The Hopeless Romantic's Handbook...

Lighthearted? Yes. Predictable? Yes.

Still worth reading? Definitely.

While her two best friends, Sal and Tom, are pragmatic and cynical, Kate Hetherington is a confirmed hopeless romantic. Even though she's nearing 30 and hasn't met the right guy yet, Kate is still looking for her knight in shining armor, Mr. Perfect, the love of her life. And The Hopeless Romantic's Handbook--which she purchased online for just 7 pounds--is going to help her with her quest.

As a single girl myself, I related to Kate, not only in her struggles to find love, but with her career challenges as well. Kate is funny, optimistic, and someone I wouldn't mind being friends with. I liked her friends, Sal and Tom, too. The advice Kate gets from The Hopeless Romantic's Handbook is peppered throughout the novel. Some of it made me smile; some of it made me wonder if I should give it a try. Here's my favorite:

"Remember that if you only stick to what you know, then what you know now is all that you will ever have. And unless your romantic dreams have already come true, what you know now is unlikely to ever be enough."

Gemma Townley found the right mix of humor and romance with this novel. I liked the London setting, and the happy ending. In fact, this book reminded me of my favorite Katie Fforde novels. I can't wait to read her again. So, if you're looking for a happily-ever-after bookish romance that will make you smile, give The Hopeless Romantic's Handbook a try!

Lost by S.J. Bolton

          "Someone was watching.
          "...and with that certain knowledge came a knocking in his chest as if his heart had suddenly moved up a gear. Here he was, in the city where five boys his age had disappeared in as many weeks, on his own in the exact part of London where they had all lived, and someone he couldn't see was watching him."

Five boys have been murdered, their bodies drained of blood, and the police have no suspects.  Still recovering from her previous case, D.I. Lacey Flint is not only avoiding fellow detective, Mark Joesbury, she's determined to avoid this latest investigation, too. Not so for her eleven-year-old neighbor, Barney Roberts; he and his friends are convinced they can solve the case before the police. Too bad Barney never considers that he just might be the killer's next victim. Or that the killer might be someone he knows. His involvement in the case ends up involving Lacey Flint...whether she's ready to return to work or not.

S.J. Bolton has written another compelling psychological thriller--one of those books that keeps you guessing. And when you do reach the end and discover the truth, it only makes you want to reread the entire book from the beginning. Bolton is an amazing writer. I love the way she creates tension in her novels, and her characters live and breathe on the page, making them unforgettable. Especially Lacey Flint and Mark Joesbury! If you haven't read their previous books, Now You See Me and Dead Scared, definitely read them first. You won't be sorry!

Now You See Me by S.J. Bolton

     The first murder looks like a Jack the Ripper copycat killing.  So do the second and third murders.  But as the police continue their investigations, they start to realize that the motive might not be 'ripping' but revenge.  Nothing in this novel is what it seems.  Even the main character, a young detective constable named Lacey Flint, has some dark secrets.  The lead D.I., Mark Joesbury, finds himself attracted to Lacey, but he doesn't trust her.  In fact, he suspects she might have something to do with the murders...
     I read this book in two days.  There are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very end.  It's only in the last few pages that the truth finally comes to light.  I love a good plot twist, and this book has plenty!  The interplay between the characters, the secrets and hidden truths, and the mounting tension as the murderer moves inexorably closer, make this a gripping novel that is hard to put down.  This is a must-read!

Sister by Rosamund Lupton

"Before you died, the adjectives about my life were second league:  stressful, upsetting, distressing; at the worst, deeply sad.  Now I have the big gun words--harrowing, traumatic, devastating--as part of my thesaurus of self," writes Beatrice in the novel Sister by Rosamund Lupton.  When Beatrice's younger sister, Tess, goes missing days after giving birth to a stillborn baby boy, Beatrice flies back to London to look for her, but she is too late.  The police discover Tess's body in Hyde Park and rule her death a suicide.  Only Beatrice is sure that Tess could never kill herself; that she was, in fact, murdered.  No one else believes her, not the police, not her mother, not even Tess's closest friends.  But Beatrice refuses to stop looking for her sister's killer, determined to discover the truth, even if it kills her.  And it just might.                                     

        Beatrice narrates the story as if she is writing a letter to her sister, making Tess an integral part of the story, even though she is dead.  Lupton is a lyrical writer who does a masterful job of moving the story forward while building suspense until the very end--an ending that will definitely surprise you.  I couldn't put this book down!