Star Struck by Jane Lovering

Our memories define us - don't they? And Skye Threppel lost most of hers in a car crash that stole the lives of her best friend and fiance. It's left scars, inside and out, which have destroyed her career and her confidence. Skye hopes a trip to the wide dusty landscapes of Nevada - and a TV convention offering the chance to meet the actor she idolises - will help her heal. But she bumps into mysterious Sci-fi writer Jack Whitaker first. He's a handsome contradiction - cool and intense, with a wild past. Jack has enough problems already. He isn't looking for a woman with self-esteem issues and a crush on one of his leading actors. Yet he's drawn to Skye. An instant rapport soon becomes intense attraction, but Jack fears they can't have a future if Skye ever finds out about his past ...Will their memories tear them apart, or can they build new ones together?


Jane Lovering's first book, Please Don't Stop the Music , was a great read and I was really looking forward to the second novel. This is Lovering's second novel, but I was unsure how to write this review. I did not enjoy the story content, however the writing was, as previously noted, great. 




I really felt for Skye, the main character, because, following a car accident, which killed her boyfriend, she suffers from panic attacks and has difficulty being in crowds of people. I also suffer from panic attacks and could therefore understand how she feels, although mine do not stem from a car accident. I thought that her anxiety was well written and i sympathised  with her throughout the book.


Skye's best friend, Felix, manages to get two ticket to a convention one on e of Skye's favorite TV programmes, Fallen Skies, one problem, the convention is in Nevada. The first person she meets is Jack, one of the writers on the television series, who she befriends, however there are secrets in Jack's past which he tries to keep hidden.


Unfortunately I did not enjoy the book. I think the reason was that I am not a favour of the type of programmes that Fallen Skies appeared to be i.e. sci-fi. Therefore I think I found it difficult to get into the book at the start and this remained with me throughout the book. 


One the positive note, I did enjoy Lovering's writing style. She remained true to the style of writing in her previous book. She has written an original book, one which I can not think of similar setting in another chick lit book. I liked the inclusion of panic attacks as I don't think it is a health issue that is highlighted regularly in the books, media etc in a sensitive manner. The relationship between Skye and Jack is intriguing and finding out Jack's secret was what kept me going throughout the book.


I am, however, looking forward to reading Jane Lovering's next book as I am sure the writing will be just as good as her previous two.


Thank you to the Publishers, Choc Lit, for sending me the book to review

(Un)like a Virgin by Lucy-Anne Holmes

Is Gracie in love for the very first time? You know that bit in The X Factor, when the singer tells everyone about the rocky road they travelled to pursue their dream? Well, that's Gracie Flowers' story. Gracie is very focused for a woman of almost twenty-six. Her favourite book is 'The 5-Year Plan: Making the Most of Your Life'. And her five-year plan is going very well. That is, until she is usurped from her big promotion by a handsome, posh idiot; she is dumped by her boyfriend; and discovers her loopy mother is facing bankruptcy. Hormones awry and ice cream over-ordered, a dream Gracie thought she'd buried ten years ago starts to resurface. A dream that reminds her of the girl she used to be and everything she wanted to become.


This book is a roller coaster of emotions; there are times of happiness; laughter; sadness and anger. There are also surprises throughout the book, people being other than you expected of them - as is true in life.


Gracie, the main character, is an estate agent, working in an agency where she is top sales (wo)man and is hoping for the promotion which is available in the company. She lives with her boyfriend, Danny, and is best friends with the admin girl in the office, Wendy. Her father died a few years previously, and her mother lives in the family homes. Her mother and father were champion ballroom dancers and Gracie and her father also used to sing together, although following her father's death, Gracie no longer sings in public.


There are many story lines within the book; Gracies relationship with Danny is a major storyline, they where childhood sweethearts, Gracie's relationship with her mother and her dead father are also significant throughout the book, as is her relationships with work colleagues and the position she holds within the office.


There are many prospective house sales in the book, the possibility of the area where her father's grave lies being developed into a slip road for a large housing development and her previous love of singing with many people urging her to sing in public again.


The book is a great read, it is easy to pick up and read just a few chapters, however i found it difficult to put down and therefore finished it quickly. There are many twists and turns throughout the story and I know how I wanted the story to end but at many times throughout the book I thought Gracie would be choosing a different ending. 


I loved Lucy-Anne's style of writing, it was easy to read and to get lost in. There is plenty of drama throughout the book within Gracie's life but it all remained believable. I am sure many people will be able to relate to Grace's situation and will fall in love with her story.


Thank you to the publishers, Sphere, for sending me the book to review.

Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes by Sue Watson

TV producer Stella Weston is over worked, over weight and under fire. Having battled uphill for years to balance her career with her family life, she is repaid by being put out to pasture on a religious gardening programme - complete with a nervous vicar, his nymphomaniac wife, and 22 stone Britney wannabe gardener, Gerald.


In the past, comfort has always been found at the bottom of her mixing bowl but when even the most delicious lemon sponge with zesty frosting cannot save the day, Stella decides enough is enough.


However, finding the courage to quit is sometimes the easy part. Can you really turn a passion into a profession? Does more time at home actually give you a happier family life? Are men truly from Mars or another universe altogether?


Stella has to roll up her sleeves and find out - when the going gets tough, the tough gets baking ....


This book is fantastic!! A great, easy, lighthearted read to relax with and loose a couple of hours with. 


The book is the debut novel for author Sue Watson, a local author to me in Worcestershire and one which I will recommend to everybody wholeheartedly. I wish her a long and prosperous writing career and hope she releases another book soon!


I was captured by the book by the end of the first line. How many books have an opening line like ' "I need sex every day, luv" said Densie, the vicar's wife.' 
and the good lines just keep coming, throughout the book. One book blogger has described it as Bridget Jones meets Nigella Lawson (Lougrahamiiblog ) and I would definitely agree with the Bridget Jones comparison. 


The main character, Stella Watson, is a television producer, who has an awful boss who rubbishes her, and everybody elses, good ideas and later passes them off as her own. Following one such idea, Stella is 'transferred' to the Gardening department and set to work on a programme based around gardens and religion - a show that Stella is unsure of. However, the show means that Stella must live away from home and misses her husband and young daughter, causing problems with her homelife. The first show of the series broadcasts and is full of problems, however the series grows in popularity, leading Stella to believe she will asked to work on the second series, while leaving her some room to bargain terms re less time away from home etc.  However, an oversight in staffing leads to her boss suspending Stella, a problem that her boss may have contributed to, and Stella hands in her resignation with immediate effect.
This could not of come at a worse time for Stella, her husband, Tom, appears distant and always concerned about teh family finances and a secret is revealled on Christmas Eve which leaves Stella's family broken and Stella is left to pick up the pieces. This is one hilarious, yet sad, scene adn I do not want to spoil it for other readers, but a fresh Christmas turkey is involved!


The rest of the book is about Stella's experience in turning her hobby, cake making, into a business and this is definitely not a book to read when you are hungry and have a sweet tooth, the cakes all sound delicious!! It is also about her life in general, getting on with life as a single parent, flirting with possible dates, enjoying being a mum, spending time with her daughter and her friends,  enjoying time for herself when her daughter is with her dad, and trying to carve a name for herself in cake making. A chance meeting with a friend of her daughter's mother who works for a top company leads to a big chance for Stella, along with the help of her friend, Al, another recent victim of Stella's old boss, to really give the business a go.


The book is full of hilarity, many times did I laugh out loud while reading it. It is a book about a women anyone will be able to relate to, knowing someone like Stella or the situation she has been left in. She has great friends; Lizzie and Al are two people I would love to meet. Al's new love interest, Sebastian, is also brilliant.


I hope you can tell how much I enjoyed this book and I recommend it to chick lit lovers everywhere, although be warned, once you start it, you won't want to put it down until you finish it!


Thank you to Rickshaw Publishers for sending me the book to review.

How to Write a Children's Picture Book and Get It Published by Andrea Shavick

What do picture book publishers really want? This entertaining and practical book has all the answers, including: - What to write about - and how to write it - How to present your work professionally - How to persuade your chosen publisher to accept your book for publication. It covers virtually everything you need to know about the international picture book market and selling your work to agents and publishers. Andrea Shavick's book also answers the vexing questions of which publishers to approach, whether you need an agent, what to do about the illustrations, how to protect your copyright, and even how much money you can make. It additionally features: - Original picture book text - to help you format your own manuscripts professionally - An easy-to-use picture book layout plan - Title sheets and covering letters to use when submitting manuscripts - which are of proven success Andrea's unique Plot Planner for designing, lengthening, shortening or just 
tweaking your stories.


The first thing to say is that I have never thought about, let alone tried to write a book, children's or adults book in my life, let alone thought about the process. However, if I was I think that this book is a great first guide about the process.


Following the introduction there is are two important sections: what the book does and does not cover because children's books cover a wide range and style of books.


The rest of the book is split into 22 chapters which follow a systematic and logical sequence of actions,decisions and processes needed to write a successful children's book. These chapters start at the very beginning: what is a picture book? thinking about who to write for? what to write about? how to create characters? what subjects are no go in children's books? as well as more practical tips and hints about the writing process: word counts; plot planning; language ; editing; titles and preparation of the manuscript. There are useful sections about covering letters, manuscripts, illustrations, choosing publishers, submission of work, copyright of ideas, agents, what to do if your work is rejected or accepted. There is also a chapter on other routes  to publication.  At the end of the book there is a list of recommended books, websites and writing organisations which potential writers may find useful.


There are many good points to this book:

• there are lots of what to do but also, more importantly, what NOT to do. Some of the points are simple and obvious, however there are also things which are not so obvious or things which wouldn't cross your mind i.e. subjects to avoid (shouldn't include classsim, or sexism, unhealthy food or characters including tattoos, piercings or people taking medicine)
• each chapter covers a specific area of the writing/publishing process and within each chapter the area is broken down into smaller parts i.e. word count chapter includes; what is a word count?; what is the perfect word count?; and how to cutting word counts?
• the whole process is included, each step is a chapter and described in small chapters but packed full of advice, information and examples where appropriate.

I would recommend this book as a definite must read to anyone considering writing a children's picture book. It is very informative but also concise in the information and advice given within it.

Thank you to Michael from The School Run Forum for sending me the book to review.

The Book of Potentially Catastrophic Science by Sean Connolly

Einstein, Galileo, Newton .......... and now you! 


Parachute an egg from an upstairs window!


Distil DNA from a half-eaten banana!


Spark lightning in your mouth!


Here are 50 awesome experiments that demonstrate teh principles behind the greatest scientific breakthroughs in human history.


Astound friends with an experiment that seems to defy the laws of gravity, launch a bottle-rocket into the air, peer through a microscope made out of water, prove atomic theory with food colouring - and recreate the Large Hadron Collider using marshmallows!


Designed for kids aged nine upwards and using everyday household stuff, The book of potentially catastrophic science lets you boldly go where the bravest scientists in history have gone before ....


This is a fantastic book to give as a gift to older children (age 9+) who love science or who are constantly asking Why things are as they are? or How they work? There are 50 experiments to try which will try and prove theories etc using equipment, resources and ingredients found around the home.

The book covers the history of the world, from 2 million years BC (Stone Age Tools) right through to 2008 (The Large Hadron Collider). The book is split into chapters, highlighting major events in scientific history of the world. Each chapter includes an introduction of the event/invention and the science behind it. Important words are explained, interesting facts highlighted and the experiments include warnings via take care! boxes.

Each experiment includes an introduction and states what you are trying to prove/demonstrate, a comprehensive and complete ingredients and equipment list, take care warnings and a method broken down into manageable steps.

The book has many black and white photographs of important scientists and inventions, pencil drawings accompany the experiment and there are many other drawings and pictures littering the text.

Some of the experiments look really fun and it would be possible for 9+ year olds to carry them out on their own whereas others need adult supervision but there is a large number of possible experiments available. There are lots of interesting theories and inventions to test and will keep children interested on a rainy day.

I would recommend this as a great gift for older children with a love for science or those who have an inquisitive mind. I would also recommend it to teachers for ideas to add interest to a science lesson.

Thank you to Michael from The School Run Forum for sending me this book to review

Tom Cain Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to: phyllgerry, K Mayers and Lisa you have all won a signed copy of Carver by Tom Cain. Please send me your postal address and I will forward to the publisher asap.


Thank you all for entering the competition.

The Great Mermaid Rescue (The Magic Secrets Box) by Sue Mongredien

When Megan winds up her antique music box for the first time, she hears a tiny voice calling over the sound of the music - it is the Fairy Queen of the Land of Eight Kingdoms, a magical place far away! She has been imprisoned in the box by the evil enchanter Sorcero, and needs Megan's help. This time, Megan becomes a mermaid and is sent to the Emerald Seas. Here she must help a mermaid called Celeste, who is always telling tall tales. When Celeste tells her friends about seeing a terrifying sea monster, no one will believe her - but this time she's telling the truth! It's up to Megan to befriend the creature to help break Sorcero's spell.




The second book in The Magic Secrets Box series. I have previously reviewed the first book, The Silver City Ballerina, and this book follows a similar storyline. However this adventure takes place in The Emerald Seas, where Megan must save Sandy from being trapped under some stones and all the merpeople from the Sea Monster.


I am sure this series will become as popular as The Rainbow Fairies with young girls. A great gift for young girls and the music box music played via a button on the front cover is a great bonus.


Another great book written by Sue Mongredien and I am looking forward to reading more of the series to see who Megan must rescue next.


Thank you to Stripes Pubishing for sending me the book to review.