BT – The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh.

Firstly a big massive hiya to you all.

Secondly an even bigger hiya to Rosie Walsh and her latest book The Love of My Life.

I’m absolutely made up to get to share with you a review I wrote a while ago for this book and to be a part of this fantastic tour.

So, let’s go….

💛 Blurb: I have held you every night for ten years and I didn’t even know your name. We have a child together. A dog, a house.
Who are you?

Emma loves her husband Leo and their young daughter Ruby: she’d do anything for them. But almost everything she’s told them about herself is a lie.

And she might just have got away with it, if it weren’t for her husband’s job. Leo is an obituary writer and Emma is a well-known marine biologist, so, when she suffers a serious illness, Leo copes by doing what he knows best – reading and writing about her life. But as he starts to unravel her past, he discovers the woman he loves doesn’t really exist. Even her name is fictitious.

When the very darkest moments of Emma’s past life finally emerge, she must somehow prove to Leo that she really is the woman he always thought she was . . . But first, she must tell him about the love of her other life.

💛 My Thoughts: This is honestly one of the most heart wrenching, gut turning, absolutely devastating books I’ve ever read.

Honestly, the thickening in your throat and the constant dry gulps to try clear it only make trying not to allow the feelings of those words on the pages of TLOML drip down your face.

As a parent, a partner, a daughter, a friend and foe of some; this is a traumatic and life altering dive. You are every single character involved in this story of life. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE! It’s absolutely wondrous. A book of total surprise. Like TOTAL SURPRISE though.

I’ll tell you straight at 85% in it didn’t matter the outcome. It could have gone either way in numerous situations. It would not have mattered. It would not take away the height and depth and utter insight this book has given already. There is no taking away from that. It could only build. I obviously carried on and finished it of course. I couldn’t not have. I still needed to know everything. I still needed the words to drink as if it water and I was absolutely dehydrated.

RW has hit such a fantastic high standard with this. I know it’s going to be one that will be in my favourites forever more.

Truly one for all to read. One you must read in fact. Emotional, compelling, utter brilliance.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5

💛 Links to buy:

Amazon

ibooks.

Google Play

Kobo

Waterstones

WHSmith

Book Depository

Audible

💛 Book Details:

Title: The Love of My Life.

Author: Rosie Walsh.

Genre: General Fiction/Women’s Fiction.

Length: 368 Pages.

ISBN-10: 1529020352.

ISBN-13: 978-1529020359.

ASIN: B09DCZZCRF.

Publisher: Macmillan – Imprint: Mantle.

Publication Date: June 23rd 2022.

💛 About the Author:

Rosie Walsh lives on a medieval farm in Devon, UK, with her partner and two young children, after years living and travelling all over the world as a documentary producer and writer.

The Man Who Didn’t Call (UK) / Ghosted (US) was her first book under her own name, and was published around the world in 2018, going on to be a multimillion bestseller.

Prior to writing under her own name she wrote four romantic comedies under the pseudonym Lucy Robinson. When she isn’t parenting or writing, Rosie can be found walking on Dartmoor, growing vegetables and throwing raves for adults and children in leaking barns.

You can learn more about Rosie and her work or catch up on what’s she’s been up to by using the following links:

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Goodreads

So that’s all from me. As always thank you so much for joining me it’s appreciated so much.

Big thank you to the lovely Becca over at Macmillan for inviting me onto the tour. And of course a big thank you to Rosie for giving us a little yellow book of fabulousness.

Love always, N 😘

https://www.panmacmillan.com

https://www.panmacmillan.com/mantle

Review: One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

🎄Blurb: Gayle is a highly successful and motivated business woman, but her success has come at a price – she hasn’t spoken to her daughters, Ella and Samantha, for years. But when Gayle has an accident at work, she realises she needs to make amends with her family.

And so she invites herself to join Ella and Samantha for their Christmas in the beautiful Scottish Highlands. The sisters are none too pleased that their mother has inserted herself into their Christmas plans. They have each other – and don’t need their mother back in their lives. Or so they think…

As they embark on their first family Christmas together in years, will the three women learn that sometimes facing up to a few home truths is all you need to heal your heart?

🎄My Thoughts: Sarah Morgan doesn’t pretend to be someone she is not. She consistently gives us joyous, beautiful, uplifting and warm reads. You know what you’re getting from the start and that is what makes her, in my opinion, one of the best women’s fiction/romance writers of all time. However, One More for Christmas gave me a more darker and deeper feel than normal. I loved it.

Following the turbulent family drama of the Mitchel family and combining that with the emotional grief of the McIntyre Family as they come together over the Christmas period. We are given a wholesome, wonderful mix of pleasure and pain. A story about family values, relationships, real life awfulness, family feuds. But most of all, making the most out of the time we have and making sure the hidden inner you gets a peak at life too. Lessons I believe we all could learn from.

I will say though for a Christmas book let’s just say some parts are definitely hot enough to melt the snow outside in the snowy grounds of the beautiful Scottish Kinleven Lodge. (Which I wish was real so I could book it for a Christmas break myself for me and my family. It sounds like the most beautiful place to spend time at).

So just like Brodie gave Samantha all the stars. I’ll be giving Sarah the same. No wait.. Not like that. Oh my god! I meant like stars in review stars……. Erm, am just going to go 👀

Sarah Morgan has once again given us a blissful beautiful, uplifting, warm and lovely read

Five stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

P.S… Sarah if Laid By The Laird doesn’t become available via Mills & Boon I will be seriously disappointed 😂

🎄Links to buy:

Amazon

ibooks

Google Play

Kobo

Waterstones

WHSmith

Book Depository

Audible

🎄Book Details:

Title: One More for Christmas

Author: Sarah Morgan

Length:

ebook – 488 pages

Paperback – 400 pages

ASIN: B086JJD9VZ

ISBN-10: 1848457952

ISBN-13: 978-1848457959

Publisher: HQ

Publication Date:

ebook – 22nd October 2020

Paperback – 29th October 2020

🎄About the Author:

Sarah Morgan is an international bestseller and Sunday Times bestselling author of A Wedding in December and The Christmas Sisters. She has sold over eighteen million books worldwide.

Sarah lives near London, England with her family and when she isn’t writing or reading, she likes to spend time outdoors hiking or riding her mountain bike.

Join Sarah’s mailing list at sarahmorgan.com for all book news. For more insight into her writing life follow her on Facebook at facebook/AuthorSarahMorgan and on Instagram at @sarahmorganwrites and on Twitter @sarahmorgan_ Or via her website at sarahmorgan.com.

Review: All I Want for Christmas by Joanna Bolouri

🎄Blurb: When Nick loses his job and is dumped by his glamorous but demanding girlfriend, he is forced to grudgingly accept work as a Santa at a local Christmas grotto. As his friends are getting married or promoted, Nick spends his days being terrorised by unfriendly elves and cried on by snotty, spoiled children.

Then he meets 4-year-old Alfie. All Alfie wants for Christmas is for his mum, Sarah, to be happy again. Moved by the boy’s selfless wish, Nick arranges a date between Sarah and his best friend, Matt. But as Sarah and Alfie become part of all their lives, Nick realises that happiness for Sarah and Matt might mean heartbreak for himself.

🎄My Thoughts: Ok so I did start writing a review right but it just wasn’t flowing right and wasn’t me. It was dead cheesy and sounded like I was lying about the book. So I’ve decided to just give you me notes that I made when I was reading it. Enjoy 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

Male protagonist (Which is nice. Rarity in this genre)

Nick Harris – skinny armed idiot.

Ugh The Sun – the rag – JFT96!

Fuck sake! Russian Santa!

I now in my head have fake Santa talking like Bert Kreischer telling us how his new Russian mafia friends talk. It has amused me greatly!

It’s nice to be able to be at ease with a book. One in which you relax straight into and forget your troubles

This book proper tugs on the good heartstrings. Nick is an absolute beautiful soul, especially with kids

His over use of the word fucking is incredible though. Defo my kind of person. I’m defo right at home here.

Joanna Bolouri is easy reading made incredibly fun. She has a fantastic way with words and doesn’t fail in giving you authentic characters that charm you from the get go.

I then tweeted and instagrammed our JB this:

Bolouri, why when Mrs, Buckley opens the door and exclaims ‘There’s my boys!’ Did I choke up?

Woman, you’re hilarious, I love you, but this book is hitting me with all the feels and I just didn’t sign up for that. Stop it. Well don’t, but I deliberately picked this book to read to be uplifting and happy-go-lucky. It is that, but the feels, the bloody feels. For fuck sake what are you doing to me?

Carrying on….

I adore Matt and Nicks friendship. I’m on absolute pins here waiting to see what happens next. If what I have in my head is true, that friendship is not surviving at all and I will be distraught.

We all need a Nick you know. Humble, quick witted, extremely charming, good looking and apparently very good in bed. Oh, and he wants to make someone extremely happy that is all. – Ok, I take it back, he’s more of a cat person than a dog one so that’s me out !

Oh my god! Oh my fucking god! Nooooo. My heart can’t take it.

Ending was super fast! But worth it. But cringe at times but for some reason I’ll allow it. What the fuck is up with me.

Authors do try to give real life and to be fair most fail miserably. But there are a few I have in my favourite pile that actually can pull it off. Most seem to be northern like and I do hold that as a competition to any southern author to make me eat my words. But yeah, our Bolouri is defo up there at the top at giving us actual real life. The dregs and dirt and grit that we need to make it authentic. Spot on.

Friendship, betrayal, love and lust, theme parks, claridges and dodgy looking Argos watches. Clever comebacks that have you actually laughing out loud and not just pretending to through text LOL. And wobbly lip heart wrenching moments that make you want to cry. Santa Claus and our very own Saint Nick certainly do give us everything we need for Christmas. Bolouri certainly has made her mark here with All I Want For Christmas. It melts the most cold and icy hearts faster than a mug of festive mulled wine.

An emotionally complicated fuck up of a book that radiates nothing but love, family and friendship. Everything Christmas is all about.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5

P.S.. Spot is the worst Dogs name ever!

🎄Links to buy: (Pre-Order)

Amazon

ibooks

Google Books

Kobo

Waterstones

WHSmith

Book Depository

🎄Book Details:

Title: All I Want For Christmas

Author: Joanna Bolouri

Length:

ebook – 285 Pages

paperback – 368 pages

ASIN: B0822769TQ

ISBN-10: 1529406900

ISBN-13: 978-1529406900

Publisher: Quercus

Publication Date:

ebook – 01/10/2020

paperback – 29/10/2020

🎄About the Author:

Joanna Bolouri worked in sales before she began writing professionally at the age of thirty. Winning a BBC comedy script competition allowed her to work and write with stand-up comedians, comedy scriptwriters and actors from across the UK. She’s had articles and reviews published in The Skinny, the Scottish Sun, the Huffington Post and HecklerSpray. She lives in Glasgow with her daughter.

You can find out more about Joanna and her work via her social media and website. Links below.

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Goodreads

WordPress

Books vs Film: All The Bright Things by Jennifer Niven.

As you all know, I’m not one for book adapted films. Some are amazing, but the majority are just absolutely terrible. I always say I am not watching certain ones when they are released if I am a fan or advocate of the book. And I usually don’t. I fucked up big style yesterday though.

I was bored and I’m not much of a TV watcher, but I was in the mood and Netflix was my go-to. First, there in my recommendations was of course All The Bright Places. It was released via Netflix on February 28th 2020 starring Elle Fanning and Justice Smith. So, I put it on. I know, I’m stupid, but it was a long time since I’d read the book and I thought they can’t ruin this one. It’s too in-depth and needed in YA life that it can’t be bad. It was. It was worse.

Here is what I wrote when I was watching it: (Just from my notes)

If I didn’t know the characters so well from the book I would not know what was going on.

I understand films need to get the story told quickly, but to lose the relationship build up, the intensity of Finch’s mental health and its effects. The friendship and quotes that have been taken because they became so well-known from the book and just thrown in become worthless.

My heart hurts because I know already. If I didn’t know, I would not be watching and would have already have switched it off.

The book is incredibly deep, thoughtful and needed. The film to me has taken all that away.

The book is needed for this story 100%

The film took half of Finch and his story away from us.

It took half of his heart and for that I am livid.

If I was rating/reviewing it would defo be a 2/5.

⭐️⭐️

So as you can see from that it wasn’t the best for me. I will say though that I did enjoy it, but like my notes state I think it’s only because my connections I already had with the characters. I honestly think I would have been confused others wise.

Anyway, let me take you back to 2014 for a minute, to when a proof of All The Bright Places landed in my hands. I was new to the YA Genre at this point. And I was obviously a bit skeptical being a 30odd year old mum, but I flicked through the first few pages like I would do any book that comes through my door. I honestly, no lie devoured it. It was the first ever book to make me cry, like proper cry though. I do not cry. It hurt me so deep. I was honestly blown away.

Here’s my review from 2015:

If there is ever a book in which the whole world should be reading it is this one. This is a book so delicate and strong is leaves you breathless, heartbroken, but somehow stronger.

The plot is a thick, twisting tale that follows 17 year old Theodore Finch, a boy with only a few friends and dubbed the school freak, who is trapped in his own head after a lifetime of troubles. And, 17 year old Violet Markey, a popular girl who is now lost in herself after the death of her sister Eleanor.

When Finch and Eleanor meet in the school watch tower, something miraculous happens to them both. After this, they are assigned partners in a geography project in which they have to go and look at the offerings their town and surrounding area’s offer. This here is the start of Finch and Violet.

There are no words for me to try and write a review for this book. None of them would be anywhere near good enough for it. I seriously could not write anything that would do this book justice. I have never, and most probably will not, ever read anything so intense, heartbreaking, lovely, romantic and real again. It’s magically breathtaking.

It has a firm focus on the stigma that unfortunately still surrounds mental health today. It also shows just how damaging it can be. This has all been dealt with by author Jennifer Niven with nothing but grace and compassion. She has shown herself to be a clever and meticulous writer, with a huge heart, and a way with words that transforms even the dark and dreary in to light and love. As a debut novel it does not get better than this. I urge you all to read it.

It’s honestly hard to describe the ineffable love I actually have for this book.

YA book of 2015? I think so.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So as you can see from that it was something special and something I pushed as hard as I can. I even got a beautiful message from Jennifer Niven too 😋

Anyway, the point of my post? Go buy the books. Always read the books. Your imagination and the words from the authors are meant to be. There is no other way of getting these stories across properly. You lose so much in a film and sometimes like this one it takes away hugely. Also, to push once again this incredible book. I have my copy out ready to read again, it won’t be today, I need time for the film to leave my mind. It’s there though and if you haven’t read this book I really do think you should.

Blurb: A compelling and beautiful story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who wants to die.Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the ‘natural wonders’ of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself – a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink. How far will Violet go to save the boy she has come to love?

Links to buy:

Amazon

ibooks

Google Play

Kobo

Waterstones

WHSmith

Book Depository

Book Details:

Title: All The Bright Places

Author: Jennifer Niven

Genre: YA & Teens

Length: 432 pages

ISBN-10: 0141357037

ISBN-13: 978-014135703

ASIN: B00LNQ74CM

Publisher: Penguin.

Publication Date: 8th January 2015

Author Details:

Jennifer Niven is the author of the New York Times and international bestsellers All the Bright Places and Holding Up the Universe. Her books have been translated into 75 languages and have won literary awards around the world. She grew up in Indiana and now divides her time between Georgia and Los Angeles.

Find her at jenniferniven.com and on her social media accounts linked below:

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

Goodreads

Enjoy!

N 😘

Rebecca Chance

Not even a book blogger ranting, just a normal reader ranting.

Ok, so yesterday I heard some absolutely devastating news from the book world. The news being that our beloved Queen of the Bonk-Buster, Rebecca Chance, will no longer be writing under that pseudonym or giving us any more of her amazing, original and damn right fucking brilliant reads. Why? Well, I can assure you that’s not on her, it’s on her publishers, Pan Macmillan.

Oh come on. She’s a bestselling novelist and has been for-fucking-ever. She no doubt brings a lot more than some other authors do and to be fair here she should not be penalised for over seas not understanding her humour or should I say our English humour. And it doesn’t matter if she’s the only one, she’s the only one we need and want. It just shows how superior she is.

Bless her so much. I know she’s probably not nearly as arsed as I am like 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

As for the genre in itself though, I do personally class it the same as romance/comedy/chick-lit/rom-com/new adult/contemporary/modern/etc… I know a lot of people do.

I’m livid. I know I’m not the only one who feels this way about our BB Queen not being able to give us our yearly gift of debauchery, scandal and laughs.

Come on PanMac what are you playing at? Yes, we know we still get the brilliance of her pen and mind with Lauren Henderson and the crime genre. Which is also fantastic work, but some people don’t want crime! Some people don’t like crime! In fact, some people fucking hate crime. Especially with that and the psychological thriller genres being packed to the brim right now and being thrown at us every hour on the hour. It’s overwhelming, it’s getting very boring and we need a break away from it. Do you know what would be the perfect break in between that? Rebecca Chance and her uplifting ingenious books that’s what. Don’t get me wrong, I love the crime genre and RC even has crime in her novels, but you get the gist though.

RC, I’m gutted for you my love. I really am. Thank you so much for all the books, all the tears (both sad and happy), all the laughs, all the weird looks from people when you actually laugh out loud in public. All the gasps and smirks and snorting. All the joy and uplifting spirit. All the hard work and passion you’ve given us for the last ten years. You are a queen and a talent like no other that we will all miss desperately.

To anyone who does not know who Rebecca Chance is where the hell have you been? You so better go get your head stuck right into one of her books. Believe me, you will NOT be disappointed at all. I am re-reading from the start again now to make myself feel better. Her books will be available underneath all linked up so you can purchase and piss yourself with pleasure. It’s all glamour and honesty and just absolute reading bliss. She’s something completely off the charts and mesmerising. I sound like a lick-arse here, but I honestly do not give a riding shite. It’s the truth and you know the truth is all I do.

Love as always,

N 💔

P.S… Mile High is currently on offer for 99p on amazon. BARGAIN! So there’s no excuse really not to grab a copy. Goes amazing with a wine you know. Or a gin for that matter. Or a cuppa tea. Or anything really.

P.P.S… You could go check out her other work that’s available under Lauren Henderson too if you want like, but right now I’d stick to RC and read them after 👍🏻

📚RC’s boss book list.

Divas

Amazon

Apple/ibooks

Kobo

Waterstones

Book Depository

Bad Girls

Amazon

Apple/iBooks

Kobo

Waterstones

Book Depository

Bad Sisters

Amazon

Apple/iBooks

Kobo

Waterstones

Book Depository

Audiobook

Killer Heels

Amazon

Apple/iBooks

Kobo

Waterstones

WHSmith

Book Depository

Bad Angels

Amazon

Apple/iBooks

Kobo

Waterstones

WHSmith

Book Depository

Killer Queens

Amazon

Apple/iBooks

Kobo

Waterstones

Book Depository

Bad Brides

Amazon

Book Depository

Mile High

Amazon

Apple/iBooks

Kobo

Waterstones

WHSmith

Book Depository

Killer Diamonds

Amazon

Apple/iBooks

Kobo

Waterstones

WHSmith

Book Depository

Killer Affair

Amazon

Apple/iBooks

Kobo

Waterstones

WHSmith

Book Depository

Audiobook

Bad Twins

Amazon

Apple/iBooks

Kobo

Waterstones

WHSmith

Book Depository

Audiobook

Naughty Bits

Amazon

Apple/iBooks

Kobo

Rebecca Chance was born in Hampstead to international art dealer parents, and grew up in the exclusive millionaire’s row surroundings of London’s St John’s Wood. Tiring of her cushioned, privileged existence, she ran away to Tuscany to live a wild bohemian life on a wine-making estate, where she lived in a 14th century villa in a Chianti vineyard, partying with artists, learning Italian, and picking grapes. But big city life was calling her, and after staying in Rome and Porto Ercole, she moved to Manhattan, lured by the glamorous single-girl existence and nonstop nightlife. She spent a decade living the Sex and The City dream in SoHo, equally at home in an uptown penthouse on Fifth Avenue overlooking the Metropolitan Museum, or downtown dancing on the bar of the Coyote Ugly for kicks. Eventually, a handsome American husband in tow, she moved back to London to settle down (as much as she can) and finally fictionalize some of her most exciting and glamorous experiences into her bestselling blockbuster novels.

Rebecca’s interests include trapeze, pole-dancing, watching “America’s Next Top Model”, and cocktail-drinking.

Links to RC: (Her Facebook is legendary)

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Goodreads

Go buy all the books

Proper gutted 💔

BT – 10 Things To Do Before You Leave School by Bernard O’Keeffe.

Hiya you lot, you all ok?

Today I’m last host and finishing off on a fantastic tour for an even more fantastic book.

Of course I have an extract for you, oh how I love an extract 😂 and the normal TBGWP book deets.

Let’s go….

🔵Blurb: Ruby has had a difficult year to say the least. Just before she started Sixth Form, her father died from a heart attack. In the months that followed Ruby became so depressed that she attempted suicide. She missed a lot of school, but now she’s about to go back and she’s worried. Is she well enough to get through her final year? Will the depression return? Should she apply to university? The night before term begins, Ruby finds something that makes the prospect even more daunting: an envelope addressed to her in her father’s handwriting. Inside is a list: ‘Ten Things I Hope You Do Before You Leave School’. It makes no sense. She can’t understand why he’d want her to do these things, let alone whether she’ll be able to do them.

As Ruby navigates her way through UCAS, parties, boyfriends and A-Levels, she decides to give the list her best shot, but her efforts lead her into strange situations and to surprising discoveries.

Will Ruby survive her last year at school? Can she do the ten things on The List? Will doing them make any difference?

🔵Extract:

🔵My Thoughts: I’m sitting here in tears. I do not know what to say, which is huge thing because as you all know by now I NEVER shut up!

First of all, I need to say this. As a mother with a child currently in sixth form. Who for years has agonisingly battled with mental health. However, was extremely lucky and strong enough to be able to spin it around and use it as a complete advantage to better himself. This book scares me, but it absolutely brings home everything a parent of this age would want to know and understand. It is heartbreaking.

O’Keeffe has honestly given us something truly humbling here. A raw, ferociously honest read full of poignancy and humour. He has meticulously researched his cause and has put it into a wonderful book. A fantastic and rare plot with endearing characters which free flows just right. It’s honest and a very now book! It shows the real world of child/teen/young adult mental health and how much pressures are put on children every single day. Which is an incredible thing to bring light too. Also, not forgetting the loss of a loved one, especially a parent. Grief is very important to try understand whether it be child or adult.

I am so sorry! I am just chatting pure shit here aren’t I? Sorry! 🤦🏻‍♀️

I’ll finish this absolutely AMAZING review 👀

by saying this is an engaging, thought provoking absolute pleasure of a book. Being able to be with Ruby as she goes through the list and tries so hard to find her feet is an absolute pleasure. It deserves a huge platform where Ruby and her voice are heard and more people can engage and learn. I applaud O’Keefe greatly and could not recommend this book to you more. In fact, I think if you have a teenager who does read that they should have a copy ASAP. You also need a copy. Yeah you there reading this.

Superb!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5

🔵Links to buy:

Amazon

iBooks

Kobo

Waterstones

Book Depository

🔵Book Details:

Title: 10 Things To Do Before You Leave School.

Author: Bernard O’Keefe.

Genre: Children’s Fiction/YA & Teen.

Length: 275 Pages.

ISBN-10: 1913036707

ISBN-13: 978-1913036706

ASIN: B07PMSJPW3

Publisher: Acorn Independent Press.

Publication Date: 05/03/2019.

🔵About the Author:

After graduating from Oxford, Bernard O’Keeffe worked in advertising before training as a teacher. He taught for many years, first in a North London comprehensive, then at Radley College, where he was Head of English, and most recently at St Paul’s School in London, where he was Head of Sixth Form. 

He has reviewed fiction for Literary Review and The Oxford Times and, as an editor of The English Review, has written over a hundred articles for A Level students on subjects ranging from Nick Hornby and Roddy Doyle to Jane Austen and Shakespeare. In 2013 he published his first novel, ‘No Regrets’.

You can learn more about Bernard and his work, or get in touch by using the links below:

Author website

Twitter

Goodreads

That’s it, tour finished! Thank you of course to you lot for joining me and giving me your constant support. And of course to Bernard himself and Anne over at LCDP for inviting me into the tour.

N😘

Today’s post is dedicated to my beautiful friend Carly who passed away in March. Today would have been her 40th Birthday.

Happy Birthday Carly ❤️

LADIES, PLEASE GO FOR YOUR SMEARS!

Book Review: Big Sexy Love by Kirsty Greenwood.

💙Big Sexy Love by Kirsty Greenwood.

Source: author request.

💙BLURB: Olive Brewster is living a small, safe life. She’s happy enough with her job at the local market, it’s cool that she has no boyfriend to fret over, she even likes that she still lives in her childhood home. No drama, no fuss, no problems! Everything is fine. Super duper fine.

Except … Olive’s best friend in the world , Birdie, is dying.

Birdie has one final wish. She wants to track down her first love, her epic once in a lifetime love, her Big Sexy Love, Chuck. And because she’s stuck in the hospital she needs Olive’s help to do it. But there’s a teeny problem: Chuck is somewhere in New York and Olive has never even left her home town, let alone roamed the crazy streets of Manhattan!

As if the big city isn’t scary enough, Olive has to contend with Seth, a cocky comedy TV writer who thinks she’s a joke; Anders, a bored socialite who’s taken a shine to her; and the fact that no matter how hard she tries to track down Chuck, he doesn’t seem to want to be found.

Can Olive learn to overcome her fears, abandon her old safe routine and fulfil her best friend’s last wish?  It’s going to take extra bravery, one badass attitude and a whole lot of Big Sexy Love to make this happen …

💙REVIEW: OM-Fucking-G! You know that excitement you get when you squeal silently to yourself whilst clenching your gnashers together and shaking your fists a bit? That is what you get when you read this book. THAT.IS.WHAT.YOU. GET! You don’t even need me to say anything else now do you? You know that’s the one. The link to buy is right here 👉🏼 BUY IT…  But If you do want to hear me waffle on about it then be my guest and go right ahead…. 

Big Sexy Love is without a doubt Greenwood at her absolute best. I don’t know how she’s going to top this one I really don’t. It’s just sooo good. Like proper good though and am not even messing. Please go and buy it. It’s a treat and a half it really is. It is the perfect book to make you smile at any time and any place.

Ok, so protagonist Olive Brewster is a knob. Not even a little one, a full-blown massive one. And girls we all know we love one of those 🤦🏻‍♀️😉moving on…. 

Olive is right now standing at being my favourite character of ALL time. ALL TIME THOUGH! I died laughing so many times with her shenanigans, northern charm, sarcasm and utter could not give a fuck attitude mixed with a shyness and confusing demeanour. She is outstanding! It is such a pleasure to watch her blossom throughout the book and it is a blessing to be able to read about her friendship with the fantastic Birdie too.

I honestly idolised every single part of it. It’s heartbreaking, heartwarming, romantic, piss yourself funny, northern to a tee and utterly fucking joyous. It broke my heart in the most amazing way possible. I know right? How the fuck can that happen? Clever minds and fantastic writing and fabulous plots, characters, and love can actually make that happen. Such a wonderful and inspiring book. Go buy it! You know you want to.

Also, if there is a prize for making someone’s heartbreaking tear-snot erupt over electronic reading devices with full on snorting laughter? Kirsty, my friend you deserve that prize. Shit memes have never been more funny in a heartbreaking moment. 

Big Sexy Love is my Big Sexy Love this year for sure. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5 

P.S… Kirsty Greenwood, I love you. Ahh no I really do. You are an amazing author and I totally fucking love your work. 

Queen of the mother fucking northern authors – baby! (You have to sing that sentence like Snoop Dogg sings ‘the King of the mother fucking westcoast’ in Eminem’s Bitch Please ll.) Get your microphone out girl you’ve got singing to do🎤👸🏼 

💙LINKS TO BUY: 

Amazon 

💙BOOK DETAILS: 

Title: Big Sexy Love 

Author: Kirsty Greenwood 

Genre: RomCom/ChickLit

Length: 352 Pages

ASIN: B071YLZ6JX

Publisher: Novelicious 

Publication Date: 29/06/2017

💙ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kirsty Greenwood is the author of three fast-paced, funny and fearless romantic comedies. She is also the founder and editor in chief of Novelicious.com.

Kirsty sends out a really cool letter each month with wonderful giveaways, bookish updates and general good stuff. You can sign up to get the letters by clicking this link: http://bit.ly/2pe1XuP

She Tweets at @KirstyBooks, Instagrams at @kirsty_greenwood and can be found on Facebook at KirstyGreenwoodBooks. Her favourite thing is when readers get in touch to say hello! So go say hello.

For you, with love for Valentines. From Mills & Boon ❤️

Book Review: Beware That Girl by Teresa Toten.

🚺 Beware That Girl by Teresa Toten.

Source: review copy courtesy of Hotkey Books – thank you! 

🚺 BLURB: Kate O’Brien has always been known as the scholarship kid, running away from a terrible past and overcoming obstacles, some more sinister than others. She’s determined to make a better life for herself. She deserves it. And at the elite Waverly school, Kate is willing to do whatever it takes to climb the social ladder and land her spot at Yale. 

There’s one girl in particular who catches Kate’s eye. Olivia Michelle Sumner, all born blonde and rich and just messed up enough for Kate to latch on to. As for Olivia, she’s a damaged girl, looking to be mended. She finds something promising in Kate. A study buddy. A best friend. A sister she never had. But even a vulnerable girl like Olivia has her own dark past to contend with. When the handsome and whip-smart Mark Redkin joins the Waverly administration, he manages to woo the whole student body, paying particular attention to Olivia – an affair she very much wants to keep to herself, especially from Kate. And as a man who knows just how to get what he wants, Kate realises that Mark poses a huge threat, in more ways than she is willing to admit. 

🚺 MY REVIEW: So I just finished this book with a scrunched up smirk on my face. You know the one? The one that means it was more than good. That it was sly and vindictive and the bitch in you can’t get enough? Yeah, well that one. Although I must add that there was definitely a little bit of applaud/congratulation nodding for Teresa Toten thrown in for good measures too because to be honest with you it was more than I expected it to be. Right from the off you think you possibly see where it’s all going and you hold on to your own instincts thinking you’re amazingly smart only to be laughed at maliciously when the truth all comes spiralling out. You’ve got to give kudos to the author for that haven’t you? Totally shows how great of a writer they are when they can do that. So Teresa, good on you girl 👍🏻

Beware That Girl is clever, twisted, dark and dangerous. It’s secretive, frustrating, obsessive, disillusioned and utterly captivating. It’s original and feisty and to be fair does upset you at times as there is a dark, sensitive and in-depth underlining to the plot throughout the read that will definitely shock you. Which has been written with respect and care which I appreciate when faced with what can be a uncomfortable part of a book. We’re not heartless are we, but we do love a sob story don’t we? 

So teaming all that up with a small but thriving cast of diverse and excellent characters gives us an intimate and bizarre family structure like no other.

Overall this is one fantastic read!

A book that leaves you dangling by a thread over the wealthy New York skyline waiting for you to drop deep fast and hard to your death. Fabulous! 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5

🚺 LINKS TO BUY:

Amazon 

iBooks 

Waterstones 

WHSmith 

Book Depository 

Kobo 

🚺 BOOK DETAILS:

Title: Beware That Girl.

Author: Teresa Toten.

Genre: YA & Teens/Psychological Thriller.

Length: 336 Pages. 

ISBN-10: 1471406393

ISBN-13: 978-1471406393

Publisher: Hot Key Books.

Publication Date: 12/01/2017

🚺 ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Teresa Toten is the author of Beware That Girl; The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B, winner of the Governor General s Literary Award in Canada; The Game; The Onlyhouse; and, with Eric Walters, The Taming. She is also the author of the acclaimed Blondes series. Teresa lives in Toronto. 

Visit her online at teresatoten.com and on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter and GoodReads.

BT – The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Joanna Bolouri.

Happy Friday gorgeous people of the world.
Thank you for joining me today as I host day five on Joanna Bolouri’s, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year Blog Tour.

Erm… Well, I was supposed to give you a review today you know, but I so can’t. 🙈

Arr no hang on a minute and hear me out, ok?

I haven’t got a review today and that’s not because I’ve not read the book, or am just too lazy to write one. It is in fact because I would never be able to stop the spoilers and I would never in a million years know how to do this book justice. I honestly have no proper words right now. I’ll try Me best like.

Joanna Bolouri is seriously a top class author, she’s current, bold, funny and to be fair she’s just fucking fabulous. She is the Queen of RomCom am telling you. Proper crown and everything! 👑

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is everything a Christmas book should be. A bit of a shaky festive ride with a lot of family dramatics, partying and cocktails on the way. Lots of festive shit and of course a bit of romance and tenderness thrown in for good measures. Oh, and lots and lots of laughter. No seriously, I mean serious choke yourself laughter. No word of a lie.

Emily and Evan are two of the best characters I’ve read about in a long time and I snorted a lot at some of the crazy fucking things that went on with them two. Their banter is priceless and I loved being the third wheel for them. The Carson family are absolutely fucking AMAZING! They are the absolute best family ever! Their Scottish charm is delightful. 

Oh it’s just so relatable, you know what I mean? Like, it could actually be you and your family. In all honesty though, it actually could be my family! Oh I really love it. I can’t wait to hear what you all think of it too. 

You know what? Am going to give loads of spoilers away if I even try carry on trying to write about it! It’s dead hard when you love a book but you don’t know how to tell everyone about it because you’re a bad tit and just can’t. But I NEED to! I NEED to dead bad. I NEED to tell you all how fan-fucking-tastic it is and that not only is it top of my 2016 Christmas bookathon winners list right now, it is also in the top 5 of my 2016 book of the year too. I won’t tell you where like, but it’s warmer if you go up 😜

Oh I love it. I hope you do too. 

So you know I like to tell you all what to do and to go buy all the books all the time, but honestly when it comes to our JoBo she does it with style, sass, realism and quality, and I just absolutely love all her books. And this book will be another 5star from me to her.

A sweary four day uproar of sarcasm, family crazyness, love and absolute ball busting hysterical laughter. Like snorting laughter and needing to put a tenor lady on (if your one of the maturer ladies of life or just like me and have had kids who have basically fucked your body up) because I promise you. you will piss your pants. 

Christmas reading at its absolute fucking best! 

I’m honestly in awe.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💙❤️Blurb: Thirty-eight year old Emily has a satisfying job, fab friends, an amazing car and, most importantly, a wonderful flat, exactly 411 miles away from the judgemental, batshit crazy, interfering family she reluctantly sees twice a year. In fact, the only minor stress in her life is her twenty-something neighbour Evan and his penchant for flirting, loud music and even louder sex . . . but he’s nothing she can’t handle. 

Emily also has a boyfriend called Robert and it’s going really well. So well, in fact, that this year Emily is hoping to take him home for Christmas to meet her family. Finallyshe won’t be subject to five days of nosy questions from her parents and pity looks from her younger married siblings.
But when Robert breaks up with her a week before Christmas, Emily is gutted. How on earth is she going to face her family now? Enlisting the help of party boy Evan (in exchange for one month’s rent and the use of her convertible) Emily is determined to take Robert home for Christmas come hell or high water, even if it isn’t the realRobert . . .

💙❤️Links to buy:

Amazon 

ibooks 

Kobo

Book Depository 

Waterstones

WHSmith (PaperBack on offer here😉)

The Book People

💙❤️Book Details:

Title: The Most Wonderful Time of The Year.

Author: Joanna Bolouri.

Genre: Romantic Comedy. 

Length: 416 pages.

ISBN: 9781784299125

Publisher: Quercus Books.

Publication Date: October 6th 2016

💙❤️About the Author:

Joanna Bolouri worked in sales before she began writing professionally at the age of thirty. Winning a BBC comedy script competition allowed her to work and write with stand-up comedians, comedy scriptwriters and actors from across the UK. She’s had articles and reviews published in The Skinny, the Scottish Sun, the Huffington Post and HecklerSpray. She lives in Glasgow with her daughter.

To find out more about Joanna, buy her books or chat to her, you can follow her via her social media accounts. Links below.

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads 

So there you have it my darling book geeks. I’ve been a pretty shitty host and blogger today haven’t I? I genuinely do apologise for that. But I do hope I’ve somehow made some kind of sense and have made you want to go read this book. I honestly love it. I also love you. I love Joanna Bolouri. I love Alainna from Quercus. And I love laughter, genuinity, warmth, compassion, Christmas and most of all Family. I know you all do too. 

#MostWonderful.

Love as always 

N 😘