2 in 1 Interview: Sue Moorcroft and Laura E James

Today I am doing the whole interview thing a bit differently, you get 2 interviews instead of 1 :)

So Welcome to Sue Moorcroft and Laura E James!

1. Hi again Sue. What's new in your life?

I have a new book out – but I think you know that! I’ve had a great year, teaching in France and Italy, visiting New Orleans for the RT Booklovers Convention and taking my mother to Malta as her 80th birthday gift. 

2. Give us 3 reasons why The Wedding Proposal is a fab Fall book...

It’s set in Malta, part of my upbringing and a large part of my heart.

It’s a reunion book. I love to read reunion books so I thought I’d write one. The plotting nearly drove me mad but I’m pleased with the result.

Elle is a heroine with secrets and Lucas is a hero who doesn’t like secrets! It’s an interesting mix.

3. And now it's Lucas’s turn in the spotlight. Tell us about him.

Four years ago Lucas let his possessive streak get the better of him and he told Elle that unless she could be more open with him, the relationship was over. So Elle packed and left. When she turns up on his uncle’s boat it’s a shock. 

Lucas has a great sense of decency, of right and wrong. It takes him most of the book to appreciate that it’s possible to be wrong about what’s right as well as right about what’s wrong. 

After a spell working on the business side of his uncle’s Californian vineyard he’s now a scuba dive master working in Malta and spends much of the time in board shorts and nothing else, dark hair blowing in the breeze. He’s grown up a lot but Elle still knows how to press his buttons.

He also saves his brother’s life. Handy that he’s there …

4. You have written many books, is there any book that is more special then the rest?

I think every writer feels a special love for their most recent book so The Wedding Proposal is occupying my heart right now. However, Dream a Little Dream was the most satisfying book I ever wrote. The research for Dominic’s neurological condition, narcolepsy, was challenging but the actual writing just took off. Whoosh!

Thanks!

And thank you, too. 

More info about Sue's new book can be found at the bottom of the page, together with info about our next author, Laura.

1.Who is Laura E James?

I’m a wife and mother, who loves reading, writing and music. I’ve been known to take to the stage on occasion, singing rock and pop in competitions. I sung Babooshka once. I opted for a slinky, full-length, shimmering red dress rather than the full-on Kate Bush/Boudica metal-wear. It was the right choice. People went to bed that night unharmed. My mother used to joke that she wouldn’t take me into a jewellers in case I burst into song under the spotlights.

2. Give us 3 reasons why Follow me, Follow you is the book to read...

It’s an untimately uplifting, honest book written from the heart.

The heroine’s situation is one to which I think many will relate.

It’s set on the stunning Jurassic coast in Dorset. Beautiful Chesil Beach plays a major role. 

3. Describe your hero Chris to us

Until Chris Frampton, I hadn’t used photo references to fix a character’s physical appearance in my head, but I needed to get behind his eyes to see exactly what was going on in that mind. This resulted in me carrying out extensive research, oogling, sorry, Googling images of Johnny Depp. He has the lean frame, dark hair, brandy eyes and the intensity I wanted to portray in Chris.

It was dirty work.

Chris is an adventurer. He’s impulsive, self-assured and hard-working. He’s loyal, caring and gentle.

And he wears leathers.

4. Are you working on something fun right now? If so what? ;)

I’ve been writing a short story for Choc Lit, which will be sent to Choc Lit Treat subscribers. I enjoy writing shorts ‒ they provide me with bubbles of completion. Novels take me a good number of months, and a short-term project gives me the boost to continue with the long-term book.

I’m 20,000 words into my third novel, working title ’What Doesn’t Kill You’. It’s an issue-based romance, with complicated family ties and strained relationships. The theme is ’saving’, whether that be saving yourself , saving others or saving the relationship. But do we all want to be saved?

Thanks!

Thank you for having me. I hope you enjoy ’Follow Me, Follow You’.

Author bio

Sue Moorcroft is a working writer. The Wedding Proposal is her tenth novel and seventh novel with Choc Lit – Starting Over,  All That Mullarkey, Want to Know a Secret?, Love & Freedom and Dream a Little Dream and Is This Love?. Love & Freedom won the 2011 Best Romantic Novel of the Year Award from the Festival of Romance and Dream a Little Dream was shortlisted for the 2013 Romantic Novel of the Year Contemporary Category Award.

Sue has also published over a hundred short stories, articles and several serials in magazines. She’s a creative writing tutor for distance learning and residential courses, and also for the University of Leicester, Northampton Centre. She has written courses for the London School of Journalism and, with her tutor’s hat on: LOVE WRITING - How to Make Money Writing Romantic or Erotic Fiction.

The Wedding Proposal

Can a runaway bride stop running? 

Elle Jamieson is an unusually private person, in relationships as well as at work – and for good reason. But when she’s made redundant, with no ties to hold her, Elle heads off to a new life in sunny Malta. 

Lucas Rose hates secrets – he prides himself on his ability to lay his cards on the table and he expects nothing less from others. He’s furious when his summer working as a divemaster is interrupted by the arrival of Elle, his ex, all thanks to his Uncle Simon’s misguided attempts at matchmaking. 

Forced to live in close proximity, it’s hard to ignore what they had shared before Lucas’s wedding proposal ended everything they had. But then an unexpected phone call from England allows Lucas a rare glimpse of the true Elle. Can he deal with Elle’s hidden past when it finally comes to light?

Sue’s latest book The Wedding Proposal is available as an ebook from 4 August 2014 and as a paperback from 8 September.

Website www.suemoorcroft.com. 

Blog http://suemoorcroft.wordpress.com/ 

Facebook sue.moorcroft.3 and https://www.facebook.com/SueMoorcroftAuthor

Twitter @suemoorcroft

Where to find the book:

Apple UK Apple US Kindle UK Kindle US Kobo Google Play 

Author bio

Laura lives in Dorset with her family. Laura was twice a runner-up in the Choc Lit Short Story competitions. Her story Bitter Sweet appears in the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Anthology. Truth or Dare?, Laura’s debut novel, was shortlisted for the 2014 Joan Hessayon Award. Follow Me Follow You is Laura’s first Choc Lit novel published in paperback.

Twitter: @Laura_E_James

Follow Me Follow You

Can a first love last forever?

Victoria Noble has pulled the plug on romance. As director of the number one social networking site, EweSpeak, and single mother to four-year-old Seth, she wrestles with the work-life balance. 

Enter Chris Frampton, Hollywood action hero and Victoria’s first love. His return from LA has sparked a powder keg of media attention, and with secrets threatening to fuel the fire, he’s desperate to escape. But finding a way forward is never simple. Although his connection with Victoria has lasted the test of time, has he been adrift too long to know how to move on? 

With the risk of them breaking, will either #follow their heart?

Where to find the booK:

Kindle UK http://amzn.to/1osq6Vh

Kindle US http://amzn.to/1wNfTN8

Apple http://bit.ly/1pQ0gQh

Kobo http://bit.ly/1qb6RVp

Google Play http://bit.ly/1ppydYw

The wedding Proposal - Sue Moorcroft

Elle Jamieson is a private person, in relationships as well as at work—and for good reason. But then she’s made redundant and with no ties to hold her, Elle heads off to sunny Malta.

Lucas Rose hates secrets—he prides himself on his ability to lay his cards on the table and he expects nothing less in return. He’s furious when his summer working as a divemaster is interrupted by the arrival of Elle, his ex, all thanks to his Uncle Simon’s misguided attempts at matchmaking.

Forced to live in close proximity, it's hard to ignore what they had shared before Lucas's wedding proposal scared Elle away. But then a phone call from England allows Lucas a rare glimpse of the true Elle. Can he deal with Elle’s closely guarded past when it finally comes to light?

My thoughts:

Elle has a secret and it made her run from the man she loved and wanted to marry. Silly people, do not run from secrets, confront them. But when I learn more about her, her upbringing, her life, I did see why she ran. She did not have the confidence to stay and fight. 

Right, this book is then about Elle and Lucas who meet again a few years later. Bad breakup, they still have feelings and now they are stuck on a boat together. Of course those feelings are gonna come out again. There is romance in the book after all.

I liked Malta at the setting too, I want to go there. Even if I missed the author's previous settings, they are so quintessential English. Love that.

The romance was slow building. Hello, hard feelings! First they need to take steps towards friendship, then think about something else. And Elle needs to learn how to breathe and shake loose again.

Conclusion:

A slow-building romance and a book that shows how hurtful secrets are.

Cover snark 

Cute but no wow factor

Paperback, 352 pages
Expected publication: Out now in ebook form and print (US print later)
Romantic Fiction
From the publisher for an honest review

Author Interview and Giveaway: Sue Moorcroft

Today I am interviewing Sue Moorcroft and giving away a copy of her new book.

1. Tell me about yourself.

I write novels of dauntless heroines and irresistible heroes. I also write short stories, serials, articles, columns, courses and writing ‘how to’. I’m a creative writing tutor and a competition judge. As you can see, I like to keep busy. I was a little late learning to read and write, owing to interrupted education, but once I ‘got it’ I found I adored both.

I was part of an army family so home was where the barracks was. I was born in Germany and lived also in Cyprus and Malta. I’ve lived in England since I was ten but I still love to travel. I also love reading, writing, Formula 1, yoga, Zumba, my family and friends.

Is This Love? has just been nominated for the Readers Best Romantic Read Award. Love & Freedom won the Best Romantic Read Award 2011 and Dream a Little Dream was nominated for a RoNA in 2013. I received three nominations at the Festival of Romance 2012 and I’m a Katie Fforde Bursary Award winner.

I’m the vice chair of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, which is good for being invited to publishing parties, and I edited the Association’s two short story anthologies.

2.  What is 'Is This Love?' about?

It’s about the different types and qualities of love. Not just the romantic phwoarrrr kind of love but the love Tamara Rix has for her family, in particular her sister, Lyddie, who, after a hit-and-run accident when she was a teen, needs more care than most adults. The book begins when her teenage sweetheart, Jed Cassius, returns to Middledip village to tell the Rix family who was driving the car that hit Lyddie.

Jed’s an enigmatic and hard to read hero. He dropped out of society for a while as a teen so it’s a bit of a mystery how he got his amazing job, nice car and apartment. Tamara, who had a big crush on him when she was ten, finds her feelings all too easy to transfer to the adult Jed. But she’s just not sure whether or not he’s one of the good guys.

What Tamara and Jed have in common is that their lives were changed by what happened to Lyddie.

3. I like that your books have people who struggle in them. It feels real? But what is your inspiration behind the books?

It depends upon the book. Is This Love? came from me thinking about one of my old friends, a teenaged boy who suffered head injury, like Lyddie, and never got the future he could have expected. As his friends of his own age grew up and moved away, got married, went to university, he found it difficult to replace them. His family were great but it changed things for all of them, not just for him. So that was my starting point for Tamara’s family.

I’m not exactly sure where my inspiration came from for Jed’s background. I have talked to a retired police officer about young men who drop out of society and find it hard to get back to normal life, so maybe it was that.

I don’t consciously look for issues to drive my books. I look for quests and conflicts, more often. But issues still seem to find their way in. I suppose that if I find something that interests me I find it worth writing about, but not to the extent of letting an issue dominate a book.

4. Is there any genre you are curious to write?

Romantic fiction is my love and I can’t imagine myself writing far out of the genre, although my early books were more family drama based than the books I write now. I’m lucky that I’ve found a publisher that wants me to write exactly what I want to write. 

I would love to have the ability to write Romantic Suspense, though. I admire the authors who can really pull that off. It’s one of my favourite genres to read.

5. What is coming next from you?

I have a book that is almost ready to hand in as a first draft, to allow the cover and blurb to be done. It began being called In the Same Boat but at the moment we like Never Own Up more. It’s set in Malta, a country that will always have a part of my heart and is about Lucas and Elle, who used to be together four years ago. Because of the meddling of Lucas’s Uncle Simon, who is still friends with Elle, they end up sharing Simon’s boat in a marina. Things haven’t worked out for either of them in the way they foresaw, they’ve changed since they last met, and there are too many unresolved issues between them to be pleased that they’ve ended up living in close quarters. 

It’s a reunion book. I’d never written one before but I love to read reunion books so wanted to write one. That was before I realised how much back story I had to create before I could begin! It’s almost like writing two novels. Hard work. But I’m really enjoying pitching Lucas and Elle together and seeing if they can work things out second time around.

Lucas is someone who sees things in terms of right and wrong, black and white. Elle is reserved and doesn’t always spout out all the answers to his questions. It’s an interesting relationship dynamic. Since they last met, she’s left the corporate world, let her hair grow long and reinvented herself. He’s intrigued.

Also, in the back of my mind is a new hero and heroine. I think I’ll be returning to Middledip village for their book. At the moment he’s called Ben Hardaker and she’s called Alexier. I got the names from gravestones. I’m particularly intrigued as to why Alexier’s name is spelled that way. I’ve only ever seen Alexia before. I think Ben is a falconer and I think he has an interest in Wicca or paganism or something. I’ll find out later.

Thank you!

GIVEAWAY

1 copy of Is this Love?

1. Open to Everyone in the world

2. Ends Nov 16

3. Just enter but be free to ask questions :)

Is This Love? is out now in paperback and across all ebook platforms and has been nominated for the Readers Best Romantic Read Award.

Website www.suemoorcroft.com. 

Blog http://suemoorcroft.wordpress.com/ 

Facebook sue.moorcroft.3

Twitter @suemoorcroft

Review: Is This Love - Sue Moorcroft

When Tamara Rix's sister Lyddie is involved in a hit-and-run accident that leaves her in need of constant care, Tamara resolves to remain in the village she grew up in. Tamara would do anything for her sister, even sacrifice a long-term relationship. 

But when Lyddie's teenage sweetheart Jed Cassius returns to Middledip, he brings news that shakes the Rix family to their core. Jed's life is shrouded in mystery, particularly his job, but despite his strange background, Tamara can t help being intrigued by him.

Can Tamara find a balance between her love for Lyddie and growing feelings for Jed, or will she discover that some kinds of love just don't mix?

My thoughts:

Sue Moorcroft always keeps it real. Her couples take their time and there is always other things going on too.

Tamara has always helped her parents take care of her sister who was in a horrible accident as a teenager and now she mind has stayed a kid forever. But Tamara loves her sister so she wants to stay close. One could say she is a bit self sacrificing, but this is what she wants. She made her own way trough life and sure she has regrets but is still happy. And I liked her, and felt for her.

Jeb is an old friend of the family who shows up and dishes out some secrets. At times I did not know where to place him, read and find out, I wanted to like him, then doubt sneaked in, and then I liked him again.

The love affair takes time, there is no instalove. There is weariness, a bit of lust in their eyes and slowly they move towards each other and take it slow. Like I said, she keeps it real. She lets it build, the lets them have doubts. No need to rush love.

The book is about...oh what to spill now, Liddie, her sister. Jeb and the budding romance of course and a secondary story that adds a bit of something else, and a bit of drama too.

Conclusion:

 I enjoyed it and read it fast. It was sweet and real.

Paperback, 336 pages
Expected publication: November 15th 2013 by Choc Lit (out on ebook)
Women's fiction /romantic fiction
For review

Review: Dream a Little Dream - Sue Moorcroft

What would you give to make your dreams come true?

Liza Reece has a dream. Working as a reflexologist for a troubled holistic centre isn’t enough. When the opportunity arises to take over the Centre she jumps at it. Problem is, she needs funds, and fast, as she’s not the only one interested.

Dominic Christy has dreams of his own. Diagnosed as suffering from a rare sleep disorder, dumped by his live-in girlfriend and discharged from the job he adored as an Air Traffic Controller, he’s single-minded in his aims. He has money, and plans for the Centre that don’t include Liza and her team. 

But dreams have a way of shifting and changing and Dominic’s growing fascination with Liza threatens to reshape his. And then it’s time to wake up to the truth ..

My thoughts:

Moorcroft has real people with real issues, and I love the settings too. Here we are back in Middledip. I like the quiet small towns

In this we have Liza a reflexologist  yes I have never met a heroine who is one before. She used to be fun and out there, but now she is more quiet after something that happened. And with quiet I do not mean quiet, just not out partying all night long. Because she is not afraid to speak her mind.

The hero Dominic has narcolepsy, yes, never met a hero with that before either. And he has it rough, he lost his job cos of it and is not allowed to drive. He is staying with his cousin and he is not happy. I liked him and I liked how it was also portrayed how some just do not get what it's about. Like he could just get over it.

Will these two meet, fall in love and be in lalala land at once, ha, of course not. This is a real romance after all ;) Yes they meet, yes there is an attraction but they will have to work for it, and then work some more. They both have problems and dreams that have to be dealt with first. And in the end this is a couple that will last.

Conclusion:

If you want a little reality with your romance, but still being able to dream yourself away then this is the book for you.

Cover.
Eh

Genre: Romantic Fiction
Pages: 336
Published: Nov 7th 2012 by Choc Lit
Source: For review

Find it on Amazon UK / Amazon US

Interview and Contest: Sue Moorcroft - Love & Freedom

 Today I welcome Sue Moorcroft to my blog. She is the author of Love & Freedom, and at the bottom of this interview you can win the book.

Welcome to Mur-y-Castell!

 Tell us something about yourself, so we can get to know you better…

I don’t know where I come from. Or, at least, I never know how to answer the question, ‘Where are you from?’ because I was born in Germany, left at six weeks old, went to Cyprus, Malta, England and Malta again before returning to England at the age of eight. But then I settled in England and have been boringly here ever since.

I’m a writer and a creative writing tutor. My first love is the writing of my novels of dauntless heroines and irresistible heroes, but I also write short stories, serials, articles, courses and writing ‘how to’. I’m the head judge for Writers’ Forum and write two of their columns. I did used to have a proper job, in a bank, but it’s waaaay back in the past and now I earn a living writing/tutoring/judging. Precarious but fun.

I’m a Formula 1-aholic and have a column at www.girlracer.co.uk. I have some magical memories of scuba diving but haven’t felt the urge to dive for a while; I’m learning to play the piano in a desultory way.
Fun fact: there’s a reference to Formula 1 in each of my Choc Lit novels.

Your latest release is called Love & Freedom; can you tell me what it is about?
Honor Sontag leaves her home in west Connecticut and travels to Brighton, England to search for the mother who left her as a baby. She loves Eastingdean, near Brighton, where she rents a bungalow from Clarissa Mayfair. Clarissa’s “little” brother is 6’4” mysterious Martyn Mayfair who doesn’t seem to have a proper job but does have a stalker. Honor goes to work for the stalker, which is unfortunate, and finds herself drawn into several eccentric English lives, including Ru, the stalker’s fourteen-year-old son, and Frog, Ru’s bully. Ru really needs somebody, so I’m glad it’s Honor, because she’s lion-hearted. Martyn Mayfair is fascinated by Honor – but she’s exactly the kind of woman he’s sworn off. So he has to find a way past that. The action also travels to Connecticut for a few chapters because when people get in trouble, they go home. And Honor gets in trouble …

If this book became a movie, who would you see in the leading roles?
Martyn Mayfair would be played by Jared Leto when Jared has long hair brushed forward, and stubble. Not a beard. This is an important distinction, as I hate beards! Nobody with a beard, in my books, ever does well. Honor could be played by the fabulous Julianna Moore – but she’d have to get her hair crimped and be a lighter auburn. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. It’s a good cause.

Could you tell me about a little about all the other books you have written?
My first published book was Uphill All the Way (Transita) but I’d written Starting Over and All That Mullarkey before Uphill. The market didn’t seem quite right for them at the time, although they went into acquisition meetings (ie fell at the final hurdle). But then I found Choc Lit and they publish exactly what I love to write most, and they wanted Starting Over and All That Mullarkey. A book called Family Matters had gone to Robert Hale, meantime, but only in hardback, so I rewrote it as Want to Know a Secret? for Choc Lit. I love my Choc Lit books.

Starting Over is about Tess, who is someone who simply moves on when the going gets tough. She moves to a village in Cambridgeshire – she’s an illustrator so has a portable career – and runs into (literally, ie car crash) Ratty (Miles Rattenbury). She’s been dumped by email by Olly, who she thought she was going to marry, so she’s looking for somewhere to settle down and make friends. Of course, she gets herself in a whole new mess but the crux of the book is whether she’s found something worth sticking around for. By the time she realises that she has, Ratty is … well, you need to read the book. I was in love with Ratty for such a long time – but I’m afraid I was unfaithful to him with Justin from All That Mullarkey. The book begins with the writing being on the wall for Cleo’s marriage – it says, ‘This marriage is over. Love Gav’, and it’s on the bedroom wall – and her having a drunken one night stand with Justin, in reaction.  It’s an awkward spot from which to try and save her marriage but she finds that her marriage is founded on a big fat lie, anyway.

Want to Know a Secret? is slightly different in that I throw Diane into a bad situation and make her react to it. She discovers her husband, Gareth, has been living a double life, and it’s not the kind of double life some men are famous for. The theme of the book is: which is most important, money or family? Diane has no money. James, who has a relationship to Gareth that’s too convoluted to go into here, has lots of money but, also, an alcoholic wife and a fragile, self-harming daughter. Then something happens between James and Diane in the back of his Mercedes, which sort of changes everything. But sort of doesn’t.

I’ve also written a writing ‘how to’ book for Accent Press, it’s called Love Writing – How to Make Money Writing Romantic or Erotic Fiction and brings together my experience in writing romantic fiction, my skills as a tutor and my contacts through being a long-term member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Who is your favorite hero/heroine from your books?
I can never answer this question. I love them all. They’re different but equal. Except I love the heroes more than the heroines – or differently, anyway.

What’s coming next from you?
I’m writing a book with a working title of Dream a Little Dream. It’s about Liza, who is the sister of Cleo, from All That Mullarkey. She was far too naughty and sparky to leave as a secondary character, so I rescued her. Unfortunately, she’s had an awful life experience, since All That Mullarkey days. She’s currently butting heads with Dominic, who has had to leave his career as an air traffic control officer as he has been diagnosed with narcolepsy. His marriage has gone down the drain, too, so he’s looking to kind of reinvent himself. It’s an interesting combination!

Any advice for aspiring writers?
I always say two things:
i)    persist. I truly believe that the name for a writer who doesn’t give up is ‘published’. I got some real knockbacks but I didn’t give up and here I am.
ii)    educate yourself. Don’t fall for the line about writers being born and not made. It’s dismissive of our art. Artists, dancers, actors, they all go through years and years of rigorous training and mentoring so it’s unreasonable to suppose that writers don’t to learn their craft. How you choose to learn is up to you. There are courses, classes, books, conferences, forums, talks, magazines … Learn your craft and keep your ear to the ground for market news. Good luck!

Giveaway

1 copy of Love & Freedom

1. Open to all (yes that means international, the whole world)

2. Ends June 27th

3. Just enter or to make it fun

Ask a question, comment on the interview or tell me what you would think about Jared in the role 

(I would love it btw ;)

Love & Freedom was published by Choc Lit on 1 June 2011. You can buy it now or read the first two chapters. And you can listen to a recording of the FREE prequel chapter here.

Check out her website www.suemoorcroft.com and her blog at http://suemoorcroft.wordpress.com/ for news and writing tips. You’re welcome to befriend Sue on Facebook or Follow her on Twitter.


 ---------------------------
(psssst: My Flash Fic for the week)

Review: Love & Freedom - Sue Moorcroft

Genre: Contemporary romantic fiction
Pages: 319
Published: June 1st 2011 Choc-Lit

New start, new love. That's what Honor Sontag needs after her life falls apart, leaving her reputation in tatters and her head all over the place. So she flees her native America and heads for Brighton, England. Honor's hoping for a much-deserved break and the chance to find the mother who abandoned her as a baby. What she gets is an entanglement with a mysterious male whose family seems to have a finger in every pot in town. Martyn Mayfair has sworn off women with strings attached, but is irresistibly drawn to Honor, the American who keeps popping up in his life. All he wants is an uncomplicated relationship built on honesty, but Honor's past threatens to undermine everything. Then secrets about her mother start to spill out ... Honor has to make an agonising choice. Will she live up to her dutiful name and please others? Or will she choose freedom?

My thoughts:

Should I say it again? Ok I will. I like  Moorcroft's books because they feel so real and at the same time they are sweet and romantic. And they are so British, you have to love that feeling you get how you just want to go in live in the novel.

To the story then. Honor leaves Connecticut because of troubles. I am not going to tell you what since we do not know it at once, but I do understand why she wanted to leave everything behind and start new. She is also looking for her mother who she has never known. Those two things are the troubles in her life. She has had her share of hard times but she still has a positive outlook on life and I really liked her for that. She has a good degree but she is willing to work as anything (except as what she know). Sure she could have told certain people certain things but life is not easy and she acted like anyone would act. To the man then, Martyn, and now I do not want to say more so not to spoil things. Let's just say he is really hunky, he does have a wandering eye (in the past that is) cos he has been hurt so he keeps things casual. But when these two meet they become friends since they are thrown into each other's lives at times. The attraction is there and building but neither wants to act. That is what I like about her books, people take things slow, they talk, they laugh and they fall in love.

And it's England, they eat fish and chips, drink tea and say English things (which of course Honor does not understand what they mean but I have no trouble with. Used to that.) There is just something about a good British novel.

So yes it is a novel about finding your freedom and falling in love. About meeting new friends and doing what you want to do instead of what other people want you to do. And last yes there is drama too, this drama comes in form of a big jerk whose ass I wanted to kick. But you can't let jerks hold you down and no one can hold Honor down any more. 

Conclusion:

This was a lovely story that I read through fast. I was very interested in finding out who her mum was and what happened back home, and of course when she and Martyn would get together. It was sweet, uplifting and real. Moorcroft has not disappointed me so far and I hope she will write many more wonderful novels.

I do recommend her novels. They are not contemporary romance and not quite fiction but a lovely middle thing in my eye.

Rating:

Good

Cover:

Nice

Come back tomorrow cos I am having Sue over for an interview and giving away a copy of this book. And yes worldwide contest this time :D

Review: Want to know a Secret? - Sue Moorcroft

Genre: Contemporary romance/chick-lit/fiction
Pages: 336
Published: November 2010 Choc-Lit

Money, love and family. Which matters most? When Diane Jenner's husband is hurt in a helicopter crash, she discovers a secret that changes her life. And it's all about money, the kind of money the Jenners have never had. James North has money, and he knows it doesn't buy happiness. He's been a rock for his wayward wife and troubled daughter - but that doesn't stop him wanting Diane. James and Diane have something in common: they always put family first. Which means that what happens in the back of James's Mercedes is a really, really bad idea. Or is it?

I do like Moorcroft, she keeps it real.

Plot:

Diane's husband is in a helicopter crush, and what he did in it in the first place she does not understand, until all the lies come out at once (almost all). He has been keeping some big secrets from her, and because of these secrets she meet James, loyal the core, nice, and there is something there.

My thoughts:

Like I said, Moorcroft keeps it very real, I can see all these things happening so easily. Romance is there, but it's slow, truthful and filled with doubts.

Diane thought she had it all, sure she had struggled to put food on the table, but other than that everything is ok. Until secrets come out. Her husband is a petty ass, and an egoistic swine. If he hasn't been in a crash she would surely given him what he had coming. So she is nice, he is not, and I doubt he ever was. Idiot.

Then there is James, with an alcoholic wife who he can't leave because he is afraid his depressed 20 year old daughter will become more depressed. They are both so nice and loyal, and stay in marriages that should be over. They become friends and I keep on wondering how they will become more, because these are two people that have sacrificed so much and deserved to be loved.

The lies keep on coming in this one, and I keep on reading. It was so easy to just get lost in this one, sure there is drama, and emotions all over the place, together with some serious trouble, but it doesn't get dark or anything. It keeps that feeling of reality, because humans can so easily act like idiots, and she shows it here.

Recommendation and final thoughts:

I would recommend it. To romance fans, to fiction fans, and to those who just like a good British story, they do have their ways of writing. If you are tired of world win romances, and over the top scenarios, then read this one. Big lies for sure, but also basic human emotion and feelings. It is very close to a 4, but I will still go with 3,75 for some reason I don't even know. Recommended yes, hard to put down, yes.

Reason for reading:

I have read Moorcroft before, and I enjoy her books. It feels like I am stepping out in the real world, but there is still happiness, they just have to work for it.

Cover: Simple is good sometimes

Review copy from choc-lit

Review: All that Mullarkey - Sue Moorcroft

Genre: Women's fiction
Pages: 336
Published: June 2010 Choc Lit


Revenge and love: it's a thin line...

The writing's on the wall for Cleo and Gav. The bedroom wall, to be precise. And it says 'This marriage is over.' Wounded and furious, Cleo embarks on a night out with the girls, which turns into a glorious one night stand with... Justin, centrefold material and irrepressibly irresponsible. He loves a little wildness in a woman and he's in the right place at the right time to enjoy Cleo's. But it s Cleo who has to pick up the pieces of a marriage based on a lie and the lasting repercussions of that night. Torn between laid-back Justin and control freak Gav, she s a free spirit that life is trying to tie down. But the rewards are worth it.

Moorcroft did again and delivered another honest and lovely book. And she also gives us another ass who breaks it off in such an evil way. This time our heroine comes home and in the bedroom her ass of a husband has written on the bedroom wall, the marriage is over.

That is how the book starts, and Cleo goes out. There she meets hottie Justin who takes her home, and she is loving it. But as the dust settles the next day she goes home to find a husband who regrets his outburst. She tries to save her marriage, but in the end, is it worth saving?

Let me start with saying that Gav was an ass, not just cos of his little message, but because of so many other things. He controls her, and as I read on I come to realise just as she does that this marriage is not as perfect as everyone thought.

Cleo is great, she tries to work things out with Gav. And she finds her own strength. She is honest. And then there is hottie Justin, such a hottie and he has it bad for her. He was a great guy, and I am sure most women will think so too.

An honest book about a real marriage that has cracks under the surface. A book about people making mistakes, people trying their best, and falling in love. And no 2 week romances here, no, they take their time to fall in love, and when they do you just lean back and smile, and think, this is the real deal.

There is a lovely romantic story evolving in this book, and they are so meant for each other, even if the road there is long. An honest, romantic story about a woman torn between two men. I liked it, and I especially like the second half cos there is gets kind of exciting, and it kept me wondering how that would end.

It's always nice to read about real people because it does make me think, what would I do?

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: Nice and simple

Reason for reading: From choc lit

Final thoughts: Ratty was in this book, yay :D

3

Review: Starting Over - Sue Moorcroft

Genre: Women's fiction
Pages: 336
Published: 2009 Choc Lit

New home, new friends, new love. Can starting over be that simple? Tess Riddell reckons her beloved Freelander is more reliable than any man - especially her ex-fiance, Olly Gray. She's moving on from her old life and into the perfect cottage in the country. Miles Rattenbury's passions - Old cars and new women! Romance - He's into fun rather than commitment. When Tess crashes the Freelander into his breakdown truck, they find that they're nearly neighbours - yet worlds apart. Despite her overprotective parents and a suddenly attentive Olly, she discovers the joys of village life and even forms an unlikely friendship with Miles. Then, just as their relationship develops into something deeper, an old flame comes looking for him ...Is their love strong enough to overcome the past? Or will it take more than either of them is prepared to give

This was a nice book because it had this sort of honesty about it, and this natural flow of things.

It's about Tess who has been left at the altar; her fiancé broke up with her via email. The horror! What a bastard, she was angry, and she was ill. And now she is finally picking up the pieces of her life and has moved away to a small village somewhere in England. At once she meets Miles, or Ratty as he is called, and dislikes him. But there is something hidden beneath that surface, and he is so sweet to people he like. But it is not as easy, her ex is back (still an ass), but something is building up.

Of all the ways to break up, I disliked her ex Olly at once (email!!). And even more as I got to know Tess, because there are more things hidden, and one thing is for sure. She is so much better off without him. I really liked when Miles came and defended her at once time when Olly was being an ass.

Miles, oh he is a player, he enjoys his women, but there is still this sweet side to him when he is around his friends, and their kids. One has to like him, and he does want her, and as times go by, he understands how much he wants her.

There are no big things happening, there is just life. Tess trying to make a new living, getting new friends, trying to get away from her overprotective parents, and slowly trusting a man again. But like life, there is also hardship. She is still very vulnerable, and it shows.

It's a nice book about life, love and everything else. I know she has to be comfortable to let him in, and I wait for it to happen. They are such good friends, and I am sure they could be happy together. But I am never certain, Moorcroft does keep me on my edge, I do not know how she does it, but she does. She makes me doubt and then she makes me happy. I like that, because even if my soul knows that that HEA is coming, I still want to be surprised.

What I liked about this book was the honesty, the normal people living normal lives, and two people falling in love, slowly but with a certainty. People making mistakes, and in the end, true love. Sometimes you don't need more than that. No big gestures, no crazy anecdotes, just a great couple and their way, to love, or not to love. I can't go and spoil everything now can I.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: Nice, sweet, and simple.

Reason for Reading: From the Publisher. Oh and I do love their motto:

Choc Lit: Where heroes are like chocolate- irresistible

Final thoughts: I liked Ratty, Miles that is, and I want those drawings that Tess made.

3