Title: Trouble in Tinsel Town by Amiee Duffy

Published by: HarperImpulse

RRP/Availability : £0.49 (Kindle only!)

Rating: 4/5 (Because it's a short story, that I am sure when read in conjunction with the follow ups will make it a total 5/5)






THE BLURB:

Part 1 of Summer Flings - a fun, flirty and laugh out loud rom com series of short stories.

Armed with a degree from Oxford that she doesn't have a clue what to do with, Ciara Bree convinces her two best friends, Elle and Gem to spend their first summer of freedom backpacking across the globe. Now it's time to shop, sunbathe, think about boys for a change, and party hard...


MY OPINION

Oh I do love a short e-book story, and Amiee, definitely provided me with that. It was classic chick-lit in that a girl meets a boy, falls head over heels for him (in this case... quite literally!), lust and sexual hormones run riot, one thing leads to another... (or in this case, one romp leads to orgasm after orgasm!), and then what was thought to be a fling (one night stand), ends up being something else... or does it?!

The book begins with 3 friends heading off on a trip around the globe, they start in LA and after landing with their luggage from London, they head off into the pool for some Tequila Shot Volleyball. Ciara Bree finds herself a little hot even in the cool pool water when Elle's cousin walks in ... with his shirt off. Elle and her cousin end up fighting (or maybe it was Elle doing the fighting and her cousin just listening - Gem and Ciara couldn't quite tell!), and when things start to cool down, Ciara goes on the hunt for her bedroom. Instead she finds a hot hunk and let's just say that temperatures rise.... steadily.

A fabulously short read for someone who wants a hit of chick-lit like Ciara, Elle and Gem like tequila shots!

With follow ups available.... who can resist such a laugh out loud chick-lit?  






ABOUT AMIEE DUFFY


Aimée writes steamy, contemporary romance for the 21st century woman who enjoys the 21st century alpha male. She's addicted to reading, shopping and can't go a day without music.

When she's not writing you can find her traipsing up the Ochils (weather permitting of course) or procrastinating on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/aimeeduffyx) and Twitter (@aimeeduffyx).

Title: Written in the Stars by Ali Harris

Published by: Simon & Schuster UK

Price/Availability: RRP £7.99

Available on Amazon in Paperback for £3.85 & Kindle for £3.32

Rating: 5/5






THE BLURB

One decision + two different paths = how many happy endings?


Have you ever wondered 'What if…?' What if you'd taken that other job, gone on a date with that sweet guy, moved to a different city? Would an alternative life path have led to a happier ending?
Now imagine if you could have taken both paths…

When Bea Bishop slips while walking down the aisle on her wedding day, she is momentarily knocked unconscious. And in a flash, her world splits and two separate parallel lives take her on two very different journeys. In one, Bea flees back down the aisle and out of the church. In the other, she glides blissfully towards Adam, her intended.

Each path will take her on a very different journey. And each will see her life change for better and for worse. But which story will lead to her happy-ever-after?

MY OPINION

Moments ago, I was crying... full girly tears of sheer joy and happiness as I witnessed a truly remarkable ending to a book with a hefty 450 pages in. Written in the Stars, is by largely one of the best ever books I've ever read... in my LIFE! For a book to bring tears to my eyes and a sense of happiness for the characters... well it is a masterpiece!

Written in the Stars is very unique in the way it is written. I for one have never read a book that is put together by the author right down to the most intricate detail in the way that Ali Harris has. The style of telling two different stories that could have been Bea Bishop's life path at the same time is one that separates Ali's book from so many of the others out there. It really is a book for every woman who has ever wondered..."what if?...". I for one know that I have wondered 'What if?' on more than one occasion, and through this book, as a reader you can't help but ponder on your very own 'what if?' moments.

Throughout the book, Bea is guided by her diary gifted to her by her Father on her 7th birthday - the day before he left, and just like the seasonal year, we see through Bea's eyes that life really is cyclical and turns with the seasons. We begin the book with scenes of the past that shows what has led up to one of the key moments in her life...her wedding day. Walking down the aisle, Bea slips after seeing someone in the congregation that she wasn't expecting to see, and suddenly floods of memories past hit her like a stormy sea of waves that knock her unconscious. When she comes around the reader is shown two very different ways in which her life could play out. To get married to Adam or to not get married to Adam? That really was the question that began Bea's dramatic and heart-warming journey to finding the person that she has always longed for... even if it's not who she quite expected it to be in the start.

Love, guilt, career choices and dreams of gardening from the past come flooding back - in both of her lives - and it is how she deals with them that sees the reader go on a trip of a lifetime with Bea where she finally discovers what the key to her life is ... to do what makes her happy.

I particularly love the ending as we see her two worlds collide and we find Bea right where she needs to be. Ali, has most definitely done book bloggers, faithful readers, fellow facebookers & Tweeters, not to mention the book world an immense service in the writing of this book. She should be immensely proud!

Having started the book way back in April and only recently picking it back up to continue reading (due to personal circumstances), I am only sorry that I didn't finish it sooner! However if I have learnt anything from Bea Bishop (lead character), it is that I would always have ended up here... wiping tears from my eyes, and being fully in love with the entire story.

There is a quote from one of her Father's diary entries to her that really stood out to me;

Each path we choose, every decision we make may one day take us back to the very same one we turned away from.

It's a tender yet strong message for everyone I feel, not just Bea, and one that we can all try to live up to. As someone who can relate to Bea's character in that she made a decision once upon a time to live a different life to what she had always wanted, I can attest to the fact that just like Bea, 7 years later, you may ... like me, find yourself coming full circle where you are almost being given a second chance of the life you not only always wanted because it is what makes you happy, but that sometimes, it just so happens to be 'Written in the Stars'.


ABOUT ALI HARRIS

Ali Harris is a magazine journalist and has written for publications such as Red, ELLE, Stylist, Cosmopolitan and Company and was deputy features editor at No.1 women's magazine Glamour before leaving to write books and have babies. She lives in Cambridge with her husband and their two children.

You can connect with her:

Twitter: @AliHarrisWriter

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AliHarrisWriter

It's been longer than I ever wanted it to be since my last *Chick-Lit News in High Heeled Shoes*, but alas here I am!

August has been a divine month for my Book Love passions. I've found more time during the summer days (we had a few of those with amazing intense heat) to read some fabulous chick-lit.

The main read of August has been Ali Harris' Written in the Stars. It's such an amazing book that you will be able to read all about in my upcoming review (I'm super close to finishing that book now!).

I have done something rather adventurous ... well for me it is anyway... and that was read a Christmas themed book in August! It actually got me in the mood for Christmas... you can read all about my Christmas Novel here on the blog, just search for Mr Miracle.

I'm currently reading on my e-book reader "How to Get a Love Life" by Rosie Blake. It's a fabulous read so far (I'm on chapter 6) as the lead character is facing a double dare no returns from her co-worker, to go and get a love life and a date by Valentines Day!




September promises to be a full on Chick-Lit party as I have been graciously sent books from Avon Books to read and review. Let's take a look at those;

Mr Miracle by Debbie Macomber

Published by Ballantine, Random House

RRP: Paperback - $18.00 / £5.99
E-book $9.99 /  £2.99

On Sale Dates:
October 7th 2014 (USA) / November 20th 2014 (UK)

Rating: 8/10 (just because it's a short story!)









To say that I was a little excited when I discovered Debbie Macomber had written another Christmas themed novel is an understatement. Both my Mum and I are huge Debbie Macomber fans of both her books and the hit TV series Cedar Cove, so the opportunity to read Mr Miracle was a thrilling one, even if it is in August.

Mr Miracle is a short story of romance, life changes, humour and good old Christmas spirit. The prologue gripped me and before the day had ended I had read the entire book (it rarely happens but when it does... it means that the book is brilliant!). There were moments throughout where I got strange looks from my Mum & strangers in the coffee shop as I read and laughed out loud at the beautifully manuscripted heart warming funny moments.

The book begins by introducing Harry Mills - an angel sent from Heaven at the festive period for a trial period on earth where he must help  to look after his new charges including one particular student in his Classic Literature class he's teaching, Addie who is back home after six years of trying to make her mark in the world and seemingly got nowhere. It's Harry's job to oversee Addie's progress and growth as a human as she learns to let go of the past and find love where she would never thought of looking...again.

This is Harry's first mission on earth and he is eager to make a good impression to Celeste and God so that he can remain on Earth for future projects. Harry has to learn how to control the emotions of a human being along with guiding not only Addie but the other students in his class such as Danny (out on parole), and Andrew (ex-soldier).

Addie on the other hand is home to spend her first Christmas with her Mum after her father passed away during the summer. However Addie's mum has other ideas with regards to Christmas and it doesn't involve a tree! Addie comes face to face with her childhood crush and circumstances that pave the way for a miracle lead them to face up to their childhood emotions, grow up and chose whether happiness is the path ahead for them.

A beautiful read, one that I would read again... and again in the run up to the festive period. I'm also thrilled that Hallmark have teamed up with Debbie to make this magical seasonal story into a film. My sources have it that filming has been taking place through out July and August... I can't wait!