We Just Clicked is a feel-good romcom read with all the ups and downs you’d expect. When Izzy and Luke concoct a plan to have a fake relationship to become Instagram famous, never in her wildest dreams did Izzy expect to fall in love for real. Faced with a choice between her dream career and true love, Izzy doesn’t always get it right and it’s an enjoyable ride following her story.
If you’re a fan of Sophie Kinsella or Lindsay Kelk, you’ll like this!
Genre: chicklit
4/5⭐️
It Ends With Us is a story that will stay with me for a while. It’s a romance and a love story that explores all the complexities that can be found in a relationship. Colleen Hoover doesn’t take you on a journey, she drags you there and you feel every bit of the passion, longing, hope and pain that her characters do.
At times, it’s not an easy read and there’s no glossing over the ugly side of love but it’s definitely a book that will make you feel a mixed bag of emotions. You’ll find this hard to put down.
Genre: Women’s fiction
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Blood Orange is a domestic thriller with all the intrigue, build-up and twists you’d expect from this type of book. The novel is well written and plausible with plenty to get your teeth stuck into and have you turning the pages, especially towards the end where the pace picks up. There is a fair amount of legal detail in the book (which I assume is accurate given the writer’s background) and at times it did feel a little sluggish reading through these parts but they did give the storyline credibility. I imagine this could be a huge draw to many readers.
The stickers on the cover compare the book to The Girl on The Train and Apple Tree Yard which are fair except I didn’t find it quite as pacy as THOTT but it does have you flying through the pages towards the end.
Parts of the novel were quite uncomfortable and the characters not very likeable as you would expect. This along with the nuanced detail created a subtle yet dark atmosphere.
Blood Orange is a neat book that ties up the loose ends perfectly. Whilst you might see the twists coming, it is a good read that’s bound to have you turning the pages.
Genre: Domestic thriller
Rating: 3.5/5⭐️
The Second Chance Hotel is a truly heartwarming novel that will give you all the feels. Shady Pines is the perfect setting to lose yourself in for a few hours as a reader, especially at this time of uncertainty. I loved that main character April followed in her mum’s footsteps and chose Shady Pines as her place to start again after her marriage ended.
I really bought into April’s story and admired her strength to move on and I found myself genuinely rooting for her happiness. All the characters, (especially Cillian and Orla) were wonderful and I was pulled into Martha’s story which added a really sweet, traditionally romantic dimension to the story.
There was plenty of Dove wit, laughs as well as some poignant moments too which made the perfect balance. It’s the perfect feel-good book to curl up with this summer.
Rating: 5/5⭐️
The Lie tells the story of ‘Jane’ five years after a horrific, life-changing event. Secrets from the past start to unfurl and Jane is unsure how. As she tries to determine what is going on, her past seems to be gaining on her at a much quicker rate in what becomes a battle between past and present.
The story is structured in past and present with the chapters flitting between the two. Both have wildly different settings; a commune in Nepal and an animal sanctuary in Bude. This helps pacing as you’re often left on a cliffhanger but have to read a chapter or two before you discover the outcome. I found the Nepal chapters a little harder to get into, but that’s the part of the story where most of the drama and tension occurs so this part of the story does pick up and is worth sticking with.
Overall, it’s an easy, enjoyable read that grips you tighter towards the end. Recommend.
Genre: thriller
Rating: 4/5⭐️
The Hopes and Dreams of Libby Quinn is a sweet romance, which tells the story of Bookworm Libby’s dream of owning a bookshop becoming reality. Along the way there are relationship / friendship troubles but nothing too bad it gets in the way of Libby realising her dream.
It’s a cosy story and despite a few ups and downs it ebbs and flows quite gently. It’s well written and provides some great escapism but won’t necessarily have you racing through the pages.
Genre: Contemporary romance
Rating: 4/5⭐️
I do love Dawn O’Porter’s edgy brand of chicklit. There’s always a great balance of humour, diversity and shocking scenarios and this was no exception.
The Cows is a strange combination of light chicklit that pushes you out of your comfort zone. Some small elements are as dark as something you’d find in a twisty thriller.
I enjoyed the book on the whole and thought the ending was well wrapped up. I didn’t see everything coming which was a bonus.
I did have some negative thoughts which I’ll address below:
The whole ‘incident’ for me didn’t work. I’m all for a bit of scandal and creative licence, but I don’t think the aftermath played out in a way that seemed plausible. It seemed quite odd how the character justified her actions and I don’t think it worked as a device to empower women at all but that’s my opinion.
The act was wrong for a person of any gender and the way it was deemed a ‘silly moment’ was quite jarring. I ‘get’ the message and the comparison to Hugh Grant and his infamous incident, but there’s a difference between being in your car and the London tube and I don’t think the message translates.
‘Women don’t need to apologise for being sexual’ is true, but they do need to apologise for indecent exposure and these lines are so blurred in the book, they don’t exist.
Having said that, I was engaged with the rest of the story, Stella and her quest, Cam and her strong-minded and often un-popular attitude and Tara’s career / love story and foibles of being a single parent. I still liked the book even if I disliked one element (plus the excessive plate smashing but that’s a tiny thing).
Genre: chicklit
Rating: 4/5
Follow my mini reviews on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/daydreamreaderx
I love Joanna Cannon’s quirky and colourful use of language and her wonderful character development. This was no exception.
The secrets and interwoven stories kept my interest as did the overriding mystery of the missing neighbour Mrs Creasy. It’s a light read with plenty to get your teeth into and you soon find yourself engrossed in not just a ‘whodunnit but a what-happened’.
The perspective was a brave choice – a grown-up world through the eyes of children but cleverly executed and I loved the poignancy of the title and how it resonated throughout the text.
Three Things About Elsie remains my favourite book from this author but this was a really nice coming-of-age read and I’d definitely recommend it.
Genre: Fiction / coming-of-age
Rating: 4.5/5⭐️
My Year of Saying No, in true Maxine Morrey style, is an uplifting and heartwarming read. Lottie is a sweet heroine with a kind heart and Seb is just perfect. The slow-burn romance is so satisfying, especially when the two finally realise (after several ups and downs) what we knew all along.
I loved the idea of Saying no to things you don’t really want to do, it seems quite freeing. I also loved Humphrey the rescue dog!
A wonderful read.
Genre: Romcom / chicklit
Rating: 5/5⭐️
I’m a huge fan of Jane Fallon’s books and have read most of them so I was super excited to discover she has a new book coming out soon.
Queen Bee is a story of the haves and have-nots. The contrast in lifestyles of the wealthy and those struggling to make ends meet is clear. The characters are colourful and lively and Jane has an eye for observation. I did feel there was some stereotyping and cliques but it is a light read so that’s to be expected.
The story follows Laura, the owner of a small cleaning business, who manages to find herself embroiled in the scandal of the rich. There’s a mystery to solve, secrets to spill and lives to shatter so in theory, it has all the makings of a juicy chicklit. Unfortunately, for some reason, I wasn’t as drawn into the story as I hoped. Laura perhaps seemed a little self-riotous and I didn’t always think she behaved any better than Stella, the spoilt rich trophy wife whose husband had a secret. Towards the end, the story picked up and I found myself more invested in the outcome. I did find the ‘one year later’ section cram packed with story that I would have liked to see unfold and developed (or possibly not included at all) but that’s just my opinion. There’s lots to love about this book – it’s witty and a great insight into how the other half live.
Genre: chick lit
Rating: 3/5⭐️
DaydreamReader 