A Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon

Thank you to Veronique at Hodder & Stoughton for the review copy of A Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon.

I found A Hundred Pieces of Me to be a slow burner book.  It didn't have me totally and utterly hooked from the first page, but it did interest me and I thought the concept was very clever.  

"Letters from the only man she's ever truly loved.

                                   A keepsake of the father she never really knew.                                   A blue glass vase that catches the light on a grey day.

Gina Bellamy is starting again, after a few years she'd rather forget. But the belongings she's treasured for so long don't seem to fit who she is now.

So Gina makes a resolution. She'll keep just a hundred special items - the rest can go.

But that means coming to terms with her past and learning to embrace the future, whatever it might bring . . ."

It wasn't until quite a way into the book that I became hooked.  Each chapter begins with a flash back to some time in Gina's past.  It doesn't really seem to follow any particular pattern, but it moves almost too seamlessly between the past and the present.  I did catch myself occasionally thinking "right, which era am I reading about now" but after a while it becomes second nature and it works amazingly well.

I loved Gina (inspirational), I loved Buzz (heartbreakingly cautious), I loved Willow (adorable!) and I loved Nick (why isn't he in my life)!!!

The story is life affirming, it's inspirational and hopefully will make you want to live life to the full.  Towards the end of the book, the scene between Gina and her mother had me sobbing!

I'm not entirely honest how I feel about the end.  For the book, and the message that the book conveys, it is perfect.  But part of me was disappointed not to know more.  There are loose ends which are very much not tied up.  However, having looked at the other reviews on Amazon, I notice that Lucy Dillon has a habit of revisiting loved characters in her future books to check in on them and see how they're getting on (I hadn't read a Lucy Dillon book previously so didn't know this).  I hope more than anything, that Gina features (happily) in a future book!

You can follow the author @lucy_dillon or on Facebook.

After I Left You by Alison Mercer

The publisher's description of this book grabbed my attention, and I'm glad that it did, because it's a book I very much enjoyed. 

The book is split into parts, Anna in the present day and Anna in the past at university in Oxford. It's clear from the present day chapters that something happened whilst Anna was at university.  It's clear she split up from her (then) love of her life, it's clear she was betrayed and it's clear one of the group is no longer with them BUT it isn't obvious who she was betrayed by, or how, or what happened to Keith. You meander all the way through the book, and you might have an inkling but it isn't obvious or predictable. There aren't any particularly major twists to the book, but I liked that it wasn't obvious and it wasn't something that you were pressingly forced to think about. It meant you could quietly indulge in the story itself and let the truth come out in its own time. 

The switch between decades was seamless and very well done.  The characters were full of life, and the description of the setting was really lovely at times.  

If anything, I would have liked to have a little more made of the ending but I appreciate why it is how it is. 

After I left you is due to be released in paperback on 31 July 2014, but I believe you can download the ebook now! Thank you to Leanne for the advanced review copy, which was provided to me in exchange for an honest review. 

You can follow the author on twitter @AlisonLMercer or on Facebook.  You can also find Alison's blog here.

Flight to Coorah Creek by Janet Gover

As a Choc Lit reviewer, I receive some of the best romantic fiction out there. This month I received Flight to Coorah Creek by Janet Gover.  

Janet Gover isn't an author I had heard of, but she is certainly one I will be looking out for from now on.  As I always say when I review a Choc Lit book, Choc Lit publish books which contain the best heroes and/or heroines.  This book, however, is absolutely chock-a-block full of heroes and heroines.

The story itself was totally absorbing, it's packed full of adventure and as a bonus you get not just one, but two, romances.  I was hooked right from the very first page, and found it very hard to put down.

Coorah Creek is a place where people go to escape. Ellen, Jessica and Adam all have their own secret to keep, and they are each their own harshest judge. However, secrets have a way of catching up with you, and as each of Ellen, Jessica and Adam's secrets begin to surface, we discover how the Coorah Creek town react.  Are you really judged by what you do in Coorah Creek, and not by what people say about you? 

Each of the characters are resilient and inspirational in their own way.  I particularly loved Jack's relationship with Ellen's children.  I also loved that they each had to go on a journey before they ended up "home".

There were parts of the book where I found it ever so slightly repetitive as the characters battled, at different stages, with their own inner demons, but I found myself thinking that, actually, that is how it is in real life.  When you have the sort of secrets Jessica, Ellen and Adam have, and then you are plunged into a new world where you feel those secrets could ruin everything you've come to know and love, they become all-consuming and that was captured extremely well in this book.

For the last third of the book, the tears came steadily for me.  By this stage, I felt so invested in each of the characters and every time I dried my eyes, a fresh set of tears appeared from the next chapter.

From Janet's website, it seems that Flight to Coorah Creek is the first in the series of books about Coorah Creek and the people who live there.  I for one can't wait for more.

Want to Know a Secret by Sue Moorcroft

When I think of Sue Moorcroft, I think of Middledip village, of Honeybun cottage and of Ratty. Oh Ratty....how I still yearn for you!!!! 

So when I saw Want to Know a Secret? in the top free kindle books list, I jumped at the chance (now that I have my trusty ipad to read eBooks on).

This book is typically Sue Moorcroft in that it's amazingly romantic and packed with gorgeous hero moments that leave you longing to step inside the book and melt into the world of love.  But it's also packed with real life - family troubles, family rifts, family you didn't know about, family you wish you didn't know about and could forget, guilt, greed, depression and money troubles to name just a few.

I have always found Sue's writing addictive and this book is no different. Once I started, I just couldn't stop.  I think this book has a less full-on romance storyline than other Moorcroft books I've read. In this book, the romance is interwoven with the very clever storyline and you don't even realise where it's coming from until it's upon you making your heart beat faster and your cheeks flush ever so slightly. The romance is more of an undercurrent, pulling you under and then releasing you, giving you enough time to recover before the next wave comes crashing in. And the main thread of the story I thought was really excellent - it's original and cleverly crafted together. 

There are a lot of characters in this book, but each and every once had their place.  They are all unique and well developed.  They fit perfectly into their little world.  The pace is perfect, and will keep you gripped right through to the very last word. 

As always with Moorcroft's books, the only disappointment I had was when I'd turned the last page and it was over. If you haven't ever read a Sue Moorcroft book, you're seriously missing out - get yourself to a book store or get yourself online and rectify this immediately. 

World After by Susan EE (Penryn and of Days Book 2)

I dived into World After, having been desperate to know what happened to Penryn and Raffe since I finished Angel Fall a few weeks ago.....

World After doesn't disappoint, it dives straight into where you left off.  No hanging around, warming you back up to the characters and the story....just BAM!

World After is a fabulous second book, and it keeps drawing you in and leaves you wanting more than the first one did.  

The majority of the book takes a slightly different turn to Angelfall as it doesn't follow Penryn and Raffe together but focuses on Penryn's continued journey.  Initially you only get glimpses of Raffe through his sword, and he doesn't appear in the flesh until later in the book.  But when he does appear, there are some touching moments that make your heart melt and the book becomes slightly more like the first.

It can pretty gruesome and dark (more so than the first) but it's just as addictive.  You learn more about the Angel's plans and their reason for being on Earth.  But things take an unexpected turn at the end; it absolutely isn't predictable, it isn't at all what I expected to happen and I have absolutely no idea what will happen next.....!

I hear it's quite a long wait for the third book, and I'm not sure how long I can wait!!! Hurry Susan - I'm desperate!

The Memory Book by Rowan Coleman

Thank you to Amelia for the copy of The Memory Book and for warning me in advance that it is wonderful, but heart breaking.

This book is heartbreaking, yet beautifully written. It captures the emotions of each of Claire's family members as they attempt to deal with Claire's early onset Alzheimer's as best they can, but most importantly they capture how Claire feels - trapped, confused and helpless to name a few.

I loved each and every character. Greg for his unconditional love, Ruth for worrying in the way only a mother can, Caitlin for her goth-phase and her strength and courage, Esther for, well, being totally and utterly adorable and scrumptious and Claire for being scared and brave all at the same time.

Each and every page of this book is tainted with the sadness of the reality of early onset Alzheimer's but somehow Rowan Coleman takes the reader beyond that. We get to learn about Claire's history and Caitlin has her own story to tell and future to discover.  You see more than one mother-daughter bond entwined into the pages of this book, and just like it should be, it's the most important unbreakable bond.

I must admit that I had my suspicions about Ryan right from the very moment he appeared in Claire's life, so I can't say that I wasn't surprised when that element was revealed. Saying that, it wasn't in the slightest bit predictable, I just somehow knew.

My eyes brimmed with tears on a number of occasions, and it makes you realise that life is really to short. Heartbreaking yet inspirational.

The Secret Kiss of Darkness by Christina Courtenay

"Must forbidden love end in heartbreak?

Kayla Sinclair knows she’s in big trouble when she almost bankrupts herself to buy a life-size portrait of a mysterious eighteenth century man at an auction.

Jago Kerswell, innkeeper and smuggler, knows there is danger in those stolen moments with Lady Eliza Marcombe, but he’ll take any risk to be with her.

Over two centuries separate Kayla and Jago, but, when Kayla’s jealous fiancé presents her with an ultimatum, and Jago and Eliza’s affair is tragically discovered, their lives become inextricably linked thanks to a gypsy’s spell.

Kayla finds herself on a quest that could heal the past, but what she cannot foresee is the danger in her own future.

Will Kayla find heartache or happiness?"

I had read one of Christina's books before and recall enjoying it far more than I had thought I would (as I'm not usually a massive fan of historical books) but this book was amazing, just perfect in every way.  

The book alternates between 1781 and 2013, Devon and London, seamlessly moving between two timelines linked by an invisible thread and a gypsy's spell. 

The gypsy's spell doesn't just affect Jago and Kayla, Christina casts the spell much wider than that because I too felt spellbound as I read this book.  It's been a while since I've felt so involved in a book - I could feel my heart thudding harder at the tense moments and the tears came at the end of the book - but it was like I had been deposited in Kayla's world. So much so, that whenever I was disturbed from my reading of it, I got more and more agitated as the story unfolded. 

The tale is packed full of romance, but not so much so that it outshines everything else. You don't realise it, but it's just there and it becomes more and more consuming the more you read. I also loved both Wes and Kayla's relationship with little Nell, which was perfectly depicted. 

The two timelines are interwoven perfectly, the characters are excellently drawn (each with their own traits to make you instantly love or hate them) and the book is just perfect. Choclit have never failed to deliver a delicious hero and/or heroine, and this is no exception. I can't fault Christina's latest addition to the Choclit family. 

Available now as an eBook or in paperback from 7 February!

Welcome Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell

This book has been in my To Read pile for a shamefully long time.  I finally got round to reading it, and found myself wondering why I hadn't left it on the bookcase. Honestly, I hated Chloe to start with. So much so that if I hadn't have been stuck on a train with nothing else to do I probably would have stopped reading. She was shallow, selfish and ridiculously irritating. 

BUT as Chloe's life is turned upside down, as a reader, you begin to see another side to her. She is plunged into a different side of her high school bubble, and forced into a group of people she didn't even know existed before. Don't get me wrong, Chloe remains mildly irritating but kind of loveable at the same time.

I ended up really enjoying Chloe's journey and her interactions with Dragon Clem really did make me smile.  The KDRS family are unique and fit perfectly together. And Duncan, ahh Duncan.....read it to find out about him.

There are some serious themes running through this high school based young adult book; namely Parkinson's disease and drug abuse. However, they don't cloud the book, but are interwoven perfectly to create a truly heartwarming story. 

Highly recommended as a YA read, and even for adults. I personally didn't find this predictable like a lot of chick lit these days, I didn't even find myself trying to guess the story as I was so hooked on the page at hand, that I just kept turning page by page until I turned the last page with a smile of my face. A perfectly paced book, with a satisfying ending.  There are some simple, yet effective and important, life lessons which can be learnt from this book.

Take Me Home by Daniela Sacerdoti

I adored Daniela’s Watch Over Me, in fact I notice that I am quoted in Amazon’s product description of her new book Take Me Home praising Watch Over Me saying “Take your time when you read this, absorb every word, because it’s totally and utterly worth it.  The first book I’ve ever wanted to read again before I’d even finished turning the last page; this book will stay with me forever”.

So you can imagine my delight when Take Me Home arrived one morning.  So much so, I ditched the book I was reading mid-way through (I was struggling with it, and I needed an excuse to move on) and started to devour this new book.  It had big boots to fill, and did it live up to expectations? Yes, it did.  I don’t think I loved it as much, but only because I wanted more.  I wanted more of Inary and Alex and the ending wasn’t quite as beautiful as I had hoped for.

It was the perfect read to keep me sane on my delayed Tuesday morning commute, and it only took two days of commuting to finish rapidly turning the pages.  Perfect timing some might say, as I turned the last page as the train pulled into my station one evening last week.

Take Me Home has tinges of similarities to Watch Over Me; there are the broken hearts, the sadness and the element of “paranormal activity”, but it is unique and wonderful in its own right.

The book is written from different characters perspectives, and it alternatives perfectly to allow you to capture each characters innermost thoughts.  This style of writing doesn’t break the pace or flow of the book – it’s perfect.

The other book (which I ditched for this one, and which shall remain nameless for now), was causing me problems because I just couldn’t identify with the main character.  I just didn’t care.  However, I loved Inary from the first page of this book.  The book resounded with me, as I too find myself distancing myself from relationships (although for me it isn’t the conventional reason of having my own heart broken) and Inary’s deepest thoughts occasionally reminded me of myself.  I also loved Alex – he sounds like the sort of man I would like in my life. Maybe I have my own Alex, but I just can't see him for who he is?!

Take Me Home really is a truly beautiful story; it’s gripping and it’s moving.  It will hold your interest from the first sentence right through to the last, and it will leave you wanting more from Daniela Sacerdoti.

Once again, I am left wondering what book could possibly replace the void which Dani has left, once more, in my life.

** Take Me Home is due for release in paperback on 10 April 2014, and I believe available as an eBook right NOW **

Thank you to Janne at BlackandWhite Publishing for the advanced review copy!!!

Winter Wonderland by Belinda Jones

Imagine waking up inside a snow globe....

That's how travel journalist Krista feels when she arrives in magical Quebec to report on Canada's glittering Winter Carnival.

Over ten sub-zero days, Krista's formerly frozen heart begins to melt as she discovers the enchanting world of ice palaces, husky-dog sledding and maple syrup treats galore.  And then she meets Jacques, a man as handsome and rugged as he is mysterious...

The two share a secret that could bond them forever, but can they find a way to break through the protective layers around their hearts to warm up this winter wonderland?

Climb inside this snow globe, but beware it could get hot enough to melt all the snow!

I admit that it was love at first sight of this book.  It reminded me of Tiffany's with it's powdery duck egg blue cover, and it looked like the sort of book that I would adore from the first word.  But it didn't happen like that for me.  Winter Wonderland and I had a more complicated start to our relationship.  I read the first 20 pages or so, and then for one reason or another I began to read other books, book after book, without even giving Winter Wonderland a second thought.  Then, as Christmas and winter approached again, I noticed it on my bookcase and decided it was time that I must read this book!  I started with trepidation re-reading the words that were vaguely familiar and waiting for the "bite" that made me never want to put it down.  It was more of a slow burner to start off with, but it came eventually and once it arrived, the flames gripped me and became all-consuming.

Having now finished the book, I can say that I did adore it.  It is wonderfully romantic, but not in the usual obsessive chick lit way i.e. the romance is not ever present, it doesn't take over or take anything away from Krista's story of reporting in Quebec.  I liked her relationship with her best friend back home, which provide some fabulously funny skype and texting moments.

One of my favourite aspects was the husky dogs, and in particular, the husky puppies!! Belinda's description was so fantastic that I could almost feel their deep soft fur snuggled against me.

I have never been to Quebec, so I can't say how true to life her suggestions and discoveries are.  Given the acknowledgements, I don't think I would be let down.  Grab a copy and discover Quebec for yourself....