The Lemon Tree Café Blog Tour

Hello everyone and welcome to my stop on The Lemon Tree Café blog tour! Today I have the lovely Cathy Bramley answering some of my questions on her writing process, Italy, and what she's working on next.

The Lemon Tree Café Q&A 

1.) Hi Cathy, welcome to the blog! The Lemon Tree Café was originally published as a four-part serial eBook, how is writing a story in parts different to writing a full-length novel?
Hi Jess, thank you for having me on your blog! I liken my writing process to television and film writing. If I’m writing a series, I tackle it as if it’s a four-part TV drama. I have a small celebration after finishing each part. For a full length novel which is not going to be serialised, I write it as if it was a film, with the drama building towards the end.

2.) What sparked the idea behind The Lemon Tree Café? 
When I was writing The Plumberry School of Comfort Food, I introduced a character called Rosie, who was the main character, Verity’s, housemate. I fell in love with her instantly and knew I wanted her to have her own book. She was from an Italian family and I knew her ‘nonna’ would be great fun to write too.

3.) Did you do any research for this book? What’s your writing process like?
I had to go to Italy to research part of the book – poor me! Rosie takes her nonna back to her home town to lay some ghosts to rest. I could have tried to do it using Google maps, but I wanted it to feel authentic. I went on my own in January for three days and packed some sun cream, when I got there it snowed!

I plan my books in detail before I start and then I write every day until it’s finished.

4.) Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Be resilient, don’t expect to write a perfect novel in the first draft and read, read, read.

5.) What was the last great book that you read?
I read two corkers on holiday recently: The Widow by Fiona Barton. I was totally gripped and raced through it. And Meet Me At Beachcomber Bay by Jill Mansell. I am a massive Jill fan and this, I think, is her best yet. I adored it.

6.) Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?
I’m editing a new four-part serial at the moment. It’s called A Match Made In Devon and I’m really excited about it. It’s about an actress called Nina and her quest for fame, which inadvertently leads her to the sleepiest seaside village in Devon called Brightside Cove. It’s a story about letting go of what you think your life should be like and celebrating what you have. Also includes mermaids…

7.) And finally, what three words best describe The Lemon Tree Café? 
Un-put-downable, feel-good, fun!

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Books I Want to Read Before the End of the Year

Last Wednesday, I did a post about my favourite books of 2017 so far and it got me thinking about all of the books I was so excited to be released at the start of the year that I still haven't gotten around to. So today I wanted to share the books that I really want to have read before the end of the year and I'm hoping that by putting them down in a list it'll drive me to finally pick them up!

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor 

"But, Jess! Wasn't Strange the Dreamer one of your most anticipated releases of 2017?" I hear you cry. Well yes friends, yes it was. A reoccurring theme with this list seems to be that they're all books that I really want to read. I think my problem is that I wait to read them under perfect circumstances, like when I'm in a good reading mood, when I have lots of time to read, when I don't really have any plans so I can dedicate a good chunk of time to the book etc but of course this perfect opportunity then never presents itself. Laini Taylor is one of my favourite authors and I'm determined to read this book before the end of the year - perfect reading moment or not!

This Love by Dani Atkins 

Our Song by Dani Atkins was one of my favourite books of last year so I'm really excited to read this latest book from her. I love the sound of it and my most trusted blogger friends have all really enjoyed this one. If it's anything like Our Song it'll have me crying buckets so I'm going to be picking this one up next time I'm in the mood for a good weepy.

A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab 

This is the final book in the Shades of Magic series, I think what's put me off so far is its size at over 600 pages and also the fact that it's the last book in a beloved trilogy. Another reoccurring theme of mine seems to be reading and loving a series but never getting around to the final book. I think in my head if I don't read it then it's not over and I don't have to say goodbye to these characters I love so much. Does anybody else do the same!?

Forever Geek by Holly Smale 

Oh, look! Another final book in a series I love that I haven't gotten around to! I just really don't want to say goodbye to Harriet and the gang okay? Especially Toby whom I love oh so very much. This series is pure feel good comfort reading for me and I have no idea what series I'm going to turn to for that once this one has finished. If you have any recommendations for what to read after Geek Girl let me know!

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 

THUG is a book that I'm a little scared to read because of all the hype surrounding it. I also felt this way about When Dimple Met Rishi, which as we know has turned out to be one of my favourite books of the year so far. Everyone has fallen in love with THUG this year and I really need to read it soon!

Frostblood by Elly Blake 

When I read Caraval and sent out a tweet looking for other fantasy books like it, a lot of people came back to me recommending Frostblood with some saying that they enjoyed this book even more than Caraval! The sequel, Fireblood is out in September so I really want to read this soon ready for book two.

 Those are the books that I want to read in the second half of this year. 

Are there any books on your TBR that you want to make a priority in 2017?

My Favourite Books of 2017 So Far

Can you believe that we're halfway through 2017 already!? I know I can't, but in that time I've discovered some new favourite books so today I wanted to share with you the best books that I've read in 2017 so far. I'm so curious to revisit this post at the end of the year and see how/if this list has changed as I discover more wonderful books!

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman 

Hands down my favourite book of 2017 so far has to be Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Eleanor is very different to the kind of heroine you usually read about in women's fiction and felt entirely real to me with her odd quirks and on point observations on life. This book looks at loneliness, abuse, trauma, mental illness and the feeling of being the odd one out. I loved Eleanor so much and wanted to give her a massive hug. If you're looking for a book that's different and special because of it, then look no further. I need more books and more heroines like Eleanor Oliphant.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon 

When Dimple Met Rishi is the kind of book that gives me the warm fuzzies every time I think about it. This story is told in alternate chapters between Dimple and Rishi whose parents have set them up in an arranged marriage. Dimple is smart, fiery and ambitious with plans to take over the tech world by storm and not settle for the life her parents want for her. Rishi on the other hand is loyal, sweet-natured and willing to put his dreams of being an artist aside to follow through with his parents wishes. The two couldn't be more different but they balance each other out so well. Sandhya Menon's writing reminded me a lot of Rainbow Rowell's and this is the cutest nerdy romance I've read since Fangirl.

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera 

This book isn't out until September but I was lucky enough to read a proof and oh my gosh guys this book is going to be big! They Both Die at the End is about two boys who learn how to live on the day they are going to die. It's a book that looks at so many of life's big questions when it comes to death, dying, fate, the afterlife and the one we've all asked, if today was your last day how would you live it? It's heartbreaking, life affirming and makes you want to live a richer, fuller life whilst you still can. It's perfect for fans of books like The Fault in Our Stars and If I Stay and I predict it will do just as well.

Wing Jones by Katherine Webber 

I read Wing Jones way back in January but it still stands at the forefront of my mind as one of my favourite books of this year. The story follows Wing Jones, a biracial teenage girl with a huge heart and a loveable family who takes up running after her brother is in an accident that leaves him in a coma. Wing started running to escape her problems but as word of her talent gets out she’s suddenly thrust under the spotlight. When a life changing opportunity presents itself Wing has to decide: does she continue to run away? Or find the courage to run towards her dreams? I loved Wing and her family so much and felt so inspired by this story about losing your way, finding your feet, and chasing your dreams.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber 

I haven't been reading many fantasy books this year but I couldn't resist picking up Caraval after all of the hype and I'm so glad that I did because it's one of the most magical and enchanting books I've read for some time. Once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down because I became so entranced by the world of Caraval with all of its strange and beautiful wonders. This book took so many turns that I wasn't expecting and I loved that like Scarlett, I could never tell what was real and what wasn't. Caraval made me feel like a little girl again reading a fairytale and I loved the magic and whimsy of it all.

Margot and Me by Juno Dawson 

I've been a fan of Juno Dawson since the start of her career and have enjoyed so many of her books but I think Margot and Me has to be my favourite so far. The book follows Fliss as she goes to stay with her grandmother Margot in the countryside whilst her mum is recuperating from chemotherapy. Margot and Fliss do not see eye to eye but then Fliss discovers Margot's diary from back when she was a teenager in the 1940s set in World War II. As she begins to read her grandmother's diary she gets to see a different side to Margot that is brave, strong and heroic that helps Fliss to find her own courage when she needs it the most. Margot and Me is a heartbreakingly beautiful book about family, loss, secrets, history and finding inner strength.

 Those are my very favourite books of 2017 so far and if you have them on your TBR I'd definitely urge you to pick them up! 

I'd love know, what's the best book that you've read this year?

Blog Tour: Review for The Little Teashop of Lost and Found by Trisha Ashley

The Little Teashop of Lost and Found 
by Trisha Ashley 
Publisher: Bantam Press
Release: 9th March 2017
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Chick-lit
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis:

"Alice Rose is a foundling, discovered on the Yorkshire moors above Haworth as a baby. Adopted but then later rejected again by a horrid step-mother, Alice struggles to find a place where she belongs. Only baking – the scent of cinnamon and citrus and the feel of butter and flour between her fingers – brings a comforting sense of home.

So it seems natural that when she finally decides to return to Haworth, Alice turns to baking again, taking over a run-down little teashop and working to set up an afternoon tea emporium.

Luckily she soon makes friends – including a Grecian god-like neighbour – who help her both set up home and try to solve the mystery of who she is. There are one or two last twists in the dark fairytale of Alice’s life to come . . . but can she find her happily ever after?"

Review 
The Little Teashop of Lost and Found follows the story of Alice Rose a woman who hasn’t had the kindest start to life. Abandoned on the Yorkshire moors as a baby she’s adopted by a wonderful father only for him to pass away. So when her fiancé is also killed in an accident at work distraught Alice decides to use the money left to her in his will to start over in the village where she was found. 

Calling upon her talent for baking, Alice opens up a little teashop to make ends meet by day and by night she escapes into the fairytale stories that she writes about. As Alice searches for her birth mother and digs deeper into her own history she finds that how she ended up on the moors above Haworth is very much a mystery. So far Alice’s life has been far from a fairytale but will unlocking the secrets of her past and following her dreams lead her to her very own happy ending?

I found The Little Teashop of Lost and Found to be such a page turner! I loved the Yorkshire setting, the proper Northern locals and Alice’s adventures in setting up her own teashop but what really kept me gripped was the mystery running throughout this book surrounding Alice’s past and the identity of her birth mother. Between each chapter we are given little snippets from her birth mother’s point of view and I loved trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together.

Alice is incredibly hard working and I enjoyed the fact that outside of her day job she’s also a writer. Seeing her juggle two jobs and pursue different hobbies made her feel a lot more real to me than your average Women’s Fiction heroine. There’s also a fantastic cast of secondary characters who I fell in love with from Tilda and Nell the rudest waitresses in Yorkshire, to the Giddings family who take Alice under their wing I loved being in the company of so many warm and interesting characters.

Overall The Little Teashop of Lost and Found is a heart-warming and charming adult fairytale about family, starting over, self-discovery and finding a place to call home.

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Spring Releases: The Highlights

Hello everyone! Today marks the first official day of Spring here in the UK and there are so many books coming out this season that I'm excited for. To celebrate the beginning of spring I wanted to share with you the creme de la creme of the spring releases on my wishlist and review pile. I hope it helps you decide what should be on your TBR for the coming months ahead. I'm so looking forward to sitting outside in the sunshine with a picnic lunch and these brilliant books!

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman 
Publication Date: 18th May 2017 
Synopsis: "Eleanor Oliphant has learned how to survive – but not how to live

Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend.

Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything.

One simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted – while searching for the courage to face the dark corners she’s avoided all her life.

Change can be good. Change can be bad. But surely any change is better than… fine?"

Why I Can't Wait to Read it - I've been hearing wonderful things about Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine since last year and when I read the synopsis I knew I had to read it because it sounds like such a Jess book. I've already been told by several people that I'll love it so I've been counting down the days until release when I can finally get my hands on a copy!

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins 
Publication Date: 2nd May 2017 
Synopsis: "A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged.

Left behind is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl. Parentless and friendless, she now finds herself in the care of her mother’s sister, a fearful stranger who has been dragged back to the place she deliberately ran from—a place to which she vowed she’d never return.

With the same propulsive writing and acute understanding of human instincts that captivated millions of readers around the world in her explosive debut thriller, The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins delivers an urgent, twisting, deeply satisfying read that hinges on the deceptiveness of emotion and memory, as well as the devastating ways that the past can reach a long arm into the present.

Beware a calm surface—you never know what lies beneath."

Why I Can't Wait to Read it - This is the book that I think is on everyone's wishlist this spring and that is the highly anticipated new thriller from Paula Hawkins author of The Girl on the Train. Early reader friends have already told me that Into The Water is utterly fantastic and totally lives up to its predecessor. I absolutely can't wait to see what Paula Hawkins has in store for us next!

The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo 
Publication Date: 18th May 2017 
Synopsis: "Two people. One choice.

What if?

Every love story has a beginning…

11th September 2001. Lucy and Gabe meet in New York on a day that will change their lives – and the world – forever. As the city burns behind them, they kiss for the very first time.

Over the next thirteen years they are torn apart, then brought back together, time and time again. It’s a journey of dreams, of desires, of jealousy, of forgiveness – and above all, love.

As Lucy is faced with a devastating choice, she wonders whether their love is a matter of destiny or chance.

 …what if this is how their story ends?"

Why I Can't Wait to Read it - I'm a sucker for a good love story and The Light We Lost looks set to be one of the big ones of this year with early comparisons to Me Before You and One Day. This book is right at the top of my review pile for May!

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 
Publication Date: 6th April 2017 
Synopsis: "Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed."

Why I Can't Wait to Read it - If you haven't heard of THUG yet where have you been!? There has been so much early excitement for this book and it recently hit the number one spot on The New York Times’s Young Adult best-seller list. This is easily one of my most anticipated releases of the year and if it's not already on your TBR then it should be! The Hate U Give is set to be one of the most important books you'll read this year.

This Love by Dani Atkins 
Publication Date: 23rd March 2017 
Synopsis: "Sophie stopped believing in happy endings a long time ago, but could this love change all of that?

Sophie Winter lives in a self-imposed cocoon - she's a single, 31-year-old translator who works from home in her one-bedroom flat. This isn’t really the life she dreamed of, but then Sophie stopped believing in dreams when she was a teenager and tragedy struck her family.

So, to be safe, she keeps everyone at arm’s length. Sophie understands she has a problem, but recognising it and knowing how to fix it are two entirely different things.

One night a serious fire breaks out in the flat below hers. Sophie is trapped in the burning building until a passer-by, Ben, sees her and rescues her.

Suddenly her cocoon is shattered - what will be the consequences of this second life-changing event?"

Why I Can't Wait to Read it - Our Song by Dani Atkins was one of my favourite books of last year so I can't wait to read another by her. My blogger friends who have already read this have been raving to me about it,  so needless to say this is currently at the very top of my review pile for this month!

Sweetpea by C.J. Skuse 
Publication Date: 20th April 2017 
Synopsis: "The last person who called me ‘Sweetpea’ ended up dead…

I haven’t killed anyone for three years and I thought that when it happened again I’d feel bad. Like an alcholic taking a sip of whisky. But no. Nothing. I had a blissful night’s sleep. Didn’t wake up at all. And for once, no bad dream either. This morning I feel balanced. Almost sane, for once.

Rhiannon is your average girl next door, settled with her boyfriend and little dog…but she’s got a killer secret. Although her childhood was haunted by a famous crime, Rhiannon’s life is normal now that her celebrity has dwindled. By day her job as an editorial assistant is demeaning and unsatisfying. By evening she dutifully listens to her friend’s plans for marriage and babies whilst secretly making a list.

 A kill list.

From the man on the Lidl checkout who always mishandles her apples, to the driver who cuts her off on her way to work, to the people who have got it coming, Rhiannon’s ready to get her revenge. 

Because the girl everyone overlooks might be able to get away with murder…"

Why I Can't Wait to Read it - I've been a long time fangirl of C.J. Skuse and will read anything she writes but I am particularly excited for Sweetpea C.J's first adult thriller. I love books about female killers and revenge so I can't wait to meet Rhiannon and get inside her head.

The Cows by Dawn O'Porter 
Publication Date: 6th April 2017 
Synopsis: "Fearlessly frank and funny, the debut adult novel from Dawn O’Porter needs to be talked about.

COW [n.]
/kaʊ/

 A piece of meat; born to breed; past its sell-by-date; one of the herd.

Women don’t have to fall into a stereotype.

Tara, Cam and Stella are strangers living their own lives as best they can – though when society’s screaming you should live life one way, it can be hard to like what you see in the mirror.

When an extraordinary event ties invisible bonds of friendship between them, one woman’s catastrophe becomes another’s inspiration, and a life lesson to all.

Sometimes it’s ok not to follow the herd.

The Cows is a powerful novel about three women – judging each other, but also themselves. In all the noise of modern life, they need to find their own voice."

Why I Can't Wait to Read it - I absolutely love feminist fiction, particularly books about female friendships. This is set to be one of the biggest books about women of the year and I can't wait to dive in!

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor 
Publication Date: 28th March 2017 
Synopsis: "The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around - and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever. 

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries - including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?"

Why I Can't Wait to Read it - I've been waiting for this book for such a long time! I fell in love with Laini Taylor's writing way back in 2011 when I received a proof of Daughter of Smoke and Bone to review from the publisher and since then I've been a huge fan of this author. This book sounds absolutely magical and I'm so excited that I only have eight more days to wait for this one!

 I hope you have a lovely springtime full of plenty of books and sunshine!

Who's That Girl? Blog Tour: Q&A with Mhairi McFarlane and Giveaway

Hello everybody and welcome to my stop on the Who's That Girl? blog tour! I'm a huge fan of Mhairi McFarlane and absolutely loved Who's That Girl? when I read it in hardcover last year, if you missed it you can check out my review here. To celebrate the paperback release I have a Q&A with Mhairi herself and am giving you the chance to win a copy of the book over on Twitter.

Q&A with Mhairi McFarlane

1. Who’s That Girl? is your fourth novel what can fans of your previous books expect from this one?
I was talking to a friend the other day who said I dish worse and worse things out to my heroines, so, trauma, it seems! Who’s That Girl? is about 30something Edie, who becomes a social pariah after an incident at a wedding and is thrown out of her Instagrammable London life, back home to Nottingham, where she has to contend with unfiltered reality. Whereupon she meets hot new star, actor Elliot, who’s handling being famous, while Edie is coping with being infamous. Antics ensue.

2. One of my favourite things about your books is your heroines. Which of your characters is the most like you? 
Ooh that’s a good question. Probably Rachel in You Had Me At Hello, if that’s not too obvious an answer. I’m an ex journalist who loves Manchester, and like Rachel, an arch procrastinator who can’t make her mind up about anything. Obviously the plot of that book is not autobiography though! When I wrote it, I was somewhat tired of chick lit heroines being lovely angels who are assailed by bad luck, when lets face it, most of the time, we have a big hand in making our bad luck. So I definitely gave Rachel plenty of my flaws. Her habit of getting out of difficult conversations by making crass jokes…yeah…I didn’t stretch a million miles to write that. Like Rachel, I had a great time at university and made some lifelong friends, too. The idea for that book came from me thinking what a powerful nostalgia those years gave me, and wondering: wow, what if you’d met your love of your life during those years, and not seen him since? Imagine THAT. For me, fiction starts in a truth, a jumping off point for playing the What If? game.

3. What’s been your best moment as an author so far? 
Hmmm let’s see. The funny thing is, you spend so long dreaming of getting a book deal and once you have one, you wait for it to ‘land.’ I’ll be honest, I thought there’d be a key moment – possibly holding a cocktail, on a villa balcony, watching a setting sun – where it’d dawn on me ‘OMG! I AM AUTHOR!’ but it never happened. I still don’t quite believe it and fully expect to wake up and find myself late for a shift on my old job (I still have that anxiety dream.) I can’t pin one best moment, really: a call from my agent to say I’d had a pre publication offer for my first book from Germany was an absolute ‘I don’t believe this happening’ swoon. I ran home and shouted up the stairs to my boyfriend ‘We can get the fridge!!’ (I had an obsession with getting a green Smeg. Yes, I am a dreadful person.) I hope that answer doesn’t make it sound like it was all about money because it absolutely wasn’t, but knowing I had enough funds for a while to call it my official job? That was incredible. And seeing the cover artwork for You Had Me At Hello, with my name on it. My editor emailed me it and I was screaming at the thumbnail photo before I’d even opened it. And then there’s the day you get a box of books…your own book. Best job in the world.

4. You’re known for writing smart, funny women’s fiction are there any authors who influenced your writing style? 
Thank you! Oh God, plenty. Marian Keyes is the don, of course, for humour, storytelling smarts, and that wonderful voice you could read all day and night. Oddly, also, I’d have to say Joss Whedon made all the difference to me. Watching Buffy was when I realised that genre could tell really impactful, adult stories: so many people dismissed Buffy as teen fluff and it was a total Trojan horse for some stunningly inventive, mature ideas. It gave me the confidence to bend a few of chick lit’s unofficial rules.

5. Where do you get the ideas behind your books? 
I start with a challenge or question that interests me. So for example, with Edie in Who’s That Girl, it was, what if someone good at managing her image, found it all crashing down in one day? You know, so much of our self worth is now bound up on these social media sites which we look at constantly on glass computers in our pockets. What if you had all that torn away and had to confront who you were, without all that superficial affirmation? When I plan a book, it doesn’t start with ‘who’s the boy?’ Although that question follows shortly behind…

6. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
I have so much I never know what to pick! The most basic I can find is: never write ‘into the market,’ ie, try to second guess what will sell. Always, always start with the story that grabs your guts and won’t let go. If yours doesn’t do that, scrap it and find the one that does. Enthusiasm is palpable in the writing, and contagious: if you love your book then so will other people. NB: I am talking about the initial concept, NOT the process itself. You will hate your own writing five times a day and tell yourself you’re useless and awful. I’m afraid the self doubt never goes away.

7. What’s the last great book that you read?
Right now I’m reading Sarah Pinborough’s new thriller Behind Her Eyes and it’s a belter. So, so tense! Will be a film I reckon, I’m calling it now.

8. Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next? 
My fifth novel! Readers can expect: a northern city setting. A big shock. Loss. Lots of messy emotion. More social media and mobiles messing up our lives. My first BLONDE heroine, a barmaid with attitude called Georgina. Probably the same amount of swearing. A love interest or two. No spoilers.

Thank you so much for being on the blog today Mhairi!

For your chance to win a copy of Who's That Girl? head over to Twitter 

⭐️GIVEAWAY⭐️
Win a copy of #WhosThatGirl by @MhairiMcF
RT & Follow @JessHeartsBooks to enter
UK only https://t.co/6E31qiVWiI pic.twitter.com/02NUbfu63j

— Jess Hearts Books (@JessHeartsBooks) February 8, 2017

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Who's That Girl? is available to buy in paperback in all good bookshops as of the 9th February

January Favourites: Life, Books, Blogs and More!

Hello everyone and welcome to my very first monthly favourites post! This is my new, more personal way of wrapping up each month that allows me to include some of my favourite things outside of books and blogging. I hope that you like the new format as much as I do! Here are the things I have been loving in January...

 Favourite Books 

 

Out of the ten books that I read in January my absolute favourites have to be Wing Jones by Katherine Webber and My Sweet Revenge by Jane Fallon. Wing Jones is a YA book set in the nineties that follows a biracial teenage girl who takes up running after her brother is in a car accident. It's a gorgeous debut about about losing your way, finding your feet, and chasing your dreams and was the perfect book to start the year off with! My Sweet Revenge follows a lady called Paula as she sets out to make her husband fall back in love with her after finding out that he's been having an affair so that when she leaves him it hurts him as much as he's hurt her. This is such an entertaining and fun read and is perfect if you like smart and sassy Women's Fiction. I reviewed both books this month so if you'd like to read more of my thoughts you can check out my review for Wing Jones here and my review for My Sweet Revenge here.

Favourite to Listen to

   

I'm a huge Ed Sheeran fan and have loved his music and followed his career since the very beginning so when he dropped two new singles at the start of the year it's safe to say that 2017 was already off to a good start for me. I love both songs so much and have been playing them on repeat ever since they came out, I think they show two totally different sides to Ed's music and demonstrate just how diverse his range of talents are as a songwriter and musician. If I had to pick one I'd say Castle on the Hill is my favourite although I absolutely love the Shape of You music video. Roll on the 3rd March, I already have my copy of Divide on pre-order!

Favourite to Watch

So last year I discovered the absolute joy that is Brooklyn 99 on Netflix and since then it's become one of my all time favourite shows. The 4th season is currently airing in the UK on Thursday nights on E4 so needless to say Thursday nights have become my new favourite. This show never fails to cheer me up when I'm feeling down or have had a bad day and it goes from strength to strength with each season. It's funny, witty and silly with a great cast of characters who at this point have honestly come to feel like friends. If you haven't watched this show yet and want to watch something guaranteed to make you laugh and feel good this is the show to watch!

Favourite in Beauty

After the indulgence of Christmas my skin has been breaking out like crazy so for my birthday I asked for a few new skincare products to help clear it up. After doing a lot of research on my favourite beauty blogs I decided to try out the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser and the three L'Oreal Paris Pure Clay Masks and I absolutely love them, they've definitely helped balance out my sensitive, combination, acne prone skin. I use the Liz Earle cleanser daily followed by a toner and moisturizer, I absolutely love the smell of this product and how using it feels like having a treatment at a spa. It's so gentle on my sensitive skin and has lots of skin loving ingredients that make my skin feel really clean and clarified after use. I use the face masks two to three times a week, each mask does something different so I apply them on the areas needed as a multimask. Once a week I use the detox mask all over, the charcoal in it is really good for drawing out impurities in the skin helping to avoid the breakouts that I am prone to. The combination of these products has left my skin looking healthier and clearer and all without drying out or irritating my sensitive skin - perfect!

Favourite Online

Being a blogger I absolutely love January, everyone always comes back to blogging after Christmas refreshed and ready for a new year and there are always so many brilliant posts and videos to watch. This month saw the return of one of my favourite book bloggers Vicki at Cosy Books, Vicki is one of the very first book bloggers I started to follow so I am thrilled that she is back. We have very similar taste in books so if you don't already I'd definitely recommend giving Vicki a follow! Over on YouTube I have been absolutely loving watching Fabulous Book Fiend's vlogs she features a good selection of Women's Fiction, YA and Non-Fiction and does lots of different types of videos. My recent favourite has to be her review of The One We Fell in Love With by Paige Toon it made me finally decide to pick it up and I ended up really enjoying it. A blogger who I always love reading is Jim from YA Yeah Yeah but I especially loved his post in January all about jealousy and not feeling good enough it's a topic I could really relate to and if you haven't read it already I'd recommend checking it out here.

Favourite Thing

I received a 2017 Happiness Planner for Christmas and I have been absolutely loving it! This isn't just your typical planner, if you couldn't guess from the title it is a planner with a focus on fitting more of what makes you happy into your life. The first section of the planner has a series of questions to help you figure out what makes you happy, what makes you sad, your goals and the obstacles in the way of you achieving them. It then helps you formulate a plan to help you get the most out of the year ahead. After using this for a month I'd say this planner is helping me live a more balanced life focused in the present. It's perfect for personal goals, work goals and to help you create a schedule that balances what you need to do and what you want to do. It's kept me so organized and the gratitude section at the bottom of each page to fill out at the end of every day has really helped me to change the way I think and to actively seek out the good things that would usually get overshadowed by the bad things. Already this planner has massively changed my life from the way I think, to taking the time to do the things that make me happy, to helping me work towards my goals every single day. I can't recommend this planner enough.

Favourite Memory

This month me and two of my best friends visited one of my favourite places in the world for my birthday, Astley Book Farm. It's the largest second hand bookshop in the Midlands and I am lucky enough to live a ten minute drive away. I'm not exaggerating when I say that you can spend a whole day there and that's exactly what we did lost in the corridors of books, eating large slices of their delicious cake and chatting on one of the squishy sofas in front of a burning log fire. It was absolute bliss. I wrote a whole post about why it's my favourite bookshop for Books are my Bag here if you haven't been yet and live close enough I'd definitely recommend a visit!

 I hope you had a great start to the New Year! 

What were some of your favourite things in January?

The Things I Should Have Told You Blog Tour

Hello everyone! Today I'm so excited to be kicking off The Things I Should Have Told You blog tour. I absolutely love Carmel Harrington and am thrilled to have her on the blog today sharing a guest post on the time she met one of her own favourite authors, Jilly Cooper.

Meeting Jilly Cooper by Carmel Harrington 

I’ve always been a self professed, proud, book geek. As a child my favourite place to visit was our local library and every night I transported myself to new and exciting worlds, with just a flick of a page. Then, one rainy Sunday afternoon, when I was fifteen, I picked up a copy of Rider’s, by the author Jilly Cooper. I had to hide this one from my mother, who wouldn’t have approved. That cover, with the cheeky hand! By the end of the first chapter, I was hooked. I couldn’t get enough of the shenanigans of Rupert Campbell Black. Like a child given just one chocolate button, I craved more. You see, Jilly Cooper’s raucous romps set in the beautiful English countryside, are glorious. Her writing is witty, funny, romantic, corny, sexy and unputdownable.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that one day I’d get to meet her. But guess what? I did! Brace yourselves, there’s no way around this, I’m going to have to get all boasty mcboasty for a bit….

You see it all came about because I was shortlisted for a BGE Irish Book Award in 2016, for The Things I Should Have Told You. I can’t explain how much that meant to me. But then, to top that, news leaked that Jilly Cooper was being honoured with a LifeTime Achievement Award and my giddiness levels skyrocketed.

On the awards night, holding Charlotte Ledger’s hand, (my gorgeous editor), we made our way to Jilly’s table. A crowd had formed around her, as other writers and publishing folk took their turn to say hello.

L-R, Carmel Harrington, Jilly Cooper, Charlotte Ledger

Finally she turned to us. I think we both curtseyed. I know I did. We were meeting book royalty after all.

I breathlessly told Jilly how much I adored her books, how I devoured them as a young adult, how loved she was here in Ireland, how much I loved her.

And do you know what she did?

She leaned down and kissed my hand, then said in that beautiful, terribly posh, lilting voice, ‘Oh you are heavenly.’

Me. Heavenly. Words that she would have used to describe beloved characters like Taggie. I shall never forget that.

I didn’t win an Irish Book Award on the night. But I didn’t walk away empty handed.
I met one of my heroines and she didn't disappoint one tiny bit. 
To rob her phrase, she was heavenly.

 Don't miss the rest of the blog tour!

Review for My Sweet Revenge by Jane Fallon

My Sweet Revenge by Jane Fallon
Publisher: Penguin
Release: 12th January 2017
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review




Synopsis:

"I want to make my husband fall back in love with me. 

Let me explain. This isn't an exercise in 1950s wifeydom. I haven't been reading articles in old women's magazines. 'Twenty ways to keep your man'. That couldn't be further from the truth. 

I want him to fall back in love with me so that when I tell him to get the hell out of my life he'll care. He won't just think, 'Oh good'.  
I want it to hurt.

Paula has had Robert's back since they got together as drama students. She gave up her dreams so he could make it. Now he's one of the nation's most popular actors. And Paula's just discovered he's having an affair.

She's going to remind Robert just what he's sacrificing. And then she's going to break his heart like he broke hers. It will be her greatest acting role ever.

Revenge is sweet. Isn't it?"

Review 
I’ve been hearing great things about Jane Fallon’s books for years so when My Sweet Revenge dropped through my letterbox for review I was so excited to give it a go. I’m an absolute sucker for stories about revenge and this book, true to its title, is one of the sweetest, most satisfying revenge stories that I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading.

When Paula finds out that her husband is having an affair she has two options:

1.) Confront him, get a divorce, and watch him ride off into the sunset with his mistress

or

2.) Make her husband fall back in love with her before telling him to sling his hook for good

Paula has already sacrificed so much for Robert and their marriage, hurt and angry she decides that she’s going to show Robert exactly what he’s missing so that when she leaves she’ll hurt him like he’s hurt her. It’s time to give her darling husband a taste of his own medicine. After all, revenge is a dish best served cold.

My Sweet Revenge is the most entertaining book that I’ve read in a while. Paula is such an easy character to love and you root for her from start to finish. This book has so many twists and turns that it could give a thriller a run for its money! It’s an incredibly moreish read that I found myself returning to at any spare moment because I just had to know what would happen next.

The only thing that stopped this book from getting a 5 star rating from me was the fact that Paula lost weight to make Robert fall in love with her again. It’s a trope that I’m tired of seeing and made this book slightly less enjoyable for me personally. I’d much rather Paula have got her revenge staying exactly as she was, because even at her heaviest she deserved better than Robert.

That being said, I still thoroughly enjoyed My Sweet Revenge, so much so that I immediately went out and bought Jane Fallon’s Strictly Between Us after finishing this one.

My Sweet Revenge is smart and sassy women’s fiction at its best. Jane Fallon has a new fan in me!