Talking as fast as I can - Lauren Graham

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What a fast listen, the 4 hours flew by, and I am so glad I pre-ordered the audiobook, I am sure the experience wouldn’t have been the same if it wasn’t narrated by Lauren herself.

You get small glimpses into her life from the beginning, through her rise as an actress, to where she landed in Gilmore Girls, and everything from there. I really enjoyed all the little tales she had to share. I also respect her for not making this an expose piece where she just shares a lot of dirt about herself and cast members.  

Have to admit that I did skip the last couple of chapters as that is where she shares her experience and some spoilers about the new Gilmore Girls revival and I am still not done watching it, as I am savouring each episode. (Will update this review once I have listened to it)

Definitely would recommend this to any fans of the fast talking Lauren Graham, she will always be my Lorelei Gilmore.

Rebel - Joanne MacGregor

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What an ending to a great trilogy! This was the first time in a very long time that a series has sucked me in like this, especially a dystopian. When I heard of it, I thought it will be just another dystopian, how wrong was I? The premise sucked me in, and I read each book almost immediately when it came out.

You see how far Jinxy has come from the gamer who played the Game to keep her mind of the plague. All the characters who have grown on us are back and ready to fight. There are several twists and turns and just when you think you have figured everything out, there is a new curve ball thrown at you. This is what makes a great trilogy.

The last book is no different, it wraps up everything and you feel a sense of closure. Thank you Joanne for keeping the waiting period very short, I wouldn’t have survived a longer wait!

I would recommend this series in a heartbeat.

The Trouble with Falling – Rachel Morgan

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***I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

The Trouble with Falling is the fourth book in ‘The Trouble Series’ and could most definitely be read as a standalone.

We get to know Sophie just before her sister’s wedding, we know that her previous relationship didn’t end on a great note and that Sophie has now distanced herself from everyone, only opening up to an artist, Lex, she has met on an online artist website. Throughout all the prep for the wedding, we meet Caleb, the best man for the wedding, and the two somehow hit it off, and Caleb is determined to pull Sophie out of her dark corner.

I enjoyed this book, Rachel really knows how to get you to love her characters and pull you into the story, I also love how she weaves all the previous stories into each other that should you not read these in order or not read all of them you won’t feel lost.

It is a feel-good, book that makes you smile like a Cheshire cat while reading.

Someday, Someday, Maybe - Lauren Graham

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Being a huge Gilmore Girls fan and recently discovering Parenthood, I was pleasantly surprised when I found out Lauren Graham wrote a book.

It follows Franny Banks, an aspiring actress whose self-set three-year deadline is fast approaching. Everything depends on the upcoming showcase where she will get exposure to agents who could help her make a name for herself. Together with her two-person fan club, Fanny overcomes obstacles along the way.

I found it very funny that Fanny complained about love triangles in movies but she never realised that she was in one, It was quite refreshing and I found myself drawn into the story. There were times I wanted to reach into the book and shake Franny, and tell her to wake up and smell the coffee, but that is part of the wonderful story.

The characters are lovable and very realistic. I felt that Graham wrote an amazing story with witty dialogue, definitely a page turner. The only complaint I have is that the ending was very sudden and it leaves you wanting for more.  

Grey Magic - JT Lawrence

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I am breathless, and it’s not just because of asthma.

What a gripping and engaging book. I don’t usually read books about witches (Harry Potter doesn’t count in this case) But after reading the short story in Lawrence’s Sticky Fingers, I craved more. Lucky for us, Lawrence  already started working on the full novel.

Raven is a hip, hexing-and-texting sorceress - or at least, she used to be. Now her ancient timber house is falling down around her, and the bank wants to repossess it. Nothing would make her cantankerous neighbour happier than seeing Raven and her messy menagerie out on the street. To add to her stress, the reckless Wicked Witches are causing mischief and it's her job to reign them in. Worst of all is that her magic seems to be fading.

We follow Raven, an eccentric modern-day witch, accused of murder, she must explore her past lives in order to keep her freedom and find her magic. Along the way to proving her innocence, Raven encounters some very interesting characters.

There aren't any of the characters that you feel shouldn’t be there, all play a crucial part in the story and Lawrence has a way to write characters. I loved Raven immediately she was witty, funny and her conversations with her inner voice were hilarious.

The last chapters had me holding my breath and needing my inhaler, which I found very ironic.

Was intense and beautifully written, would recommend in a heartbeat. 

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children – Ransom Riggs

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A story that will creep you out if you aren’t used to reading books like this.

We follow Jacob Portman, a sixteen-year-old, who experienced a horrible trauma in the family. He goes on this quest to find the people from his grandfather’s stories. He journey’s to a remote island in Wales, where he stumbles across the crumbling ruins of what was Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. He discovers his grandfather was someone completely different.

The vintage photographs throughout the book are creepy and chilling and somehow does actually add to the story.

I enjoyed the story, it drew me in, and Riggs’ writing is engaging and has a way to take you along on the journey. I liked all the characters, my only problem was when it came to the love interest it was cringe-worthy.

When it comes to first books in a series, this was a good foundation and I can’t wait to get stuck into the rest of the series to find out what Jacob’s adventure has in store for us.

Losing Emma, Finding Hope - Lisl Barnes

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In a world where cancer is romanticised to make more people read about this subject (Not that I’m complaining), I really appreciate that Lisl Barnes decided to share their story in such a way.

First off the cover and all the illustrations are beautiful, and I’m sure they captured Emma’s likeness.

Lisl’s writing pulls you in from the beginning and I quickly got so absorbed in their tale, it broke my heart and opened my eyes. It shows the brutal truth of childhood cancers and how it can change a family.

I would recommend this book in a heartbeat. I wanted to get in my car and go give Lisl a hug, (don’t know how appropriate it would’ve been) and tell her, their story touched my heart.

The Honorable Heir – Laurie Alice Eakes

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Where to begin, and not sound horrible.

I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

This is a Historical Fiction, I love historical fiction, I didn’t love this book. It felt like the second book in the series, but it’s stand-alone, trust me I went back and checked on several instances. If it wasn’t that I wanted to know who stole the jewels I would’ve given up at 40%

It follows Catherine who had married an English earl a couple of years before, she returns to her family home after her husband died, closely followed by Lord Tristram who was commissioned to find the jewels that Catherine presumably took.

I didn’t like how the story dragged on, and the ending felt very rushed. I know Catherine was supposed to be the victim in this situation, but she just irritated me.

I’m sure there will be people who love this book, but for me, it fell short. 

It Ends with Us - Colleen Hoover

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This was an emotionally draining and yet so satisfying book.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, she grew up in a home where her father abused her mother. She worked hard to reach her goals and life was just going in the right direction when she met Ryle Kincaid, a gorgeous neurosurgeon, life suddenly feels too good to be true. Ryle is assertive, stubborn and just a tad arrogant and this did make them get off to a rocky start. While she can’t get Ryle of her mind, there is a ghost from her past that surfaced as well in Atlas.

I adored Lily, I connected with her from the moment I opened the book. Her spirit and just her character all over drew me in. That is what I love about Hoover’s books her characters are normal everyday people. Ryle although he was an arrogant know-all, I really liked him, up to a point. There was just something about me that screamed at me.

Hoover’s story felt so real and even though this situation was very close to home, I couldn’t stop reading. I cried, I laughed, and Hoover has the way to make you enjoy every single minute of it.

I would have to add some trigger warning if you are going to read it, I didn’t have a clue what it was about and it did catch me off guard to be reading about such a personal subject.

Miriam and the Stranger – Jerry S. Eicher

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This is my first Amish story in a long time, I used to love these stories, and was quite excited when I got a copy from NetGalley. The excitement was fleeting and now a distant memory.

This is book 3 in the Land of Promise series, we get to know Miriam Yoder, a young Amish woman, who has been through a lot. She soon finds herself betrothed to a widower Mose Stoll, who arrives from her home community. There is also an English man who makes Miriam’s heart beat faster.

I didn’t know that this was book 3 when I requested it, but Eicher does catch you up on what happened in the previous ones… eventually.

I found that it dragged a lot, but I was determined to finish it. There were some parts where I wasn’t really sure if this could happen in the Amish community, but this isn’t facts, so you can change some aspects of it. The end felt rushed and all happened in about what felt like 10 pages. But at least everything was all wrapped up.  

Don’t think I will read anything else by this author, and I won’t even go and read the previous books in this series. 

The Trouble with Faking – Rachel Morgan

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I am telling you this series is giving me so many feelings and just confirmed to myself that this is my genre, this is what I love to read.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one follows Andi, she has longed for the boy next door, Damien, since she was 10. Andi moves to Cape Town to attend UCT, almost immediately there is a twist to the book as Charlotte, Damien’s girlfriend, suspects that he is cheating on her with Andi. After Charlotte breaks up with Damien, he and Andi decide to continue the façade, ‘to make the people they really like jealous.’

Andi is pretending she likes someone else, even though she is in love with Damien, Damien is in love with someone else and pretending to be in a relationship with Andi, and the game just gets interesting from there.

There were so many twists and turns in this book, that when the end happened, I couldn’t help but giggle because I had it so wrong.

I would definitely recommend this series to any contemporary romance fans, and of course, there is the added bonus that it is set around a location I have actually been, and I could nostalgically dream back to that  wonderful holiday.  The other thing I really enjoyed was the fact that Andi is a Booktuber and has an Etsy shop. I am a big fan of Booktubers.

The Trouble novels are stand-alone novels that can be read in any order, but each contains mild spoilers for any previous books in the Trouble series. I have now also seen that the author is considering publishing these under a pen name to set them apart from her fantasy novels. So if you can’t find it under Rachel Morgan, you might get it under Rochelle Morgan.

Catch Me a Cowboy - Jacquie Underdown

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I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a quick and easy read, I knew it had to do with a cowboy but was pleasantly surprised when it was an Australian cowboy.

Emily Wolfe is a real estate to the elite who is tired of going through the same old dates with the same results, she then competes in a reality TV show for the heart of the cowboy. Will Parker is a sexy, rugged farmer whose heart has been broken before.

The characters were extremely likeable, Emily made me laugh on so many occasions. This was one of those books that once you pick it up, you can’t put it down. Towards the end, I was sobbing and just wanted to fix everything for Emily and Will. Truly a wonderful story.

Just a word of warning, this is probably not a book for under-aged readers, as there are some language and sexual content.

The Trouble with Flirting – Rachel Morgan

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I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book immensely, the writing emerged you into this world, and after visiting Cape Town last December I was very nostalgic about the scenes set out in front of me.

This one follows Livi, after being labelled a nerd at high school she is determined to shed this persona when she leaves for university. But nothing is as simple as it seems and through everything, Livi learns that being in the in-crowd isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be.

Livi did work on my nerves at times, maybe because I am a nerd and can’t imagine one day going without reading, or having to put up such a front to proof you aren’t one. All the nerdy references had me giggling.

I flew through this book as it was a very quick read. Would definitely recommend this one. 

Saving Sara - Nicola Marsh

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I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It is very easy to give an honest review when the book is beautifully written and you can’t put it down. The characters pull you in and you share their heartaches with them.

It follows Sara Hardy who moves to Redemption after inheriting a cottage from her grandmother, this is her new beginning after what happened to her in the past. Sara never thought that she would start over. Introducing Jake Mathieson has a lot on his plate, dealing with his own demons, he unexpectedly has to care for his 6-year-old nephew.

All these stories intertwine with each other and comes together tied in a neat bow.

It did take me a while to get into it, the story does take a while to kick off, but once it does, it hits it out of the park.

The Trouble with Flying – Rachel Morgan

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I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I flew through this one, it was short, witty and blew me away. The characters were lovable and to me Sarah was relatable.

It follows Sarah, a nineteen-year-old introvert who boards a plane to fly back home after her overseas holiday, on the flight, she meets Aiden, the guy who sits next to her, Sarah goes outside of her comfort zone and spend the flight talking to Aiden for hours.

I enjoyed the twist in the story, Rachel Morgan had me gasping, chuckling at the witty banter between the characters, and doing a quick stop at our local shop as I was craving Zoo Biscuits like there was no tomorrow.

Definitely a great read and will be diving into the rest of the series ASAP.

Dream Girls: Nicole – Carrie Thomas

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I received an ARC from Netgalley for review.

I didn’t realise this was the third book of the series, but it did read like a standalone which was a plus.

It follows Nicole Garett, a self-proclaimed nerd, whose future is planned out to the last second. She has had a crush on Corey Tate, and after a New Years party, he proclaims his love for her. The two of them hit it off, but Corey’s jealousy and Nicole’s doubting Corey’s loyalty leads to a very interesting story.

I enjoyed the characters, Corey’s self-doubt did work on my nerve’s but it worked for the story. The only thing I really had a problem with was that the end felt really rushed. Otherwise it was a very enjoyable read, but I don't think that I will read the first two books in the series

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne

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This brought back so much nostalgia! My teenage years cuddled up with the latest Harry Potter, my sister and I fighting over the copy and giving in that if we read it aloud that both can experience the story at once. Made me really miss her this time around.

Some of our favourite characters are back, there were a couple of heart-wrenching moments, where I couldn’t help but swear at J.K. for putting us through this once again.

You get to experience Harry Potter’s trials and emotions one more time, and it sure doesn’t disappoint.

I can imagine that this is an amazing play, and I hope that we get to see it somehow one day.

A Man Called Ove - Fredrik Backman

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This one hit me right in the feels. I adored this story, the writing was captivating, the story pulled me in from the beginning.

“Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbour from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered on his face all the time?”

As with everything in life, there is more than meets the eye. Ove has a lot of issues, and you get to know his back story piece by piece, and those pieces just gives you a punch in the gut. The story of Ove and how he slowly but surely thaws around his neighbours is so enduring.

It is definitely a feel-good story, with an ending that makes you reach for tissues and chocolates, and if I was the wine drinking kind of person, I would down a whole bottle.

This is going to make my top Five for the year, and will pull more of Frederik Backman's book closer

Sticky Fingers: 12 Short Stories - J.T. Lawrence

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I got an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I am not usually a fan of short stories, I crave depth and like to emerge myself in the story, but J.T. Lawrence has shown me that you can still do this with short stories. There wasn’t one where I felt underwhelmed, each one of them left me satisfied, there was one or two that I would LOVE a full novel.

Definitely recommending this to anyone who loves short stories, and even to those who like me would like to get started on short stories.

Also would like to mention how stunning each stories cover is! Just look at the design, each giving you a glimpse into the story.

Escape follows as suicidal baby, the determination was palpable, and the ending, what a twist.

She did it, a battered woman is found in a pool of her dead husband’s blood, with a detective that didn’t quite trust his gut feeling.

Bridge Gate a series of letters between a young girl and her estranged father. I love these kinds of stories that is written in the form of letters. This one is one that I would love a full novel.

The Itch an itch that just won’t go away, such an intense story that drew me in.

The unsuspecting gold digger a woman finds herself engaged to an extremely wealthy man, this one knocked me out of the park, another one I wouldn’t mind reading more, and that end, what a shock!

Something Borrowed The broken-hearted bride. This story had me grabbing tissues.

Pigeon Pair Pigeon’s so many pigeon’s, such a cute start and then the end, damn pigeons.

Grey Magic Another one that I wouldn’t mind a full novel, it had me wishing for more, and really made me think.

The Little Pink Book A midwife with a twist, couldn’t help but picture Call the Midwife in my head, but the end was definitely not what I expected. This one will stay with me for a while.

Travelling slacks a holiday review gone bad, giggle inducing. Such a wonderful story, in the form of reviews on a website.

Sticky Fingers A kleptomaniac telling her story, how she got started, you will laugh, gasp, and shake your head in disbelieve.

Off the Hinge Such a sad story and definitely a great way to end this wonderful collection.

Keep your eyes open for your copy as it will be available in 28^th July 2016