Book Review: Burning Moon by Jo Watson

Synopsis:

Chase your dreams. Dance under the stars. Fall in love at the festival of Burning Moon.

WARNING: Being jilted at the altar in front of 500 wedding guests can lead to irrational behaviour, such as going on your honeymoon to Thailand alone.

On the way to paradise, symptoms may include getting arrested, setting yourself on fire, turning up on a 'Missing Poster' and going viral.

Side-effects may include desert island stranding, star gazing and jungle trekking.

Recovery will lead to partying the night away at Burning Moon festival - and falling in love with the person you least expect...

My Review:

After reading and enjoying 'Love to Hate You' I had to read more of Jo Watson's books, starting off with Burning Moon!  

First off, how beautiful is the cover of the book, I know we all shouldn't judge books on their covers but when a cover is this pretty I'm going to.  

Burning Moon is a fantastically funny romantic story featuring Lilly... We meet Lilly on her wedding day, surrounded by friends and family, dressed in white and ready to walk down the altar to her husband to be.  With just one problem, the husband to be has vanished.  That's right poor Lilly has been jilted.

With the groom gone AWOL, Lilly decides to honeymoon it alone to Thailand!  With an adventure in front of her and not short of some disasters along the way, Lilly meets mysterious Damien who shows her the true Thailand experience.  Damien is not her usual type in fact the complete opposite but by meeting Damien, Lilly soon discovers a different side to herself.  

I really liked Lilly, she was lots of fun and I loved experiencing her Thailand adventure's through Jo Watson's fantastic descriptions, making me feel like I was there.  

What's not to love about this story?  Set in a beautiful part of the world, likeable characters, adventure and some romance chucked in.  This is the perfect romantic comedy book you all need to read!

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Book Review: The Plus One by Sophia Money-Coutts

Synopsis:

The Plus One [n] informal a person who accompanies an invited person to a wedding or a reminder of being single, alone and absolutely plus none 

Polly’s not looking for ‘the one’, just the plus one… 

Polly Spencer is fine. She’s single, turning thirty and only managed to have sex twice last year (both times with a Swedish banker called Fred), but seriously, she’s fine. Even if she’s still stuck at Posh! magazine writing about royal babies and the chances of finding a plus one to her best friend’s summer wedding are looking worryingly slim. 

But it’s a New Year, a new leaf and all that. Polly’s determined that over the next 365 days she’ll remember to shave her legs, drink less wine and generally get her s**t together. Her latest piece is on the infamous Jasper, Marquess of Milton, undoubtedly neither a plus one nor ‘the one’. She’s heard the stories, there’s no way she’ll succumb to his charms…

My Review:

I kept seeing this book pop up online so I decided to give it a read, the synopsis is right up my street and I'm glad I did so big thanks to Netgalley for an early sneak peak!

We meet Polly Spencer whose best friend Lex is getting married and she needs a plus one!  Single and nearing her thirties she's not on the lookout for 'The One' but a plus one to the wedding would do... for now!

Some of the stories Polly covers for her job as a writer for Posh! Magazine were ridiculous, the avocado one making me LOL!  However one of the stories she takes on leads her to meet Jasper, Marquess of Milton who lives in a fancy castle, Jasper is constantly in the press and Polly is about to get an exclusive interview into the real Jasper and his family.

After a weekend away staying at the family castle, Polly gets to know the real Jasper behind the paparazzi cameras and she believes the press have it wrong about him and his family.  Jasper takes an interest in Polly which surely can only end badly, right?  Even though Polly knows all the stories and has even been told first hand of his charms by her work friend Lala.  Will she fall for his romantic side?!  I'll leave that for you to find out.

I loved the close relationship Polly has with her mum, how honest they were when speaking and the conversations between the two really made me laugh.  It reminded me of my relationship with my own mum and the way I can speak to her like speaking to a friend.  It was really nice reading some of the scenes between the two ladies.

I also liked the friendships Polly has built over the years, Lex and Bill being the closest two.  I liked the fact that Sophia gives a little background information on their first meets, it really does help to bond to a character no matter how small or large their part is in the story.

Although a little predictable at times which I honestly don't care as it's nice to see where the author is going with the story, I also love when I can say 'I guessed it right!' when I finish!  This is a perfect summer read for when you need a little escapism, it's funny with some heartwarming moments.  

Congratulations Sophia on your debut novel, waiting patiently for your next book!

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Book Review: Wilde Like Me by Louise Pentland

Synopsis:

Single mum Robin Wilde adores her six-year-old daughter and loves her job as a make up artist's assistant. She has a wonderful best friend and an auntie who is bonkers, yes, but loves her to the moon and back.

But Robin has a secret. Behind the mask she carefully applies every day, things just feel ... grey. And lonely. She struggles to fit in with the school mum crew. Online dating is totally despair-inducing, and she worries every day about raising her little girl with self-confidence, courage and joy.

What Robin longs for is someone (over the age of six) to share with - someone who's always on her team. 

After 4 years (2 months, and 15 days!) of single-mum-dom, it's time for Robin Wilde to Change. Her. Life. 

Exciting new opportunities are about to come Robin's way ... Perhaps a man, perhaps the chance of a lifetime ...

What will Robin do with the possibilities she creates for herself? And what potential will she unlock if she takes the leap?

My Review: 

I have seen this book pop up on Amazon and book shops so much and I’m now kicking myself as to why I hadn’t read it before now! 

I booked tickets to see Louise Pentland for her book tour to promote her new novel and the sequel to Wilde about you (Wilde About the Girl) so I decided now was the perfect time to read it (also helped that it was on an offer on Amazon for only 99p! Whoop!)

I’m pleased I can now say I have read it, I really enjoyed it!  The book features Robin Wilde, she’s a single mum to her six year old daughter Lyla and a part time makeup artist’s assistant. 

As you know from the description above, Robin has her struggles with being a single parent, not so much the struggles of parenting itself, more the feeling of being alone without a partner or adult conversation after Lyla had gone to bed or stayed at her dad’s, even the school meetings or dinners where Robin was the single one between many couples.

I struggled at times with those moments, I found it difficult to read those sections when Robin was negative and sad but just because I didn't enjoy those parts doesn’t mean those feelings are not important to the story, they play a massive part and this book is a very honest and down to earth account of one woman's journey through motherhood and it opened my eyes to how easy people can hide their true feelings.

Robin's feelings of sadness and loneliness made me want to be her own personal cheer leader and jump up and down with pom poms and give her the support to get her through the blue times.

The sad times were a massive contrast to the happy bubbly Robin which appeared more often by the end of the book (phew!) I liked this Robin a lot, she took some risks and was brave to put herself out there and sometimes the risks paid off.

I loved the relationship between the characters, specifically between Robin, Lyla and Auntie Kath.  Being close to my own mum I really loved the scenes with Robin and Lyla, they are Team Wilde and Lyla was Robin's number one fan.  I loved Auntie Kath, although slightly eccentric you could totally feel the love she had for Robin and would do anything for her niece. The story shows that although you could feel the loneliest person in the world there is always someone there to be on your side and root for you, you just have to let them in!

I think I will leave this review here, I won't tell you whether Robin gets her happily ever ending, I will leave that for you to find out.  

I am really looking forward to reading her follow on 'Wilde About the Girl' It's always nice to catch up with old characters and I am sure it is as good as the first! 

Top tip, don't read the synopsis of the follow up otherwise it gives away a few spoilers! Although unlike me you probably have read this by now!

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Book Review: The Bucket List to Mend a Broken Heart By Anna Bell

Synopsis:

Abi's barely left her bed since Joseph, the love of her life, dumped her, saying they were incompatible. When Joseph leaves a box of her possessions on her doorstep, she finds a bucket list of ten things she never knew he wanted to do. Will completing the action-packed list - no easy challenge for the naturally timid Abi - be the way to win back her man? Or might Abi just have a surprise in store...?

My Review!

I have read quite a few books by Anna Bell so when a family member gave me this book I was thrilled! For starters it was an actual paperback book (whoop!) I’ve read quite a few books lately on Kindle and sometimes it’s just so nice to have a paperback in your hands. I know they say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but look at it… it’s sooo pretty! 

The story is all about Abi and how she tries to turn a bucket list into a ploy to win back the love of her life. Will it work? 

Abi is happy and in love with Joseph but after a disastrous dinner he suddenly announces she isn’t for him, they are no longer suited, and their relationship over. Along with her broken heart he returns a box of her things, and after Abi and her friend Sian go through the box, coming across a few racy pieces of underwear in the meantime (whoops! Not what you want your friend seeing!!) Abi uncovers a book that doesn’t belong to her, inside the book a bucket list with ten things to do. Assuming this must be Joseph’s list, a list he wanted to complete, a list of activities he had never mentioned to her, giving Abi the idea that if she completed everything on the list he would notice her and regret his decision. Easy peasy lemon squeezy! 

With her love life in tatters along with someone at her job out to get her, sabotaging her work, Abi sets out to complete the list with some help from her friends old and new. 

I really liked the characters in the book, if you needed an example of a scaredy cat then Abi would be your prime suspect, I did like Abi, I felt sorry for her at times, I was proud of her and I also wanted to slap her! (You’ll understand when you read! Ha!) 

I loved Sian, Abi’s best friend she was fun, caring and honest, I liked that within the story Sian got her own little starring role as her own love life kicked off. We got to know Abi’s work friends and the new friends she makes along the way while carrying out the bucket list, my favourite being Ben… How can you not like a man who always has on hand a flask of tea and cakes! We hated Joseph of course… He broke Abi’s heart so of course we hate him! 

I will let you find out if Abi completes all ten on the bucket list and whether it has the desired effect on Joseph!

This book is an enjoyable light hearted fun read with plenty of laugh out loud moments, it also shows you how a love life disaster can make or break you, turning your life upside down and doing things you wouldn’t normally do… When life gives you lemons… Make lemonade :)

Has it made me want to do my own bucket list, mmm maybe..! Watch this space!

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