Review... Love & Freedom - Sue Moorcroft

Love & Freedom - Sue Moorcroft
Choc Lit, 2011
ISBN: 9781906931667













My rating

From the back cover:

"New start, new love.
That's what Honor Sontag needs after her life falls apart, leaving her reputation in tatters and her head all over the place. So she flees her native America and heads for Brighton, England. Honor's hoping for a much-deserved break and the chance to find the mother who abandoned her as a baby. What she gets is an entanglement with a mysterious male whose family seems to have a finger in every pot in town. Martyn Mayfair has sworn off women with strings attached, but is irresistibly drawn to Honor, the American who keeps popping up in his life. All he wants is an uncomplicated relationship built on honesty, but Honor's past threatens to undermine everything. Then secrets about her mother start to spill out ... Honor has to make an agonising choice. Will she live up to her dutiful name and please others? Or will she choose freedom?
From the bestselling author of Starting Over, this novel has great charm and a cast of unforgettable characters."

Another really great book from Choc Lit and Sue Moorcroft.

The blurb and the beginning of the book really whets your appetite and makes you want to keep reading. From the word go I was desperate to find out what it was that the heroine was running from.

I loved reading all the interactions between the hero and heroine, there is plenty of spark and lots of great dialogue. I felt the hero and heroine clicked right from the start, they were both searching for something more in their lives and recognised this in each other. Oh, and a hero who is a male model? Yes please!

The only thing I found a little frustrating is that this book has a slightly unhinged/stalker-esque ex plot... as do the previous two books I have read by this author. While this part of the story is very well written and works well with the story I feel that I wanted something a little different in this book, but as I said it works.

The love story between the hero and heroine builds beautifully; it's sweet and deep and feels natural. One thing I like about this author is that her characters are normal people, with flaws and everything.

Superb writing, the story flows easily and had me absorbed all the way through, worth every minute spent reading it. Very enjoyable. 

Xx

Book Review... All That Mullarkey - Sue Moorcroft

All That Mullarkey - Sue Moorcroft
Choc Lit, 2010
ISBN: 9781906931247













My rating

From the back cover:

"Revenge and love: it 's a thin line The writing 's on the wall for Cleo and Gav. The bedroom wall, to be precise. And it says This marriage is over. Wounded and furious, Cleo embarks on a night out with the girls, which turns into a glorious one night stand with Justin, centrefold material and irrepressibly irresponsible. He loves a little wildness in a woman and he 's in the right place at the right time to enjoy Cleo s.But it 's Cleo who has to pick up the pieces of a marriage based on a lie and the lasting repercussions of that night. Torn between laid-back Justin and control freak Gav, she 's a free spirit that life is trying to tie down. But the rewards are worth it"


I picked this one up on the strength that I really enjoyed the last book by Sue Moorcroft I read (Starting Over), and out of the three books I have read from Choc Lit publishing I haven't met one I didn't like!

The story starts with a bang - with the heroine being left by her unpredictable husband after a silly argument, she then goes out a meets a really nice guy and ends up having a one night stand with him.

A really unexpected, and brave, opening and it is played out wonderfully. The author neither condones nor makes light of her character's actions, and excuses aren't made either. Instead the journey the characters go on include coming to terms with the consequences, and there are many, of their actions.

The book is full of highs and lows, ups and downs, reconciliation and break-ups, and everything all over again! It really keeps you on your toes whilst reading.

This is almost, to me, like an 'anti-romance' and it feels raw and real. The characters just couldn't get it together, in the relationship sense and other, and, you know, that's life!

When the HEA does finally happen you really feel like it's deserved, that the hero and heroine have worked for it, and it isn't twee or contrived in any way.

Lovely. Highly entertaining.

Xx

Book Review... Starstruck - Jane Lovering

Star Struck - Jane Lovering
Choc Lit, 2011
ISBN: 9781906931689













My rating

From the back cover:

"Our memories define us don't they? And Skye Threppel lost most of hers in a car crash that stole the lives of her best friend and fiancé. It's left scars, inside and out, which have destroyed her career and her confidence. Skye hopes a trip to the wide dusty landscapes of Nevada and a TV convention offering the chance to meet the actor she idolises will help her heal. But she bumps into mysterious Sci-fi writer Jack Whitaker first. He's a handsome contradiction cool and intense, with a wild past. Jack has enough problems already. He isn t looking for a woman with self-esteem issues and a crush on one of his leading actors. Yet he's drawn to Skye. An instant rapport soon becomes intense attraction, but Jack fears they can t have a future if Skye ever finds out about his past ... Will their memories tear them apart, or can they build new ones together?"


Not only does this book have a story centred around a Sci-fi TV show convention - something I am fascinated by - but it is also by Jane Lovering, who's last book I read I really enjoyed.

The story starts off very dark, and doesn't really change from there throughout, but the author still manages to inject some very honest and funny moments. There is something about her style that is very appealing - it flows naturally, is chock-full of dry humour, as well as very emotional.

Both the hero and heroine have stories that are deep and tragic, and their personalities are richly portrayed - I found myself equally frustrated and cheered by them. Their love-story weaved into an already full story feels real and beautiful.

Jane Lovering isn't afraid to write about some of the more unpleasant aspects of life, but does it all with wit and aplomb that makes this book sparkle.

Hard hitting but it will also make you laugh, definitely worth a read.

Xx

Book Review... Please Don't Stop The Music - Jane Lovering

Please Don't Stop The Music - Jane Lovering
Choc Lit, 2011
ISBN: 9781906931278












My rating

From the back cover:

"How much can you hide? Jemima Hutton is determined to build a successful new life and keep her past a dark secret. Trouble is, her jewellery business looks set to fail - until enigmatic Ben Davies offers to stock her handmade belt buckles in his guitar shop and things start looking up, on all fronts. But Ben has secrets too. When Jemima finds out he used to be the front man of hugely successful Indie rock band Willow Down, she wants to know more. Why did he desert the band on their US tour? Why is he now a semi-recluse? And the curiosity is mutual - which means that her own secret is no longer safe ..."


Wow... Just wow! I am almost speechless about how much I loved this book.

I have to admit that I was rather sceptical at first, but since it won the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year award I wanted to give it a go. By the time I was 20 pages in I was 100% hooked!

There is so much abut this book that is simply brilliant - the honest and hilariously funny dialogue, a brilliant cast of characters, and the hints to the secrets were weaved throughout the story like a master.

Oh, the hero's story is so heartbreaking. I guessed pretty early on in the book what might be his secret but it didn't make it any less emotional and I found myself very choked up when it was finally revealed.

The author handles these two characters, and their lives, like a dream. I adored the heroine right from the start.

This has a lot of 'funny' moments, but don't be fooled into thinking it is a light-hearted romantic comedy. It is not. This isn't always an easy book to read, at time it is very dark, but it is certainly a book that will stay with you and leave you with tears and a sigh.

Reading this book is worth it, believe me! I can't recommend it enough.

The only thing I don't like about this book is the cover. The image of the girl on the front looks a bit like an afterthought, kind of out of place, and she seems very young - I thought this was a YA book when I first saw on Amazon! But, lesson learned, never judge a book... etc!

Xx

Book Review... Starting Over - Sue Moorcroft

Starting Over - Sue Moorcroft
Choc Lit, 2009
ISBN: 9781906931223













My rating

From the back cover:

"New home, new friends, new love. Can starting over be that simple? Tess Riddell reckons her beloved Freelander is more reliable than any man - especially her ex-fiancé, Olly Gray. She's moving on from her old life and into the perfect cottage in the country.
Miles Rattenbury's passions? Old cars and new women! Romance? He's into fun rather than commitment. When Tess crashes the Freelander into his breakdown truck, they find that they're nearly neighbours - yet worlds apart. Despite her overprotective parents and a suddenly attentive Olly, she discovers the joys of village life and even forms an unlikely friendship with Miles. Then, just as their relationship develops into something deeper, an old flame comes looking for him... 
Is their love strong enough to overcome the past? Or will it take more than either of them is prepared to give?"


This was one of those books that came up as one of the 'you might also like...' recommendations after I bought something on Amazon. I have been hearing lots of good things about Choc Lit publishing but haven't read any of their books so far, so I thought I would give this one a go.

I was a little unsure of the book at first, it took me a while to get used to the author's style - there are lots of fragmented sentences that, at times, felt a little jarring. However once I was used to it, this ended up being a brilliant read.

The story is so full of emotional ups and downs and very relatable. The heroine grows as the story progresses, although she is a nicely flawed character and makes some very well written and honest mistakes.

The hero is a little difficult, but that is what makes him really charming. I fell hook, line, and sinker for him!

This is so much more than boy meets girl and then they live happily every after... The story explores problems after that initial HEA, as well as past mistakes coming back to haunt you, and how quickly you can fall out of love as you do fall in love. The author takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, and a tells a wonderful love-story.

Lovely!

Xx