Letterbox Love (37) Books From The Past Few Weeks

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

Hi lovelies! Here is my haul for February so far and it's pretty exciting! I received so many books from all different genre's some of which I've already read and were absolutely brilliant. My TBR is full of fantastic books right now and I feel like a kid in a sweet shop. In other bookish news I was delighted to find I had been quoted in another book and I also received a Valentines card from one of my favourite book boyfriends - not many people can say that right? But more on that later...Here is my book haul for February so far.

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Proof Copy)
This one dropped through my letterbox yesterday and I didn't know what it was at first 1.) Because I didn't recognise the cover and 2.) Because I didn't realise it was being published in the UK. And then I read the synopsis and did a happy dance when I realised it was one of my most anticipated books of 2014 in disguise. This sounds like a brilliant thriller and I can't wait to read it!
Sweet Damage by Rebecca James
This one sounds like another brilliant thriller! I've wanted to read something by Rebecca James for such a long time so this looks like my chance!
A Single Breath by Lucy Clarke (Proof Copy)
The Sea Sisters by the same author is a book I really wanted to read last year and just didn't have time to get around to so I'm hoping to read both A Single Breath and The Sea Sisters this spring because Lucy Clarke sounds like an author I'd love!
The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer
I'm SO excited for this book guys! It recently won the Costa Book Award and has been labelled 'one of the best books about mental illness' by Jo Brand a former mental health nurse. I believe that the author himself has also worked as a mental health nurse so I'm expecting good things from this one.

The Dead Wife's Handbook by Hannah Beckerman
This is another book that I'm ridiculously excited to read! All of my blog friends who have read it have absolutely loved it and I've spoken to the author Hannah on Twitter and she's so lovely. This is her debut novel and is about a woman who is dead who has to go through the stages of grief and watch her family move on without her. It sounds like such an emotional and beautiful read and I'm going to be picking it up very soon!
Sleuth or Dare by Robin Benway
Okay, so I haven't read the first book in this series yet but now I have the second one I can read both back to back. Robin Benway is one of my favourite authors and I seriously have to check this series out already!
Amy and Matthew by Cammie McGovern
I LOVED THIS BOOK! It's about a girl with Cerebral Palsy and a guy with OCD and their beautiful friendship. I'm going to have a review for this one up soon but if you're a fan of Eleanor and Park you want this book.
Cress by Marissa Meyer
This one arrived as a belated birthday present from the lovely Ellie and it was belated because she had it on pre-order for me. Needless to say I devoured this one pretty much straight away and it is my favourite of the series so far! Roll on Winter!

Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott
I just finished reading this book last night and I really enjoyed it! People seem to either love or hate this book but it's actually one of the only dystopian books that has held my interest in a very long time. I couldn't put it down and now really want a Pandora! I'll have a review up for this one soon.
Half Bad by Sally Green (Proof Copy)
Two copies of this actually arrived for review by mistake and so I'm giving away my spare copy on the blog now if you want to go and enter. This is another one of my most anticipated books of 2014 and the early hype has been through the roof with comparisons to J.K Rowling! I'm going to be reading this one very soon.
Where the Rock Splits the Sky by Philip Webb
I haven't heard too much about this one so far but the synopsis sounds interesting.
Shattered by Teri Terry
I'm so excited for this! My lovely friend Cait who works at the publishing house sent me out a copy of this for review. I really love this series and can't wait to see how Kyla's story ends. When I opened it up there was a little surprise on the first page but more on that a bit later...

 E-books For Review

 

Once again Netgalley and Edelweiss had too many tempting titles to resist. And that is all I have to say about that.

 Bookish Things

In case you missed my super subtle hint earlier on in this post I got quoted in another book! My quote is in the last book of the Slated Trilogy Shattered and I had no idea until I opened the book. This is the 11th book I've been quoted in now and it's still as exciting as the first time it happened.

I also received a lovely valentines card and chocolate heart from Mal from The Grisha Trilogy and I felt really special until I realised that he'd sent a card to all of the girls in the #GrishaArmy *sighs* I suppose I will just have to share him. Seriously though, massive thanks to Nina at Indigo for this it was such a lovely Valentines surprise! Publishers are awesome people.

As always thank you to the lovely publishing folk for the review copies. If you decided to do a Letterbox Love, Book Haul, IMM, Showcase Sunday, 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 till next time!

Giveaway: Win an Early Copy of Half Bad by Sally Green!

As some of you may know I’m hugely excited for UKYA author Sally Green’s debut novel Half Bad so I was beyond thrilled when, not one, but two early proof copies dropped through my letter box to review. I contacted the publisher to let them know I received two by mistake and asked if it was okay to give away my spare copy to one of you guys and they said yes! The book is out next month in the UK and I’m really excited to be able to give one of my readers the chance to read it before it hits bookshops! The publishers are really excited for this one and the early praise for it has been through the roof so if you like Paranormal YA at all you’re going to want to check this book out. Here’s a little bit more about it…

Synopsis: You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch. You get sick if you stay indoors after dark. You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one. You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen. All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys. And do that before your seventeenth birthday.

In modern-day England, witches live alongside humans: White witches, who are good; Black witches, who are evil; and fifteen-year-old Nathan, who is both. Nathan’s father is the world’s most powerful and cruel Black witch, and his mother is dead. He is hunted from all sides. Trapped in a cage, beaten and handcuffed, Nathan must escape before his sixteenth birthday, at which point he will receive three gifts from his father and come into his own as a witch—or else he will die. But how can Nathan find his father when his every action is tracked, when there is no one safe to trust—not even family, not even the girl he loves?

Sounds fantastic right? Before you enter please read my giveaway rules first and good luck to you all! 

 Giveaway Rules 

 To enter please fill in the Rafflecopter 

 Open to UK residents only 

 End date: Friday 21st February 2014 

 One winner will be drawn and will be contacted by email with 1 week to reply else another winner will be selected. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review for The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes 
Publisher: Penguin
Release: 27th February 2014
Genre: Fiction, Family, Romance, Chick-Lit
Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review




Goodreads Summary: 

"One single mum
With two jobs and two children, Jess Thomas does her best day after day. But it's hard on your own. And sometimes you take risks you shouldn't. Because you have to...

One chaotic family
Jess's gifted, quirky daughter Tanzie is brilliant with numbers, but without a helping hand she'll never get the chance to shine. And Nicky, Jess's teenage stepson, can't fight the bullies alone. Sometimes Jess feels like they're sinking...

One handsome stranger
Into their lives comes Ed Nicholls, a man whose life is in chaos, and who is running from a deeply uncertain future. But he has time on his hands. He knows what it's like to be lonely. And he wants to help...

One unexpected love story
The One Plus One is a captivating and unconventional romance from Jojo Moyes about two lost souls meeting in the most unlikely circumstances."

Review 
Jess Thomas lives with her talented young daughter Tanzie, troubled teenage stepson Nicky and the large and loveable family dog Norman in a small seaside town but their life is far from the idyll that you’d imagine. Tanzie is a child genius who’d rather spend hours pouring over maths problems than playing with other children her age and Nicky is badly bullied for his love of mascara and skinny jeans. Their small town is one that is equally small minded and labels anybody who’s a little bit different a freak and for Jess and her family life is a daily struggle. That is until one day when wealthy business man Ed Nicholls comes into their lives and offers a helping hand and so they set off on a whirlwind road trip adventure that will change not only Jess’s life but Ed’s life for the better.

The One Plus One is a character driven read told from Jess, Ed, Tanzie and Nicky’s points of view. After a few chapters I quickly became immersed in this story, so much so that I devoured this 500 plus page book in two days. The Thomas family are such underdogs and I felt every emotion alongside them as we watch them struggle through life. I laughed, I cried, I got angry and I desperately wanted things to change for them. This book is about family, misfits, hope and the random acts of kindness from strangers that can make someone’s day a hundred times better. The One Plus One shines a light on those struggling with poverty in the UK and I loved seeing how wealthy Ed’s views regarding money gradually changed throughout the book as he got to see how the other half live.

I completely fell in love with every character in this book but I just have to give a special mention to our heroine Jess who not only is a wonderful mother but such an inspiring lady to read about. Jess is such a kind and hopeful character – when life knocked her down she’d get right back up again and I admired her so much. For all you romantics there is also a lovely slow simmering romance between Jess and Ed that develops throughout the book. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted two characters to get their happily ever after more!

Simply put The One Plus One is the best book that I’ve read in 2014 so far. If you like books about life changing road trips with a bright and eccentric cast of characters and a loveable furry companion to boot then I couldn’t recommend this book to you more! I laughed, I cried and a week after finishing I still can’t get the Thomas family out of my head!

Guest Post With Paige Toon: From Chick-lit to YA

Today we have the lovely Paige Toon on the blog talking about her new book (and first venture into YA!) The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson. Paige is a bestselling author of Women’s Fiction whose books include The Longest Holiday, Johnny Be Good and Pictures of Lily to name a few. The Jessie Jefferson series is a YA spin off from Johnny Be Good and Baby Be Mine featuring rock star Johnny’s estranged daughter Jessie. I recently read and really enjoyed The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson (check out my review here) so I’m excited to have Paige on the blog today discussing her journey from Chick-lit to YA. Without further ado please give a warm welcome to the brilliant Paige Toon!

From Chick-lit to YA by Paige Toon

A lot of people have asked me how hard I found it trying to get into the head of a teenage character. The truth is, it was easy. I have to get into the heads of all of my characters – how old they are isn’t usually a factor. Jessie was like my naughty, younger alter ego – I’m quite fond of her and I can’t wait to write part two of her story. This is the first time I’ve started writing a book which I know there will be a sequel to. Baby Be Mine is the sequel to Johnny Be Good, but it wasn’t until I was writing the final page, and an idea jumped out at me, that I thought, there could be more to this story. My fans demanded a sequel in the end – so many of them were cross at me for leaving it on that cliff-hanger. I do try not to do that with my books these days, so it was a bit of a challenge making the ending of The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson feel satisfactory for the reader while still leaving a lot of scope for the next book.

I decided to write young adult books after a friend and fellow author, Ali Harris, suggested it. I’ve dedicated Jessie to her. Ever since writing my debut novel Lucy in the Sky, I’ve written my books quickly. I wrote Lucy in two and a half months with a full-time job at heat magazine and I enjoyed every single minute. When I found myself with a whole year to write Johnny Be Good, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I ended up writing most of it in the last three months – with a newborn baby to boot. I just write better under pressure – and shorter deadlines help. Now my son is in school and my daughter is in nursery, I have so much more time on my hands. Why not fill it by doing something I love? I thought about releasing two adult books a year, but wasn’t sure if you guys would get bored of me. I love reading YA myself – especially sci-fi series, it has to be said (but isn’t Twilight effectively chick lit with vampires and werewolves?), and the idea for Jessie seemed to work even better as a YA series. I first had the idea to write about Johnny’s secret daughter when I was writing Baby Be Mine, and the idea came back to me when I was toying with YA.

At the time of writing this blog, The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson has already hit the shelves and lots of my amazingly lovely, loyal readers have been telling me how much they enjoyed it. After writing Lucy in the Sky, I was absolutely terrified about everyone I know reading it and passing judgement, but then I relaxed slightly and told myself that if anyone else feels the way I felt while writing it, then they’re going to love it. I can’t tell you how happy I was to get those first Amazon reviews from brand new readers. I still count it as one of the high points of my life. It’s been the same with every book since, so I felt quite chilled about Jessie because I was pretty certain my regular readers would enjoy it if how much I loved writing it was anything to go by. Now I’m dying to hear from some new teenage readers, so please let me know what you thought of the book on Twitter @PaigeToonAuthor and facebook.com.PaigeToonAuthor. I’ll be waiting with baited breath!

Thanks for stopping by the blog today Paige! I'm looking forward to seeing where Johnny and Meg's story all began and picking up Johnny Be Good soon! The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson is available in all good bookshops now.

Review for The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson by Paige Toon

The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson by Paige Toon 
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release: 30th January 2014
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, UKYA
Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review





Goodreads Summary:

"My fifteenth birthday was the worst day of my life, and it's inconceivable to think that any single day in my future will ever be as bad. My mum was killed in a freak accident on her way to pick up my cake. Even when there was still no sign of her after two hours later, and my friends started to arrive at our house, it never occurred to me that she wouldn't be coming back.

That was six months ago. My mum died without telling me who my real dad was. And for a while I hated her for it. I thought she's taken the secret of my father's identity with her forever. But she didn't. Holy hell, she didn't. Because three weeks ago I found out the truth. And I'm still reeling from the shock of it. My dad is none other than Johnny Jefferson, mega famous rock star and one-time serial womaniser. And now I'm on my way to LA to meet him and his family. My tiny little world has just got a whole lot bigger…"

Review 
Jessie is a teenage wild child who’s been acting out ever since her mum’s unexpected death on Jessie’s fifteenth birthday. I have to be honest and say that Jessie didn’t make a good first impression with me – in fact I thought she was a bit of a brat with the way she treated people. But my advice is to stick with her folks! It soon becomes apparent that it’s all just a tough girl act to mask the pain and guilt she feels over her mum’s death and the fear that she doesn’t really belong to any one now that it’s just her and her stepdad Stu. Paige Toon did a fantastic job of capturing a young girl’s grief and those weaker moments with Jessie when her mask would slip and she’d let us in were some of my favourite moments in this book.

With Jessie’s behaviour spiralling out of control stepdad Stu thinks it would do her good to learn the truth about her real father who is none other than famous rock god Johnny Jefferson. When Jessie flies out to LA to get to know Johnny and her new family is where the fun really begins. There are A-list parties, designer clothes shopping, and yes, a cute boy. Whilst all this is really fun and glamorous to read about there are also some really touching moments as Jessie starts to bond with her family.

My favourite thing about The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson was how every character felt realistic. I could understand every characters thoughts and feelings over this big change in their lives and I loved that this book wasn’t all fun and smooth sailing in Jessie’s new life. Seeing how everyday things would trigger Jessie’s memories of her mum brought a tear to my eye on several occasions. And Jessie’s gradual character development was spot on to the point where I closed the book feeling really proud of how far she’d come.

Overall The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson was a lot of fun and had a lot of heart. I’ll definitely be continuing on with this series to see what happens to Jessie and her family next and I also want to pick up ‘Johnny Be Good’ Paige’s adult series to find out how Johnny and Meg’s story all began!