By Samantha Scott-Jeffries

The Final Hitch is the latest installment from Samantha Scott-Jeffries, and follows on from her preceding novel I Do, I Do, I Do. We join protagonist, wedding planner and soon to be bride Izzy Mistry on the journey to her very own wedding – which is not without its mishaps and adventures along the way.

From the off this charming read will have you dreaming of foreign soils and romance abroad; as Izzy renovates a neglected property in a small village in the Majorcan mountains.

The descriptions of local Spanish delicacies will have your mouth watering as Scott-Jeffries has the art of recounting mouth watering food down to a tee. You can almost smell the delicious aromas as she describes Izzy’s trip to local Majorcan markets, and you will yearn for a life sipping expressos in a bourgeois cafe in rural Majorca.

Despite her new engagement, there are two love interests on the horizon and not only does Izzy have to wrestle with her heart, she has to contend with learning a new language as she transforms a dilapidated town house into the home of her dreams.

Scott-Jeffries will have you guessing until the last few chapters making this a true page turner, and one I guarantee you will finish in one sitting as you will not want to put it down.

Will she choose kind, enchanting Tomas, the son of her boss; or old flame Harrisson, a trendy art director who seems to have changed his hard-partying ways in favour of a blissful married life abroad? The two are polar opposites but Izzy cant’ seem to make up her mind who or what she wants.

It is a simple, sweet read which captures the magic of Majorca perfectly. A few threads of the story are left untied, so now I simply can’t wait for the next volume from Scott-Jeffries following the precarious love life of the unique Izzy Mistry.

8/10

http://www.littleblackdressbooks.com/

By Meg Cabot

Before I review this novel I must confess that Meg Cabot is one of my all time favourite novelists; she is a brilliant writer of chick lit and every one of her books is a page turner – I am pleased to say that Queen of Babble is no different.

History of fashion student and air head Lizzie Nichols had just graduated, (or so her friends and family think) from college and has decided to spend her summer with her long-distance boyfriend. There’s only one catch – they have only met once and she can barely remember what he looks like. From the off, her beloved Andy is not all he cracked up to be and she soon realises she had made a horrific mistake.

Novel Cover of The Queen of Babble

As things don’t go to plan in London, Lizzie soon finds herself in desperate trouble – luckily her best friends Shari and Chaz are holidaying in nearby France and she takes a train to meet them. En-route, she finds herself spilling out all her troubles to a complete stranger called Luke – or so it seems. Little does she know he is the handsome owner of the villa she is about to spend her summer at! It is then that the real fun begins, with plenty of twists and turns along as the Summer progresses and Lizzie is unable to keep her big mouth shut.

Luke is handsome, rich, clever, considerate – and of course has a model girlfriend to match. But worst of all he now knows all of Lizzie’s secrets! The novel follows Lizzie’s escapades as she tries to mend her broken heart with a little help from old friends, new friends and of course Luke.

Can unlucky-in-love Lizzie Nichols find romance in Europe after all or will she return home with a broken heart?

This novel ticks all the boxes and is everything you would want from a holiday romance read. Cabot draws you in and makes you fall in love with her ditzy protagonist – plus a huge bonus is that there are two more installments from The Queen of Babble which I am yet to read – can’t wait!

9/10

The cover of this enticing novel by Janet Mullany promises ‘a rakish regency romance’ and I must agree they have got it spot on! From the word go, the reader is given a delicious insight into the fraught mind of a single woman in an age where a successful marriage is everything.

Being a huge fan of Austen and other such authors, I loved the feeling of stepping back in time and experiencing historical England; and it makes you feel that women have always had the same ‘man troubles’ whatever the era may be! Improper Relations is told in the first person, alternating between the hero and heroine; this was an aspect of Mullany’s style that I loved and was unusual in that you are given both sides to the story – a refreshing change!

A Rakish Regency Romance from Janet Mullany

After losing her best friend and distant cousin Ann Weller in marriage to the Earl of Beresford, sharp-witted protagonist Charlotte Hayden feels inclined to be even ruder than usual to potential suitors – much to her mothers disappointment! However she is caught in a compromising liaison with Beresford’s wicked cousin, the attractive and dastardly Shad – or so she is led to believe.

Charlotte finds herself in a reluctant marriage, missing Ann more than ever and paired with a husband more difficult to read than a book in a foreign language! Charlotte’s reactions to the restrictions of society are laughable and as a reader your frustrations grows with hers, as each complex situation and problem presents itself to her. I read with baited breath as Charlotte faced crossed wires, her husbands near-fatal illness, the potential loss of her best friend and many a fashion disaster!

You really do feel like you are with Charlotte every single step of the way through the story.  Mullany, a self confessed ‘comical historical romance writer,’ has cleverly created a character who portrays the day to day anxieties of a young woman in an old fashioned age, but whom modern day women can relate to perfectly.

Improper Relations is a must read and provides a refreshing take on marriages of convenience!

I would give this novel a 4/5 and eagerly await Mullany’s next novel.

At the very heart of London fashion, and renowned for his unmistakably flamboyant edge, Giles and his aesthetic vision has brought to life a dazzling limited edition bag that is destined to become the ultimate accessory of the Winter season. The Isklar Tote is designed to marry the opposing demands of style and practicality and bring them together in one perfect accessory. The design of the tote means it will grace the arm of only the most astute fashionista, whilst the bag’s spacious capacity and clever design, means it is also ideal for convenience and everyday use.

The Isklar Tote is as rare as it is special, as only 100 of the bags are ever to be made, so fashionistas will need to be quick off the mark if they don’t want to miss out on what is certain to become the most coveted handbag of the winter season.

The totes will be available to buy from www.gilesdeaconisklar.com from November – with one bag hand signed by Giles himself that will be purchased at random by one lucky fashionista. The totes will be retailing at £95 and come with two bottles of Isklar, with 50% of proceeds going to Oxfam, a charity chosen by Isklar and Giles.

The novel follows the adventures of two outsiders, trying to fit in and find the one place they can truly call home. A tranquil dock in sunny Seattle sets the scene, however the peace is quickly shattered when a building goes up in smoke and everyone suspects it’s the doing of a ten-year-old pyromaniac.

The story quickly picks up pace when heroine Andes, a twenty-five-year old traveller trying to find the one place she can call home, accompanies her new ward Chase to Sunnyside Queens- where trouble seems to follow them.

Mary Carter turns the chick lit genre on its head delivering Andes- the ultimate flawed heroine whose obsession with deadly vipers is one of many secrets she will do everything to keep under lock and key.

However this is not to be as history rears its ugly head, forcing Andes to face her past once and for all, and return to the place she ran away from ten years ago.  

I enjoyed the unique storyline which explores the obscure inner workings of a religious cult in West Virginia. Carter’s style is unusual in that her characters are rebellious misfits, yet the reader is sure to fall in love with them all the same; Mary is almost educational in the way that she humanises conditions that are usually misunderstood- such as religious practices and pyromania impulses.

As the plot unravels with every unpredicted twist and turn, light is shed on Andes history before the true horrors of her past are revealed. This novel is certain to keep the reader guessing with every turn of a page, be sure to expect the unexpected! From cover to cover this will set your pulse racing- this is one book you will not be able to put it down.

By Abbey Wass

Social networking sites are a key tool in enabling you to find and contact famous and well known professionals, as well as getting your name out there.

Rather than using immeasurable updates make sure every single update is interesting, and lets people know a little about you or your work.

Here are my top tips for making the most of your free time:

1. Start a blog and post at least twice a week

2. Upload an amazing set of photos and post them on Flickr, then add it to some popular groups and heed the advice

3. Follow as many journalists and media moguls on Twitter, who will hopefully in turn follow you too.

4. Utilise these contacts by creating a profile on LinkedIn and adding them. This is the ultimate professional networking site and you would be mad not to be a part of it.

5. Get a freelance position writing editoral for a small cost, although this may seem like a lot of work for not much return, your portfolio of work will be boosted and it won’t look as though you have wasted time.

6. Get out and about, even if it is just around the country of the local area, you will boost your knowledge, maybe spot a news story and take lots of pictures along the way!

7. Create an online or digital portfolio, showcasing your writing skills and your ability to adapt print to the web.

8. Learn how to use a popular piece of photo editing software, such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom, not only will your pictures look great it’s also another skill to add to your CV.

9. Improve your interview skills trying telephone and video interviews with as many people as possible, if you can write them up or publish online to get your name out. 

10. Do something completely different in another outlet of the media, by taking part in a work experience placement or an internship.

I hope this helps, and for even more great tips, take a look at http://www.10000words.net/2009/06/journalism-grads-30-things-you-should.html

I have just finished Marian Keyes new novel This Charming Man, and I must say that I am wholly undecided whether I actually like this book or not?

The ‘charming’ or not so charming protagonist, Paddy De Courcy is an evil Irish politician and the embodiment of fear itself for all the women involved in the plot. He is a serial domestic abuser and the plot follows the relationships he has with various women, gradually revealing the violence behind the seemingly perfect façade.

I think the feminine and sparkly cover betrayed the harsh, gritty storyline within; I expected a light hearted rom-com style read, and instead got a graphic insight into the imprisoned life a sufferer of domestic violence leads.

This is not to say this ‘informative’ novel is bad, just unexpected and very sad. Keyes is clever in the way she portrays the acrimonious Paddy, first making you empathise with his situation lulling you into a false representation of his character, and then swiftly pulling the rug from beneath your feet!

The violent scenes are somewhat heartbreaking, which should in effect make it a gripping and good read, however I still come to the conclusion that it is just not something I would like to read about.

Sorry Keyes, although it is an educating read it is just not my cup of tea!

Rating: 2/5

The term magazine is generally acknowledged to have come into usage with a publication in the 1730s of ‘The Gentleman’s Magazine’ by Edward Cave. Its aim was to entertain with stories of crime and romance, soon proving popular, not just for sale but for rental in public houses, coffee houses and barber shops. The Lady’s Magazine, a female counterpart, was quickly published, and from then on magazines began to establish themselves as demand for the new style of publication increased.

Traditionally, magazines were written for men by men, the likes of ‘Punch’ and ‘Strand’ are examples of this. Most magazines were written from an opinionated viewpoint, for example the political magazine ‘Punch,’ which sought to provide a “witty and irreverent take on the world” (Punch Ltd, 2004), albeit purely from a male perspective. This like others was a product of its time, and historical events such as women getting the vote changed everything.

We live, now more than ever before, in an ideological society in which the media exploits the image of the ideal to entice readers with images of perfection as ‘the norm.’ Essentially, making them believe that the impossible is possible.  This does seem like a modern day phenomenon, however I have found that the same ‘ideals’ have been represented in both the male and female press from the start. 

Early Ideology of Femininity in Women’s Magazines

Examining the roots of the ‘female press’ development, it is clear that from early on women were established as the primary consumers, which is why there were a broad choice of publications.  However, early publications were written by men, and it wasn’t until the eighteenth century that women began to participate in the public realm of print.

Before this time, there was NO gender equality. Social change aided the development of gender equality, and in parallel the media produced gender stereotypes, which has developed into the social ideology we see in the media today. Social change enabled women to have more freedom; the birth of the women’s lifestyle sector gave women a voice, and enabled women to be represented, for the first time, by their fellow sex.

However it seemed that equality was a rarity in other aspects of the print media. “In 1957 Howard Stick calculated that the ratio of female to male journalists in newspapers as 1:16 and in magazines 1:3” (Delano, 2003, p.273), female participation continued to remain as an insignificant minority within the newspaper industry, until “the expansion of the journalist population in the 1960s” (Delano, 2003, p.284).

Although there were many magazines aimed at men, these were often hobby orientated, and it wasn’t until late in the 20th Century that there was a male answer to the women’s lifestyle sector.

This late arrival of men’s lifestyle magazines could be seen as a result of the gender- commerce link being realised with the expansion of the leisure industry and arrival of the ‘new man’ ideology in the late twentieth century.  Whitehorne points out that “only in the 1980’s did men’s magazines appear that were based on general interest magazines,” before that they had been concentrated on hobbies or interests rather than achieving the ‘personal confidante persona’ that the women’s press had attained long before (2007).

I also recognised that it wasn’t until the end of 1995 that all four major UK consumer publishers, Condé Nast, Natmags, Emap and IPC, owned a men’s lifestyle title. Consequently, the lifestyle division for men was truly established.

When Helen Damon-Moore studied gender construction within men’s magazines, in particular American magazine ‘The Saturday Evening Post,’ she found that they came close to unconscious indoctrination- they “presented patriarchy and male domination as natural” (1994).  Although this study is now slightly dated, references to a patriarchal society are made throughout magazine history, and are even apparent in the female magazines of today, with instances such as the ‘male gaze’ and the over-sexing of female models in the female press.

The female alternative (also American), was the ‘Ladies Home Journal’ in which Damon-Moore found that women’s activities were circumscribed in comparison to the male alternative in which a broader range of activity was endorsed for men. Pastimes such as sewing and cooking were encouraged and it ‘sang the praises of housework as an invigorating and worthwhile pursuit.’ 

Although presented in different ways, both magazines were permeated by images and descriptions of appropriate gender ideals and behaviours, these became stereotypes proving the influence of the media over its consumers. These stereotypes continue to have influence over the readers, as they allow magazines to convey a vast quantity of information relying on few visual clues. This makes them an ideal, yet potentially lethal tool, in the world of journalism because of the ideological influence they have over the more impressionable reader.

So, it seems not much has changed. The ideal woman and the ideal man are still deliberately and unashamedly represented in today’s male and female press. It just so happens that the ‘ideal’ has changed, not the concept behind magazines.

The port side location is perfect for The Loch Fyne Restaurant in Gunwharf Quays. Despite being slightly pricier than the other restaurants along the Quays, I found it did outshine them all in freshness and quality of ingredients.

The interior of the restaurant is naval themed; knotted ropes and wooden decking makes the atmosphere ideal for a seafood restaurant. I loved the fact that you could see the cooks in the kitchen; it added to the authenticity and revealed their simple approach to cooking fresh fish.

The restaurant chain takes its name from a sea loch on the west coast of Scotland; and before diversifying into the restaurant business they started out as an oyster company. Loch Fyne begun life as a small oyster shack on the main West Highland road at the head of beautiful Loch Fyne.

Their pledge to care for the marine environment was set in stone at the outset and they have led the way in encouraging sustainable fishing and supporting small, high quality producers, fishermen and farmers around the UK.

I decided to take advantage of their fantastic rate at lunchtime; where they offer a fixed price menu for just twelve pounds. It’s incredible value as you get two courses plus a side, enough to curb even the most voracious of appetites.

After much deliberation, as there was so much sumptuous food to choose from on the varying menu, I started with the mussels.

The mussels were cooked in a Thai style soup which was a fantastic twist on the original moules marniere. They were also served in a rustic metal bowl, with slices of fresh granary bread as an accompaniment. The mussels, which are reared on ropes near the loch’s headwaters at Ardkinglas, are sustainably sourced, like so much of Loch Fyne’s produce.

For the main course, I opted for kiln roast salmon fillet, which was beautifully seasoned; and melted in the mouth, as fresh fish should. I choose to accompany my side with a mixed leaf salad, which although simple, was a lovely light addition to the meal.

The salmon is farmed with care and caution by independent companies, dedicated to looking after the local ecology, and is also accredited by RSPCA Freedom Foods. Those of you who are environmental minded, can rest in the knowledge that the organic salmon is from sustainable sources.

The customer service was also impeccable, and the waitress was very attentive thorough the course of my visit. My only complaint would be that I couldn’t eat more, so I will defiantly be looking forward to another visit in the near future. This really is a restaurant for seafood lovers, and will probably convert most fish haters too!

The freshness of fish, added to the fact that there is a fish counter, so you can even take home some freshly prepared fish; this really is the ultimate seafood dining experience. It is not surprising that Loch Fyne is one of the UK’s fastest growing and most successful restaurant companies; this is one not to be missed.

Passers by were shocked as people dressed in nude bodysuits took to the streets, seeming to be clad in, well, just a scarf!

http://www.youtube.com/NUDEinaSCARF Hits on YouTube have quickly escalated, and the NudeinaScarf channel is now ranked among the top 5 in the UK and top 60 in the world.

The streaker’s were filmed and photographed as they took to the streets of London during budget day on an epic adventure across the capital.

Taking nudity to a new level of art form, the Nude in Scarf crew were on a mission. Following their morning debut the nudes showed naked cheek by streaking along to some of London’s most famous landmarks including The London, Eye, Parliament Square and Hyde Park.

The naked ambition behind the bare-faced campaign was to expose the Peugeot 308CCs specialized Airwave technology, which means that a stream of hot air is emitted around both the driver and passenger’s neck area giving a scarf-like effect. The aim of this new design? To make driving with the roof down a pleasure, whatever the weather.