Showing posts with label Katie Ginger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Katie Ginger. Show all posts

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Book Review: Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage by Katie Ginger



Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage
by Katie Ginger



Amazon  US / UK / AUCA

On a grey, London day, Esme’s world crumbles around her when she loses her glitzy job on a top TV program, her gorgeous, city-slicker boyfriend and her stunning apartment, all in one fell swoop just before Christmas.

Esme is forced suddenly to move back to her sleepy hometown of Sandchester, and despite the snow blanketing the roof and the fairy lights that twinkle in her rustic little cottage, everything is looking bleak. That is until she reconnects with an old crush and finds herself unexpectedly getting swept away.

But Joe, handsome and charming as he is, is not all he seems. Esme soon realises that he has a tragic past which he just might not be able to overcome…

Surrounded by her loving, if harebrained, family and with the support of her hilarious friends, Esme is determined to have a go at forging her own path, even if it all comes to nothing. But one question still lingers in her mind: will she find someone to kiss under the mistletoe this Christmas?


My Rating:


Favorite Quotes:


It’s one thing to steal a recipe but another to steal a grandma. She probably doesn’t even have one anymore. I bet she devoured hers like a praying mantis.

I bet I’m still in shock. At some point I’ll come out of it, realise what’s happened and walk to London to destroy Leo’s flat and put raw fish behind his radiators.

‘What exactly are you doing there?’ asked Helena pointing at the screen. ‘I’m creaming the butter and sugar together till it’s light and fluffy.’ ‘Your boobs look like they’re having some kind of fight. You need a better bra before you go doing that again.’

It is quite dark. We can see down your top, but not much else. They look like whoppers by the way so you’d probably get some followers but maybe not the type you want.

‘What a callous idiot. If I lived near him I’d key his car and—’ ‘He doesn’t own a car, Mum. No one does in London.’ ‘Well then, I’d put itching powder in his underpants and cut the arms and legs off all his suits.’ Esme suppressed a smile.‘ Has Dad only stayed married to you all these years because he’s too scared to leave?’ ‘Probably.’



My Review:


This was a fun and highly amusing read with storylines shot through with clever levity and delicious food taunts. I should be highly annoyed that Ms. Ginger has completely derailed my dieting efforts with her mouthwatering descriptions that I could almost smell and taste, what a brutal tease for a weak and starving woman trying to shed some excess tonnage. I said I should be annoyed, but I’m not as it was more than worth a few, oh all right… a lot of extra calorie consumption. 

The storylines were engaging, the characters were vibrant and quirky, and the writing was delightfully clever as well as giggle-snort and smirk-worthy. This was my maiden voyage with the lovely Ms. Ginger and I hope to sail with her every time she leaves the shore from now on. 

Don’t hate me but I don’t watch much reality television and required the services of Mr. Google to look up Bear Grylls, and he looks worthy of a bit more exploration… I also gleaned an addition to my Brit Word List with saddo – which is British slang for a socially inadequate or pathetic person; something the intrepid and adventurous Mr. Grylls certainly is not.



About The Author

 KATIE GINGER lives in the South East of England, by the sea, and apart from holidays to very hot places where you can sit by a pool and drink cocktails as big your head, she wouldn't really want to be anywhere else. Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage is her third novel. She is also the author of the Seafront series - The Little Theatre on the Seafront, shortlisted for the Katie Fforde Debut Novel of the Year award, and Summer Season on the Seafront.

When she's not writing, Katie spends her time drinking gin, or with her husband, trying to keep alive her two children: Ellie, who believes everything in life should be performed like a musical number from a West End show; and Sam, who is basically a monkey with a boy's face. And there's also their adorable King Charles Spaniel, Wotsit (yes, he is named after the crisps!). 

For more about Katie, you can visit her website: www.keginger.com, find her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KatieGAuthor, or follow her on Twitter: @KatieGAuthor.


Thursday, June 13, 2019

Book Review: Summer Season on the Seafront by Katie Ginger




Summer Season on the Seafront
by Katie Ginger


Amazon US / UK / AU / CA B&N

The Greenley Players are back practicing their Shakespeare and, as usual, things aren't going to plan.

Sarah Powell is fed up with her sad single status and when her estranged father walks back into her life things get even worse. Can dishy doctor Finn MacDonald mend her broken heart and help her figure things out?

TV star, Nate Hardy's career is going from strength to strength until his performance is interrupted and he has to flee the West End to hide away in Greenley. Will he ever get his career back on track or will Sarah and the rest of Greenley's madcap residents capture his heart forever?


My Rating:


Favorite Quotes:



Sarah sent Lottie the SOS message. For her and Lottie, SOS meant Sort of Scared. Which she was, on several fronts. Dean’s capacity for consuming Chinese food verged on the terrifying and knowing that if the date continued he may well expect a kiss at some point filled Sarah with the sort of fear she hadn’t experienced since watching Chucky as a kid.


Today had been hotter than Satan’s underpants.


Sarah hid behind her menu for a moment to regain her composure thinking about something completely un-sexy like Donald Trump… She popped her head back up and stopped picturing Trump ’s strange wig-like hair and Oompa Loompa face.


He had a nice mouth and she’d always imagined his kisses would be soft and gentle, and not like having a sink plunger attached to her face, which she had, unfortunately, experienced before.




My Review:



This was a fun and witty rom-com with a few heart-squeezing issues and a side order of stubbornness. I enjoyed Ms. Ginger’s crisp writing style, it was brightly entertaining and easy to follow yet pleasantly engaging and wryly amusing. Her characters were endearingly quirky and humorously detailed. This was my first exposure to the author, who was quickly added to my new favorites list. And it has been a while since I’ve had an addition to my Brit Word List and Ms. Ginger has provided me with dustman – which is a garbage collector, and squiffy – which is slightly drunk (and oh, so, fun to say).


About The Author


KATIE GINGER lives in the South East of England, by the sea, and apart from holidays to very hot places where you can sit by a pool and drink cocktails as big your head, she wouldn't really want to be anywhere else. Summer Season on the Seafront is Katie's second novel. Her debut novel The Little Theatre on the Seafront was shortlisted for the Katie Fforde Debut Novel of the Year award. She is also the author of some cozy mystery short stories. Katie loves making her characters either fall in love, or killing them off - it depends on her mood! 

When she's not writing, Katie spends her time drinking gin, or with her husband, trying to keep alive her two children: Ellie, who believes everything in life should be done as a musical number from a West End show; and Sam, who is basically a monkey with a boy's face. And there's also their adorable King Charles Spaniel, Wotsit (yes, he is named after the crisps!).

For more about Katie, you can visit her website: www.keginger.com, find her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KatieGAuthor, or follow her on Twitter: @KatieGAuthor