Calling Mrs Christmas

Calling Mrs Christmas by Carole Matthews

Paperback, 452 pages

Published 24th October 2013 by Sphere

Shelves: adult-fiction, arc-or-review, better-than-expected, books-i-own, chick-lit, christmas-books, mums-books, read-in-2013, really-good

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

Cassie Smith has been out of work for a while but she has an idea. Drawing on her love of Christmas, she begins charging for small things: wrapping presents; writing cards; tree-decorating. She's soon in huge demand and Cassie's business, Calling Mrs Christmas, is born.

Carter Randall wants to make Christmas special for his children so he enlists Cassie's help, and his lavish requests start taking up all her time. Thank goodness she can rely on her partner Jim to handle the rest of her clients.

When Carter asks Cassie to join them on a trip to Lapland, she knows she shouldn't go. As much as tries, Cassie can't deny how drawn she is to Carter and everything he has to offer, but she still loves her warm-hearted Jim. Suddenly Cassie finds herself facing a heart-breaking choice that could change her entire life.

Without much doubt, Calling Mrs Christmas was the stand-out book of Winter 2013 for me. Previously, I hadn't read any books written by Carole Matthews, but after reading this one, I was absolutely desperate to read more! It may no longer be the festive period, but I still believe that it's still a good time to pick up Calling Mrs Christmas if you haven't already. With scenes in dark and dreary England and the almost magical Lapland, this is the perfect book to cosy up with.

I'm still somewhat finding my footing with chick-lit authors, but it within a few chapters of this book, I knew that Matthews would become a firm go-to author within this genre. She managed to put everything that I wanted into this book - spectacular settings, strong characters and both heart wrenching and humorous moments. This is one of those books that would be lovely to sit and spend an evening reading, it's such a page turner and the writing flows so easily. 

This book revolves around our protagonist, Cassie, who decides to start up her own business, Calling Mrs Christmas!, helping people to organise their festivities. Cassie lives in a flat with her long time partner, Jim, who works with young offenders at a prison. Cassie's business  quickly becomes successful and she is hired by a rich and very charming client, Carter, who wants her to plan the perfect Christmas trip for his two children. Cassie plans a trip to Lapland, and is happily surprised when asked to attend the trip with them. Jim is left at home, continuing his work at the prison and specially taking two young lads, Smudge and Rozza, under his wing, helping them to adjust to leaving prison. Jim and the two boys both help out and do some of Cassie's work whilst away.  During Cassie's trip to Lapland, she forms a strong bond with Carter's children and a complex relationship with Carter himself, leading her to question her relationship with Jim. 

I had real affection for Cassie and Jim, so you can easily guess who I was rooting for. Jim and Cassie's relationship seemed very sincere and I could feel their chemistry. Both characters were easy to connect with and seemed very real, down-to-earth. Though he wasn't the main character, Jim was definitely a star of the book in his own right - I was just as interested in him as I was in Cassie and his bond with the two young offenders was really heartwarming to read about. I loved seeing how the four interacted together, even through the most testing of times.

Carter was a charming man, but mostly I appreciated his contribution of the trip to Lapland which provided us with exploration, education, fun and majestic settings. We got to experience sledging with huskies, the Ice Hotel and the Northern Lights amongst other atmospheric activities. I can understand why Cassie was swayed by him, but real moral, the question of the book was materialism vs love. To me, it was obvious who would 'win', but the questions and quandaries that were explored during Cassie's break were well handled and actually did have me seriously considering both options.

Overall, I absolutely loved Calling Mrs Christmas, and after finishing it, I immediately picked up and started reading another book by Carole Matthews (review to be posted soon!) who is definitely a new favourite author. A perfect winter page-turner, and something that I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes chick lit, or anybody who just wants to relax and get lost with an easy to read story. 

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Abby Clements

Paperback, 320 pages

Published 25th October 2013 by Quercus

Shelves: adult-fiction, books-i-own, chick-lit, christmas-books, mum-has, read, read-in-2013, realistic-fiction

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

Childhood friends Laurie and Rachel's lives have taken very different paths since they picked up their A-level results together. Laurie is living in London and dedicated to her career, keeping track of her friends on Facebook. Rachel is seemingly living the family idyll in a cottage in Yorkshire - except she worries her marriage is starting to show cracks. When Rachel's mother in law falls ill and needs treatment in London, and Laurie decides she needs to get away for a break, a house swap falls into place. Soon Rachel is braving the mean streets of London while trying to keep her family together, while Laurie tries to figure out how to work an Aga and befriend the locals - and forget the man who seems intent on breaking her heart. Will their relationships survive this test? And will they make it home in time for Christmas?

After reading Amelia Grey's Fireside Dream this year, when I found out that the author, Abby Clements, had written a Christmas-themed book, I put it straight on my must-read list for this year's festive season. I bought the book a few months ago, but as soon as the calendar announced that it was December, I couldn't resist picking it up and reading it! This story leads up to Christmas day and certainly has the right amount of Christmas spirit! 

I really enjoyed the build up of the holiday excitement that this book created and the festive atmosphere that it conjured - it is a really good book to get you into the Christmas mood. This book doesn't drown you in Christmas though, so I think that it would be a fantastic read at any time of the year. 

Abby Clements has such a lovely way of writing. Her writing is simple, fluid and so easy to read, it's a page turner and very easy to lose track of time when you're reading. However, despite the simplicity, the book is not missing anything, nothing feels inadequate - there is just the right amount of substance and enough detail to make the characters seem authentic and the settings realistic. There are surprisingly quite a few different issues with different characters in this book, but it really is well balanced and well paced so that there is no risk of becoming bored. Another positive in to this book was that it was refreshingly unpredictable - there were a couple of twists to the story that I really was not expecting!

I can honestly say that I liked all of the characters in this novel. Laurie and Rachel were our main characters and two very different people, lifestyle wise, but it was obvious to see why they made such a great pair of friends. Though they have different personalities, it was very easy to warm to them both and I felt like I was making new friends alongside the other characters in the book. It wasn't just Laurie and Rachel that impressed me though, all of the supporting characters were as equally well formed as our protagonists. Clements managed to create a surprisingly fun, older rural Yorkshire community and a very colourful and warm spirited community in urban London. The chemistry of the characters was interesting to watch and read about. I liked seeing the different characters help each other with their own individual thoughts and skills. 

One of the issues that the characters faced was Milly, Rachel's teenage daughter, who became interested in a guy she met in their village pub. I thought Clements handled the subject amazingly well, in such a realistic way, despite the complications. I particularly enjoyed reading about Rachel's family relationships, seeing how they all pulled together throughout a difficult time. 

Overall this book has confirmed what I already thought, Abby Clements is a very talented writer and her stories are just so easy to devour - I can't believe that this book was actually her debut novel, as she writes just as well, if not better, than many chick-lit authors with many years experience. I will definitely be keeping my eye on this author and check out whatever else she has to offer, it would only be a bonus if she wrote something else that was so festive! A top read for the winter months.

Make My Wish Come True

Make My Wish Come True by Fiona Harper

Paperback, 384 pages

Published 1st November 2013 by Mills & Boon

Shelves: adult-fiction, arc-or-review, awful-cover, books-i-own, chick-lit, christmas-books, read, read-in-2013, realistic-fiction

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

Family-orientated and Christmas-dinner cook extraordinaire Juliet is trying to keep it together in the wake of her marriage breakdown two Christmases ago, but the cracks are beginning to show.

Bright and vivacious Gemma was always the favourite daughter…So she has no qualms about leaving Christmas in her sister Juliet’s capable hands; and escaping the pressures of her glamorous job, and the festive madness by jetting off to somewhere warm. 

When Gemma shirks responsibility once too many and announces she’s off to the Caribbean (again!); Juliet finally snaps. Gemma offers her sister the perfect solution - to swap Christmases: she’ll stay home and cook the turkey (how hard can it be?) and Juliet can fly off into the sun and have a restorative break.

In the midst of all the chaos, there’s Will, Juliet’s dishy neighbour who’s far too nice to float Gemma’s boat and may secretly harbour feelings for her sister; and Marco, the suave Italian in the villa next door, who has his own ideas about the best way to help Juliet unwind. 

Will the sisters abandon caution and make this a Christmas
swap to remember?

I love books that set a traditional winter scene, something to get me in that festive mood, featuring snowy weather, warming up by the fire. So naturally, as soon as  I heard about Make My Wish Come True, a new book based around two sisters and their rather different Christmases, I had to pick it up. I loved the sound of the stay at home, traditional English country Christmas, though I can't say I was keen on the thought of a Caribbean Christmas. However, I picked the book up and was excited to start reading. 

This story focuses on two sisters - Juliet and Gemma. Juliet and Gemma are quite different characters, mainly reflected in the very different lives at they lead. Juliet is a single mother, highly organised but always running flat out doing everything she can for her children and community. Gemma is an actress, not often staying in one place and not one who takes on many responsibilities. Juliet is planning a big traditional Christmas, cooking a big meal for all invited. When Gemma tells her sister that she will be flying out to the Caribbean for the big day, a quick and somewhat crazy decision is made - for Juliet to take the break she needs by going alone to the Caribbean, whilst Juliet takes over the big festivity that was planned at home.

My Christmas book wishes were more than fulfilled with the experience of Gemma's quite dysfunctional English Christmas. With this Christmas I got everything I asked for for, from the little mentions of the decorations to the children's excitement and squabbles. Harper did fantastically well creating a real sense of festive spirit. Her half of the story really showed the spirit of the community around her as they all pulled together to make the day a good one.

Although I personally find the thought of a Caribbean Christmas awful, thankfully it was certainly not bad to read about. Harper was able to switch me from the a chilly cottage in England to the sweltering beaches in just a turn of the page. I thought it may be a bit difficult getting into two different main settings but it was surprisingly easy and it was actually really enjoyable to see the difference between the two and makes the festivity a little less 'full on' for those who just like general chick-lit. Of course, it also allowed for character reflection and for more, different character relationships.

I came to really like both Juliet and Gemma as the book progressed. From the beginning, I found Juliet nice enough and she had a real sense of realism - she is the character that I think that most will prefer at the beginning of reading. I didn't particularly like Gemma at the beginning of the book (though I didn't particularly dislike her, either) mainly because I didn't really get much of a sense of who she was. I most certainly warmed to Gemma throughout the book, as did other characters, by seeing her in a different light. The author did a really good job of helping us to understand how and why the sisters didn't fully understand or appreciate each other.

As with most chick-lit books, there were of course love interests for our two protagonists. I was completely caught up in the atmosphere with Gemma and Will, they worked surprisingly well together, though I admit I would haven't have been best pleased if I was Juliet. Juliet's relationship with the charismatic Marco was so fantastically written - though I was cautious, I was sucked in and I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach towards the end - but that's what good writing does! For me, it was the family relationship that really made this book what it was - seeing the family and friends come together definitely shone through the pages.

Make My Wish Come True is definitely on my recommended reads list, for anyone who is a fan of well written chick-lit. Whether you'd like a traditional country christmas or one in the sun, this book shows you what Christmas really is about, without losing any of the fun!

Christmas at the Crescent

Christmas at the Crescent by Veronica Henry

E-Book, 83 pages

Published 7th November 2013 by Hachette

Shelves: adult-fiction, arc-or-review, books-i-own, chick-lit, christmas-books, read, read-in-2013, realistic-fiction, short-stories

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

Behind the gorgeous Georgian sweep of Pelham Crescent, Bath, everyone's getting ready for Christmas...

At Number 14, Josie Ballard is up to her ears in brandy, raisins and cherries as she battles to make forty Christmas puddings to sell at Bath Christmas Market. Ever since Giles walked out the day their baby was born, Josie has had to work twice as hard to make ends meet. Sacrificing a career as a chef, her famous steamed puddings keep her and her gorgeous baby boy Titus afloat. Almost. So when, in the middle of Stir Up Sunday, a new neighbour in the Crescent complains about the noise that Titus is making, Josie gives him a basinful...

Giles, meanwhile, is finding life in the fast-lane with his uber-glamorous new girlfriend Rebecca rather draining. With one party blurring into another, he's now wondering if he hasn't made a terrible mistake in abandoning Josie and his child. Isn't it time he grew up, his mother asks, and Giles is starting to agree. So when he discovers Josie has a handsome new neighbour, Giles decides it's time to step up to his parental duties...

Christmas just got complicated.

I am not one that usually reads eBooks, but even I couldn't resist a copy of a Christmas read! As you will all know by now, I love seasonal reading and thought that a short story would be a great way to slowly ease myself into the festive spirit! Christmas at the Crescent was a great choice as, though it would be nice to read any time of year, it had just the right amount of festivity.

Christmas at the Crescent is the first book I've read by Veronica Henry and I'm sure it won't be the last. For the most part, I enjoyed the writing and I think that she managed to create some solid characters and a vivid setting very well in such a short story. The pace was leisurely and pleasantly constant meaning that the story held my attention throughout. Although it was very easy to read and understand, at some points I felt as though some of the words that were used were a little grandiloquent and unneeded, losing the fluidity of the writing.

The story introduces to a flat in Pelham Crescent, home to Josie, a single mother devoted to her child, Titus, and baking. Josie is still slightly struggling with coming to terms with living alone since her ex-partner (Giles) left her on their child's birthday to live with the more outgoing and charismatic Rebecca. During this 'noella', we get to explore Josie's relationship with herself, her child, Giles and the man that has been living in the flat above her, Harry the script writer. I really enjoyed reading about all of the characters and exploring the chemistry between them.

Our protagonist, Josie, was a pleasure to get to know. Josie is one of those characters that is simply lovely, she seemed so authentic and I loved her down to earth personality. She is definitely a character that's both easy to sympathise with and to relate to. I wholeheartedly wished her well and was hoping the best for her.

I also had a real soft spot for Harry. I found him to be really interesting - I would have loved to have been able to read more about him and get some proper closure from his character at the end. On the other hand, I realise that this slight mystery is what made him an attractive character and this was a short story, so maybe I'm just being a bit greedy!

Overall, Christmas at the Crescent was the perfect start to my 2013 festive reading. This book is heartwarming, fun and atmospheric. If you're a fan of festive fiction or haven't tried any at all, this would be the perfect introduction. Though I'm sure that this read would be enjoyable all year round, it had that fantastic festive edge and is sure to get you into the Christmas spirit if you read it this December!

By My Side

By My Side by Alice Peterson

Paperback, 376 pages

Published 18th July 2013 by Quercus

Shelves: arc-or-review, better-than-expected, books-i-own, chick-lit, lasting-impression, medical-conditions, mum-has, read, read-in-2013, realistic-fiction

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

One step can change everything… 

Cass Brooks loves her job, her boyfriend Sean, her life. Until, leaving home one morning, distracted and hungover, she steps into the path of a truck. 

When she wakes up, she can’t walk. And suddenly all her hopes and dreams, the plans she’d made with Sean, the future she thought she’d have, seem out of her reach. 

But then fate intervenes again. Cass meets Ticket, a loyal golden Labrador who refuses to leave her side. And on a flight to Colorado, she sits next to Charlie, who believes he can show her a life full of possibilities, if only she’ll let him. 

Cass wants her life back the way it was. Charlie knows this cannot be. Yet a future beckons all the same...

When I was sent this book for review, I have to be honest and say that I wasn't sure what to expect. Though I thought the blurb was certainly intriguing, I also had my reservations. My main issue was that there's an animal involved in the story - I am an animal lover and I tend to steer away from anything that could possibly involve animals getting hurt or lost or anything like that, as I find it hard to read about. The book did, however, seem to imply that the dog was a real symbol of positivity and hope, and so I did decide to give the book a go. Thankfully, I had nothing to worry about and I soon started to enjoy the book. 

Though I've read quite a few books in the chick-lit and women's fiction categories, I am still discovering what I like and what I don't like as these genres are so huge. I like quite a bit of depth and detail in the novels I read, and I realise that some books that are marketed as chick-lit lack a certain amount of substance. This book is certainly not one of those books - this is a book that really made me sit back and think about a lot of important things. Despite its pretty cover, there's a really hard-hitting and emotional story in this book. This story is a love story, but it's certainly one hell of a journey too, introducing us to many difficult situations, (physical and emotional) and it certainly taught me something along the way.

There is an abundance of well thought-out, structured and individual people in this book and I especially loved our protagonist, Cass. Cass is a young woman, who has her life turned upside down after having an accident which confines her to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. As well as that, her boyfriend decides to leave her as she lies in hospital. I can only imagine how Cass felt, but Peterson did a fantastic job of portraying it. I am so glad that Peterson didn't sugarcoat the issue in any way. Cass realistically found adjusting to her new life difficult and I admire how she handled it. It was interesting to see everything that changed for Cass and it really did show how much people take for granted. This book really was eye opening and I would hope that it will be for many others. The way that Peterson once again very realistically helped her face and overcome hurdles was truly inspiring.

Relationships, especially friendships were vital to Cass during her recovery and I really loved reading about the people that she met and befriended after her accident. Cass made two fantastic friends at hospital and then when she became involved with an organisation who helped disabled people find canine partners who can help them with everyday living, she met a lot of new friends there. Whilst on a trip away with an organisation for those with spinal injuries, Cass met Charlie.  I didn't  actually know anything about these sort of organisations, so it was interesting and very heartwarming to hear about how they worked. I particularly loved reading about Cass and her relationship with her working dog, Ticket, as it was so fantastic to see their bond together and to see how much Ticket improved Cass's life. It was also very interesting to see how it all worked. 

As I mentioned, amongst other things and mixed up relationships, this story is a love story. I have to say that I was kept up late at night reading this book, turning page after page and quite frankly, getting so annoyed with the characters! The author did a fantastic job of creating tension between Cass and Charlie, I don't think I've ever wanted to grab two characters, put them together and shout 'kiss already!' to both of them! The couple of characters are so genuine and they just worked together so well. I actually liked that they had had issues to resolve though as once again, it gave a sense of authenticity to their story.

Another character that I feel as though I have to mention as he had a huge impact upon me was Guy. I will not reveal anything about him in this review, because his story is something that has a real impact when you read it, but once again, Peterson hit us with some harsh reality.

Overall, after the first quarter of the book, I was absolutely gripped, it was a certain page turner. By My Side really opened my eyes to the life of those who have spinal injury and definitely taught me a lot about the issues that those who are confined to a wheelchair every day. More than that though, it taught me to not take anything for advantage and it also inspired me and gave me a real sense of hope. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone and I certainly commend Peterson on her writing.

Heart-Shaped Bruise

Heart-Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne

Paperback, 336 pages

Published 10th May 2012 by Headline

Shelves: books-i-own, contemporary, crime-thriller-mystery, mental-health, read, read-in-2013, realistic-fiction, young-adult

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

They say I'm evil. The police. The newspapers. The girls from school who shake their heads on the six o’clock news and say they always knew there was something not quite right about me. And everyone believes it. Including you. But you don't know. You don't know who I used to be. 

Who I could have been.

Awaiting trial at Archway Young Offenders Institution, Emily Koll is going to tell her side of the story for the first time. 

Heart-Shaped Bruise is a compulsive and moving novel about infamy, identity and how far a person might go to seek revenge.

Although Heart-Shaped Bruise has been released for a relatively long while, it has taken quite some time to actually get around to reading it! As soon as I read the blurb of this book, it was something that I knew that I'd have to get around to as the premise sounds as though this book was written for me! I love reading anything to do with mental health and for some unknown reason, I also find prison and criminology very interesting. What could be better than reading the story  of a girl in a psychiatric ward of a prison? I couldn't wait to delve into this book!

This book is in the form of a notebook of the now infamous Emily Koll, a girl who is awaiting trial after committing a crime that some consider evil. When Emily's father was stabbed by a girl of her own age, Juliet, her life was turned upside down as she realised her father wasn't the man she thought he was. Emily decided to seek revenge for herself and her father and so, disguising herself as - or rather changing into - a girl named Rose, she infiltrates into Juliet's life, attempting to appear as her best friend whilst simultaneously destroying her. Along the way, we also meet Sid, a guy who becomes somewhat of an equal to both Juliet and Emily, someone who they both end up loving and who is a particularly important character to Emily. It's very difficult for me to try and explain what happens plot wise without giving any spoilers, so I won't say much more. When you pick the book up yourself, you'll almost immediately have questions flying around in your head and will be eager to find out all of the answers for yourself!

This book explores so much of Emily's mind and Byrne has done a stupendous job of crafting a realistic, troubled yet also somewhat relatable character in the form of Emily. Emily is in a psychiatric unit, having frequent therapy sessions with Doctor Gilyard. The idea of Emily having Borderline Personality Disorder is briefly insinuated quite early on in the novel, and this immediately caught my attention as someone who has been diagnosed with that same disorder. I don't know if I was particularly sensitive to seeing Emily's 'symptoms', but wow - the author has done an incredible job. As Emily says herself, the symptoms of BPD can been seen in almost anyone at some point, but Byrne shows us how these symptoms develop, and how the person's personality is disordered. Instead of listing things, Byrne smoothly tells us of times in Emily's life where she has displayed traits, and we see how normal her thought processes seem for her. I think that the thing about this book that impressed the most were Emily's psychiatric sessions with Doctor G - if you told me that their sessions were actually real, I would totally believe you, their chemistry together was so believable and it felt as though I was inside Emily's head at some points, at others I was willing her to open up to her doctor. The emotion that was conjured in sometimes only a few sentences between them was amazing.

Despite Emily's cruel, quite twisted crime, she helps us understand why she did what she did and honestly, I can't help but feel for her, even if what she did was very wrong. Reading through the book, Emily's acts seem very logical to her and it's easy to get caught up in her passion. I'd hope that anyone who reads this book would see why Emily did what she did and also see the real version of herself that she was trying to express. Emily's relationship with Sid is something that really interested me and I think it really made an impact on how I saw her, at least until a certain point. On the whole, I don't completely know how I feel about Emily,  but I don't think that she knows that either. However, what we both do know is that nothing is wholly good/pure or wholly bad/evil.

Heart-Shaped Bruise is a fantastically written novel, with one of the best formed characters that I've read about. Tanya Byrne is a tremendously talented author and I really hope that she has more characters like Koll to keep us on the edge of our seats. Recommended to young adults and adults alike.

Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron

Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron by Jonathan Strahan (Editor)

Hardback, 432 pages

Published 4th October 2013 by Hot Key Books

Shelves: arc-or-review, books-i-own, death, fairy-tales, fantasy, ghosts, let-down, magic, magical-realism, not-for-me, read, read-in-2013, shapeshifters, short-stories, supernatural

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

A stellar cast of acclaimed fantasy writers weave spellbinding tales that bring the world of witches to life. Boasting over 70 awards between them, including a Newbery Medal, five Hugo Awards and a Carnegie Medal, authors including Neil Gaiman, Garth Nix and Holly Black delve into the realms of magic to explore all things witchy... From familiars that talk, to covens that offer dark secrets to explore, these are tales to tickle the hair on the back of your neck and send shivers down your spine.

I love a good seasonal read and Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron was my choice of read for Halloween this year. The book is a collection of short stories by several well known and talented authors, with all of the stories relating in some way, to the iconic witch hat, witchery or in general, magic. 

I don't often read short stories, but with a choice of eighteen tales, I thought this would be a fun choice and I was guaranteed to enjoy at least a few of the stories! I haven't reviewed many short stories, but I thought it'd be easier to give you an idea of each of the tales, and what I thought of them. After an introduction by the editor, I started to take some short notes.

The first tale was 'Stray Magic' by Diana Peterfreund. Our protagonist, Malou, is working in a dog shelter when a magical dog called arrives. The dog has lost its owner/master. Malou is only one who can see the magic behind the dog and can  communicate with it. Malou and the dog attempt to find the owner as the dog becomes ill without him. Though the short story is resolved, this could have definitely lead to longer story. I thought that it was a well written piece, but personally I didn't find it interesting enough to hold my attention well.

The second tale was 'Payment Due' by Frances Hardinge. Immediately, this story felt modern, the contemporary writing style was very enjoyable.The story starts with our main character's gran having some of her goods reposessed by bailiffs. Our main character then seeks revenge as she trades her body with a cat, invades the bailiffs home and tricking him. The story did leave me a little confused by the end, but it was a fun read.

'A Handful of Ashes' by Garth Nix gave us a new  firm setting and a more complex story with a lot of structure. It's clear that we're only getting a sneak peek of a much bigger surrounding and story. The story consists of old magic bylaws, magic class systems and laws. It was quite dense in information and detail for a short story and I think that this will really appeal to people who like having a firmly established setting and history in their stories.

I really enjoyed the next story, 'Little Gods' by Holly Black. It had a contemporary and almost coming of age style to it. We follow a girl, Ellery, who is going on a trip to participate in a ritual with her coven. The ritual is one of passion and is actually very similar to many high school parties! The story appears to be about ghosts, witchery and magic, but really it focuses on friends, lessons and life. It focuses on the little things, and that's what I loved about this one. 

'Barrio Girls' by Charles de Lint turns the book in a little more creepy directions as we are introduced to two teenage girls who are on a walk, followed by their friend, Pepé, who usually watches over them. The friends find a Witch as they're walking in the wash and she kills Pepé. The girls look for revenge, finding out how to kill the Witch, and find out that the way is to kill her with kindness. There is a message about being yourself weaved within this story, which I appreciate, but once again, I wasn't all that interested in this story - there was no real excitement for me.

In 'Felidis' by Tanith Lee, there was a romance with a which who is a cross between a human woman and a feline. At first, I found it slightly confusing and the story was certainly peculiar. I can see the intrigue of the feline character, but this one was just too 'out there' for me.

'Witch Work' by Neil Gaiman is the shortest contribution to this book, in the form of a poem. The work was short but effective, with the very vivid scenes that you'd hope for from Gaiman. This piece may have had a small word count, but it still had one of the biggest impacts. 

'The Education of a Witch' by Ellen Klages came next, and this was one of my favourite stories in the book. It follows Lizzy, a young child who goes to see Sleeping Beauty but rather than love the 'good' princess as expected, she loves the 'evil' witch character and as her baby sister is is born, Lizzy begins to become even closer to her favourite character. This was a really fantastic story which felt quite like a psychological thriller. I loved the writing style, the slight tension and the good pace. I would have loved to have read more.

'The Threefold World' by Ellen Kushner is next and it is a story of knowledge, faith, legend and magic. It has a lot of substance and it works well. I imagine that it will appeal to many people who enjoy fantasy, journeys and folklore. I am not quite sure why, but I personally couldn't get into this story, it bored me.

Next was another slightly stranger tale, 'The Witch in the Wood' by Delia Sherman. This tale tells of a witch who finds true love -- in the shape of a stag that she shoots! The deer is a shapeshifter, and though I've never particularly enjoyed reading about shapeshifters, I thought that this was a really captivating story. I quite enjoyed the twist of the ending and I would like to know what happened in the end.

My favourite story in this book had to be 'The Carved Forest' by Tim Pratt. This is another story that read like a psychological thriller. The story told is of a witch who has a forest of trees carved into the shape of everyone in her town, and two special carvings of her late husband and daughter. When the main character, Carlos, starts worrying about his sister forming a friendship with the witch, he intervenes. This is a haunting and very intriguing read which really stood out and I loved it.

'Burning Castles' by M. Rickert had a sense of ambiguity about it - we don't know exactly what is going on between the witch and who appears to be her child. The realism with hints of a haunted spirit world was effective. The story was drark and powerful despite being so short and it was good in the way that you could use your own imagination to fill ing the blanks.

Isobelle Carmody's 'The Stone Witch' was next, following a woman on an airplane flight, disappointed to be sat next to a child. The plane starts to crash and the woman starts to dream. The child and a witch both appear in her dream, the witch threatening their lives. The woman and child both go on a quest in hope of saving their lives. Both characters have flashbacks which were effective and which added another good, strong dimension to this story. I did enjoy this story though to be honest, I think I would have preferred it without the magical/fantasy aspect!

The next tale, 'Andersen's Witch' by Jane Yolen was a very brave move by the author! This is a tale of both Hans Christian Andersen and an ice witch. I think and hope that fans of Andersen will enjoy the fairytale like quality of this story.

'B is for Bigfoot' by Jim Butcher was next. This story starts with a professional wizard being called upon by a bigfoot who needs help as his scion (half human, half supernatural) son, Irwin, is getting bullied at school. The wizard gets into the school and attempts to help the problem but ends up getting caught up in it whilst Irwin and the other kids manage to sort the problem out themselves. 

The penultimate tale in the book was 'Great Grandmother in the Cellar' by Peter Beagle. It is a story of family, present and past, and focuses on relationships, with a very spooky skeletal great grandmother at the centre of it all! Unfortunately this was another story that just didn't do anything for me, and I had to stop myself skimming through the pages.

The last tale, 'Crow and Caper, Caper and Crow' by Margo Lanagan was about a character meeting her magical grandchild. The story was a nice ending to the book as this story had very high quality writing and I wanted to read more of this tale.

Overall, this book had both high and lows, and I can't deny that at points, I really struggled keeping with it as I did feel bored or I just wanted to get onto something more exciting. However, there were also some stories that really stood out in a positive way, namely The Education of a Witch and The Carved Forest, and I appreciate the book for allowing me to sample some fantastic authors. Though this wasn't one of my favourite books, it is something that I would recommend to anybody who likes young adult fiction, especially of the fantasy genre, as there should be something for everyone in this book.

How To Fall In Love

How to Fall in Love by Cecelia Ahern

Hardback, 400 pages

Expected publication 7th November 2013 by HarperCollins
Shelves: adult-fiction, arc-or-review, better-than-expected, books-i-own, chick-lit, mental-health, read, read-in-2013, realistic-fiction, really-good, suicide

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

She has just two weeks. Two weeks to teach him how to fall in love – with his own life.

Adam Basil and Christine Rose are thrown together late one night, when Christine is crossing the Halfpenny Bridge in Dublin. Adam is there, poised, threatening to jump. Adam is desperate – but Christine makes a crazy deal with him. His 35th birthday is looming and she bets him she can show him that life is worth living before then. 

Despite her determination, Christine knows what a dangerous promise she’s made. Against the ticking of the clock, the two of them embark on wild escapades, grand romantic gestures and some unlikely late-night outings. Slowly, Christine thinks Adam is starting to fall back in love with his life. 

But has she done enough to change his mind for good? And is that all that’s starting to happen?

How to Fall in Love is a book that, thankfully, has a really exciting blurb on the cover. I openly admit that having read one of Ahern's other books (The Gift) I wasn't overly eager to pick up more of her books, but thanks to the description of this one, I overcame my apprehensiveness and I could not be happier that I did! 

I am immediately sold to any book which features characters that are emotionally or mentally troubled, so what could be more appealing than this one? Christine, our protagonist, hasn't had an easy time since she met a man called Simon, a man who she believed she had talked down from suicide until he suddenly shot himself in front of her, leaving him in a coma. From that night, almost everything changed for her as she began to live with a feeling of guilt and as she also decided to change her home life, leaving her husband. What happens next is the main focus of this story - As Christine is walking through Dublin, she approaches the Ha'penny Bridge and sees a man, Adam, about to jump. Christine felt as though she failed with Simon and so she wasn't going to let Adam go. Christine and Adam make a deal, Christine has up until Adam's next birthday (only two weeks!) in order to make him love his life, otherwise, he is free to do as he wishes. 

There is a lot of things that I could go into detail about in this book, because there are a lot of things that happen in the two weeks that Christine and Adam have together. A lot of things that they do are in an attempt to try and get Adam's ex-girlfriend, Maria, to fall in love with him again. Adam planned to become engaged to Maria, but  was devastated when he found out that his girlfriend and best friend were having an affair. Christine also helps Adam to try and manage his life, sorting through issues with both the family business and family feuds. Christine herself also faces some inner battles, issues with her ex-husband and still finds time to help her friend both cope with a loss and a life-changing revelation. 

From the first time that Christine and Adam meet, we know that their relationship isn't going to be easy or 'normal' - Christine has agreed to turn the suicidal Adam into someone happier. There is a slight awkwardness between the two of them, a natural awkwardness, something that you would expect to be there, something that feels so real and which adds a sense of authenticity. There are some truly beautiful moments between the couple and it is hard to pinpoint a favourite scene of mine because all of their time together did seem precious,  though I did particularly enjoy the more light-hearted and fun times that they had as they began to relax into each others company. The two characters as individuals were well formed, their personalities were both very level and they both seemed very genuine, but when the two characters were together, they both sparked to life - the chemistry between them was incredible, they complimented each other and definitely had one of the best relationships that I've read. 

How to Fall in Love is a very appropriate title for this book, this story itself has multiple chapters with 'How To' titles and I really enjoyed the format. At the beginning, Christine is a firm believer that there is a 'How To' self-help book for every topic and for every person - she uses those books as emotional crutches and as guidance for her everyday life and of course, she turns to them when she is trying to help Adam. As Christine helps Adam with each step of his changes, we notice that she is altering both of their lives and the chapter headings cleverly reflect that. The book title is appropriate to both the characters inside and to me, as I most definitely fell in love with both the charming characters and heartwarming story.

How To Fall In Love is undoubtedly one of the best chick-lit books of 2013 and one of the best I've ever read. I absolutely devoured this book, though I never wanted it to end. This is a perfect book to pick up and become lost in - you will find your mind wandering off into the captivating Dublin setting with these two characters, willing them on along their journey. I completely, wholeheartedly fell in love with Christine, Adam and their emotional story and I'm sure that they will stay in my mind for quite some time. Needless to say, Ahern has certainly taught me 'How To Fall In Love'.