Author: Ali@abookishlife

Teaser Tuesday: 27th June 2017

Ali@abookishlife2 Comments

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purple Booker. If you want to join in grab your current read, flick to a random page, select two sentences (without spoilers) and share them in a blog post or in the comments of The Purple Booker.


This week my teaser comes from Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig which is about a 14 year old girl with autism who’s trying to escape her adoptive home to find her baby doll. I received this from NetGalley a few months ago but only got around to reading last week. I’m so sorry I put this off as I absolutely loved it and would recommend to everyone. It’s so completely unique and engaging.

My Teaser

So I say, “Larry, I am not a babe. I am thirteen years old. Don’t you know that yet? This is tedious”

~ 2% Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig

BlurbGinny Moon

Meet Ginny. She’s fourteen, autistic, and has a heart-breaking secret…

‘Brilliant’ – Graeme Simison, author of The Rosie Project

Ginny Moon is trying to make sense of a world that just doesn’t seem to add up….

After years in foster care, Ginny is in her fourth forever family, finally with parents who will love her.

Everyone tells her that she should feel happy, but she has never stopped crafting her Big Secret Plan of Escape.

Because something happened, a long time ago – something that only Ginny knows – and nothing will stop her going back to put it right…

A fiercely poignant and inspirational story a lost girl searching for a place to call home. Ginny Moon will change everyone who spends time with her.

Review: The Bed and Breakfast on the Beach by Kat French

Ali@abookishlife6 Comments

The Bed and Breakfast on the BeachThe Bed and Breakfast on the Beach by Kat French

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Another perfect summer read from Kat French.

I’ve been a big fan of Kat (and alter ego Kitty) French for a while and always look forward to a new book from her. This time we’re off to a B&B on a little known Greek Island with three thirty something women who are at a bit of a cross roads in their lives. Stella has lost her job, Frankie has split from her husband now that their children are grown up and Winnie has found out her husband has been unfaithful.

When they take a short break to Villa Valentina on the sun soaked Greek Island of Skelidos and are plied with numerous G&T’s by the B&B’s charming owner they somehow find themselves the new owners of the B&B and a few other things. They decide to make a go of it but can the B&B offer a new start or is it one adventure too far.

I liked this story a lot. It’s light and fluffy with a little bit of romance, a few touching moments and more than a few laughs. I loved the setting of the shabby chic villa on Skelidos and I think French’s descriptions of the island and the locals were the real highlight of the story. I could almost imagine myself relaxing on the beach or beside the pool with one of the Island’s special Gin and tonics in one hand and a book in the other.

The relationship between the three friends Stella, Frankie and Winnie was also wonderfully portrayed. They had been friends since childhood and despite being very different you got a real sense of closeness and camaraderie between them. I loved how they teased each other but were always there to support each other, even when there was the odd disagreement.

With three main characters and at times three different storylines going on it did feel a bit much to me. The pov switched between characters quite a lot, particularly in the beginning, and for this reason I didn’t think enough time was spent on certain characters or plot lines. I would have preferred if the story had focused on one of the three women and their relationship, allowing a little more depth and emotion. This is however a personal preference as I’m not generally a fan of romances with more than one couple. It may have been for this reason that I didn’t feel any particular spark between any of the couples.

Snarky Australian next door neighbor Jessie did bring the phwoar factor but he just wasn’t there enough for me and the other guys were a little bit meh. French can write some really great steamy scenes and has proven before that she can bring real emotion into a rom com so I’m not entirely sure why I didn’t get it from this book. It’s very possible I was just not in the right frame of mind when I was reading it.

Overall, it is a great read and perfect for lying on the beach by the pool (or if you’re in Scotland like me, hiding from the rain). There are a lot of funny moments and a few really sweet ones so I did enjoy it, I just didn’t quite love it as much as some of her others.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Avon for providing me with an ARC. As always all views are my own.

The Bed and Breakfast on the Beach was released on 22nd June and you can find it here on Amazon UK, here on Amazon US and here on Book Depository 🙂

WWW Wednesday: 21st June 2017

Ali@abookishlife17 Comments

The WWW Wednesday meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

WWW Wednesday

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

The Bed and Breakfast on the Beach: A summer sizzler full of sun, sea and sand

I started The Bed and Breakfast on the Beach by Kitty French on Friday and I suspect I will probably finish it today. It’s a romantic comedy about three thirty something year old women who, needing a change, buy a Bed and Breakfast on a secluded Greek Island. I received this from NetGalley and it’s proving to be perfect summer reading. Definitely one for the beach or beside the pool.

Not much progress with Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare or Attack of the 50ft. Women by Catherine Mayer. I’m not very good at juggling a few books at the same time so my focus has been on my ebooks.

Recently Finished

Stillhouse Lake

Another relatively slow reading week for me with only two books finished. The first of these was thriller Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine which I received free through Kindle First. It’s about a woman who’s forced to go into hiding with her children after she discovers her husband of many years was actually a serial killer.

I really, really liked this book. It has the feel of quite a traditional who dunnit but brought right up to date with internet trolls, social media etc. It definitely kept me guessing (which is rare with the number of murder mysteries I’ve read/watched) and I really liked main character Gwen/Gina which I did not expect. You can read my review here.

The Foxe & the HoundThe second book finished this week was romance The Foxe and the Hound by R.S. Grey. Grey’s books are a fairly recent discovery for me but they are fast becoming my go to when I’m looking for something light, funny and steamy to get me out of a reading funk. This one is possibly my favourite so far. A clumsy mess of a heroine with a giant out of control puppy and an attractive vet make it my perfect read. I think I read the whole thing with a smile on my face.

Reading Next

Not sure what I’m in the mood for next but given my recent light and fluffy spree I think it’ll be something a bit more serious. Possibly one of the following.

Yesterday: The thriller of the summerTwo NightsDon't Close Your EyesDaughter of the Burning City

Have you read any of the books above or have any other book you’d recommend? Leave comments and links below and I’ll respond when I can.

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!!

Top Ten Series I’ve Been Meaning to Start

Ali@abookishlife20 Comments

I was planning to do a post on the “series I really, really want to read but have never quite gotten around to yet” and coincidentally that happens to be this weeks Top Ten Tuesday 🙂 Isn’t that lucky.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they post a new Top Ten list. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post and, if you want to, add your name to the Linky widget on that day’s posts (typically put up midnight EST on Tuesday) so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists!

So, on to this weeks prompt…

Top Ten Series I’ve Been Meaning to Start

I have a terrible book buying addiction so I actually own a lot of first in series books that I really want to start but somehow never find the time. The biggest challenge on this is limiting myself to just 10, but here we go…

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1)1. The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff – I bought physical copies of both books in the series so far around 6 months ago and they have been languishing on my bookshelf ever since. They do look very pretty and I love the idea of the format of the book so I really, really must read them soon. On a related note, I also own a copy of Nevernight and haven’t started it either *hangs head in shame*

This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, #1)

2. Monsters of Verity by Victoria Schwab – There is a real reason (or real in my head) for why I haven’t read this yet, I don’t like reading more than one series by the same at the same time. I’ve been absolutely loving ADSOM so I didn’t want to make a start on this or Vicious (another one that could be on this list) until I finished it. However I am genuinely planning to read this series in July as I’m going to the authors Edinburgh book tour stop in August.

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)

3. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas – Same reason as the previous one for this. I’ve been reading and loving Throne of Glass so I didn’t want to start a different series by the same author. It does now seem like Throne of Glass is going to take a few years to finish so I may need to abandon my aforementioned rule and just read this.

The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn, #1)

4. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh – I have both a physical and ebook version of the first book in this duology but again I haven’t gotten around to it. I do love the sound of the story and I really enjoyed Ahdieh’s Flame in the Mist so…

Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1)

5. The Graceling Realm by Kristin Cashore – I’ve heard a lot of really great things about this series, a few GoodReads friend have claimed it as there favourite ever so I rushed out to buy the first book in the series a year or two ago and it has lurked on my kindle ever since.

Poison Study (Study, #1)

6. Study by Maria V. Snyder – I own a ridiculous number of Snyder books especially considering the fact that I’ve never read a single one. They keep appearing at bargain prices on Amazon and I really can’t resist buying them. I have got to find some way to stop book buying, particularly later books in series when I haven’t read the first one and have no idea if I actually like the authors writing.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #1)

7. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor – I recently read Strange the Dreamer and enjoyed it so I’m very tempted to swing back and read Daughter of Smoke and Bone (another series I own all of). It does seem to get great reviews but I’m not entirely sure about the authors writing style.

Wolf By Wolf (Wolf By Wolf, #1)

8. Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin – To be perfectly honest it was the cover that made me first want to read this series. There’s just something very intriguing about it. I’m not generally a fan of historical fiction either but the blurb does make it sound like my kind of read.

The Crown's Game (The Crown's Game, #1)

9. The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye – Honestly, I have started the first book in this duology about four times and haven’t made it past the third chapter. Nothing against the book or the writing, it’s just never been the right time to read it.

The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1)

10. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater – Shameful confession time, I’ve never read a single Maggie Steifvater book. This one does seem to get great reviews so I feel like I really must read it soon, even just so I can say I’ve read a Maggie Stiefvater 🙂

So that’s it, my Top Ten series I really must start. I’m kind of ashamed of quite a lot of these as I feel like I’m possibly the only person on the planet who hasn’t read at least the first book in the series. Do any of these make your list, or am I the only one?

If you have read them, what did you think? Are there any I really must read immediately?

Feel free to leave comments and links to your posts below.

Teaser Tuesday: 20th June 2017

Ali@abookishlife17 Comments

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purple Booker. If you want to join in grab your current read, flick to a random page, select two sentences (without spoilers) and share them in a blog post or in the comments of The Purple Booker.


This week my teaser comes from romance read The Foxe and the Hound by R.S. Grey. Grey’s romances have become a little bit of a guilty pleasure for me and I absolutely loved this one. It was just so funny and cute and has a giant puppy. Perfect for pulling me out of the slump I seemed to have fallen into.

My Teaser

Eventually, I will have to leave the agency or learn to put up with Lori in a healthier manner…like killing her with kindness, or murdering her with smiles, or disemboweling her with compliments. That sort of thing.

~ 7% The Foxe and the Hound by R.S. Grey

BlurbThe Foxe & the Hound

When your life is a hot mess at twenty, it’s cute. At twenty-seven…well, not so much.

It’s just that my lofty dreams—making it as a real estate agent, paying rent on time, showering daily—have stayed just that: dreams. Oh, and love? I’ve decided love might be a little ambitious for me at the moment. Instead, I’ve settled for the two guys who will never leave me: Ben & Jerry.

That is, until Dr. Adam Foxe takes up residence as the town’s new vet.

With his strong jaw, easy confidence, and form-fitting scrubs, it’s not long before every housewife in Hamilton is dragging neglected tomcats in for weekly checkups.

Like everyone else, I’m intrigued. Even after I spoil my chance at a good first impression, he still offers me a proposition I can’t refuse: play his girlfriend at a family function and he’ll hire me as his real estate agent. Welcome to love in the 21st century.

It’s too bad I underestimated Adam’s irresistible charm and the undeniable attraction that burns between us. The day he pins me to the wall and silences me with a kiss, the line between reality and ruse begins to blur. Every teasing touch brings me to my knees. Every kiss promises more.

It looks like my hot mess of a life is about to get a little hotter.

Dad’s Recommended Reads

Ali@abookishlife5 Comments

Happy Father’s Day everyone!!!

I was originally planning to do a post on great father’s in books but my list would probably not be that long (Atticus Finch and Arthur Weasley) as there are unfortunately way more books with bad dads than good ones. Instead I’ve decided to do a post highlighting the books and authors my Dad recommends.

My Dad is a big reader and is to a large extent responsible for my book obsession. Like me he can quite happily sit with his head buried in a book all day long (something which drives my Mum nuts). Our tastes are a little bit different, he exclusively reads thrillers and murder mysteries, but he’s definitely influenced my reading. So here’s a list of the authors he has or is still trying to persuade me to read.

Ten Authors My Dad Recommends

The first three authors on the list are all Scottish authors and are actually three of my favourites too.

Cold Granite (Logan McRae, #1)Quite Ugly One Morning (Jack Parlabane, #1)Knots and Crosses (Inspector Rebus, #1)

  • Stuart MacBride – probably most famous for his Logan Macrae series which follows a police detective on the murder squad in Aberdeen. They’re a little bit gruesome and quite dark but there’s a lot of humour too.
  • Chris Brookmyre – has written a few different series but the most famous is probably his Jack Parlabane books. These follow an investigative journalist who gets embroiled in murder mysteries, hacking, political espionage and all kinds of other cases. Personally my favourite series of his is the Angelique Xavier series.
  • Ian Rankin – most famous for his Rebus police detective series set in Edinburgh, this is probably one of the first authors my dad convinced me to read. This year is the 30th anniversary of Rebus so he’s been in the murder business for quite a while.

The next three authors also have a Scottish connection but I have to confess so far Dad hasn’t convinced me to read them yet.

The Mermaids Singing (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan, #1)Raven Black (Shetland Island, #1)The Blackhouse (Lewis Trilogy, #1)

  • Peter May – born and raised in Scotland he writes three main series, the Lewis trilogy, the China thrillers and the Enzo files. I actually own the Black House but I haven’t had a chance to read as yet. We have family in Lewis so I know it well and think it will make a great setting for a mystery.
  • Ann Cleeves – OK technically she’s English but she writes a murder mystery series set in the Shetlands so that’s good enough. My Dad has been trying to persuade me to read her books for years but so far I haven’t
  • Val McDermid – McDermid is another author who has been in the business for a long time and is most famous for her Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series about a criminal profiler Tony Hill who works with the police. This was turned into a TV show, Wire in the Blood, which I watched and loved so I have no idea why I haven’t read the books.

The final four authors are a little more geographically spread (some are even outwith the UK 🙂 ) but the mystery/thriller trend continues (one of these day’s I’ll succeed in getting him to read a sci fi or fantasy)

The Redbreast (Harry Hole, #3)Killing Floor (Jack Reacher, #1)Fool Me OnceSleepyhead (Tom Thorne, #1)

  • Jo Nesbo – a Norwegian author most famous for his Harry Hole series. He’s an autobuy author for my Dad who has been trying to persuade me for years to give one a try.
  • Lee Child – I know, it’s absolutely ridiculous that I haven’t read a single Jack Reacher book (confession: I haven’t seen any of the films either) but for some reason they’ve never really appealed. He has managed to persuade my Mum to get into them but so far I’m holding out.
  • Harlan Coben – an American author this time, and one he has persuaded me to try. He seems to mostly write stand alones and while I’ve enjoyed the ones I’ve read they haven’t really blown me away.
  • Mark Billingham – Another writer my Dad raves over but hasn’t yet convinced me to read. Billingham’s Tom Thorne series is about a police detective who investigates stuff (can you tell I’m struggling to describe books I haven’t read).

Anyway, that’s ten of the authors my Dad recommends. There are actually many, many more (Jeffrey Deaver, David Baldachi, James Patterson, Clive Cussler to name a few). I’ve read a few but still have so many to try.

Let’s Chat

So let’s chat, have you read any of these? Are there of my Dad’s recommendations you agree that I really should read?

As my Dad is stuck in a little bit of a reading rut (honestly it’s impossible to persuade him to try a new author) are there any books or authors you think I could persuade him to read?

Review: Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

Ali@abookishlife3 Comments

Stillhouse LakeStillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

A exciting, well written edge of the seat thriller that left me almost as paranoid as the main character. This is a book you won’t be able to stop reading.

“What kind of idiot did you have to be to have that going on in your house, your bed, your marriage, and not be part of it? I’m still dimly surprised anyone ever acquitted me at all. I haven’t begun to forgive Gina Royal.”

Synopsis

Gina Royal is the definition of average—a shy Midwestern housewife with a happy marriage and two adorable children. But when a car accident reveals her husband’s secret life as a serial killer, she must remake herself as Gwen Proctor—the ultimate warrior mom.

With her ex now in prison, Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake. Though still the target of stalkers and Internet trolls who think she had something to do with her husband’s crimes, Gwen dares to think her kids can finally grow up in peace.

But just when she’s starting to feel at ease in her new identity, a body turns up in the lake—and threatening letters start arriving from an all-too-familiar address. Gwen Proctor must keep friends close and enemies at bay to avoid being exposed—or watch her kids fall victim to a killer who takes pleasure in tormenting her. One thing is certain: she’s learned how to fight evil. And she’ll never stop.

Thoughts

Up until now I’d only come across Rachel Caine through her YA Morganville Vampire and Great Library series so I wasn’t sure what to expect from a thriller.

What I got was an edge of the seat and exciting thriller that I literally couldn’t put down. I found myself reading it late into the night, early morning and at every other possible opportunity.

I didn’t expect to like main character Gina/Gwen (I’m one of those who think the relatives of people who do evil things must know something) but Caine’ s writing is so good that after a few pages I was right behind her and more importantly I believed in her. There’s just something admirable about someone who’s so absolutely determined to protect her kids. She does come across a little bit paranoid at the start but really she’s incredibly single minded and gutsy which makes it difficult not to like her.

The story is pretty much a who dunnit, as the bodies of victims of gruesome crimes are found in the lake and the finger begins pointing in Gwen’s direction. There are however plenty of other suspects to choose from, including a number of other residents in the area as well as the online trolls who have been hunting Gina looking for payback. Gina/Gwen’s distrust of just about every one she comes in contact with seemed to rub off on me and I don’t think I trusted a single person. I think I had almost every character identified as the likely culprit at some point. I’m usually someone who’s quick to figure out the murderer (years of reading thrillers and watching cop shows) but this definitely kept me guessing, something I absolutely loved.

The success of books like this pretty much come down to the ending and in my opinion this one was suitably climactic with a couple more twists revealed right at the very end. This looks like it’s the first in a series so be warned not everything is wrapped up and there are a few loose ends which I know some readers will find frustrating. Personally I don’t mind and am really looking forward to another installment.

Definitely a book I’d recommend if you’re looking for a good suspense thriller that will have you looking over your shoulder.

I received this book free from Amazon through Kindle First.

WWW Wednesday: 14th June 2017

Ali@abookishlife19 Comments

The WWW Wednesday meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

WWW Wednesday

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1)I think I might be in a bit of a reading slump at the moment as I’m juggling a few different books and not making a huge amount of progress on any of them. I started Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare at the weekend and have made it about a third of the way through before I had to park it for a bit. I have the hardback version and it’s huge so there’s no way I’m carrying it on my commute. Enjoyment wise it’s ok. I’ve seen quite a few rave reviews but so far I haven’t been wowed. It has been surprisingly easy to put down.

Stillhouse LakeAs I can’t carry Lady Midnight about with me I’ve started reading ebook thriller Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine. I joined Amazon Prime and got this as my freebie first read book. I quite like Caine and I think this is possibly the first adult thriller book of hers I’ve come across. It’s about a woman who discovers her husband was actually a serial killer and, when people don’t believe she wasn’t involved, she takes her children and goes into hiding. The first chapter of this was brilliant. Really hooked you in so I think it’ll be good.

Attack of the 50 Ft. Women: How Gender Equality Can Save The World!The third and final book on the go at the moment is audio book Attack of the 50ft. Women by Catherine Mayer. I thought it was about time I tried a non fiction audio and I’ve been curious about this book since it was published earlier this year. I’ve only managed to get a couple of hours listening in so far but it is fascinating. Feminism and equality is something I’m interested in and it’s definitely making me question my belief that things aren’t really that bad as far as gender equality goes (or at least where I am it isn’t too bad).

Recently Finished

Perfect (Flawed, #2)

It’s been a slightly slower reading week for me (I blame Lady Midnight) so the only book finished this week was Perfect by Cecelia Ahern. This is the sequel to her debut YA book Flawed about a dystopian society where those who are found guilty of moral or ethical crimes are judged to be flawed and branded with a litter F.

Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this as much as I hoped I would. I didn’t dislike it but it was just kinda ok. I felt like the main character who had developed really well in the first book reverted back to being naive and frustrating and there just wasn’t the tension or emotion the first book had.

Reading Next

Given my current slump I think I will be in need of some light and easy reading next. It would be good to get something off my NetGalley shelf too so I may pick up The Bed and Breakfast on the Beach by Kitty French or The Rome Affair by Karen Swan

The Bed and Breakfast on the Beach: A summer sizzler full of sun, sea and sandThe Rome Affair

Have you read any of the books above or have any other book you’d recommend? Leave comments and links below and I’ll respond when I can.

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!!

Teaser Tuesday: 13th June 2017

Ali@abookishlife10 Comments

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purple Booker. If you want to join in grab your current read, flick to a random page, select two sentences (without spoilers) and share them in a blog post or in the comments of The Purple Booker.


This week my teaser comes from Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare. I bought the special edition of this a while back but am only now getting around to reading. I loved The Mortal Instruments but was a little less awed by The Infernal Devices so I was a bit wary going into this. I’m currently around a third of the way through and enjoying but not wowed the way other readers seem to have been. It just feels a bit long and slow and I’m not sure I like any of the characters.

My Teaser

Emma looked at the ocean and felt what she always felt: a mixture of yearning and terror, a desire to throw herself into the green cold that was like the desire to drive too fast, jump too high, leap into battle unarmed.

Thanatos, Arthur would have called it. The heart’s desire for death.

~ pg63 Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

BlurbLady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1)

In a kingdom by the sea…

In a secret world where half-angel warriors are sworn to fight demons, parabatai is a sacred word.

A parabatai is your partner in battle. A parabatai is your best friend. Parabatai can be everything to each other—but they can never fall in love.

Emma Carstairs is a warrior, a Shadowhunter, and the best in her generation. She lives for battle. Shoulder to shoulder with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, she patrols the streets of Los Angeles, where vampires party on the Sunset Strip, and faeries—the most powerful of supernatural creatures—teeter on the edge of open war with Shadowhunters. When the bodies of humans and faeries turn up murdered in the same way Emma’s parents were when she was a child, an uneasy alliance is formed. This is Emma’s chance for revenge—and Julian’s chance to get back his brother Mark, who is being held prisoner by the faerie Courts. All Emma, Mark, and Julian have to do is solve the murders within two weeks…and before the murderer targets them.

Their search takes Emma from sea caves full of sorcery to a dark lottery where death is dispensed. And each clue she unravels uncovers more secrets. What has Julian been hiding from her all these years? Why does Shadowhunter Law forbid parabatai to fall in love? Who really killed her parents—and can she bear to know the truth?

The darkly magical world of Shadowhunters has captured the imaginations of millions of readers across the globe. Join the adventure in Lady Midnight, the long-awaited first volume of a new trilogy from Cassandra Clare.

ARC Review: Holiday in the Hamptons by Sarah Morgan

Ali@abookishlife11 Comments

Holiday in the HamptonsHoliday in the Hamptons by Sarah Morgan

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I always look forward to a new book from Sarah Morgan and yet again I managed to devour the whole thing in one sitting, they are just sooo addictive. Absolutely perfect when you want to lose yourself for a little while.

This is the 5th book in the author’s From Manhattan with Love series but could easily be read as a standalone as, while there are some mild spoilers for previous books, there doesn’t tend to be too much of an overlap.

This time the story follows Felicity (Fliss), sister of Daniel who was the MC in the previous book New York, Actually, who as the story begins is trying to avoid ex husband Seth. They married when they were teenagers but it was a short marriage that left them both a bit broken. Unwilling to face him when he starts working in Manhattan, Fliss flees to the Hamptons to stay with her Grandmother but her plan fails spectacularly when she bumps into him within an hour of arriving and finds he lives in the area.

Seth however has never gotten over Fliss and is determined to win her back no matter what lengths she goes to to avoid him. But with all of the history between them, can you ever really go back?

Essentially it’s a story about dealing with and learning from past mistakes and maybe trying again and I really loved it. Felicity is probably one of my favorite Sarah Morgan characters, or at least the one I can relate to the most. She’s not a gushy romantic who wants to talk about her feelings. She’d much rather bottle everything up and channel all of her energy into her work. It’s not necessarily that healthy but I loved how independent and determined she was. She’s terrified of being hurt or showing how she feels in case it’s used against her but in many way’s she’s incredibly strong and fiercely protective of her twin sister Harriet.

Seth *swoons* is probably my idea of the perfect romantic interest. I’m an animal lover and he’s a vet so I was always going to crush on him (I’ve had a crush on just about every vet I’ve met in real life). What makes him better though is that he’s just so sweet and caring *swoons again*.

The relationship between them is definitely interesting and they balance each other out nicely. There was possibly a bit less of a spark than I would have liked but there is just enough chemistry that you want them to get together.

One of the highlights of this book however was the animals. Seth is a vet and Fliss runs a dog walking business with her sister so dogs feature a lot and Morgan gives them such great characters that I wanted to rush out and get one (possibly Hero). They definitely add a lot of light relief which is occasionally needed in this story.

I also loved how Matilda, a very minor character from the first book in the series got to play a much more significant role this time around. She’s now a happily married and successful romance writer and the source of some brilliant insights into relationships (and hilariously funny at times). I would actually be quite interested in getting to read her story at some point as I think I’d enjoy it.

I did love the story in this one, I like a good second time around romance and while you know how it’ll no doubt end it’s an enjoyable ride with a bit more depth than you would expect from this type of read. There are quite a few secrets revealed throughout and some surprises that definitely keep you reading even when you should be doing something much less fun (cleaning, cooking, sleeping).

Overall, yet another great read from Morgan and now I’m looking forward to book 6 which I suspect will be Harriet’s story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. As always all views are my own.