One Day in December

by Josie Silver

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Paperback: 400 Pages

Publisher: Broadway Books (October 16, 2018)

Two people. Ten chances. One unforgettable love story.

Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn’t exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there’s a moment of pure magic…and then her bus drives away.

Certain they’re fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn’t find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they “reunite” at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It’s Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.

What follows for Laurie, Sarah and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness.

“Josie Silver writes with a warmth so palpable her characters sneak their way into your heart and stay for a long time.”—Jill Santopolo, New York Times-bestselling author of The Light We Lost (a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick)

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

‘I’ve got a date next week… I met him in a lift. I held him to ransom with the stop button until he agreed to ask me out.’ I really need to take life lessons from Sarah… I need to make ‘What would Sarah do?’ my life motto.

I’ll have to take a rain check. I’ve got a double date tonight with Ben and Jerry. They’re sweet… We’re going to work our way through the Karamel Sutra. It’s going to be a thrill a minute.

If I tell you something, do you promise to never tell another living soul, not even a goldfish?

I’ve only met Oscar’s brother once before. All I can recall is that Gerry doesn’t seem to be much like his easy-going younger brother, and his poker-thin wife, Felicity, looks as if she exists on fresh air and Chanel No. 5.

… how very tangled and complicated our lives have become over the years. We are a triangle, but our sides have kept changing length. Nothing has ever quite been equal. Perhaps it’s time to learn how to stand on our own, rather than lean on each other.

My Review:

A pair of strangers shared a fleeting connection when their eyes met and locked at a bus stop.   Laurie was on the crowded bus, while Jack was sitting at the bus stop. They did not speak to each other but their profound gaze left a deep and lasting impression before the bus pulled away and parted them yet again.   Neither ever forgot that interaction and though they had each searched, they did not meet up again until Laurie’s roommate, Sarah, introduced Jack as her new boyfriend a year later. Oops, what a mess… but what to do about it?   Denial and avoidance was apparently the unspoken plan.

This engaging tale covers a decade of unfortunately bad timing in the life these two conflicted soul mates as well as their small group of friends. Written in my favorite dual POV, this clever scribe’s writing was crisp and sparkled with wit and levity during the first half, although, to my consternation, grew steadily heavier with angst and conflict as the characters matured and struggled with various life stressors, relationships foibles, family, and work issues. I was running out of pages and hope for resolution when the crafty author pulled a sly and smooth move, which provided that much desired and highly satisfactory HEA. This was my first exposure to the delightful Josie Silver – what a trickster!

New additions to my Brit Vocabulary List include squiffy which Mr. Google said was a stuffy or overheated room; naff – which apparently has several meanings such as tacky, lame or uncool, and go away; and my new favorite of cock-a-hoop which means highly pleased or excited. I’m cock-a-hoop to have found a new author to fangirl.

About Josie Silver

JOSIE SILVER is an unashamed romantic who met her husband when she stepped on his foot on his twenty-first birthday. She lives with him, her two young sons, and their cats in a little town in England called Wolverhampton.

Connect with Josie

Website | Twitter | Instagram

The Stylist

by Rosie Nixon

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

In the tradition of The Devil Wears Prada comes Rosie Nixon’s debut novel, which follows a young woman who is thrown into the fast-paced world of fashion and glamour as she’s forced to navigate the treacherous Hollywood red carpets…while finding a fairytale love of her own.

“A stylish, fun read, I absolutely loved it!”—Jackie Collins

Amber Green loves working at Smith’s, London’s ultra-exclusive boutique frequented by everyone who’s anyone, including Mona Armstrong, the stylist to the stars. She is fierce, demanding, and can make or break a career with a snap of her manicured nails.

When Mona’s latest assistant walks out and with awards season arriving faster than you can say “Rodeo Drive”, Amber finds herself agreeing to work for one of the most infamous—and volatile—women in Hollywood. And the stars aren’t much better. Amber’s life is turned inside out as she becomes familiar with all Hollywood has to offer, on and off the red carpet.

As she begins to enjoy life in the dressing rooms of the hottest stars, Amber discovers she’s the one in the spotlight when she catches the attention of two very different men. But Mona’s behavior is growing increasingly erratic and unless Amber can out-style everyone in Hollywood, she’s in danger of being Mona’s latest fashion victim.

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

I stayed very still, waiting for her to throw a fit. Mona had the ability to scare me on a deep, primal level, like spiders.

 

It had been a while since I’d had a proper snog, but I didn’t remember it being quite as aggressive as this. The experience was beginning to feel more like a dental procedure than a kiss as his tongue explored my mouth.

 

My Review:

 

The Stylist was a wryly amusing, high energy, and frantically paced story of a fish out of water shop girl thrown into the shark-infested waters of celebrities, award shows, and high fashion. I enjoyed the comical and clever observations made of hungry models and celebrities behind the scenes by the jet-lagged and frequently hung-over assistant who was kept unfed and largely unwashed as she scurried about covering for the increasingly unreliable and unstable stylist to the stars. The entertaining storylines moved quickly and were laced with levity and a large cast of quirky characters as well as a leather jacket wearing micro pig named Pinky, who, of course, was a hero.   Additions to my Brit Vocab list include “stodge,” which Mr. Google tells me is heavy and substantial food, and “squits,” an informal British word that is much more fun to say than diarrhea, and honestly, one can never have enough words for that.   I was provided with a review copy of this engaging read by TLC Book Tours and HarperCollins. 

About Rosie Nixon

Rosie Nixon is Editor-in-Chief of HELLO! where she has worked for the past eight years and has a love of all things celebrity, royal and fashion-related. Rosie previously held senior positions at glossy women’s magazines including Grazia, Glamour and Red. In her career, she has been lucky enough to attend a multitude of glamorous award ceremonies, premieres and showbiz weddings all around the world. Ever discreet and protective of the big stars she has worked with, Rosie’s experience has undoubtedly enabled her to write her debut novel, The Stylist, and the sequel, Amber Green Takes Manhattan.
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Nell and Lady

by Ashley Farley

Goodreads
Amazon / B&N

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Lady wasn’t dredging up anything. She lived in the past every single day. She was a character in a movie with a worn-out theme— waking up every morning to repeat the same traumatic day over and over again.

For your information, Betty, my help is my family, not that it’s any of your business. As for my social status, I have more friends in this town than you have weeds in your garden. And, honey, I’m here to tell you that you have a whole shit pot of weeds growing in your garden.

My Review:

The clever and thoughtful premise of this book was the pervasive domino effect of a kept secret thirty-one years after the undisclosed traumatic event lead. It started with a silent resentment that quickly festered into a loud and bitter antipathy and resulted in complete avoidance. The secret had effectively poisoned their family and shaped their choices and attitudes as adults. The storylines were believable, heart-squeezing, easy to follow and well paced while the writing was emotive and well detailed. While the story was engaging and well plotted, her characters are always where Ms. Farley’s true artistry shines. This ensemble was realistically drawn, deeply flawed, and so well-fleshed out I felt I knew them. Ashley Farley has a well-honed skill for creating common yet deeply fractured characters that greatly annoy me one minute and endear me the next.

About the Author  

Ashley Farley writes books about women for women. Her characters are mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives facing real-life issues. Her goal is to keep you turning the pages until the wee hours of the morning. If her story stays with you long after you’ve read the last word, then she’s done her job.

After her brother died in 1999 of an accidental overdose, she turned to writing as a way of releasing her pent-up emotions. She wrote SAVING BEN in honor of Neal, the boy she worshipped, the man she could not save.

Ashley is a wife and mother of two young adult children. While she’s lived in Richmond, Virginia for the past 21 years, part of her heart remains in the salty marshes of the South Carolina Lowcountry where she grew up. Through the eyes of her characters, she’s able to experience the moss-draped trees, delectable cuisine, and kind-hearted folks with lazy drawls that make the area so unique.

Visit her website at http://www.ashleyfarley.net for more information. Or sign up for her newsletter using this link: http://ashleyfarley.net/get-your-free…

The Holiday Cruise

by Victoria Cooke

Goodreads

Amazon US / UK  / B&N 

As if it weren’t enough to be cheated on by her husband of ten years, Yorkshire lass Hannah Davis is losing her beauty salon business too. Luckily, her big sister is there to pick up the pieces, but Hannah is desperate to find some independence.

Impulsively, Hannah applies for a spa job…on a cruise ship! Christmas in the Caribbean, springtime in the Mediterranean, what’s not to like? But, despite being in her thirties, Hannah has never done anything on her own before, and she’s terrified.

As the ship sets sail, Hannah has never been further from home…or closer to discovering who she is and who she wants to be.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Her tight dress showcased an impressively pert chest that looked too large for her small frame. She looked like she came from a Mattel factory. What a weak, shallow fucking bastard he was. He could have at least been original… I could practically feel the frump grow around my body – each dimple of cellulite popped, my thighs started to bloat and swell, and the heavy sagginess of my breasts wore my chest down.

We’d both been cast aside like Primark hoodies at a marathon.

She was all blonde hair, and legs and boobs, so unless she’s left Daniel, I can’t see him giving that up. You know, I think in the end that’s what angered me the most. The fact that I – his loyal, caring wife with more than one brain cell and a business – wasn’t enough, that he was so shallow he thought Barbie was worth destroying everything we had for. We can all get a boob job and bleach our hair, you know!

I’m completely lost. That’s why I ended up here in the bar. It’s a default setting for blokes – we sit in a bar and await our rescue like damsels in distress.

‘I could ask Margaret, one of my new dinner table companions. She’s just arrived with her husband, Arthur, but she was giving me the eye all evening.’ He smirked. ‘Oh, was she now? So this Margaret, is she serious competition?’ ‘In all honesty, it depends on the lighting. She’s ninety-three but can pull off a black sequinned top like no other woman I’ve met.’

I can’t keep away. He’s like a neodymium magnet.

You’re going to be the most miserable traveller ever… How can you sit in such a beautiful city with a face like that? Your travel pictures are going to frighten small children.

My Review:

This lively and engaging tale was written from the first person POV of Hannah, an initially pathetic and tear-sodden woman who was so devastated by her husband’s betrayal and abandonment that she nearly allowed herself to fall to ruin. When her husband suddenly left her for his new Barbie doll simulation, Hannah crumbled and desperately begged him to stay then “spent a good six weeks wallowing in chocolate and alcohol.” Well, if you were going to wallow, that would be the way to do it, although I would also need to add in my two favorite handymen/therapists who can make virtually anything better – Ben and Jerry. Her business failed in her irresponsible absence and she was in danger of losing her home if she didn’t get pull her head out of her nether region when happenchance leads her to seek employment with an international cruise line. Brilliant. I wish I had thought of that in my misspent party-girl days!

I greatly appreciated the painstaking investigation and the extreme hardship the author must have gone through while researching this book. The ocean passages, cruise ship encounters, European touring, foreign dining and exploratory travel experiences had to have been most grueling – smirk.   I truly did enjoy reading the pleasantly appealing and lushly detailed travel and cruising experiences as I felt as if I was there encountering them with her. The writing was well-paced and wryly amusing while also observantly insightful, emotive, and at times heart-squeezing. The plethora of diverse characters was interesting and endearing although there were many times I wanted to give Hannah a good hard pinch.   I smirked my way through Hannah’s initial and exciting foray into loosening up and making new friends with her much younger cruise ship co-workers with a night of Jäger-bomb fueled lubricant which resulted in vague memories of partying like a twenty-year-old, drinking shots off a man’s stomach, an attempt at pole dancing, and the cheek burning walk of shame from a fellow crewmate’s cabin the morning after.

The cruise ship experience was ultimately an excellent diversion and confidence building training ground as the humdrum Hannah transformed from a caterpillar to a butterfly while she succeeded in previously unimagined experiences and formed new friendships, scuba dived, enjoyed exploring foreign cities leisurely and independently, hiked, learned self-defense, gained a healthy body through healthier eating and exercise, and fell into a sweet and supportive and excitingly forbidden ship-board romance with a mouth-wateringly handsome passenger. Oh, the thrill of forbidden kisses. And score, I have a new addition to my Brit Vocab list with the interesting entry of “Phwoar,” which apparently should be enthusiastically pronounced as fwaw, and according to Mr. Google is British slang for expressing sexual attraction, which sounds so much better to me than the alternative Brit saying of “you pulled.”   Am I right? ~ snort!

Author Bio –

Victoria Cooke grew up in the city of Manchester before crossing the Pennines in pursuit of a career in education. She now lives in Huddersfield with her husband and two young daughters and when she’s not at home writing by the fire with a cup of coffee in hand, she loves working out in the gym and traveling. Victoria was first published at the tender age of eight by her classroom teacher who saw potential in a six-page story about an invisible man. Since then she’s always had a passion for reading and writing, undertaking several writers’ courses before completing her first novel, ‘The Secret to Falling in Love,’ in 2016

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaCookeAuthor/

https://twitter.com/VictoriaCooke10

https://www.instagram.com/victoriacookewriter/

The Oddest Little Beach Shop

by Beth Good

Goodreads

Amazon US / UK  / B&N

‘I love Beth Good’s quirky style!’ – bestselling author Katie Fforde

From the first day of Annie’s arrival in the sleepy Cornish resort of Polzel, next-door neighbor Gabriel seems determined to make her life difficult.

Despite his sexy looks and angelic name, Gabriel behaves like an ogre to everyone and has apparently been that way since losing his wife in a surfing accident. Annie would do far better, her friend Claudia urges her, to focus her attention on Jamie instead. Jamie’s the hottest lifeguard in the village – and her co-worker in the Polzel beach shop.

But when Polzel’s famous annual pie-rolling contest sees Annie and Gabriel forced together, it turns out Annie might have a thing for big Cornish ogres after all . . .

A feel-good summer novella from popular romantic comedy writer Beth Good and another quirky entry in her ‘Oddest Little Shop’ series.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

‘Hundreds of jolly cyclists are due to pass through town on Wednesday. And if we’re lucky, a few dozen will stop for ice creams and beach fun. So you’ve arrived just in time to marvel at their beefy thighs and calves.’ Claudia winked. ‘And maybe sell them some cute little Lycra outfits.’

It did not seem a very dignified thing to be doing in public, straddling a dry surfboard in a skimpy gold and black bikini. Potentially disastrous too, if anything shifted or ripped. But maybe this was Jamie’s way of getting a proper eyeful of her assets.

She… flung her arms round Jamie, her air-kisses loud enough to puncture his eardrums. ‘Darling!’ she brayed, ‘You look so bloody sexy in your lifeguard clobber. Casanova in shorts.’

Gabriel’s slow smile was both a reward and a provocation. He was so horrid and knowing! And goodness, his abs were spectacular. She could do her washing on them, she thought, they were so flat and muscular. Why couldn’t he have been flabby and repulsive to look at?

‘I have to have some kind of a social life.’ Sarah adjusted her bra quite unselfconsciously, jiggling her large boobs as though to check everything was in the right place. Apparently it was, because she looked down at them with a satisfied expression. ‘I mean, if we can’t get out a few nights every week to boogie-woogie in the night spots or pick up some fresh-faced surfer or big, strapping farmer . . . Well, what’s the point of being single on the Cornish bloody coast?’

We’re absolutely desperate for fresh blood on the committee. We’re like vampires without a victim, I promise you.

Leo’s a teenage boy, darling. They have no room in their brains for anything but their own little problems. Spots and girls and the size of their willies, in other words.

My Review:

Ms. Good’s delightful sense of humor provided a comfortable balance for a story that could easily have been overly angsty due to the serious issues of sorrow and loss. I am enamored with her humorous storytelling, quaint village way of life, and eccentric and colorful characters. A small and quirky beach village in Cornwall provided the perfect backdrop for a sorely needed new beginning for a freshly minted and struggling family unit of an aunt and young teenaged nephew who were struggling to find their footing together.

Annie’s life had been a series of upheavals after the death of her sister lead to the guardianship of her orphaned and surly thirteen-year-old nephew, Leo.   Her cad of a boyfriend wanted no part of that and promptly departed, leaving an additional gap in her life, although that one was a definite improvement. Leo’s self-harming and problem behaviors became of mounting concern, resulting in a change of scenery and new school environment, so why not toss in a few additional transitions with a move from urban London to a small beach village on the Cornwall coast and a new job working in a friend’s beach shop, which just so happened to blossom into a brilliant plan – although they had to work the kinks out first.

New additions to my Brit Vocab List include the comical entries of “tatty-bye” (a form of farewell coined by a comedian) and “get knotted,” which according to Mr. Google is, “a rude way to tell someone to go away,” I plan to use and abuse that one with the pesky phone scammers who so desperately want to talk to me about the viruses on my computer…

Author Bio –

Born and raised in Essex, England, Beth Good was whisked away to an island tax haven at the age of eleven to attend an exclusive public school and rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Sadly, she never became rich or famous herself, so had to settle for infamy as a writer of dubious novels. She writes under several different names, mainly to avoid confusing her readers – and herself! As Beth Good, she writes romantic comedy and feel-good fiction. She also writes thrillers as Jane Holland, historicals as Victoria Lamb and Elizabeth Moss, and feel-good fiction as Hannah Coates.

Beth currently lives in the West Country where she spends a great deal of time thinking romantic thoughts while staring out of her window at sheep. (These two actions are unrelated.)

You can find her most days on Twitter as @BethGoodWriter where she occasionally indulges in pointless banter about chocolate making and the Great British Bake Off. Due to a basic inability to say no, she has too many children and not enough money, which means she needs as many readers as she can get.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BethGoodAuthor

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BethGoodWriter

#LilyPondLane

The Cottage on Lily Pond Lane

Part Three – Autumn leaves

by Emily Harvale

Goodreads

Amazon US / UK

Mia Ward was amazed to inherit her great-aunt Matilda’s thatched cottage in the tiny seaside village of Little Pondale – especially as Mia didn’t know she had a great-aunt Matilda. She was equally astonished to discover she’d only inherit the place if she lives there for a year.

But it didn’t take long for Mia and her friends, Ella and Garrick to settle in. Now Mia’s mum, Lori has joined them, and they’re all enjoying village life. Mia’s keen to overcome her fear of water and with Garrick by her side, she’s confident about the future.

Until a fortune teller’s predictions give everyone cause for concern. Now Mia’s not so sure of anything, except that someone still wants her to leave. That makes her more determined to learn all she can about Matilda – and the codicil.

But as the mists roll in over the sea, are autumn winds making passions cool? And when more than one unexpected visitor gives Mia a shocking surprise, is everything about to change?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

‘Now before you mention the age difference, darling, we’re both well aware of that. But does age really matter? What’s that saying? Age is only a number.’ Ella went from looking astonished to amused. ‘You’re only as old as the man you’re feeling. Which makes you about thirty-seven or something, doesn’t it?’

I would’ve been like one of those women in the Rom/Coms on TV. You know. Pleading with everyone at the airport to stop Franklin’s plane, then clambering over the barriers when they won’t, and racing along the tarmac. And for a sixty-year-old, that’s not a good look.

My surname’s Swann and his is Lake. Swann Lake, get it? We’re clearly going to get married and I’m going to have one of those arty-farty double-barrelled surnames. I’m going to be Mrs Ella Swann-Lake! I love it!

She came bouncing out of that tent like a bunny with too many batteries stuffed up her backside

He’s French by birth, he said, but he didn’t sound French. Sounded as if he’d spent too much time in Oxford and got a punting pole stuck up his bum. Very prim and proper.

My Review:

Love was in the air all about the little village and stunning changes and shocking revelations were par for the course. The fortune-teller’s startlingly accurate predictions were on everyone’s minds although not all were welcoming the insights. I adore this quirky cast of characters and continue to gleefully enjoy each new development, interaction, and discovery in attempting to solve the mystery of the stealthy ninety-nine-year-old Great Aunt Matilda, who appears to have had more than just a colorful past. The writing continues to amuse, entertain, and intrigue in equal measure. The series is not quite complete and this installment ended rather abruptly, although, surprisingly, I’m not huffing in pique since I already have the next volume loaded. And, oh happy day, my new addition to my Brit List is an idiom I’ve never noticed before “thrown the cat among the pigeons,” which Wikipedia informs me refers to the addition of an unwanted or undesirable person to a group. Like me with my in-laws…

Author Bio –  Emily Harvale

Having lived and worked in London for several years, Emily returned to her hometown of Hastings where she now spends her days writing… and chatting on social media. Emily is a Member of the SoA, a PAN member of the RWA and a Pro Member of ALLi. She’s an Amazon bestseller and a Kindle All Star. Emily loves writing and her stories are sure to bring a smile to your face and a warmth to your heart.

Emily says, “I write about friendship, family and falling in love. I believe in happing endings.” When she isn’t writing, she can be found enjoying the stunning East Sussex coast and countryside, or in a wine bar with friends, discussing life, love and the latest TV shows. Chocolate cake is often eaten. She dislikes housework almost as much as she dislikes anchovies – and will do anything to avoid both.

Social Media Links – https://www.facebook.com/emilyharvalewriter

https://www.twitter.com/emilyharvale

https://www.instagram.com/emilyharvale

Part 4 Trick or Treat 

Published 7th August 

Goodreads / Amazon US   / UK

Mia Ward was amazed to inherit her great-aunt Matilda’s thatched cottage in the tiny seaside village of Little Pondale – especially as Mia didn’t know she had a great-aunt Matilda. She was even more astonished to discover she’d only inherit the place if she lives there for a year.

But a lot can happen in a very short time, and life in Little Pondale is not going quite as Mia hoped. She may have finally beaten one fear, but now heartbreak threatens to drown her.

And when at last, she starts to unravel the mystery of Matilda’s past, she uncovers an extraordinary plan for her own future. Now just who can Mia trust?

As the nights draw in and cold winds steal through Sunbeam Cottage, she turns to an unlikely source for comfort and support. But with the fortune teller’s warning still ringing in her ears, is Mia about to make the biggest mistake of her life?