The Wrong Side Of Kai by Estelle Maskame

When Vanessa's mum died her life fell apart as her dad was battling his grief and her and her sister were left to fend for themselves which made Vanessa acting out and sleeping with random guys easy to do with no one to stop her.

However after breaking off her latest fling with Harrison, she discovers he has leaked a recording of her to their whole school and her life starts to fall apart...

Until Kai transfers in from another school also with a grudge against Harrison and the pair team up to get revenge...

This book was fabulous, I loved the dynamic of a good duo teaming up to get revenge in YA and it was done really well and the twist at the end while being easy to predict was a great twist nonetheless and made me as a reader happy with the outcome of the book overall.

One Summer In Italy by Sue Moorcroft

After her father, Aldo passes away, Sofia keeps the promise she made to him to go back to their homeland of Italy he'd abandoned years ago in order to marry his wife Dawn until she was taken when Sofia was five in a car accident. He'd left his parents and brother Gianni behind fleeing his old life.

Working at Casa Felice, Sofia meets and sticks up for Amy a young waitress when trouble starts with the boss's son and nearly gets her fired. It's also then that she meets Levi for the first time.

Amy's story of how she wound up in Italy is due to learning about her true father and as she crosses paths with Levi, Sofia keeps an eye on her worried about his intentions towards the young girl until she uncovers a huge secret he holds.

As their lives cross paths during the novel and spiralling events from being fired to re hired and Sofia finally meeting her remaining family members living in Italy to Amy taking charge of discovering her father herself and flying to England on a whim of fronting out why he didn't want to see her, many shocks occur and the drama is constant!

This was a thrilling read! I truly loved and was hooked on the story as so much happened as well as taking it all in I felt transported to Italy myself! I loved how Sofia was a motherly figure there for Amy and despite being vulnerable, Amy was very strong willed and brave in her actions. Levi was in a situation with a stalker too and so I felt sorry for him as he had so much happening he needed to take care of. You won't be disappointed in this book if you're a fan of Trisha Ashley or Heidi Swain especially.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Happiness For Beginners by Carole Matthews

Molly who's thirty eight and runs her aunt's old farm with an angry sheep and once abused dog among others too from Shetland ponies to chickens and alpacas!

Helpers Bev and Alan whom loves a band t-shirt and sounds like me that way, help her to run a school for troubled teens where after expulsion or being too disruptive can go to for some respite and cool down time.

As they struggle to make money reach all areas of the farm, when handsome TV actor, Shelby shows up with his arsonist wannabe son, Lucas they're very much welcome as Bev fancies Shelby while Molly needs the cash as she sinks her money into the farm and lives in a caravan onsite as money is so tight.

However, as the HS2 train route is set to force them to close or relocate, stress mounts up and tensions get tightened after meeting Shelby's partner who's many years younger, Scarlett, a brief trial of the alpacas being on TV, a fundraiser party by Shelby and a fight with Lucas all up the tension on the farm and then a fire happens too and everything starts adding pressure on Molly as she desperately tries to save her livelihood and keep a level head over everything.

Even when Shelby and Scarlett split especially...

As usual Carole has written a beautiful story about a unique, intriguing setting and finding love unexpectedly. The characters were so complimentary to each other as they were opposites and so the bond between them was unique and beautiful and Lucas was like most teens, misunderstood but hiding a passion and talent which was explored in a marvellous way and encouraged like we would in real life.

I was overjoyed to learn that the story is based on a real teaching farm called Animal Antiks and that they work as incredibly hard as described in the book to help change lives.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Summer Of No Regrets by Kate Mallinder

In this book we meet four friends who decide to have a summer where they regret nothing and take control of the situations in their lives.

Hetal heads off to science camp and there she gets into a competition with a guy who she gets a crush on...

Cam sets to track down her dad after worrying that she'll have no family as she believes her foster parents will grow sick of her...

Nell suffers under her mother's protective gaze after being in an accident resulting in her having a prosthetic hand fitted. Only she wants time and space and gets a job to prove she is capable and can cope until she takes a turn...

Sasha set off for Geneva to meet up with her dad after not seeing him for ages only to find out he's got a girlfriend who's not much older than her and that soon their lives are going to change...

As they all rush home after an incident they rush and meet at the hospital and from there things get better as they open up about their deep and true feelings about their summer's.

Four girls with very different lives colliding this book is a typical summer teen beach read with modern day girls with serious issues each has to deal with. It was a serious quick read book everyone will zip through engrossed.

Fairytale Beginnings by Holly Martin

Arriving at Clover's rest after breaking down nearby, Milly is ready to help Cameron at his newly inherited castle in how to manage it and run it in the future.

Yet she never thought she could fall for him until the two become entangled in a Disney style rush of love and passion until his PA Olivia arrives and tries to steal him away!

The Grey Lady myth/legend about the heir's to the castle as told by two local kindly ladies who set about reuniting the pair and getting Olivia out of the way and possibly her job too...

This is a sugar sweet romance if you like Disney, you will love this tale. I really enjoyed Milly and Cameron as characters, the chemistry was there and I could imagine them being a modern prince and princess from Disney!

Summer At 23 The Strand by Linda Mitchelmore

Serena Ross aka Martha, escapes to number 23 after cutting her ties with her acting career and nearly causing a marriage split during said career she flees back to the UK in order to rethink on where life should be leading her next. After dying her hair and using contacts, she's sure she's unrecognizable.

She finds number 23 homely and falls in love with it its also near number 20 where Hugh, a nature photographer is staying with an injured leg.

She later leaves a gift and message to the next visitors.

Cally arrives with her husband and two young sons where she gets a break from worrying about a lump she has found on her breast. She finds the gift and decides to also leave a gift to the next guest after finding the necklace Martha left behind signed her real name.

Arthur arrives and strikes up a bond with Hannah a new widow and her young son whom need a break. Arthur never had children and lost his wife years previous. They all find comfort in each other.

There's also Ana, looking for work and a new life, Stella a stay at home mum to three kids and more in this book which depicts a trail of visitors and the gifts they leave in the chain of visitors that stay at number 23.

I really loved this book as it reminded me of Cressida McLaughlin's Blue Moon Guest House series which I loved too! This book showed how a break and escaping the normal day to day life can help gain perspective on situations and events we're dealing with in our lives. Each story was touching and hit quite serious topics during the whole novel showing the array of issues people find themselves dealing with.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

The House Of Birds And Butterflies: Part 4: Birds Of A Feather by Cressida McLaughlin

After the author drama between Jack and Eddie happened, Abby finds herself planning a Summer Spectacular whilst trying to distract herself from the fact that Jack has gone to London to launch his book and also clear the air to the public about what happened between him and Eddie a fellow author.

We see how Penelope at last makes progress and moves on to sell the old house she loved dearly and a shocking secret come to light as well as the Summer Spectacular making Abby feel it too after an amazing growth in memberships and donations comes in, maybe she can be happy despite Jack being away, at least, for now?

It was full of drama and love finally blooming as the story comes together concluding the past parts, I enjoyed the whole book as it really kept me entertained and I found myself enjoying the nature aspect of the book so much as we don't read often about the forest and getting out there with nature.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

The House Of Birds And Butterflies: Twilight Song by Cressida McLaughlin

In the next part of this series, we rejoin Abby as she battles with her feels to do with author Jack whilst also keeping her job at Meadowbrook as they face possible closure.

As Jack prepares to help keep their local library open by hosting an event at the library for everyone, can the pair also deal properly with their feelings for each other after all their notes sent between them as they face attending an event for Jack where his old for of the book world, Eddie is there.

Can Abby find out what really happened between Jack and Eddie before anything else happens?

Ooh left on a cliffhanger as we await the final part in the story, once again the intrigue grows around Abby and Jack's relationship as they're finally becoming more like a couple at last.
Full of plenty more action around Jack's past, Cressida leaves us wanting more especially as Meadowsweet is still uncertain of it's future! I can't wait for the final part!

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Summer Under The Stars by Catherine Ferguson

Thirty two year old Daisy has just lost her mum eleven days before her birthday musical treat was going to happen when we meet our main character.

Disappointment is evident in the beginning of the novel but also hope, she was adopted and so out there is her birth mum she would love to know about.

An aspiring writer too, her mum encouraged her and so she enters a competition in a magazine only her boyfriend Tom is always busy with work and hardly gives her attention even on his birthday glamping trip she takes him on for his thirtieth. He makes it evident he'd prefer something upmarket and high class.

Only it's in the same village she was originally adopted from and with old friend Clemmie's help they might make a discovery...

It's set to be a memorable holiday with the arguing couple in the tent next door, a handsome writer called Jake she meets in the woods and a posh hotel her boyfriend approves of over the tent just metres away, ran by a nice lady called Sylvia...

A fun read for under the sun or stars, I love the way Jake and Daisy met it was normal but funny as the story goes on I also enjoyed how Tom got the push as it was very deserving and Daisy was such a strong independent character for the choices she had to face in the novel. I also liked how we were kept guessing whom her birth mum was as it was never made obvious and came as a great shock, the best way a story can be!

Many thanks to publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Songs About Us by Chris Russell

Ollie is in his band Fire&Light on tour whilst Charlie is back home and worrying as well as studying for her exams.

She hangs out with her best friend Melissa who she talks to and trusts with her worries as well as Gabe and Ollie issues too. From finding out about her mum and Gabe's parents, to repairing her relationship with her dad whilst getting close to Ollie, sparks fly from all sorts of drama's sparking reactions amongst the teens.

A story with passion and life on stage in main focus of a lens or witnessing it from behind the lens like Charlie, a book which will keep you engrossed to the end.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Me, You & Tiramisu by Charlotte Butterfield

This book is a real emotional rollercoaster!

When Jayne bumps into Will, years after parting ways as young teens, by a chance meeting as she waits for her twin, Rachel she is thrown back in at the deep end of the emotional ties to him she has.
Jayne and Rachel always did everything together as kids, naturally being twins yet unidentical, though when it comes to guys Jayne never met anyone else other than Will or Billy as he was known growing up and Rachel likes to move on pretty quickly from any guy in her life.
After enjoying a meal out to catch up, they arrange to meet again and so on they go into a relationship. Both supporting each other through their own issues and working lives until Will's cookery school becomes so successful he decides to take it online and start a YouTube channel and so they face a new challenge as the fame starts to influence them.

Having seen how the media reacts to sudden fame it is a true representation of how that part of the world operates which is surely, as displayed in the book, bittersweet for certain people.

This book lived up to the standards of Sophie Kinsella, Abby Clements and Carole Matthews for example. My favourite scene especially was the cute idea Will has to surprise Jayne in the Cotswolds in the hotel bathroom and it's not an obvious expectation of taking place in the tub!

Hopefully that's intrigued you into picking up the book yourselves!

Thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this treat of a book and find a great new author in the process!

Check Mates by Stewart Foster

Meet Felix, an ADHD sufferer and normal teen just lively and unable to concentrate on tasks set to him very well for getting distracted.

His friend Jake likes to mess around too but Rebecca his more sensible friend concentrates and works hard and even likes chess, a big part of his granddad's life.

After losing his grandma, his grandad is lonely and shuts the world out while keeping all is wife's possessions close in their place like she's coming back home.

Yet his distraction is Felix and finding ways to get him to learn about things like his German history and how to do house tasks and play chess too!

Yet, Felix decides to do a list back to his granddad to get him to do something Felix enjoys. Only as his grandad sneaks in more chess tactics into tasks, Felix kind of becomes infected by a chess playing bug and joins the school team becoming a great new player even making his grandad proud.

This was such an amazing book, we have so much covered  from death and grief to health problems, finding your perfect hobby, fitting it and feeling let down by family not to forget harbouring huge life changing secrets! It was a fun book looking into the relationship between a grandson and his grandfather and unlike what I've read before in young adult fiction. I may not like chess personally but this book was still fun despite the involvement so don't judge it before you've read it!

Many thanks to the publishers for  allowing me to review this book for them!

The Words That Fly Between Us by Sarah Carroll

Living with her investor stressed dad and her mum, Lucy doesn't like to be around her dad when he's in a mood and he is often, causing verbal and emotional pain on his wife and daughter.

Her best friend Megan also gets put downs from her so called friend Hazel whom makes sly comments and digs at Megan's body and about her growing blog too. Despite Lucy's efforts she can't stop her best friend being effected by Hazel...

However as an aspiring artist despite what her dad says, Lucy has a generous heart and soon gets to know the mysterious artist next door after leaving her a gift anonymously and being left a gift back in return.

The main theme in this novel is about speaking out about abuse and it's never right to have to put up with especially at home. We see how the family changes due to stress about money from her dad. We also see how it's important to follow your heart and never giving up on passions and dreams. It was a really great novel in the way we can imagine being in Lucy's shoes and having to face so many issues alone.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Every Colour Of You by Amelia Mandeville

In this book, we meet Zoe and Tristan whom meet each other first in a hospital waiting room/ reception area. From there the pair meet through coincidence again until Zoe starts to befriend Tristan as she sees something in him he can't see in himself, despite his depression, Zoe is the colour to his world even if he takes some time to realise that fact.

Tristan suffered from losing his dad while his brother whom acts like his dad is now quite partial to drinking alcohol to forget everything that happened to them. Meanwhile Tristan has Misha, his dog to make him feel happier and loved when he feels low. He also suffers severely from suicidal thoughts and tendencies throughout the novel which is a very truthful look at how some one can swing from ok to suicidal quickly as can happen with depression sufferers.

It was a commendable book for featuring mental health so realistically throughout the book as it's the main subject tackled as well as other things from health troubles, family situations and deaths which feature too. I really liked how the main characters were like opposites but they connected super well and could see the best in each other's strange ways. A brilliant debut from a young author!

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Family Game Night And Other Catastrophes by Mary E Lambert

Annabel, Leslie and Chad live with their parents in a house full of stuff hoarded by their mum.

Drew and Rae, her best friend and crush, Annabel tries to hide her house situation from them, her dad leaves early for a trip and then their grandma shows up causing them to have a family game night suddenly to fake everything is ok despite their dad leaving despairing about his wife's obsession.

However as the kids especially the sisters try to clear out their house of their mum's hoarded mess, Annabel discovers that her mum might just have a good reason why she began hoarding and why she seems sad a lot of the time and can she being her dad back home to stay?

It was a serious middle grade read dealing with all aspects of family life that suffers from hoarding and how it can effect health and the happiness of all effected by it. The children seemed more like the adults as their mum was misbehaving typically not wanting to let her 'treasure' go. I really enjoyed this book and it's a quick easy read for younger readers too.

Home Girl by Alex Wheatle

Naomi has grown up in foster care since her mum committed suicide and her dad became an alcoholic leaving Naomi to care for him before the council took her into care.

Since being in care she has tried many placements and tried to find permanent care in a new family but instead has had tons of homes until Tony and Colleen come along with their other two foster children.

She also has to attend a school for expelled kids where her friends from care unit still catch up with her the girls there, her friends, are also a lesbian couple, Kim and Natts.

The book highlights all the issues with mental health and safety and awareness of others wellbeing. She tries to put up a hard facade but can break easily with change as we see when Louise her case worker only wanted the best for her and then decides to leave while she felt she had no one but good food, coke and dance all dependable things that can't change on her. It was a super  moving and realistic read about teenage life in care that shows how it effects people in the care system.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Hard Pushed by Leah Hazard

In this true memoir of life as an NHS midwide, we learn about how Leah starred her career after having her two children and how the patients she has helped have influenced her life both positively and at times also challenged her for the better through her career.

From a lesbian couple dealing with cancer and a new baby, young teen mum Crystal, a lady called Olivia trying to breast feed after her mum's influence and a woman escaping abuse, we see the trials each woman faces as she comes to meet her baby and also how much they impact that midwife that helps them too.

It is such a heart warming read and reassuring too to know that there are NHS staff out there who take the time to care and not just provide a service to the public as Leah shows how the patients she's had have impacted her life as she can recall the stories she does in this brilliant memoir.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Fierce Fragile Hearts by Sara Barnard

In this sequel following Suze and her tumultuous life, Caddy and Rosie head off to university leaving her behind. As she struggles with adapting to not only living alone but feeling lonely away from her best friends, Caddy's boyfriend Kel introduces her to Matt a musician from London he knows who gigs around their area at times.

She also makes a friend in Dilys who lives in a flat below hers with her dog.

Then just as her friends, relationship with Matt and even a new goal career for the future look to happen possibly, her abusive father reappears just as life starts to get going good again throwing everything up in the air...

I really enjoyed this sequel more than the first book, raising awareness of abuse, stroke and the signs as well as effects of one, this book hits all the health points for mental and physical head on and shows how they can seriously effect our lives long term and that there's never a quick or simple solution instead showing how complex an issue it can be. The dramas are all real life, heart breaking and raw emotional issues all hitting at one time colliding. Realistic and dramatic another great read by Sara!

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Life Uploaded by Sierra Furtado and Zara Lisbon

Harper is a fourteen year old when we meet her, in love with her then best friend's boyfriend, Jack. However, soon her bff moves away as she can't cope with Harper and other girls getting Jack's attention and liking him back.

Then, in the future thanks to her new best friends, the Jessica's, she finds YouTube, a major clothing and make-up makeover and begins her own YouTube and blogging career.

At sixteen, with new YouTube Mia she meets an actor idol and major crush, Dalton James. She also started hanging round with Ellie after the Jessica's started treating her differently after she became internet famous however, Ashley Adler the school bully and jealous of Harper's success likes to treat Harper meanly by for a start, sticking gum in her hair so she freaks and acts like a drama queen as she loves her long hair so much.

After a whirlwind trip with Dalton and falling hard, pictures and tweets from a Harper troll account cause parts of Harper's life to fall apart much to her dismay and regret, until a breakthrough in the troll's identity clicks in Harper's mind leading her to a doorstep she never expected to visit again.

Meanwhile, will she figure out her love life at last too after a couple of years of mixed love options?

I don't watch Sierra on YouTube personally, with no offence to her or her content at all I'm just not a typical girly girl, I'm very sporty and thrown together in life! But, I do enjoy trying youtubers books alike my past reviews a while ago. This one has been the best fiction so far but some areas of the writing style lagged detail and development other parts had.

Giant Days by Non Pratt

Starting out at university, three girls make friends, Daisy, Susan and Esther they may be very different people but they look out for each other.

Susan and Rather become rightly concerned when Daisy hangs around a lot with cult like group at the university called The Yogic Brethren after signing up to their group during the welcome activity fair for new students and they appear to spread throughout the whole campus. But students go missing and Daisy acts strange attending these meetings which include wearing creepy masks to get into meetings.

They do also do normal university students things like going to student union's and getting drunk as well as flirting with guys, even seeing guys they know from before uni at uni. Discovering their tastes in things changing and who true friends are.

I didn't really get into the book but it was well written and I finished it eventually. The concept was intriguing and links to drugs and money being mistreated makes sense as it fits into the university setting as people try new things and experiences but shows how it can go to the extremes in this book! The characters were all their own people and I liked the differences they had from one being a bit gullible to other gutsy and invested in their lifestyle like true students they were believable.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!