Sprinkle Sunday's Ice Cream Sandwiched by Coco Simon

Allie is struggling living between her divorcing parents and also wants to go to her new schools dance but in wanting to fit in needs a new and specific dress that's not easy to get from her parent's when they don't approve.

Meanwhile at her mum's ice cream parlour the girls create new mermaid cones, ice cream sandwiches and throw the first birthday party there too.

But as Allie struggles with feeling sandwiches in her life will she stick to being herself and not another clone at her school and choose her ideal dress not just what the other students are going to be wearing?

This book had some sweet ice cream creations made once again that will make you wish you had some to hand while it also teaches kids about the importance of staying true to you and not letting others influence you and your opinion and tastes.

Bunheads by Sophie Flack

In this book we follow the life of ballerina, Hannah as she progresses through her company and gains more exclusive performance parts for herself. The girls despite being friends are still rivals and a rivalry against Zoe her friend soon sees the pair desiring and fighting for a lead role.

Soon enough she discovers love and learns there's more to life than rigid hard work leading her to eventually decide she has to choose between Matt and Jacob as well as a life normal living or as a ballet star.

I love ballet books and it was partly truthful as the author story is similar and inspired the book. It was eventful and honest and easy to believe especially as ballet is a hard career and takes much dedication. The characters were typical young adults and the book seemed to race by despite being average length and action packed I thoroughly enjoyed it! 

A Kitten Called Holly by Helen Peters

Jasmine and Tom in this book find a cat and her new born kittens on the farm. However as the mother rejects one kitten, Jasmine takes her on to save her and soon becomes attached to her but when school bully Bella is after a new pet, Jasmine fears for her beloved Holly as the kitten faces going to her after some antics happen!

The book once again alike Helen's other books does deal with the mention of death a few times and so again I say this is one for older readers. It was another fun packed read about animals focusing mainly on cats which Animal Ark fans will enjoy.

The Little Bookshop Of Love Stories by Jaimie Admans

When clutzy Hallie discovers she's won her favourite book shop she's sure it's a joke but soon realises her Cotswold dream is reality!

But after settling in a weezle property developer wants to buy her out thankfully she doesn't give in but befriends fellow klutz, Dimitri a children's illustrator to be who works in there everyday and as the pair grow closer over a mystery surrounding his mum and a book, the pair also hatch a plan to save the shut down bakery next door too as Dimitri cooks some amazing sweet treats, but not only can they get the money to fund the dream, will there be any spark ignite between them not just in the future kitchen when a huge secret comes to light about Dimitri's family?

I loved the book so much from the Belle and Beast aspect of falling in love in and with the actual bookshop and the guy with it too my favourite scene without a doubt was when Hallie's mum meets Dimitri it was just like a scene from the comedy Miranda, my favourite! It made me laugh and I loved how it showed social media can help a physical business out not ruin it too as well the book message trail full of memories of times in others lives too I relate with many of my books being written in by my mum stating when and why they were bought for me too and it's so true how they can bring people together this book had a perfect concept for me and other book lovers will fall in love with this book for sure!

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

The Naughtiest Unicorn by Pip Bird

In this book Mira is excited about starting unicorn school and meeting her unicorn best friend.

However things don't go to plan when she gets paired up with Dave a lazy food loving unicorn who's very unique and the pair have a challenge becoming besties to be able to compete in quests and win medals, will they bond or become trouble?

Dave was an hilarious version of a unicorn for once to see their beautiful stereotype broken this was a fresh take on life with a pet unicorn!

This Heart Of Mine by C.C. Hunter

Leah is a sufferer of the condition myocarditis, so when a transplant becomes available to her she takes the chance.

However, she doesn't expect that the heart she got lucky with was one of a twin's, leading her to Matt whom she knows from school and falls into a tricky love with as he reveals his twin Eric committed suicide, resulting in her new heart becoming available.

But when Leah and Matt both start suffering from dreams about Eric's last night alive they start to uncover what really happened that night suicide or otherwise...

This is a really deep and emotional read throughout from varying points of view. We can tell how everyone has been moved by the tragic events which is true to life when someone really does commit suicide. The way Leah and Matt come together is really natural and I feel shows how sharing grief despite their twist of events can help people move on and accept the unchangeable.

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

Sunny Days And Sea Breezes by Carole Matthews

When Jodie escapes to the Isle Of Wight to her brother Bill's holiday houseboat, she meets neighbour and chainsaw carver Ned, bristly Ida who secretly loves Ned, fake statue George and vibrant, nosy Marilyn.

Wanting to wallow in depression and grief at first, due to a huge loss she's getting away for afresh refreshing start from to allow herself to heal, she's left her estranged husband behind in London along with best friend Della.

We soon learn about Chris her husband and Megan and Beth, not all was as it seems in her situation and why she escaped London life at first but let me assure you the conclusion to the book doesn't disappoint and I rooted for Jodie to be true to what her heart wants a sunny escape from life in a book!

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

The First Date by Zara Stoneley

After long term boyfriend Robbie goes off to find himself, Rosie sets out online dating only when she gets stood up by Gabe, she meets handsome, witty, charmer Noah.

Rosie and Noah have a connection all through the book but thanks to Rosie's player dad she won't let herself fall for Noah thinking he'll turn out like her dad and hurt her too.

Her dad, is a cheat plain and simple and her mum is fabulous at the end of the book as is Noah and his friends as Gabe turns up in a random shocking way! Noah also had a hidden depth behind getting close to Rosie after past losses from loving someone alike his best friend Jed and was really moving bringing them closer together.

I rooted for Rosie and Noah a fabulous couple from the start I was hooked on this book!

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

The OMG! Blog by Karen McCombie

Jessie meets Shanice, Rose and Zarah in detention where she's actually most less likely to be But by accident ended up with. However it pays off as she makes some friends from the situation.

When the girls have to set up a blog to enter into the school competition, Jessie comes up with their idea from something they all have in common, moaning about their mums!

However as they spread the word of their blog as the most popular one will win, the girls each write a post about their mums and when their mums turn up for the school event where their blog gets show just how do the mum's react and feel?

A story about the joys and dangers of blogging about your life online and how things we say it wrote can hurt others feelings. A rule that applies only more and more in today's world.

Cake Pop Crush by Suzanne Nelson

Ali and her dad love their bakery, a last link to her passed mum however much it may be failing especially as a new chain coffee shop opens up on the same road.

As Ali and her dad battle to get more custom and keep themselves afloat, they discover that Dane a new boy at Ali's school's dad owns the chain and may be stealing their ideas until Ali realises her other friend Harris has been acting off and not for the typical reason she thought...

Full of friendship drama and tackling topics of friendship and grief this book will tug at your heart strings and it was a sweet read with a sadness woven through it too as Ali misses her mum and could lose her last link to her. This was a great quick read and I love the title too sugary sweet and free me in to read being intrigued!

The Secret Runners Of New York by Matthew Reilly

Skye isn't an insider, unlike her brother her twin Red whom is one of them along with Misty, Verity, Hattie, Bo, Griff etc who are.

She is friends with Jenny another girl like her who's been through a shared struggle, self harm in their cases though for different reasons entirely.

However as the elite rich classes of New York prepare for the impending end of the world as it's predicted, Red gets shown by the elite rich kids just what's in the future and eventually they include Skye in their secret when she helps ring leader Misty out.

Though as it turns out everything comes at a price, a secret shared with a new friend whom proves nothing like they seem, as Skye soon discovers about Misty.

As betrayal leads her to the missing girls from their school whom vanished and winds up being stranded in the future she must uncover what's seemingly happened to stand a chance of saving her family in the future if at all possible.

An insightful novel that really made me think about if the world was to truly end, it was chilling at times with the bitchiness of the the inner clique whom were very toxic but made even more drama in an already dramatic book. I was hooked and as someone whom doesn't go for books like this normally, was pleasantly surprised.

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

Charlie And Me 421 Miles From Home by Mark Lowery

In this book we meet Martin struggling with his family and the state they're in, his mum is depressed and a shadow of her former self whilst their dad is working all hours of the day.

So with a plan to go back down to St Bernards in Cornwall where they had their last family holiday and were happy, especially Charlie as he loved seeing the local dolphin, he and Charlie sneak off one morning to travel by train down there alone.

Through escaping the police and deterring attention from them they meet Hen a girl whom helps them with her friends help too as she too is escaping her parents and likes to be independent and travel around with no ties holding her down.

The book was unexpectedly heart breaking but it was a great adventure the siblings take on and highlights how much change can alter young people's lives and how seeking happiness is good but can go too far!

Noah Goes Nuclear by Simon James Green

In this short fun story we see Noah and Harry along with their other school friends head off on a school trip.

Of course only Noah could get into a situation where he's in a compromising position!

Full of drama and hilarious antics as per the usual Noah and co group tend to get into this mini book is a great little adventure into the wild life of Noah!

The Royal Ballet School Diaries Book 1 by Alexandra Moss

Ellie and her mum move from Chicago to Oxford in England. Her mum suffers with MS and her dad passed away when she was young.

After getting an audition for the Royal Ballet School she hopes she can dance well enough to get accepted only will she make it to the audition with her mum having MS and her own nervousness?

Ellie has a lot of worries about will she get in, could she start her career now, who'll look after her mum and also has to make friends and deal with her school's pressures and bullies. I always enjoy a ballet themes book but with a chronically ill parent this added a unique edge we rarely see in children's fiction and added to the rolling drama in the book.

A great read for a dance fan to pick up and enjoy!

You Can't Hide by Sarah Mussi

In this book, Lexi escapes her old life with her mum to get away from her mum's abusive boyfriend Charlie.

Following their life, she wakes up in hospital to her aunties and no mum in sight and no recollection of her memories of what happened.

We discover she was in love with a boy called Finn after she stole him away from his old girlfriend Jules using a spell as she believes she's a witch.

When Jules gets dumped by Finn she vows revenge and plots and pushes our star couple to land themselves in trouble in the name of a rather revealing art project for school fueled by Jules's jealousy.

It was a bit odd with the witch reference and not heavily used just hinted at a few times to be honest it could've been left out and been an amazing book about the dangers of girls over jealousy and envy of what someone else has like a boyfriend they fancy.

Charles wasn't mentioned a great deal just the odd account from him interspersed every so often and t could've been made better in my opinion as I found the culmination a bit of a let down and not what I hoped for at all. Jules was a devious character who made the drama for sure what it became but ultimately she was in a position to do more and just didn't hit the mark for me.

The Little Dreams Of Lara Cliffe by Millie Johnson

Lara is setting off on a cruise with her best friends and hen party planners, Vicky Jo and Pip.

As Lara prepares to marry steady Freddie a guy who dotes on her we see how she reacts when her ex shockingly is also on the cruise and he broke her heart terribly, Danny the dreamer who wanted to be a rock star.

But will Lara go back instead of onwards into her new planned happy life and marriage?

I loved this little book such a fun hopeful short story about looking ahead to the future and appreciating what and who you have in your life!

Love, Frankie by Jacqueline Wilson

In this book Frankie is enemies for a start with Sally a girl who's mean to her after assuming her mum is a drunk after an incident at their school.

However as the book goes on, Sally befriends Frankie after seeing her out with Sammy her best boy friend from next door who evidently likes Frankie a lot more...

As Frankie learns about her feelings she's dealing with, coping with the drama of her sister's, her mum's MS worsening and their dad's new life situation everything feels out of control for her to cope with.

It was a refreshing read to have a chronic illness as a central issue and a girl struggling to come to terms with her sexuality too probably the most relevant Jacqueline Wilson book about right now and I just know this will help many girl comes to terms with their feelings and accept them too I do wish that we saw more of the alcoholic storyline from Sally's mum though as many kids are also effected by that however maybe we can have a follow up book as the ending left one to be desired...

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

Spring On The Little Cornish Isles: The Flower Farm by Philippa Ashley

In this book we meet Gaby, whose escaping her life and moving to work on a Flower Farm after losing her brother in a crash at just twenty one years old.

The Flower Farm is ran by Anna's children Will and Jess mostly after their dad went off with another woman.

Jess is dating Adam and are loved up until one text sends their relationship tearing apart as he then leaves to later return with a mysterious strange woman and child in tow just months later to Jess's dismay.

Will is a hard worker and is devoted to his straight forward life around work and rowing club. So when Gaby arrives and lasts months in the job after becoming Jess's friend, Will allows his feelings for Gaby to breathe and the pair start to flirt openly succumbing to their feelings...

However the book offers up more than summed up here as a huge drama towards the end of the story makes them all realise what's most important in life not work or not hurting someone but allowing love to prevail and bloom, after all they are all liked to the Flower Farm! I would love to live on the idyllic area of the flower farm it sounds truly delightful i loved this warm hearted novel about discovering your work and love passion in life.

Guest Post by Kate Mallinder - Why stories about friendship are more important than ever

If I had been more organised, I would have written this blog weeks ago, sent it to Eve and be on with my next writing project. But I wasn’t. So now I’m writing this with my husband working from home and my children all being schooled at the kitchen table. We are the lucky ones who get to stay in as our way of helping slow the spread.

This new world we find ourselves in does make writing a cheery, upbeat piece about a new teen novel interesting. What I had planned feels too frivolous in the circumstances. We’re living through history and life is unrecognisable from just a month ago. Why are we even thinking about fiction when we have all this going on?

I’ll be honest: that question floored me for a few days as I tried to get my head around what was happening. But as the mental dust settled, I realised: stories are actually hugely important in times of crisis. Stories can talk about the big life truths in a way nothing else can. Fiction can literally show (not tell) what it means to be human, our need for connection even though we’re apart, that society is strengthened when we pull together.

That, and losing yourself in a good book is a pretty awesome way to while away a few hours.

So then. Asking for a Friend. What’s it all about? Well, it’s the stories of Agnes, Hattie and Jake; each struggling with something – a sister who’s moved out, being ghosted by friends or a worry about health they can’t talk about. All three feel isolated and friendless.

So when Agnes decides to go away for a ‘study break’ to look for her sister, Hattie and Jake both think it’s the perfect escape from their everyday lives. They only know each other a little, so none of them say what’s really bothering them, preferring to try and battle their problems on their own. However as their stories unfold and they face a life-changing situation together, they begin to trust, begin to share, begin to become friends.

It’s how friendship can be found in the unlikeliest of circumstances. It’s how a friendship can grow. It’s how friends support each other, no matter what.

I was supposed to be talking about why I wrote Asking for a Friend, how I wanted to explore friendships and how they start. But that’s now not the focus. This is a story teens can lose themselves in and enjoy friendships while they’re apart their friends. It’s an escape. It’s feel-good. It’s a book that’ll make you smile.

You can order a copy of Asking for a Friend from Firefly Press and it will be sent to you when it publishes on 21 May – as an incentive to order in April, this copy will be signed and come with an Asking for a Friend badge. Kate’s debut, Summer of No Regrets, is also available from any book shops that are open and also Firefly’s online bookshop, in case you need a feel-good fix in the meantime.

Many thanks to Kate for writing this post, fiction provides escape and can be a perfect way to escape the anxiety of life right now, be sure to check out Kate's previous book, The Summer Of No Regrets too I have a review up on my blog and Goodreads it was a fab read perfect for in the summer sunshine to relax with!

 

Lily's Just Fine by Gill Stewart

Lily is juggling a lot from school finishing she finds herself involved in the local gala where she comes up with many great ideas but mainly what the elder folk don't like.

Meanwhile Tom's sister Sarah has been ill for a while with a mystery illness that's undiagnosed while his friend Gemma who's Lily's best friend ropes him in to help at the gala too as he does sailing.

As Lily and Tom slowly get together, Lily's mum suffers from a very bad depressive episode while Sarah becomes worse too and at their event day, things go very wrong, can they all get through this?

This book was a very packed adventure which gave so much within it's under four hundred pages which was great. Personally the portrayal of a chronic illness in young adult fiction isn't seen nearly enough and I was so happy to discover it mentioned in this book as a sufferer myself it was relatable from every angle it was shown and truly realistic. Tom and Lily made a sweet couple even though they had their rocky times of course like any relationship does which just won me over more. If you want a sweet if at times dramatic relationship book, this is the one for you.

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