Review & Giveaway: 336 hours by Rachel Cathan

Genre: ‘Based on the author’s true life experiences, 336 Hours is a humorous and poignant diary about one woman’s quest to be a mother.’

Release Date: 13th February 2017
Publisher: SilverWood Books

The next 336 hours will be tough. No, the next 336 hours will be really tough…

I feel like an Olympian, waiting to see whether the years of hard work, sacrifice and dedication are finally going to pay off, or whether my body is about to fail me at the last hurdle and make me wonder why I ever hoped I could win.

My best friend is pregnant, my single friends are planning their pregnancies and, after five long years of tests and investigations, I’m coming to the end of my third – and supposedly final – IVF treatment. There are 336 hours to survive before I’ll know if I get to join the motherhood club. That’s 224 waking hours of pure psychological torture. 112 sleeping hours to stare at the ceiling and wonder, what the hell am I going to do with my life if it turns out I can’t have kids?

Based on the author’s true life experiences, 336 Hours is a humorous and poignant diary about one woman’s quest to be a mother.

My thoughts

The author has written a story, her story, in a humoured way but with an everyday struggling subject for most women. There were moments where I laughed out loud, had tears in my eyes… as I was one of those ‘lucky ones’ to get pregnant without going through the IVF system. Howevee I was tols that was the only way to conceive for me due to medical reasons so I could relate in ways a lot to her writing.

All the assumptions are there too – you are married 5 years… where are our grandkids… people expect so much and expect people to go through the norm it is unreal.

Rachel has captured all her insecurities during the book really well and real but with a healthy dose of humour. I think this is a must read for any woman who is trying to break from the norm about kids or who are struggling to do so.

I can highly recommend this book and I will mention this to many of my friends as a must read.

Extract

I can’t pretend to have a clue what she means, of course. I don’t know what it’s like to have little people shouting, ‘Mummy! Mummy! MUUMMEEE!’ all day long, to never be able to go for a wee on your own, to make spaghetti bolognese and then watch your dinner dates tip it straight over their heads, to stay up all night comforting a teething toddler, to spend hours coercing and pleading with very small people to put shoes and coats on so you can at last leave the fucking house.

But I want to know this life. Because that stuff gives you stories, first-hand experiences, and the right to exchange knowing smiles of solidarity with other frazzled parents as you all manoeuvre your wayward shopping trolleys around the aisles of Tesco.

And it comes with other stuff, too: the good stuff.

BUY LINK

AMAZON UK – AMAZON US – Silverwood Books

ABOUT RACHEL CATHAN

 RACHEL CATHAN is a writer from Bedfordshire. In 2001, a mutual friend introduced her to a part-time pub DJ in Southend-on-Sea. A month later, they had moved in together, around seven years later they tied the knot, and a little while after that – just like so many couples before them – they made the exciting and terrifying decision to start a family. And then, like a growing number of couples today, well…not a lot happened.

Throughout the subsequent years of fertility investigations and failed treatments, Rachel kept a diary of her experiences, and it’s from these first- hand encounters in the world of infertility and IVF that her first book, 336 Hours has been adapted.

Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads Author Page – Blog – Website

Giveaway

Win 2 ebooks with a rafflecopter competition – click here

Promo Post + Giveaway: Paradise Prison by Faith Morti

Hello and welcome to an awesome promo post for Paradise Prison by Faith Mortimer. When I read about this book, I just knew I had to be part of the Promo tour – Let me know in the comments below what you think of this book. 🙂

Genre: Psychological Thriller
Release Date: 7th January 2017
Series: Dark Minds #4
Publisher: Topsails Charter
Buy links: AMAZON UK – AMAZON US

Synopsis

Following an almighty row, Gillian stands up to her abusive boyfriend. The consequences are horrendous and far-reaching.

Terrified, she flees her home, seeking anonymity abroad while coming to terms with the outcome of her actions.

In Portugal, Gillian meets Harry, a yachtsman. Needing crew for his Atlantic Ocean-crossing she applies for the job. Half-way into the journey, after confessing to her crime, Harry offers her refuge on an uninhabited island in the Caribbean which he says he owns.

Confused and depressed, Gillian imagines this is the answer to her problems. She needs time to lie low and consider her options; confront the authorities or live in obscurity? Harry is offering the perfect hiding place…or is he?

When things start going horribly wrong, she asks herself if she is alone on the island. But maybe the biggest question of all is why she gets the gut feeling Harry wants to keep her there at all costs?What happens when she says … no.

About the Author

Faith is a British author dividing her time between Hampshire, England & Cyprus. Since 2005 she turned her hobby of writing into a career. During childhood, she dreamed of writing novels which readers would love, & spent many hours writing short stories which she read to her sisters. Born in Manchester & educated in Singapore, Malaya & Hampshire, England. Amazon Top #14 author rank for mystery, #27 mystery, thriller & suspense, #55 literature & fiction #5 bestselling author on Nook Books. Faith’s books have made the Kindle Top 100 Paid List numerous times.

Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads Author Page – Google+ – Website

 

Giveaway

1st Prize – Ecopies of all 4 books in the series
2nd Prize – an ecopy of the book

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

 

New addiction – Ultimate Dot to Dot

I thought I share with you my latest addiction…. The Ultimate Dot to Dot by Dr Gareth Moore. Published by Michael O’Mara Books – I think it is AMAZING!

This is so cool, it is not just a dot to dot from 1 to 999 but I like to compare it with paint or colour by number. Each section of numbers has a colour which represents the colour they recommend you use for that part of the picture. Plus you have full dots and open dots as I call them. This means that you can start anywhere from an open dot as that is how you are able to get the differences in colour and the shapes and gaps.

 

I love how they come along and how pretty they are – there is a downside to this. The numbers can run up into the 1700’s and it gets a bit difficult to see which dot belongs to which number. You have to look very carefully where the line would be or could be going and what the image would be then you will figure it out.

I hope more of these will come out – I managed to snap this up via Amazon Black Friday Deals and so happy I did this!

 

Have you done any dot to dots and do you like them? Can you recommend more books like this? Just let me know!

Charlene

 

 

Review: The Cake Shop in the Garden by Carole Matthews

The Cake Shop in the Garden by Carole Matthews

Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 23 April 2015
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy Links: Amazon UK – Amazon US
Website: www.carolematthews.com

Synopsis

Fay Merryweather runs her cake shop from her beautiful garden. She whips up airy sponges and scrumptious scones, while her customers enjoy the lovely blossoms and gorgeous blooms. Looking after the cake shop, the garden and her cantankerous mother means Fay is always busy but she accepts her responsibilities because if she doesn’t do all this, who will? Then Danny Wilde walks into her life and makes Fay question every decision she’s ever made. When a sudden tragedy strikes, Fay’s entire world is thrown off balance even further and she doesn’t know which way to turn. Can Fay find the strength to make a life-changing decision – even if it means giving up the thing she loves the most? Life, love and family are about to collide in The Cake Shop in the Garden

My thoughts

What a fabulous and awesome read! I started this last night and finished it later today. I couldn’t let this go and it was a complete page turner for me.
The characters are very well written and I absolutely loved Fay, Danny, Stan and Lija. Especially Lija, with her foul mouth but the one solid presence in Fay’s life and always there for her no matter what.
The non likeable characters such as Miranda, Anthony and Edie are good written, so much so that I really disliked them haha! Feeding off Fay as the good girl Fay is, Miranda I really detested till the very last page of the book, I can’t believe someone would do that to someone!

In the other sense, this book has made me think about a lot of stuff and contains a lot of good quotes and life lessons I will certainly take on board. Now more than ever I believe that books walk into your life on the right times on the right moments.
Take control of your life and your happiness, only you can bring happiness to your life, not someone else. Someone else may enrich your life but happiness should come from yourself, from within.

Review: The Definition of Icing by Aven Ellis

The Definition of Icing by Aven Ellis

Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing
Publication Date: 27 May 2015
Genre: New Adult, Chick Lit, Hockey, Romance
Links: Amazon UK – Amazon US
Website: Avenellis.com
Source: Received from Author in exchange for an honest review.

 

Synopsis

Kenley Hunter finally has everything sorted out. Fresh from studying chocolate making in Europe, she’s gambling everything on her new business, Confection Consultations.

All Kenley wants in life is people to take her seriously, to see the person on the inside rather than the blond beauty on the outside. While pursuing her passion of chocolate, Kenley discovered people seek her knowledge. They see past the exterior and fall for the chocolate delights in front of them.

So with work as her focus, Kenley is ready to start her career in Dallas. Men are out of her recipe, because she fears that once they get past her looks, they’ll be disappointed in what they find. Kenley decides she’s all about the chocolate now.

Or is she?

Because a chance meeting with new Dallas Demon hockey star Nate Johansson might change everything. Sent to Dallas in a blockbuster trade, Nate is somewhere he doesn’t want to be, for reasons that have caused him heartbreak on multiple levels. Nate knows he will never trust a woman again after what happened to him in Minnesota.

But when he meets a woman with an intriguing name and a passion for chocolate, Nate isn’t so sure about his theory. And he might just learn a definition of icing other than the one used in hockey with Kenley as his guide…

 

My Thoughts

Warning – Make sure you have plenty of chocolates whilst reading this book

Oh my, Aven Ellis once again does not disappoint with her books! I absolutely adore her books, especially if the handsome Dallas Demons boys are in it!

Let me explain the warning for you, We meet Kenley (Bae) here and she has studied chocolate making in Europe and got her business called Confection Consultants. If you during and by the end of the book had not eaten any chocolate nor did you felt the need to it, I will eat a milk chocolate curry bar!! hahaha
But Kenley makes you not only want to eat chocolate, she makes you want to fall in love with the best chocolate out there. Suddenly the Cadbury isn’t good enough and you start to research luxury chocolate such as Marabau – or is that a cute floppy rescue puppy?

Anyways let’s get back to this awesome story, as we meet Nate! Oh and we see snippets of Harrison and Kylie, I just love these two!! Nate is a broody Hockey player from Minnesota who has been transferred to Dallas because of his past. Not that he has been a bad boy, on the contrary. His previous girlfriend cheated on him badly, that due to a contract clausule he was the one who had to be transferred somewhere else and OH BOY did he not liked this!

Kenley is a professional businesswoman who has to battle continuously against people who doesn’t want to see passed her exterior. She is a typical blond with blue eyes, but she is intelligent and businesslike. She and Nate bump into eachother during a photoshoot for the Dallas boys – where they try to get her to dress in a skimpy dress and promote her chocolate. She refuses and Nate buts in and has her back! That is where we first see their connection!

They have their ups and downs as they have both been wronged and hurt by past relationships, but their connection is literally flying off the pages that at some points you want to jump in and talk to them.
I am absolutely in love with Kenley’s sister Amanda, her two nieces and Kenley’s BFF Lexi. Ooohh Lexi is so awesome! Even her mother CiCi is hilarious, although sometimes a bit too overbearing.

A lovely romantic Dallas Demons Hockey book, which will have you melted and crumbled and wanting chocolate by the end of the book. I can highly recommend this book and I will continue devour Aven’s books!