she's never moved on, not really, not in her heart. But she's not ready to let him back in, especially as she loves him too much to risk a fling. As for Lucas. He's gorgeous, all pirate and swoony, and he has this achey past, making him vulnerable under his tough, unreadable exterior. It's a killer combo in a male lead. The tension between these two is fantastic. Perfect amount of smiley, grin-worthy, sigh-worthy scenes. The chemistry is palpable, and that is what Higgins does best (thank you!).

I loved watching our leads get together -- that's what always draws me to Higgins work, she has the magic touch with creating tension and swoon between her leads. I also loved how we get both perspectives -- Higgins really works that device to advantage, keeping me clicking through my kindle 'just one more chapter...' I liked the time I spent with them (I can say that for most of Higgins couples), but I do not think they will be one of my more memorable Higgins couple.

I do sometimes find Higgins subplots tiresome. I get that the families in this small town feature in all the books and are being revisited, but occasionally they are just too kooky/ridiculous/repetitive (with their interactions) for my taste. Maybe this is just a humour preference? Regardless, I will still be coming back for more Higgins as she fills her little romancey niche quite nicely. 

Waiting on you @ goodreads

Waiting on You is available from March 25 2014

My fave of these three is Waiting on You. 
Have you read Kristan Higgins? Do you have a fave?
Haven't read her yet but like contemporary romance?
I recommend The Best Man as a fab starting point

Thanks to Harlequin HQN and Netgalley for these digital review copies :)

Five Recent Reads I've loved #minireviews

I really love evangelising about favourite new reads. Time constraints mean I often neglect reviewing so many books I read (oh, man, I am so guilty of this). These five books are recent favourites that I loved and devoured. I've written basic little mini reviews for each one and I so sincerely hope you might find a new favourite here, too :) -- It's been such a great reading year for me so far...

The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding

This was refreshingly addictive with a great vibe. 

Mostly, I loved Devan's voice in this. She was so fun to read. This contemporary YA has moving to a new school , getting to know (or not) an estranged mum, a huge musical element (I don't even like musicals-- well, I sometimes like the stories, I just don't like the bits where the people sing, haha--, but I loved this book). 

This was fun and breezy with some high emotional moments to give it some depth. Very much looking forward to Amy Spalding's next book (out later this year!) Ink is Thicker Than Water. 

Prodigy by Marie Lu

This series is shaping up to be one of my fave YA dystopians. 

I loved being back in June and Day's world. Despite the very real danger and the stakes rising, there is also a lot of fun to be had. I had forgotten how much I love both June and Day. In particular, Day is such a sympathetic character, layered, tough but sensitive, and he is pitched against his friends and I really felt for him. I really like him, yeah? (haha). 

Things get complicated and loyalties are tested and there's plot twists and a very enigmatic and compelling new Elector Primo, Anden. Who can you trust? There's a bit of a cliffie, but I loved it. It was a punch in the guts kind of ending and I am so hanging out for the final book. 

*I read this with my good friend, Nic. We both loved it and had a lot of fun.

Falling For You by Lisa Schroeder

 I love Lisa Schroeder. She is on my auto-buy list of favourite authors.I bought this without realising it is her debut non-verse (regular prose with some poems scattered throughout) book. I also saw mixed reviews before beginning. I am SO happy to say I am on the LOVE side. 

What a completely heart-felt little book this is. My heart broke and I was full of hope and well wishes for our the lovely Rae. I got swept into this story and even shed a tear or two :) Also, Schroeder's prose is just gorgeous. I love her writing and her themes and the way she brought light into darkness.  

Warning: I think both the blurb and the cover of this are unfortunately misleading. It's not a kissy romance book. It's also not about one typical story just dealing with abuse. ALSO the first 100 pages might begin as cliché  but the plot veers right of in it's own unique and unexpected direction. I would love to see more people find this quietly awesome gem of a book.

Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas

My first Lisa Kleypas, you guys! This is a historical romance and it was deliciously fun and addictive. I often struggle with this genre, but Kleypas had just the right amount of tension and romance coupled with enough back story to make me actually care for the characters. 

The leads in this one are the kind of antagonistic coupling where they goad each other on in this love/hate kind of thing. She's wild and fun and unpredictable and he's a hot and brooding alpha male type. It's also just a little bit hot ;)

I'll be reading more Kleypas, and very soon.

Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay 

Oh, mate, I really loved this romantic verse novel from Sarah Tregay. It was fun and cute and swoony and just a delicious rainy-day feel good read. 

From the cover and so many swoony and favourable reviews I expected it to be all that, but I didn't anticipate just how addictive it would be, and how much I would grin and sigh my way through it. So recommended. I read this on my kindle but am itching to buy a copy for my shelves (hopefully a paperback will be released). SO GOOD.    

Have you read any of these? Or are you planning too?

What's a recent new favourite book you've read?

Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham

A charming and laugh-out-loud novel by Lauren Graham, beloved star of Parenthood and Gilmore Girls, about an aspiring actress trying to make it in mid-nineties New York City.

Franny Banks is a struggling actress in New York City, with just six months left of the three year deadline she gave herself to succeed. But so far, all she has to show for her efforts is a single line in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters and a degrading waitressing job. She lives in Brooklyn with two roommates-Jane, her best friend from college, and Dan, a sci-fi writer, who is very definitely not boyfriend material-and is struggling with her feelings for a suspiciously charming guy in her acting class, all while trying to find a hair-product cocktail that actually works. Meanwhile, she dreams of doing "important" work, but only ever seems to get auditions for dishwashing liquid and peanut butter commercials. It's hard to tell if she'll run out of time or money first, but either way, failure would mean facing the fact that she has absolutely no skills to make it in the real world. Her father wants her to come home and teach, her agent won't call her back, and her classmate Penelope, who seems supportive, might just turn out to be her toughest competition yet. Someday, Someday, Maybe is a funny and charming debut about finding yourself, finding love, and, most difficult of all, finding an acting job.

I love the premise of the book (struggling actress! peanut butter commercials! charming guy in acting class! room-mates!) and I adore Lauren Graham (of Gilmore Girls fame). This book called out to me as a comfort read: cute and smiley and fun with a bit of angst thrown in.

This book was (as the blurb promises) CHARMING. Franny is delightfully charming, slightly quirky and kind of all over the place. She has the best of intentions and clings to her dreams... yet is constantly floundering - she's in danger of losing her waitressing job, her auditions never quite go as planned, others around her seems to be getting all the breaks.

Despite, at times, loving the narration, I felt Franny's asides started to weigh the story down and some scenes took a while to get through. At 30% in I felt like the book was only just getting started and I was kind of on the edge of my seat waiting for the plot to take off, but just as it did, the book ended. 

It's a catch 22 for me: I love how Graham narrates, but the narration really bogged down the plot. Which meant even as I adored certain whimsical and charming scenes, the story as whole did not enchant me as I had hoped it would. I guess I love Graham's writing and the charm of it all, but wanted more from the story. More swoon, more stakes, more action. 

Still. It was a lovely way to spend my afternoon. A breezy kind of chick lit read which I couldn't help but cast Lauren Graham herself as Franny. If you are a fan of chick lit and/or Lauren Graham you should definitely check this out for a relaxing and smiley Sunday afternoon read. 

many thanks to Random House & netgalley for my review copy

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

Cecilia Fitzpatrick, devoted mother, successful Tupperware business owner and efficient P&C President, has found a letter from her husband.

For my wife, Cecilia Fitzpatrick
To be opened in the event of my death

but Cecilia's husband isn't dead, he's on a business trip. And when she questions him about it on the phone, Cecilia senses something she hasn't experienced before, John-Paul is lying. 

What happens next changes Cecilia's formerly blissful suburban existence forever, and the consequences will be life-changing for the most unexpected people. 

I love the premise and inspiration for this novel:

Two years ago Liane Moriarty stumbled upon a fascinating article about real life deathbed confessions. She learned about Christian Spurling, who confessed on his deathbed to faking a notorious photo of the Loch Ness Monster. There was a famous songwriter who was dying of cancer and wrote a letter admitting, after years of adamant denials, that she had plagiarized a lullaby melody. Then there was the hapless man who, after suffering a stroke, confessed he’d killed his neighbour thirty years earlier. The only problem was that he didn’t end up dying. After he was released from hospital he went straight to jail. 

This article helped inspire Sydney-based Liane to write her latest novel, The Husband's Secret which we are publishing in April.  

Cecilia Fitzpatrick, Sydney wife, mother and P&C President, discovers her husband has a secret so dark it could destroy her blissfully ordinary suburban existence. We all have secrets. But not like this… The Husband’s Secret is a stunning, complex novel guaranteed to cause debate and controversy. This book will have everyone asking, “What would I do?” (taken from Pan Macmillan's press release)

Some of the best highlights of my reading life over the last 7 years (it was in 2005 that I stumbled upon Three Wishes, an all time fave) has been snapping open a new Liane Moriarty. My love for her prose and characters and unique stories brings with it high expectations. You guys, I am SO EXCITED to be sharing my review of this book with you as there has never been a better time to get with the program. The Husband's Secret was so divinely awesome, so surprising, so deliciously funny and genuinely heartfelt that it seriously blew me away, me - a devout fan with sky-high expectations.

So you think you know what this book could be about? Think again. It is so mysterious  and even after the Big Reveal (ie the reading of the letter) it's even more unexpected and surprising. Even more addictive. How does she do it? Liane has a niche on the market for intelligent women's fiction ~ utterly original, superbly creative and just so good, so good.

This book had the magic combo for me: that feeling of wanting to rush ahead and devour it all, desperately hanging out for the reveal, and also wanting to slow down and savour all it's brilliance. (confession: I decided to savour this book. 24 hours after cracking open that first chapter I was done. I couldn't stop thinking about when I had to tear myself away, and I'm still thinking about it now.)

I love so much about Liane's books. But I often find myself in a scatterbrained mess trying to articulate just how brilliant they are. Here's a few points :)

1. The storytelling! Moriarty is a master storyteller weaving together three perspectives which eventually criss-cross each other paths. It has that gorgeous touch of whimsy, coincidence and fate. It's also insanely addictive storytelling - reveals in just the right places, humour sprinkled in perfectly alongside the heartbreak  the tension building and the climax exploding. 

2. The humour is so delightful, it's wicked and empathetic and intelligent and smiley and it just nails it, every time. 

3. The characters. They come to life in such a way that they are lovable even in their unlovable moments. I truly was invested in them. I felt their sorrow and ached alongside them <3

4. Those swoony moments. With a few deft sentences, the romance in this book just had my heart, it also left me bereft (but hopeful) at times. Which is the perfect kind of love stories, all good and bad and swoony and unpredictable.

5. The Sydney (and Melbourne) setting. Just gorgeous. So spot on, I could feel myself walking along those streets and doing the school run. 

6. The more I was drawn into the book, the more I got caught up in the shades of grey. And wondering just what was the right thing to do? How was Liane going to make this whole thing turn out? The answer is: in an unexpected and unforgettable way...

I recommend this book so much. I am excited for it to be out, excited for everyone to read it. And already hanging out for my next Liane Moriarty fix.

The Husband's Secret is available in Australia now :)
The Husband's Secret @ goodreads
The Husband's Secret @ Pan Macmillan 

(Also available for preorder from The Book Depository for non-Aussies)

Thanks ever so much to Pan Macmillan for the review copy

Paper Chains by Nicola Moriarty

A heart-warming story of love, friendship and forgiveness - and the crazy twists of fate that shape our lives…

Hannah and India are new best friends. Although true friendship means always telling each other the truth, doesn’t it…?

Hannah, you see, is running from her life back in Sydney. Now in London, she’s trying to put the past behind her, and finding this amazing new friend is a positive step forward. If only she could stop punishing herself for what she did.

India knows Hannah is hiding something big, and she’s determined to figure it out. Fast.

Because India has a secret of her own… One that is currently sealed in a love letter that’s making its journey across Europe in the most unconventional way.Before it reaches its destination, can India help Hannah learn to forgive herself? And will Hannah wake up and realise that India needs rescuing too …?

Free Falling, Nicola Moriarty's debut, was on my absolute favourites last year (and now on my all time favourites list) so I was so stoked that her sophomore novel released so soon after (and, after reading it, my appetite is whet for so much more of her work. Please keep those books coming!)

Paper chains has so much cool going for it:

• Set in London! And Australia :) and other snippetty travel scenes and flashbacks.
• Two mysterious girls (ladies) both holding secrets. What is going on?
• Those gorgeous moments of serendipity that I adore.
• Chain letters.
• Prose that you sink Ito, sentiments perfectly captured.
• Most ever so importantly, characters to care about. To get under your skin. Two gorgeous girls, so different. And all their worlds (including their sexy, at times, estranged men) and family.

It also has bone crushing moments of absolute despair. At times, I felt it was hard to breathe, smothered with the weight of it. Paper Chains tackles some very real, and very depressing issues. But Moriarty would bring flashes of whimsy and the shyest of smiles to lighten the load.

There were moments of silliness and absolute charm. Flashbacks to the cutest and sexiest of meet-cutes (crazily love that Luna park scene). And then there was complete devastation and broken-heartedness of the kind that you are not sure anyone can ever really recover from.

There's a rare moment where I go from being cocooned in a fictional story and soaking it up, to suddenly realizing I have completely placed myself in the story and am crying right alongside the characters. This book didn't just include certain issues, it feels like the author poured her soul and ever fibre of her emotions into bringing Hannah's feelings to the page. It was, at times, unrelenting and eye opening. It kind of ripped me wide open.

Now for the cheesy confession: I don't like to wax poetic about reading being therapeutic or whatever. I honestly read because I happen to love reading, but Paper Chains went above and beyond and I felt so liberated, so affirmed after finishing. From things I didn't even realize I was holding onto. Failures or perceived failures. Secret thoughts and pressures. Doubts and expectations. I just felt like everything is okay, is going to be okay, and life is good. Those final chapters with Hannah were just perfect. And India, just LOVE.

I am sorry to be cryptic but I don't want to spoil anything in any way.

I so thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had the perfect little addictive pull that my favourite reading experiences require. It had so much emotion and heart and just the perfect amount of whimsy. It had characters I am still buzzing about and I will, for sure, be revisiting it again soon and passing my copy onto all my fave reading buddies, who I only pass the absolute best books on to :)

Paper Chains is on my favourites list for 2013 and my favourites list for always.

Paper Chains @ goodreads

Paper Chains was released February 1 in Australia and is available now :)

While we're talking about Nicola Moriarty: What do you think of the new cover for Free-Falling? I have the original blue and purple one (which is gorgeous) but am so tempted by the new pink and yellow cover, it's so sunshiny and just draws my attention.

So many thanks to Random House Australia and Netgalley for my review copy