Review: The Little Bakery on Rosemary Lane by Ellen Berry

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Prepare to fall in love with beautiful village of Burley Bridge.

Growing up in a quiet Yorkshire village, Roxanne couldn’t wait to escape and find her place in the world in London. As a high-powered fashion editor she lives a glamorous life of perennial singlehood – or so it seems to her sister Della. But when Roxanne gets her heart broken by a fashion photographer, she runs away, back to Della’s welcoming home above her bookshop in Burley Bridge.

But Burley Bridge, Roxanne discovers, is even quieter than she remembered. There’s nothing to do, so Roxanne agrees to walk Della’s dog Stanley. It’s on these walks that Roxanne makes a startling discovery: the people who live in Burley Bridge are, well, just people – different from the fashion set she’s used to, but kind and even interesting. Michael, a widower trying to make a go of a small bakery, particularly so. Little by little, cupcake by cupcake, Roxanne and Michael fall into a comforting friendship.

Could there be a life for Roxanne after all, in the place she’s spent 46 years trying to escape?

Roxanne Cartwright, fashion editor for a glossy London magazine appears to have a perfect life. If you fancy single(ish), child free and living in central London mixing with glamorous models and styling dazzling fashion shoots (you may guess this was once my dream...) but changes being implemented within the magazine by a know-nothing editor start to crumble Roxanne's perfect job and make her seek refuge with older sister, Della, who runs a cook book shop in her home town of Burley Bridge in rural Yorkshire. Somewhere that Roxanne had been trying to run from all her adult life.

We first met Roxanne, but mainly Della, in Berry's first book (one of my favourites, Fiona Gibson writes under Ellen Berry for these Burley Bridge novels). We didn't get to know too much about Roxanne but she did come across a bit selfish and caught up in her glamorous London life to help Della when their mother died. I must admit I wasn't keen on her character when we met her in The Little Bookshop on Rosemary Lane, but getting to know her properly I really did like her in this book.

So with her sabbatical in the country well underway she begins slowly to reacquaint herself with the village and the natives, and begins to realise they're not all Cath Kidston wellies and pots of homemade jam (although IMHO nothing is wrong with either of these), and friendships begin to blossom.

Her relationship slightly cool - on/off boyfriend Sean (a bit of a creep) plays on her mind a lot while in Burley, she knows something is amiss but still tries her hardest to make it work, so keeps the lovely Michael from the quaint and gorgeous sounding bakery at arms length when it's clear they both like each other, and the friendship that is sparked between Roxanne and Michael's teenage daughter, Ella is charming and probably my favourite aspect of the book.

The book itself is beautiful, the writing superb and the descriptions charming, how I'd love to live in Burley Bridge, I quite fancy opening up my own boutique there, or perhaps a chocolate shop? Anyway, I did love the book but it fell slightly away from getting 5* as I would have liked it to have been a little bit more about the bakery - which really did play quite a small part? I seemed to be waiting throughout a lot of the story, then realised by 90% it wasn't coming. But don't let this put you off unless you want a blow-by-blow account of how many cream horns Michael sells throughout the week, because it really is a lovely, charming, witty and well written book. I'd love to see, and am sure there will be, another Burley Bridge outing to come.

Review copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

5* Review: B-Side (Arielle Lockley series book 2.5) by Elle Field

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"What do I honestly know about the music industry? I'm just another idiot with a dream who is naive enough to hope that I might be the next big star."

Etta Millhouse has always had big musical ambitions to match her big voice, but she's also got three very big problems - the addiction she won't admit to, her godmother's illness that she can no longer ignore, and her godmother's useless business partner (who she wishes she could ignore).

Keeping an eye on Arielle's poor business decisions is the last thing Etta wants to do when she's offered the chance to record a demo with a top producer. But, a promise is a promise, even if it has her reaching for another pick-me-up... And then another. And then one more.

When the secret she must keep for her dying godmother, Felicity, sends her drug habit spiralling out of control, can Etta battle her demons in time and make her dream happen? Or, will her music career be over before it's even begun?

We meet Etta in Lost, book 2 in the fabulous Arielle Lockley series, and quickly into it are introduced to new character, Etta. I really, REALLY did not like Etta. Her character comes across as extremely bad tempered, spoilt and melodramatic; taking an instant dislike to the lovely Arielle and being as utterly loathsome to her as possible, taking her for a money grabbing, lazy rich girl. She thinks she is pulling the wool over godmother, Felicity's eyes and ruining her business, which is far from the truth.

I did not think a book devoted purely to her would endear me, but I was hoping I would at least understand a little more about her, and as the author promised - there is two sides to every story.

What a remarkable character, it turns out, that Field has crafted! I did not like her any better when I had finished the book, but certainly understood what drove the extremely downtrodden, wary young girl who had suffered dreadful tragedy and a life-changing abusive betrayal by a member of her family which drives Etta's future down a very dark and dangerous path, and could see why she reacted with so much jealousy and protectiveness over Felicity.

I was shocked while reading B-Side how Field could go from writing fun, witty novels to writing something powerful and showing a whole new side to her writing which is already clever, well written and great to read. It really opened my eyes to what a versatile writing talent she really is. I enjoyed B-Side, it really is fast paced and keeps you turning the pages as you watch the story unfold.

The story mainly looks at the sad deterioration of Felicity's health and how both characters handle it, another issue sensitively written. Arielle has her wedding to Piers to plan while trying to prove herself with a new business venture and Etta has a promising music career to handle, while trying to keep her life in general on track, dealing with issues that threaten to ruin it all.

It whets the appetite beautifully to the finale of this wonderful series, in Found (out August 2016).

Would work as a standalone novel but far more enjoyable when read in order as part of the series.

Many thanks to the author for providing an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cover reveal - Found by Elle Field (Book 3 in the Arielle Lockley series)

Today I am super happy to introduce Found by the wonderful Elle Field. Found is book three in the Arielle Lockley series and will hit your shelves on August 9th...

UK link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Found-Arielle-Lockley-Book-3-ebook/dp/B01FG38NKE

US link: https://www.amazon.com/Found-Arielle-Lockley-Book-3-ebook/dp/B01FG38NKE

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25483958-found

One death. Two weddings. Three months in New York City.

Who knew one flight could change everything? When Arielle Lockley stepped on the plane at Heathrow, she never realised how different her life would be when she touched down in New York. Now she's dealing with that aftermath, as well as trying to find common ground with Etta, her new and unwanted business partner.

But, trying to sort out her shop in London whilst Piers is stuck in New York is starting to take its toll on their relationship, and Arielle isn't the only one with an important decision to make... Can Arielle and Etta continue Felicity's legacy without destroying it, and will Arielle and Piers manage to make it down the aisle to say "I do"?

Find out what happens in the final part of the warm and wonderful Arielle Lockley series - out this August.

Find out a bit more about Elle's other books here: Elle Field's Arielle Lockley series

5* review: The Stylist by Rosie Nixon

Available from Amazon.co.uk

Kindle edition available from Amazon.com

When Amber Green, a shop assistant in an exclusive London boutique is plucked from obscurity and mistakenly offered a job working with Mona Armstrong, the infamous, jet-setting 'stylist to the stars', she hits the ground running, helping to style some of Hollywood's hottest (and craziest) starlets.

As awards season spins into action Mona is in hot demand and Amber's life turned upside down. Suddenly she catching the attention of two very different suitors, TV producer Rob and Hollywood bad boy rising star Liam. How will Amber keep her head? And what the hell will everyone wear?

I don't think it is possible for me to put into words how much I ADORED this book! There would be too much gushing...

Amber Green is working in Smith's boutique, a high end shop offering fashion that's not for every pocket. She has a real knack for window dressing which is appreciated by her boss, Jas, ex supermodel, yet not valued by Kiki aka The Stick, wannabe fashionista who demoralises Amber wherever possible. That is until the day Mona Armstrong arrives, the shop is gleaned to perfection except for the mistake a harassed Amber makes with the shoes in the window. Mona thinks she is seeing an inspired moment of fashion genius and asks Amber to accompany her to LA to work the awards season and help to style the industry's finest. Amber, only just knowing her Prada from her Primark grudgingly agrees - much to the annoyance of The Stick who feels her dream job has been snatched from beneath her.

It's probably the riskiest move Amber has ever made, but she manages to blag her way through the craziness of the Golden Globes, making allies along the way, then back to the UK for the BAFTAs where she truly saves Mona's skin (who is quickly unravelling from her public persona to be quite a train wreck of a person) the press are quickly on to her and Amber has to do lots of damage limitation. No more than at the prestigious Oscars when things threaten to go disastrously wrong.

Unfortunately for Mona her demise has been captured by the reality TV crew that have been shadowing her for a pilot episode of her new show which proves to be a step too far for the crumbling star. 

The book culminates with a fantastic ending at the celebrity wedding of the year in Hawaii which goes about as well as you can expect when the ring bearer is a micro-pig in a white tuxedo and leather jacket.

The Stylist really is the most fun I've had from a book in a really long time. I loved the glitz and glamour, it really is like a behind the scenes of Heat magazine. It wont be for all but highly recommended as a really good, escapist light read.

Copy provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review