Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop by Abby Clements

When Imogen and Anna unexpectedly inherit their grandmother Vivien's ice cream parlour, it turns both their lives upside-down. The Brighton shop is a seafront institution, but while it's big on charm it's critically low on customers. If the sisters don't turn things around quickly, their grandmother's legacy will disappear forever.

With summer looming, Imogen and Anna devise a plan to return Vivien's to its former glory. Rather than sell up, they will train up, and make the parlour the newest destination on the South Coast foodie map. While Imogen watches the shop, her sister flies to Italy to attend a gourmet ice cream-making course. But as she works shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best chefs in the industry, Anna finds that romance can bloom in the most unexpected of places...

As soon as I heard the title of the new Abby Clements new book I knew this was going to be my kind of read. I love books that take place in shops such as Meet Me at the Cupcake Café and Rosie Hopkins Sweetshop of Dreams so I was sure this was going to be a similar kind of read. If the delicious title isn’t enough t in you over then just look at the cover it is stunning and is easily my favourite cover of the year, I am sure it will be impossible for any chick lit fans to walk past this book in the shop!

The last thing sisters Anna and Imogen expected at the reading of their grandma Vivian’s will was to be left her ice cream shop. Anna has just moved into her first hme which she has saved hard for for years and worked herself to the bone. Imogen is living her dream taking underwater pictures abroad, so running the run down family business was not on the girls to do list. Will the girls be able to forfill their grandma’s wishes or will their original dreams stand in the way?

This was a delightful, feel good read. It was everything I was hoping for and more. The characters were wonderfully well written. I loved both our main characters, Imogen was an exciting character, a real dreamer who like an adventure which is completely different to her older sister Anna who felt like a more grounded and homily character but who is also very ambitious so as you can imagine both girls brought something a little different to the book.

I loved how the storyline centered around the ice cream shop the whole way through, it was great to  see the highs and the lows in getting the shop back up and running again. The story goes more in-depth in the running and the start up of the shop than I have found with other similar books and this was something I really enjoyed.

The authors descriptive writing shines in this book and the author has clearly done some great research in Italy too. The book was unpredictable and the ending was tied up perfectly too both of which are always a big thumbs up from me.

If you are looking for a light, entertaining, easy read for your holidays this book will be a perfect choice for you. Pure Perfection.

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Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher

Sophie May has a secret. One that she's successfully kept for years. It's meant that she's had to give up her dreams of going to university and travelling the world to stay in her little village, living with her mum and working in the local teashop. But then she meets the gorgeous 

Billy - an actor with ambitions to make it to the top. And when they fall in love, Sophie is whisked away from the comfort of her life into Billy's glamorous - but ruthless - world. Their relationship throws Sophie right into the spotlight after years of shying away from attention.

Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? And most of all, is she ready for her secret heartbreak to be discovered and shared with the nation?

Billy and Me is a fantastic modern day love story. Sophie is a very reserved character who works in a tea shop and lives a very sheltered, quiet life. Her safe and comfortable life is about to be turned upside down when a chance meeting with the gorgeous actor Billy leaves the couple head over heels in love. They always say opposites attract and this couldn’t be more true with our two main characters here. Billy is very ambitious and wants to make it big but Sophie begins to wonder how she will be able to fit in with his life style.

As well as our wonderful two main characters there are also some fabulous supporting characters and the one that shines through for me is Sophie’s unlikely best friend Molly who is also the wise old lady who owns the café that Sophie has worked in since leaving school. She is such a lovely character and a great friend to Sophie, I looked forward to her appearances in the book. As well as writing our loveable characters Giovanna also manages to write the more loathsome characters just as well. I particularly didn’t like Billy’s manager Paul he got my back up from the first meeting but his role in the book was perfect as it is what we expect in the acting world.

The memory that is going to stay with me and will there for not allow me to forget this book is that this is the first book that I have had to actually put down and stop reading because I had tears streaming down my face. I have read a handful of books that have brought a tear to my eye but this actually had me sobbing! The way Giovanna wrote a particularly heartbreaking scene towards the end of the book was so beautiful and delicately done that it really moved me. I think this may have been heightened by the fact that only three months ago I had the exact same situation and so I felt I could really relate to the storyline.

Although the whole famous guy meets normal girl storyline has been done countless times this book definitely has an edge and so is well worth a read. Any Paige Toon or Jane Green fans will love Giovanna Fletcher’s book. It is quite hard to believe that this is the authors debut book, I look forward to the next release from this author.

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Wish You Were Here by Victoria Connelly

Wish You Were Here is the first book I have read by Victoria Connelly so I was unsure what to expect. I packed this one in my bag to keep me company in hospital today but it became clear a few hours into my treatment this wasn’t a good idea! By just after mid-day I had already devoured the book! So now I find myself bookless which is a great excuse to crack on and write the review for you all whilst it is fresh in my mind!

Our heroine is the lovely, plain Alice. Alice doesn’t shine out from the crowd unlike her beautiful sister Stella. When Stella splits from her partner she has a spare ticket to Kethos and she soon talks Alice into going on holiday with her. Going on this holiday with her difficult sister was shouting warning alarms at me but maybe a holiday in Greece is what Alice needs to finally find herself.

Milo is a gardener who works in Kethos at Villa Argenti, he is very passionate about his work and his country. Unfortunately Milo doesn’t have a woman in his life he is passionate about, it would be very difficult to bring a woman home as would they understand when they meet the little lady in his life, Tiana?

I love this author’s easy writing style, the storyline moved along effortlessly which left me flying through the pages. The descriptive writing really helped to set the scene if I closed my eyes it was quite easy to visualise the glorious surroundings and I got quite a shock looking out the window and seeing a dull drizzly day, this book needs to come with holiday vouchers!

Both Milo and Alice are wonderful characters who are very easy to warm to as they are both very warm and caring characters who put other people’s feelings and needs before their own.  I think every woman reading this will find they have a little soft spot for Milo!

This book is a very gentle, romantic, feel good read.The storyline was very enjoyable but not challenging which makes for a perfect beach read so pick this one up to keep you company on your travels this summer. I will be picking up more books by Victoria Connelly.

AT THE TIME OF THIS REVIEW THE KINDLE COPY IS AN UNBELIEVABLE 99p SO GET IN QUICK!

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Dear Thing by Julie Cohen

Claire and Ben are the perfect couple. But behind the glossy façade, they've been desperately trying - and failing - to have a baby for years. Now, the stress and feelings of loss are taking their toll on their marriage. Claire's ready to give up hope and get on with her life, but Ben is not. And then Ben's best friend, Romily, offers to conceive via artificial insemination and carry the baby for them. Romily acts in good faith, believing it will be easy to be a surrogate. She's already a single mother, and has no desire for any more children. Except that being pregnant with Ben's child stirs up all sorts of emotions in her, including one she's kept hidden for a very long time: Ben's the only man she's ever loved. Two mothers-and one baby who belongs to both of them, and which only one of them can keep.

I have just finished reading Dear Thing by Julie Cohen and all I can say is wow!

Desperate for a child Claire and Ben are devastated when they fail at each and every way to conceive. Feeling beaten Claire decides she cannot put herself through the heart break any more. Ben’s best friend Romily offers them a very generous alternative, a way to have their longed for baby without Claire having to go through any more trauma. Ben is over the moon but will things be as straight forward to Claire and Romily?

This was an absolutely beautiful and delicate read that had me intrigued from the first chapter. The synopsis to this book had me hooked before I even started this book, I was excited to start this book as it sounded unlike anything I had read before. Surrogacy has always been something that I have always had a few questions about as it is a wonderful gift to be able to give but I often wonder how the surrogate feels whilst carrying a child you know you are going to give up and this book touches on everyone’s point of view from the surrogate and the new parents side. The author has clearly done a hell of a lot of research for this book not only on surrogacy but also on fertility problems and at times reading this book it I needed to remind myself that this is fiction because it all felt very real.

All of the characters in this book are unbelievably well written the characters could easily be the neighbours down the road they felt so real. Posie who is Romily’s daughter was a lovable little character who seemed to have an old head on her shoulders although I did find it very odd that she calls her mum Romily. The author manages to portray the emotions of Ben, Claire and Romily very well and equally there didn’t feel like a main character as they all were an important part to the story. 

I particularly liked the Dear Thing letters that Romily wrote as these letters real showed her emotions deep down. This is the first book that I have read about this subject matter which meant the book had a wonderful fresh feel to it. You will find the book brings out so many emotions, Posie helps to bring a smile to our faces which is needed after the emotional feel to this book. The book had a couple of little twists and I for one couldn’t predict the outcome which helped to add to the enjoyment of this compelling read. 

I cannot recommend this book enough it definitely has a unique feel to it so if you are looking for something fresh, exciting and compelling this has to be your next read.

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The Bow Wow Club by Nicola May

In this entertaining sequel to Working it Out Ruby never expected to be starting over... ...but after a shocking bereavement, she begins to question whether or not she will ever be happy again. A chance encounter with handsome author Michael Bell throws her fragile heart into turmoil. Plus, a dark family secret and completely unexpected love interest add to her confusion. Encouraged to face her demons, she volunteers at the Bow Wow Club - (Boyfriends of Widows, Wives of Widowers). You will laugh and cry along with a myriad of eccentric characters as Ruby searches for her inner peace. But will she let love win? Or allow her past to continue to haunt her?


I was so pleased when I found out not only was Nicola May releasing another book, but her new book The Bow Wow Club is a sequel to Working It Out which means the return of the hilariuosly entertaining character Ruby!

This time around Ruby is grief stricken, her husband George has sadly passed away and her wild friend Fi is determind to get Ruby back into the land of the living and let someone into her heart again. You know having both Ruby and Fi back means there is going to be drama, entertainment and a whole trail of distruction!
This time around Nicola May manages to not only bring us many laugh out loud moments but also brings us some very moving parts which brought a lump to my throat. The way the author gets you on such a high and then suddenly out of nowhere comes a heartstopping moment.

There were many twists and turns and will they wont they moments in this book which helped to keep my interest sparked all the way through.

I loved all of the characters some who I remember from Working it Out and some quirky new ones like the lovable Simon. I must say though there was something about Micheal that had me on my guard from the moment I met him, my suspicions were aroused for some reason!

After reading The Bow Wow Club I stand by what I have always said about this author from day one, her books should be in our local bookshops up and down the country sitting among the other fantastic authors in the chart. Nicola May doesn't get the recognition she deserves so read her books and then shout about them from the roof tops!

If you are looking for a book that will have you hooked from start to finish and also have you laughing out loud then make this your next read.

Paperback

The Wedding Diary by Margaret James

Where's a Fairy Godmother when you need one? If you won a fairy-tale wedding in a luxury hotel, you'd be delighted - right? But what if you didn't have anyone to marry? Cat Aston did have a fiance, but now it looks like her Prince Charming has done a runner. Adam Lawley was left devastated when his girlfriend turned down his heartfelt proposal. He's made a vow never to fall in love again. So - when Cat and Adam meet, they shouldn't even consider falling in love. After all, they're both broken hearted. But for some reason they can't stop thinking about each other. Is this their second chance for happiness, or are some things just too good to be true?

I was looking forward to starting The Wedding Diary by Margaret James with my wedding plans storming ahead I love falling into other peoples wedding worlds. This book follows Cat who has won a wedding of her dreams in a competition only problem is her groom Jack has gone walk about!  Refusing to accept that he has gone Cat follows through with the meetings for the wedding and it is only when she meets Adam and she feels as though there is something between them that she breaks down and admits to Adam that she is having a fairy tale wedding with no groom! Will Cat get her groom for her ideal wedding?

This was a very fun and light hearted read. Both Adam and Cat were very well developed characters who were both genuine and lovable characters and you could see from the moment you met them that they would be perfect together I was just hoping that the outcome of the story was all I hoped it would be but it turned out to be that and a whole lot more.

The author set a wonderful scene in Italy I really felt as though I could visualise the surroundings. It left me daydreaming about a trip to Italy, well we can all dream can’t we! My one little niggle was judging by the title of the book I thought there was going to be rather a lot more about the wedding subject but unfortunately this wasn’t the case but this could just be the Bridezilla in me at the moment talking!

The storyline was so easy to follow and was so enjoyable that you will fly through this book in no time. I hope Margaret James will write another contemporary romance as this book was delightful.

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Saturday Kindle Picks

The weather doesn't seem to know what to do with itself today so I for one think it is a duvet day! I havent done a Kindle Picks for a while so thought today would be a perfect day to bring it back so if you are looking for a kindle book at a great price then see if any of my picks are for you.


 My first pick of the day is The Spa Day by Nicola Yeager this is FREE today and I have grabbed my own copy of this one I love the look of the cover and the sound of the synopsis and running a salon myself means this book feels right up my street.



My next pick is This Time Next Door by Gretchen Galway this one is also FREE today a new author to me but I like the sound of the synopsis so have downloaded my copy.





The Silver Locket is also FREE today. I haven't read this one yet but I love Margaret James so definitely one to pick up.


The Perfect Retreat by Kate Forster is a fantastic read check out my review here and this is only 99p which is an unbelievable price for such a great read.



Undertaking Love by Kat French is my next read and one I have been looking forward to as this has had some fantastic reviews, get this one quick at only 99p!


My last pick this week is The Longest Holiday by Paige Toon. This is my favourite read of the year so far so if you are looking for a book that you will want to lose yourself in this is the one for you and this is only £3.66 today.


I hope you all have a lovely weekend ! xXx