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

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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

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