Losing Hope

ohmygodohmygodohmygod.OH.MY.GOD

Did I say Oh My God?

We have been patiently waiting for Losing Hope, which is Hopeless from Holders point of view. I got my hands on it Thursday and I was like a giddy child. In fact I almost got whiplash when I saw Colleen Hoover‘s post on Facebook that it was available on NetGalley. I loaded t straight up but it was mid night and I had to go to sleep knowing I was going to have a very early morning wakeup call. I had been glued to it ever since and read the last few pages this morning (Sunday).

I normally start a review by giving a brief run down of the storyline. You all know this storyline however. I would like to take this opportunity to say that if you have not yet read Hopeless then you have no business reading Losing Hope and I mean that in the nicest possible way. I also mean that you need to go get Hopeless (you can read my review here), read it and get your ass back here to read about Losing Hope.

I decided as I wiped the last tear off my face this morning that I was going to write the review straight away. Hopeless was already in my all time top three books. It was amazing, so intense and you just didn’t know where it was going to take you. This book however, in my humble opinion, blows Hopeless out of the water. I almost feel as though I am betraying the book by saying such a thing. The intensity of Hopeless was 75% Holder and 25% where the story was going, so if you can imagine the same story told from Holders own perspective, well freakin’ hell.

I don’t know if I am getting my point across too well. Losing Hope kicks ass. Right now it is occupying the #1 spot in my list.

There is so much going on in Holders head that we had no idea about. He was broken, like seriously broken. Colleen Hoover found the best way to portray this, through a diary of sorts. Through getting everything down on paper and working through things in his head he is able to deal with his feelings for Sky and work out just what it is he needs to do. Sky puts him back together and by the end of the story between Sky, his mother and Les he is whole again. That’s what we wanted for him. If you fell in love with Holder even just a little bit in Hopeless then be prepared to fall hard and fast in Losing Hope. There is nothing that will save you.

Have the tissues ready girls. There is nothing going to make you cry like a broken man!

To read an interview I did with Colleen back in February click here.
P.S I feel sorry for all of you that have to wait til July 8th but be assured, it’s worth it!

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Lauren Blakely -The interview

Who is Lauren Blakely?

I’m just a smalltown girl, living in a lonely world. Sorry, I was practicing my karaoke song! Though, truth be told, my karaoke standards are Sweet Child of Mine and Living on a Prayer (much like McKenna in Trophy Husband). But seriously. I am a wife, a mom, a daughter, a sister, a dog person, a writer, a ghostwriter, a reader and a cheerleader for my friends! I love romantic comedy flicks, witty TV shows, and really goofy humor. I also love happy endings. Most of all, happy endings.

Tell us a bit about your books.

My three novels are Caught Up In Us, Pretending He’s Mine and Trophy Husband and they’re sexy and sweet, fun and flirty, new adult and contemporary romances.

Is it necessary to read Caught Up In Us and Pretending He’s Mine before reading your new book Trophy Husband?

Nope! Don’t you want to though? *bats eyes* But the hero in Trophy Husband is the brother of a supporting character in both Caught Up In Us and Pretending He’s Mine – Jill – who will be the lead character in my next release, Playing with My Heart.

You just released Trophy Husband, how do you feel in the days running up to a book being released?

Nervous, emotional, a total crying wreck! Wait. I’m cool, calm and collected. (Said no author ever).

Do you get nervous when it comes to reading the first reviews of a book?

Definitely! I try to stay away from reviews, but that’s pretty much impossible, so I just hope that readers like my books and are entertained by them enough to leave lovely, gushing reviews!

What is your preferred genre to read?

Romance! Romantic comedy, sexy romance, erotic romance, new adult romance, and young adult romance.

I’m guessing romance lol

What do you think has started the New Adult craze?

What I love most about the New Adult craze is it’s reader-driven. As soon as new adult novels started hitting the virtual shelves, readers snapped them up. I believe that’s because there’s been a gap in the shelves. Young readers who grew up loving young adult novels wanted something a bit more adult as they became older. New Adult stepped in, and readers said YES. WE WANT THESE BOOKS.

When you wrote your first book, did you find the road to publishing daunting?

Yes.

Do you hold any superstitions?

If I can, I try to unroll the car windows when driving across a bridge. You know, in case I crash into the water and the only way I can escape is through the car windows because then I’d be pissed if the power windows weren’t operating while the car was submerged. Well, I guess not that pissed. I’d probably be dead. How’s that for a morbid superstition!

I have read that you love toast? I am a firm believer that tea and toast is one of the most satisfying things to eat. What do you like to put on your toast?

I adore you. Yes! Toast and tea! I can’t start the day without toast and tea. I have my toast with butter, and I drink Jasmine Fancy green tea every morning. I am a creature of habit, and I love this habit!

If you couldn’t live in California where would you like to live?

Paris!

Do you have a motto you live by?

Yes. Karma is real. Be good.

What three luxuries could you not live without?

Pedicures. Visits to the salon every five weeks. And fancy chocolate.

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Trophy Husband

It is the night before her wedding and fashion blogger McKenna Bell is delivered the mother of all blows. By voicemail. Her boyfriend of 6 years and soon to be husband has met someone in Vegas, and MARRIED HER. She is younger than McKenna and a ‘Trophy Wife’. After molly coddling herself for longer than she really should she decides it’s time to get on with her life. Of course then life delivers a kick up the ass when she runs in to him in her favourite donut shop, a haven that he had not previously tarnished. Until now.

Deciding it’s time to get herself back in the game she decides to set about finding her very own ‘Trophy Husband’. The man who will fulfil this role will have to meet strict criteria. As she isn’t exactly old herself her TH must be aged 21-23, exceptionally hot but must also have a brain.

McKenna’s blog is hugely successful, so much so it’s become a cable show. She uses this platform to propel her quest for the perfect TH. As most of the dates she goes on turn out to be as dull as dish water Chris McCormick enters the scene. He is SMOKIN HOT. Unfortunately he doesn’t fall under the age criteria. And McKenna could imagine losing herself in him. That isn’t the aim here; she isn’t looking for love, loving could mean losing which will result in having her heart all over again.
What is to become of McKenna’s hunt for the perfect Trophy Husband, how will Chris factor into her plans and is she going to stay on her game and make it down the aisle this time?

Trophy Husband is Lauren Blakely’s third novel. Already a New York times Best Selling author Lauren found herself right back there when Trophy Husband entered the top 20!

If you have read the previous two Caught up in Us and Pretending He’s Mine then I don’t need to tell you that you are in for a treat. Chris is actually the brother of one of the supporting character in the other two novels, Jill, and I am happy to say she will be having her own story told soon. You don’t need to have read Lauren’s previous book before this one but I do suggest you put them on your ‘to read’ list cos they are damn good.

I was reading the book and enjoying it immensely and I have to admit, while blushing, that I did a fist pump and shouted “YES” when Chris entered the scene. There is a small build up before we find out his identity and I was sitting saying please please please. He is so damn lovable right from the very start.

Trophy Husband is well written and never goes off point; it’s a real feel good book which will have you rooting for the characters from start to finish. It definitely has the right humour, serious, angst ratio. I read it in a day – I just couldn’t bring myself to put it down. The only problem I have with the book is that it ended. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye 😦 and I can only hope there will be more about Chris in Jill’s book. Please….

I had fully intended to review this book before now and I even interviewed Lauren immediately after the books release. Such is life that I couldn’t get around to reading it until now but I do hope that you enjoy the interview all the same. To read my interview with Lauren Blakely please click HERE

Trophy Husband is available from Amazon Smashwords Barnes and Noble

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I Wished For You

Every girl wants to grow up, meet Prince Charming and get married, right?

“I Wished For You is the story of Grace who is at that age where there are six weddings a year and the question on everyone’s lips is: who’s next? She and her boyfriend Robbie seem the perfect fit, but when he unexpectedly goes down on bended knee, Grace freaks out. Cue the mother of all meltdowns.

On top of that, Grace’s passion for fashion is not exactly fulfilled by her job – dressing well-to-do ladies with way more money than style. Cue – in her addled state after the bended knee fiasco – losing it in work, with disastrous consequences.

Into Grace’s train-wreck of a life comes Verity – ex-Hollywood costume lady and vintage clothing queen. Verity is not called the Vintage Vixen for nothing: she has seen it all and done it all and her life makes Grace’s look about as exciting as Songs of Praise. Verity tells Grace that the secret of happiness is to discover her ‘heart wish’. If only Grace could work out what her heart’s greatest wish really is … ”

I Wished For You is the second novel from Best Selling Author Amy Huberman. Amy is a Wife, Mother, Actress, Writer and a damn funny lady! You may have read Amy’s other Novel, Hello Heartbreak which was a No1Best Seller back in 2009. If not, why not?

I have issues with humour, regularly told that I am lacking in that department. I would make a comment and I am told “Ah go away you don’t even like Father Ted”. I admit it, I don’t. So shoot me. For this reason I was a tad apprehensive about reading I Wished For You. I wondered how I was going to read a book that was funny and not be in pain. So within the first few pages I was in pain, my sides were hurting. This book is HILLARIOUS. I knew it would be funny, I follow Amy Huberman on Twitter and have for quite a while. The woman is a comedy genius but then I don’t need to tell you that. It took me a few minutes to snap out of ‘serious Tanya’ as I had just a couple of hours before finished reading The Herbalist by Niamh Boyce. Chalk and cheese. Once i got my head around the fact that this was a funny book I loved it.

It’s just my type of humour, for the record I do believe I possess a sense of humour. When I confided my worries about reading this book my good friend Carmel Harrington told me I had a fantastic SOH. Good enough for me! I had a lot of ‘did she really just say that – out loud?’ moments and a lot of cross your legs cos you are laughing so much moments. Yes I did just say that.

I read it described as ‘Hot chocolate on a snowy day’ by Swati Sharma on Goodreads. I agree, with whipped cream and marshmallows on top!

This book is a must read for those who like a bit of fun,have a wicked sense of humour and even those like me that have an awful sense of humour. I can’t wait for more from Amy Huberman.

I have one copy of ‘I Wished For You’ to give away. If you would like to win it then just leave a comment on this post to say so! Easy as that. Winner will be picked at random on Saturday.

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The Herbalist

It is 1930’s Ireland and out of nowhere appears a dark stranger. Setting up a stall in the marketplace selling his wares. A Doctor he claims to be, a Herbalist. The women love him. All the women no matter their age or class. Mind you those with class attend in secret; they couldn’t be seen to be associated with ‘That Kind’. Emily though, Emily is taken by him the first time she sees him. Falls in love or so her young mind would lead her to believe. He would be her saviour, the man who would take her from this dull place and make her someone people would look up, someone people would respect. However, Emily isn’t the only one with such ideas; the women of the town are fawning over him. Buying his lotions and potions – thinking he was sent from above. Could heal anything the Herbalist could.

One day Emily discovers the truth about the Herbalist and she is shaken to her very core. Who is this man? The man who was going to take her away from this life, make her a lady, his Empress. Where had he gone or had he ever been there to begin with? Emily is a young girl she may be from a working class family but she has morals, she knows right from wrong. She loved the Herbalist would do almost anything for him. But could she do this? Could she turn a blind eye let him continue to destroy or does she take measures to make him pay for the sins he committed. And if she does decide to make him pay what will become of her and again what will become of her if she doesn’t?

The Herbalist is the debut novel by Irish author Niamh Boyce. I have seen it referred to as ‘electrifying’ and I would have to agree. Nothing less than 5 stars would do this book justice. I have never read such a story, or a story that took a similar route. As I have said before I hate predictability and this book is going to take you places that you never would have dreamed of. I can say no more, you wouldn’t thank me for it and I am sure Niamh certainly wouldn’t.

The book is packed with emotion. I wasn’t far in on the night I found myself an emotional wreck, sobbing my heart out and needing to put the book away. It didn’t stay away for long, I was hooked and I needed more.

The Herbalist is set in 1930’s Ireland though it could be today. With the exception of particular views and fashions from the time many attitudes are the same as they are today. The book deals with small town mentality and as someone living in a small town I can relate quite a bit so that certainly hasn’t changed in the last 80 years. It was interesting to read the story and find that a lot of issues that were raised are issues that are still so prominent today. Nothing changes.

I don’t know what genre I would class this book. It certainly doesn’t fall in to my usual Chick Lit or New Adult categories. I did ask Niamh Boyce what genre she would place it in and she wasn’t so sure either and jokingly suggested ‘A damn good read’. You know I think that is the perfect genre for The Herbalist. I am looking forward to more from Niamh; she has set herself a hell of a bar!

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Thick and Thin

Through thick and thin, your best friend is right there by your side. Aren’t they?

Clare McMahon used to be a big girl, and if truth be told a bit socially inept. She is shocked when not only does Marianne Dillion take her under her wing when they both start college but also keeps her there. From two different worlds they make the unlikeliest of friends but somehow it just works.
From the very first day they met they became best friends, lived together and shared in each other’s joy, misery and crises. Through 25 years of friendship they thought their friendship was rock solid.

As the unthinkable happens it appears the foundation on which this ‘rock solid’ friendship is based on has a few cracks. As a few home truths are told and old wounds are opened it seems the friendship obviously wasn’t as solid as first thought.

Each has to face the same crisis from a different point of view; will there be a middle ground? Will they both be too stubborn to see the world from another’s eyes, to take others feelings and wishes into consideration? Both families are each going through their own hell. Alone.
Can either of the women put their own feelings aside to help the other?

“How do you get through a catastrophe without your best friend by your side?”

This is the second novel from Sarah Harte. Her first was The Better Half, which led to Harte being labelled as the new Sensation in Irish Fiction.

Thick and Thin did not disappoint. It was both witty and poignant while dealing with issues that are very real. It made for a very interesting read. I often found myself laughing out loud at some of the very clever lines used in the book. I also found myself feeling the true emotion in some of the sadder moments and relating to other events in the story.

Many of the issues tackled in Thick and Thin are the same issues affecting many of the people not only in Ireland today but the world over. It really does go to show that no matter how something looks when you are on the outside looking in, you really never can know what is going on inside closed doors!

Friendships are very important and I think this is true more so for women as they do need an outlet and need to vent on occasion (often), but when your friend is at the other side of the battle line and your family is at threat then the friend has suddenly become the enemy. You know what they say “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”. Both Clare and Marianne are about to become that woman and not only by each other but by the men in their lives. I wouldn’t want to get in their way!