Author Archive

Bee Bearhorn had a number-one hit single in 1985 – and was never heard of again. Fifteen years later she is found dead in her flat and nobody seems to care …

But Ana Wills always day-dreamed about the exotic half-sister she hasn’t seen in years. And when she comes to London to clear Bee’s flat, she uncovers a life more exotic than she imagined: a secret country cottage, mysterious weekends away, and even a missing cat. With Bee’s closest friends – mad Lol and strong, silent Flint – Ana sets out to discover exactly what did happen to Bee Bearhorn, the one-hit wonder … Read my review underneath
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Martina Reilly, author of Flipside, The Onion Girl, Is This Love?, Something Borrowed, Wedded Blitz, Wish Upon A Star, All I Want Is You, The Summer of Secrets and Second Chances has a new novel out on October 1st titled The Wish List. The blurb reads:

Like any married couple, Allie and Tony have had their fair share of heartache. But when Tony’s actions force Allie and her young sons out of their home, things take a desperate turn for the worse. Without her husband around, Allie must cope with two increasingly inquisitive children - as well as the reappearance of her estranged father.

So when her eldest son Mark befriends a mysterious next-door neighbour, Jeremy, Allie’s glad he’s found a distraction. The only trouble is that Mark believes Jeremy is Santa Claus - and that he can put the family back together. While Jeremy becomes increasingly mortified at the mix-up, a little magic never did anyone any harm - did it?

Martina Reilly is one of my favourite authors and I loved Something Borrowed, All I Want Is You, Is This Love?, Wedded Blitz and Wish Upon A Star. I can’t wait for her new one.

Selena Harper always thought she had the perfect job: working on a luxury cruiseship, she’s whisked around the world from Alaska to Zanzibar with excitement and adventure awaiting her in every port.

But as she prepares for her latest shore-leave - and finds herself unexpectedly deserted by her newly-engaged best friend - she begins to wonder if life on the ocean wave really is her dream come true. Why is she the only one who isn’t settling down? And how can she be feeling homesick when she has no home?

On a whim, she agrees to spend a week on the idyllic island of Crete, in the company of Alekos, a man she’s convinced is an incorrigible womaniser. Steeped in mythology, the island soon starts to work its magic on Selena - and, more worryingly, so does Alekos. Is he really the cad she’s always thought him to be? Or could it turn out that his home is where her heart is? Read my review underneath…
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Lola Jaye, author of By The Time You Read This, has a new novel out on May 28th titled While You Were Dreaming. I love the cover and the book doesn’t sound too bad:

Lena has always kept her two sisters Millie and Cara in check. Beautiful but lazy Millie relies on her sister for everything. She needs to pull herself together and get a job but is constantly distracted by the string of men in her life! Cara runs a successful bar with her adoring boyfriend Ade.He can’t wait to start a family but Cara isn’t ready. Will she ever be? But when Lena is involved in an accident her sisters forget their own issues and rush to her side.As they desperately try to wake Lena from her deep sleep, they begin to learn things they never knew about themselves and discover their much-loved sister had a few secrets in her closet! A funny and heartwarming tale about family, love and living for the moment.

I loved Lola Jaye’s debut novel By The Time You Read This and will try and get a hold of this novel when it comes out.

A feature I think a lot of people will enjoy: Author of the Week. Every week, on Wednesdays, I will post information about a particular author be it one I love or one I’ve never read. There will be information about the author, information on their books and what my favourite book (if I’ve read any) of that particular author is.

This week is Sophie Kinsella. Sophie Kinsella is a former financial journalist and the author of the bestselling Shopaholic novels. She lives in England with her family. Sophie Kinsella is, of course, a pseudonym used by Madeleine Wickham. picture from fantasticfiction.co.uk

Sophie’s novels, in order of release date are, to date: Confessions of a Shopaholic, Shopaholic Abroad, Shopaholic Ties The Knot, Can You Keep A Secret?, Shopaholic & Sister, The Undomestic Goddess, Shopaholic & Baby, Remember Me?

My favourite Sophie Kinsella book is: of the Shopaholic series: Confessions of a Shopaholic and of her stand-alone novels: The Undomestic Goddess.

Her new novel Twenties Girl will be out this year. The date keeps changing on Amazon and there is no cover and no blurb. As soon as a date, cover or blurb appears I’ll post the details.

Confessions of a Shaopaholic: The Movie came out earlier this year starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy as Becky and Luke respectably. I haven’t seen the movie yet but I really want to even though the movie is different to the book but I won’t judge it until I see it. The movie blurb reads: Struggling with her debilitating obsession with shopping and the sudden collapse of her income source, Rebecca Bloomwood unintentionally lands a job writing for a financial magazine after a drunken letter-mailing mix-up. Ironically writing about the very consumer caution of which she herself has not abided, Rebecca’s innovative comparisons and unconventional metaphors for economics grants her critical acclaim, public success, and the admiration of her supportive boss Luke. But as she draws closer to her ultimate goal of writing for renowned fashion magazine Alette, she questions her true ambitions and must determine if overcoming her “shopaholic” condition will bring her real happiness

Claudia Caroll, actress and author of He Loves Me Not… He Loves Me, The Last of the Great Romantics, Remind Me Again Why I Need a Man?, I Never Fancied Him Anyway and Do You Want to Know a Secret? has a new novel out one June 4th called If This Is Paradise, I Want My Money Back! The blurb reads:

Charlotte Grey is hovering between life and death, but the weird thing is, it’s taken a coma for her to finally open her eyes and see things clearly. Namely that she’s made a complete mess of her short time on Earth, and don’t even get her started on the five precious dating years she’s just wasted on the worthless, faithless James Kane. But after a quick peek at the afterlife, she decides that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be either. Kind of like a big retirement home in the sky, with an awful lot of bingo and bridge and absolutely no sign of Elvis/Princess Di/Kurt Cobain or anyone it would actually be nice to spend eternity with. So when Charlotte is offered a chance to go back to Earth, this time as a bonafide angel, she jumps at it. But there’s a catch. The person she’s assigned to watch over is …a certain Mr James Kane. Which is where the fun really starts. Well, just because she’s passed on doesn’t necessarily mean she’s moved on, does it?

It sounds quite interesting and if the two bookshops here get it in (they’re only second-hand bookshops) I will buy and read it. I haven’t read any of Claudia Caroll’s novels so will try and get a few to see if I enjoy them.

Send in your reviews: [email protected]

Will Jackson is a desperate man - desperate to be a dad, that is. Tired of his laddish lifestyle, he’s redecorated the spare room, traded in his beloved sports car for a 4×4, and even drawn up a list of his favourite baby names.

In fact, there’s only one thing left he’s got to do - find a female who’ll have his child. But where on earth is he going to find a woman who meets his exacting standards? Certainly not in the usual bars and clubs he frequents. But Will has a plan - you can find everything else on the Internet these days - so why not someone to start a family with? From Friends Reunited, through the weird world of online dating, even to auctioning his ‘services’ on Ebay, Will’s journey to paternity is a hilarious romp through the pitfalls of procreation.

But when push comes to shove, is Will prepared to trade passion for Pampers? What do men really look for when it comes to starting a family? Can the perfect mother also be the perfect partner, or are there more important things than a nice-fitting pair of genes? (more…)

Everyone wants to know when their favourite authors have new novels out so I thought: why not post all that will be out for each month. Here’s my first month, there are 7 books out this April. If I’ve missed one, email me and let me know.

Bernadette Strachan - How To Lost A Husband & Gain A Life - 2nd April

On the surface, Ruby Gallagher has the perfect life: an adoring husband, Manny, a beautiful home and a luxury lifestyle that involves shopping, holidays and not much else. It’s safe, predictable - exactly what she needs after her turbulent past. Until one day it all collapses as Manny is arrested for fraud. And it seems it’s not only his business deals that have been shady - Ruby discovers he’s been hiding a mistress and son too. But as her designer lifestyle is repossessed, Ruby dusts herself down and starts again. With the help of some good friends, bad wine and a new business venture, Ruby discovers that she’s a lot better off without her husband holding her back. If only he would see it that way …Fabulous characters and a warm and funny story make How to Lose a Husband and Gain a Life unputdownable.

Milly Johnson - A Spring Affair - 6 April

When Lou Winter picks up a dog-eared magazine in the dentist’s waiting room and spots an article about clearing clutter, she little realises how it will change her life. What begins as an earnest spring clean soon spirals out of control. Before long Lou is hiring skips in which to dump the copious amounts of junk she never knew she had. Lou’s loved ones grow disgruntled. Why is clearing out cupboards suddenly more important than making his breakfast, her husband Phil wonders? The truth is, the more rubbish Lou lets go of, the more light and air can get to those painful, closed-up places at the centre of her heart: the love waiting for a baby she would never have, the empty space her best friend Deb once occupied, and the gaping wound left by her husband’s affair. Even lovely Tom Broom, the man who delivers Lou’s skips, starts to grow concerned about his sweetest customer. But Lou is a woman on a mission, and not even she knows where it will end …

Trisha Ashley - Wedding Tiers - 6 April 2026

The path of true love never runs smooth. But for some, it’s one seriously bumpy ride! Growing up in the beautiful Lancashire village of Neatslake, Josie Gray and her childhood sweetheart, Ben Richards, have always dreamt of living a life of rural self-sufficiency. And when Josie inherits her beloved Grandmother’s cottage, it seems they might just have got what they wished for. Josie throws herself into her wedding cake business, whilst Ben supports himself as an artist. But the tranquil village turns into a hive of activity when Josie’s childhood friend, Libby Martin - now a wealthy widow - returns to the village, planning a lavish wedding to rival any celeb bash. The day goes with a bang, and soon Libby and Josie are hard at work at their fledgling wedding business, hiring out Libby’s beautiful Elizabethan home for ceremonies, with Josie creating all manner of wonderful cakes. But amidst all this romance, Josie’s fairytale relationship with Ben turns into a nightmare, and she quickly becomes Love’s number one cynic - until charming wedding photographer, Noah Sephton, arrives in Neatslake, with a very different outlook on love!Can this hopeless romantic persuade pessimistic Josie to give romance another try? Or will it be a case of always the cake maker, never the bride!?

Lisa Jewell - The Truth About Melody Browne - 9 April

When she was nine years old, Melody Browne’s house burned down, taking every toy, every photograph, every item of clothing and old Christmas card with it. But not only did the fire destroy all her possessions, it took with it all her memories - Melody Browne can remember nothing before her ninth birthday. Now in her early thirties, Melody lives in a council flat in the middle of London with her seventeen-year-old son. She hasn’t seen her parents since she left home at fifteen, but Melody doesn’t mind, she’s better off on her own. She’s made a good life for herself and her son and she likes it that way. Until one night something extraordinary happens. Whilst attending a hypnotist show with her first date in years she faints - and when she comes round she starts to remember. At first her memories mean nothing to her but then slowly, day by day, she begins to piece together the real story of her childhood. Her journey takes her to the seaside town of Broadstairs, to oddly familiar houses in London backstreets and to meetings with strangers who love her like their own. But with every mystery she solves another one materialises, with every question she answers another appears. And Melody begins to wonder if she’ll ever know the truth about her past.

Debbie Carbin - Three Men & A Maybe - 9 April

Beth Sheridan likes her life the way it is. OK, so her job’s a little dull and her social life leaves a lot to be desired. But none of that really matters because Beth is in love with Richard. And one day they will be together. Yes, there are a few teeny obstacles, like the fact that Richard has been Beth’s boss for eight years and that he is currently living in Portugal with another woman. But these are just minor details because Beth just knows that one day, the scales will fall from Richard’s eyes and he will realise that it is Beth that he has always wanted. Beth’s feisty flatmate Vini doesn’t harbour any such illusions and decides that Beth needs to give up on Richard and find love elsewhere.Reluctantly Beth agrees to Vini’s (at times extreme) plan of action. Following a puppeteers convention, a speed dating event, a chance encounter in a shopping mall and some pretty flirtatious email banter, Beth is suddenly dealing with three new men. There’s the lovely down-to-earth Brad, who she just can’t quite pin down, and the charming, millionaire Rupert. She’s never actually met Rupert but judging from his emails, he seems to just get her. What’s more, there’s also sleazy Sean from the office who’s suddenly seeming not-so-sleazy …And just when things couldn’t get more complicated, the gorgeous Richard waltzes back into her life. What’s a girl to do?

Holly McQueen - The Fabulously Fashionable Life of Isabel Bookbinder - 23rd April

When aspiring designer Isabel Bookbinder bags a job with Nancy ‘Fashion Aristocracy’ Tavistock, she’s sure her career is finally on track. Dazzlingly glamorous, this is a career that she can feel truly passionate about - after all, she knows her Geiger from her Louboutin, her Primark from her Prada, and she’s always poring over fashion magazines. Well, ok, the fashion pages of heat. So, learning from the very best, the future’s looking bright for Isabel Bookbinder: Top International Fashion Designer. Within days she’s putting the final touches to her debut collection, has dreamt up a perfume line, Isabelissimo, and is very nearly a friend of John Galliano. And on top of that she might even have fallen in love. Yet nothing ever runs smoothly for Isabel, and fabulously fashionably as her life is, it soon seems to be spiraling a little out of her control.

Louise Bagshawe - Passion - 30th April 2009

A super-charged, irresistible tour de force about two people fighting their own feelings - and fighting for their lives…

A failed marriage between Melissa Elmett and Will Hyde did a lot of damage. She was too young, he was hurt when she left him. Years later, Melissa becomes the target for a kidnap plot, a consequence of her father’s ground breaking energy saving invention, and Will is the only man who can protect her. Now they’re on the run, thrown together again by the pursuit of vengeance, will their passion for each other reignite?