Category: Debut Book

Posted in 5*, Blog Tour, Debut Book, Young Readers 5-9

If you love reading with your little ones, this would make a lovely addition to your bookshelf – The Problem with Poppy by Emma Sandford

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

My Review

A lovely illustrated children’s story aimed at children 4 years and up. In this story we meet Poppy the Porcupine and Rory the Tiger who both live in the Sumatran rainforest which is one of the last places that tigers, elephants, rhinos and orangutans still roam together in the wild. I learnt whilst reading this story about both the rainforest and porcupines and their ability to hear being much stronger than their eye sight.

This story has a strong theme of friendship running throughout as initially Poppy is upset as she is lonely and doesn’t have any friends due to her spikey exterior and when she has the opportunity to make a friend she accidentally scares him away. I think it is really important for children to understand feelings and emotions from a young age and this story carefully crafts in fear and courage.

I loved the language used and the combination of words and illustration that will help younger readers to understand the words they aren’t sure on whilst offering a bit more of a challenge to the readers who are slightly older. The words are in a nice clear font with great spacing and I loved the descriptions and colours used throughout. I can’t wait to read the next one in this trilogy and see if we get to meet new animals in the rainforest or revisit Poppy & Rory.

Book Blurb

Poppy the porcupine has always wanted to make a friend, but her defensive nature prevents her. When a young tiger cub stumbles upon her one day in the rainforest, she reacts badly and scares him away.

Determined to change her ways, she sets out to find him, but little does she know that the tiger cub is about to have a problem of his own. In the face of danger, will Poppy find a way to save the day?

Available to purchase here

Meet the Author

Emma Sandford is a Liverpool-born author and businesswoman based in Cheshire. For many years, she has wanted to write a children’s book that draws on her own experiences and helps young children overcome personal issues. One day, inspiration hit her: she realised that a porcupine has a very obvious defence mechanism where it shows its quills, stamps its feet and chatters with its teeth when feeling threatened.

Unfortunately, due to traumatic events in her life, Emma has also been defensive in situations where she didn’t need to be, and was frightened to let people get close to her. The Problem With Poppy is a fun way of teaching kids that while everybody has a natural defence mechanism, there is a time and a place to use it. By the end of the story, Poppy has learnt this valuable lesson and she makes a lifelong friend in the process.

Emma is planning on writing more books in the future that have similar important messages for youngsters. Watch this space!

Social Media Links

https://www.facebook.com/FullMediaLtd

https://twitter.com/FullMediaLtd

https://twitter.com/ESandfordAuthor

Many Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to join the blog tour. Please remember to like and share to help spread the book love

Thanks for visiting Love the Smell of a Book today and I hope you have a great day!

Daisy & Kel x

Advertisement
Posted in 5*, Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Chick Lit, Debut Book

It’s the weekend and the perfect time to curl up and read, today I am sharing my review for the 5* read What If by Shari Low

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

I have loved reading books by Shari Low over the years and am so happy to be able to help her celebrate 20 years of writing! Congratulations Shari on such an epic milestone and for kicking it all off with such a superb and timeless read!

My Review

I can’t believe that I have only just picked up a copy of this given it was released 20 years ago, what a read! I love Cooper she is a girl after my own heart and made me laugh throughout. Cooper is that friend that we all love and admire, although an absolute disaster in love she will always turns up to the party with the best stories.

Once I had read the first few chapters, I was completely hooked and wanted to ignore life and escape between these wonderful pages. I loved how it alternated between present day and the past as we got to know Cooper, her friends and past boyfriends. A story full of reflections on life and analysing previous decisions, I loved the front row seat to this wonderful adventure and felt as if I were travelling all over the world with her. The whole concept of this story was brilliant and there wasn’t an element of it that I didn’t enjoy.

I loved the highs and lows and I am so excited to read that we get to meet these characters again early next year as I laughed and giggled my way through this book, such a memorable read and one of my top reads of the year.

Book Blurb

1999.
Carly Cooper is 30, single, and after coming close to saying ‘I Do’ to six different men, she’s wondering if she accidentally said ‘goodbye’ to Mr Right.
But there is a problem.
Her ex-boyfriends are scattered all over the world and Carly lives in 1999; an era before Facebook, Google, smartphones, 4G and Broadband, when it was impossible to track people down with a few clicks of a mouse.
On a mission to discover if she walked away from her ‘happy ever after’, Carly quits her job, her flat, her whole life and sets off on a quest to track down all the men she has ever loved.
Her Mr Right is out there, but can she find him?
And what if he’s moved on from the ex-girlfriend who said goodbye? A wonderful classic 20th-anniversary re-release.

Available to purchase here

Meet Shari Low

Shari Low is the #1 bestselling author of over 25 novels, including One Day In Summer and My One Month Marriage and a collection of parenthood memories called Because Mummy Said So. She lives near Glasgow.

Where to Connect with Shari Low

Newsletter sign up:  http://bit.ly/ShariLowNewsletter

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/sharilowbooks/

Website – http://www.sharilow.com

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/sharilowbooks/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/sharilow

Many Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to join the blog tour. Please remember to like and share to help spread the book love

Thanks for visiting Love the Smell of a Book today and I hope you have a great day!

Daisy & Kel x

Posted in 5*, Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Contemporary Fiction, Debut Book

Today I am very excited to be sharing my 5* review for The Last Charm by Ella Allbright

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

I love it when you read a book that is so memorable that even weeks after reading you can recall the story as clear as anything, this book is on of those gems and I am excited to share my review with you today.

The Last Charm

My Review

Oh wow what a book, I knew from the first few pages this was going to be a special one!

A gorgeous story to lose yourself in, as I read I learnt the story of Leila’s charm br.acelet and all of the memories that it holds. This book talks you through how she is linked to Jake and the precious story behind her charm bracelet. This is one of those rare books that you pick up and are desperate to keep reading but want to savour the story at the same time and never reach the end.

I laughed and cried reading this book and it shoots straight into that elusive 5* spot and is a truly memorable read, it just has everything and I was transported to Leila’s world whilst reading.

I feel emotionally drained after finishing this book, a superb book that will stay with me for a long time. A beautifully written story brimming with wonderful characters!

Book Blurb

A moving and heartwarming love story perfect for fans of Me Before You and One Day in December…

Leila’s charm bracelet tells a story of love, a story of loss, a story of hope.

This is the story of her … and the story of Jake.

When Leila Jones loses her precious charm bracelet and a stranger finds it, she has to tell the story of how she got the charms to prove she’s the owner. Each and every one is a precious memory of her life with Jake.

So Leila starts at the beginning, recounting the charms and experiences that have led her to the present. A present she never could have expected when she met Jake nearly twenty years ago…

The Last Charm Cover

Available to purchase below:

Amazon UK

Google Play

Meet Ella Allbright

A self-confessed reading addict, Ella Allbright writes commercial women’s fiction set in her beautiful home county of Dorset. Her first novel in this genre, The Charm Bracelet will be published in August 2020 by One More Chapter, an imprint of HarperCollins, and she’s currently hard at work on her next book. Ella is represented by agent Hattie Grünewald at The Blair Partnership, who represent J.K. Rowling.

Ella also writes as Nikki Moore, the author of the popular #LoveLondon romance series. A number of the novellas featured in the Top 100 short story charts on Kobo and the Top 20 in the Amazon UK bestsellers Holiday chart, and in 2018 the collection was released in Italy. Her first published work was the short story A Night to Remember in the best selling Mills & Boon / RNA anthology Truly, Madly, Deeply. Her debut romance Crazy, Undercover, Love was shortlisted for the RNA Joan Hessayon Award 2015.

When not writing or reading, she can be found working in her HR day job, walking the family’s cute beagle puppy or watching a Netflix series!

You can connect with Ella/Nikki on:

Twitter – @NikkiMoore_Auth

Facebook – facebook.com/NikkiMooreWrites

Amazon – amazon.co.uk/Nikki-Moore

Blog – nikkimooreauthor.wordpress.com

The Last Charm Full Tour Banner

Giveaway

Giveaway to Win Dorset and Reading themed goodies to celebrate The Last Charm by Ella Allbright (UK Only)

First Prize

The Last Charm First Prize

Books Make Me Happy/TLC Branded Mug

Second Prize

The Last Charm Second Prize

Lulworth Chocolate Bar

I love Durdle Door chocolate lollipop

Sunshine metal bookmark

TLC Postcards

PLUS mystery prize

Third Prize

The Last Charm Third Prize

Lulworth Chocolate Bar

I love Lulworth chocolate lollipop

Starry Sky metal bookmark

TLC Postcards

PLUS mystery prize

Click here to enter

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to join the blog tour, please remember to like and share to help spread the book love!

Screenshot 2020-08-14 at 12.37.03

Posted in Adult Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary Fiction, Debut Book

Today I am sharing my review for Art & Soul by Claire Huston

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

I am really excited to be sharing my review for Art & Soul by Claire Huston, when Claire approached me to ask me to read her debut novel I was really excited to dive in.

img_20200811_090018_3585564867025156891522.jpg

My Review

A brilliant light hearted debut by Claire Huston, she has created bright and vibrant characters that were easy to visualise and with a great contrast of personalities. I loved Becky and the tactics she adopted to reach her goals, I love a savvy woman and she jumped right off the pages at me.

With a teenage daughter who loves to paint, I loved the artistic descriptions and how Charlie’s muse was bought into the story. He was a character who has been knocked in life following his wife leaving and Becky was the perfect person to help him get his life back on track.

A book brimming with complicated relationships, problem solving, friendship and jealousy.

I really enjoyed this story and will definitely look out for more from Claire Huston in the future.

 

Book Blurb

There’s no problem Becky Watson can’t fix. Except her own love life…

Struggling single mother Becky Watson longs to revive her career as a life-fixer, working miracles to solve her clients’ problems, no matter how big or small. Since the birth of her two-year-old son she has been stuck preventing wedding fiascos for the richest and rudest residents of the Comptons, a charming, leafy area of southern England known for its artistic heritage.

So when semi-reclusive local artist Charlie Handren reluctantly hires Becky to fix his six-year creative slump, she’s delighted to set him up with a come-back exhibition and Rachel Stone, the woman of his dreams.

Though they get off to a rocky start, Becky and Charlie soon become close. But as the beautiful Rachel becomes Charlie’s muse, Becky is forced to wonder: will giving Charlie everything he wants mean giving up her own happily ever after?

 

Screenshot 2020-08-14 at 12.09.31

Available to purchase here

 

About the Author

Screenshot 2020-08-14 at 12.11.00

Claire Huston lives in Warwickshire with her husband and two children. Art and Soul is her first novel.

A keen amateur baker, she enjoys making cakes, biscuits and brownies almost as much as eating them. You can find recipes for all the cakes mentioned in Art and Soul at http://www.clairehuston.co.uk along with over 100 other recipes. This is also where she talks about and reviews books.

As well as her website, you can find her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Goodreads: linktr.ee/clairehuston_author

 

Many thanks to Claire Huston for my gifted copy of this wonderful debut to read and review. Please remember to like and share to help spread the book love! 

img_20200414_083539_7671070680301179253724.jpg

Posted in 5*, Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Debut Book, Fantasy

Today I am so excited to be sharing my review for the stunning read that is Feathertide by Beth Cartwright

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Today I am delighted to be joining the blog tour for Feathertide by Beth Cartwright, a superb debut that captured me and took me on a wonderful journey.

 

My Review

I honestly don’t know where to begin with a review for this one as it was simply a stunning story, that was beautifully written full of love and discovery. The first thing that caught my eye about this book was the gorgeous colours of the cover and then once I’d read the blurb I couldn’t wait to read it and quickly added it to the toppling pile.

Marea had been kept a secret for her entire childhood and this story focused on how she moves forward to create her own destiny and discover more about where she came from and who she really is. Whilst learning to live without the protection of her mother she meets a variety of people who all help her to forge her own path.

Feathertide is full of characters that make your heart soar and simultaneously fill you with sadness. Brimming with vivid visual descriptions as well as detailed sounds and smell, it is an assault on the senses and makes you feel like you have been transported into the story. As Marea’s story unfolds it peels back the layers to help shed the ugliness and revel in the beauty that takes its place.

An emotional read full of highs and lows that take you on a wonderful journey, where you explore and learn about magical islands and meet an eclectic group of people who help Marea with her self discovery. This is a book that brings that magical special ingredient that I love to discover in a book and I highly recommend adding it to your TBR pile.

 

Book Blurb

Born covered in the feathers of a bird, and kept hidden in a crumbling house full of secrets, Marea has always known she was different, but never known why. And so to find answers, she goes in search of the father she has never met.

The hunt leads her to the City of Murmurs, a place of mermaids and mystery, where jars of swirling mist are carried through the streets by the broken-hearted.

And Marea will never forget what she learns there.

 

Feathertide jacket

Available to purchase here

 

About the Author

Beth Cartwright has taught English in Greece and travelled around South East Asia and South America, where she worked at an animal sanctuary. A love of language and the imaginary led her to study English Literature and Linguistics at university, and she now lives on the edge of the Peak District with her family and two cats. Feathertide is her debut novel.

 

Social Media Links

Twitter @bethcartwriter
Instagram @bethcartwriter

 

Feathertide Blog Tour Banner

Many thanks to Penguin Random House for the invitation to join the blog tour, please remember to like and share to help spread the book love! 

Thanks for visiting Love the Smell of a Book today!

 

img_20200414_083539_7671070680301179253724.jpg

 

 

Posted in Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Debut Book

Today I am sharing my review for Something to Live For by Richard Roper to celebrate the recent release in paperback #somethingtolivefor #backablogger #paperbackrelease @richardroper @orionbooks

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Check out the new updated paperback cover for Something to Live For by Richard Roper which is out now!!

My Review

I love finding new authors and Something to Live For is a heartwarming and thought provoking book that will take you on a journey with Andrew.

Andrew lives an insular life and mainly interacts with his friends online who he has found through his love of trains. Throughout this book you are trying to piece together why Andrew has created a fictional family and gone to such lengths to maintain the pretence.

Andrew works for the council in a role that I had never even stop to consider and whilst reading this book it made me reflect on people who live alone and hoping that someone kind hearted like Andrew does exist for ensuring they receive the send off they deserve.

Andrew is a really complex character and I really enjoyed this brilliant and memorable book, it is heartwarming whilst heartbreaking and it makes you reflect and fall in love with Andrew.

Book Blurb

Sometimes you have to risk everything to find your something…

Andrew works with death for a living. Searching for people’s next of kin and attending the funerals if they don’t have anyone, he’s desperate to avoid the same fate for himself. Which is fine, because he has the perfect wife and 2.4 children waiting at home for him after a long day. At least, that’s what he’s told people.

The truth is, his life isn’t exactly as people think and the little white lie he once told is about to catch up with him.

Because in all Andrew’s efforts to fit in, he’s forgotten one important thing: how to really live. And maybe, it’s about time for him to start.

Available to purchase here

Many thanks to Orion Books for my gorgeous paperback copy of this book, please remember to like and share to help spread the book love!

Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Contemporary Fiction, Debut Book

Pop over to my blog to check out my review for the new heartfelt release- The Life We Almost Had by Amelia Henley #backablogger #hqstories #bookreview @msameliahenley @hqstories

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Today I am sharing my review for this gorgeous story by Amelia Henley, a truly heartfelt book that I loved from start to finish.

My Review

When I started this book I had no idea of the heart breaking journey it would take me on. Adam & Anna are a couple who have loved eachother fiercely but feel like they lost their way whilst trying for a baby.

This book is a compelling and emotional read, it discusses how the brain can work in mysterious ways and how sometimes we see and hear what we want rather than what might be there. The characters are complex and you get a fantastic insight into the highs and lows of Adam & Anna’s relationship and how sometimes the world works in mysterious ways.

A wonderful love story that I absolutely loved, my heart broke whilst reading but I was left feeling calm and restored as I reached the end. I highly recommend reading this book with a box of chocolates and tissues.

Book Blurb

This is not a typical love story, but it’s our love story.

Anna wasn’t looking for love when Adam swept her off her feet but there was no denying their connection, and she believed they would be together forever.

Years later, cracks have appeared in their relationship. Anna is questioning whether their love can really be eternal when a cruel twist of fate delivers a crushing blow, and Anna and Adam are completely lost to one another. Now, Anna needs Adam more than ever, but the way back to him has life-changing consequences.

Is a second chance at first love really worth the sacrifice? Anna needs to decide and time is running out…

Available to purchase here

About the Author


Amelia Henley is a hopeless romantic who has a penchant for exploring the intricacies of relationships through writing heart-breaking, high-concept love stories.

Amelia also writes psychological thrillers under her real name, Louise Jensen. As Louise Jensen she has sold over a million copies of her global number one bestsellers. Her stories have been translated into twenty-five languages and optioned for TV as well as featuring on the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestsellers list. Louise’s books have been nominated for multiple awards.

‘The Life We Almost Had’ is the first story she’s written as Amelia Henley and it’s out now.

Thank you so much to the HQ PR team for my copy to read and review, please remember to like and share to help spread the book love for this gorgeous story!

Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Contemporary Fiction, Debut Book

Today I am sharing my review for debut novel Keeping Mum by James Gould-Bourn

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

My Review

A heart warming debut novel about Danny and his son Will and how they are trying to keep their heads above water following the tragic loss of wife/mother Liz and the aftermath of Will’s recovery.

As you get to know Danny, you realise he is doing all he can to keep a roof over their heads whilst grieving the loss of his wife and trying to contend with Will who has been mute since the accident. Danny is fast approaching rock bottom and is running out of ideas to make enough money to pay the rent and put food on the table.

After losing his job Danny becomes desperate to find a new job and this journey takes him to a whole other world, where he meets new people and eventually learns to start moving on. During this journey he accidentally unlocks the key to getting Will to speak but then he faces new challenges as Will doesn’t realise that he has confided in his Dad.

A story of hope, that will lift your spirits as you keep reading and leave your heart soaring with happiness for them as you reach the end. I really enjoyed this book and found that the more I read the more I was routing for Danny, Will and their unlikely collection of friends.

Book Blurb

Danny Malooley’s life is falling apart.

He’s a single parent with an eleven-year-old son, Will, who hasn’t spoken since the death of his mother in a car crash fourteen months ago. He’s being pursued by a dodgy landlord for unpaid rent and he’s just lost his job. Struggling to find work, and desperate for money, Danny decides to do what anyone in his position would do.

He becomes a dancing panda.

After seeing street performers in his local park raking it in, he spends his last fiver on a costume… but the humiliation is worth it when Will finally speaks to him for the first time since his mother’s death. The problem is Will doesn’t know that the panda is in fact his father, and Danny doesn’t want to reveal his true identity in case Will stops talking again.

But Danny can’t keep up the ruse forever…

Available to purchase here

About the Author

James Gould-Bourn was born and raised in Manchester.

He is an award-winning screenwriter, and has previously worked for various landmine-clearance NGOs in Africa and the Middle East. 

Keeping Mum is his first novel

Many thanks to Alainna at Orion for the opportunity to join the blog tour, please remember to like and share to help spread the book love!

Posted in Adult Fiction, Chick Lit, Debut Book

#Review – Today I am sharing my review for Never Saw You Coming the wonderful debut by Hayley Doyle. Currently just 99p on kindle so grab yourself a copy! #NeverSawYouComing #Netgalley @HayleyDWrites @avonbooksuk

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

This morning I finished Never Saw You Coming, the brilliant debut by Hayley Doyle, published by Avon on 2nd April.

My Review

A superb book that I loved from start to finish, I loved getting to know Jim & Zara whilst reading this story. The story is told from both of their perspectives so you get to know them both and their separate thought processes.

I flew through the pages and loved the style in which it was written and the differences in terminology determining the different cultures they had grown up in.

I love a book that makes me want to pick it up and the characters were so relatable that it was an absolute pleasure to keep reading. A true feel good read proving that anything can happen if you instigate the change.

Book Blurb

Some people go looking for love. Others crash right into it.

Zara Khoury believes in love – so much so that she flies from Dubai to Liverpool to be with a man she barely knows. It’s a risk, but she’s certain that uprooting her life for Nick is the new start she needs.

Jim Glover is stuck. Since his Dad died, he’s put his dreams aside and stayed at home in Liverpool to care for his mum. Trapped in a dead-end job, he’s going nowhere – that is, until he gets a phone call that just might change his life..

Zara and Jim aren’t supposed to meet. But then fate steps in, and when their worlds – and cars! – collide, the real journey begins…

Available to purchase here

About the Author

Hayley Doyle was born in Liverpool, and graduated with a BA (hon) in Acting from the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts. She pursued a career in acting, making her West End debut playing Ali in Mamma Mia! at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London. During this time, Hayley wrote her first novel ‘Lazy Days and Lullabies’. After graduating from Brunel University with a Masters in Creative Writing, ‘The Day She Met Shirley Temple’ was chosen as the winner of the Curtis Brown Award 2010 for a Brunel MA Student. Hayley currently lives in Dubai where she runs her own children’s theatre and creative writing company, Hayley’s Comet, and can be heard as a presenter on Dubai Eye radio.

Please like and share to help spread the book love!

Posted in 5*, Adult Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary Fiction, Debut Book

Today I am sharing my review for the fabulous The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Today I am sharing my review for the brilliant debut The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary, this is a superb feel good read that once you pick it up you will just want to keep reading! 

My Review

I have seen so many wonderful reviews for The Flatshare that I had to pick it up and what a brilliant book!

Tiffy is a wonderful larger than life character with a quirky dress sense who is trying to move on and overcome her emotions from her previous relationship and find somewhere affordable to live. Whilst Leon is battling just to keep his head above water, working constant night shifts and trying to help his brother and feeling like he isn’t getting anywhere. 

I loved the whole concept of this story and how it just jumps from the page, you quickly get to know how lovely Tiffy is and how her and Leon in the most unlikely of circumstances start to forge a friendship through post it notes and leftovers.

An emotionally charged read that will keep you reading into the early hours of the morning as you just have to know what comes next for these wonderful characters. This book is like a virtual hug and I absolutely loved it! 

 

Book Blurb

Tiffy and Leon share a flat
Tiffy and Leon share a bed
Tiffy and Leon have never met…

Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash. Their friends think they’re crazy, but it’s the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy’s at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.

But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven’t met yet, they’re about to discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window…

 

Screenshot 2020-03-22 at 16.07.10

Available to purchase here

 

About the Author

Screenshot 2020-03-22 at 16.08.11

Beth studied English at university before going into children’s publishing. She lives as close to the countryside as she can get while still being in reach of London, and wrote her first novel, The Flatshare, on her train journey to and from work.

She is now writing novels full time, and if she’s not at her desk, you’ll usually find her curled up somewhere with a book, a cup of tea, and several woolly jumpers (whatever the weather).

 

A superb debut that I absolutely loved and I can’t wait to share my review for her upcoming release The Switch with you!