Tag Archives: Carol Thomas

Review of Helen J. Christmas’ Beginnings

Book Review, Guest Post, , , , , , , , , , ,

Beginnings by Helen J. Christmas

The Blurb

Beginnings is a romantic thriller set in the criminal underworld of 1970s London. Eleanor Chapman is 16. She has no idea her father is employed in a world of organised crime until the day he is forced to go on the run, leaving her at the mercy of dangerous people.

Her life is spiralling out of control yet on the night she plans to escape, she stumbles across a mysterious prisoner. His name is Jake, a rock musician from Holland and he has a contract on his life.

Their daring escape across London eventually draws them into a place of hiding before Jake’s chilling story begins to unfold. He was the one vital witness to a sinister scene leading up to the death of a British MP and now those responsible want him silenced. As two young people, thrown together by fate they develop intense feelings for each other. It does not take long for Eleanor to realise that she will do anything possible to keep Jake alive.

Their tender love bond keeps you turning the pages as they live on a knife edge, desperate to escape London. Will they outrun the deadly enemies who stalk them? Or are the people at the top more powerful than they think?

Beginnings: Book 1 of the series “Same Face Different Place” a romantic British thriller through the decades.

Genre: Thriller / Romantic Thriller / YA

Publisher: Chichester Publishing

My review:

As you may have noticed, I generally read contemporary romances and romantic comedies so this romantic thriller was a departure from the norm for me and I have to say I really enjoyed it. The story was edgy, at times shocking, gave an intriguing insight into the criminal underworld of London in the 1970s and yet remained a romantic tale of two people desperate to survive their circumstances and be together.

All characters are portrayed well giving clear mental images of what each is like as the story unfolds like a film displayed before you; I willed Eleanor and Jake, the main characters, to find their escape and I recoiled from the particularly nasty villain Theakston (who by the end of the book becomes more complex than he first appears). And I liked the fact that amongst all the drama Eleanor finds support from characters whose warmth and kindness are evident.

The end of the book, for me, felt like a pause in the action, there is a shift in direction, mood and atmosphere, opposed to closure, which left me temporarily content with where the main characters were at, but wanting to know more. This must surely be the mark of a good opening novel to a series. I look forward to reading Visions, the next story in the Same Face Different Place series!

YA guest review by Amelia Thomas:

Beginnings was full of action and insight into a world I previously knew little about. I was interested to learn more about the gangs and violence in London during the 1970s – it was intriguing and at times horrifying. Theakston, the criminal, was a well written nasty character, with horrible ideas about how to hurt or murder people.

I was interested to see how, like today, newspapers could report incidents one way while the “reality” was more dramatic and far reaching. I liked Eleanor and Jake, the main characters. Eleanor, particularly, was strong and determined, I hope she continues to be as the series continues.

Click to buy the book.

About the author:

Helen J. Christmas lives on the south coast of England with her husband. She has a passion for gripping stories with strong characters. With a love of writing since childhood, she started her own series of books ‘Same Face Different Place’. Her first book ‘Beginnings’ is set in the 1970s: a London thriller entwined with romantic suspense. Helen finished her 2nd book, ‘Visions,’ in 2013: a 1980s psychological thriller set in the counties of London and Kent. Her 3rd book, ‘Pleasures’ was published in 2015 and new for 2017 comes the final instalment ‘Retribution’ in 2 parts.

Writing is something she juggles around her family and social life as well as running a web design company, she and her husband set up from home.

Discover more about Helen J. Christmas and the Same Face Different Place Series here: website | blog | Facebook | Twitter

Helen J. Christmas is also a member of the Chindi Authors group known for celebrating and helping independent authors.

Thank you for the great read Helen!

My reviews are added to Amazon UK and Goodreads x

Review of Lucy-Anne Holmes’ Unlike a Virgin

Book Review, , , , , , ,

Unlike a Virgin by Lucy-Anne Holmes

The Blurb

Is Gracie in love for the very first time?

You know that bit in The X Factor, when the singer tells everyone about the rocky road they travelled to pursue their dream? Well, that’s Gracie Flowers’ story.

Gracie is very focused for a woman of almost twenty-six. Her favourite book is ‘The 5-Year Plan: Making the Most of Your Life’. And her five-year plan is going very well. That is, until she is usurped from her big promotion by a handsome, posh idiot; she is dumped by her boyfriend; and discovers her loopy mother is facing bankruptcy.

Hormones awry and ice cream over-ordered, a dream Gracie thought she’d buried ten years ago starts to resurface. A dream that reminds her of the girl she used to be and everything she wanted to become.

Genre: Contemporary

Publisher: Sphere, Digital original edition (2011)

My review:

I don’t often read books written in the first person as I find them harder to get into, however, this was an exception. I really enjoyed it, and read it in just over a day. I liked Gracie Flowers (her full name gets mentioned a lot) and the lovely relationship she had with her dad and music. Her character is interesting and quirky, and the banter she shares with others (her friend Wendy, Bob the builder, and posh boy John) is great at reflecting the different relationships she shares with them. The story frequently made me smile, and I had to stop myself from crying as I read one part while sitting in a cafe! The supporting characters are likeable, and the story moves along at a good pace with you willing more than just the main characters towards their happy ever after moment. The ending has a lovely romcom montage feel. It is overall, a good fun, quick read.

Click to buy the book.

About the author:

Lucy-Anne Holmes is a writer, actress and campaigner living in Sussex. She is the author of three novels – 50 Ways to Find a Lover, The (Im)perfect Girlfriend (both of which I have also read and enjoyed) and Unlike a Virgin. Lucy is also the founder of the No More Page 3 campaign.

To find out more about Lucy follow her on Twitter.

 

 

My reviews are added to Amazon UK and Goodreads x

Review of Marie Laval’s Little Pink Taxi

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Little Pink Taxi by Marie Laval

The Blurb

Take a ride with Love Taxis, the cab company with a Heart … 
Rosalie Heart is a well-known face in Irlwick – well, if you drive a bright pink taxi and your signature style is a pink anorak, you’re going to draw a bit of attention! But Rosalie’s company Love Taxis is more than just a gimmick – for many people in the remote Scottish village, it’s a lifeline.

Which is something that Marc Petersen will never understand. Marc’s ruthless approach to business doesn’t extend to pink taxi companies running at a loss. When he arrives in Irlwick to see to a new acquisition – Raventhorn, a rundown castle – it’s apparent he poses a threat to Rosalie’s entire existence; not just her business, but her childhood home too.

On the face of it Marc and Rosalie should loathe each other, but what they didn’t count on was somebody playing cupid …

Genre: RomCom / Contemporary
Publisher: Choc Lit

My review:
I thoroughly enjoyed Little Pink Taxi, with its great combination of interesting characters, drama, comedy, mystery and intrigue. Having bought the book because I liked the cover, I hadn’t expected the ghostly happenings but loved them and their pivotal role in the story. Rosalie and Marc are both very likeable characters with an intriguing backstory. I liked the way Marc’s character developed with a little help from Rosalie, the situations he found himself in and a few unexpected influences along the way. The Cairngorms of Scotland and the rundown Raventhorn castle made the perfect backdrop for the ghostly and romantic goings-on. Overall it was a fabulous read with a few twists and surprises along the way.

Click to buy the book.
Find Little Pink Taxi on the Choc Lit website.

About the author:

Originally from Lyon in France, Marie now lives in Lancashire with her family. She works full-time as a modern languages teacher, and in her spare times loves writing romance and dreaming about romantic heroes. She writes both historical and contemporary romance, and her historical romance The Lion’s Embrace won the Gold Medal at the Global eBook Awards 2015 (category Historical Romance). She is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Society of Authors. Her native France, as well as her passion for history and research, very much influences her writing, and all her novels have what she likes to call ‘a French twist’!

Find Marie Laval on Twitter or follow her on her blog.

Thank you for the great read Marie.

My reviews are added to Amazon UK and Goodreads x

Review of Emily Williams’ Rafferty Lincoln Loves

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Rafferty Lincoln Loves by Emily Williams, foreword by Frankie Dettori MBE

The Blurb

Rafferty Lincoln Loves… 

A sensational and compelling, coming of age story for older YA (young adult) readers and adults. Foreword by Frankie Dettori MBE, ambassador for the British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre. 

Rafferty Lincoln doesn’t like horses. Not one bit. But when the popular high school girl of his dreams, Liberty Ashburn pulls him into a world of lead ropes and horse brushes, who is he to say no?

Except this isn’t any old horse. This is the missing racehorse, Profits Red Ridge. The horse Rafferty and three of his friends are hiding from the world. And Liberty Ashburn isn’t just any ordinary high school girl. How far will Rafferty go to win her over?

Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Lutino Publications (13 Feb. 2018)

My review:

An enjoyable coming of age romance with an adventure that puts a group of teenagers to the test. Developed around the children discovering what they believe to be a missing racehorse, the adventure propels the group of unlikely friends on a journey of self-discovery. I tend to read HEA books, but as this is the second book I have read from this author I knew to expect something a little different. I wasn’t wrong. The writing, like the story, is engaging and keeps you turning the pages. The moral, that actions have consequences, is hit home in a thought-provoking manner, that will touch even the hardest heart. The characters are diverse, interesting, well developed and relatable. Another great Emily Williams read and how fab that the proceeds from this book will be donated to the British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre!

Click to buy the book.

About the author:

Emily Williams lives by the seaside in West Sussex with her family and a menagerie of small pets. After graduating from Sussex University with a BA in Psychology, Emily trained as a primary school teacher and teaches in a local school.

Letters to Eloise is her debut novel. Her new novel, the YA fiction Rafferty Lincoln Loves… will be released this year. The proceeds from the book will be donated to the British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre.

Find Emily Williams on Twitter and Facebook.

Thank you for the great read Emily. My reviews are added to Amazon UK and Goodreads x

Happy publication day, Caroline James!

Writing & Reading, , , , , , , , , , , ,

I’d like to start this post by saying a very big congratulations to my fellow Ruby Fiction author, Caroline James, whose book The Best Boomerville Hotel is released today (13th March 2018)! I can’t wait to read Caroline’s book, which is already getting some great reviews, and I hope she has a day of celebrations planned. With a book described as a fabulously funny read – think The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel but in the Lake District – I’m sure it will be a great success. Discover more here.

Caroline’s novel is available for £1.99 across all ebook formats. If you don’t have an e-reader, there is no need to miss out. You can download the free Kindle or Kobo reading app on your phone or tablet and simply order the book via your chosen platform. How easy is that!

Also on this special day, I would like to say cheers to all of the authors who have signed with Ruby Fiction to date, Caroline James, Angela Barton, Hannah Pearl, Wendy Dranfield and me … we are off ladies, with an exciting year ahead, whoop whoop!

Mother’s Day

I hope you had a good Mother’s Day. I was very spoilt. Amongst my goodies were a Kindle voucher, a Costa voucher, a Cineworld voucher and cupcakes spelling out Mummy – I think my children have me worked out pretty well! As always, my favourite things were the gorgeous cards, messages and pictures my children and grandchildren made for me – such little treasures (the children and the gifts).

I recently connected with a group of new mums, when I asked for a little research help on my Facebook page. I was overwhelmed by offers and by the generosity with which everyone was willing to share their pregnancy and birth experiences with me. Responses to my questions came in through the night, as clearly the volunteers were awake with their little ones. The answers I received were great and inspired me to crack on with planning a novel I am really looking forward to writing. They also proved how diverse, difficult, happy and sometimes sad the path to motherhood can be. To all the mum’s out there you are amazing, and to all those who want nothing more than to be a mum, I truly hope you get your happy ending.

Out and about:

I will be at the Lyminster Primary School Craft Fair, in Littlehampton BN17 7JZ, Saturday 17th March, 11-2pm, selling my children’s book Finding a Friend and my contemporary romance novel, Crazy Over You. I will also be promoting The Purrfect Pet Sitter and my daughter is hoping to offer some crafty colouring fun for the little ones too.

It promises to be a lovely family event. There will be a range of local crafts on sale and entry is free. Come along and say hello.

Size doesn’t matter (any length review will do):

My current read is Lucy Diamond’s On a Beautiful Day. I am a big Lucy Diamond fan and have read all of her books. I enjoy her engaging style, down to earth characters and relatable storylines. I will add my review next time as I have just over a quarter of the book to go – but it is safe to say, I’m really enjoying it.

Cinema-wise, just lately I’ve seen:

LadyBird – A good story, very well acted and an interesting exploration of the mother-daughter relationship. Definitely worth a watch!

I-Tonya – Margot Robbie is great. I knew a little of the story but not the details. It really is a fascinating film, where you feel the plight of Tonya Harding who is gifted and talented with the odds of success strongly stacked against her.

Red Sparrow – Jennifer Lawrence is great in this spy thriller in which seduction and double-dealing are the predominant weapons of choice.

You Were Never Really Here – this was violent, dark and well paced to suit the mood of the film.

Thanks so much for reading my blog, don’t forget to raise a glass for Caroline today, and let me know what you’ve been reading and watching lately. x