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2016 Reading Challenge - Book 9 - The Longest Ride

So I made a promise this year that I would be a better reader, I set myself a reading goal as part of the Goodreads challenge of 25 books - now that may not seem a lot, but I wanted to give myself a fighting chance as I have to divide my time between work, family, writing and reading.  So since 1 Jan I have read 8 books - Happily this week I've finished my 9th!   The Longest Ride - Nicholas Sparks purchased from AMAZON.co.uk I’ve read a couple of Nicholas Sparks books previously and always enjoyed them.   I will admit this one I hadn’t paid attention to and only picked it up after having seen the movie.   What attracted me to this story was the inclusion of a romance affected by World War 2.    If anyone reads my other blog MY LIFE AS A WRITER , and if you don’t please take a look, it’ll explain my interest in relationships affected by war. I started reading The Longest Ride a few weeks ago and it took me longer than I thought to finish it.   Not because it’s b

Latest Read - A Meditation on Murder - Robert Thorogood

Robert Thorogood's novel follows Detective Richard Poole  and his team on the island of caribbean island of Saint Marie as they investigate the murder of Retreat owner/spiritual guide and all round good guy Aslan Kennedy.  Richard isn't your typical Caribbean police office, he's more of a stuff English conservative who wears wool suits in the hottest of weather even if that means he faints every once in a while.  He's also someone who doesn't like to have a problem he can't solve.   Along with his long suffering partner Camille he works on solving the locked room murder.   Five people enter a Japanese tea house to undertake the retreats sunrise healing ceremony locked in by Aslan himself only for their meditations to be interrupted when they wake to found Aslan dead. So who did it? I picked up this novel as I've watched the popular series on BBC which was inspired by this novel.  It's a very Christie like scenario, although there's a murder

Festive Read - Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe by Fiona Harper

Last Christmas I wanted a festive book to read to add to and enhance my Christmas Holiday.  So while shopping on Amazon.co.uk I picked up 'The Little Shop of Hopes and Dreams' by Fiona Harper, I'd never read of of her books before but this sounded like it could fit the bill. It did and I loved it, so when it came to this festive season I decided to start reading Christmas themed books earlier.  I picked a selection however, the first three I red in the run up to the start of my Christmas break didn't cut the mustard, they just weren't what I was looking for.  So on Christmas Eve I picked up 'Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe'; Kiss Me Under the Mistletoe Fiona Harper  This book surprised me, it was a lot deeper than I expected.  The lead character Louise is described as a WAG, she's a model who married a Hollywood star and lives what from the outside looks like a dream life but of course it's far from it. She decides to leave her husband and the

Festive Reads - Book 1 - The Christmas Party by Carole Matthews

The nights have drawn in, the weather has got cold and rainy, even a touch of snow and soon every house will be adorned with Christmas lights, so it’s time to start getting in the festive spirit by reading a few festive tales. I’ve bought several Christmas themed books this year to read over the festive period, the first of which was The ChristmasParty by Carole Matthews .   The story follows Louise, a single mum, starting a new career as a PA working for a rather unscrupulous and handsy boss.   It’s almost time for the Christmas party and for once Louise is determined to have a good time and enjoy the party. Set in a beautiful country house he office party takes off introducing a variety of employees each with their own drama going down behind the tinsel.   The party takes place the day before Christmas Eve and we then follow the lives of Louise and several of her co-workers through to Christmas Day. I wanted to enjoy this book, I wanted to feel festive and I wanted t

Doris Day Vintage Film Club - Fiona Harper - Review

Having read Little Shop of Hopes and Dreams last Christmas I was interested in reading this offering from Fiona Harper.  Gladly I wasn't disappointed,  I do admit it's taken me a while to read this book, not because of the book or writing simply due to life getting in the way of reading time! Doris Day Vintage Film Club By Fiona Harper The story follows Travel Agent Claire Bixby, (I admit I felt an affinity due to the name) who plans romantic trips for her clients and works close to the Little Shop of Hopes and Dreams from the previous novel. She is also friends with Peggy from the previous novel who crosses over in to this novel,  filling the same role in this novel as the first.  She's the type of friend everyone would love to have and I enjoyed getting to know her better as she was a nice aside to the main story in both Hopes and Dreams and Doris Day.  I wonder if she will get a break out novel of her own one day. Claire has had a previous bad relationship which