The Parts I Remember by A.K. Mills | New Adult Traumatic Life Event Story

The Parts I Remember
A.K. Mills
Genres: Chick-lit, Romance, Traumatic Life Event/Experience
Age Group: New Adult (Adult Themed Content)
Publication Date: 1st March 2013
Number of Pages: 246
Source: Author

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Act first. Think never. Remember nothing. 

Welcome to Kelly Rockport’s existence at Haysville University, where responsibility is just an elective. After all, fake IDs, alter egos, and one-night stands are all part of the college experience, right? So what if she blacks out from time to time? Memory is overrated. 

When freshman year lasts about as long as a one-night stand and is quickly followed by the Year of the Blackout, Kelly projects junior year to be nothing shy of amazing. But as shots, beer, cocaine and men mesh together in an intoxicating haze, Kelly’s reckless ways get her into serious trouble. The only problem is, she can’t remember what happened. 

As she hovers along the edge of consciousness, Kelly forces herself to think past her pain to piece together the shards of her life. This is her story, told in her words: The Parts I Remember.

The Parts I Remember was one of the first New Adult books I’ve read. I didn’t quite know what to expect but I’d been warned that the majority were similar to Young Adult books but with explicit language and behaviour. However, although this is true of The Parts I Remember, this story is also much more. The story is thought provoking and it’s recollection basis from Kelly’s perspective focuses on her learning a ‘lesson’ and learning the error of her ways.

The Parts I Remember begins when Kelly awakes from a car accident she was been involved in. She is severely injured and has no recollection of how or why she was in the car in the first place. The story then evolves into Kelly retelling the events of her life leading up to the accident which include hints as to what may have happened.

The alternate time periods in this book were enjoyable and easily distinguishable at the start of each chapter. As the story evolves more and more I was constantly trying to guess who may have also been in the car with Kelly and how the accident could have happened. Being a recent graduate myself, made Kelly’s character understandably and she certainly knows how to party! I don’t think I’d ever have kept up with her! Kelly’s character at times was also frustrating though and her complete selfishness had me yelling out loud at the book so many times. This however is not a comment on a poor character because I believe that these were all important traits to Kelly and they blended with the story well and added to the learning the error of her ways aspect.

Overall, The Parts I Remember was a thoroughly enjoyable read and something I would recommend to anyone looking for a New Adult read with a twist. I’ll certainly be exploring more New Adults books in the future and I hope to discover that more are similar to The Parts I Remember rather than just all about the explicit behaviour.

Beauty by Sarah Pinborough | Sexy Adult Romance Fairy Tale Retelling

Beauty
Sarah Pinborough
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Story Retelling
Age Group: Adult (Adult Themed Content)
Publication Date: 17th October 2013
Number of Pages: 208
Source: Author

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Beauty is a beautifully illustrated retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story which takes all the elements of the classic fairytale that we love (the handsome prince, the ancient curse, the sleeping girl and, of course, the haunting castle) and puts a modern spin on the characters, their motives and their desires. It's fun, contemporary, sexy, and perfect for fans of ONCE UPON A TIME, GRIMM, SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN and more.

See my review of the other books in this series, Poison & Charm.

After reading Poison & Charm earlier this year, I was waiting with baited breath for Beauty to be published in October. Thankfully, the months pasted quickly and I was able to launch myself into Beauty and devour Sarah Pinborough’s writing again in another gorgeous fairy tale retelling with lots of twists.

Beauty didn't disappoint in my expectations and I was absorbed into the fairy tale retelling of Beauty and the Beast mixed with Rapunzel with added snippets of Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. I love how easily the fairy tales are mixed together and added with the saucy and sexy elements. An added element within Beauty, although somewhat mildly within the other books, was a ‘dark side’ and I loved how this story took on an American Horror Story-esque nature.

The different take on Beauty and the Beast in this book was also refreshing to read and I welcome other authors to think of writing something so creative with an existing story, especially well-known fairy tales. Maybe only comparable in my mind is Marissa Meyer’s YA series, The Lunar Chronicles – see my review of the series so far.

The whole series can be read in order, out of order or just as stand-alone books and that’s the great thing about this series. The books are intertwined ever so slightly and certainly I’d recommend reading Posion before Charm (unlike myself who read it the other way round – it did not however ruin the story for me) because of the epic reveal at the end of Charm. Beauty however in my personal opinion is a prequel to Poison - aspects of the story swayed me to think this however I’m not sure whether this is accurate. Either way this series is incredible and if you are looking for an adult sexy romance fairy tale retelling, these are the books for you!

Take a Look at Me Now by Miranda Dickinson | Chick-Lit, Romance

Take a Look at Me Now
Miranda Dickinson
Genres: Chick-lit, Romance
Age Group: Adult (No Adult Themed Content)
Publication Date: 24th October 2013
Number of Pages: 390
Source: Netgalley

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How far would you go to make a new start? 

When Nell’s on-off boyfriend Aidan calls her into his office, losing her job is the last thing she expects. 

Heartbroken and unemployed to boot, she makes a radical decision to blow her redundancy cheque and escape to the untested waters of San Francisco. 

But is the glamour of the city too good to be true? And can Nell leave her past behind?

Take a Look at Me Now is one of those stories that I read at the right place and the right time. As my own feelings mirrored Nell’s at the beginning of this story, I felt fully connected to Nell and her mundane job and aspirations to start her own business. As an aspiring business-owner myself, I’d be lying if I said I hadn't dreamed about setting-up my own business whilst reading this story and all the little details involved. :-)

The story really takes shape when Nell is made redundant and spontaneously escapes her London woes and flies over to San Francisco to stay with her cousin, Lizzie for 6 weeks. Within the gorgeous setting of San Francisco (one of my favourite places), Nell re-discovers her dream of starting-up her own American Diner business and with Annie’s - the best American diner in the neighbourhood - just on her doorstep, Nell is inspired and starts to work towards making her dream happen.

The business start-up element of this story is probably the part I connected to most; however there are also a number of relationship and romance elements within this book which I also found enjoyable. Nell is in relationship chaos; in London she leaves her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Aidan (who’s actually the one who makes her redundant!), and then in San Francisco she enjoys a ‘holiday romance’ which may be more than Nell had banked for. Lizzie (Nell’s cousin) also has her own love life issues when business and pleasure appear to want to mix and there is also the heart-warming relationship of Saul & Esther Alfaro, who bicker and tease each other but after 50-odd years of marriage still love each unconditionally. These multiple romance elements add the drama to the story and keep it fast paced. I didn’t know where Nell was going to end up in the end but I obviously had my own ideas as to who was right for her! I’m not going to say whether that’s who she ends up with or not. :-)

Overall this book was super enjoyable and I’d recommend it to all chick-literature, contemporary fans. The story’s twist and turns are very predictable however I don’t think that ruined my enjoyment of this book as I was fully submersed in Nell’s dream. I’m even going to own up and say I cried at the end, even if I guessed the ending about midway through the story, Miranda Dickenson wrote the final chapter so well and undescriptive that it wasn’t until the final couple of pages that I realised my ideal ending was true. Great job!

Starstruck in Seattle by Juliet Madison | Romantic Comedy Short Story

Starstruck in Seattle
Juliet Madison
Genres: Romance, Chick-Lit, Supernatural
Publication Date: 1st October 2013
Number of Pages: 54
Source: NetGalley (Published by Escape Publishing)

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A sparkling story from the Queen of Ro-magic comedy! 

Aspiring actress Anna Hilford might only have a small role in a leading television drama, but she longs to be dreamboat Karl Drake’s leading lady. Sick of being loveless and overlooked, Anna seeks the help of intuitive love coach, Lulu, from LuluTheLoveAngel.com to give her the courage and determination to follow her destiny. 

But fate has different ideas, Lulu has undisclosed power, and Anna is about to realise that life happens while you’re busy making plans…

Starstruck in Seattle is an enjoyable romantic comedy short story that I just couldn't put down. One of the longer novellas I've read but every page was a turner and kept me wanting to read more about Anna and who her Mister Right was. Although this story was at times predictable, I didn't mind that as the writing style was so lively and snappy that you weren't 100% sure what was going to happen next.

Anna is a girl just starting out within acting and seeking love. She has the biggest crush on Karl, the male lead in the sitcom she's currently working in, who's your typical tall and handsome heartthrob. When Anna's told her soulmate's name will begin with K she's 100% positive that it's Karl but doesn't know what to do about as certain events unfold with her acting career and friends. After writing a letter to LuluTheLoveAngel.com for advice, Lulu the Cloud 8 (not quite 9 yet) Angel steps in to weave her cupid's magic to help Anna catch her soulmate.

The characters within this book were all so enjoyable and I warmed to Anna searching for her Mister Right. This was such an enjoyable quick read and is suitable for all age groups.

Also what is not to love about this cover? If Lulu could magic me into that image I'd be happy :-)

I Heart London (I Heart #5) by Lindsey Kelk | Book Review

I Heart London (I Heart #5)
Lindsey Kelk
Genres: Young Adult, Chick-Lit, Romance, Humour, Contemporary
Publication Date: June 7th 2012
Number of Pages: 366
Source: Received as a birthday present

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Home is where the heart is. Right? Angela Clark has fallen in love with America -- and it's starting to love her back. Throw one expired visa into the mix, and things quickly take a turn for the worse. She might love her life as a Brit in New York, but now she has no choice but to return to London. Not only does she leave behind her gorgeous boyfriend, Alex -- she must also face unfinished business back on home turf. There's an ex-boyfriend -- who she moved to New York to get away from. Then there's her best friend, with her perfect new baby. And there's her mum. Now, there's another wedding in the offing -- and everyone remembers how well the last one went...

The I Heart Series is officially one of my favourites and I think it always will be. With Number 5 in the series, I heart London, I wasn't sure if Lindsey Kelk would be able to beat the previous in the series (#1 New York, #2 Hollywood, #3 Paris and #4 Las Vegas) but it certainly does not disappoint and the familiarity of the London setting actually made this one of my favourites of the whole series so far!

Since Angela's spontaneous flee to New York 2 years ago, she is now settled down enjoying life with her new fiance and her new magazine job. What could go wrong? Well, as with every book within the I Heart Series, almost everything you could imagine! Cat fights, dress stealing, depressing and controlling dumped best friends, evil magazine enemies ruining the day and an ex finance showing up causing trouble. What more could you expect from an I Heart Series book?

As ever, Lindsey Kelk's writing is what makes this book and the hilarious comedic writing mixed with current newsworthy references makes this such an entertaining read. A must for any chick-lit comedy lover!

A Day at the Office | Book Review

This review contains no spoilers and no reference to events or character information that may ruin your reading pleasure.

A Day At The Office
Matt Dunn

Julie kissed Mark at the office Christmas party. She doesn't seem to remember, but he's not been able to forget. What better day to jog her memory than Valentine's Day?

Calum's found the girl of his dreams on the internet. Trouble is, he's not been completely honest about himself. Tonight he's meeting her for the first time. But will it also be the last?

Nathan's organised his usual Anti-Valentine's party for the office singletons. Sophie's going - again. Though this year, if she gets her way, they might just be leaving together.

One office. Five lives. On the most romantic day of the year.

A Day At The Office is the latest novel from best-selling romantic comedy novelist Matt Dunn, author of The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook.


Recommended for those who enjoy:
the 'i heart' series by Lindsey Kelk, love, romance, humour, blossoming love, failure at love, funny moments, bitch-fights, love triangles

Cold Tea and Crumbs rating:  ★★★☆☆


My thoughts:
Love Actually meets Valentine's Day.

This book is a brilliant and witty read and tells an 'out of love' story well without desperation and wallowing being the main aspect of the story. I'm not usually into 'searching for love' stories as I get frustrated with moaning characters that haven't found 'the one' however this story wasn't like that at all. Yes the characters were all unhappy and 'out of love' but the telling of the story added so much lightness and humour to this element of the story that even I was able to enjoy it.

The mix ups and situations which occur in the book are fantastic. My favourite scene being when Sophie is bra shopping and her shop assistant is very 'helpful' ^_^ Another great aspect of this book is the London setting and from having worked around that area for a while myself, I found myself reminiscing of my experiences and you can definitely tell it's written by a London lover.

This book had me constantly laughing out loud and I think it would make a good movie, a la Love Actually. Definitely worth a read if you're looking for something light and funny.


Over to you:

Have you read A Day At The Office, what did you think of it? Enjoyed reading it or disliked it?
What are your thoughts about multiple perspective books?