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