5 Jill Mansell novels that’ll make you a fan for life

I hereby profess that Jill Mansell is one of my favourite authors. I feel like I have said that someone is one of my favourite authors so much that it’s having the same effect as ‘The Boy Who  Cried Wolf’. But I do mean it. She is one of my favourite authors.

Though I have enjoyed every single one of her books that I have read to date, here are five that were particularly memorable:

1. An Offer you Can’t Refuse
   A young girl is offered a large sum of money by the extremely wealthy family of the boy she is dating so that she will basically disappear off the face of the earth and stop compromising the boys’ “bright” future. Hence…. An Offer You Can’t Refuse.
2. This Could Change Everything
   A woman writes an email to her friend that ends up getting sent to all and sundry and going viral, which forces her to make some big life decisions with regard to her relationship.
3. Good at Games
   In an attempt to get off a speeding ticket, a woman tries to convince the very good looking police officer that she is in a hurry to get to the hospital as she has her husband’s sperm sample in a container threatening to lose its efficacy. In reality, she has dregs of an unfinished milkshake.
4. To the Moon and Back
   A story of second chances. A woman loses her husband and makes the decision to start a new life. She meets a host of new people and befriends her new neighbour and even her boss’ dog.
5. Maybe this Time
   A city-slicker goes to visit her dad’s new home in the country for the first time. Unaware that there will be no taxi to take her from the train to her father’s house, she is forced to walk in heels and business attire. On her way, she meets a man who she thinks is trying to harm livestock. Thus, she starts to chase after him with vehemence—a spectacle in all her business formal gear.

Happy reading!

5 British Romance Authors that will Set Your Heart Aflutter

British romance. It’s pretty specific, but it is a corner of the universe of books that I love. I actually look for it specifically. So, I have decided to give you my top five British Romance Authors with 2 books I recommend for each.

1. Jill Mansell

   I have read every single book that Jill Mansell has written. That’s no small feat. Since 1991, Mansell has written around 30 books with another one being released this year. She is one of the first authors, after completing my writing my writing and literature degree, who was able to give me a plot that I just could not predict.
   
   Two books I recommend: An Offer you Can’t Refuse, This Could Change Everything

2. Paige Toon

   Paige Toon is very similar to Jill Mansell. They are both queens of the warm and fuzzy, though Paige Toon has evoked significantly more tears from me. Again, I have read every one of Paige Toon’s 16 lovely novels … and I can’t wait until I read the one that has just been released. Her books aren’t strictly all set in Britain, but she is British, and her books are usually at least partially set in the UK.

   Two books I recommend: The One We Fell in Love With, If You Could Go Anywhere

3. Giovanna Fletcher

   I have to admit, I first found out about Giovanna Fletcher through her husband (a member of the British band, McFly). She very quickly gained popularity in my eyes—especially when she began releasing cracking British romance novels. The quickest way to my heart is a British romance that is basically a love letter to Pride and Prejudice.

   Two books I recommend: Billy and Me, You’re the One that I Want

4. Mhairi McFarlane

   Mhairi McFarlane is a relatively knew discovery of mine. I impulsively bought her book, Don’t You Forget About Me, when I went berserk on a shopping trip and bought half a bookstore (okay, maybe that is a slight exaggeration). I was delighted to find out that buying this book meant that I had found a new author whose word I would hand on to with all my might.

   Two books I recommend: Don’t You Forget About Me, Here’s Looking at You

5. Lindsey Kelk

   Lindsey Kelk, technically, is living in the US now, but she writes a damn good Brit romance. Always funny and easy to read, Kelk tops off my five authors to recommend quite nicely. She is the second of the five (the other being Paige Toon) whose content spans across continents a lot more frequently (The I Heart… series is set all over the globe).

   Two books I recommend: What a Girl Wants, Always the Bridesmaid

10 novels that will sink your teeth into the Tudor Era

When I think of “historical fiction”, there are three distinct eras I think of: World War II, the Victorian era and the Tudor era.

I am a big fan of a good piece of historical fiction. In fact, when I am shopping for books (which is a lot of the time, let’s be honest), I am drawn to three eras in time when making my selection: in particular, the Tudor era.

So I have gone through my Goodreads account, and selected ten of my favourite Tudor era historical fiction reads to recommend (in no particular order):

1. The Six Tudor Queens Series by Alison Weir
   My average rating: 4 stars
   This series is still in the process of being released. The next one is due in the next month or so. Each book follows the life of one of Henry VIII’s six wives. So far, the books have covered: Katherine of Aragón, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour and Anna of Kleve. Each book is wonderful. Keep in mind that they are fictional recounts, so whilst a lot of the information is accurate, creative licence has been taken.
2. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
   My rating: 4 stars
   This is perhaps one of the most well-known Tudor-era fiction books. It was one of the first I read. If you are looking for something historically accurate, I wouldn’t even touch this but, for the enjoyment of a story, this book fills all the boxes—scandal, intrigue, and drama (oh my!). It follows the story of Mary Boleyn, the sister of Anne Boleyn, who was mistress to the great Henry VIII.
3. The Boleyn King Series by Laura Andersen
   My average rating: 5 stars
   I loved this series. It is not at all historically accurate. It is what I call a “re-imagining” (I’m sure others call it that too). It is based on the premise that Anne Boleyn, who in reality had a series of miscarriages and stillborn births after giving birth to who later became Elizabeth I, gave birth to a healthy son—hence “Boleyn King”. A really cool premise, and the books are super easy to read.
4. Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin
   My rating: 4 stars
   The only one of this selection set in present day. Now, I know what you’re thinking. How can it be a Tudor novel if it is set in present day? Well, it’s a retelling. It’s a re-telling of Henry VIII and his six wives … if Henry VIII and his wives were American teenagers battling with the added stress of the school’s popularity stakes. There are suspicious deaths and plotting and basically just pettiness coming out the wahzoo—not that different to the court of Henry VIII, then. Hmm…
5. The Virgin’s Lover by Philippa Gregory
   My rating: 3 stars
   This follows the mighty Elizabeth I and her affair with her courtier, Robert Dudley. Again, Philippa Gregory tends to twist history to fit her story, which there is nothing wrong with, but don’t take absolutely everything as fact. But if you are looking for a tale of forbidden love with a side of Tudor history, this one is for you.
6. The Sixth Wife by Suzannah Dunn
   My rating: 4 stars
   This one is all about Henry VIII’s sixth wife, Katherine Parr. She was a strong blighter who knew how to bend that tyrannical king to her will. She’s an icon, and this one celebrates her. Read it. Katherine Parr is the bee’s knees.
7. The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir
   My rating: 3 stars
   Another one about Elizabeth I. But this one is about Elizabeth when she was just Princess, and then Lady Elizabeth. There is a creepy subplot with a much older gentleman which made me uncomfortable, but there is substantial evidence that suggests that it happened (I believe). I found many things about Elizabeth quite surprising.
8. My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows and Brodi Ashton
   My rating: 5 stars
   Ah. This one is written by a group of lovely authors who call themselves the “Lady Janies”. It is the first in a series of books all about Janes—Lady Jane Grey, Jane Eyre and Calamity Jane. This one is about Lady Jane Grey, aka the nine days queen. This book had me in stitches. I loved every second. It has people morphing into animals and all other weird and whacky things (so if you are looking for historical accuracy, don’t go near it), but essentially follows the story of Lady Jane Grey as it actually happened. I LOVED IT.
9. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
   My rating: 4 stars
   This is technically not set in the Tudor era. It’s set beforehand. But it does follow the life of the woman who was the maternal grandmother of Henry VIII. She was a commoner who had had children from a previous marriage, and she married the King (and had a bajillion and one kids with him, talk about fertile!) She is always depicted as a strong-willed and passionate woman, and this book does not waver from that. Femme fatale, she is not.
10. The King’s Secret Matter by Jean Plaidy
    My rating: 5 stars
    The King’s Secret Matter aka that time that Henry VIII tried to divorce his wife of about 20 years because he had found a young piece of meat that wouldn’t sleep with him so he decided to overturn religion in England just so he could marry the young thing aka a novel about the events that took place when Henry VIII divorced Katherine of Aragon and married Anne Boleyn. It was written a while ago, but it is very good!

Wacky ideas work.

When I read the blurb of this book, I thought: that’s so weird. Actual burgers made out of rats? Gross! But this type of story appeals to kids. I mean, those wacky stories, the ones that make us crinkle our noses and say “really?”, they’re the ones that work.

Ratburger – David Walliams

Year: 2012

Acquired From: Borrowed from the library

Genre: Comedy/Adventure/Fiction

Audience: Children

Setting: UK

Synopsis: Zoe has three people that are making her life an utter misery. First, there’s her step mother who is as lazy as they come – she even gets Zoe to pick her nose for her! Then there’s the school bully, who would like to squish Zoe under her shoe like a snail. And then there’s the man who parks his burger van outside school, who seems weirdly obsessed with her pet rat. When the man turns up at home, and her stepmother takes a shining to him, Zoe has to try and outsmart them both, and save her rat in the process.

Impressions: Zoe is a sweet little girl who reminds me a great deal of Matilda. Both girls are young, with the world against them, yet they still remain good at heart and down-to-earth. If you love Matilda, then you will love this.

Recommended for: All children. All adults. All ages. We can learn something from this story. All of us.

I love a good Cautionary Tale, don’t you?

‘The boy who cried wolf’ is perhaps the most famous cautionary tale I know. It tells us that we must not lie because when it comes to you telling the truth and you are in need of help, no one will believe you or be there to help. A true caution.

This book, I believe is another Cautionary Tale…
Billionaire Boy – David Walliams

Year: 2010

Acquired From: Borrowed from the library

Genre: Cautionary Tale/Fiction

Audience: Children

Setting: UK

Synopsis: Joe has everything that a boy could ask for … except one thing. Joe’s dad doesn’t get it. He loves his money, and his mansion and his bowling alley, cinema and even his butler. What more could a boy ask for?
A friend, Joe says.
So when Joe finds a friend who likes him for him, he doesn’t tell his new friend that he is the son of a billionaire. But Joe and his dad are in for a lesson. They will both learn what it means to have friends and keep them.

Impressions: David Walliams does it again. Billionaire Boy is a great story that makes you appreciate the friends that you have and makes you consider just how important it is to keep them. In a monetarily driven world, we get so stuck thinking that we must earn money in order to be happy, that all we need is that extra dollar, and everything will be okay. And, sure, it helps us have a roof over our heads and something to eat, but our true happiness comes from those who we surround ourselves with … and that, money just can’t buy.

Recommended for: All children. All adults. All ages. We can learn something from this story. All of us.

“Adventure is out there”… Or something like that.

Everyone loves a wacky adventure story. Something that can make you transcend from one world into the next.

Roald Dahl did it with ease. David Walliams does it, too.

This book was my second David Walliams read. And I would love to read it and go on adventures with Jack’s grandpa again.

Grandpa’s Great Escape – David Walliams

Year: 2013

Acquired From: Borrowed from the library

Genre: Adventure/Fiction

Audience: Children

Setting: UK

Synopsis: Jack loves his Grandpa. Grandpa loves Jack. Grandpa tells Jack stories about being a fighter pilot in the war. Jack’s mum and dad think that Grandpa is sick because sometimes Grandpa gets up in the middle of the night and goes missing. They want to send him to a nursing home, but Jack doesn’t want Grandpa to go to a nursing home.
One day, Grandpa goes missing in the middle of the night and Jack and his parents can’t find him for days. When they find him, in a most unexpected place, and he causes a lot of property damage, Jack’s parents decide enough is enough. But Jack is not convinced that the nursing home is all that it seems …

Impressions: David Walliams is the new Roald Dahl. There I said it. We were all thinking it. This story sounds like something directly out of Roald Dahl’s brain, and I applaud Walliams for equalling a great we all know and love. Yet again, Walliams disguises an issue that needs to be discussed with children in a clever and exciting way. Grandpa’s Alzheimer’s or Dementia is apparent to the adult characters in this book but to Jack Grandpa is just being adventurous. He understands that Grandpa thinks that it is still war time and that Grandpa needs looking after but he doesn’t understand that Grandpa is sick.

Recommended for: All children. All adults. All ages. We can learn something from this story. All of us.

We can all learn from a child’s perspective on life

When we are children, all we want to do is grow up. When you are an adult, all you want to do is go back to being a child.

When you’re a child, you see the world with endless possibilities, and then adulthood comes along and squashes those possibilities like a snail on a footpath. But there’s something that we can learn from children – to live life with no fear of who you should be, but letting who you want to be shine through.

This book reminds me that acceptance can be found wherever you are, if only you turn your head to look.
The Boy in the Dress – David Walliams

Year: 2013

Acquired From: Borrowed from the library

Genre: LGBTQ/Fiction

Audience: Children

Setting: UK

Synopsis: Dennis’ family are soccer fans. And nothing means more to them than to be tough and avoid sentimentality like the plague. Dennis is not so sure that his Dad and brother have it right, though. I mean, don’t get him wrong, he loves soccer, but surely a hug every now and then shouldn’t be out of the question, and other hobbies should be encouraged. I mean, take Dennis, for example. He has a penchant for women’s fashion, but he feels the need to hide it – from his friends, and especially his family. But that all changes when Dennis meets Lisa, an older girl at his school who encourages him to disguise himself as “Denise” at school for a day.

Impressions: I love this book. It’s very similar to the picture storybook “10,000 Dresses” by Marcus Ewert, which I also loved. In a day an age where acceptance of individuality is becoming more prevalent and has not been completely eradicated, but is publicised regularly, it is nice to see tales of acceptance in children’s literature because that is essentially where the acceptance is going to begin – with the younger generation. Both The Boy in the Dress and 10,000 Dresses emphasise that sometimes parents and families are not first people to accept your individuality, but that there are people out there who will accept you – who will encourage you to be your true self, because there is nothing worse than being forced to be someone you aren’t.

Recommended for: All children. All adults. All ages. We can learn something from this story. All of us.

It’s all forbidden love, all the time.

Forbidden love seems to be a very common theme in the fiction that I have been reading this year. Apparently I like a good tale where the parents or the friends disapprove of the love interest. This one was no exception.

Falling For You – Jill Mansell

Year: 2004

Acquired From: Own collection

Genre: Romance/Fiction

Audience: Young Adult

Setting: Ashcombe, UK

Synopsis: After many, many years, Maddy meets Kerr McKinnon again. When they saw each other last, Maddy had wonky teeth, frizzy hair and the thickest glasses that were humanly possible. Now, though, she’s grown from Ugly Duckling into beautiful swan, and Kerr has noticed. They have an undeniable connection, but Maddy’s mother hates Kerr and she would slaughter Maddy if she ever found out that she and Kerr had even glanced at each other across the street. But what happened eleven years ago that made Maddy’s mother hate Kerr and his family? And how are they to get over the unavoidable chemistry that is happening between them?

Impressions: Maddy was an utterly loveable character. From the very beginning, the relationship that she and Kerr have is one of love and mutual respect. Both are so wary as to what each of their respective families will think of their relationship, so they try (and fail) to keep it a secret.

Recommended for: Anyone who loves a good tale of forbidden love.

Unrequited love: what are our thoughts?

It was then that I chose to read a typical teen novel full of unrequited love, and the desperation that goes along with it.

I am yet to decide whether I find unrequited love in fiction cute, or sad. I guess it depends on the story. In the example of Getting Over Garrett Delaney I found it to be completely and utterly cringe-worthy.

Getting Over Garrett Delaney – Abby McDonald

Year: 2012

Acquired From: Borrowed from the library

Genre: Romance/Fiction

Audience: Young Adult

Setting: USA

Synopsis: Sadie’s best friend is Garrett. He’s a hunk, and she has been in love with him since she first laid eyes on him. Garrett loves 80’s music, and snobbish literature, and Sadie thinks he’s cool because of it. There’s only one problem … Garrett doesn’t like her back. In fact, he doesn’t even know she likes him. And he keeps getting girlfriends who are so obviously better than Sadie. How can she compete? And how can she get him to open his eyes and see her for who she truly is … his soul mate?

Impressions: I couldn’t help but laugh at Sadie’s plight. Sure, no one wants to be on the bum end of unrequited love, but Sadie just cannot seem to get herself out of an obsessive cycle with Garrett, who quite frankly is a horrible person. He looks down his nose at everyone he believes to be less intelligent than him. And to treat Sadie like second best, to make her feel as though she is the consolation prize is not fair at all on her. On the whole, I enjoyed the book because it had characters with detrimental character flaws, but it is because of that, too, that I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would.

Recommended for: Anyone who loves a good tale of unrequited love.

Is amnesia too cliché in a love story?

The use of amnesia in a love story has been used many times in a love story. The one that I think of immediately would be The Vow. Though very sad, and a topic that should never be made light of, there are only so many versions of the same story that I can digest. Keep Me in Mind is one of those stories.

It’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy reading the book. I did.

Yet the concept of the femme fatale having amnesia due to some sort of accident, and then being unsure/scared of the boyfriend/partner/husband etc. is not a new one.

My question is, though, is it too played out? Or is it just a common theme?

Keep Me in Mind – Jaime Reed

Year: 2016

Publisher: Point

Acquired From: Borrowed from the library

Genre: Romance/Fiction

Audience: Young Adult

Setting: USA

Synopsis: Ellia Dawson has amnesia, and there is a strange boy that keeps running past her house every morning and looks up her bedroom window. He says he is her boyfriend, but Ellia doesn’t recall him at all … All Liam wants is for the girl who made his life so much more bearable to come back to him. His heart shattered in two the day he went to visit her in the hospital and she didn’t recognise him. But he’s determined to help her remember, no matter the cost.

Impressions: I liked this book. It had an air of mystery to it that made me keep reading. That being said, it’s definitely not my favourite of the books that I have read this year. Liam’s heartbreak was contagious when he described the Ellia he lost and the Ellia she was replaced with. I was frustrated with Ellia that she wouldn’t give Liam a chance, though I feel she was right to be cautious, because how was she to know whether Liam was lying to her about the depth of their connection and relationship. On the whole, I felt the plot moved a little slowly, but I was dazzled by the characterisation of Ellia and Liam. They stood out from the page.

Recommended for: Anyone who loves a good love story, and wants something light-hearted and easy to read.