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.

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'.

Amelia Grey's Fireside Dream

Amelia Grey's Fireside Dream by Abby Clements

Paperback, 365 pages

Published 26th September by Quercus
Shelves: adult-fiction, arc-or-review, books-i-own, chick-lit, cover-appeal, mum-has, read, read-in-2013, realistic-fiction

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

Amelia has a dream: toasting chestnuts by the fire with her husband Jack in their own cosy cottage. Their real life is another world - a cramped one-bedroom flat in Hackney. But when life takes a surprising turn, removal vans are soon heading to the Kent countryside.

They soon realise the cottage makeover is a far bigger project than they'd anticipated. On top of that, there's Amelia's newly loved-up mum and her tearaway half-sister, Mirabel, to contend with - pushing Amelia and Jack's marriage to breaking point.

Amelia begins to strip back the wallpaper and fittings in the cottage and discovers the story of the cottage's previous owner - and a hidden secret. As Amelia's ideas about love and family change, will her fireside dream finally come true?

Amelia Grey's Fireside Dream is one of those books that I just looked at and sighed - for positive reasons! As soon as I saw the gorgeous seasonal cover with the shiny autumnal covers and the soothing mention of  a fireside, I knew that this would be a perfect book to read as the nights started drawing in.

This book introduces us to Amelia, our protagonist, who has, after years, grown tired of her urban home and lifestyle. Amelia isn't completely unhappy though, as she lives with her long-term partner, lives nearby to some close friends and has a job that she's passionate about, teaching kids at St. Catherine's school. Amelia Grey's Fireside Dream is about Amelia making her 'Fireside dream' come true, as she moves out of the city and into the countryside with the aim of having a more relaxed, rural life. As always in life, unfortunately not everything can be perfect, and we follow Amelia as she works hard to make her newly-bought, but rather outdated, country house into a home. 

Amelia is a wonderful protagonist because she is simply human - the author doesn't make any attempts to make her a particularly remarkable character in any way, which is exactly why she is so easy to connect with - Amelia is certainly not perfect, but she tries her best and makes an effort in what she does, she's ambitious but somewhat cautious and yes, she makes quite a few mistakes. What I liked reading about most in regards to Amelia was her relationships - those with her friends, her partner and her family. Amelia's two best friends, Carly and Sunita, live in the city and I really liked reading about their close friendships, there was a real sense of comfort and trust between them which was really comforting to read about. I liked reading about Amelia's relationship with her family too, her parents, but mostly her sister, Mirabel who is a bit of a teenage rebel, but who Amelia manages to really take under her wing. 

A large part of this book is focused on Amelia's relationship with her long term partner Jack. Initially, Jack isn't completely sold on moving to the countryside, but despite that, they take the leap and purchase a house which needs a lot of work. As there is so much to do with the house and as Jack has a lot on at work, things become stretched. Their relationship was certainly not perfect, there were some quite significant flaws and weaknesses, but again this really made the book feel realistic. Despite the issues, it was very clear that there was chemistry between the couple and I could see that the two had a loving relationship. I was torn with what would become of the couple as the book progressed - I really couldn't predict what would happen with them or if their relationship under the new circumstances.  

I also can't forget to mention that there is a fantastic subplot to this book where we are introduced to some mystery items which have been left in the house by the previous owner - I became so excited at these parts, wondering who they belonged to, what the story was behind the letters and items. Though everything was tied up at the end, I do wish that there was even more exploration of this subplot as it did have me on the edge of my seat.

As this is a book about restoring and redecorating an old country house, any of you who are interested in interior design, homeware, crafts and/or Pinterest will definitely have a soft-spot for this book! Many of the chapters in this book start with mood boards, conjuring up Amelia's dream designs for her home and it will definitely get your imagination going, if not making you want to start handcrafting things for your own home! 

Overall, this was a really pleasant read which I enjoyed and would recommend to anyone who is wanting something that is easy to read and relax with. The pace of this book is relaxed though never boring and you will find the time slipping away without you noticing as you keep turning page after page. Highly recommended!

Another Way to Fall

Another Way to Fall by Amanda Brooke

Paperback, 416 pages

Expected publication: 12th September 2013 by Harper

Shelves: adult-fiction, arc-or-review, books-i-own, chick-lit death, medical-conditions, mum-has, read-in-2013, realistic-fiction, read

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

What would you do if you could write the story of your life?

After battling a brain tumour twenty-nine year old Emma thinks she is in the clear, but her world comes crashing down around her when she is told her fight was in vain, and there is nothing more the doctors can do.

Realising that she won’t now have time to achieve the things she dreamed of, Emma decides to write her perfect life in a story. She imagines all the things she would have done, the places she would have seen, the husband she would have shared her life with and the family they would have raised. And, mysteriously, as she writes her story, she starts to notice that some of her dreams seem to be coming true.

Now with a real love in her life, and her fading hope burning brighter, reality and fiction start to become blurred. As she writes their life-long love story Emma dares to believe that anything is possible, but can she really change her fate?

When I was asked to review Another Way to Fall, I was torn. I am known to like the slightly more depressing books that are on offer rather than the cheery chick-lit, but I wasn't sure if even I could handle this one as it was going to strike a somewhat personal chord. This is a book about a woman with a terminal brain tumour. Earlier this year, I was diagnosed with Pseudotumour Cerebri, a rare problem that is thankfully not life-threatening, but it means that I will live with the symptoms of a brain tumour for the rest of my life. As you'll be able to tell, my curiosity overpowered my slight wariness, and it didn't take me long to pick this book up and start reading.

We're introduced to Emma as she awaits to receive her results from the hospital, letting her know whether or not she is clear of cancer. Emma is hopeful that the news will be good and that she will be able to continue her life in a healthy, happy manner. Unfortunately, the results are far from positive and she is told that unfortunately nothing more can be done as her tumour is terminal. This book tells the story of Emma, her friends and her family coming to terms with her inevitable passing. Of course, this news is both devastating for Emma and the people around her. 

One thing that struck me about this book was just how normal the characters were - they were very realistic and so it was so easy to imagine yourself in their position. Emma was an extremely strong character, but again, she was also very realistic and acted as I suspect a lot of people would in her situation. We get to learn a lot about all of the characters through the way that they react to bad news but it works really well - it gives us a true feeling of them as raw characters and what they're truly like. As well as meeting Emma, we meet several other characters, the most prominent ones being Ben, her romantic interest, her mother Meg and sister Louise. I also have to give a special mention to Iris and her friend, the two complaining old ladies who helped add a spark of humour to a dark time and really helped to liven the novel up a bit! 

It was interesting to see how each character interacted with the other and in particular, I found the relationship between Emma and her mother, Meg, to be the most touching. I think that Meg was the character that I could connect to most - whether you are someone's daughter or someones mother, I'd imagine that knowing you're about to lose each other, for most people, is a very difficult one. I can't put really put the emotions into words, but Brooke has done a spectacular job of describing such a strong relationship. Undoubtedly, I found the saddest scenes to be those between Emma and Meg, both realising that they would be parting from each other. Whilst it felt different, I did really enjoy reading about Emma's relationship with Ben. It was quite obvious that they were going to end up together and I did find myself both rooting for them and feeling a little upset and knowing their time was limited. 

As well as reading about Emma's real life, we get to read the book that she has planned to write before she dies - a story of hope, a story of Emma with an all-clear diagnosis who goes on and has the exact life she will miss. It was really interesting to see what Emma valued most and what she would have done had she gotten the all-clear. Though the book she is writing holds a somewhat fantasy world for her, with the help of Ben, she actually manages to achieve a lot of positive things and enjoyable experiences in her real life. Ben was truly the perfect man to Emma, not pushing her but encouraging her and surprising her,  allowing her to do the things that she thought she couldn't do. It was difficult but understandable to see Emma push Ben away, but I am so glad that we got to read of their time together. It was lovely getting lost in their thoughts and adventures and for some moments forgetting the awful thing inside her head.

When you have a brain tumour, it's unfortunately very difficult to let go and forget about it for a while, but Brooke allowed Emma some freedom, whilst still managing to make sure we knew she was battling something that has no remorse. I thought that Brooke did a good job of describing the tumour that Emma had and portraying the symptoms without overcomplicating things. Personally, I found reading a lot of the symptoms or  bad episodes that Emma had, quite difficult to read (due to having the same symptoms!) and so I read the book relatively slowly. The author clearly knows what she is talking about, what she is tackling and she handles it with just the right amount of both sincerity and delicacy. 

Overall, this was a very well written book that I would recommend to any adult who thinks that they would 'enjoy' (probably not the most appropriate word) reading about the subject matter. Brooke hasn't just wrote about a brain tumour, but instead she has written about independence, hope and love. She has allowed us to really think of what we value, or what we dream to do. I really admire Brooke for writing this book, she has such a natural talent and sensitivity that shines through. I will certainly be looking forward to picking up more of her books in the future.