Contemporary

Review: My Husband’s Wife by Jane Corry

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My Husband’s Wife by Jane Corry (ARC cover)

Title: My Husband’s Wife
Author: Jane Corry
Genre: Contemporary, Thriller
Source: The publisher
Publisher: Penguin Books (25th August 2016)
Blurb:

It’s the perfect love story.

Lily meets Ed at a party, and on their second date, he proposes. She’s a lawyer, he’s an up-and-coming artist. They own a small but beautiful flat in London and mix with all the right people.

But Lily has a secret. Something from her past, that is soon to collide with her present. And she thinks her new husband is hiding something too…

The vows they made will soon be tested to the very limits.

‘Till death us do part…’

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

MY HUSBAND’S WIFE is the debut novel by Jane Corry. It tells the story of Lily Macdonald, a lawyer, who has recently come back from her honeymoon. Lily views her marriage to Ed as a chance to have a fresh start, to leave her past behind her. On her return to London Lily finds herself put on the case of a convicted murderer that claims he is innocent of all charges. The trouble is, he reminds Lily of someone whom she used to know.

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Review: The King’s Men by Nora Sakavic

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The King’s Men by Nora Sakavic

Title: The King’s Men (All For The Game, 3)
Author: Nora Sakavic
Genre: Contemporary, GLBT, Mafia, New Adult, Thriller
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (31st March 2016)
Blurb:

Neil Josten is out of time. He knew when he came to PSU he wouldn’t survive the year, but with his death right around the corner he’s got more reasons than ever to live.

Befriending the Foxes was inadvisable. Kissing one is unthinkable. Neil should know better than to get involved with anyone this close to the end, but Andrew’s never been the easiest person to walk away from. If they both say it doesn’t mean anything, maybe Neil won’t regret losing it, but the one person Neil can’t lie to is himself.

He’s got promises to keep and a team to get to championships if he can outrun Riko a little longer, but Riko’s not the only monster in Neil’s life. The truth might get them all killed – or be Neil’s one shot at getting out of this alive.

Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Review:

THE KING’S MEN by Nora Sakavic is the concluding part of her All For The Game trilogy. When Neil Josten signed with the PSU Foxes he knew he would only have limited time, but now that time has run out and Neil must face the consequences of choosing to stay. The monsters in his life are growing closer, and now after years of running Neil might just have a reason to live. His growing bond with the Foxes means for the first time he has a family. But one of them might mean a whole lot more to him, and kissing them would be dangerous.

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Review: The Raven King by Nora Sakavic

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The Raven King by Nora Sakavic

Title: The Raven King (All For The Game, 2)
Author: Nora Sakavic
Genre: Contemporary, Mafia, New Adult, Thriller
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform  (31st March 2016)
Blurb:

The Foxes are a fractured mess, but their latest disaster might be the miracle they’ve always needed to come together as a team. The one person standing in their way is Andrew, and the only one who can break through his personal barriers is Neil.

Except Andrew doesn’t give up anything for free and Neil is terrible at trusting anyone but himself. The two don’t have much time to come to terms with their situation before outside forces start tearing them apart. Riko is intent on destroying Neil’s fragile new life, and the Foxes have just become collateral damage.

Neil’s days are numbered, but he’s learning the hard way to go down fighting for what he believes in, and Neil believes in Andrew even if Andrew won’t believe in himself.

Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Review:

THE RAVEN KING by Nora Sakavic is the second book in the All For The Game trilogy. It continues Neil’s story several days after the events of THE FOXHOLE COURT, and deals with the repercussions of those events. Neil and his teammates are left reeling after THE FOXHOLE COURT, and Neil’s past is quickly catching up to him. To stand a chance the PSU Foxes need to pull together, and Neil has made his choice.

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Review: The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic

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The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic

Title: The Foxhole Court (All For The Game, 1)
Author: Nora Sakavic
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (31st March 2016)
Blurb:

Neil Josten is the newest addition to the Palmetto State University Exy team. He’s short, he’s fast, he’s got a ton of potential – and he’s the runaway son of the murderous crime lord known as The Butcher.

Signing a contract with the PSU Foxes is the last thing a guy like Neil should do. The team is high profile and he doesn’t need sports crews broadcasting pictures of his face around the nation. His lies will hold up only so long under this kind of scrutiny and the truth will get him killed.

But Neil’s not the only one with secrets on the team. One of Neil’s new teammates is a friend from his old life, and Neil can’t walk away from him a second time. Neil has survived the last eight years by running. Maybe he’s finally found someone and something worth fighting for.

Rating: **** (5 stars)
Review:

THE FOXHOLE COURT by Nora Sakavic is the first book in the All For The Game trilogy. It tells the story of Neil Josten the latest addition to the Palmetto State University Exy team. But Neil has secrets, chief of which is that he is the son of a crime lord known as The Butcher. Signing with the PSU Foxes puts his life in danger especially when playing with them means meeting a face from his past.

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Review: Nina Is Not OK by Shappi Khorsandi

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Nina Is Not OK by Shappi Khorsandi

Title: Nina Is Not OK
Author: Shappi Khorsandi
Genre: Contemporary
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Publisher: Ebury Press (28th July 2016)
Blurb:

Nina does not have a drinking problem. She likes a drink, sure. But what 17-year-old doesn’t?

Nina’s mum isn’t so sure. But she’s busy with her new husband and five year old Katie. And Nina’s almost an adult after all.

And if Nina sometimes wakes up with little memory of what happened the night before , then her friends are all too happy to fill in the blanks. Nina’s drunken exploits are the stuff of college legend.

But then one dark Sunday morning, even her friends can’t help piece together Saturday night. All Nina feels is a deep sense of shame, that something very bad has happened to her…

A dark, funny – sometimes shocking – coming of age novel from one of the UK’s leading comedians. NINA IS NOT O.K. will appeal to fans of Caitlin Moran and Lena Dunham.

(from Amazon.co.uk)

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

NINA IS NOT OK is Shappi Khorsandi’s debut novel. It tells the story of seventeen-year-old Nina who has one more year to go before she is off to university, but a lot can happen in a year. Nina does not have a drinking problem, but she does enjoy going out and partying – what seventeen-year-old doesn’t? After one particular night out, things start to spin out of control.

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Review: Rock Redemption by Nalini Singh

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Rock Redemption by Nalini Singh

Title: Rock Redemption (A Rock Kiss Novel, 3)
Author: Nalini Singh
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: TKA Distribution (18th September 2015)
Blurb:

From New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh comes the next contemporary romance in the Rock Kiss series . . .

Kit Devigny could have loved rock guitarist Noah St. John. Their friendship burned with the promise of intense passion and searing tenderness . . . until the night Noah deliberately shattered her heart.

Noah knows he destroyed something precious the night he chose to betray Kit, but he’d rather she hate him than learn his darkest secret. All he has left is his music. It’s his saving gace, but it doesn’t silence the voices that keep him up at night. Chasing oblivion through endless one-night-stands, he earns a few hours’ sleep and his bad boy reputation.

When a media error sees Noah and Kit dubbed the new “it” couple, Kit discovers her chance at the role of a lifetime hinges on riding the media wave. Wanting – needing – to give Kit this, even if he can’t give her everything, Noah agress to play the adoring boyfriend. Only the illusion is suddenly too real, too painful, to beautiful . . . and it may be too late for the redemption of Noah St. John.

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

ROCK REDEMPTION by Nalini Singh is the third book in her fantastic Rock Kiss Novel series. In this book Nalini returns to Schoolboy Choir, this time with Noah St. John taking centre stage. Kit Devigny loved Noah once, until he broke her heart. Kit is in the running for a role of a lifetime, but media scandal ties her to Noah. Forcing them to play the happy couple, if she wants a chance of getting the part. Pretty soon fantasy is becoming dangerously close to reality.

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Review: My Name is Leon by Kit de Waal

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My Name is Leon by Kit de Waal (uncorrected proof copy)

Title: My Name is Leon
Author: Kit de Waal
Genre: Contemporary
Source: Publisher
Publisher:  Viking (2nd June 2016)
Blurb:

Leon is nine, and has a perfect baby brother called Jake. They have gone to live with Maureen, who has fuzzy red hair like a halo, and a belly like Father Christmas. But the adults are speaking in low voices and wearing Pretend faces. They are threatening to take Jake away and give him to strangers. Because Jake is white and Leon is not.

As Leon struggles to cope with his anger, certain things can still make him smile – like Curly Wurlys, riding his bike fast downhill, burying his hands deep in soil, hanging out with Tufty (who reminds him of his dad), and stealing enough coins so that one day he can rescue Jake and his mum.

Evoking Britain in the early eighties, My Name is Leon is a story of love, identity and learning to overcome unbearable loss. Of the fierce bond between siblings. And how – just when we least expect it – we somehow manage to find our way home.

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

MY NAME IS LEON is the debut novel by Kit de Waal. It tells the story of nine-year-old Leon, in early eighties Britain who ends up living with Maureen when his mum can’t cope after the birth of his baby brother Jake. The story focuses on Leon’s story as he struggles to cope with the changes in his life.

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Review: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

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Title: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda
Author: Becky Albertalli
Genre: Contemporary, GLBT, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Penguin Books (7th April 2015)
Blurb:

Simon Spier is sixteen and trying to work out who he is – and what he’s looking for.

But when one of his emails to the very distracting Blue falls into the wrong hands, things get all kinds of complicated.

Because, for Simon, falling for Blue is a big deal . . .

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

SIMON vs. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA by Becky Albertalli is a standalone young adult novel that tells the story of sixteen-year-old Simon Spier. When the book starts Simon is exchanging emails anonymously with someone named Blue, who he forms a connection with. After he forgets to log out of his email account at school these emails fall into the wrong hands and life gets complicated for Simon.

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Review: The It Girl by Katy Birchall

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The It Girl by Katy Birchall

Title: The It Girl (The It Girl, 1)
Author: Katy Birchall
Genre: Contemporary,  Young Adult
Source: Secret Santa
Publisher: Egmont (7th May 2015)
Blurb:

Anna Huntley’s aims in life:
1. To recerate famous film scenes with Dog (her pet Labrador) such as the lift from The Lion King during that ‘Circle of Life’ song.

2. To NOT accidentally set Deputy Queen Bee Josie Graham’s HAIR on FIRE (again).

3. To keep her very first and only two school friends by NOT doing anything in usual manner of socially inept DORK and OUTCAST.

4. To find out whether points 1 and 2 constitute being socially inept – or outcastish.

5. To find a cupboard to hide in with Dog (preferably for life) after her dad gets engaged to one of the most famous actresses ever, the PAPARAZZI move in and the WHOLE WORD is on the brink of discovering why no one wants to be friends with Anna . . .

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

THE IT GIRL by Katy Birchall is the first book in a new series. They story follows Anna Huntley who finds herself moving from invisible new girl, to hanging with the popular crowd at school when her dad gets engaged to a famous actress.

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Review: Rock Hard by Nalini Singh

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Rock Hard by Nalini Singh

Title: Rock Hard (A Rock Kiss Novel, 2)
Author: Nalini Singh
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Publisher: TKA Distribution (10th March 2015)
Blurb:

In New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s newest contemporary romance, passion ignites between a gorgeous, sinfully sexy man who built himself up from nothing and a shy woman who has a terrible secret in her past . . .

Wealthy businessman Gabriel Bishop rules the boardroom with the same determination and ruthlessness that made him a rock star on the rugby field. He knows what he wants, and he’ll go after it no-holds-barred.

And what he wants is Charlotte Baird.

Charlotte knows she’s a mouse. Emotionally scarred and painfully shy, she just wants to do her job and remain as invisible as possible. But the new CEO – a brilliant, broad-shouldered T-Rex of a man who growls and storms through the office, leaving carnage in his wake – clearly has other plans. Plans that may be equal parts business and bedroom.

If Charlotte intends to survive this battle of wits and hearts, the mouse will have to learn to wrangle the T-Rex. Game on.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

ROCK HARD by Nalini Singh is the second book in her self-published series Rock Kiss. This book tells the story of Charlotte Baird, Molly’s best friend, and her boss Gabriel Bishop – who Charlotte refers to as T-Rex. ROCK HARD takes place almost simultaneously with ROCK ADDICTION (review), though ROCK HARD starts a little later.

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