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BLOG TOUR - Book Review: Summer At Rose Island by Holly Martin

5/31/2016

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What They Say

Fall in love with the gorgeous seaside town of White Cliff Bay this summer and enjoy long sunny days, beautiful beaches and… a little romance. 

Darcy Davenport is ready for a fresh start. Determined to leave a string of disastrous jobs and relationships behind her, she can’t wait to explore White Cliff Bay and meet the locals. 

When Darcy swims in the crystal clear waters of the bay, she discovers the charming Rose Island Lighthouse. But it’s not just the beautiful building that she finds so intriguing… 

Riley Eddison doesn’t want change. Desperate to escape the memories of his past, he lives a life of solitude in the lighthouse. Yet he can’t help but notice the gorgeous woman who swims out to his island one day. 

Darcy is drawn to the mysterious and sexy Riley, but when it seems the town is trying to demolish his home, she soon finds herself having to pick sides. 

She’s fallen in love with White Cliff Bay. But is that all Darcy’s fallen for? 

Pull up a deck chair, sink back with a bowl of strawberry ice cream and pick up the summer read you won’t be able to put down. ​

My Review

You guys, Holly Martin is one of the best romance writes you will ever meet. I have just finished her brand new novel Summer At Rose Island and it is just the cutest book I've ever read. I'm still swooning over here, and I'm making plans to move to White Cliff Bay and INHABIT A LIFEHOUSE. Because AWESOME. Living in a lighthouse is now my life mission, thank you Holly! This book literally gave me all the feels, and I just enjoyed it so, so much!

What I like with Holly Martin's books is that you rarely get pointless drama - as is the case with Darcy and Riley. Sure, right off the bat, they rile each other up something chronic, but once they establish they don't hate each other, all goes rather swimmingly well. They just seemed to click immediately, helped by the fact that Darcy is so passionate about everything - sharks, her dog, saving the lighthouse, so there's no reason for either to be wary or get stuck in the pointless drama. Darcy likes Riley, Riley likes Darcy, HAPPY EVER AFTER. Well, not quite, and I knew EXACTLY what was going to happen in Darcy's new job before she did, but for the most part the whole Darcy/Riley thing was smooth-sailing and that's a beautiful thing, because there doesn't have to be drama and break-ups, relationships can actually be normal.

I loved the setting of White Cliff Bay, and it's actually my first visit, although I do now need to go back and read the other two books, not only because of more White Cliff Bay, but to know more about Penny and Libby, who both seem like such awesome characters that I absolutely must get to know ASAP. White Cliff Bay just sounds like the most perfect town, where everyone knows everyone, and when someone's in trouble, everyone will race to help, sure it has the downside that EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYTHING, but it can't all be amazing, and at least if everyone knows everything, there's no secrets.

I really, really enjoyed Summer at Rose Island. I want to move to Rose Island and live in a lighthouse really, really badly. I would go TOMORROW if it was a real place, and I could live in the lighthouse. I loved Darcy and Riley, they were so cute, and I absolutely loved Darcy trying to Anglicize Riley, although for the love of all things bread, it is NOT a crisp butty. It's a crisp sandwich, and yes, that's an important distinction. And yes, they are the greatest sandwiches ON THE PLANET. I am literally slavering for one right now. This book is amazing, and Holly Martin has quickly become one of my favourite Chick Lit authors, I just need to try and keep up with her books better! XD
Buy the book from Amazon now!
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BLOG TOUR - Book Review: All The Feels by Danika Stone

5/30/2016

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What They Say

College freshman Liv is more than just a fangirl: The Starveil movies are her life… So, when her favorite character, Captain Matt Spartan, is killed off at the end of the last movie, Liv Just. Can’t. Deal.
Tired of sitting in her room sobbing, Liv decides to launch an online campaign to bring her beloved hero back to life. With the help of her best friend, Xander, actor and steampunk cosplayer extraordinaire, she creates #SpartanSurvived, a campaign to ignite the fandom. But as her online life succeeds beyond her wildest dreams, Liv is forced to balance that with the pressures of school, her mother’s disapproval, and her (mostly nonexistent and entirely traumatic) romantic life. A trip to DragonCon with Xander might be exactly what she needs to figure out what she really wants.

My Review

When I started All The Feels, I had no idea what I was getting in to, but this is actually one of the most fun and swoon-worthy books I have ever read in my life. Now I'm a bit of a fangirl, but I am in no means part of any kind of fandom. I love shows, but I don't get crazy over them, although I will confess that once upon a time, I used to read fanfiction about the band Simple Plan. Just one story, and it was the best story ever, but I used to be crazy obsessed with them, so when Quizilla was still a thing, this lass wrote the best Simple Plan stories. And I would actually read them again, if I knew where to find them. Alas, they are lost to the internets.

It's so hard to put into words how All The Feels made me feel. It made me deliriously happy, the kind of happy I used to get reading books years ago, where my tummy feels all tingly, and you just know there's two characters with that special connection and when they eventually kiss it's just the best thing ever. I got that feeling reading this book, because Xander and Liv and just the BEST. I loved how Xander just went along with Liv's crazy plan to bring Spartan back, no questions asked, because that's just what kind of friend he was, and alternatively I loved that Liv couldn't care less how Xander dressed or acted, which was amazing. I legitimately loved him, from his crazy clothes, to his weird British accent, to his mannerisms, not to mention his apparently gorgeous half-naked chest. I was SWOONING all over the place. I finished the book and let out the happiest of sighs. 

I literally loved everything about this book. Liv's love for fandom, for Starveil, DragonCon (which makes me want to go to a con SO FREAKING BAD), Xander, Xander, Xander, Xander, Xander, their cute text convos, the whole #SaveSpartan campaign, just the whole lot of it. It was everything I love wrapped up in a book, but the greatest ever writing in the history of writing. Danika Stone is AMAZING. She just gets fandom, she gets what it's like to fall in love as a teenager, she just gets it all. I need more, though. More from Danika or more from Liv and Xander, because oh man, I just loved them. This was absolutely the perfect read for me, it was everything I love about the YA genre, and as much as I love more serious YA books, I also love the light-hearted ones I can swoon over and smile at and get so much joy from. 

All The Feels will literally make you feel all the freaking feels. You'll love Liv's determination to bring Spartan back, no matter what; you'll love Xander's quirkiness, because boy is he quirky, but he pulls it off the way Ted pulls off red cowboy boots (and I'm being genuine!!! Ted Mosby pulled off those cowboy boots), the writing will have you flying through the book at a rate of knots, I finished it in a few hours, and it was the best few hours I have ever spent. There was a letter at the beginning of this book from Holly West, the editor, and she encapsulates everything I felt about this book into that letter, she was telling the truth ABOUT IT ALL. And I loved every page, and every single fandom quote at the beginning of each chapter (but mostly the Castiel quote from Supernatural that never fails to make me LOL). Buy this book. Read this book. FANGIRL OVER THIS BOOK.
Buy the book from Amazon now!
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BLOG TOUR - Book Review: My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry

5/27/2016

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What They Say

There's a fine line between love...and murder.
When lawyer Lily marries Ed, she's determined to make a fresh start. To leave the secrets of the past behind.
But then she meets Joe. A convicted murderer who Lily is strangely drawn to. Who she will soon be willing to risk anything for.
But is he really innocent?
And who is she to judge?

My Review

My Husband's Wife was a book I was so excited to read! It sounded amazing and the tag line on the proof copy read "First comes love. Then comes marriage. Them comes murder." I mean COME ON. That is the best hook to get you to read a book, ever. And I was so excited to see what went on! What had caused a marriage to turn to murder - that's quite an escalation, don'tcha think? I absolutely devoured the book, reading all 500+ pages in one sitting, and in under 6 hours. I love losing myself in a book the way I did with My Husband's Wife and it's the first book in a while to get me really excited.

My Husband's Wife tells two stories - the story of Lily, who has just gotten married to her husband, Ed, and she's a lawyer just starting to take on her own cases, and then we have the story of the young Carla, who lives with her Italian mother, in an apartment, with a fella named Larry who comes around occasionally to dance. They live in the same apartment building, and Lily and Ed end up taking care of Carla on occasion when her mother has to work. I wondered for ages what the purpose of Carla was. I understood Lily's story - it was the story of the book, and I was achingly curious as to why we were learning about Carla, what she had to do with everything, since she was a kid. The first part of the novel focuses on the early days of Ed and Lily's marriage, and Carla as a kid, until it jumps to 12 years later.

It's a very intricate story, with so many nuances and characters who become important. Joe, in particular, was intriguing. A lot of this book has to do with him, he's an ever-present character, brought into proceedings after Lily represents his appeal after his girlfriend died. He was one of those characters you felt you never knew. You were never sure of the truth, either. His relationship with Lily was so intriguing, the way it was done, and I actually kind of liked it, because Lily never seemed enthusiastic about Ed, but with Joe there was just this spark and it was so confusing, and even after finishing the novel I am still not sure I knew anything true about Joe. I could honestly discuss the plot all day, because there was so much to the novel. There was Joe, there was Carla, there was Ed and Lily, there was everything that happens 12 years later that was just insane, to really understand this story you need to read the book. 

I really, really enjoyed My Husband's Wife. It has so many different storylines, different threads, different bits and pieces, the characters were baffling at times, but always intriguing. There was honestly so much going on that it felt like my head would explode at times, but it was so good to try and keep up, to try and realise where the book was headed and I'm not ashamed to admit, I had no idea who was guilty, who would end up dead, who would survive, what the truth was about Joe, Lily, Carla, all of them. Jane Corry has written a stonkingly good debut thriller, and this better not be her last because it was insanely good. Just read it. 
Buy the book from Amazon now!
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BLOG TOUR - Q&A: Jane Corry

5/27/2016

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Today I am super pleased to be taking part in Jane Corry's blog tour for her absolutely astounding debut psychological thriller My Husband's Wife. It's a cracking read, trust me, and I'm very chuffed to share a Q&A with the lady herself!

1. Hi Jane! Welcome to Bookish Escapes, can you please tell my readers all about your debut psychological thriller My Husband's Wife? 
Great to chat, Leah! I don’t want to tell you everything or it will spoil the surprises! But I can say it’s about how fibs in a marriage can spiral out of control. Especially the little ones......
 
2. The tag line for My Husband's Wife is "First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes murder." That's what made me want to read the book, but who came up with it? Who gets all the pats on the back for such a fabulous, escalating tag line? 
Hand on heart? It was my amazing Penguin team. But if I was the devious Carla, one of my characters, I might try to take the credit herself......
 
3. There are SO many plots to the book, how hard (or easy) was it to write so many different things? To jump forward 12 years? Did you have it all mapped out before you started writing, or do you just write and see where the mood takes you? 
I love twists. My second husband says I’m a nightmare to watch a psychological drama with because I usually ‘get it’ early on. I put it down to my journalist background when I interviewed people in all kinds of situations. I also love novels that jump forwards or backwards. It allows you to completely change the situation – and also show how characters have altered too. I usually have the opening scene in my mind and then the ideas come to me as the characters take on a life of their own.
 
4. I confess now: I liked Joe. If liked is the right word. He intrigued me. Did any part of you want to give him a proper narrative? I honestly was fascinated by him, I would have loved more of him, and that's so wrong to say. He's just the kind of character, I feel, that steals the scenes he's in, would you agree? 
I’m so glad you like him. Me too – even though I knew I shouldn’t. I didn’t give him a viewpoint of his own because I wanted him  to shine through Lily and Carla’s perception of him. Especially Lily’s. Also, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve the twists because the reader would have been in on Joe’s secrets.
 
5. You wrote the book from both the first-person and third-person perspective, how hard was it to switch between the two? Did you alternate chapters as you wrote or did you write all of Lily's first-person, then the third-person? 
I enjoyed switching between the two. It helped me see aspects of each character that I might not have got otherwise. I alternated, by the way! Lily one day. Carla the next. And so on.
 
6. If the internet is telling me correctly, you are also Sophie King, Jane Bidder and Janey Fraser. How does it feel to have worn so many different hats and, tough question, coming, which genre do you prefer writing (if you don't mind me asking)?
 I’ve had various pennames because I was writing in different genres. Sometimes it takes time for a writer to find the ‘voice’ they feel comfortable with. Life experiences can also change that – which is what happened with ‘My Husband’s Wife.’ Not only did I work in a prison but I also became involved with the Koestler Trust for criminals and – crucially – I got married again. Corry is my married name. It feels good to use it. Many of my previous books were romantic comedies but there was always a dark streak in them. Perhaps that side of me had always been lurking but was too scared to come out until now. I love writing psychological twists because it combines that domestic noir with a black humour.
 
 
7. Haven mostly written women's fiction (again, that's if the internet is telling the truth), what made you decide to write a psychological thriller? 
I’ve always loved twists and strong characters. And I also wanted to write something that was completely different from anything I’d done before.
 
8. My Husband's Wife is published by the fabulous folks over at Penguin Random House, can you tell us about the call, when you heard they would be publishing My Husband's Wife? 
I was packing for a family party in London and running behind time. When my agent called, I had the mobile propped between my ear and shoulder as I was trying to decide which clothes to wear. (My second husband says I’m never knowingly under packed!). My agent said Penguin was ‘interested’ and wanted to meet me. As I was going to London that night, we arranged to meet at the hotel where we were staying. It all happened very fast. In fact, it was surreal. I don’t think it sank in until a few days later when I went to Penguin’s offices and saw all the books I’ve always loved in a showcase in its amazing reception. DH Lawrence. Beatrix Potter. The author of Janet and John. Now I was a Penguin author too! I had to pinch myself.
 
9. Finally, please tell me there's a second book in the pipeline? I need more of your amazing psych thrillers. I was hooked from beginning to end, and I didn't WANT it to end (but oh what an ending, it was insane and it was a proper ending so thank you for that. A lot of psych thrillers just end and leave so many questions and yours didn't so my eternal gratitude for that). 
Thank you once more! Again, because I was a journalist, I can’t bear unanswered questions or plot holes. Yes, there is a second book. It’s called Blood Sisters and it’s nearly finished. I’m fascinated by family ties and how they can all go so horribly wrong....
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BLOG TOUR - Book Extract: Something Old, Something New by Darcie Boleyn

5/26/2016

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Today I am super pleased to be hosting an extract of Darcie Boleyn's new book Something Old, Something New! Read on below for a sneak peek into the book! 

​I jump awake, dragged from a dream about being in the jungle. Strangely, Lady Macbeth was there, talking about when the owl shrieks and the crickets cry…
Crickets?
I hold my breath and will my heart to slow down as I listen.
But I am not mistaken; my house is filled with the song of crickets. It’s as if I am abroad and they’re chirruping away. But I am not on a Greek island in a café eating date and walnut scones filled with honey and yogurt; a pleasant image inspired by a recent novel. I am, in fact, in England, inside my own home, clad in my fleecy pyjamas and it is February. So why, then, can I hear crickets?
I sit up and rub my eyes. My neck is stiff from sleeping on the sofa and I am cold. I need to go to bed and snuggle beneath the duvet. I pick up my phone and check the time. Three-thirty a.m. I head out to the hall and nearly fall over Dragon who is sleeping across the hallway guarding the stairs like some ancient mythical creature guarding its gold. Fairy Princess is not far away, snoring her head off in a very un-princess-like way. They clearly don’t need to go out, so I step carefully over them and tiptoe up the stairs. The house is immersed in darkness and I usually like this time when I can listen to everyone I love breathing in unison under one roof. But tonight, there is another noise and it is incongruous in my Sutton semi.
The crickets! The central heating must have encouraged their journey to maturity and some of the larger ones are chirping.
Upstairs, I pop my head into each child’s room to check on them. Anabelle and Janis are sleeping in their beds, but when I enter Henry’s room, he is sleeping on his knees in front of the vivarium. How can children do that? Fall asleep in some strange sort of yoga position. The lights inside it are off but I can make out the small dark shape of the baby dragon underneath the fibre-glass cave. I gently scoop Henry up and shuffle him into his cabin bed – not easy when he is getting so big and I have to lift him up four steps too – then pull the covers over him. As I turn away and head for the door, something crunches under my foot.
And again as I take another step.
There is a slimy wetness beneath the crunch.
I pause as my sleep fuddled mind tries to conjure an explanation.
Lego.
Henry probably sneaked a grape up here too and that somehow got mixed up with the Lego and that’s what’s now sticking to the ball of my foot and oozing between my toes. It must be Lego that Henry has left out again, even though we’ve had the discussion about putting it away once he’s finished playing with it. The dogs don’t brave the stairs very often, but if they do and they decide to consume some of his plastic building blocks or his intergalactic pirate ship, then there will be an expensive trip to the vet and Henry will lose what is now being hailed as a better investment than stocks and shares. I will certainly have to speak to him about tidying up properly tomorrow.
But as I take another step, the chirruping gets louder and something scuttles across my naked foot and up my shin. I shake my leg vigorously and hear a plop as something hits the wall. It’s like a horror movie where everyone except for the actress can see that at any moment she’s going to have her leg ripped off by a giant killer scorpion. My heart thuds as I realise with mounting dread what must have happened. This is no giant scorpion and this is not a movie. I told Henry ten times before he went to bed to ensure that he put the lid on the cricket tub properly but now…
I thrust my fist into my mouth and bite down to stifle my scream. I want to get my feet off the floor so I take it in turns to lift one then the other. Which is your favourite foot? Which one would you keep if you had to choose? It’s like some bizarre Sophie’s choice.
 
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    Welcome to Bookish Escapes! I am a massive reader, of all genres, a Taylor Swift fanatic, I adore dogs (I have two!), and I watch a ton of telly. 

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