Kindle Summer sale wish-list

So earlier today I received an email from Kindle to tell me that their Summer sale had begun. Now, I'll be honest, I usually scan these emails, half-read them, and then delete. But this one caught my eye - it promised bargain reads and, well, who could ignore that? I had a quick look and was happy to see so many fabulous titles at bargain prices, so thought I'd collate some of my top picks in a post. 



How I Lost You, Jenny Blackhurst - 79p 
This is a book I keep hearing loads of good things about and can't wait to read. It's actually been sat on my TBR pile for some time now, so I missed out on this bargain, but at such a great price if it isn't on your virtual shelf by now then why not add it? 








Sarah Morgan - First Time in Forever (Puffin Island Trilogy book 1) - 99p
Again, I've seen loads of bloggers saying how great these books are and with the first in the series at a bargain 99p, now's the time to get the trilogy... I then just need to find time to read it! 







The Dish, Stella Newman - 99p
I absolutely loved The Dish (you can read my review here). If you haven't picked this up already then go go go! A fantastic book that's well worth a read, it'd be rude not to while it's in the sale. 









Please Don't Stop the Music, Jane Lovering - 99p 
Choc Lit produce some fantastic books and this one caught my eye because of the pretty cover (and also because the author is from Yorkshire). I'm always up for trying out books by authors I haven't read before, so this will be swiftly added to my TBR pile. 

Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues, Trisha Ashley - 99p
I really enjoy Trisha's writing style and I remember reading this book when it first came out and loving it. Definitely worth a read if it passed you by on release, and an absolute steal at 99p!










Since You've Been Gone, Anouska Knight - 99p
Okay, confession time: I have never heard of either this book or the author before. But, this cover is SO pretty it's hard to resist! It's now sitting prettily on my TBR pile :) 










So there you go, a collection of the books I think are an absolute bargain in the Kindle Summer Sale. Let me know if you spot any you'll be getting in the comments below! Happy shopping :) 

Sizzling Summer reads

So, despite the fact that as I'm typing this I'm looking out onto a grey and rainy Leeds, it's now June and therefore summer! I thought it would be fun to share some of my top summer picks, so that even if English weather doesn't live up to expectation, we can escape to somewhere else hot & sunny.

Minus a few, I've read and thoroughly enjoyed all these books and so will post the links to my reviews below. I chose these books as they are either set in exotic, sunny locations (such as Game of Scones), or they are gripping, thrilling novels that are the prefect pool-side read, and a great excuse not to move for a whole afternoon! (such as The Day We Disappeared!) 

So grab a cool drink, one of the books above and enjoy a summery afternoon lost amongst great locations and characters - even if it is raining and cold! 

Reviews: 

Summer at Shell Cottage 

Game of Scones

Always The Bridesmaid

The Vintage Guide to Love & Romance

Truly, Madly, Greekly

Summer at little Beach Street Bakery 

The Day We Disappeared 

Cover reveal: Return to Bluebell Hill by Rebecca Pugh

Well today my wonderful readers, I have a huge treat in store for you. Rebecca Pugh's debut novel 'Return to Bluebell Hill' will be published by Carina on June 18th. Becca has become a firm blogger friend of mine since I began Little Northern Soul, so I'm so excited to get to join in the celebrations with her in the form of cover reveals and blog tours! 

Later this month I'll be posting an author Q&A with Becca as part of the blog tour, so keep an eye out for that, but in the meantime, it's time to reveal the cover for her book! 

So ta-daaaa! here it is in all it's glory: 

Isn't it beautiful? I love the colour scheme and it makes me even more eager to read it! 

Blurb:

As sweet and satisfying as strawberries and cream! This British summertime, get out in the garden with Rebecca Pugh’s sparkling debut novel.

Home is where the heart is…

Jessica McAdams has never belonged anywhere; never truly felt at home. Of course, what did she expect from parents who never made her feel welcome in her own house? Leaving her life in London to return home to the charming country village of Bluebell Hill is harder than she thought. Especially as she never considered she’d be returning under such heart wrenching circumstances…

Clearing out the stunning and imposing Bluebell House after her parents’ death is difficult for Jessica—they never had the best relationship and now it’s too late. Yet spending time in the house that was never a home, having afternoon tea with dear old friend Esme—and sharing hot, sizzling kisses with delectable gardener Rueben!—opens Jessica’s eyes to the potential of Bluebell House… Could this big old, beautiful manor really be her forever home? Is Bluebell Hill where her heart is, has always been?

Jessica soon dares to dream of her very own home with delicious Rueben by her side. But when a deep, dark secret of Bluebell House is unearthed, Jessica’s world is turned upside down…

Will Jessica ever find where her heart truly lies?

An emotional tale of self-discovery, taking chances and romance! Rebecca’s unique British voice feels like coming home again and again.

Author Biography

Rebecca Pugh grew up in the green county of Shropshire, with a mind full of fairy-tales and happy endings. Enchanted by true love and Disney Princesses, she decided that no matter what life threw her way, she’d continue to see the world through a child’s eyes. Through the pages of countless books, her adoration of reading blossomed, and it didn’t take long for her to fall under the spell of hundreds of authors’ words. 

Now, Rebecca’s own story has taken a fairy-tale like turn, and at 22, her dream has come true. With her faithful companions: Bonnie the dog, her partner, and her gigantic family by her side, Rebecca is ready to share her stories with readers who enjoy falling in love and losing themselves within beautiful, fictional worlds.

Rebecca Pugh is the author of women’s fiction and romance, her all-time favourite genres. After all, who doesn’t enjoy a good swoon?

Her debut novel, Return to Bluebell Hill, is due to be published June 18^th 2015 by Carina UK. 

Links

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

Book Review: Game of Scones by Samantha Tonge

A deliciously summery read you won't want to miss!

"A story of icing and flour…and how love doesn’t always go to plan!

Growing up, Pippa Pattinson’s summers were spent in the idyllic Greek island fishing village of Taxos. There she spent many long hazy days determinedly ignoring thoughts of the life her parents had mapped out for her (a dreary-but-secure accounting job and obligatory sensible husband!) Instead she daydreamed of running her own tea shop – serving the perfect scones – with mocha-eyed childhood friend Niklaus by her side…

Arriving back in Taxos for the first time in years, with suave boyfriend Henrik, Pippa barely recognises the tired little town – but is relieved to catch glimpses of the quaint, charming village she’s always loved. Together Niklaus and Pippa put together a proposal to save Taxos from tourist-tastic ruin, and at the heart of their plan is Pippa’s dream project: The Tastiest Little Tea Shop in Taxos. It’s time for Pippa to leave her London life behind and dust off her scone recipe that’s guaranteed to win over both locals and visitors. And amidst the rolling pins and raisins, it seems romance is blossoming where she’s least expecting it…"

My review: 

Firstly, a very happy publication day to Samantha for this fab book! It is a summary, addictive read that transports you to a Greek seaside village you won't want to return from!

The book follows Pippa, who returns to the Greek village Taxos with her 'dutch titan boyfriend' Henrik. Taxos holds plenty of childhood memories and relationships for Pippa and is somewhere she feels passionate about. The reappearance of her childhood friend Niko casts further doubt onto her already unsure feelings for Henrik. The doubts are further heightened when Henrik's company, ThinkBig, come up with some unappealing ways to make Taxos a tourist resort as it needs an economic boost - people are struggling for work and money but the proposals make it commercial and take the heart out of Taxos. The village, led by Pippa, fight the proposals which further deepens Pippa's love for the greek village and its residents.

Pippa is a great main character. Being honest, she's pretty flawed and there's times where I felt like screaming MAKE UP YOUR MIND! when she's debating about whether to be with Henrik or not. But, as a reader, you get it. You can understand why she is torn with her feelings. Henrik isn't a bad man, he may make some silly decisions during the story, but he isn't bad. It's also clear that he loves Pippa in his own way. It might not be fireworks and flowers but, for him, it's love, and I think that's what Pippa struggles to deal with. However, it's pretty obvious that deep down she doesn't want to be with him and on occasion I just wished she'd get on with it and end it.

There are some other fantastic characters in Game of Scones. Grandma is a pillar of village life and, despite being very ill, is still feisty and opinionated. Leila, Niko's fiancee is a dreamer - flamboyant and unusual in a charming, friendly way. Finally there's Niko, who captures Pippa's heart once again. He is kind, hardworking and, on occasion, grumpy (which is explained at the end of the story). They are all yet another reason to fall in love with Taxos.

Which brings me nicely to the location of this book, which is just brilliant. Taxos is a small community in Greece that you are immediately transported into. You can smell the sea breeze, feel the sand between your toes and the sun shining on your skin. There's a great sense of community, everyone works together to do the best for Taxos and there are strong bonds of friendship, and romance, throughout the village.

Obviously I've got to talk about Scones as they play a large part of this story. Firstly, who knew there were so many potential flavours of this delicious treat?! When I started reading Game of Scones I must admit I was cynical, thinking the constant eating of currant scones with cream and jam could be a bit repetitive. How wrong was I! Fig and walnut, lemon and yogurt and roast pepper and feta are just some of the delightful flavours that Pippa makes to share with the residents of Taxos. My mouth was positively watering at some of the delicious variations she makes!

Game of Scones is the perfect summer read- sunny, addictive and romantic- I would recommend it to anyone. Samantha is a funny, talented writer that makes the words jump off the page and pull you in. 

If you missed it before, I did an author Q&A with Samantha that talks about Game of Scones and her writing experience, why not have a look?

Book review: A Seaside Affair by Fern Britton

"When the residents of the Cornish seaside town of Trevay discover that their much-loved theatre is about to be taken over by coffee chain, Café au Lait, they are up in arms. It is up to Penny Leighton, hotshot producer and now happily married Cornish resident, to come up with a rescue plan. Armed with only her mobile phone and her contacts book, she starts to pull in some serious favours. 

The town is soon deluged by actors, all keen to show their support and take part in a charity season at the theatre. One of the arrivals is Jess Tate, girlfriend to TV heartthrob Ryan Hearst. His career is on the rise while hers remains resolutely in the doldrums. But when opportunity comes calling, it isn’t just her career prospects that are about to change. Trevay is about to put on the show of its life – but can the villagers, and Jess, hold on to the thing they love the most?"

This is the first book I've read by Fern Britton and I'm glad I've introduced myself to this wonderful author. I was first attracted to A Seaside Affair from the summary, pretty cover that stood out to me from the shelf. When I read it, it was raining and murky outside but it suddenly transported me into a sunny, summery seaside world. 

I'm a village girl at heart, so I engaged straightaway with the storyline - saving a rundown theatre from being taken over by a large coffee chain. It's the kind of thing that does happen in small villages, where communities work together to stand up for what they believe in - I felt at home reading this. 

There are many characters in the story but, thankfully, it doesn't get confusing. They have clearly defined personalities and are all really different from one another which provides interesting variety and some unusual but heart-warming friendships. I also liked the different and rather unusual take on famous people in the story - rather than being mega-famous, wonderful superstars they are actually portrayed as what I believe they would be like in real life- some are self-indulgent and arrogant and some are just not really on this planet. Take Red for example- a world-famous singer who is definitely not in our reality- her head is firmly in diamond encrusted clouds. In particular I enjoyed reading about Ryan Hearst, a TV superstar who is, frankly, a bit of a tool. He frustrated me throughout the story with his arrogance and I felt like screaming at his girlfriend Jess, 'LEAVE HIM! you can do so much better!!' he provided another fascinating layer to the story. 

My favourite character was Penny, recently married to Trevay's vicar, but not by any means your usual vicars wife - a hard-working, determined TV producer with a little black book chocker full of A-list contacts, she pulls together the SToP (Save the Pavillon) campaign and works hard to try and stop Cafe Au Lait, the large coffee chain, from taking over the run down theatre.  

The only element I wasn't as keen on in the book was that real-life celebrities are used as contacts to promote the SToP campaign. The main characters in the book are all fictitious and their level of fame and wealth clearly defined so that you know where they stand in the fame pecking order. Ryan Hearst is a well-known TV superstar and Red, a mega famous singer seems to be on the same scale as  Katy Perry or Taylor Swift. Personally, I'd have preferred it if this fictitious theme was kept running throughout the story and Penny's black book was full of make-believe superstars that could join in the promotion of the pavilions. Instead, real-life celebrities such as the Downton Abbey cast, Richard Gere and Richard Curtis are used. To me, it blurred the lines of fictitious story with real life too much, and broke that line of escapism that I love books for creating. I presume that Fern chose to include real-life celebrities to highlight the interest the SToP campaign creates, and how really well-known celebrities are keen to back the campaign but, personally for me, it didn't work. 

Despite that (and it is just me, I know some people might prefer the personal, real-life element to the story) the rest of the book is an absolute treat. The characters are bold and vibrant and you are sucked into their worlds. The location is beautiful and I could see myself sitting on the clifftop tucking into fresh fish and chips with the rest of the characters. It really is a wonderful, absorbing read that I'd recommend, especially to read on a sunny day in the garden while sipping on a glass of something cold! 

Cover reveal - Lynsey James, Just The Way You Are

Do you want to see something pretty?

Sure?

Oh, go on then, here you go...... 

Ta-da! 

Here is the BEAUTIFUL cover for the new Lynsey James novel, Just The Way You Are.

Dear Ava, How do you start writing a letter to someone, six years after breaking their heart?

 Ava is unlucky in love as well as in life. The new office bitch has landed the dating column Ava wanted, and she can't remember the last time she had a second date. It's a good thing she has best friends Max and Gwen to pick up the pieces.  

 Deep down, Ava knows the reason why one date never turns into two - she's in love with someone else. Someone she's never even met.  

It all started six years ago, with a letter from a secret admirer, Mr Writer…but then they suddenly stopped and Ava was heartbroken.  

Now the letters have started again and Ava knows it could mean winning back the dating column at work. This time she's determined to unmask Mr Writer...and find out once and for all if he's Mr Right or Mr Very Definitely Wrong!

It will be released by Carina for eBook in Summer 2015 and you can get it from: 

Amazon UK 

Amazon US 

Goodreads 

If you want to follow Lynsey on twitter, you can find her @Lynsey1991