Here's looking at you by Mhairi Mcfarlane

This is the first book I have read by thins author as it was a Xmas present.

I found this book very easy to read and found myself reading this book in a couple of days if you like chic lit them it is just down your street...

In this book we meet Anna Alessi who is an history expert who is looking for mister right to have some Mills and Boons moments with , we catch up with her when her dates are getting wired and wired by the day , but all in all Anna is happy she has a job she loves doing and her life is ten times better than it was when she was in school which she try's and forgets everyday but something scared her for life will she ever be able to let it go !!!!!!

So when is goes to her school reunion she has been dreading  but she has changed so much since school that no one recognises who she is , especially James Fraser her school crash who hurt her the most, but when she runs out of the reunion she thought that she will never have to see anyone again until she is  paired up with James Fraser on a project for her university !!!!!!!!

But is not the hot shot he was at school but he is in a great job but could be doing a lot better and his wife has left him for a young model ........

Through the book you see they get closer and closer together on every page you are on tender hooks  to is feels the past comes to the surface and James will find out who Anna really is but you will have to read the book to find out if they both find a happy ever after .

A winter flame by Milly Johnson

I know it's summer and this has winter in the title but it was my next book to read in my pile and I adore Milly's books.

This  book is based around chirstmas but is a fabulous read any time of the year......

In this book we meet Evie she have like chirstmas from when her mother crashed the father chirstmas dream ( p.s he is real !!!!!!!!) and even more when her fiancé who went to war was killed on chirstmas day so she blocks everyone and everything chirstmas out of her life . That's until her aunt dies and leaves half a theme park to her and another partner and her wishes for it to be a chirstmas park !!!!!!!!

Evie knows nothing about the other partner but the more she learns the more she feels that her aunt was tricked into handing it over .

Evie has her own business running events so she keeps her self busy and has not time for family or grieving but she has family that still ove her even she has pushed her self into work and forgotten the real world and her cousin Voilet from the white wedding book who owns her own ice cream shop in town who fell in love with a lover man after findin herself trapped in a one side  relationship. ( no more spoiler just in case you have not read that book if not it's a must ).

So when Evie is given this oppuntity to run this park of nightmares she finds herself turning to Voilet for advice and guidance  to dealing with the other partner the very handsome Jacques Glacé  and he is not what he seems in Evie's eyes plus he loves chirstmas and made a promise to Evie Aunt that he when put her plans in motion the more Evie pushing Jacques the more he pushes the Chirstams button.

Being force to work with Jacques and dealing with the theme of the park Evie finds herself fighting within herself of finally letting her dead fiancé go and let someone new in as well has giving chirstmas another go.

I have said to much no more spoilers especially if you have not read the book yet so go and get a copy and read it ...

Another outstanding 10/10 from Milly Johnson you will not be disappointed when reading her books looking forward to the next one ..

The Beach Cafe by Lucy Diamond

This is the first book from this author that I have read, but so many of  my fellow bloggers have had preview copies and loved it so I had to hunt it down and read it for myself !!!!

With a new author it takes me a good couple of chapters in to know if I'm going to like it but with this book I was hooked from page one ..

In this book we meet Evie Flynn she is a dreamer and sometimes a drifter from place to place and job to job not like her over achieving sisters which make her the black sheep of the family and they do not let her forget it  even thou she has been settle for a while with boyfriend Matthew and his son they see every other weekend who Evie  loves it bits  and stays in a temp job from hell and is being pushed from all sides into teacher training.

so when Evie Aunt Louise dies and leaves her the beach cafe everyone is in shock  especially Evie . at first she hasn't decided what to do  it she bows down to pressure more everyone to call an estate agent to get heads up on the beach cafe  is worth but shortly decides not to sell when she finds out that it won't stay the beach cafe and that who ever buys it could just knock it down and build on the land she has so many brat memories of Louise and the beach cafe so she quits her job and heads down to see what's what....

From the minuet she arrives they is trouble brewing as the cafe is in a small beach village the word as got around she is selling up before she has had a chance to work at it . When she finally arrives at the cafe all the memories come flooding back she had to make this work but the staff are pants , stock going missing and the cafe is not even busy as it should and most of all there is no cake aunt Louise  always had cake . Evie soon gets her hand in even thou she is the worst cook in the world and the place starts to look and feel better. Evie lists Annie Louise dearest friend  to all the baking for the cafe as her cakes are to die for which will bring back old customers  with a cuppa and great slice of cake  which is how she remembers her aunt Louise and the beach cafe the most.

Just when Evie gets things back under control with the cafe she heads back to the real world and a new temp job and Matthew, but it's not long before she gets a call that all has gone wrong and she needs to head back down again and she quits her job again and getting this one pass Matthew wasn't going to be easy, but he lets her go Ashe knows where her heart  so she as a another shock in as many months but this make Evie realising that she didn't really love Matthew bout she loved being a step mum to Saul more . So she packs up with her best friend in tow  she heads to beach cafe for a new life !!!

once she down they and she knows what she wants in life  she finds her grove and the beach gets back on the map and is busy 24/7 with the up of the mystery Ed who is also a local newbie and lends a hand in the kitchen till she finds a new chef. Everything is falling into place  Evie is also helping a young homeless girl  that reminds her of herself and finds she doing what Aunt Louise did for her but that's where my spoilers  end  you will have to buy the book and find out the ending ......

I really enjoyed reading this new author and will be adding to my reading wish list for more books .

A Cottage by the Sea by Carol Matthews

OMG the more I read. Carol Mathews  books the more the bigger fan I become become if you love chick lit then this is a author not to be missed. I fell in love with this book after a few pages in and found it very hard to put down!!!!! Thank goodness for the World Cup final.

In this book that you will get hooked from page one we meet Grace who has been friends with Ellen and Flick since University an they friendship has stood the test of time . so when Ellen invites them down to her family cottage by the welsh sea  they jump at the chance of all three of them together for a whole week, but Grace's husband Harry is not frilled at the holiday as he is a sun worshiper and. Like to be waited on hand and foot so he does nothing but relax. Grace hope this holiday brings them back together as they are falling part from each other.

When they arrive from a long and painful journey  Grace can't wait to catch up with Ellen and her band managed boyfriend Art who is also staying for a week . Once Harry gets over the shock that's no phone coverage or no TWITTER to Grace's delight  he founds he gets on with Art as they a common ground the love of drinking and Harry has brought a whole winery in his boot of his Bentley. So on the Que. Ellen takes Grace on a beach tour while they wait for Flick and what an entrance she makes with her new boyfriend in toe , Noah which put's Harry's back up and makes Grace's heart melt  which you find out later in the book.....

Through the book it starts to break down into three relationships of Grace and Harry's marriage  now they spend more time in the cottage the more Grace fears that they are very different people and this holiday will change her life for ever.

Then there is Ellen and Art long distance relationship will they spilt or stay strong as they want different things .

Then there is. Flick who has her fair share of men is this turkey the one for her!!!!!!

This book is additive  and there's so much more I could write about his book (spoilers ) but if you have not read then go and get a copy you will not be disappointed .

And I so hope that they is a follow up book as these characters Can so tell more story's and have you giggling in your seat x

Summer Loving by Allie Spencer

A friend both me this book as she knows I love to read!!!!!! So I must confess this is the first book I have read from this author. I'm so glad I did as it was a ball from start to finish with Abba playing in my head while reading Mama Mia all over again.

The book is set around four friends heading on a girls holiday of sun, Sea and partying !!!!
So when they arrive they holiday takes a different turn of events.

So me meet Beth, Kirstein, Anna and Ginny, they all land on the Greek island of Liminaki hoping to all have fun and forget all they troubles  for a few weeks .

Beth is running away from a business she lost and job that leaves her no time for a life, but maanges to have a boyfriend Jack who she loves but is not the love of her life like Nick was who Ginny took from her many years ago so this holiday is all about getting her head back on straight , but when she is involved in near fatal accident in the sea by the evil hatch man which seems to keep bumping into on the island but doesn't realise she has fallen for him at first sight but keeps any emotions close to her heart.

Kirsten who is the best friends with Beth more than Anna and Ginny and puts act on through out they stay so she doesn't have to deal with being fired and living in the states with the love of her life Nate if they no job she will be sent home !!!!!!!!

Ginny should be happy as she is the only one with a ring on her finger has she keeps reminding the group through out the holiday but is she really happy as she seems and how long can she keep this high maintance party girl act up for ......

Now we come to Anna who is not hiding anything from anyone but has a crush on the waiter Nick, who family own the local tavern they all eat all through out the holiday will she make her move or not ??????

Through out this book they are loveable characters and great story but also tells that you should share your troubles with your friends and not hidden away.

Also will all four girls leave or stay with they love of they lives .

This book had me in giggles , angry and tears  it was pure fun and can't wait to read more from this author .

The Playgroup by Jenny Fraser

Well I have missed being chick lit world after reading some different gene and this book brought me back to what I love best.
This is the first book I have read by this author and so glad I did and will looking out for further books.
So so related to this as being a mother of two girls and my youngest will starting in this year into pre school and I will be the mother with the child that screams don't leave me !!!!! But I also have worked in a school to so I reacted to the main characters Gemma and Joe.
Gemma is the Playgroup leader and this her first year and so ready for this but seems to keep hitting hurdles in the form of Joe Balls the new head of reception they both have different approaches to teaching  but over time they come round to each other ideas and get on the same path. Both characters have pasts in ex husbands and wives so I left that spoiler out as it needs to be read . The book also hits a subject of  mothers with different issues with parenting shows that friendships are the best support and advice ..
If you are a mother or teacher in a school and have not read this book then you should as you will not be able to put it down..

Succession by Living Michael

I was very lucky to sent this lovely book from Penguin to review and I glad they did this is the first book I have read by this author and I was hooked from page one if you like the White Queen and the Game of Thrones then you love this book.
This book is based round the war of the roses and two strong female characters which make this story easy to read and fall into .
The first is Margaret of Aryou a French princess sent across the waters to marry Henry VI I really felt for this character being young and sent away stripped from family, friends and everything she has know into a world of the unknown, I felt the author had wrote this with great feeling and understanding of the time .
  The second character is Margaret Beaufort is the strongest character by the age of thirteen and before her death is married one more time !!!!! Margaret's Beaufort is the mother of Herry VII.
Through out the book both women fight for position and they sons to become king if England.

I loved this book from start to finish and is another book that has open my eyes to a different gene.