Book News: Saved by Cake by Marian Keyes

It may not be a chick lit book, but I had to post the lovely cover for Marian Keyes' 2012 release, Saved By Cake! It's great to see Marian looking so good, and I'm sure the book is going to be great too. It's out on 19th February 2012 in hardback, and I can't wait to see it and see how fabulous the recipes inside are!

"Saved by Cake gives an extremely honest account of Marian Keyes' recent battle with depression, and how baking has helped her. A complete novice in the kitchen, Marian decided to bake a cake for a friend and that was it - she realized that baking was what she needed to do in order to get her through each day. And so she baked, and she wrote her recipes down, and little by little the depression has started to lift, along with her sponges...

With chapters on cupcakes, cheesecakes, meringues and macaroons, chocolate cakes, fruit cakes and favourite classics, Marian's recipes are aimed firmly at beginner bakers, offering hints and tips to help along the way. Never patronizing, always honest and witty, accessible and full of fun, the bakes and cakes that Marian serves up in this cookbook will put a smile on your face and make you happy. From her Consistently Reliable Cupcakes and Very Chocolately Macaroons, to the ease of her Fridge-set Honeycomb Cheesecake, you will want to have a go at making all of Marian's recipes. The shoe and handbag biscuits particularly. Very covetable. Very Marian."

You can pre-order Saved By Cake in hardback now. (link goes to Amazon.co.uk)

Book News: More Like Her by Liza Palmer

I haven't yet read one of Liza Palmer's novels, yet her new book More Like Her sounds really great. I have to confess to not being a huge fan of the cover... the boots are simply awful(!) but the synopsis does sound great. It's due out on 19th January 2012, and do let me know your thoughts!

"'I'm not the girl men choose. I'm the girl who's charming and funny and then drives home alone wondering what she did wrong. I'm the girl who meets someone half-way decent and then fills in the gaps in his character with my own imagination, only to be shocked when he's not the man I thought he was. I'm the girl who hides who she really is...'

Frannie has spent her life disguising who she really is for fear of falling short of other people's expectations. And when she meets her new boss, Frannie can't help but wish she was just a bit more like her. Because Emma has it all: the job, the lifestyle, the happy marriage... even the perfect dog.

But everything is not as it seems. And Frannie's about to find out - in the hardest way possible - that chasing perfection isn't necessarily the route to the happy life that she's always imagined it to be.

A heartbreaking and romantic story about love, life, friendship and the true importance of chasing your own dreams."

 You can pre-order More Like Her in paperback now

Book News: Pear Shaped by Stella Newman

When the original cover for Stella Newman's debut novel, Pear Shaped, was released, I was less than impressed. It was bland and boring, but luckily the publishers have had a rethink, and have come up with something a little more fun and colourful, and I love it! The pink title stands out against the light blue background, and I just think it's so much nicer. It's out on 19th January 2012, and I can't wait to read it!

"Girl meets boy.
Girl loses boy.
Girl loses mind.

Sophie Klein walks into a bar one Friday night and her life changes. She meets James Stephens: charismatic, elusive, and with a hosiery model ex who casts a long, thin shadow over their burgeoning relationship. He’s clever, funny and shares her greatest pleasure in life – to eat and drink slightly too much and then have a little lie down. Sophie’s instinct tells her James is too good to be true – and he is.

An exploration of love, heartbreak, self-image, self-deception and lots of food. Pear-Shaped is in turns smart, laugh-out-loud funny and above all, recognizable to women everywhere."

You can pre-order Pear Shaped in paperback and on eBook now. (Links go to Amazon.co.uk)

Book News: Even Better Than The Real Thing by Martina Reilly

Martina Reilly is back early next year with her brand new novel Even Better Than The Real Thing, and she's got a fab new cover look to it as well! The new book is out on 5th January 2012, and sounds like its going to be a great read, and very different to her other books too.

"What would you do if you were an unwitting part of the greatest art scam in history? Eve Cole knows. She's going to get her painting back and return the eleven million paid for it. The only thing she needs is a plan that won't implicate her or her family.

Enter Larry, her handsome, duplicitous next-door neighbour. Larry is full of plans and he might just be amoral enough to go through with them.

Eve, knowing she has no choice but to trust this ex-con, reluctantly throws her lot in with him. But is Larry the real deal? Is he just another big fake? Will he con her out of her ill-gotten millions?

As the plan escalates, Eve learns that much like riding a rollercoaster, life would be much more fun if she could just let go..."

You can pre-order Even Better Than The Real Thing in paperback and on eBook/Kindle now.

Book News: Just Another Manic Mum-Day by Mink Elliott

I read Mink Elliott's debut novel The Pi**ed Off Parents Club last year, and I really enjoyed it, so I was pleased to see that Mink is back next year with a sequel to that book called Just Another Manic Mum-Day. I love the cover, the yellow is really distinctive and makes it look like a really fun read! It's out on 19th January 2012.

"Roxy, Jack and daughter Joey, three, are building a new life for themselves in sunny Sydney, Australia, but Roxy's finding it hard to settle down. When she discovers she's pregnant again, things become even more complicated - how will she cope with a second child?

Frustrated at the lack of places for stressed-out mums to go, Roxy and her new friend, Shoshanna, set up Just Another Manic Mum-Day - a café catering exclusively for parents. But when an opportunity arises for Roxy to return to England, she realises just how much she's missed home . . ."

You can pre-order Just Another Manic Mum-Day in paperback and on eBook/Kindle now.

Book News: Happily Ever After by Harriet Evans

I recently read Harriet Evans' last book Love Always, and was impressed with it, and what a different type of story Harriet wove for her readers. Her new book, Happily Ever After, is due out on 19th January 2012 and I think the cover is absolutely gorgeous, really stunning. I'm actually really looking forward to this one, are you?

"At twenty-two, Eleanor Bee is sure about three things: she wants to move to London and become a literary superstar, she wants to be able to afford to buy a coffee and croissant every morning, and she doesn’t believe in happy endings. She saw what divorce did to her parents, especially her mum: happily ever after’s fine on the last page of a book, but it just doesn’t happen in real life.

Elle moves to London. She gets a job at Bluebird Books, a charmingly old-fashioned publishers. She falls out of pubs, wears too-short skirts, makes lots of mistakes and feels like she’s learning nothing and everything at the same time. And then, out of the blue, she falls in love, and that’s when she realises just how much growing up she has to do…

Ten years on, and Elle’s life has changed in ways she could never have predicted. Because no matter where you go and how much you try to run away, the past has a funny way of catching up with you, and Happily Ever After comes in all shapes and sizes…"

You can pre-order Happily Ever After in paperback or on eBook/Kindle now (link goes to Amazon.co.uk)

Book News: The Wife Who Ran Away by Tess Stimson

I really love Tess Stimson's gritty novels, they're always something a little different from the normal chick lit stories and I find them such an exciting read. Her new book, The Wife Who Ran Away, is due out on 19th January 2012, and again sounds like it's going to be a great read!

"Kate Forrest is invisible… Ned, the husband she adores, doesn’t seem to know she’s alive, and her two charming children have grown into stroppy adolescents. Her boss is suddenly shunting her towards career Siberia, and her demanding mother is never off the phone. With her fortieth birthday fast approaching, all Kate wants to do is run away from the lot of them.

And so she does. On impulse, Kate walks out of her job, her family and her life, and gets on a plane to Italy. With no ties and no responsibilities, she soon finds herself deliriously caught up in La Dolce Vita – and the arms of a man barely half her age. But when the unthinkable threatens her family, Kate is brutally forced to choose between her past and the future." 

You can pre-order The Wife Who Ran Away in paperback now (link goes to Amazon.co.uk)

Book News: Watch Over Me by Daniela Sacerdoti

A debut novel which has been brought to my attention is Daniela Sacerdoti's book Watch OverMe. It was out a few days ago, on the 15th of November, and sounds like a really intriguing read, not to mention with a gorgeous cover! The publishers have been kind enough to share the book trailer with me too so I've posted that on here for you to have a look at!

"Eilidh Lawson's life has just been turned upside down. Her marriage is ending and she's lost her much longed-for baby. Mentally and physically exhausted, she's not sure what to do but feels oddly compelled to return to Glen Avich, a small village in the Scottish Highlands, where her family has lived for generations. Here, she meets her best friend from childhood, Jamie McAnena, who is raising his daughter alone. Following the death of his mother, Elizabeth, Jamie has resigned himself to being a family of two, closing himself off and devoting his life to his daughter, Maisie. What none of them can know is that it is Elizabeth who has called Eilidh back to Glen Avich. Though dead for three years, she has not been able to leave Jamie behind in his lost and lonely state. Now, she starts working behind the scenes for Jamie and Eilidh to get close again, but both are scared of repeating the past and Elizabeth's influence can only reach so far. An ethereal tale narrated from several different perspectives, Watch Over Me is a beautifully written debut novel. It is a poignant yet subtle story about letting go and moving on - with a little bit of help from beyond the grave."

You can buy Watch Over Me in paperback or on eBook/Kindle

Book News: What Might Have Been Me by Yvonne Cassidy

Another 2012 release which I have been looking forward to is Yvonne Cassidy's new book What Might Have Been Me. I think the cover is quite intriguing and unusual, and the story itself sounds like a fascinating read. It is due out on 19th January 2012, and here's the synopsis:

"At the corner of west 43rd and sixth, if you face downtown you'll see the treetops of Bryant Park, fresh and green. Behind them, the Empire State building rises, and keeps rising, above its neighbours. Of all the views I loved of the city that was my favourite - the spot I came to re-set myself when I was lost or lonely or just bored.

Ten years ago, when I dropped out of Trinity college to stay here, I wouldn't have believed it was possible to get bored of New York. But just because you don't believe something doesn't mean it's not true.

My friends went back to college in Dublin and I stayed. I stayed because I fell in love, with Eddie, with the city. At twenty one it was okay to be illegal, to wait tables. It was okay for a long time, until it wasn't. Not that I did anything about it, until the morning I got the call from Mum.

My name is Carla Matthews. This book is about who I was, who I am and who I might have been, if things had been different. It's Eddie's story too. And my Mum's and my sister Suzanne's.

And after all this time, I'm finally understanding that it's my Dad's story too."

You can pre-order What Might Have Been Me in paperback now (link goes to Amazon.co.uk)

Book News: Comfort and Joy by India Knight

India Knight's latest book actually came out at the end of last year, but I really wanted to post about it now because of the fantastic and gorgeous new cover it's been released in this year... how Christmassy is that?! It should be available now as it was released on 10th November, but I really do think the cover is totally amazing, and the story sounds great too!

"'I'd say Christmas was about hope. Yeah. Hope. And optimism. It's like the fairy tales in the window: for families, every Christmas is a new opportunity for Happy Ever After. No pressure, then . . .'

Oxford Street, two shopping days left to Christmas, and wife and mum Clara Dunphy is desperately, madly trying to make everything, not perfect, but just right for her extended family on the greatest day of the year. But then she gets distracted . . ."

You can buy Comfort and Joy in paperback and on eBook/Kindle (links go to Amazon.co.uk)

Book News: Horse Play by Jo Carnegie

I have loved Jo Carnegie's 'Churchminster' series since I read the second book in the series Naked Truths a couple of years ago. Now we're onto the 5th book of the series, Horse Play, and I can't wait to read it once again! It's due out on 19th January 2012, and it's nice to see that Transworld have given the cover a bit of a makeover, although I have to say the synopsis really doesn't give much away about the story at all!

"Churchminster village - picturesque, quaint, sleepy - OR NOT...

A place where women know exactly what they want, and it's not cream tea with the vicar.

A place where anything can happen . . . so be careful what you wish for.

And a place where the men had better behave . . . because the girls won't take it lying down (well, not unless they want to!)"

You can pre-order Horse Play in paperback now.

Book News: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

After reading my first Jojo Moyes novel last year, The Last Letter From Your Lover, and absolutely loving it, I cannot wait for her new book, due out on 5th January 2012. Me Before You has a beautiful cover, plain and simple but there is something really lovely about it and I can't wait to read it, it sounds amazing. 

"Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick. 

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.


Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.


What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time."

You can pre-order Me Before You in paperback and eBook/Kindle now (links go to Amazon).

Book News: Watching Willow Watts by Talli Roland

Talli Roland's new book, Watching Willow Watts, is out at the end of this month, 30th November to be precise, and aside from having a GORGEOUS cover, it sounds like its going to be a fantastic read too! It's already been out on Kindle for a few months, but the paperback isn't due out until the end of this month, hence posting it now!

"For twenty-five-year-old Willow Watts, life has settled into a predictably dull routine: days behind the counter at her father's antique shop; nights watching fuzzy telly whilst the elderly residents of Britain's Ugliest Village bed down for yet another early night. But everything changes when Willow's epically embarrassing Marilyn Monroe impersonation is uploaded to YouTube. A canny viewer spots Marilyn's ghostly image hidden in the film and Willow becomes an international sensation. Her dire little town is suddenly overrun with fans proclaiming her to be the 'new Marilyn'. Egged on by the villagers - whose shops and businesses are cashing in - Willow eagerly embraces her new identity, dying her hair platinum and scoffing cakes to achieve Marilyn's legendary curves. But when the only man she has ever truly loved returns, seeking the old Willow, it's decision time. Should she risk stardom and the village's new-found fortune on love? Or is being Marilyn Willow's real ticket to happiness?"

You can buy Watching Willow Watts on eBook/Kindle right now or in paperback.

Book News: The Fat Chance Guide to Dieting by Claudia Pattison

Another novel which caught my eye on Amazon the other day is Claudia Pattison's new book, The Fat Chance Guide To Dieting. The cover is great, and looks very fun, and it sounds like it'll be an interesting read. It's published by Penguin on 29th December so you can treat yourself after the hard work of Christmas!

"Think nothing tastes as good as slim feels? You're obviously not eating the right food . . .

Holly, Naomi and Kate are determined to win the battle of the bulge. So it's down to the local slimming club, where carbs are strictly off the menu and there's no escaping the scales. But calorie-counting isn't the only thing on their minds.

Newly engaged Holly should be over the moon. So why does she blush every time her sexy boss walks into the room? Curvaceous Naomi finds herself the object of a very unusual fetish and a shocking secret is revealed when an unexpected visitor arrives on Kate's doorstep. 

Yet with a little group support (and a particularly brutal weight loss boot camp) the women manage to stick to their regime, in time for the glamorous Slimmer of the Year Awards. But with tempting buffet tables, highly competitive contestants and even the odd fat fetishist lurking, it's anyone's guess as to what will happen . . ."

You can pre-order The Fat Chance Guide to Dieting in paperback and on eBook/Kindle

Book News: The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

I wasn't going to start posting January 2012 releases just yet, but to be honest, some people might want to start pre-ordering the earlier releases in the month so I'll kick it off now with an absolute must-read! Jennifer E. Smith's debut novel (which I think is YA/Chick Lit cross over to be honest) The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight is due out on 5th January 2012, and I was lucky enough to read a very early ARC last year, and it was amazing. I read it in less than a day because I couldn't put it down, it's a sweet short love story, but even though I read it months ago, I can't forget it. Read it!!

"Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Imagine if she hadn't forgotten the book. Or if there hadn't been traffic on the expressway. Or if she hadn't fumbled the coins for the toll. What if she'd run just that little bit faster and caught the flight she was supposed to be on. Would it have been something else - the weather over the Atlantic or a fault with the plane?

Hadley isn't sure if she believes in destiny or fate but, on what is potentially the worst day of each of their lives, it's the quirks of timing and chance events that mean Hadley meets Oliver...

Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it."

You can pre-order The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight in hardback and paperback.

Book News: Christmas at Tiffany's by Karen Swan

Karen Swan's third novel Christmas At Tiffany's is due out in a few days, so I thought I better do a post about it, especially as it's my current read of the moment too! It's official release date is November 18th, and although I wasn't keen at first on the cover, thinking it was too grey and dull, now I have a proof copy, it does look extremely pretty and wintery in real life!

"Cassie settled down too young, marrying her first serious boyfriend. Now, ten years later, she is betrayed and broken. With her marriage in tatters and no career or home of her own, she needs to work out where she belongs in the world and who she really is. 

So begins a year-long trial as Cassie leaves her sheltered life in rural Scotland to stay with each of her best friends in the most glamorous cities in the world: New York, Paris and London. Exchanging grouse moor and mousy hair for low-carb diets and high-end highlights, Cassie tries on each city for size as she attempts to track down the life she was supposed to have been leading, and with it, the man who was supposed to love her all along."

You can order Christmas At Tiffany's in paperback and on Kindle (links go to Amazon)

Book News: Some Like It Hot by Amanda Brobyn

Amanda Brobyn's second novel has somehow slipped past me in my November release post, but it is out this month! It's due out on 23rd November, and I quite like the bright red cover, it suits the idea of the book quite well! Some Like It Hot's synopsis is below.

"You're in your twenties, you've great career prospects, you're bright, articulate and effortlessly attractive. You see the world through rose tinted glasses. You're practically invincible. Now try this ... You're turning forty. Your interior design degree is nothing more than a sheet of paper gathering dust and your place has been in the home for the past fifteen years. Your husband works long hours, your teenage kids see you as a glorified domestic and you re not looking as youthful as once upon a time. In fact, what the hell just happened? In the blink of an eye your life has been swept from beneath you as motherhood manifested itself into martyrdom! The only lifeline you have is The Curry Club ... where five friends come together to add spice to their life. From one bowl a curry is served and from another, five anonymous questions sit tightly folded until one of them is drawn out for reading ... Why? ... Because someone wants to know the answer. Share in the excitement of those things usually best left unsaid and open yourselves up to heated opinions, free advice and the constant wonderment of just whose life is being dissected this time around? The Curry Club Completely Confidential. Even from those around the table ... ."

You can pre-order Amanda's book on Amazon.co.uk now!

Book News: A Gift For My Sister by Ann Pearlman

I read and loved Ann Pearlman's debut novel The Cookie Club (later published as The Christmas Cookie Club) last year, so I was thrilled to find out Ann is back this year with another novel. A Gift For My Sister is due out on 10th November, so not long to wait, and I think the cover is stunning. It looks perfectly wintery and I love the colours used to, it's gorgeous! Will you be picking it up?

"Tara and Sky are as different as two sisters can be. Sky, obedient and cautious, has worked hard to build her dream life: In her ideal job as a lawyer and married to handsome Troy, they live with their beautiful three-year-old daughter, Rachel, in a house on the beach. Rebellious and impetuous, her younger sister,Tara, devotes herself to her music, falls in love with the unsuitable but irresistible Aaron, becomes pregnant, and embarks on a rollercoaster of a life as a musician. But when tragedy besets Sky her life is turned upside down. Meanwhile, to Tara's astonishment, instead of facing a future destined to be foolhardy and risky, Tara suddenly finds herself on the brink of. With this reversal of fortune, everything changes between the two sisters. Sky is at a loss until Tara offers her to help her start over and move home. And so begins a road trip where tensions between the two sisters erupt, loyalties are tested and long hidden secrets revealed."

Book News: Tales From A Yoga Studio by Rain Mitchell

A book that recently caught my eye is Rain Mitchell's debut novel, Tales From The Yoga Studio. I really loved the cover, with the girl wearing the gorgeous pink hells whilst practicing yoga, and the pretty font looks great too. It's due out on 29th December 2011, and I'll certainly be looking out for it!

"Yoga. A spiritual journey. A way of life. A chance to meet the friends you've been waiting for.

At the beginning, it's all about the exercise. But for five of the women who take yoga classes at Edendale Studio it's soon about more than sharing tips for the perfect Downward Dog. It's about their hopes, fears and dreams.

Katherine is falling in love, but terrified of screwing it up again and Graciela is determined to prove her critical mother wrong - although she'll have to prove herself right first. Imani's life has been shattered by a heartbreaking truth, while yoga teacher Lee loves to help everyone else, but is she truly happy? And they're all worried about Stephanie, who seems to have disappeared.

So it comes as a shock to the women when Lee announces the studio is closing. Is it really namaste for Edendale - or can these now close-knit friends find a way to keep their beloved yoga class alive?"

Book News: I Heart Vegas by Lindsey Kelk

Lindsey Kelk is back on 8th December with her brand new book I Heart Vegas, and I think it has the most gorgeous book cover EVER! My favourite colour is purple, so I think this book cover is perfect for me, and I'm sure the story inside is going to be just as good as well!! Are you looking forward to this one?!

"Angela Clark loves her life in New York. She a Brit who’s conquered the Big Apple. Unfortunately, she’s also a Brit who’s lost her job. And when, just a couple of weeks before Christmas, the immigration department gets wind of this, Angela needs to find a new job urgently. Or a husband. And she doesn’t think her boyfriend Alex will be keen.

A girls’ weekend in Vegas with her best friend Jenny seems the perfect way to forget her troubles. From the minute they arrive Angela is swept up in a whirl of cocktails, outrageous outfits, late nights and brushes with the chapel of love. But rather than escaping trouble, Angela is up to her neck in it….

But what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas – right?"