Book Review: The Sister Swap by Fiona Collins

Synopsis:

Two Sisters. Two very different lives...

Meg simply doesn't have time for men in her life. Instead, she has a strictly one-date rule, survives on caffeine and runs one of the biggest model agencies from her smart office in London. That is, until she collapses one day at work and the doctor orders her to take some R&R in the country...

Sarah is used to being stuck behind tractors and the slow pace of her cosy village life. But now her children are all grown-up (and her ex-husband long forgotten) she's ready to change things up a bit - starting with taking back her old job in the city!

After a devastating falling out, the sisters haven't spoken in years. Swapping houses, cars, everything is the only option - surely they'll be able to avoid bumping into each other?

My Review!

First off a big thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for an early preview of this wonderful book.

I recently lost my reading mojo (don't you just hate it when that happens!) but thankfully this story pulled me back and gripped me from the beginning.

This is such a lovely easy read about two estranged sisters who haven't seen or spoken to one another for 20 years suddenly brought back together due to changes in both their lives. Meg and Sarah, 10 years apart in age were once close but due to devastating events led them to lead very separate and different lives to each other.

After leaving her childhood home for a new life in London, successful businesswoman Meg is forced to take time out for her health and decides the only place she could go to get away from the hustle and bustle of London is back to the countryside where she grew up. In the mean time Meg's older sister Sarah, single mum to teenage twins has got her big break and her old job back in the big city. 

After 20 years of little to no contact the sisters reach out to one another for a favour, a place to stay for 8 weeks. They decide the best solution to avoid having to meet is to swap lives, homes, cars the lot. 

The swap takes place but with the sisters now living in the shoes of one another their feelings towards each other start to change and maybe a reconciliation could be on the cards.

The story is not without some drama for both sisters, they both face a few challengers throughout their time during the swap not to mention romance is in the air for both! The ending was perfect, couldn't have thought of a better way to finish it.

This book made me laugh, smile, it made me wish I had an older or younger sister, a local village library phone box to visit and it also made me want vol-au-vents for tea! ha!

Fiona Collins is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, you just know your in for a treat when you begin reading one of her books.

Buy the book!

Book Review: It Started With A Tweet' by Anna Bell

Synopsis:

Daisy Hobson lives her whole life online. But when her social media obsession causes her to make a catastrophic mistake at work, Daisy finds her life going into free-fall . . . 

Her sister Rosie thinks she has the answer to all of Daisy's problems - a digital detox in a remote cottage in Cumbria. Soon, too, Daisy meets a welcome distraction there in Jack, the rugged man-next-door.

But can Daisy, a London girl, ever really settle into life in a tiny, isolated village? 

And, more importantly, can she survive without her phone? 

My Review!

I really enjoyed this book, I have read quite a few of Anna Bell's books and they are always a joy to read, perfect for holidays! (Awww holidays... is it Summer yet?!)

This book is right up my street as like the main character Daisy I am ALWAYS on my phone, checking my Instagram feed like it's the morning paper! 

Daisy a 30 year old Marketing Manager living with her friend, Erica in London is obsessed with every type of social media going, she lives her life through her twitter page and trying to find 'The One' through Tinder or even LinkedIn!

Part of Daisy's job is looking after her company's Twitter page and like the synopsis states her social media obsession is the cause of her getting fired so you can imagine what happened! Whoops! After another disastrous date she overhears a conversation between Erica and her boyfriend wanting more space and wanting Daisy to move out.

So after being jobless and most probably homeless her sister Rosie comes to her rescue when she suggests that Daisy needs time out and a break from technology, she manages to persuade Daisy to take a trip to a digital detox centre in a quiet village in Cumbria.

No social media, no internet, no signal... and after Rosie sends their phones down an old well Daisy worries how she will cope without being able to swipe to her hearts content, knowing nothing of the outside world and that the Tupperware box the phones are in might leak!

It was nice to see the relationship between Daisy and Rosie, knowing that they were never very close when they were young, I liked that you see them bond and help each other out. 

I love that Daisy went back to basics and started putting pen to paper instead of updating her Twitter page, sending letters to Erica to keep her updated on the digital detox life and the two hot men in the village..

That's right no little village in the middle of nowhere is complete without not one but two hot men nearby! Enter Alexis, a French exchange and Jack the hot guy from next door!

Hands down Jack is my favourite character, he is gorgeous, kind, genuine, funny and the fact that he writes letters to her just pushed him straight to the front of the queue for most 'loveable fictional male' and believe me the queue is massive!!

The last few chapters had me guessing so I ended up reading until gone 1am just to find out what happened, I LOVE when books do that. I really liked the way this book ended, it was perfect how everything came together and it left me smiling.

I cannot wait for another book from Anna Bell!

Buy the Book!