Category Archives: Book Review

Review of Rachael Stewart’s Mr Temptation

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The Blurb:

Mixing business with pleasure … has never been more tempting!

Career-focussed Zara Anders, an estate agent for the elite, has sworn off men—until gorgeous Swedish billionaire Daniel Lazenby gets under her skin. Their racy affair heats up quickly, but ends in a hurry when Zara learns about Daniel’s womanizing past. Determined to win her back, Daniel offers her a business deal too good to be true…and some out-of-office fun too tempting to turn down!

Genre: Erotic Romance
Published by: Mills & Boon Dare

My review:

Mr Temptation has plenty of swoon factor, a strong heroine and a story that holds your interest to the end. Rachael Stewart does racy very well and manages to strike a good balance with increasing intimacy.

Set in London, the story maintains a good pace while Swedish billionaire Daniel is taken house hunting by the credible estate agent to the rich and famous, Zara.  The characters are likeable, I enjoyed the relationship between Zara and her PA, and Daniel and his sister. It’s a great racy read with more besides.

Links to buy the book: Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Mills & Boon

Giveaway to Win an e-copy of Mr. Temptation by Rachael Stewart (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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About the author:

 

Rachael Stewart adores conjuring up stories for the readers of Harlequin Mills & Boon and Deep Desires Press, with tales varying from the heart-warmingly romantic to the wildly erotic.

Despite a degree in Business Studies and spending many years in the corporate world, the desire to become an author never waned and it’s now her full-time pleasure, a dream come true.

A Welsh lass at heart, she now lives in Yorkshire with her husband and three children, and if she’s not glued to her laptop, she’s wrapped up in them or enjoying the great outdoors seeking out inspiration.

Discover more about Rachael Stewart via her website | Twitter | Facebook

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Many thanks to Rachael Stewart for the great read, and thanks to Rachel Gilbey of Rachel’s Random Resources for enabling me to be part of this blog tour. My reviews are added to Amazon UK and Goodreads. x

Review of Lexi Rees’ Eternal Seas

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Eternal Seas: The Relic Hunters book #1

The Blurb:

Such a small parcel shouldn’t cause experienced smugglers much trouble, but this parcel is far from normal.

Lost and scared after a violent storm, Finn and his sister, Aria, take shelter on a remote island. They discover the parcel contains a relic belonging to a long forgotten people. Locked inside are powers which will change their lives, and the world, forever. As Finn realises his connection to the relic, a vision strikes him – but what does it mean? Who should they trust? And if they decide to follow their hearts rather than their orders, will they manage to deliver the relic in one piece?

Chased across the seas as they try to solve the mysteries within the parcel, the fate of this ancient people depends on them. Finn and Aria must choose between what is right and what is easy – and time is running out …

Genre: Dystopian Fiction / Fantasy / Children’s Book
Published by: Matador

My Review:

My children and I loved this tale of adventurers, Finn and Aria. Both characters capture the imagination as the quest and their unique role within it unfolds. Pippin – the small girl with a big personality – was a great addition to the cast of characters too.

Their world is brought to life through descriptive language that is aptly used to hold the focus of middle-grade readers. Finn and Aria’s abilities (and Aria’s bow and arrow) hooked my children in as they willed them to fulfil their potential within the story.

Having short chapters it is an ideal read for younger confident readers, and as a story to share.

Eternal Seas is a brilliant introduction to the fantasy genre and stepping stone for future readers of books like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. I loved the fact it had a futuristic setting but also harked back to an earlier time of magic and the reemergence of these powers.

As a parent, I thought it was a great read for my children – it has all the potential to become a classic, and as a teacher, I could see how I could use this book to discuss and inspire writing about imaginary worlds. I look forward to the next book.

About the author:

 

Lexi Rees grew up in the north of Scotland but now splits her time between London and West Sussex. She still goes back to Scotland regularly though.

Usually seen clutching a mug of coffee, she spends as much time as possible sailing and horse riding, both of which she does enthusiastically but badly.

Her first book, Eternal Seas was written on a boat; the storm described in it was frighteningly real.

Discover more about Lexi and her work here: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Instagram |

 

Thank you for the great read, Lexi. My reviews are added to Amazon Uk and Goodreads. Xx

Review of Tracy Bloom’s No-One Ever Has Sex at a Wedding

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The blurb:

In Katy’s opinion, weddings should follow some basic rules:

1) No-one should ever have sex. Of course. The married couple has the rest of their lives for that, and the guests should be too busy partying.

2) If you are heavily pregnant (as Katy is) you should obviously not be invited to three weddings in the space of one summer. Your husband’s accident-prone best friend, your attention-seeking colleague, your 73-year-old mother’s marriage to her Spanish toy boy – all without even an alcoholic drink to make them bearable.

3) During the speeches, it should not be revealed that you had a secret one-night-stand with one of the other guests.

4) Instead of laying bets on the length of the best man’s speech, guests should not be laying bets on whether a marriage will be in ruins before the end of the meal…

But this summer, Katy is lucky enough to be the special guest at the weddings that break ALL of the rules. What could possibly go wrong? 

This is a standalone novel that also features re-appearing characters from some of Tracy Bloom’s other books.

Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Literary Humour

My review:

I do love Tracy Bloom’s books. When I pick one up I know I am guaranteed an entertaining read that will make me smile. I have read all in this series (randomly except the first one – not sure how I missed that) and loved them. Revisiting the characters feels like catching up with old friends. The story progresses at a good pace, towards a fabulously over the top, but perfectly apt, ending. I smiled as I read, and laughed at the antics – a great summer read. I look forward to the next.

Click here to buy the book:

About the author:

Tracy Bloom started writing when her cruel, heartless husband ripped her away from her dream job shopping for rollercoasters for the UK’s leading theme parks, to live in America with a brand new baby and no mates. In a cunning plan to avoid domestic duties and people who didn’t understand her Derbyshire accent, she wrote her romantic comedy, No-One Ever Has Sex on a Tuesday. This debut novel went on to be successfully published internationally and became a #1 Best Seller.

You can find Tracy via her website | Facebook | Twitter

Thank you for the great read Tracy, my reviews are added to Amazon Uk and Goodreads. xx

Review of Kate Zarrelli’s Tuscan Enchantment

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Blog Tour book review of Tuscan Enchantment, by Kate Zarrelli.

The blurb:

This was no cold marble—this was a man!

Antonia goes to Tuscany to rebuild her life. The last thing she wants to do is fall in love, least of all with rich, arrogant, aristocratic Lorenzo.
​
Librarian Antonia Gray has fled England for northern Tuscany after an unhappy love affair to work on the archive of a 17th century Italian explorer, a member of a centuries-old aristocratic family. There she meets his descendent, Lorenzo Quattromani, rich, arrogant, handsome—and engaged to the beautiful and ruthless Giselle. The last thing Antonia wants is to fall in love, least of all with someone so dangerous. His engagement, though, is not what it seems, and Lorenzo breaks down Antonia’s resistance. But Giselle has other ideas.

Published by:  eXtasy Books Inc
Genre: Romance

My review:

The story is set predominantly in the beautiful landscape of Tuscany and touches on some of the historical background of the area, as well as that of the Quattromani family.

While librarian Antonia is quiet and unassuming, the hero, Lorenzo initially appears brash. For me, his actions in the earlier stages of the book make him difficult to warm to, though I am glad I kept reading as his character, more than anyone else’s, alters as the story progresses.

I liked the honesty of the Countess and enjoyed her growing relationship with Antonia. Despite the differences in their age and status, I could tell there was warmth between them.

The story builds towards a satisfying ending brought about in a sweet, romantic way.

Click to buy: Devine Destinies | Amazon UK | Amazon.Com

GIVEAWAY to Win a Little Carrara Marble Heart Pendant (Open Internationally) and can be engraved with winner’s initials:

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter link below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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About the author:

Kate Zarrelli is the romance and erotica pen-name of Katherine Mezzacappa. Kate is Irish but now lives in Carrara in Northern Tuscany, between the Apuan Alps and the Tyrrhenian Sea, with her Italian husband and two teenage sons. She writes historical, erotic, feel-good and paranormal fiction, set all over Europe, and in her spare time volunteers with a used book charity of which she is a founder member.

​Follow Kate Zarrelli: RNA | Facebook | Twitter 

A big thank you to Rachel Gilbey from Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to take part in the blog tour and to Kate Zarrelli for supplying a copy of Tuscan Enchantment for my honest review. xx

You can follow the rest of the tour here:

 

 

 

Review of Julie Houston’s A Village Affair

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The blurb:

Cassie Beresford has recently landed her dream job as deputy head at her local, idyllic village primary school, Little Acorns. So, the last thing she needs is her husband of twenty years being ‘outed’ at a village charity auction – he has been having an affair with one of her closest friends.

As if that weren’t enough to cope with, Cassie suddenly finds herself catapulted into the head teacher position, and at the forefront of a fight to ward off developers determined to concrete over the beautiful landscape.

But through it all, the irresistible joy of her pupils, the reality of keeping her teenage children on the straight and narrow, her irrepressible family and friends, and the possibility of new love, mean what could have been the worst year ever, actually might be the best yet…

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Published by: Aria

My review:

A Village Affair has plenty of drama and humour which keeps you turning the pages. It is a story about finding your inner strength and marching onwards, no matter what circumstances are thrown your way. I enjoyed the interaction between Cassie and her family, and how her children blossomed as the book progressed. This was my first Julie Houston read, but it won’t be my last. I am looking forward to reading others and discovering more about the characters mentioned in this book.

Buy the book here.

About the Author:

Julie lives in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire where her novels are set, and her only claims to fame are that she teaches part-time at ‘Bridget Jones’ author Helen Fielding’s old junior school and her neighbour is ‘Chocolat’ author, Joanne Harris.

After University, where she studied Education and English Literature, she taught for many years as a junior school teacher. As a newly qualified teacher, broke and paying off her first mortgage, she would spend every long summer holiday working on different Kibbutzim in Israel.

After teaching for a few years she decided to go to New Zealand to work and taught in Auckland for a year before coming back to this country. She now teaches just two days a week, and still loves the buzz of teaching junior-aged children.

She has been a magistrate for the past nineteen years, and, when not distracted by Ebay, Twitter and Ancestry, spends much of her time writing.

Julie is married, has a twenty-four-year-old son and twenty-one-year-old daughter and a ridiculous Cockerpoo called Lincoln. She runs and swims because she’s been told it’s good for her, but would really prefer a glass of wine, a sun lounger and a jolly good book – preferably with Matthew Mcconaughay in attendance. She hates skiing, gets sick on boats and wouldn’t go pot-holing or paddy diving if her life depended on it.

She is published by HeadOfZeus/Aria and represented by Anne Williams at KHLA Literary agency. Julie is also a member of Apricot Plots.

Discover more about Julie Houston: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Apricot Plots | Amazon UK

Thank you for the fab read, Julie. My reviews are added to Amazon UK and Goodreads. xx