Review for Christmas at Lilac Cottage by Holly Martin

Christmas at Lilac Cottage 
by Holly Martin 
Publisher: Bookouture
Release: 23rd September 2015
Genre: Christmas, Romance
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis:

"Penny Meadows loves her home – a cosy cottage decorated with pretty twinkling fairy lights and stunning views over the town of White Cliff Bay. She also loves her job as an ice-carver, creating breathtaking sculptures. Yet her personal life seems frozen.

When Henry and daughter Daisy arrive at the cottage to rent the annex, Penny is determined to make them feel welcome. But while Daisy is friendly, Henry seems guarded.

As Penny gets to know Henry, she realises there is more to him than meets the eye. And the connection between them is too strong to ignore…

While the spirit of the season sprinkles its magic over the seaside town and preparations for the ice sculpting competition and Christmas eve ball are in full swing, can Penny melt the ice and allow love in her heart? And will this finally be the perfect Christmas she’s been dreaming of?"

Review 
Christmas at Lilac Cottage was my first Christmas read of 2015 and was a great way to kick off my festive reading giving me everything I could want in a cute, cosy, Christmas story. This book made me laugh out loud and gave me the warm fuzzies when I was only a few chapters in which is always a good sign!

The book follows Penny, a lovely woman with a tragic past who is facing another Christmas alone in her lilac cottage in the seaside town of White Cliff Bay. Penny is lonely and looking for a bit of companionship and so she rents out her annex to Henry and his teenage daughter Daisy for Christmas in the hope of making friends. But Christmas is a magical time of year, and if Penny and Henry can let go of the ghosts of their past, love might be in the air.

I absolutely loved Penny, Henry and Daisy - they were each such warm, lovable characters that you wanted the best for especially after the heartache of their pasts. They really delivered a wonderful message about family which is especially important at Christmas time.

I also loved how this book was festive from beginning to end. The book radiated Christmas from the small things like Penny’s cosy little cottage to bigger things such as the ice carving contest. You truly get in the festive mood whilst reading this book.

The romance between Penny and Henry was the perfect balance of sweet and sexy. My only complaint is that I felt things moved very quickly between them. Using the L word after only knowing each other for a week was a bit too much for me and I’d have preferred a slower burning romance over time.

Christmas at Lilac Cottage was my first book by Holly Martin and it certainly won’t be my last. I’m happy that I have a second White Cliff Bay novel ‘Snowflakes on Silver Cover’ ready waiting for me. If it’s anything like this one it’ll be the perfect feel good Christmas read!

The Twelve Books of Christmas

November 6th may be early to start thinking about Christmas for some people, but as a book blogger I've been receiving lots of Christmas books for review over the last few weeks and I find that if I don't start reading and reviewing them as soon as November 1st hits I'd never get through them all before Christmas!

I think that more Christmas books have been released this year than ever before and so for today's post I decided to share with you the twelve books on my TBR that I'm the most excited to read this Christmas for anybody looking for some festive reads to add to their reading piles.

Christmas at Lilac Cottage by Holly Martin 

So, I'm cheating a little bit by including this one because I'm currently reading it but I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far and I'm looking forward to reading the rest, so it counts! This book made me laugh out loud and gave me the warm fuzzies when I was only 10% in on my Kindle. The characters are so warm and likeable and I love the town of White Cliff Bay. This is a feel-good Christmas romance about a woman called Penny who rents her annex out to a man and his daughter over the Christmas period, and of course with a dash of Chirstmas magic love is in the air! I think this'll be perfect for anyone looking for a festive romance. There's also a second book set in the same town that's out now 'Snowflakes on Silver Cove' that you can jump into after!

One Wish in Manhattan by Mandy Baggot 

This one has been getting some wonderful reviews from my blogger friends already so I'm very excited to read it! This festive treat is set in New York as Hayley takes her daughter to try and find her dad. I've always wanted to visit New York at Christmas and sadly it hasn't happened for me yet so I'm looking forward to going on horse-drawn carriage rides through central park with Hayley and her daughter this Christmas instead!

Make A Christmas Wish by Julia Williams 

If the cute, festive romances mentioned above aren't for you and you'd like something a little more sentimental then Make a Christmas Wish could be perfect for you. This reminds me of a book I read and loved called 'The Dead Wife's Handbook' which makes it very appealing to me. This story follows Livvy who died last Christmas, in the months since her death she's floated on the edge of the afterlife because she's not ready to leave her son and husband behind just yet. This Christmas she's been given one last magical chance to put things right for her family before leaving them for good. This sounds like the kind of book that will make me cry and hold on to my loved ones a little bit tighter this Christmas.

Every Time a Bell Rings by Carmel Harrington 

Don't put the tissues away just yet! I have another Christmas weepy here! Every Time a Bell Rings is inspired by the Christmas movie classic 'It's a Wonderful Life' and follows a similar theme. Belle and her partner Jim are foster parents and although they're not supposed to they've grown particularly attached to little Lauren who's now ready to go back to her mother. Unable to cope Belle finds herself standing on The Ha’Penny Bridge and wishes she'd never been born. But little does she know an angel is listening whose ready to show her that life is for the living. This is a must read for anyone who loves 'It's a Wonderful Life' and is looking for a little magic this Christmas!

Lily and the Christmas Wish by Keris Stainton 

I love Keris' YA books and was really excited when I heard that she had written a Christmas book for children. The book itself sounds very sweet - the little town of Pinewood are celebrating Christmas this year by putting up a Christmas tree and asking all of the town's people to hang a Christmas wish on the branches. But after a storm blows in the wishes get granted but mixed up! Lily, her brother and her pug must sort out the wishes or else nobody in her little town will get what they want for Christmas this year. I'm planning on getting this for my seven year old cousin for Christmas and it sounds so sweet that I'm going to have to get a copy for myself too!

A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig 

So when Stephen Fry blurbs a book saying "Matt Haig has written the most evergreen, immortal Christmas story to be published for decades" you better believe that I'm going to want to read it! This is another children's book although this is aimed for the middle grade market. I really don't know much about it other than it's beautifully illustrated by Chris Mould and is about a boy who isn't afraid to believe in magic. I think this will be a brilliant book for anyone, of any age and did I mention it is blurbed by Stephen Fry? BECAUSE IT IS!

All Wrapped Up by Holly Smale 

Moving on up to YA books, this Christmas we have a Geek Girl special from Holly Smale. This is a Geek Girl short Christmas story that takes place between books one and two. I love Harriet Manners and can't wait to spend Christmas with her and her friends and family. This is one of the only YA releases I could find that is out this year which I think is a real shame. I'd love to see more Christmas YA on the shelves but in the meantime I will be cherishing this one!

A Wedding at Christmas by Chrissie Manby 

Another family that I can't wait to spend Christmas with this year is the Benson's! This is the fourth book in the 'Proper Family' series and I can't wait to catch up with this lovable family that after four books I've grown very attached to! I won't say too much about this one as it's part of a series, other than to say that I'm very much looking forward to attending a certain couples wedding!

The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements 

If you're in the mood to attend a white wedding this Christmas but haven't read the 'Proper Family' series then look no further than standalone The Winter Wedding! I love Abby's books and her debut 'Meet Me Under the Mistletoe' is one of my all-time favourite Christmas reads so I'm very excited for another winter book from her. This is about a wedding planner who dreams of finding her own happy ending this winter all whilst juggling the stress of planning two very different weddings!

A Christmas Tail by Cressida McLaughlin 

This sounds like such a me book as it's about two of my favourite things dogs and Christmas! This is a bind up of the four Primrose Terrace novellas. This series follows Cat - Primrose Terrace's dog walker and ends with the final story taking place at Christmas. If you love dogs this sounds like the perfect read for curling up on the couch with your dog at your side this Christmas.

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Lisa Dickenson 

This is another bind-up of books that was first released as short novellas. It's one of the first Christmas books I heard about and got excited for this year. After breaking up from her long-term boyfriend Claudia suddenly finds herself spending Christmas alone and so she decides to embark on a new adventure and have twelve dates before Christmas to discover who she is and what she wants in life and love.

The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin 

I've wanted to read Rebecca Raisin's books for a while and when I first heard about The Little Bookshop on the Seine - the first book in her new trilogy - I knew this was where I had to start! This book features books, Paris and Christmas. Seriously, what more could you want from a book? The story is about bookshop owner Sarah who decides to exchange bookshops with her Parisian friend for six months. Needless to say I'm very excited to follow Sarah's bookish adventures in Paris over Christmastime! 

 So those are the twelve books that I'm the most excited to read during the build up to Christmas this year. Hopefully I've added a little something for everyone and there is something here that you like the look of. 

Keep your eye on the blog for plenty of festive reviews and posts in the upcoming weeks!

October Round Up and Book of the Month

October's Book of the Month is The Hero of Ages 

by Brandon Sanderson

A few weeks ago I took part in Mistborn Mondays a readalong of the original Mistborn trilogy hosted by Lucy at The Book Belle. I'd wanted to read this series for absolutely ages and took this as the perfect opportunity to do so. I ended up loving this series so much! It's by far one of the best book series I've read in my entire life and Brandon Sanderson has become an auto-buy author for me - I now have to read everything he's ever written! Needless to say the final book in this series The Hero of Ages was a mind-blowing five star read for me and is easily my book of the month for October.

*** my mind was blown by this entire series *** 

Read in October 

85.) The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson (5*) 

86.) Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol (3.5*) 

87.) Rat Queens Volume 1 by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch (4.5*) 

88.) The Mistake I Made by Paula Daly (2*) 

89.) Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (4.5*) 

90.) Rat Queens Volume 2 by Kurtis J. Wiebe, Roc Upchurch and Stjepan Sejic (3.5*) 

91.) The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson (4*) 

92.) The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson (3.5*) 

93.) Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll (3.5*) 

94.) Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics (4*) 

95.) Through the Woods by Emily Carroll (4*) 

96.) Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes (3.5*) 

97.) Wytches by Scott Snyder and Jock (4*) 

Monthly Book Awards 

Best Plot: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson 

Best Writing: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell 

Best Cover: Through the Woods by Emily Carroll 

Best Characters: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson 

Best Ending: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson 

Best Romance: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell 

Most un-put-down-able: The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson 

Most Memorable: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson 

Best Moral: Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll 

Top 3 Most Recommended Books: The Hero of Ages, Carry On and Rat Queens Volume 1 

Books I’m Looking Forward to Being Released in November 

Winter by Marissa Meyer 

Soundless by Richelle Mead 

The Grownup by Gillian Flynn 

Forget Me Not by Luana Lewis 

Lily and the Christmas Wish by Keris Stainton 

A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig 

Make A Christmas Wish by Julia Williams 

A Wedding at Christmas by Chrissie Manby 

A Christmas Tail by Cressida McLaughlin 

The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements 

Never Kiss A Man In A Christmas Jumper by Debbie Johnson 

Snowed in for Christmas by Claire Sandy 

The Years of Loving You by Ella Harper 

 What did you read and love in October? 

 And what are you looking forward to reading in November?

Review for The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich

The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich
Publisher: Indigo
Release: 6th August 2015
Genre: YA, Horror, Thriller
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis:

"Part-psychological thriller, part-urban legend, this is an unsettling narrative made up of diary entries, interview transcripts, film footage transcripts and medical notes. Twenty-five years ago, Elmbridge High burned down. Three people were killed and one pupil, Carly Johnson, disappeared. Now a diary has been found in the ruins of the school. The diary belongs to Kaitlyn Johnson, Carly’s identical twin sister. But Carly didn’t have a twin . . .

Re-opened police records, psychiatric reports, transcripts of video footage and fragments of diary reveal a web of deceit and intrigue, violence and murder, raising a whole lot more questions than it answers.

Who was Kaitlyn and why did she only appear at night? Did she really exist or was she a figment of a disturbed mind? What were the illicit rituals taking place at the school? And just what did happen at Elmbridge in the events leading up to ‘the Johnson Incident’?"

Review 
Anyone that knows me knows that I love a good thriller be it YA or Adult. This past year I’ve been on a real thriller kick – I can’t get enough of them! So when I first read the synopsis for The Dead House I knew it was a book I just had to have.

The Dead House turned out to be hands down the scariest YA book that I’ve ever read. The book starts with you finding out that two girls exist within the same body. They see themselves as a sort of twin, Carly exists in their body during daylight hours and when night falls its Kaitlyn’s turn. Neither girl knows where they go when it’s not their turn in their body.

Both girls personify the light and dark that they exist in. Carly is very much the “good twin” whilst Kaitlyn’s personality is significantly darker and more troubled. Their doctor believes that Kaitlyn doesn’t really exist and is a side effect of Carly’s mental state brought on by trauma.

I found the whole idea of your body being taken over by someone else for half of your life really freaky to read. It made me not want to put the book down and fall asleep at night, just in case, which I’m sure was Dawn Kurtagich’s plan to keep you up reading!

A lot of mystery surrounds the book from the very beginning and as a reader I had a lot of questions from the start. The biggest one on my mind was if the girls were some sort of paranormal phenomenon? Or is one twin the creation of a troubled young girl? More mysteries get unsurfaced as you read on and the book grows increasingly more disturbing as the character of Kaitlyn does.

I loved the idea of the story being told through diary entries, camera footage and interview recordings but at times I’d find myself getting confused trying to keep up with all the different formats. I also felt that a lot of the answers and explanations were a little rushed. I’d personally have liked more detail at times.

Overall The Dead House is a creepy and original YA Horror story that well and truly messed with my mind.

Review for Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics

Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release: 8th October 2015
Genre: YA, Horror, Historical Fiction
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis:

"Sometimes I believe the baby will never stop crying.

Sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner fears she is losing her mind. When her family move from their small mountain cabin to the vast prairie, Amanda hopes she can leave her haunting memories behind: of her sickly Ma giving birth to a terribly afflicted baby; of the cabin fever that claimed Amanda's sanity; of the boy who she has been meeting in secret...

But the Verners arrive on the prairie to find their new home soaked in blood. So much blood. And Amanda has heard stories - about men becoming unhinged and killing their families, about the land being tainted by wickedness. With guilty secrets weighing down on her, Amanda can't be sure if the true evil lies in the land, or within her soul..."

Review 
YA Horror is growing ever more popular and Daughters Unto Devils is a delightfully creepy new addition to the genre. Although a short book at just over 200 pages it packs in a lot of chills and thrills making it a very quick, satisfying read that’s perfect for curling up in bed with on Halloween night for a good scare!

The book follows sixteen year old Amanda Verner. After barely surviving the harsh winter that stole her sanity Amanda has been sleeping with the post boy to escape the memories of what happened that winter and the dark thoughts she has about her new baby sister.

With the family now too large for their cramped cabin in the mountains they seek a new life in the prairie only to find the walls of their new home soaked in blood. Something sinister lurks in the prairie and with local stories about slaughtered children Amanda must protect her siblings, and her secret unborn baby, whatever the cost.

What I love about Daughters Unto Devils is that it doesn’t read like a YA novel. The creepy, gory parts don’t feel watered down to not scare a younger audience. The horror here is just that - horror making it genuinely scary on a level that would affect most readers despite age. There was one particular scene that really creeped me out – let’s just say that if you weren’t scared of scarecrows before you will be after reading this!

Daughters Unto Devils is a standout debut that I couldn’t put down because I had to know what would happen to Amanda and her family next and I hope for more of the same from Amy Lukavics. Pick this one up, if you dare!