Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson

A slight change from my normal choice of books, I was looking for something new (after having exhausted my bookshelf once again) and came across SJ Watson's, 'Before I Go To Sleep'.

Described as a thriller, the book had received rave reviews and has won a number of awards - but in my opinion this doesn't necessarily mean the book is enjoyable. However I thought 'Before I Go To Sleep' was an original, encapturing and haunting read that I finished with in a matter of days.

The book begins as Christine, believing she is in her early twenties, wakes up in a strange bed, next to a man she has never met, and faced with reflection she cannot relate to.

Christine is an amnesiac, and everyday when she goes to sleep her memory is wiped clean. The man beside her explains to her that he is Ben, her husband and they have been married for over twenty years, living together in this house in London. He shows her photographs, portraying their life together, the life she does not remember, and then explains that he has to go to work, leaving her alone in this house she does not remember.

During the day she gets a call from a doctor who explains that he has been trying to help her over the past few weeks and that they have a meeting arranged for today. Once they meet he gives her a journal, her journal, that she has been keeping, following his instruction for a few weeks now.

Whilst the book is actually set in only one day, the journal provides the bulk of the story as Christine learns about her life, a day at a time.

The book is full of half remembered memories, secrets and surprising (and often chilling) twists and turns. When I first starting reading, I wasn't sure how the book would work seeing as the main character can only hold a memory for one day at a time, I thought it might become repetitive and drawn out but this was never the case. The use of the journal moves the story on just enough so that whilst it keeps you hooked, you are also able to experience some of the frustration that Christine must feel as she tries to piece together he fractured existence.

I thought that this was a great concept for a book and was certainly not let down by SJ Watson's excellent writing. I would recommend 'Before I Go To Sleep' to anyone looking for a good, thought provoking read and I am really looking forward to the film coming out. However, having read a little about it, I can't see that it will be as good as the book but I will reserve judgement until I have seen it! 

 10/10

I Heart London by Lindsey Kelk

This is the fifth book in the 'I Heart...' series and like the others it didn't disappoint. Lindsey Kelk has written another funny, uplifting, romantic story that you can't help but enjoy.  

'I Heart London' meets up with Angela as she is trying to put together her brand new magazine and think about possibly planning her wedding to rock star fiance Alex Reid...maybe, one day.

Angela hasn't been home since fleeing two years ago, boarding a plane with nothing more than her handbag, a bridesmaids dress and a pair of lethal Louboutin heels. She has made a new life for herself in New York, one that she is not prepared to risk, so travelling home for her Mum's birthday is not a thought Angela is relishing.

So when she arrives home only to be treated as though she had never left, she starts to feel her New York life slipping away, almost as though it wasn't really her. But with  New Yorker's Alex and best friend Jenny (currently spirraling out of control due to a broken heart) she has a constant reminder - much to the suprise of her family and friends it would seem.

Although, not even in her worst nightmares, could Angela have imagined what would happen during this trip home - could she be returning to New York, in just a weeks time, as Mrs Reid?

Whilst her family seem to be keen to secure Alex's place in the family (and its not hard to see why!), Angela is finding it all a little bit more difficult.

My only criticism of this book, was that there wasn't enough of the supporting characters (mainly Jenny) and, compared to the previous books, the 'drama' as it were, seemed a little bit less dramatic. This is not to say that the story wasn't exciting, it just seemed a little tamer.

On the whole though I really enjoyed this latest catch up with Angela and found it another easy and satifying read, I just hope that Lindsey Kelk doesn't decide to make it the last of the series!

8/10

The Greatest Love Story of All Time... by Lucy Robinson



This is Lucy Robinson's debut novel, and I didn't really know what to expect when I bought it, but I really enjoyed it once I got reading. 

The book starts with the lead character Fran, having just been dumped by her boyfriend, on the day she thought he was going to propose which also happened to be her thirtieth birthday! 

Not only did this announcement come completely out of the blue but her now ex-boyfriend Michael didn't even give a reason - only telling her not to contact him for three months. Understandably Fran doesn't take this well and the story begins with her wallowing in her grief (and own filth!) and drowning her sorrows in any alcohol she could get her hands on.

Eventually, with the help of her friends, 'the eight-date rule' and some very unsuitable men Fran manages to pull herself together; but not before almost losing her job, her dignity and her mind!

The supporting characters really make the story, from the eccentric and mysterious next door neighbour and Fran's alcoholic mother to her dependable best friend Dave and the disapproving Duke Ellington (Fran's cat). Although Michael himself isn't present for the majority of the book, we do learn about him through various flashbacks. We learn how Fran and Michael first met, and how she fell madly in love with him.

With a few unexpected twists an turns, a fair number of secrets, and (of course) a few 'happy coincedences' the story keeps you interested, and although not exactly 'un-put-downable' I did read it fairly quickly. I wanted to find out whether or not Fran and Micheal would get back together or if one of her Internet dates would win her heart.

I'm not sure I could say this was 'The Greatest Love Story of All Time...'  but Lucy has a great writing style with plenty of humour and well developed characters. It was a good read and I'd happily recommend it to others, I'll be looking out for Lucy's next novel.

8/10

Rosie Hopkins’ Sweet Shop of Dreams by Jenny Colgan

I read Jenny Colgan’s ‘Meet Me at the Cupcake Café’ last year, and after a bit of a slow start, I really enjoyed it. This was also true of ‘Rosie Hopkins’ Sweet Shop of Dreams’ although if anything I preferred this book.

Rosie is an agency nurse living in London with her boyfriend Gerard, who is summoned to the Derbyshire Dales to look after an elderly relative. Feeling put upon and against Gerard’s wishes, Rosie is not looking forward to her time away from the city. After a while though she realises that this time away might do her and her relationship some good…

One aspect of this story that I really liked was that Lillian, the elderly relative, has her own story to tell throughout the book which was very touching. Reading about her life as a young woman as well as her life now definitely added to the book making Lillian just as much of a main character as Rosie. I also felt that Jenny Colgan dealt with both the issues of growing old and those of looking after an elderly relative, in a very thoughtful and moving way.  There were, however, a number of other supporting characters throughout the story that I felt could have been developed slightly more, but this is my only real negative point.

I also enjoyed the setting, but being a Derbyshire girl myself I may be biased! I felt that ‘Lipton’ the fictional village setting of the book, acted as a really good backdrop to the story. It was easy to picture village life, and understand how all the characters fit into the story without too much need for the usual ‘coincidences’ that feature in a lot of books.

Overall I thought the story was well written and a lot less predictable than I imagined it would be, but still with a very satisfying ending. I would recommend this book, especially to anyone with expewrience of village/country life! 

08/10

One Perfect Summer by Paige Toon

I am a BIG fan of Paige Toon and had been waiting for 'One Perfect Summer' to be released; I certainly wasn't disappointed!

Like all of Paige's books, it is beautifully written and both the story and characters are well developed, staying with you long after you've finished reading.

The main character Alice falls in love with Joe during a summer spent in Dorset. But this isn't just a holiday romance, this is more than that and they both know it, it's just a shame that no-one else agrees. Despite their parents 'reservations' the two spend a wonderful six weeks together but are then sadly torn apart in a way neither could of imagined. 

Alice goes off to university in Cambridge and tries to mend her broken heart and after a while she finds herself  settling in with new friends, a new job and even a new love interest the privileged Lukas.

Things are looking good for Alice, but deep down she knows part of her heart will always belong to her first love - the question is can she cope with that?

This is an excellent read full of both heartbreak and excitement and Paige writes in such a way that you really feel all of the characters emotions. The book is set over an eight year period meaning that the characters grow up in front of your eyes and you are with them every step of the way, through all of their dilemmas.

My only disappointment with this book was that I didn't want it to end! And I have to say, without giving anything away, I felt it ended quite unexpectedly; meaning I was very pleased to hear that there will be a sequel!

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone - but I will not be lending you my copy, I'm keeping it to read again when the sequel is released!

10/10

I Remember You by Harriet Evans

After reading Harriet Evans' 'The Love of Your Life', I decided to look at another of her books and chose to read 'I Remember You'.

Although I did enjoy this book, in my opinion it wasn't as good as 'The Love of Your Life', and I found it quite slow to get going and overly descriptive in parts.

The story centres around Tessa, a girl in her late 20's who moves back to her childhood town after losing her London job and splitting up with her boyfriend. Her parents have moved away from the town and a big development is threatening the surrounding countryside, but other than that, the perfect English town hasn't changed at all since Tess left for university.

Her best friend is also still in the town, but they have both changed and their history makes things strained between them. Tess has come back to Langford because she has a job as a classics teacher at the esteemed college, which leads to a trip to a very eventful trip to Rome that for Tess and many others, changes everything.
Whilst the characters are well developed and you are able to connect with them, there is also, often sudden changing of perspectives which help to develop the story and in this case shows the symmetry between the characters, I did find it halted the story somewhat.  

I did however enjoy the story and will look at more of Harriet Evans books in the future but that is more down to 'The Love of Your Life'.

6/10

From Notting Hill With Love… Actually by Ali McNamara

I like a romantic comedy as much as the next person – in fact, probably more than that which is why ‘From Notting Hill With Love… Actually’ initially appealed to me, but this book was just too much for me!

The story centres on Scarlett a bride-to-be struggling with her future and escaping her world by constant daydreams relating to Rom-Com films. Now, after reading the book, I can’t say I blame her; her future husband comes across as incredibly dull and it is hard to understand how they ever got together, and her job seems almost to be entirely made up.

After arguing with everyone she knows about her constant day dreaming she heads of to house sit in Notting Hill to prove to everyone that it is normal and ‘movie-moments’ really happen.

Without giving too much away (I don’t want to stop anyone reading it if they really want to) the book is full of handy ‘coincidences’ and unbelievable sub-plots. The characters are either under-developed or just incredibly annoying. The book is also full of said ‘movie-moments’ that not only wouldn’t make sense to anyone who hasn’t seen the films, but more frustratingly they just seemed to just be crowbarred in at every possible opportunity.

The one good point I would make is that, however much Scarlett annoyed me I did want her to have a happy ending and it was certainly one that even the most rom-com hating of people couldn’t help but smile at.

Whilst I would not recommend this book, I haven’t read anything else by Ali McNamara and will not let it put me off if I come across one of her books that looks interesting.

4/10

Baby Be Mine by Paige Toon

It's been a while since I posted a review (I have a job now, so not so much time for reading!) But while I've got 10min to spare I feel the need to post a reviews for Paige Toons sequel to Johnny be Good, Baby Be Mine.

I was a little worried that it wouldn't live up to its prequel - but I should have known better! Baby Be Mine was just as amazing as Johnny Be Good. The book is beautifully written and you really feel for all of the characters, even those that aren't amin roles.

The story picks up almost two years after the previous book with Meg Stiles, now living in France, celebrating her son Barney's first birthday.

Right from the start the story is filled with tension, heart-ache, excitement and suspense. All the characters fromt he previous book have their part to play in Baby Be Mine, but there are also a few new characters keeping the story moving forward. I like the fact that in this book, Meg's family and bestfriend Bess play a bigger part which was really good as it helped to show the differences in her two worlds.

This book is definately worth reading, so I don't want to give too much away, but it is safe to stay the ending wasn't entirely unexpected (but they're are still a fair few suprises along the way!) and I was only sad that the story had ended!

10/10

Johnny Be Good by Paige Toon

As with the previous Paige Toon books, I struggled to put this down once I had started reading. Johnny Be Good is the story of Meg Stiles, the brand new PA to rock star Johnny Jefferson.

The story begins with Meg heading off to LA to start her new career as a celebrity PA, she doesn’t know that much about Johnny and so doesn’t really know what to expect. She certainly doesn’t expect to fall for him and definitely not for him to be interested in her (although, we of course, knew it would happen!).

Whilst Meg is a pretty down-to-earth, hard-working, ‘normal’ girl, the phrase ‘Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll’ could have been written for Johnny, he’s on the brink of a come-back but it seems he’s also on a mission to self-destruct.  

Meg is a relatable, well rounded character, a normal girl trying to not to be phased by the celebrity world she suddenly finds herself wrapped up in. Paige also manages to make Johnny appear believable; portraying him in a way in which you can’t decide whether or not you like him. There is also third significant character in Johnny Be Good – Johnny’s best friend Christian, a music journalist who grew up with Johnny back in England.

In all honesty I was slightly disappointed with the end of the story, feeling it was a little rushed compared to the rest of the book and the story felt as though it had been cut short. However seeing as there is a sequel (which I cannot wait to read!!) this can probably be overlooked as the story will be picked up again in Baby Be Mine. I would suggest readers purchase them both together so you don’t have to wait to complete the story like me!

Along with all the Paige Toon books I’ve read, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Johnny Be Good and would definitely recommend it to others – now I just have to wait for the postman to bring me my next Paige Toon fix!!

8.5/10

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Not at all what I was expecting, Safe Haven is certainly not a light-hearted, cheerful read. That is not to say that I didn’t enjoy it, in fact I think it is one of the best and most original books that I have read recently.

Although I have seen a number of the film adaptations (I loved The Notebook), this is the first time I have read one of Nicholas Sparks’ novels. From this past experience, I was expecting a moving yet reasonably predictable read; however Safe Haven was anything but predictable.

The main character, Katie, is currently living on her own, in Stouthport; a small American town in North Carolina. She knows nobody in town, and nobody knows her and that is the way she likes it. Following the introduction of local store owner Alex, however, Katie starts to realise that she can’t keep it up, that she needs people around her, to build up a normal life once again – if only she could shake the feeling that her past was catching up with her.

The book is written from three different perspectives; Katie, Alex and Kevin (someone from Katie’s past). This means that you get a rounded view of the story, being able to learn about these three characters from their own point of view.  This style also helps to build up the tension, suspending the story without slowing down the plot.

I would recommend Safe Haven to everyone, but it is not for the faint-hearted, it’s a gripping and gritty read that will keep you on edge throughout. I’m really glad that I gave this book a chance and now I can’t wait for the film to be released next year! (Film info according to: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1702439/)

10/10

The Love of Her Life by Harriet Evans

Having read through my entire bookcase I decided I should look for a few new authors to re-stock my shelf and I came across this book by Harriet Evans. I’d never heard of her or the book, but the reviews looked ok so I thought I’d give it a go and I wasn’t disappointed!

I didn’t really know what to expect to begin with and this feeling continued throughout the whole book – it certainly wasn’t a predictable read. It was however a great, enthralling story, both entertaining and terribly sad at times (it even brought me to tears).

The story begins with the main character Kate, currently living in New York, facing the terrifying prospect of returning to her hometown of London and having to face her past once again. Kate has a huge secret, an entire history, that she has tried to delete from her life, but as everyone knows, you can’t hide from your past, however far you run!

The reader finds out about what happened in Kate’s past via a number of flashbacks and interludes. This can be a little bit confusing at first as the story goes from the present day, to a certain date in the past and then back to present again. However it is really the only way to find out what really happened and how it all relates to the person Kate is now, as well as the supporting characters. There is quite a large ‘supporting cast’ in this book, whose lives are all entwined in Kate’s both past and present. Although this too was a bit confusing at the beginning, after a few chapters (once you’ve worked out whose who) it really enhances the story and you begin to feel just as strongly about all the characters as you do with Kate.

Once I had got into the story I really couldn’t put the book down, there are so many surprises and secrets from the past as well as a few from the present day! I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that manages to be unpredictable yet still provide all the elements you want from a good romantic novel - my only problem was I wasn't ready for it to end!

10/10

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

A bit of a change from my normal reading material but my Dad got if for me and I heard a lot about it with the film having been released so I thought I'd give it a go!

I wasn’t sure about the book at first, it is essentially a children’s book written in the voice of Joey – the horse. This of course makes it pretty clear that the horse must survive to the end of the book (otherwise he wouldn’t be there to tell the story) which unfortunately took a little bit of the tension out of the book. The other thing that I didn’t really enjoy about the way that this book was written is that it is very descriptive in ‘sing-song’ tone of voice which I found to be a little irritating as it took a lot of words to describe something quite small and not especially significant.

That being said, I did quite enjoy the story, looking at the war through a different perspective and focusing on the beautiful relationships that were formed as a result of this terrible war. Having read the book I am now quite interested to see how the story is portrayed in the new film adaptation, hopefully I won’t have to wait for too long to find out.

6/10

Girl on the Run by Jane Costello

This book was a birthday present from a friend, and it has taken me a while to get round to reading it but it was certainly worthwhile once I had!

Although the back of the book’s description didn’t especially draw me in, and the first few chapters (they are only about three pages each) were a bit slow going, the story was actually not as predictable as I expected.

Abby Rogers, the main, character is a young business woman who has recently set up a web design company in Liverpool. The story revolves around the challenges she faces as an entrepreneur, however, although most of the issues stem from work, it certainly isn’t where they stay. After one of her employees drops an unexpected bombshell, Abby is driven to do something she fears more than anything – get fit and get running. To help her along the way she joins her best friend Jess’ running club where the running becomes the least of her worries (well almost).

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, although it still has all the elements of chick-lit that you would expect the main character and the situations are generally believable whilst still being entertaining. Unlike in a lot of similar books where the main character tends to be a bit ditzy and obsessed with shopping etc., Abby is a believable 28 year-old; she’s intelligent, hard-working and trying to do the right thing and have a good time. It was also nice to read a book set in England that wasn’t based in London for a change.

The story has a few surprises, and once I got into the book I really enjoyed it and struggled to put it down on more than one occasion. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read, as well as anyone on a health kick as think it could be pretty motivational.

8/10

It Happened in Paris by Molly Hopkins

This is the first book by Molly Hopkins and although I found it a little bit slow to begin with (it spent 3months travelling around Australia in the bottom of my rucksack) once I got into the story, it was a really good read.

The main character is Evie Dexter, a young woman living in London, who we meet in the middle of a career change. Having just been made redundant from an advertising agency, Evie decides she is going to be a tour guide! With and embellished CV and a hung-over interviewer she manages to secure a job as the guide on a Paris coach trip lead by Insignia Tours.

On her first day on the job, things aren't quite going to plan and it looks as though Evie may not be cut out for the job - that is until she meets Rob, the sexy coach driver and the answer to all her prayers.

Although the ease in which Evie's character manages to get her job, and keep hold of it, is a little unbelievable, it does make for a perfect backdrop for a romantic story. This coupled with the various tourists placed in Evie's care, as well as her ability to get herself into a sticky situation mean that this story was very entertaining and would make a great film.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and certainly glad that I didn't give up after the first chapter as it turned into a very engaging and enjoyable story that I would certainly recommend. Having read the preview, Molly Hopkins next book It Happened in Venice (to be released July 2012) promises to be just as good and I am looking forward to reading it this summer.

 9/10

I Heart Vegas by Lindsey Kelk

The fourth book in the ‘I heart…’ series by Lindsey Kelk, and firstly I would like to say if you haven’t read the previous ones then that is the place to start (I heart New York) as they do need to be read in order.

After reading the first three I was looking forward to the release of I Heart Vegas and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The story picks up a few months after the last book with Angela struggling with her writing career and best friend Jenny now working for Erin’s PR agency. As always Angela and, her rock-star boyfriend, Alex are having their usual issues with communication and Jenny’s love-life is a mess once again.

Deciding they all need a break Jenny books a girls’ weekend to Las Vegas - where better to relax and fix their problems than Sin City itself…

The characters featured in the previous books, and a few new ones, are just as well developed allowing you to relate to them – even though some of the situations are not quite no relatable! However this is what makes the series so enjoyable, as Angela is just a normal London girl now living her dream (and some of her nightmares) in America.

The story is easy to get into from the first chapter and it only took me a few days to read as I didn't want to stop once I'd started. I would recommend this book to anyone who has followed the series, and to anyone that hasn't, start with I Heart New York but I'd suggest buying all four straight away because once you've finished the first one you won't want to wait for the next one!

9/10

Single Girl’s To-Do List by Lindsey Kelk

After reading, and really enjoying, the ‘I heart…’ series of books by Lindsey Kelk, I decided to give this one a go and found it to be just as enjoyable – well almost.

The main character, Rachel Summers, is a make-up artist living in London who, at the beginning of the book, gets dumped by her long-term boyfriend, Simon. Cue best friends Emelie and Matthew and ‘The List’.

As a serial girlfriend, and a constant planner Rachel finds herself in an all new situation, and one she doesn’t much appreciate. However her friends are determined for her to make the most of it and embrace the single life and so ‘The Single Girl’s To-Do List’ is written.

Whilst the overall story well written and one in which any girl who has experienced a break-up can relate too in some way, some of the characters can be a little un-relatable. For instance Emelie is making a living from a cartoon drawing of cat and Matthew is living of the inheritance of an estranged parent.

However as I said previously, the general story is well written and engaging and as the story progresses you become more connected to Rachel and her story. Despite the underlying theme of a break up the book is generally light-hearted and the highs and lows of single life make for an entertaining read.

It was also nice to see a reference to the ‘I heart…’ series through the crossover of one of the characters – although only a brief mention it adds a little something for those who have read them whilst also hinting at a possible connection with the upcoming ‘I heart London’ to be released later this year.

Overall, although not quite as good as Lindsey Kelk’s previous books, I would recommend The Single Girl’s To-Do List’ to anyone looking for a light-hearted, entertaining read.  

7/10

Chasing Daisy by Paige Toon

I finished this book this morning, and to be quite honest, was sad that it was over and I couldn't read it anymore!

As with the previous Paige Toon books I've read (Lucy in the Sky and Pictures of Lily) Chasing Daisy grabs you almost immediately and doesn't let go, even once you finished the story. Beautifully written, the story, surrounding Daisy a front-of-house girl working for a Formula 1 team, allows you to really feel for, not just Daisy, but all of the characters.  

Daisy is running from her past, and so far is managing to keep all her secrets hidden away - even from best friend Holly a fellow front-of-house girl. However as Daisy travels the world with the F1 team, she discovers that she’s not the only one with a secret, and that it’s only a matter of time until you need to open up - but the question is who to?

Half-way through the book, the story takes an (in my case) unsuspected turn and from then on, an already gripping story becomes even more gripping and certainly emotional.

The underlying theme of F1 driving might not appeal to a lot of people, but whilst it is an important aspect of the story it is not one of which you need a previous understanding. The theme provides an ever changing backdrop to the story, travelling around the world to the various race cities however what it really adds is an intensity to the story.

The supporting characters really do make this book; from love interest Will (the race car driver) to Nonna, Daisy's Italian grandmother, bring everything from humour to heart-break and most importantly context. By learning about the people in Daisy’s life you get a more rounded picture of the main character, making you feel more connected to her - as though you two are really experiencing her ups and downs.

Paige Toon is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone, especially those really looking to lose themselves in a great, modern, story but be warned it really is an emotional roller coaster with more twists and turns than the scariest of race tracks!

10/10