allthingsbookie: July 2016

Tuesday, 26 July 2016

The little antique shop under the Eiffel Tower

Book Information

Title: The Little Antique Shop Under the Eiffel Tower

Author: Rebecca Raisin

Series: The Little Paris Collection, Book 2

Standalone?: Yes

Release Date: June 30, 2016

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Summary

Anouk LaRue used to be a romantic, but since she had her heart well and truly broken her love life has dissolved into nothing more than daydreams of the perfect man. Retreating to her extraordinary Little Antique Shop has always been a way to escape, because who could feel alone in a shop bursting with memories and beautiful objects…

Until Tristan Black bursts into an auction and throws her ordered world into a spin.

Following your heart is a little like getting lost in Paris – sometimes confusing and always exciting! Except learning to trust her instincts is not something Anouk is ready to do when it comes to romance, but the city of love has other ideas…

Book Links

Amazon US: https://amzn.com/B00W7Y9VQG

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00W7Y9VQG

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/little-antique-shop-under/id1022781469?mt=11

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-little-antique-shop-under-the-eiffel-tower-rebecca-raisin/1121995906?ean=9781474035514

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25371094-the-little-antique-shop-under-the-eiffel-tower

Author Biography

Rebecca Raisin is a true bibliophile. This love of books morphed into the desire to write them. She’s been published in various short story anthologies and in in fiction magazines, and is now focusing on writing romance.

Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships, and most importantly believe in true love.

Come and say hello to Rebecca on her Facebook page or Twitter.

Social Networking Links

Website: http://www.rebeccaraisin.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6915386.Rebecca_Raisin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaRaisinAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaxandwillsmum

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rebeccaraisin/

My Review

Being a firm francophile, there's nothing I like better than to be transported to France. With some truly great characters, jewellery thieves and French food, Rebecca Raisin has created a fabulous story. I was fortunate enough to read the first book in the series and this one is just as good. Loved Anouk's mother and crazy sister and nice to see the bookshop mentioned as well.A feel-good romance with a happy ending but not without a lot of heartbreak in order to get there. The perfect escape if you can't get to France this summer - just add a glass of vino.

5/5

Monday, 11 July 2016

A very distant affair

Cheryl Taylor, an artist appears to have it all. Apart from fame and fortune, her attentive husband is brilliant at managing her business matters. Cheryl has allowed him full rule of her affairs from the day they were married…but years later, she wonders whether she has been naive. Daniel is controlling, and as she learns from one friend’s warning, “Diamonds aren’t a girl’s best friend. They are a man’s best friend. They’re great at getting men off the hook, and keeping their women quiet.”

Feeling uncomfortable and troubled, Cheryl decides there is more to life than being successful and at the beck and call of a manipulative husband. She sets out to find what she really wants from life, and to her horror, discovers one earth-shattering secret after the next. Her life in turmoil, she revisits Australia, and finds contentment from an unexpected quarter. Michel, a widower, owns a winery and boutique hotel in New South Wales, and is as different from Daniel as chalk is to cheese. Cheryl is drawn to this gentle French Australian and feels her new-found strong will wavering. She returns to London to offer Daniel an ultimatum, only to discover one final shock which threatens all their lives…

Faith Mortimer is a British author dividing her time between Hampshire, UK & Cyprus. Since 2005 she has been fortunate enough to turn her hobby of writing into a career. During childhood, she dreamt of writing novels which readers would love, and spent many hours writing short stories which she subsequently read to her younger sisters (probably under pressure!)

Faith is a State qualified nurse, Yacht master and throughout her life has enjoyed numerous sports. She believes in living to the full and enjoys a challenge.

Faith was born in Manchester & educated in Singapore, Malaya & Hampshire, England.

Book links:

Author links:

Website: http://www.faithmortimerauthor.com/

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/FaithMortimer.Author/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FaithMortimer follow on @FaithMortimer (handle)

Follow on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Faith-Mortimer/e/B002EQ8HH6/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1467702578&sr=1-1

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Faith-Mortimer/e/B002EQ8HH6/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1467702633&sr=1-1

My Review

It was interesting to see how Cheryl starts to take control of her own life. From the outside, it would appear that she has it all; a successful artist, married to charismatic, good-looking Daniel yet as we look beneath the surface, we realise at the same time as Cheryl does, just how controlling and manipulative her husband is. Faith Mortimer gradually makes us dislike Daniel as we discover his lying, cheating nature. We then root for Cheryl as she goes to New Zealand to find herself and begins to feel n attraction to the lovely Michel. There is yet another surprise in store for Cheryl and the reader and all credit to the author as she successfully manipulates our emotions to find some compassion for Daniel whilst still holding out for a HEA.
The descriptions of New Zealand are fantastic and I was able to visit vicariously through the book. I can thoroughly recommend the book to anyone looking for a romance, a bit of foreign travel and huge dollop of suspense.

5/5