‘The fabulously addictive new novel from No. 1 bestselling author Sheila O'Flanagan. When high-flying journalist Sheridan Gray loses her job, her boyfriend and her flat, she knows she must pick herself up and make a new start. But how will she adjust to small-town living and local reporting? Meanwhile, home-loving Nina Fallon's life is shattered when the exploits of her actor husband become national news. Now she's avoiding friends as she runs Ardbawn's guesthouse on her own. When Sheridan moves into Ardbawn, she realises Nina holds the key to a story that will make her name as a reporter again. But as she gets closer to the truth, Sheridan risks jeopardising her relationship with the man she has come to love. Is she better off going it alone? Or is love the greatest prize of all?’

Desperate for work, unemployed Dublin-based sports journalist Sheridan takes a job at a small-town newspaper. Looking for somewhere to stay, she moves into a guest house run by Nina, whose soap star husband has just been caught cheating on her by the national press. Sheridan doesn’t find adjusting to her new life easy, and she struggles to control her journalistic impulses when she uncovers a huge story. The scoop would be great for her career but will hurt Joe, a local man Sheridan thinks she could be falling in love with.

I had high hopes for this light read, but found that couldn’t really bond with Sheridan. At times she appeared to be the absolute opposite of what I look for in a heroine, her general lack of scruples as well as how unfeminine she could be put me off her. I did feel sorry for her always playing second fiddle to her sport star brothers though.

As for Joe, Sheridan’s love interest – well, he seemed nice enough, if a little dull, but what really got to me was that the author never gave them a chance to actually get to know each other! Sheridan gazes at him, has a couple of very short chats with him and all of a sudden he’s the only one for her and the only man she’s ever loved! I just really couldn’t bring myself to care what happened to them as a couple.

On the plus side, the writing was pretty good, and the book kept a decent pace. I liked Sheridan’s co-workers at the local paper, who seemed a colourful bunch, but felt they could have been made more of -  sometimes it’s the clever use of entertaining secondary characters that really makes a novel special.

Nina’s storyline was engrossing, and I liked how I was kept guessing whether or not she’d take her awful husband back until the very end of the story. Her independence was inspiring as was the fact that she didn’t let the fact that she found herself suddenly single after many years of marriage get her down.

‘Better Together’ was a book that, despite a very promising blurb, didn’t really live up to expectations for me. I usually enjoy a small town setting in a novel, but in this case it seemed a little bland. None of the colourful characters that I hoped for materialised, and there didn’t even seem to be particularly inspiring setting to add a bit of atmosphere. In fact, I’m afraid to say I got a little bored about halfway through, there just really wasn’t quite enough to keep my interest.

3 stars

_'Two sisters…two very different lives. Alison’s American dream is in tatters. Her highflying career is on the skids in the financial meltdown. Her Upper East Side apartment is now way beyond her means . But pride prevents her from telling her family back home just how bad things are. Olivia is fraught trying to juggle family, career, preparations for Christmas and organize a surprise party for their mother’s seventieth birthday. How she envies, and sometimes resents, her sister Alison and her life of excitement and affluence in New York.

Coming home is the last thing Alison wants to do, especially now that she’s met a rather attractive, sexy, down to earth neighbour who doesn’t believe in ‘non exclusive dating’ unlike her wealthy boyfriend, Jonathan. But family ties are strong. Alison and Olivia sort their differences, the party throws up a few surprises and Christmas brings changes for Alison that she could never have imagined before coming home.'

‘Coming Home For Christmas’ begins with recently jobless Alison leaving her fancy two bedroom apartment and moving into a more reasonably priced studio. She’s finding this and the loss of her extremely well-paid job hard enough to deal with, without having to fly back to her family home in Ireland for her mother’s seventieth birthday celebrations –  where everyone will want to know all about her fancy New York life and her high powered career. About the only thing lifting her out of her slump is her sexy new neighbour, JJ.

Meanwhile in Ireland, Alison’s sister, Olivia, is resenting her role looking after everyone. Why should she be stuck caring for their aging parents and uncle whilst Alison swans around living her glamorous, worry-free life in New York? Running around after her own three children and working is more than enough. Add to this the pressure of organising a surprise party for her mother’s birthday and Olivia is close to boiling point.

When Alison arrives home the family element of the book really kicks in as she finds herself surrounded by love and enjoying the familiarities of a proper Christmas, something which she hasn’t experienced for a very long time. Maybe this is just the place that Alison needs to be whilst she works out what, and where, to go next in her life, and even rebuild her relationship with her sister.

The story was very sweet and had a warm, family feel to it, although I have to admit that the religious element of the novel came as quite as surprise to me; especially as it seemed to come out of nowhere in the middle of the book, but as it’s a book set around Christmas time I suppose it shouldn’t have been entirely unexpected.  The Christmas theme led to some beautifully written scenes of the family preparing for the festive season, with the relationship between the grandparents and grandchildren depicted particularly well: the perfect combination of the children’s excitement, and the grandparents’ pride and happiness in sharing the family traditions.

Alison was probably my favourite character in the book: I loved reading about her life in America and I felt that her lethargy and sadness after losing her job was particularly well described. It’s probably because I’d enjoyed the New York section of the book so much that I felt that a little something was missing when Alison arrives in Ireland – possibly it was because JJ was no longer playing much of a role so the romance element was diminished. I really wanted their relationship to move forward and thoroughly enjoyed JJ’s character – and can more than understand why Alison likes him: he’s funny, manly, and, unlike her last boyfriend, isn’t bothered about how much money Alison makes.

I didn’t, however, feel as warmly towards the other male characters in the story: Alison and Olivia’s father, Liam, and Olivia’s husband, Michael. Liam is supposed to find it hard to tell his wife that he loves her and dislikes ‘mushy’ stuff, yet happily joins in with the baking – which didn’t really seem to fit his character. As for Michael, he’s barely in the book despite the fact that he’s so important to Olivia’s life and happiness.

I must be a very annoying reader for writers to try to cater for because I always have a very clear idea of how I want the ending of a book to go – and I can get quite irate if the characters don’t do what I want! This was very definitely the case with this book; I don’t want to give too much away, but the book is supposed to be about two sisters and I felt that one was very definitely left out at the end.

All in all, I did find this a pleasant read, and very suitable for the festive season, although it certainly isn’t the best, or the most memorable, book I’ve ever read and I did feel let down by the ending. I’d be interested in reading more of Scanlan’s work, particularly her longer novels (this was only about 250 pages long) in which, I imagine, the secondary characters would be written in greater depth.

3 stars

‘One night, when a strange red moon fills the sky, six school girls find themselves in an abandoned theme park, drawn there by a mysterious force. A student has just been found dead. Everyone suspects suicide. Everyone - except them. In that derelict fairground an ancient prophecy is revealed. They are The Chosen Ones, a group of witches, bound together by a power, one which could destroy them all. But they soon learn that despite their differences they need each other in order to master the forces that have been awakened within them. High school is now a matter of life and death. Because the killing has only just begun.’

After the sudden death, suspected suicide, of one of their fellow students, six school girls discover they are witches, chosen ones, each with particular and individual powers.  Their lives, and those of all around them, depend on them being able to put aside their differences and somehow work together to defeat a very powerful and mysterious evil.

Translated into 21 languages, ‘The Circle’ is the first of a trilogy that has caused quite a stir, particularly in Nordic countries, and has received many fantastic reviews; but unfortunately, I must admit I wasn’t immediately enamoured, in fact it took me a little while to properly get into this book and to get all the characters clear in my head.

Having said this, I did find that the multiple points of view useds worked quite well once I’d properly established who was who, and ensured that the reader really gets inside the characters’ heads. In fact, I liked seeing how these girls, who were all very different to each other and never normally interacted, dealt with having to work together and rely upon one another completely: it’s definitely not always plain sailing. I was impressed that the author manages to make all the heroines individuals without completely resorting to stereotypes.

Despite the supernatural elements in the young adult tale, I liked how realistic the young stars’ lives and problems were. It’s certainly gritty in places, and there’s absolutely no sugar-coating: the book contains pretty gruesome murders, drugs and sex, and as such I would only recommend to older teenagers.

A couple of the highlights of this book for me were the delightful Swedish settiing and the very high quality of the translation. There were also a couple of nice little twists to the story, but I found that I waited, and waited and waited for the big climax, and was a little disappointed by what transpired.

This trilogy already has a massive following, which I’m sure will continue to grow. Whilst it wasn’t necessarily my cup of tea, I could definitely appreciate it for what it was and I’ll be reading the further parts of this series.

3 stars

‘Three glamorous actresses gliding through a life lived on the silver screen. One Hollywood Blockbuster. An intricate web of passionate pasts, addictions, lovers and secrets, perfect for fans of Lesley Lokko and Adriana Trigiani. Rose Nightingale is an Australian actress still recovering from a bad marriage. Sapphira De Mont is the world,s most beautiful movie star, but hides a secret addiction and a broken heart. Calypso Gable is a young star on the rise trying to escape her mum-manager,s clutches. As they come together on set in the Italian hills, they find out more about one another - and about themselves - than they ever thought possible. An intricate web of passionate pasts, addictions, lovers and secrets, perfect for fans of Lesley Locko and Adriana Trigiani.’

When the three famous actresses Rose Nightingale, Sapphira De Mont and Calypso Gable come together to film a movie in Italy, their unexpected experiences change their lives forever.

First up is Rose, who appears to have it all, but is lonely following her divorce and fiercely protective of a secret from her past. Then there’s the extremely beautiful Sapphiral, a woman careful to keep everyone at a distance, and for good reason. The last of our trio is Calypso, a young actress in awe of her co-stars, hoping to use the trip to escape her controlling mother. Love, revelations and new friendship await the ladies as they head off on their Italian adventure.

Forster’s narrative was fast-paced and light with a nice mix of heroines, meaning there was something for everyone. I was, however, a little surprised at the relatively small amount of interaction between the female leads: the author clearly chooses to focus on romantic relationships rather than friendships

Obviously these protagonists aren’t your average run-of-the-mill girls next door, and a lot of what happens to them is far more glamorous than most people’s realities. I didn’t have a problem with this at all, and actually would have quite enjoyed it, if it hadn’t been for Sapphira’s ending. Not wanting to give any spoilers, but her finale was just so irresponsible given what she’d been through, that I didn’t feel it could in any way be considered the happy ever after Forster is obviously aiming for.

Also, each of the leads treated the men in their lives completely appallingly in my opinion, and what disappointed me was that their actions seemed, in the story at least, to be considered completely acceptable. A prime example was Calpyso’s desertion of the man who loves her, and refusal to even answer his calls, until that is she wants him back and then he’s expected to fall in line. And unbelievably he does!

If you’re willing to embrace the fantasy completely, and allow yourself to be taken in by the exciting and entertaining storyline, then you should enjoy this novel. Whilst not perhaps the most original or thought-provoking of books, ‘The Perfect Location’ is a very light, but absorbing read, great for on the beach or to make a long journey pass quickly.

3 stars
 

‘What has happened to Ingrid? Beautiful Ingrid inherits a fortune. She leaves her friends Julia and Ralph, who loves her, to marry the cold and intellectual Gil Grey and start a life amid the New York art scene. At 9 a.m. on September 11, 2001, she has a downtown appointment with her financial advisor. And is never seen again. A year later Ralph, heartbroken and sick, sends Julia to New York to piece together Ingrid's life away from them. Nothing will prepare Julia for what she ultimately discovers.’

When a beautiful young Australian woman named Ingrid inherits a large amount of money, she moves to New York and swiftly gets married. She leads what to many appears to be a charmed life. But Ingrid suddenly vanishes on September 11th, 2001, and it’s up to her old friends, Julia and Ralph, to discover the truth about her disappearance.

‘The Legacy’ is based on Henry James’ ‘Portrait of a Lady’, and I enjoyed spotting the many similarities between the two works.

The story is primarily narrated by Julia, who unfortunately, is the least interesting of the three protagonists. The short prologue, the only part of the story narrated by Ingrid, gave plenty of hints as to what to expect, and also lets the reader into the secret of the physical abuse in Ingrid’s marriage, which neither Julia nor Ralph know anything about.

The background of the friendship between the main characters is explored in careful detail, and so, whilst everything is not necessarily always easy between the three, the reader can really understand why Julia and Ralph aren’t able to rest until they discover the truth. However, I wasn’t able to form a bond with any of the main characters and it was perhaps because of this that the book felt a little laboured: I really didn’t care what had happened to Ingrid.

Ingrid is so beautiful and enigmatic that her friends are more than a little in awe of her. Of course, as Ingrid isn’t actually present for a large part of the book the author had a big challenge on her hands making sure that the reader gets enough of the heroine to understand the hold she has over her friends, and in particular why Ralph, who is quite clearly gay, falls in love with her. I’m not sure that this was quite achieved.

In terms of the actually quality of the writing, ‘The Legacy’ was a very accomplished work, particularly as its Kristen Tranter’s debut. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the New York art scene. However, despite it being very well-written, the book was slow and very hard to get into. It takes nearly 200 pages to get to Ingrid’s disappearance, which was surely supposed to be the story’s focus. I found it impossible to connect with the characters, which spoilt the story for me, but I liked the connection with Henry James – this was original and very well done.

3 stars

_'The story opens with newly married protagonists, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy, defending their village from an army of flesh-eating unmentionables. But the honeymoon has barely begun when poor Mr. Darcy is nipped by a raging dreadful. Elizabeth knows the only acceptable course of action is to promptly behead her husband (and then burn the corpse, just to be safe). But when she hears rumours of a miracle antidote being developed in London, she realizes there may be one last chance to save her true love – and for everyone to live happily ever after. In ‘Dreadfully Ever After’ we find all our favourite ‘Pride and Prejudice’ characters reunited – but instead of sitting around sewing and daintily drinking tea, they hunt and kill zombies.'

The novel is the conclusion to the ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ series. When we join the story, Lizzy and Darcy have been married for four years and Lizzy is still finding it hard to adjust to the life of a noble’s wife, a role far removed from and incompatible with her old Shaolin warrior lifestyle. Indeed, she misses killing zombies so much that she still carries her parasol/sword around with her, ever hopeful of a zombie attack in which she’s forced to use it to defend herself.  And in fact, it’s during such an attack that Darcy is bitten by one of the undead.  There’s no known cure and Lizzy knows that the sensible thing to do would be to cut off his head before the change becomes complete. However, desperate to save her husband, Lizzy enlists the help of her old adversary Lady Catherine who claims to know of a cure in London.  Lizzy heads to the metropolis with Kitty, Mary and her father, but will they find the treatment, if it even exists, before Darcy is beyond its help?

I love ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and have read it many, many times! I’m not generally so keen on zombies however, but I was very interested to see how the two would combine. I haven’t read either of the two other titles in the series (‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ and ‘Dawn of the Dreadfuls’), but this did nothing to affect my enjoyment: I was quickly up to speed with the plot.

‘Dreadfully Ever After’ really is something very different to anything that I’d normally read, and I was surprised to discover that I quite enjoyed it – I’d definitely read the others in the series. Whilst you could never say that the characters were accurate to Austen, they did at least possess the basic characteristics and it really added an appealing twist to a zombie story to have them in it. The actual idea of zombies going crazy is of course also nothing new, but setting it in this period and having the characters trained in the fighting arts made it far more interesting.

It was very good to see Kitty and Mary getting a little romantic attention, and it was great to see Kitty coming into her own as a character instead of just being Lydia’s sidekick. I was though a little disappointed in Mr Bennett: he’s so fantastic in the Jane Austen novel – quick, witty and with many a brilliant rejoinder; the same character presented here was far less remarkable and seemed to melt into the background at times.

I’m not sure that the book is completely honest to regency England, but as it’s an alternative England with the undead romping about all over the place we’ll let it go shall we? The point of a book like this is to entertain, not to give a history lesson.

I dare say that some might believe that Austen would turn in her grave if she read this, but actually, I think she’d probably see the funny side and might just end up enjoying it.

P.S. If you thought the original Lady Catherine was scary, try her as a trained killer with an army of Ninjas working for her!

3 stars