Sunday Bookshelf – The Wedding Girl by Madeleine Wickham (Sophie Kinsella) #SundayBlogShare

Sunday Bookshelf

This feature is to get more shout-outs for books that are sitting of my bookshelf waiting to be read.

The Wedding Girl by Madeleine Wickham

Book Description

At the age of eighteen, in that first golden Oxford summer, Milly was up for anything. Rupert and his American lover, Allan, were an important part of her new, exciting life, so when Rupert suggested to her that she and Allan should get married to keep Allan in the country, Milly didn’t hesitate.

Ten years later, Milly is a very different person and engaged to Simon—who is wealthy, serious, and believes her to be perfect. Milly’s secret history is locked away so securely she has almost persuaded herself that it doesn’t exist—until, only four days before her elaborate wedding. To have and to hold takes on a whole new meaning when one bride’s past catches up with her and bring the present crashing down.

With her trademark style of keen insight, and razor sharp wit, Madeleine Wickham introduces her fanatical fan-base, plus a host of new readers to a fresh and irresistible heroine in The Wedding Girl.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Sleeping Arrangements by Madeleine Wickham ( Sophie Kinsella)

This book review is by one of my assistants, Louise, thank you for reviewing this book.

‘‘Sleeping Arrangements’ – by Sophie Kinsella (writing as Madeleine Wickham) 

Rating: 3/5 

Chloe is fed up with making wedding dresses every day of the week, and her partner is struggling with his work too; both are in dire need of a holiday. So when her wealthy friend Gerard offers them a free break in his luxury Spanish villa, how can they refuse? 

Whilst Hugh’s job is going strong, it’s his family life that is pulling him apart: his children won’t even speak to him, and his wife seems more interested in fabric swatches than in him, even though he works so hard to fund it all – he’s not a happy man. But his old school friend Gerard has lent them a luxury villa in Spain out of the blue – perfect. 

When both families arrive at the villa at the same time, these two worlds are forced to collide. But there’s a secret history between certain family members, and as past passions resurface, secrets reveal themselves, and tensions mount until we can’t be sure who’s sleeping with whom. 

It was the plot of this book that really enticed me; it seemed like such a simple, even obvious storyline, but as soon as I started reading, it was clear that this book did have its surprises. For instance, nowhere on the blurb is there a reference to any children, so I was almost shocked when I found that both Chloe and Hugh had a family; this added innocence to the otherwise very adult themes, and I liked this sweet, young edge. Kinsella again uses a light and witty style to entertain us female readers, but there were aspects of this book that I didn’t like as much. For example, there is lots of strong language, and the plot really takes a while to develop: I found the first few chapters quite uneventful and predictable, and it wasn’t until the end of the fourth chapter that I became more intrigued. Maybe it’s because I’m a fan of Sophie Kinsella that I was somewhat disappointed by this novel, as it’s so different from her others, but even though this book wasn’t my favourite, I still became very attached to the characters in a way that only Kinsella can seem to do. Overall, it is a light-hearted and entertaining, if a little predictable, novel that would make a perfect holiday read, but if you’re looking for more depth, I would recommend Kinsella’s other books instead.’  

Get a copy of this book here from Amazon

I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

Today we have a review from Louise

‘I’ve Got Your Number’ – by Sophie Kinsella

Rating: 5/5

Bride-to-be Poppy has lost two of the most important things in her life; her engagement ring and her phone. The engagement ring has been in her fiancés family for 3 generations, and her future parents-in-law won’t be happy to see it missing; or to not see it, as it happens. As for the phone, when she stumbles across an abandoned mobile in a bin, Poppy can’t believe her luck and thinks nothing of using it as her own. Except the phone’s mysterious and smouldering owner, businessman Sam Roxton, has other ideas, and the pair get unwillingly tangled up in one another’s chaotic lives; sharing an inbox isn’t for the faint hearted.

This book was genuinely laugh-out-loud funny, with the loveably jumbled main character, Poppy, being the hilarious heroine of the story. We follow Poppy through the unfortunate events that precede her wedding day, and can’t help but fall in love with her bubbly personality and her unique way of dealing with some sticky situations. However, amidst the chaos there is romance, drama and mystery, adding an unexpected depth to this chick-flick. The story is continually unfolding, with drama around every corner, yet Kinsella still manages to maintain a fun tone to keep us turning the pages. ‘I’ve Got Your Number’ is both heart-warming and heart-wrenching, whilst at the same time I’m spitting out my drink laughing; a perfect balance and entirely unexpected.’

See the book here on Amazon

My Reading Wish List

                           

                                     

Today I’ve had fun making up a reading Wish List, and for a bit of comfort I looked out a nice comfy looking Sofa for me to lounge on whilst I read my books!