Christmas at Hollaway Castle: A feel good holiday mix-up with plenty of sparkle! (A Sweet Romance Novella Book 1) by Rimmy London

I was in between books and wanted to read a sweet book when I came upon Christmas at Hollaway Castle: A feel good holiday mix-up with plenty of sparkle! (A Sweet Romance Novella Book 1) by Rimmy London on the Kindle Unlimited Library.

The blurb:

Being forced to work over Christmas was bad enough, but when Tori is introduced as the wrong person at a company event, things really get mixed up!

A subtle Billionaire Story. Victoria (Tori) is the most sought out event planner at Avalon, but when a new boss tries to control her every move she ends up in another country for a business trip during her favorite week of the year. But Christmas might not be ruined, especially when she ends up at a fairytale castle – and especially when she meets Mr. Kent (Oliver). Her holiday is beginning to look bright. It’s only when she’s introduced as the wrong person that the mix-ups really begin. Tori is left trying to find the right time to tell the truth, but the longer she lives a lie, the harder it gets. And in the end, she runs. But Oliver is determined to find her. Amidst holiday bustle, he races through airports and down snowy streets to try and catch her before she’s gone for good.

This sweet holiday read will have you holding your cup of cocoa a little tighter and stretching the night out a little longer just to finish every scrumptious page. The perfect start to your Christmas season!

The story:

Victoria (Tori) has worked at the event company, Avalon since she was fifteen and now is the most sought after event planner in town and handles the top clients. Now, the merger has brought together Avalon with the Kent Company and the new owner is Ms Ava Randall Cullens is the new owner.

Christmas is her favourite holiday and every year, Tori looks forward to Christmas at Avalon and this year is no different. Moreover, her parents need her more than ever this year.

But Ms Ava wants her to attend a summit at a castle in London to celebrate the merger as she cannot attend it and there is no one but Tori she can send. She does not want to go leaving her parents but she does not want to give Ms Ava a chance. And also she knows that the money she would receive would help her pay her mother’s medical bills.

And at the summit there is a confusion, she meets Oliver, everybody thinks that she is Ms Ava and this continues till Ms Ava appears.

My take:

This book reminded me of the sweet simple romances that we used to read in the nineties from the libraries from books dating back to the sixties and seventies.

The characters are so simple, so real that I could actually relate to them.

The plat has twists and turns and gets entangled as the story moves on and on but all’s well that ends well.

A quick read, it is a feel-good book and I recommend it to everyone.

Looking forward to read more from the author.

 

FUN WITH ENGLISH SERIES: Incredible Idioms by Sonia Mehta

I received the book Incredible Idioms by Sonia Mehta as a review copy from the publisher. This is the first book of the six book Fun With English Series. It is a series of workbooks that focus on teaching English language concepts through fun and challenging activities. Each book is 46 pages long and the cover mentions that it is for children seven and above.

About the FUN WITH ENGLISH SERIES:

Do idioms intimidate you? Do you find proverbs problematic?

Do you look at words and go, what on earth does that mean?

Is punctuation a pain? Fear not, English can be funny language, but it is actually pretty fun to learn too! The Fun with ENGLISH series focuses on all the strange, silly, unusual and fun things that are part of the English language – you’ll never think of words, proverbs, figures of speech, idioms and punctuation as boring again.

The blurb:

Idioms are great! They’re funny and sometimes silly, and make language so much more interesting to read and listen to. Get ready to find out all about idioms on different themes like animals, clothes, food and colour. This book is jam-packed with fun activities for you to learn and practice using idioms.

My take:

This is the first book in the series is incredible idioms and it is a workbook which starts with a message to the kids and parents by the author. In the note to the kids, the author first explains what idioms are and what they mean. She has also mentioned what are the different idioms she would be discussing in the book.

There are 15 animal idioms followed by 15 food idioms, 15 body part idioms, 15 colour and 15 body part idioms.

After she finishes the different idiom lists, there are fun exercises and games like matching the idioms to its meanings, crosswords, jumbles, choosing the correct answer, word grid, and many more. Similar fun exercises follow each set of idioms.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book from the publisher in return for my honest review. I have NOT received any monetary compensation for the same.

The Cryptic Clue by Jisha Rajesh

I received the book The Cryptic Clue by Jisha Rajesh as a review copy from the author and I am thankful to her for the same.

The blurb:

Ayana, who was an editor by profession; was on cloud nine when the bestselling author and her Godmother Shanaya Kumar handed her the manuscript of her latest novel for editing. Little did Ayana know that it would be her last one as Shanaya was found hanging in her house the next morning. During the interrogation, Ayana became smitten by the charms of ACP Varun Patel – the investigating officer of the Shanaya suicide case. But Varun seemed to be allergic to feminine charms prompting Ayana to keep herself at a safe distance from him. As the investigation became stuck at the dead end, Ayana found reflections of Shanaya’s personal life in the story of the manuscript. She deciphered that the manuscript bore a cryptic clue to the incidents that led to the culmination of Shanaya’s life. But before she could inform Varun about it, the manuscript gets stolen leaving both of them bewildered. Will they ever be able to find out what had happened to Shanaya on that fateful night?

The story:

Ayana Sharma lost her mother at birth and was brought up by her father, who played the role of both parents. He had always supported her decisions and she has grown to be an independent young woman. And then she lost her father. Shanaya Kumar, her favourite author, had sponsored her education and also supported her when she decided to set up her literary agency. At 24, Ayana is a copyeditor by profession and own an editing and proofreading agency, The Magic Pen. Shanaya plays many roles in her life, mentor, best friend, partner in crime and Godmother.

One morning, Shanaya is surprised when Shanaya gives her a manuscript to edit and also pays her in full. Ayana is surprised because Shanaya tells her to keep the manuscript secret and also because of the payment, which was usually 25%. And the same night, Shanaya is attacked by someone who has a mask with a lion’s face printed on it, and before Shanaya dies she sends a message to Ayana to get the book printed at all costs. And Ayana wakes up to a call from ACP Varun Patel tell her that Shanaya has committed suicide and that Ayana is needed in his office for interrogation.

Ayana and Varun are attracted to each other but he is immune to feminine charms and allergic to them.

My take:

The plot is interesting and book is fast paced and I finished the book in one sitting. The language is simple and easily understandable.

The characters are realistic and their feelings have been described in detail. Some scenes have been described so well that I could actually visualise them.

The author’s idea of making the reader read a story within a story was interesting.

The murder mystery made me sit up because I really want to know what would happen next.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of the book from the author in return for my honest review. I have NOT received any monetary compensation for the same.

 

 

Wake Up, Life is Calling by Preeti Shenoy

I bought Preeti Shenoy’s latest book Wake Up, Life is Calling because it is a sequel to her previous book, Life is what you make it.

The blurb:

What if your mind is your greatest enemy?

What if you were living your worst nightmare?

How would you cope?

Ankita has fought a mental disorder, been through hell, and survived two suicide attempts. Now in Mumbai, surrounded by her loving and supportive parents, everything seems idyllic. She is not on medication. She is in a college she loves, studying her dream subject: Creative Writing. At last leading a ‘normal life’, she immerses herself in every bit of it.

Underneath the surface, however, there is trouble brewing. A book she discovers in her college library draws her in, consumes her and sends her into a terrifying darkness that twists and tears her apart. To make matters worse, a past boyfriend resurfaces, throwing her into further turmoil.

Can she escape her thoughts? Will Ankita survive the ordeal a second time around? What does life have in store for her?

Preeti Shenoy’s compelling sequel to the iconic bestseller Life is What You Make It chronicles the resilience of the human mind and the immense power of positive thinking. The gripping narrative demonstrates with gentle wisdom how by changing our thoughts, we can change our life itself.

The story:

This book starts after Ankita is back from the hospital and is starting a new life. They have moved homes and she has enrolled in a new course at a different college. She is now studying creative writing because she feels that this is what she wants to do and not MBA. Her parents are supportive and are over protective.

She makes new friends and is trying to adjust to her new life though her past haunts her sometimes. And she is doing well in her studies, until she finds a book written on how to commit suicide. And then she gets disturbed.

To make matters complicated, her boyfriend from school, Vaibhav turns up.

My take:

The author has presented the new Ankita beautifully. We can see some parts of older Ankita in between. The other characters like her friends, her parents and even Vaibhav have important roles to play in the story.

The story has friendship, love, parental love, positivity, and not to mention the inner turmoil.

Life’s Little notes is one new concept that the author has introduced in the story.

Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) by Jeff Kinney

I received the book Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) by Jeff Kinney as a review copy from the publisher and am thankful to them for the same.

The blurb:

Introducing the newest Wimpy Kid author – Rowley Jefferson! Rowley’s best friend Greg Heffley has been chronicling his middle-school years in thirteen diary of a Wimpy Kid journals… And counting. But it’s finally time for readers to hear directly from Rowley in a journal of his own. In diary of an awesome friendly kid, Rowley writes about his experiences and agrees to play the role of biographer for Greg along the way. (After all, one day Greg will be rich and famous and everyone will want to know his life’s story.) but Rowley is a poor choice for the job and his ‘biography’ Of Greg is a hilarious mess. Diary of an awesome friendly kid: Rowley Jefferson’s journal offers readers a new way to look at the Wimpy world – one fans won’t want to miss! The opening of diary of an awesome friendly kid will originally be published as the world book day 2019 title diary of Greg Heffley’s best friend. Diary of an awesome friendly kid, publishing 9th April, will contain and expand on the story and characters from the world book day title, allowing readers to see even more of the Wimpy Kid world through Rowley’s eyes.

My take:

Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal written by Jeff Kinney is a spinoff to Diary of a Wimpy Kid series giving new adventures between Greg and his best friend Rowley. It has various encounters showing Greg taking advantage of Rowley by making him do his chores, cheating off of his math test and telling him fake stories.  It is also a book which has been dominated by Greg as it’s his encounters that Rowley writes down (mostly).

It’s a good book written through Rowley’s perspective rather than that of Greg.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book from the publisher in return for my honest review. I have NOT received any monetary compensation for the same.

My thirteen year old loved the book and this is his review.

 

 

 

His Innocent Secretary by Dee James

I borrowed His Innocent Secretary: A Billionaire Office Romance by Dee James from the Kindle Unlimited library. It is a short book of only 82 pages.

The blurb:

The dashing CEO and his innocent secretary. An uncanny attraction, deep, longing kisses. Will he find out her secret? Will she be able to get away with her deception? Ashwin, a thirty-year old CEO, with a ruthless demeanor, falls for his petite, sinful-looking secretary. Is she as innocent as she looks? Or, is she hiding something from Ashwin? Will their love conquer over all the deceptions?

The story:

Ashwini Kumar, and MBA from US joined his father’s business four years ago and is now the CEO. His personal Anita Sharma has been acting a bit funny and he tries to find out why. not to mention the attraction he feels for her suddenly.

And what comes up is that Anita has been replaced by her identical twin, Dia. And to make matters worse, Ashwin tells Dia to pretend to be his girlfriend for six months.

My take:

A simple story set in Mumbai, this story has realistic characters. The language is simple and the story just flows. I finished it in one sitting.

 

 

Raindrops and caterpillars by Anuradha Prasad

I received the book Raindrops and caterpillars by Anuradha Prasad as a review copy from the author and I am thankful to her for the same. And the best part is that I received it on World Book Day. This is the third book by the author and her first collection of 6 short stories.

The blurb:

Dealing with first time lessons is no easy task, as they can bring tears, joy, inspiration, in proportions unthinkable to human mind and heart! Still! We learn and move on like those caterpillars who have been subservient for a whole season but were able to transform into beautiful butterflies come tropical rains. Both representing changes -HUGE and PERMANENT! Sometimes we get inspiration from nowhere. Sometimes from the least expected person or someone, we might have despised all our life! Still! We learn and move on….. Are everyday heroes, those people who have their names etched in golden words in the history pages? Or like you and me, who have just set an example by their random acts of kindness? Or those who just by surrendering to a mighty force called destiny? Or by just WALKING OUT of a difficult situation that they no more could put up with? Who are they? Six human emotions and six stories to make you sit up and think if you were that HERO!

My take:

The cover is beautiful.

The stories are neither too long nor too short. Each story is different. These stories, written in simple and understandable English, talk about people we meet everyday, people who are unable to express themselves, people who are a little different from all of us. The narration is lucid.

The characters are realistic and their emotions have been described in detail.

I liked the book and would recommend it to everyone.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of the book from the author in return for my honest review. I have NOT received any monetary compensation for the same.

 

 

A hiccup in love by Nivedita Verdula

A hiccup in love by Nivedita Verdula is her latest book that I had brrowed from Kindle Unlimited library.

The blurb:

Eshita was barely a teenager when she lost her father. Deprived of fatherly affection, she was determined to become an independent person as soon as possible. She found love in another man and soon settled into a comfortable life. But life had other plans for her. Reality hit when a certain incident revealed dark secrets about her in the form of a haunted dream. She wasn’t the same after that.

Will Eshita be able to get her life back and live up to her dreams and ambitions, or will her sole reason to live be taken away from her? Read A Hiccup in Love to find out more.

The story:

Eshita was very young when she lost her father and her mother had brought her up singlehandedly. She had met Arjun when they were both in college and married him. They had set up their own company.

Now in her early thirties, Eshita manages home and Arjun manages the company. She finds out that Arjun is cheating on her. She undergoes a lot of mental stress and even confronts him with a divorce, but their eight year old son Harshit is affected the most.

My take:

The story has been built around friendship, love, marriage, infidelity, divorce and stress.

The characters are developed well and are realistic. The author has described the feelings of Eshita in detail.

The language is simple. I loved the book, and am looking forward to Ruhi and Suraj’s story next.

Beyond Scars by Alka Dimri Saklani

I received the book Beyond Scars by Alka Dimri Saklani as a review copy from the author and am thankful to her for the same.

The blurb:

Hi, I am Avinash, but this is not my story. This is the story of Avni, my sister. I know the smell of cement and bricks still pulls her to the incident seven years ago where she made a daring yet ruthless decision. I know she is drifting away. I know she has begun to find comfort in Vivaan. But I don’t know if I like it.

Hi, I am Avni, but this is not my story. This is the story of Vivaan, the stunning, vivacious painter. There is something sad about the paintings he has locked away from the world in his storeroom. But he never talks about it. But then there are a lot of things he doesn’t talks about, like how deeply he loves me.

And what about Dev and Kangana? Isn’t this their story too? It wouldn’t have been if only we did one single thing differently on that ill-fated night, the night that changed the course of our destiny. And hey, I am Vivaan.

And what about me? Why does nobody talk about me? Or talk to me? Because I am a little girl or because…Well, this is my story too. You will ask who I am? The answer lies somewhere in the pages of BEYOND SCARS.

The story:

Avni and Avinash are twins and they are nineteen years old. The two siblings are very close and study in the same college with one looking out for the other. Avni is not like any other girl. She dresses up like a boy, but there is something about her that pulls the artist, Vivaan, at his art exhibition. And that is not all, Avni can actually see Vivaan’s paintings as he has made them.

Twenty one year old Vivaan is studying journalism in the same university as Avni and they have a common friend, Arjun, who is Avni’s college classmate and is Vivaan’s best friend. And Vivaan is juggling studies and paintings because he wants to help Arjun in his father’s treatment.

Avni and Vivaan fall in love but destiny has other plans for them.

And then there are skeletons in every closet.

My take:

The book has been written in first person from the point of view of the characters. The name of the chapter tells the reader as to whose point of view is being described. The language is simple English and the suspense kept me glued till I read the last page of the book.

The characters have been developed well and are realistic and relatable. Every character has an important role in the story even though their role is small. There are parts in the book which have been written in the same time frame from the point of view of different characters. The descriptions of scenes is very detailed and I could visualize them.

The book has drama, suspense, and twists and turns till the end. A must read.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of the book from the author in return for my honest review. I have NOT received any monetary compensation for the same.

 

Remember When by Preethi Venugopala

Remember when is Preethi Venugopala’s latest book that I borrowed from Kindle Unlimited.

The blurb:

On the outside, Tara leads a perfect life. A home of her own, a handsome husband, a doting son and a promising career as an author.

But inside, she is a wreck. Her marriage is a sham and she hasn’t succeeded in forgetting her one true love, Manu, the man she had wronged. The man she had almost married.

Manu, now the senior editor with a science portal, firmly believes that he has left Tara where she belonged-in his past. But in reality, he hasn’t forgotten anything. Not the love nor the hurt.

Their past and present collide when they accidentally meet in Chennai. The city has come to a standstill after facing the worst flood in a century. While nature is unleashing its fury on humans, they must make peace with their past.

Will they have the courage to do that?

Can they fight the attraction that still burns bright?

Or will the bunch of people they are with, teach them new life lessons?

How long can Tara hide her secret from Manu when it has the potential to tear them apart?

The story:

Twenty eight year old Tara, is married to Karthik and they have a five year old son, Aryan. Tara is a stay-at-home mom who has her own blog. And then she writes her first book and starts book-signing and book launches. And at one such book launch takes place in Chennai when Karthik cannot accompany her and Aryan.

And who is the person who is in conversation with her, Manu, her first love, someone she had left because of a misunderstanding.

And then there is fate, Chennai faces the worst flood of the century and Tara and Manu have nowhere to go and Tara is forced to stay in Manu’s house.

My take:

The author has beautifully portrayed the story of second chances with realistic and relatable characters. The feelings of the characters have been described well and even supporting characters like Manu’s mother and Tara’s sister have important roles to play in the story.

And the twist in the tale was something that I had not expected.

Enjoyed the story and would love to read more from the author.