A Home in Sunset Bay: Book Review

A Home in Sunset Bay by Rebecca Pugh. Isn’t the cover just beautiful?! It looks like a postcard! 🙂

“It was a delicious slice of seaside paradise…”

Wow Wow Wow. Where can I start? I literally ADORED this book and I got lost in it from the very beginning! Just like in Bluebell Hill, Rebecca has a way of writing about a place that just makes you fall in love and transports you there. I NEED TO BE IN SUNSET BAY AND I NEED PANCAKES AND A STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE AT DOLLY’S DINER! I had a perfect little picture of Sunset Bay in my head and the Christmas markets also sounded so dreamy! *sigh*

Seriously, I completely fell for this book and there’s literally nothing I can fault about it! I loved how the main relationship in this book was between two sisters. I physically couldn’t put the book down at times because I was so desperate to find out what was going to happen between Mia and Laurie, and what had happened between them. I felt so much for the two girls who had been driven apart and I could have cried with happiness when they managed to resolve things! It just proves that a relationship this powerful doesn’t always have to be a romantic one!

Speaking of which though.. Cal! I loved Cal and I wanted him to sweep Mia off her feet from the start! I love how Becca portrayed him as being someone who absolutely idolised the girl he loved, I’m such a sucker for a bit of true love! Mia was such a likeable character that everybody seemed to absolute adore! 🙂 Marco and Laurie were a lovely little pairing too, I actually didn’t see that coming but i’m so glad it happened! 🙂 I loved the little selection of characters in the book – minus Neil of course! Even after disliking the girls’ Mum, I came to like her in the end and i’m so glad everything turned out well. I loved how the story was focused around a family. Family should always come first! 🙂

Would I recommend this book? YES. You won’t regret it. A Home in Sunset Bay is the absolute perfect story and I looked forward to getting into bed for a visit every night! I feel like I need to read it again!

My Rating? Without a shadow of a doubt, 5*. Both of Becca’s books have been amazing and I can’t wait for book number 3 already! 🙂

Thanks for reading!

Finding Audrey: Book Review

I love the simplicity of this cover. It’s so effective!

“Episodes. Like depression is a sitcom with a fun punchline each time..”

I loved this book so much! 🙂

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, I knew I’d enjoy it because I love young adult fiction and I adore Sophie Kinsella! This novel was a lot different to Sophie’s other books but it was honestly such a good book and i’m so glad I read it!

The book took us into the mind of Audrey and Sophie Kinsella wrote it so well! There must have been so much research and hard work put into writing this book and I thought the topic of depression and social anxiety was described perfectly.  I actually felt like I was Audrey at some points and I could picture exactly what was going on at all times. I really put myself into Audrey’s position! It was definitely an eye opener!

I got completely lost in the story and it was literally one of those books I couldn’t put down. Although I kind of wish we knew exactly what had happened (though I think we all got a good idea!!), I felt for Audrey so much and it really tugged at the heartstrings! It must be so hard to feel like she does and have to suffer every day, I couldn’t even imagine it. Although nothing even close to what Audrey suffers with – i’ve battled demons in my past and I know how hard it can be to overcome them!

In regards to the characters – I thought Audrey was a really cool, and very likeable character. Linus was AMAZING!! He was just what Audrey needed and I just wanted to hug him! Audrey’s brother Frank was also one of the most important, and one of my favourite characters. Although not very likeable at first – he came across as a very “couldn’t care less” sort of person and I could see something dramatic happening between them both – but he turned out to be just as amazing as Linus, he was there for Audrey when she needed him the most – you can’t beat a sisterly-brotherly bond! Not to mention Felix, although only four years old he was significant in that he was completely innocent and a bit of a distraction for Audrey! Audrey’s Mom was HILARIOUS and she made me laugh out loud at times. I can’t speak from experience obviously, but it must be so hard being the parents of a teenager!!

Would I recommend this book? Definitely. I think everyone should read this book – whether you’ve read anything by Sophie Kinsella before or not, it’s worth a read. You won’t regret it, I promise!

My Rating? Without a doubt 5*. I cannot wait to read more young adult fiction by Sophie Kinsella!

Thanks for reading – has anyone else read this book? If so what did you think?

All about me: 25 Questions

Hi guys! I decided to do a different kind of blog post this week. I’ve never really wrote anything about myself or introduced myself properly so I thought i’d do a 25 questions/25 facts about me post!!

1) What is your name? My name, in case you hadn’t already guessed is Louise. I don’t like being called Louise though, I prefer Lou. Working with children though, I get all kind of variations – Aweez, Wooeez, Weezy, Lou Lou and Eez are just a few of many!

2) What was your favourite subject at school? I’ve always loved English!! I was always much better at English than I was at Maths and I did really well in my GCSE exams. I also loved Child Development and it’s what made me know I wanted to work with children. Here I am, 7 years later still studying it!!

3) What is your favourite drink? I’m a pepsi max/diet coke addict!

4) What is your favourite food? Chocolate! I could literally just eat it all day everyday and never get fed up! I am good though and only eat it a couple of times a week! I also love Pizza, Fruit & Chicken – especially from Nandos! Yum! I’m hungry now!!

5) What is your favourite song? My absolute all time favourite song is The Words – Christina Perri, it’s so beautiful! I love pretty much any type of music though from cheesy 90s pop music to heavy metal, i’m so random haha!

6) Favourite Book of all time? Such a hard choice, I have so many!! I’d say my favourite is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, purely because i’ve read it at least 20 times and I love it even more every time I do!

7) Favourite Colour? I love Purple and Yellow! 

8) Favourite Perfume? Daisy by Marc Jacobs – I love it so much!

9) Are you married? Nope, but i’ve been with my lovely boyfriend Dan for almost 4 and a half years!

10) Have you ever been out of the country? If so how many times? Yep, I look forward to my holidays so much, I’ve been abroad about 10 times, mainly to various places in Spain and Greece! I’d love to branch out a bit more though and I’m currently planning a trip to New York City for my 25th birthday next year!!

11) How many siblings do you have? Just one, a younger Brother called Luke.

12) What is your favourite shop? 99% of my wardrobe is from New Look!

13) Favourite Restaurant? Nandos! I could eat there every day!

14) When was the last time you cried? Erm.. it may or may not have been when I was watching Once Upon a Time the other day..

15) Favourite Movie? I physically can’t pick a single favourite movie because I have so many! I love Disney (Snow White and Beauty and the Beast being my faves), Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and RomComs/Romantic Movies!

16) Favourite TV show? Jeez, that’s a tough one, I have no idea! Lol, Once Upon a Time is without a doubt my favourite tv show. I only discovered it last year and since then I binged watched it all, cried over it many many times, became obsessed, spent money on loads of merchandise & basically allowed it to take over my life!! I seriously love it soooo much, I can’t explain!! 🙂 I also love Friends, House, Gavin and Stacey, How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory.

17) Can you cook? I can, nothing too exotic though haha! My boyfriend says I make the best cheese toasties in the world though & I made a very delicious Victoria Sponge Cake today!

18) Can you drive? Yeahh! I passed my driving test last year after putting it off for so long & it’s the best thing i’ve ever done!

19) Do you have a job? Yes. I’ve worked in a PreSchool for 4 years and I love it so much, it’s so rewarding! I’m the room leader too and I love the people I work with, including my Momma!

20) Favourite Celebrity? The 3 Jennifers – Jennifer Morrison, Jennifer Lawrence and Jennifer Anniston! I also love Josh Dallas and Colin O’Donoghue *swoon* 🙂 Plus basically the entire cast of Once Upon a Time!

21) How old are you? I’m 23 but I look about 15/16!

22) When is your birthday? The 12th of November 🙂

23) Any bad habits? Over thinking things, worrying and stressing!!

24) What is you biggest fear? I have a huge fear of dying and losing people I love 😦 I’m also pretty terrified of small spaces, snakes, ambulances and, the weirdest one of all – Baked Beans?! They freak me out, the texture of them and they taste like rubber! If I ever wash up and someone’s eaten them and they’re floating round the bowl, bleurghhhhhh! *gags*

25) Your biggest dream? I’d love to go to America, especially New York City and Florida/Disney World!!

 

So that’s al! I hope you enjoyed reading it and I didn’t bore you too much! 🙂

A much younger me, I was about 4 or 5 here! (I still don’t look much older than this!!)

A more recent picture of me, taken last year at a Friend’s wedding!

 

Fairytale Beginnings:Book Review

Fairytale Beginnings by Holly Martin

“but despite all our problems, I know we are supposed to be together, I know you are my soul mate”

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK!! I actually said to myself when I was reading it: “i’m sure this book was written for me” because it was literally as though everything I love/possibly obsess over?! was put together, and this was the beautiful outcome!! I’m a huge disney and Once Upon a Time fan and this story just made me smile so much!!

I loved it from the minute I started reading it & I fell in love with Clover Castle as soon as it was described – “it was magical and arrogant and wonderful all at the same time..”. I’m ashamed to say that I live in the same town as a castle which i’ve never been inside of – shame on me!! I feel like after reading this story, I need to visit more places like this and discover just how beautiful they can be!!

I loved the characters in the story. Milly again reminded me of myself quite a lot – someone who obsessed with Disney, who dreams of happy endings and romance & who’s possibly not quite ready to “grow up”. I’ll be honest I wasn’t a fan of Cameron at first but that soon changed and I began shipping them both quite early on! Olivia though – yuk!! I took an instant dislike to her and I knew she was up to something straight away. I love how the story was like a Disney film in itself; two lovers, a villian, a magical castle & most importantly – a happy ending!! 🙂

What i also adored about this book is the little bit of mystery in it! I found myself not wanting to put it down because I was so eager to find out all about the legacy and all the secrets of Clover Castle! It reminded me of my beloved Once Upon a Time so much!!

Would I recommend this book? – Definitely, 100%!! If you’re a disney/ouat fan, or just a lover of Happy Endings and a bit of romance, there’s no doubt that you’ll love this book, it’s just magical and it’ll definitely make you smile!!

My Rating? – 5* Holly Martin really is an incredible author and I can’t wait to read more of her books this year! Note to self not to read one when i’m busy with Uni work though – I get so sucked into her books that it’s impossible to concentrate on anything else!! 🙂 I just love them!!

Thanks for reading guys!! 🙂

100 Proposals: Book Review

One Hundred Proposals – Holly Martin. I love the colour scheme and the pretty cover!

I’ll start off by saying that I absolutely ADORED this book! I’d never read anything by Holly Martin before but i’d seen lots of recommendations for her books, I certainly wasn’t disappointed!

My favourite thing about it was that it wasn’t like any other chick lit i’ve ever read before. It was so unique and such a brilliant idea for a story – it was so romantic & Suzie and Harry have the greatest job in the world!

I am a self confessed fangirl and I go mad for a cute relationship! I was shipping Suzie and Harry from the start and if i had known them personally I’d have probably banged their heads together and told them to get on with it!!! The denial did make the story what it was though and it had me guessing how it would turn out throughout the book. Will they, Won’t they, Will they, Won’t they?! I won’t spoil it though! 😉

I felt for Suzie so much, she’d been through something no one should ever have to, and I loved Harry even more for being there for her! I think we all need a friend like Harry! 🙂

Would I recommend this book? Definitely, it’s everything you could ever ask for from a Chick Lit book. It’s the sort of “can’t put down” book and I found myself excited to read it, when my extremely busy schedule would allow it!!

My Rating? Definitely 5* and i’ll definitel be reading more of Holly Martin’s books in the future!

Thanks again for reading, I’d love some more recommendations for books to add to my ever growing collection! Feel free to add comments below! 🙂

My Day Out – Warner Bros. Studio Tour

Hi Guys 🙂

I got some lovely feedback on my last blog post on twitter – so thankyou SO much to everyone who took the time to read it and give me some feedback! 🙂 I loved writing my last post and couldn’t wait to write the next one, definitely think i’ve caught the blogging bug! 🙂

On Sunday (30th August) I finally got to visit the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studios in Watford, England. I’ve been a massive Harry Potter fan since a young age, I was only 5 when the books first came out but as soon as I was old enough to understand and read them properly, I was hooked. I remember my Dad taking me to the cinema to watch The Chamber of Secrets – it’s one of my favourite memories from when I was younger. I’ve read the books countless times as I grew up and started to understand them more and i’ve loved them ever since. I’m not a huge fan of fantasy world books, i’m more of a chick lit kind of girl!! But Harry Potter is an exception – it’s a bit of an escapism from the real world and always one of my go – to books if I need a bit of time out. I’m still waiting patiently for my Hogwarts Letter!!! 😉

So anyway, I was amazed by the Harry Potter Studios, watching the films, as amazing as they are, you don’t always appreciate the hard work that goes into them. I was amazed at how many people it took, and the timescale it took to make everything – from the Hogwarts Castle to a Puking Pastille! I honestly got goosebumps as soon as I walked into the Great Hall – it was so beautiful and so much effort must have been put in to make it. I had to take a photo of the Hufflepuff Badge – I’m a proud Hufflepuff! 🙂

Puff Pride!

I won’t bore you with every single thing I saw whilst I was there and this would be about 9349786766565 words long, so I just thought i’d share some photos of my favourite things – The Hogwarts Express, Knight Bus, Diagon Alley and the Castle to name a few! 😉 If you’ve never been then i’d definitely recommend it, even if you’re not a huge fan, it’s definitely worth the visit just to see what actually goes in to making the films! 🙂

The Staff in the Great Hall

I loved the Potions classroom – i think this would have been my favourite class at Hogwarts!

The Burrow is the cutest little house! So detailed!

The Fireplaces at the Ministry of Magic were amazing – each brick was individually shaded in by hand, it must have taken so long to do!

Probably my favourite part of the tour – it was Breathtaking!

Platofrm 9 and 3/4 this way!

If i can’t go to Hogwarts, I want to live here! 😉

Wizards Chess

Weasley’s Wizards Wheezes – I wish we could have gone in!

The Castle is so so beautiful – the pictures don’t do it justice!

I Knew You Were Trouble: Book Review.

Paige Toon – I Knew You Were Trouble

Hi Guys! 🙂

Firstly, this is my first attempt at a proper book review so i’m sorry if it’s not very good! I’ll try my best!

I have to say that Paige Toon is hands down my favourite author – I love every single one of her books so much, they’re the sort of books I literally can’t put down and i’m so gripped that I get completely lost and attached to all the characters! So I knew before starting that I’d enjoy the book, and I was right! Right from the word go (or to be precise – “stop”), I was hooked. It seemed ages since i’d caught up with Jessie, Johnny and Meg but as soon as I started reading I felt like i’d never been away. That’s one of the main things I love about Paige’s books, although they don’t all follow on like this one as such, there’s always a link to previous books and old characters so you never forget them! I like to say that it’s like catching up with an old friend, I love finding out what my old favourite characters have been up to!

I experienced many emotions whilst reading IKYWT – I laughed, and I almost cried many times! I felt for Jessie so much – it took me back 7 years to being that age and being a teenager and all the emotions and struggles you go through – although my life wasn’t nearly as eventful as Jessie’s!! I love the relationship Jessie has with the Jeffersons, the way she adores her little brothers (so do I!!), admires her Dad (who wouldn’t!!!!) and seems to really respect Meg. I was worried that Meg was going to come across as the “Evil Stepmother” when she met Jessie which I really didn’t want, but this wasn’t the case. Johnny and Meg seem to have really settled down! For some reason they remind me a little bit of the Beckham family! I also loved  Jessie’s relationship with Stu, I almost cried during the last few chapters with Jessie and Stu. Although he’s not in the book that much, he’s definitely one of  the most important and one of my favourite characters and I respected him so much for how he supported Jessie and stayed strong despite what they both went through!

I have to say I was a teeny bit disappointed with who Jessie ended up with relationship wise, I don’t want to spoil it but I could never take to the certain someone who she chose! I’m glad she ended up living where she did though! 🙂

Would I recommend this book? OF COURSE! Definitely read Johnny Be Good, Baby Be Mine and The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson first though, if you haven’t already! You won’t be disappointed, the whole series is amazing and I’m baffled as to why it hasn’t been made into a film already! I need to see Johnny Jefferson on screen! 🙂

My Rating? Without a doubt – 5*!

Thanks for reading! Feel free to add any comments of how you found this book! 🙂