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31 January 2016

February 2016 Releases! (Part 2)

Yesterday I shared some of the February 2016 book releases I am quite excited about with all of you, but yes yes... There's more! I always find the start of a new year a bit difficult; the weather can be quite miserable, no holidays to look forward to, Spring still far away.... But luckily we've got a ton of fantastic books to look forward to, so if this doesn't bring a smile to the faces of all book fans out there, I don't know what will! 

Which releases are you excited about? I'd love to hear from you! If you'd like me to include your book release in this list, feel free to contact me via e-mail or Twitter! :)
 
Emma Hannigan - 'The Perfect Gift' (11 February 2016)

Happy Birthday, darling girl... 

Ever since she can remember, Roisin has received a birthday card in the post. Signed with love from the birth mother she has never met.

Brought up by her adoptive parents, Keeley and Doug, Roisin has wanted for nothing. But on her thirtieth birthday a letter comes that shakes her world.

For Keeley, who's raised Roisin as her own, the letter reminds her of a guilty secret she's been hiding for thirty years.

And for Nell, keeping watch in the lighthouse, the past is a place she dare not go. Until a young runaway arrives seeking shelter, and unwraps the gift of hope for them all... 

Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
 


Jenny Colgan - 'The Little Shop of Happy Ever After' (11 February 2016)

Given a back-room computer job when the beloved Birmingham library she works in turns into a downsized retail complex, Nina misses her old role terribly - dealing with people, greeting her regulars, making sure everyone gets the right books for their needs. 

Then a new business nobody else wants catches her eye: owning a tiny little bookshop bus up in the Scottish highlands. No computers. Shortages. Out all hours in the freezing cold; driving with a tiny stock of books... not to mention how the little community is going to take to her, particularly when she stalls the bus on a level crossing...

 


Samantha Tonge - 'How to Get Hitched in Ten Days' (11 February 2016)

Meet Mikey, every girl’s best friend – he bakes the creamiest cheesecake, loves movie nights and is a great dance partner.

For Jasmine, Mikey is the perfect flatmate – he owns a 50s diner that turns out the best food around, gives the best bear hugs and amazing romance advice – after all they’re scoping out the same hot guys! So when her boyfriend proposes in the worst possible way, Jazz knows her best friend will be there to pick up the pieces with gourmet popcorn, Pinot sleepovers and a shoulder to lean on.

But Mikey isn’t about to let Jasmine give up on love, and he’s ready to do whatever it takes to mend her broken heart – even if it means helping the one person who sees him as the enemy…

Because at the end of the day, all’s fair in the pursuit of true love… right?

 


Victoria Connelly - 'Rules for a Succesful Book Club' (14 February 2016)

Polly Nightingale never meant to fall in love again especially not with a biker thirteen years her junior. But then Jago Solomon enters her life with a guitar strapped to his back, and Polly and her six-year-old son, Archie, know that they’ve never been happier. 

But what happened three years ago when Polly’s husband, Sean, went missing? And what will it mean for Polly and Jago if her past ever catches up with them? 

Join the Nightingale family once again for the second in The Book Lovers series by the bestselling author of The Rose Girls. 

 


Menna van Praag - 'The Witches of Cambridge' (18 February 2016)

Amandine Bisset has always had the power to feel the emotions of those around her. It’s a secret she can share only with her friends—all professors, all witches—when they gather for the Cambridge University Society of Literature and Witchcraft. Amandine treasures these meetings but lately senses the ties among her colleagues beginning to unravel. If only she had her student Noa’s power to hear the innermost thoughts of others, she might know how to patch things up. Unfortunately, Noa regards her gift as a curse. So when a seductive artist claims he can cure her, Noa jumps at the chance, no matter the cost.

Noa’s not the only witch who’s in over her head. Mathematics professor Kat has a serious case of unrequited love but refuses to cast spells to win anyone’s heart. Kat’s sister, Cosima, is not above using magic to get what she wants, sprinkling pastries in her bakery with equal parts sugar and enchantment. But when Cosima sets her sights on Kat’s crush, she conjures up a dangerous love triangle.

As romance and longing swirl through every picturesque side street, the witches of Cambridge find their lives unexpectedly upended and changed in ways sometimes extraordinary, sometimes heartbreaking, but always enchanting.

 


Katie Oliver - 'The Trouble with Emma' (24 February 2016)

The second novel in the highly awaited new series - The Jane Austen Factor - from bestselling author Katie Oliver!

Look out for more in The Jane Austen Factor series:

1. What Would Lizzy Bennet Do?

2. The Trouble with Emma

3. Who Needs Mr Willougby?

 


Fiona Gibson - 'The Woman Who Upped and Left' (25 February 2016)

Forget about having it all. Sometimes you just want to leave it all behind.

Audrey is often seized by the urge to walk out of her house without looking back – but she can’t possibly do that.

She is a single parent. She is needed. She has a job, a home, responsibilities…and a slothful teenage son’s pants to pick up.

But no one likes being taken for granted – Audrey least of all – so the time has come for drastic action. And no one’s going to stand in her way…

 


Rachel Hore - 'The House on Bellevue Gardens' (25 February 2016)

Rosa has arrived in London from Poland to look for her younger brother Michal. But he has disappeared, and now she’s alone, with nowhere to stay and no one to help her. 

Stef is running away from her boyfriend Oliver and the claustrophobic life she’s been living in his opulent flat. Frightened, friendless and far from her family, she needs somewhere to hide.

Rick is living in a limbo; a shy young man sheltering from the world to write and draw and dream. He needs a place to nourish his creativity.

All three find refuge at 11 Bellevue Gardens, the shabbiest house of a smart white-painted Georgian terrace in North London. Here, its owner Leonie herself once found sanctuary following a brief career as a model in the sixties and a destructive marriage. Now, out of gratitude, she opens her house to others in need.

However, the house which has provided sanctuary for so many is now itself under threat. Can Leonie rescue the place that saved her all those years ago…?

 


Dinah Jefferies - 'The Silk Merchant's Daughter' (25 February 2016)

1952, French Indochina. Since her mother's death, eighteen-year-old half-French, half-Vietnamese Nicole has been living in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Sylvie. When Sylvie is handed control of the family silk business, Nicole is given an abandoned silk shop in the Vietnamese quarter of Hanoi. But the area is teeming with militant rebels who want to end French rule, by any means possible. For the first time, Nicole is awakened to the corruption of colonial rule - and her own family's involvement shocks her to the core...

Tran, a notorious Vietnamese insurgent, seems to offer the perfect escape from her troubles, while Mark, a charming American trader, is the man she's always dreamed of. But who can she trust in this world where no one is what they seem?

 


Christie Barlow - 'Kitty's Countryside Dream' (25 February 2016)

New home. New life. New beginning. Love affairs can blossom in the most unlikely places...

When Kitty inherits Bluebell Lodge from her grandmother, a farm in the beautiful Staffordshire countryside, it’s time for fresh air and a fresh start. Up to her elbows in chickens and ponies, Kitty soon realises there’s an awful lot to learn about farming. Still, at least the locals seem friendly, not least her handsome neighbour Tom… 

But just as Kitty is beginning to find her feet, and the possibility of love, the discovery of a long-hidden diary, by a mysterious character called Violet changes everything. Who is Violet and what is her message for Kitty? As Kitty fills in the lost pieces of her family jigsaw and discovers some shocking revelations, will her countryside dream and blossoming relationship fall to pieces? When it comes to life in the country, nothing is ever quite as it seems … 

 


Heidi Rice - 'So Now You're Back' (25 February 2016)

Halle Best, TV's Domestic Diva, is proud of everything she's achieved.

Halle took her passion for baking and built her media empire alone after her ex Luke walked out on her sixteen years ago, leaving her a single mum to their two-year-old daughter Lizzie in a dingy flat in Hackney.

Now a bona fide celebrity success, she only speaks to Luke via her lawyer. But as he is threatening to write a tell-all book exposing some of Halle's deepest secrets, keeping him at arm's length won't be so easy anymore.

When Luke suggests a getaway to work through their past, Halle thinks he's crazy; if they can survive two weeks together it will be a miracle.

Yet reconnecting with her past, could be the only way to start her future. 

 


Caroline Roberts - 'The Cosy Tea Shop in the Castle' (25 February 2016)

When Ellie Hall lands her dream job running the little teashop in the beautiful but crumbling Claverham Castle, it’s the perfect escape from her humdrum job in the city. Life is definitely on the rise as Ellie replaces spreadsheets for scones, and continues her Nanna’s brilliant baking legacy.

When Lord Henry, the stick-in-the-mud owner, threatens to burst her baking bubble with his old-fashioned ways, Ellie wonders if she might have bitten off more than she can chew. But cupcake by cupcake she wins the locals over, including teashop stalwart, Doris, and Ellie’s showstopping bakes look set to go down in castle history!

Now all that’s missing in Ellie’s life is a slice of romance – can Joe, the brooding estate manager, be the one to put the cherry on the top of Ellie’s dream?

 


30 January 2016

February 2016 Releases! (Part 1)

Happy February! Well, almost, that is. Some good things about February? The fact that we're slowly getting closer to Spring. And that it is completely packed with amazing book releases! Honestly, January already had some pretty great reads to kick off the year with, but we're really going full force ahead into this second month of the year with another group of releases I can't wait to read! Be sure to check out the list below, which is just part 1 of the February 2016 releases I am pretty exicted about. More books coming your way tomorrow, so keep an eye on this space! 

Which releases are you excited about? I'd love to hear from you! If you'd like me to include your book release in this list, feel free to contact me via e-mail or Twitter! :)
 
Maureen Sherry - 'Opening Belle' (2 February 2016)

In 2008, Isabelle—a self-made, thirty-something Wall Street star—appears to have it all: an Upper West Side apartment, three healthy children, a handsome husband, and a high-powered job. But her reality is something else. Her trading desk work environment resembles a 1980s frat party, her husband feels employment is beneath him, and the bulk of childcare and homecare still falls in Belle’s already full lap.

Enter Henry, the former college fiancé she never quite got over; now a hedge fund mogul. He becomes her largest client, and Belle gets to see the life she might have had with him. While Henry campaigns to win Belle back, the sexually harassed women in her office take action to improve their working conditions, and recruit a wary Belle into a secret “glass ceiling club” whose goal is to mellow the cowboy banking culture and get equal pay for their work. All along, Belle can sense the financial markets heading toward their soon-to-be historic crash and that something has to give—and when it does, everything is going to change: her marriage, her career, her world, and her need to keep her colleagues’ hands to themselves.

Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
 


Jenna Mccarthy - 'Everything's Relative' (2 February 2016)

When their mother dies, sisters Jules, Brooke, and Lexi breathe a collective sigh of relief. Their days of being hurt and controlled by Juliana Alexander are over. 

It turns out, Juliana isn’t about to let a little detail like death stop her.

The three estranged sisters expect to inherit their mom’s beat-up car and outdated condo. Instead, they discover there’s a fortune waiting to be claimed—one they knew nothing about. But in classic Juliana fashion, there’s a catch. Three of them, to be exact.

Now Jules, Brooke, and Lexi find themselves forced to rely on one another in order to become the women their mother wanted them to be. With millions of dollars on the line and as many obstacles in the way, they embark on a hilarious journey of self-discovery, forgiveness, and the real meaning of wealth.

Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
 


Cressida McLaughlin - 'All Aboard: The Canal Boat Cafe Book 1' (4 February 2016)

Summer Freeman returns to the waterside village of Willowbeck to help with the Canal Boat Café, which used to belong to her mother. Valerie, a fortune teller, has been running things, but the business is in a pickle. The coffee machine is jammed, the cake offerings are paltry, and not all of the locals want to see the café succeed. And then there’s the handsome wildlife photographer, Mason, from the boat next door, whose Border Terrier steals some bacon right under her nose. Her Bichon Frise, Latte, loves their boating neighbours, but Summer is less sure.

As her old life and the community of Willowbeck begin to entwine, Summer finds herself setting sail on a new adventure but will she find herself navigating choppy waters instead?

Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
 


Camilla Isley - 'A Sudden Crush' (4 February 2016)

Joanna Price is a city girl with the perfect life. She loves her job as a book editor, she just married Liam, high profile bestselling author and the man of her dreams, and she’s headed to the Caribbean to enjoy two weeks of paradise for her luxurious honeymoon. 

Connor Duffield is a gruff, grumpy rancher from the Midwest. He is a country boy who has a no-nonsense approach to life, more scars than he’d like to admit, and he hates city girls. 

So it’s just a misfortune they have to sit next to each other for a six hour plane ride. Even more so when their flight is caught in the perfect storm and Joanna wakes up stranded on a desert island with Connor, the very man she hoped she would never have to see again. 

Why are they alone on this forsaken island? What happened to Joanna’s husband? 

When her dream honeymoon turns into a hilarious tropical nightmare, Joanna’s first thought is survival. However, she and Connor will quickly discover just how boring paradise can be. As the days turn to weeks, and then months, this mismatched pair will have to learn how to coexist and how to resist the sparkles of an attraction they weren’t prepared to feel. 

When they are finally rescued will Joanna’s marriage be saved as well, or will the life she knew and loved be in ruins?

Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
 


Sophie Childs - 'We Just Clicked' (4 February 2016)

Erin Cochrane loves the gossip and the countless bizarre stories about her best friend Bex’ adventures with online dating. Not that she’d ever sign up for the site herself. Erin’s far too busy planning her dream wedding to her gorgeous fiancé, Tyson.

But when Tyson decides that he is not ready for marriage, Erin’s world is turned upside down. Forced to move back in with her eccentric mother, things couldn’t get any worse. Thrust back into the singles’ scene, could online dating be the escape Erin needs from it all? Or will it be just another disaster?

From stalkers to cheapskates, Erin feels as though she’s become a magnet for every loser around, until she opens one message that changes everything.

Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
 


Lauren Baratz-Logsted - 'Falling for Prince Charles' (9 February 2016)

Daisy Silverman has always been obsessed with His Royal Highness, Prince Charles. When the underachieving 30-something cleaning lady wins a million dollars, she follows her lifelong dream to go to London. Once there, she meets Prince Charles—the real Prince Charles. Through a series of misunderstandings, the Royal Family doesn't realize that Daisy's Jewish or that she's spent her life up to the elbows in the wrong kind of toilet water. By the time they do, Daisy is in love with Charles, Charles is in love with Daisy, and the Queen's white gloves are off.

Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
 


Katie Fforde - 'A Summer at Sea' (11 February 2016)

Emily is happy with her life just as it is. She has a career as a midwife that she loves. She enjoys living on her own as a single woman. But she's also feels it's time for a change and a spot of some sea air. So when her best friend Rebecca asks whether she'd like to spend the summer cooking on a 'puffer' boat just off the Scottish coast, she jumps at the chance. 

But she barely has time to get to grips with the galley before she finds herself with a lot on her plate. Rebecca is heavily pregnant and is thrilled to have her friend on board doing most of the work. Then there's Emily's competitive and jealous kitchen assistant who thinks she should be head-cook, not Emily. And there's Alasdair, the handsome local doctor who Emily is desperately trying not to notice. Because if she falls in love with him, as he appears to be falling for her, will she ever want her old life back again?


Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
 


Ilana Fox - 'The Glittering Art of Falling Apart' (11 February 2016) 

1980s Soho is electric. For Eliza, the heady pull of its nightclubs and free-spirited people leads her into the life she has craved - all glamour, late nights and excitement. But it comes at a heavy cost.

Cassie is fascinated by her family's history and the abandoned Beaufont Hall. Why won't her mother talk about it? Offered the chance to restore Beaufont to its former glory, Cassie jumps at the opportunity to learn more about her past.

Separated by a generation, but linked by a forgotten diary, these two women have more in common than they know...

Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
 



Cate Woods - 'Just Haven't Met You Yet' (11 February 2016)

Percy James has everything a girl could want: a comfy flat, a steady relationship and a truly lovely group of friends. Then she is approached by Eros Tech. Eros is 'the future of love' - an agency that brings together soulmates using mobile data. Percy has been identified as a match for one of Eros's super wealthy clients. The only problem is she already has a boyfriend... but what if this is *destiny*? 

Would you - could you - pass up a chance to meet your one true love?

Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
 



Rosie Nixon - 'The Stylist' (11 February 2016)

When fashion boutique worker Amber Green is mistakenly offered a job as assistant to infamous, jet-setting 'stylist to the stars' Mona Armstrong, she hits the ground running, helping to style some of Hollywood's hottest (and craziest) starlets. As awards season spins into action Mona is in hot demand and Amber's life turned upside down. Suddenly she catching the attention of two very different suitors, TV producer Rob and Hollywood bad boy rising star Liam. How will Amber keep her head? And what the hell will everyone wear? 

The Stylist is a fast-paced, fun-packed rummage through the ultimate dressing up box.

Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
 



Fionnuala Kearney - 'The Day I Lost You' (11 February 2016)

When Jess’s daughter, Anna, is reported lost in an avalanche, everything changes.

Left to explain her mother’s absence to Anna’s five-year-old daughter, Rose, Jess isn’t yet ready to admit to herself that her daughter might not be coming back. But Anna’s disappearance dredges up some life changing questions: Jess must uncover her daughter’s secret life – and unearth a secret that changes her world irrevocably.

The day I lost you was the day I discovered your secret life.

The day I lost you was the day you tore our family apart.

Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
 

Check back tomorrow for more exciting February 2016 releases!


29 January 2016

Review: 'Our Song' by Dani Atkins (2016)

This is the story of Ally and Charlotte, whose paths have intersected over the years though they've never really been close friends. Charlotte married Ally's ex and first true love, David. Fate is about to bring them together one last, dramatic time and change their lives forever. 

Full of Dani's signature warmth and emotion, this is a gripping and emotional family drama. With breath-taking plot twists, Dani explores themes of serendipity, friendship and love. She fully engages the reader in the dilemmas faced by her characters. What would you do if your husband was the love of somebody else's life? And when faced with an agonising decision, could you put the past behind you and do the right thing?

This week has been filled with reviews of some quite amazing January 2016 releases and today I've got another one to share with all of you! At the end of last year I was incredibly excited to be contacted by Simon & Schuster UK about Dani Atkins' newest novel, 'Our Song', which was released on January 28th. While I had heard a lot of positive things about Dani Atkins' works, such as 'Fractured', I never actually managed to pick one up. Until now, that is! The description of the book didn't give too much away, except for the fact that it would be an emotional and intense family drama, so I was curious to give both the book and the author a chance and see whether it would live up to expectations!

'Our Song' focuses on two female characters: Ally and Charlotte, whose lives are about to completely change within the time span of just 24 hours. The two women are no strangers, since they met at university several years ago and Charlotte is now married to Ally's ex, David. Unexpected circumstances bring the two of them together at the ICU of the same hospital and only one thing is for certain: after this night together, their lives will never be the same again. 

With some books, it's quite simply better to know as little as possible about the story before diving in, and that's definitely the case with Dani Atkins' 'Our Song.' I didn't quite know what to expect of this book, but I was completely blown away by the emotional and intense story, and completely understand all the positive things I've heard about this author. The book focuses on two couples; their past, present, and future, and how 24 hours can change absolutely everything you thought you knew. The reader gets to see and experience things from the viewpoints of both main characters Ally and Charlotte, which were both fascinating and well-rounded characters. I am not going to give much more away about the plot and the characters, because I don't want to ruin the reading experience for anyone.

The book is quite a long read with over 500 pages, but also a book that needs and deserves all of those pages. At a certain point I could see what was going to happen eventually, so I wasn't really surprised by the novel at any time, but this didn't ruin the reading experience in any way. The ending really made me cry and it doesn't happen often that a book makes me cry, but this story really managed to tug at my heartstrings. 'Our Song' is a thoroughly moving, heart-breakingly intense, and emotion novel that will get under your skin; a book that's incredibly beautifully written and deserves all the 5-star reviews it can possibly get. 
Rating:10/10
 
For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

28 January 2016

Review: 'Another Love' by Amanda Prowse (2016)

In the early years, she was happy.

Romilly had worked hard for her stunning, modern house in one of Bristol's most fashionable suburbs. She adored her gorgeous, gap-toothed daughter and her kind and handsome husband. Sure, life was sometimes exhausting - but nothing that a large glass of wine at the end of the day couldn't fix.

But then, as deep-buried insecurities surfaced, everything started to unravel. A glass of wine became a bottle; one bottle became two. Once, Romilly's family were everything to her. Now, after years of hiding the drinking, she must finally admit that she has found another love...

Today I am really excited to share my review of Amanda Prowse's latest release, 'Another Love', with all of you! A few years ago I was introduced to Amanda's work when I was asked to review her novel 'Will You Remember Me?' (click here to read my review). I was instantly blown away by this emotional and gripping story and since then I've had the pleasure of reading numerous of her novels, such as 'Christmas for One' (click here to read my review), 'A Mother's Story' (click here to reas my review), and 'The Christmas Cafe' (click here to read my review). Amanda's stories always manage to surprise and intrigue me (and shed a few tears!), and I was so excited when I heard about 'Another Love', which was released on January 16th by Head of Zeus. Thanks to the lovely Simeon Prowse for providing me with a review copy; I couldn't wait to see what Amanda had in store for us this time around!

Romilly can hardly believe how lucky she has been in her life so far: she has a job she loves, a beautiful family home in the suburbs of Bristol, a loving and handsome husband in the form of David and, to top it all, their lovely daughter Celeste. Of course, life can be diffcult at times, but there's nothing a glass of wine can't help with. Until that one glass of wine doesn't do the trick anymore and before she knows it, Romilly finds herself thinking about and longing for alcohol for most parts of every single day. She loves her family more than she can put into words, but this other love is slowly taking over and Romilly starts to realise it's going to take a lot of strength and determination to turn her back towards this new dangerous love she has found...

Every single time I pick up a new Amanda Prowse novel, there is a tiny bit of doubt in mind, wondering whether I will end up enjoying this novel as much as I did her previous ones. However, I think I finally have to stop doubting and just accept the fact that Amanda is a consistent and amazing author who continues to amaze me with her emotional and intense stories. 'Another Love' is another heart-breaking story that blew me away and will undoubtedly stay with me for quite some time to come. This time, the topic of the novel is alcoholism, something that also has a personal side to it for me, since it's something I've experienced up-close within my own family. Amanda has really managed to do a fantastic job, portraying both sides of the story, in this case mother Romilly and her daughter Celeste; I really felt for both of them.

This book is quite an emotional rollercoaster and I was so gripped by the story it only took me 2 sittings to finish it. Amanda Prowse really has a strong and authentic voice, one who continues to deal with challenging and emotional topics in her works, and she's one of my favourite authors within the women's fiction genre; I can't recommend her novels enough. This book has made quite the impression and I think Romilly's story will stay with me for some time to come. I don't want to give too much away, so just follow my advice and read the book yourself! 'Another Love' is a heart-breakingly gripping, emotional, and memorable novel that will make you feel all kinds of things, from anger to sadness to laughter; another great read by this simply great author!
Rating:10/10
 
For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher and author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

27 January 2016

Review: 'The Birthday That Changed Everything' by Debbie Johnson (2016)

She wanted a birthday surprise, just not the one she got…

The last thing Sally Summers expected from her husband on her special day was that he’d leave her for a Latvian lap dancer half her age. So with her world in tatters, Sally jets off to Turkey for some sun, sea and sanctuary.

The Blue Bay resort brings new friends and the perfect balm for Sally’s broken heart in gorgeous Dubliner James. He’s just the birthday present she needs. And when the chemistry between them continues to spark as the holiday ends, Sally wonders if this is more than just a summer fling.

But James has scars of his own and Sally isn’t quite ready to turn her back on her marriage. This birthday might have changed everything, but what will the next one bring?

I think Debbie Johnson's 'The Birthday That Changed Everything', which will be released on January 28th, is one of the January 2016 book releases I have been most excited about. While the gorgeous cover and great title are already enough reasons for me to want to pick up this novel, I have developed quite a love for author Debbie Johnson over the past year or so and have been eagerly waiting for her next release. Last year I read 'Pippa's Cornish Dream' (click here to read my review) and 'Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper' (click here to read my review), which were both great reads, and I'm so excited to finally have a full-length novel by Debbie to get stuck in. I have to admit I had quite high hopes when I started this novel, but luckily the book even managed to exceed my expectations!

Sally Summers is about to celebrate her 40th birthday and if there's one thing she didn't expect to receive as a present, it's an e-mail from her husband Simon saying he's leaving her for a much younger Latvian lap-dancer. Instead of trying to come to terms with what is happening, Sally decides to book a two-week holiday to simply get away from it all for a bit. Together with her kids, lovely Ollie and foul-mouthed teenager Lucy, Sally is determined to have a good time at the Blue Bay Resort in Turkey. Luckily, they are soon taken in by a group of families who have been coming to the resort for years. sally can't deny the sparks between her and handsome single dad James, but is she ready for a holiday fling or perhaps even more, or is it too soon...?

It seems like author Debbie Johnson has been treating us to very entertaining novella's over the past two years, waiting to completely blow us away with her first full-length novel, and that's exactly what she has done with 'The Birthday That Changed Everything.' This book truly is a fabulous chick lit read and one that I am adding to my list of personal favourites straight away. Main character Sally has been left by her husband for a much younger woman and she decides she needs a holiday with her kids to forget about it all. A basic chick lit storyline which Debbie Johnson has managed to make her own with a brilliant collection of characters, a lovely setting and an incredibly fun and comfortable writing style. The first page of the book already made me laugh out loud and that didn't stop as I continued reading. I personally really love Debbie's writing style and can't get enough of it; I was quite sad when I had come to the end of the novel, and I already can't wait to pick up her next book.

As mentioned before, the book has a fantastic group of memorable characters at its core. Sally is a warm protagonist that's easy to love, just like her lovely son Ollie. Her foul-mouthed daughter Lucy takes a bit of time to get used to, but I have to admit her rude words cracked me up more than once. The group of people Sally meets in the resort all had their own individual stories to tell and really brought something else to the table, which was great. There are a few time jumps in the book which really gave the story that much more, and the setting made me feel just that bit warmer during these cold January days. Overall, 'The Birthday That Changed Everything' is a simply stunning, fun, and memorable romantic comedy that left me wanting more; I've got nothing but love for this novel and its amazing author!
Rating:10/10
 
For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.