Book Review: Goodnight, Beautiful by Dorothy Koomson

Nova and Mal have been best friends since, well, forever really. They grew up together and Nova thought they'd end up together as well.

But when Mal met Stephanie, he fell in love and married her. The couple have a big favour to ask Nova - will she have a baby for them? Nova agrees but when the couple suddenly decide they don't want their baby anymore, Nova is left feeling frightened, alone and unsure she can be a single mother.

Flicking from the past to the present day, Nova's son's life hangs in the balance, and so does Mal and Stephanie's marriage. Can both survive?

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Book Review: Pastures New by Julia Williams

Amy Nicolson is a young widow who has recently lost her boyfriend and father of her son Josh in an accident. She wants to make a fresh start away from the memories and the mother-in-law Mary so moves to Nevermorewell, a small village miles away from home.

Amy soon settles into village life and life on the allotments and makes some new friends for her and Josh along the way. Amy is just settling in when local Doctor Ben Martin stumbles into her life and leaves her all confused.

Will love begin to grow on the allotments? Or are the secrets that bind them pull them apart?

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Book Review: Growing Pains of a Hapless Househusband by Sam Holden

Sam Holden has been a stay-at-home Dad to his 2 children Daisy and Peter since he was made reduntant from his Management Consultant job last year.

His wife Sally works among in the Intelligence Services, and Sam feels somewhat lonely at home with only his toddlers for company. Sam decides he needs to publicise his Holden Childcare programme and meets TV producer Dom.

Luckily for Sam, Dom thinks Sam might have a hit shot with his idea and so 'WonderHubby' is born. Sam tells his tales and woes in his humourous diary format, so follow along and find out what its like to be the star of WonderHubby, and family-life with the Holdens.

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Book Review: Friends, Lovers and Indiscretions by Fiona Neill

Sam and Laura Diamond are struggling to make ends meet. She's a doctor working all hours and he's a script-writer, although he's hiding something about his employment status from his wife.

Their friends are struggling too. Corporate laywer Janey is expecting her first child with hedge fund manager Steve, and he knows his job isn't safe. Jonathan and Hannah also have their own problems despite owning a chain of successful restaurants and moving to the country.

Jonathan decides to treat them all to a holiday to celebrate his birthday but secrets are revealed, shocking everyone and changing friendships forever.

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Book Review: The Gap-Year For Grown-Ups by Annie Sanders

Sarah and David Lewis have been married for years but things are getting stale between the pair.

They have twins, Claire and Tom, who are about to start University, and Sarah is dreading being left at home alone without the children. Sarah decides she needs to get away for a while, almost like a gap year, without David, and she quickly flees to France and her friend Nathalie's home.

But Sarah's family life is disintegrating, her daughter is getting out of control, and things aren't going to plan for Sarah either...

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Book Review: The Fidelity Files by Jessica Brody

** Read our exclusive interview with Jessica Brody here **

Jennifer Hunter has a somewhat unusual job, one that she keeps hidden even from her family and friends. Jennifer works under the code name of "Ashlyn", a Fidelity Inspector, and a pretty good one at that.

Jennifer basically receives a call from a suspicious wife, and then tests her husband to see if he has an intention to cheat. But this lifestyle is taking its toll on Jen, and her friends are concerned that she's still single.

When she meets Jamie Richards after one of her trips, she begins to wonder about retiring and settling down, but there is one last surprising assignment Ashlyn has to complete.

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Book Review: It's A Kind of Magic by Carole Matthews

Emma and Leo are complete opposites. Leo is unreliable, a bit childish and doesn't take life, love or his job all too seriously, yet his girlfriend Emma is strict, reliable, tidy and enjoys her life being in order.

This is why, when Leo turns up at Emma's 30th birthday drunk and incredibly late, she decides the pair are splitting up. But on his way home, a newly single Leo bumps into a lady on Tower Bridge named Isobel. Strange things then start happening to Leo and Emma, but neither can work out what is going on.

Emma realises she wants Leo back but is it too late? And just who is the mysterious Isobel?

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Double Book Review: Ex-Girlfriends United by Matt Dunn

Being a sequel to previous best seller 'The Ex-Boyfriends Handbook', the book picks up again with main character Dan Davis and Ed Middleton and their escapades with the women of Brighton.

Ed is still happy with personal trainer girlfriend Sam, but Dan is suffering a bit of a woman drought. He quickly finds out that all of his ex-girlfriends have been rating him on website SlateYourDate.com. Dan's determined to rectify these poor ratings, and Ed decides to help him change his caddish ways.

But just as Ed is finally settling down, a blast from the past makes their way back into Ed's life to disrupt everything...

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Double Book Review: The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook by Matt Dunn

Edward is shocked to come home from work one day to find his girlfriend of ten years, Jane, has done a runner, taking everything of hers from their flat in the process. She's left Edward a note saying it's his fault, and that she'll be back in 3 months but he has to change.

Edward's not really aware of his faults until best friend and TV Antiques Show presenter Dan Davis is more than willing to show Edward exactly where he is going wrong. So, Edward sets out to fix everything that's wrong with him in order to win Jane back, with more than a little help from Dan along the way.

But is it just Edward's image that is going to change?

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Book Review: 50 Ways to Find A Lover by Lucy-Anne Holmes

Sarah Sargeant has been single for a while, and its beginning to worry everyone, even her mum and dad. So Sarah decides to embarke on a challenge to find 50 Ways to Find A Lover.

With the help of her best friend Julia and flatmate Simon, she goes speed dating, blind dating and various other disastrous ways to find a man, all with no luck. Sarah feels she is destined to spend her life alone, but is that about to change with the arrival of suave Paul?

But as well as finding herself a man, Sarah's obssesed with updating her blog about her dating escapades, but is her online life becoming more important than her day-to-day one?

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Book Review: The Model Wife by Julia Llewellyn

Poppy Norton is a bit of a cliché, even she admits it. She was unlucky in love until she met News Presenter, father of 3 Luke Norton. The two begin a relationship on the sly, and accidentally Poppy falls pregnant.

Luke decides to leave his wife Hannah to set up home with Poppy but soon finds out life with a young model and their newborn daughter doesn't quite match up to his twenty-year marriage. Fast forward 2 years, and Poppy's fed up of being ignored and left at home with daughter Clara so looks for a job herself.

Things are not rosy in the Norton garden, but are they going to get better or worse?

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Book Review: The Love of My Life by Louise Douglas

Olivia Felicone has just been made a widow after her husband Luca died in a car accident.

Luca was the love of Olivia's life, and she's not sure how she can go on without him. She isn't close to the Felicone family, but begins an affair with Luca's twin brother Marc behind everyone's backs, as it makes them both feel closer to Luca.

But is it really the best thing for both of them?

When I read the plot of the book, I thought it sounded very interesting, and I was intrigued to see how the author was going to tackle the issue of a widow having a relationship with her brother-in-law, and also in trying not to make the lead character of Olivia hateable because of it. Amazingly, Douglas has succeeded in making the story believable and yet allowing you to still like Olivia, and understand why she is continuing in her actions. Olivia is a very likeable character, and because of the way the story is written, you do feel very sorry for her, and almost develop feelings of hatred towards the Felicone family for their treatment of Olivia.

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Book Review: Crazy In Love by Chris Manby

Birdie Sederburg lives in LA, and is certainly enjoying her lifestyle. She's the heiress to a global franchise of golf resorts owned by her grandfather Julian, and loves nothing more than spending her vast inheritance on hideous clothes and jewellery.

When soap actor Dean Stevenson catches her eye, Birdie decides she has to have him. Dean, on the other hand, couldn't be less interested. So Birdie decides she must do something drastic to get Dean's attention. She decides to get herself kidnapped.

Is Dean going to realise Birdie really was the woman of his dreams, or has it been a big waste of time for Birdie?

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Book Review: How to Survive Your Sisters by Ellie Campbell

** Read our exclusive interview with Ellie Campbell here **

The MacLeod sisters are all incredibly different, and boy don't they know it. Eldest sister Avril is a successful Hollywood agent, choosing to live life mainly away from her family with the high-flying lead actors and actresses of the film industry. Milly, a mum of 3 is constantly putting on a happy front to her sisters but is desperate to lose weight and get rid of her maternity jogging bottoms for good.

Bride-to-be Natalie is determined to be welcomed into the Potterton-Smythe's family and that her wedding is going to be absolutely perfect, and baby sister Hazel can't seem to settle anywhere, instead choosing to backpack around the world although she feels at 30 she should be starting to put down roots.

But the MacLeod's are about to get a big wake up call, throwing all the sisters closer together than they've been in years. But are family squabbles and hidden secrets just going to break the bonds of sisterhood even further?

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Book Review: Crossed Wires by Rosy Thornton

Mina and Peter don't know each other, but they're about to strike up an unusual friendship. Mina works in a call centre for a car insurance company and happens to take Peter's call when he calls to report an accident.

Mina is struck by Peter, and he by her, so when he has to call the centre again and asks for Mina, she starts to think more about Cambridge Don Peter. The pair strike up a telephone friendship, finding out they have more in common than they originally thought and getting closer with each conversation.

But their distance, lives and other things get in the way of something more... can Mina and Peter put themselves first for once or will they forever be just Crossed Wires?

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Book Review: Got You Back by Jane Fallon

Stephanie and James are happily married and living with their son in London.

Or at least that's what Stephanie was led to believe until she saw a text message on James' phone which leads her to believe he's having an affair. Stephanie decides to confront his mistress Katie, and they are both shocked at the lies and deceit of their lover, and decide to get revenge.

But one of the women doesn't know when to stop... how far will she go to bring down the man who betrayed her? And will the other woman be able to stop her before it goes too far?

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Book Review: Priceless by Olivia Darling

Lizzy, Carrie and Serena all adore their art, but that's where the comparison between these three feisty women ends.

Lizzy Duffy works for Ludbrook's, a small London auctioneers and is a talented young woman working her way up through the ranks. She has a thing for her boss Nat Wilde, but is he giving Lizzy the chance to show off her real potential? Carrie Klein works for New York Auction house Ehrenpreis, and jumps at the chance to open their first London office, putting her in direct competition with Ludbrooks. But Carrie is determined to make it a success, whatever the personal cost to herself.

And finally Serena is an artist, a very good one in fact, living in Cornwall with her daughter after a messy divorce. But someone is about to get wise to Serena's talent for copying very old and famous paintings, and not necessarily for good...

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Book Review: The Girl Next Door by Elizabeth Noble

Eve and Ed Gallagher have just moved to their new apartment in New York City after his job transferred him. He's eager, but Eve is feeling really lonely and a bit adrift.

But when she meets her elderley English neighbour Violet, a whole new friendship blossoms, and the Gallaghers begin to understand the other residents of their building and their lives too. Kim and Jason are struggling with their marriage and boisterous child Avery, Rachael and David seem to have the perfect family with their 3 kids; Emily is a single sportswoman but fellow resident Jackson is determined to crack her tough exterior.

Charlotte is a hopeless romantic and forever seeing the positive, and finally Todd and Greg are the apartment's gay couple and probably the happiest of the lot. "The Girl Next Door" delves deep into relationships, new and old, to weave a wonderfully engaging story.

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Book Review: Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison

Lorna, Helene, Sandra and Joss all love shoes. But behind the addiction, all the women hide various secrets threatening to ruin their lives in different ways. Lorna has enormous debts, but just can't resist the latest Jimmy Choo's, piling them on yet another credit card. Helene is married to a politician, but behind the public face lies a very unhappy marriage, and secrets Helene is hiding from her own husband that she doesn't want to get out.

Sandra has a double life, she works as phone-sex operator called Penelope to get some easy cash, and this is how she funds her shoe addiction. Finally, Joss is a nanny for the most awful family and is so desperate to get out of the house she's willing to join any group.

The ladies meet at 'Shoe Addicts Anonymous', and realise they are all going to be friends for a very long time...

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Book Review: Before I Forget by Melissa Hill

Abby Ryan is quite happy with life, but all that changes when she's hit by falling debris when she's walking under a ladder on her way to work.

When she awakes, she finds out that her memory is damaged, and that she has lost much of her long-term memory. She's devastated, but also slightly in denial. So Abby sets about creating some new, fantastic memories with the help of her family and close friends, ones that she hopes she will be able to hold onto despite her declining health.

On her amazing adventures, Abby bumps into someone who soon becomes a close friend. But is she willing to let him into her life and let him become something more?

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Book Review: The Yorkshire Pudding Club by Milly Johnson

The Yorkshire Pudding Club is the debut novel by Milly Johnson, and what a stonker of a debut it is too. Elizabeth, Helen and Janey are all in their late thirties, and happily settled in their careers and in their relationships.

However, their lives are thrown into madness when after a visit to an ancient fertility symbol, all 3 women find themselves 'with child'!

Helen is thrilled to be pregnant after trying for a while, Janey is in shock as the baby will reck all plans of furthering her career, and Elizabeth is completely thrown, scared she won't love her baby and scared of being alone.

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Book Review: Second Chances by Martina Reilly

Lizzie Walsh is happy with her boyfriend Tom, and her job as a counsellor at Life, a counselling centre in Dublin, where she lives.

But behind her happy facade lies a deep and painful secret - her sister Megan was murdered as a teenager and Lizzie and her family have never got over it. The murderer, Joe Jones, was sent to prison for life after the crime, but one day Lizzie is horrified to see Joe on her way home.

She makes a decision to follow him and this spirals into an out-of-control obsession with revenge and growing hate. But is it ever going to be enough for Lizzie?

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Book Review: The Cradle Snatcher by Tess Stimson

Clare Elias is happily married to Marc, a banker. She runs a successful chain of florists across London and loves their luxury lifestyle.

However, their lives change dramatically when Clare gets pregnant and gives birth to twins, Rowan and Poppy. Clare struggles to cope with her babies and employs nanny Jenna to help out at home. The two strike up an unlikely friendship which Clare's husband begins to resent.

Clare realises that something is awry with her family life, and soon relies on Jenna more than she can imagine when things take a serious and shocking turn.

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Book Review: One Thing Led to Another by Katy Regan (CHLOE)

When Tess Jarvis and Jim Ashworth drunkenly sleep together neither of them expects that it will result in a baby.

But that's exactly what happens, and Tess is in complete shock over her unexpected pregnancy. Both Tess and Jim want to stay friends with no romantic involvement but don't like the confused looks people give them when they try to explain their situation.

Tess, with the help of her friends, has to try to come to terms with single parenthood, and has to do a little growing up of her own.

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Author Interview: Milly Johnson

Milly was lovely enough to send us some fab answers to our questions, including her opinions on her own books, and what she likes best about being an author.

1. How did you get started writing books? Were you writing for long before you became published?

I’ve been writing books for as long as I can remember!  I was always making my own with paper and staples and writing stories.  I realised I wanted to make it my career when at University doing drama – (it shifted from being a hobby to a passion).  Trouble was – I hadn’t gained enough life experience at 22 to write the sorts of books I do and my early attempts were doomed to failure.  But all that ‘practice writing’ I did just helped me hone my craft, albeit that happened unconsciously.  It took me 15 years from taking it seriously to getting published – but on and off, because sometimes I would abandon all attempts at trying to get published, only to resurrect my ambitions again later. 40 was the perfect age for me to get a book deal – my writing had matured and I had a lot of perspective of life – and had done a lot of living to write about.  It sounds a long time, but it was worth the perseverance, I can tell you!

2. You've said that Lou Winter in your latest book "A Spring Affair" is loosely based on yourself. How did you feel about putting in a character that was so much like you into your book?

Characters have a habit of starting off quite closely based on a real person and then becoming their own people.  Lou was a character that stayed quite close to me and I liked that because I could write about what happened to her with total conviction.  The clutter-clearing adventure I had, which changed my life, inspired the book and so I could counter anyone that might say that what happened to Lou was nonsense (although no one has yet!)  I didn’t mind exposing myself so much in her because both Lou and I are typical women, always moaning about our bum-size, but loving her food too much to diet and an awful lot of women out there relate to that, and that’s a big reason why my books sell.  Lou is a decent, kind woman and it was a joy to write her the happy ending she deserved.  I’m hoping she’ll leap out of the book and write one for me.

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Book Review: Husbands and Lies by Susy McPhee

Fran is happily married to Max and the pair have a young daughter called Lottie. However, things in Fran's life aren't going too well.

Her best friend Alison has cancer and she asks Fran to do her an unusual favour - find her husband a new woman for after she has gone. Fran isn't too keen but decides to help out her friend. One evening on a dating website, Fran comes across a shocking profile, one who looks scarily like her husband Max.

Fran sets about finding out the truth about "Footloose" but at what cost? Is Fran about to find out things she wished she'd left alone, and is she really willing to throw away her marriage?

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