Review // Time To Say Goodbye by S.D.Robertson *SPOILERS*

Published - 11th February 2016
Publisher - Avon
Format - Kindle
Synopsis - Is there ever a right time to let go? HOW DO YOU LEAVE THE PERSON YOU LOVE THE MOST? Will Curtis’s six-year-old daughter, Ella, knows her father will never leave her. After all, he promised her so when her mother died. And he’s going to do everything he can to keep his word. What Will doesn’t know is that the promise he made to his little girl might be harder to keep than he imagined. When he’s faced with an impossible decision, Will finds that the most obvious choice might not be the right one. But the future is full of unexpected surprises. And father and daughter are about to embark on an unforgettable journey together . . .

I came across this book when Avon asked if I wanted to take part in a cover reveal. Of course I did, the cover is absolutely beautiful. The description also drew me in completely, I'm a sucker for a real tear jerker. That's kind of why I've been putting off this review. It started off brilliantly. It went straight into the story and pulled on the heart strings.It definitely wasn't as brutal as I was expecting and uh, in the nicest way possible, it was disappointing.

The writing style and characters were wonderful and the book had buckets of beautiful potential that didn't really deliver. If I had to put my finger on it, I'd say the deciding factor for me was lack of emotion. The protagonist has died and his child is left orphaned. Then the child's left reeling again when her grandfather suffers a tragedy and eventually dies himself. A LOT went on in just a few pages but I never felt it emotionally. I'm the kind of girl who cries as TV adverts but I didn't even get a lump in my throat.

As I said - the book wasn't bad. The story was intriguing and at times, thought provoking. Sadly I just think it was pitched incorrectly and I wasn't the right reader for the story because of this.

On that note - if anyone has any recs for big time heartbreakers - PLEASE send them my way! Sometimes you just can't beat a good cry.

Caragh Reviews // Match Me If You Can by Michele Gorman

Published - 14th January 2016
Publisher - Avon
Format - Kindle
Synopsis - Meet best friends Catherine, Rachel and Sarah. Yet to find Mr Right, they’ve been settling for Mr Right Now. But when Catherine, London’s finest matchmaker, gets the girls to join her dating site where they can recycle their ex-boyfriends, they soon realise that anything could happen.
Rachel's office romance James was a big fat mistake and she's more than happy to upcycle him… Or is she? Homebody Sarah hasn't had a date in years but when her transformation finds men falling at her newly-pedicured feet, will her popularity be worth the sacrifices she’s making? And Catherine falls asleep more often on her desk than on a man, so when she builds the perfect partner who ticks all her boxes, surely it's a recipe for love . . . not disaster? There’s someone for everyone, right? These best friends are about to find out for themselves . .

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but if not here's a quick...thing.
I'm usually an avid YA/Fantasy reader and very rarely step outside my nice and snug little box. However, this year I'm going to try and read some more 'older' reads and more books set in the 'real world'. I use those annoying ' __ ' because i'm a firm believer that books have no age limit...but I digress now.

Match Me If You Can had such a crazy premise that it wasn't really an option - I HAD to know what on earth would happen if you recycled your ex. Living vicariously through fiction, as always, I had a hell of a time.

It was a pretty quick read and I fit quite a chunk of it into breaks at work and it was actually a lot of fun. There were real issues going on between the covers but it never felt too heavy. The focus switches between the 3 friends with alternating chapters which kept things interesting. I thought it might break up the story too much but it really worked. I really connected with Sarah but as much as I looked forward to the focus being on her, Rachel and Catherine brought their own enjoyments for me. I would have liked more discussion regarding the actual dating website side of things, just because I find it such a hilarious prospect but that would have made the book last forever.

I know it's 2016 and we spend our lives on the internet, but I still find it so strange to come across a book that at it's core is based on technology and the way our lives have changed over the years. It was an enjoyable read and it made a refreshing change from my usual types.

If anyone has any recs for internet based books, please let me know!

BLOG TOUR! // The Woman Who Upped and Left by Fiona Gibson

Published - 25th February 2016
Publisher - Avon
Format - Paperback
Synopsis - Forget about having it all. Sometimes you just want to leave it all behind. Audrey is often seized by the urge to walk out of her house without looking back – but she can’t possibly do that.
She is a single parent. She is needed. She has a job, a home, responsibilities…and a slothful teenage son’s pants to pick up. But no one likes being taken for granted – Audrey least of all – so the time has come for drastic action. And no one’s going to stand in her way…

Hello! Whether you're a regular here or just stopping by for the blog tour - welcome to Loaded Shelves :) Today we're celebrating the release of Fiona Gibson's latest book The Woman Who Upped and Left. It's been available for a week now so i'm sure you've heard lots about it. My copy of the book was sent by Avon, so thanks for that!

Fiona Gibson has released a lot of books but strangely, she's an incredibly new-to-me author. I'd seen the online buzz associated with the new book and was so excited to be involved. I don't read an awful lot of 'chick lit' (please let me know a better term for this) but I'm really trying to delve into more 'real life' contemporary reads in 2016. So let's talk about the book, shall we?

What I love most about this book, and others like it, is how comfortable and easy the writing style is. As I said before, it's really down to earth and understandable and absolutely perfect for a relaxing post-work read in the evening. The main character, Audrey, has an awful lot going on in her life. She's been a dinner lady for ten years, has a side job as a carer and is practically single-handedly raising her layabout teenage son on very little funds. Audrey strikes it lucky when she wins the prize of a lifetime, and takes the opportunity to attend a French Cookery course in a Michelin star hotel/restaurant.

Yeah, okay... It did read a little predictable but it really felt like a journey that Audrey took us on. Throughout her various encounters and experiences, she begins to discover herself and what it is she wants from her life. For the most part, I enjoyed the book. I swallowed it up within 2 sittings and found it to be a real page turner as Audrey Pepper is a memorable woman. There were a few points that had me shaking my head though and I think the book would have faired better without them. 

Stevie is Audreys 'sort of' boyfriend. He calls, and Audrey goes running to overnight service stations for some rough 'n tumble and then...nothing. About half way through the book, there's an incident at Audrey's hotel that really had me thinking 'WHAT?! THAT IS NOT OKAY!'. I obviously won't go into detail, no spoilers here, but i'm really surprised at the way it was handled. It was an awful situation that was never really explored in the book. It made a passing comment and came off as though it was trying to be a joke, but to be honest I found it shocking and a huge deal. It should have been left out, or at least discussed to assure readers that this behaviour is really NOT okay.

In addition to this, I related to Audrey as a hard working woman who barely scraped by and enjoyed the smaller things in life. Audrey is portrayed this way throughout the book. I found it so interesting though that at various points Audrey is blindsided by the responsibility of money. At the end of the book, a debt that she has racked up is resolved but in the mean time, she goes out and gets her hair done professionally and intentionally delays the payment. A minor thing of course considering it is fiction after all, and didn't make that much difference to the book in general, but in terms of its 'realness' and relatability, it seemed irresponsible.

Got a bit heavy there didn't it? I apologise. The Woman Who Upped and Left was a fab read and I can imagine a LOT of excellent children buying a copy for Mother's Day at the weekend. Not gonna lie, i'm definitely passing my copy on to my own mum! Lots of important issues are raised and discussed throughout the book and it's great to see things being talked about in Women's Literature.

Cover Reveal // The Teacher by Katerina Diamond

Another excellent book from Avon is coming up! I'm excited to take part in this cover reveal for a couple of reasons. I'm a lover of all things horror, though admittedly it's been a while since one has caught my attention. This one though, sounds wonderful. As it's a cover reveal though, let me just talk about that for a minute.

I'm...on the fence. My honest-to-blog first thought was '....Twilight' and i'm absolutely certain that other people will feel the same. It kind of puts me off a little bit. On the other hand, I love the added effects such as the blood spatter and the silhouette behind the main focus image. It's subtle but effective.

As far as books go though, just look at that synopsis! YES! It's instantly attention grabbing and it pulls you in. It's different and i've not come across the author before either. Keep a note in your diary for this one. I don't have any release date information as yet but keep an eye on twitter for updates!

You think you know who to trust?
You think you know the difference between good and evil?

You’re wrong …

A LESSON YOU WILL NEVER FORGET

The body of the head teacher of an exclusive Devon school is found hanging from the rafters in the assembly hall.

Hours earlier he’d received a package, and only he could understand the silent message it conveyed. It meant the end.

As Exeter suffers a rising count of gruesome deaths, troubled DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles must solve the case and make their city safe again.

But as they’re drawn into a network of corruption, lies and exploitation, every step brings them closer to grim secrets hidden at the heart of their community.

And once they learn what’s motivating this killer, will they truly want to stop him?

SMART. GRIPPING. GRUESOME.

This is a psychological crime thriller in a class of its own.

Warning: Most definitely *not* for the faint-hearted!