Wednesday, 15 May 2019

New Release Spotlight & Review: Probably The Best Kiss In The World by Pernille Hughes



Probably the Best Kiss in the World by Pernille Hughes

Jen Attison likes her life Just So. But being fished out of a canal in Copenhagen by her knickers is definitely NOT on her to do list. From cinnamon swirls to a spontaneous night of laughter and fireworks, Jen’s city break with the girls takes a turn for the unexpected because of her gorgeous, mystery rescuer.
Back home, Jen faces a choice. A surprise proposal from her boyfriend, ‘boring’ Robert has offered Jen the safety net she always thought she wanted. But with the memories of her Danish adventure proving hard to forget, maybe it’s time for Jen to stop listening to her head and start following her heart…



It's øl-verwhelmingly one of my favourite books of the year.

Jen Attison's life is organised...just as she likes it even though she wouldn't have chosen her current job if she's been honest. Taking on the guardianship of her younger sister meant responsibility far beyond her years and personal sacrifice. Life has been tough. As a consequence, she's making the best of life in an easily predictable way. So when her long-term boyfriend surprises her by proposing, she accepts her fate. Only, her sister, Lydia and their friends have other plans...a premature 'hen-do' in Copenhagen and a mystery man none of them envisaged but overwhelmingly glad he showed up when he did.

Jen is a woman of our current times...micromanaging her hectic life and responsibilities by relying on phone apps, lists and spreadsheets. She's a control freak...it works for her but it also makes her dull and predictable. By stark contrast, her sister is a ray of positivity. Lydia, maybe the younger sister, but she's insightfully refreshing. They clash as siblings do but for once, it is Lydia who is the wise one, pointing out where her older sister is going wrong in her life. For the sisters, it is a long overdue turning point in their relationship, freeing them both to follow their passions in their own unique way.

I can wholeheartedly say is, I was one hundred per cent invested in Jen's Danish distraction. As a reader it wasn't difficult, to fall for this fine specimen of Nordic swoon-worthy masculinity. He oozed sincere charm in a too-good-to-be-true way. As a result, I was sure this novel would be a five-star read for me. However, I felt a bit let down after the end of chapter 31...not because of his dramatic departure but because he didn't re-appear again until chapter 38! I was distraught!

Stand out elements of the narrative are the author's ability to bring her protagonists to life enabling the reader to feel their emotions. Additionally, an integral piece is this novel is passion and Ms Hughes does a fantastic job of drawing these intense reactions from the characters in both a positive and negative way. The dialogue is witty, the humour is subtle...just as I like it. Then there're the contrasting backdrops...Copenhagen, small town, England and the fascinating insight into the craft beer industry. With the latter offering some useful tips.

Last but not least, I haven't read any novels by any of the authors mentioned in the blurb so I haven't a clue if this novel is a good comparison. What I can say is, the author is new to me and one I'll be looking out for again. Skål!

**Øl – beer (Danish & Norwegian), Skål – cheers (Danish & Norwegian)

***arc received courtesy of HarperImpulse via NetGalley***





Pernille Hughes is a RomCom author and mum, whose debut novel was SWEATPANTS AT TIFFANIE'S, soon to be followed by PROBABLY THE BEST KISS IN THE WORLD (April 2019). Previously her writing has been printed in The Sunday Times and the fabulous SUNLOUNGER summer anthologies. Find out about her new books at www.pernillehughes.com 

Pernille (pronounced Pernilla) studied Film & Literature at uni and took her first job in advertising, having been lured by the temptation of freebies, but left when Status Quo tickets was as good as it got. After a brief spell marketing Natural History films, she switched to working in Children's television which for a time meant living in actual Teletubbyland, sharing a photocopier with Laa-Laa.

Now, she lives in actual Buckinghamshire, sharing a photocopier with her husband and their four spawn. While the kids are at school she scoffs cake and writes RomCom stories in order to maintain a shred of sanity.



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Location: Sundebru, Norway

Tuesday, 14 May 2019

Spotlight and Exclusive Extract: Foul Deeds Will Rise by Elizabeth Ireland



Foul Deeds Will Rise by Elizabeth Ireland

By 1875, Lillian Nolan believes she has successfully shut off any connection to the spirit world. That winter she is thrilled when she wins the role of Ophelia in a new production of Hamlet in her home town of Chicago. Everything changes when the body of the managing director is found sprawled across the steps of the dress circle and all the investors’ money is missing. Lillian fears, once again, her career is over before it begins.
After her dearest friend is arrested for murder, Lillian commits herself to discovering the truth. Her search is complicated by a strange man who is following her, the romantic overtures of her co-star, and a reunion with an old nemesis. But nothing is what it seems. What she does find puts a member of her own family at risk and leads to the unmasking of the killer with lethal consequences for herself.

Amazon UK      Amazon US 
THE BACKSTAGE MYSTERY SERIES
Tagline: Life upon the wicked stage can be deadly.
Set against the backdrop of the Gilded Age, the Backstage Mystery Series stars Lillian Nolan, an unconventional member of Chicago’s upper class who dreams of a career of fortune and fame in the theater. Talented and ambitious, she possesses a hidden skill which she is extremely reluctant to use—the ability to communicate with those who have died and now live in the world of “The Beyond.”
The series chronicles her adventures in which she continually becomes enmeshed in solving mysteries which often require her accessing the realm of the paranormal. Filled with an incredible cast of characters—factual, fictional, and sometimes non-physical—who either help or hinder her quest for the truth, the stories take place during a a period considered to be the golden age of both acting and spiritualism in America.

During the winter of 1875, Lillian Nolan, actress and sleuth, is offered the role of Ophelia in an upcoming production of Hamlet. She quickly notices the odd behavior of Philip Kincaid, husband of her mentor, Regina Ellicott and managing director of Ellicott’s Theatre.

“Follow me,” I said.
I led them down the hallway and into the room, hardly bigger than a large closet, but with two chairs and a desk. Regina and I sat while Phillip stood.
“Has something happened?” I asked.
Regina smiled. “Indeed, it has.”
Then Phillip interrupted her. “I will tell her, my dear. I am mounting a production of Hamlet. Regina will of course play Gertrude, and I have arranged for James O’Neill to play the leading role.”
James O’Neill, I thought. He was incredibly handsome, talented, and a matinee idol to hordes of women. As an up-and-coming classical actor, it was quite an achievement for Mr. Kincaid to retain him. Only last year he had performed in Macbeth, Hamlet, and Julius Caesar at the McVicker’s Theatre downtown and gotten wonderful reviews. That same season he had also performed as Romeo to Adelaide Neilson’s Juliet.
Adelaide said about O’Neill, “When I played with other Romeos, I thought they would climb up the trellis into the balcony; when I played with James O’Neill, I wanted to climb down the trellis, into his arms."
This was wonderful news indeed. But what did it have to do with me?
Kincaid continued, “I want you to play Hamlet to his Ophelia.”
I was stunned. Was this a joke? He wanted me to play Hamlet? The expression on my face must have shown my shock. I glanced at Regina and saw a look of deep concern flash across her eyes.
She gently said, “My dear, I’m sure you meant to say Ophelia to his Hamlet.”
And then something equally startling happened because Kincaid turned on her in a sudden rage.
“That’s exactly what I said, Regina! Have you no ears? You are getting quite hard of hearing in your old age, my dear. Or are you just stupid?”
I was appalled, and Regina looked crushed. What for me should have been a joyous moment was completely altered by my concern for my friend. But I didn’t have a moment to think or react because he turned to me and asked angrily, “Well, miss, what do you have to say?”
Startled, I could only say, “Of course, I would be delighted to perform in your production.”
This seemed to mollify him. “Very well, that’s more like it. Come to my office this week and we will arrange the details. Now, where can a man get a moment’s peace around here? I need a smoke.”


Elizabeth Ireland discovered her passion for theater early. After receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees in Theater, she accepted a teaching position in a vibrant performing arts department at a college in northern Illinois. For ten years, she taught, directed and ran front-of-house operations. American Theater History—particularly that of the 19th century—has always been of particular interest to her.
She has been a quarter-finalist and a semi-finalist for the Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowship in screenwriting sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Two of her screenplays have been optioned, but remain unproduced. Her nonfiction work, Women of Vision: Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Lives, was published in 2008. Her work has also been published in a collection of paranormal short stories, Paramourtal: Tales of Undying Love and Loving the Undead. She lives in metro Atlanta with her ever-patient husband, and two quirky dachshunds.



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Location: Sundebru, Norway
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