Book of the Month - August

The books I read this month:

-      Absent in the Spring –by Carrie Elks 5/5

-      The House of Birds and Butterflies –by Cressida McLaughlin 4.5/5

-      One Thousand Stars and You –by Isabelle Broom 5/5

-      The Lucky Dress –by Aimee Brown 3/5

-      Go on, Girl –by Hilary Grossman 4/5

-      Martinis and Memories –by A.L. Michael 4/5

-      Return to the Little Cottage on the Hill –by Emma Davies 4/5

-      My Sisters and Me –by Lisa Dickenson  4/5

Two WOW books: 

Absent in the Spring – Carrie Elks

The bit on the back:

Losing control never felt so good . . .

A successful lawyer, and the eldest of four sisters, Lucy Shakespeare is used to being in control of everything and everyone around her, most particularly herself - that is until she meets the gorgeous Lachlan MacLeish. 
Lachlan's hired Lucy because he needs the best. His inheritance, the Lairdship of Glencarraig, is suddenly in doubt, thanks to his devious half-brother. Glencarraig is the only place where his memories of his family are happy ones and there's no way he's going down without a fight. The very last thing he wants is a distraction, but as soon as he sees Lucy, he knows he's in trouble.

Despite their efforts to resist, it isn't long before Lachlan has Lucy longing to break all her careful rules. As they travel from Scotland, to Paris and on to New York, Lucy can't help but wonder: is it sometimes worth risking it all?

My opinion:

This book has it all: love, passion, drama, friendship, secrets, family insights and much more. A FANTASTIC book!!!!Carrie Elks did a fab job with all the different locationsand settings, the way she described them was perfect.

Full review: http://simonascornerofdreams.blogspot.com/2018/08/absent-in-spring-carrie-elks.html

Carrie Elks on Twitter: @CarrieElks

Website: https://carrieelks.com

Goodreads - Amazon UK - Amazon US

One Thousand Stars and You – Isabelle Broom

The bit on the back:

Alice is settling down. It might not be the adventurous life she once imagined, but more than anything she wants to make everyone happy - her steady boyfriend, her over-protective mother - even if it means a little part of her will always feel stifled.

Max is shaking things up. After a devastating injury, he is determined to prove himself. To find the man beyond the disability, to escape his smothering family and go on an adventure.

A trip to Sri Lanka is Alice's last hurrah - her chance to throw herself into the heat, chaos and colour of a place thousands of miles from home.

It's also the moment she meets Max.

Alice doesn't know it yet, but her whole life is about to change.

Max doesn't know it yet, but he's the one who's going to change it.

My opinion:

This book is absolutely gorgeous and stunning!! It tells the journey of self discovery, travel, friendship, love and romance. It’s the perfect mixture and you can dive right into the story and I guarantee you never want to leave again. It’s very moving and yes I had to cry. The way Isabelle Broom plays around with words is fabulous, a very talented author indeed.

My review: http://simonascornerofdreams.blogspot.com/2018/08/one-thousand-stars-and-you-by-isabelle.html

Isabelle Broom on Twitter: @Isabelle_Broom

Website: https://isabellebroom.com

Goodreads - Amazon UK - Amazon US

One Thousand Stars and You - by Isabelle Broom

Original Cover

My own copy

The blurb: 

Alice is settling down. It might not be the adventurous life she once imagined, but more than anything she wants to make everyone happy - her steady boyfriend, her over-protective mother - even if it means a little part of her will always feel stifled.

Max is shaking things up. After a devastating injury, he is determined to prove himself. To find the man beyond the disability, to escape his smothering family and go on an adventure.

A trip to Sri Lanka is Alice's last hurrah - her chance to throw herself into the heat, chaos and colour of a place thousands of miles from home.

It's also the moment she meets Max.

Alice doesn't know it yet, but her whole life is about to change.

Max doesn't know it yet, but he's the one who's going to change it.

My Opinion:

*Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Alice and Max are both on holiday in Sri Lanka when their paths cross. Alice is there with her two best friends Maureen and Steph. Max and his friend Jamal are also traveling together. The connection between Alice and Max is there from the starts, their chemistry is undeniable, Alice is in a relationship though and her boyfriend Richard desperately wants to set a date fort he wedding. She just isn’t feeling it anymore. Max has been through a lot in his past and is still dealing with the consequences. Plus, there is Maureen, who is always around him. 

Sri Lanka is just what Alice needed. The traveling allows her to be free and really do what she wants, she discovers the real „ME“ again and her life is changing. Max is a big part of that journey and I just really loved the special moments they shared. 

Sri Lanka sounds like such a great place and it really feels like actually traveling with the characters and discovering everything through their eyes. 

When Isabelle Broom writes a book, she puts a lot of thought and research into it. Like that the locations and settings come to life and her words just create this unique atmosphere. Also the characters are deep and very well lined out. Their personality really comes across and that is really important. 

This book is absolutely gorgeous and stunning!! It tells the journey of self discovery, travel, friendship, love and romance. It’s the perfect mixture and you can dive right into the story and I guarantee you never want to leave again. It’s very moving and yes I had to cry. The way Isabelle Broom plays around with words is fabulous, a very talented author indeed.

Rating:

Isabelle Broom on Twitter: @Isabelle_Broom

Website: https://isabellebroom.com

Goodreads - Amazon UK - Amazon US

The Place We Met - by Isabelle Broom

Original Cover

My own copy

The blurb:

Lucy may have suffered her fair share of bad men, but now she has Pete. Finally, a man worth sharing her favourite place with, Lake Como. That's if she can put mysterious phone calls and glamorous ex-girlfriends out of her mind.

Taggie is rushed off her feet, but distraction is exactly what she needs to forget why she fled England and the sadness she left behind. She certainly doesn't have time for infuriating stranger Marco. A man is the last thing she needs right now.

Lucy and Taggie might not know it, but their lives are about to collide. The New Year might begin with fireworks - but how will it end?

My Opinion:

*Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Isabelle Broom has fast become one of my fave authors. I adore her books and was obviously very excited for this book. The fact that it is set at the Lake of Como just added to it.

The story follows two women: Lucy and Taggie. Taggie moved to Como to heal her broken heart. Lucy decides to take her boyfriend Pete to her beloved Como. Their lives collide and they actually have something in common.

I loved following both storylines and when they come together it gets of course more interesting. Taggie is also surrounded by a nice Italian man called Marco. Both women have their mysteries and secrets in the plot and some unexpected twists make this story unputdownable.

The highlight for me was the setting, because I knew all the places and I think Isabelle Broom captured it beautifully.

The characters are great and very authentic. A heart-warming and romantic read!

Rating:

Isabelle Broom on Twitter: @Isabelle_Broom

Website: https://isabellebroom.com

Goodreads - Amazon UK - Amazon US

Then. Now. Always. – by Isabelle Broom

My own copy

Original Cover

The blurb:

Hannah can't believe it when she's offered a trip to sunny Spain with her best friend and dreamy boss . . . what's the catch?

Twenty-eight year old Hannah is ready for an adventure. She and her colleagues are in Spain for a month to film a documentary, and it's a dream come true. Not least because Hannah will get to spend long summer days with Theo, her boss (and crush). If only Tom (Hannah's best friend and cameramen) and Claudette (the presenter) would stop getting in the way...

Then things become even more complicated when Nancy, Hannah's half-sister arrives. What on earth is she doing here?

For once in her life, can't Hannah just have one perfect summer, free of any drama?

My Opinion:

Isabelle Broom is a pro when it comes to waking the travel bug in you. She did it in her previous books and also with this one.

This time we are taken to Mojàcar, Analusia, Spain. We follow Hannah, who is going to Spain with her colleagues to film a documentary. It takes her back to her childhood, when she used to spend a lot of time there. Now, she gets to experience it with her best friend Tom and her boss Theo. She’s had a crush on him for a really long time and now she finally gets to spend time with him alone.

When her half-sister Nancy shows up, everything gets more complicated and Hannah is not happy at all. There is also Claudette, the French presenter, who know things about Theo, nobody else knows. This drives Hannah crazy.

The book is about friendship and romance and when you add some drama it gets more intense. I didn’t like all the characters, I had problems warming up to them and I didn’t know what to think of Hannah. I really liked her at times and then sometimes I didn’t understand her. What I really liked about this story is that fact that it is not predictable at all. You think you know how it’s going to end, but there are a few surprises, which is fab.

I really felt like being in lovely Andalusia with the characters. Isabelle Broom describes the setting beautifully and also captures smell, atmospheres and much more.

It’s the perfect holiday read, it will take you away from horrible weather and transport you to another world. I really enjoyed this book!

Rating:

Isabelle Broom on Twitter: @Isabelle_Broom

Goodreads - Amazon UK - Amazon US