Romance-Comedy || "Hens Reunited" by Lucy Diamond.

Basically, about three different women who were together at each others' hen parties years ago. There's Georgia, a heartless journalist who has given up on romance and now lives her life ruining other peoples'. There's Katie, a woman who had a bad marriage and has now given up on marriage - which causes her problems with her current boyfriend, Steve. And then, my personal favourite, Alice. A woman who was treated harshly by a woman she called a best friend, and ditched publicly by her husband when she was pregnant with her daughter, Iris. They have since gone their separate ways, and it's a book about claiming back lost friendship and to bud new romance. 

I think reading a fluffy, loosely-plotted romance novel directly after reading a hardcore science-fiction space battle written from an anti-hero's point of view was a bad idea and negatively affected my experience of this book. Which is a huge shame, because the previous books I have read by Lucy Diamond - "Over You" and "Sweet Temptation" - were a relief after reading hefty, mentally-draining books. That was, really, the reason it was picked up in the first place. It was like getting a nice, long sleep after running a marathon so you have the energy to do it all again tomorrow. 

Well, it's what I wanted, but didn't get.

I want to at least say the premise was interesting, but it's not. There isn't anything on the back that grabbed me. I picked it up purely because it was written by Lucy Diamond, and she has surprised me in her talent to get me hooked twice before. Not here. It just all seemed like filler. Like that horrible tasting stuff in the middle of a Victoria sponge that just ends up ruining the whole thing in the end. I was expecting some nice sub-plots, but there wasn't. What you see is what you get. It was all just a little bit boring. 

It didn't help that I had a strong dislike for Georgia. Same with most horrible characters, she had an unpleasant back story, but this weak attempt to pull at my heartstrings failed. She was vain, superficial, annoying, everything in a person I would usually try to avoid. 

One of the most important things in a book, I personally think, is writing characters you love. Or, at the very least, relate to or care about. The only person I really wanted to hear about was Alice, and because it was split in to three different perspectives from third person (my least favourite narrative), she hardly turned up. I don't think Diamonds' strong point is splitting up the point of views. I think she should just stick to the one person.

Not that this book is all bad - if you can believe it after this ramble - I still came out with a somewhat feeling of enjoyment and satisfaction. I would still recommend people to read it, it just was not my thing on a whole.

But wait, there's more. 

I almost forgot! There was one more point I wanted to bring up about this novel that really irritated me. 

The terrible love you feel nothing for. *spoilers* Alice spoke to Dom from our POV probably three or four times, most of which was not in a good light, and then suddenly they were loved up and a team. Katie refused to get married because she wasn't okay with it, causing Steve to ditch her for a week because apparently not wanting to be married just is not okay and she ended up proposing to him and getting pregnant after spending years saying that's not what she wanted. Georgia and Owen spoke literally once and the second time they spoke ended in a kiss and sex, and then they were loved up in a click of your fingers. I don't think love works like that *end of spoilers*

Phew, glad I could get that off my chest! Despite dedicating an entire review on her book to ranting, don't let that put you off her! She writes very light-hearted, wonderful reads with a touch on serious topics in each one of her books - I urge you to give at least one of them a try, 

Good-bye for now

- Loz x

Book Review: "Over You" by Lucy Dimond.

                                     

Ever wondered how your friends see you now?

Josie, Nell and Lisa go back a long way - they were flatmates, soulmates and best mates back in their twenties when life was one long party. 

Five years later things are different. Josie is married with kids, in deepest surburbia, free-spirit Nell has travelled the world, and Lisa is on the path to career-glory (and the salary Premiership). A reunion weekend in London seems a great idea to Josie...until she discovers something which threatens to blow her marriage apart. 

Punlished in 2008 by Pan Books.

I have never heard of Lucy Diamond before this book but as small background, she's married with three kids and writes children's books under her real name (Sue something). 

This book was incredibly predictable. You could tell what was going to happen way before you even hit that point. I can bet you probably guessed what this book was about just from the back cover and almost exactly what was going to happen. Did that make this book any less enjoyable? Certainly not. It was fast paced,  the writing style was just delightful and it had that some rather dark themes that were presented in a moving, but not deep, way. 

The character devlopment was not the greatest, I have to say. At first, it was hard to distinguish two people from each other - even as the book ended, although they all had their own personality, they all seemed to talk like each other, and there was no difference. Granted, modern day and middle aged mothers all seem to have a certain way of conversation and from the perspective of an eighteen year old, childless female I could not tell any originality. 

As for recommendation, I gave it a four out of five and would lend it to anyone who loves romance/comedy and light hearted, easy to read novels. 

May 2015 Book Haul: Part Four.

Finally, you say! We have reached the last post of my May Haul (and if you see a post following this one called the same thing but instead of having a part, it says Xtra, you know my buying books for this week has failed, but this is meant to be the last part!) 

"The Twins" by Saskia Sarginson. 

Isolte and Viola are twins. 

Inseparable as chirldren, they've grown into very different adults: Isolte, a successful features writer for a fashion magazine; and Viola, desperetly unhappy and struggling with a lifelong eating disorder. 

What happened all those years ago to set the twins on such different paths to adulthood? As both women start to unravel the esculating tragedies of a half-remembered summer, terrifying secrets from the past come rushing back - and threaten to overwhelm their adult lives...

What first caught my eye with this book was the beautiful cover and how it feels different (kinda a rough and tough texture, weird for a paperback) but the eating disorder really sealed the deal for me. I have always had an interest in eating disorders and first started research on the topic when I was thirteen and I feel like not enough women and men are educated on the subject so I want to be one of the people who do, even though I have never had one. 

"The kite runner" by Khaled Hosseini. 

Afghanistan, 1975: twelve-year-old Amir is desperete to win the local kite-fighting tournament and his loyal friend Hassan promises to help him. But neither of the boys can foresee what will happen to Hussan that afternoon, an event that is to shatter their lives. After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must return to Afghanistan under Taliban rule to find the one thing the world cannot grant him: redemption. 

This is a book that has been on my Amazon book wishlist for quite some time, so I'm glad I found it in a discount bookstore. I've heard mixed reviews on this book but, especially with all the racism in the news lately, I thought I would educate myself on the world around me. This might not be based on actual events in the world or the past, but it might give me an idea on what is happening in places I can't see. 

"Talon" by Julie Kagawi. 

'There are a dozen soldiers hiding in that maze. All hunting you. All looking to kill you'

To the ouside world, Ember Hill is an ordinary girl, but Ember has a deadly secret. A dragon hiding in human form, she is destined to fight the shadowy Order of St.George, a powerful society of dragonslayers. 

St.George soldier Garret is determined to kill Ember and her kind. Until her bravery makes him question all he has been taught about dragons. 

Now a war is coming and Garret and Ember must choose their sides -fight to save their bond or fulfil their fate and destory one another. 

This was very much an impulse by, but the cover and the general human-but-actually-a-dragon plotline had me reeled in. I've heard some mixed reviews about this book, but in general I'm quite exited to read it - a shame this is not a standalone, because it will take me a while to get the second if it's good enough for me to want to continue the saga. 

"Hollow Earth by John and Carole.E.Barrowman (yes, John as in actor who was in Doctor Who and yes, Carole as in his wife I think)

Twins Matt and Emily Calder have imaginations so powerful that they can make art come to life. Their powers are sought by villians intent on accessing the terrors of Hollow Earth - a place where all the devils, demons and monsters have imagined lie trapped for eternity. If Hollow Earth is breached, the world will be plunged into chaos. If Hollow Earth is breached, the twins are as good as dead. 

Possibly surprising to some, but I did not pick this up because of John Barrowman and my love for Doctor Who - at the time, I was rushed, and even though the name triggered a memory in my mind somewhere, I couldn't remember what it was. I just have an interest in the power of imagination (and art, hence Dorian Gray), so picked it up on impulse, the same time I got Talon and Over You. When I get round to reading it, you'll know in my Monday Missions/wrap ups so I can write a review, because I too am curious about Barrowman's writing style. 

"City of Heavenly Fire" by Cassandra Claire. 

Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms...love will be sacrificed and lives lost. 

The first three books I actually quite liked, even if I much preferred Simon over Jace as I have no attraction towards the bad boy type, but as the series went on I found I wanted to read less and less of the story. I didn't even finish the second to last book, but picked the last book up anyway as I wanted to give it another shot and re-read it again. I felt like there wasn't enough mystery or suspence to want me to keep reading, and plus, it was on sale anyway. 

We have reached the end! Thank you SO MUCH for reading, especially if you got this far, and don't hesitate to let me know what you thought about it or the books I picked up. Sorry for any spelling errors, I have been so tired lately and if you click on the tabs above, you'll find a link to my second blog where I am doing a picture a day challenge for a year, so if you'd like to join or be a bit nosy, please go visit it! Thank you again, peace out!