Is it a bit late to say 'Happy New Year'?

So far, my schedule has been humped and I haven't had too much time to write reviews until now! Luckily, I have been able to read in the time I've been away and I have two lovely, heart-warming books on the line up for you. These two came in a 3 for £10 bundle on Amazon, which have some seriously feelgood fiction up for grabs right now. Click here to see the full range!

Firstly, we have The Vintage Girl by Hester Brown. 

Quercus UK cover, 2014

Rating: M - chit-lit, light and happy

Post feels - Content with life

Blurb:

When Evie Nicholson is asked to visit Kettlesheer Castle in Scotland to archive the family heirlooms, she jumps at the

chance. Evie's passion for antiques means that, for her, the castle is a treasure trove of mysteries just waiting to be uncovered.
But in each heirloom lies a story, and in the course of her investigations Evie stumbles upon some long-buried family secrets. Add handsome, gloomy heir Robert McAndrew and a traditional candlelit gala to the mix, and Evie's heart is sent reeling with an enthusiasm that may just extend beyond the
Kettlesheer silver...  

Now, I'm pretty sure this has been published under 'Swept Off Her Feet' too, however, I just bought my copy and the seemingly new cover and name seems to be a change of publisher. The picture on the left is the most recent publication. The change is understandable if you read the book. In my opinion, the old cover doesn't really relate to the story, as most of the dancing is nearer the end. 

I really enjoyed this quick read with likeable and real characters. I'm always drawn to books with quirky settings and people to match and The Vintage Girl certainly delivered. The story itself is all about Evie and her obsession with all things old, tatty and historical. She particularly likes coffee stained photographs of lacy weddings and the lives which they represent, much to her antique dealer boss's dismay. At the beginning of the novel, we meet Evie who's job is already in jeopardy and when the opportunity to go to Kettlesheer Castle in the Scottish borders, she jumps at the chance. Imagine the historical possibilities! And Evie does imagine...a lot. She has an overactive imagination. From fancying unattainable men my favourite past time to recreating the steps and actions of the old Lady of the Manor, Violet, Evie is certainly a likeable character. 

However, this book is jam-packed with them: Alice, Evie's over-organized, control-freak of a sister, Fraser, Alice's lovely and dutiful tweed wearing boyfriend and Evie's secret crush, but also the people of Kettlesheer, from the nosy neighbours to the debt ridden owners of the castle and their anti-clutter son, Robert... 

Browne really gets it right with the spirit of the community and family in this book which really gets your feeling warm and fuzzing just thinking of it. Of course, its not a book for long drawn out plot lines, instead its short and snappy, aiming to give the reader as much satisfaction that it's 352 pages can offer. There's romance, history, nosy neighbours, and handsome heroes - everything you need from a chic-lit book. So, how about you grab that cup of coco and sit with your feet up and dive into the world of Hester Browne and see how you like it?

I promise you won't regret it.

 

Next up! 

 

It's The Oyster Catcher by Jo Thomas. 

Headline Review, 2014

Rating: M - sea, rain and warm fuzzing feeling! y

Post feels - "Where's my passport, I'm off to Galway!"

Blurb:
Dooleybridge, County Galway. Population: 482 (or thereabouts). The last place Fiona Clutterbuck expects to end up, alone, on her wedding night. But after the words 'I do' have barely left her mouth, that's exactly where she is - with only her sequined shoes and a crashed camper van for company.

One thing is certain: Fi can't go back. So when the opportunity arises to work for Sean Thornton, the local oyster farmer, she jumps at the chance. Now Fi must navigate suspicious locals, jealous rivals and a wild, unpredictable boss if she's to find a new life, and love, on the Irish coast. And nothing - not even a chronic fear of water - is going to hold her back.

Join Fi on her romantic, unpredictable adventure as she learns the rules of the ocean - and picks up a few pearls of Irish       wisdom along the way...


Now, I have literally just finished this book just last night and lets just say, I slept like a milk-filled baby. I felt so warm and happy after reading The Oyster Catcher that I'm actually considering blowing everything off and running away to Galway! You know when a book comes along and you just instinctively know that you're going to love every minute of it? Yes? Well, that was me with The Oyster Catcher. I knew instantly. That, my friends, is what we call 'the book of love' don't kill me because of that terrible pun!. Anyhoo, it was just what I needed on a cold, snowy Glaswegian night to cheer me up and transport me to a happy place in my head. 

The Oyster Catcher follows Fiona Clutterbuck, a.k.a Fi English, who after having the worst wedding of the century, she jumps into the first car she can find and manages to end up crashing it in a small oyster farming town, Dooleybridge. Like any off-the-beaton-track town, it's slightly rundown due to the lack of oyster farming in the area and full of nosy locals wondering who and why this mysterious women in a jumper and tatty gown has just landed on their doorstep. I was honestly surprised that for a bunch of loveable but inquisitive bunch they weren't more suspicious of Fi and her arrival in town, but perhaps for the sake of a story, the locals were tamed slightly. Enter Sean Thornton, local oyster farmer looking for an out of town blow in to be a Girl Friday. With no money and no home, Fi takes the job and begins working for the tempestuous oyster farmer. However, there is one hiccup - Fi is terrified of water. So with nosy locals, oyster pirates, jealous rivals and a two love sick donkeys to contend with its a miracle Fi even finds her footing, let alone love. 
 

I would definitely give this book a shot if you happen to see it. It's not only written precisely and easily, but the story is lovely and utterly heartwarming. I know it's going on my bookshelf, waiting for those cold, winter nights when I need a cozy story to get me through the night.

Kilts Galore!!

Outlander

The 'Outlander' Series, UK covers

Right now I am loving the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. I'm currently in the middle of the series, just starting on 'Voyager'  but I thought I would review the series nevertheless. There's something about the world Gabaldon builds up and describes that is utterly breathtaking; from bonny highland mountainous terrain of Scotland to the high society dinners of France, Gabaldon creates a world in which anything is possible.

All in all, there's several books in the series. I unfortunately only have three so far help me I'm poor, and there are currently 8 in the series! So I better get reading!

Rating: M - includes mature, sexuality explicit scenes, graphic scenes of violence, includes rape and torture.

Post-read feels: NEED MORE. 

So whats the premise?

Claire Randall is leading a double life. She has a husband in one century - and a lover in another.

In 1945, Claire Randall is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon in Scotland. Innocently she walks through a stone circle in the Highlands, and finds herself in a violent skirmish taking place in 1743. Suddenly she is a Sassenach, an outlander, in a country torn by war and by clan feuds.

A wartime nurse, Claire can deal with the bloody wounds that face her. But it is harder to deal with the knowledge that she is in Jacobite Scotland and the carnage of Culloden is looming. Marooned amid the passion and violence, the superstition, the shifting allegiances and the fervent loyalties, Claire is in danger from Jacobites and Redcoats - and from the shock of her own desire for James Fraser, a gallant and courageous young Scots warrior. Jamie shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire, and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.
  

I can say wholeheartedly that Claire is one of the few heroines that I actually admire or would want to be. She's a strong character that knows her own mind and can truly look after herself. As a WWII veteran nurse on the front line, she knows danger, death and loss all too well. She's also adaptable. When she becomes stuck in 1843, Claire has to make some hard decisions and choices which would possibly leave her old life behind, but she doesn't mope about it, she holds her head high and carries on with a wartime mentality that should be admired. It is also that experience which enables her to play 19th century Scottish politics so well. For a modern Englishwoman in the politically unstable Scottish Highlands, she does really well to keep herself alive. That is Claire's main goal - to survive.

Now, enter Jamie Fraser. Redheaded, hot-blooded, kilt wearing Scotsman. He sounds like the stereotypical historic figure, however, there's nothing typical about Jamie Fraser. He's an outlaw in his own right, stubborn as a mule when it comes to physical punishments, caring and protective, but he also gives Claire the freedom she desires as a modern woman. Hallelujah. There's something refreshing about Jamie - he has an almost childlike innocence about it that although he's been beaten, whipped and arrested by Redcoats, Jamie never seems to give up being all in all happy. He laughs when there should be no laughter, he's joyous when there's no hope of joy. And that's what makes him a great character. He's not the almighty 'Alpha male' types of heroes you see in other novels. He's sweet, innocent and caring but that in no way, shape or form diminishes his masculinity.

One of my favourite examples: 

"When I woke, I was trussed up in the wagon wi' the chickens, jolting down the road toward Fort William."
      "I see," I said quietly. "I'm sorry. It must have been terrible for you."
      He smiled suddenly, the haze of fatigue gone. "Oh aye. Chickens are verra poor company, especially on a long journey." 

(Chapter 4: I Come to the Castle, pg. 90)

 The love scenes are, as always, beautifully written. From the awkwardness of first touches, to the undiluted passion in the Scottish countryside, Gabaldon writes each scene with an emotional understanding and superiority that makes the characters actions leap out onto the page and grasp you in an intense focus that your eyes won't lift from the page until its done. In all, Gabaldon understands her creations, she knows their wants, their needs, their dislikes and their thought processes so thoroughly that the love scenes are, quite honestly, unbelievable. For a writer, it shows high caliber when you can write a explicit scene so beautifully, that the reader hardly knows their own thoughts, but instead is so focused on the characters that they can't see anything beyond them.  

In the course of the first book, Jamie and Claire face hardships and traumas that any other couple in that period would have broke down over. But not them. Jamie and Claire are stronger with each other, no matter what they face. There are some harrowing scenes and stories that honestly turned my stomach while reading it, however, they are written so well and orchestrated so carefully, that they really make you feel the raw emotion in each line. I truly love Gabaldon's writing. Each time I open one of her books I'm right in the middle of the story, smelling the scent of heather rolling on the hills, seeing the MacKenzie dinner hall alight with candles and music, and watching her characters, seeing their movements in detail, focusing on their expressions and how they interact. It's a truly magnificent series that should not be missed. Again, what's good about Gabaldon is the amount of historical research she invests in her writing. As a history student, you can tell Gabaldon has done some serious research in order to make the world as real as possible. This also includes, the Scottish Gaelic translations. I double checked them with a native Scottish Gaelic speaker I know, and although they aren't completely correct, they are certainly close. Depending on which copy you buy, the translations have been altered, as presumably she'd been notified of the small -- tiny -- errors in the grammar. Just shows you how dedicated she is to the books, Gaelic is difficult to follow let alone write in!

Jamie and Claire from the Starz series, 'Outlander'

ALSO!

So please, do give this series a try. It's an excellent read. But also, after you enjoy the books, check out the TV series, 'Outlander'. Its fairly new and its currently on a mid-season break so you guys have plenty of time to read the first book before it airs, but it's well worth the watch if you loved the books. It's extremely true to the books!

Here's Diana Gabaldon's official website if you want to check out more...