Dial Lane Books, an independent bookshop in Ipswich is selling raffle tickets to raise money for charity and offering a prize of £100 to spend in store for the winner.
Go check out Dial_Lane_Books on Instagram and get your raffle tickets.
Book Review: The Practice Boyfriend by Christina Benjamin
I can’t remember when I downloaded this book. It was just there on my Kindle, unread. It was like finding a hidden treasure. It became the perfect companion to read during the late night feeds with Aria.
The Beginning
The novel quickly sets up the scene of the three main crowds. It is told told from two points of view, Hannah’s and Cody’s.
Hannah attends a private school. She is only able to go due to a scholarship she achieved thanks to her high grades. She works hard to keep her place and never breaks the rules.
Then there is the ‘it’ crowd made up of the rich kids of the most influential families. Cody was once part of this crowd but following the scandal where his pregnant high school sweet heart died in a drink driving accident, he is now an out cast.
Hannah realises she is going to finish school without ever doing anything wild or having a boyfriend. She sets her sights on Harrison, the high school king and famous for his exclusive parties. To get invited you need to be given a key.
The Middle
Considering that Cody knows the ‘it’ crowd but is no longer part of it, she singles him out to ask for his help. Cody tries to talk her out of her plan. He warns her the clique are not nice people but when Hannah resolves to blackmail him, he decides she might fit right in.
Hannah thinks Cody is a safe perfect practice boyfriend because there is no way she would fall for him. Cody teaches her the rules of the elite and helps her practice her kissing. Cody is rich and even pays for her to have a full makeover and wardrobe upgrade.
Cody pretends to be her boyfriend. To keep up the pretence they have to spend a lot of time together. They have their first kiss and more. Cody continues to help Hannah to get noticed by the ‘it’ crowd and it works.
Now Hannah is being invited to hang out with the girls eager to gossip about Cody. They want her to see the monster he is as they blame him for the death of their friend. Being in the spotlight attracts the attention of Harrison and it looks like Hannah is going to get her wish.
The End
Hannah discovers that money, popularity and wealth isn’t as glamorous as she anticipated. She discovers some ugly truths but is it too late to make things right?
Final Thoughts
I absolutely loved this book. I wanted Aria to wake up in the night for her milk so I could read some more. It was fast paced. I loved the world building. The twisted ‘it’ crowd reminded me of Cruel Intentions. I love the misunderstandings and conflict between the two and the relationship was believable.
Both characters were well developed and I really liked both of them – which is a tricky thing to do in dual points. I would definitely be interested in reading more by Christina Benjamin,
If you liked this, you will enjoy:
Book Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Book Review: The Gender Game by Bella Forrest
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Book Reviews of 2019
Do you write Book Reviews? If so, good for you. Reviews not only help readers make more informed choices on their next read but it also support authors.
I don’t get much time to read. I’m constantly surrounded by distractions. But, I wanted that to change. So last year, I set my target low at 6 books.
There were times I feared 6 books was ambitious and it highlighted how little time I get. As I actively tried to combat it, I found more time to read. By the end of 2019 I had exceeded my goal.
Here is the collection of 2019 reviews.
Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
Duet Rubato by Claerie Kavanaugh
Envy by J D Groom
You Stole My Heart… Do I have to take your name? By Sarah Neofield
Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst
The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa
That’s not all. There are books I finished and have yet to write my review. But, I will post them. Look out for my upcoming reviews of the following:
Crown of Conspiracy by Kara S Weaver
Good Reads: Trust me by Maddie James
I think I will look at making a book review page on my website to make finding these easier for readers.
If you enjoyed this post you may also like:
I got to tour Ingram Spark’s print facility
Felixstowe Book Festival and My White Knight
Discover more ways to connect with me by clicking my link tree:
Book Review: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa
I took my son to the library to exchange his books (or renewal and get more books). Whilst he was struggling with the dilemma of choosing his new books and returning books he loves, my husband pointed this book out to me. I have always wanted to write a novel about faeries so this was to be a fun read and research into how someone else has done it.
The MC is a boy called Ethan Chase. I don’t read many books with a male protagonist so this was a refreshing change and it was done well. Skip to my final thoughts it you don’t want any spoilers.
Beginning
Ethan is aware fae exist and has a troubled past with them. In the opening chapters he shares how they are dangerous and the result of their interference in his life has lead to him being expelled from schools and blamed for a fire he didn’t cause.
Ethan is starting another new school. On his first day, he stands up for a boy being bullied, Todd. Nobody else can see that Todd has long furry ears but it is because he is a half-fae. Ethan doesn’t want to be friends with Todd as he distances himself from all fae. He also doesn’t like Todd’s wee fairy companion.
Ethan also attracts the attention of Mackenzie, who wants to interview him for the school paper. He tries to push Mackenzie away as anybody that gets close to him always gets hurt but she is persistent.
Middle
A deadly new type of fairy are consuming fae and half-fae. Todd asks for Ethan’s help. At first Ethan doesn’t want to get involved but he takes pity and agrees. Unfortunately, Todd is taken and now the creatures are coming after Ethan. Ethan is at a martial arts tournament where Mackenzie is trying to get his story but during the tournament the deadly fae come for him. Nobody else can see them. Ethan runs. Mackenzie follows.
Ethan needs to keep Mackenzie safe. He makes a choice to use a special object his sister gave him to transport into the fae world. They are greeted by a cat, Grimalkin, who knows the way to the Iron Kingdom where his sister, Meghan, is queen. The journey is dangerous but when they arrive his sister wants to keep him safe. They are sent to a room to ‘rest’ but feels more like prison. When Ethan and Mackenzie get the opportunity to escape with the help of Keirran.
On their mission to rescue Todd, there are a lot of truths uncovered which I won’t go into. Their are fights. There were some very interesting characters along the way. I liked Kierran’s love interest and the exiled queen and the cheeky little gremlin.
They travel to the earth and are attacked again. They manage to escape to the in-between and learn how serious the problem is. They visit Hyde Park to follow a lead but things get worse for the gang when the nephew is taken prisoner.
Something I really enjoyed was the slow burning romance between the Ethan and Mackenzie. There is plenty of conflict between them and good reasons why they hold back. I couldn’t wait for them to get together.
The Ending
The build up to a battle where Ethan has to save his friends (and nephew) was worth it. There were also some reveals that I hadn’t seen coming and I liked that the supporting characters were well developed too.
Finally Thoughts…
There were a few times Ethan annoyed me. He blames himself for Todd being kidnapped but I didn’t really see why it was his fault, after all, Todd was a fairy and hung around with the fae. Ethan made it clear that doing that meant trouble was inevitable. I got that he felt responsible for what happened to Mackenzie but she wouldn’t leave him alone. She did bring it on herself too.
What I loved was how all the characters were well developed. You could easily tell who was speaking and they all had rich backstories. There were plenty of magical creatures and I loved the world building especially the ‘in-between’ world.
I hadn’t realised the book was part of a series (it’s book 5 in the Iron Fey series). I was really pleased when I discovered that as I wanted to read more. I wonder if some of the things that didn’t click with me is because I need to read the other books. For example, I want to know more about Meghan and why she is the Iron Queen and why Ethan holds so much resentment for the Iron Fey.
If you like this post, you will enjoy:
Book Review: Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst
Book Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Book Review: Blind Tiger by Rachel Vincent
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World Indie Warriors Brochure
Who are World Indie Warriors
I love being part of World Indie Warriors. They have been one of the highlights of my 2019. The members are incredibly supportive and creative. They have encouraged me to push myself to try new things and above all, believe in myself.
We have been chatting online for a while. We meet via video on Zoom. And, some of us have even met up in person. Together we are developing a community on Facebook to support more Indie Creatives.
The Indie Catalogue
One of the projects we are working on is to create a brochure with products by Indie Creatives. We want to make discovering products and books by indie creatives easy. The brochure can be downloaded or printed, and is accessible to anyone interested
We needed someone to create the brochure. Guess who volunteered? Me!
It was a bigger project than I anticipated. I had to juggle it around my other commitments and doing NaNoWriMo, but I pulled the first copy together in time for the deadline.
The December edition is another great resource for gifts during the Holiday season. You can discover the brochure on the World Indie Warriors website. Please visit: https://worldindiewarriors.wordpress.com.
Do you want to get involved?
Getting involved couldn’t be easier. All you need to do is join the World Indie Warriors Members Facebook page or message us on Instagram (@worldindiewarriors).
We welcome all indie creatives and want to support each other. If you are self-published, an artist, a musician or any type of creator, pop along and find out what we are all about. You won’t be disappointed!
We also want to connect with small businesses that provide services to support indie creatives. We love getting to know book bloggers and product reviewers.
I hope to see you there.
If you liked this, you will enjoy:
I got to tour Ingram Spark’s print facility
Why I Love World Indie Warriors
Book Review: Envy by J D Groom
To discover more ways to connect with me, please click my link tree.
Book Review: You stole my heart… Do I have to take your name?
This is a book I wouldn’t naturally pick up but Sarah Padfield-Neofitou sold it to me on the idea that it could help me with naming my characters. It certainly will make me think more about their surnames but there was more to this book than that.
What is it about?
The book is aimed at recently engaged, soon to be married couples. It addresses the different traditions and beliefs following marriage about names. It raises awareness that you don’t have to take your partners name and they don’t have to take yours and all the different options available to you both.
The book also has tips on how to announce your post-marriage surnames, things to watch out for like avoiding unfortunate initials.
The most eye opening part of the book was on how people judge others for their name decisions. You suddenly realise how many prejudices there are connected to a simple choice that doesn’t really affect anyone but the name bearer.
The real shocker I discovered is I have judged people for their choices and I’ve no idea where my ideals came from. I never thought I was a judgemental person until I saw myself in her words as that person. I hadn’t expected to evolve as a person from reading this but I did and I’m a better person for it.
Do I recommend it
I think this book would make a great engagement gift. When I got married I didn’t give a second thought to changing my name. It is what you do…
But now I realise how vast my choice was. I also think if I realised how difficult it is to officially change your name, I wouldn’t have bothered.
I’m not sure I would have bought this book as a writing resource, although, now I have it in my collection I’m sure I will refer to it for inspiration when coming up with surnames.
If you liked this post you might enjoy:
Book Review: Save the Cat – Writes a Novel
Book Review: Envy by J D Groom
Click my Link Tree to discover more ways to follow me
Book Review: Save the Cat – Writes a Novel
Author: Jessica Brody
This book came highly recommended on Instagram and when Bethany Atazadeh and Brittany Wang did their #STCExperiement – YouTube videos of them using the book to outline a novel – I decided I had to get it so I could join in.
What is the book about?
The book is based on books by Blake Snyder who writes guides for scriptwriters. Jessica identified that the best novels use the same structure. In this guide to writing she adapts the ‘Save the Cat’ beats for novel writing. She also gives plenty of examples form best sellers – even if you haven’t read them you will know their names.
How it works?
This guide splits the novel into four Acts. Each act is broken down into beats. The Beats have names and descriptions to prompt you what needs to be happening in your novel.
Once you read the book you will start noticing the beats in films you watch. It is a real eye opener.
How I used it?
Editing (Jewel of the Sea)
When the book arrived I had just decided that Jewel of the Sea needed yet another edit! I wanted to re-write the ending, however, that’s not as easy as just jumping to the end and writing it. There are little details that need to be woven in throughout the novel.
After reading STC, I created a spreadsheet based on my word count and used the percentages to see where certain beats should be happening. It turned out I had a lot of the beats but in some places my pacing was off. I then used STC to help with that.
Plotting Act 1 (Scarlet Dresses)
For Camp NaNo April, I used STC to draft out the first Act for a new novel called Scarlet Dresses. During the challenge I made a really good start on this novel.
My only hold up was that I felt my characters were a bit flat as I had not spent long enough developing them. I feel the story had got potential so I plan to return to this project and complete it… one day.
Plotting and editing (Diamond in the Sky)
This month, I decided to do Camp NaNo July. Jewel of the Sea is out with Beta Readers and I need to start thinking about writing the next novel in my shifter series. Now, Diamond in the Sky has been started but never finished. Now I am more familiar with STC, I decided to use it for both editing and plotting.
To start with I need to edit what I already have. I have used STC to plot the first Act and created my spreadsheet to check the pacing is right. There are a few instances where it is slightly off and I have noted this on my spreadsheet to check later. First, I want to get the novel written.
The next step will be to use STC to plot the rest of the novel – the unwritten chapters. I will use STC to check that when I create the different beats that I am getting the pacing right.
Final thoughts…
This book has changed the way I write. I have always been a pantser and found editing incredibly hard. Writing without a plan often can take you off on wayward paths that are not necessary or haven’t been preempted to create the right impact. This results in a lot of editing – something I hate.
With STC, I feel have a guide keeping me on track and I can check my pacing is working. Previously, my outline was incredibly brief and left a lot of gaps for me to fill but having a plot keeps me on track and I don’t get stuck.
If you need help plotting and with pacing, then I highly recommend this book. Now, it is always close to hand and I wouldn’t write a novel without it. I love it.
Do you have any writer resources that you swear by?
If you like this, you may enjoy:
How I edited my novel – 12 tips for self editing
Where to find great story ideas…
Book Review: Who runs the world by Virginia Bergolt
Book Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Red Queen
This is the first book in the series that I have read and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The funny thing is I first heard about this book at YALC 2017 when they were promoting it with #RedQueenForADay but it had taken me almost two years to pick it up to read.
Please excuse the silly picture, I was not feeling very photogenic after the long train ride to London.
What is the book about?
The book is set in a world with two species of humans. There are those with red blood who are treated as a low class species and those with silver blood who are treated as nobles and have super power type abilities.
How it starts?
The MC, Mare, is a red blood. She lives in a family that are struggling to get by and she hasn’t got a job to be able to contribute to supporting her family. Mare is a thief. Eventually, when she comes of age she will be sent to war, to fight for the silvers on the front lines with a high risk of being killed.
Mare’s best friend is due to be sent away very soon and Mare decides to help them escape but first she needs to get enough money to pay for their travel. The risks are high so those that could help them escape have set a high fee.
Mare’s sister has a good job where she makes fine clothes for the Silvers. Mare tags along with her to get into the city. Whilst there a terrorist attack takes place causing bedlam. Mare panics and tries to pick a pocket but gets caught. Her sister takes the blame to save her and has her hands broken, resulting in losing her trade. The girls return home with very bleak prospects.
An unexpected request comes for Mare to come and work at the palace. This will save her from war and give her family money to survive but she will have to leave them behind.
The middle
Early on, Mare discovers she is different from other Red Servants when she accidentally manipulates lightening. She earns the nickname Little Lightning Girl and the attention of the Queen.
The Queen fears that news that a red could have powers will encourage the rebels so she marries Mare to her son and concocts a story about how Mare is a silver that was raised as a red.
Mare is watched by the Queen’s guards and the cameras in the palace. She has to keep up the ruse but despite falling for the princes (both of them), her heart is still red and wants revenge for her kinds spilt blood. Under the watchful eyes she seeks to join the rebels and take down the silvers from the inside.
How it ends
I don’t want to spoil it for you but there is a big battle where the odds are not in Mares favour.
She is placed in an arena for her execution where, for entertainment, selected silvers will use their powers to torture her before her end. Mare will have to battle them all if she is to live.
Final thoughts…
I wish I had read Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard sooner. If you like powers, submersible world building and a touch of romance then give this YA Fantasy is worth a read.
Can you guess my next read? There’s a sneak peak in the photo.
If you like this, you may enjoy:
Book Review: Who runs the world by Virginia Bergolt
Book Review: Rebel of the sands