The Vintage Ice Cream Van Road Trip by Jenny Oliver

Annie and Matt are happily together, but Holly their friend is changing her life...

Holly was an Olympic rower now, a coach alongside her dad.
As she finds out she's pregnant she sets her sights on running an ice cream van. As the man gathering her child is old school friend Emily's brother, what will they do?

From attending events to road tripping to France, it's a sweet romance about finding an unexpected happiness.

What Lexie Did by Emma Shevah

Lexie and Eleni are as close as twins, growing up together after spending their lives literally by each others sides as Lexie helped Eleni stay alive after she had to have many operations on her heart as a young baby.

Now, their huge Greek family is divided after a lie and secrets hidden from the family by Lexie. Also missing Eleni as she becomes best friends with new girl Anastasia Lexus feels left out and a bit lonely.

As she tries to get her mum talking to her sister and her family again to reunite the two halves of their huge family once again, she comes to realise how different life could've been growing up but more importantly that the truth is always best and lying is the worst thing ever not to mention how her grandma and God would feel watching her lie to everyone...

A family divided by a lie this book shows how harmful lies can be and the impact they have on all those effected not just the one person telling the lie. We see how friendships can be changed and how death can cause people to react differently. It's an emotional and honest book sure to win your heart.

All That She Can See by Carrie Hope Fletcher

Cherry sees the worst in people, their Meddlums as she and her friend dubbed them years ago thanks to a childhood friend whom also saw them too, Peter.

Now settling in Plymouth on the latest bakery stop she has to make she finds new friends and customers to fulfil her happiness and whilst she works in comfort, dressed in pyjamas and queen of each little bakery she sets up stocked with her magically ordinary treats, she never expects to find Chase whom sees the best in everyone around him and a failed business man at first is very angry and cynical and embodies the badness she tries to keep away from people.

But as the two very locked in a business world, they discover their kind and get shocked as they find out a magical gifted guild has been watching over them and all they have been doing.

I love Carrie and her first two books were great, this one just made her work so far better. I loved the magical element to the bakery and how Cherry could help make people feel better with a cake and safe space to be as it's quite comforting and realistic. It was a well plotted and intriguing book I really loved.

Eden Summer by Liz Flanagan

After Jess heard her best friend Eden has gone missing, she sets off on finding her herself by recalling everything since the beginning of the summer when Eden lost her sister and Jess was attacked before that.

Both suffered and are suffering through their traumas and we are how much the girls rely on each other for support

Liam Eden's boyfriend and Jess shared a kiss but it's more while Eden went off with a guy called Tyler whom she trusted with Her shocking secret discovery about her family and sister.

Set over a day whilst Jess tries to find Eden, we see the emotional toll and distraught it causes them all from parents to friends and strangers. Grief and pain is sewn into each page which grips you and pulls you into the story more and more. It was a great mystery thriller as well as featuring mental health battles too a lot is covered and it's a great YA read!

All About Mia by Lisa Thompson

Mia is the middle sibling between perfect university heading Grace and younger high achieving swimmer Audrey.

when Grace returns from her travels with a shock, she's pregnant and her boyfriend is with her vowing to stick by her so they move in after an explosive grilling from her parents.

In the story Mia wears an All About Mia t-shirt, going out drinking tons, losing her virginity, planning a holiday with her mates and looking for love and attention from anyone and anywhere. She has a neighbour whom she baby sits for and even makes a pass at him, a forty year old.

Then her friends fall out with her, one over a guy, and her little sister goes missing as well as suddenly, her older sister going into labour!

Mia is a live wire and can't be contained, she is a firework, sparking off until she explodes as her actions become worse and worse and they do get her the attention she craves even if she can't see it at first. She is all about herself, as the title suggests, however she seems insecure and unhappy and overall wants toto be someone she isn't. It was an eventful book and will leave you remembering such a wild character in Mia.

The Lido by Libby Page

Rosemary and Kate pass by each other unknowingly, going about their separate lives but that's just the start of this story.

Kate is a busy journalist new to Brixton, Rosemary now an elderly lady a member of a tower block community where she lived with her husband once upon a time who can see her beloved lido from her window. She also still keeps up her seven am swims and meeting with her oldest friend, Hope and reminisces over the olden days gone between them before along with remembering her husband and believing she is still young.

So when Rosemary and Kate, covering the story for the Brixton News join forces to save the Lido when threatened with closure, they jointly set about proving it's the hub of the community and worth more than earning some company more money by becoming a private gym. From leafleting and making newspaper headlines and protesting to the council, we hear from all the community members the lido effects in some way and how lives have changed from their encounters there.

Both main protagonists are sad and lonely from absence and loss of members in lives but by joining forces a bond is created between them despite the generational differences they face. Both Rosemary and Kate's confidence grows and her anxiety/panic attacks lessen and as they cross paths with more people thanks to the lido, friendships are made and even a relationship for one of them!

I loved how we looked into so many lives during the novel and got an essence of how everyone in the community was despite their own separate lives how they all came together was so positive and lovely and gave everyone a support network and acceptance which is so good and needed in more real life communities. A touching read for all ages.

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

Wave Me Goodbye by Jacqueline Wilson

When ten year old Shirley thinks she's going on holiday to the country she thinks her Mum is going too, until it dawns she's going alone, evacuated because of the imminent war.

On the train she is sat next to Jessica, a St Agatha's convent girl where they are looked after and taught by nuns to be proper ladies though the other girls on the train from that school are mean to Jessica and Shirley but they still become form friends quickly.

Upon arriving in the countryside, Jessica and Shirley have to split up as they aren't going to stay at the same places, it unsettled them but they promise to stay friends. Shirley winds up left with a few other children and so they're forced into villagers with rooms. Shirley ends up also placed with Kevin a boy who's also ten but very tall and Archie a young bald boy. They stay with the mysterious Chubby, a bossy housekeeper and her friend Lady Waverley.

In the countryside they still have to attend school and horrid Marilyn from back in London is also there though all the children are scared of their mean teacher who shouts a lot and uses threats of the cane style contraptions on the kids hands to keep them behaving.

Shirley later sends a postcard to her Mum which describes how it was on her first day and how horrible she found it, however it causes her Mum so much concern she travels to meet the women taking care of her daughter and is so horrified she wants to take Shirley to stay with her boss's relatives.

Mrs Waverly also lets Shirley in on her secret room and confides in her about why she keeps what she does in there, it is very moving only a situation involving Kevin and him then running away leads him and Shirley into a dangerous encounter.

Throughout the book, as expected from a novel set in wartime England, there's old time language and what would be considered minor swearing but time appropriate. There's mentions of objects from wartime England and the caricatures depicted the time and theme of the book tremendously. Shirley was a great character and she really earnt a place in my heart over how kind she was and cheeky when necessary!

I was super excited to read this book and it fulfilled my dreams of it being a great book once again from Jacqueline. It was an emotional journey and super realistic keep your tissues ready!

Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill

Freida isn't the most popular of the girls, but her friend of now drifting from friend, Isabel used to be ranked number one in this book all about being the best and most desirable girl manufactured in order to be chosen by a man.

These girls are made specially for the men, carefully designed and kept until one day their men arrive and select them to begin a life with where they need to produce only sons and never daughters as all women are manufactured. If they can't be a companion, the girls are either destined to be a chastity at the school or a concubine forever or even worse, underground experiments.

Megan is now the most popular girl ranked at the top out of all their year and despite Isabel, Frieda's old best friend only ever wanting to be on top, she soon battles with her weight which is heavily discussed in this book by all the girls as they criticise each other hardcore as they need to be perfect to the men. There is also more than meets the eye as we learn later on as to why Isabel distances herself and struggles to cope in some ways.

As the boys begin their visits to the school to spend time with potential partners, Freida feels honoured to be Darwin's choice many times as he's the best ranked number one, however Megan isn't happy about this at all but when Freida tries to hard to be accepted, the best and gives in to her feelings she ends up paying the price in the end.

This book is brutal and vain but in a great way, a bit triggering for anyone with an eating disorder  I feel but besides that it was an intriguing storyline and essential looking at real life Barbie or Brats being made in the way the girls are spoken about in the book. It was very honest in topics discussed from sex, marriage and the girls relationships with their bodies which portrays they were more human like in attitude than brainwashed into set ways of thinking though they did have rules to follow for the so called ideal life to be theirs.theirs

The Summer Of Cotton Candy by Debbie Vogue

Candace needs money and finds herself stuck in a summer job she has no desire for, The Zone, a theme park offers her a job as a cotton candy operator which she takes over cleaning ladies toilets.

She works with Martha an old lady whilst the carts can move to wherever whenever and cause injuries when you don't know as Candy finds out!

She runs into guy leaving she calls the lone ranger later named as Kurt and crushes hard on whilst dealing with bitchy employee's too including his ex Lisa.

Subsequently, sabotage at work to get her fired including drugs being planted on her happens.

Tamara best friend rich family struggles to hang out around work with her and feels guilty over it as their friendship becomes strained and they fall apart a bit because of circumstance differences but confrontation forces them to rekindle their bond after crossed wires and seeing sense after all years of friendship lost over a summer job would be a big waste over nothing!

Then a work scavenger hunt with two enemies at work as well as getting trapped with Kurt in The Zone forces all the drama to happen around Candace herself, Kurt, Lisa, and Josh.

A summer of drama ready served for our delight!

I didn't enjoy this book a ton but I did like learning about the environment of a theme park as I personally don't like rides of any kind and so working around them must be a big task in such a crowded area meanwhile without jealous colleagues and such to deal with! It also had some characters I really didn't like for how they acted etc in Lisa and Tamara especially her for being Candace's best friend and not hearing her out easily!

I Hate MySelfie by Shane Dawson

Shane is someone whom you either love or hate it seems.
I personally find his humour mostly funny and would never hate on him even if at times something is so close to the knuckle I hold my breath that he said or wrote it!

Anyway, the first of his two books so far has been a great read which made me glad to finally read it! Talking of life in high school and being the awkward kid he was because of his appearance and the way he could come out with witty remarks and empathise with others he knew like him shows Shane wouldn't back down and take it.

His tales of the future talk of karma kicking back at one of his main bullies, a cheerleader and see how he rose up from her level of low treatment of others to times of discovering who you are and your sexuality.

He talks touchingly of his Grandma and how her passing effected him, his mom and his brothers, I am sure Shane has a lot of her in him with their shared humour being as it was.

He opens the discussion about his eating habits and how later on in life it still caused him issues too which was great to read, not many people would be confident enough to enlighten others to how situations like that can go but Shane nailed it.

A raw look into the deepest stories of Shane's life which prove life can give you lemons you can turn to sweet lemonade, just persevere kids, it gets better after all!