Book Review: Honor's Lark by Rachel L Hamm

Honor's Lark by Rachel L Hamm

My Rating: 5 out of 5!

My thoughts...

I won this book from Goodreads Giveaway. After scouring the giveaway section of Goodreads, I came upon this book and after a quick review of the summary, I thought it was something difeerent. When I found out that I won, I was happy and looked forward to reading it.

In a world where everyone is assigned a lifemate at birth by the Gods, thirty year-old Honor is still looking for hers. When her new boss, Sedric, points out that her mate probably died before they met, Honor embarks on a quest for closure. She needs to know who her mate was and what he was like so she can move on with her life. 

Can I just say, first of all, wow. I never thought I would become hooked to this book. A 253 page read, it was short, but amazing. I zoomed through this book with ernest, wanting to found out what happened next. I loved how unique the plot was and how intriguing the sub plots were. I also loved the different world Rachel created, where everyone had a lark (an incomplete design) somewhere on their body and it only completed when you found your mate. It was a world similar to our own and you could easily relate to. A genius idea! 

This book is easy to read and will have you hooked from the start. You will also fall in love with the characters. I hope there will be a sequel :)

My favourite book, so far this year!

From Notting Hill to New York... Actually Review

From Notting Hill To New York... Actually By Ali McNamara

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

My thoughts... 

I absolutely loved the first book 'From Notting Hill, with love actually.' And equally I adored this one, just the same. I whizzed through this book in four days! I just could not put it down.

We are delved into the wonderful, and exciting world of Scarlett who has now been living in Notting Hill for one year. However, things aren't as rosy as they once were with her and Sean, as they are now settled and living together. Scarlett is obsessed with the internet and tracking celebrities on Twitter, meanwhile her best friend, the fabulous and care free Oscar suggests they go and visit the Antiques Roadshow. With nothing to show, Scarlett manages to find a brooch at the bottom of her jewellery box. And the adventure begins...

Ali's writing is just so good, the way the story flowed, it was so easy to keep turning the pages and before you knew it, you have finished the book! As I was reading and laughing at the same time, I couldn't help but think, that I could see these books becoming a Richard Curtis film. They are just so light and fluffy and all that a Richard Curtis film is.

Well done Ali for creating a world I love so much. Now, I'm wanting to read the third one!

Step Back In Time By Ali McNamara

Step Back In Time by Ali McNamara

My Rating: 5 out of 5

How many lifetimes would you travel to find a love that lasts for ever?

When single career girl Jo-Jo steps onto a zebra crossing and gets hit by a car, she awakes to find herself in 1964. 

Praise for Ali McNamara!

Ali McNamara has done it again! Another amazing novel, brilliantly written with loveable characters.

Like Jo-Jo, I too was forced to listen to the Beatles music throughout my childhood and succumb to my parents obsession. However, unlike Jo-Jo I loved the Beatles and even loved their films! So, when Ali announced this book last year. I was eager to purchase it. But, my life has been so busy I didn't have time to do anything. Until recently. 

This book has felt like it was written for me! So not only has Ali written a brilliant book, she also taught me a lesson. To give time for myself, friends, family and my husband to be Jon!

Thank you Ali! Jenny x

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars!

Maleficent by Elizabeth Rudnick

 

Maleficent By Elizabeth Rudnick

My Rating: 5 out of 5

What I thought... 

An amazing book! Predictable, because we all know the tale of Sleeping Beauty. Yet, it was totally unpredictable. Well written, by Elizabeth Rudnick for Disney.

This Disney Sleeping Beauty 'retelling' is Maleficent's side of the story, hence the title of the book.

I picked this book up, because Sleeping Beauty is one of my favourite fairytales and the title intrigued me. I thought it would be just the same story, but told from Maleficent's point of view.

When I started to read this book, I disliked Maleficent, because she is a villain. However, I couldn't help but start to like her, then feel sorry for her. And by the end of the book, I didn't want her to die. Like we all know she does. 

How wrong was I?

*Spoilers alert*

'But I took that from her. I even took her chance of happiness in the moors away from her. And now she lies here, lifeless. And I have no one to blame but myself.'

In this book we are told how Maleficent was brought up in the 'Faerie world', the moors and how her parents fought for allegiance with the human world, resulting in their untimely deaths. Now, Maleficent was just a baby when this happened. The faeries and creatures of the moors bring Maleficent up, surrounded by love and happiness. Until one day Maleficent meets a boy and falls in love.

Fairytales always begin with love and how love can be deceived. This is exactly what happens to Maleficent when the boy, later steels her wings in order to become king. That's when we start to see the Maleficent we all know and kind of love, the evil faerie whose gift to the princess Aurora, is on her sixteenth birthday, to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and fall asleep forever. 

Now, if you don't know the disney tale, then the three good fairies, who have different names in this book, take baby Aurora to a cottage, deep in the forest where the princes will be brought up. 

However, Maleficent becomes obsessed in watching the child grow up (a little creepy), by watching her secretly. As Aurora grows, Maleficent becomes soft. Until only a few weeks before Aurora's sixteenth birthday, she meets Maleficent and is adamant that she is her fairy god mother, who has been watching over her, all her life. 

And to much Maleficent's disapproval Aurora, just won't stop going to the moors, at night to spend time with Maleficent.

Now, I don't want to give away too much of the story away, so I'll stop there. I would defiantly recommend this book, it has a great twist to the original Disney story. I was in awe by it and could not put it down.

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane - Book Review

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman

The ocean at the end of the lane is like a new found fairytale. A fantasy for both young and old. It was dark, enchanting, and imaginative. Gaiman's way with words are powerful and mind blowing.
I loved how he wrote from a child's perceptive, as an adult looking back on his distorted childhood memory. And then questioning himself constantly whether it was real or not.

I've never read any of Neil Gaiman's books before. I have to admit, it took me 42 pages to get into the book, It was quite slow paced. However, once the story began moving, I was immediately sucked into the story. I really wish, the field of furry, snake like tails really existed and that I had a pond, that was an ocean. However, I do have a fairy circle down at the bottom of my garden.

For any one questioning themselves whether to read this or not, do it, you will not regret it.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars