Review: The Quantum Curators and the Fabergé Egg

The Quantum Curators and the Fabergé Egg by Eva St. John
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Imagine a world when the African nations rose up against the Romans when they burned the Library at Alexandria and drove them all the way back to Italy. Where peace and harmony are valued, and nations work together to eliminate disease and poverty. This is the Alpha Earth, as opposed to the Earth we know, which is the Beta Earth.

Neith Salah is an Egyptian Quantum Curator, she and her team go to the Beta Earth (travelling back in time as necessary) to rescue priceless art before it is lost or destroyed, they bring it back to Alpha where it is catalogued, holographically recorded and stored in hermetically sealed archives. But anyone on Alpha can have a perfect copy of the artifact in their own homes.

On Beta Earth Charles Bradshaw, a freelance art retriever for several museums, acquires part of a Russian matryoshka set of dolls from an elderly Polish woman which were separated and sealed decades ago. When he succeeds in opening the set he has, the smallest doll contains a note saying the largest doll contains the egg. Could he be on the trail of a Faberge Egg? Charlie enlists his best friend Julius Strathclyde, a Cambridge academic, to research the woman's family and try to locate the missing doll.

When the Quantum Field alerts the Quantum Curators that a lost Faberge Egg is about to surface in present-day Beta Earth, and be destroyed, Neith and her team-mate Clio, together with her best friend Ramin and his team-mate Paul are assigned to retrieve the Egg, even though they currently have no intelligence as to where it is or who has it - cue lots of research. But when the team identify Charlie it seems they are not alone, there are mysterious men following Charlie, are they Russian Mafia? Or less-scrupulous art collectors? Could they be rival Quantum Curators? Before any of those questions can be answered Charlie is killed and Julius may be the only person who can decipher where Charlie hid the egg.

I enjoyed this; it was a light-hearted alt-universe time-travel romp (albeit there wasn't very much time travel). My only criticism was that it ended rather abruptly, almost like a cliff-hanger.

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Review: An Island Wedding

An Island Wedding by Jenny Colgan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sadly, this didn't work for me, maybe because I read book 3 only a few days earlier. It all just felt a bit rinse and repeat. Surely this far into their relationship Joel would stop being a baby and thinking only of himself? But no, he wants a very small wedding, FFS they leave on a remote Scottish island how many people does he think there will be, never mind that this will disappoint all their friends and neighbours.

Saif and Lorna are doing the push-me-pull-me AGAIN.

Jan is being surly and annoying again, although this time because her beautiful, perfect little sister wants to get married to her uber-rich boyfriend on Mure.

My overall feeling was that this was essentially the same book as book 3 and book 4 with just another life event, and I know that is simplistic because there are births and deaths and life-changing decisions, but the feel is just that I've read this all before and there's no character development.

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Review: An Island Christmas

An Island Christmas by Jenny Colgan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time to return to Mure for more cutesy Scottish island whimsy.

Flora and Joel are an item, but then she finds out she is pregnant, will he be happy about the news when returns to Mure or will this be yet another opportunity for him to bemoan his fate and everyone conspiring against him? If you've read the other books, you'll have a pretty good idea.

Sorry if this reads snarky (not really), I had the suspicion that I had read this before but honestly I think the books are a bit rinse and repeat. Every book Joel is distant and throws a strop/forces his wishes on Flora which eventually get overturned, Flora mopes around worried about what he will say and whether he will get bored of her. Saif, the refugee doctor and Lorna the schoolteacher mope around making cow eyes at each other because (i) she teaches his children and (ii) he's technically still married. Oh, and Jan goes around being 'honest' to everyone whether they like it or not!

It was a sweet enough read for 99p, but I think I would have been annoyed if I paid the current price of £4.49.

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Review: Some Kind of Wonderful

Some Kind of Wonderful by Giovanna Fletcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Lizzy and Ian have been together for years, ever since Uni, and everyone expects Ian to pop the question any day now. He's even pre-gamed asking her Dad's permission because it's that much of a foregone conclusion. Only it's never happened, every romantic break, Valentine's Day Lizzy keeps expecting it ... but nothing. Now on a luxurious holiday in Dubai, at an intimate dinner for two on the beach It looks like it's finally happening, but it turns out to be something very different.

Now Lizzy is back living with her parents in Essex, with no boyfriend and realises that somewhere along the path of becoming a 'we' she has lost sight of the girl she used to be, subduing her likes (The Spice Girls, short skirts, and clubbing) for Ian's more high-brow tastes.

The trouble is ... LIzzy spends half the book realising that she changed while she was with Ian and wanting to 'find herself' and the other half of the book realising that she would have changed in a decade anyway. It all seemed a bit pointless, loved the journey but not the destination.

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Review: Private Player

Private Player by Louise Bay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

I don't know why I like Louise Bay books but I do. Every time I read one my eyes roll so hard I fear they could fall out of the sockets and yet every time they come up as Kindle freebies I keep one-clicking! I call these books Billionaire by the Numbers novels: arrogant, yet insecure; appears unprincipled, yet actually has a strong moral code; known as being a playboy, yet actually its all smoke-and-mirrors; starts off raunchy with a potty mouth but ends up making lurve; etc.

Nathan Cove is a self-made billionaire who has recently taken his insurance company public. Unfortunately, being the youngest FTSE 100 CEO in history has brought him unwanted publicity as a playboy more interested in partying with supermodels than in business, whereas he is actually totally dedicated to the business, just not schmoozing Hedge Funds and journalists. He has recently been seen at a nightclub with a married woman, which has been splashed all over the tabloids, even though the woman is an old family friend. He's at his friends' wedding, bored out of his skull and itching to leave because he hates weddings (of course he does).

Madison Shore is a journalist who has recently got a temporary position at the Post (not sure which UK newspaper that is supposed to be), having previously worked at Rallegra which is more of a women's magazine, and is anxious to get a permanent position as a serious journalist. Madison is also at the wedding, knows no one other than the bride and groom and is also desperate to get away.

Inevitably the two of them are sitting together and end up having a steamy one-night stand. Cue horror all round when they both discover on Monday that Madison has been hand-picked by Nathan's PR representative to write an in-depth, all-access, article on Nathan to (hopefully) dispel some of the bad press.

I both enjoyed this and didn't, part of me thinks there wasn't really a story here, or maybe the story wasn't a romance but more Nathan losing the chip on his shoulder. And yet ... I have at least 10 books that I have started/tried to read in the past week or so, two of which were published this week, and this is the only book I could bear to continue reading. To me this is a typical beach read (indeed I think I binge read one of her series on holiday in Thailand several years ago), raunchy, easy to follow, candyfloss for the brain.

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Review: Killers of a Certain Age

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen and Natalie were recruited to be an elite group of female assassins for a shadowy organisation called The Museum back in the 1970s. Originally set up by ex-OSS and other military acronyms staff to track down and kill Nazis, in recent years as the number of living Nazis has dwindled they have branched out into killing dictators, drug lords, paedophiles, and other 'bad people'. But all good things come to an end and after forty years the women have officially retired and been given an all-expenses paid cruise.

They might have retired and be slightly less agile than they were forty years ago, but they are still as sharp as tacks and notice that another Museum employee is posing as a waiter on board. The only conclusion is that he has been sent to assassinate them ... but why?

This reminds me very much of that great film Red starring Bruce Willis and Helen Mirren (among others), it has the same vibe. These four women have forgotten more than most of their younger colleagues have learned, and they won't go down without a fight. If the Board of the Museum has ordered their deaths then the Board must die.

It took me ages to start reading this, mainly because I had tried and heartily disliked A Curious Beginning, but I liked the sound of this so I requested an ARC .. and then left it on my TBR pile for nearly two months!

Anyway, if you want to read about four independent women killing their enemies in creative fashion, then look no further. A clever romp that will keep you enthralled all the way through. Dare I hope there might be a sequel?

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Santa, Please Bring Me a Boyfriend

Santa, Please Bring Me a Boyfriend by Sophie Ranald
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

DNF at 55%.

Rowan is feeling a bit down. She and the father of her daughter spit up a long time ago, but they've secretly been getting it on for several years, so when she finds out that he is getting married to his new girlfriend she feels a little bereft, especially since her daughter will be a bridesmaid.

Rowan's best friends decide to cheer her up by sending her a Liberty's advent calendar (Liberty being an upmarket department store in London). But because they know Rowan would cheat and open all the doors on the first day they decide to courier the gifts to her on a daily basis. Some of them are beauty products but others are aimed at boosting her self-esteem (eg vouchers for a swanky lingerie shop). But what boosts Rowan's esteem more is the kind, and good-looking courier Alex, as he delivers her presents everyday he stays to see what she has received. There is a secret about Alex (frankly it might have been revealed early on but if it was I've forgotten), and literally that is it, I'm over half way through the book and that is all I have.

I have read and enjoyed several books by Sophie Ranald in the past but unfortunately this was not one of them. I stopped and started the book several times and promised myself I would get at least halfway before making any rash decisions, but here I am, 55% through and still waiting for something to happen. So this is where I bail out. Maybe I've just got a bit of the Christmas Grinch.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.


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Review: Georgie, All Along

Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Georgie is living her best life as PA to an LA superstar, until boos decides to streamline her life and semi-retire. Now Georgie is homeless and jobless, so she decides to returns home to Darentville, Virginia to lick her wounds and help her BFF Bel, who begged her to come home only a few weeks earlier. Driving thousands of miles cross-country, on very little sleep with a car stuffed to the gills with plastic bags containing all her worldly possessions, Georgie feels like nothing has changed from her nineteen year-old self who left all those years ago. Then to add insult to injury when she tries to buy a couple of milkshakes at the local store she finds she has no money, giving the locals another chance to put her down and the very rude man in the line behind her the opportunity to grumble, and then pay for her drinks.

Helping Bel to unpack her junk room at the new house she and her husband have bought in anticipation of their first child, Georgie comes across an old diary which she and Bel wrote together, but less of a diary and more of an anticipation of what life at High School would be like, the thins they would do together. Georgie is mortified to realise that she didn't do any of those things and decides that this is her chance for a do-over, perhaps doing all these things will help her find her direction because it seems as though she still doesn't have a vocation, or even any inclining of what she wants to do next.

Moving into her parents' home while they are on one of their wacky roadtrips, Georgie is horrified when the grumpy guy from the shop lets himself into her parents' home accompanied by his big dog. Little does she know that her scatty parents offered to let Levi Fanning and his dog stay at their place while his home is being remodelled, and forgot to tell her when she said she was coming home.

Levi was the town's bad boy, when Georgie was at school there were all sorts of rumours about him, basically anything bad, he had done or was responsible for (a bit like the guy in the film Ten Things I Hate About You). He was also the older brother of Georgie's teenage crush who features very heavily in her diary. Levi has cleaned up his act and is a responsible businessman now, but his parents, brother and sister no longer speak to him, which is a pity because the family owns and runs a large up-market hotel where he could otherwise have stayed during the remodel.

Although Levi might have scared her initially, Georgie can't force him to sleep in his truck, or put his dog in doggy day-care, especially after he is mauled by a much smaller dog so she agrees to share the house with Levi. In return, Levi offers to help her with her diary to-do list, especially since Bel being so heavily pregnant means she can't do several things on the list. Can these two lost souls find redemption together?

I like Kate Clayborn, I really enjoyed her Chance in a Lifetime trilogy about three friends who win the lottery, and I liked this too. Intelligent characters, a tightly woven plot, cutesy small town, lovely dog - what's not to like?

Recommended for those who like small-town romance, reluctant roommates and curmudgeonly heroes.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: The Only Way Is Up

The Only Way Is Up by Heidi Stephens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Daisy (think Fern Britton) torpedoes her family image by splashing her minge (accidentally) all over the tabloids she rusticates to her ex-husband's cottage in the Cotswolds. A gay ex-husband, alcoholic mother, and sex-addict boyfriend don't make life easy.

Daisy soon discovers that her nearest neighbour is a disgraced celebrity chef who is living off the grid for a year while he writes a book, there's a disgraced Tory MP and his family living in the village, the head teacher of the local private school is surly, and the local tennis coach is a bit of a lech.

This was like Katie Fforde on steroid (or maybe Viagra). A small-town cutesy romance with a bit of heat.

I received an Arc from the publisher in return for an honest review.

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Review: The House Beneath the Cliffs

The House Beneath the Cliffs by Sharon Gosling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Anna has spent her entire adult life subservient to her boyfriend Geoff, putting her dreams as a chef below his. But when his cheating and gaslighting become too much to bear she uses her small inheritance to buy a tiny house in the hamlet of Crovie, Scotland. Almost immediately she regrets her impulsive decision, but her neighbours persuade her to run an exclusive lunch club (six seats only), showcasing local produce.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys Julie Caplin or Katie Fforde, this was feel-good, small-town romance.

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Review: The Bodyguard

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Officer (aka bodyguard). When her mother dies and her long-term boyfriend dumps her shortly after all she wants to do is leave the USA and do her job, unfortunately her sadistic boss Glenn has other ideas and forces her to take lead on protecting movie star Jack Stapleton in their home state of Texas.

What with cheating ex-boyfriends muscling in on Hannah's promotion to the London office, a cutsie stalker, and a a fake girlfriend Hannah has her hands full, not even considering her crush on Jack.

Argh, someone recommended this so I splurge over £10 to buy an e-book (which frankly I only do for authors like Anne Bishop, Patricia Briggs and Ben Aaronovitch). Frankly, I was disappointed. A kick-ass bodyguard who exhibit absolutely no kick-ass characteristics whatsoever. In fact, she cried so much I was embarrassed for her. It was superficial, glib and (whisper) a bit boring TBH.

A Hollywood superstar who's scarily down-to-earth and a bodyguard who is pole-axed by a Hollywood actor - unbelievable and it didn't really sell me.

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