Thursday 14 April 2016

Review: One Moment At Sunrise by Karen Aldous



                                      
One Moment at Sunrise by Kate Aldous

Publication date: 18th April 2016
Stars: **** 4 Stars

The Blurb

Escape to the south of France with the irresistibly compelling new story from Karen Aldous – the only book you’ll need this summer!

Nothing will ever be the same again…

Evie Grant has spent two years hidden away in a quiet French village, longing to escape her beautiful villa with its blue-shuttered windows. Maybe this summer, the father of her child will keep his broken promises and return to whisk her away to another life. One way or another, Evie’s determined to stop feeling like his dirty little secret…

Yet when a mysterious stranger almost knocks Evie off her bicycle early one morning, her world begins to change in ways she never expected. Embarking on a painful journey of self-discovery, Evie begins to face her darkest fears and shatter her fragile dreams. But can she ever truly break free from her gilded cage and learn to love again?



My Thoughts


I fell in love with Karen's storytelling when I read The Chateau so I'm really pleased to be part of Karen's blog tour for her latest novel One Moment At Sunrise. 

Evie Grant is a young mother living in the South of France with her 2 year old daughter, Charlotte. She has a beautiful home, a beautiful daughter and really she should be happy but it becomes obvious early on that things aren’t quite right in Evie’s relationship. Unfortunately Evie’s partner, rockstar Seb Wilde is not around very much and Evie is left to live a very closeted life with no real company other than her little girl and her next door neighbour. No one knows who Charlotte’s father is other than Evie’s family and she’s ended up isolated from them because they don’t approve.When Evie’s partner visits he much prefers to stay within the villa’s boundaries and Evie is starting to feel like his guilty little secret.


Life takes an unexpected twist for Evie when she is involved in a near fatal miss with a horse when she inadvertently stumbles onto the set of a film whilst riding her bike home. She is rescued by Ben, the producer of the film and there is an immediate spark between the two but Evie knows it can go nowhere because of Seb and Ben realises that Evie is in a relationship so does his best to just be Evie’s friend. Evie and Ben become friends after the accident and Ben asks Evie to take on some research work for him when he realises that she’s trained as a journalist. Meeting Ben and beginning to do the research awakens something in Evie and she begins to doubt her relationship with Seb, she wants to be out working, making friends, reconnecting with her family and just enjoying life instead of living it pretty much behind closed doors. Evie is also unsettled but the appearance of a mystery man who seems to be following her. Just who is he? And what does he want?


One Moment at Sunrise take a slightly darker turn than Karen’s previous books because it deals with some tougher issues. Evie as a character could be quite frustrating at times but I put that down to her being young & having lived this secret life hidden away from the world. Seb has looked after in that he has provided this beautiful house, he gives her money for shopping and she doesn’t need to work, she has no computer at home so she doesn;t really know what is going on in the outside world.She is quite naive & believes everything that Seb tells her but all that begins to change when she meets Ben and her sister also comes back into her life. She begins to realise that there is a world out there that she wants to be a part of and perhaps she doesn’t need Seb in her life She’s also fighting this burning attraction to Ben and Karen creates a wonderful chemistry between the couple.


I always enjoy Karen’s settings, The Chateau immediately made me long for a holiday to Lake Geneva & One Moment at Sunrise has left me craving the sunshine of the South of France. The book had a great plot and Evie as a character really grew on me, I particularly liked her relationship with Charlotte & how Karen portrayed her as a mother.


I really enjoyed One Moment at Sunrise and would highly recommend it to those who want to be immersed in a story of love, relationships and sacrifice. It’s a story of one woman’s fight to regain control of her life and Karen’s writing really leaves you wanting more. Long after I’d finished the book I was left thinking of Evie and what would happen to her next. Can’t wait for the next Karen Aldous book.



About The Author

Karen Aldous enjoys village life on the edge of the north-downs in Kent with easy access to the buzz of London. Not only does she love the passive pleasures of reading and writing, she also craves the more active pursuits with her family and friends such as walking, cycling and skiing especially when they involve food and wine!

Karen gets much of her inspiration from her travels and if she had to choose, France, Greece, Switzerland, Italy and the USA would be her favourites. However, wherever she goes, she discovers a new character emerges in 'Karen's World'. She likes to write about strong independent women who can direct their own lives - but struggle to control them! And, of course there's always a gorgeous hunk or two!



Giveaway


Saturday 2 April 2016

Review: The Night that Changed Everything by Laura Tait & Jimmy Rice

The Night that Changed Everything by Laura Tait & Jimmy Rice

Publication Date: 24th March 2016
Stars: **** 4 stars


The Blurb

Rebecca is the only girl she knows who didn't cry at the end of Titanic. Ben is the only man he knows who did. Rebecca’s untidy but Ben doesn’t mind picking up her pieces. Ben is laid back by Rebecca keeps him on his toes. They're a perfect match.

Nothing can come between them. Or so they think.

When a throwaway comment reveals a secret from the past, their love story is rewritten.

Can they recover from the night that changed everything? And how do you forgive when you can’t forget?

The Night That Changed Everything is a funny, feel-good and bittersweet story, told in alternate chapters by Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice.

My Thoughts


I was so pleased to be invited to join the blog tour for The Night that Changed Everything as I'd already seen the book mentioned & loved the sound of it. I've previously read books that have been written by writing duos but this is the first time I've read a book where the two main characters are written by different people. I wasn't sure how it was going to work but the chapters flowed seamlessly with both Laura Tait's & Jimmy Rice's words working well together to create two unique voices for Rebecca & Ben.

This book is a very difficult one to review as I can't say too much without giving away what happens so I am going to do my best to keep it short & sweet. Rebecca & Ben meet on a night out at their mutual friend's bar, there is an immediate connection between them and they seem like the perfect couple until someone makes a comment 11 months into their relationship that totally changes everything & both of their lives begin to unravel.

That one comment on that one night really does change the course of both of their lives & not only impacts on their relationship but also on other relationships in their lives. Is there a way that they can put that night behind them & find their way back to each other.

This book was an absolute pleasure to read, it was funny, it was warm, it was heartbreaking & it has some truly wonderful characters. Both Laura & Jimmy do a fantastic job of bringing Rebecca & Ben to life and leaving you willing for them to sort out their differences and for everything to be ok. It's a book about love and friendship, heartbreak and the unexpected, a book that I can highly recommend. Jimmy & Laura captured the male/female dynamics in a relationship perfectly for me & their first book has now been added to my TBR.