A Cottage in the Country by Katie Fforde

 

Clichéd? Yes. Predictable. Of course. Implausible? Without doubt. And with an exasperating heroine. Classic chick lit and therefore, utterly and deliciously entertaining! 

I enjoyed Fforde’s Island in the Sun (another maddening proganist therein!), and she does know how to craft an easy and undemanding read, even if she is a little out of touch with modern-day romance. When my favourite genre is crime thrillers, some of which have a corpse or six, a lightweight like this* is a refreshing change. (See About the Book below.)

All the familiar ingredients are present: best friends who really ought to stop resisting being anything else, a wedding that very definitely shouldn’t take place, a very dear and with-it nonagenarian being steam-rollered by a grasping relative, some stiff-collared parents and a rather amiable nephew. 

None of it new, really, but it is warm and endearing. I wasn’t left with a ‘wow’, but smiling and uplifted.

*Provided by NetGalley

See also:

Fforde, Katie - Island in the Sun

Island in the Sun by Katie Fforde

 

This isn't my number one genre, but I do like to pepper my reading list with the occasional romance for all its clicheness, predictability, inevitable happy-ever-after ending and if I'm honest, the cheesiness of it all!

This ticks all those boxes, it's true. We have the girl (Cass), we have the (older) man (Ranulph), a lovely sunny (bit prone to hurricanes) island (Dominica), there's the ex, and then there are the misunderstandings. All the right ingredients and although the dish comes out cooked, it's all a bit bland, lacking in spice. (Full synopsis here)

Cass is annoying to the point you want to slap her and tell her to grow up and get over herself. The rest of the characters are all a bit like cardboard cut-outs with no substance or emotion. The Dominican setting is authentic (which the author explains at the end) and almost makes you want to put the island on your must-see list, so job well done there.

But I did enjoy the author's writing, and I was invested enough to see it through to the end. It's an above-average-edited book, which is refreshing, although the author or the editor got in a bit of pickle with step-siblings and half-siblings…probably best to clarify themselves on that one.

Not a 'wow, amazing' book, but a decent enough read.

The Holiday Bookshop by Lucy Dickens

 

My favourite genre is thrillers, in which, of course, for the most part, bad things happen! So every now and then, it's nice to read something light and refreshing. This fits that bill: once you've got familiar with the characters and a general gist of the plot, you know more or less how it's going to end and that it will be pretty much how you wanted and happily. Okay, yes: predictable! But, it's easy to read and untaxing for the ol' grey matter.

In this, we've almost got a bit of a travel guide thrown in, as two besties, who co-own a coastal bookshop in southwest England, take a break from each other after a minor disagreement: one in Las Vegas, ticking off her bucket list with her boyfriend, and the other in The Maldives, where she's taken a three-month job to turn around the fortunes of an on-site bookshop in a luxury holiday complex.

It's an enjoyable story of a friendship that's rock solid, wobbles a bit, then goes back to being rock solid. Throw in some romance and you've got your summer beach read.

But, Mr or Ms Editor: when you get on a bike, you pedal, you don’t peddle (seriously?). And please, learn the difference between less and few.

That aside, an entertaining, fun, light-hearted read that's well written.

Pug Actually by Matt Dunn

 

This is deliciously cheesy and clichéd but great fun. A pug called Doug (well, the clue's in the title) becomes the matchmaker between Julie, who's in a not-going-anywhere relationship with a married man, Luke, ("it's complicated"), and the much-better-suited Tom the vet (or rather, Vee E Tee, so Doug doesn't freak out).

It's told from Doug's point of view (endorsing the fact that dogs are frightfully perceptive and intelligent!). It's funny, it's endearing and delightfully feel-good.

My only niggles are that, from what I can make out, Dunn is British…so why the very annoying Americanisms, spelling and punctuation...'gotten', 'color', 'honor', etc.? That and that the characters never seem to be able to finish a sentence and Julie, quite frankly, needed a damned good shake over her infatuation with the unctuous toad that is Luke. The present-tense narrative, never my favourite, was just unnecessary.

However, my enjoyment far, far outweighed those little bugs, and I'm delighted to find that the author has penned a dozen or so other books, which I shall certainly seek out when I need some humorous, witty and light-hearted entertainment.

Chasing Love by Meredith McNeil

I could never ever write a book, so I have a boatload of admiration and respect for anyone who sits and spills out thousands of words. It must be a lonely, lengthy, tedious task. And some authors do it again and again and again…all for the enjoyment of people like me. It is, therefore, always with a heavy heart when I read the fruits of so much labour…and they just don't make the grade. Sadly, this book falls in to the 'fail' category. 

A thin plot didn't help. In a nutshell, Megan meets Jay in the army when she's stationed in Korea. He's engaged to be married. They have an affair. He does get married, they continue the affair. She gets pregnant. All very ordinary, very mundane and done a million times. So you've got make something very ordinary into something special to make it stand out. But the characters are bland, unlikeable…let's face it, Jay was a complete toad. There was no character development, the dialogue was monotonous, forced, wooden. And worse, there was no evidence of any editing: dreadful grammar, spelling, punctuation; poor, immature and repetitive vocabulary (I started screaming at the twenty-fifth use of 'he said laughing'.)  There was no comprehension at all of show and tell or head-hopping. It was like reading a twelve-year-old's first attempt at writing.

I struggled with this book after the first ten per cent. I never give up on a book and laboured right to the end…I thought I owed the author that much…but it didn't improve. The few reviews on Amazon are four or five star: without doubt by friends and family.

My five stars are for the commitment and enthusiasm this author must have had to churn out approximately seventy thousand words. No mean feat and certainly praiseworthy. But no stars for this particular output, I'm afraid.

(Please note that this book on Amazon is under a different title:  My Heart's Journey)

Awake under the Night Sky by Vanya Sharma

This is a romance. A sweet and charming romance, but it lacks maturity, and reminded me more of a YA or serialised magazine story…in something like Woman’s Weekly or The Lady.

It’s a story of two young people who meet while they’re studying in India and fall deeply in love. But each have ambitions that drive them apart geographically. Vivian…to follow in the footsteps of her humanitarian grandmother, wanting to make a difference in third-world countries, and Andrea, who has pledged to make a success of his father’s ailing glass factory in Venice. Each do his and her best to forget and move on from the love they share, but, as they find, it’s an obstacle they find hard to overcome.

The story lacks research, credibility and authenticity. Vivian is Spanish, Andrea, Italian, and their study is in India. Somehow, there are no language barriers. The story is a little jerky, jumping around continents and time frames, and it's a little monotonous. Nothing very much happens until the end.

Sharma has tender and sympathetic way with words and can certainly execute a love story, but I think this is a little undeveloped and a tad ‘raw’. With experience and the proper guidance, I'm positive this author will evolve promisingly.

Your Soul Was Meant For Mine by C L Hunter

Not overly fond of this one, regrettably…it’s never easy to say you didn’t enjoy a book. It never really found its way. An erotic romance with a bit of paranormal thrown in, but it didn’t really sit comfortably in the story, the erotica lacked real steam…it was rather perfunctory...the romance was a bit forced, and the dialogue was rather clunky and unnatural.

After a tragic accident, forces beyond the grave decree that lawyer Thomas’s wife, Emmalyn, should get together with his work colleague, Nolan, a very rich and successful businessman. Along the way, some chunks from Nolan’s past rear their ugly heads. And that’s about it…along with many scenes of bodice-ripping and throbbing organs. Emmalyn and Nolan’s acquaintance begins with a transatlantic exchange of letters. These were rather odd…they were a cross between Jane Austen and Essex girl. For a successful businessman with an idea for some very out-there technology, he seemed a bit dim…he hadn't heard of online translating (Babelfish, Google Translate?) and flustered over postage times. Email, anyone?

I can’t speak for the text in Irish, but the French was slightly off kilter…relying perhaps too much on high-school French, and I was increasingly irritated by the couple calling each ‘wife’ and ‘husband’ all the time. The plot didn’t just stroll, it dawdled painfully along. Bits and pieces came out of the woodwork rather suddenly and incongruously, and it just didn’t hang together.

The premise for this book was promising, and I think the author has writing ability, but this needs some substantial developmental editing to give the characters, well, character and the plot some body and cohesion.

The Blow-In by Susanne O'Leary

I’ve read a number of this author’s books. Whilst there’s no question that I obviously love her books, I’d be hard put to say which is my favourite because they’re all good, and The Blow-In is no exception. It’s another five-star read.

In this, we have the sassy, no-nonsense (my favourite female character!) Finola stepping down from edgy journalism to revive a local newspaper in a little Irish town. Not a bad place to start a calmer, less stressful life, away from failed relationships and controversial reporting. But we all know what happens to well-laid plans…conspiracy, good-looking men and way-too-adorable puppies upset the rural-bliss applecart.

O’Leary’s romances are mature, wholesome and robust. The plot is never predictable; there are surprises and twists. The Blow-In ticks all those boxes, along with some snappy, witty dialogue, characters who are colourful, interesting, funny, annoying, arrogant, all contributing to a cracking read.

See Also:

A Woman’s Place
Borrowed Dreams
Finding Margo
Hot Gossip
Hot Property
Hot Pursuit
Selling Dreams 
Sonja's Place

Palomino Sky by Jan Ruth

Palomino Sky is the sequel to Midnight Sky. Having enjoyed that immensely, I was really looking forward to catching up with James and Laura…and their families and exes and…woes.

There’s always a smidgen of apprehension with a sequel, be it of a book or film. Will it be as good? Will it spoil the memory of the first book/film? 

Well, I can tell you that if it’s got Jan Ruth’s name on it, you need not worry. Palomino Sky is every bit as good as its predecessor. 

James and Laura’s relationship continues to be dogged by problems. The memory of James’ deceased wife still continues to haunt him, and therefore their future. Laura’s ex’s (Simon) wife is still hampering the closure of Laura and Simon's past relationship. Laura is still having difficult adapting to a rural lifestyle. Laura’s sister still has a difficult teenager. Only now, ‘difficult’ has a serious impact on the future of James and Laura’s happiness. 

As always, Ruth draws you into the embrace of her characters: they’re tangible, credible. You feel their vulnerability, their anguish, frustration. You can laugh with them and cry with them. You’re there with them. You almost believe that if you were to reach out, you’d be able to touch them.

A well-rounded story and an absorbing read. If you enjoyed Midnight Sky, you won’t be disappointed.

See Also:

Midnight Sky

Silver Rain

Her Only Option by Paula Martin

Up until my leap into book reviewing, my range of genres was fairly limited: I knew what I liked and dipped systematically into my favourites. Romances featured quite regularly in the rounds. But book reviewing has broadened my choices considerably (authors can be very persuasive!), which has meant my selection is wider and has, dare I say, pushed romances a little way down in the pecking order. So if a romance does come my way, I really want it to be good. 

This one was. Although it did have a few of the core elements of popular romance—good-looking female, hunky-dory male, one can’t stand the other, will they get together—it had substance. There was a lot more to the story, without the typical mushiness or predictability. 

Neve is a tour guide on a cruise ship and her Egyptian boyfriend is her boss’s son. Despite his persistence to make her his wife, Neve isn’t sure he is ‘the one’. An encounter with Ross, a good-looking professor of archaeology, initially compounds her feelings, but later confirms her and her boyfriend’s unsuitability when she realises she’s irresistibly attracted to him. After taking positive steps to follow her heart and a future with a man with whom she’s hopelessly in love, things take a life-threatening direction. It’s time to forget what her heart is telling her and listen to what her head is advising to save a life; it’s Her Only Option.

There was an aura of maturity about the writing that I really liked: Neve was not a brainless flibbertigibbet. The dialogue was intelligent and credible. This was the sort of writing that could push romance further up my genre preference list!

A few too many editing issues just knocks a spot off the rating, but I’m sufficiently impressed by this author to welcome more of her books into my reading list.

Borrowed Dreams by Susanne O'Leary

There’s nothing like a romance set in Saint-Tropez, one of the most famous resorts in Europe, where the well-heeled escape from it all to their shiny yachts in the glorious sunshine.

Daisy Hennessy isn’t exactly well-heeled, though. She’s rather desperate, in fact, to find a job after splitting up with her rather unscrupulous on-off boyfriend. House-sitting a luxury villa amongst the mega-rich and looking after a couple of pooches is the perfect distraction…she hopes. But when she borrows some designer clothes from the absent owner’s wardrobe to attend invite-only parties, she finds herself caught up in an ever-decreasing circle of lies. Famous Irish author Liam complicates her situation. Not only does she have to extricate herself out of her web of deceit…which seemed a harmless bit of fun to start with…if she’s going to get anywhere with the handsome writer, she suddenly finds herself rather close to home, when there's a series of robberies from the glitteratis' luxury villas.

Susanne has a wonderfully uncluttered and refreshing style and never fails to provide characters who are easy to like; she lures you into their lives and into the beautiful setting—you can feel the warm sun on your skin, see the sparkling azure-blue sea and almost taste the fine French cuisine in the topnotch restaurants.

This book follows Selling Dreams, but stands alone, which is one of the things I love about Susanne’s books. Each book is complete but she leaves the door slightly ajar so that anyone of her characters can squeeze through and tiptoe into another book; it’s rather fun trying to guess who will slip into another adventure.

As always, highly recommended.

The Fault in our Stars by John Green

I had no idea this existed until I realised there was a movie with the same title. I have a golden rule of never watching a movie until I’ve read the book, so decided to get that out of the way. With a host of good reviews on Amazon, I really wanted to see for myself if it lived up to its popularity.

I’m sure it’s fairly widely known that the story features two terminally ill teenagers (Hazel and Augustus), who meet at a cancer support group. It’s an instant attraction, both mental and physical, and the encounter impacts their (short) lives.

Despite the fact that it’s a little hard to believe the dialogue is coming out of the mouths of sixteen/seventeen-year-olds, the rather excessive use of Capitalized Phrases To Make a Point, and the plot stretching the imagination just a little too far, I really loved this book.

It’s easy to get into and easy to love the characters without feeling pity for them. It’s a love story, sprinkled with deep sadness and poignancy, but the writing is razor-sharp, witty, humorous, and engaging. I found it hard to put down, hard to accept that it had finished (note to self: read more John Green!) and can’t wait to see the movie.

The Reach of the Banyan Tree by Mark W. Sasse

Mark Sasse never disappoints. He writes with heart and soul and sucks you right into his characters' world…wherever and whenever it is. 

This story starts out to all intents and purposes as what you think is going to be a simple love story between Chip, the son of a wealthy corporate type, who has turned his back on involvement in his father’s business, and Thuy, a beautiful young Vietnamese woman. But ‘simple’ is the last word that can be used to describe the journey of love when Chip is involved in a dreadful accident, which lands him in prison. What follows is heartache, the devastating impact of cultural differences and of past wars, and a struggle to overcome the constraints of obligations that tie a family together.

This is a powerful story that examines a romance stretched to the absolute maximum by tragedy, culture and history; it’s ably and movingly penned by Sasse and is set in a historically troubled country. It yo-yos between 1945 and the present, but the transitions are seamless; the dramatic backdrop of an exotic and breathtakingly beautiful country reflects the deep and varied emotions experienced by all the characters.

It’s an excellent story, beautifully written, quite possibly his best book yet. Highly recommended.

See also:

Beauty Rising

If Love is a Crime: A Christmas Story

The Recluse Story Teller

Selling Dreams by Susanne O'Leary

Susanne O’Leary knows how to write a romance.  I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed a fair few, so I can say that with authority.

This is a story of two women: one, Chantal, the owner of an estate agency in the beautiful and captivating sunny French Riviera, the other, Flora, her new employee, who left Ireland with a broken heart seeking a new job and a new future.  While Chantal takes a break to sort out her complicated home and love life, Flora is left in charge of selling properties to sun-seeking expats.  Her new life is looking good, especially with the attentions of a rather good-looking photographer she met minutes after landing in France.  But misunderstandings and mistrust threaten her happiness.  The path is rocky for both Chantal and Flora as they seek the contentment they crave.

What I like about Susanne’s romances is they have a good bit of meat on their bones:  there’s no mushiness about them.  They’re real and robust with rounded and credible characters and an element of the unexpected.  She also has a delightful sense of humour which flavours the dialogue entertainingly.  If you’re not a fan of the genre, don’t overlook Susanne’s romances.  I guarantee you’ll start this very satisfying book and not be able to put it down.

I’m eagerly looking forward to the next!

See also:

A Woman’s Place
Finding Margo
Hot Gossip
Hot Property

Hot Pursuit
Sonja's Place

Seasons of the Fool by Lynne Cantwell

One of the most frustrating things about reading a new author is realising you’ve stumbled across a very good writer and wondering why the heck you haven't read any of his or her books before!  However, in this case, the frustration is very short-lived because Ms Cantwell is now on my 'favourite authors' list!

This book hinted at fantasy, which is a genre I approach with a bit of apprehension, as I'm not overly fond of hard-core fantasy. Seasons teeters on the edge. The reader is led along a path of reality for the most part, but just takes a left turn into a magical world from time to time.

A failed marriage, a failed subsequent relationship and a call to testify against her fraudulent husband pushes Julia to flee to her deceased grandmother’s house in an idyllic lakeside location. It’s an escape hole that holds many memories and is where her former teenage sweetheart, Dave, also lives. He’s riding his own rollercoaster of a marriage. It’s loveless and his children hate their mother. Julia and Dave’s old feelings for each other resurface. But there are many obstacles in their way. Thea and Elsie down the road, however, might well have the answers. Their labyrinth is the key.

I was sucked into this story from the get-go. Julia and Dave have different journeys and different decisions to make, although they want the same thing. Julia requires courage and strategy. Dave needs…more distressingly…to do the right thing for the sake of his children. What we have here is a pot of romance, crime, suspense, peppered with magic and quirkiness (in the form of the rather adorable Thea and Elsie). It’s an excellent story, masterfully written. 

Highly recommended.

Night Undone by K. S. Brooks

After my very enjoyable encounter with Kathrin Night in Kiss of Night, I wasted absolutely no time in leaping into this book. Kathrin’s one of those very likeable, spunky, knows-her-own-mind, but not totally impenetrable characters you just love.

Kathrin’s retirement from her adventure-filled life as a spy just isn’t going well, despite living with Mr Gorgeousness, Alexsey. She just can’t abandon herself to domesticity and lovey-doveyness. Alexsey thinks she needs therapy: a sort of post-espionage-trauma thing. Both the therapist and Alexsey underestimate Kathrin’s resilience and stubbornness. Alexsey and Kathrin are each presented with an opportunity from different quarters: Alexsey receives an attractive offer from his homeland, Russia, and Kathrin sees an opportunity to keep her finger dipped in what she loves doing most (espionage) and to combine it with a display of her love and devotion to the man she adores. But secrecy and deception, albeit well intentioned, is never a good thing, and she’s in danger of not only ruining a perfect relationship, but putting lives at risk, too.

I can’t praise this much more than I did for Kiss of Night. Brooks just knows how to keep you glued to the pages. This really is a very cleverly disguised love story. More snippets from Kathrin’s background are peppered throughout, the shroud of her former life over the love interest adds excitement, and there’s just the right amount of character emotion to make you care.

I’m Night-obsessed.

Kiss of Night by K. S. Brooks

Kathrin Night is a special agent. Or rather…she was. She is reluctantly…and a little resentfully…forced to relinquish her special-agent duties by an injury. But a gutsy, no-nonsense, rather complex character isn’t the type of person to settle easily into a more relaxed lifestyle. With no choice in the matter, she is landed with a Russian bodyguard. A rather handsome, hunky, chunky, hockey-playing one, at that. How is he going to help her adapt to her new life?

I devoured this book rather quickly. It’s short, yes, but it’s so, so easy to get sucked into Kathrin’s life. It was my first encounter with her, and I like her a lot. The book is a sort of prequel and scene-setter for Night Undone, which follows. We learn how she acquired her injury, how she became a special agent, why she had to give it up and all neatly done in just over a hundred and twenty pages. Brooks writes very engagingly with wit and humour, and it was with no difficulty at all that I rushed eagerly over to Night Undone. I wasn’t going to let her go easily.

An excellent and compelling read.

A Very English Affair by Faith Mortimer

Summertime, for some reason, seems to be a great time for romances…reading them, that is…and one to include has to be A Very English Affair. Faith has a few very enjoyable romances tucked under her belt, and this one is no exception.

Danielle, in her mid-thirties, seems to have done well: a successful travel agency and owns her own home. Then, the icing on the cake comes in the form of handsome Christian, who sweeps her off her feet and a passionate love affair leads to an undying love for each other they know will last forever. How long, though, is forever?

A bit of a tearjerker, this one, but without being sloppy, cliched or oversentimental. As always, the story is perfectly balanced, and the characters likeable, credible and well portrayed. You’re always in good hands with Faith and you know what you’re going to get, whether it’s a romance or one of Diana Rivers’ adventures: a good, clean, structured plot with characters you can identify with, written with sincerity and feeling.

We’ve had A Very French Affair, now an English one…where next, I wonder…Italy, Spain?

Hot Pursuit by Susanne O'Leary

A third ‘Hottie’ by Susanne. (Hot Property, Hot Gossip). And it is a hottie! This time, we’re in the company of Rita, who made an appearance in Hot Gossip.

Lovelorn thirty-something Rita grabs an opportunity to start a new life in Dublin, working for a topnotch hairdressing salon. New life, new job, new friends: will this help her forget the object of her unrequited love? Will it help her forget the memory of a mistake she made as a naive sixteen-year-old?  A mistake she feels compelled to right if she is enjoy her new future.  She tries her best with the help of the dishy Ricardo, her hairdressing co-worker and Josh, the intrepid war correspondent. One is her lover, the other her best friend. But has she got them the right way round?

Once again, Susanne hits the spot with this romance. Colourful, interesting and funny characters against the backdrop of the gorgeous Irish countryside are the perfect ingredients for this story. It’s well balanced, the characters natural, the dialogue fluid and fun, and it’s all presented in Susanne’s usual, mellow, warm style.

Easy to read, easy to enjoy and very easy to recommend! Will we be Hotting up again, I wonder?

See also:

A Woman's Place

Sonja's Place

Finding Margo

Round Robin by Joseph Flynn

Delightful book. Thoroughly enjoyed it. This is a romance, but not your full-on, gushy, hearts-and-flowers-type romance. It’s meaty, solid and robust. And how refreshing not to have a perfect female protagonist with gorgeous long blond/brunette/red hair, perfect eyes, bust measurement and legs up to her armpits. Equally non-perfect is the male protagonist: again, not the sort of hunk you’ve come to expect. Hunky, though, in quite a different way…

Robin is a bitter, overweight, mouthy woman with bad man-history, who works in a deli delivering as good as she gets, free of charge, along with the sandwiches she serves. She lives alone in a two-storey apartment, the ground floor of which she’s transformed into an indoor ‘park’. Somewhere to sit and reflect and forget. But her ambition to buy the deli from its soon-to-retire owner is becoming financially prohibitive, as it leaves her little cash for money for repairs to her haven. She reluctantly agrees to a live-in handyman: he does the d-i-y in return for lodgings. Enter Manfred. A German ex-powerlifter who’s been in prison for spying.

Two people both with ‘baggage’, both with demons. But how differently they each deal with it.

This was very well written (albeit a little rough around the edges editorially). There’s some cracking dialogue, some superb characters, all in a neat well-structured plot. Not a lot of male romance authors around, as far as I know, and I don’t think I’ve read many. But this author certainly nailed it. 

A wonderful read.