REVIEW: In Case You Missed It by Lindsey Kelk

As a big fan of the I Heart series, I'm pleased to share my review of the latest standalone novel by Lindsey Kelk. And, I liked this fun, light-hearted romantic comedy...but just not quite as much as I Heart.

Many thanks to NetGalley and publisher Harper Collins UK for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.

Expected: 23 July 2020

The blurb 
When Ros comes home after three years away, she’s ready to pick up with life exactly where she left it. But her friends have moved on, her parents have rekindled their romance, and her bedroom is now a garden shed. All of a sudden, she’s swept up in nostalgia for the way things were.

Then her phone begins to ping, with messages from her old life. Including one number she thought she’d erased for good – the man who broke her heart. Is this her second chance at one big love? Sometimes we all want to see what we’ve been missing…

The review
I love the I Heart series so was really excited to read something else by this author. And, I was pleased to find that this was actually very similar – a fun, light-hearted comedy with an overarching romantic theme. 

Main character Ros was another slightly chaotic but incredibly likeable, smart and funny lead – typical of this author. Whilst she frustrated me at times for letting boyfriend Patrick treat her so badly, I could totally relate to her feelings of self-doubt regarding her professional talent and career, blaming herself for life’s inevitabilities such as redundancy.

Ros was ably supported by a wonderful cast of secondary characters – in the form of friends Adrian, Lucy and Sumi as well as adorable love interest John and straight-talking colleague Veronica. The dynamics between the four friends was so true to life and best summed up by Lucy who when asked by Ros if she should hook up with Patrick again said “We both know you would have called Sumi if you wanted someone to tell you not.”

There were lots of laughs from Ros’ parents moving her into the garden shed to surprising her boyfriend (and his important colleague) dressed as tiger. But, my particular favourite was her fourteen-year-old celebrity client Snazzlechuff refusing to go on stage unless she agreed to a date,  only to then announce her as his girlfriend to the packed out crowd and world’s gaming press.

Being of a similar age to Ros, I also loved the moments of childhood nostalgia such as roller discos and Judy Bloom reference.

I’ve given this a solid 4 stars because whilst I really enjoyed it, it didn’t quite live up the I Heart series for me – which is probably unfair on this but I can’t help comparing the two.

The author
Lindsey Kelk was a children's book editor and is now a magazine columnist and author of many adult and children's books including the popular I Heart series. Follow @LindseyKelk or find out more at lindseykelk.com

REVIEW: Precious You by Helen Monks Takhar

Here's my latest review of the debut novel by new author Helen Monks Takhar. I was really looking forward to this from the blurb but sadly I just didn’t really like or get it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and publisher HQ for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.

Expected: 23 July 2020

The blurb 
She’s got your job. She wants your life…

When Katherine first meets her new intern Lily, she’s immediately captivated. Young, beautiful and confident, Lily reminds Katherine of everything she once was – and it’s not long before she develops a dark fascination with her new colleague.

But is Lily as perfect as she seems, or does she have a sinister hidden agenda? As Katherine is drawn into an obsessive power struggle with the intern, a disturbing picture emerges of two women hiding dark secrets – and who are desperate enough to do anything to come out on top…

The review
“She’s got your job. She wants your life.” This sounded great but sadly I just didn’t really like or get it.

It’s a really dark psychological thriller full of destructive characters – not least main character Katherine or KR. Katherine is or was a talented journalist, a girl done good despite hints of a difficult upbringing but she’s also inappropriately offensive (slightly racist, disparaging about anti millennials or ‘snowflakes’ as she calls them and swears profusely) and slightly toxic leading a drink, drug and sex fuelled existence, abusing her position to get what she can where she can. She brings a lot of things upon herself which didn’t resonate with me because she was supposedly smart, and is truly unlikeable which makes it hard to really care.  

There’s also Lily – the life stealer - another disturbed, dark character. The book is mostly Katherine’s point of view with much shorter chapters from Lily every so often. And, perhaps because of this bias I just didn’t really get Lily, there wasn’t enough to help me understand her motivations. 

This was also a slow unravel. There were a few twists towards the end but by then I didn’t really care because unlike with most thrillers I wasn’t actually rooting for anyone, invested in the story or hoping for a particular outcome. 

A totally toxic, screwed up thriller that many have loved but sadly I just didn’t. 

The author
Follow @HelenMTakhar or find out more at www.helenmonkstakhar.co.uk

REVIEW: No Regrets by Tabitha Webb

Here's my review of the debut novel by Tabitha Webb, an acclaimed designer and entrepreneur. Many thanks to NetGalley and publisher HQ for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.

Expected: 9 July 2020

The blurb 
Good friends. Bad Choices. No Regrets.

Best friends Stella, Ana and Dixie have always lived life to the full. But now they’re approaching their forties, reality is starting to kill the mood…

Stella loves her children, but misses her glittering career. Plus she can’t even remember the last time she had sex.

Ana is trying for a baby with her partner Rex. So why can’t she stop thinking about the one that got away?

Dixie is the wildest of them all. A Tinder addict who’ll never settle down. But has she accidentally found Mr Right…?

It’s time for the friends to shake things up and start having some fun. Because you only regret the things you don’t do, right?

The Review
This was full of promise - the promise of a fabulously funny and naughty tale of friendship. The story is that of three very different friends as they approach the crossroads of their 40s. My favourite was feisty Stella who adores her children but is struggling with the monotony of being a stay-at-home mum. There's also sensible Ana who's chosen her baby-daddy with her head rather than heart and good-time girl Dixie who may have to re-evaluate after unexpectedly falling for someone.

It started well with the introduction of Stella and her vague and uncomfortable feeling that her children might be better off with a nanny as at least they'd be clean and on time. "Maybe someone else could be a better waitress and Uber driver. These were not her skills." Another hilarious musing was Stella thinking about the constant need to keep tabs on her wandering two-year-old "sometimes she wondered what would happen if she let him go. Would he return in 16 years, all grown up, a veteran of several wars...thankful to Stella for her trust in his abilities, or would he be taken in by social services....thank God Jake (her husband) was a lawyer."

But, then nothing much actually happened. Well that's not strictly true - there was a lot of sex, a little humour (mostly involving Stella) and not a lot else. What did happen was predictable even from the blurb in that Stella gets her mojo back, Ana's drawn to her ex and Dixie settles down. The sex was also a bit much for me. It's not that I'm a prude (well maybe a bit) but I don't need graphic details, preferring subtle suggestion instead, and I like the action to be part of the story, not just there for the sake of it.

So, in my opinion this was sex over substance. I didn't hate it but didn't love it either so a 3.5 stars rounded down from me unfortunately.

The author
Tabitha Webb is a designer, her luxury British brand was launched in 2013, who has now turned her talented hand to writing. Follow @tabithawebbuk to find out more.

REVIEW: The Apartment by KL Slater

I'm pleased to share my review of this addictive, punchy, entertaining psychological thriller by writer K L Slater. Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for giving me the opportunity to read this.

Published: 28 April 2020

The blurb 
Freya Miller needs a miracle. In the fallout of her husband’s betrayal, she’s about to lose her family home, and with it the security she craves for her five-year-old daughter, Skye. Adrift and alone, she’s on the verge of despair until a chance meeting with the charismatic Dr Marsden changes everything.

Adder House sounds too good to be true… But Freya really can’t afford to be cynical, and Dr Marsden is adamant she and Skye will be a perfect fit with the other residents.

But Adder House has secrets. Even behind a locked front door, Freya feels as if she’s being watched: objects moving, unfamiliar smells, the blinking light of a concealed camera… and it’s not long before she begins to suspect that her dream home is hiding a nightmarish reality. Was it really chance that led her here or something unthinkably dark?

The review
This was one if those psychological thrillers that hooks you from the start before building the tension bit by bit towards.....a disappointingly low-key climax. It doesn't really matter though because it's the build up that makes a thriller and that's good enough to overcome any shortcomings at the end.

The plot was simple but gripping involving a luxury apartment complete with creepy neighbours, unexplained happenings and feelings of being watched. These factors combine and build throughout the pages to create a disturbing atmosphere, plenty of suspense and lots to guess at. In particular the interspersion of a mother's journal detailing her son's participation in a psychology experiment in 1902, with the present day account of Freya's residency in the apartment was intriguing.  I was kept guessing until the end how these two seemingly disparate storylines connected.

In terms of the ending, the problem was the lack of thrill factor and feeling that it was rushed/incomplete. For example, the role/significance of the apartment's other residents was never explained, and we were left wondering what had happened to the baby and how the experiment may have affected his life.

Also, whilst I liked that the writing style and book is short and punchy - making it an easy, addictive read - it sadly did mean that majority of the characters didn't have the chance to develop properly so it was difficult to understand their behaviours and motives. That said I did enjoy the mother/daughter relationship between Freya and her five-year-old daughter, along with Skye's childhood innocence.

Overall this was an easy, addictive, entertaining read but one I'd recommend for fans of lighter psychological thrillers.

The author
K. L. Slater is the million-copy bestselling author of nine standalone psychological crime thrillers. Follow @KimLSlater or find out more at klslaterauthor.com

REVIEW: If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane

Bestselling author Mhairi McFarlane returns with another witty romcom. Predictable? Yes but the fabulous writing and characters make this a great read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and publisher Harper Collins UK for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Published: 1 January 2020

The blurb 
If faking love is this easy... how do you know when it’s real?

When her partner of over a decade suddenly ends things, Laurie is left reeling - not only because they work at the same law firm and she has to see him every day. Her once perfect life is in shambles and the thought of dating again in the age of Tinder is nothing short of horrifying. When news of her ex’s pregnant girlfriend hits the office grapevine, taking the humiliation lying down is not an option. Then a chance encounter in a broken-down elevator with the office playboy opens up a new possibility.

Jamie Carter doesn’t believe in love, but he needs a respectable, steady girlfriend to impress their bosses. Laurie wants a hot new man to give the rumor mill something else to talk about. It’s the perfect proposition: a fauxmance played out on social media, with strategically staged photographs and a specific end date in mind. With the plan hatched, Laurie and Jamie begin to flaunt their new couple status, to the astonishment - and jealousy - of their friends and colleagues. But there’s a fine line between pretending to be in love and actually falling for your charming, handsome fake boyfriend... 

The Review
I liked this a lot - mainly because of the author's astute and witty musings. Her style is quite dry, cynical but spot-on, for example "comedy is tragedy plus time." I particularly loved the first part of the book - the break-up of Laurie and her boyfriend of eighteen years - where mutual is defined as "one person has given up and the other person can't persuade them not to." Or "you're like the climber who can't carry their injured mate, so leaves them to die. Do what you need to do but don't pretend it's about anything other than your survival."

That's not to say the second part isn't great too where Laurie and colleague Jamie fake a relationship to get back at her ex and secure a promotion for him. On the surface they're an unlikely match but as their characters (and banter) develop so does their compatibility (and feelings). Predictable yes but utterly satisfying and enjoyable too especially as Jamie is one of those fictional beaus that you end falling for too. Why do real-life guys never life up to the fictional ones?

The only thing I disliked was that it was a real movie style romance, the kind where two people go from meeting to full-on life commitment seemingly within weeks. As such I think the characters should have heeded best friend Emily's advice and not rushed into the happy ever after ending - particularly as it really didn't fit with Jamie's character and would've been better suited to an epilogue.

And, speaking of Emily I liked that this was more than just a romance and also about friendship. Recalling the night she met both Dan, the ex, and Emily for the first time, Laurie says: "Emily? I've realised something....I did meet the love of my love that day. Only it wasn't Dan. You are the love of my life." There's also strong but subtle sub-messaging around equality and diversity, particularly in the workplace.

Predictable plot but the fabulous writing and characters make this a great read.

The author
Mhairi McFarlane's debut novel, the romantic comedy 'You Had Me At Hello', was an instant hit upon being published in December 2012. She's since written four others including this one.


Follow @MhairiMcF on Twitter or find out more at www.mhairimcfarlane.com

REVIEW: Safe by SK Barnett

Here's my review of a dark psychological thriller written under a pseudonym. Warning this won't be for everyone due to the nature of the content.

Many thanks to NetGalley and publisher Random House UK for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.

Expected: 11 June 2020

The blurb 
A kidnapped girl survived twelve nightmarish years. Now she's safely back home . . . or is she?

Jenny Kristal was six years old when she was snatched off the sidewalk from her quiet suburban neighborhood. Twelve years later, she's miraculously returned home after escaping her kidnappers— but as her parents and younger brother welcome her back, the questions begin to mount. Where has she been all these years? Why is she back now? And is home really the safest place for her or for any of them?

The Review
I really wish books came with some sort of classification rating similar to films to give an idea of the content and help you choose what's right for you and avoid what's not. Without wanting to spoil the plot, this book had a heavy theme of sexual child abuse - when I say heavy it wasn't overtly graphic but it was the main theme and it was constant throughout. I read on but for me personally it was uncomfortable reading at times and not a book I would've chosen had I been pre-warned.

That said if you can get past that it's a good read and plot. It's an interesting concept of what happens when a now grown-up child is reunited with their family after being abducted twelve years earlier. But, is she actually safe back home and/or are her family safe from her? There's plenty of twists and turns and with each answer comes just as many new questions. You would never guess from the beginning where/how this was going to end up.

The author
SK Barnett is a pseudonym for a New York Times bestselling author whose previous book was turned into a major motion picture.