A Review: Working It Out by Nicola May

Nicola May - Working It Out

When Was It Released?: 13th March 2011
Where Did I Get It From?: Nicola May was kind enough to send me a copy for review
Who Published It?:   Nicola has self published this novel
Number Of Pages:  336 pages


I recently, heard about Nicola May, a new self published author from a friend of mine, who had just finished reading her novel, Working It Out, and absolutely loved it.. I started to read a few reviews of the novel and was surprised that there was so much hype around a self published novel. I was intrigued to find out exactly why everyone was so excited about this novel and I knew then and there that I had to get my hands on a copy.

Working It Out is the story of Ruby, a thirty year old working in marketing, who suddenly gets made redundant. Ruby did not see the redundancy coming, and realises that she will have to prioritise her life. After working in a job, that she realises she never really enjoyed, Ruby is determined to find a job she does love. Ruby decides that in order to find her dream job she will take on twelve different jobs in twelve months to see if she can find what she is looking for. Along the way Ruby works as a nanny in the South of France, waiting tables in a buzzing café and catering to celebrities of years gone by in a retirement home. Along the way Ruby meets an assortment of men, including Gorgeous George and Balding Adam. The story looks at whether Ruby will find happiness, the right job and even perhaps the right guy along the way.

I fell in love with the idea behind this novel. The storyline of taking on twelve jobs in twelve months is so unique and different from anything I have seen before in a chick lit novel. I found that this idea hooked me and made me want to delve into this book straight away. Some of the jobs were regular one that many of us will have experienced, others a little more quirky. Nicola May managed to make every job that Ruby undertakes interesting and enjoyable to read about. My favourite job that Ruby took, would have to be the first, where Ruby works in a retirement home. The cast of characters Ruby meets there are colourful, yet Nicola May, manages to still bring the poignancy of the moment to the forefront of the readers mind without leaving the mood too sombre. I feel as though it is Nicola May’s humour, which she weaves through the story, which manages to make these moments more light hearted and easier to read about. This humour is present throughout the novel and while at times it is more of an undertone, at others it made me laugh out loud.

The main character Ruby was instantly likeable and I felt as though she could easily be one of my friends. At least I wanted her to be one of my friends! I found it so easy to connect with Ruby, and I thought that perhaps there is a little piece of all of us within her. She is likeable, humorous, caring and just an ordinary girl at heart. Along with Ruby, Nicola May, has created a wide cast of characters, for the reader to meet along Ruby’s journey. While some characters play a smaller role than others, I found that there were many, if not all, that I truly enjoyed reading about. My favourites would have to be Sam, Ruby’s brother, who is blind but seems to have a large amount joy for life and an incredibly positive attitude. I found Sam to be a very inspirational character. I also really enjoyed reading about Margaret, Ruby’s elderly neighbour, who provides Ruby with lots of advice and is a true friend, as well as Lucas, one of the residents of the retirement home. Lucas was a joy to read about, as he took the last moments of his life in his stride, while still being a very poignant character. Even though there are a large amount of characters within the novel, each is memorable enough to not get lost within the plot.

While many of the jobs that Ruby undertakes are described in detail, others are over in a few pages. While fitting twelve jobs into the pages of a novel means that some jobs need to be made less significant than others, I would have liked to see more of how Ruby fares in these other jobs too. I also found that at times Ruby seems to be a little too promiscuous for my liking. There are many different relationships that she becomes part of throughout the novel, with many different men involved. At times these relationships are only based on sex and nothing more. I felt that this made Ruby seem a little too loose with her morals, and felt that perhaps a couple of these encounters could have been taken out, without spoiling the plot or storyline in any way. 

Overall, I loved Working It Out and I have to admit I was a little sad when I reached the end of the novel! I cannot believe that this novel has not been snapped up by a big publishing house, as this is one of the freshest, most entertaining, feel good novels I have read this year. I would recommend anyone who is looking for a novel that will put a great big smile on your face to go out and buy this novel. I can guarantee you will not regret it! I cannot wait to read more from Nicola May and I am excited for what is to come from her in the future.

Fat Girls And Fairy Cakes: A Review

Sue Watson - Fat Girls And Fairy Cakes

When Was It Released?: 8th September 2011
Where Did I Get It From?: Paul from Rickshaw Publishing sent this in exchange for a review
Who Published It?: Rickshaw Publishing  
Number Of Pages: 349 pages

When a book mixes chick lit and baking, two of my favourite things, together, you already know I’m going to be hooked before I even open the book. Fat Girls and Fat Cakes combines both together in one great big mixing bowl that had me laughing, and running to my local store for a big supply of cakes! Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes is Sue Watson’s debut novel, and let me tell you, I already know there are big things to come from this author.

Stella Weston, has a successful career in TV, where she works long hours, has constant stress placed on her from the boss from hell and could probably stand to lose just a few pounds. Stella is constantly battling to find the right balance between her career and her family life, which consists of husband Tom and daughter Grace. Things aren’t looking so good when the boss from hell decides to relegate her to working on a gardening program where she has to contend with a nervous vicar, a nymphomaniac wife and Britney wannabe gardener Gerald. Stella has always been able to find comfort at the bottom of her mixing bowl, and lets be honest who hasn’t? However when even baking cannot save the day Stella decides that she must conjure up the courage to quit her job and find out if she can really turn her passion into her career.

I was instantly drawn into Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes as soon as I started the first page. The character of Stella is so warm and relatable that I felt as though she was actually one of my friends, and at times forgot that she was just a character in a novel. I found myself laughing along with Stella as well as feeling her pain and routing for her to follow her dreams and find happiness. I particularly found that I was able to relate to the comfort that Stella is able to find in baking and in eating the cakes and goodies that she creates. How many of us after a stressful day have turned to the chocolate or cakes as a way of making ourselves feel better? I know more of us than we would admit! I also loved the supporting characters in the novel, with Al being one of my favourites. His humour and flamboyant character are a welcome relief when the novel has more emotional moments. The storyline flows so easily that once you get started with this novel you will have a hard time being able to put it down. I especially loved the way in which each chapter has its own quirky title such as ‘Sex In The Dark’, which really had me wanting to read on to find out what happens next. There is also mention of Strictly Come Dancing, the TV show, in the novel, which I think is great timing for this novel. The new series is just about to begin, therefore linking this into the novel was great timing for Sue Watson.

My only issue with the novel was that I did find it a little difficult to get into at the very beginning. I found that the character of Stella came off as not particularly likeable over the first few pages, with the way she places her career before her child. Once I got into the novel, however I found that the novel

flowed well and that I began to fall in love with the character of Stella.

Overall I loved Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes and would recommend this novel to anyone who loves chick lit and wants a light read. The novel is filled with humour, emotion, bitching, baking and love, making it an enjoyable read. Go and get your copy of Fat Girls and Fat Cakes, but remember, you may want to have some treats in the cupboard before you begin this novel as I can guarantee you will be craving the cakes! And who knows, this may just make you want to get into the kitchen and start baking!

Nicky Well's Author of Sophie's Turn: Interview and GIVEAWAY

Interview

Hi Georgina! Thank you for this opportunity for interview and the fabulous give-away competition. I will be really excited to see your readers' enteries. Now let's take a look at the questions......

1. What was your inspiration for Sophie's Turn?

I was watching a movie one night featuring on of my all-time favourite film stars. I don’t recall exactly who it was (Mel Gibson? Pierce Brosnan?) but I muttered something along the lines of “hmmmm….if he ever proposed, how would a girl turn him down!” My husband pretended to be offended… And there was the crux, the conundrum, the “what if” at the centre of Sophie’s Turn. It came back to haunt me in the middle of the night, and I just had to go and write it down. Then I started spinning a rudimentary tale around it… and the story evolved from there.

2. Why did you decide to self-publish Sophie’s Turn?

Self-publishing is a great avenue for independent authors to get their work ‘out there’ and noticed. It gives you full control over when you publish, where you publish and at what price. It lets me market and publicise Sophie’s Turn in every which way I see fit. What’s not to like?

3. Would you ever turn Sophie’s Turn into a paperback novel or will it always be an e-book?

I would love to publish Sophie’s Turn as a paperback novel. Quite a few people have asked me for paper copies, and I can understand why. However, at this time, the cost involved in making a paper copy and shipping it anywhere but the US is so high that it is not an attractive proposition. I will revisit this issue in the future and you never know…! I’ll keep you posted!

4. Were any elements of Sophie’s Turn based on your own life experiences?

Ah… I wish! I might have hung around a dressing room or three in my time but sadly—no! Sophie’s experiences are all just one big fantasy, mostly! J

But answering your question more broadly… Obviously, Sophie’s Turn is a work of fiction and none of the characters or events in it are real. But how do I, how does any writer, come up with ideas? For me, the answer is that I draw very loosely on things that have happened to me, stories I’ve heard from friends, read in the paper or seen on TV. The process of turning these ‘nuggets’ into a story is not a straightforward one. I never take the real facts or names for my work, but I might draw on the essence, the ‘idea.’ Very often, several ideas come together to make on episode. For example, the ‘de-slugging’ incident that you enjoyed so much came about like this: I know of someone who collects old miner’s hats for a reason that I can’t quite comprehend (that’s one idea strand). My husband gets really annoyed by slugs eating our vegetables all the time (there’s another idea). Slugs always seem to come out in the rain (fact, and another idea). Tim needed to do something really weird (that was a plot requirement). Throw these things in together and mix well…

　
5. With the band Tusk playing an important role throughout the novel, did you go to many gigs or speak with any bands during the writing of the novel?

I go to rock gigs wherever I can get to them—which is not as often as I’d like! I have met a few bands over the years and yes, that helped in writing Sophie’s Turn. But I was quite heavily pregnant while I was writing Sophie’s Turn so I didn’t go to many gigs at that time. The one band I did see then was The Darkness during their Christmas Tour in 2004. They put on one of the best shows I’ve ever seen and they made fantastic live music. I hasten to add that I wasn’t moshing in the front row! In deference to my being five months pregnant, we had booked seats right at the top of the arena. Unfortunately, baby-in-tummy wasn’t too impressed by the noise and vibration even though I wasn’t even dancing! At one point I had to leave and get some quiet time because I thought baby would ‘evacuate’ right there and then.

6. If you were in Sophie’s shoes, do you think you would have made the same decisions that she did?

Hmmm…. I was placing myself in Sophie’s shoes pretty much all through writing the novel, but I found she did quite a few things I wouldn’t have done. For example, I don’t think I would have had the courage to accompany Dan to the Royal, let alone his suite. I was glad about the decisions she made at the very end although I personally might have been inclined to do things slightly differently. I don’t want to give too much away here for folks who haven’t read Sophie’s Turn yet!

7. If Sophie’s Turn were to be made into a movie, what would be your dream cast?

Meet: The Dream Cast for Sophie’s Turn

Featuring…

Dan the Rock Star…. Played by Ewan McGregor!

Sophie… Played by Keira Knightley!

Rachel … Played by Emma Watson!

Tim… Played by Jude Law!

8. In Sophie’s Turn, Sophie gets to travel all over Europe. Where is your favourite place to travel to?

I love going down to Cornwall and Devon because it is so unbelievably pretty and wild down there. In fact, I do need some seaside exposure every now and then just to get things in perspective! In terms of Sophie-style travelling, my favourite place to travel has to be Berlin. It is an amazing, vibrant city with lots to do, big open spaces, lots of water ways (amazing, given that it’s completely landlocked!) and it’s full of exciting, slightly eccentric people.

9. What books are you reading right now?

I just finished reading “Extra Virgin” by Annie Hawes. She describes her experiences of settling down as a somewhat exotic ‘foreign’ (English) creature (and female, and single at that!) in 1970s Liguria in Italy. It’s a fantastic, sun-drenched holiday read and always puts me in the mood for yummy Italian cooking. Now I’ve started on “Sowing Secrets” by Trisha Ashley. It’s the first book of hers that I’m reading and I haven’t got very far yet so I won’t comment for now…

10. Do you have any plans for a second book?

Of course! Sophie’s story isn’t finished, and I’m planning the sequel right now. Sophie and Dan will feature (obviously), as will Rachel. Rachel will have a much bigger, very important role to play… and she might not always like it! I hope to finish it inside a year, allowing for ‘resting’ time, editing, rewriting, proofing and publishing. Watch this space!

Thank you Georgina for these interesting questions, and good luck to everybody entering the give-away! XX

Find out more about Nicky Wells at here
Nicky is also on Facebook and Twitter

Giveaway

Following my review of Nicky Wells' novel, Sophie's Turn, (Check out the review here ), earlier this month, I am delighted to announce a give-away of an e-copy of Sophie's Turn. This give-away is part of the Virtual Book Tour of debut novelist Nicky Wells’ novel Sophie’s Turn (Check out Nicky here )

 Sophie’s Turn is a charming, honest and romantic take on chick lit. The novel focuses on one women's entaglement with a rock star .... and who wouldn't want to marry their favourite star given the chance? If you love chick lit, you will adore this novel. Make sure you don’t miss out on this opportunity to win a copy of this e-book.

Nicky has kindly provided one e-copy of Sophie’s Turn for one of my lucky readers. The lucky winner will get a free e-copy on their Kindle, or their Kindle Reading app for iPad, PC, Mac, iPhone or Android (Kindle Reading Apps are FREE to download from here ).

For the opportunity to win an e-copy of Nicky Well’s Sophie’s Turn, please leave me a comment telling me why you absoutely should win this novel. You must include your email address where you can be reached along with the comment.

This giveaway is open internationally.

Giveaway ends August 31^st at midnight EST  
You can find Sophie's Turn on Amazon :
 

Review: Sophie's Turn by Nicky Well's

Nicky Well's - Sophie's Turn
When Was This Released?: July 9th 2011
Where Did I Get It From? The lovely Nicky Well's sent this copy to me. Thankyou Nicky :-D
Who Published It? Nicky worked long and hard to publish this novel herself

Nicky Well’s is debut author, originally from Germany, now living in Bristol in England, with her husband and two sons. She has self published her first e- book Sophie’s Turn a classic chick lit novel. Nicky kindly sent me an e-book copy of her novel . Normally I don’t enjoy reading e-books, I’m pretty old fashioned and love the feel and smell of a reading a new book. After reading about Sophie’s Turn, however, I was excited to get started. I always enjoy reading novel’s by new and upcoming author’s and Sophie’s Turn was no exception.

Have you ever dreamed of being engaged to a man you have lusted after for many years who is also the lead singer of your all time favourite band? Well for Sophie Penhalligan, this isn’t just her dream its her reality. Dan the lead singer of Tusk has just proposed to her and she is over the moon. There’s just one issue she’s already engaged to her long term boyfriend Tim. You’re probably wondering how one girl can become engaged to two men at once, right? Well so was I when I read the prologue of Sophie’s Turn, after all its not the predicament you find yourself in every day. You’re also probably coming to many presumptions about Sophie already but wait, you have to read her story before you judge her. Once you start devouring the pages you will come to realise how Sophie has managed to land herself in this unlikely situation and along the way you will begin to not only fall in love with her but also perhaps envy her just a little bit. Not only do we come to realise that she has a conscience she also has many elements to her that we can all relate to.

Sophie’s Turn is split into three sections; Flashbacks, Playing With Fire and Showtime. The first looks at how Sophie managed to become engaged to two men at one time; reliable dependable Tim and roguish handsome Dan. The second looks at the progression of both of her relationships with both men, with the third leading us to how Sophie manages to get herself out of her predicament and the decisions she comes to make. I usually don’t enjoy flashbacks as a way of telling back stories, however in Sophie’s Turn Nicky Well’s manages to fit these flashbacks perfectly into the narration so that the novel does not become stilted but continues to flow. I loved the humour injected into this novel with the moment of Tim de-slugging his garden having me laughing out loud, leaving me receiving many strange looks from people around me. I also was thrilled to notice some British elements thrown in, resulting in much nostalgia for me with the mention of scotch eggs and sausage rolls, as I am originally from England and miss many of these elements about Britain. Many UK novelists tend to stay away from too many mentions of words and items only associated with England, fearing that they will isolate the American market, so I was delighted to see that Nicky Well’s had not shied away from this.

Will Sophie choose Tim or Dan? Well you’ll have to read the book to find that answer but let me tell you the ending might just surprise you.

In Sophie’s Turn Nicky Well’s mixes a style reminiscent of Lauren Weinberger’s ‘Last Night in Château Marmont’ with her unique British charm resulting in a honest, charming and slightly bitter sweet, romantic take on modern chick lit. Reading this novel feels as though you are hearing it directly from you’re best friend. I was able to devour this novel almost as fast as I tend to wolf down a chocolate bar when I‘m in need a sugar rush, even having to be literally dragged away from the novel at one point. Anyone who likes chick lit will love Sophie’s Turn just as much as I did.

Have you read this novel? Let me know what you thought.