‘Clothes… and other things that matter is a book not only about clothes but about the way we live our lives. From childhood onwards, the way we dress is a result of our personal history. In a mix of memoir, fashion history and social observation I am writing about the person our clothes allows us to be and sometimes the person they turn us into.’ – Alexandra Shulman

In Clothes… and other things that matter, Alexandra Shulman delves into her own life to look at the emotions, ambitions, expectations and meanings behind the way we dress.

From the bra to the bikini, the trench coat to trainers, the slip dress to the suit, she explores their meaning in women’s lives and how our wardrobes intersect with the larger world – the career ladder, motherhood, romance, sexual identity, ambition, failure, body image and celebrity.

My Thoughts:

This was a bit different to my usual reads but I am glad I have read it as I found it a fascinating insight into the world of clothes. It shows the reader how we live our lives through our clothes, it really was very interesting and insightful what Alexandra has written. I liked the fact that the chapters are broken down into different items of clothing, some I found more interesting than others but that is just personal preferences. If your into clothes this book will be a big hit for you, if your not, I would still recommend to read it as I did find it interesting about how clothes give us confidence and how we wear different items of clothing. I really enjoyed this book.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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Newly promoted to Detective, Sam Cross wants to prove himself, but his first assignment is routine—tracking down a stolen Ferrari to a town barely a blip on a map. Once inside the city limits his GPS goes nuts, his phone and radio lose their signal, and the gruff small-town Sheriff won’t take him seriously. Before long, Sam is warned he can’t leave town and the nervous town-folk won’t tell him why.

When the Sheriff’s daughter privately approaches Sam with an outrageous story, he is skeptical. But after she tells him that the town is controlled by a mysterious organization called the Hive, that no one is supposed to be able to enter, no one is allowed to leave and if anyone breaks the rules they mysteriously go missing, he decides to investigate, leading him down a dangerous path. Sam is left with only two choices: obey Hive’s rules and never see his wife and kids again, or try to free the town of its captors. The problem is, if he’s not careful, he might become one of THE MISSING.

My Thoughts:

Sam Cross has been promoted to Detective where he works and his first job is to track down a specific stolen car, he has to go to a town that makes his GPS go crazy and the town people say he cannot leave, apparently the town is controlled by the Hive, which has certain rules that need to be applied. But is Sam going to listen to the rules or will he break the rules? after all he has a wife and kids at home. I liked the sound of this story, it was well paced and an interesting scenario. The characters were all interesting and you can tell a lot of thought has gone into the book. For me halfway through I found it becoming a little slow and I felt as though I didn’t connect to the main character so wasn’t fussed about what happened to him. I am glad I have read this book though.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review

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CAN YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN?

Alice and Alfie are strangers. But they sleep next to each other every night.

Alfie Mack has been in hospital for months recovering from an accident. A new face on the ward is about as exciting as life gets for him right now, so when someone moves into the bed next to him he’s eager to make friends. But it quickly becomes clear that seeing his neighbour’s face won’t happen any time soon.

Alice Gunnersley has been badly burned and can’t even look at herself yet, let alone allow anyone else to see her. She keeps the curtain around her bed firmly closed, but it doesn’t stop Alfie trying to get to know her. And gradually, as he slowly brings Alice out of her shell, might there even be potential for more?

My Thoughts:

I loved this story so much, it was a shame when I came to the final pages and I just wanted to read it again ( which I did) I loved everything about this book, the cover is so bright and vibrant and the story just really got to me. I know what it is like spending a lot of time in hospital so I felt as though I could relate to Alfie and Alice and knew their ups and downs of being in hospital. It was such a fresh idea of a story which really worked. Two people in one hospital ward, both going through a traumatic time but as they get to know each other they open up to each other and try to find their way back onto the path of recovery. It is such a beautifully told story and one that will remain in my heart for a very long time. I will never forget it.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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An isolated cottage…
After losing her job and boyfriend, Jan Hamlin is in desperate need of a fresh start. So she jumps at the chance to rent a secluded cottage on the edge of Coleshaw Woods.
 
A tap at the window…
Very quickly though, things take a dark turn. At night, Jan hears strange noises, and faint taps at the window. Something, or someone, is out there.
 
A forest that hides many secrets…
Jan refuses to be scared off. But whoever is outside isn’t going away, and it soon becomes clear that the nightmare is only just beginning…

My Thoughts:

I have previously loved Lisa Stone’s previous books but I didn’t enjoy this one as much. There is two stories running parallel with each other, they appear to be unrelated but are they? Jan rents out a cottage in the woods but very quickly on she realises what a mistake she has made when she hears strange noises in the evening. But what could they be? Ian and Emma Jennings are a young married couple who are trying for a baby, I wondered how it would all make sense and I didn’t know how the story would pan out at all, until the final few chapters. It was a good story but I just felt as though it lacked something. Maybe it was the storyline but it has not put me off Lisa’s books and I look forward to the next book.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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Hannah is twenty-eight when the worst happens.

Her first instinct? To call her mum.

The problem is, her mum having an accident, being rushed to hospital and never waking up was the worst thing.

Realising that she is now the Woman of the Family, Hannah has to be the rock for her emotionally-repressed father and chaotic younger sister, all while trying to muddle her way through the crucial life lessons her mother never taught her, like:

– How to ride a tandem
– How to react when your dad starts making lasagne for an unknown woman
– How to broker peace between feuding aunts
– How to know if you really want a baby or if this is just the grief talking

But what Hannah really wishes her mother had taught her is: when you’ve just lost the person who made sense of everything, how are you meant to find yourself?

My Thoughts:

I found this an emotional read about losing the one person who you came from and how it affects the person. The writing is beautiful and sensitive, I did find myself reaching for the tissues a number of times as the story is a little bit close to home. The subject is one I think most people find it extremely hard to talk about but I think Amy has pulled it off and done it justice. It was an honour to follow Hannah’s journey through loss and grief and understand it a little more from a person’s own journey through it. There are some funny moments in this book too, but I would certainly recommend reading this book, and I hope it helps people to realise they are not alone.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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Acclaimed explorer Rob Nash has lost his way. Grieving the death of his wife, and blaming himself, he sees no reason to carry on. But when his ‘Uncle’ Frank Douglas offers him the chance to lead a cave diving expedition in the jungles of Papua, Nash can see some light at the end of the tunnel.

But the expedition might not be what it seems. With a decades old Japanese submarine buried deep in a cavern, and a team hell-bent on unleashing the treasures it hides, Nash finds himself on a ship heading for danger. With a lethal band of criminals on board, who will stop at nothing to get the gold, Nash is fighting for his life. Whilst battling his own demons, can he forgive himself for the wrongs of his past – and survive the perils of the deep?

My Thoughts:

I loved the sound of this book, the plot sounded good and a little different from my usual reads. Having had a truly awful time of late, Rob gets an offer he can’t refuse to go and lead a cave diving expedition, he can finally breathe again. But not everything is as it seems, Rob is also trying to battle with his own personal issues, can he find a way to help himself or is he in even deeper water than he thought? I liked this read it was different and refreshing to read a thriller that is completely different. The ending was good though not what I was expecting at all.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO BE SOMEONE ELSE?

Vanessa has always found it easy to pretend to be somebody different, somebody better. When things get tough in her real life, all she has to do is throw on some nicer clothes, adopt a new accent and she can escape.

That’s how it started: looking round houses she couldn’t possibly afford. Harmless fun really. Until it wasn’t.

Because a man who lived in one of those houses is dead.

And everyone thinks Vanessa killed him…

My Thoughts:

This story really intrigued me, Vanessa likes to pretend she is someone else, in her own life things have always been tough so she puts on a different demeanor and pretends to be someone else. What intrigued me the most is that she goes to look around houses that are for sale that she couldn’t possibly afford, she thinks it harmless but what if it suddenly isn’t? and then she is accused of something she didn’t do? or did she? I liked the way the story flowed through the book, it was captivating and engaging, I have read books by Nuala before but this was certainly the best yet, I was gripped the whole time I was reading it and I wasn’t sure if I could trust myself to guess what would happen. I would definitely recommend this read.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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A story about grief, family conflicts and first love, with a dramatic background of sport and the Olympics.

What do you do when your amazing, beautiful, beloved sister dies? Hide in your room for two years. Sleep with a very, very wrong man. Leave home and start a new life, lying to everyone you meet including your kind employer, your curious friends and the man you love?

Pip Mitchell’s an expert at making seriously bad decisions. But when her past, present and future collide at the Sydney Olympic Games, she’s going to have to decide whose side she’s on – or she’ll lose everyone she loves.

My Thoughts:

This is not my usual read but I thought it was worth giving it a try, I thought it was good as a story, the main story was about Pip’s journey for self discovery. The characters were all great and it was interesting to learn more about them, it is not necessarily about hockey, even though hockey is a part of this story you don’t have to know anything about it which I didn’t but felt as though I knew a little more after reading this story. The only thing I didn’t get was the parts of this book that were like a scene in a play for me I just felt as though the book didn’t need it. I thought this book was going to be predictable but it is anything but. I enjoyed it.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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When master chocolatier, Charlee, takes the leap to move to the picturesque seaside town of Whitsborough Bay, she is determined to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps and set up a chocolate shop.

Luckily, she finds the perfect location for Charlee’s Chocolates on beautiful Castle Street… Now she just has to refurbish it in time for Christmas!

With a useless boyfriend and countless DIY disasters, Charlee doesn’t know if she’ll make it in time. With no ‘traditional’ family to support her, she feels lost in her new surroundings and the secrets of the past are weighing her down.

But the warmth and festive spirit of the Whitsborough Bay community will surprise her, and when plumber, Matt, comes to the rescue, it might be that all of Charlee’s dreams could come true this Christmas, and she could learn what family really means…

My Thoughts:

Any book with the word chocolate in it and I am sold, especially when it is a book by Jessica Redland. Her writing just makes me want to go to the places she talks about, in this story we return to Whitsborough Bay which was lovely to see what the residents are all up too. Charlee has just moved here, she is going to set up a chocolate shop as she is a chocolatier and wants to carry on the memory of her beloved grandfather. The only problem is she wants it all done before Christmas and Christmas is not too long away. Her boyfriend is not much help either, but will her dreams of opening the shop be a massive failure? When some of the local residents step in to help her can she get it all done in time? This is the perfect Christmas read that you can snuggle up with, with a bar of chocolate of course as reading about the chocolates in this book made me very hungry. The story was captivating and it is a story about finding your one true love. I loved it.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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It is in 1950s’ Brighton that Marion first catches sight of Tom. He teaches her to swim in the shadow of the pier and Marion is smitten – determined her love will be enough for them both.

A few years later in Brighton Museum Patrick meets Tom. Patrick is besotted with Tom and opens his eyes to a glamorous, sophisticated new world.

Tom is their policeman, and in this age it is safer for him to marry Marion. The two lovers must share him, until one of them breaks and three lives are destroyed.

My Thoughts:

This is a bit of a different book for me but I enjoyed it none the less. It is set in Brighton, where I love visiting when I get the chance, I feel a book always feels a bit special when it is set in a place you know. It is set in 1950’s and I found it interesting to see what that era was all about, The story shows the reality of homophobia and how someone that is affected by it can relate to it. I found it a hard read and quite sad about what people had to put up with back then and now unfortunately, it is the tale of three people who never got their happy ending but all wished they had. This book is going to become a film soon so it will be interesting to see how it is portrayed across the screen. I am glad I have read the book first.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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