Friday 29 November 2013

****REVIEW**** Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan ~ rated ***** stars


A very sweet Christmas indeed!

Issy Randall, proud owner of The Cupcake Cafe, is in love and couldn't be happier. Her new business is thriving and she is surrounded by close friends, even if her cupcake colleagues Pearl and Carolinedon't seem quite as upbeat about the upcoming season of snow and merriment. But when her boyfriend Austin is scouted for a possible move to New York, Issy is forced to face up to the prospect of a long-distance romance. And when the Christmas rush at the cafe - with its increased demand for her delectable creations - begins to take its toll, Issy has to decide what she holds most dear. 






I really enjoyed the first book, "Meet me at the Cupcake Cafe" so I was delighted when I found out there was going to be a festive follow up. I could not wait to catch up with the characters and find out what they'd been up and I wasn't disappointed. 

This was a nice lighthearted Christmas read with plenty of yummy recipes for you to try. It was very festive which was great and I loved the descriptions of the cafe. I need to find this cafe! Also, New York at Christmas? I wanted to be there! Perhaps it was a bit predictable but I enjoyed it all the same and I would love to see a third book, maybe Issy and Austin's wedding and Issy opening a New York cupcake shop and Pearl actually ditching Ben and getting together with Doti. There is so much potential to carry this on!

If you haven't read "Meet me at the Cupcake Cafe," then I don't think it matters too much because Jenny does remind you of who is who and mentions a bit about their background but I would recommend reading it first because that's just me and I like to do things in order. 

I love Christmas and all the magic it brings. I make it my mission to cram in as many festive reads as I can to help get me in the spirit. This was my third Christmas book so far and it's not even December yet! Also on my Christmas TBR list is Jenny's Christmas at Rosie Hopkins Sweet shop. Again I have read the first one so I am looking forward to spending Christmas with them too.

Want to read them for yourself? Here are the links ~ 


Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe on Amazon.co.uk  ~ £3.49 Kindle/£3.80 paperback

Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe on Amazon.com ~ $5.66 Kindle/$8.21 paperback



Ever dreamed of starting over?

Issy Randall can bake. No, more than that - Issy can create stunning, mouth-wateringly divine cakes. After a childhood spent in her beloved Grampa Joe’s bakery she has undoubtedly inherited his talent. So when she’s made redundant from her safe but dull city job, Issy decides to seize the moment and open up her own cafĂ©. It should be a piece of cake, right?

Wrong. As her friends point out, she has trouble remembering where she left her house keys, let alone trying to run her own business. But Issy is determined. Armed with recipes posted to her from Grampa, and with her local bank manager fighting her corner, Issy attempts to prove everyone wrong. Following your dreams is never easy and this is no exception. Can Issy do it?



Meet me at the Cupcake Cafe on Amazon.co.uk ~ £4.27 Kindle/£4.49 paperback

Meet me at the Cupcake Cafe on Amazon.com  ~ $6.93 Kindle/$13.49 paperback



  





Monday 25 November 2013

****DECEMBER EVENTS****

Book a date this December with Kerry Frith Author Page



Starting December 1st we will be running our very own advent calender countdown to Christmas. Unfortunately we cannot offer chocolate unless it's virtue but I don't think it will taste quite the same and not nearly as nice so instead, each day throughout December we will be posting a Christmas ebook and festive recipe to help get you in the holiday spirit. 


On the 25th day as my present to you, this will be FREE to download for a limited time only so if you love a comedy romance why not grab yourself a copy! 


***** This is how I believe great romance novels should be written! 

***** I loved this book. It is so funny and sweet.
***** Brilliant. Once again a book I just could not put down.
***** OMG Loved every bit of this book.
***** Great book, loved it, couldn't put it down.
****Another fantastic book from Kerry Frith
***** This was a great book, funny and entertaining


Also, this December we will be holding a Christmas Like for Like, Share for Share event. This will give page and group owners the opportunity to post anything they wish to help promote their Facebook page, twitter, blog, goodreads, amazon author page and any other links. This is a public event so please join up, share the link and invite your friends. More the merrier.  




Don't forget Book Chat Group where you can join us for a book or two! We would love to hear your book recommendations and reviews. We have a weekly discussion and play daily games and not forgetting the wonderful author interviews we are so lucky to get. We also post daily ebook freebies and books under £1 and there's going to be many Christmas books as well as a daily Christmas song to help get you in the Christmas mood so why not stop by and have some fun this December.




I truly do love this time of year. I mean what isn't there to like? All the Christmas cheer, brightly coloured Christmas decorations, the music, food and presents! I am defintly like a kid at Christmas and I really wished I managed to write a Christmas story to bring out this year. Oh well, something definite for next year I think.  In the meantime, I really have made a dent in my Christmas reading. I am on my third Christmas book! I will be writing reviews on each Christmas book I read and posting it on here so keep your eyes peeled. Last but not least, remember to stop by my page for the daily ebook freebies and author of the week and not forgetting all the great stuff happening on my page this December! It's just a shame we cannot share the chocolate :)


Seasons greetings and thanks so much for stopping by!




Thursday 21 November 2013

***REVIEW*** Christmas at the Beach Cafe by Lucy Diamond ~ Rated **** stars

Christmas by the sea!

Having already read the Beach Cafe, I was delighted when I found out I could spend Christmas there too!


Being a Lucy Diamond fan, I was so excited and couldn't wait to read this novella. I really enjoyed the Beach Cafe and thankfully not much time had passed since the first book which was great as I didn't feel like I'd missed out.

So it's Evie and Ed's first Christmas together and Evie has this vision of the most romantic Christmas with just her and Ed, long walks along the beach, cosy fires and the perfect recipe book. If only things were that simple. With plans forever changing and completely out of Evie's control, it couldn't be more further away then what Evie had hoped for but it doesn't mean it's any less perfect.

It was fantastic to catch up with the characters from the Beach Cafe and find out how they are getting on. It was brilliant spending Christmas with them too! I love Evie. She does make me laugh and Ed is such a gentleman. I must try the home made Christmas present too!

This little novella (100 Kindle pages) really did warm my heart and get me in the Christmas spirit and I hope to catch up with Evie and Ed again in the not so distant future.

Want to read it? Here's the links ~


If you would like to get to know Evie and Ed a bit more then be sure to download The Beach Cafe.

Evie Flynn has always been the black sheep of her family - a dreamer and a drifter, unlike her over-achieving elder sisters. She's tried making a name for herself as an actress, a photographer and a singer, but nothing has ever worked out. Now she's stuck in temp hell, with a sensible, pension-planning boyfriend. Somehow life seems to be passing her by. Then her beloved aunt Jo dies suddenly in a car crash, leaving Evie an unusual legacy - her precious beach cafe in Cornwall. Determined to make a success of something for the first time in her life, Evie heads off to Cornwall to get the cafe and her life back on track - and gets more than she bargained for, both in work and in love...




The Beach Cafe Amazon.co.uk ~ Kindle £2.99/paperback £4.95
The Beach Cafe Amazon.com ~ Kindle $4.82/paperback $4.49

 




 

Monday 18 November 2013

***REVIEW*** Blue Christmas Balls by Nick Spalding ~ Rated **** stars

A little something to get you in the Christmas Spirit!!

Merry Christmas!! 

I saw this was a short story and was skeptical because I'm not a short story lover. However, it's by Nick Spalding and it's about Christmas so I had to!

One man. Three women. Twelve days to achieve Yuletide sexual glory!

Christmas is coming and Matt Bunion is on a mission. Somehow, he's made the huge mistake of remaining a virgin well into his twenties - a grievous error he fully intends to rectify before the Queen's speech starts.

But it's not going to be easy...

What with strange requests to molest living room furniture, painfully inserted action figures, and an extremely festive lady of the night, Matt will be lucky to reach Boxing Day with his pride and manhood still intact.

From the best-selling author of LOVE... FROM BOTH SIDES comes the laugh-out-loud story of one man's quest to make this Christmas go with a bang.

Being a Nick Spalding novella it was bound to be funny and not end how you'd imagine. It never disappointed either. This had me laughing my head off. The friction burn willy made me laugh the most. I love this man's ability to write with such whit and humor and I actually found myself imaging the whole stinking lot!

The fact that it is a novella (roughly 68 kindle pages/114 pages in paperback) is just enough. It's measured well. Any longer and I think it would have been too much. I award it 4 stars because it made me laugh and it was short and not 5 stars because it's not the best Nick Spalding book I have read (that goes to Love... from both sides).

It is a quick fun read that will make you laugh. I mean, Ewok's being sucked up ones backside, friction burns caused by glass love making and dildos being whacked across a forehead is enough to get anyone in the holiday spirit right? I personally think it is a worth while read.

Fancy reading it for yourself? Here's the links ~ 

Blue Christmas Balls on Amazon.co.uk 99p in Kindle / £3.99 in paperback
Blue Christmas Balls on Amazon.com  $1.68 in Kindle / $5.03 in paperback 


Thursday 14 November 2013

***REVIEW*** The Valentine Present (A Romantic Comedy) by Lynda Renham

Not all the mad Jack's in the world could have stopped me reading this little gem! 

It's no secret, I am a massive fan of Lynda! I find her inspirational, I love her sense of humour and her one liners really do make me laugh out loud. I find her plots interesting, all her characters likeable and I love her ability to bring a character to life. She writes in such an easy way, and her cockney writing accent was spot on making it easy for this cockney to read! 

Morticia Addams nails, Eton Mess, no life jackets and a horses crop! This story had so many twists and turns. There was so much happening, it kept me on the edge of my seat (OK, laid back quite comfortably on the sofa) but my point is there was never a dull moment. 'arriet was so very likable & I couldn't help but love Fiona. She had me in stitches. I wanted to throttle Julian myself and as for Hamilton, well I most definitely would have used the horses crop! I couldn't help but warm to the Jack's too. 

I absolutely loved this book and award it 5 shiny gold stars. It was an enjoyable read I couldn't put down and I swear my family thought I was nuts (well slightly more nuts then usual) sitting in the corner laughing to myself. I must say it's not my favourite by Lynda, that goes to Croissants & Jam, my first ever read by Lynda but this comes a close a second.... I am a proper sucker for a love story and we all want that happy ending, don't we?

Keep them coming Lynda. Your books are the dogs bollocks and I can't wait for the next... 

Thursday 7 November 2013

In Liam's Wake Blog Tour



Author Bio:

Ashlyn Forge spends most of her days self-editing, writing, and editing. Her love of 
storytelling, and the imagination in general, has put her in an on-and-off 
relationship with Writing for a number of years. She is particularly drawn to 
anything resulting in blurred lines between magic and science, as is evident in the 
surreal world of her Toys and Soldiers series. Her literary ambition in life is to see 
one, if not all, volumes of the Toys and Soldiers Series tucked neatly under 
everyone’s pillow. If it were not for the discordant jumble of ideas clamoring for 
attention in her head, she would also take up crocheting.



In Liam’s Wake: The Makeshift Soldier (Toys & Soldiers Series) By Ashlyn Forge

For eight years, Liam has been trapped underground in The Colony—a sanctuary so determined to stay hidden it forbids anyone from leaving once they’ve entered. His only hope of returning home rests on his best friend Riley who, on the eve of their escape, slipped into a coma. Despite staggering debt, vengeful mutants and bounty hunters, Liam continues a seemingly never-ending quest for a cure to end Riley’s unnatural
five-year sleep. Every night, Liam stares at the listless man who not only holds his escape, but his heart. The suffering can end, however; Liam must only forsake all hope of ever returning home again, abandon Riley to his fate, and wholeheartedly serve as a soldier for The Colony—the very people he’s trying to escape. Live the life within his reach, or continue chasing the one just beyond his grasp? He need only submit.

More details and sample downloads - 

http://www.ashlynforge.com/in-liams-wake/ 

Buy Links:

Amazon (ebook) - http://amzn.com/B00FPYT5V6/ 
Amazon (paperback) - 

http://www.amazon.com/Liams-Wake-Makeshift-Soldier-Soldiers/dp/09895060


In Liam’s Wake by Ashlyn Forge – Selected Quotes

In the large hall crowded with people in black, Liam stood out in gray. That’s 
how he felt: like a phony among genuine hopefuls. He was anxious to get this
charade over with.
“I…I ain’t trying to kill myself.” Liam swallowed hard, his throat tightening. 
“If—if you’re here for that.”
“All gambling is a secret wish for destruction. Every day you step into the ring, knowing you might not get out. You take a risk.”
“Life is a struggle. It’s just as hard as, if not harder than, the blood sports 
you participate in. If you really want to tempt fate, you should try actually 
playing the cards you’ve been dealt for once.”
“He’s the worst one. He wants to get outta here so badly he’d roll anyone 
under the bus to do it. And he’s never the one who gets hurt—it’s just 
everybody else around him. And he tells me he’s not into guys, and I 
believed him, but that was a fucking lie too.” (Riley about Liam)
“Liam? Normal and rational aren’t two words I’d use for him, ever.”
“From the very beginning, you’ve been trying to undo something you can’t. 
It’s what you always do. It’s what you always did. You’d walk around with 
your head in the clouds, dreaming of something more than what you’ve got 
in your hands, when what you have is so fucking good already. This isn’t 
what I want for you. What I feel for you is so strong, but I can’t waste any 
more time, and you shouldn’t either. “ – Riley.
“Every read from [Liam] says he doesn’t want to hurt anyone; his emotions 
say it, his thoughts say it.”
“So why did you find yourself at knifepoint...? Because that’s the thing about 
people like him—they really believe that what they’re doing is good and 
right. They never set out to hurt anyone.”
“I think it must be luck. You should be in the grave ten times over. You live 
on the edge in hopes of one day falling off, yet you continue to thrive. Rather
than faith, isn’t that just dumb luck?”“Lissten Outssider, we imps love prey that’ss riddled with pain. And you are that. You are one who doesn’t ssttand sstill and wait for the reeaper to take 
your head. You beckon deatthh, you tauntt it to come. That tthinking is a 

ssicknesss, and it hass brought you to the doorsstep of an imp...”

Social Links:

Blog: http://www.ashlynforge.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ashlynforge 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashlynforge 
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/author/show/7079034.Ashlyn_Forge 
Google+: http://plus.google.com/104492834731918361056 

Rafflecopter giveaway

The code to embed:
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The prizes:

1 Paperback copy of In Liam’s Wake
3 ebooks of In Liam’s Wake

1 In Liam’s Wake Audiobook (Available Dec 15)
1 Personalized audio message from Liam

5$ Amazon Gift Card