Book's I've been reading....

I haven't posted a book review in while - work, and well, life, has pretty much got in the way of me ever finishing a book. After continuously looking over at the ever bulging box of books in the corner of my bedroom, I decidedthat I was going to make a conscious effort to read more - I've been taking a book to work to read in my lunch break, and guess what? it's working!

Anyway, here goes a couple of reviews of the books I've read:

'Twelve Days of Christmas' - Trisha Ashley

Forgive me for transporting you all back to December and well, Christmas, but I read this one at the start of December, mainly to help me get into the Festive spirit, and did it? The answer is yes. This book was everything I needed and then some, to get me well n truly feeling like Mrs Claus. Focusing around character Holly Brown, who is not a fan of the holiday season, take on a house sitting job with a difference. I wont give too much away, but what starts as Holly, putting off feelings, emotions and embracing the spirit, ends with a new woman being born before our eyes. What I enjoyed most about the way Trisha Ashley writes is her attention to the main characters surroundings. Descriptions of landscapes, the weather, and general observations, really do put you, the reader, into Holly's place. When the weather got bad and cold - I felt cold. When the thaw began, my heart thawed. The characters are relateable and friendly, and despite most of the story being predictable from the beginning there was a  few twists and turns to keep you guessing. Keep an eye out for the descriptions of the animals - probably one of my favourite things about the book: I now want a dog and a horse!

Overall, this is a jolly good read - in fact, at times I could not put it down. Easy going, easy to read and simple. Creating atmospheres just by use of words is a hard thing to do, but Ashley does it well.

'Miracle of Regent Street' - Ali Harris

Keeping in with the Festive season, next up was this first novel, 'Miracle on Regent Street' by writer Ali Harris. I loved this book from the initial blurb - main character Evie Taylor is relateable and I instantly recognised myself in her. As a young woman living in London, with the dreams of starting a new life, Evie Taylor doesn't have it easy. With her life going from mundane to plain boring in the space of a few days, her life seems to stand still: being stuck in a dead end job, living with family and mending a broken heart - Evie's life is not how she expected it to turn out. The storyline moves along nicely, and what is especially great with this book, is how close the reader gets to all the characters involved, and more importantly, to Hardy's. A shop with a history and a life source for Evie, Hardy's is a real  home from home but with the news out that this source of love being closed, Evie starts to come to life. With some real laugh out loud moments and at times 'slap yourself on the forehead', this really is a top notch read. The finishing touches with the description of Hardys is second to none and often so hard to achieve on a first novel. The main character, Evie, makes this book what it is, I love her and I think all of us women can see something of ourselves in the way Ali writes about Evie. Setting the scene perfectly for the time of year and twisting towards the end, this was a perfect read from a first novel. I couldn't have asked for better. P.s Keep your eyes peeled for the shop lo-down right at the back!

What books are you reading?