Review: Miranda's Mount by Phillipa Ashley

I'm excited to share more about Phillipa Ashley's newest novel, Miranda's Mount.  Don't forget to check yesterday's guest post by Phillipa for a bit more background on the novel and a great giveaway!

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "When Miranda finds herself fighting for her home, her job and her heart, sleeping with the enemy may not be the best tactic…

With no family of her own, Miranda Marshall has developed a healthy respect – some would say obsession – with other people’s histories. As property manager of a spectacular island castle in Cornwall, she’s made St Merryn’s Mount one of the UK’s most popular heritage attractions. While she may have the castle running like clockwork, Miranda hasn’t bargained on its sexy owner returning to claim his birthright. Dark, handsome and with a rakish reputation, Jago St Merryn not only looks like a pirate but is intent on flogging the Mount to a soulless leisure corporation. Miranda faces the battle of her life as she tries to persuade him to face up to his past and continue the St Merryn dynasty. But Jago has his own reasons for jumping ship and when he throws down the gauntlet to Miranda, she’s forced to delve into painful memories she’d much rather keep hidden…"

Review:  There is always such a great escape factor in Phillipa Ashley's books, and Miranda's Mount is no different.  Set on the property of a historical castle on a small island in Cornwall, we meet Miranda, who essentially runs the property for the owners in welcoming guests to the island.  As with many of Ashley's novels, there is a lightness to the story that pulls you in and is a fun time.  This novel was no different.  Miranda's professionalism in challenged right away when the aging property owner's son, Jago, returns to run the show.  He's not the bossy type.  In fact, he's the sell-and-run type.

In this contemporary novel, Miranda is the career girl and Jago is the dashing yet impersonal hero.  We quickly learn that people's interests cannot be turned on and off like a spigot, even if they have every reason to not be together.  Miranda is single minded in her career and loves her job, but Jago is broken by his past and determined to sell the property.  These factors make the story complicated and interesting to watch unfold.

As with most of Ashley's novels, the first third of the book has a delightful humor and playfulness to it that made me like Miranda and the other characters.  However, the twist in the story is always right around the corner!  I really did love the location, with the island castle and the tide around the island that either shut them off from the world or gave them a nice sandbar to walk back to the mainland.  I could picture that island and wanted to visit or stay for awhile.   The characters in this novel were also complicated and lovable, mainly because of their flaws.  In fact, I often wondered about Miranda's liking for Jago.  He was obviously easy to look at (and very rich to own that castle), but obviously had secrets underfoot.  What's not to like about a bit of mystery though, especially when it's couched in good looks, right?

Phillipa Ashley, once again, has written an escape read both in its story and location.  I always enjoy a great Ashley novel because they are books that you can sink yourself into for a nice visit.

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on a personal copy of the novel.

Don't forget to stop by a great guest post by Phillipa, with a nice giveaway of her novel and Downton calendar!  Check it out to hear how she came to be inspired to write the castle island in Miranda's Mount.

Review: Going Home by Harriet Evans

I really enjoy Harriet Evans' novels, and this one didn't disappoint.  I'm embarrassed though to say that I started it around Christmas and didn't finish it until June.  Yes, here is one of those novels that just seemed to take me forever to read thanks to life!

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "They say love feels like going home . . . But what if your home is no longer there? Leaving her tiny flat in London -- and a whole host of headaches behind -- Lizzy Walter is making the familiar journey back home to spend Christmas with her chaotic but big-hearted family. In an ever-changing world, her parents' country home, Keeper House, is the one constant. But behind the mistletoe and mince pies, family secrets and rivalries lurk. And when David, the love of her life -- or so she thought -- makes an unexpected reappearance, this one ranks as a Christmas she would definitely rather forget.
 
As winter slowly turns to spring, all the things that Lizzy has taken for granted begin to shift. Keeper House is in jeopardy and might have to be sold for reasons Lizzy doesn't understand. Her family seems fractured like never before. And, with a new man in her life, she may finally have to kiss her dream of a reunion with David good-bye. By the time the Walters gather at Keeper House for a summer wedding, the stakes have never been higher -- for Lizzy, for her family, and for love."

Review:  Harriet Evans writes great novels with a lot of characters and story going on.  This novel was no exception.  Let me cut to the chase though in saying that once things switched from a lovely English countryside Christmas to the toils of going back to work and her family's drama, it became a novel filled with tension.  I wanted to  enjoy my reading and relax, but found myself tense over the main character, Lizzy's, stubborn streak.  Things that needed to be talked about with her ex-"love of her life" and with her parents always got side stepped.  In fact, in the novel, the other characters commented on her inability to face the music and talk about things that were going on.  People wanted to involve her, but she strangely kept choosing to avoid everything.  I suppose she was protecting herself?  Obviously, this was how Evans meant to create the character and her story; I just found it put off any hope of resolution and kept the story dragging along a bit.  If we as readers don't know what's happening, then in some ways it doesn't matter to us.  

Thankfully, we find out that her family might lose their lovely family home and why.  Everything starts to unfold and Lizzy begins to be more honest with herself.  I appreciated that and finally really started to enjoy the novel after that point.  For me, the first 150 and the last 100 pages were the best and had me enjoying that escape reading experience that I love.

On the whole, I liked Going Home.  Admittedly, I'm a bigger fan of A Hopeless Romantic, but can now see some of the techniques that Evans might be using to draw out the storyline a bit.  I still find myself relating to her main female characters (stubborn streak and all) and hoping that they will get their final bit of happiness.  If you like British "Chick Lit" then you should try Harriet Evans.  I will continue to read her novels because they are interesting stories with a setting and themes I enjoy and just can't seem to get enough of in the long run!

*FTC Disclosure:  Review is based on a personal copy of the novel.

Review: Just Say Yes by Phillipa Ashley

Yes, it's been awhile since I posted.  Rather than go into a long explanation of where I've been, which has more to do with my level of fatigue than anything else, I thought I'd dive right back in with what I love most--BOOKS.  Nothing would be better than to tip-toe back into my blogging than by reviewing Phillipa Ashley's newest release here in the U.S., Just Say Yes.  It came out the first of June, and was such a great book to read to help me refuel my depleted engines.

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "Lucy Gibson needs to get away. When her good-looking, popular boyfriend Nick Laurentis, winner of reality TV show Hot Shots, proposes to her on air she's stunned -- into silence. Every girl loves a romantic gesture, but she's just not ready for that kind of commitment. With the press hounding her as the one who callously broke Nick's heart, Lucy escapes her London flat to seek refuge in an isolated Cornwall cottage. But little does she realise that life down there will be far from uncomplicated!"

Review:  What is not to love about a Phillipa Ashley novel?  Honest.  Her heroes make you swoon and her plots feel familiar, have an unexpected twist, but always end up feeling satisfying.  In this novel, Lucy Gibson has a shocking situation happen with her reality-star winning boyfriend that has her feeling stunned and in need of some space to think.  We've all been there--meaning the needing space thing.  What happens when you're not given a chance to think or people jump to conclusions too soon?

Besides making me feel like I want to move to England--once again--this book made me feel a range of emotions that pulled me into the story.  The people she meets in Cornwall add more depth to Lucy's story and I wanted even more from them.  These characters were great and added that contrast to Lucy's fast-paced life back in London.  I won't lie though.  There was one scene on a topless beach that had me flipping pages back to make sure I read it right.  Perhaps my naivete with nude/topless beaches made me think I was reading it wrong, but that was one shocking moment that threw me and would have had me snorting out my beverage if I'd been drinking one at the time.  (Made you curious now, right?)  Regardless, this wasn't a gratuitous book, just filled with some interesting twists and turns. 

Beaches at Cornwall.  Anyone else bewitched by this? 
Photo Credit: http://www.cornwallwaterfronthomes.co.uk/cornwall

Overall, I have become a real fan of Phillipa Ashley's novels.  I like her characters and interesting stories.  Also, as a serious Anglophile, I love being introduced to parts of England I wouldn't get to go to normally.  In this case, we went from London right on down to the seaside in Cornwall.  Honestly, I have to get back to England soon.  If you're looking for a great summer read, with a bit of romance and a happy ending, then this novel and all of Phillipa Ashley's other novels will surely fit the bill.

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on an advanced review copy from the publisher. 

Whew.  I did it.  My first foray back into my blog.  :)  Thankfully I had such a great book to pull me back into it all.  Thank you to everyone who has checked to see what's up.  Sorry I've been so negligent.   Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things!