New Year's Eve sees me deeply engrossed in The Silent Tide by Rachel Hore. Wasn't sure if I'd get on with it but am so hooked, I dreamt about it last night! A review will follow when I've finished it.

Sorry I'm a bit slow with this blogging lark - still finding my feet! And I'm somewhat busy with my day job of petsitter this week. Wish me luck when the fireworks start....

If I can find some time over the next few weeks, I will review some of the books I have read in 2014. It will probably be in summary form as I can read up to 10 books a week if I'm lucky!

My real job is being a petsitter. This time of year I am very busy with dogs staying here and going to feed cats, rabbits, a bearded dragon, etc. So I fit my reading and blogging around the critters.

Please let me know how I'm doing. If you leave a comment and you haven't got a Google+ I.D., then please leave your name in the comment - or I'll have all my comments by some person called Anonymous!

Only 5 days to Christmas and I'm in a race with myself to try and finish all the Christmas books I've downloaded!  Here is a review of one I finished a couple of nights ago.

Mistletoe Mansion by Samantha Tonge

Having read Samantha's previous two books (Doubting Abbey and From Paris with Love), I was looking forward to reading this. I certainly wasn't disappointed!

It is the story of Kimmy's endeavours to start her own cupcake business. But the route she takes is certainly not a straightforward one and the characters she meets along the way are all larger than life! We first meet Adam, her boyfriend, with whom she lives. He is chalk and she is cheese. He wants to settle down, get a mortgage and act like responsible adults. Kimmy wants to follow her cupcake dream but Adam wants her take a job  at the factory where he works. They are only in their early 20's and Kimmy can't agree with him...so he ends the relationship!

Kimmy's best friend is also made homeless by her brother and they con their way into a house-sit. The majority of the book is taken up with the spooky goings on, the unlikely love interest of Luke and the larger-than-life celebrities and celebrity wannabes who live in the exclusive road of the house-sit. And, of course, the attempt by Kimmy to start her business.

It is a very funny book and I loved Kimmy. How she changes and matures through the book is very interesting and her on/off relationship with Luke is so real! 

Some people don't like characters in novels who appear exaggerated. I think that fiction should be just that - fiction. If you can't have a bit of exaggeration in fiction, then where can you have it? Having said that, the excesses get toned right down as the book and the relationships develop. 

I look forward to the next one from Samantha and happily give Mistletoe Mansion 5*

The book is only 99p for kindle on Amazon UK: Mistletoe Mansion

And $1.56 on Amazon US: Mistletoe Mansion

Pippa Croft

Your first recommendation! Reviews to follow - but these are Simply The Best!

Breaking the ice

This is my first post on a blog. It will be short and sweet - I haven't had a coffee yet!

I will start by reviewing books I have read and sharing my favourite authors with you. Some of them come with recipes as well :)

This won't be a daily post - at least not to start with, but if enough people start taking an interest then who knows? Maybe I can add interviews, competitions, promotions and finally world domination ;)

Even better - let me know what you would like to see.