CURLY AND CANDID

When this book arrived from the PR company that asked to read and review it (Thank you EDPR!), it came wrapped in textured rose petal gift paper. I knew straight off that this was something special, and was proven right very quickly.

Closer describes this book as “A powerful departure from the usual frothy chick-lit, this beautifully written novel will hook you from the start“. And I have to agree.

The beauty of this novel is that the characters, so well described that you feel that you know them, are so very different yet entwined in such a way in that you know that there are deeper connections and as you read the book you will enjoy unravelling them.

This is the story of Tamia Challey, married to Scott and mother to two lovely little girls. All seems well in her world until her husband is arrested for a truly terrible crime. From that moment on everything Tami knows, or thinks that she knows starts to look and feel differently and her friends and neighbours become part of a desperate story of betrayal, abuse, desperation lies, murder…. and love. Really, this isn’t a book that you can review adequately enough, only urge readers to pick up a copy and find out what happens, as you did.

I loved this book and found it difficult to put it down. The twists and turns had me grimacing one minute and ready to sob the next. A powerful read and one I’m very glad I haven’t missed!

You can find The Rose Petal Beach, published by Quercus on Amazon and via all major retailers.

When Vampire Diaries hit our screens, to be honest I didn’t bother with it. Don’t get me wrong, I love all things sci-fi and fantasy and at one point owned every Angel dvd set released (you’ve got to love a dark and brooding David Boreanaz) however Vampire Diaries sounded a bit too teenage for me.

When the lovelies from Warner Brothers offered to send me the first series of Vampire Diaries I looked a little closer and thought “Hell, why not?”. I am very glad I took the chance as both Roy and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the episodes together. There is mystery, history, family intrigue, fantasy, love, sex (not so much on film but it is implied) and a surprisingly great plot that keeps you guessing without you losing interest. If you are a fan of this type of series, Vampire Diaries is for you.

The plot description (below) doesn’t come close to unravelling the many quirky twists and turns but does give you a starting point!

It’s Elena’s first day back at Mystic Falls High School since the tragic death of
her parents. Along with her Aunt Jenna, Elena tries her best to look after her
troubled younger brother, Jeremy, and salvage what family they have left.
The first day is already shaping up to be a struggle for Elena until she meets
the mysterious new kid at school, Stefan. Elena is touched that he can relate
to what she’s going through. What Elena doesn’t know is that Stefan is a
vampire, constantly resisting the urge to taste her blood. As their undeniable
connection grows deeper, Stefan’s dangerous older brother, Damon, shows
up to wreak havoc on the town of Mystic Falls – and claim Elena for himself.

Yes it seems that the show is largely dominated by teenagers however you shouldn’t be put off by this as there is some excellent acting here and it couldn’t be more removed from Dawson’s Creek if it tried. Oh, and for those who are wondering, of the two brothers…. bad-boy Damon would definitely be my choice of dinner companions out of the two!).