Book review: Mile High by Rebecca Chance

First class is about to get dangerous . . . Pure Air's new LuxeLiner is flying from London to LA - its inaugural journey - with a first-class cabin packed with A List celebrities. As the feuding crew compete to impress their famous passengers, the handsome pilot tries to win the attention of a pretty young stewardess.

But one VIP singer is battling something seriously sinister: watching her every step is a very determined stalker, someone who will go to any lengths to get the star to satisfy their desires. At thirty thousand feet there is nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide . . .

Rebecca Chance is an author who I've seen pop up many times on my favourite blogs... she is well known by the blogging community and well loved. Up until I read Mile High, I hadn't read any of her books and I'm pleased to say it more than lived up to expectation. 

Mile High mainly takes place on a plane, but it isn't any ordinary plane. This is the launch event of a a new, deluxe flight for only the rich and famous. Cramming this many stars into a small place is obviously going to create some drama... and boy does it.

I did wonder if the location could become dull, as it is a  small space to set a whole book around. However, it isn't a problem at all... there is more than enough drama going on to keep the story pacey and interesting. The glamorous surroundings of the plane heighten the wealth and status of it's high-profile passengers and really adds to the story. Mile High offers the reader some indulgence, it allows you to escape to the world of a mega-famous celebrity and imagine how it would be to be that famous or wealthy - indulgent escapism at it's best!

The bulk of story centers around Catalina, a global superstar and songstress with a difference - she hasn't completely let fame get to her head. I really liked Catalina, despite her fame and fortune she's actually pretty grounded and a really caring character. Sure, on occasion she takes the luxuries, or her PA's presence for granted and starts looking like your typical super-star, but on the whole she's a nice, normal person. It's clear from the offset she's recovering from a huge break-up and betrayal, but you don't find out until later on who that is with (although it does become quite obvious before it's revealed). Catalina is a very closed book and dependent on her strong friendship with her PA to distract her from her heartbreak, especially as she is struggling with the level of her fame even more than usual.

Why? because she has a stalker. Someone who leaves 'loving' messages on her dressing room wall and intrudes on her privacy. The uneasiness of this situation heightens when it appears the stalker is on the flight with her. Being in such close proximity to the stalker is, as you'd imagine, terrifying and it really adds to the drama and suspense of the story.

Then there's the bitchy air hostess Lucinda who, frankly, is a nasty piece of work. I had no idea flight crews were so full of bitchiness, never mind bitterness. There is a real hierarchy among cabin crew, and being the lead air hostess on this crew definitely massages Lucinda's already over-inflated ego. She is sleeping with the handsome pilot who can't seem to keep it in his trousers. Despite it being obvious he is only using her for her good looks, she is very, very protective over him, hoping that one day they will be together properly and not just a fling. She sets out to destroy anyone else he takes a liking to and doesn't mind what lengths to go to.... which happens on this flight. 

I was really surprised by who the stalker was. There are many hints leading up to the reveal and I thought I had it in the bag as to who it was. Safe to say I didn't, it was a big twist I didn't see coming and it just added to the enjoyment of the story. 

Mile High is really well written. It's gripping, intriguing and sexy. I'm not usually a big fan of bonk busters but this has just the right amount of detail without being too cringy to read. Overall, the story is great. I loved the location being set on a plane, it was different and created even more drama than usual due to it being such an enclosed space. The glamour of the place really transported me away from my life and into the rich, wealthy world of these celebrities which was fun! Also Rebecca makes her characters jump off the page, whether you love them, hate them, are infuriated by them or upset for them, they make you react and engage with them.

I really enjoyed Mile High and will now be familiarising myself with more of Rebecca Chance's work! 

A big thank you to the publishers for an advance copy of this story on Netgalley. 

Book review: Scandalous Lies by Nigel May

'Lovers and liars, divas and sinners, welcome to a world of scandal, where one woman will pay the ultimate price. 

SUSPENSE: Georgia’s best friend, ballroom dancing sensation Mitzi, has vanished with boyfriend Foster while on holiday in California. Can Georgia get to the truth of their disappearance before it’s too late? 

SECRETS: Reality TV star Nova could give the Kardashians a run for their money. But while she allows millions of viewers into her fabulous home, she’s unaware what her husband, celebrity mogul Jacob, is up to behind closed doors … 

SEX: Tanya is filthy rich, married to a man who adores her but she is restless. And her sexual appetite is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble. 

SCANDAL: Victoria, once the trophy-wife, has lost her mojo. Determined to get her life and marriage back on track, she’s desperate to inject some excitement in her life – but at what cost? 

From the glitz of Hollywood to the glamour of Milan and the exotic luxury of India, Scandalous Lies is a deliciously unputdownable read.'

Okay now I'm going to start this post off with a confession: I'm not a big fan of 'bonk-busters', erotica or anything too sexy. I'm not a prude, I just usually don't enjoy that kind of read as much as my usual women's fiction preference. However, Nigel May has managed to change my opinion of this genre with his intriguing, racy and just all-round brilliant writing style.

Scandalous Lies centres around the disappearance of Mitzi and her partner Foster. On a break from their TV dancing careers, the lovers head to America for a glitzy RV trip. However, they don't return from the trip and end up missing. After the first few days the press lose interest in the story and so it falls to those that know them to either find them, or at least an answer as to what happened to them. 

Now this story has loads of character and at first, it's quite a feat to keep track of all the names. Don't let that put you off though, as each character has a vivid, unique personality that adds to the story, and all the characters link together nicely - you can see the connections the characters all have to Mitzi and to each other, which makes it easier to follow. To keep my review at a manageable length I won't go into each character and their scenario, I'll just give you a quick summary of some of my favourites.

Georgia and Charlie were up there as my favourite characters in the story. Georgia is a weather girl for an English breakfast TV show, and Charlie is the showbiz reporter for the same programme. Their relationship is really genuine (which seems to be a rare occurrence amongst the rich and famous of this story) - they are really in love and so happy. Their partnership is full of support, promise and affection which made it a joy to read. Not only are Georgia and Charlie great together, but separately too. Charlie is really supportive to Georgia as she struggles to deal with the unexplained disappearance of her friend. She is a really caring person, who just wants to find out what happened to Mitzi - even if her determination does put her at risk.

One of my other favourite characters was Nova (Charlie's mum). She is a reality super-star (think Kardashian heights), her every move is recorded and meticulously planned so it makes good TV (which provides some funny scenes!). Charlie doesn't join in her programme, nor does her partner Jacob, but they support her and also keep her slightly more level-headed than she would be if they weren't around. She isn't affected as such, just not quite aware of how things work without fame and fortune. Despite this she is still highly likable and an infectious, bubbly character who I thought was a key part of the story. 

Now as I mentioned above, this book is quite racy... so I think we'd better quickly talk about sex. This is one of the few books I've read where I haven't cringed at a sex scene - the language isn't too flowery or awkward and there's just the right level of race and passion. One character in particular is quite kinky and there was one scene that shocked me, but it didn't put me off  the rest of the story, because it actually added some depth to her character and explains some of her reasoning and thought processes. (I won't say what happens as I don't want to ruin it, but believe me, you'll know what I mean when you read it!)

The main reason I'm personally not a huge fan of bonk-busters is because I usually find that sex is the main focus of a story and everything else weakens because of it- characters, plot, location - they are all only there because of the sex, not the other way round, which makes for a pretty weak story (50 Shades, anyone?). However, this certainly doesn't happen with Scandalous Lies - all the characters are well written and have strong personalities,  the plot if gripping and well thought through and the description for the story (as well as the sex scenes) is equally as good. Nigel uses sex scenes as a way to add to the plot, not as the plot which, to me, makes a massive difference.

So there you go. I'm a convert to sexy reading and fully enjoyed this story. If you want some sexy, glamorous, star-studded, exotic reading this summer then grab a copy of Scandalous Lies - it'll more than deliver.