* Review Requests *

                      Review Requests

Hello everyone! I will only be accepting paperback copies for reviews! If you would like me to review a book for you, please feel free to contact me via my email address thebookworm88@gmail.com and I will send you my postal address!


Thank you!

Victoria x

The Little French Guest House - Helen Pollard

Author - Helen Pollard

Release date - 28th April 2016

 



Blurb

 

Sun, croissants and fine wine. Nothing can spoil the perfect holiday. Or can it?

When Emmy Jamieson arrives at La Cour des Roses, a beautiful guesthouse in the French countryside, she can’t wait to spend two weeks relaxing with boyfriend Nathan. Their relationship needs a little TLC and Emmy is certain this holiday will do the trick. But they’ve barely unpacked before he scarpers with Gloria, the guesthouse owner’s cougar wife.

Rupert, the ailing guesthouse owner, is shell-shocked. Feeling somewhat responsible, and rather generous after a bottle (or so) of wine, heartbroken Emmy offers to help. Changing sheets in the gîtes will help keep her mind off her misery.

Thrust into the heart of the local community, Emmy suddenly finds herself surrounded by new friends. And with sizzling hot gardener Ryan and the infuriating (if gorgeous) accountant Alain providing welcome distractions, Nathan is fast becoming a distant memory.

Fresh coffee and croissants for breakfast, feeding the hens in the warm evening light; Emmy starts to feel quite at home. But it would be madness to walk away from her friends, family, and everything she’s ever worked for, to take a chance on a place she fell for on holiday – wouldn’t it?

 

Review

4/5

 

This book was so lovely to read! It is exactly what it says on the cover ' The perfect summer read!'

 

At the very beginning of this book we are introduced to our leading lady Emmy who is on holiday with her long term boyfriend Nathan. They decided to book this perfect little guest house for their vacation in the hope of reconnecting with one another. When they arrive they meet the Owners of the guesthouse Rupert and Gloria. Things go wrong for poor Emmy pretty quickly as Rupert collapses in the kitchen, so she runs to find Gloria and call for help when she stumbles upon Nathan and Gloria up to no good on the roof terrace!. Soon after this sorry ordeal, Nathan ups and leaves with Gloria, leaving Emmy and Rupert in each others company.

 

From this point on we are introduced to a large array of characters, including Ryan, Sophie, and Alain, all of which have unique personalities which blend so perfectly into the story and all have their own part to play in the happiness of both Emmy and Rupert. It is almost impossible not to like the characters we meet throughout this book! Apart from Nathan and Gloria of course, but I am sure that is allowed! ;)

 

The friendship between Emmy and Rupert is most definitely my favourite part of this story, it is so beautifully written, and you really are made to feel as though you know the characters and that you can connect and relate to them and their feelings in some way,  which helps you understand why they act the ways in which they do.

 

The author also does an exceptional job of setting the scene throughout the whole book! I felt as though I could picture the guesthouse perfectly in my head, along with the surrounding lands and the local town.

 

There is a perfect level of romance throughout this book, however I would have loved to have seen a little more between Emmy and Alain!

 

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a feel good, romantic story! It is so easy to read, yet you don't want to put it down!.

 

 

I was kindly given a copy of this book to review via NetGalley

 



 

* Book Review* Traveling Left of Centre by Nancy Christie

 

Traveling left of centre

by Nancy Christie

 

 

 

""Girl," my mama had said to me the minute she entered my hospital room, "on the highway of life, you're always traveling left of center." (from "Traveling Left of Center)" What happens when people face life situations for which they are emotionally or mentally unprepared? They may choose to allow fate to dictate the path they take-a decision that can lead to disastrous results. The characters in "Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories" are unable or unwilling to seize control over their lives, relying instead on coping methods that range from the passive ("The Healer") and the aggressive ("The Clock") to the humorous ("Traveling Left of Center") and hopeful ("Skating on Thin Ice"). But the outcomes may not be what they anticipated or desired. Will they have time to correct their course or will they crash? Included in this collection of short stories are the critically acclaimed Alice in Wonderland and Annabelle

 

 

My Rating - 4/5

 

A book filled with so many short stories is not normally my book choice, but I thoroughly enjoyed Nancy's collection of stories gathered together!

 

Although the stories are heart-breaking, emphasizing some of the darkest places in peoples minds and within their lives, they were riveting and held your attention throughout.

Relationships are the general theme of this book, Marriage issues are raised in the brilliantly written 'Exit Row' and 'The Clock'. A daughter feeling trapped by her mother ' Alice in Wonderland' is another fantastically written story which grasps you from start to finish.

 

What makes these stories fantastic to read is the diversity Nancy includes. Not only in how each character responds to the pressures they are put under, but the scenarios in which they appear.

 

My personal favourite throughout this collection of stories was 'The Storyteller'. This story is based around a woman who reads stories to very sick children in hospital, and it is a truly moving tale!.

 

Nancy has written this book beautifully, with so much detail put in to every characters personality which makes you feel very attached to all the stories!

I would definitely recommend you give this book a read! It's highly addictive! 

 

I would like to thank Nancy for kindly sending me a copy of her book for my honest opinion.

 

 



* Book Review * Stop The World by Sherry Mayes

 

 

Stop the world

By Sherry Mayes

 

 

 

Set in the dusty desert town of Cedarville, North California, beauty queen, Jody Angel Taylor believes her life is all mapped out: glamorous, clever and popular, and due to marry her handsome boyfriend, she has it all. Until one night she has a devastating car crash, ending up paralyzed - and her perfect world collapses. Committing media suicide and publicly blamed for her own accident, everything around her falls apart. She becomes a lonely recluse, feeling she’s lost everything including her legs - her boyfriend to her best friend, her father to an affair, her mother to depression - but above all she fears losing her mind. What she doesn’t know is that someone across the globe is about to throw her a lifeline. Can she find the courage to take it? Determined to love again and clear her name, she embarks on a new adventure that will transform her life beyond all expectations

 

 

Rating - 5/5

 

I have to admit, I wasn't too sure if this book was going to hook me, but I was definitely wrong!

17 year old Jody seemed to have the everything going for her, she is a beauty queen with an amazing boyfriend and a great group of friends (or so she believes)... until one day her whole life crumples around her when she is involved in a crash after meeting her friend and is paralyzed. Whilst she is in hospital recovering, she discovers all is not well with her wonderful boyfriend, and finds out via social media that he is seeing her best friend, leaving poor Jody feeling truly rejected and betrayed. The story is fantastically written, as we see this young girl suddenly wake up and realise what is truly important in life whilst coming to terms with her paralysis. As well as dealing with this, she also has to come to terms with the fact that her dad has walked out on her and her mom when they needed him the most, for a work colleague leaving them both heartbroken.

Whilst being confined to her room she starts talking to a man called Otto who she meets on a medical chat website and instantly they hit it off, until Otto discovers Jody hasn't been completely honest with him about her condition, which leaves poor Jody feeling very alone again. 

Luckily as the story nears the end we get the happy endings we were rooting for all along!  

It is a tragic, yet truly beautiful story. The characters are portrayed brilliantly enabling you to picture them clearly. You find yourself warming to Jody's character with every page you read as you follow her on her journey to rediscovering herself.

 

I would definitely recommend this book!

 

 

I was very kindly given a copy of this book by the author for my honest opinion. 

* Book Review * The Husbands Secret by Liane Moriarty

 

 

Mother of 3 and wife of John-Paul, Cecilia discovers an old envelope in the attic. Written in her husbands hand, it says: to be opened only in the event of my death.

 

Curious, she opens it - and time stops.

 

John-Pauls letter confesses to a terrible mistake which, if revealed, would wreck their family as well as the lives of others.

 

Cecilia wants to do the right thing, but right for who? If she protects her family by staying silent, the truth will worm through her heart. But if she reveals her husband's secret, she will hurt those she loves most...

 

 

My Thoughts

5/5

 

Where do I start with this book!  I was expecting a lot from this book, after reading 'Big Little Lies' (also by Liane Moriarty), and I am so happy to say I loved everything about this book too!, from the colours and detail used on the front cover to the way it was written. The story had me completely hooked from the very first chapter right through to the end.

 

In this book we meet Cecilia Fitzpatrick, happily married to John-Paul, and a busy body mum to 3 girls, Isobel, Esther, and Poppy. Everything seems too good to be true in their family home, until Cecilia discovers a letter which was written from her husband and hidden away in the loft. When she calls John-Paul, he desperately pleads with her not to open that letter, and explains he wrote it in a moment of madness after their first daughter was born. This already had me hooked! I was desperate to know what was in the letter too!.

 

We are also introduced to Tess, who's whole world is turned upside down after a revelation from her husband Will, and her cousin Felicity. Tess leaves town and flees to the comfort of her mother, taking her son Liam with her. Whilst here Tess re-connects with a man who she dated many years ago called Connor. Tess then has to make a difficult decision, what is best for herself and also for her son Liam.

Another character that plays an important role throughout the book is Rachel, the schools secretary, who is still trying to come to terms with her daughters murder. Rachel has pushed away her son Robert throughout the years whilst trying to deal with her grief, but is now faced with Rob, and his wife Lauren moving to new York with her grandson Jacob. Rachel also works with Connor Whitby, he is the school PE teacher, who Rachel just so happens to be convinced has murdered her daughter.

As the story unfolds, the lives of all of these characters cross over in so many ways you wouldn't expect, and the secret that Cecilia is keeping hold of will effect them all in ways they never thought possible.

 

This book had a lot of twists in the story as it progressed, all of which made it even more addictive!. I am normally a 'chick lit lover', but it is safe to say Liane Moriarty's books, with her outstanding writing have definitely won me over!

 

 



First blog! 😀

Hi all, as I am a huge book lover (and I seem to spend all of my spare time with my nose inside a book!) I have decided to have a go at book blogging! I'm currently reading 'The Husbands Secret' by Liane Moriarty, with only a couple of chapters to go, so I hope to have my first review up soon!

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