#BlogTour coming soon! Hiding by Jenny Morton Potts

FOLLOW THE TOUR!

Read my review of Jenny Morton Potts' novel 'Hiding' here on Tuesday 27th Feb

#Publication Day #Sneak Preview #Excerpt First Period by Andrew Mackay #musical comedy

I'm delighted to share with you something a bit different - a musical comedy, Vicky & Lizzie's First Period, which is out today - St Valentine's Day.  The author Andrew Mackay has also allowed us  to share a sneak preview of a section of the first chapter too. Admittedly, this one won't be for everyone - it's definitely not PC, and if you don't like bad language then it's probably not for you but I think all tastes should be accommodated for on a blog so here's a taster...

Vicky & Lizzie's First Period

Bloody Hell!

All together now…

There were two girls called Vicky & Lizzie
Who kept the Academy busy
Causing trouble and mirth
For all they were worth
Sending teachers right into a tizzy

They kicked-off a false, nasty rumour
That one of the staff was a groomer
For everyone knows
Gossip spreads out and grows
But the school didn’t quite see the humour

Would Vicky & Lizzie regret
All the damage they caused? Nah, not yet
Scheming, conniving
The girls kept on vying
A dangerous precedent was set

Vicky & Lizzie delivered a blitz
On a school at the end of its wits
Did they care? Did they f**k
They were common as muck
Those nasty, vindictive young s#!ts

This might cause upset and uproar
It’s a musical satire, what’s more
For the first time ever
We promise you’ve never
Read anything like this before

So pick up your copy today
Of a story about which you will say
That I wanted to barf
But so hard I did laugh
Vicky & Lizzie have just made my day!

Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2E6h5kO

* * * * 

Excerpt from Chapter One:

Weekly Assembly
(The Waddling Gate Theatre)

Mr Foster took to the stage. He stepped behind the podium and adjusted the microphone.

Close to one thousand students sat in rows of chairs in front of the stage.

‘Hello? Is this on?’ Mr Foster’s voice flew around the room at high volume. ‘Can you hear me?

The children squealed and held their fingers in their ears as the feedback wailed back and forth.

‘Ah, good. I thought that might get your attention.’

A teacher stood with the forms at the end of each row of chairs. They surveyed the children in the seats, ensuring they weren’t being disruptive.

‘Shh!’ whispered Mr Holbrook to a row of year eleven students.

Mr Pond, the woodwork teacher, stood at the end of a row of year eleven children. ‘Chloe, be quiet, please!’

‘Sorry, sir!’ She whispered through her chewing gum.

‘Are you chewing, Chloe?’

‘Sorry, sir.’

Vicky and Lizzie giggled to themselves. They watched the feisty multi-coloured hair teenager swallow her chewing gum down.

A morbidly obese girl started sobbing from the second row. She was easy to spot. Her buttocks seemed to try to escape down both sides of the chair.

‘Belinda Hopkins?’

The fat girl looked up and wiped her eyes. ‘Yes, sir?’

‘Are you crying gravy?’ Mr Foster lost his patience. ‘Stop doing that, you super-sized wench. You’re putting me off.’

‘Yes, s-sir.’

Mr Foster rolled his shoulders and cleared his throat. Belinda’s crying died down and he began the assembly.

‘It’s been brought to my attention just now that a few rumours are going around the school about Mr Galigan, from Geography. I’d like to remind you all that rumours are nothing but vindictive attempts to muddy the truth. They will not be tolerated.’

Stevie’s hand went up in the air. ‘But, sir!’

‘What is it now?’

‘We want to know what happened. Where is Layla?’

‘That’s not up for discussion, Stevie,’ Mr Foster said, somewhat annoyed by the interruption. ‘It is none of your concern. Layla Quick has been relocated to another school while the police continue their investigation. That’s all anyone need know at the moment.’

‘Sir!’ Another hand went into the air. It belonged to Freddie al-Burhan, in year eleven.

‘Yes, Freddie?’

‘Why is Mr Galigan not here?’

‘He’s had a family matter to attend to. A temp has been appointed until he’s back.’

‘He’s not been suspended, then?’

Mr Foster raised his eyes in suspicion. Faced with the unenviable task of either lying to save his colleague’s face, or imparting the truth (a value which he and the school upheld most sincerely) he chose the former.

‘No.’

‘Okay. Thanks, sir.’

‘Any other questions before I continue?’ Mr Foster surveyed the ocean of adolescent faces before him.

‘No? Good. So, this week, our key word is motivation. The derivation of which comes from the Latin cognition, meaning the way the brain processes information…’

The teachers at the end of each row, including Mr Parker, folded their arms. The children looked utterly confused as Mr Foster continued his lecture.

Vicky scanned each teacher one-by-one and muttered under her breath. ‘Mr Pond… Mr Parker… Mr Bloom…’

Lizzie caught her friend sizing up each teacher. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Shut up, I’m thinking,’ Vicky whispered and returned to the teachers behind her. ‘Mr Sinclair… Quack-Quack… Mr Langham…’

Mr Bloom snapped his fingers at Vicky. ‘Psst. Vicky!’

She turned to him and offered her innocence. ‘Huh?’

‘Be quiet and listen, Hopper.’

‘Sorry, sir…’ She leaned back in her chair and faced the stage. Her brain worked overtime.

* * * *

About Andrew Mackay​

Some authors are afraid to cross the line.

Me? Oh, I'm glad you asked! I make "the line" my starting point...

My brand is satire.

I hop between genres like madman on crack because my razor-sharp literary knife is hungry for political and social commentary. One genre just can't cut it (if you'll forgive the pun.) I'm obsessed, I tell you!

I write straight-up humor and farce, horror, crime, romance... all under the banner of satire.

My novels often contain a ruthless commentary on society, delving into the darker machinations of modern life. They can be uproarious, funny, outrageous and shocking. Make no mistake, though. They are this way for a reason, and always come equipped with a sense of humanity and wit.

My influences include John Cleese, Tom Sharpe, Kurt Vonnegut, James Patterson, Hunter S Thompson, Douglas Adams, Imogen Edwards-Jones, Michael Frayn, Chris Morris, Jerry Sadowitz, Christopher Hitchins, Bill Maher, George Carlin, Jordan Peterson, Pat Condell, and writer/director Larry Cohen.

My obsessions include (and are essentially limited to) obscene amounts of: smoking, drugs, alcohol, caffeine, sex, debating, daydreaming and writing about himself in the third person.

Website - https://chromevalleybooks.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/chromevalleybooks

Twitter - https://twitter.com/Andrew_CVB

* * * *

Join Andrew Mackay on Facebook for a virtual launch party tonight for a selection of author takeovers and giveaways.

17:00 – 20:00 CST  which is  23:00 – 02:00 GMT (14/15 Feb)

https://www.facebook.com/events/254661718405712/

#GuestPost The Bulletproof Proposal by Rebekah Louise

Today, Valentine's Day, I welcome Rebekah Louise to the blog. I reviewed her book The Bulletproof Proposal in January and am excited to be able to offer YOU the chance to download her book FREE **today only** with the link below.  Here's what she had to say about writing her fun novelette:-

I am very excited to share this post with you. As most of you will be aware, I have published my latest book ‘The Bulletproof Proposal’.

This is my second book and I decided to write a novelette. I love the idea of a short story, the reader can enjoy it in one or two sittings, fitting it in around their hectic lifestyles.

The idea for ‘The Bulletproof Proposal’ came when a close friend of mine was waiting for her partner to propose. I thought about what someone might do in that situation and I think most people would try and gain control, giving rise to the idea for my new book.

This story was an exciting piece for me to write. I took on Lisa’s character with ease as she was fun to write about (I think I could also see some of myself in her). Authors will tell you to write about a topic that you would want to read yourself and this is a book that I would want to snuggle up with. I also love the cover, which I had great fun designing, and I am guilty of choosing a book by its cover, so I hope it will attract you too. My wonderful husband put together the book trailer and I think it is a wonderful teaser of what’s to come.

‘The Bulletproof Proposal’ was published in November 2017, and my hope is that you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it. Please leave a review if you liked it, on either Amazon or Goodreads, and tell your friends and family about it, it would be much appreciated.

To Download 'The Bulletproof Proposal' for FREE (14^th February only) click here.

Here is the book blurb & trailer.

After five years of dating Lisa is anticipating that all-important question, will you marry me?

Impatient, Lisa decides to take matters into her own hands and propose to Matt, after all it is the 21st Century.

Only she takes it one step further and with the help of her best friend Mandy, she prepares the ultimate proposal.

What she doesn’t know is whether this will be the beginning of her happily-ever- after or the beginning of the end.

Link to trailer.

#Review A Cold Day In Hell by Lissa Marie Redmond #NetGalley

Publication date 8th February 2018

Publisher : Midnight Ink

390 pages

Book Descripton: 
Lauren Riley is an accomplished detective who has always been on the opposite side of the courtroom from her nemesis, slick defense attorney Frank Violanti. But now he's begging to hire her as a private investigator to help clear his client of murder. At first Lauren refuses, wanting nothing to do with the media circus surrounding that case—until she meets the eighteen-year-old suspect.

To keep an innocent teen from life in prison, Lauren must unravel the conflicting evidence and changing stories to get at the buried facts. But the more she digs, the more she discovers that nothing is what it first appears to be. As Lauren puts her career and life in danger, doubt starts to lurk on every corner . . . and so does her stalker.

My thoughts:
Usually I struggle to read US crime novels as I don't know enough about how the ranks of detectives, attorneys, etc fit together and which holds the most clout in legal terms.  This novel however captured my attention throughout.  I found it reminiscent in mood to the 'Shades of Blue' series starring Jennifer Lopez which recently aired its second series here in the UK.

The scene is set in the cold case department of Buffalo police HQ where Lauren Riley and her partner Reese work together to try and solve some of the old cases which never saw a conclusion to the crime.  A single mom to two college students who live away from the family home I found Lauren's character really well developed and, if slightly stereotyped, very real.
Twice-divorced Lauren works two jobs; her day job is in the cold case department and she supplements this income with a lesser position as a private detective.  It is in this second role that defence attorney Frank Violanti requests her services to try and prove his godson's innocence in a murder case.  Lauren and Frank have clashed across the courtroom on several occasions so Lauren is quite surprised that Frank should ask for her assistance in any capacity.  The two characters have a grudging respect for each other professionally and manage to rub along together to find out the facts of the case not without a few bumps along the way.

The main problem with the case is that the prosecuting officer is one of Lauren's ex partners Joe Wheeler.  He is still bitter about his split with Lauren and would desperately like to have another chance to be back in her personal life.  He sees this as his chance to prove to her what a good catch he would be.  Unfortunately his inability to control his temper puts paid to any remaining respect Lauren had for him and his personal involvement takes over where his professionalism should be his first priority. Wheeler tries to claim that Lauren's involvement in this case is a conflict of interests with her day job in an attempt to get her thrown off the case and therefore make his job of prosecuting the young man so much easier. No spoilers here but there are some strong court scenes which make for great reading.

The author demonstrates an excellent knowledge of how evidence is collected in a criminal case in the US and how both the defence and prosecution can use this evidence to strengthen or destroy the case in question whether that be in a current case or a resurrected cold case.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was pleased to discover (as I had hoped) that there will be a second book in the series released in early 2019. I highly recommend that you give this book a chance, especially if you are a fan of US TV crime series.

About the Author:

Lissa Marie Redmond, a retired cold case homicide detective, lives and writes in Buffalo NY with her husband, two daughters, and one ungrateful cat.

Monthly Round Up January 2018

It has been a very busy month in the book world to kick off the new year.  With blog tours booked in for some great titles in the coming months and lots of great titles and new authors to explore we are being properly spoiled by the publishing companies.  Here's a look at what I have read in January, with reviews either already published or scheduled for each title in due course.

This is How It Ends by Eve Dolan

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC/Raven Books

Publication date 25 January 2018

The Bulletproof Proposal by Rebekah Louise

Published November 2017

The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton

Headline Publishing

Publication date 8th March 2018

The Devil's Work by Mark Edwards

Thomas & Mercer

Publication date 13th September 2016

The Guilty Wife by Elle Croft

Orion Publishing

Publication date 25th January 2018

A Cold Day in Hell by Lissa Marie Redmond

Midnight Ink

Publication Date 8th February 2018

Our House by Louise Candlish

Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 5th April 2018

The Story of Our Lives by Helen Warner

HQ

Publication Date: 8th February 2018

#CoverReveal #FirstChapter The Things We Need To Say by Rachel Burton @HQDigitalUK @bookish_yogi @rararesources

Welcome to the very first Cover Reveal feature on Sandie's Bookshelves! I am extremely excited to be able to present to you the cover design for Rachel Burton's novel "The Things We Need to Say" which is due out 11th May 2018.  

Scroll down to read the first chapter....

Sometimes the things we never say are the most important.

Fran loves Will with all her heart. They had a whirlwind romance, a perfect marriage and a wonderful life. Until everything changed. Now Fran needs to find her way again and teaching a yoga retreat in Spain offers her just that. Leaving behind a broken marriage she has some very important decisions to make.

Will needs his wife, he needs her to open up to him if they’re to ever return to the ways things once were. But he may have damaged any possibility he had of mending their relationship and now Fran is in Spain and Will is alone.

As both Fran and Will begin to let go of a life that could have been, fate may just find a way of bringing them back together.

 Perfect for fans of Katie Marsh, Amanda Prowse and Sheila O’Flanagan

Pre-order on Amazon UK - http://amzn.to/2kLqSYL

Read the first Chapter here!

DECEMBER 2004

It started at the party. His hands on my hips, my forehead against his shoulder. He asked me to dance but he didn’t know how. We stood together at the edge of the dance floor shaking with laughter at his two left feet. I don’t know how long we stood there. I don’t know if anybody noticed.

He’d waited for me, sitting with my friends, not sure if I’d turn up or not. I wasn’t in the habit of going to work Christmas parties; I only went in the end because he said he would be there, because he said he would wait for me. I arrived just as the main course was being served. I slipped into the seat next to him. His hand brushed against my thigh as I sat down. He held my gaze for longer than he should have done.

I fell in love with him that night as we stood on the dance floor laughing, my hands on his waist, feeling the muscles of his back, the warmth of his body, through his dress shirt, the press of him against my hip.

That was where it began. I sometimes wonder if that should have been where it ended.

But later that evening, as I got out of his car, and I said those words I should have kept to myself, we both knew there was no going back.

JULY 2016

Fran

She wakes up in the same position in which she fell asleep, her husband’s arms around her, their hands entwined on her stomach. Neither of them have slept that deeply for months. Fran remembers something: a hotel room on a Greek island, a feeling of hope, of new beginnings. She doesn’t allow the memory to linger. This is what they have now. They can be happy again if they allow themselves to be.

The hot, humid weather has broken in the night and she listens to the sound of summer rain on the roof. Will moves gently against her, pulling her closer. She feels his breath against her neck and the sensation of hot liquid in her stomach, a combination of desire and need. This is their second chance – she can’t let it pass her by.

‘I love you,’ Will says sleepily.

‘I love you too,’ she replies. It feels good to be saying it to each other again. She’s never stopped loving him; she just forgot how to tell him for a while.

‘Do you want me to go and make coffee?’ Will asks, nuzzling her neck.

‘Not just yet,’ she replies, turning around to look at him. His brown eyes are dark, impenetrable pools. His hair is pushed back off his face. Sometimes she forgets how much all of this has affected him too. Sometimes she forgets everything except her own pain. She feels his warmth against her, his strength. She feels as though the gulf that had been threatening to open up between them for the last year is slowly closing. She realises they have so much life ahead of them. So much time to learn to be happy again.

‘I thought I’d lost you,’ Will says quietly, reaching up to stroke her face. ‘I thought you’d gone, but recently I feel as though you’ve come back to me.’

She smiles softly. ‘I thought I’d lost you too,’ she says. ‘This last year has been …’ She doesn’t finish. She can’t finish.

She watches as a shadow of anguish crosses his face, as his brow furrows, as his jaw tightens. She recognises that look, recognises the pain he is trying to hide. She hears the shudder of his breath. His eyes flick away for a moment; he pauses for a fraction too long.

‘No,’ he says. ‘You never lost me. I’ll always be here.’

She kisses him gently then, and feels his hand drift down the bones of her spine.

Later, showered and dressed, they finally appear in the kitchen; Will’s younger brother, Jamie, is already sitting at the table drinking coffee. Will and Fran are hardly able to stop touching each other.

Jamie smiles at them, raising an eyebrow. ‘You’re up late,’ he says. Fran feels herself blushing, her stomach flipping over, and turns away towards the toaster.

‘Thanks for last night,’ Jamie goes on. ‘I needed that.’ Recently separated from his wife, living apart from his children, Jamie is lonely. Last night wasn’t the first Saturday night he’d spent with them. Fran knows Will has been throwing himself into cheering his brother up. She doesn’t mind. Jamie makes Will smile and it’s good to see him smile again.

As Will and Jamie start talking about the cricket, she feels her husband’s hand on her thigh, the warm, solid sensation of him right there next to her. They have been given a second chance, and they have grabbed it with both hands. She isn’t naive enough to think everything is going to go back to the way it used to be, but she knows that they can move on; they can talk and heal together. They can take another chance on living, find a new kind of normal.

Will stretches, draining his coffee cup. ‘This weather isn’t going to let up is it?’ he says looking out of the window where the rain is rattling against the frames like beads in a jar. ‘I’m going to have to cancel the cricket.’ As captain of the village team it is up to him to reschedule this afternoon’s match. Fran is quietly delighted that the weather means she doesn’t have to spend her last afternoon with her husband before she goes away watching him play cricket. Will gets up and walks into his study, shutting the door behind him.

‘How are you feeling about tomorrow?’ Jamie asks.

‘Nervous,’ Fran replies. ‘It’s the first time I’ve been on a plane on my own, which is pathetic at my age, I know.’

‘It’s OK to be nervous.’

‘It’s the first time Will and I have been apart since …’ She trails off. Jamie knows what she’s talking about. ‘I’m worried about him too.’

Jamie smiles. ‘I’ll look after him,’ he says.

After a moment Jamie gets up and follows Will into his study. He doesn’t knock; he just opens the door and walks in. As Fran starts to clear the breakfast dishes she hears raised voices but can’t quite make out what they are saying. She rolls her eyes to herself. As an only child she has long since given up on understanding Will and Jamie’s relationship: best friends one minute, bickering the next. She just hopes Jamie doesn’t stay too long – she wants her husband to herself for the day.

Will

It rains all day, the sky grey and waterlogged and heavy with cloud. After Jamie leaves, Will pulls Fran towards him, his hands at the back of her head where her skull meets her neck, where her hair is cut so short.

‘No cricket,’ he says. ‘I’m all yours.’

She smiles, standing on tiptoe to kiss him.

‘Can we just watch a film or something?’ she says. ‘I’m tired and I have to pack for Spain later.’ His stomach drops at the thought of her going away. He wishes he’d never encouraged her to do it.

‘I’d forgotten about Spain,’ he says.

‘No you hadn’t. It’s the only thing we’ve talked about for ages.’

Will had watched Fran spend the last few weeks flipping back and forth between excitement and terror at the thought of going to Spain on her own. He knew she was strong enough to do it; he knew she was stronger than anyone realised. But he also knew that she wondered if she was ready. When she first mentioned Spain to him he had seen it as a perfect opportunity to help her begin to put herself back together again after what had been the worst year of both their lives. He tried to believe that everything life threw at him was an opportunity.

Fran had been teaching at a studio in central Cambridge for six years and had been asked to teach for a week on a retreat in Spain. Will had always supported her teaching, always tried to put her career on a level par with his own and had done everything he could to help her find the strength to go back to work in January. None of it had felt as though it was enough. None of it would make up for the last year, the things he had said, the things he had done. Suddenly he is terrified about being on his own. Neither of them have been alone for months.

‘What do you want to watch?’ he asks, squatting down in front of the TV.

‘Can we watch Some Like it Hot?’ Fran replies.

Will rolls his eyes. He must have seen it a hundred times, but puts it in the DVD player anyway and goes to settle himself on the sofa. ‘Come here,’ he says, and she sits with him, leaning back against his chest.

‘Are you OK about Spain?’ he asks quietly.

‘I think so,’ she says. ‘I’m nervous, but I’m excited as well.’

‘Elizabeth will be there with you, won’t she?’

‘Yes, and Constance. In fact, I already know most of the other people who are going. I’ll be fine.’ She pauses. ‘Are you going to be OK?’ she asks quietly.

‘I’m going to miss you,’ he says, lying back on the sofa, wrapping his arms around her. He doesn’t know how to answer the question. He wants to tell her everything but knows that now is not the right time.

‘I’m going to miss you too,’ she replies.

He kisses the top of her head as she presses ‘play’ on the remote control. He watches her as she watches her favourite film, her lips moving along with the characters – she still knows every word by heart. They used to spend rainy Sundays like this when they were younger, when life seemed easier.

Halfway through the film he realises that Fran is crying – fat, salty tears running down her cheeks.

‘Fran?’ he asks quietly, pressing pause on the remote.

Fran doesn’t reply, she just turns around and he takes her in his arms. He feels her body against his. She clings to him as though her life depends on it and he holds her close as she cries and cries. He can’t remember the last time he saw her cry like this. They had both done their grieving in private over the last year but to Will it feels as though Fran has been holding all this in for months, shutting herself down. He’s relieved that she finally seems ready to let go.

‘I want my old life back,’ she sobs. ‘I want to be happy again.’

‘So do I,’ Will whispers. ‘And we will, in time. I promise.’

‘I wish we’d never bought this house – we had so much hope.’

‘Shhh …’ Will says softly, stroking her hair as she weeps against him.

About the Author:

Rachel Burton has been making up stories since she first learned to talk. After many false starts she finally made one up that was worth writing down.

After graduating with a degree in Classics and another in English, she didn't really know what to do when she grew up. She has worked as a waitress, a paralegal and a yoga teacher.

She has spent most of her life between Cambridge and London but now lives in Leeds with her boyfriend and three cats. The main loves of her life are The Beatles and very tall romantic heroes.

Her debut, The Many Colours of Us, was an Amazon Kindle bestseller. Her second novel, The Things We Need to to Say, is released on 11 May 2018. She is currently working on her third novel in which the heroine follows the love of her life to live in a city in northern England. It has no autobiographical elements at all.....maybe.

Find her on Twitter & Instagram as @bookish_yogi or search Facebook for Rachel Burton Author. She is always happy to talk books, writing, music, cats and how the weather in Yorkshire is rubbish. She is mostly dreaming of her next holiday....

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rachelburtonauthor/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/bookish_yogi

My thanks to HQDigitalUK and Rachel Gilbey at Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to be part of this cover/chapter reveal.

#Review The Story of Our Lives by Helen Warner #NetGalley

Publication date 8th February 2018 (hardback)

Kindle 23rd February 2017 

400 pages

Book description:

Four friends. Twenty years. One powerful secret.

Everyone remembers where they were on 31st August 1997, the day Princess Diana died.

Sophie, Emily, Amy and Melissa certainly do -– a beautiful cottage in Southwold, at the start of an annual tradition to have a weekend away together.

Every year since, the four best friends have come back together. But over time the changes in their lives have led them down very different paths. And it’s when those paths collide that the secrets they’ve been keeping come tumbling out.

One Day meets Big Little Lies in this unputdownable read about four friends, one long-buried secret and the histories we all share.

My thoughts:

This is an immensely readable book.  Well drawn characters as diverse as you are going to get within a friendship group who meet at university, stay close friends yet go their own paths in life.

Sophie: the sensible, grown up one who meets her Mr Right, Steve, at uni, gets a good job, buys a house and has a baby who she struggles to bond with. Always the voice of reason among the group.

Melissa, the party girl who gets an exciting job in the music industry after uni and is forever getting herself into mischief and never settles down.

Amy: the bubbly, sparkly girl who finds an amazing, rich and charming partner in Nick.  They get married and have an enviable life with a big  house and all the trappings of a successful life together.

Emily: the quiet, studious, enigmatic one of the group.  She finds herself pregnant shortly after uni and decides to set herself up as a single mum back at home with her parents with baby Jack.  Nobody knows who his dad is although everyone has their suspicions.

I love the way the author has used events from the media to mark the passage of time throughout this book.  You can really measure the scale of the time passing between the events yet they don't have any other significance within the story.  

This is an excellent story of how each of the girl's lives pans out as an individual yet the bonds of true friendship tie them strongly together.  They laugh together, argue amongst themselves even to the point of falling out quite spectacularly at more than one point yet there is something there that, when times get really tough for any one of them, the group pulls together to support each other.

There are some scenarios within the book which I doubted whether their friendship would survive and maybe in the real world they possibly wouldn't be able to get past but in true chick lit style girl power wins out in the end.

This is a fun read, maybe not 100% believable but well worth getting lost within its pages. I would definitely recommend it if you fancy a book where you don't need to work too hard on the plot - although there are a couple of surprises along the way just to keep you guessing.

About the author:

Helen Warner is a former Head of Daytime at both ITV & Channel 4, where she was responsible for a variety of TV shows including Come Dine With Me, Loose Women, Good Morning Britain and Judge Rinder. Helen writes her novels on the train to work in London from her home in Essex, which she shares with her husband and their two children.