All That Mullarkey – Sue Moorcroft

Posted on by

Cleo and Gav have had the perfect marriage, happily child-free and the envy of their friends, until one night the writing’s on the wall. Literally. Gav has an unwarranted jealousy attack and announces the end of their marriage- on the bedroom wallpaper in permanent marker. Cleo takes his word for it and ends up having a drunken unprotected one night stand with the lovely Justin, only to discover Gav wants them to try again.

Kooks for your Kindle?– Some great characters here, very well written; Cleo’s friends have their own problems, and her family is not helpful with the exception of her flighty sister. Gav is deluded and immature at best, it’s a little hard to see how they had such a good marriage before the events here. Justin is lovely, and it was good to have small portions of the book from his perspective.

The Bella-Swan-Pathetically-Self-Sacrificing-Factor– Cleo is a well developed character with her own contradictions; while she’s smart and capable at work, she’s a basket case when it comes to men troubles! She does wait an awfully long time to face up to the consequences of her one night stand, but finds the strength to cope on her own very well.

Painting a picture for your paperback?– It’s set in a village near Peterborough, UK, but could work anywhere. A slightly tense atmosphere is well maintained for most of the book, especially when Justin starts being threatened by his former tenants and has to move in with Cleo.

Nookie for your Nook?– Cleo and Justin do have spectacular chemistry.

Evaluation of your eBook?– Cleo is a likable heroine, bold of character, compassionate and strong. Gav possibly overplayed his hand at the start, his jealous reaction to a simple school reunion bordered on psychotic, which made it difficult to empathise with him in his attempts to reconcile with Cleo. The premise was interesting, a real page-turner, a mystery, a couple of surprises at the end, and the conclusion brought things nicely full circle. This was my first from this author, but I’ll definitely read more if this good read is anything to go by.

Frothy Ranking: 4/5 cocktails.

Can be obtained from:

UK: Amazon for £1.99

US: for only $2.99 from Amazon.

The Girl You Left Behind – Jojo Moyes

Posted on by

If you’ve read any of the author’s previous books (especially Me Before You) then you’ll know you’re in for an epic emotional roller-coaster ride with this one. What’s more, you get two stories for the price of one; firstly, in a German occupied world war one French village, Sophie and her sister battle to survive and keep their family cafe running. Both their young husbands are away fighting and rarely heard from apart from occasional messages via the resistance. When the local Kommandant takes a shine to a portrait of Sophie painted by her husband, things take a turn for the worse for the whole family.

In the other story in the present day, Liv is a young widow living in a spectacular home she can’t afford that was designed by her late husband David. When she takes a chance on love again with American art investigator Paul, he sets in motion events that risk the other legacy she has from David- the painting of The Girl You Left Behind- which is claimed by the family of the artist as being taken from them by the Germans during the war. As Liv risks everything and fights to keep the painting she loves so much, she uncovers its passionate, surprising and tragic history.

Kooks for your Kindle?– Not kooks as such, as this not very frothy, but some fun originals, such as laid-back, slightly gothic Mo, who rescues Liv from a bad date before becoming her (non-paying) lodger. Paul’s brother Greg works at a gay bar and is a great supporting character. Marianne, the much-married American previous owner of the painting, is particularly colourful.

The Bella-Swan-Pathetically-Self-Sacrificing-Factor– I love strong women characters, even in frothy books, and here are two for the price of one. In fact both could be said to be overly so, their stubbornness in their efforts to keep the things they love lead them to crazy decisions that put them in danger of losing everything. Sophie was always bold and fearless, we get a revealing glimpse of her pre-war life in Paris where she caught the eye of Edouard. Her self-destructive behaviour during the occupation is fueled by her blind determination to be reunited with him, but it brings her whole family into disrepute. For Liv it’s the final straw, she’s already at risk of losing her house, the expensive fight to keep the painting that means so much to her all but guarantees she will lose everything else, including the only man she’s had a connection with since her husband died. She too is blindly determined which helps her uncover the mystery, but makes her less easy to empathise with.

Painting a picture for your paperback?– Our usual categories can sometimes be very apt! The cover and title gave the impression of chicklit, but it was a little more substantial than that, the modern day sections could be described as that, but not the wartime parts. The two stories are told very differently, Sophie is told in the first person, and her desperation is clear. Liv is told from third person perspective and reads much more like a contemporary novel (not just because it’s set in modern day). The world war one period has been well researched and is told with rich detail, the scarcity of food, the brutality of the occupation, the icy winters, the small triumphs of secretly defying the oppressors, the lengths people are prepared to go to for survival. Liv’s modern life has much less hardship but is still a struggle, but there is some fun; especially her friends’ attempts to match-make.

Evaluation of your eBook?– It doesn’t quite pack the emotional wallop of Me Before You, possibly because it’s not just focused on two people, but the story has a much wider scope and is all the more epic for it. Personally I preferred the 1916 sections, they were a vivid insight into an interesting time where everything was heightened and I found Sophie more likable. While the ending concludes the story perfectly, it could actually also pave the way for a sequel as there’s more to tell. Hope we get to find out!

Frothy Ranking: 5/5 cocktails.

Can be obtained from:

UK: Amazon for £4.99

US: Not currently available new on Amazon US, but check for updates.

Lucky Charm- Marie Astor

Posted on by

Annabel Green is concerned for her cousin and her cheating husband- little did she imagine that her fiancé Jeremy was up to the same tricks after freeloading off her for years. Luckily the advertising job she’d taken after college to support Jeremy’s writing ambitions (instead of pursuing her own) provided some challenges to take her mind off her devastation as she cancelled wedding plans. When her best friend Lilly takes her to a fortune teller, Annabel is sceptical of the optimistic love predictions and the lucky charm necklace given to her by the mystery lady. Fortunately she takes a chance shortly afterwards when fashion designer Lilly offers her the opportunity of three weeks in Paris, and the charm begins to take effect.

Kooks for your Kindle?– A nice variety of characters here, the selfish fiancé Jeremy is a piece of work. Meredith is Annabel’s deluded older cousin, who refuses to face her husband’s infidelity. Her anger at Annabel was very well done when Annabel kicked Jeremy out. Lilly is exceptional, more of a free spirit, especially when it comes to men where she loves ’em and leaves ’em- until she’s finally tempted to keep one.

The Bella-Swan-Pathetically-Self-Sacrificing-Factor– Annabel is a likable, strong, decisive character. I’ve always thought that just because frothy books are fun doesn’t mean the heroine has to be a complete disaster. I loved the way she immediately threw out Jeremy, despite all their shared history, and finally realised how she’d been used for so long.

Painting a picture for your paperback?– Although Annabel is a Jersey girl, the book’s mostly set in Manhattan, where it’s easy to casually meet friends for a post-work drink without having to worry about driving home (yep, jealous). Towards the end we have something of a guided tour of Paris, romantically done.

Evaluation of your eBook?– I only had a minor quibble- Annabel, although only twenty-eight, came across as a lot more mature, in speech and actions. But it didn’t adversely impact the story, which was wide open and unpredictable for a large part of it. It’s unusually refreshing to be at least halfway through a chick-lit book and not know who the leading lady will end up with! The lucky charm aspect didn’t start until about half way through, but I didn’t notice as the story was engrossing. Ultimately it’s about picking yourself up when it all goes south, and ending up much better off.

Frothy Ranking: 4/5.

Can be obtained from:

UK: On Amazon for only £1.92

US: On Amazon for $2.99.

Missing You – Louise Douglas

Posted on by

Missing You is a poignant tale of two lonely souls finding each other and trying to get on with their lives after heartbreak. Fen is a young single mum making ends meet by working in a book shop. Every day she’s still haunted by tragic events in her teens for which she feels responsible, involving her drug addicted brother Tomas and their friend Joe.

Sean has just been asked to leave his wife Belle and their daughter Amy, Belle does not want him any more and has already replaced him. Sean becomes Fen’s lodger, and the two broken people eventually connect. This was hard to classify on the frothy scale, as it was quick, cheap and readable, and yet serious in tone; I went with ‘much more substantial’ in the end.

Kooks for your Kindle?– A great selection of complex characters here, even the children. Fen’s four year old son Connor has mild cerebral palsy which slightly affects his walking, he’s as good as gold. Fen’s sister Lucy is becoming a new parent and is in denial about the accident that troubles Fen so much. Sean’s estranged wife Belle is a little self-centred and justifies her callous actions by accusing Sean of being uncommunicative, but of course their six year old daughter is stuck in the middle. There are plenty of well thought out tertiary characters, including Vincent, Fen’s friend and employer at the book shop, and Mrs Rees, devastated mother of Joe.

The Bella-Swan-Pathetically-Self-Sacrificing-Factor– Both the main characters are so damaged it’s hard for them to to have any hope at first. Sean was so in love with his wife and when she moved her new lover in Sean didn’t make as much of a fuss as I would have expected- in his house with his daughter, while he’s living in a tiny guest room! Fen is totally beaten down and has no confidence, except in one unexpected area- sex. Fortunately she does eventually confront her past.

Painting a picture for your paperback?– It’s a strange coincidence that this book and the one I read prior to it are both set in Bath, although they are at opposite ends of the frothy scale, and it’s a lovely setting even if the story could have taken place anywhere. More vividly portrayed is Fen’s simple existence which borders on self-punishment, also Sean’s tenderness for his daughter.

Nookie for your Nook?– Tasteful yet surprisingly steamy for such a sombre book.

Evaluation of your eBook?– I was surprised by the length of the book, fairly short, the pace is economical, moving along to a later time instead of dragging for the sake of it. The writing is elegant and graceful, beautifully descriptive. The initial sadness and fragility of both main characters is well conveyed, as is the gaining of strength. The mystery of Fen’s past is strung along for most of the book, and I admit to guessing part of it, but it works well. The conclusion is satisfying, with much character growth, not just for the leads. I’d definitely recommend for something a little different, and it’s an absolute bargain.

Frothy Ranking: 4/5 cocktails.

Can be obtained from:

UK: only 74p from Amazon.

US: Amazon for $4.22.

Why Do Fools Fall In Love – Louise Marley

Posted on by

Shelby thought she was born to be a police officer, but after a careless firearm-related mistake she loses her job and has to rethink her career. Thanks to some handy contacts she lands an interesting job with a security company, minding heartthrob actor Luke while he makes an old fashioned English movie in Bath. But when a young American drama queen is his costar and an egotistical englishman is the director it was never going to be easy- especially when a stalker gets nasty. Once the director and Luke both make a play for Shelby, her job is further complicated and life gets a little too interesting.

Kooks for your Kindle?– There are some fun secondary characters, Courtney, the American starlet is just as shopping-obsessed and vain as you might expect, but is kind to Shelby. The cast and crew are a boozy bunch, with much bed-hopping and back-stabbing, especially when Luke’s beautiful ex-fiancee joins the cast. Ross the director soon showed his true colours so I didn’t understand the attraction that Shelby felt for so long.

The Bella-Swan-Pathetically-Self-Sacrificing-Factor– Shelby starts the book with an immature attitude problem which helps lose her the police career she’d worked for, thankfully that is tamed a little in her new job. However her love life was a gigantic wreck of bad decisions. Luckily it’s hard not to like a little woman with a black belt in judo AND karate who can put a man out cold, and able to rescue the rider of a bolted horse.

Painting a picture for your paperback?– The setting and concept was great, making a classic Jane Austen-type movie in Somerset, with the glamour of the movie world, and it was an interesting insight as such. The cover and title of the book was nice and suited the romance but didn’t convey the other theme which was a little more action packed.

Nookie for your Nook?– Nothing you couldn’t get past the mother-in-law, but probably more aimed at the under thirties.

Evaluation of your eBook?– It’s a great theme for a chick-lit book, one that I’ve not come across before in the English market at least. The stalker plotline got set aside for the romantic shenanigans for a while in the middle of the book, so I forgot to have a guess at the culprit, but the who-dunnit part wasn’t too predictable. On the whole the book felt a little uneven at the start and would benefit from another proofread, there were a few minor mistakes (at this point I check this review for embarrassing mistakes of my own…). It flowed a lot better towards the end, and the dialogue sparkled a little more then. If you don’t mind your heroine making some horrific man-choices on the road to Mr Right, you’ll enjoy her calamitous foray into a new career of body-guarding.

Frothy Ranking: 3/5.

Can be obtained from:

UK: Amazon for only 77p.

US: Amazon for only 99c.

Me And My Sisters – Sinéad Moriarty

Posted on by

The three Devlin sisters have all gone in very different directions as they approach middle age, and are no longer close. Set in Dublin, this novel has all the warmth and humour you’d expect from an Irish chicklit even though all three characters are seeing their lives come apart at the seams. Julie used to be a relaxed, voracious reader. Now as she’s heading for forty, she’s struggling with four sons under the age of five, three of whom are manic triplets, and a devoted husband who’s distracted by work worries.

Louise is the brains of the family, her hard work and sensible decisions have made her a partner in a law firm, and financially stable. However one drunken mistake leaves her way out of her depth and jeopardises all she’s worked for. Sophie has everything she could possibly want, but she earned it another way: she converted a successful modeling career into becoming a trophy wife. Of course no one knows how hard she’s worked to maintain the position, or how her life will change when her husband makes a catastrophic mistake. It’s only when their lives fall apart that the sisters begin to understand each other as adults.

Kooks for your Kindle?– One of the things I appreciated about this book was the language- even though Julie’s neighbour Marian, who “curses like a drunken sailor” and may have overdone the f-bombs in front of the kids, it was real. None of the characters were two dimensional, even the ladies’ parents had their depths, especially the father, dealing with a neurotic wife, three daughters in trouble and aimless younger son. Julie’s triplets were truly terrifying, and still a little lovable. But mostly terrifying.

The Bella-Swan-Pathetically-Self-Sacrificing-Factor– Sophie and Louise both minimised the self pity and made the best of their situations, but Julie, who suspects her husband of an affair, refuses to deal with the situation at first. But the author has a way of presenting each of the sisters in a way that we understand them all, while seeing how they don’t understand each other. All three of them take a long while to realise they can share their problems.

Evaluation of your eBook?– It’s a surprisingly long book and the format of each of the three taking turns to tell the story keeps it moving at a good speed. The subject matter is nothing new so you might see where it’s going, but there’s a nice twist at the end, and the combination of the three very different sisters works well. The tale gives good examples of how family can drive you nuts, but also save you. I imagine readers with sisters or with crazy kids will identify with this book, and even if you have neither it’s still a great read with plenty of warmth, honesty, drama and compassion. This is my first by this author, but won’t be the last!

Frothy Ranking: 4/5.

Can be obtained from:

UK: Amazon for £3.99, although recently it was on a one day special for 99p- keep an eye out for offers.

US: Not on kindle, but paperbacks can be found here on Amazon. Kobobooks have the ebook for $8.99.
icon

Millie And The American Wedding – Anna Bell

Posted on by

English twenty-something Millie is unable to turn down an order from an old American college friend to come to New York and be her bridesmaid. Unfortunately, not only has Millie slept with the groom (before introducing the bride to him in college), but one of the ushers was her first love and is now married to one of the bridesmaids. In the course of the week, Millie drinks about a year’s worth of alcohol, lives to tell, befriends some of the other bridesmaids, becomes unwilling secret keeper to many, offends the maid of honour, meets various potential new men and finally learns the truth about her former love.

Kooks for your Kindle?– Lots of secondary characters, and even the least sympathetic have their reasons, with the notable exception of Millie’s ex’s mother, who is good old-fashioned evil. Due to all the potential men in the story the outcome isn’t preordained which is a bonus. In getting involved in everyone else’s dramas, the week becomes even more stressful for Millie.

The Bella-Swan-Pathetically-Self-Sacrificing-Factor– Millie stands up for herself well, apart from an initial hiccup with the maid of honour, knows when to step aside gracefully and when to give someone a good slap. It’s a cautionary tale of optimistically hoping getting drunk will help cope with life and then each day closer to the wedding it only causes complications and makes things worse. Of course it makes things more fun at the time and leads to more than one wardrobe malfunction.

Painting a picture for your paperback?– American weddings are totally different from those on the other side of the pond, more bridesmaids/ushers, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers, and this is a great example seen through foreign eyes. Of course some things are the same, hen nights, family dramas, exes, champagne, big dresses. The book is a nice guided tour of an extremely eventful New York wedding.

Evaluation of your eBook?– A refreshing lack of flashbacks, just a straightforward narrative mostly over the course of the wedding week. I would have liked see more of Millie’s normal life to get to know her even better, but on the other hand it was nice to get right into the story. One or two grammatical errors didn’t detract from the experience. The backstory with Millie’s ex is a little heartbreaking, other than that it’s nice and frothy, a quick read, poignant, fun, eventful and fast paced.

Frothy Ranking: 3.5/5 cocktails.

Can be obtained from:

UK: Only 99p from Amazon, I’ve not found it anywhere else, so possibly an Amazon self-publish.

US: Amazon for $2.99.

The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared – Jonas Jonasson

Posted on by

And now for something completely different! I’m giving this a mini-review, for while this book can’t really be described as frothy, it’s light in tone and only cost 20p, so how could I resist. Allan Karlsson decides he’d rather not celebrate his centennial in a nursing home, run by Director Alice, so he makes a (slow) run for it. One thing leads to another, and he’s on the run from the police with a suitcase full of money and various accomplices eventually including an elephant named Sonya. The story is interspersed with tales from his incredible life up to that point, and once you read them you’ll understand why the nursing home is a little tame for Allan. It’s a big book; the author clearly never met a character, however minor, without an imaginative back-story that needed writing, and thankfully all are shared here. There are shades of Forest Gump in the way that Allan naively becomes involved with world leaders at key moments in history, but the gentle, dry, philosophical humour reminded me of Alexander McCall Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.

The present day events are mostly set in Sweden, you might recognise some of the place names if you’ve read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but the stories are very different. Allan is a gentle soul with a talent for making explosives, which was the catalyst for his life of travel and adventure, as well as many periods of incarceration. It’s amazing that he remains such a sympathetic and likable character given the chaos he perpetuates. The author has an incredible imagination, making the far-fetched stories seem possible. Worth getting for readers of all ages, it’s a bargain for such a big read (even at the US price) and is hugely entertaining.

Can be obtained from:

UK: Only 20p from Amazon.

US: $8.63 from Amazon.

When I fall In Love – Miranda Dickinson

Posted on by

Elsie is in her mid-twenties and helps run a retro ice-cream parlour in the the English seaside town of Brighton. She’s clearly recovering from a personal tragedy and finding her way. When she takes a chance and belts out a song at a beach-side cafe piano, former 80s rocker Woody Jensen witnesses people’s reactions and convinces her to help him form a choir, singing modern songs and glee-style mash-ups. Meantime Elsie’s hippy father has set her up with a nice new guy, Olly, but continued chance encounters with a more mysterious man called Torin are unsettling her. When the choir grows and members start to gel together, lives are changed.

Kooks for your Kindle?– Plenty to love here, a well rounded selection of real life people. Cher, who owns Sundae and Cher, the ice-cream parlour, is an ample-bosomed divorcée whose charms bring many a middle aged man to the premises. Woody is a dinosaur of rock, lots of musical vision and charm but not terribly grounded in the real world and still causing mayhem. It was nice the way he understood Elsie though. Elsie’s two kindly older sisters have quite a bit going on here too, but are supportive of their hurt little sister while having their own dramas. The choir members are a varied bunch, and initially quite disparate; fortunately Elsie has a gift for handling people.

The Bella-Swan-Pathetically-Self-Sacrificing-Factor– It’s difficult to discuss Elsie’s character without mentioning what’s obviously happened to her, but that’s not explicitly revealed until the fifth chapter. The pot full of notes encouraging Elsie to move on with her life were a bit of a giveaway though! She’s a tough cookie and pleasantly decisive. She does have a tendency to be rescued by Torin, but only because he has an almost preternatural ability to show up at the exact time and place, Elsie’s not the annoyingly helpless type.

Painting a picture for your paperback?– Brighton is almost a character in the book, the summery lifestyle, the famous pier, the quirky shopping, and the many cafés and pubs are a big part of the story. It’s just the kind of place in which you can imagine a kitsch, retro ice-cream parlour in the style of an American diner, and the flavours described are mostly mouth watering. With the obvious exception of… tomato, basil and olive anyone?

Evaluation of your eBook?– It’s a charming, satisfying tale of recovery and community. By the simple formation of the choir, everyone in Elsie’s life has their own changed for the better. I found Elsie’s love interests unusual; Olly a little too nice, and Torin almost crossed the line into creepy territory, especially in the way he always appeared when needed. The pace was quite gentle at the beginning, but got going once the choir found goals and more started to happen. Overall, good heartfelt, sensitively written chicklit; if you enjoyed Ten Years On then you’ll definitely love this too.

Frothy Ranking: 4/5 cocktails.

Can be obtained from:

UK: Amazon, Waterstones and WHSmith for £1.99

US: Amazon for $1.99

The Kashmir Shawl – Rosie Thomas

Posted on by

After our last very frothy review I felt the need for something from the ‘Much More Substantial’ category, and this certainly fits the bill. Mostly set in 1940s India, it tells the tale of Welsh missionary’s wife Nerys, who is sent packing for the winter by her husband away from the cold mountains to the relative warmth and civilisation of Srinagar. Nerys’s eyes are opened by her vivacious host Myrtle, and the gossipy world of military British expats. When their friend Caroline’s indiscretion makes her the subject of gossip, Myrtle and Nerys scheme to restore her good name, not realising how far things would go.

In the present day, Nerys’s granddaughter Mair has found a photo of 3 women by a lake, taken in the 1940s, and an exquisite kashmir shawl in her mother’s belongings. Having recently lost her father as well, she is a little adrift and decides to travel to Kashmir to learn more about her grandparents. Throw in a charismatic mountain climbing magician, a rabid dog, and an egocentric cousin of the Maharajah and you’ve got yourself an adventure.

Kooks for your Kindle?– In Mair’s present day story, she meets Bruno and Karen, who are Swiss and American, travelling with their two year old daughter Lotus. They make compelling travelling companions as they all embark on a dangerous crossing towards Kashmir in the snow. The old-fashioned expat Brits are not stereotyped but nuanced, each with their own quirks. The multitude of Indian characters are fascinating and strong.

The Bella-Swan-Pathetically-Self-Sacrificing-Factor– Amid all the strong, vivid characters Mair was the hardest to fathom. She was strong, dignified and graceful (as Thomas’ heroines often are), and yet was able to perform circus tricks. Fortunately her journey is a page-turner and most of the tale is set in the past, where Nerys is the lead and grows into a strong woman as her experiences change her and her relationship with her husband.

Painting a picture for your paperback?– The author cranks it up to eleven in this respect, with vivid descriptions of the mountainous regions, the beauty of the lakes at Srinagar, the poverty of the villages, and the gin-soaked expat scene. In both time periods, all locations are brought to life and have clearly been impeccably researched. The terror of the war is experienced from afar, with radio the only immediate source of news, bringing home the advantages of today’s age of internet.

Evaluation of your eBook?– Rosie Thomas has a talent for taking even the most gentle tale and drawing the reader in with a firm grip. It did take a while for me to become enthralled, but then I couldn’t put it down. Alternating chapters between both eras helps keep the suspense, along with the ever deepening mystery of the shawl and its origins. It’s lovely to fall into a novel that takes you deep into another time and country, and this one is an education too, even though it doesn’t feel that way!

Frothy Ranking: 4.5/5 cocktails.

Can be obtained from:

UK: Available as ebook from Amazon and Waterstones for £3.99.

US: Only just released here, so Amazon have it for $12.99, lots cheaper on Kobobooks at $8.39
icon.