Lil

This time last week I had neither read nor seen the film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey. I wasn't really that interested - but curiosity got the better of me and I felt that it was only right to read the novel before watching the film. The Book I wanted to hate it. I wanted to hate Christian 'control-freak' Grey and Ana 'inner goddess' Steele. I was all set to write a scathing review and promote a few alternative novels in the same genre that I actually liked. Which is why you should never judge a book before you read it for yourself. I didn't hate it, quite the opposite in fact. Billionaire romance novels have never been my thing - I've read a few and just didn't like them. But this one was different somehow. It hooked me from the very start and it still hasn't let me go. I had never looked up the plot - of course I knew the basics - but the majority of the novel was actually more romantic than I expected. Ana reminds me a lot of myself - which ...

Musketeer Arnaud de Sillègue d’Athos is ready to bid adieu to the King's Guard and to lay down his sword. Yet he's been charged with one final mission—to apprehend a dangerous enemy of the king, the Belle Dame Sans Merci. Despite his desire to apprehend a woman who causes such destruction, Athos refuses...until he sees a sketch of her. It's the same villainess with whom he had been locked in a passionate, sensual moment. Emmanuelle Vazet never gives up control, even if briefly, in the arms of a blue­eyed stranger, she felt the need to give in and let desire take over. But now circumstances have placed her at the scene of a murder. Her reputation—and the ridiculous name—has preceded her, even if she is innocent. Now her nameless lover is the enemy. A royalist. A musketeer who could be her undoing...unless she becomes his undoing first. Review I have always been a little obsessed with all things Musketeers, and this book really couldn't have come at a better time for me. ...

Lord Deverell's new wife has the house in thrall to her theatrical glamour. His womanising son, Sir Charles, has his eye on anything female that moves while his beautiful daughter, Mary, is feeling more than a little restless. And why does his younger son, Sir Thomas, spend so much time in the company of the second footman? Into this simmering tension comes new parlour maid, Edie, with a secret of her own – a secret that could blow the Deverell family dynamic to smithereens. If you think of this book as Downton Abbey with added spice you won't be far wrong. The story is told from the perspective of Edie, the new parlour maid with suspiciously little skill and hands that have clearly never seen a day's work - so why is she there? Deverell Hall is a house full of secrets, both above and below stairs, and the story is full of twists and turns that I didn't see coming. Edie is a likeable heroine, she is naive yet brave and determined. And as for Sir Charles.. safe to say th...

In celeration of Valentines Day, I have a treat for you all  - the whole first chapter of Amelia Thorne's new novel Tied up with Love which is being released today! Blurb ‘We’re from KMW. Do exactly as you’re told and you won’t get hurt...' Being grabbed off the street, blind folded, tied up and thrown into a van was not what Izzy expected to happen when she stepped out the door that morning. But when an accidental kidnapping at the hands of the sexy Ethan Chase and his 'Kidnap My Wife' sexual fantasy business leads to just that, Izzy seizes the chance to turn her misfortune into a brilliant new job opportunity… Since then, life has been one big tangle of new client meetings, fake kidnapping pick-ups, and handling the temperamental, but drop dead gorgeous 'bad boy' Mr Chase. But, as liberating as being tied up in Ethan's life is, Izzy knows the time is fast approaching when she must make some decisions and take charge of her future. The only question is: wil...

  As we race towards Valentine's Day I have the perfect read for you. Today I'm excited to be hosting the blog tour for The Man Who Can't Be Moved , the latest novel by Tilly Tennant.  Read on to find out more, and don't forget to enter the giveaway! Synopsis Fledgling journalist Ellie Newton is keen to prove herself when she lands a hard-won job at the Millrise Echo.  So when reports come in of a man camped on the corner of a local street, refusing to move until the girl who has jilted him takes him back, Ellie is on a mission to get the scoop. She arrives to meet Ben Kelly, a man she is instantly attracted to. But she has a job to do and an incredible story to write and has soon pledged to help him win back the girl of his dreams.  With Ellie’s help, Ben’s plight captures the hearts and imaginations of the public. And when a TV film crew appears to make a feature on the most romantic gesture the town of Millrise has ever seen, Ellie’s mission gets its happy end...

A few days ago the lovely Girl with her Head in a Book nominated me to answer a few questions about myself. I thought it sounded like fun so here we go... Four names people call me other than my real name: 1) Tori/Toria - used solely by my little sister, and by little I mean 19 years old. 2) Kid - my dad, or 'Pops' as I call him. 3) Vix - used by my closest friends, and sort of where my blog url came from too! 4) Vickster - an old nickname from secondary school Four jobs I've had: 1) Farmer 2) Housesitter 3) Dog-walker 4) Literature Festival Volunteer - so much fun! Four movies I have watched more than once: 1) Mamma Mia - I saw it at the cinema five times... 2) The Sound of Music - I watch this at least once a year, mainly for Captain Von Trapp... 3) A Knight's Tale - One of my all time favourites, and where I first fell in love with Heath Ledger. 4) Bridget Jones' Diary - My sister and I have watched this so much we can quote the entire thing! Four books I would ...

    Today I'm excited to be part of the release day blitz for Amanda Aksel's The Commitment Test. I enjoyed the first book in the series, and this one sounds just as good  (and I love the cover!) The Commitment Test (The Marin Test Series: Book Two) Release Date : February 4 th , 2015 Publisher: Elephantine Publishing Genre: Women’s Fiction Synopsis When a Valentine’s Day proposal doesn’t come with an engagement ring, Marin Johns begins to wonder if she and James will ever get married. As her closest friends begin to move forward with their lives, she refuses to be left behind. Hope is restored as she devises a plan to get James down on one knee by becoming the ideal mate. Everything seems to fall into place until her college boyfriend resurfaces after a decade with his own ideas about their future. Will Marin be forced to choose between the man of her dreams and the diamond ring she’s always dreamed of? Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/16b16 2T  Link to buy Amand...