Tag Archives: Lucy Diamond

My Summer Reads and Reviews.

I don’t usually read so many books in a month, but I’ve been focused on relaxing since the summer holidays started (taking a break from teaching), enjoying family time and some time for myself.

I was determined to read a paperback on my holiday in France, whereas I usually read on Kindle or listen to books. Do you count it as “reading” if you listen to a book? I know it’s not the same, but I count it as when I am in school, I listen to books while driving or doing jobs at home or in my classroom. It’s a great way to indulge in the wonderful stories I enjoy.

No matter how I “read” the book, if I enjoy the story, I leave a review. Reviews keep authors going on difficult days and help boost the book’s profile. My reviews vary in length depending on how much time I had to write them, but if you’ve read my blog before, you’ll know the size of the review doesn’t matter. It’s the thought and sharing your appreciation of a good book that counts.

With that in mind, here are my recent reads and reviews.

As you’ll notice, I like reading for escapism and relaxation so I tend to pick books I know I will enjoy: romcoms, romance, and historical fiction (with at least a hint of romance).


You Belong to Me, the sequel to Who’s That Girl?, was the follow-up I didn’t know I needed. Having greatly enjoyed Who’s That Girl?, I absolutely loved You Belong to Me and the opportunity to discover what happened next for Edie. Mhairi McFarlane is one of my favourite writers, and her brilliant way with words shone through. The writing, as always, was pacy and poignant. I was keen to find out what would happen next and so kept turning the pages, all the while knowing I’d be sad to say goodbye to the wonderful characters once I got to the end. Once again, McFarlane masterfully balanced humour and emotion, making You Belong to Me a thoroughly enjoyable read. This book was a delightful continuation of Edie and Elliott’s story, perfect for fans of the first book and anyone looking for a heartwarming romance.


The Fixer Upper is an easy-going, enjoyable romcom. The plot is engaging with a gentle romance. I enjoyed the main characters’ developing friendship, and it was refreshing to read a story with a male lead who wasn’t your stereotypical hero. While there were some unexpected references, they added to the book’s playful and fun nature. Overall, The Fixer Upper was a happy read, perfect for escaping for a few hours.

 


Spring Breeze is a WWII historical novel set in Paris during the German occupation. The story follows Matilde, who initially appears naive and eager to keep a low profile. However, when Matilde’s circumstances change, she determines to fight the enemy however she can. The narrative captures Matilde’s transformation from a passive bystander to a determined and resilient fighter, facing the horrors of war alongside her fellow countrymen with unyielding strength.

Central to the story is the forbidden love between Matilde and Hans, a German soldier who, despite loving his country, abhors the war and its atrocities. Their bond, forged over their attraction, shared love of art, and mutual sense of injustice, is fraught with danger and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. I enjoyed discovering more about each of them as their characters developed through the story. Spring Breeze was an evocative, well-researched novel that shows the horrors of war and its impact on ordinary people thrown into extraordinary circumstances.


Here are some fun facts about buying this book: I decided I should have an actual paperback for my holiday and found it in a charity shop. I love Lucy Diamond’s novels and bought this one despite already having it on Kindle. While in the charity shop, I saw A Summer of Second Chances on the shelf and told the lady beside me I had written it. She bought it and made me smile! After reading The Best Days of Our Lives, I popped it into a book exchange in France for another reader to enjoy. It had gone when I next visited. I hope I introduced someone new to Lucy Diamond’s great stories.

As someone who has lost a sister, goodness, this book was an emotional roller coaster. There is real depth to the characters; you can feel their heartache and struggles as they try to rebuild their lives, which will never be the same again. They make mistakes but also achieve new insights and highs along the way. I loved Alice and felt every step of her emotional journey. There were a lot of characters to follow at first, but I soon found my way with them and followed their family connections with interest. The story made me cry, laugh, and experience all the emotions between; it was another great Lucy Diamond read.


Fake it ’til You Make It was my first Laura Carter read. I really liked the lead characters, Abbey and Ted, and the chemistry they shared throughout. I enjoyed the personal journey both characters went on and the banter they frequently shared. It was a good-fun, light-hearted read. I felt the secrets to be told got a little stretched towards the end, but once all was revealed, I loved the ending every bit as much as I hoped I would. It was a fabulous holiday read that made me smile.


The Law of Attraction is a quick, fun holiday read with likeable characters and a flashy setting. Unless I missed it, I don’t think it was explained how come hot-shot lawyer Drew Harrington seemed to know a lot about romcoms, but I liked him, so I was happy to go with it 😉 I loved Drew’s family and their dynamics. I also liked Drew’s friendship group. The story is told mainly from Drew’s alpha-male perspective, with a few insights into Becky’s past coming from her perspective. It was an enjoyable read (with a few trigger moments regarding Becky’s previous abusive partner). I like Laura Carter’s fresh, pacy writing style and dynamic characters. I also enjoyed the escapist setting, too.


The Spare Room is a sweet story with likeable characters, all the feels, and a happy ever after that will leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling. I really enjoyed the friendships and some of the quirky family members. There’s an adorable male lead who has watched romcoms and can quote poetry, a likeable female lead, and a cute cat. What more could you want? …

Maybe a dog, but I’m aware that could just be me, haha!


My current read is Beth Moran’s It Had To Be You. My Kindle tells me I am twenty-five per cent into the book. Now I’m home from my holiday, the sun has disappeared, and I’m thinking about all the jobs I should have done this summer, my reading has slowed down somewhat, but I am enjoying it so far.

What have you been reading this summer? It would be great to hear your favourite summer reads. 

Enjoy the final days of August. xx


Review of Lucy Diamond’s On a Beautiful Day

On a Beautiful Day by Lucy Diamond

The Blurb

It’s a beautiful day in Manchester and four friends are meeting for a birthday lunch. But then they witness a shocking accident just metres away which acts as a catalyst for each of them.

For Laura, it’s a wake-up call to heed the ticking of her biological clock. Sensible Jo finds herself throwing caution to the wind in a new relationship. Eve, who has been trying to ignore the worrying lump in her breast, feels helpless and out of control. And happy-go-lucky India is drawn to one of the victims of the accident, causing long-buried secrets to rise to the surface.

This is a novel about the startling and unexpected turns life can take. It’s about luck – good and bad – and about finding bravery and resilience when your world is in turmoil. Above all, it’s about friendship, togetherness and hope.

Genre: Women’s Fiction.
Publisher: Macmillan (11 Jan. 2018)

My review:

I always enjoy Lucy Diamond’s books. I love her down to earth characters and relatable storylines. I liked the relationships between the group of friends in this book and finding out about each of their individual stories. I tend to listen to books on my kindle while driving but found this one slightly harder to keep track of due to the number of characters. Once I got straight who was who, I was urging them each to find their happy ending and, as ever with a Lucy Diamond book, finished the book with a contented smile.

Click to buy the book.

About the author:

 

Born in Nottingham, Lucy Diamond has lived in Leeds, London, Oxford and Brighton, but now lives in beautiful Bath. She is married with three children.

Find Lucy Diamond on Twitter and Facebook.

My reviews are added to Amazon UK and Goodreads x

Happy publication day, Caroline James!

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