The Second Chance Hotel – Rachel Dove

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 – C. L. Taylor

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 – Freya Kennedy

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⭐️

The Cows – Dawn O’Porter

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

The Trouble With Goats and Sheep – Joanna Cannon

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 – Maxine Morrey

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⭐️

Queen Bee – Jane Fallon

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⭐️

Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë

What a wild ride that was. Admittedly, I don’t read many classics. I love Contemporary stories and prefer contemporary language for ease of escapism purposes, but I did love Jane Eyre. It’s an epic story with many modern parallels, which I didn’t expect.

I’m also thrilled to finally have the opportunity to use one of my favourite Friends’ quotes in a review:

Rachel: “Uh, thank you Phoebe. Umm, well, what struck me most when reading Jane Eyre was uh, how the book was so ahead of its time.”

The Teacher: “If you’re talking about feminism, I think you’re right.”

Rachel: “Yeah, well, feminism yes, but also the robots.”

Obviously there are no robots, but I was struck by the strength of mind Jane has and her role in female empowerment at a time way before the suffragette movement – I mean, (amongst other things) she saves Rochester’s life, chooses dignity over love and is super generous with her inheritance – she’s a true heroine comparable to any of modern times.

But as his wife—at his side always, and always restrained, and always checked—forced to keep the fire of my nature continually low, to compel it to burn inwardly and never utter a cry, though the imprisoned flame consumed vital after vital—this would be unendurable.

The underlying themes of oppression and misogyny also highlight the plight of women during the era and I feel these are much stronger elements than the love story itself and Jane’s ability to see through all of this is wonderful. For instance there is a suggestion that a woman’s desire for love shouldn’t impede her sense of self.

I love a strong female lead and Jane Eyre is certainly that!

Genre: classics / romance / gothic

Rating: 5/5⭐️

The School of Starting Over – Lisa Swift

The School of Starting over was my first Lisa Swift book and I absolutely fell in love with it. It’s a feel-good book, which indulges you in all the wholesome warm and cosies you could want from a romance. The characters are a lively, eclectic bunch and there is plenty of humour from main and supporting cast members. I was invested in their stories and really rooted for them,especially since some of the issues they face are much deeper than expected.

I have to give a special mention to Xander who is the perfect, unassuming hero (ahhh, hearty-eyes).

The plot had me hooked; there was drama, secrets and a little bit of mystery throughout!

Once thing I loved was how deep the author dug for a popular reference that was probably less mainstream than most – I had a few ‘oh my god I remember that’ moments!

All in all there was nothing to dislike about this book (other than having to put it down at the end). If heartwarming, contemporary romance with laughs and feels is your thing; it’s a must-read!

Genre: Contemporary romance / Romantic comedy

Rating: 5/5

Follow me on Twitter to stay up to date with reviews @DaydreamReaderX or Instagram for bitesize reviews @daydreamreaderx

Getting Dirty – Rachael Stewart

Getting Dirty, in true Racheal Stewart style, is a sizzling romance that grips you from the outset. I loved the main characters socialite Coco and private investigator Ash. Their first meeting was so hot it should have come with a warning – the chemistry jumped off the page.

It wasn’t all about passion though, there was a deeper story at the core and I really enjoyed Coco’s complex family and her personal journey as well as Ash’s internal conflict of heart v work. I really bought into their stories and rooted for them. The ending was so perfect that I’d have cheered if I wasn’t sat in the hairdressers!

Genre: hot romance

Rating:5/5🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥