BOOK REVIEW: Forever Together by Jade Whitfield

2.5/5 Stars

Blurb:

Dark haired beauty, Cindy Martin was once lucky in love, until her boyfriend broke her heart and sent her running. Attending college in faraway Los Angeles was the perfect excuse to get away, settle her heart and drown herself in wine and tears – except now she is back for the summer, and her ex hasn't gone anywhere. 
Brady Cooper is handsome, arrogant and still head over heels in love with Cindy. Six months ago, he let fear rule him and he made a mistake that cost him everything – now he just has to get her to believe him. 
Surrounded by friends and family that know too much and meddle a little too closely, can this once perfect pair overcome the obstacles in front of them, mend their hearts and finally be Forever Together? 
Sometimes the very thing that broke your heart is the only thing that can fix it.

Review:

Forever together, a book about Cindy and Brady who broke up but over the course of the book get back together again. That's pretty much the entire story line, though of course romance's are all about those sweet moments, the journey itself. 

As individual characters, I hated Brady to begin with. He's arrogant, full of himself and swears far too much (more so in the beginning) but despite that something in me sorta had a thing for him when he was with Cindy. I suppose every girl has that inner bad boy thing though we try to deny it. 

Cindy's character didn't seem as developed but I did like the secondary characters in the novel. Cindy's from a big family with a lot of siblings and Brady has a tough relationship with his stepdad and a dog he likes to bring everywhere. 

Overall, the novel was easy reading, I felt I knew the characters and I couldn't fault the writing in the slightest. Jade Whitfield is obviously a very talented writer, it's just a shame I didn't like the book more than I did. However, considering I don't usually read romances (Not my preferred genre) this one wasn't totally full of those cringey/cheesy moments that I find hard to stomach. More than anything, it was humorous, though it ended with a good dollop of cheese (it has to though, doesn't it? Romance readers love their happy endings).

Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy by the author in exchange for an honest review. 

BOOK REVIEW: How To Grow An Addict by J.A Wright

4/5 Stars

Blurb:

Randall Grange has been tricked into admitting herself into a treatment center and she doesn’t know why. She’s not a party hound like the others in her therapy group—but then again, she knows she can’t live without pills or booze. Raised by an abusive father, a detached mother, and a loving aunt and uncle, Randall both loves and hates her life. She’s awkward and a misfit. Her parents introduced her to alcohol and tranquilizers at a young age, ensuring that her teenage years would be full of bad choices, and by the time she’s twenty-three years old, she’s a full-blown drug addict, well acquainted with the miraculous power chemicals have to cure just about any problem she could possibly have—and she’s in more trouble than she’s ever known was possible.

Review:

'How to grow an addict' is the story of Randall - a young girl who grows up with an awful father, a distant mother, and an unhealthy attitude to sex, alcohol and drugs. Going through her young life sneaking pills from around the house and falling too quickly for boys who only want one thing, Randall loses her place in the world. She has nothing to stop her from needing the next high and has little to no self worth. 

I'll admit, when I first started this book, I wasn't sure if I would like it or not, but as the story unfolded, I found myself drawn in. I felt so sorry for Randall and desperately wanted things to turn out well for her. There were moments where I saw her get back on top of things, and I wondered what could possibly make things worse, of course, something always did. 

If I didn't know any better, I would think I was reading a true biographical story. J.A Wright does a perfect job of writing Randall's story - I believed every word like she was a real person. I'd be surprised if the author doesn't have some real life experience which she drew on for the book.

Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy by the author in exchange for an honest review. My review is completely unbiased and based off my own true opinion. 

BOOK REVIEW: The Cold Cold Sea by Linda Huber

5/5 Stars

Blurb:

They stared at each other, and Maggie felt the tightness in her middle expand as it shifted, burning its way up - Painful sobs rose from her throat as Colin, his face expressionless now, reached for his mobile and dialled 999. When three-year-old Olivia disappears, her parents are overwhelmed with grief. Weeks go by and Olivia's mother refuses to leave the cottage, staring out at the turbulent sea and praying it didn't claim her precious daughter's life. Not far away, another mother watches proudly as her daughter starts school. Jennifer has loved Hailey for five years, but the child is suddenly moody and difficult, and there's a niggling worry of doubt that Jennifer cannot shake off. As she struggles to maintain control there are gaps in her story that even she can't explain. Time is running out for Maggie at the cottage, and also for Jennifer and Hailey. No-one can underestimate a mother's love for her child, and no-one can predict the lengths one will go to, to protect her family. 

Review: 

The beginning of the book starts, and a child goes missing. As the reader, you think you're going to be following this family throughout the story, but they're a minor reference. The real story is with another family, one who has suffered their own loss, and one who has made up for it in a terrible way. 

The Cold Cold Sea kept me interested at all points. A child abduction tale told from the perspective of the child who is taken, and the people who have taken her, rather than the suffering family. My heart broke for little Olivia who was taken - so confused with the emotional abuse she endures and the changes in her life. 

The whole way through the book, I was screaming out for somebody to notice something is wrong with this child. I wanted somebody to help her get back to her family, and I wanted the book to end with a satisfying finish. I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I almost shed a tear towards the 90% mark when it was all revealed. Fantastic storytelling. I'd recommend it.

'Resistance' Pre-Order

Well, FINALLY I got round to self publishing 'Resistance' the second part of the Synergy Series. It's available for pre-order now on Amazon, while the first book is now available for free on Kindle Unlimited.

BOOK REVIEW: Girl Number One by Jane Holland

3/5 stars

Blurb:

As a young child, Eleanor Blackwood witnessed her mother's murder in woods near their farm. The killer was never found.

Now an adult, Eleanor discovers a woman's body in the same spot in the Cornish woods where her mother was strangled eighteen years before. But when the police get there, the body has disappeared.

Is Eleanor’s disturbed mind playing tricks on her again, or has her mother’s killer resurfaced? And what does the number on the dead woman’s forehead signify?

Review:

I really enjoyed the author's writing style. It was easy, gripping and always kept interesting, even when nothing major was happening. I did find it slowed a little in the middle but the beginning and the end kept me gripped. From about 70% onwards I read until the end.

Speaking of 70%, the sex scene at this point made me cringe a little bit. I found it a bit awkward and not brilliantly written. At one point the character describes them 'making love' later in the book, but at the time it seemed more like a quick hookup. I would have liked to have seen Eleanor choose a guy throughout the book, rather than flitting from one to the next.

The whole way through I was trying to guess who the murderer was, and I thought it was going to be predictable. I won't say who I thought it was because of spoilers but it wasn't who I thought it would be. While I liked the fact I didn't guess it, the reasoning behind it wasn't that solid. It seemed slightly far fetched an explanation but I don't suppose I'd know a better answer for it all.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It wasn't the best thing I've ever read but it kept me entertained for a few days. It's not very often I read thriller genres so it was a good introduction. I might start to read this genre a little bit more now.

Welcome!

Hi, and welcome to my first ever blog post on my author site. This really isn't anything new to me, since I've blogged regularly for over a year, however, I've never done it specifically about myself. For a while now I've shared my author news on my blog's social media, but I figured it was about time to establish a blog for my books alone.

If you've never heard of me, that's expected, since writing as an author is very new to me. My first e-book 'Synergy' was self-published on Kindle on May 26th 2015, and in just under 3 weeks I've managed to earn myself a good amount of pocket money (that's all I'm seeing this venture as so far.) Previous to posting it on Kindle, I've had over 8,000 people read it at Wattpad, and considering it's 'mature' rating restricts it from showing up in searches, I'm very happy with that number. I've had some lovely comments from some lovely people and am really enjoying getting my story out there.

I'm going to leave the first post at that. I don't want to scare you away! Thanks for reading; I hope you'll follow this blog for details of my writing journey.