My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I was sooo tempted to give this book 5 stars for character Luis alone but I really can’t even though I’m fairly certain he is my future book husband. Yep I’m going all fangirl with this review. I think I’m in love.

If you can’t stand gushing, let me just say this is a sweet, funny and romantic book that I literally couldn’t put down from the moment I started it. If you don’t mind gushing, read on.

Synopsis

Anyway, the story (I should probably talk about that shouldn’t I). Chasing Daisy follows Daisy Rogers a 26 year old “bun tart” (aka catering assistant/waitress/dogsbody) for a Formula 1 team. She’s sworn off men following a bad break up from a celebrity and is trying to get away from her ex by travelling the world to different Grand Prix events as part of the teams catering staff. Her resolve to stay single wavers however when she meets the two new drivers on the team Will and Luis.

Luis, the Brazilian, is definitely a player, out partying all night and constantly surrounded with women. He has an incredible ability to drive Daisy crazy and she can’t stand him. Will on the other hand is very sweet, dedicated and determined to win. He’s the perfect man. The only problem, he has a long term girlfriend. Daisy tries to fight her feelings but starts to get attached. Is a relationship possible or will getting involved lead to a crash and someone getting hurt?

Thoughts

Safe to say I really, really loved this book. I’ve read a few of Paige Toon’s books before and have found them a little hit or miss. One I loved, another not so much. This one definitely tips her towards favourite author territory. It’s sweet, funny, sad and totally addictive. Kind of like Days of Thunder with a love triangle thrown in.

Setting the story within a Formula 1 team is chick lit genius. There are exotic locations, hot drivers, celebrities, drama and all of the excitement and anxiousness of the races. The story itself is slightly predictable. You can guess almost from the outset what the ending is going to be but I have to say it’s a very enjoyable journey (particularly if Luis is driving).

Daisy is a likeable enough character. I won’t go into her background too much as it’s all kept quite secret and would therefore give away spoilers but she’s quite fiery and determined which are characteristics I like. I do love how she can curse and swear at someone in Italian one minute and go completely tongue tied when speaking to someone she’s attracted to the next. I did feel like she occasionally over reacted to things (possibly her Italian blood) and that her ethics were a little dubious at times but I was still cheering her on most of the time.

I have to admit I wasn’t overly impressed with Will and couldn’t see the attraction myself. As soon as Daisy found out he had a serious girlfriend she should have had nothing to do with him and to me it seemed really wrong that at times he seemed to encourage her. He was quite sweet, attractive and dedicated to his career but I found him a little on the boring side particularly compared to Luis.

Luis, Luis, Luis. I think I’m in love with Luis. He’s definitely the bad boy of the racing world. Doesn’t follow his diet plan, stays out late with the mechanics drinking, has a gaggle of women hanging off him most of the time and loves stirring up trouble. His relationship with Daisy is explosive and fireworks most definitely fly whenever they meet. She can’t stand him and he takes great pleasure in winding her up, embarrassing her and generally just being a bit of a nuisance. Underneath it all though he seems like quite a sweet, funny and caring guy.

I can honestly say all of my favourite parts of this book featured Luis in one way or another. Daisy and him learning swear words in different languages, him embarrassing her in front of some important people, him standing up for her at an event, him trying to psyche out Will before a race. Fantastic scenes all.

I was very close to a 5 star review just for these but there were a couple of bits that stopped me. Firstly, there is quite a strong adultery is ok type vibe going on which I wasn’t too keen on. Also I felt like there were a few storylines that weren’t quite resolved and that left me feeling a little bit unsatisfied.

Overall though I’d definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a cute, romantic and easy read. I sat down and read the full book in a morning 🙂

Teaser Tuesday: 23rd February 2016

February 23, 2016February 22, 2016 Ali@abookishlife12 Comments

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. 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 A Daily Rhythm.

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I’m being a little bit of a cheat this week and rather than choosing from my current read I’ve decided to pick a couple of sentences from How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran, which I finished at the weekend. The writing is just so funny, explicit and unique I felt like I had to share something from it. There are a lot of great sentences to choose from although I was a little limited by trying to avoid anything too explicit or sweary 🙂 Anyway, here’s this week’s teaser.

My Teaser

Because my biggest secret of all – the one I would rather die than tell, the one I wouldn’t even put in my diary – is that I really, truly, in my heart, want to be beautiful. I want to be beautiful so much – because it will keep me safe, and keep me lucky, and it’s too exhausting not to be.

~ Page 56

Happy reading everyone.

Book Review: Black Widow by Chris Brookmyre

February 22, 2016February 22, 2016 Ali@abookishlife3 Comments

Black Widow by Chris Brookmyre

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve been a big fan of Chris Brookmyre for many years so I was pretty excited to get my hands on his new book Black Widow, the latest in the Jack Parlabane series. While I was a little bit worried at the start I have to say it didn’t disappoint. It’s a very well written, thriller with a lot of twists and turns that keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat until the very end. It’s definitely put me in the mood for more of his books.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

There is no perfect marriage. There is no perfect murder.

Diana Jager is clever, strong and successful, a skilled surgeon and fierce campaigner via her blog about sexism. Yet it takes only hours for her life to crumble when her personal details are released on the internet as revenge for her writing.

Then she meets Peter. He’s kind, generous, and knows nothing about her past: the second chance she’s been waiting for.

Within six months, they are married. Within six more, Peter is dead in a road accident, a nightmare end to their fairytale romance.

But Peter’s sister Lucy doesn’t believe in fairytales, and tasks maverick reporter Jack Parlabane with discovering the dark truth behind the woman the media is calling Black Widow…

Thoughts

While I am a big Chris Brookmyre fan I have to admit that in the past I’ve leaned more towards the stand alone books or the Angelique Xavier series rather than the Jack Parlabane series. (I found they sometimes wandered a bit too far into political and social commentary for my tastes). As a result I’ve only really read one or two of the Jack Parlabane books and was definitely not up to speed on the series or characters. I found though, that despite this, it was very easy to get into. You’re quickly brought up to speed but in quite a subtle and natural way that mean this book could definitely work as a standalone.

The story starts at the trial of Dr Diana Jager, a surgeon accused of murdering her husband and is told through a series of flashbacks from the point of view of three different characters, Diana (the accused), Ali (the police officer who initially responded to the call) and Jack (a disgraced ex reporter approached by the sister of the victim to find the truth).

At the beginning I have to admit I found the switching narration and jumps through time a little confusing. It would take me a page or two to figure out whose story I was in and where I was in the timeline but I did get used to it and after a few chapters the voices become so recognisable you can identify them almost immediately. Some characters were more intriguing than others as you would expect but I did like all three in their own way.

The biggest draw for me though was Dr Diana Jager and the story of her relationship with Peter. She’s not exactly an objective bystander (being the defendant) but it was fascinating hearing her side of the story. She makes Peter out to be a con man, abuser and not the man she married but the whole time I was questioning her story. She’s a character you can relate to in many ways, an intelligent, ambitious woman trying to stand up for herself in a very male orientated career. I felt sorry for her a lot of the time. However you’re never sure if she’s really a victim in this or just a very clever and manipulative psychopath. I do love a complex character and she is definitely one of those.

Police officer Ali is another woman trying to get by in a male dominated career (a bit of a theme is this book) but is probably a softer and more obviously likeable character. She covered a lot of the police procedural stuff which was interesting but she also added a more human aspect to the police. She’s dealing with a personal crisis while trying to remain professional in front of new partner Rodriguez.

Jack was possibly my least favourite of the narrators. He’s just world weary and a bit of a misery but it was fascinating watching his methodical investigation to get to the unexpected truth.

There are quite a few twists and turns in this book and it definitely keeps you guessing. Was it an accident, suicide or murder? Is Diana a murderer or victim? What was really going on in the relationship? Was Peter the charming man he seemed or did he have an ulterior motive?

I will say, this is not an action packed thriller and it can be a little slow in places. It’s more a study of characters and relationships and is a lot more psychological. Personally I love that but I know others are looking for fast paced action so may be disappointed.

I have to admit it’s put me in the mood for a bit more crime fiction and a lot more Chris Brookmyre. I’m tempted to dig out some of the previous books in the series and give them another try.

Overall, I’d definitely recommend this whether you’ve read any Brookmyre before or not.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for a review.

Book Review: What Would Lizzy Bennet Do? by Katie Oliver

February 20, 2016 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

What Would Lizzy Bennet Do? by Katie Oliver

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Confession time, when I first started reading this book I hated it. Well maybe not quite hated but I did worry that it wasn’t for me. I was expecting a straight re telling of Pride and Prejudice (one of my favourite stories) and as a result was initially disappointed to find that What Would Lizzy Bennet Do? is not that. However, as I kept reading I realised that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

There are a lot of similarities and a lot of references to Pride and Prejudice but there are a lot of differences as well. As soon as I accepted this wasn’t the story I knew I found it was actually a really good story in it’s own right.

Synopsis

Lizzy Bennet has lost her job in the city and is back at home staying with her two sisters (Emma and Charlotte) and her father while she tries to get back on her feet. She’s very excited to learn that the son of next door neighbours the Darcy’s is coming home for a visit as she has been in love with him for years and is hoping he’s realised he feels the same about her. Unfortunately she’s in for a bit of a disappointment as when Lizzy runs into Hugh Darcy it turns out he’s back to introduce his family to his new fiancée Holly James. Lizzy sets out to prove to Hugh what he’s missing and how much better she would be for him than Holly.

Meanwhile, Holly is meeting Hugh’s family for the first time and starts to realise she may not know him as well as she thought she did. His mother, Lady Darcy is less than welcoming and her ex, actor Ciaron, is back on the scene playing Wickham in a production of Pride and Prejudice filming at the family home. It all makes for a lot of tangled relationships, secrets coming to light and a lot of questions. Can Lizzy convince Hugh to ditch Holly and marry her? Does Holly really love Hugh and can she win his mother over? Why is Ciaron so interested in Lizzy’s youngest sister Charlotte and how much like Wickham is he really?

Thoughts

I have to admit to being a huge fan of Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice. I’ve read the book a few times, read a few different re tellings, watched the dramas on TV and am currently watching the film with Keira Knightly as I type. It’s probably one of my favourite stories (although as an aside, part of me is suspicious of the fact Elizabeth only really changes her mind about Darcy when she sees his house)

I think therefore I was expecting this to be more of a straight re telling in a way similar to Bridget Jones or Pride, Prejudice and Jasmine Field. Initially when I found out it wasn’t I have to admit to being a little disappointed. The characters do have the same names and similar personalities but it is quite a different story. It is however a good story so as soon as I accepted the differences I found that I actually really enjoyed it.

I think part of my initial issues were that I didn’t particularly like either Lizzy or Hugh. Lizzy comes across kind of nasty and immature and Hugh is pretty boring and stuffy. Lizzy hasn’t seen Hugh in years but for some reason thinks when she bumps into him he’s going to declare his undying love and ask her to marry him. When that doesn’t happen she’s unreasonably upset and does all she can to make Holly look bad and steal Hugh away (not particularly nice in my view). Hugh isn’t a particularly attractive hero either. He’s quite distant with Holly, keeps secrets and seems to take everyone else’s side but hers. Definitely not who I’d want to marry.

I have to admit that my sympathy was mostly with Holly which initially seemed wrong as I figured she was the “other woman” of the piece. She is however very likeable and I found myself rooting for her and hoping she’d prove all of the doubters wrong. I was also a pretty big fan of Harry, Hugh’s younger brother. He was funny, charming and quick to defend all of the ladies in his life. For me, both Holly and Harry were the attractions in this book rather than Hugh and Lizzy.

The writing is pretty good throughout. The dialogue is pretty formal, polite and almost period (think Downton Abbey) which was unexpected but it does work and, once I got used to it, I kind of liked it. The plot ticks along at a good pace and there are a few twists, turns and big reveals which keep you reading. As there are so many differences from P&P you can’t be too sure what the final outcome will be.

There were a couple of things that niggled a little at me (the horse riding bits mainly) and one or two things are a little unbelievable but I still enjoyed it a lot. It is the first in a trilogy so I am kind of tempted to keep reading to see what happens with the Bennets. A lot of the characters, Emma and Mr Knightley from the next in the series, do feature briefly in this one so I’m interested to see how their stories play out.

Overall I’d say What Would Lizzie Bennet Do? is worth a read but don’t expect the same story or characters as the original.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Lick by Kylie Scott

February 19, 2016 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Lick by Kylie Scott

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I suspect my expectations were a little bit too high when I started this book. It has an interesting hook, a lot of high ratings and promises a steamy read. Unfortunately I don’t think it made enough of the hook and I didn’t feel much of a spark between the two leads which I think is vital in this kind of book. I’m not saying I didn’t like it as I did, I just found it a little bit disappointing.

Synopsis (GoodReads)

Waking up in Vegas was never meant to be like this.

Evelyn Thomas’s plans for celebrating her twenty-first birthday in Las Vegas were big. Huge. But she sure as hell never meant to wake up on the bathroom floor with a hangover to rival the black plague, a very attractive half-naked tattooed man, and a diamond on her finger large enough to scare King Kong. Now if she could just remember how it all happened.

One thing is for certain, being married to rock and roll’s favourite son is sure to be a wild ride.

Thoughts

I absolutely loved the start of this book. It’s a great hook. You wake up in Vegas after a wild night out and realise that not only is there a very attractive guy with you but it turns out you’re married. Evelyn’s reaction to hearing the news is priceless, she remembers absolutely nothing from the night before so it’s safe to say it’s a bit of a shock.

David’s reaction is also pretty unique and not at all what I expected. He’s less than happy that Evelyn doesn’t recognise him and doesn’t remember anything from their night together. A night that seems to have meant a lot more to him than it did to her.

Their relationship is pretty fiery at the start and these were the parts I loved the most. He’s angry and rude and while she’s feeling pretty bad she’s no walk over either. I really liked them when they were arguing. I thought Evelyn was a great character and I loved how she stood up for herself and what she wanted but was still a little bit insecure and naïve.

David I was less sure of. He has a bit of a temper and obviously had some issues as a result of events from his past (I hate the whole trouble past trope). I did think some of his behaviour was a bit out of order and he could be a little bit hypocritical.

There was definitely an attraction between the two of them but while there were a few sparks at the start I kind of felt like they fizzled out a little as the story went on and they spent more time together. The issues and arguments between them started to get repetitive and even the steamy scenes of which there were many lost their heat.

There were a couple of other parts that niggled, the main one being her so called BFF, who to me didn’t seem like much of a friend (I certainly wouldn’t want her as one of mine), but overall I did enjoy the story. Despite losing it’s way around the half way point it is pretty well written and keeps you reading to find out how it will all end.

I have to admit to being a little curious about the next in the series which follows the band’s drummer Mal. He seemed like a much more interesting character. I will no doubt cave and get it at some point. I just hope it’s not as disappointing as Lick.

WWW Wednesday: 17th February 2016

February 17, 2016February 16, 2016 Ali@abookishlife14 Comments

It’s WWW Wednesday time.

The WWW Wednesdays 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.

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?

So here’s my W’s for the week.

Currently Reading

I recently started reading What Would Lizzy Bennet? Do by Katie Oliver which I received as an ARC from NetGalley. It’s still early days but so far it’s been ok. I am liking how the author manages to work in elements and references to Austen’s books but it’s maybe a little bit light on descriptions. Initial impressions of the Mr Darcy character are not that great but I suppose that’s consistent with the original Darcy 🙂

Recently Finished

I finished a couple of books this week. First up was the book I’d just started last week, Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover. This was my second attempt at a Colleen Hoover after being a bit underwhelmed by Hopeless a month or so ago. I have to admit I’m still not convinced her books are really for me. It was an easy enough read but I didn’t find any of the characters particularly likeable and I thought it just missed a bit of spark.

The second book I started and finished was Black Widow by Chris Brookmyre. This was another book I’d received from NetGalley and had been lurking on my “Reading Next” list for the last few weeks. So glad to finally get the chance to read it as I found it very enjoyable. A little slow to get going but by the half way point I was totally hooked. It’s quite twisty and keeps you guessing pretty much to the very end. Definitely one I’d recommend even if you haven’t read any of the others in the Jack Parlabane series.

Reading Next

I’m still determined that I’m going to make some more progress on the pile of ARC’s I have sitting so after my current read I’m probably going to move on to either Flawed by Cecelia Aherne or Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan. Both are favourite authors of mine so I’m looking forward to both. I also had a trip to the library this week (always dangerous) and picked up The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, A Monster Calls and How to Build a Girl. I’m due a bit of time off work after all of the extra hours I’ve been working so hopefully can make a start on at least one of them too. Just need to decide which.

Have you read any of the books above? Do you have any recommendations?

Teaser Tuesday: 16th February 2016

February 16, 2016February 15, 2016 Ali@abookishlife13 Comments

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For this week’s teaser I’ve decided to pick a couple of sentences from my current read, Black Widow by Chris Brookmyre. It’s about a surgeon and former blogger who may or may not have killer her husband of 6 months. Seems an appropriate choice for a post Valentines teaser 🙂 It’s definitely a cautionary tale for bloggers everywhere.

My Teaser

It’s terrifying to consider what can hang upon the smallest of quirks of happenstance: how much might be different but for the most minor confluences. I have no way of knowing for sure – we can’t run the events a second time to compare – but there is a strong case for saying that I would not have ended up where I am now but for a paper jam in a printer.

~ 49%

You’ve really got to watch out for IT equipment it causes all kinds of problems.

Happy reading everyone.

I Knew You Were Trouble

February 14, 2016February 14, 2016 Ali@abookishlife9 Comments

It’s been a while since I did a list so in honour of Valentines Day I thought I’d do a romance related one today. However being the bitter and twisted singleton that I am, I’m not going for any of that slushy nonsense. Instead I’m going for a list of some of the worst book boyfriends. These are the guys who you know are trouble and will break your heart.

It was a bit of a struggle narrowing it down so I’ve chosen a mix of classics, recent reads and popular stories. Be warned though if you haven’t read them (or seen the movie) there may be spoilers. [Note: the links will take you to Goodreads]

1. Jace Wayland (The Mortal Instruments)

OK so he’s kind of hot (or at least Jamie Campbell Bower definitely is) but as a boyfriend he’s an absolute nightmare and definitely to be avoided at all costs. He has possibly the biggest ego in the world (he could never love anyone as much as he loves himself), he’s reckless, has a dangerous job and it’s safe to say his father is a power hungry psychopath. For Clary there is also the issue that he is potentially her brother so that leads to a whole world of angst that in my opinion is best avoided.

2. Todd Hewitt (Chaos Walking Trilogy)

Chaos walking is a pretty accurate description when it comes to Todd. He seems to be a magnet for trouble as it follows him everywhere he goes. From the very start he has the local religious zealot after him. That soon becomes a town and eventually a whole army is chasing him. It’s kind of sweet how he and Viola look out for each other but saving him seems to be a full time (and very dangerous) job. There is also the added complication that he doesn’t actually know what a girl is at the start and treats them like an alien species.

3. Edward Cullen (Twilight Saga)

Bella may be “irrevocably in love with him” but she is clearly a bit of an idiot with no sense of self preservation. Firstly he’s a vampire who is a couple of hundred years older than she is. This means that not only is he older than her great, great grandfather (eww) he’s also technically dead and therefore a re animated corpse. He has killed a number of people in the past (serial killer) and kind of wants to kill Bella. He regularly breaks into her house at night to watch her sleep (creepy) and doesn’t mix with any of her friends.

4. Christian Grey (Fifty Shades)

I probably should have lumped him in with Edward as let’s face it they are pretty much the same character but Christian does at least have the benefit of being young and alive. He is however also a controlling, stalker who thinks nothing of running a detailed investigation into everyone he gets involved with. He has violent tendencies and is extremely secretive.

I honestly don’t know how Anastasia puts up with it 🙂

5. Edward Rochester (Jane Eyre)

Just to prove it’s not just modern men that are the issue I thought I should include one from a classic. I know that Jane isn’t exactly a catch for that time period but I’m fairly certain she could have done better. From the start he treats her atrociously. Pays her attention and makes her feel attractive before rudely dismissing her. He flirts with other women to make her jealous and impersonates a fortune teller to try to trick her.

When they do finally get together it turns out he already has a wife who he keeps locked in the attic, looked after by an incompetent alcoholic. His relationship with Jane isn’t the first time he’s been unfaithful to his wife. He’s already travelled the world hooking up with women all over the place. Apparently he’s not even that good looking (although I was a big fan of Michael Fassbender in the role).

6. Miles Archer (Ugly Love)

I don’t think I’ve ever really come across a character more able to mess with your head. In flashbacks he seems like a really sweet guy but in the present, not so much. Tate first meets him when he is passed out drunk in a hallway outside her flat. That should have been the first sign to run for the hills but no apparently he’s quite good looking so all is forgiven. They get involved but due to a past trauma he doesn’t want a proper relationship, he just wants to hook up occasionally. He never smiles, refuses to talk about his past or the future, gets jealous of any other guy, disappears for work for days at a time and generally just leaves you feeling used and abused.

7. Kaz (Six of Crows)

Yet another seriously messed up character with issues relating to a past trauma. He is clearly in love with Inej but refuses to admit it to himself or her. He’s a crook and a schemer, who treats her like a bit of a skivvy. To top it all off he has a fear of being touched and seems to be a bit OCD about it. Not the best basis for a happy relationship.

8. Will Traynor (Me Before You)

Lets face it any relationship with Will was doomed from the very start. He’s rude, miserable and generally a bit of a snob who tries to push everyone away. In fairness he’s dealing with a lot having recently been in an accident that left him a paraplegic but you’d have to be nuts to get involved with him.

It could only ever end in tears and sure enough it does.

So that’s my list. I kind of feel like I’ve been a little unfair picking on the guys. There are plenty of terrible book girlfriends too (Queen Levana from Fairest & America Singer from the Selection I’m looking at you) but that may be a topic for another list.

What do you think? Are these the worst ever book boyfriends or do you think there is anyone who should be on the list but isn’t?

Book Review: Fairest by Marrissa Meyer

February 13, 2016 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Fairest by Marissa Meyer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great story from Marissa Meyer this time from the point of view of the baddie.

Fairest is book 3.5 in the Lunar Chronicles and was intended as a bridge book between Cress and Winter. I somehow read them a little out of order and finished Winter before starting this but it probably doesn’t matter too much as this all takes place long before the other books.

Fairest tells the story of Levana and fills in a lot of the details of her childhood and how she became Queen of Luna. For anyone who has read the other books in the series you will already know a lot of it but this is the first time hearing it from Levana’s side. (For those who haven’t read the Lunar Chronicles, they are essentially retellings of classic fairytales with Levana the evil Queen from Snow White.)

I have to say it makes an interesting change to have a story told from the side of the villain. She does some truly terrible things in the other books (and in this one) but for most of this story I felt a lot of sympathy for her. She doesn’t have an easy time of it and comes across as lonely, damaged and desperate for someone to love her. While her actions are wrong you can understand why she acts as she does in both this and Winter, the final book in the series.

I think the “feels” in this book are definitely a mark of the quality of Marissa Meyer’s writing. It is, as always, fantastic and draws you into both the story and the emotions of the characters. I love how she always manages to work in references to the original fairytales while making the story and the world completely her own.

It is fairly short at just over 200 pages which is a pity as I could have quite happily read more about Levana but it’s a quick and enjoyable read. I look forward to seeing what Marissa does in her next series.

WWW Wednesday: 10th February 2016

February 10, 2016February 8, 2016 Ali@abookishlife10 Comments

It’s WWW Wednesday time.

The WWW Wednesdays 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.

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?

So here’s my W’s for the week.

Currently Reading

I’ve just started Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover. It’s a book of the month in one of my reading groups so thought I’d better give it a try (I actually nominated so I feel like I really should). This will be my second Colleen Hoover book. I previously read Hopeless and had kind of mixed feelings about it but I’m hoping this will be a bit better (although I have seen some not great reviews).

Recently Finished

Managed to get a flat tyre on Friday night so was trapped indoors for most of Saturday while my hero went off to find me a new one (I don’t have a spare only a repair kit). Between that and some very horrible weather I managed to get quite a bit of reading done this week and finished three books.

First up was Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom which is about a 16 year old girl Parker Grant who’s blind, dealing with the loss of her dad and the return of an ex boyfriend. Not my usual type of read but I did enjoy it for the most part. I loved Parker but thought some of the supporting characters were a bit weak. I would have liked to have had a bit more background or details. You can read my full review here.

After that I felt like something a lot more adult so ditched my planned reading (sorry ARCs) and went for Lick by Kylie Scott. It was quite a quick, enjoyable read and pretty much what I expected. I did think for a romance it missed a bit of spark and I was more interested in one of the supporting characters than the male lead but it passed a lazy Saturday.

Finally, I finished Fairest by Marrisa Meyer yesterday. It’s book 3.5 in the Lunar chronicles and is a bridging book between Cress and Winter. I’ve read and enjoyed all of the others in the series so knew what to expect and it didn’t let me down. It’s quite a short book at only 220 pages but it was a good 220 pages. Hopefully I’ll get a review up soon.

Reading Next

It’s getting quite embarrassing now that I still haven’t read any of the books I’ve listed over the last couple of weeks as “reading next” but I’m determined that this week I will make a start on Black Widow by Chris Brookmyre. I haven’t read any of his books in a while so looking forward to it. Will also be good to read something other than YA and romance.

In addition to Black Widow I also have another couple of ARC’s I’d like to read (although I make no guarantee that I will actually start them this week). I was very excited today to receive Flawed by Cecelia Aherne. I’m a big fan of her books so I can’t wait to see what she’ll do in her first YA book. Finally, I also have Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan, another of my favourite authors.

Hopefully this week I will actually manage to read some of these books but we’ll see 🙂

Have you read any of the books above? Do you have any recommendations?