Review for A Walk in the Park by Jill Mansell

A Walk in the Park by Jill Mansell 
Publisher: Headline Review
Release Date: 16th February 2012
Genre: Chick-lit, Women’s Fiction, Adult Fiction, Romance, Families
Rating: 4/5 stars
Source: Received from the publisher for review

Amazon Summary:
"It's been a while, but Lara Carson's back in Bath and lives are set to change as a result. Because Lara left her family and boyfriend Flynn eighteen years ago without a word to anyone. Why has no one heard from her since? Her childhood best friend Evie is thrilled Lara's back and able to share her happiness. Evie's about to walk down the aisle with her dream man, Joel. Or so she thinks... Then there's Flynn Erskine, even more attractive now and stunned to see Lara again. The spark between them is as strong as ever, but how's Flynn going to react when he discovers the secret she's been keeping from him? Oh yes, there's a lot of catching up to be done..."

Review 
After only discovering Jill Mansell last year with the wonderful To the Moon and Back I’m definitely a newbie fan of her books but she’s already fast becoming one of my favourite chick-lit writers. A Walk in the Park is Jill’s twenty third novel a huge landmark and testament to how beloved Jill Mansell is as an author. She truly is a chick-lit legend and after reading three of her books (To the Moon and Back, An Offer You Can’t Refuse, and now A Walk in the Park) I can certainly see why she’s such a popular author.

What I love most about Jill’s books is that they appeal to women of all ages. There are always a range of heart-warming characters of different ages and personalities which means that there’s always a character you can connect with and a little something for everyone. I enjoy Mansell’s books as a twenty two year old as do my mum and nan, and I think that has something to do with Jill’s success over the years. She has this way of catering to everyone both younger women discovering her books for the first time and old fans who have been reading her books for years. A Walk in the Park is no different with the book following a variety of wonderful characters from Lara and her friend Evie to Lara’s teenage daughter Gigi not to mention the lovely secondary characters Harry and Flynn to name a few. Jill’s books are always full of characters you can’t help but want the best for and I love how likeable and relatable her characters are. In this book I particularly loved Harry- oh if only all men were a little bit more like Harry!

The book is made up of many themes the most prominent being the relationship between fathers and daughters, and how there’s a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to people and relationships. It has a moral of not taking things at face value and shows that no relationship is as straight forward as it seems. This book has a little bit of everything from romance, to family drama, to mysteries, to friendship. I became so involved with all of the different characters and I particularly liked Lara’s story as she uncovers old family secrets and tries not to repeat her mother’s mistakes. A Walk in the Park has a lot of veiled mystery and I found the twists and turns made this book a real page turner.

Once again Jill Mansell is on the money with this one. There’s not a lot that I can say that’s not in the synopsis that wouldn’t spoil the book so all you need to know is that this book ticks all the boxes and is a good all round solid read with some of the loveliest characters I’ve had the pleasure to read about. Reading a Jill Mansell book is pure escapism at its best and I would thoroughly recommend this latest offering to old Jill fans and newbies alike.

Letterbox Love (2)

Letterbox Love is a new meme hosted by Lynsey @ Narratively Speaking for UK based book bloggers to showcase the book’s that they’ve received each week.

Review Books

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda (does anyone else think that the boy on the UK cover is ridiculously fine? *drools on book*)
Changeling by Philippa Gregory
Unwholly by Neal Shusterman (US ARC)
Emma Hearts LA by Keris Stainton (Proof copy, reading this next, yay!)
Life Eternal by Yvonne Woon
Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready (I need to read the first two books, are they good? Should I get on that? Lemme know!)

 Bought

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare (*Flails!* I'm sure THIS is happening on a lot of book hauls this week have you read it yet? Did you love it? Let me know! But NO SPOILERS please people! This is coming up soon on my reading pile, can't wait!!!)

So that’s all the activity I've had in my letterbox over the past two weeks!*snorts at how dirty that sounds* Big thank you’s to all of the lovely publishing people who have sent me review books (particularly to Simon and Schuster for four of these bad boys! You guys rock!) and to my poor postman for lugging them all to me, poor guy *looks sheepish* if you’ve read or are looking forward to any of the books I got feel free to let me know what you thought about them or request reviews and such in the comments. And if you decided to do a Letterbox Love, Book Haul, IMM, Mailbox Monday or whatever else featuring the books you got this week leave me a link as I’d love to check out your books too! ^_^

 Happy reading for another week everyone!

Review for 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad
Publisher: Atom
Release Date: 5th April 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Horror, Thriller
Rating: 4/5 stars
Source: Received from the publisher for review

Amazon Summary:
"Three teenagers are going on the trip of a lifetime. Only one is coming back. It's been more than forty years since NASA sent the first men to the moon, and to grab some much-needed funding and attention, they decide to launch an historic international lottery in which three lucky teenagers can win a week-long trip to moon base DARLAH 2-a place that no one but top government officials even knew existed until now. The three winners, Antoine, Midori, and Mia, come from all over the world. But just before the scheduled launch, the teenagers each experience strange, inexplicable events. Little do they know that there was a reason NASA never sent anyone back there until now-a sinister reason. But the countdown has already begun..."

Review 
Despite 172 Hours on the Moon being a futuristic novel instead of being set way in the future like other books in the ever popular dystopian genre this book begins in 2010 with NASA setting in motion plans for a huge global event with three teenagers from around the world being sent on a life changing trip to the moon in 2019 to spark an interest in space in a younger generation and to attract media attention for publicity and much needed funding. And so jumping ahead to the year 2018 a global lottery is held and three lucky teens Mia, Antoine, and Midori are chosen to be the youngest people ever to venture into space after a years worth of training with NASA marking a historic and life changing event.

However there’s a reason why nobody has been sent back to the moon before now. Something evil and destructive awaits them that has the potential to change life as we know it. As soon as they land strange and increasingly disturbing situations start taking place and so begins one of the most terrifying books in YA. On a fight for their lives and a race against time the groups only chance of survival is to get off this planet. In a group of eight with five trained astronauts, and three teenagers only one will make it back to earth alive…

This book was a total thrill ride of a read that read like part sci-fi part horror story. Imagine being stranded on the moon so far from home with people who are barely more than strangers with dwindling oxygen and supplies and worst of all an evil and horrifying presence determined that you’ll never make it home? Yeah pretty scary stuff! I was so gripped by this book and needed to know what on earth (or should I say moon?) was going on and what would happen next so badly that it was a total case of thinking “okay just one more chapter” “okay just one more” after that to looking up and realising hours had gone by this book was that terrifying, exciting, thrilling and claustrophobic to read.

The book has an alternating narrative told between the three teen winners Mia, Antoine and Midori and occasionally other secondary characters in the book like the astronauts and perhaps most interestingly of all an old man in a retirement home who used to work for NASA and seems to know the horrors of what’s awaiting the group on the moon. The book begins a whole year before the launch with the teens entering this lottery and going into their different reasons for entering. There’s a lot of story before the space journey even begins where you get to know the characters personalities and lives on earth and then their reactions to winning the trip and intensive training with NASA in preparation for a week in space. Although not as action orientated and compulsive as the second half of this book I still really enjoyed learning about the reasons behind them wanting to leave earth and the training and science that goes into a journey such as this one. I also really enjoyed the pictures throughout documenting the trip. It really gives you more of an idea what the group are experiencing which really added to the book.

This book has an insane ending that left me wanting more. I would love it if there was a sequel but in a way it makes a good, if terrifying ending if it’s a standalone too. 172 Hours on the Moon is very different to anything else I’ve ever read before and despite the overflowing genre of dystopians it still brings something fresh and unique to the table. I thoroughly enjoyed this breakneck journey into space although a word of warning: if you haven’t got the time don’t start this book because it will take over your life and I mean that in the best possible way.

Review for Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Publisher: Orchard
Release Date: 5th July 2012 (UK)
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Ghost Story
Rating: 4/5 stars
Source: Received from the publisher for review

Amazon Summary:
"Cas Lowood is no ordinary guy - he hunts dead people. People like Anna. Anna Dressed in Blood. A beautiful, murderous ghost entangled in curses and rage. Cas knows he must destroy her, but as her tragic past is revealed, he starts to understand why Anna has killed everyone who's ever dared to enter her spooky home. Everyone, that is, except Cas..."

Review 
Anna Dressed in Blood is a book that I’ve heard a lot of hype for especially in the US and I can certainly see why! This has to be one of the best YA ghost stories that I’ve read. I absolutely loved the idea of this book and was immersed in Cas’s world as a ghost hunter from the start. The concept behind the existence of these ghosts and how to “kill” them was brilliant, with the ghost replaying their last moments over to you (and they’re usually pretty gruesome!) and then killing the living in the same way that they died in a vengeful fury made for creeptastic gold.

The book kicks off with Cas getting a call to investigate a particularly terrifying and unusual ghost Anna Dressed in Blood a girl who acts as protector of her old house from 1958 and who literally tears apart limb by limb any person who dares enter her home, her dress once white now dripping red with blood. No one who has entered that house has ever came out but after a horrendous prank gone wrong Cas miraculously manages to escape Anna’s curse of rage and murder and what’s more Anna willingly lets him go free and so begins an unputdownable read of evil and tragedy, of magic and murder and a moving love story between a living boy and a dead girl.

There are three different plots running alongside each other in this book. One about Cas and how he came into the job of resident ghost hunter, another about Anna and what she went through when she was alive that made her into this awful ghost that’s so different and so much stronger than any other that Cas has come across, and then there’s the magical aspect of the book which focuses on curses and voodoo and how they play a big part in the story. Blake isn’t afraid to go full out on the blood and gore and there was always something interesting and exciting going on so that my adrenaline was pumping right till the end.

Whilst this book is chilling and haunting it’s also funny and romantic too. I loved having a bad ass male protagonist who lightened the mood with his witty and snarky comments on many occasions and I loved the unlikely common ground and companionship he found with Anna, who when she’s not ripping people to shreds is actually a very nice girl. I also liked the friends they made along the way Carmel your typical popular girl who actually turns out to be pretty tough and awesome and Thomas a newbie witch in training. The characters personalities put a fun light hearted spin on a chilling ghost story and I loved that unexpected element that lightened the book up when it needed it.

The only complaint I have is with the lack of explanation regarding some areas of the book. The ending was a bit of a disappointment for me in that respect as I hardly got any answers to my burning questions and while I get that the author did that to get us pumped for the sequel I would of liked a little something more to leave me satisfied with the end to this book and to make it feel like a completed novel in its own right.

Overall Anna Dressed in Blood is an amazing and original addition to the YA genre and is as beautiful as it is haunting. If you like your books action packed and your romances deliciously twisted this is your perfect read.

Giveaway for The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

As part of the UK blog tour to celebrate The Immortal Rules I will be giving away a copy of the book to one UK winner I really loved this book and am excited to be giving it away! For more information on the book or to find out what I thought you can read my full review here.

Amazon Synopsis:
"My Vampire Creator Told Me This: Sometime in your life, Allison Sekemoto, you will kill a human being. The question is not if it will happen, but when. Do you understand? I didn't then, not really. I DO NOW. In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity. Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who killed her mother and keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked - and given the ultimate choice. Die...or become one of the monsters. Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must work with her vampire creator and learn the rules of being immortal. Including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad. When Allison is separated from her creator, she flees into the unknown, the world outside her vampire city, beyond the wall. There she joins a ragged band of humans who don't know what she is, seeking a legend - a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike."

 Rules
To enter please fill in the Rafflecopter bellow.
Open to UK residents only.
End date: Wednesday 16th May 2012
Winner will be contacted by email and will have 1 week to reply else another winner will be selected.