Alison Wonderland by Helen Smith: A Review

Helen Smith - Alison Wonderland

When Was It Released?: 16th August 2011

Where Did I Get It From?: Little Bird Publicity, who represent Helen Smith, were kind enough to send a copy for review

Who Published It?:    Amazon Encore   
Number Of Pages:  176 pages

As soon as I heard about Alison Wonderland, I knew that I had to read it. Any novel with a name even remotely similar to Alison Wonderland, my all time favorite movie (the 1950’s version that is), has me curious. While Alison Wonderland has nothing to do with the book it sounds so similar too, I was still intrigued after reading more about it. I had read many mixed reviews of this novel before picking it up, therefore I was eager to form my own opinion on the novel.

Alison Temple, is now single and alone after her husband leaves her for another women. Unsure of what to do next she impulsively applies for a job at a detective agency that managed to trap her husband, hoping that it will provide a fresh start. Alison spends her days tracking lost objects and her nights following unfaithful husbands. Alison has many interesting characters in her life including her boss Mrs Fitzgerald, her eccentric best friend, Taron, her love struck neighbour Jeff and even a psychic postman. Her relationship with each of them grows when she joins Taron on a road trip to the sea and stumbles upon sinister goings on she did not see coming.

I have to admit that I am a little mixed with my feelings about Alison Wonderland. At times throughout the book I found myself loving it, and then at times I really had a hard time getting into it. I did find the style of Alison Wonderland to be quintessential and quirky, almost a little reminiscent of Alice In Wonderland. While there are no rabbit holes to fall down nor any Mad Hatter’s, Alison Wonderland still has that magical element of almost falling into another world that is so different from reality. With a shig, cross between a sheep and a pig, monks in an underground tunnel and lots of detective work going on I felt as though at moments as though I was reading a magical land that doesn’t exist. Helen Smith, however manages to combine this style with reality, firmly set in England with normal goings on as well as the obscure. I loved the British colloquiums, humour and style within the novel. Being British living in America I enjoy seeing these elements brought through in a novel. The mentions of Marks and Spencer’s, particularly had me feeling a little nostalgic. I also enjoyed the way in which Helen Smith’s style is laid back and conversational making this an easy read, which flowed well. All of the characters within the novel are quirky and unique making them fun to read about, especially Jeff, Alison’s neighbour who sends her love poems. I enjoyed reading about their oddities and the strange and disconnected relationship that they seem to have with each other, was very entertaining. I found that with Helen Smith’s characterization and quirky wit, I was laughing out loud at many points during the novel.

Unfortunately, I did fall head over heels in love with Alison Wonderland. I find the novel very slow to get started, even with the great line of, “'I'm waiting for Mr Wonderland and when I find him I'll get married. Until then I'm staying single”, I still find that it was a little confusing in the beginning figuring out where this novel was headed. I found it very difficult to get enthralled in the story until a few chapters in, when I was able to delve into the characters more. Some readers may also be offended by some of language and scenes that happen in the book. There is a moment of animal cruelty, which although only mentioned for a couple of sentences, I found a little disturbing. Along with a scene where a man and an animal get a little too friendly. I felt that a couple of these moments could have been toned down, or perhaps taken out of the novel all together. I also found the careless drug use, and quest for a baby within the novel lead me to like Alison a little less than if she had not been as rough around the edges. I was also a little disappointed that there appeared to be a lot going on within the novel, however no real climax was reached. I would have liked to see the novel reach and pinnacle and then reach a conclusion.

Overall, I found Alison Wonderland to be a light yet still thought provoking, fun read. This is a quick read, therefore something you can easily pick up and put back down again, without losing the flow of the story. While I was not blown away with this novel and did have a few issues with it, I still found it to be an enjoyable read and would most probably read more from Helen Smith in the future. I would defiantly recommend picking up a copy of Alison Wonderland if you are after something a little different from your read.

Review: Watching Willow Watts by Talli Roland

Talli Roland   - Watching Willow Watts  

When Was It Released?: 14th September 2011 (e book) and 30th November 2011 (paperback)
 Where Did I Get It From?: Talli Roland was kind enough to send me a copy for review
Who Published It?: Prospera
Number Of Pages:  352 pages


“No one could make you fulfilled and happy except yourself”, is the premise and message behind Talli Roland’s latest novel Watching Willow Watts. In today’s society so many people are desperate to become famous in anyway they can, especially with the introduction of You Tube. Fame, is not all that it is hyped up to be and it is great to see a novel that shows some of the pitfalls and what really happens once the fame takes hold. As soon as I read the synopsis of this novel I knew that I would be hooked and once I received this novel I was excited to get started.

Willow Watts, is a normal girl living in a predictably dull routine. She spends her days working in her dads antique shop and her nights staying in watching TV. Willow lives in a boring village filled with old aged pensioners with the title of Britain’s Ugliest Village. Willow’s life is suddenly turned upside down when a You Tube video of Willow impersonating Marilyn Monroe becomes an overnight sensation after the viewers spot Marilyn’s ghostly image in the video. Willows life and the small town she lives in are thrown into chaos with fans flocking from all over the world to see ‘the new Marilyn. Willow embraces her new identity, gaining weight to achieve Marilyn’s curves and changing her entire look. When Willow’s former love Alex returns to the village she must decide if she wants to focus on fame or revert back to her old self in order to find happiness.

Talli Roland has come up with a individual, unique storyline, which I have not seen done before. I really enjoyed the way she took this quirky idea of someone becoming a You tube sensation and what happens afterwards. I felt that with this storyline Talli was also able to create characters that were relatable and fell into pace with the story. I loved the characters of Dickie, Willow’s father and Bett’s, the Marilyn Monroe fan from America. I especially enjoyed when these two characters were interacting together. I found them extremely likeable and also very funny at times. I hated the character of Jay, he is absolutely vile, doing everything for his own gain and not caring in any way about anyone else. You are expected to hate Jay from the beginning, right through and you will be hoping along the way that someone manages to put him in his place. Willow is also an interesting character who you will feel for throughout the novel. Willow is also very family oriented, which I loved.

My only issue with the novel was that I felt at times as though Willow was a little too naïve. All of us make mistakes in life and make decisions without having all the facts, however I felt as though Willow went into a lot of situations with her eyes closed. I would have liked to see Willow as a little bit of a stronger character. For example Willow falls out with her best friend over Jay and decides to believe what Jay has to say over her best friend, Paula. Willow and Jay have only known each other for a few days, therefore I don’t believe it is realistic for a woman to believe a guy she has just met over her best friend.

Watching Willow Watts is a funny, heart-warming, unique story, that will have leave you unable to put the novel down. I finished Watching Willow Watts is one weekend and did not want it to end. I will now be running to the store to purchase The Hating Game, Talli Roland’s previous novel, in order to read more of her delectable writing. I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a fun unique take on chick lit.

The Language Of Flowers: A Review

Vanessa Diffenbaugh  - The Language Of Flowers

When Was It Released?: 23rd August 2011
Where Did I Get It From?:  Quinne Rogers at Ballantine Publishing was kind enough to send this copy in exchange for an honest review
Who Published It?:  Ballantine

Can flowers change the way in which you look at the world? Well this is the premise of the debut novel The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. I had heard many great things about this novel before it was released and so I was excited to give it a go, even though it is not a novel that I would typically read, and see if it would live up to my expectations. Let me tell you it lived up to and exceeded them.

Victoria Jones has spent her childhood in the foster care system leaving her unable to get close to anyone. Victoria finds her solace in the Victorian language of flowers, which is used to express emotions. Once Victoria turns eighteen she is left with no home, leaving her to sleep in the public park, where she plants a garden of her own. Soon her talent with flowers is noticed by a florist, and is offered a job, once the florist discovers Victoria’s gift in helping other people through the message of flowers. Victoria ends up meeting a vendor at the local flower market and realizes, through him, what is missing from her own life. Soon Victoria begins to fall for the vendor and she is forced to confront a painful secret that has so far been buried in her past. Will she be able to move forward and create a life for herself or will she end up falling back on old feelings that she is not good enough. The Language Of Flowers is a heartbreaking novel about the meaning of flowers, family and love.

The chapters alternate between the present day and Victoria’s time spent in one of her foster homes with Elizabeth. I really enjoyed the way this built the back story of where Victoria has come from and what she has been through, while still moving forward with the present day story and towards exactly what secret Victoria has to hide. My intrigue was kept focused throughout the entire novel, leaving me wanting to know about Victoria’s secret right through to the very end of the novel. The emotions and feelings conveyed throughout the novel were so real and raw, capturing exactly how hard life has been for Victoria. The message that Vanessa wanted to convey about the foster care system came through loud and clear and will leave you with a better understanding of the reality involved.

We really got an insight into exactly how Victoria feels through the events that occur during her life. The character of Victoria is so well written that every emotion she was feeling I felt for her too. I also loved how Vanessa Diffenbaugh manages to create not only a character you love in Victoria, but many other characters you will also fall in love with; Elizabeth and Renata in particular. Both characters are strong and provide light in Victoria’s otherwise dark life, however they do not detract away from the importance of Victoria’s character. Flowers play a large role in the novel and this was something that I really enjoyed more than I thought I would. I loved finding out the different meanings behind each flower, and I will defiantly be consulting the meanings before buying flowers for someone. Vanessa manages to make learning about these flowers interesting and intriguing as she weaves them into Victoria’s life. We learn about many of the flowers as Victoria herself does which results in us learning more about Victoria as well as the flowers. The descriptions Vanessa uses throughout the novel brings the flowers to life on the page and makes it easy to forget that you are just reading a novel. I do not want to give too much away, but I also loved the ending, which left me very satisfied at once I had finished reading.

The Language Of Flowers is quite a sombre and dark novel, taking a look at the reality of the foster care system and the children involved in it. Some readers may find the novel too depressing at times, with Victoria’s life being quite dark. I myself did not find this to be the case, rather I found it very realistic. If you want an uplifting novel, however, then Language Of Flowers is defiantly not for you.

I would recommend The Language Of Flowers to everyone, it was a great thought provoking read. I was enchanted by this novel and the way in which we learn about the maternal nurturing of mothers and how sometimes life can be a lot harder than we could ever realise. A stunning debut from Vanessa Diffenbaugh; I could not tear myself away from this novel from start to finish. This is a novel I will come back to again and again and will stay with you long after you have turned the last page. I look forward to reading more from Vanessa in the future. 

Before Ever After: A Review

Samantha Sotto - Before Ever After

When Was It Released?: 2nd August 2011
Where Did I Get It From?: The library
Who Published It?: Crown Publishing

Every once in a blue moon a book comes along that grips hold and of you and never lets go. A book that transports you to another world that you never want to leave. Where fairytales might just come true and maybe just maybe you may get your happily ever after. Well that’s just what Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto did for me. I never expected to fall in love with a novel quite as much as I did with this one. Before Ever After is a modern day Romeo and Juliet, with more of a fairytale twist.

One day Shelley and her husband Max were madly in love and couldn’t be happier, the next Max dies and Shelley is left behind as his widow. It has now been three years since Max’s death and Shelley has still been unable to adjust to living without him. Until, suddenly, the doorbell ring and standing there is a man who looks just like Max in everyway. Shelley cannot believe her eyes and thinks she must be going crazy until the man introduces himself as Paolo and shows Shelley some photos from his childhood. He tells her that the man in the photos is Paolo’s grandfather, Max. Her Max. And it seems he is still alive! How could he be alive when Shelley knows he died? And the question Shelley wants the answer to the most - why has he not come to find her? Desperately wanting to find the answers to her questions Shelley and Paolo travel across the world, while Shelley recounts the European tour where they met and the stories Max told her along the way. Shelley comes to some astound revelations and comes to discover that her happily ever after may not be all it seems.

How do I convey to you a book that has completely changed my view on books forever? Before Ever After is a book that I will now compare all other books to, and I know that many will fail to come even close. There are so many elements to this incredible story - romance, history, a wide range of emotions from loss to hope and adventure throughout the pages, resulting in there never being a dull moment. The character of Shelley was so likeable that I found myself routing for her ’happy ever after’ and feeling her emotions the entire way through. I found all the characters to be important within the novel, playing a part in Shelley’s story. I particularly loved the historical stories that Max told throughout the novel, finding them to be not only interesting but intriguing too, filling the story with adventure. With all the emotion the story could have become sombre, however Samantha Sotto manages to throw some humour in with the use of chicken and eggs, making the novel much lighter and natural. I now want to find out how to make the perfect baked eggs. The magical realism within the novel was a welcome change, which I do not normally enjoy. I like my novels to have some elements of realism but they way in which Samantha brought this story together made it much easier to believe that Max could still be alive.

It is very hard to tell you anything I didn’t like about the novel! If pushed I would tell you that perhaps I would have liked to have found out more about Rose and Jonathon as well as Brad and Simon, feeling that their stories were never really looked at or completed.

As you can probably tell I loved this novel! I borrowed this book from the library and because I love it so much will now be purchasing a copy so I can come back and read this book again. I would recommend this novel to everyone, and have been doing ever since I finished the book. You can’t begin to understand how incredible this novel is until you read it for yourself, and then you will be taken away with the story and laugh cry and hope along the way. I am eagerly awaiting another novel from Samantha Sotto and will be first in the queue for the next book.                       

Little Black Dress: A Review

Susan McBride - Little Black Dress

When Was It Released? 23rd August
Where Did I Get It From? Stephanie Kim at William Morrow kindly send this to me in exchange for an honest review
Who Published It? William Morrow

As Coco Chanel once famously stated “every girl needs their little black dress." Well Susan McBride’s new novel Little Black Dress follows this premise but takes it one step further. What if that wonderful little black dress didn’t just make you look and feel amazing it did much more? How much more? Well it showed whoever wore the dress what their future holds. Would Coco Chanel still be telling us all we need our little black dresses if they all did this?

Antonia (also known as Toni), is a successful business women with her own thriving business and a relationship that seems to be going well. Life seems to be running along smoothly for Antonia, until her mother, Evie, suffers a stroke, forcing Antonia to return to her home of Blue Hills. Antonia, with the help of her mother’s housekeeper, stumbles across more secrets than she ever dreamed existed in her childhood home. Antonia vows to uncover these secrets and understand her mother’s life, before it is too late, including the story of her aunt Anna who disappeared fifty years ago the night before her wedding. Will Antonia be able to handle the secrets she reveals or are they just better left in the past? Antonia will not only learn about her family, and a little black dress that just may be magical, but she will also learn some home truths about herself too.

I can’t believe that I am admitting to this but I have never read any of Susan McBride’s previous work, although I have heard many great things about The Cougar Club. Well let me tell you that’s about to change, from now on I will be searching out everything written by Susan. After reading Little Black Dress I can’t wait to read more from her. I loved Little Black Dress from the first page to the last, with the concept of fate, the path your life takes and a little magic thrown in, being fresh and new in relation to many topics that chick lit authors tend to focus on. I fell in love with Evie and Toni almost straight away, and as the novel progressed I found myself hoping that Evie would recover in such a way that sometimes I forgot she was she just a character rather than a real person. I wanted to be friends with both of these ladies, even though they were both older than I am, I felt that I could relate to them in many ways. I particularly liked the way in which both the present and past stories are told in relation to each other, switching from one chapter being in the past to the next being in the present. The story flowed easily without losing track of what was going on with each character at any one time.

I am a firm realist and don’t tend to enjoy novels or movies with magical elements in them as I do not find them realistic to life. Some people enjoy novels about magical elements, finding that they transport them off to a different world, however I prefer my novels to have some realism to them. And while Little Black Dress is very relatable in many senses I found that I did not enjoy a large amount of the magical elements in this book. I feel that if more information was given as to where the dress came from before it came to be in the shop I would have enjoyed reading about it more. I would also have liked to have heard more of Anna’s story, where she was while she was gone and what she was thinking and feeling.

Overall I loved this book and would defiantly recommend it, even to those of you who don’t usually like magic mixed in with your chick lit (that would be me before reading the novel). Little Black dress is a sentimental look into family relationships and in particular that special bond between mother and daughter. This novel is filled with hope, magic and love, told with Susan McBride’s sparkling wit. This novel will leave you feeling like a child again, asking yourself the question, does magic truly exist?  

Always Something There To Remind Me: A Review

Beth Harbison - Always Something There To Remind Me

When Was It Released?: July 19th 2011
Where Did I Get It From?: The Library
Who Published It? St Martins Press

Do you remember your first love? To be honest, doesn't everyone? I know I sure do. I won't bore you with that story but lets just say its something I won't forget and I doubt you will either. Whether you want to or not well thats a totally different story. And first loves is one of the main focuses in Beth Harbison's new novel 'Always Something There To Remind Me."  Im sure anyone reading this post will know who Beth Harbison is, but just incase you haven't heard of her; she is a chick lit author from New York who's previous novels include Thin Rich and Pretty and Shoe Addicts Anonymous.

Erin Edwards, an event planner, is involved with Rick, her current boyfriend, who she has been with for a year. Rick is successfull, kind and raising a daughter all on his own. So when Rick proposes Erin should be ectastic, right? So why at that moment is the first thing that comes into Erin's head the name; Nate Lawson?

Nate Lawson was Erin's high school boyfriend. Except he was more than that, way more than that. Erin was convinced she had found the love of her life in Nate. She think he would be the man she would marry, have children with and that they would grow old together.  Theres just one problem; one night Erin makes a mistake that Nate just won't forgive and Erin is left alone to mourn for what she believes is her perfect man. Ever since Rick proposed all Erin can think about is Nate and what if things had worked out differently?  She comes to the relalization that she has to find Nate and figure out exactly what she wants from her life.

Still not thinking about your first love? Well trust me if you aren't now you will be after reading this novel and you might just end up asking some of the same questions along with Erin. 'Something There To Remind Me' definatly left me feeling nostalgic. This story will resonate with any woman who has ever thought of a past boyfriend and even just wondered about where he is and what he may be doing. And if you haven't, well don't be put off because you will feel along with Erin. From the first page I was drawn into Erin's life and emotions. I also love the cover of this book, even though it is fairly simple it draws you in and makes you want to know exactly what the novel is about and to delve straight into the pages.

After reading so far you may be thinking that this is the perfect novel. Well if I'm honest, there are a couple of things I didn't like so much about the novel. The first being that after almost two decades of being apart from Nate, now is the time that she all of a sudden begins to think about him in an almost obsessive manner. I feel that it would have been more realistic if these feelings had built up, or always been present, rather than just all of a sudden coming on really strong. I also didn't like the way about half way through the novel Erin ends up seeing Nate again and the first thing they do is end up falling into bed together. After 20 years and all the anger that Nate supposedly had for her. As well as both of them being in relationships at the time, it just does not seem relistic that this would happen. Erin also does not seem to feel much guilt about cheating on her boyfriend Rick, and there is little development of their relationship in the novel. Beth also writes some rather explict sex scenes between her characters, so if this in any way offends you then you may not enjoy this novel.

I really loved this novel to begin with, enjoying the flashbacks between present day life and her teenage years with Nate, however after a while I felt as though the story was not really going anywhere. Overall, I did enjoy the novel, with Beth taking an emotional look at the agony of first love, without losing any of her tradement humour and chick lit style. I found the novel to be touching and truthful however it is my least favourite of Beth Harbison's books so far. Even so, the novel is still worth a read.

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

Celebrity Book News: Tyra Banks and Tess Daly

Tyra Banks: Modelland

Tyra Banks, model and presenter of America's Next Top Model has turned her hand to writing with the release of her debut novel "Modelland". This is set to be the first of a series of three young adult fantasy series books. "Modelland is set to be released in Septemeber and I will definatly be getting my copy as soon as it hits the shelves. Want to know more? :

No one gets in without being asked. And with her untamable hair, large forehead, and gawky body, Tookie De La Creme isn't expecting an invitation. Modelland - the exclusive, mysterious place on top of the mountain - never dares to make an appearance in her dreams. But someone has plans for Tookie. Before she can blink her mismatched eyes, Tookie finds herself in the very place every girl in the world obsesses about. And three unlikely girls have joined her. Only seven extraordinary young women become Intoxibellas each year. Famous. Worshipped. Magical. What happens to those who don't make it? Well, no one really speaks of that. Some things are better left unsaid. Thrown into a world where she doesn't seem to belong, Tookie glimpses a future that could be hers - if she survives the beastly Catwalk Corridor and terrifying Thigh-High Boot Camp. Or could it? Dark rumours like silken threads swirl around the question of why Tookie and her new friends were selected . . . and the shadows around Modelland hide sinister secrets

Tess Daly - The Camera Never Lies

The beautiful Tess Daly, British presenter of Strictly Come Dancing (The UK's version of Dancing With The Stars) has written her debut fiction novel "The Camera Never Lies." Her previous non-fiction is untitled the Baby Diaries, taking a look at motherhood. "The Camera Never Lies" is set to be released in October and I can't wait to get my hands on this. To get you excited about the novel here is the synopsis:

Britt Baxter is unaware of the effect she has on people. A big-hearted, no-nonsense northern girl, she naturally looks for the best in everyone she meets, but in her attempts to make it as model she finds she struggles against being pinned down on the casting couch by the most unlikely people... So when a happy accident lands her a career as a presenter on breakfast television, it looks as if she has made it out of the modelling world of close-ups and cattle calls and into the big time - or at least daytime TV. But scarcely has Britt had time to wonder at how far she has come, when backstage machinations propel her with ever increasing speed through a series of trapdoors and she soon realises that the drama backstage far eclipses anything that happens in front of the camera.

Books Released This Week

Want to know what new chick lit books you can buy this week? Well look no further because this post is dedicated to just that. Below is a list of all the books out this week. If you think I have missed any books, please let me know.

Tamina Perry - Private Lives

Kate Lace - Gypsy Wedding



Sue Margolis - A Catered Affair



Samantha Sotto - Before Ever After



Maggie Dawson - The Stuff That Never Happened



Girls In White Dresses - Jennifer Close




Sinead Moriarty - Me and My Sisters



Fiona Neill - What The Nanny Saw



Rebecca Chance - Bad Sisters